3four3 camp pic (12/28/11)

During the holidays we held a 4 day camp for them.

It was a pilot program really, as we have never done such a thing, but I was pleased with the turnout.

Here’s the list of attendees and some status:

1. Jose Gomez (Creighton’s #10 and currently training with Espanyol de Barcelona, Spain)
2. Jonathan Prieto (reporting Jan 18 to Seattle Sounders for preseason)
3. Bryan de la Fuente (Chivas USA)
4. Carlos Alvarez (UCONN)
5. Orr Barouch (Chicago Fire)
6. Jacob Barron (Penn State)
7. Victor Sanchez (Racing Club de Montevideo)
8. Carlos Hernandez (Santa Ana JC)
9. Ernesto Hinojosa (Cal State Bakersfield)
10. Everett Pitts (UC Irvine)
11. Cesar Zamora (Chivas USA – waived)
12. Jose Altamirano (San Diego State, former U20 NT)
13. Abraham Villon (San Diego State)
14. Richard Menjivar (Cal State Bakersfield, Seattle Sounder combine invite)
15. Andy Contreras (Rio Hondo College)
16. Danny Rogers (Barcelona Academy youth coach)
17. Tomislav Colic (La Blues, Anaheim Bolts)
18. Miguel Sanchez (Anaheim Bolts)
19. Shion Jahangiri ()
20. Marco Franco (UC Irvine)
21. Oscar Aguero (Cal State Fullerton)
22. Christian Ramirez (Concordia University)
23. Tarek Morad (UC Irvine)
24. Alex Fitchen ()
25. Ruben Gonzalez (German 4th division, former U20 NT)
26. Nick Shackelford (Saint Louis University)
27. William Lopez ()

Now that we’ve validated there are players at this level that are both interested and committed, it’s going to be full steam ahead with this effort.

No stats? Good luck.

For those not aware, the Hermann Trophy is soccer’s equivalent to the Heismann.

So I’m scanning the blogs out there, and I came across the following comments on this post concerning the 15 semifinalists for the award.

Mark said:

12 forwards and 2 mids in that list. Seems like the trophy is skewed towards goal scorers.

To which Adam replied:

It has to be – there is no way that there are 5 people in this country who can honestly say they’ve seen each of these kids play numerous times this season to really get an idea of who is the best player, therefore they have to go off of stats.  They even make an attempt to incorporate D1 coaches as if that’s a “fair” way to do it.  In reality, D1 coaches only know where their players fit in with other teams in their conference. Have any of these semifinalists been on the same field in a game together this year? If so, how many times has that happened?

It’s an inexact poll – take it for what it is. It’s not like the Heisman where every game is televised and every person with a vote at least has the opportunity to see every single player in every game.

Well, they’ve both got it right of course. Stats rule here. And if or when there’s a player with less than stellar numbers, pedigree and hype are what work. It’s just the way it is. Even ‘extra-soccer’ factors sometimes come into play. Ever notice, had experience with, or suspected how seniors get sympathy votes or awards?

It may not seem like much, but all these things serve to undermine who makes it to the professional ranks and who doesn’t.

Take Creighton striker Ethan Finlay. This year I’ve watched 14 of their games and I can tell you with zero doubt that he isn’t even the 3rd best player on that team! My opinion of course. But it is glaringly obvious that the boy can’t finish. Yep, with 14 goals to his name I’m saying that. You don’t have to be an elite striker to put up that stat on this Creighton team.  He also struggles tremendously to take a player 1v1, can’t hold possession when receiving as a target, and is generally a poor decision-maker.

I’m sure he’s a fantastic human being and he definitely works hard on the field, but one of the best 15 players in the country is ridiculous.

That’s the state of affairs.

With 203 D1 teams, little televised coverage, and little college soccer analysts, what can we expect?

The box score rules!

Craque! Kelyn Rowe in full gallop with head up. The Bruin #10 looking to lead UCLA back to College Cup.

Westwood, CA –  Made another trip to Westwood to catch the NCAA 3rd round matchup between UCLA and Rutgers. Gary decided to tag along since watching UCLA meant seeing Kelyn Rowe parade his quality all over the field.  He didn’t need much convincing when I extended the invite.  Again, it was $10 dollars well spent as Rowe combined with Hoffman to an easy 3-0 victory.

UCLA: 4-4-2

Gk:  Brian Rowe

Def:  #29 Patrick Matchett, #27 Joe Sofia, #6 Matt Wiet, #2 Shawn Singh

Mf:  #12 Ryan Hollingshead, #9 Fernando Monge, #5 Andy Rose, #7 Eder Arreola

Fw:  #24 Reed Williams, #17 Chandler Hoffman



Rutgers: 4-1-4-1

Gk:  #28 Kevin McMullen

Def:  #25 Dragan Naumoski, #2 Joe Satchell, #5 Andrew Cuevas, #16 Paulie Calafiore

Holding Mid:  #8 Nathan Bruccoleri

Mf:  #4 Nate Bourdeau, #18 Bryant Knibbs, #43 Juan Pablo Correa, #11 Sam Archer

Fw:  #9 Ibrahim Kamara

UCLA Breakdown

The Bruins are playing their best soccer of the season at the right time.  They are possessing the ball and patiently building up attacks out of the back and through their midfield.  UCLA has a lethal duo in Kelyn Rowe and Chandler Hoffman that produce them quality goal scoring opportunities.  A deep bench – likely the deepest in the tournament – doesn’t hurt either.

Keeper
Once again Brian Rowe looks to be in a zone, and is focused on the few occasions he’s tested.  The Bruins are riding a 7 game shut out streak and some of this has to do with security in the back.  UCLA will need a monster game out of him to knock off Louisville on the road this Saturday.

Defense
The Bruin back line has plenty to do with the current shut out streak as well.  Center backs Wiet and Sofia have been solid.  I’m worried about Patrick Matchett on the right.  He gave a ball away in the 83rd minute under very little pressure in his defensive third that was not taken advantage of by Rutgers.  That type of mishap will lead to goals when playing the top level opposition left in the tournament.  Singh is also a high level player getting forward but his defending leaves a lot to be desired.  At this stage I’m concerned the Bruin back row will get exposed.

Midfield
Kelyn Rowe is different!  Don’t think I can stress it enough.  The guy is at a different level.  Mind-boggling to me how he hasn’t been starting the games as of late.  Regardless, he has sure been finishing them!  Rowe received a 40 yard diagonal ball from Andy Rose on the top left corner of the 18 yard box and crushed a one time volley with his left! It was too much for the keeper to handle and led to an easy tap in goal for Victor Chavez to go up 2-0 in the 43rd minute.  Rowe wasted no time at the beginning of the 2nd half and decided it was time to put this game on ice.  He  combined on the left side of the Rutgers box, and again served up a perfectly placed ball with his left to the far post for Hoffman to bury in the 48th minute to make it 3-0.  The other play that defined the type of player he is, took place in the 77th minute.  UCLA was on a counter attack and Rowe made a 50 yard run but didn’t receive the ball which was turned over by a teammate.  He turned around and transitioned back to his own half full sprint; while the rest of the midfielders that participated in that play lightly jogged back.  Yes, he has complete class and is a cut above everyone, but the kid has incredible work rate to match!  It was a shame to see him sitting the first 29 minutes of the game.  I was about to hit the ticket booth to ask for my refund.

Andy Rose is coming along and moving the ball faster.  That bodes well for this team in an attempt to win the College Cup.  The wingers Eder Arreola and Ryan Hollingshead are working hard defensively and that is crucial for their team to triumph against Louisville.  Fernando Monge is doing his thing in the middle of the park and keeping it simple.  Evan Raynr comes off the bench to give the team a needed spark offensively, but defensively he offers very little; and that can hurt the Bruins in their next game.

Forwards
Chandler Hoffman, Chandler Hoffman, and Chandler Hoffman!  A heavy and consistent dosage of the Alabama native has carried the Bruins offensively all season.  He continues to impress and I have been won over.  I am a fan!  The kid has work rate!  That’s the first item I look for when scouting attacking players.  I don’t want lazy sacks (of sh**) on any team of mine, and in modern day football, strikers need to work defensively as well.  Chandler makes great runs off the ball to get himself in perfect scoring position – and the boy finishes!  He bagged his 17th and 18th goals on Sunday night off clean finishes in the box.  A man on a mission?  You bet. His hometown is 10 miles from where the Final Four will be hosted.  You can pretty much bet the farm that this will be one of the Generation Adidas signings.

Goal scoring machine Chandler Hoffman looks possessed. He's on a mission to get to Alabama.

The other forward that has been starting alongside Hoffman is Reed Williams.  He’s got some pace to take people on 1 v 1, but usually has blinders on and doesn’t see the field or read the game well. Finishing?  Forget about it.  He has 0 goals on the year.  Victor Chavez needs to be the guy playing next to Hoffman if the Bruins want to get to Alabama.  He has work rate, can take players on, combine, and finishes on his fair share of occasions.  His playing time has been limited all year but increasing as of late.  I want to see him on the field at Louisville this weekend!

