The second half of the Pac-10 men’s soccer season starts
this upcoming weekend, and UCLA seems to have the conference title
well in hand.
The No. 1 Bruins (12-1) are 5-0 in the Pac-10 and have outscored
their opponents by a margin of 15-3. Plus, the only challenger to
UCLA is inexperienced No. 17 Oregon State (10-2, 4-1 Pac-10), and a
second consecutive conference championship may be all but
assured.
But coach Tom Fitzgerald strongly disagrees with that assessment
of the situation. “Nothing in the Pac-10 is smooth
sailing,” Fitzgerald said.
“We expect these upcoming games to be difficult, and we
have to play them as if they were the toughest games of the
season.”
However, despite the expectation that the last five games will
be difficult, Fitzgerald will not change his team’s strategy
to counter any other team’s changes.
“We try and play the same game no matter who we
play.” Fitzgerald said. “There could be changes in the
lineup due to injuries and who is playing well at the time, but I
don’t foresee any tactical changes at the time.”
One hurdle still remains for the Bruins. The team has played so
well in the first half of the season that the games may have seemed
a little too easy, and there is potential for a let down. Already
assured of an NCAA tournament berth, winning the Pac-10 title will
be sheer icing on the cake. With no strong challenger likely to
make a move against UCLAÂ ““Â as Stanford did last
year ““ a slip-up could be possible.
But Fitzgerald believes his players are prepared for any problem
due to their experiences not just in college soccer, but also in
lower levels such as prep and club soccer.
“One of the good things about coaching at UCLA is that the
players are so competitive,” Fitzgerald said. “They
learn at a young age to never underestimate an opponent or you risk
getting beat.”