Ponies lose to Tulsa in Penalty Kicks

[mustangbill67]

A heartbreaking loss after the game was tied 2-2 after 2 overtime periods. The game went to PK's and we lost on the fifth kick when Jay Needham missed his kick. The game was tied 2-2 after Tulsa was awarded a very disputed penalty kick near the end of regulation. The foul was apparently called on our keeper who went over a Tulsa player to punch the ball out.

Observations-

1. A good pro SMU crowd on a cool windy night.
2. SMU was clearly the better team but was played fairly even by Tulsa during the latter part of the game and the overtime. We had numerous very good chances but just could not score.
3. We should still get in the NCAA tournament but this is not a given.

It is a shame we have to lose in the first round of a tournment in our house where we are the number 1 seed. Marshall and South Carolina were estatic about our loss.

[jkflamebo]

big big heartbreaker for mens soccer. jay needham is without a doubt one of the most consistent and solid players on this team. rarely makes any mistakes. just got unlucky tonite. about the tulsa pk, complete BS. a call like that should never have been made in a game like this, our goalie clearly just went to knock the ball out of there, not knock a tulsa head. u bet the other teams are excited, it's now a toss up between south carolina/marshall.

[MustangSally]

Once again, we lose on the stupid penalty kick rule. I don't care if the game has to go on for four hours, you'll know someone won because they outplayed the other team. If your goalie is not a strength, you can still help him out with good defense and a pushy offense, but when it comes to the PK part of the tied games, all of a sudden, you're in deep trouble. Not saying SMU has a bad goalie, just that this rule is [deleted].

Now, both Men's and Women's teams have lost in the FIRST ROUND of the CUSA tournament because of penalty kicks.

[Corso]

No way tulsa should have had its PK. Matt Wideman (SMU GK) called off a defender (Needham, I think), and went up to punch the ball clear. He hit the ball first, and on his way down, he put his hand down to lessen the contact when he came down on Tulsa's guy. He has every right to go for the ball, and if anything, the GK always gets some leeway, not the other way around. Terrible call.

Needham's PK was not a bad shot at all. It was headed to the lower corner, and even might have glanced off the post on the way in. If Tulsa didn't have Shawn Bradley playing in the goal, they still might be out there shooting. Give Cervi (Tulsa GK) credit -- Needham hit a very good shot, Cervi made a great save.

Does Steve Davis cover SMU soccer (or just MLS) for the DMN? Their story read like he saw another game. It said that SMU got its first goal when Paulo da Silva "one-timed" a feed from Duke Hashimoto. How exactly do you one-time a ball when you collect the pass and dribble 30 yards before shooting? Maybe Davis was off getting a hot dog when the goal was scored?

Very tough way for the Ponies to go out. I think we'll still get an NCAA bid, but I don't see any way we'll host. I foresee a long roartrip and a very tough opponent in the first round.

Good luck, Mustangs! Time for an upset.

[PonyPride]

.... Does Steve Davis cover SMU soccer (or just MLS) for the DMN? Their story read like he saw another game. It said that SMU got its first goal when Paulo da Silva "one-timed" a feed from Duke Hashimoto. How exactly do you one-time a ball when you collect the pass and dribble 30 yards before shooting? Maybe Davis was off getting a hot dog when the goal was scored? ....

Steve Davis doesn't cover SMU soccer for the Morning News. He sometimes attends games, because he loves the sport, but he doesn't generally cover SMU games for the paper. I assume that is a re-hash of the SMU press release from the game.

[EastStang]

I really had a bad feeling about playing Tulsa first. How they finished 8th this year, I'll never know. I hope that they don't go all the way and USC wins, so that the tournament selection committee will give 2 slots to CUSA and one of them will go to SMU.

[peaker]

Only one word describes that call - PATHETIC

Am I the only one who noticed the referee had a quick whistle on several occasions last night.

[PonyPride]

No you're not, peaker. He wasn't quite as bad as the referee from the Marshall/FIU game, who should have his whistle taken away permanently, but he was pretty awful. Inconsistent, to say the least. One minute, a player from one team or the other would drag a guy down from behind with a tackle that would make D.D. Lee proud and not getting called, and the next minute a guy was getting whistled (or a yellow card) for breathing the same air as an opposing player. I feel horrible for Matt Wideman, who was playing his first (I think) postseason game at SMU, and played pretty darn well against a team that has some legitimate scoring threats.

On the other end, Dominic Cervi went up to grab a high ball and rather than just bring his knee up to protect himself, swung his foot out directly at Duke Hashimoto -- who's only about a foot shorter -- and coming dangerously close to ending the Hashimoto family tree in the process. No call.

Wideman, you got robbed. You made a great play, and the referee blew it.

[peaker]

With the Mustangs out of the conference tournament and Conferenc USA running the tournament, how harmful would it be if everyone just went to MLS Cup on Sunday?

Or better yet, head to College Station tonight & Sunday to watch the women take on UNT and A&M in the NCAA Tournament.

[mustangbill67]

The MLS cup is sold out. I believe I will go watch the women play tonight in the pre season NIT.