The University of the Philippines (UP) opened their campaign in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 men’s football tournament with a decisive 3-0 victory over Adamson University (AdU) on Sunday, February 19 at the UP Diliman Football Field.
After a goalless first half, Fighting Maroon forward Anton Guariña scored in the 56th minute, paving the way for UP’s eventual win. Just eight minutes after at the 64th minute, defender Giap Bongolan doubled the University’s lead.
UP’s dominance was sealed in the 74th minute when midfielder Miguel Basmayor scored the team’s third goal.
“Sa first half, we had difficulty breaking down their backline with their back five. We had possession, but in terms of creating scoring opportunities, wala siya masyado no’ng first half,” UP coach Anto Gonzales told UAAP media.
“In the second half, we tried to play the ball quicker especially in central areas. The breakthrough came. ‘Yun naman ‘yung pinakamahirap talaga. Hats off to the boys. I felt they played a very balanced game today. Defensively, I thought they were really solid, very disciplined. Good performance overall,” he added.
UP will look to build on their winning start when they face Ateneo de Manila University in their next match on Thursday, February 23 at 4:00 pm while AdU will aim to bounce back against the University of the East on Sunday, February 26 at 6:00 pm.
