Soccer in the United States may not cause the uproar among fans like the Manchester United or Liverpool can.
But East Lansing soccer hooligans will have a reason to cheer tonight as the MSU men’s soccer team takes on a diversified Oakland University team at 4:00 p.m. at Old College Field.
Oakland’s roster of international players with heightened technical and defensive skills will bring a new challenge to the Spartans.
“They’re very intelligent players,” head coach Joe Baum said. “They try to find the open players, they don’t force things. I think it makes for a very entertaining game and I think it’s good for our players to play against players with a little different background.”
Oakland’s menacing defense poses the biggest threat to the Spartans. The Grizzlies have allowed an average of fewer than one goal per game this season.
But Baum said as the game progresses the team should be able to create its chances.
“The key for us is to keep this game close for a while and then, bingo, try as the match goes on to press a little more offensively, late in the match,” Baum said.
For junior forward Brett Konley, who has knocked in four goals this season, the strategy is a bit more offensive pressure than usual and getting more people in front of the net.
“We have to penetrate more,” Konley said. “We need to have more offense going through because with their defense, as tight as they are, we’re going to have to send a lot more people coming through to break that defense.”
But the team will also have its own defense to concentrate on, senior midfielder Steve Arce said.
“They’ll let us have the time with the ball,” Arce said. “But there’s going to be a certain point where they’ll step up and put the pressure on us. We just have to make sure we don’t get counterattacked.”
The Spartans said they have some high hopes for this game, after a 3-0 victory over then-No. 15 Ohio State on Sunday.
“We have a lot of talent and against Ohio State, we proved that we had a lot of talent,” freshman forward Ryan McMahen said.
The OSU game began a five-game home stand continues with Oakland today. And staying on Old College Field brings a certain level of comfort to the team, Baum said.
“I find being on the road is nice because it brings a team together, but it sure is nice to play on your own field and sleep in your own bed,” Buam said.
The home stint will continue this weekend with intrastate rival Michigan on Sunday.
“In-state games have a lot of intensity,” sophomore goalkeeper Mike Robinson said. “You always have pride to do well and be the best team in the state.”
