THE ATENEO Blue Eagles were dealt a challenging setback at the hands of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Booters, 1-3. This second-round University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 Men’s Football matchup was held earlier today, January 18, at the UP Diliman Football Stadium in Quezon City.
Following this loss, the Blue Eagles now sit at a 4-3-4 win-draw-loss record with a +5 goal differential, sliding back to fourth in the standings.
Reserve forward Liam Lanuza scored the lone goal for the Blue Eagles, with Team Captain Dov Cariño providing the assist.
Despite starting the game with a defensive five-back setup, Ateneo created the first chance in the fourth minute when Mateo Lacson found Kofi Agyei in the box, with the shot drifting into the side netting.
Ateneo’s defensive line was then tested as the Golden Booters exploited well-timed through balls, allowing UST captain Kyler Escobar to get in behind in the sixth and 12th minutes, forcing two big-time saves from Ateneo goalkeeper Paolo Tansingco to keep the game leveled.
This momentum shift became even more evident in the 17th minute as defender Aidan Aguirre failed to clear the ball, leading Ateneo to concede the opening goal to UST’s Rodrigo Marinas, 0-1.
As the matchup continued, the Blue and White struggled to contain the Golden Booters, giving up a majority of possession in the following minutes. Looking to find the equalizer on the right flank, Lacson threaded the needle for Team Captain Cariño in the 30th minute, with the chance narrowly missing the back of the net.
Eager to get back into the game, Kendrick Rance connected with Agyei in the box once more, leading to an equalizing chance in the 38th minute. The shot, however, was stopped by UST goalkeeper Mark Daig to maintain the score.
However, Ateneo’s battle back into the matchup only steepened after a 42nd-minute goal from UST’s Escobar and a 45th-minute yellow card for Ateneo’s Kendryx Soriano, heading into the locker room for halftime, 0-2.
Goalkeeper Alfonso Loja made his first return to the pitch following his injury earlier this season with an impressive start to the second half, coming in for Tansingco. Providing stability for his squad early on, the goalie notched two saves in the opening five minutes of the half.
However, Ateneo’s struggles would continue compounding with an own goal by Aguirre in the 51st minute. Following a miscue with Loja, Aguirre could do nothing but watch as UST earned their third goal, 0-3—the Blue Eagles’ first own goal since the Season 85 Finals.
Still hoping to minimize the deficit, the Blue and White controlled their third of the pitch for the majority of the opening minutes, with the closest attempt being Rance’s 56th-minute shot that hit the side-netting.
Another close chance occurred in the 58th minute, as Cariño connected with Rance, who sent a powerful cross to Agyei. However, despite the good look, the striker’s header ended up skying mere inches above the crossbar.
Loja also continued manning the fort for the Blue Eagles, with a stellar sequence shortly after, making two quick saves in succession and clearing the ball away from the Golden Booters.
Ateneo’s first goal finally arrived in the 72nd minute with Agyei finding Cariño, who instantly tapped the ball to Lanuza. The super-sub found himself with a golden opportunity with only the keeper in his way, slotting in a strike to break the ice for the Blue Eagles, 1-3, as Cariño added on to his already league-leading tally with another assist.
In the 86th minute, the Blue and White then warded off a Golden Booter scare within the box via the efforts of Loja and Marco Salud. Though keeping UST scoreless for the remainder of the match, the Blue Eagles were unable to capitalize on their remaining chances, as the final whistle sounded after five minutes of stoppage time, 1-3.
The Blue Eagles will look to secure their Final Four ticket as they face defending champions Far Eastern University in their final elimination-round match next Sunday, January 25, at 4:30 PM in the same venue.
Starting XI:
Ateneo (1): Tansingco (GK), Santilices, Salud, Lacson, Cariño (C), Agyei, Aljama, Soriano, Roxas, Rance, Aguirre
UST (3): Daig (GK), Escobar, Belluga, Elorpe, Marinas, Selarde, Baito, Pena, Flores, Pepito, Regis
Current Standings — Points (GD):
- UP Fighting Maroons — 26 (+13)
- UST Golden Booters — 18 (+5)
- FEU Tamaraws — 17 (+8)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles — 15 (+5)
- DLSU Green Booters — 10 (-1)
- AdU Soaring Falcons — 10 (-9)
- UE Red Warriors — 0 (-21)
