THE ATENEO Women’s Football Team (AWFT) succumbed to KAYA Futbol Club FC, 0-7, en route to their third straight defeat in the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Women’s League Cup 2022. The match was held on November 19 at the PFF National Training Center in Carmona, Cavite.
Right from the first whistle, the Blue Eagles played on the back foot as KAYA established their dominance early in the match. The floodgates were opened as quickly as the third minute, with KAYA FC’s Irish Navaja converting her second attempt at goal. Shelah Cadag and Hazal Lustan then tripled KAYA’s lead with two quickfire goals in the 16th and 19th minutes.
Lustan doubled her goal tally in the 25th minute after scoring a thunderous free-kick which was placed perfectly near the post. Looking for a reply to the flurry of goals, Ateneo’s best chance of the first half came in the 35th minute, when Soleil Schroth put in a pinpoint cross into the feet of Maria Dungo. However, the forward could not bury her chance on goal as she kicked it over the bar. Ultimately, that would mark the end of a rough first half for the Blue Eagles as they trailed their opponents, 0-4.
After the break, the Blue and White looked like the livelier one of the two squads as they saw more possessions of the ball. Despite numerous scoring opportunities, this momentum would not last long as KAYA regained their first half form. At the 64th-minute mark, substitute KAYA Nicole Amores unleashed a shot from just outside the penalty box for her first goal of the contest. Cadag then got her brace after thumping one in at the 72nd minute, 0-6 for KAYA. With the game all done and dusted, Amores claimed KAYA’s seventh and final goal as she uncorked a powerful strike which substitute goalkeeper Adrielle Lee could not stop.
The Blue Eagles look to get their campaign back on track as they go up against the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigresses on Saturday, November 26 at 6:30 PM at the PFF National Training Center. Fans can watch Ateneo’s games live on PFF’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.
Editor’s Note: The writer of the article, Juris Salvanera, is the current manager of the Ateneo Men’s Football Team.
Ateneo Starting XI
(GK) Casals Chelssy
Soleil Schroth
Maria Vanessa Angeles
Gabrielle Tuaño
Kassandra Zalamea
Isabella Guerrero
Andrea Avedillo
(Captain) Patricia Fransisco
Maria Dungo
Traci Lim
Astrid Ignacio
