Ateneo, La Salle forced into football stalemate

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 86 Men’s Football Tournament Standings

FEU 15 points (+9)

UP 12 points (+2)

Ateneo 11 points (+4)

DLSU 9 points (+1)

UST 7 points (+2)

UE 3 points (-11)

Adamson 2 points (-7)

The concluding match for the first round of the UAAP Season 86 Men's Football Tournament ended up in a 1-1 draw between archrivals Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University at the UP Diliman Football Stadium on Sunday night.

Substitute Isaac Anoh rescued the Green Booters with his sixth goal of the season against the Blue Eagles. Coming on for Gabe Suarez III in the 62nd minute, the Ivorian unleashed a strike at the edge of the box that got past Artuz Cezar in the 84th minute.

He shared afterwards, "Actually, we have been working. Basically, we’re all working as a team. If we lack one player or maybe when we’re down 1-0, the job I have as a striker is that I have to put the ball at the back of the net."

Isaac adds, "That’s what I did and I’m really, really happy that we could get at least one point and go back home with it, and let’s see what we’ll give in the second round."

Ateneo managed to take the lead early on after Kofi Agyei scored his sixth goal of the season just nine minutes into the contest. The Katipunan-based squad had to deal with continuous pressure from their opponents until Anoh's heroics finally cracked the JP Merida-coached side.

Merida says about the outcome, "It was a good game for both teams. They controlled the emotions. They were very safe in the first half. Hindi talaga nag-o-overcommit. I’m happy because, in the end, we go home with a point. I think we need to accept that. Looking forward na lang to the next game to improve and, of course, get the three points."

Their eleventh point of the season keeps Ateneo in third place, while La Salle's nine markers pegs them in fourth place.