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It's a big weekend for Fusion
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More from SoccerIt's lining up like a make-or-break weekend for the Ventura County Fusion men's soccer team.
Midway through its 16-game league schedule, the Fusion (3-3-2) sits in seventh place in the Premier Development League's 10-team Southwestern Division with 11 points and a match in hand on most of its competition.
That card will be played this weekend, when the Fusion could use six points over tonight's home match against the fifth-place San Jose Frogs at Newbury Park High and Saturday's trip to the first-place Fresno Fuego.
"We have to win," said head coach Graham Smith.
The Fusion spent Monday's training session simulating the Frogs' quick counter attack.
"They're very effective," said Smith.
But the key points may on the road. The Fusion will enter Saturday 0-3 on the road after last weekend's 2-0 loss at Bakersfield.
"We've had a good meeting, (discussing) why we go on the road and drop our tempo," said Smith. "We are a better team than last year. But we've let ourselves down when we go away from home."
That must be fixed if the team going to stay in the postseason race.
"Other teams do it," said Smith when asked about winning on the road. "We have to do it as well. That's the league."
The other question lies up front.
The Fusion has conceded just seven goals, the second best figure in the division. It is only bettered by Los Angeles Legends' four goals allowed.
But the Fusion has only scored eight goals. Only two teams in the division, the Southern California Seahorses and the Lancaster Rattlers, have had less of an offensive punch and they sit rooted to the bottom of the standings with a combined 1-1 record.
Newcomers like striker Artur Aghasyan and winger Brian Byrne has injected some tenaciousness. Wingers Gabriel Farfan and Michael Farfan have plenty of skill. But the end result has yet to develop into a bumper crop.
"We're still looking for that settled combination," said Smith.
The Fusion women's team (1-4-1) travel to Colorado this weekend for matches against the Fort Collins Force Saturday and the Real Colorado Cougars on Monday.
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