THE ATENEO Blue Booters’ hopes of defending their championship were dealt another major blow, this time after being blown out by Far Eastern University (FEU), 0-3, at the Moro Lorenzo Football Field.
With injuries plaguing the Blue and White throughout the season, the team found it difficult to keep pace with FEU, who have only lost one game thus far.
From the outset, the Morayta-based squad looked dangerous. However, center backs Kokoy Marcelino and Enzo Bonoan held firm in the opening exchanges.
Then, a moment of madness occurred in the twelfth minute, when an FEU attack saw a scramble among the Ateneo backline. An attempted clearance ricocheted off a man in yellow, which then resulted in the ball nestling in the bottom corner of the net, 1-0 to FEU.
FEU continued to pile on the pressure from there on, controlling the tempo by keeping possession and keeping a high defensive line.
In the 23rd minute, Marcelino came to his side’s rescue as he cleared the ball from finding the net once again when FEU’s winger got past Ateneo’s goalkeeper JP Oracion.
The Blue Booters then got their first significant attempt at goal six minutes later when Mikko Mabanag’s looping cross barely missed Emilio Acosta.
But just when the Blue Booters were beginning to find their rhythm, FEU struck again. In the 33rd minute, Ateneo was caught off-guard on the counterattack and the ball ultimately fell to FEU’s Paolo Bugas who calmly slotted the ball past Oracion.
FEU nearly added a third in the 40th minute after skipper Eric Giganto skipped past Oracion. Giganto, however, blasted his shot over the goal.
With that, the Blue Booters trailed at halftime, 0-2.
The second half began almost in the same vein as the first. 10 minutes in, FEU almost pulled off a stunning goal as midfielder Patrick Rallos picked the ball up center field, took a couple dribbles, and let out a powerful shot. Fortunately for Ateneo, Oracion was on his line, and delivered an equally stunning save off the crossbar.
In the 70th minute, FEU substitute Jesus Melizza fired a stinging shot, which was saved acrobatically by Oracion. From this point on, Ateneo tirelessly pushed on for that opening goal, but had a hard time getting past the FEU backline.
Jacobo Lorenzo came close five minutes later, but the goalkeeper calmly caught his left-footed effort.
Frustrations boiled over in the 84th minute after FEU defender Josh Mulero went to ground after executing a pass. Although what transpired was unclear, the referee brandished Lorenzo a second yellow card, thus reducing the Blue and White to 10 men for the remainder of the match.
In stoppage time, Ateneo suddenly looked reinvigorated. Emman Paredes nearly got that crucial goal after dummying his marker. His shot just so happened to go directly to the opposing keeper.
A few moments later, Ateneo skipper Yu Murayama connected solidly with Mabanag’s free kick, but this attempt too was saved.
Good buildup play from the Blue and White then almost resulted in an FEU own goal, but the goalkeeper was quick to scoop the ball away from the goal line.
In Ateneo’s last attempt, a corner, FEU capitalized and went on another counterattack. With three strikers in yellow versus a solitary Bonoan, one FEU winger blasted the ball home and sealed the deal. The referee then blew the whistle, to the dismay of the defending champions.
With the loss, the Blue Booters now find themselves at the bottom of the league table, with six points and a -9 goal difference.
The chance at a Final Four spot now becomes smaller and smaller as the days go on, but the team will hope to bounce back in their next game against National University on Friday, January 26, 3PM at FEU Diliman.
