The Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles had ended their UAAP Season 78 Women’s Football Tournament campaign with a 4-1 win against the University of Santo Tomas Lady Booters last April 23, 2016 at the McKinley Hill Stadium in Taguig.
The aforementioned game epitomized Season 78 for the Lady Eagles. Despite their slow start, Ateneo scored three goals in a span of nine minutes to eventually beat UST, 4-1. ‘Kaya naman pala’ was what it felt after watching the Lady Eagles play. Who knows? Perhaps the Lady Eagles were more than capable of reaching the Finals this season.
Ateneo head coach Bob Manlulo admitted that his side had failed to reach their target of an inaugural Finals appearance despite recruiting blue-chip players. Pressure, Manlulo noted, had struck his players. “I mean we call it UAAP jitters that they cannot adjust to the different crowd setting and yung pressure of winning the game. But I guess they’ll be back again next year. They have to be more mature and they have to be more competitive in such a way they have to level up with the physically high level of playing in the UAAP,” he explained.
Another problem Manululo identified was the inconsistency of his team. He felt that it was a sign his rookies haven’t been able to sufficiently adjust to the rigors of the league. He expounded, “That’s a different ballgame for them and at the same time the old players were really not yet that connected to the new players in the sense that when they play the game they’re not really that organized, and they just choose games that are, you know, they can perform on a higher level, but when pressure is there they tend to fall one at a time.”
“The key players that are supposed to really step up, I guess they stepped up but again the support of the rookies were really not yet on the competitive level, but they have the potential to be a contender in the next year or two,” Manlulo added.
One thing that shouldn’t have been a problem for the Lady Eagles was team chemistry. Manlulo stated, “I told that a year ago that the transition period will be this year already, but I guess my expectation was a bit wrong because I thought all the players were really adjusted to each other. Majority of them came from one school, Miriam College, majority of them.”
Come Season 79, someone else could be in charge of the Lady Eagles. “Maybe I may not be the head coach next year but I’ll still be handling the program and maybe the new coach will be the one to make the necessary adjustments for them,” Manlulo divulged, although he still had no idea who his potential successor could be.
That personnel change will also extend to the players. Manlulo mentioned that some of the Lady Eagles won’t be returning next year, while his potential exit may leave a hole in recruitment. “Well I have some potential recruits coming in but I don’t know if they’re gonna push through with it in Ateneo I guess. Hopefully and I pray they will be in Ateneo next season”, he said.
That win against UST may well have been the curtain-closer for Manlulo and some of the members of the Lady Eagles’ players and staff. While their wait to reach the finals has been prolonged, there is an inevitability about it. Don’t be surprised to see Manlulo and the others be there for the Lady Eagles when it matters most.
