The UCLA men’s soccer team has had a rough start to its season, winning only its second game of the season last Saturday at home against Santa Clara. Both wins have come at home, which means the team has gone winless while playing on the road. The team hopes to break this streak at 7 p.m. against the University of San Diego at Torero Stadium.
History is on the Bruins’ side going into tonight’s game. In 26 head-to-head match ups, UCLA holds an impressive 18-5-3 record against San Diego.
If history plays itself out once again, the team has good reason to think that it will finally get rid of this season’s road woes. Last season, the Bruins shutout San Diego at Drake Stadium, winning by a score of 1-0.
Even with favorable historical outcomes and recent success, coach Jorge Salcedo is not looking at the Toreros, who have yet to attain a victory this season, as anything less than a strong opponent.
“The fact that they haven’t won a game (this season) doesn’t really matter to us,” Salcedo said. “They have been one of our rivals here in Southern California over the last ten or fifteen years. They always get up for us, and we have to have the right energy and go down there with the right approach and make sure we come out the way we did this Saturday night.”
Senior forward Maxwell Griffin sees success on the road as a result of the team being able to see past what has already happened.
“To get success on the road, I would say to just forget about the games of the past, especially the losses,” Griffin said. “Just keep our heads straight, and our minds right.”
Salcedo has confidence that his team can do well after beating Santa Clara on Saturday.
“I thought we had a very good team mentality. We defended well as a team. We fought hard,” Salcedo said. “Our four defenders had very good games.”
Griffin, who plays on the attacking end of the field, agrees that the defense is a strength that should continue to bring in more shutout games.
“We need to still be strong in the back with our defense and be on the same page, working for each other,” Griffin said.
Aside from outstanding defensive play, the early score was the key in setting the pace in the win against Santa Clara.
“When we have the early goal, it really helps the team out and gives us confidence throughout the whole game,” Griffin said.
Like they did against Santa Clara, the Bruins will be looking to keep a steady pace while balancing that with solid defense. The task may be tough to accomplish, since UCLA will be dealing with the unfamiliar playing surface of Torero Stadium.
“It’s about trying to prepare them for what we are going to encounter down there,” Salcedo said. “Where the field may be a little bit more narrow, it may not be in the best condition. It’ll be a game where they have to be a little more direct than we like. Those three elements will give us a little bit of a challenge.”
The different playing conditions mean that the team needs to continue to work on its mental composure and ability to play under pressure.
“To improve, I would say we need to work on our consistency in how we approach the game,” Griffin said.
Through six games, the Bruins have played four highly ranked opponents. Even though San Diego has yet to win a game this season, Salcedo won’t take the opposition lightly.
“Every game at the end of the year has a direct impact on what happens to us in the postseason,” Salcedo said. “These games, they’re all important.”