Crimson Keen to Beat Yale Again

Some scholars say that history repeats itself. If this adage is true, then the 4-0 shutout of Yale by the Harvard men’s soccer team last fall should give the Crimson confidence in its stride as it takes to the field tomorrow at 2 p.m. for a home match against the Bulldogs. But if the proverb does not hold, then the Crimson may have a dangerous game with its rival on its hands.

Saturday afternoon at Ohiri Field will pit Harvard (3-3-0) against the Bulldogs (4-3-1) for the Crimson’s first Ivy League match of the season.

After the substantial 5-1 loss on Tuesday to Boston University, Harvard will need to bring its highest level of play to the field in order to secure a win.

The Crimson’s failure to seize on key counter-attacks and the inability of its defense to hold back the offensive pressure of the Terriers contributed to the loss.

“We believe we are a team that’s better than that result, so we’ll have to find out Saturday,” Harvard coach Jamie Clark said.

“All the individual members need to improve their level of play from last Tuesday,” co-captain Michael Fucito said. Fucito then commented on the team’s struggle on Tuesday against BU in its effort to adopt a new strategy of play and find a balance within.

“Instead of a traditional 4-4-2, we are using a 4-3-3, keeping [junior forward] Andre [Akpan] and me up front and [senior midfielder] John Stamatis further forward than usual,” Fucito said.

The team will use four defenders, three midfielders, and three forwards, rather than the standard four defenders, four midfielders, and two forwards. The new strategy puts more emphasis on offense by keeping an additional man forward at the expense of a midfielder.

Although the new strategy has not been completely effective thus far in earlier matches and may have contributed to the team’s defeat on Tuesday, Fucito said he hoped that the more offensive strategy would be good for the team in the long run.

The Crimson will need to bring its best play out if it wants to find victory against Yale. The Bulldogs have not lost a match away this season (2-0-0) and have only allowed two goals in the last five games that they have played. Harvard, on the other hand, has not been its usual dominant self this season, as the team has been troubled by a slew of injuries. Junior midfielder Kwaku Nyamekye has been among those injured that played a crucial role in the Crimson’s success last year. Fortunately though, Akpan and Fucito have helped the team with their excellent offensive play.

Reflecting on the imminent matchup against Yale, Fucito said he was not that familiar with the Bulldogs’ style of play, but he was confident in Harvard’s ability to assess and exploit Yale, believing that the Crimson’s desire for redemption would lead the team to success. “We are hungry for a win after Tuesday’s loss.”