TennZip Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 https://herdzone.com/news/2019/9/20/mens-soccer-back-on-the-pitch-as-akron-comes-to-huntington.aspx This Marshall team is much better than their teams in prior years. Marshall has already defeated Butler and S. Carolina. Akron's performance against Pitt was its worst game of the season....by far. The 1-0 score was very misleading. The final could have easily been Pitt 4-0 or Pitt 5-0. Almost, every Akron soccer team seems to suffer a gut punch during the season. In 2015, the zips went to Old Dominion and ODU used the long vertical pass to make Brad and Danilo and the zips backline look slow. The team met as a group after that mauling and came back the next weekend and won at Georgetown and Maryland. That team got stronger during the year and was one penalty kick off the crossbar away from beating the eventual NCAA champ in the college cup semis. Last year's gut punch came during a brutal loss at Northern Illinois. Bad luck plagued the team after that game with games cancelled with Notre Dame and Western Michigan. However, the team found a way to regroup and make a magical run to the NCAA final. The Pitt game was brutal. The zips dropped to 0-5. They were outshot 18-6. Pitt led in corner kicks 11-3. Many people want to blame Tor for all of the problems. Tor had some outstanding saves at Pitt to keep the game from ending up 4-0. The 0-5 record can not be blamed on one player. This team has so much offensive firepower and yet, they have scored 2 goals in 5 games. The Pitt game will hopefully be this team's gut punch and they will get off the mat..... They need to play Akron soccer....work as one unit....the captains need to lead and provide direction. They need to spread the field and move the ball with Akron precision. The talent is there. 7 of the guys started in the magical NCAA run. The newcomers have tremendous talent. However, it is always tough to transition to new teammates. David, Skye, Daniel, and Carlo....and other experienced players need to help Bradley, Will, Federico, Mani and Henrique when the new guys have a need to learn. The coaches were super excited before the season about this team's talent and tremendous depth. The future can be very bright for this team. It will take 110% from every player that steps on the field. Akron has had some great stories in its proud 65 year history. Will 2019 be remembered as a non-NCAA year or will it be remembered as the year that the team recovered from an 0-5 year to win the MAC and have a memorable run in the NCAA's. The talent is there. I believe that this team can and will get off the mat after the Pitt "gut punch". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennZip Posted September 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 very good comments from Coach Embick... https://gozips.com/news/2019/9/20/mens-soccer-zips-set-to-battle-marshall.aspx sounds like there will be a fee to watch game from article showdown versus Marshall on Saturday, Sept. 21. The 7 p.m. match will be streamed on Herd Vision (per game fee associated to view) with a link on GoZips.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennZip Posted September 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2019 Looks like it will be $6.95 to watch the game rather than just following live stats, it looks like you might be able to listen to the game via your computer he Thundering Herd enters the match with a 4-1-1 record and the Zips come in at 0-5. Match Details Live Stats: SIDEARM Live Video: HERDVISION/CUSAtv with Jake Griffith on the call Marshall Radio: 88.1 WMUL-FM and online www.marshall.edu/wmul Series History: 11th all-time meeting – Akron leads 7-1-2 Last Meeting: Nov. 1, 2017 in Akron – No. 5 Akron won 2-0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennZip Posted September 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2019 Declan Watters and Daniel Strachan are the 2 center backs Carlo and Marco as the 2 outside backs Mani in the middle....in place of Egbo Pacheco still battling an injury...so Jaden Wright gets the start on the right side Skye also not in lineup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennZip Posted September 22, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2019 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennZip Posted September 22, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2019 2nd half starters 45:00 2nd For AKR: #1 SAUNDERS, Tor, #11 JACKSON, Will, #15 FITZGERALD, Johnny, #6 TOJAGA, Sam, #3 RITACCIO, Carlo, #27 WATTERS, Declan, #23 AUSTMANN, Mani, #4 MILANESE, Marco, #25 STRACHAN, Daniel, #16 CRUZ, Henrique, #8 