NINE GOALS were split between the Ateneo Blue Eagles and Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws on Sunday, April 15 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. The superior firepower of the reigning champions ultimately made the difference, granting Ateneo a 5-4 victory in the fiery encounter.
Ateneo earned its tenth victory of the season and boosted its record in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 Men’s Football tournament to 10-1-2. The Blue Eagles sit on 31 points for the season, tied with the University of the Philippines (UP), which means their meeting on April 19, Thursday, will determine the top seed before Final Four play. Meanwhile, FEU stays locked in seventh with a 2-4-7 slate.
The crowd was treated to an all-out attacking spectacle, with both sides matching each other goal-for-goal for most of the match. When the dust settled, Koko Gaudiel collected a brace, Sam Lim, Mike Castillo, and Jimi Haosen joined the midfielder on the scoresheet, while league-leading scorer Jarvey Gayoso notched a trio of assists. John Renz Saldivar led the way for the Tamaraws with a brace of his own.
The Blue Eagles showed no signs of rust from the opening kick. The team earned an early lead in the fifth minute, through Gaudiel. The veteran midfielder’s composed finish was assisted by Enzo Ceniza, who recycled play after Lim’s initial effort was denied by the crossbar.
5’ – GOAL! Lim’s volley is deflected on to the crossbar off Gayoso’s knockdown. Ceniza recycles play and finds Gaudiel, who pierces the net from close range!
Ateneo 1 FEU 0#UAAPFootball pic.twitter.com/crBv8kAzwO
— Joaquin A. Santos (@Joax_TheGUIDON) April 15, 2018
Sam Lim redeemed himself in the 18th minute. Gayoso chased down Jayrah Rocha’s long ball from the back, then provided a nicely spaced set-up for the second-year striker to double the scoreline.
18’ – GOAL! Gayoso chases down Rocha’s punt upfield and works hard to set up Lim for a well-placed finish!
Ateneo 2 FEU 0#UAAPFootball pic.twitter.com/Vh76MfJFK9
— Joaquin A. Santos (@Joax_TheGUIDON) April 15, 2018
Bungay pulled one back for FEU in the 33rd minute, converting his first-time finish off Donggyu Jung’s perfectly-timed pass.
33’ – Goal for FEU. Bungay pulls one back with an incredible first-time finish off Jung’s stellar pass!
Ateneo 2 FEU 1 #UAAPFootball pic.twitter.com/FFFaNLpF6h
— Joaquin A. Santos (@Joax_TheGUIDON) April 15, 2018
The Blue Eagles responded with another goal in the 41st minute, after Mike Castillo’s low cross forced a dive by FEU keeper Dave Parac. Gaudiel pounced on the rebound to notch his second of the match and make it a 3-1 game.
41’ – GOAL! Castillo bursts down the right and fires in a low cross. The ball rebounds to Gaudiel, who finds the top-left for his 2nd of the match!
Ateneo 3 FEU 1#UAAPFootball pic.twitter.com/LyGkB46c27
— Joaquin A. Santos (@Joax_TheGUIDON) April 15, 2018
The Tamaraws, however, had the final word in the first half. An error by rookie keeper Gavin Rosario on Gilbert Mendoza’s free kick shipped Ateneo a goal seconds before the halftime whistle, narrowing the gap to 3-2.
45’+2 – Goal for FEU. A keeper error off Mendoza’s free-kick lets the Tamaraws pull one back just before halftime.
Ateneo 3 FEU 2#UAAPFootball pic.twitter.com/iACWYz0458
— Joaquin A. Santos (@Joax_TheGUIDON) April 15, 2018
Both sides continued to pour in the goals in the second half. In the 54th minute, Castillo headed home a Gayoso corner kick to give his side a 4-2 advantage.
54’ – GOAL! Castillo towers over the FEU defenders to plant a header past Parac!
Ateneo 4 FEU 2#UAAPFootball pic.twitter.com/VqFuRt0iwr
— Joaquin A. Santos (@Joax_TheGUIDON) April 15, 2018
The Tamaraws had a response two minutes later, through John Saldivar. The winger capped FEU’s superb transition from defense to attack with a clever chip over Rosario.
56’ – Goal for FEU. Zaldivar immediately responds with a clever chip over Rosario.
Ateneo 4 FEU 3 #UAAPFootball pic.twitter.com/IdwjgFGsjN
— Joaquin A. Santos (@Joax_TheGUIDON) April 15, 2018
The intensity of the match got the best of FEU in the waning moments of the match. The Tamaraws were reduced to ten men in the 65th minute, after Ray Joyel impeded Gayoso’s run from behind. Joyel’s trip on Gayoso earned him his second yellow, sending him out of the match. Gayoso’s subsequent free kick was deflected off the crossbar.
The Blue Eagles notched their fifth of the match through a breathtaking counterattack in the 71st minute. Nino Herrera’s interception sparked a dizzying combination play by Blue Eagle forward duo, capped by Gayoso setting up Haosen with a perfectly timed backheel for the clinical finish.
71’ – GOAL!!! 😱😱😱 Herrera, Haosen, and Gayoso combine brilliantly to tear FEU apart. Gayoso’s genius backheel sets Haosen up to cap off a ruthless counter-attack.
Ateneo 5 FEU 3#UAAPFootball pic.twitter.com/DHA46bEkim
— Joaquin A. Santos (@Joax_TheGUIDON) April 15, 2018
Saldivar scored his second of the match in the final minute of added time to cut FEU’s deficit to a single goal, but it was too little, too late as the Blue Eagles marched on to their eighth win in nine matches.
“Our gameplan today was to get the three points,” said Coach Jaypee Merida. “I noticed lang na medyo pareho lang yung nagyayari ngayon at sa first round (the game was very similar to the first round matchup). Maganda naman na nag-adjust tayo sa transition nila, especially the midfielders (We adjusted well to their transition play, especially the midfielders).”
The Blue Eagles will face the UP Fighting Maroons on Thursday, April 15, at the Rizal Memorial Football stadium in Manila with the league’s top seed on the line.
Starting XI: Rosario (GK); Grierson, Rocha (C), Dy; Castillo, Gaudiel, Haosen, Ceniza, Mathay; Lim, Gayoso
Substitutions:
45’ – Herrera on for Lim
57’ – Roxas on for Gaudiel
72’ – Bana on for Haosen
78’ – G. Poe on for Dy
81’ – Alilam on for Mathay
Yellow Card:
62’ – Herrera
Red Cards:
65’ – Joyel
