No. 7 UNC men's soccer falls, 2-1, to No. 4 Pitt

The No. 7 North Carolina men’s soccer team  (8-2-4, 3-2-1 ACC) fell to No. 4 Pitt (11-3, 5-1 ACC), 2-1, on Saturday evening at Dorrance Field.

With graduate forward Martin Vician sidelined due to injury, the Tar Heels attack was left without a crucial piece for their match against a ranked Pitt squad. 

“A lot of guys carrying injuries,” Somoano said. “[Some are] playing through minor injuries, and they need to get healthy.”

Despite this, UNC stuck with its standard two-forward formation, starting first-year forward Bertil Hansen alongside senior forward Luke Hille.

UNC pressed hard and fast, looking to win back possession in the second it was lost. If Pitt managed to penetrate their midfield line, the Tar Heels would compact as many defenders as possible into their eighteen-yard box.

After winning back possession, graduate center back Riley Thomas looked to spray the ball into space for Hansen to sprint after.  

In the eleventh minute, Thomas played the ball long to Hansen, who crossed the ball toward senior midfielder Andrew Czech. Czech launched a strike toward the Panther’s net before first-year defender Niklas Soerensen deflected it, eliminating the danger.

Afterward, the Panthers adjusted, moving their defensive line higher up the pitch. With their new high line, they could bait Hille into an offside position moments before the ball would be played to him, neutralizing UNC’s attack.

This also allowed Pitt to maintain position inside the opponent's half, utilizing its center backs as an option whenever the team needed to relieve the pressure.

In the 32nd minute, the Panthers caught the UNC defense sleeping, playing a long ball over the top to first-year midfielder Miguel Bertran.  Bertran played a low grounded cross for sophomore striker Albert Thorsen for a one-on-one with the keeper. Thorsen made contact, firing his shot toward the upper left corner of UNC’s goal.

Redshirt Junior goalkeeper Andrew Cordes dived, barely tipping the shot over the goal for a Pitt corner kick.

Neither team could capitalize despite its chances and the first half ended 0-0.

UNC relentlessly attacked at the beginning of the second half, recording three shots on target in the first five minutes of play. 

After winning a corner, senior midfielder Guilherme Feitosa curved a high cross onto the head of the graduate midfielder Arnau Vilamitjana, who put the Panthers on the board. 

“We are a good team,” Somoano said.  “[But] Championship level teams you got to stay on all the time. You can not turn off any moment, and that’s where we struggle."

Shortly after, an attempted cross from junior midfielder Sam Williams deflected off the hands of junior defender Casper Svendby, earning the Tar Heels a penalty kick. Williams stepped up to take the kick and blasted a shot down the middle to equalize.

Late in the second half, the Panthers broke through UNC’s defense, forcing Thomas to make a daring sliding tackle to eliminate the danger. 

Feitosa’s cross snuck into the box in the final minutes of play, leaving Vilamitjana open to score his second goal of the day and give Pitt the 2-1 lead.

“You got to execute down here, and you got to execute down here and everything in between,” Somoano said. “It’s meaningless if you don't take care of those areas.”

The Tar Heels will travel across the country for their next match against Stanford on Sunday, October 27, at 8 PM EST.

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