The South Carolina men’s soccer team drew with James Madison 1-1 Sunday afternoon in a match that saw offensive firepower from both teams in the form of 26 combined shots.
Although the Gamecocks picked up a point in the Sun Belt standings, the result extended their winless and the Dukes’ unbeaten runs, both of which have reached five games.
“It was a fairly even game,” head coach Tony Annan said. “I think we had large portions of the game where we kept the ball really well and the boys really moved the ball. We created a fair few chances in the first 20 minutes – we could’ve been 2-0 up – but I’m pleased with the way we’re playing soccer.”
South Carolina dictated the tempo of the match early, employing a high press and defending aggressively whenever James Madison attacked its defensive half of the field. The two sides had extended runs of possession during which they sustained deep attacks toward the goal, but neither side could find the back of the net.
That changed in the 32nd minute when freshman forward Cameron Arnold scored for the Dukes. Redshirt junior midfielder Clay Obara received a pass from a teammate near the left sideline and served a ball into the six-yard box, where Arnold was able to tap it into the goal to give the visitors the lead.
That lead did not last long, as the Gamecocks were able to tie the game with just under four minutes remaining in the first half. Senior midfielder Parker League ran onto a lofted ball and crossed it towards junior forward Adam Luckhurst, who buried his shot into the top right corner.
The teams went into the halftime break on nearly equal footing. South Carolina outshot James Madison 9-7, both teams took five corner kicks and the teams exchanged opportunities in the second half, though most of the action was in the midfield rather than in front of goal.
Momentum slowly started shifting the Dukes’ way as the half went on, leading to chances close to the Gamecocks' goal, including one that prompted a big save from freshman goalkeeper Ben Alexander in the 69th minute.
Despite those close opportunities, the defense held firm and kept the score knotted at one goal piece. The team held strong even when they were forced to play a man down for the final three minutes of the game after freshman defender Junior Saint Juste picked up a second yellow card.
“I’m pleased with the grit and the fight that the lads are showing,” Annan said. “Late in the match, we were playing with a man down, which is going to help the other team any time. When you’re with 10 men, you’re just trying to survive … but we still created chances with 10 men.”
Saint Juste’s challenge to stop a James Madison attack epitomized the physical nature of the match — both teams combined to commit 26 fouls, and the referee showed five yellow cards, three of which came in the final four minutes.
The match also marked the fourth consecutive game in which the Gamecocks were the first team to concede a goal. Even though two of those games ended in draws, Annan said he wants his team to be able to put opponents away early as it prepares for the end of the regular season.
“The thing we’ve been looking at all season – we know it’s a big problem of ours – is killing teams off,” Annan said. “We’re playing well, we’ve got a good identity to us, we got a great culture, but we’re just not killing teams off, so again, hopefully we can try to put an end to the game quicker."
South Carolina (5-5-4, 1-2-3 Sun Belt) returns to action on the road against Georgia State (9-3-3, 2-2-2 Sun Belt) in its second-to-last match before its conference tournament. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday in Atlanta, Georgia.