THE ATENEO Women’s Football Team (AWFT) bring an end to their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 campaign after dropping their last match to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Lady Booters, 1-3. The match was held yesterday at the University of the Philippines Diliman Football Field.
Despite facing tough opposition, the Blue Eagles engaged with their counterparts by setting a strong stance early into the bout. By dominating possession and putting their opponents on the back foot, Ateneo was able to dictate the pace of the game and maintain steady offensive pressure.
Returning to their last outing’s playbook, the AWFT pivoted their focus on their defensive gambits in order to limit UST’s scoring opportunities. However, a familiar scene emerged as Nathalie Absalon came away with a quick goal in the 4th minute of the match. The Golden Booter also tallied a brace in their previous encounter.
Despite the early goal, Ateneo remained unfazed and sought to finally capture their first goal of the season. The highly-anticipated moment arrived in the 36th minute as the AWFT equalized the match with an impressive shot by Blue Eagle Traci Lim.
With both stakes at an all-time high, both teams redoubled their efforts to seize the edge on the field. Despite an intense back-and-forth action from both sides, neither team was able to gain a clear advantage as the first half came to an end at a 1-1 scoreline.
The second half of the match marked a clean slate for the Lady Booters as they launched a barrage of offensive maneuvers to mount a comeback. With their newfound dominance, UST maintained control over the ball and capitalized on their scoring opportunities. In the 59th minute, a successful drive to the post from the España-based squad brought them up the board, 2-1.
While the Blue Eagles struggled to penetrate the defensive line of their opponents, Lady Booter Lovely Fernandez managed to find the back of the net with a well-executed goal in the 86th minute, 3-1, bringing an end to the tightly-contested match.
Looking back at the team’s journey this season, Lim applauded her teammates for their remarkable performance and unwavering dedication on the field. “[This season] was definitely a tough one, especially with all the circumstances stacked against us. But I’m incredibly proud of our sweet 16 because we played our hearts out until the end. We didn’t end our campaign [with a win] as we’d hoped, but our first goal today proves that the team has such a bright future ahead of us,” she shares.
Despite falling short of booking a ticket to the Final Four, the Blue and White proved to have found their silver lining amidst an injury-riddled season. With the team having officially ended their UAAP Season 85 run on a high note, the Blue Eagles have shown promising signs for their future endeavors both inside and outside of the league.