Eyes on the prize. The Blue and Lady Booters under new guidance show good form and conditioning as they kick-off this year’s UAAP Football season. Photo by Pia B. Guballa

New coaches. New season. New football field coming soon.

For the men’s and women’s football teams, however, it is not just about football anymore. Season 74 is about pride—pride for the name of the university they carry on their jerseys. While much has been said of the decline of these two teams in recent years, one thing is for sure—their road to redemption has begun.

Blue Booters

Revitalized—a word that accurately describes the new look Coach Jay Pee Merida wants for the Blue Booters.

Ateneo’s new 4-5-1 system allowed the booters to keep pace in their opening match against the UP Fighting Maroons. This system lets a team gain control of the midfield; thus, the midfield is also the heart of the offense. The lone striker, however, is usually outnumbered and must be strong enough to shrug off defenders. Midfielders have great responsibility in pushing forward; thus, attacking options must be used properly. The presence of five midfielders also gives a stronger defensive advantage.

Leading the first 11 on the pitch are co-captains James Arcos, Yu Murayama and keeper RS Mantos. The back four features Miguel Tuazon, Francis Mendoza and rookies Jico Noel and Cocoy Marcelino. The strikers are Murayama and Kurt Alvarez, supported by wingmen Arcos and Emman Paredes. Anton Amistoso and rookie Mikko Mabanag play midfield.

The Blue Booters displayed great form and conditioning as they ran the system well, denying any easy entry for the Fighting Maroons and converting stops into their own offensive runs. The combo of Jinggoy Valmayor, the Season 73 rookie of the year, and Jay Eusebio found it difficult to get easy scoring opportunities.

Offensively, the boys were sharing the rock and were looking for holes in the UP defense for scoring opportunities, allowing Ateneo to mount attacks from all sides. This let the offense flow better and not become stagnant. Against UP, majority of Ateneo’s shots came from a play by at least two or three blue shirts, while the only two solo plays came from wide open looks. Scoring was clearly a team effort.

The Loyola squad, however, became frustrated, prompting Coach Merida to tell his boys to relax and be patient. “We weren’t ourselves today. We made mistakes that allowed UP to score; we’re still learning,” said co-captain Arcos. Murayama added, “Kaya naman eh, but we allowed ourselves to get frustrated.”

Although their season debut ended in a 0-2 loss to UP, the Booters have shown an essential trait absent last season: organization. Hopefully, the team works to make this trait translate into a good showing this season. However, one thing is clear: this will be an uphill battle and a test of will.

Lady Booters

After a major overhaul over the offseason, the Lady Booters kicked off their Season 74 campaign against rivals De La Salle University. Two significant changes were the shuffling of the players into new positions, and the introduction of a new offensive approach.

The changes proved to be successful as the women’s team put up a strong performance against the Taft-based contingent, which placed third in Season 73, one rank higher than Ateneo. Although the game concluded in a 0-0 draw, it was significant for the ladies in blue because their hard work and perseverance paid off as they exhibited their dominance throughout the entire match. The only thing lacking was the finishing blow.

One thing is evident, though: Ateneo’s center backs are a force to be reckoned with this season. After dropping down from her attacking role last season, Milka Romero partnered up with skipper Inez Achacoso, making for a potent combination. With these two players’ tall frames, good aerial ability and aggressive play, La Salle’s strikers found it difficult to break through the Ateneo defense; the ladies in green barely hit the target throughout the 90 minutes.

Another notable thing was the tidiness of the Lady Booters’ ball distribution, as well as the plays that were executed. Most of the game was played in the center of the field, with Ateneo keeping most of the possession. This made for a more polished performance in contrast to last year, which Achacoso called a “pinball” style of play. “Compared to last year, [the way we played] was better because we controlled the ball more,” said the skipper.

With improved style of play, the Lady Booters’ went into the game with one defining mindset: confidence. “Before, we would enter the game nervous and worried,” said Romero after the game, “but that feeling never crossed our minds [this time].”

With continued form, the Lady Booters are in for a good season.