Wisconsin's men's soccer team will square off against in-state rival UW-Milwaukee Wednesday for the 29th time in history.
Neither team has taken the upper hand in the rivalry's history, as the two have basically split their 28 meetings, with UWM holding the slight edge at 13-11-4.
Like those 28 previous matches, neither team appears to possess an outright advantage in tonight's match-up.
"Going into [the UW-Milwaukee match], we know that records and anything else doesn't matter — it's just going to be a battle no matter what," Wisconsin goalkeeper Jake Settle said during a phone interview. "[Either] team can come out on top. It's going to be close."
Despite similarities not only in their records against shared opponents but also against each other, these two teams have very different game plans. UWM runs the more offensive-minded 4-3-3, while Wisconsin opts for the spread out style of a 4-4-2.
"They're a really good team getting forward … and [they] have a pretty good reputation as far as being able to put the ball on frame," Settle said. "They can do it from anywhere, so it definitely makes [us have to be] more aware of where all their guys are because any single of them can pretty much hit the ball from pretty much anywhere.
"[Plus], they do a really good job of getting their backs involved in the game — their outside backs — and just as far as crossing and finishing goes, all their dead-ball placers are really good."
Two of UWM's talented wide players are junior midfielder Martin Castro and senior striker Dale Weiler. Castro is tied for the team-lead with two goals on just four shots and Weiler is leading the Panthers with three tallies. Not only is Weiler a strong contributor on offense, he is also a clutch player as he notched three game-winning goals a year ago.
The keys for a Wisconsin win will be to shut down Panther outside threats like Weiler, and capitalize on the fact that UWM likes to press their team forward with their 4-3-3 scheme.
"We have to be very good with our combinations and the quality of stuff that we do going forward," head coach Jeff Rohrman said in a phone interview. "I think there's space to be had because they do play a 4-3-3, so there's going to be some times where we do have the ball with some time and space. It's just a matter of what we do with the ball that's going to determine our success."
Defensively, to offset UWM's potent onslaught of sizable players, Wisconsin must make sure that they get organized at the back and take care of the ball.
"[They've] got some guys that can serve good balls, some bigger guys that can cause problems in the flow of play but also on corners and set pieces," Rohrman said. "And that's a position that we've really got to stay focused and do well in."
Since the teams are so evenly matched, yet another match decided by one goal wouldn't come as a surprise. Of Wisconsin's last 26 matches, 18 of them have ended in a difference of a single goal. Sunday's 2-1 overtime win over Michigan was no different, but this time they were on the winning end.
"A lot of times, one play, one bad break, a little unluckiness here and there can make a difference," Rohrman said. "It was nice to get a big win [against a quality team like Michigan] and finally get a bounce to go our way."
The Badgers hope they continue to have luck on their side because the team with the most luck is probably going to be the victor.
