Far Eastern University-Diliman started its quest for a 12th consecutive UAAP Boys’ Football championship by breaking down a stubborn Ateneo de Manila University with a 1-0 victory on Sunday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.
James Maxdel Torres netted the game’s only goal in the 64th minute when he put the ball at the back of the net off a corner that the Blue Eagles failed to clear.
Despite the winning start to the campaign, the Baby Tamaraws lamented their failure to convert several opportunities throughout the match.
The likes of Season 85 MVP Edgar Aban Jr, Kian Niu, Francis Sambaan, and Theo Libarnes all had chances to add to the defending champions’ tally but none of them were clinical enough to do so.
“We weren’t playing our game,” said FEU coach Albert Besa, a long-time Tamaraws assistant coach who was promoted to head coach of the school’s high school team. “We have to give it to Ateneo. They played a very good, compact defense.
“They were very disciplined but with the skill that we have, we should be doing better. We expect more from the boys. We’re gonna go back to the drawing board and work on a few things,” continued Besa, who is still under the guidance of former head coach and now-program director Vince Santos.
FEU goalkeeper Quitin Lance Sanchez remained alert amidst his team’s dominance by performing crucial stops against Raiken Alfonso Comla’s free-kick and Ethan Roxas’ header.
Reigning Best Defender awardee Bryan Ezekiel Villanueva had a late chance to double FEU’s lead but his header was denied by the crossbar.
“With how we play, we should be able to come on top,” said Besa. “But with a lot of errors and mistakes, those give us a lot of disadvantages.”
Similar to FEU-D, University of Santo Tomas enjoyed a winning start to the season by thumping last year’s finalist De La Salle Zobel, 4-1, in the evening match.
Midfielder Lance Lawrence Locsin scored a brace in the 43rd and 50th minutes of the game as the Junior Golden Booters, who finished in third place back in Season 85, laid down a marker during the opening day of the tournament.
“Yung team na to puro bagong players so yung panalo nila nagbigay ng confidence sa kanila kasi the target now is makapasok sa championship,” said coach Marjo Allado.
“Against La Salle last year, twice kami natalo eh. It’s about time bumawi kami. The boys never gave up tapos yung spirit nila mataas throughout the match,” the log-time UST head coach continued.
Rodrigo Marinas III drew first blood for UST just three minutes into the contest while Kent Laurenz Dela Peña scored the Junior Golden Booters’ second goal in the 38th minute.
La Salle’s Julio Antonio Yoldi gave the Junior Archers hope with a goal in the 21st minute but his strike became nothing more than a consolation effort.
The Junior Golden Booters will look to build on this win when they take on the Baby Tamaraws next week.
“Alam ko FEU is very consistent kaya pang 11 times na sila nanalo no,” said Allado.
“Mag-stick lang kami sa plan namin against FEU kasi napanood naman namin sila kanina and I know that our players, capable naman tapatan si FEU.”
