This is a highly unpredictable match--with the Cocks having lost to C of Charleston, they could be feeling either a bit vulnerable, or mad as hornets and looking for a juicy chunk of flesh. I'd say the Paladins are underdogs, but I sort of expect a tight game that either team could win, possibly in OT. Report to follow... --King Eric
Match Report As I expected, this was a very tight contest--but the Paladins (12-2-1) prevailed, albeit with a goal that the keeper should have stopped. (If the situation were reversed, I'm confident Furman's Maslow would have saved it...) The referee was as bad as they come (from a Furman point of view)--and in my experience, that's the name of the game at the Cocks' pitch. All in all, quite an exciting match with a few close calls and good opportunities on either end. The Paladins dominated the first half, with the most notable moments coming from an Anthony Esquivel shot saved at 6 min, and a sharp move by McNeil Cronin to juke a defender on the edge of the area and rip a shot on the near post--just saved by the very large SC keeper. Then came the crucial, solitary goal, on 25 min. Ricardo Clark received a long ball from Andy Kidd outside the left edge of the box, chested the ball forward and blasted a volley that dipped under the keeper and bounded into the net. It was a well-taken shot, but many good keepers would have had little problem with it. Furman's momentum had yielded the advantage, but the result was far from decided. Both sides continued to threaten, with Furman's backs coming off a little shaky in dealing with several long balls dropped in by the SC keeper. But the half's best moment after the goal was a run by Matt Foxhall (a very hard-working, tough-tackling Furman midfielder who is often relegated to a supporting position because he's not a marquee name). The guy has come achingly close to his first goal ever for Furman several times this season, but this shot topped them all. He picked up the ball about 35 yard out and streaked past a couple of defenders before rocketing a shot from 20+ yards that flew over the keeper and wobbled a bit in the air, dropping just enough to smash into the bottom of the crossbar and bounce back off the ground and up into the air. At that point, Clint Dempsey pulled out a very high and sweet bicycle kick on the dropping ball, but his shot went just wide. The second half played like a poorly written sequel--in which the returning characters fell flat and let the bad guys run all over them. SC took it to the Paladins, forcing many corners and several good saves by Maslow. I must say, however, that they were somewhat aided by the ref, who saw the world through maroon-tinted glasses, often overiding the linesman to SC's benefit. Jordan Quinn (21) for SC was a singular case, getting off easy with several crude tackles. David Moore (7) for SC is the only other one who stands out in my recollection, as he made some good moves in the middle and had a few shots on goal. At the other end, the Paladins struggled mightily. Sergei Raad further solidified his status as my not-most-favorite player by stopping and throwing his hands up at the slightest contact, and (I believe) faking injury on a few occasions where he lost the ball or otherwise came up short. He would feign cramps, and limp off of the field as an excuse for getting beat to a ball. Yeesh. Scott Hoch was back from a rolled ankle of only a week ago, and he definitely wasn't 100%. Had trouble running, and contributed nothing. Tony Esquivel had that one shot in the 6th, but for the most part, he, Raad, Hoch, and Clint Hill did nothing. The goal came from a midfielder, as most of this year's have. Just look at the game's box score (and all this season's games) to see how few shots the forwards have even put on goal. This is Coach Allison's biggest problem right now (aside from Dempsey's dribble-in-circles-and-then-pass-back-or-lose-the-ball routine, which was not as bad as usual tonight...) Drew Moor was great in the first, but flagged a bit in the second. He did, however, have a nice rip from 20 saved by the keeper. Luke Barbour did another noble job of filling Gray Griffin's spot, and Andy Kidd was again solid at marking back. Despite the 7-8 minutes of time added in the second half, the Cocks came up short---and Furman came away with an historic first win over SC. (Too bad the make-up game against Clemson was altogether cancelled. Would have loved to see that.) --King Eric
King Eric, another great match report, up until the part where you said a historic first win over SC. I don't know what context you mean that in, but I remember a team that went down to SC and beat the Cocks 2-1 in 1996. Look up the history. THat freshman class, also went on the have the best run a Furman team has had to date. Keep up the good work.
Re: Match Report King Eric - congrats on a great win over the Cocks, who as Sandon reported, are most definetely on the rocks. Big win for Furman and, like you, I am also disappointed by the cancellation of the Clemson/Furman game. That game is always a great win for the Tigers. The above quote is very interesting and I'm glad to see you looking at your team objectively. I've always noticed with Furman that they whine ALL THE TIME; coaches, players, fans, etc. It drives me up the wall! The occasional disagreement is fine and probably deserved, but the one thing I've noticed about Furman Soccer is that the whining/crying/complaining is pretty constant. Maybe you guys could put out a flyer over there and start discouraging these habits.
hmmmm I wonder what this loss does to USC's chances in NCAA tournament? Oh yea, thanks for the recap.
