Entering this past weekend’s season opener, the 2013 Georgetown men’s soccer team (1-1, 0-0 Big East) had nothing but hype. Ranked third in the preseason poll of the National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America, the Hoyas traveled to the West Coast this weekend for their first opportunity to prove that last year’s top two national finish was no fluke.
On Friday evening, the Hoyas matched up against No. 10 University of California (2-0, 0-0 Pac-12) and were quickly reminded that no game will come easy this year. Georgetown first fell behind in the 41st minute, when Golden Bear midfielder Connor Hallisey found the back of the net to give California a 1-0 lead, the score that would hold until halftime.
Early in the second half, a Georgetown foul committed inside the penalty box presented the Golden Bears with an opportunity to extend their lead. California defender Steve Birnbaum connected on the ensuing penalty kick, making the score 2-0 in the 48th minute.
Despite ten total shots, the Hoyas managed only three on goal, eventually falling to the Golden Bears 2-0, a surprising defeat.
“Friday was incredibly disappointing,” Head Coach Brian Wiese said. “For a lot of reasons … I thought we were very pretty and very fragile … We were very good for the first half, but we didn’t handle the adversity that always comes on the road … I think the guys either forgot or didn’t appreciate how hard it is to win on the road.”
Sunday evening provided an immediate opportunity for redemption as the Hoyas headed south in the Golden State to Berkeley, taking on unranked Stanford (0-1-1, 0-0 Pac 12).
The Hoyas earned their first chance to take the lead versus Stanford in the 43rd minute, when Cardinal midfielder Jimmy Callinan’s reckless challenge inside the box earned him a red card and gave Georgetown senior captain Steve Neumann a penalty shot. Neumann converted the chance, giving the Hoyas a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
In the second half, Neumann found the back of the net again, scoring on the rebound of a missed attempt by sophomore forward Brandon Allen. Neumann’s second goal, in the 88th minute, proved enough to secure victory for the Hoyas, bringing them to .500 on the season.
“He’s the leader of the group,” Wiese said of Neumann. “Stevie’s the guy who everybody looks to; he’s the one who gets all the press. He handles it very well. He is a very mature captain and leader for us now. He’s going to be someone that we look to not just to score goals or get assists, but to help everyone around him get better. He’s just an important piece to how we’re built and I think rightly one of the best players in the country.”
Coming away from the weekend, Wiese also was impressed with what he saw from the Hoya defense, most notably freshman defender Joshua Yaro and junior goalkeeper Tomas Gomez, both of whom he thought made major strides in their development.
“Joshua Yaro’s been playing in there as a freshman and is looking more and more settled,” Wiese said. “Tomas Gomez, I think, has emerged over the weekend as a very important leader. Even in the California game where he conceded two goals, he made some great saves, and I thought he did a spectacular job leading.”
Next up for Georgetown is Friday’s home opener against West Virginia (1-0-1, 0-0 Big 12). The match will kick off at 4 p.m. on Shaw Field.
