A month ago, the UC Davis men’s soccer team was the picture of mediocrity, sputtering along with a 5-5-5 record — not good, not bad, right in the meaty part of the curve.
Then: Three straight wins to close the regular season and earn a spot in the Big West tournament … followed by an 84th-minute goal to win in the first round … followed by a penalty shootout win in the semifinals against the No. 1 seed … followed by a 2-0 victory in the championship game against the No. 1 seed on a pair of goals by 6-foot-3 striker Cason Goodman.
Cinderella’s next stop is Torero Stadium on Thursday night at 7 p.m. to face a USD team that finished 13-2-2, won the WCC title and less than two weeks ago was ranked No. 3 in the nation.
“They’re a good, hard-working, athletic team, with a guy who has scored 11 goals,” USD coach Brian Quinn said. “That’s the challenge.”
The Toreros have their own tale of resurrection, going from 2-15 in 2021 to three straight WCC titles and three straight NCAA Tournament berths.
The next step “to push the program forward,” Quinn says, is winning a game. Two years ago, they lost in overtime at Denver in a snowstorm. Last year, they lost in penalty kicks at home against Cal Baptist.
The good news is that Cesar Bahena (seven goals), who forms a potent strike force with fellow junior Sammy Kanaan (nine goals), is expected to play after missing the season finale at Loyola Marymount last Saturday with a hamstring issue. Quinn said he’s less optimistic for Spanish midfielder Inigo Villaldea, who suffered a foot injury against Portland on Nov. 9 and hasn’t played since.
USD and UC Davis didn’t play this season but, amazingly, had nine common opponents despite being in different conferences. The Toreros went 8-1 against them; the Aggies were 6-2-1.
The reward for Thursday’s winner is plane tickets Friday morning for a Sunday game against Duke, the No. 10 seed that drew a first-round bye in the 48-team bracket and will have a full two weeks of rest.
“At this stage of the season, you have to keep players as fresh as possible,” Quinn said. “You have to play Thursday, travel a long way and play on Sunday. That’s hard. But that’s the way it’s been for years, so no excuses.”
Mata has SDFC stake
Spanish star Juan Mata ed San Diego FC’s ownership group, becoming the first active player to have a stake in a Major League Soccer club. The league’s only other international player involved in MLS ownership is David Beckham with Inter Miami.
“The commitment of both this club and Right to Dream to community impact, excellence, and a vision for long-term success aligns perfectly with my own values,” Mata, who has visited RTD’s academies in Egypt and Denmark, was quoted in an SDFC news release Wednesday. “I look forward to contributing my experience and ion for the game and working alongside everyone here to build a club that inspires both on and off the pitch.”
Mata, 36, currently plays for the Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia’s A-League. He is best known for three seasons at Chelsea and eight at Manchester United. He won the 2010 World Cup with Spain and played in the 2012 Olympics.
SDFC did not disclose his ownership stake.
