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The better team won today. The first PK was a rubbish call. Budler got the ball. But the better team won. It would have been more competitive if Zips had Clapier and Shokalook.

Wait. What? There is a match in Akron?

Watching national weather, seems there will enough snow in Syracuse come Sunday. I seem to recall a snowy NCAA Tourney match near Syracuse in 2018….🤔

I HATE PKs!!!

No first round match went to PKs. Hope that is a trend.

Cry me a river for ACC!!!

For anyone filling out a bracket, I have WMU beating Cardinals in Louisville. If I could find a book on it I would bet money.

Taken from my failing memory: Last NCAA Champion to NOT enjoy a top 16 seed was UCSB in 2006. If there was another such occurrence previous to 2006, I am unaware of it, or I have forgotten. That is how important that 1st round bye truly is. It is the most significant advantage in all of NCAA athletics. The Selection Committee granted Zips a Moment Of Grace.

Very good point. MAC POTY is Daniel Nimick, a CB. And GK Hunter Morse is arguably the best in the country. Pitt have a lot of weapons, but they cannot replicate the size and strength of WMU.

…and 2 ejections.

Twelve minutes after Shook was sent off, Mani Diop came in at CB and Will Jackson went to L with Joel Sangwa at R, essentially 3 CBs. Malik Henry moved into Right Wing. Our customary 4-2-3 (down a man) morphed into a 3-3-3 (down a man). That is how it looked to me. I pay close attention to such things, and I watch a barely healthy volume of futbol. This does not necessarily make me correct, but it does mean that my observation is more than merely casual. If only Shook would not have lost his soup! And Dyson Clapier getting two YC in five minutes, the second a wildly reckless slide tackle from behind. C'mon, Dice! How you gonna act? Let's all hope that Monday's draw is good to us.

Broncos earned it.

To clarify, lateral passing along the back line is done by the professionals on down. It is done to maintain possession and to tire out the defense. Keeping the ball is worth a "negative" pass now and then. The problem arises when your possession is exclusively in your defense. Today our Defenders had way too much of the ball. It becomes too predictable. The ball eventually needs to move into Midfield. We had far too little possession in the Midfield today. We played the ball over the top with mixed success, but the quick, short passing through the Midfield was strangled today. This match was all too reminiscent of the loss earlier this year at Indiana, where we rarely had a second pass out of the midfield.

Yes. Shook is suspended next match, as is Clapier.

Absolutely nauseating! Pretty much from start to finish. Zips were beaten on 75% of individual contests. Man for man, Broncos were first to the ball, first to deliver the pass, and first to receive the pass. Personal toughness and desire were all with the Broncos. Regarding in-game coaching decisions, the Zips started to exert offensive pressure only after going to 3-man back line, thereby preventing our excessive lateral passing along the back line, and also adding one to midfield. In retrospect, perhaps this tactical move should have been made at HT.

From your mouth to God's ears!

It is only fitting that two of the original MAC MSOC sides square off for the last MAC crown. That title definitely belongs in Akron.

I believe that we will win!

Mitchell Budler is a beast!!! He is improving right before our eyes. He is both technically gifted and physically fearless, providing true presence in the box.

That is an excessively long title for a camp.

Not to be too obvious, but match time is 6:00, and last night was the time change.

Methinks we shall hear that particular call again. Get used to it, ZipsNation.

Academies mostly play other academies, with few exceptions. So, the caliber of play is generally much higher than typical high school competition. Most academy participants forego high school competition altogether nowadays. More is the pity.

As you all know… top 16 seeds get first round bye.

In December 2010 Perry Kitchen, hardly known for netting points, scored Arguably the most dramatic goal in Zips MSOC history. What a titanic blast! Apologies to Adam Najem 2015.