THE RESOLVE for championship glory fumbled as the Ateneo Men’s Football Team (AMFT) failed to secure victory over the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons, 0-2, in the Ang Liga Finals. The highly-awaited battle was held earlier today at the University of the Philippines Diliman Football Field in Quezon City.
With their gut-wrenching loss against the Soaring Falcons, the Blue Eagles ended their unbeaten reign, earning first runners-up in the Ang Liga Season 19 Division 1 Tournament.
Ever-reliable Dov Cariño was the crucial piece for the Atenean offensive, providing a myriad of goal-scoring opportunities for the team. Meanwhile, Adamson’s Lorent Jayaon put on a scorching hot performance as he bagged a brace for the Soaring Falcons.
Eager to draw first blood, the Blue Eagles executed patient build-up plays in an attempt to subdue the Soaring Falcons early in the match. Four minutes in, a trademark cross from Leo Maquiling made its way to center-forward Kofi Agyei who failed to head the ball home. Subsequently, another opportunity came as Cariño connected a through-ball to Agyei but the Ghanaian sriker’s lofted shot went over the Adamson goal.
Midway through the game, a brief scare emerged for the Blue Eagles as the Soaring Falcons capitalized on fortuitous chances on goal. In the 19th minute, Soaring Falcon Demnes Arañas blitzed past the Atenean defense, only to deliver a misplaced shot out-of-play.
With the momentum on their side, Adamson opened the score sheet in the 47th minute with a counter-attack sequence, as Jayaon slotted in a crisp shot past Artuz Cezar, 0-1.
Opening the second half, the Blue and White came close to equalizing as Diego Aspiras sent in a low-driven through-ball to Cariño on the wing. With time on his hands, the speedy winger delivered a cross to Agyei. However, the play was ultimately denied by the tough hands of the Ermita keeper.
The closing minutes saw Ateneo putting in goal-scoring chances. With time running out for the Katipunan-based team, rushed shot attempts kept them at bay against the underdogs. With the final whistle approaching, Adamson sealed the Ang Liga title with a lung-busting run from Jayaon to seal their victory, 0-2.
Despite being handed an upsetting loss against the Soaring Falcons, the Blue and White squad hope to absorb this defeat and do better in future games. “We’ll learn from this, and we’ll get better,” Agyei shared.
As the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) inches closer in the coming months, Head Coach JP Merida’s selection hopes to bring the UAAP title back to Loyola Heights and reclaim the throne.
