Kaba scores twice to lead Gamecocks in 3-0 win
The lights were on, students stood in a line that ran outside the gate, and the Gamecock men’s soccer team took care of business, winning 3-0 Tuesday night against Presbyterian.
South Carolina (4-4-2) jumped out to an early lead in 20th minute when sophomore midfielder Ryan Arambula assisted junior defender Mahamoudou Kaba off a corner kick that connected at the far post.
“Great ball by Ryan, it will be great if he can do more of those,” Kaba said. “We work well together. We work on it at practice and we are looking forward to the next one.”
Kaba’s day wasn’t over there. The junior netted his second goal of the contest after collecting a rebound off a shot from a corner kick. At 6 foot, 2 inches and 193 pounds, coach Mark Berson said Kaba’s size and ability allow him to get in the mix of players and give the Gamecocks an advantage over smaller players.
“Mo came up big on the corners, and a couple of good balls served in from Ryan,” Berson said. “Mo’s definitely a good target on set pieces, he’s certainly a force for us. The delivery is good. Ryan Arambula is putting some great balls in there.”
Kaba’s early offensive output gave the Gamecocks some of the goal-scoring threat that they have been lacking this season. The upbeat, fast-paced offense was encouraging to watch from a young South Carolina team.
Berson was pleased with his unit’s efforts. He thought his players came out flying, and created a lot of good opportunities. The coach did mention their finishing wasn’t as sharp as he would have liked, but the fact the team is out creating good scoring opportunities, is the major takeaway, according to Berson.
“We were able to keep the ball, and to get the some service from the flanks,” he said. “Our strikers were getting in good position. The reason we got all the corners was because of our penetration in the attack, and our good service.”
The 3-0 win was South Carolina’s second shutout of the season. Junior midfielder Braeden Troyer, the anchor of the Gamecock defense, was excited about the shutout and was quick to credit his teammates for their stellar play.
“We stayed up on their side most of the parts. We were moving it well, moving the ball well, sometimes it’s good to be away from (the goalkeeper),” Troyer said.
The non-conference home finale was a strong outing for the Gamecocks. The team went out, competed, and fought hard, according tho its coach. Berson said the win means a lot to the team, and his players will continue to work, improve, and develop their talent for the coming games.
“It’s a good win, it’s a shutout, it’s very important for us at this stage of the season,” Berson said. “I think we’re playing better and better each game and that’s really what we are looking for is improvement.”