I was done with my story, but I had so many questions.
As the stunned home crowd sat in silence, the Drake Stadium scoreboard was painfully clear: UC Irvine 3, UCLA 0.
I sent out a quick tweet – “Disaster in Westwood.” – and looked at the UCLA men’s soccer team that was slowly walking back to midfield. Oh, how the mighty had fallen.
And that’s why, in the 67th minute, I was already done with my story. It was an all-too-familiar tale from the past weeks, lamenting the inconsistencies, shortcomings and failures of a team that was supposed to do great things in 2015.
The Bruins were expected to be national title contenders following their runner-up finish last December, entering the season No. 1 in the country.
Last week? They didn’t receive a single vote in the national poll.
In that moment – with the Bruins down 3-0 and seemingly devoid of any spark – I was convinced it was over. Certainly the game was over, but I’m talking about the bigger picture. Since day one, the team has talked about its raw talent, but the results simply weren’t showing up. After each win, coach Jorge Salcedo would emphasize the need for UCLA to carry the momentum forward, and his team would subsequently stumble.
And then: The Comeback.
Okay, the Bruins’ late-game resurgence likely doesn’t deserve to be its own proper noun, but a trio of goals in the final 22 minutes, including one with 10 seconds remaining? Are you kidding me?!
For a team that seemed lost, UCLA may have just found itself.
Now, I’m not saying that the Bruins are going to be your 2015 NCAA champions – this isn’t the first time this fall that I’ve felt like they were getting back on track – but if UCLA is going to turn the season around, it’s going to be on Sunday’s dramatic overtime winner.
The Bruins are back to a .500 record and now enter the most important segment of their schedule.
Starting Friday afternoon in Corvallis, Ore., UCLA will begin a difficult stretch of Pac-12 play. Even after such a rough start to the season, the Bruins will be offered numerous opportunities to prove themselves going forward.
With nine of their final 11 matches against currently-ranked opponents, they are in a prime position to make moves up the charts with a string of upset victories. If the last 30 minutes of Sunday’s game are any indication, they certainly have the talent.
As freshman midfielder Jose Hernandez leaped over sliding defenders to strike the game-winning goal in overtime, I looked down at my computer. Ctrl+A. Delete.
Time to rewrite the story.