AFTER A grueling 90 minutes, the Ateneo Men’s Football Team managed to pull away from the Adamson Soaring Falcons with a 1-0 victory at the University of the Philippines (UP) Football Stadium. Goalkeeper Artuz Cezar’s defensive prowess along with Dov Cariño and Kofi Agyei’s late game attack saw Ateneo pull away with a 1-0 lead.The Blue Eagles now stand firm with a 2-1-1 win-loss-draw record after their first four games in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 Men’s Football Tournament.
The Soaring Falcons had an opportunity to score late in the 18th minute of the first half. With Adamson’s strikers on the hunt, Arthur Cezar’s last second stops prevented the opposing Blue-and-White from taking the early lead.
[First Half]
— Luis Antonio Licas (@Luis_TheGUIDON) March 12, 2023
18′ – Cezar denies Adamson of a goal as he sends away Digha’s attempt.#UAAPFootball pic.twitter.com/iA2XoCAM6k
Cezar’s defenses were put to the test not long after as Adamson had two more opportunities to attack. The Soaring Falcons’ Darlton Digha had an open attack from the right that Cezar quickly repelled, but the ball found its way to another Adamson player. Despite the previous attack, Cezar’s unyielding effort allowed him to catch the second kick.
The first half ended with both teams unable to penetrate either side’s defenses. Despite the deadlock, the Soaring Falcons had more opportunities to threaten the Ateneo defense.
At the 58th minute, Ateneo’s Cariño came away with an open lane on the right wing. After beating his defender, Cariño sent the ball to the middle to an open Agyei, who mistimed the attack and lent the Adamson defenders more breathing room. A few minutes later, Cariño found himself with an opportunity to score again, but he was swiftly contained by the Adamson defense.
[Second Half]
— Luis Antonio Licas (@Luis_TheGUIDON) March 12, 2023
58′ – Cariño’s shot goes straight to Nalog.
Ateneo 0 AdU 0#UAAPFootball pic.twitter.com/JzI8cwkE4B
After 68 minutes, Cezar was once again challenged by the Falcons’ attack from the left wing. Cezar hit the floor as the ball barely scraped by his fingertips to send it past the net.
[Second Half]
— Luis Antonio Licas (@Luis_TheGUIDON) March 12, 2023
68′ – Gut-check sequence as Adamson missed a wide-open shot on target.
Ateneo 0 AdU 0#UAAPFootball pic.twitter.com/OGAAXddMqN
The match continued with both teams locked in a stalemate for the next few minutes. Eventually, the Blue Eagles managed to break away with one more opportunity in stoppage time. With a chance to pull away in the 90+4 minute, Agyei, who came off the bench to start the match for the second straight game, mustered up some late game heroics with the help of Dov Cariño as he scored Ateneo’s first goal. Even with little time left on the clock, Adamson failed to come up with a counter, and the Blue Eagles soared past the Falcons with a 1-0 victory.
[Second Half]
— Luis Antonio Licas (@Luis_TheGUIDON) March 12, 2023
90′ +4 – Goal for Ateneo as Agyei scores from within the box courtesy of a connection from Cariño!
Ateneo 1 AdU 0#UAAPFootball pic.twitter.com/V34M0bFWZt
Agyei shared about the importance of this impactful point to him and how his time on the bench helped lead him to the goal: “I used this opportunity from the start [the bench] to get to read the game to know what I’m gonna do when I get inside the game. Every time I’m on the bench I’m just trying to read the game and follow what Coach taught me and do my best.”
With the victory behind them, the Ateneo Men’s Football Team set their sights on their matchup against Far Eastern University Tamaraws. The Blue Eagles are set to duel against the Tamaraws this Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 4:00 pm in the UP Football Stadium.
