Photo from UAAP Media

MANILA -- Defending champion University of the Philippines will be taking on Far Eastern University in a rematch of last season’s final in UAAP men's football, while top-seeded Ateneo de Manila University will be facing fourth-ranked University of Santo Tomas in a heated evening showdown on Sunday at Rizal Memorial Stadium.

UP and FEU are no strangers to tight contests, having battled to two hard-fought draws—1-1 and 2-2—during the elimination round. With just two points separating their standings (UP at 26 and FEU at 24), both squads are eager to break the deadlock in the semis.

UP coach Popoy Clarino emphasized the need for readiness and resilience as the Fighting Maroons aim to defend their crown.

“It’s a whole different game,” said Clarino. “Last year, we were against UST who came out really strong. Ateneo was the fourth seed and almost beat FEU, the first-seed team. So, it’s anyone’s game, and that’s the beauty of football.”

READ: UAAP: Ateneo slips past UST to clinch No. 1 seed in men's football

Clarino added: “We just have to prepare physically and mentally, and hopefully, we’re very eager to play [in] the semifinals. We have to stay consistent, work harder, and be hungrier than ever.”

On the other hand, FEU coach Roman Oliver exudes confidence in his squad.

The Spanish mentor pointed out that despite challenging circumstances, UP has yet to secure a win against the Tamaraws this season.

“We have the full squad ready for the Final Four,” said Oliver. “I smell the fear in their faces, so let’s play again. It’s going to be a different story. We had handicaps in the first leg when we only had three days to prepare, and today we played with just 13 players. They haven’t beaten us yet, so let’s see what happens when we’re at full strength.”

READ: UAAP: UP puts 7 goals past La Salle to close elims

The evening match sees Ateneo, the top seed with 28 points, looking to complete a season sweep of UST, which finished with 14 points.

The Blue Eagles bested the Golden Booters twice in the eliminations, securing a 2-0 victory in the first round and a narrow 3-2 win just last week.

Ateneo’s charge is led by the prolific Dov Cariño, the league’s leading scorer with 11 goals, three of which came against UST.

Despite his team’s dominance over their opponents, Blue Eagles coach JP Merida stressed the importance of staying sharp.

READ: UAAP: Aguilar brace powers La Salle past UE

“We consider this as game one,” said Merida. “Game two will be next week at Rizal. Most of their main players weren’t there last time, like TJ Garciano and Chris Valderama. Same with us. Hopefully, our injured players, like Fonzy Escobin, can recover. We’re looking forward to performing well in the semis, and we’re ready for UST.”

UST coach Marjo Allado, meanwhile, sees the semifinal as a fresh start. Despite losing twice to Ateneo this season, he remains optimistic about his team’s chances.

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“Kahit sino naman kalabanin namin sa semis, di naman kami namimili,” said Allado. “It’s about recalibrating the players’ mentality kasi pagdating sa semis, back to zero eh. Yung mga talo namin before, wala na yun. It’s a good semifinals ulit, and this is where we’ll see the real test.”

With extra time and penalties on the table if necessary, the stakes couldn’t be higher.