The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 03, 2003, Page 9, Image 9
Men’s soccer starts season with victories over Boston, Stetson
BY JOEL WALLACE
TIIE-UAMECOCK
The USC men’s soccer team
jumped out to a 2-0-0 record this
weekend with victories coming at
the expense of the Boston Terriers
and the Stetson Hatters.
Under the Friday night lights
at Eugene E. Stone III Stadium,
the Gamecocks recorded their
first goal of the season 23 minutes
and 15 seconds into the match.
Freshman forward Ayo
Akinsete scored off a pass from
sophomore Ben Link, and the
I Gamecocks held a 1-0 lead going
into halftime.
After allowing two early goals
in the second half, the Terriers tal
lied a goal of their own when
Anders Ostli put one past USC goal
keeper Bradley Guzan. Akinsete
answered when he fed the ball to
fellow freshman Michael
Sambursky, who scored on an open
net, leaving the score 4-1 with just
under 20 minutes remaining.
With that win, the Gamecocks
elevated its record to 23-2-1 in sea
son openers under USC head
coach Mark Berson.
Berson was pleased with his
team’s performance against a
formidable opponent.
“Boston University was a very
well-organized team with some
very good players and has a his
tory of being a team that’s very
difficult to break down and score
goals against,” Berson said. “So
to score four goals was an excel
lent accomplishment.”
The Gamecocks took the field
once more on Monday, squaring
off against the Stetson Hatters.
Akinsete continued to impress
fans and coaches when he scored
his second goal of the season with
an assist from sophomore Eric
Szeszycki. Akinsete’s goal put the
Gamecocks up 1-0 at the 21:54
mark. The Gamecocks added their
second goal with just over 30 min
utes remaining when sophomore
Ryan Deter put the ball into an
open net. Guzan notched the first
shutout of his career with the help
of the Gamecocks stellar defen
sive play.
With nine freshmen on the ros
ter, the Gamecocks’ success de
pends on the newcomers quickly
becoming acclimated. Berson said
he is already pleased on how ma
ture his freshmen appear.
“At the end of the game they
showed a little maturity slowing
the pace down and finishing off
the game,” Berson said. “A lot of
times, a young team will just kind
of go and try to score more and
more goals and maybe give up a
counter attack that can get you
beat. They showed a lot of wisdom
in some of their decisions today.”
Among the leaders of those
young players is Akinsete, a for
ward from London, England.
“I think Ayo has done a great
job,” Berson said. “He’s still learn
ing, and he’s still adjusting, just
like all of our freshmen. It’s an ad
justment making the step into col
legiate soccer, and it’s also an ad
justment with a whole new set of
teammates, so he’s done very well.”
Berson’s praise of his freshmen
does not stop with Akinsete, as a
number of players have stepped
up their level of play.
“Ryan Leeton in the back has
been outstanding, and Bradley
Guzan in goal has been outstand
ing,” Berson said. “I think that ev
eryone has stepped up and done a
good job here in the first two games.
I’m really proud of the team.”
The Gamecocks travel to
Charleston this weekend to play
in the Aaron Olitsky Classic.
Carolina will face off against
Richmond on Friday at 5 p.m.
and Northwestern on Sunday at
1 p.m.
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecocksports@hotmail.com
PHOTO BY TRISHA SHADWELL/THE GAMECOCK
USC freshman Ayo Akinsete dribbles between two Stetson defenders in Monday’s 1-0 win. The
forward scored two goals and recorded an assist In the Gamecocks’ first two victories.
Criticizing sports
isn't always easy
for today's media
TYLER JONES
GAMECOCKSPORTS@HOrMAIL.COM
I
Sports is underwriters’
merciless microscope.
A stagnant cloud of smoke
began to coagulate over my
head last Saturday night as
young bodies marched off the
sun-scorched fairgrounds and
fell into the bars for the second
half of their daylong drinking
binge.
For some of the beer-swilling
revelers puffing away at their
heavily taxed cigarettes, this
was just a way of going through
the motions of a ritual that
would take place seven more
times this season. For me, it was
‘ an anesthetic for what looked to
be a yearlong battle with losing.
The look of melancholy must
have been prominently dis
played upon my visage because
one of my fellow football
addicts approached me with
caution.
“Tyler, I know what you are
thinking. We’re all wondering
what is going on here, but it
will only hurt if your brooding
manifests itself in your column
next week. Taking shots at the
butter-fingered receivers and
the horrible play-calling will
only deflate the diminutive
egos our guys already have. Get
yourself a beer and enjoy the
. scenery,” he said.
His words pierced through
the eight-hour emotional roller
coaster I had just been on. Sure,
I wanted to be a critic. Hadn’t I
just witnessed one of the most
frightening trips to Williams
Brice in my history? What am I
here on this page for, unrelent
ing skepticism or comforting
compliments?
The fact of the matter is that
no other area of our society is
the media microscope so fierce
and merciless as sports. Of
course, I am teetering ever close
to the “hypocritical boundary”
with a comment like that, but
as a self-professed hypocrite, I
am not afraid to journey
onward.
You see, sports are one of the
o many legal addictions that not
- only knows no
race, age or gen
der, but it is one
where everyone,
especially us
scribes, is an ex
pert. In many re
gards, that is a
w positive and
ver uniting fact, but
the problem
now is that the media has
turned an interrogative eye
upon athletes to satiate our
voyeuristic thirsts and appease
our egos.
So much so that coaches are
fired for one losing season, and
one stray last-minute field goal
can turn a Daniel Weaver into
Ray Finkle because some irre
sponsible journalist decided
that he or she doesn’t like
losing.
