The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Wednesday night lights
By Than Acuff
The Crested Butte Titans boys soccer team found themselves entrenched in a battle under the lights with the Gunnison Cowboys on Wednesday, October 2 and came out of it with a 1-1 draw.
The Titans edged out a 4-3 win over Gunnison earlier this season on their home field adding fuel to the fire for Gunnison’s Homecoming game. Add in the fact that they were playing under the lights in Gunnison and there was no question it was set to be a showdown.
“We knew Gunnison was going to try and push the pace for the first 30 minutes, so our game plan was to try and absorb that pressure and play a more defensive formation until the game settled down,” says coach Matt Wilson. “We knew we couldn’t win the game in the first 30, but we definitely didn’t want to lose it in the first 30 either.”
While Crested Butte saw some success driving to the endline on the flanks early in the game, Gunnison’s organized defense and solid goaltender handled the attacks with relative ease and turned away any chances at success from the Titans on ensuing long throws and corner kicks.
Meanwhile, Gunnison also found some success wide and building the ball out of the back to get numbers forward, with their midfield and Crested Butte’s midfield exchanging passing sequences trying to unlock the final attacking third. All efforts from both teams fell short though and they were notched in a scoreless tie at the conclusion of the first half.
“Gunnison played the same formation as they did earlier in the season, and we knew where their weaknesses were on the pitch,” says Wilson. “So tactically we felt solid, but Gunnison always brings a ton of energy and effort to their games and this game was no different. Their energy was amplified by being at home under the lights, and we knew the second half was going to be an absolute slug fest.”
The second half played out much like the first with both teams stepping on the gas a little more to create opportunities moving forward. The difference came in when a Cowboy striker broke through the back line of the Titans and played a low cross into traffic at the top of the six-yard box. The ball glanced off the leg of a Titan defender and into the back of the net for a 1-0 Gunnison lead.
Crested Butte made some adjustments as they were chasing the game moving additional players into attacking positions and while Gunnison’s defense held tight, the constant pressure eventually resulted in a handball and a penalty kick for Crested Butte and Shawn Moran buried his attempt to tie the game 1-1.
“The boys did a great job absorbing the pressure in the first half, and we wanted to play a more direct game in the second half,” says Wilson. “These micro-adjustments for the most part paid dividends for us in the second half, but Gunnison played with a lot of heart in the second half, and we were fortunate to come away with a 1-1 draw.”
The result held until the final whistle and the league standings remain a cluster with the Titans, Gunnison and Telluride all in the running for the league title with three weeks left in the season.
“The Gunnison puzzle was a battle of wills and a true test for the boys up to this point in the season,” says Wilson. “I give Gunnison credit because they did a great job of exposing a few key holes in our game that are getting corrected as we speak. So even though we left the game with a draw, we’re very fortunate to have found these holes in our game early enough to get corrected before the playoffs ramp up.”
