By Ryan Vermont (@Your_Pal_Ryan)
The final tune-up game for the men’s soccer team took place Sunday and ended in a 2-2 draw against a physically larger Santa Clara University team.
San Jose State allowed the first two goals of the game, both in the first half, but scored one right before the halftime whistle and another late in the second half to secure a tie.
“I thought that Santa Clara had the better looks at goal, said SJSU head coach Simon Tobin. “We gave up way too many good looks and another day we could have been punished more but it says a lot that we did battle back.”
The Broncos got on the board first in the 38th minute when a corner kick went untouched and landed at the feet of senior forward Satoshi Chafin just outside the six-yard box. He took one touch and fired a rocket past SJSU goalkeeper Kris Donaldson.
To that point, the redshirt sophomore Donaldson had made several big saves, but couldn’t do anything to keep out Chafin’s shot.
Minutes later on another Broncos’ corner, redshirt senior defender Joseph Kay and his man were jostling for position. The Santa Clara player went down and the referee awarded a penalty.
Both Kay and junior midfielder Jonathan Partida had choice words and were given yellow cards.
SCU’s senior defender Valdemar Andersen stepped up and slotted the Broncos second goal in less than five minutes.
The flurry of action before halftime continued as the Spartans capitalized on a corner kick of their own in the 43rd minute. Kay whipped a ball in that connected with senior forward Jeremy Romero who headed it perfectly to the right of the Bronco’s keeper.
“That second twenty, I thought that they dominated, went two up. I think the key for us was just getting a goal before halftime,” Tobin said.
As play resumed from the goal, Kay once again was involved in another collision. The referee had no doubt in his mind and pulled another yellow card out on the co-captain, then a red, and Kay’s day ended early.
“Since the match was an exhibition, Kay was sent off, but the Spartans retained 11 men.
Cameron (Rast) is a class act and so we still played 11,” Tobin said. “In a normal game we would have really been up against it with 10 men.”
The second half had less antics and Tobin gave his bench an opportunity at one point, subbing in a group of six.
The fresh legs gave the Spartans the bulk of second half possession and a number of good looks at the goal, but it was an unassisted beauty by sophomore Suliman Khorami that leveled the score.
Streaking down the left wing, he took a shot which flew over the goalkeeper’s head and nestled in the top right corner of the goal.
The comeback was complete.
In the remaining few minutes, SJSU gave a number of chances to SCU but the visiting Broncos couldn’t take advantage.
The regular season opener is set for Friday Aug.25 at 5 p.m. at the Spartan Soccer Complex against national powerhouse Stanford University.