University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
1-1-1
Duke
2-0-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| UCLA | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Duke Edges No. 9 UCLA, 1-0
September 02, 2016 | Men's Soccer
LOS ANGELES - The No. 9 UCLA men's soccer team suffered its first loss of the season on Friday evening, as Duke came into Drake Stadium and escaped with a 1-0 victory after breaking open a scoreless game in the 88th minute. Midfielder Brian White scored the game's only goal on a long-range shot at the 87:55 mark.
"We had some good moments today and some moments that weren't good enough," said UCLA head coach Jorge Salcedo. "Our play was inconsistent and when you play like that, you obviously have an opportunity to lose a game. It was a game that I thought in the middle of the second half that we had absolute control. We just didn't sense the moments where we could've put the game away."
Although both teams were unable to find the back of the net in the first 45 minutes, the Bruins definitely owned the edge in quality scoring opportunities, as redshirt freshman Blayne Martinez notching a pair of near misses. The first came in the 35th minute, as junior defender Chase Gasper fed a through ball to Martinez, who corralled it in the box and tried to touch it past Duke goalkeeper Robert Moewes. Moewes, however, read the play perfectly, coming off his line to make a nifty left-handed save.
Martinez's second opportunity would come less than five minutes later when he got a clear look in the box from about eight yards out. Moewes came up big again, pushing a right-footed shot over the crossbar and out of play.
UCLA's best chance of the evening came a little over three minutes into the second half when Jackson Yueill was fouled just inside the top of the box resulting in a Bruin penalty kick. Midfielder Brian Iloski took the kick, pushing it just wide.
Both teams would see several quality goal-scoring opportunities throughout the next 40 minutes, with Duke's Moewes and Bruin goalkeeper Juan Cervantes each coming up huge on several occasions. One play in particular came on a Duke corner kick in the 77th minute. A close-range header by Jared Golestani was stopped by a diving save from Cervantes. Play continued and Duke's Markus Fjortoft pounced on the ball right in front of the goal but Cervantes again got in the way to keep the game scoreless.
Juan Cervantes is ??????
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) September 3, 2016
His late save is the @UCLAMSoccer #12Best play! #Pac12MSOC https://t.co/VJEjk9gqaZ
Duke (2-0-1) got on the board with less than three minutes to play when Suniel Veerakone back heeled a ball to White just inside UCLA's half of the field. White took the ball and stormed toward the goal, eventually blasting a right-footed shot that would bank off the left post and into the goal past a diving Cervantes. It ended up being the game winner.
"The goal was a fantastic strike and finish," said Salcedo. "Obviously missing the PK was deflating. I thought we created enough goal-scoring opportunities to win the game. Their goalkeeper had a great game and so did ours."
On UCLA's numerous goal-scoring chances throughout the night, Salcedo added, "Being sharp in the final third comes with games. Obviously in just our third game of the we aren't sharp enough in the final third. We need to get better with the great goal-scoring opportunities that we create and convert more. That's something we need to get better at and we will. I have supreme confidence in this group."
UCLA (1-1-1) will look to regroup on Monday when the Bruins host Akron at Drake Stadium on Monday at 5:00 p.m.
Team Stats
White,Brian (2)
Assisted By: Veerakone,Suniel
long range shot off post into goal
87:55
