Freshman Abu Danladi flashes star potential in win over Oregon State
After battling injuries earlier in the season, Abu Danladi (left) finally gave the Bruin fans a glimpse of what the highly touted recruit would be able to bring to UCLA. Danladi’s showcase was put to an untimely stop, however, as the forward was sidelined for the rest of the game by a left-hamstring injury after scoring his second goal in the 39th minute. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Matt Joye
Oct. 20, 2014 5:58 a.m.
What looked like the breakthrough performance for UCLA men’s soccer’s most prized recruit was cut short before the spotlight got warm on Sunday night.
Abu Danladi – the Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year in 2013 – was limited in the first 12 games of the season, battling incessant lower-body injuries that kept him off the field and prevented him from revealing his full potential.
On Sunday night, in his second home start as a Bruin, Danladi finally looked as if he was back, scoring two goals in UCLA’s 3-0 win over Oregon State. But just as he sprinted ahead of OSU defenders and dissected the Beaver defense for his second goal in the 39th minute, the freshman forward briefly collapsed to the grass.
Danladi’s lower body – which had battled injuries over the past month – took a hit just as he kicked the ball that gave UCLA its 2-0 lead. He fell to the ground after the contact from the OSU defender and briefly got up after the ball went through the net, only to signal to his bench for a substitution and then fall back to the ground again, hands over his face.
“I put pressure on one hamstring, and I was using my left hamstring because my right one was hurting before,” Danladi said. “(The injury) just happened when I hit the ball.”
Danladi’s entire team quickly rushed over to check on its freshman forward. Danladi gave a high-five to sophomore midfielder Brian Iloski but didn’t play on. After a few moments, Danladi walked gingerly off the field with the trainer and UCLA coach Jorge Salcedo.
“I was just telling (Danladi) ‘good finish’ (and) making sure he was OK,” Iloski said. “We always look after our teammates.”
The injury was the lone blemish on an otherwise excellent night for Danladi and the Bruins. With the freshman forward on the pitch, UCLA was able to stretch the field on fast breaks, turning long downfield passes from defenders into goal-scoring opportunities in the blink of an eye.
“(Danladi and freshman forward Seyi Adekoya are) two of the most athletic forwards in our conference, if not in the country,” Salcedo said. “And so we do train where we try and exploit spacing behind because of their pace.”
With Adekoya sidelined after receiving a red card in the team’s previous game against Washington, the stage was set for Danladi. And in the 30th minute, freshman defender Chase Gasper lobbed the ball downfield – a high delivery which traveled about 30 yards – intended for Danladi.
Like a wide receiver closing in on an over-the-shoulder catch, Danladi bolted past three other sprinting OSU defenders and met Gasper’s high-arching pass in stride. He only had the safety – or in this case, the OSU goalie – to beat, and did just that, dribbling around him and advancing forward for the empty-net goal.
“(Transition play is) more like my style of play. And I like it better when defenders are all the way up and I get space and I kind of exploit it,” Danladi said. “That’s where I think I’m my strongest as a soccer player. And when I see opportunities like that, I take advantage of it.”
The Bruins hope to take advantage of it too – if Danladi is healthy. The severity of the hamstring injury he sustained against OSU is unknown, but what’s clear is that when Danladi is on the field, the Bruins’ offense is a force to be reckoned with. In the six games that Danladi has played in this year, the Bruins have averaged 1.8 goals. In games without Danladi on the pitch, the Bruins have averaged 1.1 goals.
“It took us a while to try and get Abu healthy, so he makes a big impact in the group,” Salcedo said. “He labored a little bit throughout the game and obviously scored two goals (on) two really good individual plays.”
