The Bummer
Ateneo 0 vs. La Salle 1
by rick olivares and aly yap
Erenchun Field, Ateneo de Manila University
Sometimes, when a situation is born out of desperation, there is a momentary lapse in concentration that provides just enough a window for a stinging defeat.
Former IBF Light Flyweight Champion Brian Viloria will rue not finishing off Carlos Tamara in the earlier rounds and after a stinging defeat, the question about this being the end of the road.
One day after the pugilist’s debilitating loss, the Ateneo Men’s Football Team, reeling from a 2-0 loss to UP days earlier, had taken control of the match against La Salle, but a pair of stinging mistakes by longtime team stalwart Luigi Meer did them in.
Unlike Viloria, the Blue Booters still have a chance to make a comeback since it’s only the third match of the season. But the opportunities are slowly passing by as it is only the top two teams that will figure in the finals.
After scraping his knee after a tackle, Meer ran to the sidelines to douse water on the blood. He returned to the fray without informing the fourth official who instead of calling back the player allowed him to get back on to the pitch. It was just one of the many non-calls made by the game officials that almost let the game get out of hand.
At the next deadball, the official called the attention of the referee and Meer was assessed a yellow card.
Minutes later, Meer, perhaps thinking that the ball was out of bounds, made the mistake of touching the football at the edge of his own box. The linesman whistled. Penalty.
La Salle midfielder Rafi Milan, who just a week earlier was sent crashing down on a breakaway by FEU keeper Bricks Caballero, took the penalty and sent it left as Ateneo keeper RS Mantos went right. It was just enough. And the Green Booters held fast on defense for the win, their first of the season.
Both teams were coming off loses (DLSU lost to FEU 1-0) and the game took on a greater importance not just because of the rivalry but because they needed a win to keep pace in the standings.
UST earlier upset UP 2-1 with a pair of fantastic goals by Christian De Juan that offset Andrei Mercader’s equalizer. Now the Tigers are atop of the UAAP with a 3-0 record followed by UP and FEU both at 2-1. And over at the Ocampo Field at the same time of the Ateneo-La Salle match, FEU wa sin the process of demolishing hapless UE 3-1 (FEU’s Glester Sobremisana scored two goals while Jason Cordova added one to the sole score by UE’s Fitch Arboleda).
The game began with sloppy play as both teams were tense but booming free kicks by former AHS booter Miguel Montelibano gave the green and white the first scoring opportunities while their defense choked the Blue Booters’ attack that kept them on defensive.
At the 30th minute mark, the Ateneans seized the momentum as they found the right wing more susceptible to runs by Gerard Cancio that lead to a few scoring chances including a beautiful cross to a charging Derrick Candelaria who for the second time in three matches was unable to convert at near point blank range. Undaunted, the blues stepped up their aggressive play that resulted in a pair of back-to-back corner shots that they likewise turned up negative.
Milan’s conversion changed the complexion of the match and La Salle instead of staying on the defensive, renewed their assault with more fervor. Milan, hounded by his coach Hans Smit almost the entire first half for being out of position, nearly scored a second goal with a thunderous shot from way out that Mantos was able to parry.
With time slipping away, there was one last chance to salvage an equalizer with a free kick from outside the box, but Paul Cheng’s shot that cleared the wall found its way into La Salle keeper Patrick Deyto’s hands.
Deyto, his poor antics aside that nearly led to a melee after the match, was superb as he turned back numerous scoring chances by an Ateneo side that was scrambling for a goal. Two minutes of added time wasn’t enough and when the final whistle was blown, Meer squatted in the middle of the field in tears as his teammates consoled him.
Smit’s gamble of playing much of his rookies had worked. They had given their side a much-needed lift with their fire and grit. For Ateneo, though they are playing much better than last season, the question now is all about their mental toughness. They’ve been pretty much unbeatable on Erenchun Field in the past decade but the last three years have seen a drop in form and toughness that has allowed visiting teams to torch them on their home field.
Unlike Brian Viloria, who did not seize the opportunity, for the Ateneo Blue Booters, there’s still a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately, they’re fast using up their quotas for loses.
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