“We are going to beat your yellow soccer team, yellow soccer team, yellow soccer team. We are going to beat your yellow soccer team, so….WHY DON’T YOU JUST QUIT!!!”
For the first half of the UC Davis-UC Irvine men’s soccer game this Wednesday night, this goal actually seemed realistic. From the start of the game however, it was apparent that Irvine’s team was more athletic.
They ran faster. Dribbled Fancier. Kicked Harder.
But Davis was never out of the game, finding ways to use their technical soccer skills and disciple to control the ball for most of the first half. Their Defense was on point, their goalie played really well, and the team had this “swag” about them that gave everyone in the stands the impression that they might actually win this match. Despite numerous missed opportunities and continually going for (and not making) big play after big play, this Davis team played exceptionally well against the favored UCI team. The…
This game truly was a tale of two halves. How about we bullet all the things that went wrong for our beloved Aggies?
· Irvine played with an unmatched Physicality
· Irvine scored with around 29:30 to go.
· Irvine’s players ran around the field with a level of energy on an entire different realm than Davis
· Irvine scored again with 23 minutes left to go in the half
· Davis frustration led to a Red Card
· UC Irvine scored their third and final goal in the half
· Davis essentially gave up on the field
All of this cumulated with a 3-0 victory by UC Irvine.
It’s not my job to analyze and critique every second of the game. I don’t claim to be an expert on Aggie Athletics quite yet, and soccer is one of my least followed sports. To be blunt though, this team could use some work. If they can play like they did in the first half of this game for two halves however, they will have a chance against any team.
-Chris Emmett
