The Wisconsin Badgers men’s soccer team fell to the Portland Pilots 1-0 at home Sept. 1 in their fourth nonconference game of the season, falling to 2-2 on the season.
The Badgers opened their season with a home loss to North Florida but bounced back with back-to-back wins against Bradley and Western Michigan. The game against Portland marked a great opportunity for the Badgers to stay on a positive trajectory and stack up wins before facing Big Ten competition.
Not much action occurred in the first half for both teams. Wisconsin’s best opportunity to score came at the start of the half on a cross which trickily bounced out of the hands of Portland’s goalkeeper. Unfortunately for the Badgers, they were unable to convert on the error.
The first half ended with both sides scoreless, with Wisconsin failing to record a single shot on target.
It wasn’t until the 67th minute that Wisconsin presented a threatening attack, coming from a combination on a free kick that resulted in a header that was saved by the Pilot’s goalkeeper.
Only a minute later, Wisconsin goalkeeper Matisse Hebert added to his incredible day, making a huge save on his line to keep the Badgers in the game. Throughout the game, he was one of Wisconsin’s best players, making crucial saves and interventions throughout both halves.
A few minutes later, Wisconsin’s Cristobal Porter, a sophomore from Chile, dribbled past Pilot defenders, and as he cut in, made a pass to star forward Bart Muns who managed to get a shot on goal. Still, it wasn’t enough to open the score.
In the 71st minute, Portland concluded a great counter attack with a cross to David Ajagbe who made a superb touch with his chest and hit a volley that left Hebert no chance to save it. Trailing, Wisconsin did not manage to create many more chances over the game’s final 20 minutes.
The Badgers finished the game with only two shots on goal and no corner kicks, whereas Portland accumulated six shots on goal and six corner kicks. These few stats sum up the game for the Badgers, who experienced another frustrating loss.
The Badgers will have an unusual 11-day gap between their loss against Portland and their next contest. Their scheduled match against Marquette University on September 6th, was canceled due to the passing of two Marquette men’s lacrosse players.
Wisconsin will look to avenge its loss Friday, when they take on Maryland at the McClimon Soccer Complex.
