SMU 5 Brown 1

by **mustangbill67** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 10:26 pm

Noticed that the Ponies are now 6 and 0 in soccer with a win over ranked Brown. Wish I had gone to the game instead of going to Denton. Guess Pony Pride will fill us in on the game but it looked like a rout with everyone getting to play.

by **FloridaMustang** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 10:37 pm

AWESOME!! You know what I love most about Schellas? CONSISTENCY in WINNING!

by **Ponymon** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 2:56 pm

Was that the first goal that they have given up this year?

by **PonyPride** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 4:10 pm

Yes, it was the first goal SMU has given up all season, and to Brown's credit, it was a thing of beauty. Corner kick, and one of their guys rose up over the defense and headed a rocket into the upper corner. Absolutely nothing Superman (a.k.a. Matt Wideman) or any other GK could have done with that one. The best part about that goal was that some nitwit in a Brown hat stood up in the stands and started yelling at Wideman, mocking him. Wideman pitched a shutout the rest of the way (earning well-deserved tournament MVP honors), with several more outstanding saves, while the SMU offense made a mockery of the Brown defense. That "goalie coach" in the stands was oddly silent for the rest of the game! He walked past me after the game, and I almost asked him what he thought of Wideman's performance, and of SMU on the whole, but I just didn't want to see him cry.

SMU's first two goals came on penalty kicks, when Adrian Chevannes got pulled down (albeit rather gently, from where I sat) and Bruno Guarda got clobbered in the box. Mynor Gonzalez scored both PKs. Midfielder Scott Corbin had his first two goals of the year, both off assists from Jeff Harwell, who had by far the best game I've seen him play in two seasons (Chevannes also assisted on Corbin's second goal). Chevannes also scored, having taken over a spot in the starting lineup.

FYI: top-ranked Maryland lost to Clemson Friday night, so SMU should climb to No. 2 in the NSCAA poll (second-ranked Virginia won, and presumably will assume the top spot in the poll).

Honestly, the score could have been even more lopsided against Brown, which has a very good team. SMU had another goal wiped out when an indirect kick was flicked in by Jay Needham, who was called offside. Maybe I had a bad angle, but the call was .... curious, at best. The SMU coaches didn't go nuts, so maybe it was closer to being a correct call than I thought.

The SMU defense was exceptional. Brown's best scoring threat, Andrew Daniels, was absolutely invisible -- Needham, Gonzalez, Daniel Lopez and Ryan Mirsky hardly let him touch the ball, much less get off a shot (he was credited with one shot, but that must have been in warm-ups. The Ponies outshot Brown, 16-7, and frankly it seemed more lopsided than that. Their GK actually played fairly well, turning aside some tough shots or it would have been even more of a laugher.

Another nice part of the game was that Coach Hyndman was able to get so many young guys into the game. Most of the starters rested in the final minutes while newcomers like Leone Cruz, Manuel and Esteban Mariel, Robin Johnson-Hood, Steven Grant, Jaime Benitez, etc., got some playing time.

Come out Tuesday to watch the Ponies whip up on Centenary.

by **mustangbill67** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 4:21 pm

Thanks PonyPride. Good Stuff. How large a crowd showed up.

by **PonyPride** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 5:24 pm

The official number was 748, which seems about right to me, I guess.

by **saprissa13** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:45 pm

My only disagreement with PonyPride regards the play of Mynor. Brown's goal was not scored off a corner kick, but rather a needless free kick gifted by Mynor deep in the SMU zone. He seemed a step behind all game, conceeding a few dangerous free kicks which Brown for the most part failed to capitalize on. Apart from the PK duties, I would honestly feel nearly as confident with Stepen Grant in his place based on the last 2-3 games. Otherwise spot-on analysis though!!

by **PonyPride** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 12:20 am

You're right -- my mistake (corner/free kick).
Thanks.

by **EastStang** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 9:01 am

Brown was ranked 17th. To clobber a top 20 team, 5-1. That is the functional equivalent of ND hanging 40 on Penn State. Wait that happened. Either way, it shows how good our Ponies are this year. I would like nothing better to get back to the College Cup and have Wideman shut out the Twerps.

by **Pony Up** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 9:21 am

Where's the Final Four this year? If I can, I'll go. Ponies are on a roll!

by **Terry Webster** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 10:33 am

Soccer final four is in St. Louis, December 1 and 3.

by **PonyPride** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 1:06 pm

If we make it, I'm there!

by **mustangbill67** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 2:44 pm

I will also be there for sure if we make it. It could be cold in St. Louis in early December.

by **PonyPride** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:25 pm

Doesn't matter - bring a warm coat!

SMU 5 Brown 1

SMU 5 Brown 1

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