Winston-Salem, NC – On the second day of the Wake Forest tournament with a 1pm start on a brutally hot day, #18 UNC and #19 UCLA tied 1-1. Both teams coasted through the first half. UCLA had the better play in the second half, pressuring UNC for much of the half. An ill-advised handball opened the scoring for UNC and UCLA fought back to get a draw with minutes remaining in regulation.
Starting Lineups:
UCLA: 4-1-3-2
G: Trevor Hunter
D: Zack Zerrenner, Brad Rusin, Danny Suits, Chris Cummings
DM: Andy Rose
M: Kyle Nakazawa, Michael Stephens, Jason Leopoldo
F: David Estrada, Prince Lapnet
UNC: pretty standard 4-4-2
G: Jacob Wescoe
D: Jordan Graye, Sheanon Williams, David Rodriguez, Zach Loyd
M: Michael Callahan, Garry Lewis, Cameron Brown, Kirk Urso
F: Brian Shriver, Eddie Ababio
UNC Observations:
At the beginning of the second half, UCLA dominated much of the play and should have finished one of their opportunities. UNC held possession for just a few minutes and were able to generate the goal to take the lead. After UNC scored they allowed large gaps in front of their defenders to be exploited by UCLA – this eventually led to the UCLA goal.
Freshman midfielder Kirk Urso scored the lone goal off a 18 yard free kick that he struck off the post in the 79th minute.
This may have been the worse game that I have ever seen senior midfielder Michael Callahan play. He was incapable of competing the simplest of passes. He ended an attack because he did not pick up central defender freshman Sheanon Williams making a deep run that went unrewarded.
Junior forward Eddie Ababio is playing forward – or he did until the end of the game when he switched back to left back (where he played last year). With his speed and his dribbling ability, he’s a threat. However, his first touch (and sometimes his second and third) takes too long for him to control the ball. This needs to be corrected. Additionally, Ababio needs to understand when and where to run. His timing of his runs needs to be sharper. He is an obvious talent – he just has a lot to work on. In the first half, he was humiliating Danny Suits with his speed and guile. Ababio’s shot was lacking accuracy. It was shot right at the GK without having to move his feet.
Senior forward Brian Shriver is a good passer. His feet are slow. For example, he had a bouncing ball in the box that he wasn’t able to do anything with but bounce it about the box more.
According to UNC coach Elmer Bolowich junior Bill Dworsky is being held out by the medical staff due to an “unspecified injury”. He’s day-to-day. He has warmed up the last two matches, but has not participated. Bolowich expects that he’ll play this year.
Junior Zach Loyd is playing left back after playing forward and midfield in previous years. While he certainly has the skills to aid in the attack, I wondered how he would play defense. Except for 1 defensive tactical mistake that I observed, he did ok. His ability to get to the end line and deliver good crosses is a dangerous weapon.
I’m not sold on senior goal keeper Jacob Wescoe. He may be UNC’s best option.
The biggest problem is in the midfield. While Cameron Brown has the vision and skill to play central midfield. Freshman Kirk Urso is the most talented player in the midfield. I don’t think that Garry Lewis and Callahan can thwarth attacks from unbalancing a talented defense. Too many attacks are coming from the midfield unchallenged.
Freshman Sheanon Williams is tremendous. He doesn’t mind dribbling the ball out of the back to start the attack. His defending skills are pretty good – though I’ll watch him more closely throughout the season.
I prefer central defender senior Ryan Adeleye to sophomore David Roriguez, because Adeleye is the better tackler and intercepts more passes before they get to the attacker.
Junior right back Jordan Graye is atheltic and complements Loyd making runs to the end line, as well. Additionally, he makes a good target on set pieces. He was covering UCLA’s target man – Brad Rusin.
UCLA observations:
After sleep walking through the first half, UCLA came out to win this game by dictating the rhythm except for a small window that UNC capitalized on an ill-advised hand ball by senior central defender Brad Rusin.
Minutes later he acquitted himself by scoring the tieing goal.
Junior forward David Estrada is a mere shadow of himself. While he was critical for driving UCLA to the 2006 championship game, he has not recaptured his previous form. In this game, his touch was atrocious. Even his dribbling that was so electric in his freshman year, is average at best.
Freshman Eder Arreola is a fantastic passer. If any UCLA forward could convert, this game would have been over very early in the second half. I don’t believe that it’s coincidental that UCLA started playing better with Arreola in the game. His driven, hooking crosses are terrific.
Senior Max Griffin didn’t have a good game regardless that he got the assist when Fernando Monge passed him the ball. His assist came from a header that he “purposely” sent wide of the goal to an awaiting Rusin. Griffin should have ended the game in the second minute of OT when Arreola delivered a ball to forward playing Rusin. Rusin headed it back into the center of the box to a wide-open Griffin 3 yards from goal. Griffin headed it wide! This may have actually been harder to miss than hit. This missed goal was similar to the goal that UCLA scored on MD on FSC earlier this year.
Junior midfielder Andrew Sinderhoff is a proficient crosser.
Red shirt sophomore goal keeper Trevor Hunter didn’t have many difficult saves.
Unfortunately, talented freshman forward Prince Lapnet left the game in the 20th minute with an apparent hamstring injury. He looks like Jozy Altidore. I would have like to see more of him.
Junior midfielder Kyle Nakazawa is playing more defense this year than in prior years which was my primary complaint, well that, and effort. He seemed easy to offend and he could be taken out of a big game with niggling tackles inciting a response from him. He still has superior set piece skills and his passing is precise. Creativity is not his problem. Playing the entire game – bigger issue for him.
Senior Jason Leopoldo takes many shots, but his shots aren’t accurate enough. For example, firing a shot right at the keeper at this level is unacceptable. Leopoldo turns well and with his low center of gravity is able to accelerate quickly. Leopoldo had a golden opportunity that he was able to put past the goalkeeper in the 46th minute, but the weak shot from 4 yards was cleared off the line by Ababio.
Freshman central defender/DM Andy Rose seems to have above average speed in reading the game. He may turn out to be pretty good.
