Bleachers Brew: Season Three Day One: What is the Ateneo Football League?

What is the Ateneo Football League?

by rick olivares

It’s about reliving one’s glory days

Ebong Joson downed a glass of water, refilled it then doused it on his head. “Sarap! Parang high school ulit!” he exclaimed.

It’s about playing a child’s game

Someone went up to Mike Zamora. Unfortunately, he couldn’t remember his name. Said Mr. X, “Hey, Mike! I heard you're playing the team of my son.”

It’s the third season of the alumni football league of the Ateneo and its brother schools

“Unfortunately,” said former Ateneo keeper and AFL tournament official Jerry Ngo, “We’re all a year older.”

It’s about playing a child’s game II

After Caf Bench United defeated Titan, 6-0, players from the losing side came over to shake their hands while saying, “Nice game po.”

It’s about playing hurt

Peter Ian Mortillero, who played on Ateneo’s UAAP Men’s Football three-peat champions and is suiting up for White Mamba, was playing with a tear in his ACL.

“Sana hindi lumala. Sarap maglaro kasi.”

It’s about being respectful of your elders

A player for two-time college champions, Aria, knocked down White Mamba midfielder Mickey Ingles who recently made news for topping the bar and being the epitome of the Ateneo student-athlete. The player profusely apologized to Ingles.

Quipped a teammate: “If he didn’t do that he’d be staring at a lawsuit.”

It’s about reliving your Ateneo school days and getting beat in their last game from last season.

Juan Sanz FC is named after the team’s late Jesuit professor from Ateneo de Naga. Last season, they took a beating from Loyola Agila, the two-time champion from the 31-and-above division, both figuratively and literally.

This year, they sent a much better squad anchored by the defense of central back Kevin Macasaet, the forays of new forward Joel Carbonilla, and keeper Atty. Jose Mari Carpio, is the brother of former national player and UST head coach Nonoy Carpio, and who after graduation from Ateneo took up law at Georgetown.

This year, Juan Sanz came to the AFL on a mission to beat Loyola Agila. They did with a 6-1 victory with four goals coming from Dave Clavo.

It’s playing because one loves the game so much.

While all the players are from Ateneo de Naga, four are still currently based in Naga City while three live in Batangas. On game days, the quartet from Bicol take the eight-hour bus trip to Manila and arrive early in the morning then they take the eight-hour bus ride back to Naga in the evening.

It’s a good thing they won their first match of the season for the second year running or else it would be a really long bus ride back.

It’s a family affair.

Yesterday, two families played one another – MyTunes FC are composed of the Achacoso family while Gana FC are from the Tanjuatco family (where the former won). This brings new meaning to the saying, “The family that plays together, stays together.”

It’s about champions.

White Mamba, composed of the 2004-06 UAAP champion team took on Aria, a team with a few members of the 2013 UAAP champions.

Later in the day, Boj Kohouty took on Mang Chester United in a match that went to a penalty shootout (there are no draws in the AFL). Yu Murayama, who recently took part in three penalty shootouts in the UAAP en route to the finals, was once more on a team that went to a shootout. In the UAAP Finals, he faced old Ateneo teammate Ty Caballes who won a title with UP as goalkeeper. Murayama scored the winning goal in each shootout. This time around, he had Caballes’ brother, Cyrus, as a teammate and who scored a spectacular goal from midfield to level the match at 3-3 before the shootout.

But Boj Kohouty missed two spot kicks while Mang Chester United made good on theirs for a 5-3 win.

Yesterday’s results:

4B United defeated ABS-CBN 7-1

White Mamba defeated Aria 2-0

MyTunes defeated Gana 9-0

Victorious Secret defeated Cay 8-6

Los Tontos Talentados defeated Atletico San Valentin 8-4

Tapulan United defeated Schublig 5-2

Juan Sanz defeated Loyola Agila 6-1

Team Popoys defeated Mix Vergara 5-3

Mang Chester United defeated Boj Kohouty 5-3 in penalties

B2002 Katipunan Craft defeated Teamba 8-4

Cojones defeated Psykicks Potato Corner 4-2
Caf Bench defeated Tita 6-0

My goals of the Opening Day

Aldous Tongson, Mix Vergara vs Team Popoys -- long range volley

Cyrus Caballes, Boj Kohouty vs Mang Chester United -- shot from midfield to tie the match at 3-3

Mickey Ingles, White Mamba vs Aria -- blows by two defenders, sidefoot shot that hits the first post then ricochets to the keeper and to the back of the net.

----------------

The Ateneo Football League was established in 2009 by Rick Olivares and Rely San Agustin. Jerry Ngo is our Tournament Director. He actually decided to stay home this summer and attend to the AFL rather join his family in a trip to Europe. This third season of the AFL, we will finally go to TWO conferences.