On Sunday night, the Clemson men’s soccer team advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament by defeating the Providence Friars by a score of 2-1. They will meet the No. 7 ranked Stanford Cardinal in what figures to be one of the most difficult matchups of the season.
On Sunday night, Clemson forward Robbie Robinson put the Tigers in the lead just nine minutes into the game with his team-leading 17th goal of the season. It seemed as though the Tigers were going to take the lead into halftime, but in a race against the clock, Providence midfielder Tiago Mendonca surged through the Tiger defense and slid the ball into the net with seven seconds remaining in the half.
While the last-second goal certainly could have derailed the Tigers for the remainder of the game, they came out in the second half focused on the task at hand. Providence held strong, however, as the teams traded chances throughout the second half. The score remained deadlocked at 1-1 as time expired in regular time.
The first 10-minute overtime period provided a few quality chances for either side, but still no decisive goal. In the second overtime period, the Tigers faced their greatest adversity of the night when Captain Tanner Dieterich received a second yellow card, causing him to be ejected from the game. Dieterich received his first yellow card late in the second half of regulation and the referee booked him again after Dieterich appeared to engage in an argument with the referee. From the sideline, it did not appear as though Dieterich’s actions warranted the second yellow card, and the Tiger players, coaches and fans made sure referee Kevin Broadley was aware of their displeasure. In Dieterich, the Tigers lost a veteran and the team leader in assists.
Instead of opting for a defensive approach for the remainder of the overtime period, the Tigers continued to press forward. While the Tigers could have waited out the last few minutes of the game until penalty kicks, the Tigers earned the decisive scoring chance with under six minutes remaining in the second overtime period. With ten men on the field, the Tigers moved the ball into the left side Providence box. The Tigers attempted a quick string of passes but in the process, Providence midfielder Paulo Lima took out the legs of Clemson forward Kimarni Smith. The referee blew his whistle and gave the Tigers a penalty kick. With a trip to the quarterfinals on the line, Robinson stepped up and slotted the kick down the center of the goal to give the Tigers a 2-1 victory.
The matchup with the Cardinal this Friday will be the last home match of the season for the Tigers. If they advance, the remaining games will be held at a neutral site in Cary, NC. In Stanford, the Tigers will be facing one of the nation’s top defensive teams. The match up featuring the prolific Tiger offense, which averages over three goals per game, and a Stanford defense that allows under one goal per game will certainly be interesting to watch. The match will kick off at 6 p.m.
