College Cup Final: Tailgate Edition (VIDEO)

The Tailgate Edition is back! After taking a bit of a break, we here at MLS Multiplex are back, giving you all of the information that you need in preparation for Sunday’s College Cup match. As Operation Ivy once said “This time we got it all figured out.”

Ten NCAA titles and 24 appearances. That is the combined number of titles and appearances that the University of Virginia and UCLA have in the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Tournament. There are very few teams that can match the credentials that the Cavaliers and the Bruins have. Their history in college soccer is only matched by their imprint on US Soccer.

There is just one question that needs to be answered: Which team is better? That question will hopefully be answered on Sunday afternoon as the two teams meet in the College Cup final.

When: Noon Sunday

Where: Cary, North Carolina at WakeMed Soccer Park, home of USL Pros Carolina Railhawks.

TV: ESPNU (The game may also be on ESPN3 so keep an eye on the web if you do not have a television.)

Head-to-Head: 

Due to the way NCAA sports work, the two sides have actually not met this season. The club’s last meeting was in 2012 when UCLA defeated the University of Virginia, a 1-0 win in overtime.

However the two sides do have a bit of history in the NCAA College Cup Final. The club’s met in the 1997 final with the Bruins coming out on top 2-0.

If the Cavaliers are to claim their seventh NCAA title they are going to need to change a bad history against UCLA. The Bruins have swept the Cavaliers in their previous three appearances in the NCAA tournament and have a 7-2-1 record overall. Virginia last beat UCLA IN 2006 at home.

Outlook:

Out of the four entrants in the College Cup, this was by far the best match-up that the good people of Cary, North Carolina could have received. On Friday, the University of Virginia were able to outlast UMBC s 1-0, thanks to an early goal by Darius Madison.

http://www.ncaa.com/video#vid=video/soccer-men/2014-12-12/di-mens-soccer-umbc-virginia-semfinal-highlights&pl=playlist/nodequeue/recommended_videos&pos=10

In the the night cap, UCLA outlasted Providence 3-2 in double overtime. Bruins defender Chase Gaspar provided the winner in the 105th, hitting a shot off of Friars defender Brandon Adler.

http://www.ncaa.com/video/soccer-men/2014-12-12/di-mens-soccer-providence-ucla-semfinal-highlights

The key to this match will be how the Cavaliers defense can cope with the frenetic pace of the Bruins attack. UCLA midfielder Leo Stolz leads the attack (9 goals, 6 assists) but is as good of a passer as he is a scorer. Look for him to try and find forward Larry Ndjock (who scored 2 goals on Friday against Providence) when defensive midfielders Todd Wharton and Jake Rozhansky move up to engage him.

The Cavaliers defense though should pose problems for Stolz and the Bruins attack. Coach George Gelnovatch’s defense has only given up 3 goals during this tournament and have not given up more than 2 goals in a match since their 3-0 loss to Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament in November.

On the other side of the pitch, the Bruins will have their own hands full with midfielder Nick Corriveau (4 goals) and forward Darius Madison (3 goals). The Bruins defense have given up 6 goals in their past three matches and have not posted a shutout since October 10th when they beat Oregon State 3-0. This is a team that relies heavily on their attack to keep them in matches. But if they meet up against a strong defense and their attack is neutralized (or at least ameliorated) can their defense hold.

The one player to keep an eye on is Cavaliers midfielder Eric Bird. Bird, a 2014 NSCAA All-American, is the team’s leading goalscorer with 9 goals. But he is battling a groin injury and was limited to just 10 minutes on Friday. If he can at least be a super-sub off of the bench then he might be a game-changer. Otherwise, it is a gap in the Virginia midfielder that the Bruins will look to exploit.

One interesting fact to tell your friends: The last time the NCAA College Cup Final was played in Cary, North Carolina. The team that won that match? The University of Virginia, who beat the University of Akron 3-2 on penalties.