SCC men’s soccer evaluates losses
A promising start to the season quickly withered, and the Artichokes remain on the outside looking in
Nicholas Tirella/Scottsdale Chronicle
Freshman goalkeeper Luis Hector Hernandez dives and blocks a potential goal during practice.
October 4, 2015
The 2015 men’s soccer season began with optimism, but the Fighting Artichokes have slipped of late and are trying to get back on track.
“We all have setbacks, but we just have got to keep it in the past and, you know, focus on the team goals, which is to make it to the playoffs” goalkeeper JP Rodriguez said.
After drawing in their two pre-season exhibition games, the men’s soccer team hoped they would be able to start off the regular season with a few wins. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The season opener against Phoenix College instantly dampened the Artichokes’ spirits as they lost 6-2. That would not be their only brutal loss, as the very next game they were shut out by Yavapai College 5-0.
Although those losses may be considered setbacks, keeping it in the past may not be enough to bring the Artichokes up the table. The team managed to win the next two games of the season, however, their hopes on turning the season around came to a screeching halt as they ended up losing the following three games.
“It’s going to be mental at this point,” head coach TJ Grewal said. “We’re going to have to make sure we get over this hurdle.”
Clearly something needed to be done in order to bring the team back to its feet. There had to be something wrong internally with the squad. A lack of communication among the players is the problem. This communication issue was not only noticed by fans but by teammates.
“There’s a lot of players who won’t listen when you try to communicate, but the only thing we can do is keep trying,” midfielder and team captain Brandon McArdle said. “The lack of communication can only be fixed by, well, the players listening to what they’re being told to do. When the players listen, we start to play as a team.”
Communication can solve a lot of issues within their next few games. The team would be able to complete more passes, keep possession, and create more opportunities to score goals. It seems if the team is able to communicate with each other on the field, victory will be theirs for the taking.
