THERE IS no better way to end a trying season than by sweeping your arch nemesis.
It was a Blue Booter squad playing with a lot of heart and a strong desire to win that got the Ateneo men’s football team a convincing 1-0 victory against archrivals the De La Salle Green Archers last February 19 at the Ateneo High School football field.
It was an ideal ending to a UAAP season that proved to be challenging for the Blue Booters, as they finished at fifth place overall with a 3-0-7 win-draw-loss record. UE finished last at sixth place.
Indeed, playing against Taft-based squad brought out the best in the boys in blue, who don’t seem to have forgotten last year’s 5-1 thrashing.
Ateneo’s attacks in the early minutes were concentrated at the center and right wing of La Salle. Despite being unable to convert their first half chances into goals, the 4-3-3 formation that Head Coach Jay Pee Merida chose to employ allowed the Blue Booters to pressure the Green Archers and control the momentum.
La Salle’s Larson Smit, Nathan Alquiros, Jules Villahermosa and Hector Borromeo led the Archers’ offense but none got through the Ateneo back four. Both teams were scoreless at the end of the first 45 minutes of play.
The second half saw a reinvigorated DLSU offense which in turn put Ateneo on the defensive. A brilliant turn-around shot by Borromeo went wide and Alquiros was a constant threat to the Ateneo back four, but Ateneo rookies Marcelino and Noel challenged them well.
Ateneo’s lone goal came in the 72nd minute when rookie right winger Mico Clavano was able to cut through the La Salle defense by serving up one of his pin-point crosses to a waiting Murayama near the center of the box for the header, which DLSU keeper Joshua Cruz initially deflected. However, Anton Amistoso was there to strike the ball into the right corner of the La Salle goal.
Amistoso, a graduating midfielder, was also the Blue Booter who scored in Ateneo’s first round 1-0 victory against La Salle.
La Salle threatened to score on a free-kick right after Amistoso’s goal, but was deflected by an Ateneo wall. Consecutive plays by Alquiros, Mateo Yuhico, Sabin Bustamante and Fedricco Rabaya were cleared by the defense and a free kick from the left wing by Gregy Yang was tapped out by Mantos, who played an impressive last performance as a Blue Booter.
Right before the final whistle, Ateneo almost scored another goal, but a smash by Alvarez from another Clavano cross was too wide.
This year’s finals is a rematch of Season 73 between UP and UST, the latter seeking vengeance for last year’s loss. To win, UST must beat UP twice since the defending champs have the twice-to-beat advantage.
Stay tuned for The GUIDON Sports’ special online analysis of the Season 74 performance of the Ateneo Men’s Football Team.
Updated 8:57 PM, February 21, 2012.
