With just two games left in the regular season, the UNM men’s soccer team is feeling the pressure more than ever.
The Lobos (7-5-3, 1-4-1 C-USA) are yet to earn their spot in this year’s Conference USA Championship. The top seven teams in the conference will be able to compete, and although the Lobos are currently in the seventh spot, that could change very quickly—for better or worse.
Last week, head coach Jeremy Fishbein said although he hated to admit it, everything was coming down to the last few games.
The Lobos fell 2-0 to Charlotte (8-4-2, 5-0-1 C-USA) after two first half goals on Tuesday. Fishbein gave props to the 49ers performance and said the Lobos were simply outcompeted.
“Nothing else to be said. Pretty disappointing result, but you need to keep preparing. You need a little bit more quality,” he said.
Although the Lobos haven’t been getting the results they wanted, Fishbein said he is not giving up on his team and that all they have to do is keep pushing.
The Lobos will be in Florida this weekend to face the Florida International University Roaring Panthers.
“We have to be good next Saturday against another good team .. What we are seeing in this conference is tough-ass teams,” Fishbein said.
The Panthers (9-5, 3-3 in C-USA) are one of the five teams that already secured a berth to the C-USA championship. FIU is coming off a 2-0 loss against the South Carolina Gamecocks (8-4-2, 2-0-1 C-USA).
But before their loss to South Carolina, FIU won its two preview games 2-1 against ranked opponents. On Oct 17, they took down the No. 9 Old Dominion. On Oct 20, it was the No. 22 Florida Gulf Coast team.
Earlier in the season, FIU had a seven-game winning streak. The Lobos’ longest streak this season was five.
The Panthers have been better at converting chances, having scored a total of 33 goals this season, whereas the Lobos can only claim 19. From the beginning of the season, Fishbein has said New Mexico needs to work on its attacking third.
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“You take pressure off yourself by scoring a couple goals,” he said.
Fishbein also said adapting to different styles of play is going to be crucial for the Lobos to be successful.
FIU might prove to be a challenge for the Lobos because of their not-afraid-to-get-physical style. The Panthers have already collected 19 yellow cards this season. The Lobos only have 9.
“These teams aren’t here to win style points, they are here to win games,” Fishbein said. “We have to match that, and then beat them with quality.”
Although the team has experienced several ups and downs this season, Fishbein still has hope.
“It’s a learning experience, it’s a young team. That’s no excuse, but you have to learn and you have to keep getting better,” he said.
Isabel Gonzalez is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @cisabelg.