>Srod: According to SC's website records, their all-time record against Furman is 16-5-1. Not sure what years those were in, but I had heard that this was Furman's first win over them. I don't know--maybe one player/person said that, meaning that IN HIS TIME they hadn't beaten SC... >FIXXXER: Furman would be underdogs against Clemson... but I guess we'll never know what might have been. (The Paladins would have had to play better than they have of late...) Whining is lame. Diving and faking, too, are lame. Peace
Re: Re: Match Report I don't know who you are Fixxer, but you have had the luxury of watching or being involved with bigger name schools than Furman. I don't know for how long, but the comment you make is rediculous. Clemson and South Carolina are notorious for having a serious advantage when playing at home because of the refs, while if you have ever been to a home game at Furman, you would notice the Paladins do not. I've have been on the end of calls at Clemson and South Carolina were totally biased and changed the course of the game. If you think that Furman players whine, it's because the Paladins have never been given the respect that they deserve. Look at where they were ranked in the NSCAA poll before beating South Caroina - 22nd. Way behind teams they had beaten and behind teams that everybody knows are not that good. Look at Fuman's run to the NCAA quarterfinals a few years ago, the Dins were 22-1-1 going in the tournament and weren't even in top ten in the NSCAA poll and weren't given a seed. Furman then went on to Beat UNC and destroy the 5th seeded Deamon Deacons on the way to being robbed at UCONN. So if you're a USC fan and you're upset that your team is sucking tail right now, don't fret. There is always next season.
respect- "If you think that Furman players whine, it's because the Paladins have never been given the respect that they deserve. Look at where they were ranked in the NSCAA poll before beating South Caroina - 22nd. Way behind teams they had beaten and behind teams that everybody knows are not that good. " I hate to interject here, but there ranking and respect they have, has everything to do with the type of schedule they play and not with the quality of the team. The Southern Conference is not very strong and you have a tough arguement to convince people that beating the Citadel, Wofford, C of Char, Georgia Southern, etc. makes you a national powerhouse. Furman needs to play a better quality schedule year in and year out and be successful, before they deserve the same respect as Clemson and South Carolina who have been doing that for years. Part of the problem it seems, is that one good year and a run to the final 8 has clouded your better judgement. A couple of years ago Davidson went to the final four, San Jose State was # 1 last year, Princeton has been to the final four, Charlotte in 1999,and so on and so on, National Powers??????????? To gain national respect, Furman needs to establish some consisitency over many years against quality competion. respect is something you earn, it is not something you deserve.
Looks like I opened a can of worms here. FIrst of all, for the past six years, Furman has consistently been in the top 25 and in the past three years in the top ten at times. You say Furman needs to play a better quality schedule, but is it Furman's fault that they are in the Southern Conference, NO. In fact if you didn't know, Furman has a 37? game unbeaten streak in the SoCon, so they are getting the job done there. And they are beating quality opponents from outside of the conference as well. And because you might not be familiar with the Paladins, a lot of good teams outside of the SoCon will not play Furman, because they can't afford to take a loss to a team that is not considered (by the NSCAA) to be a quality team. And respect as you said, must be earned. It must be earned in many ways, not just by being named Clemson or USC. The Paladins do it with players that aren't all All-Americans or on national teams or from other countries. They do it with hard work, respect for the game and respect for each other. And to comettiger, I don't remember that game last year, but I was saying in general that home field advantage was the case for certain teams. A majority of times I went to top ranked and top named schools during my 80 someodd games played at Furman, we were playing against 12 men because we were the nobodies. I do remember notching an incredible goal against Matt Jordan that would have tied the game, but was called back on a "very questionable" call while Clemson was ranked 2nd in the nation and we were way down there. Furman doesn't have the history that USC, Clemson, Duke or some other schools have, but they are building it. And I believe in the past six years, they have one of the top five winning percentages by any D-1 school. They have also had in the past three years, the top scoring team in D-1 at least two of those years.
