Indiana men’s soccer quickly refamiliarized itself with the demands of a College Cup contender when it battled defending national champion and No. 1-seed Clemson University on Friday. The Hoosiers fell 3-2 in their season opener but formed long stretches of dangerous attacking play to help them go blow-for-blow with the Tigers.
Head coach Todd Yeagley didn’t dwell on the result.
Instead, he chose to use those moments as reason to believe in the Hoosiers’ chances of earning points in chunks during their upcoming four-match home stand. More of the same persistence will be required of the eight-time national champions, since they’ll solely face teams that qualified for last season’s NCAA Tournament in that span.
[Related: Indiana men's soccer drops season opener 3-2 in exhilarating matchup with No. 1 Clemson]
The University of Portland will be Indiana’s first opponent in Bloomington this season, with kickoff slated for 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Here’s what you need to know and watch for when the Hoosiers and Pilots take the pitch at Bill Armstrong Stadium:
Portland Notes
Portland, the newest member of the West Coast Conference, is coming off a second-round exit in last season’s NCAA Tournament. Following an 11-7-1 performance across the 2021 schedule, the Pilots were picked to finish first in their inaugural season in the WCC.
There’s a small sample size of history between the Hoosiers and Pilots, as the two teams have only faced off four times. In undoubtedly their most important meeting during the 1988 NCAA Tournament, the Hoosiers defeated the Pilots 1-0 in the semifinal. One match later, Indiana earned its third star.
Similarly to Indiana, Portland has benefitted from stable leadership in recent years. Head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt has led the Pilots to the postseason in half of the seasons during his six-year tenure.
Goalscoring production was shared generously among the Pilots in 2021.
Forward Alejandro Pereira, a reliable striker, and midfielder Luke Hendel, another veteran playmaker on the attacking end, used up all their eligibility, leaving cleats to fill. Youth is rampant in this season’s squad, but a good portion of the underclassmen already grew familiar with taking on important roles last year.
Sophomore midfielder Sebastian Nava came just behind Pereira on the scoresheet for the Pilots last season with four goals, while sophomore defender Kevin Bonilla led the team with five assists as a freshman.
Portland is still searching for consistency, as seen by its season-opening 2-2 draw to the University of Central Arkansas on Aug. 26. In the same regard, the Pilots’ comeback from 0-2 in the same match shows maturity between their young core, which could be a complication the Hoosiers need to prepare for.
Formation Tinkering
In preseason play against DePaul University, Bowling Green State University and the University of Louisville, Indiana stuck to a 3-4-3 formation despite swapping waves of players in for each other.
When the opening whistle blew in Clemson, though, the Hoosiers defended with the more commonly-seen four-in-the-back formation. The two goals the Tigers scored between the 12-and 16-minute mark to retake the lead were more so the result of excellent finishing and passive midfield marking rather than a poor defensive shape by the Hoosiers.
[Related: Indiana men's soccer players recognized in Top Drawer Soccer 2022 preseason awards]
Still, Yeagley’s hand was forced. Being a goal down, Indiana had to match Clemson’s firepower with a more attacking-minded approach of its own.
From the latter end of the first half onward, the switch to the 3-4-3 formation stopped Clemson from feeling too comfortable. Spaces opened for Indiana’s attack on the wings, while sophomore forward Tommy Mihalic became more of a factor in buildup play and eventually drew a penalty.
Portland is no Clemson, but it still possesses the pieces and chemistry capable of frustrating Indiana’s back line.
Home Cooking
Indiana rarely walks off Jerry Yeagley Field without three points.
The Hoosiers have won well over twice as many matches at Armstrong Stadium as they have drawn and lost — combined. A 1-1 draw to Georgetown University in 2014 and 1-0 loss to the University of California, Berkeley, in 2010 mark the only home openers the Hoosiers haven’t won in the past 12 seasons.
After posting an 11-3-0 record in Bloomington last season, Indiana will get its first chance to repeat its dominance at home against Portland. The four-match home stand, albeit against tested opposition, provides the best opportunity for the Hoosiers to get used to new tactics and ease into the thick of their schedule.
As part of various promotional events at home matches this season, Indiana will celebrate Teacher Appreciation Night at Tuesday’s match, marking down tickets to $5 for teachers and staff of kindergarten through 12th grade.
