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FINAL: Pitt 2, Clemson 0

ACC Men’s Soccer

FINAL: Pitt 2, Clemson 0

GAME STATS

 

Match Summary

With its backs against the wall, on the road against No. 2 Clemson, the Pitt Panthers responded after a lackluster, scoreless first half to surge past the defending ACC Champions, 2-0, at Historic Riggs Field on Saturday night.

The Panthers found a pair of second half goals from senior Matt Bailey and sophomore Bertin Jacquesson, while goalkeeper Nico Campuzano made one save with a solid defense in front of him contributing to the clean sheet.

The Tigers controlled play for much of the first half, with the edge in shots (9-3), but only one shot on frame, as Pitt defended well in and around the box.

The Panthers flipped the switch in the second half, stunning the Tigers on the counter in the 58th minute when Veljko Petkovic charged forward into the middle of the final third, then laid off a pass on the left edge of the box for Bailey, who earned his first start of the season.

Bailey sent a ball toward the far post side, which tricked up Clemson goalkeeper George Marks — and the ball slipped inside the post as Valentin Noel crashed the back area.

It was the first career goal for Bailey, who transferred to Pitt from UMBC in 2019.

While Bailey got the start, Jacquesson made an immediate impact and used his fresh legs coming off the bench to explode forward in the 68th minute after a terrific pass from fellow Frenchman Noel.

Holding the two-goal lead, Pitt controlled enough possession and masterfully navigated through some Clemson attacking moments by evading a few free kick and shot attempts from distance, as the Pitt defensive shape denied the Tigers any clear-cut opportunities inside the box.

With the win, Pitt improves its overall record to 5-3 and are now 2-1 in ACC.

Clemson dropped to 7-2 overall and 2-1 in ACC.

Gameday Updates 

Look for lineups and key game highlights and updates to be posted here.

FINAL:  PITT 2, CLEMSON 0
The Pitt Panthers make a big statement with a shutout win at Historic Riggs Field on Saturday.  They close out the win withstanding some late Clemson pressure on the edge of the box, but they had flipped the script in the second half with sharper passing and making the most of its chances.
80′ — after weathing a bit of first half storm, been in complete control, Pitt is now making Clemson chase the game in the second half with plenty of possession and solid defending deep in final third.
68′ — GOAL — PITT  Bertin Jacquesson
Comes off bench and uses those fresh legs to explode past stretched out Clemson defenders on counter — receiving great ball from Valentin Noel
58′ – GOAL – PITT – Matt Bailey

Petkovic feeds ball to left side — Bailey then sends a ball thru to far post area and it goes in!  Valentin Noel was coming in but didn’t touch it.

HALF — CLEMSON 0, PITT 0

Shots: 9-3 Clemson with the edge at half. Thought Pitt played better in final 10 minutes.

37′ |  Pitt’s Jay Vidovich making first sub of match, bringing in Filip Mirkovic for Guilhume Feitosa.

Since two early shots, the Panthers need to build out of the back better as they’ve been under constant pressure from Clemson. Tigers with 8-2 edge in shots now.

20′ |  Pitt leaving a lot of room on the counter, as Clemson working their left channel to create four shots in the past five minutes. Pitt’s been fortunate not to be down a goal (or two) in the first 20 minutes. 20′

13′ | Clemson with its first shot of the day high. No score early at Historic Riggs Field.
5′– Guilherme Fietosa getting his first start for Pitt — almost scores a wonder goal after snatching ball away on high press then nearly chips it over Clemson keeper George Marks! Pitt already with two shots (Noel with the other)

Here’s Pitt’s starting XI:

 

PSN Pitt men’s soccer coverage 

FINAL: Wake Forest 3, Pitt 1

FINAL: Clemson 2, Pitt 0

Pitt Game Notes 

THE SERIES – CLEMSON

–        Dating back to 2013, Clemson leads the all-time series 6-1-0.

