After being dominated by Georgetown, Pitt men’s soccer looks to rebound against No. 5 Marshall. With a top 10 opponent in town, expect an electric environment Tuesday night as the Panthers defend Ambrose Urbanic field.
Last Friday, Georgetown defeated Pitt 4-1 in a stellar performance. The Hoyas defense fortified their net, allowing just one shot on goal. Their offense played equally as effective, scoring four goals on five shots on goal. The lone Panther goal came from junior midfielder Luka Kozomara for his second of the season.
For the Panthers to secure a win Tuesday night, they must learn from their mistakes and break through an elite Marshall defense. Through their first three games Marshall’s opponents are yet to score — only recording four shots on goal. Pitt must find a way to reverse this trend and generate high quality chances. More importantly, the Panthers must capitalize on these potentially rare scoring opportunities.
To find this offensive success, some new faces must find the back of the net. Valentin Noel and Bertin Jacquesson, the top two goal scorers from last year’s college cup squad, now play professionally for Austin FC and Real Salt Lake, respectively. So far, Kozomara, a transfer from Temple, and first-year forward Albert Thorsen lead the team in scoring with four points each.
Additionally, some veteran Panthers need to step into bigger roles. Junior midfielder Guilherme Feitosa has done just that —– leading the team with nine shots. On the other hand, the Panthers retained some firepower, as playmaking senior Midfielder Filip Mirkovic returns for his senior season. Mirkovic led the 2022 Panthers with 12 assists and made All-ACC first team. Although he failed to record a point through two contests, expect him to up in the marquee matchup.
Pitt men’s soccer head coach, Jay Vidovich, not only faces the challenge of cracking a suffocating Marshall defense, but also silencing a potent offense. Marshall’s sophomore forward Mathew Bell remains the focus of Pitt’s defensive strategy. In last season’s contest, Bell scored both of Marshall’s goals to defeat the Panthers 2-1. In the 2022 season Bell scored 24 points — leading to him receiving Sun Belt freshman of the year honors. This season Bell picked up right where he left off — scoring four goals in the first three matches.
As a team, Marshall scored 12 goals in three games. Meanwhile, the Panthers recorded seven goals through three games. The Thundering Herd have out shot the Panthers on the season 68–42. But the Panthers shot more efficiently, scoring 45.2 percent of their shots on goal compared to Marshall’s 36.8 percent. Pitt’s defense must prepare to limit Marshall’s high volume of shots while keeping the ball away from Bell.
The Panthers additionally need to limit the number of fouls. On the season, they’ve received eight yellow cards and one red card. Pitt must clean up their game if they want to remain a top ranked team. Against elite programs like Marshall, they cannot afford so many costly mistakes. For comparison, Marshall only has three yellow cards this season.
Lastly, the Panthers’ young goalie must shine bright in prime time. It is sophomore goalkeeper Cabral Carter’s first year starting. During his first three starts, Carter struggled — recording two saves while conceding five goals. However, reason for optimism remains. In his one season of high school Carter recorded 13 clean sheets while boasting a .25 goals against average. For the Panthers to win, Carter must give the Panthers a solid performance in the net.
Over a year after their 2-1 defeat at Marshall, as No. 2 in the country, the Panthers look to repay the favor and defeat No. 5 Marshall in Pittsburgh. With a packed Ambrose Urbanic field, Pitt will have the crowd’s energy on their size. In a defensive showdown between two elite programs, any mistake or bounce of the ball can make all of the difference.
Pitt will face off against Marshall on Tuesday, Sept. 5, at Ambrose Urbanic field. The match is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. and coverage will air on the ACCN.