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When Louisville scored its third goal of the night in the 81st minute, Orange goalkeeper Russell Shealy immediately picked up the ball and punted it into the net in anger. The moment was fitting for Syracuse’s (1-6-3, 0-5-2 Atlantic Coast) frustrating Friday night — the Orange outshot the Cardinals 17-9, but they failed to finish enough opportunities in a 3-1 loss to the Cardinals (3-6-1, 3-4-1) in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Cardinals broke the deadlock in the 11th minute, when Nico Diaz’s perfect first touch beat multiple SU defenders and he regained control in time to fire a shot low and left of Shealy.

Both teams continued to push the pace early, but it was Louisville who again found the back of the net in the 32nd minute via Aboubacar Camara. Elijah Amo darted into the box and connected with the unmarked Camara, who dispatched the opportunity with ease.

But throughout the game, the Orange dominated possession. Syracuse played with relentless aggression, frequently intercepting passes and stealing the ball while counterattacking on the other end. SU’s forced turnovers led to 17 shots, only six of which were on goal. The Orange also earned 11 corner kicks to Louisville’s two.

But SU’s dominance didn’t reflect on the scoreboard. The Orange went most of the game without a goal, unable to beat Cardinals’ goalkeeper Detre Bell no matter how dangerous the chance. Noah Singelmann’s scorching shot off a corner kick in the 10th minute was deflected away before SU’s follow-up shot went wide as well. DeAndre Kerr got loose in the 18th minute, but his shot, destined for the bottom-left corner, was corralled by Bell. The same happened with Manel Busquets’ 66th-minute blast after he found himself with a clean look inside the box.

Down 2-0 and desperate for a goal to recover from the deficit, the Orange forced the ball forward without hesitation, which led to rushed possessions that may have benefitted from more patience and ball movement.

It wasn’t until the 76th minute that the Orange broke through after Kerr was tripped up in the box and SU was awarded a penalty kick. Simon Triantafillou stepped up and fired it into the top right corner, the only time the Orange beat Bell on Friday night.

Kerr sprinted downfield three minutes later and rattled a shot off the top of the crossbar. Hilli Goldhar headed the follow-up effort after the ball came down off the crossbar, but his weak effort was corralled by Louisville.

The Orange continued to push the pace, but Louisville responded in the 81st minute when Carlos Sanchis curled a shot into the top right corner, well beyond the outstretched glove of Shealy. Syracuse stayed aggressive, firing three more shots in the final nine minutes, but none found the back of the net. With the loss, SU is now 0-8-5 in its last 13 matchups with the Cardinals.

The Orange will return for their first game back at SU Soccer Stadium on March 20 against North Carolina as SU looks to win its first ACC game of the 2020-21 season.

Published on March 12, 2021 at 10:27 pm

Contact Eric: [email protected]