The Oregon men’s club soccer team countered a barrage of shots with its own flurry of offense, as a pair of goals from Ian McNaughton would be all the Ducks needed en route to a 4-1 victory over Willamette University in their first spring game of the season on Sunday.
The Ducks believe their group of players can out-dribble, out-shoot and out-defend any team they will face this year.
Oregon incorporated a few talented new players, and Sunday was one of the first opportunities for the group to play together in a meaningful match. For the Ducks, it was a chance to begin establishing a rhythm, which will showcase their depth of talent.
“We have a couple new guys on the team, so we were just trying to figure out how to play together and play as a team,” McNaughton said. “We know that individually we’ll be better than all the teams that we play, we just have to be a better team.”
Oregon began the match like a team trying to find its groove. Their offense was sporadic through much of the first half. An inability to possess the ball consistently on offense led to multiple scoring chances for the Bearcats.
“We’re just getting back from break, and I think we’re just trying to get our touch back and find our rhythm,” player and head coach Gerald Buxton said.
An early scoring opportunity for the Ducks came midway through the first half. McNaughton headed a high pass sent into the penalty box just over the crossbar.
Oregon would capitalize only minutes later when Emmanuel Luvert scored the game’s first goal to give the Ducks the lead.
Oregon thought it had its second goal of the game late in the first half when McNaughton chased down a loose ball in the box and sent it past the Bearcats’ goalie who had come out of the net trying to cover the ball, but McNaughton was ruled offside and given a yellow card for arguing the call.
It did not take long for McNaughton to find himself at the center of the Ducks’ next scoring opportunity. A hard shot from Ian Sato deflected off of the goalie’s hands, allowing McNaughton to put in the rebound to give the Ducks a 2-0 edge.
Heading into halftime, Oregon’s offense had found its groove and was looking to work the ball along the sideline between their wingers.
“Our biggest thing was just trying to keep it low on the ground, which I think once we started to do that, we dominated the game,” Buxton said. “They didn’t want to play on the ground at all.”
The Ducks did not begin the second half in the same fashion they ended the first half.
The Bearcats were on the board for the first time in the game following a spectacular shot from just outside the 18-yard box that sent the ball past goalie Jake Glicker and into the top left corner of the net.
Oregon would add some insurance to its lead when Willamette’s goalie gave up another rebound. Once again, it was McNaughton, standing alone in the box, scoring for his second goal of the game and giving Oregon a 3-1 lead.
“It was difficult winning the air balls against them, but we were faster than them on the ground,” McNaughton said. “That’s what helped us out today was our speed.”
Oregon’s final goal came midway through the second half when Scott Gardner used his head and leaping abilities to send a cross into the back of the net.
Not to be lost in Oregon’s offensive might during the match was its smothering defense. The Ducks were outshot in the first half but still kept the Bearcats scoreless in the first.
“As far as defensively, we were just trying to talk, because there were a lot of guys moving through the middle,” right back Daniel Shaner said. “We just had to talk and pick them up and make sure we’re not just staying with the same guy.”
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