Brains over brawn.
It may seem like a rather simple adage, but it seems to summarize UCLA men’s soccer coach Jorge Salcedo’s belief that a large part of the No. 12 Bruins’ success this season depends on the mental aspects of the game rather than simply physical ability.
Case in point: UCLA (2-1) played their first game of the season Sept. 4 in College Park, Maryland, the home of the defending national champions and No. 4 Maryland.
Talk about diving right in.
The result? A 2-0 shutout victory for the Bruins, a win that may well serve as the Bruins’ best of the season.
“We didn’t get off to the best start but we were resilient,” Salcedo said. “It showed that we have a good group winning 2-0, and have the potential to have a good season.”
However, a reversal of fortune slightly overshadowed that huge victory, as the Bruins fell to unranked Georgetown 2-0 just two days later in Washington, D.C., signifying the type of mental letdown the Bruins hope to avoid this season.
“Ironically, we played better against Georgetown,” Salcedo said. “We just had some unlucky breaks and calls that didn’t go our way.”
Despite Salcedo’s encouraging statements, the loss still left a sour taste in the team’s mouth, especially after witnessing what they were capable of just 48 hours earlier. Senior midfielder Kyle Nakazawa, who has one goal on the season, chalked the loss up to a case of playing to the level of one’s competition.
“I think it has a lot to do with our mentality,” Nakazawa said. “We tend to play really well against good, highly ranked teams, but when we play lesser teams, we kind of stoop down to their level.”
If that’s the case, it looks as if the Bruins will have a positive season, as they have a tough schedule awaiting them. The defending Pac-10 champions have two games against No. 7 Cal, and also travel to Nebraska to face No. 6 Creighton later on in the season.
However, what could make things interesting for the Bruins is the absence of seniors Brian Perk and Michael Stephens. Perk and Stephens are currently in Egypt competing with the U.S. Under-20 National Team and could be gone for several weeks, causing them to miss a significant number of UCLA’s games.
Stephens, the reigning Pac-10 Player of the Year, led the conference in goals scored and was tied atop the leaderboard in assists in 2008.
In addition to being one of the best goalkeepers in the country, Perk is the starting goalie for the U.S. Under-20 team. He posted a career-high 10 saves in the Bruins’ upset of Maryland and has started games for UCLA since his freshman season.
“Both Brian and Michael are integral parts of our team,” Salcedo said. “They are leaders on the field and losing both is something we have to deal with. But I feel very strongly about the group we will have on the field. I think we have depth and we’re in a good spot.”
Nakazawa seconded Salcedo’s sentiments, realizing that life may be a little tough without Perk in the goal, but that the Bruins are equipped to survive without their star goalie.
“Brian is great goalkeeper and it’s nice to have someone trusty in goal,” Nakazawa said. “It’s a comforting feeling knowing he’s back there but Trevor [Hunter] and Brian [Rowe] are very good goalkeepers. They don’t have much experience but I trust that those guys will step up and get the job done.”
One of the staples of Salcedo as a coach has been his ability to recruit countrywide, and the Bruins welcome another stellar freshman class for the 2009 season, highlighted by forward Chandler Hoffman and midfielder Amobi Okugo.
In 2008, Hoffman was an Adidas and ESPN Rise All-American, and Alabama Player of the Year. He also won Gatorade State Player of the Year in Alabama in both 2008 and 2009. Okugo has been a constancy in the U.S. Youth National Team circuit, and competed in under-20 and under-18 championships across the world.
But Salcedo insists that a player’s mentality is what attracts him as a coach, not necessarily their accolades.
“Mentality is extremely important,” Salcedo said. “I want kids who are competitive, winners on and off field, and want to achieve something. That mentality to compete and work to get better describes the group we have now. We’ve seen great results from them so far just with their attitudes on a daily basis.”