375 Days: Alabama Soccer Wants One Back on 'Canes
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— 375 days.
On Aug. 31, when the No. 5 Alabama soccer team takes the pitch against Miami (FL), that's how long will have passed since the Crimson Tide last lost a regular season match.
On Aug. 21, 2022, unranked Alabama dropped the second leg of its season-opening Florida road trip to the Hurricanes in Coral Gables. The Crimson Tide had 22 shots to Miami's three, took seven corners, had more shots on goal and still lost. The lone shot the Miami offense took in the first half resulted in the winning goal. Alabama was held off the scoreboard entirely. It was just one of those days.
The two programs have been on different paths since that warm Sunday afternoon. The Crimson Tide went unbeaten in 19 straight, finishing with 23 wins, while the Hurricanes closed the 2022 season at 5-8-3. This season, Alabama is 4-0, its best start of the decade. Miami enters Tuscaloosa coming off a loss and not having played a match outside its home state. Last year's victory was a nice feather in the cap of the Hurricanes, but subsequent results did little in terms of parlaying the win into long-term momentum.
"They're an incredibly well-organized team," head coach Wes Hart said after his team's 2-1 win over Memphis on Aug. 24. "They gave us problems last year on the tight pitch, and that hot day in Miami. I think on our bigger field, cooler night, I'm excited to see what we can do but I know they're gonna come and they're gonna be stingy. If we show the quality and the effort that we showed [against Memphis], I like our chances."
For the players, getting that result back is at the front of their minds. Many remain who appeared in the 2022 contest. Midfielder Macy Clem cracked a smile when asked about what it would take to be prepared for the rematch.
"We want redemption bad," she said.
"It's just like every other game that we prepare for," midfielder Felicia Knox said. "It's to be ourselves, and to go in and do the things that we did out here vs. Memphis, and hunt, and be excited about playing, and come with energy. [Focusing] on ourselves is the biggest part."
Knox is on the same wavelength as her teammate when it comes to the implications of the match: "Oh yeah. That's redemption."
"Ultimately, it's about how we play, and what we do, it's not really as much [about] the opponent," Clem said.
The 2022 matchup was noteworthy for being forward Gianna Paul's first college start. Paul has risen to the top of the team scoring leaderboard with three goals in four matches this fall. The overall roster looks a bit different this time around, but the end goal is the same.
"It's exciting to continue to back ourselves up," Knox said. "Yes, we're a different team... it's just exciting to come out here and compete every day and prove that we are one of the top teams in the country."
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on Thursday. The match is the only "revenge game" on the official regular season schedule— and even though this 2022 opponent isn't in the SEC (or Los Angeles, Calif.), it still means a lot to the Crimson Tide to have the opportunity to make up for the last time it was dealt a loss in the regular season.
See Also:
MTSU Staff Writer Sam Doughton on The Joe Gaither Show | Episode 70: Aug. 29, 2023
Former Alabama LB and UFC Star Eryk Anders on The Joe Gaither Show | Episode 69: Aug. 28, 2023