The Asbury men’s soccer team started the season with a tough but possibly constructive loss. The Eagles took the field against Transylvania University last Tuesday night for their season opener and lost 1-0.
The players believe the loss can serve as an opportunity to make the necessary changes to improve the rest of the season. Sophomore goalkeeper Braden Insko thinks it will help them focus and work harder in training.
“Because at the end of the day it was our first game,” he said. “We were a little rusty but overall, it was decent play and we can improve.”
Insko’s teammate, sophomore Justin Ramos, said, “The game went well. We had a whole new midfield and I thought they played good.”
Specifically, players commented on how they could improve their team’s interactions and aggression level.
“I think we need to communicate a little bit more on the field and then secondly we kind of are complacent and we let them attack first,” said Insko. “We should work harder to match their fire and take control of the game.”
Freshman Nick Eller identified some of the flaws in the mechanics of the game.
“We made too many unnecessary mistakes, such as simple passes that didn’t arrive,” he said. “We were still disorganized and needed some time to get used to the new team.”
Having the new midfield, learning how to play with one another and effectively communicate comes with time and practice. It is a change the team wants to see progressively improve.
Despite the hard start to the season, the men are hopeful going forward. They competed Wednesday against Cumberlands and are playing at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville tomorrow.
