What looked like a routine victory for the UCLA women’s
soccer team suddenly became much tougher thanks to a series of
defensive miscues in the second half. Anxious to net the first goal
in Thursday night’s game against Washington State, the Bruins
suddenly grew lackadaisical on the backline. The Cougars scratched
out a flurry of scoring chances early in the second half before
tying the game in the 75th minute. “We just weren’t
that disciplined defensively,” All-American defender Nandi
Pryce said. “We have to give teams more respect. Teams cannot
be getting breakaways and counter attacks against us.”
Washington State hadn’t even registered a shot until the 56th
minute of the game when Carmen Anderson pushed a slow dribbler
toward UCLA goalkeeper Arianna Criscione. Seconds later, Criscione
had to make a far more difficult save, coming out of the net to
block forward Shelby Brownfield’s shot, which was headed for
the right corner of the net. After the Bruins took a one-goal lead,
Brownfield came up big again. The Cougar forward received a pass 25
yards from the net, turned, and rocketed a left-footer past the
diving Criscione and into the left corner of the net. “We
gave them all kinds of room,” UCLA coach Jill Ellis said.
“They were able to play the ball into the seams in front of
our backs. That’s something we’re going to have to
shore up.” Over a 25-minute stretch, the Bruins yielded five
shots ““ the same total as they had given up in the previous
150 minutes. Although they tightened up defensively in the waning
moments of the second half and in overtime, it’s certainly
something with which they are concerned.
MORA SHINES: Sophomore forward Iris Mora did a
little bit of everything for the Bruins. Moments after scoring the
game’s first goal on a bending corner kick from the left
side, she even helped out the referees a bit. When the Washington
State wall edged a little too close on a second-half free kick,
Mora marched out the customary 10 yards herself, and stood there
until the Cougars moved back. “They were only five yards
away,” she said. “I wanted them back, so I had to show
the referee.”
INTERNATIONAL STAR: After the game, a Swedish
television reporter interviewed Ellis about the Women’s World
Cup. The reporter had been stationed in Los Angeles to cover the
recall, but is now following the Swedish women’s national
team, which will face Germany in the finals.