Syracuse men’s soccer: Burko shines in Kaloukian’s absence as SU wins 3-1 at Albany

The Orange’s two goals in the opening eight minutes guided them to a convincing and comfortable win on the road.

The Syracuse Orange (3-4-3 (0-2-2)) men’s soccer team picked up a vital confidence-building 3-1 win at UAlbany on Tuesday night. Two goals in the opening eight minutes were able to settle SU nerves as they coasted through the rest of the game.

The month of September was not a kind one for the team as they suffered a poor 1-4-3 record. Head Coach Ian McIntyre will be hoping that this result will provide a platform for success in October as SU will play six critical games which they will need to mostly win if they want any chance to qualify to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season.

The Great Danes have suffered an even more disappointing season than the Orange, with a 2-7-1 record going into the game. Defender Ethan Cook has been the team’s most important player this season, as he leads the way with 855 minutes and two assists. Further forward, Timo Jansen has been a key contributor from midfield, scoring three goals and two assists.

Coach McIntyre made some big changes to the starting lineup to enter this match, clearly looking to motivate some of his players to earn their spots. Nick Kaloukian was dropped to the bench, apparently through injury, as he was not dressed. This shift saw Michael Acquah and Daniel Burko start up top. Carlos Zambrano earned a rare start in the number 10 position just behind them.

At the back, highly-rated freshman Dominic Bell also took the spot of Chimere Omeze. Bell was the top-rated player in the Orange’s freshmen class this year and has been playing more and more minutes in recent games after suffering an injury in the early season.

The Orange took the lead early on in the match as Braedon Smith, playing at left wingback, capitalized on a big mistake from the Albany goalie, who bobbled the ball due to pressure from Burko. The resulting clearance was not strong enough, falling to Smith, who easily slotted it into the bottom corner from distance. The Orange had a lead within four minutes.

With full confidence and an attacking lineup, the Orange continued to mount up pressure on the Great Danes. This pressure resulted in a corner in the eighth minute, which was beautifully delivered by Elton Chifamba.

The first attempt was well-saved by the Albany keeper, but Michael Acquah crashed into the box for the rebound, scoring what might be the easiest header of his career. It was the first goal in Acquah’s SU tenure.

Even after going up 2-0, it was clear that the Orange weren’t satisfied as they continued to pile bodies forward, with more players licking their lips at the prospect of a goal. This high pressure did provide some problems for the SU defense, though, as the back three were sometimes left isolated against the Albany forwards.

Despite a few decent chances, the Orange were able to keep the Albany attack under control, and Tomas Hut was not called upon once in the first 45 minutes.

Zambrano looked great with time and space behind the forward pair, showing a few flashes of brilliance through his passing and dribbling, which could have created a few more goals for the Orange.

Come the end of the half, the Orange looked dominant in all statistical categories. They had the lions share of possession and looked comfortable at that. Additionally, the Orange won the corner battle six to two and the shots battle six to four.

Albany started the second half on the front foot, pushing to get back in the game. They created a few dangerous chances but no shots in the first few minutes. Their first shot on target did actually result in a goal from a corner, but was deemed offsides to the dismay of the Albany players.

This near-concession clearly woke the Orange defense up, as they looked much more on top of things for the next period of play, defending valiantly to secure the Cuse box. This increase in effort led to more chances for the SU attack.

Zambrano continued to break out the tricks and flicks and nearly created opportunities for SU to score, but had a few unlucky moments as well.

In the sixtieth minute, the Orange strung together a beautiful string of passes on the break. Nathan Scott, Sachiel Ming, and Burko were all involved with space eventually opening up as the Bermudan slotted a ball through to the big Norwegian.

This great series was capped off by a top-notch finish, which was smashed past the keeper from a tough angle from Burko. The ball clipped off the far post and in, putting a cap on the Orange’s sublime evening.

This goal effectively put the game to rest as the Orange were dominating proceedings with a very convincing 3-0 lead.

Burko personally enjoyed a fantastic evening on the pitch, constantly affecting the game with his physicality and great work ethic. Burko’s strength was on full display as he served as a target up front, holding off defenders expertly to bring other players into the game.

Burko also played 85 minutes, an impressive return for a player who has barely even played 50 minutes in a game this season. With this strong performance, expect his minutes to increase going forward. Burko also put in a great shift on the defensive end.

Despite the concession of a penalty in the 71st minute by Bell, the Orange were able to hold on for a 3-1 lead, securing a much-needed result. Burko continued on his scoring form, and the goals for Smith and Acquah should give them more confidence going into the next few games.

Following this uplifting match, the Orange will hope to carry the momentum forward but have a daunting task ahead of them. Reigning national finalists, Notre Dame will come to the SU Soccer Stadium on Saturday evening for another high-level ACC matchup. Stay tuned for updates on that game and all things SU Soccer.