You win some, you lose some

Fresno State gets its first Pac-10 win, then takes a step back with loss

By John McHugh

It was a mixed weekend for the Fresno State men’s soccer team at Bulldog Stadium as it disappointed on Sunday with a 2-0 loss to California, following its impressive first Pac-10 win over Stanford on Friday.

The passion and commitment coach Dave Chesler tried to develop throughout the week was again lacking in Sunday’s close 2-0 loss to Cal.

“ It tells the story of the inconsistent mental work ethic of the team,” Chesler said. “You chase hard, you run hard and you try and get back into the game.”

The Bulldogs started strong in both halves, but the Bears eventually out-shot and outworked Fresno State as the match wore on. The major problem still is the lack of goal scoring, Chesler said.

“ I thought the first 30 minutes that we were the better team and pretty ambitious,” Chesler said. “But we got no end result, the goals were kind of soft from individual defending.”

Cal took the lead following a mistake from goalkeeper Eric Kronberg, who spilled the ball after rushing out to meet the oncoming striker. The goal was left exposed and following a cross, Yohei Fukunda converted into the empty goal.

In the 82-degree heat, the Bulldogs’ intensity began to fade, and Chesler said Fresno State’s lack of depth became apparent.

“ We’re not very deep and we had to make a number of changes today,” Chesler said. “The heat played a factor.”

The Golden Bears took a 2-0 lead following a defensive lapse that allowed a quick free-kick leaving Mike Munoz free to take the ball around Kronberg.

“ The second goal was a mental mistake, it was far too easy and very disappointing,” Chesler said. “It’s another test next week, we showed we have it in us but we need to be more consistent.”

The players as well as the coach felt they could have got a positive result, especially after Friday’s morale boosting victory.

“ We’ve played against better teams,” senior midfielder Ernie Vega said. “How we played Friday, we would have taken this team. It’s the same as usual; the attitude wasn’t there.”

Earlier in the week, the team watched a newscast from last spring—when the program was cut. This seemed to provide the needed inspiration in Friday’s 2-0 win over Stanford.

“ I don’t know what’s going on,” Vega said. “I don’t know if we have to show the Channel 47 video every time about the team being cut, or what, to motivate this team.”

When asked if the Bulldogs could have beaten Cal, senior midfielder Matt Herold replied “of course.”

The answer symbolized the Bulldogs’ general feeling of disappointment following Fresno State’s inability to build on Friday’s win against last year’s NCAA runners-up.

Vega and Herold controlled the midfield Friday night, helping Fresno State earn a 2-0 victory after out-shooting Stanford 14-4. The Bulldogs scored twice from set pieces. Jeremiah LeRoy fired a penalty kick into the bottom corner following a foul given for shirt-pulling. Fresno State sealed the victory after Vega looped a deft free kick into the top corner, which was greeted with an explosion of celebration.

The Bulldogs now move to 1-4 in the Pac-10 and face difficult trips to Cal and Stanford next weekend.