Is it too early to hype the UNC-Maryland match this Friday??? For those in the know, how about some preview comments? Keys to the match?
Well there certainly is an additional variable with UNC having Mr Lovejoy back. He had a pretty decent opening act saturday evening dropping a hat trick on College of Charleston and then being named College Soccer News National Player of the Week and was named to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week.
Games like this are why the elite players come to the top ACC programs. As college soccer goes, it doesn't get much bigger in the regular season, especially in late October. The one-loss defending national champs vs. the undefeated consensus No. 1-ranked team in the country.
Let's play a little Jeopardy for this game. Here's the answer, you guess the question. Dominique Badji, Christian McLaughlin and Riley Wolfe.
Just a reminder to everyone that for some reason I do not understand, the game will be at 6pm on Friday instead of the usual 7pm. AKA if you're going to the game, leave (even) earlier to deal with the joys of Beltway Friday traffic.
The Maryland-UNC game is on ESPNU in front of a high school football showcase game, which is at 8:00 p.m. EST. Either way, this one is going to be HUGE. One of the best defenses in the nation against the best offense. Can't wait.
Yeah, is if No. 1 and Undefeated vs. One-loss and Defending champs wasn't enough, you get the stingiest defense in the country (0.22) against the highest-scoring team (2.92 per, tied with Cornell) just to give the game another cool subplot. Cornell, incidentally, doesn't play midweek, so if Maryland were to score 3 or more goals against Colgate tomorrow, they'd enter the game as the outright highest-scoring team in the country.
UNC has problems with Maryland (based on past) under Elmer (past coach). Last year, game was down in UNC and UNC had Maryland down a man and still only nuzzled a 1-1 tie. Plus the heels didn't face Sunny Jane last year either as Jane was sitting for a red card. Just my 2cents but I like this Maryland team on Friday night. Don't know if true or not but I've seen a few UNC posters ping the current NC coach that he doesn't play the bench much. Needless to say if that's true come Friday night, the heels will be dead around the 60 minute mark as Sasho will run that bench of his through the pitch like there will be no tomorrow. Md 3 UNC 1.... Tman
This is going to be a good one. I'll be out of town. With Mikey Lopez and Boyd "OC" O.... returning from Spain after playing with the U20's and with Lovejoy's slow transition back into the lineup, UNC is going to be very good. They have not played an offensive team like Maryland - this season. Jonathan Campbell is going to have his hands full trying to match up against Patrick Mullins, but Campbell is savvy beyond his years. OC is key and he'll be trying to pick up either Tshuma or one of the pesky midfielders flying into the box. Lopez will have a difficult time with Stertzer's size. I wouldn't be too surprised to find Murphy helping out there. The key is Lovejoy's return. If Kemp returns from his hip injury, will Lovejoy match his hip to Kemp's - I expect Lovejoy will win this match up. I don't hold much hope for Cam Brown be able to create much with either Cyrus/Ambrose at MD RB. McCrary getting forward will be necessary to pull the MD RB out of position. Will Craven be able to find more space with Lovejoy getting more attention? Then, will he convert? I predict 2-1.
Even if Taylor Kemp isn't available for this match, Mikey Ambrose has been very good at LB, as it's his natural position. Jordan Cyrus has been a delightful surprise at RB, and has been doing better than Widner Saint Cyr did there last year. It's gonna be a physical match though, that's for sure.
I can't imagine losing to UNC would drop Maryland out of the top four. However, beating Maryland might help UNC move into it. Be careful what you ask for.
Unless Maryland losing to UNC triggers some weird RPI movement, it would probably be better for the Zips if Maryland ran the table rather than ending with 1 loss. I can't imagine a drop from 1 to 2 would do much and I would keep them at 1 even if they did lose.
I think a lot rides on who scores first... Considering the SOS that Maryland has, it's impressive that they are at the top of the scoring charts. UNC hasn't seen this much offense this year, so the "best" defense is little bit of a mis-nomer ... to me, the test is really on UNC.. not UMD. BUT.. if UNC scores first.. they can bunker down and hold.. which is something UMD sees a lot, but hasn't converted on with regularity. UMD has so many weapons it's hard to pin point any specific go to player.. Sunny's production this year is low, albeit he is fun to watch.. Stertzer hasn't produced like he is capable of.. but you see Christiano, Eticha, Endo, Shinsky come on the field, and the play changes, but doesnt drop..... the bench goes on forever... If UNC is going to win, they have to score first, and get behind the ball... I do not think they will match up man to man and the longer the game goes on without a UNC lead, ( even if it's tied at 60 minutes), the more likely it is they will lose.
Agree,but I can always hope for a doomsday scenario whereby the Terps lose to UNC and Wake and UNC loses one of their remaining 3 games ...makes my head hurt
Maryland will have some work to do to enter the UNC game as the highest-scoring team in the country. They're scoreless with Colgate at the half.
Quite sure the team doesnt care about the scoring statistic as much as a W. Which they got. ...2-0 Maryland
Maryland rolled out a very sub-heavy lineup (check the boxscore or the Terps thread to see it) tonight -- only two regular starters (Ambrose and Edwards) were in at the beginning of the game.
I agree they don't care about the scoring statistics at all. Just from a hype perspective, highest-scoring team vs. best defense is a bit sexier than "second highest scoring team."