THE ATENEO Blue Eagles secured a hard-earned draw against the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Booters, 1-1 in a heated back and forth affair. The game was held earlier today, October 5, 2025 at the UP Diliman Football Stadium in Quezon City.
As of writing, the Blue and White is now tied for first on the table with the University of the Philippines (UP) with seven points and a goal difference of +3 in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 Men’s Football Tournament.
Leading the way for Ateneo was Co-Captain Marco Salud who scored the lone goal of the contest with Kofi Agyei making the assist. Alongside them was Team Captain Dov Cariño who secured the Man of the Match honors.
In the opening stages of the match up, both teams traded possession, with Ateneo relying on attacks from the left flank and La Salle taking chances from distance.
By the 15th minute, the Blue Eagles’ defense was tested in the first big chance of the game, as La Salle’s John Gaverza found an opportunity in the box, forcing a timely save from goalkeeper Alfonso Loja.
With momentum growing on the Green Booters side, Ateneo struggled to contain their offense, as in the 20th minute, La Salle’s Gaverza found James Sibla to score their first goal of the contest, 0-1.
Determined to even the scoreline, the Blue Eagles continued to attack the left side of the pitch through crosses inside the box in the hopes of connecting with Agyei. In the 29th minute, their efforts materialized as a Mateo Lacson free kick found the lurking striker who headed the ball to Salud with the defender slotting in the chance, 1-1.
Quick to respond, the Green Booters hammered the Blue Eagles’ defense once more as Alonso Aguilar linked with Sibla to generate a wide open shot on the right flank. The chance, however, sailed over the top of the net to maintain the deadlock.
Eager to take control in the dying minutes of the first half, Ateneo’s Karl Molina found Agyei through a well-timed cross, leading to an acrobatic attempt from the Ghanaian striker, narrowly missing the goal to close out the frame.
Entering the final 45 minutes of play, the Blue Eagles found themselves stifled by the Green Booters’ tight defense on the right flank, led by Rafa Castrillo.
The match’s physicality also ramped up due to DLSU’s Ampala being given a yellow card after rough contact with Ateneo’s offense in the 50th minute. However, Lacson’s free kick following the foul went directly into the hands of La Salle’s keeper.
Unfazed by the missed opportunity, Lacson proved to be the difference maker for the Blue and White in the second half. Working hard on both ends of the field, he effortlessly shifted from defensive midfielder to center back duties for his squad.
Injuries continued to pile up for Ateneo as Marcus Arias was ruled out for the remainder of the game after a non-contact incident in the 60th minute.
Action quickly returned midway through the half with Loja coming up huge with consecutive saves in the 66th and 68th minutes on set pieces from DLSU. Moreover, intensity continued to increase at the Diliman pitch with another Green Booter being penalized with a yellow card after another case of hard contact.
Chances and momentum began to favor the Blue Eagles’ side with a precise cross from Cariño off a breakaway in the 77th minute. The same sequence occurred in the 78th and 80th minutes, but these all resulted in no Blue Eagle receiving the passes.
Cariño continued his incredible offensive showcase, taking on the Lasallian defenders and dismantling their backline, with DLSU having no choice but to foul. However, despite the excellent 85th-minute chance, the skipper’s free kick went wide.
Although Loja and Lacson managed to contain further scoring opportunities from the Green Booters, the Blue Eagles were unable to capitalize on offense, as the rivalry derby ended in a draw, 1-1.
After the heated contest, Head Coach JP Merida reflected on the Blue and White’s performance. “You need to start strong, you need to set the tempo. […] The good thing is that we were able to recover before the end of the half,” he shared.
The Blue Eagles will return to the pitch as they take on the UP Fighting Maroons next Sunday, October 12, at 6:30 PM in the same venue.
Starting XI:
Ateneo (1): Loja (GK), Santilices, Salud, Lacson, Cariño (C), Agyei, Bengson, De Ocampo, Arias, Rance, Molina
DLSU (1): Lauron (GK), Castrillo, Ian, Aparilla, Aguilar, Gaverza, Fronda, Reyes, Sibla, Ekberg, Labayen (C)
Current Standings – Points (GD):
- ATENEO Blue Eagles – 7 (+3)
- UP Fighting Maroons – 7 (+3)
- DLSU Green Booters – 5 (0)
- UST Golden Booters – 4 (0)
- AdU Soaring Falcons – 4 (-3)
- FEU Tamaraws – 3 (+1)
- UE Red Warriors – 0 (-1)
