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College Soccer Professor: Recap Of College Cup Semifinals
Akron and Virginia advanced from the College Cup semifinals and will face off in the final Sunday. J.R. Eskilson breaks it all down.
Dec 12, 2009 4:50:48 AM
By J.R. Eskilson
Before more than 8,000 fans in Cary, North Carolina, Akron beat UNC in penalty kicks on Friday to book their ticket to the final. Junior Blair Gavin converted the game winning PK for the Zips after a lackluster 110 minutes of scoreless soccer. Earlier in the night, Virginia knocked off Wake Forest, 2-1, in a thrilling overtime affair that ended with Jonathan Villanueva hitting a 60 yard bomb that Brian Ownby finished between two defenders. The professor is here for some bullet point thoughts about the hot topics from the games on Friday and a preview of Sunday's big game.
Virginia 2-1 Wake Forest
If an Ampaipitakwong-less Akron midfield struggled in the final third against North Carolina, they are going to have a nightmare against Virginia's defense. Kyle Martino kept trying to make a point that UVA did not play a good game against Wake Forest and they were out-played. Has he seen Virginia play this year? That game was a better performance than their ACC semi-final match up. Wake Forest is no joke, and Virginia knew exactly what they had to do to win. They executed the game plan very well, and they made the most of their chances. It was a good performance from a defensive team, stop complaining.
Bunbury is going to have to play a ninety minute game this time, especially if Akron are missing pieces. His lack of effect at the end of the game was clearly because of fatigue. When he failed to step up and hit a penalty kick, you knew that he was exhausted. A kind of fluky own goal against Wake Forest is the only thing that has been in the back of Diego Restrepo's net since October. Bunbury is going to need a special effort to beat him and the UVA defense.
Prediction:
Both of these teams defend very well, but Akron's keeper, David Meves, made some very interesting choices on Friday. And since I have been riding the hot hand for a while, I am not going to change now. Restrepo comes up with seven crucial saves and UVA wins 2-1.
J.R. Eskilson writes a weekly NCAA column on Tuesday for Goal.com. Follow the College Soccer Professor at twitter.com/NCAAsoccer
Want more from Goal.com delivered right to your door? Check out "Goal.com Magazine." Subscribe now!
Before more than 8,000 fans in Cary, North Carolina, Akron beat UNC in penalty kicks on Friday to book their ticket to the final. Junior Blair Gavin converted the game winning PK for the Zips after a lackluster 110 minutes of scoreless soccer. Earlier in the night, Virginia knocked off Wake Forest, 2-1, in a thrilling overtime affair that ended with Jonathan Villanueva hitting a 60 yard bomb that Brian Ownby finished between two defenders. The professor is here for some bullet point thoughts about the hot topics from the games on Friday and a preview of Sunday's big game.
Virginia 2-1 Wake Forest
- Wake Forest's goal was officially listed with Corben Bone as the goal scorer, but the ball clearly deflected off a Virginia defender to go in the net. There is so much wrong with scorekeepers at college soccer games. The way they hand out points is laughable. I am shocked they did not throw an assist onto the score sheet!
- Jonathan Villanueva’s performance in the game was enough to put him on the draft boards again. Even though Villanueva was not invited to the combine, it is hard to believe he will not get a late round pick from an MLS team.
- Speaking of MLS draft, Austin da Luz might have helped his case the most on Friday. However, in this game, he defended about as well as Landon Donovan does with swine flu. (Yes, Villanueva is guilty of the same statement.)
- Tony Tchani is still at the top of my draft board. His performance seems to be polarizing with some believing he was awful. In his defense, his passes may not have connected but UVA held numbers back so he was left with little support. It was not his best game, no argument there, but he still left a footprint on the game. (Also, he is starting to look like Avon Barksdale from The Wire with that facial hair, and you do not doubt Avon!)
- Akira Fitzgerald was Wake Forest’s liability heading into the game, and he was the same leaving the game. I am not sure what he was thinking on the Ownby goal.
- How does Opara get beat over the top on that goal? Well, for one thing, he was pushed up to center mid to grab an equalizer late in the second half. When they started the overtime, he was back at center-back, but his body positioning on that ball over the top clearly looked like he was still trying to push forward. It was a tactical decision I questioned at the time, and still do. There was no reason to move Opara forward.
- Look for Will Bates to have a better game against Akron. He is too good of a player to be held quiet for two games in a row.
- Wake Forest’s head coach, Jay Vidovich, should have a head coaching job in MLS after this game.
- The red card on UNC’s Brett King was not deserved. The second yellow was clearly a foul and a card, but the first foul was soft and, by the way Alex Prus had officiated the game, there is no way that should have been a card.
- Zach Loyd had a quietly effective game. He could fill so many positions for an MLS side that I think he will be a late first round pick, possibly early second round pick.
- How come Kofi Sarkodie is afraid to send a cross in? Every time he received the ball on the wing, he cut in and then blasted a shot off a defender. It was simple and easy to defend.
- Teal Bunbury looked great for 30 minutes, then he disappeared. Akron will need a much better performance on Sunday from the nation’s leading scorer. Plus, his draft stock needs a bump.
- Anthony Ampaipitakwong's injury is a terrible loss for Akron’s attack. They are clearly stagnant without him. Hopefully, the quad will be good to go on Sunday.
- The lack of passes between Darlington Nagbe and Bunbury is shocking. For two forwards that have played together this whole season, you would think they would be able to connect, but they did not have a single pass to each other in 110 minutes.
- Michael Farfan had one of his better games this season. One shot hit the bar and another shot was tipped over. One has to wonder if that was enough for Farfan to want to leave for MLS.
- Why was Alex Dixon playing left mid for the majority of the game? You take away his greatest weapon (speed) and limit your attack by leaving a tired Billy Schuler up top. The tactics for the Tar Heels made no sense.
- Has there ever been a penalty kick shoot out before when none of the forwards on the field took a PK? Right back Jordan Graye took a PK before Dixon or Schuler? Crazy!
If an Ampaipitakwong-less Akron midfield struggled in the final third against North Carolina, they are going to have a nightmare against Virginia's defense. Kyle Martino kept trying to make a point that UVA did not play a good game against Wake Forest and they were out-played. Has he seen Virginia play this year? That game was a better performance than their ACC semi-final match up. Wake Forest is no joke, and Virginia knew exactly what they had to do to win. They executed the game plan very well, and they made the most of their chances. It was a good performance from a defensive team, stop complaining.
Bunbury is going to have to play a ninety minute game this time, especially if Akron are missing pieces. His lack of effect at the end of the game was clearly because of fatigue. When he failed to step up and hit a penalty kick, you knew that he was exhausted. A kind of fluky own goal against Wake Forest is the only thing that has been in the back of Diego Restrepo's net since October. Bunbury is going to need a special effort to beat him and the UVA defense.
Prediction:
Both of these teams defend very well, but Akron's keeper, David Meves, made some very interesting choices on Friday. And since I have been riding the hot hand for a while, I am not going to change now. Restrepo comes up with seven crucial saves and UVA wins 2-1.
J.R. Eskilson writes a weekly NCAA column on Tuesday for Goal.com. Follow the College Soccer Professor at twitter.com/NCAAsoccer
Want more from Goal.com delivered right to your door? Check out "Goal.com Magazine." Subscribe now!
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