The Stanford men’s soccer team opened the season hoping to justify a No. 14 ranking from the National Soccer Coaches Association. Four games into the season, the Cardinal has already tumbled out of the rankings with four straight defeats. Of the four games, just one was against a ranked opponent—No. 10 Harvard.

In the home opener on Saturday at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium, the Cardinal fell 2-1 to a surprising UNLV squad in overtime. In the second game of the weekend’s Cal Legacy Classic on Sunday, Sacramento State scored a game-winning goal with 18 seconds remaining. This has been a trend for the Card, as all four losses have come by one goal.

After graduating just four starters, and with a large incoming class bringing plenty of new talent to the Farm, the Cardinal was picked to finish second behind UCLA in the Pac-10. Senior defender/midfielder Bobby Warshaw, arguably the team’s strongest player, has been named to almost every preseason All-America team as well as the preseason watch list for the MAC Hermann Trophy, given to the best collegiate player in the country.

With 19 returning players, the Cardinal appears to be very talented, but the team has not been able to break through.

Throughout the game against UNLV, Stanford seemed confused and unaware. The Card seemed more skillful on the ball than its opponents, but was consistently done in by turnovers at inopportune moments. The initial 1-0 deficit was the result of a Stanford corner kick that was cleared away in the 35th minute, and which led to a quick UNLV counterattack. With the defenders on their heels, UNLV strung a few short passes together, and redshirt freshman goalie Jason Dodson was helpless at close range.

An equalizing goal from junior Taylor Amman off a shot from junior Garrett Gunther gave life to the home team and several hundred fans in the stands, but another effective UNLV counterattack eight minutes into overtime left several players lying dejectedly on their backs in the afternoon sun.

Warshaw, for one, proved to be every bit the captain that head coach Bret Simon hoped he would be, barking out commands and consistently winning and distributing the ball. The organization among the defending quartet of seniors Cameron Lamming, Ryan Thomas and Warshaw alongside junior Tommy Ryan was also generally sound.

But there was an evident and critical lack of fluidity between the fullbacks and the attack. Stanford forwards were often left standing flatfooted when they didn’t have the ball.

In the Sunday nightcap against Sacramento State, both teams picked up the tempo, and it appeared as though Stanford would break through several times, including a driven shot from Warshaw just outside the 18-yard box that was tipped away at the last second.

The second half brought more of the same energy, as the Cardinal continued to play with a confidence and poise that was often lacking against UNLV. The team forced 10 corner kicks overall, and the game seemed again destined for overtime when Sacramento State played a quick through ball which forward Chris Bettencourt hammered past a sprawling Dodson with 18 seconds to go.

The most recent loss brought back memories of the season opener at Vermont, when a 1-0 lead evaporated in the second half and a golden goal six minutes into overtime proved the dagger. Against Harvard and surrounded by a raucous crowd of over 3,000, the Cardinal actually battled back from an early goal to outplay its opponents, only to see a quick strike in the 80th minute again dash the team’s hopes.

Perhaps lost amidst the team’s heartbreaking finishes have been the excellent contributions from several key players. Sophomores Adam Jahn and Dersu Abolfathi have both showed why they came to the Farm as two of the top recruits in the country. Jahn is tied with Warshaw for the team lead in goals, and Abolfathi has started in three of the four matches at midfield, showing great creativity and creating numerous scoring chances. Freshman JJ Koval has also featured heavily, starting in the midfield for all four matches.

Stanford’s next match is on Thursday at San Francisco. The Card will return home to face Santa Clara on Sunday.