THE ATENEO Men’s Football Team (AMFT) dominated the University of Batangas (UB) Brahmans to capture their second straight victory, 3-0. The match was held earlier today at the Far Eastern University Diliman Football Field in Quezon City.
With this win, the Blue Eagles remain one of the only undefeated teams in Group B with a 2-0 win-loss record in Ang Liga Season 18.
From the opening whistle, the Blue and White commanded the offensive end of the field, ending up with multiple chances to open up the scoreline. However, the first of these would only come in the 28th minute when AMFT’s Marco Salud capitalized on an excellent corner courtesy of Leo Maquiling.
The next couple of minutes were marked by tough defense from both sides. By the 41st minute, Luard Abaa came close to scoring with his half volley but was sent back by the Brahmans. Despite his stopped attempt, Abaa kept his composure and set up Kofi Agyei for an impressive goal at the 45th minute to end the first half, 2-0.
Not long after the break, the Blue Eagles sought to widen the gap even further. They wasted no time in capturing their third goal, with a connection from Maquiling to Team Captain Szymon Mercado at the 46-minute mark putting Ateneo up 3-0. Fatigue would eventually kick in for both squads as their defense-heavy plays would bar any chances from either side of scoring another goal.
“For me, as a striker, you need to make sure every chance you get, you need to score,” Striker Kofi Agyei said of his performance in the match. “I believe in my team and believe that we can do more.”
Team Captain Szymon Mercado also shared, “Honestly, I think we still have a lot to work on. It’s just the second game and we haven’t [gone up] against the top teams. We want to prepare well for this game and give it our all.”
The Blue Eagles will look to continue their winning momentum against the De La Salle University-B Green Booters on Sunday, November 27 at 10:00 AM at the De La Salle University Biñan Football Field in Laguna.