For the second consecutive season, the turning point for the UCLA men’s soccer season could hinge on a match against Washington at Drake Stadium.
Last Oct. 27, the then-No. 4 Bruins entered with a 2-1-3 conference record, the then-No. 3 Huskies a 4-0-2 mark. UCLA was in dire need of a win after failing to earn one in its previous four matches. Washington hadn’t lost all season.
The Bruins edged out a 2-1 victory over the Huskies, won their final three conference games after that, and earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Thursday’s rematch between the two schools certainly carries with it similar implications. Coach Jorge Salcedo called the game “crucial.”
No. 14 UCLA (6-3-3, 1-1-1 Pac-12) has dropped 12 spots in the polls this week after a winless weekend in the Bay Area. Meanwhile, Washington is riding high at the nation’s No. 1 spot, having gone 7-0-1 over its past eight contests.
Yet if the Bruins win, they can immediately be tied with the Huskies (9-1-1, 2-0-1) atop the Pac-12 standings.
“Getting to play the No.1 team in the country, I mean we can’t ask for much more to get our spirits up (after last weekend),” said sophomore defender Michael Amick.
Just as the rematch carries with it similar implications from last year’s game, so too does it include similar faces. Salcedo said his team needs to contain Washington senior forward Darwin Jones, who ranks No. 13 in the country in goals per-game and assisted the Huskies’ lone goal against UCLA last year on a cross.
“(Washington’s) front three are powerful. They’re dynamic through Jones,” Salcedo said.
As a whole, Washington’s offense ranks No. 6 in the country in goals per-game – just five spots behind Cal, who scored three goals in a win over UCLA last Friday.
A key for the Bruins, then, will be holding the Huskies to one goal or fewer, just like they did last year.
“Washington is more direct (than Cal). It’s a more dynamic, powerful style,” Salcedo said. “We faced (their front line) last year and did a good job against them.”
Another key for UCLA will be to bring a comparable intensity on both sides of the ball. So far this year, the Bruins have struggled to put together a solid offensive and defensive performance in the same game.
“We’re excited that our offense is starting to click,” said junior midfielder/defender Grady Howe. “Now it’s just a matter of getting our defense and offense to move in the same rythym.”
Maybe then, for the second straight season, the Washington game can mark the time when everything comes together for UCLA, leading to a strong postseason push.
Then again, a loss could be fatal, dropping the Bruins even further behind the Huskies in the Pac-12 standings, and possibly pushing them further toward the edge of the Top-25 polls.
Indeed, the season’s crossroads can be found at Drake Stadium on Thursday night.