By Jordan Shim-

Louisville head coach Ken Lolla’s team is playing their best soccer as the midseason approaches. Currently ranked No. 13 in the country, they have played to a 7-1-1 record.

The Cards began the season lacking sharpness. Their 0-0 draw to Butler in the season opener is proof of that. Daniel Johnson had two chances to win the game for the Cards in overtime, but just couldn’t take advantage of either opportunity.

Mohamed Thiaw scored his first goal against Quinnipac. A controversial free kick by Danny Reynolds from midfield gave the Cards their first win of the season.

Louisville split the next two games against ranked opponents Connecticut and Kentucky. The Cards won comfortably in Storrs 2-0, but they could not break down Kentucky’s defense after their first half goal, losing the Battle of the Bluegrass 1-0.

Their fortunes would turn in the next match. A 2-0 victory over ACC rival, Pittsburgh began their current winning streak.

Hosting two matches in the same week was not easy for the Cards to handle. U of L played their worst game of the season in the first half against Xavier, but were still able to find a goal. They resumed the high energy style to double the advantage and go on to win 2-0.

Sept. 16 was the first real test for the Cards. A victory over No. 1 Notre Dame not only meant a second win over a top-ranked in three years, but it would be a significant boost because it was ACC opposition. It was a stalemate until the 25th minute when Louisville broke through. Thiaw’s chip shot from 40 yards would prove to be the winner as they were able to tighten up for the remaining 65 minutes. The NCAA acknowledged the big win for the Cards and introduced them to the top 25 for the first time this season, slotting them at No. 13.

The euphoria would not last long because Louisville traveled to St. Louis four days later to take on the Billikens. Having lost the two prior meetings against the Billikens, the Cardinals couldn’t expect an easy win. The game was tight, but Thiaw’s fifth goal of the season gave Louisville their fourth win in a row.

Louisville’s best player this season has been defender Michael DeGraffenreidt. He has started all eight games and is the only outfield player that has played every minute this season. DeGraffenreidt is the foundation of a defense that has only conceded two goals and is third in the country in goals-against average, at 0.28.

Positives: Defense and experience

Coming into the season, Lolla wanted to be much improved on the season and his team has followed through. Their five clean sheets already exceeds last season’s tally of two. The Cards only concede four shots per contest. Therefore Stefan Cleveland has not had to make more than three saves in a single game this season. His lack of work is a testament to the players tracking back and defending as an entire unit.

“Defense wins championships” is the term thrown around to successful teams. The Cards certainly have adopted a championship mentality this season. If this keeps up, they will be a tough out for any team and could make noise in the NCAA tournament.

With eight of the 11 starters being juniors and seniors, there isn’t a situation that they have not seen before. Pressure does not faze this crew. A prime example would be their win over No. 1 Notre Dame. After scoring the goal in the 25th minute, Notre Dame became the aggressor and dominated the game the rest of the way. With the pressure on, the Cards held the Irish to just three second half shots and earned their victory.

Negatives: Chance creation and fatigue

Of the Cards’ remaining games, they are statistically better on offense than three schools and all are ranked. You can argue that if they take advantage of the chances you get, they don’t need to take many shots. But their 0.096 goal conversion percentage isn’t an eye-popping stat. If Louisville falls behind, especially to the ranked programs, they may have trouble getting back into the game.

With 17 regular season matches are packed into a three-month schedule. One can make this argument for every other team in the country, but stylistically it could be detrimental for Louisville. The Cards are at their best when they play aggressively. The high press is the type of defense Lolla likes to see his team play. They expend all of their energy every match. If they cannot recover properly in between games, it could wear them out.

On a few occasions, the Cards were sluggish in the first half after a quick turnaround. The games only get tougher as the season wanes. The opposition could take advantage if the Cards come out slow.

Photo by Dalton Ray / The Louisville Cardinal