Pregame Analysis

Halfway through the UAAP Season 74 Football Tournament, the Ateneo Blue Booters sit at fourth place with a 2-3 record—the most promising start for the men’s football team since Season 70, when Ateneo lost to FEU in pursuit of a fourth straight title. Five games into Season 74, the men’s team has made a statement: don’t count us out so easily.

Promising start

With new head coach John Paul Merida at the helm, the revitalized Blue Booters have shown improvement on all faces of their game.

Ateneo’s secret to success is quite fundamental—organization. The Loyola Squad has religiously followed and trusted their 4-5-1 system, which has paid dividends on both sides of the field.

The defensive line held by Francis Mendoza and rookies Jico Noel, Cocoy Marcelino and Mikel Alazas has proven strong, throwing back even UST’s Ojay Clarino and UP’s Jinggoy Valmayor. Noel—former captain of the Cebu squad for the Palarong Pambansa and former member of the Under-16 National Youth Team—is one of Ateneo’s defensive assets. His presence is significant as he also shows the traits of a leader on the defensive end.

The blue offense is running the smoothest it has been in recent memory. The Booters have been able to convert defensive stops into offensive runs involving three or more blue shirts. Anton Amistoso, Kurt Alvarez, Emman Paredes, Co-captains Yu Murayama and James Arco, and rookie Mikko Mabanag all took part in sharing the rock. Ateneo played its best offense in the Booters’ victory against La Salle and in their frustrating loss against UST—the offense flowed seamlessly from the center and Ateneo attacked relentlessly.

The bench has also delivered. Many times, Coach Merida plugged in players off the bench who delivered quality minutes—even changing the starting 11 from time to time. Anton Sison and rookies Robin Medalle and Mico Clavano have shown commendable performances for the blue and white offense.

Ateneo has help ready for the defense with veteran Carl Llado and rookie Anthony Sunico coming off the bench, as seen in the impressive defensive effort by Ateneo against La Salle’s four straight recoveries in the dying minutes of their matchup.

These signs show that Coach Merida has faith in his players, reflecting a healthy and positive coach to player relationship between the Blue Booters and the coaching staff. Should the Blue Booters continue to play as a team and work cooperatively with their coaching staff, they have nowhere to go but up.

Close fight

Anything can happen in football. These were the words of FC Barcelona head coach Josep Guardiola in a press conference prior to Barcelona’s quarterfinals match against FC Shakhtar Donetsk in the 2010-2011 UEFA Champions League. It would be a gross understatement to say that 90 minutes of highly competitive and intense football is no joke.

UST, last year’s runner-up, is on top with nine points, followed by dark horse FEU at second with 8 points. At third is defending champion UP, with seven points in a frustrating first round performance. Ateneo has six points, while La Salle sits at fifth with four points, followed by UE with three points. A win gives a team three points, a draw secures one point while a loss yields nil.

A single win can change everything. It would only take two wins for UE to tie UST for first, while a win by La Salle will raise them to fourth and push Ateneo to fifth. Perhaps the team in the best position to upset this season is FEU.

The second round begins

Competition kicks into high gear in the second round. Perhaps the two deadliest teams in the second round will be UP and La Salle. Both teams are underperforming favorites this season.

Valmayor, last year’s rookie of the year, has not yet scored, while the UP squad is still searching for its team chemistry. With only one win, the defending champs will be out for blood in the second half. Incidentally, their first game for the second round pits them against Ateneo.

La Salle bagged the University Games crown last October, but the Taft-based squad’s performance in the first round shows a completely different team. La Salle will look to bounce back in the second round and pay back Ateneo for handing them their first loss of the season.

At this point, the Blue Booters are their own greatest enemy. Patience and composure will be vital for Ateneo in the more competitive second round. Even without the presence of a true striker in its ranks, the Loyola Squad has the hustle and determination needed to score goals. Only the players themselves control their fate this season, in the way that they would conduct themselves on the field.

Round Two of the UAAP Season 74 Football Tournament commences today, February 5, as the Blue Booters face UP at the Ateneo High School Field at 1:00 PM. 

First Round Standings