Rutgers Breakdown:

The Scarlet Knights season came crashing down 40 seconds into their 3rd round game on Sunday.  Their game plan was to sit tight in the back, close down all gaps, and break on the counter with Correa and Kamara.  It appeared there was no “plan B” so when your original scheme goes down the toilet in 40 seconds, there wasn’t much they could do to alter the run of play during the next 89 minutes.

Keeper
McMullen didn’t have that bad of a game.  He had very little to do in the 3 goals conceded.  He actually somehow was alert enough to detain Rowe’s bomb in the 43rd minute.  Unfortunately, his back line left Chavez alone for the tap in on off the rebound.  Hoffman’s second came off a nice finish when the ball was played to the far post and one timed in.

Defense
On paper, Rutgers boasts an experienced back 4.  It was unforgivable to give up a goal on the road in such an important match in the first minute of the match.  That set the tone and they were a nightmare the rest of the way.    Naumoski and Setchell are the two juniors that will be around next season and both of them have horrific technical ability and little tactical awareness. None of the back 4 has any professional aspirations after what I saw this weekend.

Midfield
Juan Pablo Correa showed some flashes of being a high level player.  Correa has good vision, technical ability, and decision making.  Too bad he was on his own and most of his teammates were not on the same page.  He is only a freshmen and was definitely the best player on the pitch for Rutgers.  He will be one to keep an eye on in years to come. Brucolleri is the other player that made an impact on me.  He tried to make the same impact on Kelyn Rowe in the 83rd minute.  After being outclassed all night, he lunged at Rowe with a reckless tackle and earned himself a straight red card.  Showed his frustration and personality in that play.  He is also a freshmen and will be one to keep an eye on.

Forward
Ibrahim Kamara had a couple of good runs at the Bruin defense that led to good crosses.  He took Sofia on 1 v 1 in the first half and left him for dead, but no teammates were in the box to finish off his work.  He was fighting an uphill battle and chasing the game all alone up top.

Game Recap

UCLA jumped out early and never looked back.  They looked great in possession, got their deep bench on the field, and had their top two players show their good form.  The scoreline could have been bigger had Raynr, Arreola, and other subs finished quality chances created in last 15 minutes.  I see this team hungry at the right time of year!

Conclusions

UCLA continues to get better with the run of games.  Earlier this season they just didn’t have it!  I did not like their sloppy approach and said they lacked a team identity.  Now they possess with a purpose and have the nation’s best player, Kelyn Rowe, coming off the bench and pulling the strings.  They have the hottest striker in college soccer in Chandler Hoffman.  With those two, anything is possible. A tough battle awaits them in the rematch of last years elite 8 game (@ Louisville that ended in 5-4 loss).  The weather shouldn’t be a problem this time around, so look for the Bruins to prevail and get to Alabama.

Rutgers made a nice run in getting to the final 16.  They compete in a tough conference and are always battle tested.  I wasn’t impressed with their soccer or many of their players.  They will need a ton of work if they are to get back to this stage of the postseason next year.

St Mary's celebration after game winning goal in overtime.

Irvine, CA – Made the quick journey south to catch the UCI Anteaters hosting the St Mary’s Gaels in 2nd round NCAA tournament action on a rainy night. Yep, packed the umbrella, towels, notebook, and camera and combatted the rain along with the other 656 people in attendance. The game had lots of promise. The Big West champs UC Irvine vs the West Coast Conference champs St Mary’s. The Gaels pulled off another upset in dramatic fashion with a 2-1 overtime win to clinch a spot in the sweet 16.

UC Irvine: 4-1-4-1

Gk: #1 Andrew Fontein

Def: #3 Marco Franco, #15 Everett Pitts, #12 Jake Marcon, #4 Bello Alhassan

Holding Mid: # 13 Tarek Morad

Mf: #7 Christopher Santana, #6 Jimmy Turner, #9 Christian Hernandez, #10 Miguel Ibarra

Fw: #21 Lester Hayes III

St Marys: 4-4-2

Gk: #1 Doug Herrick

Def: #20 Bobby Conner, #14 Tom Mohoric, #2 Trevor Newquist, #16 Nathan Arambula

Mf: #15 Justin Grider, #19 Malcolm Alugas, #7 Jose Cabeza, #9 Julian Godinez

Fw: #10 Emmanuel Sarabia, #11 Agustin Cazarez

UC Irvine Breakdown

To be fair, I was critical of UCI when covering their first game and predicted they would struggle. They shut me up to a certain extent posting 16 wins, staying high in the national polls, and winning the Big West double – taking both the regular season title and the conference tournament.  They haven’t exactly played the best soccer, but the results have been positive for several years now.  Unfortunately the wet conditions didn’t help their cause, and a gritty St Mary’s put an end to the Anteaters.

Keeper
Andrew Fontein’s stellar career (in Irvine) under the pipes has come to an end. He played his part in attempting to prolong it though. Fontein made 2 point blank saves to keep hopes alive. When I say saves, I mean game saving plays where the shots were certain goals and 90% of the time the net is shaking. This guy has provided the security a team needs at this level for a long time. I see Fontein getting a crack at the MLS draft in January.

Defense
Irvine’s right back Marco Franco is complete quality!!! He is arguably the best right back in the nation. His defending is superb. His calmness on the ball is remarkable. He may be the best professional prospect on this team. His offensive projections are reminiscent of Dani Alves. Everett Pitts is a physical specimen and difficult to beat. His clearances under pressure left a lot to be desired – out of bounds almost every time. The remaining two, Bello Alhassan and Jake Marcon should not be on the field; period. I don’t know how a top 10 team has such fragile players with little technical ability holding down the fort in the back. A couple suitable replacements, and the Anteaters would have been that much better.

Midfield
The midfield has a super player in Miguel Ibarra. The guy can play! He runs for days, has great technique, can dribble, and shoot. He’s pretty complete BUT there is one big question here. Will he be appreciated in MLS? Hopefully he can land in the right environment where he can survive, and not be a “one and done” – like Irving Garcia was a couple years back. Ibarra had to leave the game in the 12th minute barely able to walk on his own. Not a good sign. Fortunately he returned for the 2nd half and overtime. He finished a close range effort to tie the game and force overtime. Santana is another electric player on the wing. He combines very well with Franco on the right. That duo will be doing damage for two more years. Turner and Morad are both average midfielders. Turner has good work rate but offers very little as a central midfielder. Morad has quality on the ball, but lacks defensive bite to be a force as a holding midfielder. Christian Hernandez is hit or miss. He can have match winning quality one game, and be nonexistant the next. He was invisible this match.

Forward
The starting forward Lester Hayes was a complete zero on the night. Don’t know why he started or played as much as he did. He is a big boy, but doesn’t play like one. He cannot combine well with other talented attacking players in Ibarra, Santana, and Hernandez. Perhaps he is the best bet at matching the physicality of the opponent. Enrique Cardenas looked ok when he came on for Ibarra. He can certainly do the job better and is a force near the box. He also lacks match fitness after suffering numerous injuries during the season. Juan Gutierrez is another top talent who isn’t completely fit after being out a lengthy spell with an ACL tear. Cameron Iwasa is another freshmen that works his socks off up top or on the wing. UCI has a wealth of attacking talent but needs to have a player that will fit the system and the players around them. The Anteaters are young and will definitely be back in the picture next season.

Saint Mary’s Breakdown

The Gaels got to this point after putting together 3 consecutive 1-0 victories to win the West Coast Conference tournament and knock off Cal State Bakersfield in the first round of the NCAA. They’ve shown they can grind out wins this time of year against formidable opposition. They may not play the prettiest soccer, but they’ve converted the few opportunities created and locked down the opposition.

Keeper
Doug Herrick kept his cool and stopped everything UCI threw at him through 83 minutes. During the second half, balls mixed in with the rain and came from all angles into his box. He held firm until Ibarra got a sloppy goal off a rebound and scramble in the box. Herrick was good in the air and did well taking balls off the skip in the wet conditions. Three clean sheets coming into this game is impressive as well. He will have to be at the top of his game for Saint Mary’s to knock out their third NCAA tournament road win.

Defense
The back row didn’t have too many complications. I thought that Connor was going to suffer on the wing in his match up with Ibarra. Fortunately for him Ibarra limped off after 13 minutes, because he looks to be the weak link on this team. Mohoric and Arambula are big and strong defenders who win their tackles and win their battles in the air.

Midfield
Jose Cabeza and Julien Godinez have got a clue of how to knock the ball. They were composed, and at times slowed the frenetic pace of the game – something that helped the team catch its breath before defending for its life in the second half. Justin Grider is your typical D1 college player who just battles and hustles but doesn’t understand what change of pace means. He’s always at one speed like most players here; FAST and erratic.

Forwards
The two up top are both decent, but not match winning talent. Cabeza and Cazares didn’t create much offense on their own. I’m thinking the Gaels don’t produce much out of open play. They rely mostly on set pieces or long throw ins. Both goals came off poor clearances and second balls after a corner kick and long throw.

Game Recap

This was a strange game of soccer where no team showed clear superiority over the other. I expected more out of UC Irvine, but they were hit with injuries in the 1st half and poor weather conditions, which may have thrown them off the game plan. Neither team produced much offense during the run of play.

