If you are good enough and have the grades, yes. It helps that you're foreign, since UCSB seems to think there isn't enough talent in SoCal and needs to stock the team with international players.
UCSB @LMU tonight... no video, but audio webcast is supposed to be available here: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/ucsb.portal# the UCSB release: http://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-soccer/2012-13/releases/20120824xyq21i
UCSB beats LMU 2-1. An early goal by Campion, a lot of nothing for 70 min, LMU gets a BS call right outside the box and puts a sweet FK upper V (wall was poorly set) with less than 2 to go, 30 sec later Boateng send in a sweet cross for Ryan to head in. Mansker started and came up huge twice even after breaking his nose at practice Tues.
Gauchos tied Oregon St. Friday 2-2. Apparently defensive mistakes led to OSU's goals. UCSB seemed to dominate possession and after OSU tied the game at 2, they sat in and tried to play counter soccer. I know it was streamed, but I wasn't able to watch. I hope UCSB can figure it ou and win tomorrow vs. tourney hosts Gonzaga. Luckily for us in terms of rankings a lot of big time schools tied as well so poll position might not be affected too much based on this game, but we do need to win tomorrow.
So UCSB ended the weekend with a 3-0 victory over host Gonzaga. Goals scores by Ryan, Acoff and Campion. Good to see Ryan get his second of the season. He wasn't in the coach's plans after his performance at Creighton last year. UCSB just missed out on winning the tournament since OSU beat Manhattan 6-0. Welsh did get tournament defensive MVP. Very happy to see the new guys stepping up. We did pick up some injuries this weekend to McGlynn, Schmetz, and Baiden. Hope they are alright soon. No real big games this weekend (only Valparaiso) so if needed we can rest those guys some more. Glad that our bench got some time and did well with it.
UCSB came back from an early goal to beat Valpraiso 2-1 at home last night. Val got on the board when a corner kick went through the box to an unmarked Val player who one timed it from the top of the box past a cluster of players who were shielding Grandt. UCSB didn't get on the board until the 2nd half. 1st goal scored by Nic Ryan after Achille took it to the endline, crossed it through the box and Ryan finished one time on the far side upper V. Nice finish for sure. 2nd goal was a result of nice passing in the midfield with Achille passing one time to Castro who played Achille over the top. Achille was 1v1 with the keeper and finished smoothly. After Val scored TVS made some subs which included taking out Boyoko and putting in a still injured Fifi. It definitely helped. MD and Schmedt are still injured so glad the backline held strong. Pierre got his first start in the back and teamed with Welsh well. I do think that Mansker controls the back better than Grandt and it showed in the 2nd half. Granted the goal wasn't all Grandt's fault, but Mansker still has a better presence from what I saw. The 2nd half showed what could happen if the players know each other better. I felt we tried too many crosses for a while and the GK would just come out and get them. The shorter passing is what led to confusing the defense and thus leading to more open opportunities. The more comfortable the team becomes with each other, the more dangerous they will be versus others.
UCSB continues its winning ways with a 3-0 victory over USD away. 1st half was kind of uneventful except for a PK towards the end for UCSB. GK for USD took out Castro as he rounded him at the top of the box. GK only received a yellow which I believe should have been red (last defender). Nic Ryan stepped up to take the PK. Ryan in my opinion poorly placed the shot 4 feet away from the post, GK guessed right and made the save. Rebound came back towards Ryan but he put it over the bar. 2nd half was better for the Gauchos. Much better effort and passting. The goal of the year (and easily top 3 in Gaucho history from my memory) was scored by Ema in the 69th. He received the ball at midfield from Fifi, and carried it through 4 different players splitting them and making moves around them. He found himself 25 yards out towards the middle of the field and sent a beautiful left footed strike far upper v to put the Gauchos up 1-0. The 2nd goal came a few minutes after with a great give and go at the top of the box between Sarle and Madueno. Josue let a shot rip from the top of the box with the outside of his right foot to the far post. Beautiful play overall. The 3rd goal came from a great hard cross by McGlynn that Campion just backheeled past the GK at the top of the 6 yd box. Great fan support it looked like. Many tortillas flew and you could hear some pro Gaucho cheers over the broadcast. I really hope a video of the Ema goal finds it way online somewhere. Typically UCSB doesn't record away games, so they might have to ask USD for the tape, but that goal needs to be seen now. Now UCSB takes on Seattle up north tomorrow at 3pm. Hopefully UCSB can keep the momentum going before the big game Friday vs. UCLA.
