By Gabriel Luis (@gabelun ):
The San Jose State men’s soccer season started to warm up today despite the record high temperatures with a 3-2 win over UC Davis
Following a 4-0 loss to Stanford, SJSU came out and put on a show against the Aggies.
“We are a bit young, but we’ll be okay,” said SJSU head coach Simon Tobin. “Having such a young team might become an advantage later on in the season.”
San Jose started the first half strong, with a goal by junior defender Andy Rios off a penalty kick in the 5th minute. Showing early signs of a weak defense, Davis conceded one more goal through Jeremy Romero’s tap-in from a cross in the 16th minute.
Romero said that today’s game the second game is typically better than the season opener and he expects it’s going to keep improving
The team chemistry was high during the first half of the game for SJSU as they maintained most possession of the ball and did not allow the Aggies to leave their own half. To add salt to the Aggies’ wound, they conceded an own goal towards the end of the first half.
Once the Spartans were up 3-0, the game appeared to be over as UCD began to get tired and frustrated. As the match went on, it became quite clear that the weather, as well as the pressure being put on by players and fans, was testing UCD.
In the second second half of the match, UC Davis seemed to be much more motivated to score and it showed. Throughout the second half, not even the sub par officiating could save SJSU as they conceded two goals with only 10 minutes left in the game. With minutes remaining and tensions rising, SJSU was able hold on for the victory.
“At the end of the day whoever wants it the most, wins the game,” said senior defender Carlos Valdovinos.
What Valdovinos said seems to be true today as he led his team towards victory. Pushing the team to do better and maintaining composure through the trash talk, SJSU kept it’s cool.
From the game itself, it was quite clear that the Aggies just didn’t have the same morale and energy as SJSU did in the first half. The Spartans showcased great work and skill throughout the game including passing possessions and set pieces.
On the other hand, after multiple set pieces and runs, the inability to hold onto possession during the game and the patchy passing made the match extremely difficult for the Aggies. However, through two plays late in the half, they were able to come back into the game with two goals.
The Spartans will look to start a streak at their next home game on Sept 3. against Sacramento State and show the rest of the conference that they are not to be taken lightly this season.
