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On Sept. 20, Syracuse (8-2-1, 3-1-0 Atlantic Coast) reached its highest ranking since 2016, placing No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. It had just defeated then-No. 1 Clemson on the road. 

The Orange followed that with a 2-0 win at Colgate to remain undefeated in their first eight games. But after a 1-0 loss at home to Virginia, Syracuse dropped to No. 7. It bounced back with a 3-0 win at Virginia Tech, but were upset by No. 22 Cornell on Tuesday.

Still, this is only SU’s second defeat, and it has dominated opponents offensively with transfer forwards Nathan Opoku and Levonte Johnson. Defensively, a backline controlled by Buster Sjoberg and Olu Oyegunle, along with a net protected by goalkeeper Russell Shealy, has limited the amount of goals conceded.

Here are the numbers behind SU’s 8-2-1 start entering its game against the No. 4 Demon Deacons:

Shealy anchoring the defense

In 2021, Syracuse conceded 14 goals through 11 games, with a goals against average of 1.27 per game. But through that same stretch of games this year, the Orange have conceded five goals. They have a .455 goals against average, which ranks fourth in the country. And prior to the 2-0 Cornell loss on Tuesday — the most goals the Orange allowed in a game all season — SU ranked No. 1 in the country, with a .300 goals against average.

With Shealy starting in goal, Syracuse’s save percentage of .878 with 36 saves is tied for second-best in the nation. The Orange are also tied for the fifth-best in shutout percentage (.636), securing seven. 

Eva Morris | Design Editor

Shealy made six saves in the upset over Clemson, including a couple crucial ones in the second half. With 35 minutes remaining in the game, Isaiah Reid, the 2021 College Cup Most Valuable Player, had a shot opportunity on the right side of the penalty box. Shealy came out to close the shooting window, saving it with his foot. Twenty-five minutes later, Reid redirected a cross with his head, but Shealy made a diving save to maintain the score. 

The backline of Christian Curti, Abdi Salim, Oyegunle and Sjoberg has helped Shealy as well, consistently limiting opponents from developing threatening opportunities. SU has outshot its opponents 184-103, winning the possession battle as well. 

Generating set pieces

When operating out of the back, Syracuse commonly builds possession in the midfield to get it out to the wings. Against Cornell, Giona Leibold constantly drove down the left side, working with teammates on give-and-go combinations to send crosses in. If the cross got blocked, it typically went for a corner. SU is tied for 18th nationally with seven corners per game.

The Orange haven’t capitalized on many set pieces, but they continue to generate them. They force their opponents’ defense to settle back if the set piece comes as a result of a foul. 

If the foul occurs near midfield, Sjoberg or Shealy will send a deep ball toward the box. On corners, Sjoberg comes up, using his height to get a head on the ball. 

Syracuse has nearly doubled the amount of corners it has created compared to its opponents (77-39). Their best mark came against Virginia Tech on Friday with 11 kicks. Against Iona and Clemson, SU had nine. 

Impactful transfers

Emma Kelly | Design Editor

Last season, Syracuse relied heavily on forwards DeAndre Kerr and Manel Busquets for offensive production. The pair combined for 35 points, over a third of the team’s 2021 total (97). After 2021, Kerr moved on to play professionally for MLS’ Toronto FC, while Busquets plays professionally in Spain.

McIntyre brought in Johnson and Opoku, who transferred from Seattle University and Lindsey Wilson College, respectively. The pair have started all 11 games, combining for 25 points. Opoku has notched a team-high five goals with a second-best four assists. Johnson has three goals with a team-high five assists.

After trailing 1-0 early, two Clemson defenders miscommunicated in the back, which allowed Johnson to win the ball in the Tigers’ box. Johnson assisted a goal by sending a cross to Jeorgio Kocevski, who slotted it in to tie the game at 1-1. In the 48th minute, Johnson, following a give-and-go, cut in the right side of the box, roofing the ball into the net for the game-winning goal.

Opoku has scored in five separate games, one of them being a penalty kick with 17 seconds left against Cornell. But when SU traveled to Colgate, it took some time for the Orange to pick up their pace. Syracuse eventually scored first from a combination between Opoku and Johnson. 

Opoku won the ball after a broken play by Colgate defenders and dished it to Johnson, who immediately returned the ball back to Opoku at the top of the 18. Opoku placed it perfectly into the lower-right corner to put the Orange up 1-0 in the 2-0 win.

Published on October 6, 2022 at 12:17 am

Contact Cole: [email protected] | @ColeBambini