THE ATENEO Women’s Football Team (AWFT) succumbed to the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 after a tightly-contested match that went down to the wire, 0-1. The match was held earlier today at the UP Diliman Football Field.
The Blue and White remain in fifth place following today’s match result, with a win-draw-loss record of 0-0-5.
The Blue Eagles encountered a challenging start to the match as they committed unforced errors that plagued their gameplay. As strings of missed corner shots and unsuccessful attempts at goals hounded their performance, Ateneo was compelled to quickly regroup and move forward.
The Katipunan-based squad then sought to level the playing field with their passes and quick maneuvers. However, UP’s offensive gambits and techniques proved to be a formidable obstacle when it came to getting the ball down the line. As both teams struggled to gain an advantage over the other, the first half came to an end with a stalemate, 0-0.
[First Half]
— Ethan M. Encarnacion (@Ethan_TheGUIDON) April 1, 2023
45’ + 3 – Lumagui is denied entry for the final play of the first half.
Ateneo 0 UP 0#UAAPFootball pic.twitter.com/q9c5PGJTHI
Nonetheless, the Blue and White proved to be quick in picking up the pieces as they shut down numerous scoring opportunities from their opponents in the second half. While defender Traci Lim fought to keep the ball away from the post, goalkeeper Adrielle Lee’s crucial saves also proved to be a key factor in maintaining the Blue Eagles’ momentum.
However, a sudden turn of events left the Blue Eagles with little time to retaliate. As Fighting Maroon Kamea Mangrobang managed to break through the Blue Eagles’ defense, the match came to an end with a UP goal in the 91st minute of the game, 1-0.
Notably, the Atenean coaching staff challenged the referees, claiming a handball should have been called on UP prior to their goal. The officials then issued the Blue Eagles a red card for the heated exchange. The highly-contested game promptly concluded in favor of the Fighting Maroons.
The Blue Eagles will go up against the De La Salle University Lady Booters on Saturday, April 15, at 4:30 PM at the same venue.
