Shaquille Ming and his Syracuse University Men’s teammates delivered the shock of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), securing a stunning 1-0 victory over No. 22 North Carolina in a thrilling encounter. The defeat marks the Tar Heels’ first conference loss of the season.
The win was a testament to both opportunistic attacking and a resolute defensive effort, which saw the Orange withstand intense pressure from their nationally ranked opponents.
The match's solitary goal came in the 36th minute of the first half and was the result of a swift counter-attack. The move was ignited by Carlos Zambrano, who broke away and expertly dribbled the ball downfield, weaving through defensive lines.
With the North Carolina defence closing in, Zambrano showed composure to pass the ball across the box to find freshman Landon Darko. Darko made no mistake, firing the ball right past North Carolina goalkeeper Andrew Cordes to put Syracuse ahead 1-0. The goal proved to be the decisive moment of the match.
While Darko provided the firepower, the victory was anchored by a heroic defensive performance, which included Bermudian defender Shaquille Ming.
North Carolina dominated the early possession and generated several scoring opportunities, particularly in the first half. Tar Heels’ six shot attempts and five corner kicks failed to yield a goal, thanks in large part to the phenomenal efforts of the Syracuse backline and goalkeeper.
Syracuse shot-stopper Tomas Hut was in inspired form, collecting four crucial saves in the first half alone to ensure the Orange maintained their narrow lead. With Ming and the defence shutting down every subsequent attack in the second half, Syracuse held on for a crucial three points and the major upset.
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