The picture can’t be any clearer.
Colgate men’s soccer finally recorded its first win of the season last weekend. Cal men’s soccer has jumped to No. 3 in the national rankings. The Raiders have been outscored by a 2-to-1 ratio: 11 goals against to 5 goals for. The Bears’ 2012 preseason All-American Steve Birnbaum is back and healthy, scoring three goals in four games.
This weekend’s game between Cal (3-0-1) and Colgate (1-5-0) doesn’t have much for storylines, and the college soccer world expects the Bears to roll through the Raiders.
This can be described only as a trap game, and head coach Kevin Grimes knows it.
“They can easily be 5-1, but they happen to be 1-5,” Grimes said.
The team’s scouting has centered around the Colgate offense, which has recently come alive after weeks of hibernation. Last weekend, Raider freshman Zach Pagani netted two goals in the team’s victory over Cal State Fullerton.
“They have somebody like Pagani in the lineup who can finish,” Grimes said. “Scoring two goals against Cal State Fullerton, that’s not easy to do.”
For a team that had scored no more than one goal per game, three goals against the Titans was a relative coming-out party for the offense. Colgate has outshot most of its opponents this year — the team can create chances; it just has trouble finishing them.
But with Pagani heating up, the Bears’ defense will have its hands full. It will be up to players such as Birnbaum and junior Christian Dean to stop the only strength of Colgate.
“Our motto is no shot, no service,” Birnbaum said. “As long as we are behind the ball, we are going to shut down their forwards. Hopefully, there are no shots on goal at all.”
While the defense can set lofty goals due to early success this season, the offense looks to simply get back on track. The Bears have managed only one goal in their past two games and have been generally sloppy with their finishing technique.
“I think the opportunities have been the same throughout the season — we just haven’t done a good job of finishing those chances,” Grimes said. “It’s a matter of that final finish, that final shot on frame and making sure our chances manifest into goals.”
The offensive players need to find the back of the net for Cal if they hope to continue their run in the top 10. Although this weekend likely will not require a perfect offensive effort, the Bears plan to use it to start moving in the right direction. One goal a game will not cut it in Pac-12 play, and the Raiders provide a perfect tuneup opportunity.
A possible spark for the offense will be set pieces, including corner kicks and free kicks. The team emulates the Cal football team’s Bear Raid attack, finding success on flying headers.
“We have diverse attack, and we can score from anywhere, but we are great on set pieces,” Birnbaum says. “That is one of our strengths. We are going to keep going to it.”
An early goal off a Bear header will quickly settle the team’s offense down and forestall any chance of a trap game.