Mental mistakes on defense cost USU club soccer regional tournament
The Utah State University club soccer team went 0-2-1 in its regional tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. on Friday and Saturday, disqualifying itself from the national tournament in January.
USU faced Arizona in its first game of the tournament, losing 3-0.
In its second game, USU lost 3-0 to Salt Lake Community College, a team it had beaten twice in the regular season.
USU tied the University of California at Santa Barbara 0-0 in its final game of the
tournament.
Arizona 3, USU 0
Arizona opened up the scoring with the only goal of the first 20 minutes toward the end of the half.
It then scored two goals in the second half and continued to shut down USU’s offense to win 3-0.
Freshman midfielder Benson Wallace said the score didn’t reflect the game.
“We played as good as they did and at times better, but they capitalized on their counterattacks,” Wallace said. “Our quick defenders didn’t get back, so our team transition killed us.”
USU Head Coach Vincent Lamarra said Arizona only had five or six shots at the goal and USU had 20, but just couldn’t put it in the net.
“Arizona got lucky,” Lamarra said. “Our shots were wide and high and they had some good stops.”
SLCC 3, USU 0
A SLCC player headed in the only goal of the first half five minutes into the game.
Midway through the second half, a Bruin went to kick the ball, but the ball took a funny bounce off the ground and hit the Bruin’s knee and went in to make it 2-0.
With about 10 minutes left in the game, midfielder Justice Loyet got his second yellow card for physical play and had to sit out.
USU was then left with only 10 players on the field the rest of the game. Lamarra pulled his team up to get more scoring
opportunities.
But no one scored until the Bruins finally got the ball to the Aggies’ side of the field and scored the final goal to win 3-0. Wallace said USU just had a few mental breakdowns on defense and SLCC made them pay.
“We should have transitioned better,” he said. “We just failed to score and they didn’t.”
Lamarra said USU dominated most of the game, keeping the ball in the Bruins’ half of the field, but once again, just couldn’t put it in the net.
Utah State, 0, UCSB 0
USU played its best game of the tournament against UCSB. Lamarra said his team played hard and had plenty of chances to win, including a breakaway toward the end of the game.
Freshman forward Brad Beckman’s first shot on the breakaway was blocked by the Guachos’ goalkeeper. Beckman’s second shot missed the goalkeeper, but was blocked by another defender.
Junior forward James Barnard rebounded the miss and had the Aggies’ best chance to score but shot it wide.
USU’s Jake Carlson said the tournament was upsetting and seemed as if there was a lid on the goal.
During halftimes and after the games, Carlson said he and his teammates agreed they were outplaying their opponents, but wondered why they weren’t up.
“We just made a few mental mistakes on defense,” Carlson said. “It’s frustrating because we feel we’re better than all three of those teams.”
Wallace commented on the lack of preparation on the part of USU and its attitude during the tournament.
“We were a little unprepared,” he said. “We didn’t get a chance to practice as much as a team because of work and school. We had the wrong attitude, not showing a whole lot of heart, and were too lackadaisical.”
Yet, USU remains optimistic of the success of the club.
“The past five years, we haven’t had consistent coaching and a consistent program,” Wallace said. “Now, we have a good consistent team and coaches, in Vince Lamarra and Buddy Young. With a little work and time, we’ll be up at the national competition level.”
Lamarra said he has a great young core of guys with a tremendous amount of character and potential.
“With consistent practicing and playing, in two or three years, we can eventually become the national champions,” he said.
-noisi@cc.usu.edu