THE ATENEO Blue Eagles kicked off their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) second round stint with a dominant win against the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons, 4-0. The match was held earlier today, October 26, at the UP Diliman Football Stadium in Quezon City.
The win asserts the Blue Eagles’ position at second in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Football Tournament standings, with a 3-2-2 win-draw-loss record and a +6 goal differential.
Leading the way for the Blue and White was Dov Cariño who tallied one goal and two assists, securing the Man of the Match honors once more. Alongside him, Kofi Agyei also put in a strong performance, netting a brace in addition to one assist, while defender Oswald Santilices notched the opening goal.
After trading possession in the opening minutes, Ateneo’s defense was challenged as they struggled to contain Adamson’s Roberto Roldan, whose agility on the pitch allowed for chances from the left flank.
Eager to regain control, the Blue Eagles attacked from the same side, with Karl Molina securing a corner in the 11th minute of the match. Taking the chance, Cariño found Santilices with a timely cross to generate the first goal of the game, 1-0.
After securing the lead, the Blue and White settled into a defensive five-back, conceding the majority of the possession in return for stability in the back. As a result of the strategic shift, the Blue Eagles allowed AdU to attempt a multitude of shots outside the box, a majority of which failed to materialize into goals.
Still, the Blue Eagles managed to create chances on the counter, as Ateneo’s attack found Agyei in the box on back-to-back possessions in the 28th and 29th minutes. However, these were met with defensive stops from the Adamson backline.
As the match continued, Ateneo’s defense proved to be a strong point for the unit, with Ateneo goalkeeper Paolo Tansingco coming up big in the 35th minute after intercepting a cross in the box. Co-captain Marco Salud supplemented his teammates’ efforts with another interception in the box in the 38th minute, maintaining the narrow lead.
Transforming defense into offense, Salud then played a timely through ball to the lurking Cariño in the 40th minute, who found Agyei inside the box to extend the lead in the dwindling stages of the half, 2-0.
Despite yet another fluid sequence of passes in the 45th minute, the Blue Eagles were unable to convert any chances, but were still heading into the break with a clear advantage, 2-0.
Entering the second half, the Blue Eagles immediately found themselves on the receiving end of an early barrage as the Soaring Falcons quickly threatened from scoring territory. With the backline called into action, keeper Tansingco stepped up to the plate, manufacturing consecutive saves within the first ten minutes.
Intent on shifting the tide, Ateneo’s frontline began to operate at will, generating dangerous chances deep within Adamson territory. Cariño and Molina spearheaded the promising sequences, but ultimately saw all their efforts cleared away by the Soaring Falcons’ ever-reliable defenders.
Boosted by the newfound momentum, Agyei worked up an ambitious pass in the 58th minute, locating a prying Cariño deep into the attacking third. Capitalizing on his teammate’s passing precision, Cariño raced past his defenders and lashed home a cheeky finish to triple the margin, 3-0.
Moments later, Agyei once again found himself in a good position to pounce from close range. Turning away from his defender, the Ghanian managed to fire a low-driven shot past Adamson’s goalie to cement Ateneo’s dominance, 4-0.
Midway through the closing 45, Ateneo surrendered key playmaking opportunities as the Soaring Falcons dictated the tempo of the match. Despite conceding the majority of the possession to their adversaries, rookie Caleb Santos kept the Blue Eagles afloat, summoning timely tackles amid Adamson’s influx of attacks.
While Carino continued to carve chances down the left flank, Tansingco manned the post willfully in the latter sequences of the match. The most prominent of these defensive actions came in the 80th minute when the keeper went out of his box to deny an attempt from close range. With their counterparts unable to retaliate, the Blue Eagles ultimately cruised to a dominant victory, securing the matchday spoils to open the second round.
Determined to avenge their first-round Katipunan derby loss, the Blue Eagles will take on the University of the Philippines next Thursday, November 6, at 7:00 PM in the same venue.
Starting XI:
Ateneo (4): Tansingco (GK), Santilices, Salud, Cariño (C), Agyei, Aljama, Soriano, Santos, Bengson, De Ocampo, Molina
AdU (0): Lauron (GK), Pajenado, Pabalate, Doko, Ricario (C), Francisco, Dasig, Lawas, Conquilla, Roldan, Hayahay
Current Standings – Points (GD):
- UP Fighting Maroons – 16 (+6)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles – 11 (+6)
- FEU Tamaraws – 11 (+5)
- UST Golden Booters – 11 (+2)
- DLSU Green Booters – 8 (-1)
- AdU Soaring Falcons – 4 (-10)
- UE Red Warriors – 0 (-8)
