The future looks bright for soccer at Concordia this year. In the past five years, neither the men’s nor women’s teams qualified for the RSEQ playoffs. After passing the midway point of the season, the women’s team sits in fifth place, two points from the final playoff spot in their league. The men’s team is only four points away from the final playoff spot.
The women seem to have turned it around this year. Last season, the team finished in second-to-last place with two wins, nine losses and three draws. After seven matches, the team had one win, five losses and one draw. In seven matches this season, the squad has already topped last season’s point total.
A major difference from last year is confidence. The team looks confident when they take the field. Besides a heavy loss to the Montreal Carabins at the start of the season, coach Jorge Sanchez’s group has been able match every other team in the league.
Come game time, the squad remains hopeful leading to better performances. In possession, the Stingers are able to transition up the pitch with few problems. Support from the midfielders is present allowing the team control the pace of the match. Though, the team has to gain efficiency when finishing scoring chances.
On the men’s side, game performances has improved despite what standings may suggest. The team sits in last place in the league with five points. However, unlike the women’s standings, things are much closer for the men. The team is four points away in the fight for the last playoff spot, and only eight points away from first place.
The men may have lost big in their first match but they picked up one win and two draws in the following three fixtures. Three losses in a row now see them slip to last place. Fortunately, other results in the league have allowed the team to stay in the playoff race.
In the 2011-12 season, the men’s team had three wins and four losses after seven matches. Two of these wins came from forfeits. This season, after seven matches, the men have one win, four losses and two draws.
Without looking at the standings or stats, performances on the field are better than last year. The biggest difference is up front. The addition of a few new players – plus an altered formation – now sees a more threatening team. The midfielders are also able to win their battles and this is one of the reasons the Stingers are able to dictate play.
This weekend, both teams had two tough away matches against the Laval Rouge et Or and the UQTR Patriotes. The women’s tied Laval 2-2 on Friday evening and picked up a 3-2 win against the Patriotes on Sunday. The men lost both matches with the same 3-1 scoreline.
The women’s team face McGill on Wednesday night at Concordia Stadium, while the men’s team will look to regroup for their next match on Oct. 11.
