The UCLA men’s soccer team took the short commute to Carson, California, to take on Chivas USA of the MLS at the Home Depot Center on Wednesday.

As a spring friendly, the game did not count toward either team’s 2010 win-loss record, but it was an important measuring stick for the Bruins as they prepare for the 2010 season, which officially starts in the fall.

The scorecard was not friendly to the Bruins on Wednesday, as they lost 5-0 to the professional outfit. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story of this game.

Despite the lopsided final score, the Bruins actually hung with Chivas for most of the day. Chivas deployed their regular starting roster, including U.S. National Team players Jonathan Bornstein and Sacha Kljestan, but the total shot tally was about even for both sides. The difference was that most of Chivas’ shots went in, while the Bruins’ did not.

Sophomore forwards Fernando Monge and Eder Arreola each had several early chances to score, but the more experienced Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy used his size and superior positioning to turn their shots away.

After averting disaster early on, Chivas were content to possess for much of the first half, forcing UCLA’s forwards and midfielders to chase the ball around. The Bruin defense, led by strong efforts by center back Cesar Morales and midfielder Ryan Hollingshead, remained stout but gave up its first goal in the 23rd minute after the goalkeeper missed a ball bouncing across his penalty area.

UCLA top assistant Eddie Soto said Chivas’ first goal seemed to deflate the Bruins, but he was pleased overall with his team’s effort.

“Other than the final score, I thought we did some good things today,” he said. “We had some chances early on, and if one or two of those shots goes in, it’s a different ballgame. Once we gave up that first goal, we lost some momentum and after that, the final score wasn’t as important. The main thing always in the spring is that we compete, and I thought we competed today.”

The second half was more fast-paced than the first, with both sides looking to the wings to counterattack rather than possess. It was a close battle in which both teams had a number of chances, but Chivas were able to put three goals away in the second half.

Soto attributed the ugly final score partially to the evolving chemistry of his squad. He talked about how difficult it is for a top collegiate program like UCLA to gain continuity on its roster, because its players are in such high demand from professional clubs.

“We have so many new players we’re still trying to work into the rotation, it will take a little time for this team to coalesce. The turnover rate on our roster is so great because we have players who leave school early to go play professionally. We have a lot of new guys, so I think we’re still coming together and developing chemistry as a team.”

Soto pointed to Amobi Okugo, the 2009 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, as an example of a top player who left a void when he moved on to the big leagues. Okugo was drafted 6th overall in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by the Philadelphia Union after only one year as a Bruin.    

Still, the future remains bright for the UCLA men. After finishing the 2009 season ranked #5 in the country by the NSCAA, the Bruins landed six players from TopDrawerSoccer.com’s National Top 100 list (leading all schools), including Earl Edwards, Kelyn Rowe, Joseph Sofia Jr. and Patrick Matchett.

While there will likely be plenty of spots for UCLA’s coaching staff to fill for the 2010 roster, these blue-chip freshmen will make their job much easier.

All things considered, the Bruins are still on track to compete for another national title this fall. If that happens, a loss in March to a professional team won’t look so bad at all.

UCLA Starting Lineup by Position:

GOALKEEPER: Brian Rowe (South Eugene HS; Eugene, OR)

DEFENDERS (3): Cesar Morales (St. Charles East HS; St. Charles, IL), Chris Cummings (Crespi HS; Chatsworth, CA), Zack Zerrenner (Santa Barbara HS; Santa Barbara, CA)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Ryan Hollingshead (Granite Bay HS; Granite Bay, CA), Chandler Hoffman (Oak Mountain HS; Birmingham, AL), Oscar Reyes (Saddleback HS; Santa Ana, CA), Shawn Singh (Garces Memorial HS; Bakersfield, CA), Michael Roman (Rio Mesa HS; Oxnard, CA)

FORWARDS (2): Fernando Monge (Eastside Catholic HS; Seattle, WA), Eder Arreola (Edison Academic Center; Chino Hills, CA)