In line with the ongoing University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Women’s Football tournament, this quarterly series will analyze the state of the Ateneo Lady Eagles with two matches left to play.
Third Quarter Recap (February 28 to March 3)
The Ateneo Women’s Football Team (AWFT) are still in search of their second victory of the campaign after being locked in a stalemate against Far Eastern University (FEU) and losing a second successive game to rivals De La Salle University (DLSU).
The Lady Eagles kicked off the match against the Lady Tamaraws on the front foot, getting into dangerous scoring positions several times. The Blue and White were awarded a penalty just 10 minutes before the end of the first half, which defender Cathy Cabrera converted expertly to give Ateneo a deserved lead. FEU then won a free kick and pulled level just two minutes after via a Jovelle Sudaria free kick over the wall. A tense second half yielded no goals to record Ateneo’s second draw, 1-1, to FEU this season.
Head Coach Jaypee Merida had to field a very different starting XI with forwards Tessa Bernardo and Martie Bautista missing out due to injury and suspension respectively as well as midfielder Jolly Catedrilla out due to illness. Full debuts were awarded to Mischa Soriano and Christina Aniceto, while substitute goalkeeper Moira Lim came on for her UAAP debut in the second half.
Led by Kyra Dimaandal’s second half strike, the Lady Archers claimed a second 1-0 win over the Lady Eagles to end Ateneo’s chances of reaching the finals this season.
UAAP Standings
University of Santo Tomas (UST) leads the league with 16 points. FEU and DLSU are in second and third place respectively, despite being tied on points with 12 each. The Lady Archers have a game-in-hand. University of the Philippines (UP) are at the bottom of the table as they are still without a single point this season.
Sitting in fourth, the Lady Eagles need a minimum of two points in their remaining fixtures to cement their fourth place standing. A win tomorrow or two draws in their final two matches will seal their position above UP in the final league standings.
Quarterly Takeaways
1. Poor Form in Front of Goal
Despite good defensive displays week in and week out, the Lady Eagles have not been able to nab a win since their season-opening victory against Katipunan-based rivals University of the Philippines (UP). This is down to the lack of goals from the Blue and Whites, having only fired in a solitary goal in their past four matches, and a total of five over the whole season. Perhaps a more worrying statistic is that the Lady Eagles have failed to score from open play since their 3-1 win over UP. Their only goals after this match game came through a brilliantly dispatched free kick from Bernardo and a flawless penalty from defender Cathy Cabrera.
While chances have been limited for Ateneo’s forward line, there have been a few fair opportunities where the Lady Eagles could have converted. Midfield maestro Pam Diaz has played a number of defense-splitting passes through to Bautista in different games this season. Martina Ferrer has also found herself in threatening positions within the opposition penalty areas while the goal was gaping for Rafi Javier to fire one in against DLSU.
With two remaining fixtures in the season, Ateneo’s attacking line will look to grab goals and improve in front of goal. Bautista will be raring to go after sitting out the last game. Expect the Lady Eagles to give it one last push.
2. Lack of Squad Depth
A serious weakness of the squad this season has been its lack of depth in key positions. A long-term injury to rookie attacker Jill Panganiban, a recent injury to Bernardo, the untimely illness of Catedrilla, and Bautista’s one-match suspension exposed one of Ateneo’s key weaknesses during a very crucial point in the season.
Head Coach Jaypee Merida had to work with a very thin squad in a do-or-die game against rivals DLSU, fielding several players out of their favoured positions. Fullbacks Pia Villaflor and Nicole Bugayong were played in attack, Team Captain Nona Amoncio was given a central position alongside Diaz, while Javier occupied the left back position to give Ateneo some height in defense.
Merida’s dearth of a full bench of substitutes to call on against the Lady Archers, with only Claudia Liwanag, Iara Andaya, and Lim available as substitutes, further illustrated the need for a successful recruitment drive in the following off-season as well as a close monitoring of the fitness levels of several key players.
Upcoming Match
The Lady Eagles’ penultimate fixture will be played against league leaders UST at 8AM on March 14 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
