Pre-season I said we wouldn’t go wire-to-wire as No. 1 and that’s the case before our third game. We dropped to 6th in Top Drawer’s rankings and 2nd in the United Soccer Coaches poll. No big whoop, we deserved it after our last result, but we are obviously still very good.
Before we get to that last result, we welcome No. 3/5 Stanford to Historic Riggs Field on Friday at 7 pm to open <checks notes> ACC play? The Cardinal come in with a 3-1-0 record, the only blemish coming to Top 5 Denver (a 1-0 loss). They have scored nine goals in their last two games, but this will be their first game away from home. More on the Cardinal later.
So, about that last result: No one likes ‘dropping points’ to Uof. Good news is we are still unbeaten and Uof uncovered some of our flaws that we can work on. Bad news is really just the fact that we didn’t win and we gave up our shutout streak against them. They still haven’t beaten us in the last 10 matches.
So, the questions might be why/how did it happen. We knew goals would likely be at a premium for us, just because of how Uof plays against us. If you told me that we’d score two, I would have assumed we won.
Their two goals both came within 33 seconds of them having a kickoff – one after our first goal and the other from halftime. Each time, the goal came from our left side and both for similar reasons.
I know I named the player in the game thread, but I don’t like doing that. So, I won’t use that player’s name that, let's just say was not focused and playing with great effort.
Both goals came because our outside back (we played more of a flexible 4-3-3) was too central and allowed a fairly easy possession just outside the box in their attacking third – deep into our half. Both complete misplays that will undoubtedly be corrected. However, while I take issue with the positioning, I really didn’t care for the defensive effort once they recovered.
This cannot result in a goal. Just can’t. If the play is to double, we were late. If the play is to depend on 1 on 1 defending, we were SOFT. We had 5 v 2 in the box, 7 v 3 in the area. But the player allowed the cross, catching our numbers up flat-footed.
Our CB, Titus Sandy Jr., could have done better, but I think 1) he’s figuring no way a cross is getting through and 2) I think his vision is blocked and he gets there a half-second too late. While he could have done better, there’s also a level of trust you have to play with in your teammates. He was slightly out of position, but the ball should have never gotten in that spot.
Their second goal was – how do I put this nicely? – egregious. First, a horrible misplay of an aerial ball by the same player that gave up the cross. Ball is played back from their forward and we get sucked in again, giving the Uof winger YARDS of space. Ball goes back out to him, we don’t close it down and one of the easier crosses that you can have is delivered.
Once in the box, chaos can and will ensue. But those two crosses can’t happen the way they happened. Uof had a 1 on 1 with Andema at the 55’ because the same player kept their striker onside around midfield.
Noonan has forgotten more soccer than we will know, so I am not worried that these will get corrected. He subbed Yoshi on for that player with 30’ left and he scored six minutes later to tie it up at 2-2.
Which is a good segue into the player spotlight: let’s talk about Yoshi, who had his first career start for Clemson in this game. Still so, so, so early in the season, but while Gyan and Geromel gained the most headlines for our newcomers, the transfer from VT has scored three goals in two games.
Yoshi is from Montverde Academy, which has been so, so, so good to us. We’ve basically used them for our developmental program. He was on the same SIMA Gold team as Andema, Papa Mar Boye, and Shawn Smart.
He started 16 of 18 games last year with VT, scoring twice with four assists and was a freshman All-ACC member two years ago with three goals and an assist in 17 games, including 7 starts.
A scouting report of him from high school that I found states: A player that isn’t overly strong or athletic, the midfielder uses his body well and has a good center of balance to make plays through contact. Created a number of attacking chances throughout the tournament.
And, well, that has been true. Just cool, calm and collected on the ball in the box.
----
So, onto the Cardinal. One of the most consistently good programs in the country. Well schooled, talented and will be a tough out.
Shane de Flores has three goals on the season in four games, while Zach Bohane has three assists. Those two have combined for 25 shots (!), 12 on goal (!!) in four games. Goalie Rowan Schnebly, a former Portland Timbers academy player, has saved .750 percent of the shots he has faced.
While these ACC rivals haven’t played often, you don’t have to go too far back - we beat the Cardinal 2-0 on Dec. 2, 2023 in the NCAA quarterfinals. They ended our 2019 season in Clemson with a win in PKs in the NCAA quarterfinals.