Here are some of the non-conference teams Furman scheduled this year: Creighton Bradley Notre Dame St. Louis Clemson South Carolina All of them are ranked in the Top 25. I think it's unfair to say Furman's schedule is weak, especially the non-conference games, which the soccer coaches have direct control over. Further, the Southern Conference is improving. Davidson (8-4-3) has been a giant-killer this year (just ask the 2 Carolinas) and Appaliachan State (10-4-1), UNC Greensboro (9-7), College of Charleston (8-5-1) are all having solid seasons and aren't pushovers. Whether they whine or dive or have obnoxious fans is not for me to judge. But, I think saying their schedule is soft is inaccurate.
point well taken- I am not trying to create controversy, just trying to put things in perspective and state the facts and in some ways you only reinfoced things for me. "You say Furman needs to play a better quality schedule, but is it Furman's fault that they are in the Southern Conference, NO. In fact if you didn't know, Furman has a 37? game unbeaten streak in the SoCon, so they are getting the job done there. " I could list 25 teams that could win 40 games in the Southern Conference. You are right that Furman doesn't have a choice, but the point was this effects their ranking. Do you know who currently owns the unbeaten streak? Clemson- playing in the ACC is the late 70's-early 80's. Maybe doing that consistently for 20 or so years will get them the same recognition. "And respect as you said, must be earned. It must be earned in many ways, not just by being named Clemson or USC. The Paladins do it with players that aren't all All-Americans or on national teams or from other countries. They do it with hard work, respect for the game and respect for each other. " why do you think they don't have a lot of all-americans? again the competition, but also they have had some recent all-americans (Matt Goldsmith, Jon Barry Nusum (3-time) among others and every year have the conference players of the year, but not many of them continue on to the next level, why? because they rack up stats against weak competition and when they play the tough competition they tend to struggle. Clemson and USC just a name, how about Josh Wolff, Clint Mathis or Matt Jordan, Wolde Harris are you saying these guys were all-americans because of the name of their school. The list could go on and on Not trying to disrespect Furman. They have come a long way over the last few years and certainly deserve to be considered in the top 20 teams in the country as of late. However, to compare them to the Virginia's, Indiania's, Duke's, UCLA's, UNC's Clemson or South Carolina is taking away from what those programs have earned over a number of years. If Furman stands the test of time and continues at the level it is at it certainly will get the attention it deserves. Certainly a good discussion though
Re: Re: Re: Match Report Srod - you TOTALLY missed any point that I was trying to make. I never once mentioned getting calls at home, having an advantage, or arguing with the refs, or anything like that at all. Go back and read my post again. Better yet: I've always noticed with Furman that they whine ALL THE TIME; coaches, players, fans, etc. It drives me up the wall! The occasional disagreement is fine and probably deserved, but the one thing I've noticed about Furman Soccer is that the whining/crying/complaining is pretty constant. Maybe you guys could put out a flyer over there and start discouraging these habits. No where are referee's or calls mentioned. I'm talking about the players, fans, coaches, etc whining. Period. I have been to quite a few games at Furman over the years, I used to live quite close. You can believe that everytime an opposing team player touches a Furman player or tackles a Furman player that everyone starts yelling for a card. Everytime a Furman player is called for a foul, the crowd is booing, the coaches are upset, the players are upset. Almost every single call. Can we get a break? It is so obnoxious to sit there and listen to people whine and complain for 90 minutes. I grew up close to Furman and used to go there all the time for games, camps, etc. I'm glad that I divorced myself from that b/c I would not want to be a part of a "team" that acts like that. Hope that made my point better.
Fixxer - You've made your point and it's still absurd. What do you have against Furman. Who are you a fan of? Every team gripes and groans about getting hit. Trust me, EVERY team does. Maybe you have spent a lot of time watching them and you notice it more. Also, when you say Furman's coaches do it, I'll admit. The Furman coaches do speak up quite a bit. Maybe more than other, more seasoned coaches. They are still young, still wanting to make a difference in the game and I admit, they shouldn't always be as vocal. But, to say this, "I grew up close to Furman and used to go there all the time for games, camps, etc. I'm glad that I divorced myself from that b/c I would not want to be a part of a "team" that acts like that." That's a little harsh. You don't know anything about their team and you probably don't know anything about being on a team, from what it sounds like.
Srod, I hate to disagree with you but I can tell you Fixxer does know a thing or two about being on a team, working with a team and being involved with a number of Furman games. I agree with you that most teams think that they have been "robbed" on a few calls but for some reason the games that I have seen Furman play the I have been "robbed" mentality exists on every play not just the 3 or 4 that happen in every game. This opinion seems to prevail on the field and into the fans. Just sit on the other side of the section and watch sometime. All that being said Furman will get there. They were on the right track with the new players and the tragedy that occured will set them back a bit but you will get there. Tone down the whinning and people won't have that bone to pick with the team.
edit> In reply to "detailsrsketchy" remark: "Do you know who currently owns the unbeaten streak? Clemson- playing in the ACC is the late 70's-early 80's. Maybe doing that consistently for 20 or so years will get them the same recognition." The phrase "Clemson in the 70s" caught my attention. I saw them then and as I recall, the team I saw had only 2 players from the US (that's right, only TWO). They were both from the St. Louis area (at that time perhaps THE dominant area producing quality players) the rest of the team, probably 20 players in all, were from Nigeria. On that basis, I'd almost consider any records established then to be invalid -- and certainly irrelevant to any discussion about Furman or any other current US college soccer squad.
