THE ATENEO Men’s Football Team (AMFT) capped the Ang Liga Season 18 elimination stage on a low as they fell to Tuloy Football Club (Tuloy FC), 2-3. The match was held earlier today at the Far Eastern University Diliman Football Field in Quezon City.
Despite this loss, the Blue Eagles clinched their spot as the second seed in Group B with a win-loss record of 2-2.
Coming off a two-game losing streak, Tuloy FC sought to pull off an upset from the opening whistle. The fourth-seeded squad dominated the entirety of the first half, relying on their quick offense to keep Ateneo at bay.
Tuloy FC wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, notching their first goal at the ninth minute. With the offensive momentum on the side of their opponents, the Blue Eagles struggled to keep up on the defensive end, conceding another goal at the 45th minute to end the first half, 0-2.
Following a frustrating first half, a rested Blue Eagles squad shifted gears and capitalized on their strong offense. Multiple scoring opportunities opened up for the AMFT, which eventually led to their first goal at the 63rd minute with Kofi Agyei’s shot off a cross from Luard Abaa, 1-2.
[63rd Minute]
— Luis Antonio Licas (@Luis_TheGUIDON) November 30, 2022
Ateneo finally gets on the board as Abaa finds Agyei for their first goal!
Ateneo 1 Tuloy 2#AngLiga pic.twitter.com/ispCvCf8qQ
However, Tuloy FC remained unfazed, answering with a goal of their own shortly after at the 64th minute, 1-3. At the brink of losing their second straight game, the Blue Eagles sought to come back despite trailing by two. Their chance would come at the 84th minute, when Leo Maquiling went all the way to escape Tuloy’s keeper for a clean goal, 2-3.
The AMFT scrambled to tie the game, opening up multiple chances including a header by Jet Dela Cruz that flew above the crossbar. Despite their best efforts, the Blue Eagles were unable to equalize the match, dropping their second straight game to close out the elimination stage.
“Hopefully, our team’s spirit will be stronger next game. It’s a minor setback, but a major comeback for us. I hope that each and every one of us will reflect [on] the two losses and be better next game,” said Midfielder Leo Maquiling of their back-to-back losses.
The Blue Eagles will face off in the quarterfinals against the third-seeded team in Group A on Sunday, December 4, at 1:00 PM at the Far Eastern University Diliman Football Field.
