by Joe Azar
It is known as the ‘FIFA Effect.’ Player’s of the popular sports video game knows this frustrating scenario all too well. They clearly are the better team, but after the match is over, players are baffled as the game ends in a daw or loss. On rare occasions, it happens in actual soccer matches as well.
Well, Friday night, that is exactly what happened to the CMU’s Men’s Soccer Team. They got FiIFA’d.
Clearly the better team after the final whistle blew, CMU was left with nothing but disappointment after a scoreless draw in their season opener against Eastern New Mexico.
The Mavs finished with more shots on goal and some clear cut chances that would normally give the team a win, but due to some bad luck and an outstanding performance by Greyhound goalkeeper James Guiterrez, CMU couldn’t find a way to score.
“I think we were a little unlucky not to find one [a goal] in there somewhere,” Head Coach Todd Padgett said. “Every once in a while you have to tip your hat to a good performance and their goalkeeper was nothing short of spectacular.”
It wasn’t a completely one-sided affair, however. The height and the physicality of the Greyhounds certainly proved to be a challenge for CMU throughout the first half, with the size difference becoming particularly difficult for the two central defenders matching up with forwards Omary Shabani and Erick Kwizera getting open by using brute strength.
“We are best when we get down the flanks and into our wide spaces and put bodies into the [18-yard] box,” Padgett said. “We went away from that for a good 25 minutes in the first half.”
Roy Abergil also had to adapt to the physicality of Eastern New Mexico’s defense. Normally with a physical advantage of his opponents, the Greyhounds matched him up with the evenly-sized Zacahry-Banks Riley, who wasn’t afraid to make life tough for Abergil by taking a foul every once in a while.
“I think they started very hard and had some debatable tackles,” said Abergil. “Unfortunately they didn’t get yellow cards for it so they kept doing it. But we adapted well.”
The Mavs did adapt well, only problem was Guitierrez became a brick wall. With less than five minutes to go in regulation, Abergil took a shot that was deflected by the goalie and the ball ended up at the feet of Andres Delgadilo, who was denied at point-blank range by a fantastic foot save. Then in overtime Abergil received a cross and fired the ball towards the net inches away from the goal, only to be denied by a quality fingertip save from Guitierrez.
“I didn’t believe it,” said Abergil. “I was ready to celebrate. “I didn’t believe he could get there. He just jumped on it and blocked it.”
“I think we were a bit flabbergasted to say the least,” said Padgett. “They way he was able to work across forum the front post to his back post was pretty special.”
Luis Schraidt had a free kick about 25 yards away in overtime too. The aim was almost perfect, but unfortunately a bit too high as it hit the post to cap off an unlucky night for the Mavs. Still, Padgett knows his team can rebound from the result.
“Each of the last two years we’ve started not on a great foot,” said Padgett. “Two years ago, our ‘Final Four’ group we won one and lost one the first weekend and last year our team made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament started off with a tie and a loss on the year so we have to get things right going into Sunday.”
CMU hosts Fort Lewis on Sunday for their second match-up of the weekend, where they hope to have better luck than they did tonight.
