Wake-UNC [R]

Wake-UNC

Big game this Saturday night at 7pm at Fetzer Field. The defending champs need a big win in their final three games to help their NCAA tournament hopes. A win vs. an undefeated Wake squad might be enough to get them in.

UNC must be able to stop Jeremiah White, Justin Moose, and Sealy for Wake. White and Sealy ran all over the Heels last year in a 4-2 Wake win at Wake. WFU totally dominated that game, and proved to UNC that they were not invincible. This year the tables are turned. Will UNC have the ability to do the same to Wake? We shall soon see.

Predictions? Strategy? Love to hear what everyone has to say.

Wake has to be the favorite, but everyone should remember that UNC still has quality players who know how to win. Stokes and Pause need to be rock solid in the back for UNC. And Kneipper, Testo, Storey, Crawford are going to have to generate an attack without getting stuck up front and allowing the lightning quick Wake offense to counterattack.

My prediction---UNC 2, Wake 1 In a shocker!

 

Yet somehow I don't believe that this one will get through overtime without one of the teams winning. UNC has experience from last year's NCAA run...and if it goes to OT I give the edge to UNC, despite being outmatched in the bench area.

 

An absolutely brilliant game...both teams played well and a tie was definitely a just result, as a loss for either would have been unfair.

The two teams were back and forth for the first 15 minutes with UNC getting an early chance from Kneipper from a Marcus Storey pass after he broke the right back's ankles. Hesmer made a great save on the Kneipper hit.

Wake scored after about 15 on a goal by Justin Moose. To say Moose scored it is not the real story. Sealy got behind the UNC defense, forcing Ford Williams to come out. Sealy deftly lifted it over Williams from a side angle and the ball was rolling in slowly when Moose came in to finish the ball. It had to be Moose's first of the game...He didn't touch the ball in the first 15 minutes. But he would soon become very dangerous for Wake.

Wake took some momentum from the goal and Brian Carroll was playing well. He was on the outside right...but he didn't play as a typical outside middie. An interesting position.

UNC had another clear chance when Sean McGinty got past Hesmer and shot on goal only to have a Wake defender save it. Then with 10 minutes or so remaining in the half, UNC struck. Ray Fumo played a brilliant ball to the 6 and Kniepper did was he does...a header into the corner. Hesmer didn't have a chance. The real class was in the serve, and Kneipper doesn't miss headers very often from that close.

The teams went to the half 1-1, and everyone in the stands was buzzing about the quality of play. Wake outshot UNC in the first half...and probably had the better of the play. They had several other chances...White came on with about 10 minutes left and showed all night that he is dangerous, if not completely healthy.

The second half saw an inspired UNC squad right out of the locker room. The first part of the 2nd half has to be about as well as UNC can play. For about a 15 minute stretch UNC was running the play. McGinty played several serves from the right side for Kneipper that were headed wide or saved by Hesmer. Storey had one...Gell ripped a volley that clanged off the back post that supports the goal, fooling the crowd. UNC had about 7 good chances when all of a sudden Wake gets possession downfield and Brian Carroll hits an absolute cracker with his left foot that goes upper shelf on the opposite side of the goal. I've often said that Carroll is overrated, but the goal was class, and he was good all night.

After the goal Wake seized the momentum and started attacking the UNC goal. Moose was dangerous, and White and Sealy always scare. Then after about 10 minutes of Wake attack UNC gets a cross in the box and Logan Pause, who had started to creep up from the center back spot, calmly slotted a left footed half volley into the lower right corner. A superb goal taken coolly by Pause.

The final part of the half saw both teams with chances. Overtime was more of the same, with both teams attacking. The highlight(or lowlight) or the overtimes was a confrontation between Wake's #12 and Grant Porter. Porter was falling to the ground and pulled 12 with him. The two became tangled and 12 didn't seem to like it, and felt the need to punch and then grab Porter's, how shall we say, cojones. Both players ended up on the ground and McGinty ran in yelling and getting in 12's face while he was on the ground. Both teams ran in and the matter was settled with 12 and McGinty getting yellows. The referee handled the situation well, as a confrontation that could have turned ugly ended up being fairly harmless, although Porter may disagree! They players must be given credit too because no one went for any retaliation that I could tell. I think everyone recognized the importance of the game, and no one wanted to sit the end of it out.

So the game ended a 2-2 tie, a result that has to site well with UNC and can't hurt Wake either. UNC proved they can still play with anyone, and Wake again avoids a loss. The two teams should be commended for playing attacking soccer. Many have complained about UNC playing ugly, but tonight's match was highly entertaining.

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One other note, Matt Crawford for UNC hit heads with Moose in the first half and apparently broke his nose. He came back with one of the plastic face shields and looked like the Tom Cruise character from Vanilla Sky. He took off the mask with about 15 minutes left in the game and played the rest of the game with the crooked nose showing....definitely would make any "All-Madden" college soccer team for that one.

 

I couldn't tell if the ball was in or not...i was definitely too far away. But the fact of the matter is the ball was going in anyway, Sealy did all the work, but Moose will get credit on the stat sheet.