The Fighting Generations
Ateneo 2 vs. UE 1
words by rick olivares picture by aly yap
Truer words were never more spoken. The names may change but the rivalry and perhaps more importantly for Ateneo, that digging deep and fighting heart lives on forever.
Inside the dugout at the Blue Eagle Gym right before the Blue Booters match versus the UE Red Warriors, the team began its customary pre-game meeting without the coaches since the tactical briefing was done. As it has been since the start of the school year, team captain Gabriel Siojo spoke and the team listened.
There was an urgency to the atmosphere and to the game but without any traces of nervous desperation. Siojo recounted how his grandfather, Cesar Sison (on the maternal side) once played alongside the grandfather of current teammate Jacobo Lorenzo, the great Luis “Moro” Lorenzo in the Blue Eagles.
The team was playing the UST Goldies in a basketball game and the blues found themselves down by 20 points at the half. In the dugout, the team spoke about finding a way to come back. The term “one big fight” had not yet been coined but the sentiment, the never-say-die attitude had been bred in every Atenean’s heart and mind. There was a reason why they were called “the Hail Mary Squad.”
The team of yesteryear came back and won at the buzzer.
Siojo's teammates listened intently to the story and took to heart the lesson from it. No further words were needed. They were locked in. After all, they could empathize for they found themselves in a similar hole.
The Blue Booters had taken their first game, a whopper of a win against FEU 2-1. They followed that with two loses – a 2-0 dismantling by UP and a 1-0 heartbreaker to La Salle. This match against UE, a team they were friendly with on and off the pitch, was winless but that didn’t mean that the Red Warriors were going to roll over for the home side.
“We’re in a similar situation,” said defender Mario Marcelo. “You have to experience being down there before the words ‘One Big Fight’ really mean something.”
And down they were once more when UE midfielder Nikko Molo headed in a perfect cross from the right wing at the 24th minute. The goal had stunned not just the team but also its supporters that were just trooping to Ocampo Field.
Despite UE being winless, they were a team that was like Ateneo’s – a few veterans like defender Shem Bensurto and forward Fitch Florence Arboleda now shorn on his trademark afro – and stacked with froshes and sophs. The difference being that UE had U-16 national players. Give them a year more as they come to grips with the college game and coach Lloyd Lim’s team will be killers.
Despite Ateneo being down, it seemed that the team was on the verge of scoring. One could feel it.
In the previous three matches, Derrick Candelaria, who had been installed at the top of the 4-2-3-1 formation, had been unlucky in his scoring chances. Twice he had a sure goal but each time he muffed it. The first was against FEU when all he had to do was slot the ball into an empty net but an FEU defender came flying out of nowhere to repulse the shot. The second came against La Salle.
He charged and found himself about to break from his defender inside the box when he was tripped up.
The referee whistled the visiting team for a penalty.
When it comes to PKS, Siojo is the designated kicker (as it is Paul Cheng for corners and Luigi Meer or Miggy Monfort for long range shots).
Siojo sent his blast to the right that UE’s keeper William Albao was a split second too late to react to. Ateneo had the equalizer in the 37th minute.
At the half, the Blue Booters’ coach Ompong Merida tinkered with their 4-3-3 attack formation by moving Siojo to the back of the attacking midfield with Anton Amistoso playing above him.
The switch worked as it turned up Ateneo’s offense several notches higher. The problem was Ateneo had to finish better. James Arco, Candelaria, and Siojo had some chances to get the go-ahead goal but each time they botched their shots.
With the minutes perilously slipping away and a draw looming depriving Ateneo of three precious points that would allow them to climb from their fifth place in the standings.
In the 82nd minute, with an air of desperation beginning to hang over the team, Gerard Cancio, heavily marked in the last couple of years because of his goal scoring process took a quick inbound from Carl Llado at the midfield laced a looping right cross that was perfect for a scoring opportunity. The ball landed in front of Candelaria who was praying for another scoring chance. “Please,” he said to the Man above. “I will do better next time.”
And he didn’t muff it this time. 2-1 Ateneo.
The team held on for its second win in four outings with one to play (against front-running UST) to cap the first round.
The Blue Booters had played well as a team. Amistoso put quite a few moves on his defender and was an effective playmaker alongside Siojo as they fed teammates on the attack. Arco, had his chances. The defense, though spotty in the first half, had tightened up and gave their offense plenty of chances on the quick counter.
Cancio who doesn’t need to score to be effective had his imprint on almost every attack.
In many ways, the win was more joyous than their opener against FEU. With UST atop with 10 points, UP at second with 9, FEU at third with 7, Ateneo had leaped past La Salle for fourth place with 6 points. The Green Archers had dropped to fifth with 3 points while UE remained winless at the bottom of the six-team field.
The teams weren’t too far from one another and if anything, the top two slots for the finals are up for grabs. The matches this coming Sunday (Ateneo vs. UST, UP vs. FEU, and La Salle vs. UE) and their results could really shake up the standings.
As Team Ateneo stretched by the sidelines, talk quickly turned to their next practice and their game against the Growling Tigers.
“You have to know what it’s like to be down there,” said Marcelo who referred to last season’s dismal fifth place finish and their two consecutive loses this new campaign. “to appreciate things. And whatever happens from here on, we’re going to give it that One Big Fight.”
Starting Elevens
Ateneo – RS Mantos, Jacobo Lorenzo, Mario Marcelo, Fred Ozaeta, Luigi Meer, Anton Amistoso, Gabriel Siojo, Paul Cheng, Gerard Cancio, Derrick Candelaria, Keith King
UE – William Albao, Ed Aguirre, Rolando Aljecera Jr., Fitch Florence Arboleda, Fitch Johnson Arboleda, Shem Bensurto, Adrian Bequello, Reynold Lim, Nik Molo, Nikko Molo, Felix Rivera
Shots on goal
Ateneo – 10
UE – 10
Corners
Ateneo – 4
UE 4
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