Eagles Grab First ACC Win, Trumping Syracuse 2–0
By Theodore Steinke
Boston College (3–1–1) took on Syracuse (4–2–0) in the Eagles’ ACC home opener on Saturday night in a 2–0 victory in Newton. The Eagles kept the same line-up for the most part, with Christian Bejar returning to his role at left back.
BC struggled early on to use their midfield in their build-up, forcing them to play more direct. Although the Eagles improved on this as they grew into the game, it ended up making the game largely extremely physical. It was a fast-paced back-and-forth affair. There were 27 total fouls: 17 for Syracuse, and 10 for BC.
Per @BC_MSoccer on X
A big reason that BC struggled to use their midfield in this game goes back to their 4-4-2 diamond formation. The two central midfielders end up playing almost like wingers in possession. However, there are times when these midfielders drift out wide too early, in situations where being more central would have been better. Players like Toro and Dia, who would drop deep and receive, ended up having no close options by the time they took three touches. Going out wide not only takes away an option, but it also prevents the fullbacks from getting forward. BC struggled to find the balance in their formation this game.
Another reason that BC struggled in transition through the midfield was that Syracuse played an extremely effective high press, making it hard for players to pick out a pass. The Eagles were forced to pull off impressive moves to break the press throughout the game.
BC’s two goals came from moments of chaos in the Syracuse penalty area. This isn’t to discredit the goals, however. Michael Asare came up with an incredible near-post finish from an impossible angle, while Russel Brown found the back of the net with a striker’s finish following a corner kick.
It’s impossible to talk about this game and not mention Andrej Borak, who had five saves, with two being extremely impressive. The first came just before halftime, which saved the Eagles from a big hit to their morale going into the break. These saves were the cherry on top of an extremely frustrating day for Syracuse.
For the first time this season, we saw Dia, who plays as the defensive midfielder, drop deeper relatively consistently and almost play as a center back in possession. This allowed either or both fullbacks to attack and stretch the field while keeping at least 3 defenders back at all times. When this would happen, the rest of the midfield would be forced to stay more central, giving BC more control in this physical game.
Overall, the Eagles played very well, getting an extremely deserved win against a good conference opponent. They willed their way into keeping it close when it was physical, and players like Borak and Asare gave them enough big moments to get them comfortably over the line.