It will be a battle, no doubt. Probably why Clemson is attempting to get 6,000 to the game on Friday – go if you can!
Before we get to that last result, we welcome No. 3/5 Stanford to Historic Riggs Field on Friday at 7 pm to open <checks notes> ACC play? The Cardinal come in with a 3-1-0 record, the only blemish coming to Top 5 Denver (a 1-0 loss). They have scored nine goals in their last two games, but this will be their first game away from home. More on the Cardinal later.
So, about that last result: No one likes ‘dropping points’ to Uof. Good news is we are still unbeaten and Uof uncovered some of our flaws that we can work on. Bad news is really just the fact that we didn’t win and we gave up our shutout streak against them. They still haven’t beaten us in the last 10 matches.
So, the questions might be why/how did it happen. We knew goals would likely be at a premium for us, just because of how Uof plays against us. If you told me that we’d score two, I would have assumed we won.
Their two goals both came within 33 seconds of them having a kickoff – one after our first goal and the other from halftime. Each time, the goal came from our left side and both for similar reasons.
I know I named the player in the game thread, but I don’t like doing that. So, I won’t use that player’s name that, let's just say was not focused and playing with great effort.
Both goals came because our outside back (we played more of a flexible 4-3-3) was too central and allowed a fairly easy possession just outside the box in their attacking third – deep into our half. Both complete misplays that will undoubtedly be corrected. However, while I take issue with the positioning, I really didn’t care for the defensive effort once they recovered.
This cannot result in a goal. Just can’t. If the play is to double, we were late. If the play is to depend on 1 on 1 defending, we were SOFT. We had 5 v 2 in the box, 7 v 3 in the area. But the player allowed the cross, catching our numbers up flat-footed.
Our CB, Titus Sandy Jr., could have done better, but I think 1) he’s figuring no way a cross is getting through and 2) I think his vision is blocked and he gets there a half-second too late. While he could have done better, there’s also a level of trust you have to play with in your teammates. He was slightly out of position, but the ball should have never gotten in that spot.
Their second goal was – how do I put this nicely? – egregious. First, a horrible misplay of an aerial ball by the same player that gave up the cross. Ball is played back from their forward and we get sucked in again, giving the Uof winger YARDS of space. Ball goes back out to him, we don’t close it down and one of the easier crosses that you can have is delivered.
Once in the box, chaos can and will ensue. But those two crosses can’t happen the way they happened. Uof had a 1 on 1 with Andema at the 55’ because the same player kept their striker onside around midfield.
Noonan has forgotten more soccer than we will know, so I am not worried that these will get corrected. He subbed Yoshi on for that player with 30’ left and he scored six minutes later to tie it up at 2-2.
Which is a good segue into the player spotlight: let’s talk about Yoshi, who had his first career start for Clemson in this game. Still so, so, so early in the season, but while Gyan and Geromel gained the most headlines for our newcomers, the transfer from VT has scored three goals in two games.
Yoshi is from Montverde Academy, which has been so, so, so good to us. We’ve basically used them for our developmental program. He was on the same SIMA Gold team as Andema, Papa Mar Boye, and Shawn Smart.
He started 16 of 18 games last year with VT, scoring twice with four assists and was a freshman All-ACC member two years ago with three goals and an assist in 17 games, including 7 starts.
A scouting report of him from high school that I found states: A player that isn’t overly strong or athletic, the midfielder uses his body well and has a good center of balance to make plays through contact. Created a number of attacking chances throughout the tournament.
And, well, that has been true. Just cool, calm and collected on the ball in the box.
----
So, onto the Cardinal. One of the most consistently good programs in the country. Well schooled, talented and will be a tough out.
Shane de Flores has three goals on the season in four games, while Zach Bohane has three assists. Those two have combined for 25 shots (!), 12 on goal (!!) in four games. Goalie Rowan Schnebly, a former Portland Timbers academy player, has saved .750 percent of the shots he has faced.
While these ACC rivals haven’t played often, you don’t have to go too far back - we beat the Cardinal 2-0 on Dec. 2, 2023 in the NCAA quarterfinals. They ended our 2019 season in Clemson with a win in PKs in the NCAA quarterfinals.
It will be a battle, no doubt. Probably why Clemson is attempting to get 6,000 to the game on Friday – go if you can!
