Duke Women's Soccer 2024

Felt like we had control of the game in the second half until the red card. We had so many great opportunities but ND did as well. Graham got shoved to the ground at least five times with no call. Given the circumstances I guess we should feel happy with a draw.
 
Going through the rest of the ACC gauntlet with a perfect record was always a near-impossible task. They still have the ACC regular-season title in their grasp -- and it could plausibly be clinched before the finale with a win at Wake and a UNC loss to FSU.

Nothing wrong with a good gut-check game like this -- like Duke's 1991 men's basketball team getting blown out by UNC in the ACC final and Coach K immediately telling the team they're going to win the national championship. And in this case, they don't even have to see someone else grab a trophy.

Sticking with the 1991 analogy -- arguably, UNLV would've been better off had they lost a game in the regular season or at least had one or two more close games. They didn't execute down the stretch. I still have visions of Larry Johnson NOT passing up a good look from the arc with about four seconds left.
 
We've talked a bit about Roller being in the mix for the USWNT at some point. How about Freeman? She looks ready to start for a couple of NWSL teams (cough ... Louisville). I don't know if she's that far behind Jane Campbell, the current US No. 3 (though it SHOULD be Wake alum Aubrey Kingsbury of the Washington Spirit). Starter Alyssa Naeher is far more vulnerable than she has seemed -- she's developed an aura because she has, all credit to her, made some incredible saves -- and she's not young. Mandy Haught (Utah) will be in the mix for a while, and a wild card is Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who has taken over as the starter at Manchester United for the great Mary Earps.
 
Freeman may be the most talented keeper prospect the US has seen since Hope Solo. In college, nobody compares. Pure class.
 
I think the second card was a straight red. She may be unavailable.
It should not have been a card at all. The replay clearly showed that the ND player made contact with the ball with her hand before the foul occurred, therefore the scoring opportunity should have been voided and the foul not called. I've seen this call many times. It often happens on a corner where there is a hand ball before the player is fouled in the box. VAR usually awards the hand ball and not the foul.

I wonder if Duke can petition to have it reversed?
 
It should not have been a card at all. The replay clearly showed that the ND player made contact with the ball with her hand before the foul occurred, therefore the scoring opportunity should have been voided and the foul not called. I've seen this call many times. It often happens on a corner where there is a hand ball before the player is fouled in the box. VAR usually awards the hand ball and not the foul.

I wonder if Duke can petition to have it reversed?
I don't agree that it was a deliberate handball.
 
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