Sixth-ranked Marshall picks up quality 2-0 victory over No. 20 Akron – WV MetroNews
— By David Walsh
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Vitor Dias and Vinicius Fernandes showed again why they’re the top two point-producers for Marshall soccer.
Dias and Fernandes each scored a goal and picked up an assist on each other’s goal and the No. 6 Thundering Herd blanked No. 20 Akron, 2-0, Tuesday night in front of 1,085 fans at Hoops Family Field/Veterans Memorial Soccer Complex.
It’s the first home win of the season for Marshall, which had played to draws in its previous two home matches against Coastal Carolina and West Virginia.
The contest matched the current NCAA champion Marshall (4-1-2) against a former champion Akron (2010 winner), a first at Hoops Family Field. The Zips (4-2-1) suffered their second straight shutout as MU goalkeeper Oliver Semmle stopped two shots.
Marshall had several good scoring chances early, but Zips keeper Will Meyer came up with stops until Dias sent a low shot right of Meyer at 30:05 for a 1-0 lead. Fernandes and Pedro Dolabella got the assists.
“Feels pretty good to get back into winning form,” said Dias, who scored the NCAA championship-clinching goal last May against Indiana. “We have to adjust to taking everyone’s best shot. Now we have a target on our back. Every team wants to do their best against us. It’s much harder.”
Dias said the Herd executed a quick counter on his goal which came when he made a run, got the feed from Dolabella and fired the shot home.
“I was following the play. Pedro saw me. I just put it in the back of the net,” he said.
In the second half, Fernandes struck with a shot to the low left of Meyer for a 2-0 lead at 49:56. Milo Josef and Dias picked up the helpers. The Herd finished with seven shots on goal. Fernandes leads the Herd attack with five goals and four assists. Dias now has four goals and four assists.
Akron had no shots on goal in the first half. Johnny Fitzgerald got the first at 57:35 and Diogo Pacheco sent a hard shot low and left of Semmle who stopped the attempt at 67:31.
Akron, a Mid-American Conference member, leads the all-time series 8-3-2. Marshall has won two of the last three meetings, both at home. The Zips are 1-1-1 now this season against ranked opponents.
Marshall returns to action at home Saturday against No. 10 Kentucky (5-0-1). Match time is 7 p.m. UK marks a return to Conference USA play for the Herd.
“Got to keep the same energy,” Dias said. “We know how conference games are.”
Marshall had a goal in each half negated by an offside call.
Herd coach Chris Grassie said the win somewhat atones for last season’s 2-1 defeat.
“Those games always stick in your mind,” Grassie said.
The Herd came in off the 2-2 draw against West Virginia last Friday at home. Players and coaches some time off after that encounter.
“You have to find a balance,” Grassie said. “Elite performance you want. Elite recovery, too. Make sure you’ve got the horses for the race.”
Grassie said he knew the 2021 schedule would be difficult, just what he desired.
“Emotional control is one of the things we work on,” he said. “We’ve still got a lot to work on. We know what’s going to come. We have a real tough schedule. We have to work on us. Take care of business and we’ll be fine.”
This was Akron’s first match against a C-USA team this season. Marshall is favored to repeat as league champion. Akron has won 13 of the last 15 regular-season titles in the MAC and 10 of the last 13 conference tournaments.