LOOKING TO finish the opening round strong, the Ateneo Men’s Football Team (AMFT) was forced to split points against the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Booters, 1-1. The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) rivalry game took place yesterday at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Football Field in Quezon City.
After drawing with their archrivals, the AMFT ended the opening round in third place, securing 11 points in their first six fixtures. The Blue and White are currently trailing the defending champions Far Eastern University Tamaraws (15 points) and the UP Fighting Maroons (12 points).
Trying to reinforce their position at the top half of the table, midfielder Carlo Bautista immediately attempted an early breakaway right after kickoff. After a back-and-forth passing with star striker Kofi Agyei, Bautista’s shot on goal was blocked by DLSU goalkeeper Enrico Mangaoang in the second minute, 0-0.
Building on the early momentum, the Blue Eagle attack persisted in pressuring the Green Booter defenders on their side of the pitch. After another breakaway attack by Agyei, the Blue Eagles’ top goalscorer took it all the way to DLSU’s goal by himself as the Katipunan-based squad finally scored the opening goal of the match in the seventh minute, 1-0.
Right after scoring the first goal of the match, Agyei did not seem contented with the one-goal cushion as the star striker made a solo run towards the goal. Agyei’s shot on target fell onto Mangaoang’s hands as the score remained, 1-0.
Already being down one-nil in the early minutes of the fixture, the Green Booters immediately scrambled to attempt for an equalizer. The attacking momentum shifted the Taft-based XI as they tried to pressure high into Ateneo’s side of the field. In an attempt to generate a shot on target, Christian Peñalosa dribbled his way through the Blue Eagle backline as the opponents’ attacking midfielder won a free kick from just outside the penalty box. Peñalosa almost curled his free kick into the left post of Artuz Cezar’s goal in the 20th minute, making the Ateneo goalkeeper sweat for the first time in the game.
After a series of back-and-forth attacks by both squads, neither team could generate a goal in the remainder of the first half. Despite DLSU gaining multiple attempts on setpieces, Cezar’s post could not be penetrated as Ateneo maintained its lead heading into the second half, 1-0.
The second portion of the matchup opened with the same offensive pace by the Green Booters. Despite the aggressive DLSU approach, Cezar continued to spearhead the Ateneo defense. The star goalie showcased his talents by making a courageous diving save in the 52nd minute.
The final third of the matchup saw a more aggressive Blue Eagle squad, with Jethro Flores and Agyei manning the offense. Opportunities at a two-point Ateneo lead neared in the 64th and 66th minutes, but were quickly shut down by the Taft-based team.
The storied rivals settled on a back-and-forth exchange of possessions throughout the game’s final 20 minutes. The imposing offensive approaches from both ends culminated with DLSU’s Franck Anoh walling an equalizer from outside the box to tie the matchup in the 84th minute, 1-1.
In the final minutes of the game, the Blue Eagles were given multiple opportunities at another goal. In spite of their attempts, the Agyei-led offense was unable to secure another lead at the final whistle.
The draw concludes the AMFT’s showing in the first round of the tournament. They sit comfortably in third place below the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons and Far Eastern University Tamaraw Booters.
Starting XI:
Ateneo: Cezar, Flores, Santilices, Dela Cruz, Agyei, Maquiling, J. Lopez (C), W. Lopez, Fernandez, Roxas, Bautista
Current Table (Points)
- FEU Tamaraws (15)
- UP Fighting Maroons (12)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (11)
- DLSU Green Booters (9)
- UST Golden Booters (7)
- UE Red Warriors (3)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (2)