Saint Mary’s opened the scoring in the 57th minute after a corner kick clearance fell to the top of the box: Riley Hanley did the rest. He gathered it, made a quick move to his left and shot a low driven ball that flew through the crowd of players into the side net far post. This goal created some excitement in the game as UCI was forced to have more urgency and attack.

Coach Kuntz put out all his offensive talent and altered his formation to a 3-4-3 in the 68th minute. All his attacking talent was on the field and they put loads of pressure on the Gaels. Santana came close – rattling the cross bar with a clever left footed shot from the corner of the 18. It took another set piece in the 83rd minute (if you can call a long throw that), for a goal to be scored. Jimmy Turner launched a throw into the box; and after a mad scramble to clear it failed, the ball fell to Ibarra who calmly slipped it in from inside the 6. The Anteaters mysteriously took their foot off the gas with 7 minutes left and went back to their normal formation instead of pressing for the win.

They paid the price in double overtime as another set piece came into the box and Fontein saved the day with a point blank save. It was only a matter of time as seconds later another long throw in (surprise surprise) led to the golden goal scored by sophmore sub Justin Howard from close range.

Conclusions

The Anteaters are surely devastated with this result after getting the highest win output (16) and NCAA seeding in program history. They had the opportunity to host another match and potentially reach the elite 8. They lose their keeper Fontein and best offensive weapon in Ibarra, but have tons of young talent to survive and defend their Big West crown. Coach Kuntz is going to have to figure out how to get his boys over the postseason hurdle they’ve failed to clear in the last several years. Fortunately, he has plenty of weapons at his disposal and has been one of the best recruiters in Southern California over the years; so look for this team to come back hungry in 2012.

Saint Mary’s College might just be the cinderella story on this tournament. They figure out how to pound out W’s and are one win away from an Elite 8 appearance in their 2nd NCAA tournament in program history. Their next opponent, Brown University, is nothing special so its a winnable game. Whoever comes out of that one will have reached the end of the road, since looming in the quarterfinals is a date @ UNC.

Next up for me will be UCLA vs Rutgers tonight at 5pm PST.
For the game of the week, check out #2 Creighton vs #15 UCSB today at 11 am PST. There is live online streaming.

Creighton mens soccer captured the MVC title; now aim for the bigger prize, an NCAA Championship.

Omaha, NE –  The Missouri Valley Conference Championship game had the #1 and #2 seeds matched up head to head for the automatic NCAA berth.  There was lots to play for and it was evident with some of the tough challenges and physical play on both sides.  Creighton was playing for a top seed in the NCAA tournament that would secure them home field advantage through to the final four.  The Jays entered this game a perfect 10-0 at Morrison Stadium with a 21-1 goal ratio.  The Bears were co-champs in the regular season conference standings but their only way to qualify for postseason play would be to upset Creighton. But it was not to be: the Jays edged the Bears 1-0, with a nice goal created and finished by a pair of super subs in Kris Clark and Jose Ribas.

Creighton:  4-2-3-1

GK:  #1 Brian Holt

Def:  #9 Eric Miller, #21 Jace Peters, #15 Andrew Duran, #3 Tyler Polak

Holding Mids:  #28 Andrew Ribeiro, #11 Greg Jordan

Attacking trio:  #6 Dion Acoff, #10 Jose Gomez, #7 Bruno Castro

Fw: #16 Ethan Finley

Missouri State: 4-2-3-1

GK:  #0 Trevor Spangenberg

Def:  #26 Ben Griffiths, #7 James Fawke, #15 Andrew Turner, #13 David Buckenheimer

Holding Mids: #17 Danny Frid, #19 Thomas Vania

Attacking Trio:  #14 Jordan Hoffman, #5 Gerard Barbero III, #8 Parker Maher

Fw:  #10 Heath Melugin

Creighton Breakdown:

The top guys were all quiet that Sunday afternoon; so it took a pair of super subs to connect in the 37th minute to net the game winning goal.  Finley, Gomez, Acoff, Castro, and company didn’t perform to their normal high standard.  Kris Clark and Jose Ribas had just been subbed and made the difference in 2 minutes.  Clark supplied a beautiful slipped through ball that Ribas controlled off his leg and volleyed far post side netting all in one motion.

Keeper
Brian Holt didn’t need to make any acrobatic saves on the day to secure the championship for the Jays.  A rather quiet afternoon for Holty.  Nonetheless, he was still recognized with the All Tournament MVP honors. Really more of a tribute to his 4 years under the pipes than anything else – since he made a total of 3 stops in 2 games, none of which saved the day for Creighton.  Holt will need to be at his best in the NCAA playoffs to end a tremendous career on a high note.

Defense
The back row had a solid performance against the Bears.  Andrew Duran came to the rescue on a pair of miscues in the back to clear out dangerous opportunities.  He also corrected his aimless launching of 50 yard balls with no destination – only doing it once or twice which is something to smile about.  Jace Peters was a bit shaky in decision making and distribution.  That made the coaching staff nervous enough to replace him with Jake Brown midway through the second half.  Tyler Polak started off with some uncharacteristic turnovers on the left, but finished strong.  He showed some “latin” flavor with some fancy footwork, shake n bakes, and megs on several occasions.  He is completely calm and under control under the most extreme pressure.  Miller did his job well on the other side and had an error free match.

Midfield
Jordan and Ribeiro didn’t have their best of games.  Defensively they covered well, but both struggled to find the ball and be an outlet.  The congested midfield was the cause for this, since Missouri State employs three center mids of their own.  Coach Bolowich replaced both of them at different points in the second half for careless turnovers in dangerous situations – something that could prove costly against better opposition.

Bruno Castro and Jose Gomez were invisible for their standards.  Gomez created very little with the exception of one or two decent penetrating balls, and a bicycle kick that came inches away from opening up the scoring.  It was so close that the stadium erupted in celebration since the ball wrapped around the back side of the net.  Castro was also missing in action.  These two will have to step up their games for Creighton to get to the promised land.  Acoff showed his “dynamite” pace on a few occasions but little else.  He was cracked on the sideline by a nasty challenge in the 27th minute that should have left the Bears with 10 men.  Fortunately, Acoff continued the match but was not effective.

Forward
Ethan Finley was also quiet and barely tested the keeper.  He got off 4 shots, none of which required much work from Spangenberg.  The good thing about Ethan is he continues to work his socks off putting defensive pressure on the opposing back line.  Gomez, Castro, and Acoff match this intensity every game and it pays dividends.  The impressive defensive record this season isn’t all about Holt and Duran like you read in the match reports  … it’s about these front 4 playing impressive defense and not letting the opposition get to their defensive third in a comfortable situation.  That is priceless, and will be the main reason I see Creighton in the Final Four.

Missouri State Breakdown:

The Bears put together an impressive MVC league run to share the regular season championship with the Jays – earning the #1 seed for the conference tournament.  Heck, they upset Creighton 1-0 on October 12th. So they came into the match with the necessary swagger and confidence to compete.  To Missouri State’s credit, they try to connect passes and play soccer the right way.  Even against the high pressure defense Creighton employs, they kept their cool and tried to build out of the back and through the midfield.

Keeper
Trevor Spangenberg looked secure throughout the contest.  He was beaten on the goal by a rare quick-trigger strike from Jose Ribas.  Other than that, he came off his line when needed and maintained his goals against average at just 1 goal per game for the season.  Look for more from Trevor in the years to come as he is only a sophmore.

Defense
The backline kept Creighton’s star performers in check for most of the game.  They fell asleep and lost concentration when the starters all went out and conceded a goal they surely wish they can take back.  It cost them the MVC championship and ended their season.  The center back pairing of Turner and Fawke will be around for three more season as they are both freshmen.   Look for them to solidify that partnership in the spring along with their sophmore GK.

Midfield
Here they had a couple of good players for the college game.  The holding midfielders were aggressive and didn’t hesitate when it was time to get dirty and knock the talented Creighton mids around.  Acoff got knocked out of the game by Danny Frid.  Choco Gomez got a nasty lunge from Frid in the second half.  He was out their competing and making sure everyone knew they were in for a battle.  Hoffman showed the same nasty bite in his game.  He was leaving it all on the field, and should have probably seen red on several occasions after committing stupid fouls while on a yellow card.  Barbero showed he had some technical quality in him and moved the ball well.  The Bears will miss his contributions moving forward.

Forward
Heath Melugin led the team in points with 15 (5g, 5a).  He didn’t stand much of a chance today because of the tight marking in the Jays backline and lack of support in the offensive third by his teammates.

Game Recap:

It was a fitting final with the #1 and #2 seeds playing for the hardware.  Not many conference tournaments can boast that the top 2 seeds made it to the end this year.  Creighton showed their superiority in terms of player quality.  They had the necessary depth and showed it; as Kris Clark and Jose Ribas solved what the more fatigued starters could not against a stingy Missouri State defense.   The 37th minute strike was Ribas’ 1st goal of the season and was the difference in deciding the conference title and automatic bid to the NCAA.

