Tonight at Fetzer Field, 7 pm. The battle of the two schools who like to call themselves Carolina. There's really only one Carolina... ...the one with players who have big fat rings proclaiming last year's championship. I predict a 2-0 UNC win on Senior Night for Kneipper, Crawford, Gell, and Testo.
I think the match starts at 6PM. Check the UNC web site. http://tarheelblue.ocsn.com/sports/m-soccer/sched/unc-m-soccer-sched.html
UNC should win this one, USC has collapsed... Will they be passing out neck braces for all the fans after this one?? I'm sure if you could watch the stands it'd be like watching a tennis match...
Posted Soccer Time UNC (2), USC (0) Posted at: Soccer Times http://www.soccertimes.com/ncaa/top25/menfared.htm Nov 8 Win North Carolina (2) vs. [24] South Carolina (0)
2-0 UNC win. and a goal by Storey. Well done Heels. USC is still on the downward spiral. Are they going to make the tournament?
3-7 in their last 10 games and 10-7-1 overall. They are definitely on the bubble. Their final game is next week against Florida International and they simply MUST win that game. A loss, and they aren't going to the post season. A win, and they're still on the bubble but having beaten FIU, Duke and Washington and several "quality losses" they'll have a decent case for an at-large bid. They're by no means a lock with a win but if they beat FIU they at least have a decent case.
Fine form Fixxxer...UNC absolutely dominates your Clemson boys last weekend and all you can do is still complain about their horrible style of play. You act like there are no players of skill on the team. An ACC title two years ago, NCAA last year, and a solid finish to this year...we'll see how they end up. Regardless, they've earned a little respect.
The Heels certainly seem to have found their stride. Midway through the season they were a modest 8-5 and looking nothing like the reigning champs. But since then, they are 5-0-1 and have outscored their opponents 14-4. That doesn't bode well for Clemson, which was playing great ball 2 weeks ago but is now winless in its last 3 games (0-2-1). I still think Clemson has both the skill and the heart to do good things in Cary next week. But they need to get their act together and play more like they were earlier in the year, especially since they're playing a hot UNC team.
Thanks...between you and cohorts, I have to stay pretty sharp. Yep! Dominated completely for 45 minutes. EASILY, the worst performance by a Clemson team in the past few seasons. With that said, 4 minutes to play and the game was still in question... Really haven't seen much...But I don't blame the players, they just don't seem to get any better in their time at UNC. Congrats. I would respect them if they played soccer. I just hate kickball.
Certainly "kickball" where a team shells defensively, then lobs it upfield and hopes for the best is never fun to watch (e.g., USA at Costa Rica, 2001 WCQ) "Kickball" that with consistency finds capable target men (i.e., Ryan Kneipper) and often produces results, espscially when combined with a variety of attacks, is something that I have no problem watching. However, I doubt anyone is going to change Fixxxer's mind, especially in regards to UNC. To be fair, I do remember that it wasn't too long ago that the longball was UNC's primary mode of attack -- especially as they were trying to break into the ranks of serious men's programs. However, I really don't feel that "kickball" is UNC's primary weapon anymore-- including last year. Last night it was South Carolina that resorted to punting it upfield, and North Carolina that blended a good mix of attacking styles. Given the number of times I have seen UNC work a longball into a goal (especially in the semifinal vs. Stanford last year), I am sure that they will continue to use it frequently. But it is the work of players like Noz Yamauchi, Matt Crawford, and others playing "on the ground" that have helped UNC gain a mutli-dimensional approach and subsequently rise to prominence. MOTM last night: Ryan Kniepper. When he went off the pitch for a brief spell in the 2nd half, UNC's attack went limp. It wasn't just his air ability that was missed -- it was his ability to set up the offense in South Carolina's end when he controlled the ball at his feet. Additionally, he had a number of solid defensive plays on USC set pieces that clearly established him as the best player out there last night. He had a beautiful assist, would have scored on the own goal if the Gamecock defender didn't beat him to it, and appeared to have a powerful header into the net incorrectly called back due to offsides. I think the Heels are going to go as far as he takes them -- when Duke marked him out the match early this season, they lost. UNC has good players at every position, but Kniepper seemed to be what made everything come together. David Stokes also played like the All-American everyone expected him to be. He saved one off the line in the first half when it was still scoreless, and generally looked as comfortable running the defense and with the ball at his feet as he has all year. If their defense is finally clicking, the sky is the limit for this team.
Kneipper's play reminds me more and more of Brian McBride every time I see him. In the last few games I've watched, he's not only been winning headers, but also done a very good job playing with his back to goal, holding the ball under pressure, and distributing. The occasional attempts to dribble past defenders usually don't work out too well, but other than that he's done pretty much everything. I still don't understand why his goal was disallowed against USC, but it was a great finish.
I really don't think the long ball descriptions of UNC are accurate. At times, the Heels play direct because they have a tall target forward in Kneipper. At other times, they can possess it quite well and knock it around the park. I think UNC has done a good adapting to what their opponent is doing, and let's face it, they seem to be peaking at the right time.