So UCSB beat Seattle today 6-2. There were 6 differnt goal scorers for the Gauchos. Seattle apparently got one solid goal and then got one off a PK. Like to see the offensive production, but defensive mistakes in the 2nd half led to goals and we need to cut down on those. UCLA this friday will be a big test. On another note, if you want to see Ema's goal from the USD game, USD archives their games on their On Demand section. Just find the game and fastforward to the 1:49.40 mark (I believe). http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/usd.portal#
Edit: Oops, the Ema Boateng video was already linked. A true golazo! And great fan support on the road!
Well, someone excerpted out the video so you don't have to hunt in the full game video... Also (and I'm sure there might be some interesting comments about this), Machael David is nominated for the Senior CLASS Award: http://www.seniorclassaward.com/athletes/machael_david/ Congrats to him on earning his U.S. citizenship.
If David wins it they should call it the Senior Citizen Award, amirite?!?! See, it's funny because David is three years older than most seniors and has been in college since Bush was president and... OK, I'll stop.
A video: And SJTillIDie... we will see on Friday... The only common opponent was LMU and both results were one goal victories. I expect a smaller crowd than last time you all came to town (still bigger than drake holds though)... might still be big enough to make your freshmen and sophomores quiver a bit (if any of them actually get to play... nice junior and senior laden team you have there). You coming up for the game?
Would be "coming down" as I live in the Bay Area, but no, I have a flight on Saturday morning to Seattle away for the Quakes game. Will be watching this one on TV.
Typical UCLA fan I also live in the Bay Area. I could simply watch on TV, but I'm driving down and back on Friday in order to make my weekly 9:30 AM pickup game on Saturday. Soft, soft, UCLA fans
hah! also one of the few times I can be accused of being a snob for choosing to go to an MLS game over another.
This should be a great match for two team's attempting to prove their legitimacy. This is a huge momentum game for both squads heading into conference play the following week. Slight edge to UCSB only given due to their bench depth and offensive options. I trust that the comment about UCLA having a upperclassmen laden team was made in jest as in ? This from a program that has consistently screwed their incoming freshman recruits in recent years by bringing in large numbers of JUCO transfers ? Here's hoping for an entertaining and injury free match!
Nice article from JR Eskilson of TDS: http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/coll...:-the-great-cal-rivalry_aid26287?desktop=true
So UCSB was able to beat Harvard over the weekend 1-0 with a goal by Castro and tie UCLA on Friday night 1-1 on a great individual run by Boateng. Thare are plenty of videos floating around about that night including one done by 91st minute through TDS. Wish there would have been more fans for both games however students not being in town yet on Friday and then the weird start times for both games made it difficult to produce larger crowds. Yes I'm saying this even though there were 7500 at the UCLA game. I have high expectations dangit . You could see how injuries are really affecting the team. Without Schmetz and his height in the back UCLA was able to score on a long throw. Campion would have also been huge at wearing down the defenses and laying the ball of to a streaking Ema. MD tweaked his hammy and I believe Acoff has the same nagging injury. Luckily the depth is proving to be there however I believe we come away with 2 wins if Campion and Schmetz were healthy. Also, Acoff needs to get better and impress b/c as of right now I haven't seen much from him (except that missed PK call he should have received vs. UCLA) Now we start conference and UC Riverside is up first. They are no joke and we owe them payback for last year.