THE ATENEO Men’s Football Team started the second round with a 1-1 draw versus the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons on Sunday, March 12 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
The draw puts the Blue Eagles at a 6-2-0 record with a +15 goal difference in Season 79 of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Football tournament.
Both squads started the game slowly. Early on, the Fighting Maroons seemed intent on attacking the left side of the pitch to test rookie defender Justin Dy, who was a last-minute starter due to an injury that sidelined William Grierson. In the 7th minute, Jordan Jarvis was found wide open by the right flank, but his low cross was deflected out.
As the first half progressed, UP started to gain more traction with a larger share of possession. The 26th minute featured nice passing around the box from the Fighting Maroons, which led to a shot at the edge of the box that forced AJ Arcilla to jump out and stop it. In the ensuing counter, Jarvis broke free at the right and bolted down the field only to be taken down by JB Borlongan, which earned him a yellow.
The Fighting Maroons finally broke the deadlock in the 31st minute through Kintaro Miyagi. He was a recipient of a pass that needled through the Ateneo defense and tapped in the open goal. UP held on to this one-goal advantage until the halftime whistle blew.
The second half was when the intensity and drama of the match picked up. Nino Herrera earned a yellow card seven minutes into the half after he made rash tackle on a UP player. At the 64th minute, UP assistant Popoy Clariño was banished from the touch line after continuous complaining from the referee.
Ateneo finally equalized at the 65th minute from a Jayrah Rocha header. Jarvey Gayoso’s corner kick found the co-captain by the left post, and he subsequently headed it to the back of the net.
An unfortunate incident happened to the Blue Eagles a few minutes later, after Julian Roxas was taken down while trying to defend a cross. He had to be stretchered out of the game and was replaced by Koko Gaudiel. At the 72nd minute, there was confusion after the Fighting Maroons initially thought that they had scored, but the linesman called for offside right before the ball went in.
At the 83rd minute, Gayoso had a golden opportunity to score after he was found open inside the box with only a keeper to beat. He tried to make the extra pass to forward Rupert Baña for the easy goal, but was flagged for offside instead. Both squads pressed on in the remaining minutes searching for the elusive goal to win them the match, but it was to no avail as the game ended with a 1-1 draw.
After the match, Coach Jay Pee Merida was content with the result considering the opponent and the way the team played. “Against UP, happy na ako sa result. Ang maganda rin is that the boys stepped up,” Merida explained. “Of course, may mga mistakes lang especially in the attacking third at the last minute with some poor decisions. Sana ma-improve namin ito sa training.”
Starting XIs:
Ateneo: Arcilla (GK), Ceniza, Gayoso, Dy, Herrera, Jarvis, Liay (c), Mathay, Poe, Rocha, Roxas
UP: Bonoan, Borlongan, Clarino Ju., Clarino Jo., Gadia, Lapas, Magdato, Miyagi, Patangan, Rafanan, Villanueva
Substitutions:
Ateneo: 53’ Haosen on for Herrera, 63’ Baña on for Ceniza, 70’ Gaudiel on for Roxas, 87’ Alilam on for Liay
UP: 67’ Abraham on for Bonoan, 69, Sanciangco on for Magdato, 74’ Saavedra on for Patangan, 79’ Resuma on for Borlongan, 90’ Santos on for Sanciangco
Yellow Cards: 27’ Borlongan, 51’ Herrera, 90’ Poe
Ateneo remains undefeated and on the top of the table after draw in the second-round opener.
https://storify.com/TheGUIDONSports/uaap-season-79-men-s-football-ateneo-vs-up-58c54f01ad18417f7ba8928f