Conclusions:

Creighton did not dominate this game the way a national championship contender should have.  They looked to be in control throughout, but simply did not have the spring in their step shown in games past.  It appears having played 2 games in less than 48 hours affected their legs (Creighton’s high pressing defense drains the midfielders and forwards).  Not an easy thing to do for 90 minutes on back to back games.  Fortunately that won’t be the case in the NCAA tournament, since they will only play once a week leading up to the final four.  I like the Jays chances with home field advantage secured.  However, if they reach Alabama, I’m weary of how they can perform since the Final Four games are similar format with a Friday semifinal and Sunday Championship game.

It’ll be back to the drawing board for Missouri State after having a fantastic league season.  Can they make another run next year and be consistent?  Was this a one and done type performance – a perfect storm if you may?  They didn’t perform well early in the year and that cost them in rpi points with a shaky overall record.  Not a bad season if the Jays do end up going all the way and validating the MVC as a serious conference.

Marked man. Jose "Choco" Gomez blanketed all evening with Bradley's man marking scheme. Dion Acoff enjoys a rare breather with his man nowhere in sight.

Omaha, NE – I made the journey out to Nebraska to cover the Missouri Valley Conference tournament live at Morrison Stadium. What an incredible soccer facility!  The host Creighton Blue Jays aren’t too bad themselves.  They are ranked #2 in the country and #1 in the RPI.  Winning the Valley tournament clinches them a top 4 seed in the NCAA tournament and assures them home field advantage all the way through to Alabama which hosts the final four this year.  The Jays cruised to a 1-0 victory over Bradley and will play Missouri State in the championship game today at 1 pm local time.

Creighton:  4-2-3-1

GK:  #1 Brian Holt

Def:  #9 Eric Miller, #21 Jace Peters, #15 Andrew Duran, #3 Tyler Polak

Holding Mids:  #28 Andrew Ribeiro, #11 Greg Jordan

Attacking trio:  #6 Dion Acoff, #10 Jose Gomez, #7 Bruno Castro

Fw: #16 Ethan Finley

Bradley:  4-1-4-1

GK:  #00 Brian Billings

Def:  #15 Tommy Fritze, #3 Jason Coon, #7 Bobby Smith, #26 Cecil Jeffrey

Mf:  #31 Matt Kuehl, #8 Jochen Graf, #22 Christian Meza, #9 Keegan Balle, #10 Keith Mach

Fw:  #23 Bryan Gaul

Creighton Breakdown:

The Jay’s appear to be hitting peak form again at the right time of the year.  They started off the season playing brilliant futbol and had a midseason lapse where they would win games but just didn’t have fluidity in their play.  With the ball, this is a dangerous team!  They play possession soccer; they open you up with good width and have a 2 headed monster when it comes to creative play in Jose Gomez and Bruno Castro.  Defensively this team is even more impressive.  All 11 players work tirelessly when the other team has the ball.  I like Creighton’s chances of reaching Alabama if they can keep up their defensive intensity.

Keeper
Brian Holt isn’t the biggest guy around and doesn’t look physically imposing but he gets the job done and is arguably one of the top keepers in the country.  He is very comfortable in the air.  He has cat-like quickness and reflexes, and commands his box well.  His decision making is spot on when it comes to playing out of the back or clearing it out of danger when there is too much pressure.  He has an impressive streak of starting every game in his 4 years at this powerhouse program.  Look for Holt to get a shot at the next level.

Defense
One of the best back lines in the country.  The center backs Duran and Peters do their jobs well.  They are good in the air, communicate well, play it out of the back, talk, give depth.  My only critique is that Duran tends to panic at times and just launches aimless 50-50 balls up top when keeping possession or connecting through his talented midfield is an easier option. The outside backs are a key to this team’s success.   Polak and Miller are both technically gifted players that give the Jays width in their attack.  Polak is hands down the best left back in the nation.  He is pure class, so composed on the ball at all times.  He projects forward and gives Gomez and Castro a quality option to combine with.  Look for him to come out early on a Generation Adidas deal at seasons end.  Miller is not at Polak’s level but isn’t too far behind.  The freshmen is physically imposing, athletic, and also has good quality on his right foot.  He helps Acoff on the right wing to keep the opposition guessing where the Jays will attack next.

Midfield
The holding mid duo of Greg Jordan and Andrew Ribeiro provide a shield in front of the back 4.  These two guys are tremendous ball winners.  Both of them dominate in the air as well which is critical in D1 college soccer.  Ribeiro does his job really well and plays the simple ball.  He can also hit bombs from 20-30 yard range.  Both of these guys are crucial in Creighton’s offensive and defensive set pieces.  Look for one of them to score an important goal to unlock a close NCAA match in the postseason.

The offensive trio is possibly the best in college soccer.  Dion Acoff is the fastest winger in the college game hands down.  You cannot fully appreciate it until you see it live.  The guy just leaves people for dead when given space on the wing. He simply pushes the ball by you and explodes.  Almost like a clone of Theo Walcott from Arsenal/England.  Jose “choco” Gomez and Bruno Castro are the brains of the operation here.  There are only a handful of true offensive midfielders that have the ability to play a final ball and create opportunities for their forwards in the entire country.  CREIGHTON HAS TWO!  Choco literally leaves his forwards 1 v 1 with the keeper 2-3 times per game.  Yesterday he played Dion in early in the game.  In the second half, he half volleyed a magical ball over 50 yards into Finlay’s path to leave him alone to finish.  Those chances need to be converted in order for the Jays to get to Alabama next month.  Bruno Castro is deadly on set pieces.  He hit a beautiful first post bender that was denied by the upright in the 35th minute.  When Castro and Gomez link up and throw wall passes, it’s very difficult for the robust tree trunk defenders in college soccer to handle.  Lastly, it is a joy to watch the work rate these two have defensively.  Most midfield maestros are invisible when it’s time to defend.  Not these two!!!  They work tirelessly in the high pressure defensive scheme employed by Elmar Bolovich here at Creighton.

Forward
Ethan Finlay gets all the hype and all the praise for the Blue Jays!  The guy is a workhorse and I love that in a striker.  What he lacks in technical ability and awareness he makes up with in sheer work rate.  Finley didn’t have his greatest game yesterday but part of it was due to Bradley’s unorthodox style of play in man marking all the Creighton attacking players.  He did make a nice slashing run and got the ball from Gomez, took a few touches and crossed it for “Choco” to calmly tap in for the 1-0 victory.  He’s got 11 goals and will need to be sharper in the postseason converting the easy chances he gets for the Jay’s to finally get over the hump and reach the pinnacle of college soccer.  That’s what big money players do!  They perform on the big stage.

Bradley Breakdown:

The Bradley Braves came into the contest ranked #22 in the nation and 27 in the RPI with a solid 14-4-2 record.  This is another college soccer team with an identity!  Bradley employs a strange man marking scheme where each man in the back row specifically man marks someone the entire game.  They don’t stay in a specific position but follow their assignment around all over the field.  Wherever your man goes, you follow!  To be specific, Creighton’s attacking quartet was all man marked.  They also leave 1 player free as a sweeper to clean up in case someone loses their mark or gets beat.  It’s a strange identity, but at least they have a plan and attempt to execute it.

Keeper:
Brian Billings is another top notch keeper.  He single-handedly kept Bradley in the game last night making some top notch saves and also coming off his line to cut out angles when the Bluejays had clear goal scoring opportunities.  He’s a big guy at 6’2 and shows it.  Anything in the air he comes out and claims.  He’s a player to keep an eye on in the years to come.

Defense:
The strange defensive man marking scheme requires each player to be focused for the entire 90 minutes.  It’s not an easy task to man mark quality players.  Even worse, if you get beat, your man has so much space to exploit and create havoc since there is barely any cover except a sweeper who sits super deep.  That job falls to Bobby Smith.  He is obviously experienced in this role since he’s a senior and did a good job of covering and putting out fires when necessary.  Cecil Jeffrey had a tough time matching Dion Acoff’s pace on the wing and was exposed on a couple of plays last night. Matt Kuehl and Scott Davis alternated on Jose Gomez.  Both were ineffective and were taken off the dribble on multiple occasions.  Tommy Fritze had the most success last night on his assignment, Bruno Castro.  Castro had one of his worst games of the season and did very little with Fritze all over him for 80+ minutes.

Midfield:
There was only one player with the quality to match Creighton’s stellar midfield, and that was Christian Meza.  The 1st team all conference selection shows good passing range and quality on the ball.  Bad news was he only lasted 20 or so minutes before limping off injured and did not return.  Baile, Mach, and Graf all work tirelessly on the pitch but offer little in support of Meza and the brilliant striker Bryan Gaul.

Forward:
Bryan Gaul was impressive!!!  I don’t say that too often about strikers in the country; but he has some quality about him.  Huge frame, he stands 6’5 but has great technical ability, reads the game well, is strong and can hold the ball.  Would be interesting to see this guy with more talent surrounding him.  His left foot created some problems last night.  He scorched Miller on one play cutting inside and serving up a great ball that was headed and missed by inches.  I see MLS written all over Gaul.

