Busquets Dazzles in Syracuse's Win against #6 Ranked Clemson
Manel Busquets and Deandre Kerr both scored in Syracuse's 2-0 victory over Clemson Saturday. Busquets put in a man-of-the-match performance as Clemson struggled to find clear opportunities in front of goal.
The Orange came into the match as underdogs but showed a fighting spirit from the first whistle. Manel Busquets set the tone of the match early on, beating his defender with immense pace and power down the right-hand side. It looked as if neither team really had a full grasp on the game, with excellent defensive coverage from both sides.
It only took 13 minutes for Syracuse to leave its mark on the match, as some excellent wing play from Jeogio Kocevski and Giona Leibold gave Busquets the opportunity to score his sixth goal of the season. Busquets received the cross from Leibold and produced a tidy finish to give Syracuse a one-goal lead.
By halftime, it seemed as if Syracuse had nullified the Tigers offense, with Clemson star forward Mohamed Seye finding it difficult to turn the opposition.
The second half saw both teams put shots on target, but it was Syracuse that had the best opportunities against Clemson keeper George Marks. He produced a wonderful save in the 57th minute to keep Clemson within striking distance.
In the 86th minute, Deandre Kerr put the game to bed after a solo run ended up with him scoring with his weaker foot. Head Coach Ian McIntyre says he was proud of the effort his team put in.
"Our guys worked so hard. You've gotta try to outwork Clemson, which is very difficult," McIntyre said. "This was a dynamic, end-to-end college soccer game."
Syracuse will look to make it two wins from two next Friday away at Wake Forest.