FINAL: Pitt 1, Cornell 0 (NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament Second Round)

NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament – Second Round

Pitt 1, Cornell 0

Match Stats / NCAA Match Center

Instant Match Summary

Despite playing down a man for more than 50 minutes, Pitt men’s soccer pulled out a tense, 1-0 victory, battling off a persistent second half challenge from Cornell, in the NCAA Men’s Soccer tournament second round at Ambrose Urbanic Field on Sunday evening.

Despite a late season mini-swoon — losing four of its final six matches — and also having lost it’s last three postseason matches, No. 2 seed Pitt defended its home turf with intensity and determination.

“I think (we just practiced over the last two weeks of preparation) coming back to our values, what we want to be in terms of our identity as a soccer group, which is probably just willing to fight to the play and our willingness to do it together collectively was a big piece of it,” Pitt head coach Jay Vidovich said.

The Big Red had many chances in the second half to tie the game.

But shots went high and wide, creating missed opportunities.

The Panthers played with a man down in the second half after Jackson Gilman received a red card in the first half for a dangerous challenge.

Cornell outshot the 10-man Panthers, 15-9, with a 12-3 edge in the second half.

Goalkeeper Carter Cabral made six saves in the game for Pitt, all of them which came in the second half.

“I am really excited about the win and the performance by our guys and the result in being alive for another day of play and training go forward, “Vidovich said.

“Hats off to Cornell, tremendous team, tremendous season and a very difficult opponent.”

The Panthers scored the lone goal of the game from a penalty kick by Arnau Vilamitjana in the final minute of the first half, following a handball call on Cornell’s Aidan Martin emanating from a cross attempt that made its way into the inside of the box on the right endline.

With the win, the Panthers will take on The Roos of Kansas City, who rallied for a 2-1 victory against Missouri State on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 7:30.

“I don’t think we were able to really to show what we’re capable on the ball today,” Vidovich said.

“I think that being able to advance today and have that game underneath our belt, I think there will be a stronger pit in the next match.”

Match Updates

2nd Half

88′– Cornell got one last chance to tie the game. After Felipe Mercado committed a foul, Cornell received a free kick outside the box. Connor Miller attemmpted the shot but once again went above the crossbar.

82′– The chances to continue to come for Cornell. Connor Miller passed it to Giorgos Diakos who controlled the ball off his chest and passed it to Alex Harris, who then attempted a shot but it went high right above the crossbar.

77′ — Connor Miller passed the ball to Andrew Johnson, who was on the left side of the net with no one covering him. Miller’s pass was a little far to Johnson, but Johnson leaped and stretched his leg forward looking to redirect and kick the ball into the back of the net. However, Johnson could not angle it perfect as it went wide to the left.

76′ — Cornell arguably had its best opportunity of the night. Off a corner kick, Srensen tries to head the ball out of the box. As the ball is still in the air, Dominik Kolbl kicks it toward the goal, but Michael Sullivan falls to the ground with the ball between both of his feet to stop the scoring opportunity,

62′– Pitt commits three straight fouls in under two minutes. Lasse Dahl, Guilherme Feitosa, and Luis Sahmkow all commit fouls, but this did not detriment Pitt in anyway shape or form.

59′– Ailoune Ka saved the ball from going behind the endline on Pitt’s side of the field. As Ka saved it, he kicked it toward the front of the net. Off Ka’s pass, Alex Harris headed the ball but it went right above the crossbar.

53′– Cornell was the first team to record a corner kick in the second half. Connor Miller attempted a fast shot low toward the bottom of the net. Pitt goalkeeper Cabral Carter fell onto the ball recording the save.

Halftime analysis/stats

Cornell seemed to have a lot of momentum early on getting into Pitt’s side of the field and getting chances. Video reviews have hurt Cornell taking away an early goal and a handball being penalized to them. The handball penalty on Cornell’s Aidan Martin hurt, which resulted in a penalty kick goal scored by Arnau Vilamitjana. Pitt looked like the better team in the later part of the first half. With momentum on Pitt’s side, everyone will see if they can use it to their advantage after the halftime break.

Halftime Stats:

Cornell

Pitt 

1st Half

45’– GOAL — PITT 1, CORNELL 0

After a handball was called on Cornell’s Aidan Martin as he was in the penalty area, Pitt was awarded a penalty kick. Arnau Vilamitjana took the penalty kick, he aimed toward the low left side of the goal and it went behind the net. 1-0 Pitt.

40′ — Jackson Gilman gets penalized with a red card for Pitt. Gilman and Ailoune Ka were racing toward the ball. Gilman made a sliding tackle so Ka wouldn’t attempt a shot as he had open space in front of him to shoot and Ka flipped over to cause the penalty.

24′ — Pitt attempts its first corner kick of the match. Maillefaud attempts the kick, but Kiisa Kiingi heads it out of the box.

18′— The Panthers had a close scoring opportunity. From the left side of the goal, Casper Grening, attempted a shot. The shot his Cornell’s Andrew Johnson and he kicked it out of the penalty area quickly, but Mateo Malliefaud was right outside of the box before having the ball go any further. Malliefaud shot it quickly, but his shot went a little over the crossbar.

16′– Niklas Srensen kicks the ball down the field toward Albert Thorsen. Albert attempted a shot while in the air with Cornell’s goalkeeper Ryan Friedberg right in front of him. Friedberg got a piece of the ball, stopping a good scoring opportunity.

9′ — Cornell’s Daniel Samways attacks toward the left side of the goal but his shot hits the left side of the net. Later this same minute, off a Pitt turnover, Alex Harris raced toward the net and shot in the back of the net. However, after further review, offside was called Harris keeping the game scoreless.

4′– During the free kick, which was traveling on an angle, a Pitt defender was able to get out of the goal area. However, Cornell gets its first opportunity of the day with Westin Carnevale being able to attempt a shot, but it goes wide to the right.

3′ — A foul on Pitt’s Michael Sullivan rewarded Cornell with a free kick inside the penalty area.

Brentaro Yamane