By Ethan Ndachi (@EthanNdachi) – Content editor | Angel Iniguez and Gilberto Rivera vs USF on Sept. 4 (Photo by Max Garcia – The Spear)
San Jose State Men’s soccer (4-1-1) play No. 3 ranked Stanford (6-1) this Wednesday in a Santa Clara County clash that is sure to excite spectators.
Head coach Simon Tobin returns in his last season to face a familiar face in Stanford head coach Jeremy Gunn, who was an assistant to Tobin during his time at Bakersfield. This could be the final meeting between the pair.
The Spartans are 27-36-8 against The Cardinal all time. The last victory SJSU were able to get was Sept. 8th 2006, where they triumphed 2-1 on the road.
In the 12 times SJSU have played them since, the results haven’t followed. Nine losses and three draws make up the dozen meetings, but the team is in high spirits heading into this midweek match.
“I’ve played against them four times,” senior defender and captain Niklas Dossmann said. “This is the first time there’s some true belief in the squad that we can get a result.”
The prospect of playing not only a historical rival, but such a highly ranked side, had the Spartans buzzing when spoken to in training.
“Everybody is excited for tomorrow,” Redshirt senior goalkeeper Edgar Guerra said. “We have nothing to lose, everything to gain.”
SJSU has had a positive start to the season, keeping four clean sheets in their first six games. The Spartans have been on a two-game unbeaten streak since their setback to the San Francisco Dons, and will look to use the momentum to propel them to a major upset.
“I think we derive some confidence from that last performance [draw vs. CSUN].” Associate head coach Jesus Sanchez said.
It’s not lost on the team how focused they need to be to squeeze a result from the Cardinal. Tactical discipline and intensity need to be the big words in the locker room if the Spartans want to find success.
“We gotta play for 90 minutes at a really really high level, we can’t take one minute off [or] 30 seconds off…Stanford is gonna bring that out of us no matter what.” Sanchez said. “From minute one to minute 90 tomorrow, the guys have to play at a really high level.”
The stylistic differences between the two sides were highlighted by the players, with Stanford playing more direct football.
“Everyone knows they’re pretty relentless in their press,” WAC Offensive Player of the Year senior midfielder Angel Iniguez said. “I think we’ve been keeping to our style of play and have them adjust to us and our style playing out of the back.”
This will be a big game in particular for sophomore striker Arnold Matshazi as well, his first appearance for SJSU against Stanford.
“I’ve witnessed us play Stanford twice now,” Matshazi said. “The atmosphere of the game is something that just can’t be replicated.”
The Englishman will look to get his fourth goal of the season as he goes up against a real challenge as a forward, SJSU having only put one in Stanford’s net over the past five seasons playing them.
“It [Stanford matchup] brings out the best out of every single one of us, so it’ll be a good game.” Junior midfielder Gilberto Rivera said. Rivera has just been named WAC Defensive Player of the Week after his tremendous efforts vs Northridge.
This is Rivera’s first career player of the week award and the Spartans’ third player of the week award so far this season, joining Guerra and junior defender Ruben Flores-Thomas. The Hayward native is the joint-highest assister on the team with three, along with Iniguez.
The Spartan Soccer Complex will aim to host a packed crowd and hopefully look to break the record for most attended game at the ground which was 1,559 in a game, fittingly, against Stanford on Sept. 1st 2023.
“We love playing at home,” Matshazi said. “You feel like you can run the extra yards because you got your people, your friends and family or schoolmates around you.”
Last time out in a pre-season exhibition match, there was a great turnout in the stands. SJSU alumni and current San Jose Earthquakes player Beau Leroux, Stanford alumni and fellow Quakes player Ousseni Bouda and former SJSU basketball player Latrell Davis were watching eagerly.
Strongly motivated, the Spartans look to hunt their Cardinal white whale this Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Spartan Soccer Complex.
