The 10 Most Forgettable LSFC Games Ever
There were many great moments in LSFC history, but I guess it is just typical of me, ever the fault-finder, to first dwell on the things that stand out for all the wrong reasons. Here are some of the worst. ( :>) RT).
1. The Chinese Socks	STRAA of 1990, and during the opening parade, my own lads were making sarcastic comments about the odd green socks of the team from Cavite Province, with Chinese character like designs which my players called "incantations." Fate would, of course, spring its cruel trap when we were drawn to meet the very same team in our opener, and although Cavite was so poor, they packed their defence and kicked everything away. We lost the penalty shootout, the incantations apparently having worked.
2. We Scored First	There is no such thing as fraternity between La Salle schools in football, and LSFC has suffered many an embarrasing day at the little field of Zobel. None more so than in the RIFA in 2002, when, after Arvin Carandang had cheekily put us ahead early in the game, the pressure of defending the lead with still so much of the game to play was just too much for the young and inexperienced team. The heads went down, the legs refused to move, and the final result was a 1-13 lynching.
3. First Trip Out	In the early days of LSFC, I had invited the DLSU - Manila senior team, my former teammates, to play against my high school team in Lipa. We gave a good account of ourselves in a 1-8 loss. But our first ever trip out was a friendly supposedly against Colegio San Agustin. Instead, my former Division I coach Tomas Lozano put out the Makati Football School team, practically a selection from the top footballing schools. We went home tails between our legs, 1-16 the final score.
4. Night Out	Season of 1995-96, we had a reasonably good team, and to this day I still think we could have won the RIFA had we started the season well. Colegio San Agustin was not quite what it used to be, and the RIFA game should have been a routine LSFC win. But the night before was Seniors' Night, and while everyone promised to be home early, of course nobody bothered. The moment John Dimaculangan gave away the silliest of goals, there was only going to be one result. 0-4 to CSA.
5. Eagles' Nest	Losing to Ateneo is never easy, particularly if you have a team with players of the caliber of Tuteng Marasigan, Carlo Olmos and Felipe Calvelo. But 1988 was our first year in the RIFA, and we still had to find our footballing legs in the competition. The heat was something everyone was struggling to come to terms with, the wide open spaces of the Ateneo High School field was another. The 2-9 defeat was most forgettable, but was placed in perspective when we only lost 0-1 in a fiercely contested match against Zobel, who eventually won the title.
6. Packed Like Marble	It was 1989 and we lined up in the STRAA quarterfinals against the men from Romblon. One hour of vintage passing football, our opponents contained inside their own half, unable to even test Dwight Rosales in the LSFC goal with a single shot. But because STRAA games are so unconventionally short, Romblon's defence stood firm and regulation ended 0-0. We lost the penalty shootout. For the record, we beat Romblon 3-0 and 2-1 (they were twice-to-beat) in the finals to successfully defend the title we won in Calapan the year before.
7. Iraq	March 2003, we had just finished 3rd in the RIFA, and by doing so exceeded everyone's expectations. We arrived in Batangas City for the STRAA expecting to do well. But the field, as one player called it, was "Iraq." There was no grass, instead a wide expanse of dust. The ball would not even bounce. Our opponents, Cavite City, were like lambs waiting for the slaughter. Had Arvin Carandang scored when put clean through, we would not have had any problems. Instead, Cavite held out for their desired goalless draw and beat us in the penalty shootout.
8. Go-for-Goal... We Didn't	1992 in the Coke Go-for-Goal. We were clear favorites for the Regional title, even if Mindoro had players who looked old enough to be my players' fathers. The passing game was yielding plenty of possession but, because Mindoro's defenders were older and turned quicker, yielded little penetration. 0-1 was the result, something which meant we would be relegated to the playoff for third, sheer ignominy for a school that enjoyed an outstanding record in the tournament.
9. Bad Format	January 1989. The RIFA Candidates season resumed after the Christmas break. Normally, it would have ended in December with the finals played between the two top teams. But the format was changed into 2 rounds, the tournament dragging on into late February. We were in a two-horse race against Zobel, who we were scheduled to play in the wide open spaces of Ateneo. Unable to shake off the Christmas hangover and lift ourselves to the standard of football we were playing just weeks before, we lost 1-6, not an unjust result.
10. Bad Semi-Finals	March 1999, we were in the RIFA semi-finals against Ateneo. The Blue Eagles scored first, but their overlapping fullbacks exposed their middle so much I knew we would get back into the game. And we did, Hanger Brillantes first equalizing then missing narrowly within a few minutes. Ateneo had lost its psychological edge and we were pressing forward for the winner, until an innocuous ball slipped under a central defender's foot to let in Ateneo with the winning goal.