No. 4 Tigers shut out rival Deacs

Joran Gerbet hit the penalty kick that served as the game-winner. (Clemson athletics photo)

Brooks Thomason - Correspondent - Friday, September 20 2024

CLEMSON - Clemson men's soccer (4-1-2; 2-1 ACC) fought hard to earn a 1-0 victory against their longtime rival Wake Forest (2-3-3; 0-1-1 ACC) at Historic Riggs Field on Friday.

In the 53rd minute, the fourth-ranked Tigers earned themselves a penalty after Remi Okunlola was tripped in the box. Joran Gerbet stepped up for Clemson, where he sent the keeper the wrong way and scored. After lots of buildup and missed chances, Clemson broke the deadlock for what served as the game-winner.

“Any ACC win is a great win…This was an outstanding performance and Wake Forest is a very good team,” Tigers head coach Mike Noonan said.

Wake Forest and Clemson have dominated the ACC for the last decade, with the Demon Deacons and Tigers being first and second in ACC regular season wins since 2015.

The game started very open between both teams. Both sides went back and forth on the attack, and the middle of the field was open for midfielders to create for their attackers. A promising chance for the Tigers opened up in the 11th minute for Arthur Duquenne. He jolted past a defender on the left wing and opened up a shot near post on the left side, but he hit the post, and the ball came back out to the Demon Deacons.

In the 13th minute, Ransford Gyan and Misei Yoshizawa connected through the midfield and towards the box. After some nifty passing between the two, Yoshizawa had a clear chance against Wake Forest’s goalkeeper Trace Alphin. Alphin made a great stop to keep the game tied at the time, and the Tigers missed an early opportunity to snatch the lead.

In the 21st minute, another promising chance opened up for Clemson. A beautiful one-two ball gave Clemson some space. A low cross came in, and Yoshizawa’s shot was blocked. The ball rolled out to Antonio Illuminato, who placed it well in the bottom left corner, but Alphin made a great stop again.

In the 30th minute, Alex Meinhard found the split between the Wake Forest defenders and had open space. He was one-on-one with the keeper but shot wide from the far post. Clemson’s had a grip of some big chances but couldn’t find the back of the net.

In the 42nd minute, the Tigers found their way through again, this time with Tyler Trimnal. Trimnal found the space in behind and cut past one defender, but a flat-footed shot straight down the middle left no chance for Clemson to take the lead before the half.

In the 49th minute, Wake Forest had a big opportunity. After cutting through the Tigers' defense, Nico Rabiu ripped a shot at Andema, which looked comfortable for the junior, but he spilled it out to Daniel Krueger, who had an open net if he put it on target. Krueger’s shot went wide after he couldn’t make the difficult touch, and Clemson’s sigh of relief filled the air.

In the 60th minute, Wake Forest built up beautifully in a game-tying attempt after the Tigers' penalty kick goal. After a blocked shot, the ball was rolled to Cooper Flax, who rifled it towards the bottom left corner. Andema made a diving stop, saving the ball with his fingertips to keep the Tigers in the lead. The crowd roared for the star keeper after a brilliant stop.

Ten minutes later, Clemson looked to double their advantage. After beating one defender on the dribble, Yoshizawa found an angle at the top of the box. He curled one towards the bottom left corner, and the entire Clemson crowd stood up, but Alphin made a diving save off the post to keep it level.

In the 81st minute, Wake Forest came knocking in the box. After two blocked shots, Wake Forest’s players and coach screamed for a handball by Clemson on one of the shots. After a quick review, the referee waived off the calls from the Demon Deacons.

With the final seconds winding down, Wake Forest looked for hope on the attack but couldn’t muster any significant chance. Clemson’s defensive fortitude kept a clean sheet at home.

Clemson’s next match is against Liberty on Tuesday, while the Demon Deacons travel to New York to take on the Syracuse Orange.

Joran Gerbet nets his second goal of the season from the spot!#ClemsonUnited pic.twitter.com/h918peW1NQ
— Clemson Men's Soccer (@ClemsonMSoccer) September 21, 2024