After falling behind 1-0 in the 10th minute, the CSUN men’s soccer team scored twice in the final ten minutes to defeat the Cal State Fullerton Titans 3-1 on Saturday, Oct. 10, at Matador Soccer Field. This was the Matadors first win in the Big West Conference this season.
Before the match, the Matadors’ record stood at 4-5-2 after losing to UC Irvine on Wednesday with a score of 2-1. CSUN was 0-1-1 in Big West play and looked to bounce back from its first conference defeat of the season.
There were several offside calls on the Matadors during the match, with six offsides being called against the Matadors and only one against the Titans in total.
The Titans took an early lead in the 10th minute. Titans midfielder Jose De La Torre scored on a free kick just outside of the box after a foul by CSUN midfielder Justin Sosa. Fullerton led 1-0.
Just seconds later, CSUN midfielder Dave-Ryan Tankou got a pass from CSUN midfielder Jack Cameron. Tankou shot it into the upper-left of the goal to even the score 1-1, sending the CSUN crowd into cheers.
“I just made a run back post,” Tankou said. “I had confidence that the left side would put the ball in the box, so it was a good cross”.
Both teams continued battling for possession through the remainder of the first half. CSUN goalkeeper Bryan Castaneda, who stepped in for the injured Dorian Drucks, saved a shot from Fullerton’s Josiah Green in the 20th minute, helping the game remain tied 1-1 heading into halftime.
Despite conceding an early goal, Head Coach Terry Davila said the team needed to stay disciplined defensively and avoid mistakes against Fullerton’s attack.
“We made a terrible mistake in the first half, when one of my players jumped the back pass and left their best player one-on-one,” Davila said. “You give him a shot on top of the box like that. It’s like an automatic goal.”
The Matadors continued their offensive pressure after the match resumed. CSUN Forward Sebastian Fuentes missed a high shot to the right in the 55th Minute, while fellow Matador midfielder Miles Johnson got another attempt in the 56th minute.
CSUN goalkeeper Bryan Castaneda preserved the 1-1 tie with a crucial save as Jose De La Torre had a shot on goal in the 68th minute. Forward Kayvon Monfared scored the lead-taking goal in the 81st minute off an assist from Jorge Solorzano, giving the Matadors a 2-1 lead.
“It was because of his run and pass that got me open and got me that shot off,” Monfared said. “Those little windows, you gotta take advantage of them.”
In the 87th minute, midfielder Francisco Garibay scored off a header assist from Monfared, extending CSUN’s lead to 3-1.
Castaneda, who finished with two saves, said Fullerton’s early goal served as a wake-up call for the team and helped shift its momentum. As the final minutes ticked away, CSUN fans chanted “CSUN! CSUN” from the stands, celebrating the Matadors’ first Big West victory of the season.
“After the first goal that we conceded, it was just a wake-up call,” Castaneda said. “We were more attacking; we had more belief and fight in us.”
CSUN’s next match will be against UC Riverside on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. at UC Riverside Soccer Stadium.
