08-25-2015, 12:13 PM
The men's soccer team begins their season "for reals" this Friday at UC Santa Barbara. I'll be there as a stealth fan at Harder Stadium with my son and his AYSO friends.
The Cardinal, ranked #8 and led by forward Jordan Morris and defender Brandon Vincent, is a solid candidate to extend Stanford's national championship streak.
UCSB, pre-season favorite to win the Big West North, is a pretty strong opening opponent, especially on the road. The Gauchos gave up football in the early 1990s and soccer is now the big sports draw, even over basketball. Although they had a down year in 2014-15, over the past 10+ years they've been regulars in the rankings and the NCAA tournament.
Two years ago, Stanford vs. UCSB drew 7750, although this year's match is one month before fall quarter begins. Still, it should be a fun atmosphere in the stands and a highly competitive one on the pitch.
The Cardinal, ranked #8 and led by forward Jordan Morris and defender Brandon Vincent, is a solid candidate to extend Stanford's national championship streak.
UCSB, pre-season favorite to win the Big West North, is a pretty strong opening opponent, especially on the road. The Gauchos gave up football in the early 1990s and soccer is now the big sports draw, even over basketball. Although they had a down year in 2014-15, over the past 10+ years they've been regulars in the rankings and the NCAA tournament.
Two years ago, Stanford vs. UCSB drew 7750, although this year's match is one month before fall quarter begins. Still, it should be a fun atmosphere in the stands and a highly competitive one on the pitch.
If there's one thing people have learned in Berkeley, it's that you can't put "Cal football" and "Rose Bowl" in the same sentence. The words just don't fit. You'd be better off linking "covered wagons" with "Mars travel." (Bruce Jenkins, Cal '70, SF Chronicle, Nov. 11, 2017)