For a team with its biggest struggles this year involving scoring goals, the full return of three key attacking players will be a welcome sight indeed.
Freshman Abu Danladi, sophomore Brian Iloski and junior Larry Ndjock are three of the UCLA men’s soccer team’s best forwards. But for most of this season, coach Jorge Salcedo has not been able to select freely among them to fill his forward line.
Danladi and Iloski have only played sparingly this year – Iloski has played only nine games thus far. Ndjock, though he has been healthy for the entire season, was out for three months before the season’s start and is just now regaining confidence and fitness.
“We’ve been lacking a bit in front of the goal,” Salcedo said. “You can’t hang your hat on just three players, but when they’re three of your most crucial attacking players, (their absence) is going to have a big impact.”
What hasn’t been hurting is the Bruin defense, which has been rock solid. The Bruins currently have one of the best defensive records in the Pac-12, having conceded only nine goals so far this year. They’ve been able to routinely neutralize the opposition, and Salcedo noted as a positive sign that many of their opponents’ shots have come from a distance rather than close range.
Redshirt senior goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. has played a huge role in this success, having put up six clean sheets already this year. While opponents have averaged 12.2 shots per game, they have only scored an average of 0.75 goals per game off of those shots. According to Edwards, the Bruins’ defensive prowess has come from the level of concentration and focus that the team has exhibited so far.
Senior defender Aaron Simmons echoed Edwards.
“I think the key part has been everybody understanding what their roles are, and understanding the role of the person next to you,” he said. “We just don’t want to be beat by the other forwards.”
Simmons was a key contributor in the match against Stanford on Sunday, his 49th-minute goal breaking a scoreless tie. He grinned widely as he described the goal, remarking about how surprised he – as a defender – was to be in that position.
“As soon as I saw the ball go to Iloski on the left flank, I ran as hard as I possibly could to get into the box,” Simmons said. “The whole time I was screaming, ‘Back post! Back post!’ because I wanted the ball to go to my head, because that’s a strong part of my game.”
Iloski’s curling cross didn’t go to his head, though. The ball eluded the Cardinal defense and somehow found its way to Simmons’ left foot. Inside the 5-yard box, in a situation where many defenders may miss high, Simmons said he had only one thought in his mind.
“My left foot being my weaker foot, I was really surprised and was just hoping to make contact. I was ecstatic when it went in,” Simmons said.
An offense hoping to rejuvenate itself, a solid back line and huge plays from unlikely spots. So it goes for the Bruins.