Soccer Team Continues to Impress
PC: Britni Conrad
You Heard It Here Last
Often times, Union sports teams unfortunately end up on the wrong side of a lot of jokes. And while most of us who call ourselves Warriors wear that label proudly, it’s not often that we expect a team to win every time they suit up.
That paradigm has been turned on its head this year. The newly-formed soccer team currently sits at 5-2 and have already had a pair of blowout wins.
Initially, I was skeptical about how this team would perform. I assumed it would turn into a lot of individuals trying to beat the other team on their own.
When they won their first few games, I’ll admit I attributed their success to what I thought would amount to our team having superior talent, due to our tremendous pool of international students and the fact that soccer isn’t exactly the primary sport for most people in the midwest. After attending their 6-0 victory on the 20th, I must acknowledge that I was wrong.
Yes, they are talented and their speed is tough to match, but this team is the real deal. To tell the truth, that 6-0 could’ve easily been more if not for several questionable offside calls. The team passed with control and purpose all game.
They hustled from the first whistle to the last. They played their positions to a tee in their traditional 4-4-2 formation. And they remained disciplined even amongst some frustration early in the game.
Coach Harold Alomia deserves a tremendous amount of credit for the way he has pulled this team together in such a short period of time. For the most part, they put away their egos and individual agendas in the pursuit of winning, which is often not the norm in soccer.
Team captain Nathanael Torres credited their unselfishness to the bond shared among teammates. Torres, when asked about the team’s chemistry, told me, “We’re a family. We hang out outside of soccer practice, we eat meals together, we’re not just teammates on the field.”
He then mentioned how it’s hard to give up the chance at a goal, but that the team understands that sometimes a pass is the better play and they’re committed totally to the goal of winning.
Honestly, it’s a shame they don’t play closer to the school. With a more fan-friendly venue, the environment at these games would be nothing short of electrifying.
If you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to make the trip out to catch one of their games.
Tyler Dean is a senior studying finance and math.