USL Orange County SC

Confident Blues Add Arvizu Ahead of Road Swing

Published on July 26, 2012 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Orange County SC News Release


FULLERTON, Calif. - In early July, the Blues found themselves at the low point of their season, as a grueling schedule of five games in eleven days, including three on the East Coast, made for exhausted legs and minds and a five-game losing streak that culminated in a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of defending USL PRO champions Orlando City. Less than three weeks and a sweeping roster overhaul later, the coaching staff appears to have re-instilled a confident mentality into the Fullerton-based side, which hits the road for a three-game road trip Thursday.

The Blues look to build on recent back-to-back wins over Antigua Barracuda FC and a draw with Guatemalan record champions CSD Municipal when they take on hosts Rochester Rhinos and Harrisburg City this coming Friday and Saturday, respectively, followed by a meeting with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Tuesday.

"Overall, I would say that we're just a better group now than we were during our last road trip," Associate Head Coach Shayon Jalayer offered. "In addition to bringing in several quality players, we've finally had a good opportunity to recover and regenerate from that tough stretch of games, which means the guys are now eager for a trip like this.

"When you have too many of these back-to-back road matches in a very short amount of time, the tendency can be apprehension and anxiety, and that put us in a much tougher spot last time around. At this point, there is a very good mentality about the team and the guys seem to really be embracing the task at hand."

Having already added goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski and former Blues defender Josh Suggs following his stint with the San Jose Earthquakes, as well as center back Andrew Jean-Baptiste and striker Max Griffin on loan from the Portland Timbers and Orlando City, respectively, the Blues signed another player this week, just in time for the three-game road swing.

After spending the 2012 NPSL season with the Blues' crosstown neighbors, the Fullerton Rangers, attacker David Arvizu is making the jump to the professional ranks by joining the USL PRO side. The transition should be a manageable one for the 24-year-old, as he was once a highly touted prospect with the U.S. U-20 national team who spent time with MLS sides New York Red Bulls and Chivas USA as well as with Mexico 's Club L�on.

Having to make a quick decision on whether to sign Arvizu, the Blues coaches gave him a full half of playing time in Sunday's meeting with Municipal, and they liked what they saw enough to not only sign the skillful attacker but to instantly include him on the 18-man traveling roster for the upcoming road fixtures.

"David is a technical player who gives us another viable attacking option," Jalayer said. "The reason we chose to take him on the trip is that on the road and against quality opponents, we expect very tight games that will require us to keep possession and control the tempo to avoid giving any momentum to the other teams. The fact that David is responsible with the ball makes him very valuable in those situations, but conversely he also has the ability to break loose and gives us an opportunity to score goals.

"The bottom line is that everybody who is traveling has to understand that they'll probably be called upon and that they have to make an impact. That certainly applies to David as well. "

California native Arvizu is excited to be back in the professional game and confident that he can become a vital member of his new squad, which features a diverse mix of international players, rising local products and players with MLS experience.

"I'm very happy about this opportunity given to me by the Blues," the USL PRO side's newest member remarked. "Luckily I already know some of the guys here, because they're from the area and I'm from Santa Ana myself. That means I'm familiar with the way they play, which is helping me adapt to the team very quickly.

"It definitely also helps that I've played at this level before and that it's nothing new for me. Obviously I still have to get used to playing with some of the guys I don't know, but I feel like the first game against Municipal was crucial in getting me ready for an actual league game, just because it got me more of a feel for how this team plays together. At the same time, I think it also helped my teammates learn about my style of play."

The chemistry between Arvizu and his new attacking partners may undergo a first serious test in Friday's clash with traditional league power Rochester Rhinos, whose roster features numerous players with MLS experience, including team captain and ex-L.A. Galaxy man Troy Roberts, former Colorado Rapids man Danny Earls and Quavas Kirk, who has seen topflight action with both the Galaxy and D.C. United.

The Rhinos defense is led by veteran of the German first and second divisions as well as of the Norwegian topflight, Kristian Nicht, whose 0.833 goals against average in 2012 ranks third among USL PRO goalkeepers with two or more starts. Meanwhile, Head Coach Jesse Myers's attack is led by former Colorado Rapids and Scottish Premier League striker Tam McManus and by the team's point leaders, J.C. Banks and Andrew Hoxie, each of whom has tallied five times, with Banks also adding eight assists on the campaign.

The Blues are quite familiar with Friday's opponents, having dropped the opening two matches of 2012 to the Rhinos. While the pair of home fixtures saw the Fullerton-based side play McManus and Co. to even affairs, the lack of chemistry following a drastic roster overhaul during the offseason showed in key situations both defensively and offensively.

Now facing Rochester away from home, Jalayer is optimistic that his squad will be able to earn a positive result behind the chemistry developed over the course of the season as well as an adapted road strategy.

"I felt that we played pretty well in the first two games against the Rhinos but just didn't do enough to grab the results," the Blues Associate Head Coach analyzed. "Conversely, I think we've struggled on the road because too many times we've gone out with a mindset of having to win the game. I believe we need to be more assertive in the key plays this time around while generally taking a more conservative approach, where we stay organized and then make adjustments according to how the game plays out.

"It's crucial that we keep the ball and take the opportunities that we do create. At the end of the match, if it looks like we can get a draw, we need to play for a draw. I think the players' must-win mentality of the past has only made us overly aggressive and added anxiety as we were already having to cope with playing so many road games in such a short span of time."

The situation will be similar this time around, with Jalayer's side having to travel to Harrisburg the day immediately following the Rochester match for their clash with the City Islanders. What Harrisburg lacks in big names, it more than makes up for in team unity and the players' pride in their badge, two qualities that saw Head Coach Bill Becher's side oust the Blues from the 2011 playoffs and go on to reach the USL PRO Championship match, where they fell to mighty Orlando City on penalty kicks.

Newly signed Blues attacker Arvizu is eager to take the field against both the Rhinos and the City Islanders, as well as against Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

"It's exciting to be part of the traveling roster right off the bat and have the chance to show the guys what I can do," he said. "I especially look forward to playing Rochester . With them being one of the league's best teams over the years, I expect that to be a really good game. It would be tremendous if we could pick up three points there. If we do, I'm sure that would only add to our confidence and put us in a great position to get two more good results during this road trip."

While welcoming Arvizu's optimism, Jalayer concluded his preview of the three-game road swing by reiterating his emphasis on a balanced approach.

"Of course you want to win every time you take the field. But at this level, sometimes there needs to be an understanding that, 'Hey, this is a good result for us today. Let's walk off the field with a point.' So we'll be taking a more defensively responsible approach while still trying to play positive soccer and attack when it makes sense."

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 26, 2012


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