By Heerah Jayakumar
The University of Maryland men’s soccer drew 2-2 against UCLA on Sept. 25, after missing several key chances to secure the win against the Bruins.
Energy was high during the game, and fans were excited about the chance to witness another win by the men’s soccer team, given their unbeaten streak in their regular home matches. With over 5,000 fans in attendance, the stakes were high for the Terps.
“We did really well last season, so I think I’m hoping that we can keep up that same performance this season,” sophomore Inayat Thukral said.
Maryland started strong, with forward Rodrigo Neri scoring in the fifth minute, assisted by defenders Ljubomir Popovic and Farouk Cisse. The score was quickly leveled by UCLA midfielder Jaime Amaro, assisted by midfielder Ander Marticorena in the 19th minute.
Although Maryland had 24 shots compared to UCLA’s 14 and earned 11 corners, the Terps couldn’t maximize their scoring potential. Only seven of their shots were on target. Although there was shot volume, it didn’t result in enough quality scoring opportunities for the team to take the lead for long.
“We got a little careless, and I think they ended up getting that goal,” coach Sasho Cirovski said in a press conference on Sept. 25. “As a team, we have to become more stingy. As a team, we can’t give up this many goals.”
UCLA midfielder Diego Martinez got a red card in the 29th minute, which didn’t stop the team from being overwhelmed; UCLA became more compact and was still able to score in the 53rd minute, with defender Victor Ciaurriz taking the shot, assisted by midfielder Adrian Aguilar.
Goalkeeper Laurin Mack made six saves and defended the box well, as did UCLA goalkeeper Wyatt Nelson, who made the Terps work for their goals and made it apparent that quality shots were more important than a high quantity of shots in this game.
Forward Dominic Ayella scored Maryland’s second goal in the 77th minute, assisted by midfielder Leon Koehl and forward Said El Eyssami, preventing a loss.
“I think the lesson from today has to be that we cannot be giving up two goals at home consistently like this. And so that was a disappointing part of today,” Cirovski said.
In their next game, No. 4 Maryland faces No. 2 Indiana on Oct. 2, where they look to bounce back and seize their scoring chances.
Featured Image: Midfielder Leon Koehl pushes up the field during the second half of the Maryland men’s soccer game against UCLA. Photo by Josh Hananel.