No. 11 Maryland men’s soccer snagged a crucial 1-0 victory over St. John’s on Tuesday, and for the first time all season, it looks like they finally cleaned up the defensive issues that have been giving them fits. This wasn’t just another tight win; this was Maryland actually proving they can stop the bleeding on their own end, which is a HUGE deal for where they go next.
Maryland’s Defensive Shift Is Real
We all saw the Terps’ offensive firepower in that 3-2 Michigan win, right? But the defensive mental lapses that have plagued them all year were still there. Well, against the Red Storm, something clicked. Maryland cleaned up their defending, weathering everything St. John’s threw at them. They held the Johnnies to just five total shots and made light work of corners and set pieces, areas where they’ve struggled this season. Coach Sasho Cirovski wasn’t holding back, saying, “I thought our commitment to defending, particularly on set pieces and in transition, was excellent today. We limited a very good St. John’s team to very few chances.” And goalkeeper Laurin Mack, who faced only two shots on goal to earn his third clean sheet, shouted out his defense, confirming, “I gotta give a shout out to my defense today because they did a pretty good job. I mean we’re trusting everybody in the backline, and today we rotated different players in different positions.” Turns out, having everyone available for the first time since the Georgetown game made a massive difference, giving them options they haven’t had all year.
Neri Delivers, Maryland Controls the Pitch
While the defense held strong, someone still had to put one in the net. Rodrigo Neri delivered the game-winning goal in the 61st minute, his team-high seventh of the year. Farouk Cisse sparked the play, winning a battle in the midfield and feeding Neri, who kept it on the ground and found the bottom right corner past St. John’s keeper Nico Bezama, who’s now allowed 18 goals in 13 games. But this wasn’t a lucky win; Maryland had complete control from the jump. They outshot the Red Storm 11-2 in the first half, with Franklin Affanyi and Ljubomir Popovic creating dangerous chances. Bezama had to make quality saves, deflecting Popovic’s 38th-minute free kick and Affanyi’s last-minute shot in the first half. Maryland kept dominating possession in the second half, with their defense staying in lockstep, not giving up any easy passes or scoring opportunities. This 1-0 victory marks their ninth one-goal win of the season, showing they know how to grit out those tightly-contested matches.
Big Ten Play Heats Up, And Seattle’s Next on the Map
After a game where 19 different Terps saw action, giving some key players an early rest, Maryland is feeling good as they head into their final three Big Ten games. They’ve got Ohio State coming to Ludwig Field this Saturday at 7 p.m., which is always a tough one. But listen up, Emerald City, because the real intrigue for us is their next match after that: an absolutely massive showdown in Seattle against our very own No. 7 Washington Huskies! If Maryland’s defense continues this lockdown performance, our guys are going to have their work cut out for them. It’s going to be a battle, and we’ll be watching every second.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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