ACC Men’s Soccer Tournament

[mike412]

There was one significant upset in the first round as Cal beat UNC 2-1 in Chapel Hill. Pitt plays #9 UVA which beat #8 NC State, but they had identical conference records. The most amazing first round match was Stanford v ND. Notre Dame tied the match with a header with about 10 seconds left and the Stanford won it on a golazo from over the halfway line on the ensuing restart. The ND goalie wasn’t out of position or off his line. The shot was high into the right top corner and he couldn’t reach it. Whether he could have/should have jumped higher we might never know.

To me, the UVA game is a trap game of sorts. We beat them 4-1 at Ambrose, but 3 of the goals were scored in a 4 minute stretch where UVA claimed the first one was offside and appeared to be in a funk after it was ruled good. Two of the following three goals were scored on rebounds which took perfect deflections into the path of a Pitt player.

Aside from UNC and NC State, all of the other top seeds won. The ACC plays an unbalanced conference schedule, so Pitt has not played all of the other top seeds. We did not play #2 Clemson, the defending national champion, #3 Duke, #4 SMU or #5 Wake Forest.

 

[vantheman1976]

There was one significant upset in the first round as Cal beat UNC 2-1 in Chapel Hill. Pitt plays #9 UVA which beat #8 NC State, but they had identical conference records. The most amazing first round match was Stanford v ND. Notre Dame tied the match with a header with about 10 seconds left and the Stanford won it on a golazo from over the halfway line on the ensuing restart. The ND goalie wasn’t out of position or off his line. The shot was high into the right top corner and he couldn’t reach it. Whether he could have/should have jumped higher we might never know.

To me, the UVA game is a trap game of sorts. We beat them 4-1 at Ambrose, but 3 of the goals were scored in a 4 minute stretch where UVA claimed the first one was offside and appeared to be in a funk after it was ruled good. Two of the following three goals were scored on rebounds which took perfect deflections into the path of a Pitt player.

Aside from UNC and NC State, all of the other top seeds won. The ACC plays an unbalanced conference schedule, so Pitt has not played all of the other top seeds. We did not play #2 Clemson, the defending national champion, #3 Duke, #4 SMU or #5 Wake Forest.

Nice update.....looking forward to watching the match on Sunday. By the way....have you been affected by the floods in Spain....wondering how you're doing in that regard.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

There was one significant upset in the first round as Cal beat UNC 2-1 in Chapel Hill. Pitt plays #9 UVA which beat #8 NC State, but they had identical conference records. The most amazing first round match was Stanford v ND. Notre Dame tied the match with a header with about 10 seconds left and the Stanford won it on a golazo from over the halfway line on the ensuing restart. The ND goalie wasn’t out of position or off his line. The shot was high into the right top corner and he couldn’t reach it. Whether he could have/should have jumped higher we might never know.

To me, the UVA game is a trap game of sorts. We beat them 4-1 at Ambrose, but 3 of the goals were scored in a 4 minute stretch where UVA claimed the first one was offside and appeared to be in a funk after it was ruled good. Two of the following three goals were scored on rebounds which took perfect deflections into the path of a Pitt player.

Aside from UNC and NC State, all of the other top seeds won. The ACC plays an unbalanced conference schedule, so Pitt has not played all of the other top seeds. We did not play #2 Clemson, the defending national champion, #3 Duke, #4 SMU or #5 Wake Forest.

This Pitt soccer team reminds me some of the Pitt football team. This is one of Jay's least talented teams but they win. I dont mean that they dont have talent but most of his other teams were more talented. I wouldn't be surprised if we won the NC or lost early in the NCAAT.

One correction: we did beat SMU in Dallas.

 

[mike412]

Nice update.....looking forward to watching the match on Sunday. By the way....have you been affected by the floods in Spain....wondering how you're doing in that regard.

Have been in US during the entire flooding period. But, from what I have seen it hasn’t affected our area except for rain and maybe one to two inch streams of water. The places in Barcelona that have been hit hard are for the most part not that close to each other. Three areas in different parts of the city. Casteldelfells, where Messi and many Barca players live, has had some minor flooding. Lewandowski’s wife posted a video of flood waters which reached their back door but didn’t pour in.

Our apartment is on the fifth floor so if floodwaters every did reach it, the City would be a disaster.

Thank you for asking!

 

[ThePanthers]

UVA just scored 2 goals in 22 seconds. Were screwed

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

This team reminds me of Pitt football. They were never as good as their record indicated but they kept winning. Now, they arent nearly as bad as Pitt football. Pitt football really isnt very good but got lucky. Pitt is a good, mid-range type NCAAT team but will get a Top 10-12 seed based on resume.

 

[F.Hoopies]

I follow the soccer program from a far. My son is really into it. We went to the game today and did not see his coach from the soccer camp he attended last year. Does anyone know why Michael Sullivan a midfielder did not play?

