The men's soccer team’s season ended last year in heartbreaking fashion, losing 1-0 in overtime to UC Santa Barbara in the second round of the NCAA tournament. This season, it will be a struggle for the Gamecocks who upped the difficulty on their schedule by etching in eight teams that made it to last year’s NCAA Tournament, including two of the top four seeds from the 2015 tournament. However, South Carolina does return much of their production and talent from last year’s team.
Here are three pointers that will help the returners and new players get back to the tournament in 2016.
Shoot more (accurately) than the opponent
This one might sound simple, but it does correlate with better offensive production. The Gamecocks last year shot 250 times with 28 goals, but their opponents took 302 shots and scored 29 times. One could argue that shot attempts don’t reflect production, and it’s partially true. Looking at shots on target, though, would be a better indicator, and the Gamecocks’ opponents have put 125 out of their 302 (.414) on target compared to South Carolina’s own 98 out of 250 (.392). Shots on goal lead to rebound goals and can push the defense on its heels, but first they must take the shots. The Gamecocks will have to launch better shots at more volume if they want to win games.
Hit the corners
Corner kicks are a way for teams to boost their shot potential by serving the ball into the box. Last year, they only had 84 corner kicks, and only one of those found the back on the net. To compare, opponents took 122 corners and knocked three in for goals. Resting at an even four corners per game, South Carolina needs to get the ball toward the end line in hopes of a defender booting the ball out for a corner. Once they have a corner kick, though, they have to bring in the big guys for an aerial attack, most notably sophomores Bjorn Gudjonsson and Tor Nyboe. Bad things rarely happen when the ball is in the opponent’s box and in front of the net.
Continue to win at home
Last year, the Gamecocks did not lose at home, posting an 8-0-2 record when at Stone Stadium. Their home record gave them some wiggle room when they went on the road, which allowed them to have a chance at the championships. This year’s home slate is significantly more difficult. Clemson, a team that made it to the championship game last year, comes to town as the season opener. Out of the Conference USA, they play Kentucky and Charlotte in Columbia, two teams that gave the Gamecocks their only Ls in conference play last season. They also host Rutgers as part of their out-of-conference schedule. The Scarlet Knights represented the Big Ten last year in the NCAA Championships. Winning the games at home against top teams will build momentum for their potentially less difficult road games. They will have 2,000-plus fans supporting them each game, ranking top 10 in attendance for the past few years, which will help tremendously.