The No. 21 UNC men’s soccer team fell to unranked Louisville 1-0 on the Tar Heels’ senior night. This was the fourth game in a row North Carolina has gone without a win.
What happened?
The time of possession throughout the game wouldn’t reflect the score at the final whistle. The Tar Heels had a clear edge coming out of the opening kick, creating a couple excellent chances in the first few minutes of the game.
First-year striker Jonathan Jimenez received a through-ball near the top of the box and tapped the ball around the last defender to beat, putting him in a 1-1 situation with the Louisville keeper. Jimenez elected to cross the ball to junior forward Alex Rose. A Louisville defender clipped the ball away from Rose and sent it rolling towards the open goal, but it deflected off the right post and was cleared by the keeper.
North Carolina held the advantage in possession throughout the game, but it was Louisville's strong counter attacks and athletic front line that would prove too much for the Tar Heels.
The first and only goal of the game strongly reflected the Cardinals’ direct style of play.
The Louisville goalkeeper was forced to come off of his line to clear a through-ball sent in by the Tar Heel offense. The clearance traveled the distance of the field and was received at the top right corner of the box by a Louisville forward who controlled the ball and quickly fired a shot that was saved junior goalkeeper Alec Smir.
Unable to corral the strike, the ball deflected off the gloves of Smir and out to the top of the box where another Cardinal forward hit a laser of a shot into the back of the net in the 35th minute of play.
The Tar Heels went into the break down 1-0. Their finishing woes would continue in the second half as they searched for an equalizing goal.
