Men's Soccer Continues To Struggle After Losing 1-3 To Yale

Upper West Side NY

03 November, 2021

12:40 PM

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Columbia Daily Spectator BY CALEB DYE NOVEMBER 2, 2021 Coming into Saturday's matchup, Columbia hoped to bounce back from its 1-4 loss against La Salle University. However, the Light Blue was not facing an easy opponent in Yale, who had not lost a single conference game. The Lions (1-9-4, 0-3-2 Ivy) were unable to make a comeback after Yale (6-4-4, 3-0-2 Ivy) scored two goals in the first half. Despite a Light Blue goal at the end of the first half, a second half with only one shot on target and a late game scuffle left Columbia with its ninth loss of the season.From the beginning, Yale dominated the pace of the game. The Bulldogs quickly claimed an early lead after scoring in the ninth minute. This effort began after junior Paulo Caroll slipped past the defense and made a speedy run up the field. He then executed a well-placed pass to forward Eric Lagos, who buried it into the back of the net. Shortly after in the 12th minute, the Light Blue had an opportunity to retaliate after receiving a corner kick. Senior midfielder Sebastian Gunbeyi shot the ball toward the bottom center of the goal, but it was saved by the Bulldogs' goalkeeper. The Lions had another set of opportunities in the 21st minute after being awarded three consecutive corner kicks. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs' defense held strong and shut each corner kick down. The Bulldogs were able to capitalize off of their first corner kick of the night. After a hectic battle for the ball in the middle of the box, the Bulldogs scored their second goal of the night. This time, the Light Blue would be able to respond, as junior Max Gonzalez brushed past defenders and ran to the right side of the field. He crossed the ball into the box, where it took a deflection and then landed right in front of Gunbeyi. Gunbeyi tapped the ball just over the goalkeeper's head and netted his first goal of the season, bringing the score to 2-1. This provided Columbia a glimmer of hope going into halftime. However, it was snuffed out as the Bulldogs pelted the Light Blue with shots in the second half. Fortunately for the Light Blue, junior goalkeeper Michael Collodi—who upon entering this game ranked No. 2 in save percentage and saves per game in the Ivy League—was able to fend off many of the Bulldogs' shots. Collodi tallied five saves in the second half. But even a talented goalkeeper like Collodi could not keep all of Yale's second half chances out of the net. The Bulldogs' third goal of the night came off of another corner kick where the ball was headered over Collodi and Columbia's defense. The Light Blue continued to dig itself into a deeper hole after getting into late game foul trouble. In the 84th minute, a scuffle broke out between the two teams where players had to be held back from one another. After all was said and done, first-year Ryan Kipness was booked with a red card, meaning the Light Blue had to play with ten men for the rest of the game. This mistake allowed the Bulldogs to more easily score in the 88th minute of the game, but fortunately for the Lions, the Bulldogs' fourth goal was ruled offside. Yale's victory continues its undefeated run in the Ivy League and places the team second in the Ancient Eight standings with 11 points. Columbia's loss marks its 13th game without a win, and puts the Lions second to last in the Ivy League with two points. Despite Columbia's struggles, both coach Kevin Anderson and goalscorer Sebastian Gunbeyi expressed the resilience and determination of the team after the game. Gunbeyi remarked on the team culture and the closeness of the team: "It's obviously a tough season for everyone not getting the results that we want. But this group of guys is phenomenal. They stick together like no team I've ever been on. We're all proud to play next to one another. So you know, we're still looking for that win, we're not going to give up." Coach Anderson expressed his gratitude for the effort that the players have been putting into getting better each week. "In a tough season, [the] guys have really come out every day and put their best foot forward and been responsive and continue to work. And so we'll continue to do that and prepare ourselves for next weekend. That's our responsibility." The Lions have a chance to pick up the pieces when they face off against Harvard on Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. The game is their final home game of the season, and it will be senior night. You can watch the game at the Rocco B. Commisso Stadium or catch it on ESPN+. Staff writer Caleb Dye can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow Spectator Sports on Twitter at @CUSpecSports. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.