Game Recap:

Creighton controlled the match from beginning to end.  Possession must have been easily at 80% in favor of Creighton.  The stat sheet shows the complete domination that took place on the field.  The first 15 minutes had three clear goal scoring opportunities.  Tyler Polak made an beautiful galloping run with the ball glued to his foot for over 50 yards, slipped a ball to a slashing diagonal run by Jose Gomez who missed the target wide with his left.  Acoff showed his sprinter’s speed getting to a feed from Choco; only to put his shot way over the bar.  Bruno Castro’s set piece was the last clear chance but the post denied him from netting his second dead ball goal of the season.

The Creighton pressure paid off when Gomez started and finished a nice move in the 59th minute. He fed Finley to the left hand side of the box and continued his run to tap Finley’s cross into an open net.  After the goal, Creighton calmly possessed the ball laterally from side to side and took their foot off the gas.  They had Bradley on the ropes and could have converted a few more goals but weren’t aggressive in the final third.

Conclusions

Creighton is on a roll and has won 7 straight games since dropping a 1-0 decision to Missouri State.  Their home record is impressive at 10-0 with 21 GF and 1 GA.  I see Creighton easily avenging their only conference loss in the championship game today, and securing a top seed for the NCAA tournament.  That means someone will have to come into their Morrison Stadium fortress to deny the Jays a trip to the Final Four.

Bradley has a strong enough RPI that this loss will not knock them out of postseason play.  They will be a tough nut to crack for whatever team draws them in the tournament since that man marking scheme is rarely seen anywhere in world football, much less in college soccer.   I wouldn’t want to be the team to draw them and have to deal with stopping Gaul and Meza.  Hopefully Meza’s injury is nothing serious and he’ll be available next week.

I’m still in Omaha and will be covering the Missouri Valley Conference Championship game today at 1pm Central Time. You can catch it on DirecTV Channel 671, Dish Network Channel 418, or espn3.com.

UCSB: 3-5-2  to 4-4-2

GK: #1 Andre Grandt

Def:  #31 Marshall Cazares, #2 Peter Schmetz, #12 Tim Pontius

Mf:  #20 James Kiffe, #14 Nick Ryan, #5 Fifi Baiden, #19  Josue Madueno, #7 Luis Silva

Fw:  #17 Sam Garza, #18 David Opoku

CSUF:  4-4-2

GK:  #24 Trevor Whiddon

Def:  #28 Jesse Vega, #4 Bobby Reiss, #15 Fermin Villalba, #18 Nate Fischer

Mf:  #12 Kevin Venegas, #5 Michael Denny, #17 Mark Vasquez, #11 Ritchie Gonzalez

Fw:  #9 Oscar Aguero, #29 Jesse Escalante

UCSB Breakdown:

The Gaucho’s inconsistent form during Big West play coming into this match was a huge cause for concern.  Couple that with injuries to key pieces Machael David and Michael Nonni who haven’t seen the field in the last several weeks, and it’s been a recipe for disaster.  On the bright side, there is enough match-winning talent that enables UCSB to compete and beat anyone on any given night.

Keeper
Grandt is showing that he isn’t a match-winner under the pipes.  He makes his share of saves, but the easy ones that any keeper should be making.  Grandt just doesn’t transmit that confidence that a top keeper should.  The Gauchos have given up some soft goals and rarely post a shutout.  Matter of fact, just 1 shutout in the last 10 games will not get it done if this team aspires to any success come tournament time.

Defense
I’m not pointing all the fingers solely on Grandt here.  The defense is just as shaky and porous as the keeper.  When they play with 3 in the back, they get stretched wide and there are spaces as big as highways straight to goal.  When they adjust to 4 in the back, there aren’t as much open spaces to attack; but the back 4 are just not great 1 v 1 defenders.  The center backs, Pontius and Schmetz, are great in the air.  However, they are slow in recovery when opposing strikers or midfielders combine in the box.  Kiffe and Madueno are quality getting forward but neither are natural defenders, but converted midfielders.  The sad thing is the back line is getting exposed more than normal with Machael David out with injury.  He usually locks down the supply to the other team’s forwards by eliminating the main midfield threat.

Midfield
I’ll start off with Luis Silva.  The guy is simply carrying the load of the entire team.  He is exactly what I described in the top college players article earlier this year and more.  To date, he has 15 goals and 8 assists.  Incredible numbers for a midfielder!  Now to the more important intricacies of his game.  He had a Messi’esque type performance.  Silva put on a show for the few that turned out Saturday night.  He scored 2 goals, assisted on the other 2, tackled, ran at the defense, and put on a magical display like Ronaldinho at his prime in flicking the ball over a defenders head, a “sombrerito,” if you will.  In any other country worldwide, Silva’s show would have got him a standing ovation from both team’s fans.  He even took a beating on many cheap shots and kept his composure and just played.

Next we have Fifi Baiden (a mini Machael David) holding down the fort.  He does the job well, tackling and touching to the easiest option.  Nick Ryan has taken over the other midfield role in David’s absence.  He is not your patented holding mid but tries to assist Fifi in that task and also supports the attack.  Dom Sarle drops into the midfield and also is quite impressive.  He has awareness that most American players in midfield or attacking positions lack.  Sarle links up up well with Garza and Silva to form an attacking trio that will cause any team problems.

Forwards
Up top there’s Garza who is a menace.  His explosive pace and ability in 1 v 1 situations going to goal on the left opens things up for UCSB’s attack.  Garza is definately an MLS prospect and will make that jump sooner than later.  Opoku’s game has regressed.  He just doesn’t ooze the class or confidence once seen in him.  He can hold the ball well far from goal and makes the simple play, but is struggling in the box.  Decision making there has been horrific all year.  Nonni needs to get back from injury to help out because, with that sloppy defending in the back, the Gauchos will likely need to bag 3 to 4 goals to ensure victories.

CSUF Breakdown:

Cal State Fullerton now has no shot at post season play.  The good early start against weak opposition was a smoke screen that didn’t lead to success with this veteran group of players recruited and brought in by Bob Ammann and his staff.  The Titans had a massive shake up in the back, and a couple of other moves in midfield and the forward line, that showed a much improved attempt at a possession game.  They also showed tremendous fight in coming back from a 3-0 deficit late in the 2nd half to make it a competitive game and almost avenge a 6-0 blowout they received from UCSB a few weeks back.

Keeper
Trevor Whiddon continues to make some good point blank saves to keep things competitive at times.  However, his distribution under any type of pressure is horrific.  The ball goes 25 rows out of bounds.  On one play his coach yelled at him and gave him a blank stare seeing how Whiddon panicked under no pressure and just launched the ball anywhere.  It is a major weakness in his game. But again, most keepers stateside have little to no technical ability since it was not worked on during the critical developmental years.  Whiddon and the Titans got blasted 10 times by UCSB in 2 games.  Not a good stat.

Defense
The Titan’s back line was completely reshuffled for this match – three changes compared to the starting line up employed almost the entire season.  In came Nate Fischer, Fermin Villalba, and Jesse Vega and out went Mario Alvarez, Roberto Vernashi, and Jonathan Birt.  The new crop has more technical ability and there were more attempts at building out of the back, as opposed to launching it forward and hoping for a 2nd ball to fall to a teammate.  By no means was the possession attempt structured, but rather a result of more of the players being better on the ball and trying to play well.  Defensively, the new line up did not solve the old problems as they were pounded on the outsides all night and gave up four goals.

Midfield
The midfield made way for talented freshmen Mark Vasquez, who took Oscar Aguero’s spot (moved to forward).  The remaining spots were the same and they showed the same tendencies.  Denny does his job well but lacks the tackling ability a true holding mid must have.  He doesn’t have the close down speed necessary, and is sometimes slow in his decision making.  Ritchie Gonzalez works hard, but just doesn’t have the quality an attacking center mid needs.  He doesn’t finish, nor does he leave his forwards in 1 v 1 situations with the keeper.  Venegas is Venegas – a quality dribbler and hard worker.  But he’ll never learn how to improve his decision-making and other deficiencies without instruction.  I don’t think there is any direction coming from above in that regard – it doesn’t sound like it during games at least.  He was later moved to right back to attempt to contain Garza and he did a good job matching speed and physicality.

Forwards
Oscar Aguero was moved up top and didn’t solve the Titan’s problems there either.  Very little quality service coming from midfield doesn’t allow him to show his stuff.  Jesse Escalante, Nick Posthuma, Gerson Blanco, and Jaimeson Campbell simply don’t have it!  They have no quality to make a difference on a consistent basis at the D1 level.  It’s not their fault though – they were simply recruited, put on the field, and told to perform.  Going to war with broomsticks is basically what the Titans do, year in and year out.

Conclusions:

The win placed UCSB close to a Big West tournament berth.  As inconsistent as they have been, they still have the most match-winning talent in the conference. That should be enough to get them to the championship game, if not win it to secure an NCAA postseason spot.  Worst case scenario they will get in with another win during the regular season because of their strong RPI schedule.  Oh, and Luis Silva is consolidating himself into a top 10 MLS draft pick and front runner to big national accolades.

The Titans have turned in another disappointing campaign.  The early season excitement from an undefeated start – due to a cupcake schedule – is a distant memory.  The excuses are getting old and the results are just not there.  It’s a shame to see such mediocrity every year when CSUF has some of the best soccer facilities in the country, is located in the heart of Orange County, and has very loose admission requirements compared to other schools.

