The University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer team hosted the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Cougars on Sunday evening for a match at Strassweg Field.
The Screaming Eagles entered the match on a solid run, winning 1 (4-1 vs Houston Christian) in their last three matches, but the other two ended in draws. Despite falling behind in the first halves of the two draws, they clawed back and ultimately earned draws in the second halves, showing a sign of strong resolve.
This match looked much the same, as the Screaming Eagles looked outmatched early on against the Cougars. SIUE came out of the gate running, earning a corner and taking two shots in the first six minutes, but both missed the target.
In the 21st minute, David Davila, sophomore forward, took a shot on target for the Screaming Eagles, their first attempt of the game; however, the shot was saved by the Cougars’ goalkeeper.
The Cougars dominated the next minute, getting three shots in the span of a second, but unfortunately, for USI, the third time was the charm, as SIUE scored, giving them a 1-0 lead. Then, nine minutes later, the Cougars scored again and looked like the more assertive side.
After the second goal, USI’s Head Coach Mat Santoro made three changes, but the most crucial one early on was Kadiri Bello, freshman forward. Bello has been a player who has caught my eye so far this season. He has been relentless on the RW Right Wing this season.
Bello got a chance to make his mark in this one. Chase Smith, freshman defender, was prepared to make a long free-kick after SIUE was called for a yellow card in the 36th minute. Smith sent a beautiful strike close to the box, which deflected off an opposition player’s head. The ball reached Bello, who got a nice first touch and sent the ball into the upper left corner of the goal, scoring his first goal of the season.
All of a sudden, the Screaming Eagles looked as if they had some life in them, but it would be a long 54 minutes for them to claw back into this one. The team was utterly dominated in the first half. From a statistical standpoint, USI was outshot by 10. Jacob English, freshman goalkeeper, made two crucial saves to keep the game within reach. A third goal in the first half would’ve been a true killer for the confidence of the Screaming Eagles.
The second half started with a bit of confidence for the Screaming Eagles. Davila was able to take a shot within the first three minutes. As a striker and target man, Davila needs some attempts to get going, especially when the team is playing a rather reactionary game, rather than a proactive one.
For this period of play, the Screaming Eagles reverted to a more conservative style, as SIUE attempted five shots since Davila got a look at the goal. English was forced to intervene in three of these attempts, but credit to him. English got the job done, ensuring that none of the attempted shots entered the back of the net. For the Screaming Eagles to earn a point, they would have to be patient and see the game out, waiting for the Cougars to crack and make a mistake.
As the Cougars were playing the ball out of the back, the Screaming Eagles put some pressure on the left side near the corner, forcing a tough pass into the box. The recipient of the pass had trouble getting possession of the ball and Davila took this golden chance. He de-possessed the ball and took a shot, which a sliding defender blocked. Davila found the ball again and shot it at the goal, which deflected off a Cougar and went into the back of the net, tying the game at 2-2.
After falling into a deep hole early on, the Screaming Eagles’ hard work and composure paid dividends, as they were now very much in this game. In the last 15 minutes, the Screaming Eagles’ defense was strong, not allowing any shots for the SIUE team, which looked kind of shellshocked. In fact, SIUE accumulated another yellow card in the last eight minutes, which gave the Screaming Eagles even more energy. The Screaming Eagles fought hard in the final minutes, even getting two excellent looks from Davila and Smith, but both were saved in the 88th and 89th minutes. The Men’s Soccer team did not capture a victory, ending the game with a hard-fought draw of 2-2. However, this match once again shows the perseverance that the Screaming Eagles have, which is a step in the right direction for success in the future, both from a micro and macro standpoint.
The Men’s Soccer team will continue their current unbeaten run of four matches in a row. They have a soccer match Thursday at 3:30 p.m. against Western Illinois University and another match against Eastern Illinois University Sunday at 3 p.m.
