Sasho Cirovski sounded more like a CEO than a head soccer coach as he talked with reporters last Friday night, following Maryland’s 1-0 decision over Duke that made him the Terrapins’ all-time winningest coach with 218 victories.
Cirovski lauded the ever-improving fan experience at Ludwig Field — the capacity crowd of 6,803 for the Blue Devils game was the fifth-largest crowd in program history — along with its new press box and the continued tradition of the program.
“I think next Friday will be even bigger,” concluded Cirovski, hitting on two levels: first, that he isn’t satisfied, and second, that Wake Forest’s visit to College Park tonight (Fox Soccer Channel, 8) could be one of the biggest regular season matches in recent NCAA history. Fans who don’t get there early simply won’t get in.
The Demon Deacons (7-0-0, 1-0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) are both defending national champions and currently the top-ranked team in the country, according to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll. Maryland (6-1-0, 2-0-0) is second despite its large crop of new, young players.
Each roster is stacked with future professionals, starting with Wake Forest forward Marcus Tracy, who turned down a chance to go pro after being named Most Outstanding Player in last year’s College Cup. Maryland freshman Matt Kassel was courted by the New York Red Bulls before deciding to play college soccer.