Stay tuned for this weeks Big West “Super Clasico” between Cal Poly Slo and UCSB that is sure to draw over 10,000 fans.  The game is broadcast live Friday night at 7pm PST on FSC.

Jose "guero" Altamirano needs to be playmaking for the Aztecs to have a chance of knocking off the Bruins when they meet again.

Westwood, CA – The clash to determine who will enter the second half of the league season with momentum and a clear path to the Pac 12 title took place Sunday evening at UCLA’s Drake Stadium.  It promised to be a good one with the top two teams, and arguably the top two players, in the conferences going head to head.  Kelyn Rowe vs Jose Altamirano turned out to be too much of a direct clash during the 90 minutes.  Instead of each leading their respective team’s attacks and doing what they do best – being creative – Rowe was creating and Altamirano was chasing him around destroying.  More on that in the recap below.  The Bruins were clearly the better team that night and cruised to a 2-0 win that puts them as the clear favorites to win the conference.

UCLA: 4-4-2

Gk:  #19 Brian Rowe

Def:  #29 Patrick Matchett, #27 Joe Sofia, #6 Matt Wiet, #2 Shawn Singh

Mf:  #9 Fernando Monge, #5 Andy Rose, #26 Evan Raynr, #10 Kelyn Rowe

Fw:  #17 Chandler Hoffman, #8 Victor Chavez

San Diego State:  4-2-3-1

Gk: #1 Blake Hylen

Def: #16 Justin Davies, #17 Tyler Smith, #5 Daniel Steres, #12 Casey Meuser

Mf: #6 Pedro Adan, #7 Jose Altamirano, #10 Abraham Villon, #11 John Peg, #9 Miles Byass

Fw: #19 Jordan Ongaro

UCLA Breakdown:

The Bruins keep looking like a more cohesive group each time I see them.  I’m hoping it’s just not a sign of weak PAC 12 competition this year.  Nonetheless, the Bruins barely worked up a sweat in the 2nd half of their big win and look destined to take the conference crown.

GK

Brian Rowe rarely faced a true test and made a couple of saves in the first half.  He is looking very comfortable in goal and I love the fact that he played out of the back almost every time he got the ball.

Back Line

It looked calm and organized.  They faced very little pressure from the Aztecs and came out of the back playing calmly with lots of time on the ball to make the right pass.  I don’t rate the right back Patrick Matchett.  He simply does not have quality on the ball nor the finesse needed to be on the field for the Bruins.  I know this roster well, and there are countless other options that can be playing right back to make this team even more competitive .  No Ryan Lee was good news!  No Ryan Hollinghead was great news!  Now if they can find a quality right back this defense would be more reliable come postseason play.  Wiet and Sofia looked calm in possession and communicated well with the rest of the team.  Singh had his best game – solid in defense and projecting forward often to give the left side of the attack constant 2 v 1 opportunities with either Arreola or Munoz.

Midfield

The midfield has its strengths and weaknesses.  Strength is obviously the best player in the nation hands down to date this season, Kelyn Rowe.  The kid is just at another level.  We half jokingly tell some of our colleagues who are at any UCLA game to watch closely because there is a player on the roster that has the class to be playing for Real Madrid.  Rowe just oozes class in every facet of his game.  Rose is doing better at holding mid.  He is starting to move the ball faster and this bodes well for the Bruins.  In my opinion this team’s outside mids need to produce more on both sides of the ball.  First, they need to find who those guys are going to be come the postseason.  Arreola seems to be a sure bet when fully fit.  Raynr got the start against the Aztecs but produced very little on the right.  Munoz is a one trick pony that always forces the issue with the forward, forward, forward approach.  Hollingshead was absent, and is identical to Munoz.  Salcedo’s team needs to find the right mix to give them work rate and quality on the wings if they are to make a deep run.

Up Top

Up top is where the Bruins finally got it right.  I like the Chandler Hoffman and Victor Chavez combination.  They both apply defensive pressure on the opposing back line and have great mobility off the ball when Rowe receives.  You need smart players up there to complement Rowe’s vision and passing ability.  The other guys playing earlier this season don’t offer these qualities.  Reed Mckenna, Reed Williams, Zack Foxhoven are not the guys to get the Bruins to the College Cup.  Hopefully they continue with the Chavez/Hoffman pairing.

San Diego State Breakdown:

Blake Hylen had a quiet game.  He was only needed to make 2 saves, and could do nothing on either Bruin goal.  He was left 1 v 1 on the first goal, and the second one was a redirected deflection.  He looked pretty secure in the air dealing with set pieces.  Not the ideal game to rate Hylen since he wasn’t put under too much pressure.

Back Line

The Aztecs back row had two players that stood out.  The first was right back Justin Davies.  His darting runs forward are something modern day right backs need to give their teams.  Davies gave his team plenty of offense on the wing and was also steady in defense.  Daniel Steres was also rock solid in the back and looked to connect through his center mids.  The senior has anchored this defense for 4 years and needs to make sure the back row stays consistent in playing through their talented midfield and not just lumping the ball forward.  Too much bypassing the midfield in the 2nd half made it comfortable for UCLA to maintain their lead.

Midfield

The Aztec middle looked really good in the first half, but had a tremendous let down the second 45.  First, let me say the Aztecs have two brilliant players here.  Jose Altamirano and Abraham Villon are a formidable midfield pairing that very few programs in the nation can match with regards to creativity.  The inexplicable thing to me was seeing “guero” (Altamirano) relegated to a defensive role for most of the 90 minutes on Sunday.  He was busy chasing Kelyn Rowe and almost man marking him, instead of exploiting the Bruin’s weaknesses with his own creative play.  He did a great job on Rowe for most of the night.  The only time Rowe switched off of him was when he got free and sent a brilliant through ball that left Hoffman 1 v 1 to open the game up 1-0.  However, Altamirano can match Rowe’s brilliance if given the freedom to roam the field and create.  It’s like having an Andres Iniesta on your roster but telling him he has to chase Ozil on defensive duties all day, and not get forward to create for his team.  Sorry, I don’t see that happening on Pep Guardiola’s team.  Villon is a crafty wizard on the ball.  He can leave you looking like a cone off the dribble and combine well.  I’d love to see these two given more freedom to link up in the offensive third to carve opposing defenses to pieces. The holding midfielder that started the game, Pedro Adan, was doing good things but was subbed out late in first half and did not return.

Up Top

Up top is where I didn’t see the hunger or bite needed to challenge the Bruins for the Pac 12 title.  Miles Byass is a talented player going forward but has the typical “blinders” on.  He sees nothing!  Puts his head down and goes.  Even worse, he is a complete ZERO on the defensive side of the ball.  Just walks around.  The other forwards are much the same.  It was alarming to see this type of attitude in the attacking players when trailing in a pivotal game that could determine the conference championship.  I will have to catch another San Diego State game to spotlight this detail in more depth.

Game Recap:

The first half was a controlled game, with both sides having good possession and build up through their midfield.  Their weren’t too many clear cut opportunities but some good soccer from both sides.

The scoring opened in the 69th minute after a brilliant through ball from Rowe left Hoffman 1 v 1 and he cooly blasted it home near post.  After the goal, the Bruins completely monopolized possession out of the back.  Wiet and Sofia would slow things down and connect through Rose.  The Aztecs just sat and allowed the Bruins to continue to dictate the pace of the game.  UCLA put the match out of reach in the 83rd minute.  Some good combination play on the left side between Chavez and Munoz led to Hoffman’s 2nd goal.

Conclusions:

The Bruins seem to be finding a good mix and peaking at the right time of the year.  A perfect 5-0 start in the conference has them back in the top 10 national rankings.  However, I really don’t know if it’s them finding their form, or weak conference competition, or a combination of both.  With a special player like Rowe making the difference, they will always have a shot to win any game.  We will keep an eye on UCLA heading into the second half of conference play and a non conference game against Cal State Northridge this week.

The Aztecs have put together a decent record in preseason and now trail the Bruins in the PAC-12 by six points.  Their weak schedule will not help their RPI, so they will need to mount a serious run the second half of conference play if they plan on sneaking into the postseason.  I say free up Altamirano and Villon and let them run wild on the opposition.  Tying guero down defensively takes so much away from the offensive output he, and this entire team, can have.  Up next for the Aztecs is a non conference game against Michigan.

Luis Silva

Santa Barbara, CA – In a big time game for the famous RPI points, the Gauchos came from behind to hand the Akron Zips their first loss of the season on national television.  It was a huge game for UCSB who was coming off consecutive conference losses.  This morale booster needs to carry over to conference play resuming this week.  For Akron, it takes their record against Big West teams this year to 2-1-1.  The Zips will have to get back to their easier conference schedule and prepare to defend their National Championship against a tough field in the coming 2 months.

