UCLA
California
Bruins Claim Resounding Win Over Cal
October 20, 2015 | Men's Soccer
LOS ANGELES – The UCLA offense carried the team to a resounding, 6-0, victory over the Cal Golden Bears on Monday evening at Drake Stadium. The Bruins scored three goals in each half, led by Abu Danladi's two-goal performance, to claim the conference win. The 6-0 finish marked the first time since 2008 that the Bruins scored six goals in a game and the first time since 2002 that they won by a six-goal margin.
“Tonight was a good performance,” said UCLA Head Coach Jorge Salcedo. “We scored some good goals and had a shutout. We are happy with the reaction we had following the result against Stanford on Friday and we look forward to our trip to the Bay Area this weekend.”
UCLA (7-6-0, 3-2-0 in Pac-12) began the game aggressively, generating a lot of offensive pressure from the out-set. The early pressure led to a chance for Jordan Vale in the 16th minute which he rang off of the post from the top of the 18-yard box. The rebound was subsequently knocked out by a Cal defender, giving the Bruins a corner kick. Chase Gasper took the corner and sent a bending drive into a chaotic box where Javan Torre soared through the air for the headed finish to put UCLA up one.
Ahead by a goal, Danladi took over in the 24th minute with a wonderful individual effort to double the Bruin edge. After UCLA successfully defended a Cal corner, the ball deflected out above the penalty area to Danladi. The sophomore turned and started a run towards the Golden Bears' half of the field, taking on a trio of defenders. Danladi sprinted 75 yards down the center of the pitch and took a smart touch to the right of the defense as he approached the Cal box. He then shot a low right-footed drive past the diving goalkeeper and into the far left netting to cap the scintillating run.
Danladi wasted no time scoring his second goal, netting the Bruins' third tally just three minutes and 26 seconds later. The Ghanaian striker intercepted a lazy pass in between two Cal defenders in their own end and scored between the legs of the charging goalkeeper as he dove at Danladi's feet. The ball trickled just across the line, giving UCLA a 3-0 lead at the half.
After 45 minutes of action, the Bruins were out-shooting the Golden Bears, 5-2, and earned three corners to Cal's one.
UCLA continued to pour it on in the second half, scoring its fourth goal just six minutes in. Seyi Adekoya intercepted a cross in the middle of the field, 30 yards out from net in the attacking third. He then fed a charging Jackson Yueill down the right side of the field who took a touch and blasted a hard shot past the diving goalkeeper into the lower left side of the net.
The Bruins weren't done there, adding a fifth goal just 26 seconds later. A brilliant display of passing from Yueill to Jose Hernandez to Felix Vobejda set up the play down the right wing. Vobejda then spotted an on-coming Adekoya and slipped a low pass across the face of goal for the tap in finish.
Vobejda then got a goal of his own a few minutes later, in part due to some good fortune. The German midfielder carried the ball down the right side of the field and attempted a cross to the far side of the box. His cross was deflected off of a Cal defender and into the upper left corner of the net for the sixth and final goal of the evening.
Cal (5-5-2, 0-3-2 in Pac-12) could never gain its footing and totaled just three shots in the game. The Golden Bears were constantly forced to play on the defensive and in turn suffered their worst defeat since a 6-0 loss to Maryland in 2012.
Overall, UCLA out-shot Cal, 16-3, including, 11-1, in the second half. Juan Cervantes earned his third shutout of the season, due in large part to the Bruin defense, which allowed zero shots on goal. Cal goalkeepers Alex Mangels and Jonathan Klinsmann each allowed three goals, with Klinsmann logging four saves.
The Bruins are set to face the Bay Area schools once again next weekend when they travel north beginning with No. 3 Stanford on Friday, October 23 at 8:00pm PT. UCLA then closes out the trip on Sunday, October 25 at 3:00pm PT against Cal. Both matches can be seen live on the Pac-12 Networks.
