SU men’s soccer draws 2-2 in chaotic clash against Louisville
SU draws against Louisville, 2-2
Coming off of a frustrating 1-0 loss to Notre Dame on Tuesday, Syracuse men’s soccer came into last night’s game with the hopes of bouncing back and getting a win in their final home game of the 2020 season against ACC rival Louisville.
Before the game, head coach Ian McIntyre highlighted the importance of the veteran players’ leadership on the field, especially in a rivalry game.
“The guys that have experience…it’s important that they step up,” McIntyre said. “If those guys do, I think we’re going to cause Louisville some problems.”
The early stages of the first half saw the Orange and the Cardinals aggressively battling for control of the midfield.
Syracuse proved to be the better team offensively through the first 30 minutes of the game. However, both teams grew frustrated with their respective inability to produce and shouting between opposing players grew louder as fouls were committed and the first half progressed.
Syracuse freshman forward Deandre Kerr struck first on a counterattack with just under 10 minutes to go in the half. Kerr skillfully beat his defender before slotting the ball into the bottom left corner to score his first career goal for the Orange.
The Orange created more shots on goal in the remaining time but could not extend the lead before the end of the half. There was a combined total of 13 fouls committed by the end of the first half, underlining the sheer physicality of the game.
With a 1-0 lead, Syracuse found themselves 45 minutes away from their first win of the season.
The second half picked up right where the first left off, with both teams playing aggressively and fighting to maintain possession.
The tempo of the game shifted heavily in Syracuse’s favor when Louisville goalkeeper Osmar Chavero was shown a red card in the 52nd minute for a foul on forward Luther Archimede in the penalty box.
Archimede stepped up to take the awarded penalty but was denied by redshirt junior William Howard who had just entered the game for his first collegiate appearance with the Cardinals.
Although Archimede did not convert the penalty kick, the Orange went on to dominate possession for the next 20 minutes. Syracuse produced eight total shots, four of which were on goal, as well as four corner kicks, but could not capitalize on these opportunities. Despite this offensive pressure, the Orange only scored one goal in the second half. This would come back to haunt them later in the game.
The second goal for Syracuse came from Kerr again after a cross from Hilli Goldhar on the left flank in the 77th minute. The match seemed to be all but said and done. But Louisville found a way to cut the deficit in half through Nico Diaz just over 90 seconds after Kerr’s second goal.
The Cardinals then went on to equalize within the next three minutes through forward Aboubacar Camara off of a corner kick. The Orange’s struggles in the attacking third during the second half finally came back to bite them with less than 10 minutes to go.
The end of regulation ushered in two periods of overtime during which Syracuse regained control of the pace of the game. The Cardinals faced an onslaught of corner kicks over the course of both periods but successfully maintained their defensive shape and did not concede a winning goal.
After the game, McIntyre lamented his team’s inability to put the game to bed in the second half.
“I think we thought the game was over when it was 2-0,” McIntyre said. “Overall, this game should’ve been well before they scored their first goal.”
Syracuse is 0-2-1 with three games left in the regular season. While it was a disappointing result for them, this squad has shown significant signs of potential in the form of players like Kerr and Goldhar.
The Orange will look to pick up their first win of the season when they travel to face off against Virginia Tech on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m.
is a contributor to The NewsHouse and studying at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
