Eagles struggle in last regular season against UTSG Blue
UTM’s men’s and women’s soccer teams will look to turn things around heading into playoffs.
It’s been a year of high and lows for the University of Toronto Mississauga’s (UTM) soccer programs. The culminating moment of the outdoor season—which saw the Men’s team crowned champions for the first time in campus—is but a distant memory in the minds of the players and coaches amidst a woeful indoor season.
The Men’s side have not been able to replicate their dominating form from the fall. Falling short twice to both University of Toronto St. George (UTSG) Red and University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC), the Eagles were only able to pick up points against UTSG Blue with a 3-0 win in the midseason fixture and a 1-1 tie to close the regular season.
Many factors have contributed to the Eagles’ poor run of form: a different style of play, the loss of key players, and perhaps a bit of complacency after the achievements of last season. It’s in the fate of every great team to encounter a drop in determination and drive after obtaining successes, and it’s in the desire of every opponent to shake the title defenders off their throne.
Despite everything, the Eagles will give their all in the playoff fixture against UTSG Reds in hopes of defending their champions status. The Reds, an opponent with significant quality and speed, have been the leading team throughout the indoor season, and will look to capitalize against our UTM Eagles and book their tickets to the final.
However, nothing is written in stone. The boys will play for their pride and will make sure that if they are to go down it will not be without a fight. And as they say in my country, la palla è rotunda, or, the ball is round, meaning that it can go anywhere and in any way, and anything can happen in the beautiful game of football.
The Women’s team continued to struggle during indoor, ending the regular season with a 1-5-0 record. The young team has faced a batch of strong opponents, and despite their best efforts they have not been able to turn their season around after the fall.
Same as the Men’s side, they will also face UTSG Reds in playoffs, a team which has won every game of the indoor season and is in exceptional form.
While our women’s side has lost a series of key players since their back to back titles in the 2022 and 2023 outdoor seasons, the Eagles remain a team that can be dangerous and put opponents under pressure.
The Eagles will need to bring their best game and desire to their playoff matches if they are to come away with a win. Both teams have been hurt this season, but licking their wounds and sulking over the results will do them no good.
It is important that players channel their energy and their focus on this incredibly important set of games, which, if approached positively, may just be the pivoting moment of an otherwise disappointing season. The upshot is that neither of the teams have much to lose. Perhaps playing free of this pressure will let the Eagles express their best football, and bring home a much overdue win.
