THE ATENEO Blue Eagles suffered a highly contested loss to the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, 3-4. The match was held earlier today, September 28, at the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus, Cavite.
This loss puts the Blue Eagles at 1-1 in the elimination round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88, dropping to third in the standings with a +2 goal differential.
Despite the tough loss, Team Captain Dov Cariño, alongside second-half substitutes Karl Molina and Kendryx Soriano, led the way for the team, contributing one goal each in the matchup.
At the start of the opening half, both teams traded possession, with the Blue Eagles relying on long through balls in behind to counter the aggressive UE press.
Due to continuous pressure, the Atenean defense was tested early as the Red Warriors secured their first opportunity through a 9th-minute corner kick. Despite the Blue Eagles failing to clear the ball and UE’s Ronniel Ebbah slotting the chance in, the goal was eventually disallowed due to a handball call.
As the game progressed, Ateneo struggled to create chances, misplacing key passes and losing possession in crucial areas. By the 15th minute, Ebbah once again found an opportunity to score, launching a strike from outside the box, forcing a save from Blue and White Goalkeeper Alfonso Loja.
Looking revitalized after a quick cooling break, Javier Bengson found Jethro Flores inside the box in the 22nd minute, with the chance narrowly missing the goal. After a collision in midfield, however, Flores was substituted by midfielder Ethan Roxas and stretched off in the 31st minute of the match.
Despite missing one of their veterans, Ateneo continued to fight as they generated their best chance in the 37th minute off a well-timed pass from Cariño to Ranzo Aljama, whose shot was only met by the outside netting.
After a pass from Marco Salud was intercepted by UE in the 43rd minute, John Magallon found Eldrin Madrid on the counterattack, slotting in the Red Warrior’s first goal of the matchup, 0-1.
With momentum slipping away from the Blue and White, Madrid found himself once again in front of goal, forcing Loja to make a crucial save to maintain the tight scoreline entering the half.
Aiming to restore order by the start of the second half, the Blue Eagles were adamant to create scoring opportunities, with an early header from Kofi Agyei that was cleared by the Red Warrior defense in the 47th minute. Mateo Lacson then tried his luck with an audacious free kick, but was parried away by UE Keeper Niño Tambilawan.
With the Blue and White pushing forward, exposing their defense, the Red Warriors were ready to further rattle Ateneo with their pressing. UE’s Jam Mariveles pounced on an error from rookie defender Caleb Santosin in the 53rd minute, stealing the ball and crossing it to Jerome Abarca, resulting in the Blue Eagles’ doubled deficit, 0-2.
Unable to contain their opponent’s speed of play, UE’s incisive counterattacking further pressured the Blue Eagles, with Magallon’s goal ballooning the deficit in the 56th minute, 0-3. The Katipunan-based squad’s fragile defense was compounded five minutes later, as a weakly-defended corner served as the catalyst for UE’s fourth goal courtesy of Mariveles, 0-4.
Settling into the game, the Blue and White began to fashion chances from open play, starting with an Ethan Roxas long shot in the 67th minute. Six minutes later, Cariño exploited UE’s weakness in the flanks, with his cross to Karl Molina almost putting them on the board. Continuing to sharpen their talons, the Blue Eagles increased their pressure in the attack, with Agyei’s header hitting the crossbar in the 78th minute.
The Katipunan-based squad gave themselves a lifeline, with a blunder from Tambilawan allowing Molina to tap the ball in, 1-4. The match took a chaotic turn within the last 10 minutes, with Ateneo further narrowing the deficit via skipper Cariño’s goal via a Marcus Arias through ball, 2-4.
The Blue Eagles further crept into UE’s lead, with Soriano capitalizing on Lacson’s parried free kick in the first minute of stoppage time, 3-4. The goal was then a source of controversy, as UE’s players and staff walked out in protest due to claims of offside.
With cooler heads, the Red Warriors returned to the pitch with their coach, Frank Muescan, being sent to the stands. Unable to find an equalizer, the Blue Eagles were handed their first defeat of the season, 3-4.
The Blue Eagles will look to return to their winning ways in their next matchup against the University of Santo Tomas on Thursday, October 2, at 4:30 PM in the same venue.
Box scores:
Ateneo (3): Loja (GK), Agyei, Aljama, Arias, Bengson, Cariño (C), Flores, Lacson, Rance, Salud, Santos
UE (4): Tambilawan (GK), Abarca, Ebbah, Hernan, Madrid, Magallon, Maghinay, Mariveles, Maturan, Panotes, Sumanoy
Standings – Points (Goal Difference):
- UP Fighting Maroons – 6 (+3)
- UST Golden Booters – 4 (+1)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles – 3 (+2)
- UE Red Warriors – 3 (-1)
- DLSU Green Booters – 3 (0)
- AdU Soaring Falcons – 1 (-3)
- FEU Tamaraws – 0 (-2)
