Orange, Cardinals Tie Hard Fought Top Ten Men's Soccer Matchup
The Syracuse Orange and Louisville Cardinals men’s soccer teams were in a dog fight late Friday night in a clash of top ten nationally ranked teams. After Syracuse controlled much of the match, Louisville notched a late goal to seal the draw 2-2.
The Syracuse defense was stifling for large portions of the game, posting their second straight game where they gave up single-digit shots, having given up five shots vs Albany on Monday, and eight Friday night.
“When guys had to put their bodies on the line they did that," head coach Ian McIntyre said.
In this matchup of ACC juggernauts, the Orange started fast, notching a few scoring chances in just the first few minutes of play, before the Cardinals struck gold on a Syracuse turnover near mid-field which soon turned into a goal off the left foot of Jr. forward Gage Guerra.
The Orange responded 1:14 later with a penalty kick from Lorenzo Boselli. This seemed to spark the orange, as they went on to dominate time of possession for a large portion of the remainder of the first half.
This ball dominance, as well as some great defense led to the Orange going the remainder of the first half without giving up so much as a single shot on goal.
Then, in the 33rd minute, Mateo Leveque put the Orange ahead on a wild pin-balling play that led to a left foot strike which he got by Louisville goaltender Alex Svetanoff.
The Orange took a 2-1 lead into halftime, before things got dicey more than once for the Orange in the 2nd period of play.
The Syracuse defense picked up where they left off early in the 2nd, shutting down the Cardinals usually reliable offense.
Louisville’s offense eventually found their footing however, and around minute 62 the tide of the game began to sway ever so slightly, as the Cards showed signs of life on offense, led by freshman forward Ethan Subachan’s fresh legs off the bench. The Cardinals nearly tied things up in minute 70 as midfielder Sander Roed had a nearly point-blank shot blocked.
Momentum continued to build for the Cards, with Syracuse still clinging to a 2-1 lead in the late going.
Louisville would finally break through to tie the game with under two minutes remaining as Guerra tallied his second goal of the night in the chaos following a corner kick.
Syracuse’s Mateo Leveque (a goal scorer for the Orange tonight) talked about the challenges of playing this Louisville team. “This is a very good team, this is probably the best team we’ve played against this year so far… They have very good players, so obviously when it comes to a very good player, like you’re gonna have some chances”.
The ball control of this Syracuse squad, both so far as time and quality, really showed tonight, as well as their ability to turn up the intensity when playing a top level program. Overall, the Syracuse offense answered some questions, putting up a solid offensive performance, particularly in the first half.
These teams fought until the final whistle, often having SU Soccer Stadium on the edge of it’s seats in the late going, showing why both these teams are considered national powers.
Syracuse Men’s Soccer is next in action here at SU Soccer Stadium on Tuesday night vs the Siena Saints.
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