The men’s soccer team took the field at University Stadium under the hot afternoon sun on Sunday, Sept. 22 against the MSU Denver Roadrunners, resulting in a 1-0 victory and its undefeated streak on this season still intact.
The Golden Eagles showed tenacity throughout the game, constantly pushing toward the Roadrunners’ goal, but just couldn’t get the ball past MSU goalkeeper Nick McNeil. Golden Eagles forward Tommaso Belli would change that at the one-hour mark of the game.
Cal State LA came out aggressive offensively in the first half, shooting a total of 10 times, only three on target. Defensively, the team held the backline strong, stopping most attempts towards the goal. Goalkeeper Diego Bravo didn’t have much work in the half because of the defense, only getting one save in the process. It was more of the same in the second half.
Offensively, the Golden Eagles weren’t pushing up as much in the second half, but did a good job throughout the game in maintaining possession. That helped them stay on the Roadrunners’ half of the field often. It worked out in their favor, as assists from Ivan Farias-Martinez and Roei Mordechay to Tommaso Belli at the 60-minute mark yielded the first and only goal of the game.
The Golden Eagles kept advancing toward the goal to cushion their advantage, and Bravo had key saves throughout the game to maintain their 1-0 lead in the final 30 minutes of the game.
Head coach Michael Erush was glad they got the win, but acknowledged that work still needed to be done. Defensively, he’s happy with the outcome throughout the first few games of the season.
“They know they got their hands full at times and we have to defend and suffer at times,” said Erush. “They did a great job today defending in certain moments when we were winning and the team was pushing with numbers.”
Despite starting off the season undefeated with a 4-0-1 record, Erush doesn’t feel it matters much.
“Going into the regular season, everyone is 0-0 and that’s just something they have to know,” said Erush. “Yeah they’ve done great, but they haven’t achieved anything.”
Belli, who is entering his senior season and looking to pass on some knowledge to the younger players, was happy with the outcome, and shared a more optimistic outlook on the season so far.
“Starting on the right foot is going to be important for the team, important for everybody,” said Belli. “Definitely happy to have zero losses at the beginning of the season.”
The Golden Eagles are set to continue the homestand on Saturday, Sept. 28, to open up the California Collegiate Athletic Association season against Cal State Dominguez Hills at University Stadium at 4:30 p.m.
This article was first published in the September 26 print edition of the University Times.
