After an action-packed second round, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Football Tournament nears its end as the Final Four bracket has now been set. This recap will analyze the state of the Ateneo Blue Eagles as they continue on their quest to reclaim the throne for the first time in five years.
AFTER CLAWING through the last four matchups of the second round, the Ateneo Men’s Football Team (AMFT) enters Season 86’s tournament bracket at fourth place.
Opening the second round, the Blue Eagles slowly resumed the second round after a crushing defeat to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Booters, 0-3. Despite multiple offensive opportunities by Ateneo, Golden Booter Kyler Escobar ultimately handed the loss after scoring two goals in the match.
Moving over to their next fixture, the Blue and White had faced their biggest loss of the season after succumbing to Katipunan-rivals, the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, 0-4. With the absence of star forward Kofi Agyei, Ateneo’s offensive firepower was significantly diminished en route to the shutout loss.
The two big defeats put the Blue Eagles’ chances at a playoff berth at risk, as they were relegated to fifth place. With two more games in the season, the Katipunan-based squad had to make long strides in order to save their season.
Bouncing back, the AMFT regained momentum after a crucial win over the Adamson University (ADU) Soaring Falcons, 3-0. With goals from Luard Abaa, Andy Roxas, and a returning Agyei, the Blue and White’s championship hopes remained afloat.
Ateneo’s final elimination round match served as the deciding factor for their Final Four aspirations. Facing a playoff-hopeful De La Salle University (DLSU) squad, the AMFT had to either draw or win the matchup in order to extend their season.
Although the Green Booters managed to score two game-defining points, the Blue Eagles countered with their own goals from Agyei and Roxas. The collegiate derby ended with an even scoreline of 2-2, which allowed Ateneo to book their last-minute ticket into the playoffs.
As an energetic Final Four is about to begin, some pointers may be set out to analyze the Blue Eagles’ performance against the defending champions this Thursday.
- Heat control
Photo Courtesy of the UAAP Media Team
Alfonso: Hustling through the final two fixtures of the elimination rounds, the Blue Eagles enter the postseason with the challenge of overcoming defending champions FEU in the semi-finals. In addition to the Tamaraw’s balanced two-way play throughout the season, Ateneo must find a way to fend off an inevitable aggressive offense.
An emphasis on defending the Morayta-based squad’s attacking third may provide a solution to limiting any possible lapses. More specifically, the Blue and White’s defensive line must take caution against Tamaraw forwards Karl Absalon and Sherwin Basindanan, who were responsible for Ateneo’s two aforementioned losses.
Despite an overwhelming loss to the Tamaraws in their first match of the season, 2-4, the Blue Eagles showed signs of defensive development after allowing fewer goals, 1-2, in their second meeting. With such improvements displayed, the Blue Eagles are on the right track to potentially upend the defending champions this time around.
On the offensive end, Ateneo remains to be a dangerous force in terms of counterattacking. Spearheaded by Agyei and Roxas, the Blue Eagles may look forward to their fast-paced attack to potentially stay ahead against the Tamaraws, as long as they limit the opposing team’s offense as well.
Although the AMFT’s objective is to be ahead in the final score, they can only do so if they excellently safeguard their own side of the field.
- Fitness and finesse
Photo Courtesy of the UAAP Media Team
Euan: Blue Eagles forward Kofi Agyei has been nothing short of spectacular for Ateneo this season. His size and athleticism remain a force to be reckoned with across the tournament. Opponents continue to flood Agyei with personnel just to limit his production, yet the Ghanaian still finds ways to produce on the field.
Nothing exemplifies Agyei’s contribution more for the AMFT than his crucial equalizing goal against a swarm of Green Booters during the first half of their matchup last Sunday. Agyei’s ninth goal of the season not only put Ateneo back in the match, but also helped secure the last slot in the semis for the Season 85 finalist.
With less than a week to prepare for their next match, it may take a lot more from Agyei to help the Blue and Whites break their losing slump against the first-seeded Tamaraws. Throughout the season, FEU mitigated Kofi’s aerial prowess by forcing him to convert his touches through grounded attempts or counterattacks.
Although the Tamaraws used the same formula against Agyeilast season, Ateneo managed to complete the regular season sweep in Season 85 as Agyei came in as a substitute before netting his 80th-minute attempt. Unfortunately for him, however, he hasn’t been able to figure out the pesky defense since.
