University of California, Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Sixty years ago, the UC Santa Barbara Men's Soccer team played its first-ever match, hosting the San Jose State Spartans at what was a brand-new Harder Stadium. It finished 10-1 to the visitors. Friday's kick-off to the Gauchos' 60^th anniversary season, while it was not the same gaudy scoreline, was such a dominant performance that it still served as fitting revenge. Kaden Standish scored an otherworldly opening goal, Simone Ferrieri opened his college soccer account and Santa Barbara had a man advantage to go with their two-goal lead at halftime. The Gauchos then simply out-matched the Spartans in the second half to kill off the game, with Mateos Carvalho's goal providing the cherry on the top of Santa Barbara's 3-0 victory.
 
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Tim Vom Steeg on the team's performance: "We did a lot of good things, and man we missed some sitters in the first half, at least two that I can think of," Vom Steeg said. "But, you know, we were nine-to-one in shots and we're not relying on [one person] to get us a goal to win, like we have in the past. It's different players, different moments, but I was really pleased with the way I was able to switch out my outside backs and keep things going, so it was good. It was a deep team, I was pleased. I was pleased not just with how we played but with the quality of play deep in our bench."
 
"We were making the comment that I was really happy with the minutes that Tobi [Gerber] came in in midfield, from where he was in spring to where he is now, he's going to really help us. So, I think Tobi came in and did really well, I thought Steinar was dangerous, I thought Kaden was really effective the whole half, so it's hard to pick out one guy. Obviously, Kalle [Rahbek] is just a ridiculous workhorse in midfield, his running is just unbelievable, so you've got to like the group."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gauchos asserted control early, holding the Spartans to just one shot in the first half while rattling off nine of their own. The first came inside the first four minutes, Donovan Sessoms creating space for himself on the right wing before firing in a low cross that crashed off of Standish's legs and just wide. Shortly afterwards, Steinar Bjornsson got a wide-open look from the top of the 18-yard area after a corner kick and just missed the near top corner, but the Gauchos' best early opportunity came in the 13^th minute. Santa Barbara's midfielders and forwards played a series of quick passes to switch the ball from one side of the field to the other, with left back Peleg Brown running onto the final pass and slamming a shot goalwards.
 
If not for Spartan goalkeeper Ronin Axelson's diving stop, that would have been 1-0. In fact, the Gauchos would have had a few more goals if not for Axelson. In the 29^th minute, Kalle Rahbek played a perfect diagonal ball from his own half that split the San Jose defense and set Standish up essentially in the penalty area, where he played a teasing ball in front of Sessoms as the forward raced towards the goal. It was a point-blank opportunity, but Axelson denied him.
 
Finally, the Gauchos hit a shot that no goalkeeper was stopping in the 31^st minute. Standish picked up the ball surrounded by multiple Spartans at the top of the penalty arc, took a couple of touches to evade them and slide to his left, then unleashed a shot that went so far into the top corner that it smacked off the crossbar and down into the net. That opened the floodgates.
 
Zac Siebenlist came off the bench and made himself a menace for the final 15 minutes of the first half, seeing a point-blank shot kept out of an otherwise empty net by a last-minute slide from a San Jose State defender, then not even a minute later breaking through for a moment that reduced the Spartans to 10 men. In the 43^rd minute, video review confirmed that Siebenlist had been fouled as he ran through on goal, resulting in a red card for the visitors and a free kick from just outside the penalty area for the hosts.
 
Brown's shot again required a brilliant save from Axelson, but the Gauchos' left back cashed in with an assist on the resulting corner. Brown found his wing-back partner, Ferrieri, at the back post, and all the Italian had to do was put his head on the ball for his first collegiate score.
 
With Santa Barbara up a man and two goals, the second half, the game was essentially in the Gauchos' hands for the final 45 minutes. They did survive a scare when San Jose State smacked a shot off the post in the 69^th minute, but that was the closest Owen Beninga came to needing to make a save. The Gauchos' netminder had some other good moments in the match, being brave and using his feet to clear away loose balls that came too close to his goalmouth.
 
Not that Santa Barbara's 2-0 lead was threatened, but the adage remains that a 2-0 margin is the most dangerous in soccer, so the Gauchos continued to strive for a third goal to nail down the result. Bjornsson forced a save with one of his trademark long shots in the 67^th minute, and there was a goal ruled out for offside in the 71^st minute. Finally, in the 83^rd minute, Santa Barbara got its insurance.
 
Jakob Methvin was upended after carrying the ball into the attacking third, but the bounce fell right to Martin Odegaard Oesthagen on the left wing. The Norwegian took a touch and then played a beautiful, arcing cross to the back post, where Carvalho arrived and tapped home to seal the result.
 
UP NEXT
Santa Barbara completes this season-opening homestand next week, hosting what Coach Vom Steeg deemed the "murderer's row" of No. 17 Marshall on Aug. 27 and No. 18 San Diego on Aug. 31. Those Toreros figure to be higher up in the rankings by the time they come to town, considering that they upset No. 1 Washington in their season opener. Season and single-game tickets for all of Santa Barbara's home matches are on sale now, and both of next week's matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+.