THE ATENEO Men’s Football Team (AMFT) faltered against the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraw Booters, 1-4, in their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) championship game earlier tonight at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. FEU’s execution on both ends of the field saw them take an early two-goal lead after the first half of the match. Despite Galen Fernandez’ goal in the second half, two more goals in the last few minutes helped secure the trophy for the Tamaraw Booters.
The Ateneo offense had no shortage of scoring opportunities early on in the match, but FEU’s imposing physicality on the Blue Eagles’ set pieces made execution difficult. Kofi Agyei had chances to score from Leo Maquiling’s free kicks and corners, however, the Ateneo striker struggled to get past the FEU defenders.
FEU’s aggressiveness on the offensive end gave the Ateneo defenders trouble all throughout the match. In the 12th minute, Tamaraw Booter Karl Absalon scored the first goal of the game as he found Ateneo keeper Artuz Cezar out of position away from the goal.
[First Half]
— Luis Antonio Licas (@Luis_TheGUIDON) May 18, 2023
12′ – Absalon catches Cezar out of position and slots in their first goal of the match.
Ateneo 0 FEU 1#UAAPFootball pic.twitter.com/4I2Mskmwao
In the 30th minute, the Morayta-based squad capitalized on another opportunity to pad onto their lead, with Gerald Estores penetrating deep into Ateneo territory for FEU’s second goal.
[First Half]
— Luis Antonio Licas (@Luis_TheGUIDON) May 18, 2023
29′ – A great pass by FEU leads to an Estores goal.
Ateneo 0 FEU 2#UAAPFootball pic.twitter.com/rai4lA23qC
The Blue Eagles had a few more open looks to cut into the lead in the latter part of the first halfout, but FEU’s defense proved to be too difficult to surpass. Ateneo entered halftime facing a rough 0-2 deficit with the title on the line.
In the second half, Ateneo upped the intensity on the defensive end as they attempted to rally a comeback. Veteran defender Jose Lopez had an impressive showing, countering multiple attempts from the Tamaraw Booters to add to their lead.
At the 65th minute mark, Galen Fernandez jumpstarted Ateneo’s comeback with their first goal, 1-2. Leo Maquiling’s throw-in created havoc for the FEU defenders, causing the ball to find the wide-open Fernandez at the edge of the box.
Ateneo had a golden opportunity to tie the match off with another Maquiling throw-in, as Sky Guerrero found himself with a clear shot that FEU goalkeeper Jetrick Fabrigas caught.
Down the stretch, the Tamaraw Booters successfully weathered the storm as they once again succeeded in penetrating Ateneo’s defenses. A goal from Chester Pabualan in the corner at the 87th minute, along with a shot from Geri Rey that eventually led to an own goal by Ateneo’s Bernardo Closa at the 94th minute, inflated the score to 4-1. FEU’s three-goal lead proved to be too much for Ateneo to overcome as the Tamaraws eventually took the crown at the final whistle.
Szymon Mercado shared his final message to the team in their last huddle: “I’m really proud of this team. I’m really happy with what we’ve achieved, [and] I didn’t even expect to reach the finals. Let’s be proud and make sure we win next year,” shared the graduating Team Captain.
“We’re just proud of what we’ve been able to do. It’s bittersweet [in] my last year [in] Ateneo. I’m just thankful for everyone in the group, and everyone played a huge role in getting us this far,” senior midfielder Sky Guerrero added.
As the lone goal scorer in today’s match, Galen Fernandez shared, “We guarantee you that we’re gonna bounce back from this and use this as fuel and motivation to come back stronger next season. We’ll show [everyone] what the AMFT is really all about.”
With the season over, the AMFT bid farewell to many key members of their season 85 run. Szymon Mercado, Paco Mathay, Sky Guerrero, and Bernardo Closa are all set to hang up their Ateneo jerseys as the rest of the squad prepares for redemption in UAAP Season 86.
