There was one word that coach Jorge Salcedo repeatedly used to describe UCLA men’s soccer’s performance against No. 17 Cal on Sunday night: disappointing.
“I mean, probably the most disappointing result of the year,” Salcedo said. “It’s disappointing, because obviously for the first half, I thought after about the first 10 minutes, we … had the game under control.”
UCLA’s 1-0 loss to Cal was disappointing and frustrating for the No. 1 Bruins in many respects. And it went beyond the final score.
First, the Bruin defense defeated itself in a game where it held the nation’s No. 1 offense scoreless. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. marred his own clean sheet with a mental gaffe in the 47th minute, as he carelessly dribbled the ball inside UCLA’s 18-yard box before attempting a clearance pass to an open UCLA teammate nearby.
Edwards Jr.’s unnecessary dribbling proved fatal for both him and the Bruins, as Cal senior midfielder Connor Hallisey pick-pocketed Edwards and took the ball back for an empty-net goal.
“We slept a little bit in the back. And we just can’t do that in (the Pac-12) because it’s a very competitive league and you’re gonna get punished,” said junior forward Larry Ndjock.
With insult came injury. In the second half, UCLA lost its most productive offensive player from its recent four-game win streak – freshman forward Seyi Adekoya – to injury. Adekoya was sidelined for the remainder of the game, making it all the more difficult for the Bruins to score the tying goal.
“I mean, we weren’t very energetic. We didn’t really have the drive to go forward,” Ndjock said. “They were way too often in our own half – we couldn’t get out.”
In the game’s waning moments, the Bruins’ frustration manifested itself on the field. In the 81st minute, sophomore midfielder Felix Vobejda committed an unforced error, passing the ball directly to a Cal player, who took it back toward UCLA’s final third. Then, as Vobejda attempted to get the ball back, he grabbed the Cal player’s shirt and took him to the ground, drawing a yellow card.
“The entire game changed a bit when we gave up a goal,” said senior midfielder Leo Stolz. “Then we tried to fight back, and it played into their cards.”
Though this game may have incited noticeable anguish in the Bruins, that pain can be remedied if UCLA can win its final game of the regular season against San Diego State on Nov. 16. Winning that game would likely mean winning the Pac-12 for UCLA, as the Bruins (10-4-4, 5-2-2 Pac-12) are still atop the Pac-12 standings despite their loss to the Bears (10-3-1, 4-2-1) on Sunday.