MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama soccer will host Jacksonville State in an exhibition match at 7 p.m. Friday at The Cage, the Jaguars’ first outing against an opponent since opening preseason training.
South Alabama, which won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament title last season, began practice this week with four days of training in Gulf Shores, a trip designed to let players and coaches focus on soccer away from campus.
Winkworth Grades the Start of Camp
Head coach Graham Winkworth said the time in Gulf Shores met the staff’s goals.
“They’re working extremely hard,” Winkworth said. “We went away and got everything we wanted achieved: we increased the intensity on our workload while we were away, we managed to train in the heat on a nice, quality field and we became closer as a team. I give us an A-grade in terms of our attitudes. From a playing standpoint, we’re at a C-plus right now and have some work to do, but we are putting the effort in and hopefully by the time we start playing games on a regular basis, we can start getting used to playing with one another.”
Twelve Newcomers
South Alabama has 12 new players on its roster, and Winkworth said Friday’s match is a chance to see the group against outside competition.
“I want to get some match fitness, but more importantly, just get us used to playing with one another,” Winkworth said. “We just met a week ago and so we’ve had to learn how I want the game played from scratch, so we’re a long way behind where we were this time last year with respect to that.”
Winkworth noted that the Jaguars carry 22 players and rarely get to train 11-on-11, making an outside opponent valuable.
“Playing against another team, who we’ve never seen before, gives us an opportunity to see us in that setting,” he said. “Along with that, we have so many new faces it will give them a chance to get their first-game fears and nerves out of the way so they’re a little more relaxed going into the UAB game next week.”
About Jacksonville State
Jacksonville State went 4-13-2 last season and 0-9-1 in the Ohio Valley Conference in head coach Neal Macdonald’s first season. The Gamecocks return eight starters and have added two transfers from Mississippi State.
South Alabama opens its regular season next week at home against UAB.
