With the largest roster in program history, the men’s soccer team got off to its worst five-game start since 2019.
Since 2021, Andrew Cumbo and the Hawks’ record stands at 20-4-2 through their first five. This season, they started 1-1-3.
Despite their early-season struggles, the Hawks are ranked 20th in the nation with nine games left in the regular season.
Head coach Andrew Cumbo attributes this rough spot on their record to a difficult early schedule, a large group of new players and injuries that have forced the team to adjust.
“We got a lot of transfer players, we’ve got a really talented team,” Cumbo said. “It’s just taking us a little bit of time to click.”
Cumbo has never had a team this big, with 34 players rostered, and has needed the bodies there with injuries.
“Initially, we definitely were having a very rough and slow start, but as with each game, we’ve just progressed, and I think right now we’ve elevated to a point where we can definitely keep beating whatever opponent matches us.” Karim Al Shargawi said.
Injuries have emphasized the team’s early-season struggles. Las Positas has lost five center backs in some capacity since the season started, destabilizing one of the most important positions on the field.
Almost every contributing member of the Hawks had found themselves on the trainer’s table in the middle of games, getting stretched out.
Kayeke Carneiro, one of the team’s captains, suffered an early-season knee injury that forced him out for the year. Carneiro decided to utilize the medical redshirt.
Walter Galindo, a freshman defenseman from Clayton Valley Charter, was expected to be a key part of the rotation, but tore his ACL after only appearing in two games.
The team’s leading scorers, forward Tristan Casella, captain Jose Valencia, key rotational players Axel Hernandez and Jesus “Chuey” Lua have been some of the players hit by the injury bug.
Nicholas Demartini, a defender on last year’s team, has also had his year shut down by knee injuries, leaving the future of his playing career uncertain.
Despite the difficult start and injuries, center back Xavier Harmon and the Hawks have tried to treat their losses as opportunities to improve rather than allowing them to affect their confidence.
“At the end of the day, it’s a learning experience,” Harmon said. “Knowing what we could have done better, what we could have done differently, and just applying that to the next game.”
That approach has also been echoed by Cumbo. Rather than focusing solely on the result, he wants his players to recognize when they have put themselves in a position to succeed.
“If they put themselves in a position to win, then that’s all that matters,” Cumbo said. “You don’t always win when you do well.”
One of the biggest advantages the Hawks have is their depth. The Hawks have had 25 different players start a game so far this season, with a multitude of lineups.
But that depth comes with its own challenge: chemistry. Communication. Knowing where each other are on the field.
“We’re closer to having some more stability in those spots,” Cumbo said.
The Hawks have grown since that rough five-game stretch at the beginning of September, winning in three of the last five, with the two other results coming via ties.
In those three wins, they have outscored opponents 16-0. Through seven games, the Hawks are 3-2-2 in conference, playing familiar faces.
For now, the focus is on getting healthy, improving communication on both sides of the ball, limiting defensive breakdowns, and building chemistry among a deep group of players.
For a large group on the cusp of finding its identity, the answers may come through a few more games of continuity on the pitch.
***
TOP PHOTO: No. 5 Jose Valencia loads up for a shot past a Foothill College defender, one that would get past the reaches of the goalkeeper. Valencia had two goals in the Hawks 6-0 win.
