It belongs in a museum!

A mere fifteen years after their fifth NCAA Men’s soccer title, Virginia lifted the cup again. After a scoreless game, the Cavaliers hit their first three penalty kicks to send the top-seeded Akron Zips home empty-handed.

Akron last appeared in a Men’s soccer final in 1986 when they lost to another ACC opponent, the Duke Blue Devils. They came into the game as the favorites, and lost despite allowing zero goals throughout the entire College Cup tournament.

The game was destined to be a defensive battle, as Virginia had held opponents scoreless in 11 of their last 12 games. The heavy rainfall did nothing to help the offensive play and both teams struggled to create opportunities. The best chance of the game came in the fifth minute when Virginia forward Will Bates hit the post with a header.

Was the Union Interested?

Unfortunately for the Philadelphia Union, many of the best players in this year’s College Cup were underclassmen. Wake Forest junior Corben Bone was a standout in the midfield, and Virginia stud striker Will Bates is only a freshman.

One name you may see bandied about is that of UCLA senior midfielder Kyle Nakazawa. After having his 2008 season cut in half by a back injury, the offensive middie took a huge step forward in 2009, scoring 12 goals and contributing 7 assists. Additionally, his peripheral stats are impressive, with over 50% of his shots being on goal.

The top senior striker on the Union’s radar will be Harvard talisman Andre Akpan. A stocky 6’0″ 190lb sniper, Akpan has 47 goals and 33 assists in his Harvard career, including 12 as a senior. Keep him in mind when the Union make their SuperDraft selections.