In what could prove to be a turning point in the Big Ten title race, the Michigan men’s soccer team will host No. 8 Indiana this Sunday.
October has proved to be a great month for the Wolverines who have won three games out of five, including a 3-2 victory over No. 6 Notre Dame. They will be hoping to end the month on a positive note after failing to score in their last two fixtures.
The Hoosiers (2-2-1 Big Ten, 9-2-3 overall) have had an almost identical last 30 days which have also seen them win three games out of five, including a 1-0 win over the Fighting Irish as well.
In a conference where the difference between second and sixth place is a mere two points, a lot can change over one weekend.
“It’s exciting to play in such an excellent and competitive league,” said Michigan coach Chaka Daley.
With a rough start to the season, Michigan (2-1-2 Big Ten, 4-6-3 overall) finds itself one point above seventh-place Indiana, but a win could very well set them up for a title charge.
“We shouldn’t look too much at the record,” Daley said. “We need to keep our minds right and look at what we can still achieve.”
Having moved to a new possession-based style of play this season, it has taken time for the players to grow into the new system. But after a rough first month, the team has shown signs of improvement as it grows into its new soccer philosophy.
With a 1-1-1 record against ranked teams, Michigan has fared much better against opponents that try to win the ball back as soon as possible, and look to attack regularly. It struggles against teams that sit back and “park the bus.”
The Wolverines press high up the pitch and almost always have the lion’s share of possession. For all their dominance in the middle of the pitch, they struggle to create chances once they reach the final third. And when these chances do come, they fail to find the net. Michigan has scored 12 goals in 14 games — the only team scoring less than a goal a game in the Big Ten.
The Hoosiers, on the other hand, have no problem scoring goals, and have already bagged 21 this season — one behind league-leader Penn State. Having scored in each of its last eight games, Indiana isn’t shy to take a pop at goal.
Indiana’s top scorer is Femi Hollinger-Janzen with four goals, but it has three more players with three goals each, highlighting the Hoosiers’ flexibility and depth. The Wolverines, in contrast, have had half their goals scored by redshirt junior forward Colin McAtee, who stands third in the scoring charts having played one game fewer than the players in second and first.
Michigan will also depend on senior midfielder Tyler Arnone — the team’s top assister, with three. He was named one of 10 finalists for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award.
With only four games left in the regular season, the importance of this fixture can’t be overstated. Provided other results go its way, Michigan could find itself in third place by the end of the weekend. Sunday afternoon promises 90 minutes of suspense and action.
“It’ll be a great game,” Daley said. “We’ll be playing quite possibly the greatest soccer program in the country in our backyard.”