Ateneo de Manila University claimed the last UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Women's Football Tournament semifinal place with a 2-0 win over National University on Wednesday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium. The Ateneo Final Four entry rested on two finishes — Danielle Benitez in the 44th minute and Celina Salazar in the 90+4 — and on one save that protected the clean sheet.
The result closed the women's division bracket. Ateneo ended the elimination round on 13 points, two clear of fifth-placed University of Santo Tomas on 11. The Blue Eagles join Far Eastern University, De La Salle University and University of the Philippines in the postseason lineup.
The events that decided the match at UP Diliman
- 44th minute — Benitez scores. The Cebu standout broke the deadlock and put the Blue Eagles ahead shortly before the interval.
- 81st minute — Ateneo reduced to ten. Rae Tolentino was shown a red card for pulling back Jaquilin Esteban. National University was awarded a free kick.
- 81st minute — Gajitos saves. Lizzie Torre took the free kick for the Lady Bulldogs. Ateneo goalkeeper Sophia Gajitos denied the attempt and the clean sheet held.
- 90+4 — Salazar closes it. Salazar scored the second goal, securing all three points and Ateneo's place in the next phase.
Ateneo Final Four entry confirmed on 13 points
The 13-point total placed Ateneo fourth. The seeding above it is set:
- Far Eastern University — top seed
- De La Salle University — second
- University of the Philippines — third
- Ateneo de Manila University — fourth
University of Santo Tomas finished fifth on 11 points and exits the race. The four-team semifinal is a first for the women's division this season, a point Ateneo's Manululo raised when assessing the campaign.
National University closes its debut campaign
NU finished its first campaign without a point. The Lady Bulldogs contested the match with 14 players available. Their best chance to level came from the 81st-minute free kick after Tolentino's dismissal, and Gajitos stopped it.
The Ateneo win therefore carried two outcomes: three points for the Blue Eagles, and a shutout preserved at the moment NU had a numerical advantage and a set piece.
What comes next for the postseason
The postseason format will be confirmed after the Lady Tamaraws of FEU face the Green Lady Booters of De La Salle in the final elimination-round match on Wednesday night. Ateneo's fourth-place finish fixes its side of the bracket once that format is set.
"Our objective, like what I said at the start of the season, is to be in the final four, since this is the inaugural season for us to have a final four, so we have aimed to get that objective, and of course, we wanted to improve more," Manululo said.
Manululo framed the next step as the harder one, given the fourth seed. "For us, since we got the number four position, it will be really a mountainous level to accomplish," he said.
The original report was published by tiebreakertimes.com.ph.
