HOOVER, ALABAMA – Just jotting down random thoughts as I watch the opening match of the NCAA Men’s College Cup. 

 

The matches are being played on a baseball field. The configuration is such that the field is able to be the proper length, which is sometimes an issue when soccer is played on baseball fields. The sole issue I see with the layout is that both corners on the right-hand attacking side are too close to the outer stadium wall. On the one, near the right-field corner, it looks impossible for a left-footer to take a real, inswinging corner kick. I checked with both the Charlotte and Creighton SIDs and it appears neither use a left on these anyway, so we’ll wait for the 2nd match to see if it’s an issue.

 

UAB coach Mike Getman says there is enough room to take the corners.

 

Everything with the stadium looks good.

 

Either it’s a very late arriving crowd here or attendance tonight is going to be very poor. I’m used to seeing the large youth tournament element come in a bit later to these events. They usually make up a high percentage of the audience, especially on the Friday. Maybe everyone thought the 2nd game was the one to be at, but they are going to miss a good match.

 

Charlotte chartered bus and it looks like about 100 students came down for the event. They are in fine voice and spirit just before the kickoff.

 

Uniform-wise, this match could be Rangers (blue and white) and Celtic (green hoops). I will have to suppress my passionate loyalties in observing this college match, in which I have no favorite, but Charlotte should lose the hoops.

 

So much of college games come down to how tightly the referee controls the action. This official seems to want to call it close. I’m not sure that is a good thing for Charlotte. Jose Gomez just drew a foul 25 yards out. I wonder if we’ll see more of those.

 

Wild sequence where Creighton appeared to have a couple of shots at an open net but couldn’t score. That could come back to haunt them. 

 

And we reach the dreaded TV timeout. I suspect Charlotte was happier to get this break in play. I would expect Jeremy Gunn is talking with his team about how Creighton is choking the life out of their attack and dominating midfield position. Let’s see if they can adjust.

 

I wonder how many times Charlotte sub Jennings Rex has been misidentified as Rex Jennings. I bet a lot. He took a tumble in the Creighton penalty area but nothing was given.

 

Sports information contacts Robert Simms of Creighton and Jessica Lockerby of Charlotte are my salvation tonight with identifying players.

 

By halftime we have a pretty decent crowd here, with the increase coming largely from youth players, as predicted.

 

Any longtime sports fan cannot watch the Charlotte 49ers in any sport without thinking of Cedric “Cornbread” Maxwell. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I feel sorry for you.

 

Charlotte midfielder Aidan Kirkbride is English. I bet has been told to “get stuck in” a lot of times in his life, because that’s what he does. He’s a good tackler.

 

Charlotte’s Jennings Rex gets booked for diving by referee Chico Orajeda. No argument here.

 

How can you see anyone named Chico and not think of the great Garrett Morris character “Chico Esquela" (sic) on the old Saturday Night Live show (by “old” I mean, when it was funny). “Baseball been bera-bera good to Chico.”

 

The 2nd half of this match has been much slower. I’m not sure if teams are playing that differently, but we’re not seeing a lot of good soccer at the moment.

 

Andrew Duran and Tyler Polak are excellent in the Creighton defense. Duran will be in the MLS draft I’m sure, but there is a lot of speculation out there now as to whether Polak, a sophomore, will receive a Generation adidas offer from the league. He’s definitely good enough.

 

I singled out Kirkbride, but in truth, the whole Charlotte team tackles with vigor.

 

Sorry to say, but too much longball going on this part of the match. It’s not much fun to watch.

 

Brian Holt, the Creighton goalkeeper, hasn’t been tested really, but I do see that he is very quick off his line.

 

Charlotte is defending, deep, deep, deep. Deeper than whale poop as a certain soccer media company executive I know is fond of saying. They weren’t doing it like this in this in the 1st half, but then again, Creighton was a lot of more dangerous with their possession in the 1st half.

 

After writing that, Charlotte was at its most dangerous in this match over the last 5 minutes, creating a couple of solid chances.

 

Golden goal tends to make teams more cautious in overtime, but so far I’m not seeing it here. Charlotte made a good run down the left and Creighton’s Jace Peters just put in a crucial, absolutely perfect tackle in the area.

 

That was big time.

 

Amazing how much this game has turned now. Creighton was better for most of the game but not Charlotte is all over the Blue Jays. Ten minutes to go until PKs.