SB Nation • 15 min read

Preview: Wake Forest Men’s Soccer Takes On Cal

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-3-3, 0-3-1 ACC) will look to get their season back on track this evening against the Cal Golden Bears (4-5-2, 1-3-1 ACC) in Berkeley, CA. Going into this game, the Deacs

are on a 3 game losing streak in conference play, with defeats to #8 UVA, Clemson, and, most recently, a 2-0 loss at home to #1 Stanford. Over those three defeats, they have been outscored by a combined 12-6 margin. The Golden Bears are also on a 3 game skid in conference, as, after opening ACC play with a 2-0 win at Boston College and a 1-1 draw with #7 Duke in Berkeley, they’ve lost to Clemson, Syracuse, and #25 SMU by a combined 9-1 score and have been shut out in their last two ACC games, with the most recent being a 4-0 demolition last Friday in Dallas against SMU. Both teams are desperate to get their seasons back on track, especially the Deacs, who, after being ranked #1 less than a month ago, are still without a win in conference play. A loss for either side would be a near fatal blow to their tournament hopes, so this should be a hotly contested match between two desperate sides.

Opponent History

Much like the Deacs’ most recent opponents Stanford, the Golden Bears are a very old program, as they were originally founded in 1906 in the pre NCAA era of college soccer. After the NCAA held its first national soccer tournament in 1959, Cal became one of the first 13 programs to qualify for the NCAA tournament, appearing in the 8-team tourney in 1960, losing to eventual champions Saint Louis in the first round. For most of their history after then, Cal have been pedestrian program, winning 2 conference titles and qualifying for the NCAA tournament 6 times, never winning a single game, until 2000 when they appointed Kevin Grimes. Grimes took Cal to a new stratosphere, qualifying for the NCAA tournament 13 times, winning 3 PAC-10 titles, and twice making the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament, something they had only managed previously in that 1960 8-team tournament. Grimes accumulated a record of 211-152-49 in his tenure at Cal, but, after missing the national tournament in 2020 and 2021, Grimes made the decision to retire from coaching, and his position was filled by former Grand Canyon and San Francisco coach, and a former Grimes assistant, Leonard Griffin. Under Griffin, Cal has returned to being a pedestrian side. In his tenure so far, he holds a 22-27-15 record, and, since the program’s move to the ACC, he holds a 3-7-3 conference record, although they did go on a run all the way to the ACC semifinals last year, where they were defeated by Clemson, who then lost to Wake in the final. Despite this being the first ACC meeting between these two teams, Wake has faced Griffin’s Cal side before, playing to a 1-1 draw in Winston in the 2023 season. Overall, this game will be the 5th meeting between the two sides, and the Golden Bears hold a 2-1-1 record against the Deacs, with the sole Wake victory coming in 1993.

Tactics and Breakdown

The Golden Bears will typically line up in a 3-5-2 formation with an attacking midfielder and two defensive midfielders behind. Against the ball, they drop into more of a mid block with those two defensive midfielders shielding those three center backs and the two wingbacks dropping a bit deeper. They press modestly with their forward players, but it is not as aggressive of a style as Wake has seen and struggled with the last couple of games against Clemson and Stanford. That said, Cal are still a physical team, sitting 3rd in the ACC in fouls committed. With the ball, they are possession focused, looking to progress the ball up to their forwards quickly through the middle of the field. They can be patient and pragmatic as well, but they are at their best playing quick and getting the ball into their forwards’ feet while the defense is out of shape, as playing with their back to goal is something that their forward players excel at. They are not averse to playing long balls ahead into space, but they largely try to keep the ball on the ground, except when they can get the ball into wide areas and put a cross in. They have a lot of height to their team, so they do emphasize set piece opportunities, putting long throw ins into the area, and sitting 12th in the nation in corners taken. This is something that Wake has struggled with under Bobby Muuss, so it sill be a big point of emphasis in this game.

With all of that being said, this is a Cal team that has struggled mightily in all facets this season. They sit second to last in the ACC in goals scored with 12, last in the conference in goals allowed average with 1.6 per game, and 200th in the nation out of 210 in save percentage, with the goalkeeper position having been a particular weakness. They have only managed 3 goals in their previous 5 games and have only scored multiple goals in a game twice this season. They have also allowed 10 goals in their previous 5, with the sole shutout in that span coming against UNC Asheville. They give opposing teams a lot of space to operate in the wide areas and at the top of the box, and they have also certainly had some issues tracking runners in the area. For a Wake team that has scored 16 goals in their last 5, the Deacs are a very daunting proposition for the Golden Bears. With that said, though, this could also be an opportunity for the Golden Bears’ attack to get back on track, as the Deacs have surrendered 15 goals in their last 5 games. While this is certainly an opportunity for the Deacs, this type of physical, defensive minded team is one that has given them trouble in the past, and the Golden Bears have been no walkover this year, especially in conference.

Players to Watch

On the Cal side, their main danger man is UC Riverside transfer forward Luka Lukic. Lukic is a big, physical striker who thrives with his back to goal and can dictate the game with his hold up play. He leads the way for the Golden Bears in points and goals this season with 5 goals and an assist to his name, largely due to his strong ball striking and instincts in the area. He has struggled of late, as he has been held scoreless in his last 5 games, but, if this Cal team is going to trouble this struggling Wake backline, he is going to be at the center of any danger they create. I would also keep an eye on center back Beau Morrison. You can take your pick of the Cal defenders to focus on with the poor form they have been in, but Beau has become somewhat of a leader of this back three, and is the only center back to start all 11 games. Against a surging Wake attack, he will have to step up in a big way to keep the Deacs off the scoresheet. Morrison could also affect the game in the other box, as, with this Wake team lacking some height and traditionally struggling on set plays, Morrison could find himself on the scoresheet himself as a big target in the penalty area.

For the Deacs, I would keep an eye on striker Ethan Subachan. The center forward position has been wide open this season for Wake, with no player really earning the full time starting spot. Subachan is an experienced ACC player, transferring to Wake this past offseason after 2 years and 35 appearances at Louisville. This season, he has made 10 appearances, netting twice and adding an assist to his ledger. Against a weak defensive unit, particularly one that really struggles tracking runners, a heady, experienced, and physical forward like Subachan could finally break through and take that starting spot. Goalkeeper Jonah Mednard is also one to watch today. After a strong performance against #1 Stanford last week, Mednard looks to be back in good form, and he will have a critical role in this game. Against a team that emphasizes set pieces as a weapon offensively, Mednard will have to show some command of his area and claim those crosses into the box. Despite Cal’s struggles putting the ball into the back of the net, they have certainly created some chances, so Mednard will have to stay sharp and continue his good form to get Wake the three points today.