In line with the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Women’s Football tournament, this quarterly series will keep a close eye on the Ateneo Women’s Football Team (AWFT) as their season unfolds. This week’s edition serves as a season preview for the lady booters.

Season 79 Recap

The Lady Eagles kicked off Season 79 of the UAAP Football tournament with back-to-back victories against Season 78 champions University of the Philippines (UP) and a dangerous Far Eastern University (FEU) side.

However, unfortunate injuries to midfielder Baci Herrera and defender Mica Corrales hampered the Blue and Whites’ rich vein of form as they slumped to their first defeat at the hands of rivals and eventual champions De La Salle University (DLSU).

The Lady Eagles’ woes continued as they fell to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and FEU in closely contested matches that both ended 2-3 in favor of the opposition. The Lady Eagles were only able to garner two out of the nine points available from their last three games, drawing UST, losing to rivals DLSU once more, and then tying for a point against UP which was just enough to keep their finals hopes alive.

A final matchday defeat for UST against DLSU gave Ateneo an opening in the UAAP finals, which was decided by a playoff match against the Golden Tigresses. Despite braces coming from both Team Captain Cam Rodriguez and rookie Nica Siy, a frail defensive display saw the Lady Eagles concede five goals and relinquish the chance to play in the finals.

Rodriguez finished UAAP Season 79 as the Ateneo Women’s Football Team (AWFT) top scorer with 11 goals out of the total 18 scored by the squad. This saw the striker earn a place in the UAAP Mythical XI alongside fellow Lady Eagle and defender Isay Sabio, who was a rock on the defensive end.

Firepower

With the departure of a talismanic striker in Rodriguez last season, a steady supply of goals will need to come from the Lady Eagles’ other options up front. Rodriguez fired the team to their last-gasp win against FEU in the first round of Season 79 with a marvelous hat-trick, and managed to keep Ateneo’s chances of silverware alive despite dismal overall team performances in the second round of the tournament where the Lady Eagles collected only two points out of a possible 12.

There were many questions about the state of the team in the post-Cam Rod era, with the most prominent being “Where will the goals come from?” The former AWFT striker contributed just above 60% of the team’s goals, averaging 1.2 goals per game as a major part of the team’s average of two goals per game.

These questions were quickly put to bed by the immense attacking displays of the Lady Eagles in their preseason clashes, especially in their title run in the Pilipinas Cup 2017 in October.

Attacking Options

1. Tessa Bernardo

Veteran Tessa Bernardo has established herself as a mainstay of the team in preseason after starting only five out of nine games last season. Compared to her tally of a solitary goal in a total of nine appearances (four appearances off the bench), she scored three in five matches in Pilipinas Cup 2017. Flourishing in a central position up top, the Lady Eagle is likely to start in attack and be a crucial cog in the team’s offensive efforts this season.

2. Jill Panganiban

Already proving to be one of the team’s most dangerous attackers, rookie left winger Jill Panganiban will likely line up alongside Bernardo in attack or just behind her in left midfield. The pacey De La Salle Zobel product emerged as the team’s top scorer with four goals in the Pilipinas Cup 2017, making a convincing case for her name to be one of the first on the team sheet every match. Her ability to cut inside from the wing and beat defenders, paired with her superb finishing inside the area, makes her one of the most lethal goalscorers on the Blue and White squad.

3. Martie Bautista

Returning Lady Eagle Martie Bautista will also boost the squad’s attacking outlets. Despite having sat out the entire Season 79, the pacey winger monitored her fitness levels as she eyed a return to the squad in Season 80; her work and determination has clearly paid dividends as she was once again selected by Head Coach Jaypee Merida to feature in the Lady Eagles’ attack. Bautista dazzled in her rookie season, using her speed and tenacity to rush down the wing at every opportunity. Likely to play alongside Bernardo, the forward will look to make up for lost time and contribute her fair share of goals this season.

While the Lady Eagles have lost a great forward in Rodriguez, they are not short on attacking options. Whether the Lady Eagles start with Bernardo and Bautista on top in a 4-4-2 or Panganiban and Bautista on either side of Bernardo in a 4-3-3, it is more than likely that the attacking options of the Lady Eagles will find the back of the net multiple times this season. In fact, the Lady Eagles averaged 2.4 goals per game with the trio of attackers contributing 66% of the goals in the Pilipinas Cup tournament.

Midfield contributions

Dealing with Bea Velasco’s season-long injury and the departure of majority of the Season 79 midfield in standout rookie Siy, Maddy Cotoco, Baci Herrera, Ysa Ramos, and Nikki Roxas, Merida made the crucial decision to convert forward Panganiban and current Team Captain and out and out winger Nona Amoncio into wide midfielders, and defender Jolly Catedrilla into a central midfielder.

