CLEMSON, S.C. – The UAB men’s soccer team was on the defense for the majority of the match as the No. 3 Clemson Tigers defeated the Blazers 2-0 Monday night in Clemson.
Clemson had several scoring opportunities early misfiring on a few chances while the UAB defense made a number of clutch saves in the first 44 minutes of play. The defense finally broke in the final minute of the first half as Clemson drew a corner kick to set up the first goal of the match. Whitehead made the initial save off the foot of Callum Johnson, but Justin Malou sent the rebound into the back of the net to put the Tigers up 1-0 headed into the half.
The Tigers tallied 12 shots in the first half alone. UAB’s lone shot attempt came in the third minute from Grayson Dupont and rolled just wide of the net.
Clemson came out of the half with momentum going on the attack early as Krenar Krasniqi cleared a shot off the line. Two minutes later the Tigers would double the lead in transition as Charlie Asensio chipped one over Whitehead and Kimarni Smith finished it right in front of the net.
The Blazers best attack of the night came in the 78th minute as Brandon Core sent a ball into the box that connected with Dupont. Dupont’s diving header hit off the right post and Tyrell Price’s shot off the rebound was saved by the Clemson keeper to keep UAB scoreless.
“I thought tonight was our best defensive performance as a group by far,” said head coach Jeff Kinney. “Obviously, I’m not happy about the goals we gave up but I’m proud of the mindset of the group. Dealing with the injuries and having to make so many adjustments on the fly, our guys put in the best work I’ve seen out of the group in two years. You never want to lose, but if we put in that kind of effort on a daily basis, the results will start coming.”
Krasniqi made a number of crucial clearances in the match to minimize the damage while Whitehead made his presence known with some big saves for the Blazers finishing the match with six total.
Clemson recorded 23 shots in the match, nine of which were on target. UAB had five shots, four coming in the second half, and only one on target.
UAB faces another ACC foe later in the week as the Blazers head to Winston-Salem, N.C. to face No. 1 Wake Forest on Saturday night at 6 p.m. CST.
Men’s soccer season tickets are on sale by purchasing the 2020-21 Gold Card for $65 here. The Gold Card is an exclusive offer that grants you admission into all UAB men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, women’s basketball, baseball and softball events for the upcoming academic year. Contact the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1 for more details.
For more information on the UAB men’s soccer team, follow @UAB_MSoc on Twitter and Instagram.