BIROS, Colin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoZips88 Posted September 22, 2019 Report Share Posted September 22, 2019 (edited) Wow. Marshall scores twice in rapid fashion near the 80-minute mark to go up 2-1. Still about 7 minutes to go but we're staring at 0 - 6. Edit 2-1 final. Akron now 0-6-0. Edited September 22, 2019 by GoZips88 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigzipguy Posted September 22, 2019 Report Share Posted September 22, 2019 This is much worse than last year. Maybe no NCAA's this year. I said the same thing last year. Glad I was wrong. Unfortunately , Think I am correct this time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZipsVoice Posted September 22, 2019 Report Share Posted September 22, 2019 Don't bet on it bigzipguy, I'm not happy at all with this start, nor the play and lack of scoring, but I'm still willing to think we can rally and win the MAC and get the autobid to the NCAAs. Not sure we'll go very deep and certainly won't see a home match or a first round bye, but this team's core is still proud to the extent that they know what it means to keep that streak alive, and may have to (and may already have) adjusted their seasonal goals to a MAC Championship and a berth in the NCAAs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigzipguy Posted September 22, 2019 Report Share Posted September 22, 2019 Do you agree they would have to win the MAC tournament to get into the NCAA's?? I know we agree on that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fknbuflobo Posted September 22, 2019 Report Share Posted September 22, 2019 33 minutes ago, bigzipguy said: Do you agree they would have to win the MAC tournament to get into the NCAA's?? I know we agree on that Yes, absolutely. Zips have no other path to NCAAs but to win the MAC. God help us if Zips do not win the MAC! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZipsVoice Posted September 22, 2019 Report Share Posted September 22, 2019 10 hours ago, bigzipguy said: Do you agree they would have to win the MAC tournament to get into the NCAA's?? I know we agree on that That's exactly what I said in m reply to you..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue & Gold Posted September 22, 2019 Report Share Posted September 22, 2019 Were our guys cocky and lazy this offseason? The slogan "Unfinished Business," may suggest they thought they'd simply stroll to the College Cup this year? Do we miss Marco Micaletto & Abdi Mohamed that much? I know we sorely miss Marcel Zajac's finishing skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZipsVoice Posted September 22, 2019 Report Share Posted September 22, 2019 Abdi maybe, I don't think Marco's absence is that missed, especially with the newcomers. I have been scratching my head trying to figure it out. While on the subject, was TJ that much better as an assistant that Nanchoff? Did Michael introduce some new concepts that haven't fit? No disrespect intended, just trying to figure this out. Zajac's absence is a given, a huge hole left there. The schedule sucks, but it is as it needs to be, given the MAC being so weak and small. If we were in a conference with at least 8 teams, that's 7 matches vs. 5, and if it was a league with half of the teams pushing top 25 status, we wouldn't need to schedule the biggies we do to start the season. We could start with a few more home matches against quality teams but not brutal quality teams, and the side would get a little more confidence going forward. The early losses to Xavier (we always suck on opening day) and the to Stanford seemed to really take it out of the guys, and then they had to go on the road to Creighton and Maryland.....One home match and then bye-bye. Sometimes the Rowdies presence at home adds a healing balm to these situations but they haven't had that luxury with the schedule. Come on, we know the talent is here, but I'm grasping at straws to figure out what's happening.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zip_ME87 Posted September 24, 2019 Report Share Posted September 24, 2019 (edited) On 9/22/2019 at 10:57 AM, ZipsVoice said: Come on, we know the talent is here, but I'm grasping at straws to figure out what's happening.... I don’t have the answer(s) either, but creativity to open up spaces has seemed non-existent; passing is often errant; and relying on a single forward has been relatively fruitless, especially when frustration sets in. Injuries, short time between games and being on the road all seem to have added to the issues. Hopefully being at home and having 6 days off will help. Edited September 26, 2019 by Zip_ME87 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.