So why all of the hostility in Fixxxer's remarks about Furman particulary these, "I grew up close to Furman and used to go there all the time for games, camps, etc. I'm glad that I divorced myself from that b/c I would not want to be a part of a "team" that acts like that." M.T. Nets, Furman has been on the right track for years now. While the tragedy that ocurred will tug at their hearts, this is a tough program and has always had tough kids. Not always great soccer players, but tough, strong kids. The great players have just recently been added to the mix. They'll be alright.
I was referencing a comment from detailsrsketchy posted earlier. I've edited my post for clarity. Sorry for the confusion.
Sir Alex- so I guess we should go back over the record books and validate all of the records from the past and determine which one's meet your criteria so the UCLA Bruins should give back their trophies in basketball, because they had the best players, under coach Wooden. how about San Francisco or St. Louis (the most dominant area), they should erase the books because they had the best players. UCONN should give back thier championship, because they had some foreign players the list could go on and on. point is that you need to respect the past as it sets the standard for the present participants to shoot for. Without Clemson setting the standard, Furman would not have a streak to beat. Without Brown, and Payton, Emmitt would have retired a couple of years ago. When you hear about people breaking records, usually you need to know which record they are breaking?????????? There is your relevance to the discussion
You seem to have missed the point rather badly, so I'll reiterate: Despite the vehemence of your insistence to the contrary, the achievements of a 70s era team of Nigerian internationals is almost completely irrelevant to a discussion of the current state of affairs in US college soccer. Surely you see that no one is questioning a particular record. But the circumstances under which a given record was set says a great deal about the applicability of that standard to a different set of circumstances. And the record you cite, set under circumstances completely different from those we face at present, is very questionable, vis a vis its relevance to a discussion of college soccer today. I hope that clears things up a bit. And please, any effort you can make to avoid future citations referencing the NFL will be appreciated -- most of us come here to avoid that sort of thing.
Re: Match Report I don't know who you are Srod, but you obviously haven't been following the Tigers too closely at home. At this point, Coach Adair has all but given up on harassing the referees for blown calls. I can't tell you how many times i've seen missed penalties or mystery offsides calls at Riggs Field...not to mention on the road. What about the mysteroius foul called on Gooch last year at Indiana...clearly a clean play, clearly a goal (that would have put Clemson up 1-0, enabling them to move Gooch to the back to strengthen the defense, perhaps resulting in a win and a final four berth). Watch the video of the play...trust me. or maybe you forgot the horrid second-yellow issued to oscar bringsved at Riggs when the Tigers were up on UCONN 1-0 with about 25 to play in the 2000 NCAA championships. Until then, UCONN was totally beaten, outplayed and outmatched....but when the Tigers went a man down, they were unable to hold on through overtime. UCONN went on to win the national title...a title i would argue that the Tigers likely would have claimed had they won that match. so don't worry about Clemson....they've been known to get the shaft in far more important games.
Gee, isn't this the little "Bash UConn" party! To all involved: Get over it. You whine like children. You think you got the shaft? Get in line. Every school at one point or another, either legitimately or otherwise, gets shafted once and again. I can rattle of at least 4 or 5 times in the last 20+ years that UConn got done wrong by officials in important matches. But what's done is done. Hell, we could have won 10 National Titles in a row if refs loved us, other teams had all their players sent off, Ms. Cleo predicted it in Tarot readings, etc. Get over it.
Sir Alex, in his infinite wisdom and ten dollar vocabulary has voiced an opinion long needed on these heathen boards. I would like to yield to his surpassing knowledge on all matters of records and record keeping, foreign contributions to college soccer, and american soccer in general. Furthermore, I suggest that the moderator, and perhaps Sandon (the mystical oracle of bigsoccer.com) organize a revolution of sorts. I propose the wholesale buring of all american soccer records. Clearly such records were set under a unique combination of cicumstances (see above) that are impossible to recreate- therfore nullifying the aforementioned records of any importance. It is ludicrous for us to keep any record in any sport for any reason based on the argument that contexts change. Sir Alex- reality called, they want you to call back when you get a chance.