Two huge wins. Two puzzling losses. One big question.
Which version of the UCLA women’s soccer team will show up
when the Bruins travel to the desert to face the Arizona schools
this weekend? The team that convincingly beat Stanford and
Washington in the past two weeks? Or the one that also lost to Cal
and Washington State?
Not even UCLA coach Jill Ellis can be sure. But with the
team’s Pac-10 title hopes on the line this weekend, Ellis
knows it will be crucial that the Bruins play well for 180 minutes,
not just 90.
“What it comes down to is the psychological dimension of
the game and showing up for two games a weekend,” coach Jill
Ellis said.
Ellis concedes that there is only so much she can do and that
once the whistle blows, the focus of the No. 9 team (11-5, 4-2
Pac-10) is mostly out of her hands.
“As a coach you can talk about it, you can give them
speeches, you can address it in practice, you can address it prior
to the game,” Ellis said. “But at the end of the day a
player at this level needs to give a good performance.”
That will be a necessity this weekend because the Bruins simply
cannot afford a loss. Already one-half game behind first place
Arizona State (7-7-1, 3-1-1), UCLA likely must win both games this
weekend and defeat crosstown rival USC next week to defend its
conference championship.
Despite their inconsistent play in the past two weeks, junior
forward Crystal James is optimistic that the Bruins will be able to
maintain their focus and avoid a letdown this weekend.
“Just our expectations of the other team ““ I guess
we don’t take them as seriously,” James said. “Or
since we do good in one game, we automatically assume that
we’re going to do good in the next game. We just need to
focus on how we’re playing and make sure we are as intense as
we are in other games.”
Psychology has not been the Bruins’ only problem in the
last couple of weeks. Ellis notes that in the Bruins’ tough
loss to Cal, the Bears were winning more 50-50 balls, hurting
UCLA’s possession game.
“If you are not winning the ball, then you can’t
possess, you can’t get scoring opportunities and you
don’t win games,” Ellis said.
Winning games in the competitive Pac-10 is never easy, and
despite the fact that both Arizona schools are unranked, playing on
the road presents a challenge on its own.
“We’re away and I know their teams are going to be
pumped,” James said. “The challenge for us is to be as
intense and as riled up as they are and make sure that we are
focused and be ready to tear them apart.”
Ellis sees both teams as athletic squads that could give the
Bruins problems.
“Arizona is having a great year, markedly improved. They
are very athletic,” Ellis said. “And Arizona State is
also very athletic; they have had good results, but an up and down
year. When they play well, they are as good as anybody in the
Pac-10.”
Another loss for the Bruins could end their hopes of defending
their 2003-04 Pac-10 championship, but Ellis believes if her team
concentrates and executes the simple details, they will not have to
worry about the final outcome.
“It’s the same team that has had tremendous results
and played well. It’s not a matter of personnel changes or
physical fitness or tactics,” Ellis said. “If they
focus on the details of winning the ball and making runs off the
ball, the results will come.”