The 24th-ranked South Carolina men's soccer team had “a good performance against a good team” Monday night, head coach Mark Berson said after the Gamecocks played No. 8 North Carolina to a 1-1 draw. South Carolina took the field with a squad made up of experienced players for the first 45 minutes before subbing in an entirely different set of 11 for the majority of the second half. Senior forward Kevin Walker scored the lone goal for the Gamecocks. Looking forward, here are three things you can expect to see from Berson's squad this year.
Lineup Changes
When asked about a potential starting lineup, Berson said the situation was “very fluid” with many spots still up for grabs. The Gamecocks return many of the key players from last year's squad including a very experienced back line, but look for the coaches to tinker with the lineup to infuse some younger talent into the starting unit.
Talent From All Over
Yes, talent will be all over the field, but also note where that talent is coming from. The Gamecocks have 12 players on their roster that call countries other than the USA home. The list includes key contributors such as senior midfielders Kurtis Turner and Danny Deakin, as well as sophomore defenseman Torgeir Nyboe. For the Gamecocks to have a successful season it will require teammates from different background and cultures coming together to achieve a common goal.
Postseason Success
The Gamecocks played the hardest schedule in the nation last season, according to RPI, and Berson expects this year’s schedule to be even harder. The long-tenured head coach made it clear that he wants his players to grow and gain experience, even if that means potentially losing some games, saying “I’m not actually as concerned about the record as I am how we progress as a team.” The Gamecocks will learn a lot about themselves as they grind through this meat grinder of a schedule. Berson expects the team to use that knowledge to help win the Conference USA title and advance past the second round of the NCAA Tournament (both of which are team goals for this season).
Next up
The Gamecocks will play host to Winthrop in an exhibition game at Stone Stadium Thursday at 7 p.m. The team will then host Clemson in its regular season home opener on Friday, August 26. The Gamecocks will look to cool off a Tiger team that is fresh off of a deep run in the NCAA Tournament last year. South Carolina is attempting to fill up the 5,000 seats at Stone Stadium and is asking students to come out and support Gamecock athletics.