By Ethan Ndachi (@EthanNdachi) – Content Editor | Freshman defender Kazushi Shimada advances against the University of California, Davis on Sept. 26th (Photo by Cesar Maya – Spear photographer)
San Jose State men’s soccer (3-6-1, 0-2-1 MW) is still unable to clinch its first Mountain West Conference win after a 2-1 road defeat to Grand Canyon University (6-5, 3-0 MW).
Both sides had opportunities to put the game away, but the Antelopes proved to be the more clinical side on their home turf.
In the 32nd minute, freshman midfielder João Gonçalinho played a long ball from deep to winger Alan Hermitte, who sprinted down the left-hand side. Hermitte shot the ball once he got into the box, which rocketed past redshirt senior goalkeeper Ronin Axelson.
Axelson made 6 saves in the match, including a previous stop against Hermitte that could have been the opener. More often than not, it feels the Spartans rely on the fifth-year goalkeeper to bail them out as their primary plan defensively.
Both sides had multiple opportunities to score. SJSU had 14 shots and GCU totalled 13, but the Lopes produced more quality shots on target, with 8 attempts on frame compared to the Spartans’ 3.
“I felt like out of these last two games we deserved a little bit more,” SJSU head coach Jesus “Chuy” Sanchez said. “Just based on our performances, based on the attitude, based on even maybe chances created.”
Only 14 seconds into the second half, Lopes’ fifth-year goalkeeper Beltran Fernandez distributed the ball up the pitch, finding senior midfielder Jorge Lopez.
Lopez quickly played junior midfielder Cruzeiro Cruz through on goal for him to roll the ball past Axelson and double GCU’s lead.
Lopez currently leads the Mountain West with 8 assists.
This sequence evoked shades of the Western Athletic Conference final in December of last season, where SJSU conceded similarly right after kickoff and put itself at an unnecessary uphill battle.
The Spartans attempted to mount a comeback in the 61st minute when Jordi Tortell Daly poked the ball away from GCU freshman center back Felix Oberwaditzer, allowing him to find sophomore forward Amir Anwary just outside the box.
Anwary quickly shot the ball with his left foot, which struck the right post before bouncing into the goal, putting SJSU on the board.
The goal was also Anwary’s 5th of the season, leading the team. Tortell Daly earned his fourth assist of the season after starting the game on the bench and entering in the 32nd minute after the Spartans conceded.
Sanchez opted for a lineup that overloaded the midfield, with freshman fullback Kazushi Shimada starting ahead of Tortell Daly so versatile senior defender Cameron Cook could play out wide.
Freshman defender Isac Enriquez continued his run of good form in midfield, being trusted with a start next to senior midfielder Angel Fernandez, which pushed sophomore midfielder Fernando Duarte into a more advanced role.
SJSU has looked stronger when at least one traditional winger is on the pitch. While Cook and junior midfielder Daniel Fregoso Bautista provide quality, both are more akin to wide midfielders than wide forwards.
SJSU’s goal was not enough to get a point in Arizona. The Spartans have not beaten the Lopes at their home since 2014, when they won 2-1 during a fixture on Oct. 31st.
“We knew that this road trip was going to be tough,” Sanchez said. “We played against GCU, who’s currently the best team in our conference and we made some mistakes that you can’t make against good teams.”
SJSU still seeks its first conference win against Air Force Academy at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Spartan Soccer Complex.
