Virginia men’s soccer disappointed Saturday in Berkeley, Calif., in an away matchup with California. In what was thought to be a very winnable game for the Cavaliers (2-2-3, 0-1-2 ACC), they did not make the most of their chances and left the west coast with a 1-1 draw against the Golden Bears (3-4-1, 0-2-1 ACC).
The contest started slow, with the only threatening chance coming from California in the 33rd minute when senior forward Arik Duncan was denied at close range by Virginia’s senior goalkeeper Joey Batrouni. Overall, despite the Cavaliers holding most of the possession, their attempts at turning their possession into chances were probing at best.
As the buzzer rang to signify the end of the first half, both sides knew that more energy and creativity would be necessary to end the stalemate.
The second half could not have been any different from the first, as both sides came out with a renewed vigor and the contest immediately became an exciting back-and-forth affair. California broke the deadlock in the 56th minute when a rebounded shot fell for junior midfielder Gaku Nishimura, who smashed the ball into the top left corner of the net on a half-volley.
The miraculous outside the box strike spurred the Golden Bears into action, and a few moments later California almost extended their lead via a free kick from just outside the box, which rang off the crossbar.
Though it seemed the hosts were building momentum at that point in the game, the Cavaliers turned the tide just over three minutes after going down a goal. A tantalizing cross from senior defender Paul Wiese found the head of senior forward Kome Ubogu, whose thumping header rippled the net for an equalizing goal. Ubogu was a problem for the Golden Bear defenders all game, utilizing his physical presence as a target man and holding up play well.
Virginia almost added to its lead soon after, when Wiese’s low volley just missed to the left. The game had ramped up in intensity, and the wear and tear of the match had begun to show itself. Passing movements were not as fluid for either side as time wound down, making the contest a simpler and more direct one.
California almost took advantage of the Cavaliers’ weary legs in the 86th minute when an unexpected bounce from a Golden Bear goal kick fell kindly for sophomore midfielder Justin Knighton, whose shot bounced off the top of the crossbar. Virginia showed spirit in the last five minutes in an attempt to take the lead, but nothing serious materialized, and the Cavaliers had to settle for a draw.
Virginia, who was expected to be one of the top teams in the ACC this year, is now winless in its first three conference games. The defense was impressive Saturday night, as it has been all season, but questions remain surrounding the attacking play, which was not up to par in terms of clinicality throughout the 90 minutes.
Answers need to be found in the Cavalier attack, which has netted only three goals during the team's four-game stretch without a win. If Virginia cannot find those answers soon, an NCAA Tournament berth may slip out of its hands.
The Cavaliers will hope to put Saturday behind them when they host Stanford Friday at Klöckner Stadium. The match is set to start at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcasted live on ACCN.
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