SMU midfielder Jeff Harwell (3) tries to break through a host of Memphis defenders during Saturday night’s game at Westcott Field. Photo by Nick McCarthy, The Daily Campus
After another dominating shutout, this time over Memphis, the SMU men’s soccer team sits atop of the Conference-USA standings and in complete control of their own conference destiny.
Only the seventh ranked Tulsa Golden Hurricane can pass SMU in the conference standings. However, SMU would have to lose its final conference game against Kentucky and Tulsa would need wins in their remaining three conference games.
Overall, the Mustangs are 11-2-2 and have a 6-0-1 record in conference play, giving them 19 points. With wins this week on the road against South Carolina and at home against the Memphis Tigers, the Mustangs leaped Wake Forest in Soccer America’s magazine poll to take over the No. 1 spot after Wake Forest’s 1-0 to Boston College.
The Mustangs scored the only goal of the game in the 34th minute when junior forward Bruno Guarda headed the ball past Memphis goalie Tyler Strom. It was Guarda’s seventh goal of the season and his second game-winning goal in as many games. He is now tied with junior forward Richard Oliva for the team goal lead.
Oliva assisted Guarda on the play when he crossed the ball into the box and hit Guarda, who was only about eight yards away from the goal. Guarda said that he “was hoping Richard was going to give him the ball,” so he made a run and “just flicked it past the goalie” with his head to take the lead.
The rest of the game featured physical play and endless counter-attacks from both teams. SMU coach Schellas Hyndman attributed all of the counter-attacks to the Mustangs “moving the ball and dribbling the ball up the field rather than passing the ball forward.”
The reason for not constantly passing the ball forward and playing counter-attacks is to combat the immense size of Memphis. The Memphis Tigers are the type of team the Mustangs have struggled against this year. They are taller than the average team with multiple six footers and play a physical style of soccer.
The Mustangs tired the Tigers out by running them all over the field and rarely allowing them to penetrate the backline. Against a tall team like Memphis, Guarda says, “We just need to make sure we are fit and find ways to get free.” Guarda certainly accomplished his objective when he broke free and scored the goal that leaves him tied for the team lead.
After scoring both game-winning goals this past week, Guarda was awarded the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week award and the National Player of the Week by collegesoccernews.com. The late season surge by Guarda and the Mustangs will give Guarda more national exposure.
SMU senior goalkeeper Steve Sandbo recorded his fourth shutout of the season. This coupled with allowing only one goal to South Carolina led to Sandbo being awarded the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row.
This is the second week in a row in which the Mustangs have swept the conference awards and the first time an SMU player has been awarded a national award.
The Mustangs have now won seven games in a row and are undefeated in their last 10 games. Their winning streak has come at the most favorable time for the Mustangs, who need only one more victory to win the conference regular-season title.
The Mustangs will play the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday, Nov. 3, in a crucial conference game. The game will be broadcast on CSTV at 7 p.m. and takes place in Lexington, Ken.
