Facing both ends of the rankings this weekend, BYU plays the undefeated Ventura County Fusion and one-win Los Angeles Legends.
After a week of running soccer camps in Provo, the Cougars fly to Southern California this morning to play the Fusion at Ventura College tonight. Less than 24 hours later BYU takes on the Legends in Los Angeles.
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With only four draws and zero losses, Ventura County is a formidable foe. It has the Premier Development League’s player of the week and a Jamaican national player on the roster. The team has forced 35 goals and allowed only eight in the season.
Despite the impressive statistics, the Fusion barely beat BYU with a last minute goal in the team’s 2-1 home loss June 23.
“We are playing great right now and we just need to keep doing it,” BYU coach Brandon Gilliam said. “We can beat anyone in the league the way we are playing now … we just need to put shots away. We are lacking confidence around the 18.”
The previous meeting was a physical match up. Both teams were exhausted and the Fusion had four injured players at the end of the night. Ventura County keeper, Sam Hayden, was injured in the 11th minute of the game and has not played since. Replacement keeper Brian Rowe has stepped up and allowed only four goals in the five games he has played.
“The Fusion have some high confidence because of their good record,” Gilliam said. “They might play a little more relaxed and we just need to catch them off guard, take opportunities and make it count.”
The Los Angeles Legends are on the other end of the spectrum. It has won only one game this season and has allowed 26 goals while scoring only eight. The Legends have actually played worse at home than in away games.
Although the Legends don’t look like a threat on paper, coach Gilliam said Los Angeles might actually be the tougher game of the weekend.
“They are playing at home and looking for revenge,” Gilliam said.
The Cougars took on the Legends June 25 and BYU came out on top of the 3-1 match. The Cougars scored two goals in the first 12 minutes and Doug Clark scored a goal from about 37 yards out late in the first half .
“Our team is hungry right now,” sophomore defender Junior Lartey said. “We are definitely going to compete … we will bring home two wins this weekend.”
Lartey tore his left deltoid in the second half of last Saturday’s game but is ready to return in this weekend’s match-ups.
“I am feeling really good right now,” Lartey said. “It might bother me on throw-ins, but I am ready to play.”
