Ospina: Lots of work ahead for men's soccer

Having played on a couple of state and national championship teams in high school and a national runner-up team in junior college, Wayland Baptist men's soccer coach Cristhian Ospina is used to winning and being a part of solid soccer programs. That's one reason why the preseason can be a bit trying for Ospina, especially as a young coach in charge of a team with lots of growing to do.
 
Ospina came away from Thursday night's scrimmage against West Texas A&M less than satisfied with the Pioneers as they prepare to officially kick off their season this weekend.
 
"We definitely have to improve in every aspect of the game," Ospina said. "The scrimmage was good in that it gives us a heads-up as to where we need to improve.
 
"We'll learn from that and get ready for the next one. We have to work really hard to get where we want to be."
 
The season gets under way at 2 p.m. Sunday in Austin where the Pioneers take on Huston-Tillotson, after the WBU women play at noon. The Rams will have already have two matches under their belt before taking on Wayland, having defeated Mary Hardin-Baylor on Aug. 22, 1-0, and taking on the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley on Aug. 28.
 
The Pioneers make their home debut at 7 p.m. Tuesday against McMurry before heading to Victoria for a couple of matches Sept. 4 and 6 against Houston Victoria and the University of St. Thomas, which received Top 25 preseason votes.
 
Ospina said next weekend's mini-tournament in Victoria will be telling for his team.
 
"That tournament is really important. Playing ranked teams will help us with our RPI (Rating Percentage Index) and let us know where we stand nationally," Ospina said.
 
Ultimately, Ospina looks to put the Pioneers into position to compete for the championships he grew accustomed to winning, first at the conference level and then nationally.
 
With a team that graduated several key players to graduation – including John Ramses-Thomas who was goalkeeper the last four seasons and leading scorer David Neuberth – along with trying to get a couple of players eligible, Ospina said the Pioneers have a long way to go, which is typical for most teams this time of the season.
 
Looking at Thursday's scrimmage, Ospina said he came away with a good grip on where the Pioneers need to concentrate.
 
"It let us know where we stand, which definitely helps us. It also humbles the guys a little bit and they realize we're not as good as maybe we thought we were," he said. "I wish we had more matches like this. Next year I plan on scheduling more."
 
Ospina said many of his concerns involved conditioning as the Pioneers – especially the newcomers – work to get into playing shape.
 
"The level is a lot higher than where they were before," the coach said, adding, "Some of the recruits are not where we want them to be yet."
 
Ospina did have high praise for freshman forward Emmanuel Emmas of the Netherlands, along with junior midfielder Abel Yemane.
 
"We had a couple of players that stepped up," Ospina said. "Some surprised us."
 
Another aspect of Wayland's growth will revolve around team chemistry.
 
"We're mostly a new team and don't have that chemistry. We're not playing as a team yet," he said.
 
Ospina knows that will come with time, hopefully before the start of Sooner Athletic Conference play. That gets going Sept. 9 in Chickasha, Okla., where Wayland takes on the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. At No. 18, the Drovers – which last year finished a half-game behind Oklahoma City in the conference before winning the SAC Tournament and advancing to the national tournament final site – are the SAC's lone team receiving Top 25 preseason votes.
 
"I just hope we peak at the right time, when we're getting to conference," Ospina said.
 
The Pioneers are keeping their fingers crossed a couple of key players will become eligible soon, including a top defender.
 
In the meantime, Ospina said, the Pioneers must keep their focus on improving every day.
 
"We just have to work really hard."