Crimson Booters Meet Yale in Soccer Today

Harvard's soccer field will be the site of a classic confrontation this afternoon: Yale's bombers versus the conventional land forces of Harvard.

Hubert Vogelsinger, the Elis' rookie coaching ringer from Austria, deploys 8/11ths of his forces around the home goal and leaves the attack to a minimal forward line of three forwards. When they score, it is a quick strike: the backs kick long to the speedy forwards who get off a shot before the opponent's defense can retreat and get set.

Bruce Munro, in his 18 years as Crimson coach, has parlayed a short-passing, ball-control game to the best overall record in Ivy League competition. Harvard's style counts on skillful dribbling and precision passing between wings, insides, and halfbacks to set up scoring opportunities.

Last year, Yale obliterated, by a 6-3 margin, what was left of the Crimson after its 6-1 loss to Brown. The slaughters by the two long-passing teams were a factor in Munro's decision to experiment with a third fullback defense this fall.

The experiment fizzled and Munro reverted to a 5-3-2 alignment, which has enjoyed almost unbroken success. With great performances from fullbacks Tony Marks and Dave Wright, Harvard played Brown even last week.

But Marks and Wright have their work cut out for them again today: Yale's forwards are almost as good as Brown's.

John Griswold was the All-Ivy center forward last year, and scored three goals against Princeton last Saturday to move ahead of Brown's Gary Kaufman in the Ivy scoring race, nine goals to Kaufman's six. Captain Derek Bush, who controlled play as a halfback early in the season, now plays some inside, where he has contributed a league-leading seven assists.

Roy Austin spearheads Yale's tough defense. He plays a sweeper position, behind the three fullbacks, and will have to be avoided like Brown's Pat Migliore.

There is also the possibility that Paul Ward, a second team All-Ivy selection last year, who missed most of the season with an injury, will bolster the Eli defense.

Harvard now has an injury problem of its own. Richie Hammond had a hard time even raising his left arm after last week's Brown manslaughter. His shoulder has responded to trainer Jack Fadden's treatment, however, and Hammond will be starting his final game in the goal as Crimson captain.

Scott Robertson, Jaime Vargas, and Bill Schaefer are all sub-par physically, but will play. Center half Andy Kydes is in much better condition than he was last week.

Seniors Hammond, Kydes, Marks, Jim Saltonstall, Dudley Blodget, Ken Mallory, Karl Lunkenheimer, Steve Griffith, and Warren Bowes will be trying to avenge last year's defeat at New Haven in their last game for the Crimson.

For the whole squad there is the final lure of a possible tie for the Ivy championship, if Harvard wins and if Columbia upsets Brown in New York Saturday.

Yale can play superior soccer; it did in a 2-2 tie with Army. The Elis can come from behind, as they did in a narrow 4-3 loss to Brown. On the other hand, Columbia beat the Bulldogs in overtime, after trailing 3-1 going into the final period.

Last year, the Eli players' edge was their desire to give retiring coach Jack Marshall a final victory over Harvard. Nothing so dramatic is at stake today, but once again the winner will be decided, not by the system of play, but by which team wants to win the most.