FRESH OFF an 8-0 rout of Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) and a 10-0 thrashing of the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (UPHSD), the Ateneo Blue Eagles found the attacking spark once again in their 3-1 victory over the University of the East (UE) in their Ang Liga clash on Monday, November 6 at the Moro Lorenzo Football Field.
Mark Nacional’s well-placed finish and Jarvey Gayoso’s clinical brace sealed the win in a dazzling display of attack and versatility that highlighted the Blue Eagles’ performance. The victory makes it three in a row for the Blue and White, who have now jumped into 3rd place in the standings from sitting in 8th before this winning run. The Blue Eagles showcased their dangerous ability to either hit on the counter or combine passing moves to create scoring chances, which ultimately allowed them to outclass their opponents.
From the first whistle, the Blue Eagles stormed out of the gates with a mindset to put the game away early. A minute into the match, Will Grierson, who continued his promising spell leading the attacking line, swung in a cross from the right for Rupert Baña to attack, though Baña’s header sailed over the bar. Only a couple minutes later, Jayrah Rocha knocked down a corner kick into the feet of Nacional, but the winger scuffed his volley at the goalmouth. These two quick chances were encouraging signs for Ateneo, who were enjoying an early dominant spell in the match.
Their search for a goal almost ended when Rocha played in Gayoso on the left side of the box with a smartly weighted lob in the 9th minute, but UE keeper Frank Reiza managed to parry the striker’s shot. Ateneo’s breakthrough would come almost eight minutes later from a nearly identical piece of play. Baña got on the ball just outside the box and chipped a lead pass for Gayoso to pounce and arrow a shot into the bottom right corner.
Determined to respond to going a goal down, UE ramped up their defensive activity and tried to contain the game in the middle of the park, which worked only to some degree. Enzo Ceniza and Koko Gaudiel did very well to protect possession against a physical UE press and looked to play forward, but the team failed to find the right final ball to generate more clear-cut opportunities.
For investing so much in attack, Ateneo was always under threat of being caught on the counter, and true enough, UE made them pay in the 29th minute. They won the ball back in Ateneo’s half, allowing midfielder Hans Arboleda to unleash a long-range equalizer against the run of play.
However, instead of sitting back and playing cautious, the Blue Eagles responded with their most ruthless attacking play in the match. Grierson’s strong hold-up play allowed the midfield to create chances higher up the pitch and provided a focal point from which the powerful running of Baña, Nacional, and Gayoso could stretch UE’s defense every which way. Grierson himself almost pulled Ateneo ahead after his low drive from just inside the box flew inches wide of the post.
Midfield and attack looked especially in tune with the timing of runs and passes forward. Their sharpness in attack was rewarded in the 38th minute, when Nacional touched a lay-off pass into Gayoso’s path in the box. The striker made no mistake hammering a spectacular swiveling volley into the top left corner. Now 2-1 up and at the peak of their attacking verve, Ateneo showcased their counter-attacking prowess to ice their lead before halftime. In the 42nd minute, Baña won the ball in his own half, took it forward, and left it for Ceniza to angle a pass down the right wing. Nacional cruised clear on goal and slotted a shot underneath the arms of the onrushing Reiza to take a commanding 3-1 lead into the break.
While the first half was a clinic in terms of forward movement and clinical finishing, the second half was almost its complete counterpart. Defensive coordination took center stage in the final 45 mostly through the backline of Justin Dy and Rocha, flanked by Alain Tanchuan and Carlitos Mathay.
After Ceniza’s half-chance in the 48th, the pace bogged down and the game turned into a cagey battle of defenses. Ateneo’s offense lacked the efficiency and speed of thought that it initially boasted, while UE’s creators could not execute the right passes to exploit space from behind. J. Dy and Rocha expertly marshaled UE’s central threats into dead ends and displayed good composure with the ball at their feet under pressure. On the flanks, Tanchuan and Mathay tracked runners and dovetailed well with either center back, always offering an outlet from pressure.
A chance for Ateneo offered the defense some respite. In the 67th minute, there were shouts for handball after Rocha’s header from a corner kick appeared to be handled in the box. No call was given and a series of rebounds fell to Gayoso, who snapped a volley high over the crossbar. Apart from this short spell, the game fell back into a fairly uneventful final stage as neither side could breach each other’s defense. Baña would have the final clear chance in the 80th minute of the match after Grierson and Jimi Haosen combined to find him in front goal, but he failed to connect well enough to boost the lead.
The final whistle marked the end of a match wherein the Blue Eagles displayed a mix of potent attacking firepower and the defensive mettle to match. On Ateneo’s performance on the day, Grierson said, “Overall, it was a solid win for us. We played with high intensity, we were good at the back, and we kept the ball with composure.”
The Ateneo attack looked especially sharp in the first half due in large part to smart link-up play and movement from the midfield and strikers. Grierson added, “With my new position [as a striker], we have guys around me who can overlap and use their pace. I can drop sometimes and try to lay the ball off [to bring the midfield into play] or flick it through.”
The Blue Eagles’ newfound attacking rhythm has propelled them through this winning run so far and given the coaching staff a blueprint for success not only this preseason, but also for the season to come.
