Down 1-0 in its season opener to Notre Dame, the Michigan men’s soccer team found itself struggling to control the ball. After forcing the long ball and playing from the flanks, junior defender Will Baker found graduate forward Shuma Sasaki for the equalizer.

From the pinpoint accuracy of Baker’s long ball to Sasaki’s pace, with timing and precise finishing, it was a perfectly executed move. But the Wolverines (0-0-1) couldn’t establish a consistent offensive presence as difficulty establishing possession turned a winnable game into a 1-1 draw with the Fighting Irish (0-0-1).

“To start the game, we struggled a little bit with our pressure centrally,” Michigan coach Chaka Daley said. “We played one in front of the other, and then (Notre Dame) played big passes centrally into the number ‘9

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