Number 4 Maryland men’s soccer battled UCLA to a brutal 2-2 draw last night, even after firing off an insane 23 shots and playing a massive chunk of the game with a man advantage. The Terps just couldn’t seal the deal, letting the Bruins hang on for a tie that felt a whole lot like a loss.
First Half Chaos: Neri’s Spark and a Red Card Twist
Things kicked off with some much-needed energy for the Terps. After a couple of games where Maryland barely sniffed the net, Rodrigo Neri decided enough was enough, netting his fourth goal of the season just five minutes in. He absolutely burned past the defense thanks to an exceptional lead pass from Ljubomir Popovic, tying him with Said El Eyssami for the team lead in goals. But then, classic Maryland, right? While the Terps were caught lobbying for a call in the midfield, UCLA’s Jaime Amaro snuck in for the equalizer in the 19th minute, set up by Ander Marticorena. The Bruins dominated possession for the next stretch, but then a huge break hit Maryland’s way. At the 30-minute mark, UCLA midfielder Diego Martinez got a red card after review for impeding Neri, who was racing downfield. Man advantage for the Terps, baby! Maryland totally took over possession for the rest of the half, cycling in UCLA’s zone, but get this: they couldn’t convert! No goals, despite the extra man. You gotta wonder what happened there.
Second Half Fight: The Equalizer, The Saves, and The Coach’s Promise
Even a man down, UCLA still managed to land a punch right after halftime. Victor Ciaurriz put one in off a perfectly placed corner from Arnold Cameron in the 54th minute. Unbelievable, right? Maryland’s defense just couldn’t keep Ciaurriz off the ball. Tensions were sky-high when Maryland found themselves down 2-1 in the 77th minute. The pressure was on, and Dominic Ayella came through with his second goal of the season after a wild sequence. Lillian Fichelle played it in, Said El Eyssami got a bouncing header off, UCLA’s keeper Wyatt Nelson couldn’t hold onto it, Leon Koehl took a shot, and Ayella cleaned up the deflection for the equalizer. After all that, Rodrigo Neri launched one more booming strike in the 88th minute, his 23rd shot of the night, but it narrowly soared over the top right corner. UCLA’s Nelson was a brick wall all night, posing problems Maryland just couldn’t solve. Coach Sasho Cirovski wasn’t holding back either, saying, “We haven’t trained a man up this year so we had to make an adjustment to that. We should have won. We had enough chances to win that game.”
What’s Next for the Terps?
This 2-2 draw is just another chapter in a frustrating story: the Terps simply cannot beat UCLA. Since the Bruins joined the Big Ten, Maryland has drawn with them three times in the regular season. It’s like UCLA has their number! Now, Maryland stares down the barrel of a crucial three-game stretch against ranked Big Ten opponents. It kicks off next Friday in Bloomington against No. 2 Indiana. Cirovski had a blunt message after this game, and it sounds like he’s had enough: “We’re giving up too many goals per game. This will be the last one you’ll see like this.” Let’s hope he’s right, because Indiana won’t be forgiving.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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