UMD vs DUKE #6 UMD and #20 Duke square off today at Ludwig Field with a 2pm kick off. This should be a good test for the Terps who are average more than 3 goals per game while giving up less than one. The ACC is wide open this year with every game being critical to post season seedings. Note to the Dukies: FEAR THE TURTLE!
This one wasn't even close - 3-0 to the Terps. Goals from Sumed Ibrahim, Erwin Diaz and Chris Lancos, all on headers. Duke wasn't bad but after seeing this game, It's amazing they beat Clemson. I don't know how many saves Maryland keeper Noah Palmer was creditied with but I only remember one where he was really tested. As for Maryland, they were pretty impressive. It's not always the prettiest soccer but they have some very nice attacking players and at times they play some very good ball. A couple of other thoughts on Maryland - *First off, they are very deep. Today their subs included AJ Hererra and Nino Marcantonio, 2 former members of the U20 pool who could start for many teams ranked in the Top 10. When you're brining guys like that off the bench, you're a strong team and that kind of depth will help late in the season. *A scarey thought - Maryland has no seniors, at least in terms of eligibility, but they are a very mature team. They have SEVEN players who have been redshirted PLUS 2 more who took a year off from school. On top of that, the 2 freshman that start - Erwin Diaz and Chris Lancos - were members of the U17 team the past 2 years so they each have a boatload of international experience. *Abe Thompson is gonna be a very good pro. He has a man's body and good speed plus he works his ass off. He has a nice first touch and is a good passer (he assisted the first goal with a nice cross) and he is willing to take guys on 1-v-1. He reminds me a lot of Jeff Cunningham. He's ready for the league after this season. *Diaz is gonna be a very good college soccer player. He still disappears at times, like a lot of freshman, but he can still make an impact and he just has a knack for putting the ball in the hole. *I don't know what to make of Sumed Ibrahim. He is sort of playing the 10 for Maryland and he has nice numbers (5 goals, 4 assists in 8 games) but he doesn't really dictate play the way a central attacking mid should. He has plenty of skill and if he is to make it in MLS, it may be as a wide mid, though I don't know how much defense he plays. *A player who really caught my eye - and not just because he's the tallest guy on the field and is a long-haired hippy type - is Clarence Goodson. He's listed as 6-4 and he looks to really be that tall. Not surprisingly, he was totally dominant in the air but he also is surprisingly agile for a guy his size and covers a lot of ground. He's a converted attacker so he has some nice skills and made several nice long-range passes. Given his size and goofy hair, the obvious comparison to is to the Fire's Jim Curtin and I wouldn't be surprised to see him sneak into the league. That said, if he's gonna do that, he's gonna have to start hitting the weights as he's listed as only 150 pounds, which makes him pretty damned skinny. *I also like Maryland back Seth Stamler. After playing right back last year, he's moved to the middle and is the vocal organizer of the Terps backline and really reads the game well. I don't know if he'll play at the next level but he's a very good college back. Finally, I kept a close eye on Duke's Trevor Perea. He really does have very good skill and his vision is exceptional. But, he is very physically limited - listed at 5-3 - and got pushed off the ball far too much. I just don't think he has the body to make it in MLS but I also thought that about Kyle Martino and look how wrong I was about him. I'd like to see what Perea could do when surrounded by better players who are more tactically aware because with the Blue Devils, he just has no support. Speaking of which, I was quite disappointed in Duke's Jordan Cila. Aside from a late frustration-caused yellow card, this former top prospect was practically invisible and never challenged the Terps D. Good think he likes school as much as he is reported to because if he keeps playing like this, he's gonna need that degree as soon as he leaves Durham.
