The South Carolina Gamecocks men's soccer team fell short to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 3-1 at Stone Stadium on Sunday night, bringing its record to 7-7-2 with two games remaining in the regular season.
The first half was filled with rough play, with each side scoring once early. In the eighth minute, senior forward Tyler Trimnal scored the opening goal for South Carolina after a feed from junior infielder Mika Habel. Senior midfielder Loed Klaasen scored for Coastal Carolina less than two minutes later with help from graduate midfielder Jaland Larmond to tie the game at 1–1.
Senior midfielders Alexander Stjernegaard and Ethan Ballek each forced Coastal Carolina junior goalkeeper Harrison Gough to make saves. Sophomore goalkeeper Filip Versterre of South Carolina blocked a hard shot from senior defender Joaquin Suarez. Coastal Carolina had four corners in the first half and South Carolina had one, but neither team could score. There were many fouls on both sides with each team having five, resulting in both coaches making changes around the 35th minute mark.
The score was still Coastal Carolina 1, South Carolina 1 at halftime, with both teams having about equal possession time when attacking and opportunities.
The second half started with Coastal Carolina subbing two new players in and the Gamecocks maintaining their lineup, but Coastal Carolina made changes to their offense early on. South Carolina started out strong as Trimnal challenged Gough in the 49th minute, forcing an early save, and sophomore midfielder Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez shot just wide soon after.
Between the 55th and 62nd minutes, the Gamecocks kept up the pressure with five shots, but none landed. At the 63rd minute, freshman forward Angel Lopez scored for Coastal Carolina, putting the Chanticleers ahead 2–1. Coastal Carolina increased the lead just 10 minutes later, in the 73rd minute, as junior defender Anton Bjarkason scored on a pass from Lopez to make it 3–1.
The Gamecocks tried to come back late in the game, getting four corner kicks from senior defender William Nilsson and Ballek. Gough was locked in goal, making critical saves to keep the two-goal lead.
South Carolina had two fouls while Coastal Carolina had five in the second half, Coastal Carolina got two yellow cards, one for junior forward Dominic Cintra and another for senior midfielder Christian Cook . The Chanticleers defeated the Gamecocks 3-1.
Missed opportunities
South Carolina forced a lot of chances during the start of both halves, but had trouble taking advantage of them. Stjernegaard and Ballek both made Gough make saves in the first half. The Gamecocks also had seven attempts that sailed wide or right at the keeper.
In the second half, Trimnal, Velazquez-Lopez and Ballek all took shots that were either stopped or missed the goal. After halftime, South Carolina had four corner kicks, but couldn't turn any of them into goals. Because they couldn't finish, Coastal was able to stay in the game, and after giving up the second goal, the Gamecocks were forced to chase the game.
With just two regular season games remaining and the looming Sun Belt Conference Tournament, head coach Tony Annan said he hopes the team can capitalize on those opportunities down the stretch.
"We have to win a game or two coming up, and we have to get into the tournament and we have to play a lot differently than what we played today," Annan said.
Defensive breakdown
Defensive lapses cost South Carolina in the second half. After holding their own in the first 45 minutes, the Gamecocks allowed too much space behind the back line. Coastal’s go-ahead goal in the 63rd minute came from Lopez, who slipped through the defense unmarked after reentering the match.
Ten minutes later, a similar breakdown allowed Bjarkason to score off a cross from Lopez. These important moments in the match highlighted the Gamecocks’ struggles to stay organized defensively, especially as Coastal increased pressure in transition. Two goals made in a 10-minute span stopped any momentum South Carolina had built and put the game out of reach for the Gamecocks.
Coastal Carolina's game management
As the match went on, Coastal Carolina slowly took over the midfield giving a huge advantage. Klaasen and freshman midfielder Jon Almudi were two players that helped the Chanticleers control the pace of the game by getting fouls and breaking up South Carolina's rhythm.
Coastal excelled in managing the game once they took the lead. The Chanticleers used fouls, substitutions and time management to lessen the Gamecocks' opportunities. Even though South Carolina grinded in the last 15 minutes, Coastal Carolina's strategy kept them from making any kind of comeback. Being able to handle the ball and set the pace was a big part of the 3–1 win.
What's next?
South Carolina will take on Georgia Southern away on Oct. 31. The match will kick off at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.