New Year - New Team -guess it's time to start a New thread .....so let's start with the confirmation of Larry Ndjock's transfer to Westwood with two remaining years of eligibility: Click Here! Coupled with Abu Danladi's (Dunn School) commitment to play for the Bruins in the fall, this should make for a very nice offensive pairing next season. Go Bruins!
Seems incredible for a school in today's southern California, but there's a good chance they won't have a single Hispanic or Asian-American starter. Raygoza, perhaps?
Rumor has it the Bruins will travel to UNC, Wake Forest and New Mexico next Fall as part of their 2014 OOC schedule.
Hope that means Wake and UNC will also come west eventually ... other than to get beat in the NCAA tournament, that is.
So in the absence of an official signings announcement to date, here's what I have been able to glean so far from the Bruin Soccer Twitter tweets: Joining, Jr. transfer Fwd Larry Ndjock from Loyola, MD: Seyi Adekoya - MF - F - Sounders Academy William Cline - MF - Pateadores Academy Christian Chavez - MF/F - LA Galaxy Academy Ab Danladi - F - Dunn School Chase Gasper - D (LB) - Bethesda-Olney SC John Requejo - D - Real So Cal Academy - U20 MNT Joab Santoyo - MF - Arsenal Academy Interesting there isn't a GK in this class! Also missing is a recruit previously reported by ESPN in Felipe Liborio (Strikers FC)
What is all the drama I am hearing about one of UCSB's recruits that was supposed to be a UCLA commit but then had his offer pulled....don't really know the details and figured this would be the forum. The rumor mill also has one of the UCLA assistants "tapping up" on players of note from other schools....i.e. calling club coaches to see if they are interested in making a move to Westwood....surely this is just a case of the wannabe's griping.
Bruins played the LAG tough today but left with a 0-2 unfavorable result. Javan Torre didn't fare well defending on the first Galaxy goal and the Bruins fell into some old fall habits by giving up a PK. Albeit a soft one IMHO!
A bit OT but looks like former Bruin Captain Joe Sofia made the 2014 SJ Earthquake roster as announced by San Jose today! http://www.sjearthquakes.com/news/2014/03/earthquakes-sign-rookies-sofia-neil
They also signed RSL's first round draft pick Cal defender Ryan Neil. I am stoked I wasn't sure Sofia would get signed b/c he hasn't looked great in preseason and allowed a few goals but it was tough for him because he was constantly being put in with a ton of trialists and reserves who weren't used to playing together. It was a tough situation for a cb to come in and organize the defense. I think he will be a prime candidate to get a loan to Sacramento early in the season and then maybe get called up to the first team during the world cup when Clarence Goodson and Victor Bernardez are away on national team duty.
After being drafted by DC United in the second round of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, Victor Munoz ultimately signs with Sporting KC. http://www.kansascity.com/2014/04/01/4930255/sporting-kanas-city-signs-midfielder.html
...thought some of you Bruins might like to read comments about UCLA from NM Lobos coach Jeremy Fishbein so I've reposted this article. (It appears with the Fall Schedule posts as well). Lobo coach Fishbein comments on intentional tough schedule, UCLA and working your RPI in today's Albuquerque Journal: http://www.abqjournal.com/392432/sports/unm-faces-tough-schedule.html
The "Earl" of Westwood (jk - Earl Edwards) and Bruin GK garners some nice honors via his play in the U.S. Open Cup: http://thecup.us/2014-us-open-cup-t...alaxy-ii-earns-thecup-us-player-of-the-round/
http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30500&ATCLID=209520633 Yi, Akwari, and Harvey are now UCLA grads.
Tough learning experience for Edwards, Simmons, Amick, Howe, and Smith in the US Open Cup last night, getting torn up in a 5-0 loss to the Sounders. Ex-Bruins Barrett and Estrada with assists for Seattle.
Hearing rumors the North Athletic Field at UCLA is to be remodeled and enhanced (??) to make it more fan friendly and intimate than competing in the cavernous Drake Stadium. Again - rumor only but it sure would make for a nice college soccer setting if the rumor is true!
Bruins Updated their Website to reflect their fall roster: http://www.uclabruins.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=30500&SPID=126914&SPSID=749839 Only 4 seniors....albeit three very important seniors! Absolutely stacked.
lots of big names but hopefully they don't make the mistake a lot of ucla teams have in the past of believing all the hype about themselves and mailing it in. javan torre I'm looking at you.
Not sure that has been a systemic attribute of UCLA team's in recent years. Those with a JT mindset get humbled real quick and relegated to the bench even faster due to the Bruin depth of talent. Former team leaders and captains ( Rose/Hollinghead/Wiet and Sofia) were all very humble individuals and let their play speak for themselves. Not so coincidentally these guys were also stellar student citizens. And all were pretty much four year starters. I think with all of UCLA's star power and talent, the challenge will be to manage the off field issues of key players that bit them last season. I don't envy Salcedo (or any coach of high profile programs for that matter) where job security is contingent on the performance and maturity of a bunch of 18/19 year old's. IMHO - The mental/character dimension of players is too often overlooked during the recruiting process.
Sadly, both Neil and Sofia were waived by the Quakes (along with UCSB's GA player in Sam Garza) this past week. http://www.sjearthquakes.com/news/2014/07/earthquakes-release-garza-neil-and-sofia In Sofia's case, his release from the Quakes coincided with the PAC 12 bestowing him the Tom Hansen Medal. http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30500&ATCLID=209535785