CSUN Men’s Soccer faced a tough challenge on Sunday night, falling 1-0 to the California Golden Bears despite dominating much of the game on offense. The Matadors, who led in shots and scoring chances, were finished by a 74th-minute goal from the Golden Bears, marking their first loss of the season. 

The Matadors (1-1-1) came out strong offensively against Cal (2-2), attacking its defenders early in the game. CSUN led both in shots and scoring chances throughout the match but despite several near-misses, they couldn’t find the back of the net. The first half ended goalless, with CSUN outshooting Cal 7-2 and finished the match outscoring Cal 18-11, but failed to capitalize on goals.

In the second half, the Matadors continued to press with shots from Zach Harris and Arturo Reveles, forcing saves from Cal’s goalkeeper. However, Cal’s persistence paid off in the 74th minute when Justin Knighton capitalized on a defensive lapse to score the game’s only goal. 

“You have to be clinical. We weren’t clinical. I thought we shot a little too far out sometimes and could not capitalize on opportunities to win the game,” Head coach Terry Davila said in an interview with Go Matadors. 

CSUN had multiple chances to score goals to win the game. But, even with good looks, the Matadors kept kicking the ball way too high and over the net, giving them zero chance of scoring on target. 

In the 75th minute, CSUN had another chance where they came agonizingly close to leveling the score. A cross from Boniface Fatohou into the box led to a scramble in front of the goal, with David Garcia getting a shot on goal. 

However, Cal managed a crucial team save on the goal line, and the referee waved off a potential draw. The play was called a foul and the ball went right back into the Golden Bears’ hands. 

Despite continued pressure, including a last-minute attempt from Siddiq Lezzar, the Matadors couldn’t break through Cal’s defense, resulting in their first-season loss. 

“We did enough to get opportunities to win the game,” Davila said. “If you don’t score and watch the other team score, they get the momentum and take the game. I think we had a lot of good looks, but we just made a lot of errors and they capitalized, good for them.”

Despite the loss, the team’s defense has stepped up in the last three games, holding its opponents to two goals.

“I was always high on our defense, ” Davila said. “We have guys who are fast and athletic. Right now, we need to be better on offense, if we want to have a chance at making the playoffs.”

The Matadors will look to bounce back in their next match against the University of the Pacific at home on Thursday at 7 p.m.