CARMONA, Cavite -- Sports officials and enthusiasts would expect drama and action when the top four junior teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 94 junior's football fight for finals berth on Tuesday.
Set at the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) pitch inside the San Lazaro Leisure Park at Barangay Lantic here, defending champion San Beda University (SBU)-Taytay, Rizal will be slugging it out with Perpetual Help Junior Altas Booters at 9 a.m., while College of Saint Benilde-La Salle Greenhills will slug it out with Arellano U Braves at 2 p.m.
The fourth-seeded Perpetual Help Junior Altas Booters formally returned at the helm after defeating Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC)-Immaculate Conception Academy -Dasmariñas City, Cavite campus in their convincing victory (3-0) in their last match of the eliminations last Friday.
Barotac Nuevo natives, Jovencio Acojedo, with head coach Tommy Escoltero, scored two consecutive goals; while Kim Cabusas added one goal in the second half of their match to lead the Altalletes to a convincing win.
PH U16 standout Allen Luansing brought extra power, along with graduating defender Jerome Villela, in their defense to keep the EAC Brigadier scoreless after 90 minutes of play.
This is the first time that the Junior Altas Booters have entered the semis after almost a decade of drought, since the time of King Eddie Velizano, who made history in 2007 under legendary coach Miguel Cajes.
"We will do our best to force a rubber-match, we will give the defending champion a good fight," coach Tommy Escoltero vowed during an interview with PNA. (Dennis Abrina/PNA)
