By Andriana Guigova
The Ryerson men’s soccer team broke their three-game winning streak with a 1-0 decision against hosting University of Toronto on Sunday afternoon.
A crude defensive lapse ten minutes into the second half led to the U of T goal and cost the Rams a chance to almost guarantee a playoff berth. With the loss, Ryerson falls to 3-4-0.
“One guy didn’t come back to cover his man and that was it,” said Rams coach Tony La Ferrara. “I don’t think the boys played a bad game. With better luck, we could have won.”
Both teams played a relaxed first half, with a lot of back-and-forth play in midfield. While the Varsity Blues had more chances, the Rams few approaches were more dangerous.
The second half started out with a bad break for Ryerson, as they had an apparent goal disallowed. According to the referee, the shot went off the crossbar and never entered the Varsity Blues net.
A few minutes later, the Rams defensive zone coverage broke down, allowing a wide-open Jose D’Amora to receive a clean pass and find the back of the Ryerson net.
“One episode in the game decided who won and who lost,” said La Ferrara.
With the goal, the game turned into a rowdier, more intense affair. But even a little pushing and shoving couldn’t help the Rams, as they were left scoreless when the final whistle blew.
“We were missing a lot of guys, but that’s no excuse,” said La Ferrara. “They didn’t play better than us. Our goalie didn’t have to make any big saves.”
La Ferrara said the loss cost the Rams a “90 per cent chance to get into the playoffs,” and it reserved University of Toronto’s bragging rights until the next time the teams meet.
Ryerson’s next game is Oct. 8 as the men’s and women’s teams host Brock University.
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