Tigers pour on second half goals to advance to ACC quarters over Louisville |
The Clemson Tigers (12-2-3) advanced to the ACC men’s soccer tournament quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory over the Louisville Cardinals (6-7-3) at Historic Riggs Field on Wednesday.
The Tigers looked poised after the first half, finding their stride with three second-half goals to down the last seed in the ACC tournament. Earlier this season against Louisville, Clemson won 3-2 after three goals in nine minutes in the second half to come back from two goals. Coach Noonan spoke on the important victory, noting the impressive second half and looking forward to the next bout. “It’s not about who we play, it’s about how we play. If we play well, we can fulfill our potential,” Noonan said. The first 15 minutes completed a credible cameo for the Cardinals. They attacked dangerous areas, held possession well and created confusion in the backline for the Tigers. However, their efforts fell short of the back of the net, with their first three shots failing to be on target. The next third of the first half created some momentum for the Tigers. With a couple of shots on target, stringed possession and lots of fouls, the pressure mounting on the away side became the perfect momentum near the end of the first half to create chances. In the 39th minute, the Tigers drew a foul near the left side of the midfield. Ransford Gyan crossed a high ball into the box which dropped into the feet of a Tiger, but it got cleared away quickly. A tough ball to catch for any player, but it caused chaos and commotion in the box. The Tigers and Cardinals entered the halftime locker rooms with more questions than answers for the offensive side. The away team had a great start but lost momentum, while the Noonan-led Tigers needed to find a way to break open a low Louisville backline. To open the second half, Louisville immediately made a mistake. After a foul in the box a minute in, the Tigers had Gerbet step up. He cooly slotted the ball into the net, and the Tigers found their opener. “I tried to be ice cold on the penalty, and I placed it home,” Gerbet said. Joran Gerbet converts from the spot 👏#ClemsonUnited | 📺ACCN pic.twitter.com/AqR8rGk57R Thirty seconds later, Louisville struck back. An outside-the-box shot by TJ Kahoalii blew past Clemson goalkeeper Patrick Donovan to level it up. The Tigers shifted off for a moment, and now they had to fight back the momentum. Nine minutes later, the Tigers pushed themselves into a great position, earning a corner. After Gyan crossed, it landed on Adam Lundegaard, who put the ball back in the middle. Alex Meinhard slammed it home to give the Tigers their advantage back. It was a cagey and open game here in the first round. After some great defensive aptitude, Gyan had a quick break with three other attackers. He carried the ball too far, stopping some momentum with a pass just behind. After some quick passes, the ball went to Remi Okunlola on the right wing. He breezed right past his defender and curved the ball smoothly past the goalkeeper. For Louisville, they almost turned the game around in the 67th minute. A cross into the box landed at the feet of Josh Jones five yards away from the goal, but Clemson goalkeeper Patrick Donovan made a great save to keep the Cardinals out. Noonan goes way back with the junior goalie, who has stepped in for the injured Joseph Andema since the previous game. “I’ve known Patrick since he was born. His family sits in Pew 5 and we sit in Pew 6…He’s a great kid,” Noonan said. With five minutes left, the Tigers keep dancing around the midfield, keeping possession and letting the play come to them. The control gave the Tigers their best work, seeing them through to the next round. The Tigers will play the winner of Stanford or Notre Dame on Sunday. The Tigers’ two losses this regular season have come at the expense of each team. Alex puts the Tigers in the lead ‼️#ClemsonUnited | 📺ACCN pic.twitter.com/pJzOmb37BN Remi slots it home for the THIRD! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/bKk2FhU8uw Round Won. ✅#ClemsonUnited pic.twitter.com/ACtdTSLQKz Shoutout to the best student section in College Soccer🔥🐅#ClemsonUnited pic.twitter.com/7yb2JhmP56
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