YOU ONLY really feel that you’ve fought hard enough when it pays off. For the Lady Booters, the first round of Season 72 marked the beginning of the hard way to finding that out. When they lacked the fight, they lost. When they showed some fight, they still lost. As crowds thinned game after game, the rookie-laden squad buckled under pressure. What was expected by many to be a team at the brink of a renaissance faltered as one loss came after another.
Their January 17 season-opening draw with FEU was seemingly a fluke. In their second game, they were up against defending champions UST. The game was played mostly on
Tainted. The Lady Booters’ struggles to find the winning combination this season. | Photo by Mark G. Tiu
Ateneo’s side, as they again failed to reciprocate the pressure of the opponent.
Ateneo started with the same energy as in their first game versus FEU, but these Tigresses did not have a problem scoring very early on, not to mention that they did an excellent job defensively. By the 18th minute, the Ateneans found themselves in a 0-2 hole.
Cess Trinidad, who also played point guard for the women’s basketball team, scored a goal to put Ateneo on the board halfway through the second half, but it was too little too late. The goal served as a mere consolation to a relatively one-sided affair.
The 2-1 loss to UST was the beginning of the downfall everybody feared.
Ateneo’s third game was against DLSU, who finished last year’s eliminations first with a 6-2-0 (win-draw-loss) record only to lose to UST in the finals. These ladies have arguably the most intimidating defensive line in the league, which make Kylie Misa and Inez Achacoso look small.
The game was a downer from the start. Ateneo’s strikers looked scared and fatigue was obvious in most of the players. In the last minute of the first half, DLSU sneaked in a goal through a clear shot from at least 40 yards that grazed the finger tips of Matalam’s hands. Ateneo lost 1-0.
Finally, in what could have possibly been a game for the Lady Booters to get back on track, get a win, and uplift their spirits, they lost. Their final first round game against last year’s cellar-dwelling UP turned out to be a nightmare.
The coaching staff experimented with four surprise starters including goalkeeper Gely Tiu. Ateneo played sloppy and looked disorganized for most of the first half, having no real attempts, and even allowing UP to gather momentum.
Surely enough, UP sensed their Katipunan rivals weakening and surged with four goals in the last 34 minutes of the game. Ateneo’s defense broke down and collapsed like dominoes. Ateneo lost 4-0.
