Thursday, October 10, 1996
SOCCER:
Recent lineup changes bring out better player performancesBy
Mark Shapiro
Daily Bruin Staff
At long last, it appears that the once anemic offense for the
UCLA men’s soccer team has finally hit its stride in the wake of
its 6-0 thumping of San Diego St. University last Sunday.
It had become a growing concern when, after averaging roughly
one goal per game for the first nine games, that the offensive woes
were going to be a continuous impediment to the team. Now, after
creating opportunity upon opportunity against both the University
of Washington and UCSB, the scoreboard was finally lit up.
"We scored some goals, which was good for us," UCLA head coach
Sigi Schmid said. "It was just a matter of time for us to get some
breaks. There were deflections and poor goalkeeping, and we haven’t
had any of that go our way this year. But to get lucky, you have to
create the opportunities and you have to be prepared. We did a
better job that way.
"When you win 6-0, everything looks pretty rosy, but there are
concerns that we have. We need to have good quality crosses when we
get to wide positions. I want us to play quickly but with
concentration. That’s something that we’re still working on."
At the forefront of this long-awaited eruption is sophomore
attacker Tom Poltl. After being shut out through the early part of
the season, he found the net against UW, and against SDSU he banged
home a pair of goals, giving him seven points on the season. Not
only did he find his finishing touch, but Poltl was also incredibly
disruptive and dangerous in offensive quarters.
"We need Tom to play up front for us because he’s busy and
active and that activity creates chances and makes room for other
people," Schmid said. "The only thing that he hasn’t done in the
past is consistently score and finish, and that’s what he did."
Hand in glove with the team’s recent effort has been the recent
lineup shift. The team switched to a 4-4-2, with Nick Theslof, late
of the midfield, replacing leading scorer Seth George at forward,
with George coming off of the bench.
"(Theslof) created a lot of space for other people and we need
that," Schmid said. "As long as he’s playing well, he’s going to
play.
"This season’s lineup is always going to be a work in progress,
I don’t think it’s ever going to be a completed painting," Schmid
said. "We switched to the 4-4-2 and it worked pretty good.
Switching has given our flank players the ability to get
forward."
One of those flank players is freshman midfielder Shea Travis.
Long touted as the team’s best individual attacker, Travis showed
just how quick and evasive he is when he came up with the goal of
the game late in the second half.
Pushing the ball on the wide left wing, Travis engaged three
defenders at the top corner, beat them all with some dazzling
footwork, and polished off his gem with a right-footed dart past
the goalkeeper, who soon found a seat on the bench.
Although the six goal outburst may be just what the doctor
ordered, Schmid has taken this elixir with a grain of salt.
"It was just one game," Schmid said. "We have to do that on a
consistent basis. The team knows that they can score and that
confidence is going to help them in the next game. We need to score
goals in two, three, four games and then we’ll be confident."
* * *
Seth George maintained his season-long hold on the scoring lead,
with 12 points on four goals and four assists. Poltl, midfielder
Sasha Victorine, and midfielder Josh Keller are all tied for second
with seven points.
* * *
Backup goalkeeper Matt Reis stepped in for Kevin Hartman against
the Aztecs and posted his first shutout of the season. Reis will
again man the nets for the Bruins on Friday against Cal State Los
Angeles, with Hartman returning on Sunday against Cal State
Northridge.
Daily Bruin File Photo
Sophomore Tom Poltl scored two goals against SDSU, bringing his
season total to seven.