This is a must-win weekend for the Cal men’s soccer team.
Sitting in fourth place in the Pac-12 standings, the Bears need a pair of victories to keep their hopes alive for a strong finish in the Pac-12 and a berth in the NCAA tournament. Anything less and the Bears will be just about out of time to make a comeback.
However, a convenient act of scheduling may help the Bears get just the wins they need.
Cal (7-5-1, 2-3) hosts Washington and Oregon State this weekend, just a week after playing both teams on the road. The Bears fell to the Huskies 1-0 in double overtime on Oct. 12 but bounced back and defeated the Beavers 3-1 on Oct. 14.
“The Oregon State game is a big plus for us,” forward Stefano Bonomo said. “I think it gave us a lot of confidence for these next five games.”
Cal hopes that its experience having just played these teams will also pay off in the rematches this weekend.
“I think knowing their styles is really going to help us,” defender Christian Dean said. “We know (Washington) likes to get set pieces because they’re a bigger, more physical team.”
The recent experience has helped the Bears make the necessary adjustments in practice over the week.
They have focused on winning the possession battle and strengthening their back line, which got a boost last weekend with the return of senior defender Ted Jones. They hope it will help nullify Washington’s strength on set pieces.
“We’ve been working on a way to counterattack and just get out of that situation,” said Dean.
The Huskies (9-3-2, 4-0-1) have been on a tear recently. They are paced by defender/midfielder Dylan Tucker-Gangness, their leading goalscorer, and goalkeeper Spencer Richey, who has played every minute for the Huskies this season.
Washington brings a first -place standing in the Pac-12 and a six-match unbeaten streak to Edwards Stadium this weekend.
Cal is fourth place in the Pac-12 standings, behind Washington, UCLA and Stanford. The Huskies and Bruins are well ahead of Cal’s six points with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
The Bears do, however, have matches remaining against both Washington and UCLA. This gives the Bears an opportunity to grab some points from their competition and move up in the standings.
A jump up in the Pac-12 standings would significantly strengthen their case for a berth in the NCAA tournament.
But the current gap is a tough one to make up with just a handful of games left. Cal needs Washington and UCLA to falter outside of their matchups for the Bears to catch up.
The Bears can’t afford to fall further behind if they want to make any noise in the Pac-12 in their final five matches of the season. But perhaps the Bears’ recent experience against this weekend’s opponents will be the boost needed to help them come away with a pair of victories.
Eric Riehl covers men’s soccer. Contact him at [email protected]
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