After an electric start to the season, the men’s soccer team has been mired in a slump. Winning five out their first six games, the Warriors have gone without any wins in the last four games.
The men’s soccer team will be heading to Mt. San Antonio College tomorrow for its first conference game of the season.
“If our team plays the way it was playing in the beginning of the season, we should have no problem with Mount SAC,” coach Eddie Barragan said. “Our bench has to step up, too, in order for us to do well tomorrow.”
The Warriors will be facing last year’s conference champion. After coming back from Mt. SAC, the Warriors will come back home to face East L.A. College on Tuesday. This will be their first home game against a conference team.
“This game should be a very tough game because they are the top team,” coach Vic Cafarchia said. “We just need to get it together in order for us to win.”
On Friday, the team hosted its last home game before heading back onto the road, squaring off against Golden West College.
The team was held scoreless by Golden West 2-0, as it went into the second half.
Just 15 minutes into the second half, the men scored their first and only goal of the game. Forward Younan Iskander scored the first goal, which was assisted by teammate Nestor Alas.
“Our offense has been struggling, as our defense. We need some scores in order for us to win,” Barragan said. “Our offense is just not clicking at the moment, like it was in the beginning of the season.”
After the Warriors’ defense allowed two goals in the first half, it was spectacular by not allowing any goals in the second half. The team made some outstanding plays, especially defender David Hernandez, who saved a goal.
“We need to start communicating with each other out in the field in order for us to win,” Socrates Anagostou said. “Our injuries are hurting us at the moment as well.”
Before the Warriors played Golden West, the team faced Fullerton College last Wednesday, where it lost, 3-1.
The only goal scored by the Warriors was by Iskander, who was assisted by teammate Lekan Gbadamosi. Iskander has scored in the last two games.
The Warriors’ defense has been weak by allowing five goals in the last two games, after averaging only a goal allowed a game; injuries seem to have caused this.
“Our defense has been struggling as of late because we had some athletes injured,” Cafarchia said. “If we had been one hundred percent healthy, we could have done better.”
