FRESH OFF a vengeful victory against De La Salle University (DLSU), the Ateneo Men’s Football team played their last match of the elimination round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 78 against sixth-seeded National University (NU) on Sunday, April 17 at the McKinley Hill Stadium in Taguig City.

The game represented the Eagles’ last chance at scraping points on the table to secure them a spot in the Final Four; a win would bump the Blue Eagles up the rankings, with an added three points to assure them a semifinals berth. Meanwhile, a tie or loss against NU would give the University of Santo Tomas (UST) a golden chance to take the last Final Four slot if they at least take a tie in their remaining two games.

With Team Captain Mikko Mabanag back on the field after a one-game suspension, and Jarvey Gayoso’s magic touch proving to be their saving grace on the pitch in the previous two games, the Blue Eagles looked set on beating the Bulldogs to the punch in a ticket to the Final Four. However, several crucial lapses on the blue booters’ back line spelled trouble for the team, and not even some last-minute magic from Gayoso could restore the damage inflicted to their chances of making the semis.

Possession was balanced throughout the first half, with back and forth action centered in the middle third of the pitch characterizing the early stages of the game. NU forwards Paolo Salenga and Ian Macapal continuously harassed the Blue Eagles’ defensive line, penetrating the Ateneo’s penalty box but failing to convert any goals. On the other side of the pitch, Mabanag and Carlo Liay linked up to create chances for strikers Gayoso and Masyu Yoshioka, but were ultimately thwarted by keeper Chris Perocho.

But it was the Bulldogs who drew first blood in the 25th minute, as Macapal received a long ball travelling towards the Ateneo box. Onside and unmarked, he beat keeper Ken James to find himself open in front of the goal, then calmly slotted the ball in to put the Bulldogs on the board.

Unfazed, the Blue Eagles pushed forward, with Carlo Liay sparking the equalizer mere minutes later. Dribbling down the middle, Liay spotted Yoshioka in position, lobbing the ball forward to the rookie, who then received the pass in perfect time to finish with finesse and tie the game.

The Blue Eagles’ offensive fire was still alight, however, with Gayoso adding to the damage in the 39th minute. With Chima Uzoka given the yellow for taking down Yoshioka outside NU’s penalty box, the Blue and White were awarded an opportunity to further the damage with a set piece. Free kick specialist Gayoso stepped up to take the shot and coolly sunk the ball into the net with a left-footed swerve to give Ateneo the lead at 2-1 just before halftime.

With their Final Four hopes in sight, the Katipunan-based squad kept up the fight going into the second half, boosting their offense and defense on all thirds of the pitch. The Bulldogs, however, did not go down without a fight, as the NU front line led the charge to take back the game. Paolo Abalunan, Salenga, and Lawrence Colina applied an offensive press that forced the Blue Eagles into their own third of the pitch, but it was Macapal again who eventually restored the deadlock, receiving and converting a perfect through ball in the 59th minute to tie the game at 2-2.

Substitute striker Lui Clavano was brought on moments later to help repair the damage, but there was little the booters could do to stop a relentless Bulldog attack. Salenga and Macapal’s hunger for goal was evident as the forwards exploited chinks in the Eagles’ armor. Going into the last twenty minutes of the match, some more runs by the NU forwards and a crucial foul by wing back Rafi Lipardo gave the Bulldogs several chances to take the lead, but a header over the crossbar in the 72nd minute was the closest they came.

Mabanag retaliated by feeding Clavano perfect passes into the Bulldogs’ third of the pitch in the 60th and 78th minutes, but some hounding against the outnumbered Ateneo forward prevented the Eagles from getting a shot on goal. Marin Viray, however, put the Sampaloc-based squad out of their misery in the 84th minute, blasting a low shot that rolled past keeper James and into the bottom left corner, breaking the stalemate to put the Bulldogs ahead at 2-3.

Desperate to keep their Final Four hopes alive, the Blue Eagles did not back down. They pushed their men into the opponent’s penalty box in the 85th minute, resulting in a scramble for a shot that rattled the crossbar. Lightning finally did strike as the clock winded down, with NU’s Regala conceding a free kick through a handball. With their chances at the championship on the line, Gayoso worked his magic to save the game for the third time in three games, blasting a powerful strike that sailed over the wall and into the top-right corner. The whistle blew mere seconds after the goal, with the game ending at 3-3.

Having been unable to secure the win to ensure a spot in the Final Four, the Blue Eagles chances of taking the semifinal slot rest on the results of UST’s last two games against the University of the East (UE) on April 17 and DLSU on Thursday, April 21.

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