The Carolina Blue stands at Dorrance Field might not have been filled with much in the way of exuberant fanfare on Tuesday — a nonconference match with Wofford won't sell out many stadiums. And a 1-0 victory doesn't, on its face, spell out a dominant performance for the North Carolina men’s soccer team.
But make no mistake, on that quiet Tuesday night, the Tar Heels displayed the sort of performance that will be required of them as they head into the rest of the season’s storm.
With four regular-season matches remaining before UNC enters the ACC Tournament gauntlet, North Carolina will face three in-conference opponents — Louisville, No. 5 Virginia Tech and Notre Dame — and battle No. 14 Loyola Marymount.
“They’re big opportunities, this is what we all signed up for,” head coach Carlos Somoano said. “So it’s really exciting. The game that we get to go to Louisville and play right now down the stretch, a big moment in the season. That’s what you hope for.”
With all of the remaining in-conference opponents on the Tar Heels’ schedule ranking above them in the ACC standings, there are no guaranteed results the rest of the way.
But what will the Tar Heels need to rely on to get those results and fight back toward a second consecutive College Cup appearance?
Well, if Tuesday was any indication, it starts with forwards winning possession in dangerous positions, and graduate goalkeeper Alec Smir displaying his elite talent that earned him an All-ACC second-team selection last year.
First, there was the seventh-minute stop from Smir — who wore the captain’s armband — on a dangerous Wofford breakaway. The Terriers dribbled straight through the Tar Heels’ pressing midfield and sent an incisive pass to Wofford’s Brandon Oddy, who streaked past UNC’s center backs and faced nothing but Smir and the goal.
Smir moved toward the top of the box and spread out wide just as Oddy looked to rocket one past his left — taking up just enough space to send the ball out of play.
