South Carolina's men's soccer team lost 1-0 to the Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday night, cutting the Gamecock's stay in the Sun Belt Conference short.
The first half was a closely-contested affair between the Gamecocks and the Wildcats. Both teams created early scoring opportunities. Kentucky came out as the stronger team on offense, with several throw-ins and corner kicks in the opening minutes of the game.
South Carolina looked to find a breakthrough in the 19th minute, when Kentucky senior forward Logan Dorsey fouled graduate student forward Martin Yahia inside the penalty area, which led to the Gamecocks being awarded a penalty kick. Yahia directed the ball towards the bottom-right corner of of the net, but the ball was saved by Wildcats junior goalkeeper Casper Mols.
South Carolina found additional scoring chances as the first half progressed, but Kentucky exerted control over the match with possession of the ball. Despite the Wildcats' on-ball dominance, the Gamecocks' defense held strong, and the half ended in a scoreless stalemate.
Kentucky maintained control of the game in the second half, and it would eventually find an opportunity to take the lead in the 63rd minute. Dorsey, who conceded a penalty earlier in the match, scored from the penalty spot to give the Wildcats a 1-0 advantage.
The Gamecocks made several substitutions in an attempt to spark a comeback, but it was unable to capitalize on its chances. Kentucky's defense held strong as the clocked ticked down to zero, which ultimately helped it advance to the next round.
With the defeat, South Carolina finished its regular season and conference tournament in the quarterfinal round with a 10-5-2 overall record, its highest win total since 2016.
Capitalizing on chances
Despite a few promising counter-attacks, the Gamecocks' players were unable to capitalize on their chances to score. They managed only six overall shots, with just one of those shots being on goal, highlighting their struggles to create meaningful scoring opportunities. Several of their shots went off target, sailing high or wide of the goal, while others were blocked by the Wildcats' defense, which was well-organized and effective in clearing the ball.
Kentucky, on the other hand, logged 11 shots, five of which were on target.
The possession game
The Wildcats controlled the pace of the game from start to finish. Its offense was relentless over the course of 90 minutes, with players such as Dorsey and Gordon consistently putting pressure on the Gamecocks' defense.
In addition to an advantage in shots, the Wildcats also held a significant advantage in corner kicks, earning seven in the first half alone. Kentucky finished the game with 14 total corner kicks, while South Carolina managed to earn just seven.
This dominance in possession allowed Kentucky to dictate the flow of the game, forcing the Gamecocks to defend for much of the match. The Wildcats' midfielders also distributed the ball effectively, allowing the team scoring opportunities.
Lacking in defense
When South Carolina's offense struggled to create meaningful chances, the Wildcats' defense was there to shut them down. The Gamecocks' most dangerous opportunity came in the 19th minute, when it was awarded a penalty kick, but Mols made a crucial save to deny the team a goal.
South Carolina's lack of scoring opportunities was also due, in part, to its own defensive struggles, which allowed the Wildcats to maintain possession and control the tempo of the game. South Carolina's defense was often stretched thin and was forced to make several last-ditch tackles to prevent the Wildcats from scoring.
What's next?
South Carolina will discover whether its 2024 season will continue on Monday, Nov. 18, the date the NCAA Tournament's selection show is broadcast. The show will air at 1 p.m. on NCAA.com.