The most fearsome opponent is often not the team with the best record, but rather the team with nothing to lose. Tonight, the Virginia men's soccer team will face the latter at Clemson.
The Tigers (4-7-1, 0-4-0 ACC) remain winless in the ACC conference with losses against Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Duke and Maryland.
"Clemson is a desperate team right now, and they are really willing to do anything to win," senior midfielder Chris Tierney said. "If that means making the game a little more physical and making it even a little dirty, that is well within what their game plan usually is. They are a team that is really willing to fight for 90 minutes and if it doesn't look like a soccer game then that is something they are happy with."
Indeed, Clemson will look to disrupt Virginia's nice passing style and to get physical, both on and off the ball. In practice this week, the Cavaliers have tried to make up with preparation what they lack in both stature and size.
"As we've talked about all week, they are really willing to do anything to win," Tierney said. "It is something that we have been trying to get ready for this week and something we just have to be ready for when we head down there."
Although No. 4-ranked Virginia is 7-1-2 overall, the team is only 1-1-1 on the road. As they strive toward a conference and a national championship, the Cavaliers recognize that they must start bringing their Klöckner A-game with them when they travel.
"It is huge to get this win on the road," junior forward Yannick Reyering said. "When we play at home we always have [about] 6,000 people cheering for us, but road games are totally different. Playing in such a hostile environment helps you mentally to prepare for those games later on in the season. The win will be important to help us get higher in the rankings"
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