Last week, trailing Washington 1-0 in the first half, UCLA men’s soccer needed to make a play and even the score before halftime.
That opportunity was gifted to the Bruins perfectly, as junior forward Max Estrada found himself alone in front of the net with the opposing keeper on the ground.
As his teammate dropped a pass towards him, Estrada reared back, kicked, and hit air. Having lost the ball in the stadium lights, he missed the kick and was unable to get a shot off before the keeper recovered.
Missed opportunities were a common theme for the Bruins in their home stand last week, and it led to their first Pac-12 loss of the season against Washington.
“We missed a lot of key chances the last couple games, especially last Monday where it’s a game we easily could have won if we put away our chances,” said junior forward Reed Williams.
In their win over San Diego State on Friday, No. 5 UCLA seemed to have fixed this problem, converting on their chances and scoring a season-high four goals on just 11 shots.
Forward Thinking
Much of the Bruins’ efficiency on Friday was because two of their forwards, Williams and junior Victor Chavez are having strong seasons. The pair combined for three of UCLA’s goals, two by Williams and one by Chavez ““ his third in the past four games.
“A lot of (our success) is attributed to Victor Chavez and him being healthier,” coach Jorge Salcedo said.
“His sharpness, his fitness and his ability in front of goals is something that we were missing for the majority of the season so far. “
The Bruins use a two forward scheme, which often outnumbers them against opposing defenders. This makes the play of their two forwards even more important.
“It’s four of them against us two, so you’re always expecting the defenders to be hitting you and stuff. You’re used to that as a forward, but of course it’s frustrating and annoying as hell,” Chavez said.
But the pair has made themselves equally aggravating to opposing defenses with their constant activity in front of the net. The duo has scored over a third of the team’s goals this season.
“There’s always pressure to score another goal and as a forward, they’re going to look to you to score that goal,” Williams said.
Taking a Break
With half their conference play finished, UCLA (9-2-2, 4-1-0 Pac-12) will get a two-week break, giving the Bruins time to relax and recollect themselves as they begin their final stretch of the regular season.
After some early season injuries to Chavez and redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Earl Edwards, the Bruins finally seem to be on the mend, and this time off will ensure the team is fully healthy as playoffs approach.
“We get to rest and recover a little bit. Take a couple days off and come back and train for a few days and take another day off,” Salcedo said.