10/5/24 - Tritons Off to a Hot Start with Dominant Win Over CSUN
UC San Diego faced off against Cal State University Northridge for their first official WCSA league game of the 2024–2025 season. The game took place on UCSD’s very own John Muir Field on a foggy afternoon. Judging by past encounters, the game could go one of two ways: either the Tritons would completely outclass the Matadors, or CSUN would scrape away with a nail-biting victory. Their last encounter saw UCSD enjoy a 4–1 victory. UCSD came into this game with a 2–0 overall record (albeit in preseason matches) and hoped to build on past performances to continue their positive momentum.
The starting lineup consisted of: goalkeeper – Jorge Mendoza; defenders – Adrian Antonio Lopez, David Contreras Rivera, Lucas Sherles, Alejandro Covarrubias; midfielders – Trevor Lee Elder, Joey Afsari, Lucas Venetoulias; and forwards – Kalani Takamura, Jake Honma, Vismay Manoj.
The game kicked off with the Matadors in possession but quickly falling into the high-pressing lines of the Tritons. This allowed the Tritons to execute their initial plan of being very vertical, putting CSUN on their heels. This strategy paid off in the first five minutes, as David Contreras executed a marvelous long pass from his own half into the run of Jake Honma, who blazed past his defender and slotted the ball into the back of the net, giving UCSD an early 1–0 lead. After this goal, the Tritons became somewhat complacent, slowing down their speed of play and playing less offensively. Around the 20-minute mark, CSUN found themselves with a free kick near UCSD’s 18-yard box. They whipped a cross into the far post, and a miscommunication on the Tritons’ end allowed CSUN to find the equalizer. A clear wake-up call, the Tritons were reborn in that moment, and this was demonstrated as, within five minutes, they were leading the game again after Jake Honma converted from the penalty spot. A corner kick taken by Lucas Venetoulias a couple of minutes later found David Contreras, who converted his back-post header to give the Tritons a 3–1 lead. Having gained some breathing space on the scoreline, UCSD turned up the intensity as they began to press the Matadors every chance they got. This pressure was highly effective, as it allowed Lucas Venetoulias and Joey Afsari to combine near the edge of the box, with Joey doing what he does best and finishing the chance to extend the lead to 4–1. Chances were spawning left and right, and it felt as though the Tritons had entered a flow state. The half ended 4–1, with the Tritons playing a high level of dominant soccer.
There was not much to be said during halftime other than to manage the game by holding onto the ball more, playing through the midfield, and not lowering the intensity. Various substitutions were made to give some of the starting eleven a rest. The second half began with UCSD moving the ball across the backline and waiting for the Matadors to give them an opening. Within 10 minutes, the Tritons found themselves in CSUN’s final third, who ultimately had to commit a foul to prevent UCSD from potentially extending the lead. However, it was ultimately inevitable, as Lucas Venetoulias’s strike from the ensuing set piece put the Tritons up 5–1. With the game already decided, UCSD focused on rotating the squad and sticking to the plan of moving the ball around, which was effective as CSUN didn’t come anywhere near the Triton goal. The game ended in an incredible and comfortable 5–1 victory for UCSD.
With a great start to the year, the Tritons are looking like one of the teams to watch this season. This game was used as a way to send a message to the rest of the league. UCSD will participate in the Aztec Cup the following weekend, where many top teams will be present, but hopefully, the Tritons can continue their extraordinary form and bring the trophy home.