Well...... Sandon said: >I don't know how many saves Maryland keeper Noah Palmer was creditied with but I only remember one where he was really tested. Palmer was credited with two saves. Maryland outshot Duke 13-3; tied on corners 5 apiece; Duke led on fouls 21-17; one yellow on Duke's Jordan Cila at the end, 86 minutes; no red cards. Fairly clean game. >*First off, they are very deep. Today their subs included AJ Hererra and Nino Marcantonio, 2 former members of the U20 pool who could start for many teams ranked in the Top 10. When you're brining guys like that off the bench, you're a strong team and that kind of depth will help late in the season. Indeed, Maryland's subs today in addition to Marcantonio and Herrera included Kenney Bertz, Siba Mohammed, Chris Ghormley, Jason Garey, Ellis Welker, A.J. Godbolt, and back from the dead, Bryan Vitagliano. You could practicaly form a Top 20 team around Maryland's subs. >*Abe Thompson is gonna be a very good pro. He has a man's body and good speed plus he works his ass off. He has a nice first touch and is a good passer (he assisted the first goal with a nice cross) and he is willing to take guys on 1-v-1. He reminds me a lot of Jeff Cunningham. He's ready for the league after this season. Agreed, although I don't know if he will make the move to the MLS after this season. But yes, he has the body and the tools and he is now in much better shape than he was at the beginning of the season when he still had a lot of 'ring rust'. >*I don't know what to make of Sumed Ibrahim. He is sort of playing the 10 for Maryland and he has nice numbers (5 goals, 4 assists in 8 games) but he doesn't really dictate play the way a central attacking mid should. He has plenty of skill and if he is to make it in MLS, it may be as a wide mid, though I don't know how much defense he plays. I see him a bit differently. On this team, he really doesn't have to dictate; they have enough talented players all over the field that they don't really need that kind of leadership. Its not like the 1998 team when Keith Beach was clearly in control from the midfield; maybe Sumed Ibrahim is not the kind of two-directional player that Beach was, but his defense is pretty good. As to where he would play in the pros, that's a good question. I think he could deal in the center midfield but, sure, with his speed, a lot of coaches will want to take a look at him on the flank. >*A player who really caught my eye - and not just because he's the tallest guy on the field and is a long-haired hippy type - is Clarence Goodson. He's listed as 6-4 and he looks to really be that tall. Goodson continues to amaze me. He is this gangly kid who looks like he wouldn't be coordinated enough to play at the high school level, but he hangs in there against the smaller, quick guys and is the kind of assertive player you want a central defender to be. He has grown two inches since his freshman year, so yes, he is a legit 6-4. And he hasn't forgotten how to play up front as showed when he assisted on the third Maryland goal, which was by another defender, Chris Lancos. >Finally, I kept a close eye on Duke's Trevor Perea. He really does have very good skill and his vision is exceptional. But, he is very physically limited - listed at 5-3 - and got pushed off the ball far too much. The Maryland players told me afterward that they had talked about Parea before the game; that they knew to be careful about going in on him when he has the ball because he is crafty and can just dance around you if you overcommit. So they just worked on containing him and evidentaly it worked. Overall, I am pleasantly surprised by Maryland so far. Its a long season and a lot can happen, but so far, they have been consistent. You don't see all the ups and downs that we have seen from them in recent years, which I attribute to more experience and the aforementioned depth. They host Manhattan on Wednesday at 7pm and then travel to Wake Forest for a Friday game.
Re: Re: Well...... The Terps are looking forward to making a mark in the league this season after two disappointing years. The team hasn't been reading all the praise heaped upon them so far, they will do that after the season. They are eager to play and let the results speak for themselves. Note to Wake: There is a turtle driving a run away train, don't be on the tracks Friday.
Perea Sandon, you are obviously a very knowledgeable fan, but I've been watching Perea for the last four years and I think he's the best attacking mid in college ball. I've seen this kid make moves that'll make your head spin. I think Duke finally realized this year that they need to build the team around him, but I'm not sure if it's working. He can get knocked off the ball, as you stated, but with this creativity, Duke needs to find a couple guys to cover his back. Whether or not he'll make it in MLS, I can't really offer an opinion because I frankly don't watch enough MLS. However, I would say in the right situation I think he could be a very valuable player to some MLS team.