The Clemson men’s soccer team defeated the Liberty Flames 1-0 on Tuesday night after the game was called in the 74th minute due to lightning.
The Tigers (4-1-2) dominated play in the opening 15 minutes by keeping the ball almost exclusively in the Flames’ (2-3-1) end. However, despite numerous opportunities in the box and four corner kicks, scoring chances were killed for the Tigers due to the slick field and skipping ball.
The Tigers’ play paid off in the 20th minute when a bouncing ball found its way to the feet of the Clemson midfielder Misei Yoshizawa, who buried his fourth goal of the season following a failed clearance from a Liberty defender. Freshman forward Ransford Gyan earned the assist on the play, marking his first of the season.
Clemson’s momentum continued after the goal, but near misses, diving saves and bounces kept Clemson out of the net for the remainder of the first half. The statistics made the separation between the two squads clear: Clemson totaled 16 shots and eight corners, a significant lead over Liberty’s three shots and zero corners.
As the clock approached the originally scheduled start time of 7 p.m., the Historic Riggs Field resembled a ghost town: not a fan or player in sight as the rain pounded and lightning lit up the sky. Finally, at 8:05 p.m., the game kicked off in the still-drizzling rain.
The storm did not let up in the second frame — in fact, it worsened. Both teams struggled throughout the latter half on the freshly cut grass of Historic Riggs, resulting in much of the same narrative. The Tigers’ goalscoring opportunities turned out to be fruitless, a trend that continued until a lightning warning interrupted the game in the 74th minute.
At 10:04 p.m., the game was called due to weather, giving Clemson a full-time 70-minute victory, meaning the game will not be rescheduled. In the 74 minutes of play, Clemson outshot Liberty 21-3, while also totaling 14 corners.
Clemson will next travel to South Bend, Indiana, to face Notre Dame this Friday at 7 p.m. in a rematch of the 2023 National Championship.
