In practice leading up to the Maryland men’s soccer team’s game against Ohio State on Friday night, the Terps’ forwards worked on their chemistry.
Gordon Wild and Sebastian Elney, Maryland’s starting forwards, didn’t have a strong relationship when Wild joined the Terps from South Carolina Upstate this summer, but it’s improved over time.
Their training paid off against the Buckeyes, as coach Sasho Cirovski said the pair looked better than it had all season. Elney assisted on Wild’s goal, and later on, Elney scored his second goal of the season in No. 1 Maryland’s 2-0 victory.
The duo will look to build on the performance when the Terps (9-0-2) play West Virginia (6-3-1) in Morgantown on Monday night.
“I talked to Sebastian and Gordon right before the game about their relationship and space distributions,” Cirovski said. “It was good to see them play at that level. Hopefully they can sustain that for longer periods of time.”
Over the summer, Wild and Elney stayed after practice to take shots and pass the ball together. Elney said he and Wild’s rapport has developed on and off the field since.
Last season, Elney starred for the Terps on attack, leading the team with seven goals. This year, however, Wild leads the Big Ten with 10 goals. Elney said his confidence hasn’t faltered since Wild has taken over the spotlight. He just wants to win.
Elney and Wild’s spacing up top hasn’t always been what Cirovski hoped for, though, and at times, he’s moved other players to different positions to open up space in the attack. The veteran coach said he’s analyzed the best ways to fix the issue.
“Sometimes you just have to go through moments, review, take a look and figure it out,” Cirovski said. “But [Friday,] at all times, they knew where the other player was. They managed the space up front really well. They got rewarded.”
In the 13th minute against Ohio State, Elney and Wild’s cohesion shined. Midfielder Jake Rozhansky passed to Elney, who back-touched the ball to Wild as the German sprinted toward the box. Wild took two dribbles toward the center and scored.
Their improved spacing also helped Elney score in the 19th minute. After the ball bounced between a group of players in the box, it rolled to Elney, who was open at the top. The Boca Raton, Florida, native struck the ball into the back of the net for his first goal since Aug. 29.
“Every day it gets better and better,” Elney said. “We balance off each other. It’s kind of competitive in a good way.”
By practicing against each other, Elney said he and Wild have improved. They share shooting and passing strategies.
As Wild and Elney’s relationship continues to improve, goalkeeper Cody Niedermeier said the Terps’ attack, which entered Friday tied for the second most points per game in the country, will become even more dangerous.
“We’re here all summer, working out, playing pick-up with each other, trying to build that chemistry that can really show in the games,” Niedermeier said. “We’re starting to see it blossom. In the home stretch, I’d love to see it get better and better.”
