THE ATENEO Blue Eagles secured their first victory in the Tuloy Invitational Cup after thumping the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors in their preseason debut, 5-1. The preseason opener was held earlier at the Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus City.
This win puts the Blue Eagles at a win-draw-loss record of 1-0-0 in the opening round standings of the Tuloy Invitational Cup.
After being sidelined last year, Kofi Agyei led the way offensively in his first game back for the Blue and White, nabbing a resounding hat trick to lead all scorers. Following Agyei’s brilliance were Dov Cariño, who contributed a goal and two assists, and Andy Roxas, who also netted one goal in the matchup for the Blue Eagles.
UE came out of the gates running, taking advantage of the Ateneo defense to get in behind. Within the first minute of the match, the Red Warriors capitalized on a cross that found its way to Team Captain John Magallon, nabbing an early lead over the Blue Eagles, 1-0.
With this sudden setback, Ateneo worked tirelessly to erase the lead, hammering the UE backline with a number of aggressive crosses to Agyei in the 18th minute of the match. Despite failing to make a real connection with the lurking striker, the Blue Eagles continued to work the ball inside via Cariño’s nifty passes.
Ateneo’s efforts were eventually rewarded in the 22nd minute as a failed catch from a set piece from Red Warriors goalkeeper Nicko Cloma found Cariño wide open in front of the goal, slotting in his squad’s first marker to tie the matchup, 1-1.
As the game continued, the Blue Eagles continued to win the ball back, translating this defense into crossing opportunities with quick passes while UE struggled to contain their counter-attacking offense.
Refusing to back down, the Red Warriors produced a goal-scoring opportunity in the 40th minute of the match, getting into the box off a well-placed cross. However, the pass failed to make any real contact, ending the possession in a turnover.
The Blue Eagles continued to feed Agyei with passes inside the box as a rebounded shot attempt in the 42nd minute found the net, establishing Ateneo’s first lead of the contest, 2-1.
Capitalizing on the evident momentum shift, the Katipunan-based squad opted to press high and bank on short one-touch plays to open the second half. However, Agyei struggled to control precise through-balls from the midfield, squandering key opportunities early on.
With an ignited UE side, Ateneo remained persistent on the defensive end, fending quality looks amid the opposing frontline’s impending tries. Substitute keeper Alfonso Loja also kept the Blue Eagles in the lead, making crucial deflections in the 60th minute after the Recto-based squad generated consecutive corner opportunities.
Midway through the closing half, the Blue Eagles unleashed a series of offensive thrusts to shut down UE’s growing rhythm. In the 64th minute, Cariño dispatched a magnificent long-ball, leaving the Red Warriors’ backline flustered. Latching onto his teammate’s pass, Agyei dribbled past the keeper and netted a shot through the gaping goalpost to double the margin, 3-1.
Moments later, Jethro Flores delivered a resounding cross, locating Roxas, who drilled in a thumping header in the 82nd minute to extend Ateneo’s cushion, 4-1.
Determined to put the Red Warriors to bed, Cariño continued to play distributor in the midfield while Agyei pounced in the attacking third. In the 90th minute, the dyad connected once more with Cariño playing provider and Agyei calmly firing an open shot into the left post, leading them to secure a dominant victory, 5-1.
Looking to extend their winning ways, the Blue Eagles will face the Tuloy Football Club on Sunday, August 10, 2:00 PM at the same venue.
Group B Standings (W-D-L)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (1-0-0)
- TULOY Football Club (0-0-0)
- DLSU Green Booters (0-0-0)
- UE Red Warriors (0-0-1)