 

[mike412]

I watched the first 65 minutes and was very disappointed. Pitt dominated possession and position-wise in the first half, but never really threatened to score. There didn’t seem to be any plan to the attack.

In the second half, Pitt continued to dominate the play and had a shot hit the post. Shortly after that came the play that changed the game. UVA was in the Pitt end but not threatening. A Pitt defender got the ball on the left side about 20 yards from the endline. He wasn’t really under any pressure but had his back to the play and apparently incorrectly sensed that he was under pressure. He deliberately kicked the ball past the endline for a corner. He could have just as easily kicked it over the sideline to give UVA a much less dangerous throw-in. Why he didn’t, he will have to answer.

UVA ran a set play: a short pass followed by a cross into the far right corner of the box where UVA had two attackers and Pitt had one defender. A free header made it 1-0. When UVA scored again about 20 seconds later, it was clear the game was over.

To me, Vidovich never had a strategy or plan. They clearly are in the NCAA tournament and maybe he didn’t care about winning the ACC tournament or securing home field advantage in the NCAAs. But, to me watching on TV, the team lacked a coherent game plan and a commitment to winning.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I watched the first 65 minutes and was very disappointed. Pitt dominated possession and position-wise in the first half, but never really threatened to score. There didn’t seem to be any plan to the attack.

In the second half, Pitt continued to dominate the play and had a shot hit the post. Shortly after that came the play that changed the game. UVA was in the Pitt end but not threatening. A Pitt defender got the ball on the left side about 20 yards from the endline. He wasn’t really under any pressure but had his back to the play and apparently incorrectly sensed that he was under pressure. He deliberately kicked the ball past the endline for a corner. He could have just as easily kicked it over the sideline to give UVA a much less dangerous throw-in. Why he didn’t, he will have to answer.

UVA ran a set play: a short pass followed by a cross into the far right corner of the box where UVA had two attackers and Pitt had one defender. A free header made it 1-0. When UVA scored again about 20 seconds later, it was clear the game was over.

To me, Vidovich never had a strategy or plan. They clearly are in the NCAA tournament and maybe he didn’t care about winning the ACC tournament or securing home field advantage in the NCAAs. But, to me watching on TV, the team lacked a coherent game plan and a commitment to winning.

I fell asleep at halftime. Virginia was organized defensively and Pitt never threatened. It was a classic road performance and turned it into a snooze of a match, as evidenced by my slumber. Lol.

 

[F.Hoopies]

I watched the first 65 minutes and was very disappointed. Pitt dominated possession and position-wise in the first half, but never really threatened to score. There didn’t seem to be any plan to the attack.

In the second half, Pitt continued to dominate the play and had a shot hit the post. Shortly after that came the play that changed the game. UVA was in the Pitt end but not threatening. A Pitt defender got the ball on the left side about 20 yards from the endline. He wasn’t really under any pressure but had his back to the play and apparently incorrectly sensed that he was under pressure. He deliberately kicked the ball past the endline for a corner. He could have just as easily kicked it over the sideline to give UVA a much less dangerous throw-in. Why he didn’t, he will have to answer.

UVA ran a set play: a short pass followed by a cross into the far right corner of the box where UVA had two attackers and Pitt had one defender. A free header made it 1-0. When UVA scored again about 20 seconds later, it was clear the game was over.

To me, Vidovich never had a strategy or plan. They clearly are in the NCAA tournament and maybe he didn’t care about winning the ACC tournament or securing home field advantage in the NCAAs. But, to me watching on TV, the team lacked a coherent game plan and a commitment to winning.

These were my thought exactly as someone whom was at the game. Pitt really dominated possession in first 67 minutes but really didn’t muster many good chances.

 

[vantheman1976]

I fell asleep at halftime. Virginia was organized defensively and Pitt never threatened. It was a classic road performance and turned it into a snooze of a match, as evidenced by my slumber. Lol.

I was doing OK until that 2nd Virginia goal.....cursed loudly at the tv.....got dirty looks from my wife for my vulgarity.....and switched the station!

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I was doing OK until that 2nd Virginia goal.....cursed loudly at the tv.....got dirty looks from my wife for my vulgarity.....and switched the station!

I think that part of it is me having a difficult time with evening games after the clocks are turned back. But I thought me falling asleep due to the soccer was a sexier narrative. .

 

[Chairman Moe]

I was doing OK until that 2nd Virginia goal.....cursed loudly at the tv.....got dirty looks from my wife for my vulgarity.....and switched the station!

I got the same reaction from mine when I was watching the Pitt - Virginia football game on Saturday night. I turned off the tv when the refs game Va the fifth down ... but yeah, not a great weekend for Pitt football - either the American or International version thereof