Lady Eagles pace UAAP football tiff

MANILA, Philippines - Ateneo de Manila is enjoying its best season yet in UAAP women’s football band as it heads into the holidays atop the table following a 1-0 victory over defending champion Far Eastern University (FEU) last week.

The Lady Eagles, who have yet to win a UAAP crown and perennially languishing at the bottom of the standings, lead Season 76 with five points on a 2-2-0 won-drawn-lost record.

The Ateneo-FEU clash last Nov. 27 was halted in the 56th minute because of heavy rains. It was re-played last Dec. 20 at the FEU-Diliman pitch.

FEU, winner in three of the last six seasons, has beaten De La Salle and University of Santo Tomas before losing to Ateneo. The Lady Tamaraws share second place with the Tigresses with seven points each on identical 2-1-1 records after the first four games.

FEU, however, has a superior goal difference (+5) over UST (+1) to earn a twice-to-beat incentive in the final four.

De La Salle is in fourth place with four points on a 1-1-2 record. University of the Philippines, which had a 1-1 draw with FEU to highlight its first-round campaign, has not tasted victory in 13 matches dating back to Season 74 and rounds out the table with a 0-1-3 won-drawn-lost record.

Hostilities resume on Jan. 12 at Ateneo’s Moro Lorenzo Field with FEU taking on UP at 1 p.m. and UST facing De La Salle at 3 p.m.