Wake Forest is 43-3-3 in 2007 & '08, but will the Demon Deacons be celebrating again Sunday?
Ed here …
… It’s an Atlantic Coast Conference party at the NCAA men’s Division I College Cup this weekend, as the defending champion Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Maryland Terrapins, and North Carolina Tar Heels converge on Pizza Hut Park for tomorrow’s semifinals. The party crashers are St. John’s from the Big East.
Let’s start with Wake, which enters the national semifinals with a 21-1-1 record – the loss coming to Virginia in the ACC semifinal, and the only other blemish being a scoreless draw vs. Duke. Statistically, Wake is the closest thing you’ll find to a PlayStaion team. They have more than double the shot attempts of their opponents (415-204) and they have outscored their 23 opponents by a combined 81-16. That’s right, more than 3.5 goals per game scored, and less than 1 goal per game allowed. On seven occasions this year, the Demon Deacons have scored at least five goals in a game. Five! (more…)
Creighton had shown even the slightest motivation and/or abilty to attack Maryland.
My brain hadn’t frozen solid at the match.
Maryland looked their typical competent selves. Like everyone else, I think Omar Gonzalez looks like a serious talent at the back. Also, near-Red Bull Matt Kassel is very, very small.
With all that said, I am looking forward to the final four. This year, all four teams are traditional powerhouses likely loaded with future MLS players.
When I often describe a certain of American soccer coach as sounding as if every statement was a “pontification from on high that is to be absorbed as gospel,” this is what I mean.
“This team has a wonderful sort of joyous anarchy,” Dorrance said. “I’m certainly not in control of it, but it was one of the most joyful seasons ever.”
Who says that about a college team? Aren’t they all like that?
I’ll be going to GMU tonight to watch highly-hyped UVA freshman Chris Agorsor take on Mason tonight. If any readers spot a guy in a blue dress shirt and a red DC United hat, come say hello. Though strangely for a college match, that might not be easy to do. Mason is saying they’ve sold 1,300 tix as of yesterday. If that’s true, and folks actually come out to the stadium, it might be a fun atmosphere.
Again, I am not really too interested in the result, I just want to see Agorsor primarily. By the way, he scored his first goal last Sunday in a 3-1 loss to SMU. From the looks of it, UVA as a team isn’t all that good. But we’ll see what Agorsor can do against the Patriots. If the weather holds out, which it look like it will until overnight, I’ll be there.
Like many American soccer fans, I appreciate college soccer for what it really is – unwatchable slop. But, occasionally great players come out of said slop including guys like Brian McBride, Maurice Edu, Taylor Twellman, and Brad Guzan. This fall, I am going to attend a few college matches to take a look at some MLS’ top prospects heading into this winter’s draft. I am certainly not a professional talent scout, but that’s not the point. From the looks of recent drafts, plenty of MLS teams don’t have talent scouts either. (more…)
This is obscure and inside but it is soccer-related, so no moaning from the peanut gallery.
So my alma mater, Ohio State, follows up its miraculous, nearly inexplicable run to NCAA men’s soccer championship match with…. a recruiting class that’s not even ranked in the top 40 by College Soccer News.
Way to keep that momentum going, Coach Bluem. I guess he went to the John Markell School of OSU Program Development, motto: “Where Better Results Lead to Worse Players.”
To subscribe to the podcast, copy this link and paste it in your favorite audio software. It is now also available via Apple iTunes through this link. Additionally, you can access an archive of the podcast by clicking here.
Aaron
Ed M.