–        The Tigers are winners of three-straight in the series, most recently the ACC Automatic Qualifier match last April.

–        Pitt’s lone win came at home Oct. 5, 2018 with a 2-1 double overtime victory.

–        Head Coach Jay Vidovich is 14-11-6 all-time against the Tigers.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

–        Clemson enters the match ranked No. 2 in the nation with a 7-1 overall record and 2-0 ACC mark.

–        Last season, Clemson and Pitt earned the first and second overall seeds in the NCAA Tournament, respectively. The Tigers fell to eventual National Champion Marshall in PK’s in the Third Round, while Pitt earned its first trip to the College Cup in program history, falling to National Runner-Up Indiana 1-0.

–        The Tigers dropped their first contest of the season Tuesday, Sept. 21 at UNC-Greensboro 3-1. Prior to that, Clemson won seven-straight with six-straight shutouts.

–        Clemson enters the match second in the nation – and first in the ACC – in scoring offense with 3.25 goals per game. It is also first in the nation in assists per game (4.25), points per game (10.75) and third in shots on goal per game (8.00).

–        Isaiah Reid leads the team with six goals and 16 points, both of which are second and third in the conference, respectively.

–        Callum Johnson and Enrique Montana each have five assists. Both are tied with Panther Jasper Löeffelsend for most in the ACC.

RODRIGOAL

–        Senior Rodrigo Almeida is having a career year so far in 2021, totaling five goals and an assist.

–        The midfielder scored a goal in Pitt’s first two home matches (Duquesne, Lehigh) before recording the first multi-goal game of his career at home vs. North Carolina.

–        The Salvador, Brazil, native scored Pitt’s lone goal against Penn State, proving to be the game-winner in a 1-0 shutout victory.

–        Almeida tallied his first assist of the season at Wake Forest.

–        He enters the Clemson match second on the team in total points with 11.

PETKOVIC PRECISION

–        Junior Veljko Petkovic has flashed his offensive abilities early this season, totaling four goals and four assists, both of which lead the team.

–        The Queens, N.Y., native opened the season with two goals and two assists in Pitt’s 7-0 shutout of Duquesne.

–        He recorded his third goal of the season against Lehigh, aiding the Panthers to a 2-1 victory over the Mountain Hawks.

–        Petkovic tallied his second multi-assist game of the season with two assists at home vs. No. 4 North Carolina while also scoring his fourth goal of the season and first game-winner of the year.

–        Petkovic scored his fifth goal of the season at Wake Forest.

–        The midfielder currently ranks tied for seventh in school history for career points with 57 (20 goals, 17 assists).

–        His 14 total points is ninth in the country and second in the conference.

–        He was named ACC Offensive Player of the Week Aug. 31 and earned College Soccer News and TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week honors.

PITT RANKED NO. 15 IN UPDATED POLL

–        The Panthers were ranked No. 15 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll Tuesday, Sept. 21.

–        This marks the 24th-straight week the Panthers have been ranked.

–        Of the 24 weeks ranked, 20 have been in the top-five. All 24 weeks have been in the top-15.

 

 

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John Krysinsky has covered soccer and other sports for many years for various publications and media outlets. He is also author of 'Miracle on the Mon' -- a book about the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, which chronicles the club, particularly the early years of Highmark Stadium with the narrative leading up to and centered around a remarkable match that helped provide a spark for the franchise. John has covered sports for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, DK Pittsburgh Sports, Pittsburgh Sports Report, has served as color commentator on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC broadcasts, and worked with OPTA Stats and broadcast teams for US Open Cup and International Champions Cup matches held in the US. Krysinsky also served as the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at his alma mater, Point Park University, where he led the Pioneers to the first-ever winning seasons and playoff berths (1996-98); head coach of North Catholic boys (2007-08), associate head coach of Shady Side Academy boys (2009-2014).

Glory on the Grass

Riverhounds MF Kenardo Forbes

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