DENVER – Despite having a majority of the play, the University of Denver men's soccer team couldn't find the final ball and conceded on either side of halftime in a 2-0 loss to Omaha on Saturday night at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.
Scoring Summary:
DEN (9-3-2, 4-1-0):
OMA (5-8-1, 3-2-0): Fodstad 40', Mboma Dem 59'
Quotables – Jack and Sheila Weinberg Head Men's Soccer Coach Jamie Franks
"I thought overall it was a decent performance from us. We were pretty dominant with the ball and in phase one and three. The final decision just wasn't there tonight. Our opponent scored a great goal in the first half and another in the second. I thought we played really well at times, but the game is won and lost in the box. We need to be better there on both sides of the ball. The good news is, we need a point on the road next week and we're Summit League champions again, so all our focus has to turn to next week now. If we do a good job of looking internally, we'll be much more prepared for knockout football after tonight."
Inside the Box Score:
Denver held a 61-39% possession advantage and outshot Omaha 12-7 on the night.
First Half:
Denver controlled the majority of the play, but neither team created much of a quality chance in the opening 20 minutes.
The Pioneers grew into the game in the second part of the first half but couldn't pick out the right cross to create the high-quality scoring chance..
Denver's best chance came off the foot of Stefan DeLeone, but he pulled his 12-yard shot wide of the target.
Omaha struck first in the 40th minute, courtesy of a rebound finish from Mikkel Fodstad. Kenji Dem Mboma struck both posts on a shot from outside the box, and Fodstad was the first to the rebound to knock it into an empty net and give the visitors the advantage.
Denver had 57% possession in the opening 45 minutes and a 5-4 edge in shots. Omaha had the only two shots on target in the first half.
Second Half:
Omaha doubled its advantage in the 59th minute. Denver's clearance out of its own area didn't get all the way out. Ed Gordon got to the turnover first and touched it to Dem Mboma who found the side netting to put the visitors 2-0 ahead.
Trevor Wright got a couple headers off corners as the Pioneers looked to cut the lead in half, but both were saved Nathanael Sallah, Denver's two best chances of the final half hour.
Up Next:
Denver closes out the regular season next Saturday with a trip to Kansas City. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. MT. A point in the finale would secure the regular season title for the Pioneers.
Tickets:
Denver men's and women's soccer single game tickets for the 2021 campaign are on sale now, and can be purchased here.
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