Fritz Chua struck late to send Adamson University to a 2–1 victory over Ateneo de Manila University and a share of the lead in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Football Tournament on Thursday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.
After securing an opening-day win against the University of Santo Tomas last Sunday, Adamson improved to its best start since returning to the league in Season 77 (2015), moving to the top of the standings with six points alongside De La Salle University.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
It was all thanks to a massive effort from rookie midfielder Chua, who made no mistake in drilling the decisive goal past Ateneo goalkeeper Alfonso Loja with just a minute remaining.
The goal broke a 1–1 deadlock that had stood for more than an hour after Keanno Guerrero equalized for Ateneo in the 19th minute with a lovely long-range strike.
Adamson captain Christian Ricario opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a vicious shot from inside the box.
“Last game, I mentioned resilience, so they are resilient,” said head coach Darlton Digha on the squad’s best start in 10 seasons. “They are like hungry dogs; they are always fighting.
“As you said, this is the first time we win back-to-back games, and at the beginning of the season. Winning the last game is a big boost coming into this game. Ateneo played a brilliant game, but just like I said, it’s just resilience at the end of the day for my boys, and I’m proud of them,” he added.
While the victory over the Blue Eagles was a significant one, Digha was even happier to see that his Soaring Falcons remained hungry for more moving forward.
“If you look at most of the boys I subbed out, you look at their faces, and the ones who have not played — they are not satisfied, which is what I see,” said Digha. “Even now, you look at them, they are arguing amongst themselves about the game.”
“In my eight years in Adamson as a player and as a coach, this is the first time I see so many of these boys are not satisfied, which is why we keep moving up,” said the university’s first-ever foreign student-athlete in the sport.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
The Soaring Falcons will shoot for a third straight victory when they face the University of the East Red Warriors in the final match of Sunday’s triple-header at 7 p.m.
Ateneo faces an equally tough test earlier in the day at 4:30 p.m., taking on defending champion University of the Philippines as the Blue Eagles continue their search for their first points of the season.
