The Lobos head to West Virginia to take on a struggling Marshall team that is looking for their first Conference USA win. The Lobos are coming off their thrilling 3-2 come-from-behind win against UAB on Sunday, where they rallied from a 2-0 second half deficit to win the game in regulation. This is a very important match for the Lobos, as they look to get back on a roll after their early conference struggles. A Lobos loss in this match would not be good for their NCAA Tournament hopes, so I expect for the Lobos to come out and take care of Marshall from the first whistle. It will be interesting to see if the Lobos can control the pace of the game, as I expect for Marshall to pack it in on the backline and try to steal the match from the better Lobo side.
Things to Watch For:
LOBOS:
- The Lobos are outscoring opponent 18 to 14
- The Lobos have been outscored 7 to 4 in the first half, out scoring opponents 14 to 7 in the second half
- Have been outshot 183 to 180, which is an average of .3 shots less per match
- Six Lobos have scored a goal; three Lobos have scored multiple goals
- The Lobos have yet to score in both halves of a match this season
- The Lobos have only scored in the first half in two matches
- The Lobos are 2-3-0 on the road, and 0-2-0 in conference road matches
MARSHALL:
- Marshall has been outscored 18 to 10
- Marshall has been outscored 7 to 3 in the first half, have been outscored 11 to 7 in the second half
- Has been outshot 187 to 119, which is an average 5.7 shots less per match
- Six Marshall players have scored a goal; two players have scored multiple goals
- Marshall is 1-3-0 at home this season
Players to Watch:
LOBOS:
The Lobo that I will be keeping my eye on in this match is Francesco Casucci, who was the hero in the UAB game. It will be interesting to see if Coach Fishbein will enter him into the starting XI after checking in at halftime of the UAB match or if he will see time again as a sub. I expect that Fishbein will start Casucci and try to get him involved in the attack from the first whistle. It is important for the Lobos attack to make the most of the their chances early and keep the Marshall side on their heels the entire match, never giving them hope in this key match for the Lobos.
MARSHALL:
For Marshall in this match, it is all about how their backline plays. So, I won’t be focusing on one player but instead the entire backline, including the goalkeeper. It is important for the Marshall team to keep their line up and try their best to keep the Lobo attack out of space and limit the Lobos chances if they want to stay in the game. Since I expect the Marshall team to pack it in this match, they need to stay smart and communicate well with each other if they want to have any chance of winning this match.
Prediction:
This is a match where I pretty much see two outcomes: a Lobos win or a 0-0 draw. I expect a Lobos win, and put the odds of a win at 65% and coming home with at least a draw at 90%. I predict 2-0 Lobos win, with a goal in each half. If the Lobos do win this match it will give them a chance to get back to .500 in conference play on Tuesday against Charlotte.
Game Info:
What: New Mexico (7-4-2; 1-3-0) At Marshall (4-8-0; 0-5-0)
Where: Hoops Family Field at Veterans Memorial Soccer Complex, Huntington, WV
When: Friday October 23rd 5 PM MT
Stream: herdzone.com