No.2-ranked Clemson United faced off against the Virginia Commonwealth Rams, coming off a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers. A goal from Wahabu Musah in the 41’ of the first half gave Clemson a 1-0 lead going into the break.
In the second half, VCU got off to a quick start as their 51’ goal from Andrey Salmeron and 63’ goal from Mohammed Ibrahim gave them a lead midway through the second period. VCU held onto that lead for the rest of the game to clinch their biggest win in program history.
Clemson falls to 3-1-1 on the year, while VCU improves to 2-3-1.
Slow Start to First Half
Neither team could get anything going offensively through the first 15 minutes, as both sides were held without a shot.
In the 18’, Clemson finally registered their first shot of the match as a Floki Stephensen header towards the bottom right corner of the goal was saved by VCU’s goalkeeper, Trevor Maloney.
The best chance of the first half for the Tigers came in the 20’. A left-footed strike from Arthur Duquenne smacked off the crossbar, then bounced off the goalkeeper’s back, and was finally cleared by the Rams defense before Clemson could take advantage of the open goal.
Clemson Breaks the Deadlock
An unbelievable counter attack from Clemson gave them a deserving 1-0 lead late in the first half.
The counter started on a dangerous free kick for VCU right on the edge of the penalty area, but a good block by the Clemson wall gave the Tigers a chance to strike.
Ransford Gyan scooped up the block and found Arthur Duquenne next to him, who laid an inch-perfect pass ahead to Wahabu Musah on the near side of the field.
The sophomore from Accra, Ghana took it from the halfway line all the way into the penalty area, where his right-footed strike rippled the bottom left corner of the net and gave Clemson a 1-0 lead in the 41’.
Strong Half for Clemson
The Tigers were definitely the dominant team in the first half, as they led in possession and almost every counting stat.
Clemson held the Rams shotless through the first 45 minutes, while taking four shots of their own, two of those being on target.
After a slow start, the Tigers were able to take advantage of their late chance in the first half to take a 1-0 lead into the break.
VCU Equalizes Quickly
The Rams came out firing to start the second half with an early chance, knotting the score up at one apiece.
VCU’s goal was not much different from Clemson’s first-half goal, as it also started off the counter attack. A well-cleared Clemson corner kick gave VCU a chance to break with three men ahead of the play.
A perfect ball into the box from Deniss Hayes found Andrey Salmeron in the penalty area with work left to do.
Salmeron took on two defenders and buried his off-balance shot past Clemson’s goalkeeper, Joseph Andema, to deadlock the game at one in the 51’.
Rams Take the Lead
VCU continued their momentum throughout the second half as they were able to take an upset lead over Clemson.
The goal started off an unfortunate mistake from Daniel Bunk, as he fell over the ball while trying to play it out of the back.
This let Mohammed Ibrahim take possession in the penalty area, and after an initial block from Floki Stephensen, Ibrahim was able to bury the left-footed attempt to give the Rams a 2-1 lead in the 63’.
VCU would hold onto that lead until the end of the game, marking their biggest win in program history.
Takeaways
No Lukas Magnason in tonight’s game led to big problems for Clemson. His replacement, Daniel Bunk, tripped over the ball on the edge of the penalty area, leading to VCU’s winning goal.
Magnason was seen in a walking boot in the stands, not on the sideline with the rest of the team, potentially meaning a sustained absence for one of Clemson’s strongest players.
If Magnason is out for an extended period of time, Clemson will have to lean on players like Daniel Bunk and Mason Jimenez for the time being.
History for VCU. This win was the biggest in VCU Men’s Soccer history. Their highest-ranked win before tonight was a 5-2 victory over No.5-ranked North Carolina on September 12, 2004.
With this 2-1 win over the No.2-ranked Clemson Tigers, VCU accomplished something no other Rams squad has.
Rare loss for Mike Noonan. When scoring first, the Tigers had only 13 losses during Mike Noonan’s reign. That number is now 14 with tonight’s loss.
Another astonishing fact is that Clemson is now 114-6-8 under Mike Noonan’s tenure when leading at the half. A disappointing loss for Clemson United in many ways.
Up Next
Clemson United will take on the Southern Methodist Mustangs at 8:00 PM on Saturday, September 13, at Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium.
Featured Image Courtesy of: Clemson Athletics
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