UCSB:  4-3-3 or 4-4-2 diamond

GK:  #1 Andre Grandt

Def:  #19 Josue Madueno, #12 Tim Pontius, #2 Peter Schmetz, #20 James Kiffe

Mf:  #7 Luis Silva, #5 Fifi Baiden, #10 Machael David

Fw:  #8 Michael Nonni, #15 Dom Sarle (dropped into diamond mf at times), #17 Sam Garza

Akron:  4-3-3

GK: #24 David Meves,

Def:  #17 Deandre Yedlin, #4 Bryan Gallego, #3 Chad Barson, #14 Erick Stevenson

Mf:  #6 Wil Trapp, #27 Michael Balogun, #15 Scott Caldwell

Fw:  #9 Aodhan Quinn, #10 Darren Mattocks, #20 Luke Holmes

UCSB Breakdown:

The Gauchos are trying to get their season back on track after two massive slip ups in conference play to UC Riverside and UC Irvine.  Consecutive conference losses have never been part of the script and a big time performance against the defending national champs was just what the doctor ordered.  They pressured the entire 90+ minutes and had impressive work rate to come from behind and win this game in overtime.

Keeper
Grandt didn’t make any game changing saves on the evening.  His posts were quite busy turning away Mattock’s bomb off the crossbar and Quinn’s low drive off the right post in the early going.  Grandt came off his line to attempt to stop Mattocks in his 1 v 1 situation after a brilliant diagonal run and slipped ball from Trapp but could do nothing.  He had little to do in a well timed and placed finish by Schmitt that tied things up at 2-2 in the 2nd half.  I don’t think Grandt has shown this season he is the security blanket the Gauchos will need to make a deep run in the tournament.

Back Line
UCSB played with a clearly defined back 4.  However, the outside backs were Madueno and Kiffe, two players with clear offensive intentions who usually play outside mids for the Gauchos and even further up the field in their youth careers.  Vom Steeg used this plan to perfection pressuring the Zips high up the field and using Kiffe and Madueno as wingers getting forward in the attack, pushing them high defensively to not allow Akron time and comfort in possession.  Schmetz did a bit too much dribbling out of the back for my liking and gave the ball away in dangerous areas.  He is not Lucio!  Needs to keep it simple.  Pontius has his limitations but plays simple and doesn’t force the issue.  Kiffe was brilliant getting forward and owning Yedlin late in the game.  His attacking play, dribbling, and crossing caused all kinds of problems for the Zips.  He turned in a man of the match performace!

Midfield
The Gaucho midfield was also instrumental in the game and had strong performances on both sides of the ball to negate Akron the patented possession game they are used to.  High pressure from Silva and Ryan (subbed in for injured David early in the game) in unison with the forwards interrupted Akron’s rhythm for most of the game.  Fifi Baiden was a monster in the second half.  He looked like Machael David’s clone in his tackling and tracking of Akron’s talented midfielders.  Sarle played almost like a withdrawn #9 striker.  He would drop into the midfield defensively  when Akron would break the first line of pressure to form a diamond in midfield.  He also worked his socks off and covered a ton of ground.  He scored a brilliant goal with a nice piece of technique and composure inside the 6 yard box.  Luis Silva had a brace on the evening and started showing part of his game that has led him to 3four3′s top college players list.

Up Top
The forward line saw the return of Michael Nonni to the starting line up for the first time this season – David Opokun relegated to the bench.  This was a brilliant tactical decision by Vom Steeg!  Nonni has the pace and work rate to match Garza which was necessary to put the Akron Zips under pressure defensively high up the field.  You cannot allow Akron to feel comfortable and build their play out of the back.  The work rate Nonni, Garza, and Sarle put in was the reason UCSB came out with the W….plain and simple!  Equally impressive, the three attacking players still showed their offensive capabilities in creating countless opportunities during the course of the match.  The energy put forth defensively did not hurt their offensive production.  Nonni came close on multiple occasions early on; going inches wide and rattling the post inside the first 15 minutes.  Garza was torching Yedlin on the left wing!  Sarle was making good late runs into the box.  This trio created massive problems for the Zips but the defensive pressure was the key to this game.  Look for this group to get more looks in Big West play and be the solution to their 0-2 conference start.

Akron breakdown:

The Zip’s play has gotten more fluid since their west coast swing last month.  Getting this youthful side minutes on the field together has been key to seeing a team with more offensive bite in the final third.  This game could have easily been put away had Quinn punished midway through the first half when he had a sitter in the 6 yard box and put it wide.  That would have been 2-0 and the death by 1,000 passes would have put UCSB to bed for good.  Instead, the player’s inexperience and decision-making forced them to give the ball away too many times and get UCSB the chances they needed to get back in the game.  Again, Caleb Porter’s side is different to most college or pro teams in America because they have a clear playing identity.  They know what they want to do on the field and it looks REHEARSED!!!  There is clearly work done on the training field that translates to the games unlike most other teams.

Keeper
Meves was a bit shakier on the night than on most occasions.  He was put under lots of pressure with UCSB attacking both wings and getting lots of service in the box.  He had to deal with a ton of set pieces as well.  He looked rattled on the evening but had little to do in the Gaucho’s 3 goals.  Meves made a huge save with his leg to deny the Gauchos in the first half and also made some good body saves in messy scrambles in the box.  He is a leader with the experience needed to transmit security to his young back line.

Back Line
There has been one change to the back four since I last saw the Zips.  Eric Stevenson is now in at left back instead of David Mayer.  This is a good move! Mayer would just make bad decisions and give up possession by forcing things forward.  The center back pairing of Gallego and Barson is a good one!  Neither is a physical specimen or super athletic but both play things simple and start the attacking play by being leaders and barking out orders to make sure the ball moves smoothly all over the field.  Yedlin is one of the premier attacking backs in the nation.  Defensively he has been exposed on several occasions and had a tough night with Garza and Kiffe tag-teaming his side of the field.  The back row lacked cohesion and communication in all 3 Gaucho goals.  The outside back was too late to close and allowed service into the box while the weak side defender over shifted; leaving Silva all alone in the first goal.  Little Josue Madueno won a header in the box to lead to Sarle’s go ahead goal.  Yedlin’s side was again exposed by Kiffe and Nonni early in overtime to allow Silva’s easy tap in on his late run into the box.  The back row will need a lot of work and their concentration levels will need to be much higher against top notch opposition if the Zips want to get back to the college cup.

Midfield
The midfield trio has also grown tremendously.  Balogun is still the man sitting in front of the back 4 and dictating possession play out of the back.  He is pretty error free and plays the simple back side to side.  He took a few risks dribbling by multiple defenders going forward, and showed an aspect of his game I had not seen previously.  Trapp and Caldwell are two players I like.  GREAT AWARENESS BY BOTH OF THEM.  They are constantly looking and taking pictures of what’s going on around them so when they receive their decision is already made and can move the ball quickly.  THIS IS KEY!  Porter knows what to look for in center mids and recruits brilliantly here!  That’s the keen eye most coaches lack.  They don’t appreciate this quality.   Mental speed is more important than physical speed! Trapp has really found his comfort zone on the field and dished a brilliant ball to Mattocks in the first goal.  He has assisted a goal in 4 consecutive games and is showing why he is a key piece in the Akron attack.  Caldwell’s experience is showing.  His veteran play and leadership will also be key in big games come the postseason.

Up Top
The forwards are starting to click and the offensive output is coming around.  They are creating countless chances and banging in goals!  Mattocks is truly a goal scoring machine at this level.  He is following up a brilliant freshmen campaign with a goal per game average so far this season – 10 games, 10 goals!  WOW!  His diagonal runs are what sets him apart.  When any midfield player turns and is dribbling at the defense his movement into open space to set himself up, or create space, is fantastic.  He still needs to do better when the ball is on the wings; and get himself into scoring position.  Quinn is a great link up player with great awareness – like a central midfielder playing up top.  His left foot is dangerous and he has a good mid-range shot that he shows on a consistent basis.  Luke Holmes is the newest member of the attacking trio and has produced 2 goals and 3 assists in his 4 games.  Good numbers and good wide play from Holmes who has associated well with his new teammates and looks to be a simple player who doesn’t turn the ball over.

Game Recap:

The first 15 minutes of this contest was end to end EPL action with the cross bar and posts rattling on both sides!  I immediately picked up the phone and texted some colleagues to see if they were witnessing this exciting action.  Over the course of the 90 plus minutes, this was one of the most entertaining college games I’ve seen in a while.  Akron struck first  in the 15th minute after sloppy play and a turnover in UCSB’s defensive third.  Trapp slid a nicely weighted ball into Mattocks path and he coolly finished far post with the outside of his right foot.  With the lead, Akron had a good spell of possession with build up play from the back 5.  This was the only time they looked comfortable in the entire game and dictated play.

UCSB countered in quick succession halfway through the second half to take the lead.  Good play on the wings led to both goals.  Silva finished on a volley with ease being unmarked at the far post to tie things up in the 63rd minute.  Two minutes later it was Sarle who put the Gauchos up 2-1.  The momentum had quickly shifted and Akron found themselves behind for the first time this season.  They responded well and had a brilliant goal in the 68th minute to equalize.  Quinn got in behind on the left wing and served up a wicked ball across the 6 yard box that Schmitt tracked and redirected with a one time finish to the far post.  The game was tied and heading for overtime!

Any fans in the stadium or tv audience who were hoping this clash would continue for 20 minutes were disappointed.  It took the Gauchos only 33 seconds to put it away.  Great work by Nonni and Kiffe on the left led to a killer ball into the box that Silva found in his path and finished for the golden goal win that set off the thousands of Gaucho Locos on hand.

