Marshall Soccer Continues Rebuilding Process with 1-0 Win Over Fairfax

Hotaka Shiomi struck in the 56th minute with a shot from the top of the box that curved and deflected off a Fairfax defender into the bottom left corner of the goal to give Marshall a 1-0 victory on Wednesday. The win is the second of the year for the Statesmen, one more than they claimed over the past two seasons combined.

Neither team was able to mount much of a sustained offensive, and the Statesmen finally were able to strike as the Rebels increased their attack in the second half, leaving nearly their entire half of the pitch open. The only thing that was consistent throughout the game was the rain, which had fallen steadily for about two hours before kickoff and reached its climax just before halftime.

"We don't really play that fast so with a possession team like the way we like to play, [the rain] definitely hurt us," Marshall Coach William Bak said. "On a dry field, the game might turn a little different."

Basheer Al-Khakan performed wonderfully in goal for Marshall, especially considering the conditions. He slowed down a hard shot from Yohan Cho just enough that he was able to scramble back to fall on it before it trickled into the goal in 27th minute, and made a diving save on a Fairfax corner kick in the 46th minute.

The Statesmen had been unlucky  just minutes before Shiomi's tally, as Dylan Goodale found himself in a one-on-one with Fairfax keeper Andy Lopez after Sam Scholl misplayed a clear at midfield. Goodale passed on a seemingly quality attempt at a shot, and Lopez came out to cut off any angle. It wasn't the first time that Goodale had hesitated just long enough to disrupt an opportunity.

"He's nursing a bad heel, so he ended up pulling back a couple of times instead of going through," Bak said.

Al-Khakan's play effectively shut down an otherwise decent looking attack from the Rebels, who were held scoreless for the fourth straight time and fifth in six games this year. Michael Rice put a free kick from 25 yards just inches over the crossbar in the 27th minute, and Chris Figueroa's hard strike in the 50th minute was right to the body of Al-Khakan.

While the Rebels are struggling mightily after not losing in their first five games of last season, the Statesmen are on quite a different track. Marshall was 1-21-1 in 2009 and 2010 after a trip to the Liberty District final in 2008. While only Goodale and Julian Smith remain from that squad, Bak believes an attitude of winning is not forgotten.

"It was a good result for us, but it's been a tough season and a tough couple of seasons at Marshall," he said. "It's rebuilding, and the guys are in the right direction."