No. 6 seed UCLA men’s soccer (9-3-5, 4-3-3 Big Ten) has concluded its regular season and is set to play in the Big Ten tournament for the third season in a row. Last season, the Bruins entered as the lowest seed – just as they have this year – and came out with the title, their first in the Big Ten. The team is set to face No. 3 seed Rutgers (8-6-2, 6-3-1) in the new six-team tournament. A win would advance UCLA to the semifinals for a shot at making the conference finals. Daily Bruin assistant Sports editors Sinclair Richman and Kate Bergfeld and senior staffer Presley Liu share their predictions entering the tournament.
Sinclair Richman
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: Big Ten runner-up
It really pains me to say this, but I think UCLA’s Big Ten luck ran out Wednesday night.
The Bruins’ upset win over Washington, combined with Northwestern upsetting Wisconsin to secure UCLA’s spot in the conference tournament, used up any magic coach Ryan Jorden’s squad had left.
Now that’s not to say the squad will not put up a battle.
UCLA is set to face off against Rutgers, the team that handed the squad its first loss of the season to open Big Ten play, so it will be looking for revenge. And I think the Bruins are in the perfect position to take that victory. The Scarlet Knights did not have to face a Bruin team that had two top-10 wins under its belt, and fifth-year forward Diego Castano had yet to hit his stride.
Castano has a team-high eight goals this season – seven of which came after that conference-opening loss. But Castano isn’t the only threat on the squad, with junior midfielder Jaime Amaro adding six goals and five assists. With three Bruins recording four-plus assists and three more netting at least five goals throughout the season, the Westwood side’s versatility proves to be difficult for even top squads to defend.
After the opening game, UCLA would face off against Washington in the semifinals. The Bruins will have to defend their recent victory, this time in Seattle. But the Westwood side is no stranger to the Huskies’ home field.
Last year, they walked off with a 4-2 victory in a must-win game to advance to the conference tournament. So, with a chance to enter the Big Ten title game on the line, UCLA will be able to get the needed outcome.
But unfortunately, that may be where the road ends for the Bruins.
With the opponent in the championship likely being No. 1 seed Indiana, UCLA would have to pull off its biggest upset of the year. And with the results of Wednesday still looming, that upset magic may have worn off.
Kate Bergfeld
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: Big Ten champions
This is the year for UCLA athletics.
Chesney train, men’s basketball season-opening upset, three reigning national champions and now a soccer program coming off a tournament-clinching upset.
And I believe they can ride that wave to a Big Ten Championship.
The Westwood squad knows what it takes, having beaten No. 3 seed Michigan in the final 5-0 after upsetting the No. 1 seed Maryland to take its first-ever conference championship.
This year can go the same way. Having secured multiple ranked upsets this season, the Bruins have proved they can deliver when needed most. And they will have to be at the top of their game if they want to make another run.
Up first: No. 3 seed Rutgers. Earlier this season, the Scarlet Knights delivered the Bruins their first loss of the season in the Big Ten opener with a score of 3-1. UCLA played the last fifteen minutes of the match a man down, trying to come back from a one-goal deficit when Rutgers delivered the final blow in the last minute.
But since the match, the squad has shown its developed abilities, especially in its most recent matchup against No. 2 seed Washington. Through a hard-fought battle, the Bruins pulled ahead shortly after halftime with a 60-yard shot from fifth-year forward Diego Castano.
The season has seen just three losses, all of which were to Big Ten opponents. And while they have slipped in and out of the national rankings, they have time and time again proved they can claw their way back in. But anything can happen in the postseason, and there has been plenty of time since the teams last faced each other.
While the other side of the bracket can’t be determined, I believe the momentum from the first two wins will allow UCLA men’s soccer to earn its second Big Ten championship in two years.
Presley Liu
Daily Bruin senior staff
Prediction: Big Ten champions
Spain added another FIFA World Cup title to its trophy cabinet this summer.
Meanwhile, UCLA men’s soccer has a championship of its own to defend.
And with a Spanish contingent leading the attack, the Bruins will look to secure the Big Ten tournament crown for the second year in a row.
The Spaniards have been central to UCLA’s offensive production, giving the squad an attacking edge that could prove decisive Sunday. Junior midfielder Jaime Amaro and fifth-year forward Diego Castano have fueled the team’s attack with their ability to create chances and find the back of the net. Castano delivered when it mattered most Wednesday, launching a shot from beyond midfield that sailed over a misplaced Washington goalkeeper and into the net.
Castano’s team-high eighth goal of the season netted in the 1-0 victory over the No. 6 Huskies and secured the Bruins’ tournament bid for their third-straight Big Ten season. The Spaniard will need to keep finding the back of the net, particularly against a Rutgers squad that defeated UCLA 3-1 earlier this season – its first loss of the year.
But UCLA has already shown it can bounce back. Its victory over Washington – with its tournament hopes hanging in the balance – showed the team can deliver under pressure. A rematch against the Huskies could await in the semifinals, giving the Bruins another chance to prove Wednesday’s result was no fluke.
While the road to a repeat will not be easy, the Bruins have the talent to make some noise.
Spain had its World Cup trophy. Though UCLA’s final tournament position looks unclear, the Spaniards will make sure the Bruins remain in the hunt until the final whistle.
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