For those doing the double tomorrow, the Pitt/ND Elite 8 game is on at 5 on ACCNX.
This is the first game all season that I am going into not expecting Pitt to win. I think they can win but Notre Dame is a very bad matchup. I know I bragged about Alabama and all that but this team has battled many injuries and suspensions. When you only get 9.9 scholarships for an 11 v 11 sport, it's hard to overcome this.
Veljko Petkovic, who Top Drawer Soccer ranked as the best player in the nation last played on October 1 and was eventually kicked off the team. Just a massive blow. This is a kid who I think will eventually play for the US National team in some of their B/C friendlies/Gold Cup. Immensely talented player who played with USMNT guys Gio Reyna and James Sands on NYCFC's age group teams.
Rodrigo Almeida, the leading goal scorer, hasn't played in 4-5 weeks. Well, he did come on for 10 minutes last game and reinjured his hamstring so he's probably done.
ND is the best defensive team I've seen. They haven't given up a goal since October 29. Pitt has played them 2 times this season, for 200 minutes, and has yet to score. Yes, we were shorthanded in both games but we are on Saturday as well.
ND is so well drilled defensively that its almost impossible to score on them unless you have that 1 guy who can do something individually, a guy like Petkovic or Almeida. The good news for Pitt is they are so talented, they have other guys who can find that moment of magic. Bertin Jacquesson is playing the best soccer of his life right now so look for him. But ND also has one of the best players in the nation in Jack Lynn who is just waiting, lurking, to burn Pitt on a counter. Pitt pushes so high that they leave their defenders in a lot of 1v1s that they end up conceding, doing this.
In the end, I think Pitt can win but I don't think they can score 2 goals or keep a clean sheet. I see a 2-1 ND win or maybe in OT. I think we could possibly see a 1-1 draw with the College Cup berth be decided on the coin flip of PKs
This is the first game all season that I am going into not expecting Pitt to win. I think they can win but Notre Dame is a very bad matchup. I know I bragged about Alabama and all that but this team has battled many injuries and suspensions. When you only get 9.9 scholarships for an 11 v 11 sport, it's hard to overcome this.
Veljko Petkovic, who Top Drawer Soccer ranked as the best player in the nation last played on October 1 and was eventually kicked off the team. Just a massive blow. This is a kid who I think will eventually play for the US National team in some of their B/C friendlies/Gold Cup. Immensely talented player who played with USMNT guys Gio Reyna and James Sands on NYCFC's age group teams.
Rodrigo Almeida, the leading goal scorer, hasn't played in 4-5 weeks. Well, he did come on for 10 minutes last game and reinjured his hamstring so he's probably done.
ND is the best defensive team I've seen. They haven't given up a goal since October 29. Pitt has played them 2 times this season, for 200 minutes, and has yet to score. Yes, we were shorthanded in both games but we are on Saturday as well.
ND is so well drilled defensively that its almost impossible to score on them unless you have that 1 guy who can do something individually, a guy like Petkovic or Almeida. The good news for Pitt is they are so talented, they have other guys who can find that moment of magic. Bertin Jacquesson is playing the best soccer of his life right now so look for him. But ND also has one of the best players in the nation in Jack Lynn who is just waiting, lurking, to burn Pitt on a counter. Pitt pushes so high that they leave their defenders in a lot of 1v1s that they end up conceding, doing this.
In the end, I think Pitt can win but I don't think they can score 2 goals or keep a clean sheet. I see a 2-1 ND win or maybe in OT. I think we could possibly see a 1-1 draw with the College Cup berth be decided on the coin flip of PKs
