Reporting note: this article draws on tiebreakertimes.com.ph; LodiScore provides the summary and editorial framing.
The Jumong Amita red card turned a friendly reunion into a rescue job. UP and FEU played out a 2-2 draw in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men's Football Tournament on Sunday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium, but the Fighting Maroons had to survive the last ten minutes a man short.
Amita, who came through FEU-Diliman at high school level, was shown a second yellow by referee John Mike Basinang with about ten minutes left. He looked visibly frustrated as he walked off, and UP had to dig in to hold the point.
Jumong Amita red card spoils the homecoming
You could hardly script a worse return. Amita spent his high school years at FEU, won two UAAP high school titles there, and his family built its football legacy at the school. Then he turned up in a UP shirt and got sent off against them.
He did not hide how odd the whole thing felt. "It's exciting but a bit nerve-wracking because that's where I came from," said Amita, a Sport Science student.
"I know those players really well, and they know me really well too, how I play. So before the game earlier, I was nervous with a bit of happiness because, well, my team is different now."
Why nobody was surprised by the physical edge
This fixture has history. UP and FEU met in two of the previous three championship matches, and the Fighting Maroons won both. Add a player facing his old teammates and you get a match with a bit of bite.
Amita shrugged off the dismissal as part of the deal. "For me, that's just how the game is, it's a bit physical," he said.
"But we just showed my teammates how we play. We gave our heart. That's just how it is, that's the game."
Fair enough. UP did what good teams do when the numbers go against them — slowed it down, stayed compact, and took the point.
Popoy Clarino and the adjustment to UP
Four matches into his collegiate career, Amita is still finding his feet. He admitted the physicality and intensity of the college game have taken some getting used to, along with the composure needed to keep his head when things get heated.
UP head coach Popoy Clarino has been central to that process, on and off the pitch. "Not just off the field, he helps me catch up here with UP Men's," Amita said. "I still have a lot to adjust. So far, I've got the system here. I myself really approached Coach Poy to get into UP."
That last line matters. Amita chose this move, and Clarino has clearly backed it.
UP's unbeaten start and the title target
The draw keeps UP unbeaten. The Fighting Maroons have now drawn with FEU and Ateneo de Manila University and beaten the University of Santo Tomas and the University of the East in their four outings.
For Amita, the standard is obvious. UP are the team to beat, and he knows what is expected of him. "Back-to-back champion, that's what we need. And I need to work hard to contribute to the team," he said.
So what now? UP keep their unbeaten record and their title defence on track, while Amita waits out a suspension and works on the discipline side of his game. The talent is there. The temperament is the project.
One thing is certain — the next time these two meet, the subplot writes itself.
This report is based on the original story by tiebreakertimes.com.ph.
