Syracuse’s defense had stopped another Yale attack and as the Orange usually practice, they looked to play one or two quick passes and break on the counter for a chance to double the lead.

Seconds later, the Syracuse’s lead was gone. Matt Orr misplayed a ball at left back, and Yale’s Mark Winhoffer took on both SU centerbacks. Once he beat them, he flicked a ball toward the far post where Simon Triantafillou didn’t see the run-in behind. Once SU goalkeeper Christian Miesch couldn’t stop the attack and the ball was volleyed into the net, Yale capitalized on a defensive miscue and equalized. 

“I’d have to go watch the goal we conceded,” SU head coach Ian McIntyre said. “I was a little bit disappointed by it.”

McIntyre wants the Orange to focus on playing out from the back and passing the ball quickly, but that approach wasn’t executed well on Friday night. The Orange turned to more direct options, including the increased minutes for target forward Luther Archimede in the second half and extra time but failed to overcome the sloppy passing that led to both a goal allowed and broke down attacks before they had the chance to get started. Syracuse (1-1-1) instead settled for a draw against Yale (0-0-1), 1-1, on Friday night at SU Soccer Stadium. 

When the Orange did win the ball, they gave it back too quickly and too often. SU’s lone conceded goal and most of Yale’s chances didn’t come from build-up or set plays, but rather from SU turnovers in the defensive half. 

“We didn’t get out in transition,” McIntyre said. “It was a tricky field night, it was slick and slippery, we didn’t do a good enough job in the middle of midfield of changing the point from side to side.

McIntyre had seen enough from the opening 10 minutes of the game to know that his team wasn’t effectively matching Yale’s intensity. Triantafillou agreed. McIntyre turned to Sondre Norheim on the bench and brought him into the game. The Orange were being outplayed, outmuscled in the opening portion of the match and needed Norheim’s presence in the middle to combat the physicality and size of the Bulldogs. Norheim won aerial duels and added stability to a defense that nearly conceded 12 seconds into the match.

“They started off better than us. They won the second balls, they were more physical,” Triantafillou said.

Twelve seconds in was the first, a costly giveaway nearly led to an early Bulldogs lead. Triantafillou and starting defender Noah Singletary appeared to miscommunicate before Triantafillou mishit a forward pass directly to a Bulldogs’ striker.

A flick into the path of a Yale striker left him in on goal with Miesch, who didn’t need to make a save as the ball glided into the side netting. The Orange had avoided a disaster start, but inconsistent passing — even before the rain soaked the pitch most of the second half — broke down counter-attacking opportunities. 

Fans groaned and one yelled “settle down boys” in the first frame as Syracuse’s inconsistent passing and Yale’s willingness to muddy up the midfield with physical play made for a contested, yet structureless opening 25 minutes.

A few times the Orange attempted to switch the play and play a cross-field pass, multiple passes sailed over the head of Orr and winger Hilli Goldhar. 

It wasn’t until the second half, as Yale conceded possession more and tried to preserve its lead, that the Orange began dominating the field and keeping the Bulldogs penned in. They kept the ball moving, but never strung together enough passes to stretch the Bulldogs defense.

“We need to practice sorting our feet out,” Triantafillou said. “One, two touches. We train to play quick out of the back and you know the surface was slick and it caused a lot of balls to go not the way we wanted.”

With the addition of Archimede for larger parts of the second half as the Orange chased the winning goal, they played more direct, even with Nyal Higgins joining into the attack.

“In order to get them forward, we’re going to need to move the ball a little bit quicker,” McIntyre said.

When the Orange did move it quicker, a five-pass combination left forward Ryan Raposo running into space when Yale defender Jeremy Haddock — already on a yellow — took out Raposo. As fans clamored for a second yellow card and ejection, it never came. 

The Orange couldn’t create out of the ensuing free kick, after they played it short and couldn’t find the right pass. Like most of the night, Syracuse’s quality — in the final third and not — was lacking.

Published on September 7, 2019 at 12:23 am

Contact Anthony: amdabbun@syr.edu | @AnthonyDabbundo