American fans decked out in red, white and blue watched their team’s lone public training session in Brazil, cheering and seeking autographs.Jurgen Klinsmann maintains they shouldn’t expect the U.S. to lift soccer’s top trophy for the first time July 13, even if that stance upsets some.
Ypsilanti, Mich. — Ball State’s postseason run, in which it reached its first Mid-American Conference Tournament championship, came to an end Sunday.
Ball State’s soccer team is going to the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship for the first time in the program’s history after defeating second seed Miami University in penalty kicks. Just a week after winning its first tournament game since 2007 — and third all-time — in come-from-behind fashion, Ball State won in once again, 4-2 in penalties. Ball State and Miami played each other in the last regular season match of the year with the RedHawks edging the Cardinals 3-2. “There were lessons learned from our previous match, and we corrected them,” head coach Craig Roberts said.
For the third time ever — and first since 2007 — Ball State will play in the Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinals.
From near misses on offense to frustrating goals, women’s soccer head coach Craig Roberts and the Cardinals have been left with disappointing results from a bad bounce more times than they’d care to think about — including their loss to Central Michigan earlier this year.
With just one conference game left the in the season, the shuffling atop the Mid-American Conference has started to shake out tournament seeds. In a league full of parity, Ball State (10-5-3, 5-3-2 MAC) jockeyed with five other teams for a top-four finish and the first round home game that accompanies it for its first 10 MAC matches.
In a crucial matchup for conference tournament seeding Central Michigan University topped Ball State 1-0 in double overtime.
Every match is important but as the season winds down, wins and losses seem even more significant. After splitting a pair of crucial matches against top-tier Mid-American Conference last weekend, Ball State’s soccer team is searching for two victories and stability in conference standing against University of Toledo (5-9, 2-4 MAC) and Northern Illinois University (4-8-2, 2-3-1 MAC). Ball State (9-4-1, 4-2 MAC) dropped its match against Western Michigan University (7-3-3, 5-0-1 MAC) on Sunday, and is now in a five-way tie behind Western Michigan. “A good team always responds to a loss,” head coach Craig Roberts said.
The foliage lining the Briner Sports Complex has started to change, meaning that fall and conference play are here.
In the 2-1 victory against Ohio University, Ball State needed 51 seconds to strike in the rain.
After starting with its best record since 2006, Ball State (7-3-1) dropped its first conference game of the season to Kent State (7-4) 1-0.
After traveling more than 3,000 miles to play in its last five matches, the Ball State soccer team will defend its 4-0 home record for the first time in three weeks.
Ball State came out firing in the last of five consecutive road matches to beat Akron, 2-0.
Ball State (5-2-1) commences its conference schedule by traveling to Buffalo (3-2-2) and Akron (3-3-2) this weekend. And though this is just the beginning of Mid-American Conference play, the Cardinals tout the conference’s best record.
A tie wasn’t what Ball State soccer head coach Craig Roberts was looking for.
Before each of Ball State’s seven games, head coach Craig Roberts has stressed that win or loss, what is important is getting ready for conference play.
Ball State has been tying up loose ends on the field in preparation for the conference opener.
It took 109 game minutes, 45 lightning-delay minutes and a mid-game site change to decide anything between Ball State and Air Force.
Ball State soccer dropped the first match on its road trip to Colorado College 2-0.
Starting with the program’s best record since 2005 (4-1) does not satisfy Ball State head soccer coach Craig Roberts.
