Futbol Friday presented by Sun Valley Landscaping: Creighton Men’s Soccer vs. Stanford Cardinal

Creighton opens the 2014 regular season this Friday, August 29, against the preseason No. 21 Stanford Cardinal. The Jays begin the season unranked, which might be right where Creighton wants to be.

Last season the Jays entered the season with a huge target on their backs. The Jays joined the new Big East with higher expectations than ever. Elmar Bolowich’s squad enjoyed early success, even topping the RPI after a few matches. However key injuries, lack of squad depth, and a grueling travel schedule left the Jays battered and weary by the end of the season.

This year, despite returning a majority of their key players and after greatly improving the roster, Creighton seems to be off the national radar, which is not an issue for the Jays legendary coach.

“I don’t really look at rankings. I try to focus on the rankings at the end of a season,” Bolowich told WBR last week at media day.

While the Jays might not be focusing too closely on preseason rankings, it is clear they are aware of just how dangerous the Stanford Cardinal are, who many believe are under-ranked at No. 21.

The Cardinal return three of their top five returning point-men including leading scorer and All-Pac 12 First Team member Zach Batteer. The 6-foot striker will lead the Cardinal into Morrison Stadium as a senior and with lots to prove. Batteer’s been a 3-year starter for Stanford, which is all the more impressive as he survived a coaching change mid-way through his college career.

Batteer, and the rest of the senior class, were recruited to Stanford by former Jays head coach Bret Simon. Following a few down years Simon was let go by the Cardinal in 2011. Stanford quickly snapped up young UNC-Charlotte upstart coach Jeremy Gunn, who was fresh off leading the 49ers to a College Cup final game, after defeating the Creighton Bluejays in the College Cup semifinal in Birmingham, Alabama. You can bet your bottom dollar Bolowich, Johnny Torres, and Justin Hughes have not forgotten. Hell, I have not.

While Batteer might bang home the goals, there is no doubt who the real danger man for Stanford is. Pacy winger Jordan Morris, is THE MOST exciting player in college soccer. In 2012 Morrison Stadium welcomed THE MOST exciting player in college soccer, Akron wide player and Seattle Sounders Academy product DeAndre Yedlin. Yedlin, of course, went on the star for the U.S. Men’s National Team in the World Cup, and is now owned by English Premier League’s Tottenham Hotspur.

Morris, who was also developed in the Seattle Sounders Academy, is seen by many to be a good bet to make the U.S. World Cup roster in 2018. Morris blends tremendous pace with an athletic build, much like Yedlin. At 5-foot-11, 185 lbs., Morris already possess a man’s body and has an extremely good right foot.

Prior to his arrival, Morris was blowing up with the Sounders Academy in USSDA play. He was scoring more than a goal a game and was offered a professional contract by the Sounders. It was believed that Morris’ father, the Sounders Chief Medical Director & Team Orthopedic Surgeon, was instrumental in getting Morris to Palo Alto.

Morris spent the summer prior to Stanford climbing up the U.S. youth national team radar, nearly making the 2013 U.S. U20 World Cup roster despite being a year younger than the rest of the players. This summer the U.S. Men’s National Team used Stanford’s facilities for a team training camp prior to leaving for Brazil. Morris was invited to join the camp as a guest player and was utilized in multiple scrimmages by the U.S. staff, even setting up Clint Dempsey for a goal in one of the U.S. camp matches against a MLS reserve side.

UPDATE :: Jordan Morris added to the US Men’s National Team roster vs. Czech Republic

Containing Morris is going to be paramount for the Jays if they plan to keep the high-flying Cardinal attack at bay. With Morris likely deployed on the right side of the attack it will likely be up to Creighton senior leader Jose Ribas to slow down the talented American starlet. Ribas, who played this summer with Portland Timbers, could be the perfect antidote to help slow Morris. This could be the first of many Ribas (Portland)-Morris (Seattle) battles. Ultimately, it will be an entire team’s effort to keep Batteer and Morris out of the net.

The Jays will also be looking to junior net-minder Connor Sparrow to keep Stanford scoreless. It looks unlikely that Creighton senior leader Alex Bolowich will be back in time for the match. Sparrow will be given the nod against the Cardinal should Bolowich not be healthy. Sparrow was excellent in commanding his back four against Wisconsin. Only a penalty kick and wonder-goal beat Sparrow on that day.

Going forward the Jays will look to keep the momentum of their 4-goal game against Wisconsin moving forward. The Jays attack looked as sharp as I’ve seen it in three years and with the depth they have moving forward it now becomes a case of finding which players can build chemistry together in the final third. Stanford graduated its starting goalkeeper from 2013, yet Gunn and the Cardinal do return three members of their starting back four.

Creighton’s attack will feature a rotation of Christian Blandon, Sean Kim, Fabian Herbers, Ricky Lopez-Espin, and Zabarle Kollie, with midfielders Timo Pitter and Ricky Perez providing the service.

Following his two goal performance, many Creighton fans are eagerly anticipating just what freshman sensation Lopez-Espin will do next at Morrison. Lopez-Espin told WBR that he is aware of just how good some of the players on Stanford are. He and fellow freshman Lucas Stauffer played many of the Stanford stars in the USSDA. Lopez-Espin joined Morris and Stanford freshman Corey Baird at U.S. youth team camps.

Also key for the Jays will be who they play in the middle of the pitch. The Jays rotated David Abidor, Mike Paye, and Fernando Castellanos as the lone defensive midfield in their 4-2 win against Wisconsin. The lone defensive mid will be crucial in breaking up Cardinal attack before they really gain legs.

Most importantly for the Jays is crowd support. Stanford opens the year as one of the title favorites in the wildly competitive Pac 12. A Jays win will go a long way in terms of their resume. This will be the first weekend on campus for all students, and we expect a large student section  led by the Jays Army. Creighton will also be hosting a Getting Blue event before the game from 4:30-7:00 p.m. (cost is $8 for adults, $4 for kids).

There is really no excuse for you to miss this match if you’re a Creighton fan. Come see the new-look Jays and their offensive formation. Come see the future of the U.S. Men’s National Team in Jordan Morris, Corey Baird, and Ricky Lopez-Espin. And come get Blue for the Jays and join all the students in making this one of the best nights of the year for Creighton University.