Top prospects and college teams are on display at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala., as the NCAA College Cup gets underway.
Creighton takes on surprising Charlotte (6 p.m., ESPNU/ESPN3.com) to kick off the Final Four. The Bluejays have been one of the top teams in the country all season, relying on the play of senior striker Ethan Finlay and sophomore left back Tyler Polak. Unseeded Charlotte has proven that it's for real, getting standout play from freshman Giuseppe Gentile while knocking off the likes of defending champion Akron and UConn en route to reaching the semifinals.
On the other side of the bracket, North Carolina faces UCLA in the marquee nightcap (8 p.m., ESPNU/ESPN3.com). The Tar Heels, led by forward Billy Schuler, playmaker Enzo Martinez and centerback Matt Hedges, look to finally climb the mountain after losing in the College Cup in each of the last three years. The Bruins are an in-form opponent, though, having not conceded a goal in their last eight matches. Forward Chandler Hoffman and midfielder Kelyn Rowe guide the UCLA attack.
SBI will be providing Twitter updates on the match, so feel free to follow along with us there. If you will be watching tonight's games, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action.
(That mock-up doesnt include the locker room expansions too)
If by final you mean one of the last 24 they were talking about before 2020 or whatever the futuristic year, then yes, I can definitely see NC bidding for one. As for the NEXT expansion team, sadly, no, I think NC will have to wait. Railhawk success (revenue wise) will do nothing but good though.
PurpleGold… do you think NC can bid for one of the final expansion MLS teams? I sure do hope so!!!
GO NINERS!!!! Bring it home boys!
All NC Final? Can we have our MLS team yet? Were already getting this next year.
http://www.townofcary.org/Assets/Parks$!2c+Recreation+and+Cultural+Resources+Department/Planning+and+Design/WakeMed+Soccer+Expansion/phase1.pdf
Horrible ref… UNC keeper came way off his line… clear keeper infringement.
Hurts to lose like this. Some missed chances by my Bruins make it even more hard to stomach.
But North Carolina matched their effort and did the little things to force UCLA into misses and to come back twice.
Congrats to the Tar Heels, 1st win ever vs UCLA even if it’s a PK win after a tie. Now 1-1-1 all time.
Can’t wait for next season’s potential season opener as a rematch like Louisville and UCLA had this year.
Sunday is an all Carolina final, I hope Charlotte can put up a fight. UNC looks set to win this easily, but that’s why the games are played, gotta finish it. See how that works BCS? With a clear champion…
these guys have some of the worst PK form I’ve ever seen.
All NC final! Pity I can’t be here Sunday.
Another!
And a miss!
And again!
Save!
WOW! UCLA keeper with a HUGE save at the last. it’s going to PKs
Almost squeaked it in at the finish. PKs again.
nearly a goal at the very death. both teams showing a lot of heart. impressive
UCLA needs to recruit really well because they are going to lose a ton of talent in the draft and with out going seniors.
UNC defense looking organized and tight right now. UCLA on the other hand looking a bit tired, but are able to block a shot a tthe last. UNC unable to make anything of teh ensuing corner.
Oh and how about you get all those so called fans of the USMNT who make games at “B’Ham” feel like a home to get together and ask someone to properly line a nice wide American Football field and use that, this whole Baseball stadium thing in a measly 10K stadium is pretty sad, at least Kansas City filled their Baseball modified stadium.
Is it too much to ask for a actual stadium for the sport or one were there’s seats all around field and for more than about 5-8K fans to show up to the NCAA Cup?
Both teams looked dangerous in the first OT. UCLA taking a little bit of momentum into the second OT. The announcers are saying that UNC are clearly better–I’ll agree that they were in spurts, but I think UCLA did look dangerous at times.
Well truth hurts Shane, just like the sad truth is that if the US plays Mexico or El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica & maybe a few other nations the US has at BEST almost the same amount of fans show up but it can easily be outnumbered. Like against Mexico.
Truth is that there aren’t a lot of fans in Alabama, it’s the South. Not my fault you live in SEC / “we like to generalize everybody” country. If you for a minute think that you guys would still have a USMNT game hosted in “B’Ham” whatever that is lol, against Mexico and have it be attended like a home game for the US, keep dreaming and get with the program. Mexico has fans all over the South, they constantly go to Carolina, Georgia, are about to go to Florida. You’d be outnumbered just like in LA, only Seattle and maybe Columbus because of the limited seating can truly have home game vs Mexico, although Portland seems like an option too.