FOUR GOALS in the second half by the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Archers hammered the nail in the coffin for the Ateneo Women’s Football Team’s (AWFT) hopes for finals, eliminating them from contention after a 4-2 loss on Saturday, May 4, at the Circulo Verde Pitch, Quezon City.

Despite having sealed a slot in the finals prior to the match, the Lady Archers showed no mercy from the opening kick. In the 3rd minute Shai Del Campo picked the ball from a scramble inside the box and fired a close-range rocket, but her shot hit the backnet.

Del Campo’s activity on the attack characterized the first half. In the 26th minute, she broke free on the left, capitalizing on an Ateneo lapse in the back, but her finessed effort was denied by the bar.

Three minutes later, the Lady Eagles nearly scored on the counter. A Martie Bautista run forced Natasha Lacson off her line, so the subsequent cross found Nicole Bugayong alone with the goal wide open. Bugayong struggled to handle the ball, however, giving Lacson just enough time to leap out for the save.

DLSU finally broke the deadlock six minutes after halftime. Skipper Kyra Dimaandal pounced on an seeking ball from a freekick, then weaved past Ateneo keeper Marianne Caparros for the easy finish. In the 67th minute, Irish Navaja doubled the lead with a composed right-footed goal.

Del Campo finally entered the scoresheet late in the match with a four-minute brace. In the 82nd minute, she broke free on the left wing, calmly slotting home her first of the match. Four minutes later, she took advantage of a defensive miscue by the Lady Eagles for an easy finish.

At the dying moments of the match however, Ateneo launched a comeback courtesy of Bautista and substitute winger Jill Panganiban. In the 89th minute, Panganiban dribbled past the DLSU defense and a fired left-footed strike past Lacson. Less than a minute later, a Panganiban provided the assist for Bautista’s goal. Bautista pounced on Panganiban’s cross from the left-wing, volleying the pass into the net for Ateneo’s second goal. It was too little, too late, however, with the final whistle sounding before the Lady Eagles could complete the comeback.

The loss officially eliminated the Lady Eagles from final contention, bringing the team to a 1-2-4 record, last in the table. DLSU, on the other hand, solidified their place at the top of the league with a 5-3-0 record.

The Lady Eagles look to end their season on a high note in their final match of the season against the University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Maroons on Wednesday, May 8, 3:00 PM, at the Circulo Verde Pitch, Quezon City.

Starting XIs:

Ateneo: Adao, Almeda J., Bautista, Bugayong, Cabrera, Calimbo, Caparros (C, GK), Catedrilla, Diaz, Naguiat, Soriano

DLSU: Arrieta, Castañeda, Concepcion, Del Campo, Delos Reyes, Dimaandal (C), Hodges, Lacson (GK), Mendaño, Navaja, Tejada

Substitutions:

64’ – Panganiban on for Bugayong

64’ – Fernan on for Naguiat

70’ –  Javier on for Soriano

80’ – Almeda on for Catedrilla

83’ – Roxas on for Calimbo

88’ – Lim on for Caparros

Photo by Kirby G. Jalandoni