THE ATENEO Men’s Football Team ended their match over the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws at goalless deadlock on Thursday, March 9 at the Moro Lorenzo Field in Quezon City.
The draw puts the Blue Eagles at a 6-1-0 record with a +15 goal difference in Season 79 of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Football tournament.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with neither squad gaining an edge. The first real opportunity came in the seventh minute, after Julian Roxas played a dangerous through ball inside to a streaking Rupert Baña, but Resty Monterona got to the ball. Five minutes later, Roxas was found open inside the box from a William Grierson free kick and got creative by trying to knee it in, but it sailed wide.
The first yellow card of the match was shown to Enzo Ceniza in the 23rd minute after he interfered with an FEU free kick. In the 26th minute, Roxas tested Tamaraws keeper Dave Parac with a volleyed strike outside the box, but it was deflected out right.
FEU remained dangerous throughout the game through forward Rico Andes, as he constantly prodded the Ateneo defense with dangerous runs. In the 32nd minute, Alex Rayos came close, but his shot bounced off the post. This back-and-forth pace continued as the halftime whistle eventually sounded, with the match still in a stalemate.
The action on the field resumed straight away at the start of the second interval. In the first FEU possession, ball came close and hit the bar from a cross. Moments later, Ceniza drew a free kick in a dangerous area from a great run, but the ensuing set-piece was safely handled by Parac.
The introduction of forward Sam Lim in the 60th minute led to some chances for Ateneo, including back-to-back opportunities in the 62nd and 65th minute, but they were all contained by the back four of the boys in green.
At the latter part of the match, Carlo Liay shifted from his position in the midfield to more advanced role at the front of the Ateneo attack. This led to him nearly scoring in the 76th minute after he got past the keeper, but the ball was cleared out by the FEU defense. The Tamaraws nearly broke the deadlock at the 83rd minute, but AJ Arcilla jumped out and saved it. Liay had back-to-back scoring opportunities towards the end of the game, but the first one went wide and the second was caught by the keeper.
Tension filled the 90th minute and the added time. Dave Deloso of FEU had to be stretchered out of the game, after a shoulder collision with Arcilla’s knee inside the box. A minor scuffle broke between the two teams moments later after Nino Herrera and an FEU player confronted each other. Three minutes later, Lim took advantage of the scrappy play by bursting down the wing with only a keeper to beat, but Parac dove and defelcted the ball out. Both teams tried their best to break the deadlock in the dying moments of the game with some physical and urgent play, but it was to no avail as the referee blew his whistle signaling the first draw of the season for the Blue Eagles.
After the game, Coach Jaypee Merida admitted that the absence of leading scorer Jarvey Gayoso influenced the outcome. “Siguro mag-sscore kami. Pero of course, hindi naman all the time naman Jarvey’s there. We need to prepare (I guess we could’ve scored. But of course, we do not have Jarvey all the time),” he explained.
“Pero of course kung nadun si Jarvey, siguro mag-iiba rin yung game. Siguro makukuha namin yung three points na iyan.” (If Jarvey was there, the game would have changed. We could have gotten the three points if he played)
Starting XIs:
Ateneo: Alilam, Arcilla (GK), Baña, Ceniza, Grierson, Haosen, Jarvis, Mathay, Poe, Rocha, Roxas
FEU: Andes, Cubon, Deloso, Ferrer, Joyel (GK), Jurao, Menzi M., Menzi A., Monterona, Rayos, Villaseñor
Substitutions: 36’ Liay on for Haosen, 60’ Lim on for Alilam, 72’ Herrera on for Baña
Yellow Cards: 23’ Ceniza
The six-game winning streak of the Blue Eagles was snapped in tense match.
https://storify.com/TheGUIDONSports/uaap-season-79-men-s-football-ateneo-vs-feu
