Match Central
CLEMSON, S.C. — The top-seeded Clemson men’s soccer team (14-3-2) will face Marshall University (10-2-2) for the first time in program history when the two sides take the pitch on Thursday, May 6, for the Third Round of the 2020 NCAA Tournament. The match is set to kick-off at 3 p.m. and will be played on WakeMed Field #2 in Cary, N.C. Fans can watch here or can follow along via live stats.
Marshall will be the first first-time opponent Clemson faces during the 2020-21 season. The Thundering Herd entered this year’s NCAA Tournament as Conference USA champions and handed Fordham its first loss of the season on Sunday, May 2. Marshall’s Milo Yosef scored his second goal of the match in the 97th minute to help his side advance as 2-1 victors over the Rams. Clemson and Marshall share two common opponents, South Carolina and UAB, from their 2020-21 seasons, and combined to go 4-0-0 against the Gamecocks and Blazers.
Clemson enters Thursday’s match after defeating American, 2-1, on Sunday, May 2, in the tournament’s second round. After conceding an early goal, the Tigers dominated possession and orchestrated a masterful second half, scoring two goals within 10 minutes to punch their ticket into the third round. Mohamed Seye scored the second NCAA Tournament goal of his career in the 52nd minute by using his head to rifle home a ball delivered from Luis Felipe Fernandez-Salvador and Charlie Asensio. In the 62nd minute, James Brighton converted a PK attempt to secure the game-winning goal for Clemson. The Tigers were awarded the PK after an American player was whistled for a handball inside the 18-yard-box following a shot by Isaiah Reid.
In the match against American, Clemson allowed the Eagles to register just three shots during the game, with none coming in the final 45 minutes of play. The three shots were the fewest Clemson had allowed in an NCAA Tournament match under head coach Mike Noonan, while also serving as the tenth time across the past two seasons the Tigers held their opponent to five or fewer shots in a match.
Clemson earned the tournament’s No. 1 seed and the nation’s No. 1 ranking after accumulating a 13-3-2 record across the fall and spring seasons, defeating three top-ranked teams, and winning the 2020 ACC Championship. Marshall will enter Thursday’s match ranked tenth in the nation by United Soccer Coaches. The Thundering Herd did not earn a seed in this year’s tournament and were selected as an at-large team.
For all of the most up-to-date information regarding Clemson men’s soccer, be sure to reference clemsontigers.com and follow @ClemsonMSoccer on Twitter.
