THE ATENEO Blue Eagles bested the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Booters, 2-0, earlier today, August 17, at the Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus, Cavite.
This win secures the Blue Eagles’ spot in the semifinals with a final tally of six points in Group B of the Tuloy Invitational Cup.
Kofi Agyei led the Blue and White with a brace, while Team Captain Dov Cariño found the striker on both occasions, nabbing two assists in their victory. Moreover, goalkeeper Alfonso Loja also notched the first clean sheet for Ateneo in the tournament thus far.
The Blue Eagles entered the high-stakes rivalry match needing a win to clinch a berth in the semifinals and to avoid elimination. Meanwhile, the Green Booters, donning a pink kit in today’s game, simply needed a draw to book their ticket to the semis.
Despite claiming majority of the possession in the first few minutes of the match, Ateneo saw limited scoring chances as a result of La Salle’s stifling defensive schemes. This led to the Green Booters playing a more proactive role on the offensive end.
Just before the cooling break, DLSU dominated their end of the pitch, including a dangerous sequence within Ateneo’s box off a set piece that was shut down by an excellent save from Loja in the 15th minute.
The Green Booters continued to attack the Katipunan-based side, manufacturing multiple chances in rapid succession throughout the 25th minute. However, the Blue Eagles came away unscathed as neither opportunity found the back of the net.
Ateneo immediately followed this sequence with a counterattack, as Agyei got past DLSU’s keeper, but found himself in a tight spot, unable to slot in a goal. The Blue Eagles remained aggressive on the attacking front, regaining the upper hand on offense.
Desperately needing to score before the end of the half, Ateneo finally found a breakthrough off another counterattack. Following a 38th-minute attempt from La Salle that barely missed, the Blue Eagles responded in the 40th minute with skipper Cariño connecting with Agyei for an excellent strike to draw first blood, 1-0.
Opening the second half, the Blue Eagles began to fire on all cylinders, winning back ball possession and playing formidable defense. These efforts were eventually rewarded in the 48th minute, as Cariño once again found Agyei through a nifty pass in transition to extend the lead, 2-0.
As the match continued, the Blue Eagles dominated possession, creating opportunities through long passes in from behind and dictating the pace to their advantage. In the 59th minute, Javier Bengson connected with Cariño in the box, forcing a clutch save from the Green Booters.
Aiming to bounce back, DLSU generated a pair of chances in the 62nd and 66th minutes with passes into the Katipunan box that were eventually met with hampering defense from the Blue and White.
With tension flaring and stakes rising, teams resorted to committing hard fouls in their efforts to regain control. These attempts, however, led to plenty of time wasted and several yellow cards issued.
Down the stretch, stepping up big for the Blue Eagles was goalkeeper Loja, making a quartet of saves in the late stages of the matchup, keeping the clean sheet, and shutting down any chance of a goal for DLSU.
Despite their best efforts in the dwindling stages of the game, the Taft-based squad failed to score, as Ateneo’s defense followed through until the very end. Through a 92nd-minute clearance from the Blue Eagle defenders and yet another Loja save in the 94th minute, Ateneo sealed the match, booking their ticket to the next round.
Hoping to build upon their good form, the Blue Eagles will head into the semi-finals next Sunday, August 24, in the same venue, with the opponent and official match time to be announced at a later date.
Group B Standings (Points, Goal Difference):
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (6, +5)*
- Tuloy FC (4, +1)
- DLSU Green Booters (4, 0)
- UE Red Warriors (0, -6)**
(*) – Semifinals
(**) – Eliminated
