Ateneo de Manila University flipped the switch in the second half to beat its fabled rival De La Salle University, 4-1, securing full points in the UAAP Season 87 collegiate men’s football tournament on Thursday night before a packed crowd at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.
After struggling in the first half, the Blue Eagles found their rhythm, capitalizing on a couple of set pieces.
Jet dela Cruz delivered a second-half brace, leading Ateneo to its second consecutive victory.
“Wow! Two goals? It’s a great performance from him,” said Ateneo coach JP Merida. “It’s unbelievable positioning in set pieces, so we’re really happy dun sa nangyari. It’s nice for him to score two goals.”
With six points, Ateneo is now level with Far Eastern University, which defeated the University of the East 3-0 in the day’s opening match.
However, the Katipunan-based side trails FEU on goal difference.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Dela Cruz opened the scoring for the Blue Eagles in the 49th minute, heading in a goal off a Matti Roxas free kick. But De La Salle didn’t take long to respond, with Luis Henares equalizing in the 51st minute.
Just four minutes later, Dela Cruz broke the deadlock, scoring his second goal in the 55th minute off an Ateneo corner. Fonzy Escobin extended Ateneo’s lead to 3-1 in the 62nd minute, heading home a Leo Maquiling cross from another corner.
To cap off the night, Galen Hernandez sealed the win with a stoppage-time goal, assisted by Dov Cariño, making it a dominant 4-1 finish for Ateneo.
With back-to-back wins, Ateneo will face Season 86 finalist FEU this Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at the same Quezon City venue.
“A lot of adjustments in the second half. I think yun yung nagbigay ng keys sa amin to create goals. Of course, I’m really happy with my players because they performed really well today,” said Merida.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
De La Salle, meanwhile, remains at one point. The Green Booters will return to action on Sunday against the UST Golden Booters at 2 p.m. at the same venue.
This rivalry match started in the 14th minute after being originally scheduled for Sept. 15. The season opener between Ateneo and De La Salle was abandoned after 14 minutes due to a thunderstorm and concerns for player safety. (JT)
