Isaac Anoh ensured he made the most of his time on the pitch for De La Salle University in its clash against archrival Ateneo de Manila University last Sunday in the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Football Tournament.
Anoh, hailing from the Ivory Coast, started the match on the bench for the Green Booters for the first time this season.
With the Green Booters down 1-0 after Kofi Agyei gave the Blue Eagles an early lead, the Sports Management student replaced Gabe Suarez III in the 64th minute and altered the result with a few minutes to spare.
As La Salle mounted more pressure against Ateneo, Anoh received the ball in a dangerous position. He then unleashed a powerful shot at the edge of the Blue Eagles’ box which went past goalkeeper Artuz Cezar.
His intervention ensured that La Salle would draw its third straight game to end the first round, but this time around it was a case of a point earned rather than two points dropped.
“So, actually, we have been working on every game that we’ve been playing. And the draw, it is not like we wanted to draw. We wanted to win, but things did not turn out the way that we wanted,” he said.
“So we’re still going to accept the one point. And what you have to do next is try to work more on training to get more points because we had three draws. That’s too much now. And it was really frustrating against UST and Adamson,” he continued.
“But we try to work more on it. But especially for Ateneo, there’s no way that we’re going to be like, we’re going to lose against Ateneo. As you guys know, (they’re a) big rival. So when it’s like that, that gives more strength and more energy to everyone to play 100-percent of their best.”
Anoh now has six goals this season for the Green Booters. He has become La Salle’s focal point in the final third after winger Mikio Umilin graduated after Season 85.
For him, it does not matter if he is part of the starting 11 or if he comes off the bench. It is always about scoring a goal within the minutes he has been given.
La Salle ended the first round in fourth place with nine points behind two wins, three draws, and one defeat.
There is still a long way to go for the Green Booters in their quest to reach the Final Four, but they have a solid platform to build on come round two this week.
“I would say, for me, I really, really trust my teammates,” said Anoh. “If coach (Alvin Ocampo) puts me on the bench, it’s because there is a reason behind it. I was not 100 percent ready to start. But anyway, it was a good opportunity for me to come inside and also try to help my teammates do what we have to do.
“We’re all working as a team. So if we lack one player or maybe we’re down 1-0, my job as a striker is to try to put the ball behind the net,” he continued.
“And that’s what I did. And I’m really, really happy that we could get at least one point going back home with it. And let’s see what we’re going to give in the second round as well.”