Conclusions:

This win should be enough to get the Gaucho’s swagger back and have them start racking up points in the Big West.  This team has too much talent to be sitting with zero points after two games.  Vom Steeg’s group doesn’t display a team identity or show too much work on the training pitch but the players do work hard for their coach.  There is no question of the level of talent and work rate on this team.  Machael David’s leg injury is a big concern.  They will need him – arguably the best holding midfielder in the nation – on the field soon if they want to seek revenge for last year’s early NCAA exit.

The Zips will also be a tough team to knock out come tournament time.  I think the key for the Zips will be to get a high seed and play at home against the top notch opposition in the tournament.  That could be the difference maker for this young team.  Again, despite the loss, it is clear that this team has some serious work during the week on the training field.  The team identity is there and consistently on display.  POSSESSION when they have it and PRESSURE when they don’t.  They have  a soft schedule the rest of the way.

I will be covering two games over the weekend.  #7 UC Irvine @ #4 Creighton on Saturday, and the big PAC 12 game #24 SD State @ #9 UCLA.

Rafael Garcia's return has sparked CSUN to three straight convincing wins!

Northridge, CA –  The Matadors produced their best 90 minutes of soccer this season on Saturday night to take sole possession of 1st place in the Big West standings early in conference play.  They thoroughly dominated the Titans, playing some nice possession soccer for many spells en route to a convincing 3-0 victory.

CSUN:  4-1-4-1 or 4-3-3

GK:  #30 Michael Abalos

Def: #3 Joe France, #15 Nicholas Hamilton, #13 Luis Gutierrez, #23 Yuval Barak

Mf:  #7 Rafael Garcia, #16 Thomas Ramos, #5 Yarden Azulay, #10 Rene Anguiano, #9Brian Behrad

Fw: #8 Edwin Rivas

CSUF:  4-4-2

GK: #24 Trevvor Whiddon

Def: #26 Jonathan Birt, #4 Bobby Reiss, #20 Roberto Vernaschi, #14 Mario Alvarez

Mf:  #9 Oscar Aguero, #5 Michael Denny, #12 Kevin Venegas, #11 Richie Gonzalez

Fw: #7 Kevin Posthuma, #32 Jameson Campbell

Cal State Northridge Breakdown:

I’ve seen the Matadors on several occasions this season and each time their game has progressed.  The results are showing consistent improvement and that comes hand in hand with their level of play.  CSUN is starting to display some good soccer!  Spacing is good, ball is on the ground, and the depth of the squad is coming out.  Having their anchor in the midfield, Rafa Garcia, back in the lineup doesn’t hurt either.

Goalkeeper Michael Abalos is hitting his stride with a 3 game shutout streak.  The guy is as secure as they come when the typical long balls or crosses get floated into the box.  He wins it all in the air.  Not a bad shot stopper either!  Only weakness I’ve seen to date is positioning on opposing team’s set pieces (when it’s a direct threat and shot on goal).  Saw him get beat innocently to his post in the UNLV game earlier this season.

The back line has improved tremendously!  Franco is Franco!  He is as consistent as they come defending his side of the field and pushing forward to give the attack width and 2 v 1 opportunities.  Hamilton and Gutierrez pairing were solid on the evening but didn’t have much to deal with - Fullerton’s forward pair aren’t in the elite class of strikers in the conference.  Hamilton was simple and connected all his passes.  Gutierrez was caught like a fish out of water trying to dribble forward on a pair of occasions, turning the ball over and leading to dangerous counter attacks.  Barak also showed more simplicity to his game.  Earlier this season there was too much “playmaking” out of him….not his job!  He locked down his side of the field on the evening.

The midfield play has been taken to another level with the return of Rafael Garcia.  He is the motor and leader of this team!  It has shown over the past 2 weeks!  No coincidence that upon his return the results have improved.  Three consecutive 3-0 victories and lots of good spells of soccer have been all RAFA!  The other components of this midfield have played some consistent soccer and have reaped the rewards of playing without their captain.  More minutes to go around in early part of season has given this team the needed depth it will need to make a push for the conference championship. Chris Smith, Carlos Benavidez, Alberto Rosas, James Rochlitz have all shared minutes and performed at a good level.  Anguiano and Azulay have great technical ability and work rate to make this one of the best midfields in the Big West.  No team in the conference has this depth in the midfield!

Up top, there is no consistent scoring threat for the Matadors but a collection of tough, hard-nosed players who can put you under pressure and take people off the dribble.  Edwin Rivas is a raging bull up top!  A player with the physique of a Wayne Rooney!  He is a handful to deal with when he is running at you and good luck bumping him off the ball.  Thomas Ramos has also performed at a higher level in the past few weeks on the wings.  Brian Behrad looks to have solidified his spot as a starter.  Then you have super sub on the night in Christian Gonzalez.  He came on and changed the game in a span of 5 minutes.  Took his defender on and served up an excellent cross to open the scoring.  A few minutes later he did the same but finished it on his own firing a low driven bullet with no angle to the far post.  Again, lots of depth in the forward line that share minutes.

Cal State Fullerton Breakdown:

The Titans opened Big West play boasting an impressive 6-1-2 record in the preseason and had cracked numerous national polls for the first time in ages.  The honeymoon with the polls will be coming to a rapid end after the 3-0 loss to Northridge.  But none of that matters!  This will be a critical week for the Titans if they hope to have a positive season.  It doesn’t get any easier for Fullerton with games against UC Irvine on Wednesday and UCSB on the weekend.

The Goalkeeper Trevor Whiddon had little to do in the 3 goals conceded by the Titans.  He responded well considering CSUN took a staggering 28 shots.  The problem isn’t necessarily in goal for the Titans.  Whiddon did his part to ensure the scoreline wasn’t more lopsided than it should have been.

The Fullerton back row was a mess!  The more offensive formation than earlier this year against Akron has really exposed how fragile Fullerton is in the back.  They are all strong physical players but lack an understanding of the game to know when to delay and stand people up and when to be physical and get stuck in.  The lack of pace they have is offset by dropping their lines rather deep when they are not in possession.  With the ball at their feet they are all technically deficient and don’t do their jobs.  They should be connecting through Denny and the rest of the midfield but instead attempt to “playmake” on their own or just launch the long ball over the top hopelessly for the strikers.

The Titan’s midfield is the strength of the team.  Their midfield diamond has been impressive on both sides of the ball.  Denny plays the holding roll and has improved his fitness levels from previous years.  Venegas and Aguero are on the outsides and can both make plays to change a game in the Big West.  Ritchie Gonzales is the newest member to this line up and has great work rate on both sides of the balls and some quality about him.  Again, Aguero is the best player on this roster!  He sees the game and is a threat offensively taking players on, shooting with both feet, and works hard defensively.  Venegas would be a great player if he wasn’t so one dimensional.  The freedom he has been given to dribble has killed his development.  DRIBBLE DRIBBLE DRIBBLE every time he gets the ball.  He can take on one, sometimes two, but with any organized defense he gets dispossessed and then frustrated.  He then takes out his frustrations hacking away.  It earned him a double yellow ejection on the evening and he will miss a critical game vs UCI.  CSF lacks the depth so this will be a big blow without him in the line up.

Up top is where the Titans don’t have a consistent threat.  They’ve tried a few different combinations and nothing has worked.  Posthuma and Campbell have been the two guys starting as of late.  They seem to be an ideal mix.  Posthuma has more finesse in his game to work off Campbell’s physicality and work rate.  Escalante works tirelessly but doesn’t have the quality to get it done either.  Again, the Titan’s midfield is the strength.  If they can find a consistent offensive threat it could take this team to compete for the Big West title.  Without it, they will be in the middle of the pack yet again.

Game Recap:

The first twenty minutes of the contest showed just how much parity there is this season in the Big West Conference.  Northridge started getting a hold of possession and putting together nice sequences later in the half and were rewarded with two quick strikes in succession.  Both of them involved super subs Gonzalez and Benavides.  Yarden Azulay finished a beautiful cross from Gonzalez in the 35th minute.  Gonzales quickly took matters into his own hands and finished off a brilliant sequence with a diagonal finish to the far post after great work from Smith and Benavides in the 40th minute.

The second half was a carbon copy of the first.  An evenly matched contest the first 20 or so minutes until Benavides came on and started to control the tempo of the game.  More possession by Northridge and a beautiful offensive play culminated with a one time volley by Rivas in the 80th minute.

Conclusions:

Cal State Northridge looks to have found their team at the right time.  They sit on top the conference standings and have produced good futbol in 3 straight games.  If they can get another result at UC Irvine this Saturday they will have an inside track to making their first postseason appearance since 2005.

The Titans have hit a huge road bump at the wrong time with this 3-0 defeat to open conference play.  How they rebound this week against the two conference favorites in UC Irvine and UCSB will show what this team is truly made of.  Their back row and forward will have to perform at a completely different level to give them a shot at getting back into the Big West title race.

Up next will be a breakdown of tonight’s UCSB-Akron game on Fox Soccer Channel.