Given the immense pressure to deliver more for Ateneo, the Golden Boot award candidate must exceed the already mighty expectations to secure the Blue Eagles’ fifth finals appearance in six seasons. Looking to exorcize the demons that have haunted him in the past, Agyei hopes to get the best of his kryptonite this time around when it matters most.
- Factoring in the X factors
Photo Courtesy of the UAAP Media Team
Gershon: Dating back to last season’s title match, the Blue Eagles have now lost three fixtures in a row to the reigning champions. With a possible fifth finals stint in six seasons on the line, this is the perfect time for the Katipunan-based XI to clap back.
As Coach JP Merida’s troops go into battle with a spot in the finals on the line, the Blue Eagles will be giving it their all in this knockout semifinals. Ultimately, stellar performances are still to be expected from Blue Eagle forwards Agyei and Leo Maquiling, and UAAP Best Goalkeeper frontrunner Artuz Cezar. The consistency that these stars brought night in and night out for the AMFT during the eliminations was what ultimately kept the squad afloat during their second-round slump.
However, banking on the consistency of their star players for goal-scoring is only one-half of Ateneo’s winning equation. The formula also requires the services of Roxas and Galen Fernandez to generate plays in the midfield battle wherein the ball possession-dominant Tamaraws thrive. The duo will be critical in countering the talented Tamaraw midfield of Absalon, Abdulnasser Mustapa, Gerald Estores, and Rustel Buenafe.
Furthermore, maximum efforts from all the role players in the defensive third is critical in this Season 85 finals rematch. With the Blue Eagle backline being handicapped due to veteran defender Wilmer Lopez’s season-ending injury, Jet Dela Cruz, Jethro Flores, and Team Captain Josie Lopez will be holding down the fort for Ateneo.
However, they will have their plates full in marking the Tamaraws’ attacking trio of Karl Absalon, Selwyn Mamon, and Martini Rey—who all combined for a whopping 19 goals in the elimination round.
Entering the biggest game of their young careers, Ateneo rookie revelations Carlo Bautista and Christian Santilices will also be looking to introduce themselves to the Filipino collegiate football scene. Both youngsters were selected by Matthew Nierras as part of his UAAP Men’s Football First Round’s “Best XI – Rookie Edition” selection in his Medium.com blog.
The Stallion Laguna FC defender highlighted Bautista’s efforts in filling the boots left by previous Ateneo skipper Szymon Mercado in the midfield and Santilices’ defensive talent that helped keep the Blue and White’s back four stable. Having proven themselves already in the elimination rounds, Ateneo will need these two rising stars, along with the rest of the Blue and White, to produce once more on the biggest stage of Philippine collegiate football.
Predictions:
Alfonso: I think that the AMFT lucked out on strongly entering the Final Four, as their slump in the second round forced them to compete against the defending champions in the semi-final. As history dictates, the Blue Eagles are tasked with overcoming a squad that has dominated them recently. Although Ateneo’s firepower on the attack is undoubtedly one of the best in the tournament, with any of its 11 players being able to put the ball at the back of the net, I question if it is enough to take them to the finals. Unless the Blue Eagles figure out how to halt a dominant FEU squad by Thursday, I see the Blue Eagles being defeated, 0-2, where the Tamaraws will be en route to the championship game.
Euan: The only thing I’m banking on for the Blue Eagles to succeed is by pulling off the upset in the second half as they once did in Season 85. History has suggested that the Tamaraws let up easily in the latter half of the match, as they almost conceded a draw against the Red Warriors during their last game. I can foresee the stars will align for the boys from Katipunan by escaping the semifinals bout with a last-minute winner, 1-0.
Gershon: Considering the rich footballing history between these two squads, I believe that Filipino football fans are set for a Thriller Thursday in this Final Four fixture. Despite being favorites to go back-to-back this season, the Tamaraws suffered some concerning setbacks in the second round. With the stakes being higher than ever, I can see the Blue Eagles exploiting this vulnerability by relying on the unwavering support of the Ateneo faithful who had gone all out in cheering for the AMFT this season. I believe that a sea of blue will flood the Rizal Memorial Stadium on Thursday and this will play a huge part in the Blue Eagles’ 2-1 upset win over the mighty Tamaraws.
This week’s game:
Thursday, May 9, 4:30 PM, vs. Far Eastern University Tamaraws at the Rizal Memorial Stadium
Final Four Bracket:
1. FEU Tamaraws vs. 4. ATENEO Blue Eagles
2. UP Fighting Maroons vs. 3. UST Golden Booters
