By Craig Sanders
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The Arizona men's club soccer team is considered one of the favorites to advance out of the western region this weekend and compete in the nationals later this month. Coach Ron Fox leads his 19-2-1 club to Las Vegas to compete in the western regionals which started yesterday and last through Sunday.
The Wildcats face defending national champion Weber State today.
The western regional contains eight teams total, with two brackets of four teams. The teams play three games each, with the top two teams from each bracket advancing to the semifinals.
At least two of the teams will advance to the nationals with a chance for a wild card team. In Arizona's bracket are Weber State, Long Beach State and New Mexico State.
Utah State, UTEP, Northern Arizona and Brigham Young compete in the other.
Fox is looking forward to entering the regionals and said his team may have an edge on opponents.
"If we get through the regionals I think we have a good chance to compete for the national championship," he said.
"At this point any team is capable of winning," midfielder Nick Seward said. "All the teams have the talent, but they have to put it together at the right time."
The Wildcats rely on their quickness both up front and in the midfield.
"We have injuries, but we also have the ability to plug the holes," Seward said. "I think that our players will respond."
Fox believes his team must concern itself with both BYU and NAU. Arizona was defeated earlier in the season by NAU, but lost a chance to avenge itself last weekend when the Lumberjacks failed to appear for a contest.
Arizona reached the nationals three years ago, but has been eliminated in the western regionals for the past two seasons.