Cal State Northridge would travel down to sunny San Diego to face-off against the Tritons in a league match. Both teams are in need of the three points as WCSA playoffs are around the corner. After a disappointing result against USD that ended in a 3-3 draw, the Tritons were looking to bounce back with a bang.

The first half would be underway with the Tritons utilizing one of their trick plays, which ended up in a goal kick for CSUN. This allowed UCSD to implement their press and get an understanding of how CSUN was approaching the game. The first few glimpses demonstrated the CSUN was looking to cause danger with their long ball usage, as the Tritons were high-pressing the Matadores. UCSD would soon find glory in their high-press as Vismay Manoj would find gain possession outside the eighteen yard box and he delivered a vicious strike that slipped through the keeper’s hands. Going up 1-0 gave UCSD an insane amount of confidence as they began to establish dominance, it seemed like the Matadores didn’t touch the ball for majority of the half. Patience seemed to be the key for UCSD, as the center backs were swinging the ball gracefully across the box, even allowing the midfielders to find open pockets within the CSUN setup. The patience would soon pay off as fullback Arya Abolmaali would find himself in behind the defense and he would send a ball across the box which ended up finding Kalani Takamura at the back post. Kalani would not hesitate to add the finishing touch, giving the Tritons a 2-0 lead. With a 2-0 lead in hand, UCSD would calm the game down, letting the clock run down and continuing to dominate in possession. The first half would end with UCSD leading 2-0.

The second half would be underway and the Tritons did not want history to repeat itself, but the first 10 minutes would be in favor of the Matadores. UCSD would quickly make changes to help revive the team and bring back the dominance that was being demonstrated in the first half. This would ultimately work as senior Paul Jasper would find the back of the net after an assist from Kalani Takamura, giving the Tritons a breath of fresh air. It seemed like the game was wrapped up, the Tritons kept on moving the ball in hopes that the clock would run all the way down. As the final 15 minutes were approaching, fresh legs were brought into the game in order to secure the victory. However, a small scare would result as the defense would concede late into the game. Being 3-1 up, the Tritons did not want CSUN to feel like they had a chance at coming back, so Kalani Takamura sealed the deal with a majestic chip over the keeper. 

The game would end 4-1 in favor of the Tritons. Taking home the three points means that the Tritons are moving closer to securing a playoff spot. This was also the first victory of the new year for UCSD and hopefully many more are to come. UCSD will face-off against UCR the following weekend. Hopefully a replication of this performance will be seen.