SAN DIEGO – The Aztec men's soccer team (3-6-1, 0-4-0) was shutout 4-0 by Cal Thursday evening on the SDSU Sports Deck. SDSU outshot the Golden Bears 13-6 and attempted 16 corner kicks to Cal's two, but couldn't find the back of the net.
"We are fully capable of playing with Cal and any team in the country," head coach Lev Kirshner said after the match. "But we cannot continue to bleed goals in the manner that we are right now."
Cal scored two goals in the first 12 minutes of the game. The first came from Thomas Williamson, who chest trapped a cross from Jonathan Estrada and turned and finished in the sixth minute.
In the 12th minute, Cal scored off another cross. This one was sent in by Francisco Perez from the right wing and finished inside the far post by Simon Lekressner.
The Bears pushed their first half lead to three when Lekressner assisted Estrada in the 32nd minute. Cal scored their three first half goals on just four shots.
The Aztecs had two near misses in the first frame. AJ Valenzuela had a shot in the box that hit the post in the second minute and later in the half the SDSU had a ball appear to cross the end line, but the officials ruled that the Cal goalkeeper saved it just in time.
Late in the first half, the Aztecs had a stretch with eight corner kicks over three minutes.
SDSU controlled the tempo in the final 45 minutes and outshot Cal 10-2 in the second half and added eight more corners while holding Cal to zero.
"The second half was near-perfect until we gave up that late goal," Kirshner commented.
Their best opportunity in the second half came in the 59th minute when Pablo Pelaez sent a corner kick to the far corner of the box that found Adam Vargas who sent a one-touch rocket in that the Cal goalkeeper was able to make an impressive save on.
In the 72nd minute, Cal's keeper, Drake Callendar, made another tough save when he tipped Pablo Pelaez's shot up and over the crossbar.
Cal added a goal in the 89th minute when Fahmi Ibrahim scored on a breakaway.
Cal's goalkeeper Drake Callendar had four saves and earned the shutout.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Adam Vargas
QUOTE OF THE MATCH
"We had eight corners in the first half and eight corners in the second. We had a decent effort all the way around on the ball with what we are trying to accomplish on the attacking side of things." Lev Kirshner
STAT OF THE MATCH
The Aztecs allowed just five shots on goal but allowed four goals.
UP NEXT
SDSU hosts No. 7 Stanford Sunday at noon. The Cardinal won 1-0 at UCLA Thursday evening.
Aztecs Tripped Up by Cal 4-0
