Eagles Fly High and Fall Flat in Gameweek 3
Recapping the third matchday for the men’s and women’s tri-campus soccer teams.
The Men’s and Women’s Tri-Campus Soccer Teams hosted UTSC (University of Toronto Scarborough) in Matchday 3 of their regular seasons on Sunday, September 28. The men were looking to capture consecutive wins, whereas the women were hoping to grab their first three points of the season. The UTSC men were heading into the match undefeated with two wins. The UTSC women were off the back of two losses so far.
All square in the first 45
The men’s match was played at a fast pace from the first whistle. The entire UTSC men’s team decided to wear long-sleeve jerseys during the match. A controversial choice, considering the match was played at 2 pm in 22-degree sunny weather. The coordinated jersey tactic was used by Arsenal during Arsene Wenger’s time as manager. He would often require players to decide if they wanted to wear long or short-sleeved jerseys. The decision had to be unanimous. The philosophy behind this decision is that the team feels more unified wearing the same type of clothing. But despite the solidarity in their kit, the UTSC men’s team were struggling to defend.
The referee awarded UTM a free kick. Ethan struck the ball and it crashed the underside of the crossbar. Both teams were unsure if the ball had crossed the line. The assistant referee had the best view of the goal line and decided the goal was good. UTM were controlling possession before they turned the ball over on their defensive end. The UTSC left winger dribbled passed two defenders and tucked the ball in the back of the net. Both teams had opportunities to take a 2-1 lead in the match, but neither could convert.
Mississauga Magic in the second half
The referee was lenient throughout the match. He jumped over the ball when it was close to him. It was a largely uneventful second half until UTM’s number 15 decided to inject some magic into the afternoon. He struck the ball from just outside the center circle, and it flew high and dropped just in time to fall in the back of the net. The midfielder stood exactly where he struck the ball with his hands high in the air in celebration.
UTM 1st first-choice goalkeeper, Sami, signalled to the bench a few minutes later. They subbed in their second-choice keeper, who was met with disrespectful comments from the opposition. “Recognize the sub,” the UTSC captain shouted.
UTSC were getting frustrated and unwilling to go home with a loss. They were going aggressively into tackles and were fortunate not to receive yellow cards. “How many more fouls till we see a yellow?” Coach Szabi Bozosky shouted. Shortly after, the referee awarded UTM a penalty shot. UTM’s golden opportunity to seal the game had arrived. Ethan stepped, looking to score his second of the match. The ball was struck purely, but the UTSC was equal to it with a fine save. The UTM fans fell silent, but the coach continued to question the referee. “How long take these three minutes?” UTSC were doing everything it could to equalize. Their keeper was taking free kicks and urging all of his teammates to get into the box. Unfortunately for them, they were unable to break a tight UTM defence as the game finished 2-1
UTM women continue to struggle
The women did not have the same magic in them as the men did. I spoke with Amal Rashid to learn more about the match. “Before the game, the coach reminded us to actively support each other through defending as one and attacking as one. Honestly, the result of the game was quite disappointing as we weren’t expecting a loss.”
The women ended up losing the match 3-1, with the Eagles’ goal coming from Jordan Pawlowski. The women scored a combined total of eight goals against UTSC last year. Either UTSC had a massive rebuild during the offseason, or UTM are in for a tough remainder of the season.
“Regardless of the result, I still believe that the potential we have as a team is waiting to be unlocked. I can feel that each of us is ready to push ourselves and show everyone the work that we put into getting the results we want as a team,” said Amal.
The Eagles return to the pitch on Sunday, October 5, to take on UTSG Red at Valley Fields. The women’s game is at 5:45 pm and the men’s match is at 8 pm.
