A Win Is A Win For Alabama Soccer, Even If It Isn't Pretty
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - This game couldn't be more different than Alabama's offensive onslaught against Jackson State.
The Crimson Tide did win its evening match against Portland 2-1, but with 40 degree weather and not a lot of offense for either side, the victory was one Wes Hart and his squad had to grind out.
"This is what the NCAA Tournament is all about, two teams battling it out," Riley Mattingly Parker said during the post-game press conference. "'Survive and Advance' is what they say. We survived, and now we advance, and we're looking forward to Sunday and having a better match.
Among the many things that made the game tough was the physicality of the game. Portland and Alabama combined for 21 fouls for the game, and three Crimson Tide players earned a yellow card. Those were the fouls on record, however. There were plenty of tackle and aggressive plays that could've been called, but no whistle was blown.
For the ones that were called, like the foul on Riley Tanner that led to Parker's penalty kick, some went in the Crimson Tide's favor. Others, like the foul against Sasha Pickard that gave Portland a penalty kick, went against the Tide.
"Ultimately, the ref is not gonna win or lose the game for you," Hart said. "There's so many plays throughout the game, and you can't get too wrapped up with the referee, You gotta keep playing."
Pickard shared similar thoughts about playing through calls, citing how the team has had to do it time and time again to this point.
"We've already handled so much adversity this far in the season that when one call doesn't go your way, we're prepared to handle that and build the next play," Pickard said.
The Tide will have Saturday to recover before taking the field against UC Irvine Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. Should Alabama defeat the Anteaters, the team will have a chance to beat the team that won the SEC Tournament title and ended the historic winning streak: South Carolina.
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See Also: Alabama Defeats Portland 2-1; Advances to Third Round of NCAA Tournament