We live in a world of ubiqui
tous media, a phenomenon that
will only lead to the prolifera
tion of criticism and second
guessing of politicians, celebri
ties and athletes alike. Of
course, these individuals are
paid gross amounts of cash, and
how can we feel sorry for them
if they fail?
But the argument here is
with undue critiques of sports
men, especially
those college-age
and younger
who go out into
triple-digit heat
and play for the
love of the game.
Sure, they get
preferential
f . . „„ Rathe
treatment — 111
bet that Mike
Rathe can get 10 times the
amount of female attention as
a second-string quarterback
than I can for this written filth
— but who here would rather
have next Saturday free be
cause there was no Virginia
Now let’s get back to the
boundary I referred to earlier.
As someone who has decided to
sacrifice his views to the pub
lic, when do I have the obliga
tion to offer criticism? The an
swer is an easy one: any time I
want. But in truth, it is not that
easy.
The analogy I would use
would be: When should Lou
pull Dondrial for Rathe? He can
pull him anytime he wants, but
what is critical is the timing.
A rush to judgment can shatter
the first-string quarterback’s
confidence and alienate him for
the season.
The same is true for the writ
er. Kick the team early and of
ten and you are nothing but a
ranting idiot heading straight
for the loony bin.
Show patience and a ratio
nal argument why things are
not successful, and you might
have a low-paying job after
graduation.
Of course this is all courtesy
of hindsight, and the past few
hundred words have been noth
ing short of my own personal
indulgences reaching mass
publication, but the lesson
holds true for everyone.
While it is hard to withhold
judgment, especially for yours
truly, maybe Axl Rose got it
right when he said that all we
need is a little patience — and a
passing game.
Jones is a graduated student in
the school of journalism and
information studies.
Offense
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
Brown’s field goal attempt was
blocked and returned 89 yards for
a Cajun touchdown to end the
first half tied 7-7.
Holtz said he “was disappoint
ed in the field goal kicking and
protection. It was a tremendous
jump in momentum, but I am
proud of the way we came back.”
USC came back with Irons’ 7
yard touchdown in the third quar
ter, putting the Gamecocks ahead
to stay.
The Cajuns were unable to
move the ball against USC’s new
defensive scheme and lacked
enough offensive power to provide
any serious threat. The Cajuns
crossed midfield just twice the rest
of the game.
USC will take on Virginia at
12:3C p.m. Saturday at Williams
Brice Stadium.
The Gamecocks are looking to
avenge last year’s 34-21 loss to the
Cavaliers. Heisman Trophy can
didate quarterback Matt Schaub
is will not play against the
Gamecocks after suffering a shoul
der injury in the Cavaliers 27-0
win over Duke last week.
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecocksports@hotmail.com
Want to write
sports for
The Gamecock?
Come by
Russell House
Ballroom A tonight
at 7 p.m. for our
interest meeting.
means great phones, greater prices.
0 hurry in today, sale won’t last long.
m*
r | ■ _
. SAVE SAVE SAVE
FREE $300 $300 $300
Nokia Color 3560 Nokia 6360 Nokia 8265
NOW $20 NOW $49 NOW $29
w/2-year ^ w/2-year ^ w/2-year ^
service ageeement service ageeement service ageeement
“‘“"'“SKUnPlan
_
I
AT&T Wireless WeGetit. SunConr
Member of the AT8T Wireless Network
I
COLUMBIA Columbiana Centre Columbiana Place Two Notch Rd CAMDEN LEXINGTON FT. JACKSON SUMTER
Five Points (near Parisian) 1230 Bower Pkwy Creekside Plaza Dusty Bend Mallard Lakes Main Exchange Market Place
539 Harden St 100 Columbiana 803-261-7560 803-261-7530 Shopping Center Business Park Building 317 Wesmark Blvd
(corner of Harden St Circle 2513 North Broad St 5483 Sunset Blvd 4110 Moseby St 803-236-8900
and Blossom) 803-261-7570, 803-243-7400 803-261-7550 803-782-0012
803-261-7510 803-407-7738 (M-F 9a-5:30p, (Sun na~5p)
(M-Sat ioa-9p, Sat ioa-5p)
Sun 1:30-60)
Exclusive Authorized Dealers
mobile mimil
Access Multimedia Wireless Etc. Wmmu
south a
Limited time offer. $35 activation fee required. Free Nokia 1360 digital phone available with new activation and 12-month service agreement. $100 savings on the Nokia 3560, Nokia 6360 and Nokia 8265 digital phones available with new
activation and 24-month service agreement. SunCom UnPlan coverage area depends on individual UnPlan Zone. Your monthly subscription fee includes: all calls placed and received within your UnPlan Zone when the screen
on your phone displays "FREE,''and an additional 300 nationwide anytime minutes for calls placed and received when the screen on your phone does not say “FREE.'* Nationwide anytime minutes in excess of the included
300 minutes will be billed at a flat rate of 354 a minute. Additional nationwide anytime minute packages available. Nationwide calling includes all states, except Alaska. International long distance calls are not included, nor
are calls that require a credit card or operator assistance to complete. SunCom reserves the right to terminate your agreement if more than 50% of your minutes are not on the SunCom Networks. SunCom service available for residents of specified
ZIP codes o^il^OtherJeeswich^asMxeSjjjtilit^use^irector^assistarKe^umversaljerviceTund^oK ^oamingjn^bn^distanceaggJ^See^storesfor^detailvOSunCom^oo