Walker’s the man again as Gauchos advance, 1-0

SAN DIEGO — UCSB coach Tim Vom Steeg put it to his players straight before they stepped on the field to play 11th-seeded University of San Diego in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament:

“If we don’t show up and battle tonight, we are going to get run over.”

When the final whistle blew, it was the Gauchos running over toward the bleachers to celebrate with their fans after a hard-earned 1-0 victory over a physical USD team Sunday at Torero Stadium.

The victory sets up a 3rd-round showdown at sixth-seeded UCLA on Sunday. The last time UCSB and the Bruins met in the NCAAs the Gauchos beat them in the national championship game in 2006.

Senior forward David Walker delivered his second game-winning goal of these playoffs. He received a brilliant pass from Danny Barrera, who chipped the ball over the top of the San Diego defense. Walker juggled the ball with his head before settling it to his right foot and blasting a shot past USD goalkeeper Kelin Briones in the 43rd minute.

“That’s my job as a forward, to get up there for balls and make opportunities (to score),” said Walker, who also scored in the Gauchos’ first-round win over Wofford.

“I’m just doing what Im supposed to do.”

The Toreros had two defenders back on the play, but Walker had the presence of mind “to head the ball far enough to my right.”

For San Diego, champions of the West Coast Conference, it was only the 17th goal allowed this season.

Briones said he was surprised his defense got beaten over the top.

“When the shot came in, I slipped and I didn’t get a good jump on it,” he said. “(Walker) got a lucky touch on it and he buried it.”

San Diego came seconds from tying the score before the end of the first half. As players battled at the top of the Gauchos penalty area, the ball popped out to Stephan Posa. With the final seconds being counted down by the public address announcer, Posa fired a low shot toward the left post. Gaucho goalkeeper Sam Hayden dived for the ball but it got past him. Unfortunately for the Toreros, the buzzer went off as the ball was en route to the goal and the score did not count.

That’s college soccer.

“In any league in the world, the referee lets that play continue,” USD coach Seamus McFadden said. “I have no ill will with anyone. That’s the way it goes. That’s the soccer gods in action. Some years they smile on you, some years they don’t.”

Hayden said that those few seconds before the halftime buzzer was the only time in the match his defense got beat.

“We played 89 minutes and 50 second of great defense,” he said. “We just had a slip-up with 10 seconds left. Luckily (Posa) got it off late and the referee made a good call. I heard the buzzer go right after he turned and shot it.”

UCSB’s defense was spectacular, especially in the second half. The Gauchos (17-4-2) held San Diego to just one shot in the final 45 minutes and four total for the entire game to post their 16th shutout.

It was one of the best defensive performances by the Gauchos this season.

“I think it takes a special team to win in a place like this and take over a second half like we did tonight,” said Vom Steeg, proudly.

“The defense played incredible,” Hayden said. “They flew all around tonight. When (USD players) got behind us, I thought our guys did a great job of getting back. It was an entire team effort.”

Vom Steeg said that not only did the coaching staff challenge the players to step up on defense, but the  players challenged themselves to play better.

“We knew it was going to be a physical game,” he said. “We knew it was going to be a game where we were going to have to win head balls and win second balls. We had to compete, so we challenged the team to compete and to battle for second balls and battle for head balls. Then after we got done doing that, let’s see if you can put the ball on the ground, create some chances and get some things going.”

The Gauchos were able to get its attack going thanks to the play in the middle by Luis Silva and Barrera and Peter McGlynn on the outside. Silva won most of his battles with the USD midfielders in the center of the field and McGlynn was breaking up runs and passes on the wings and in the back.

For McGlynn, his performance was a redemption after getting a red card two weeks ago in the Big West Tournament final loss to UC Irvine.

“He knew he hurt us in the Irvine game,” Vom Steeg said. “This is a game for warriors and battlers and McGlynn has some rough edges were still working on, but the bottom line is there’s no better game than this one tonight for him.”

Walker, the only remaining player on the squad from the 2006 national championship team,  said the win over USD showed him how much the team has grown since its last visit to San Diego, a 4-2 loss at San Diego State back in late September.

“Defense and goalkeeping have been huge,” he pointed out.  “That’s what took us to the Final Four and ultimately to the title in ’06. We have the same things this year.”