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  CHRIS BACKLEY/Daily Bruin Sophomore midfielder Adolfo Gregorio will have to create a lot of offense against SMU on Saturday.

By Brian Thompson

Daily Bruin Reporter

On paper, Saturday’s third round NCAA men’s soccer playoff game in Dallas appears to be a match-up between a heavy favorite and a big underdog.

The favorite is the lone undefeated team in the nation at 20-0-0 and the No. 1 seed. The underdog is a scrappy 12-6-4 team that struggled at times this year and only recently began playing consistently, rallying to even make the tournament.

If a casual observer was told that the two teams alluded to were UCLA and Southern Methodist University, most would think that UCLA was the favorite and SMU was the underdog.

But that’s not the case in 2001. SMU has emerged as one of the top soccer programs in the nation in route to garnering the consensus No. 1 ranking. And while the Bruins certainly also fit the description of a top program, they’ve had their share of struggles this year, often hovering around the .500 mark.

However, anyone thinking Saturday’s game won’t be a marquee matchup is sorely mistaken. The resurgent Bruins, who have not lost in their last eight games, are a team that no one wants to play.

“We’re very confident,” center back Nelson Akwari said. “We’re looking forward to playing them. It’s going to be a great challenge for us. It’ll probably be the best game of the year.”

The Bruins are approaching the top-ranked Mustangs with a “bring it on” attitude. Yes, SMU is second in the nation with a 3.00 goals-per-game average and are third with a 0.50 goals-against average. And yes, the Mustangs feature four double-digit scorers in points, including 21-goal scorer Luchi Gonzales.

But the Bruins are playing with a mentality that other teams will have to adapt to their strengths, and not vice versa. That’s because the Bruins’ stellar defense is being matched on the opposite end of the field with clutch goal scoring from the likes of Matt Taylor, Tim Pierce and Cliff McKinley.

“We’re feeling really good,” midfielder Ryan Futagaki said. “Our defense has been playing well all year. But now the guys who need be putting the ball in the net are. They are starting stepping up, starting to click, and starting to come together finally.”

If SMU wants an old Texas-style shootout, the Bruins will be ready.

“We feel like it’s going to be an offense game at SMU,” UCLA head coach Todd Saldaña said. “They attack, and we feel like we are an attacking-minded team. It may take a couple of goals to get a win there. And the confidence of our attacking guys is high right now.”

After a bumpy road getting to the tournament, the Bruins have that swagger back in their step. They have finally found offense to complement their heralded defense. And the 4-0 drubbing at San Diego last Sunday certainly turned heads around the collegiate soccer world.

“I wouldn’t want to play us right now,” Saldaña said. “Coaches doing their homework out there know the quality of this team. For SMU, being ranked No. 1 is nice. But I think they probably would have hoped for a lighter game at this point.”

The Bruins aren’t taking the Mustangs lightly by any means, but they believe they can go to anyone’s field and beat them.

It will take that confidence, along with the continuation of the remarkable effort the Bruins have displayed this past month, to continue this run to the Men’s College Cup.