The three newly converted midfielders will play alongside the only returning veteran midfielder, Pam Diaz, who was the joint second top-scorer for the AWFT last season with two goals in nine games. Diaz will be crucial to the team’s attack again this season, operating with an attacking midfielder mindset.

As the Team Captain and the most experienced player in terms of UAAP seasons played, Amoncio will play her last season for the Blue and White in midfield. Her ability to pick out teammates in scoring positions and expertly dispatch set-pieces, as evidenced in her audacious lobbed free kick goal against UP last season, will help her thrive in her wide position.

Also shifting into midfield, Catedrilla will offer much-needed cover for the Blue and White’s backline. Specializing in winning possession back and breaking up opposition play, something which she has developed by playing in the heart of defense in past seasons, Catedrilla will be the key to starting breakaway attacks for the Lady Eagles.

The quartet of the Lady Eagles’ midfield will function as a diamond to offer support and width on both ends of the pitch. Amoncio and Panganiban will likely be given the freedom to burst into the final third to support attacks, but will also be expected to cover the wings when the team is off the ball. Catedrilla will marshall the midfield and prevent breakaway attacks while Diaz will likely play provider for the frontline.

Defensive changes

Wholesale changes to the Season 79 Lady Eagles backline were also made following the departure of Mythical XI defender Sabio, Gabby Esguerra, and Annika Ong, and the repositioning of Catedrilla to midfield. The new-look backline of the Lady Eagles is expected to be composed of rookie Icee Calimbo and veteran Cathy Cabrera, who sat out last year due to injury, at the heart of defense. Seniors Pia Villaflor, who made a total of five appearances last season, and Nicole Bugayong will serve as fullbacks, while returning goalkeeper Mariane Caparros will be between the sticks.

Given the team’s dismal defensive record last season that saw Caparros pick the ball out of her net 27 times in just nine games, the Lady Eagles’ defense will be hoping to be more compact and organized to minimize opposition goal-scoring chances. Having looked especially weak from set pieces, as evidenced in their second match against UP where two of the three goals they conceded were from set pieces, as well as their 4-3 win against FEU where they conceded one goal from a free kick, the team will also have to be proactive in dealing with set pieces and crosses launched into their box.

The new-look defense put in good defensive performances in the Pilipinas Cup 2017, only conceding four goals in five games and keeping two clean sheets against FEU, a team they conceded six goals in two games to last season. The Lady Eagles will hope to maintain this form as the season progresses.

Stepping up

With a whopping 14 changes to their UAAP squad, and the inclusion of nine rookies in the squad, AWFT has shown great confidence in their developing talents. The Lady Eagles’ starting XI will feature a mix of veterans and rookies who must all put in good shifts to achieve UAAP success.

Taking home the championship in the Pilipinas Cup during their preseason bodes well for the squad this coming UAAP season. It can be expected that the rookies, and consequently the team as a whole, will take time to adjust to the pace and physical demands of the tournament. As the season wears on, however, they will look to grow in confidence and in the development of their chemistry.

Makeshift, but battle-ready

There is no denying that the squad faced a personnel overhaul due to the departure of many of last season’s key players like Rodriguez, Sabio, and Siy as well as long-term injuries to Velasco, and rookies Bianca Almeda and Regina Manalo.

Coach Merida has had to experiment with a number of new formations to accommodate the team’s lack of positional squad depth. Players like Catedrilla, Panganiban, Bugayong, and Amoncio are likely to play out of their favored positions to make these formations work.

Despite some of the initial setbacks, the Lady Eagles have maintained their optimism and passion on and off the pitch—the weightiest contributing factor to their quick improvement. Merida has applauded the belief and passion of his team saying, “I’m happy because they really gel well with each other. They enjoy every time we have a game and every time we train they’re improving.”

Passion and fire emanate from the Lady Eagles as they enter Season 80 with their sights set on bringing Ateneo its first UAAP Women’s Football title after bronze finishes in the last four seasons.

First Round Schedule

All games at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium in Manila

February 3, Saturday, 9:00 AM vs UP

February 10, Saturday, 9:00 AM vs UST

February 14, Wednesday, 3:00 PM vs FEU

February 24, Saturday,  3:00 PM vs DLSU

Roster

Goalkeepers: Mariane Caparros, Moira Lim

Defenders: Nicole Bugayong, Cathy Cabrera, Icee Calimbo, Rafi Javier, Mischa Soriano, Pia Villaflor

Midfielders: Nona Amoncio (C), Iara Andaya, Jolly Catedrilla, Pam Diaz, Jill Panganiban

Forwards: Christina Aniceto, Martie Bautista, Tessa Bernardo, Martina Ferrer, Claudia Liwanag