Though the men’s soccer team secured a 3-1 victory over VMI at home on Tuesday night, coach George Tarantini was less than impressed with N.C. State’s play against the winless Keydets.
Tarantini used only one word to sum up State’s performance.
“Sloppy,” he said.
Despite numerous open looks on offense and 21 shots, the Pack (1-3-1) tallied only three goals, two of which resulted from VMI errors. State’s offense hit the cross bar twice and missed several one-on-one scoring opportunities against the Keydets’ goalkeeper.
“Unfortunately, we could not score,” Tarantini said. “We did not connect on many chances, but we created a lot of opportunities. We weren’t disciplined today. When you don’t finish, things don’t work out.”
Missed opportunities have been the Pack’s Achilles’ heel this season. Coming into the VMI contest, State converted just 3-of-65 shots for a shot percentage of .046 compared to its opponents’ .214.
Forward Ronnie Bouemboue attributes the offense’s inefficiency to a lack of awareness.
“It’s a 90-minute game and we need to stay focused for 90 minutes,” the redshirt junior said. “We’re struggling a little bit with attacking. We’re panicking when we get in front of the box. We need more concentration then hopefully everything else will take care of itself.”
Bouemboue missed the 2007 season after undergoing knee surgery. The Pack’s captain scored the first goal of the night but had ice on his knee during the game.
“We have to be patient with some players because they are coming back from difficult injuries, like Ronnie,” Tarantini said. “Ronnie will come back and it will be OK for us.”
Due to the heavy rain throughout the day, sophomore midfielder Tyler Lassiter said the players were unsure if the match would even be held. Thanks to the upgraded facilities, a flooded field was not an issue.
“We didn’t think we were going to get to play until this afternoon,” Lassiter said. “The field is really nice, it’s not even wet at all, there’s just a little dew on the top. We thought it was going to be soaked like Method, but it’s not.”
Junior forward Alan Sanchez led State with two goals. He converted on an assist from Stanley Mathurin at the 33:40 mark and netted a penalty kick to round out the scoring.
The inclement weather gave fans the opportunity to attend the game free of charge. The Pack benefited with one of its biggest crowds in more than a year.
“This is one of the first games that so many fans came out since [the 2007 preseason game against] UCLA,” Sanchez said. “It encourages us and motivates us. “We’re defending our turf.”
State will head on the road to face Virginia at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Tarantini said the Pack must capitalize on its opportunities to be competitive against the Cavaliers.
“We have a lot of things to work on to get ready,” he said. “We have a long way to go.”
