THE ATENEO Men’s Football Team (AMFT) falters to the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws, 2-4, finishing fourth overall in Ang Liga Season 18. The battle for bronze was held earlier today at the De La Salle University Biñan Football Field in Laguna.
Prior to the opening whistle, Coach JP Merida opted to shuffle his starting eleven for the first half. Despite Ateneo’s struggles on the offensive end, goalkeeper Jessie Villanueva proved to be a breakthrough defensive player for the Blue and White, keeping the Tamaraws at bay in the early minutes of the game.
[13th Minute]
— Luis Antonio Licas (@Luis_TheGUIDON) December 11, 2022
Villanueva keeps FEU at bay, rejecting their attempt.@TheGUIDONSports#AngLiga pic.twitter.com/2nkbgvr6oI
However, FEU powered through the defense despite Villanueva’s steady hands, slotting in their first goal off an excellent header at the 31st minute. The Tamaraws then quickly doubled their advantage with another goal from a well-delivered corner to end the half, 0-2.
Looking to bounce back in the second half, Coach Merida made several substitutions, bringing regular starters including Kofi Agyei, Szymon Mercado, and Leo Maquiling.
With fresh legs off the bench, the Blue Eagles played with more composure. A stellar offensive possession in the 59th minute led to a goal from Mercado off a header by Agyei to cut Ateneo’s deficit down by one. However, the Tamaraws remained unfazed and quickly answered with a counterattack, scoring their third goal at 66th minute, 1-3.
[59th Minute]
— Luis Antonio Licas (@Luis_TheGUIDON) December 11, 2022
Mercado reduces the deficit courtesy of Agyei's header.
Ateneo 1 FEU 2@TheGUIDONSports#AngLiga pic.twitter.com/PANoAWmjBP
Despite the two-point gap, the Katipunan-based squad remained calm and collected, finding an opening at the 82nd minute when Agyei booked Ateneo’s second goal off Maquiling’s assist, 2-3.
[82nd Minute]
— Luis Antonio Licas (@Luis_TheGUIDON) December 11, 2022
Agyei slots it in after receiving Maquiling's pass.
Ateneo 2 FEU 3#AngLiga pic.twitter.com/eRO6aoV5iw
FEU’s dominance on offense simply overpowered the Blue Eagles as the Tamaraws leaned on their wing players to send home their final goal at the 3rd minute of stoppage time to secure their third-place finish, 2-4.
Even though the AMFT fell short of garnering a medal, striker Kofi Agyei believes that the lessons learned from Ang Liga will help them prepare for their upcoming tournaments. “I think this preseason was really good to help us fix our mistakes and to not let those happen in the UAAP.”
Finishing fourth overall to end their preseason campaign, the Blue Eagles will look to build on their experiences as they continue their training camp in January next year.
