Clemson vs Wake Forest | Ncaâ College Soccer Highlights | 26 September 2025

Off and running in Winston-Salem. Critical game in ACC play with Wake Forest in black, winless on the ball. Here is John with a step in the penalty area, playing it square. Unable to connect with Nathan Richmond arriving, but the sign right off Sirajan into the penalty area. Twisting and turning. Out to dive on it is Joseph Andima, the Clemson goalkeeper. Shenandoah rotation, sometimes death by a thousand passes, and I say that with the utmost respect, one of the best in the country. Recruits total footballers, guys that you don't necessarily, but also getting used to ACC play and the intensity of what it brings with it. Ransford John is onside here, wants to get back to his left foot, and a step over well read by Jose Perez. Told you in the open, no Wahabu Moussa, the outstanding number nine for Clemson, out due to a red card taken late against Cal. Biggest assets that Cooper Heinlein has is his ability to attack in forward thinking fashion, loves to drive right at you, but so does Ransford John, so as he rotates back out, opens up space. Best in the country, organization by Stanford, everybody has their quirks, but also the ability to break down opponents, so you're looking to regulate what is a full 90-minute performance, as opposed to just getting points where they're home. Cooper finds Umar, back for Flax, the shot was deflected, out for the game's first quarter. To step up into those pockets, that's where this opportunity opens back up, and they're looking on the hand, on the left side right there, then comes through on the right. First question is, is it inside the box? I would say yes. The second one, it's a pretty decent argument, that the hands away from the body, extended in an unnatural position, and you've got a real solid argument here that the referee could point to the spot. Cooper Flax took two penalty kicks on Monday against Liberty, he went to the same spot both times. Cooper Flax, count it, he switched sides, and he has Wake Forest in front. Starts with quality buildup, good utilization of the width, and as you spread it, pockets centrally. Chandler Young drops in, forces the back line to react, and that's where Cooper Flax is able to rotate back over the right arm from Floki, definitely away from the body, right call from the referee to the spot. Cooper Flax, the other direction, then the two he put away against Liberty. Confidence was everything, leadership a necessity, and none more so than the performance by Cooper. Toward the penalty spot, it's dangerous, and that's driven just wide at the back post. It was Kwaku Ajabong coming all the way over. Tigers on the move here, Richmond drives it, deflected, and we're level just like that. One minute later, Nathan Richmond and Clemson respond. The great thing about this front line for the Clemson Tigers, so interchangeable, even in the absence of Musa. Nate Richmond, Yoshizawa able to release, so as you work on the far side, already have the 3v2 advantage. Smart run by Nate Richmond. Not only does he cut in, he starts to pull away. This is Heinlein to Ajabong, and it's broken up by Umar. Only Chandler Young in front of him. It's been 97 seconds. That's headed on, and out quickly, Andima in the Clemson goal. He elects to wait for help. This is Okunlola, the right back, Atlanta United Academy product. Darajan stayed with him and sent that out for a corner. Magnussen puts Clemson in front, rose highest at the back post, and pinpointed the header inside the top corner. 2-1 Clemson. Similar pick that they set on the last one out, ended up on the side of the net. This time, Lucas Magnussen, instead of Floki, just drifting. Twisting and turning. Lost control over the end line here. All right, Devin, Clemson continues to find goals in many different ways. Wake Forest trying to respond, second ball. Subhashan, the Louisville transfer to Tait-Lorentz, hits the top corner. Oh, that's fantastic. Just what Wake Forest needed. This game never disappoints. Umar pressured by Heinlein, the freshman from Colorado, plays in Richmond. Nathan Richmond just missed wide that time. That turns over. Heinlein will try and deflect it off the back of Travis Smith, and out for a corner. Floki the target this time, and he collides with Mednard, who's not happy with the challenge. It'll be a free kick for Wake Forest coming out. By the scoreline, surprised by the mistakes again that they keep happening. The hand away from the body on the penalty. All right, that's number one. The lack of defensive coverage on the second goal given up by Clemson. You come to the other side of it. Into the stride of Yoshizawa, gets it to Jian. Neat move. Of course, who else but Ransford Jian continues this wild first half. Clemson's on top, 3-2, and Wake Forest is continuing to leak goals at the other end. Flexibility of that front line. We talked about Nate Richmond and how he inverted on their first. Ransford Jian, as he drops in under Yoshizawa, the constant... He continues to produce like no other in the ACC, and really no other in the country, when you factor in... Bad spot instead. Take the pattern over your left shoulder, open up the Tigers in front of you, and then go to work. Oh, Okunlola, long, long run, and then he... Umar is... Oh my god, you can see Jian kind of sizing everything up, figuring out what he was going to do with this, and it's scary as a defense as that one is headed over the top. New areas on the field, they're going to win that battle. He picks a pocket here. Jian, dipsy doodle. Finally some help as Perez comes in to make it a throw, took a deflection, so this will stay in the corner. Have been canceled out. Amani Thomas got that one wrong. How they grow into the college ranks. Escobar, dangerous delivery, too high for Subhashan, and ready for the restart. Ouellette at the back post. Off the chain, nuts. Danny Kruger ties it up. Struggling for tempo with the ball at their feet. One of the things that Wake Forest has always been very good at are set pieces. A little bit surprised they didn't blow a foul. And Gabriel Santuari all in for Clemson as Wake Forest continues forward. That's blocked by a free kick. Hooper flax to hit it. Great velocity, great bend, a little too much height. A poor strike by any means. Just a little bit up on it at the end. Hit one against Liberty. Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Well that was some 45 minutes underway in the second half. Clemson and Wake Forest. You release him out of the midfield, create one-on-ones on the center backs. It also isolates the wingers. They're excellent in those tight. Mednard got a hand to that but wasn't decisive. Second ball came through a hole. Soccer team tried it one year and I drove home early and said I'm not part of this. Important minutes here then from the guys getting a chance. Okunlola. A little bit light gets caught up underneath Remy Okunlola allowing Sirajan to drop. Tremendous leave but the ball movement shot was blocked. Sirajan first year at Wake Forest drives it over the top. Going you lose some of the top tier players but the basement comes up so the aggregate is much better overall. This is the second one from Remy Okunlola. Just a bit ginger on the step back through the actual contact it's corner. Another corner kick near post. Not a lot of floating it back post and Amani Thomas had to bring it down there. Turned it over lost his footing. Runs all the way through and hits the end. Everybody reacting on this ball as it works from the far side back in. Love the pressure by Yoshizawa. If you're Amani Thomas got to be over the shoulder put over the end line and instead you allow. On it. First pass one Perez took him down. It's going to be a mess. Perez tried to cut down the angle recognize the left foot of John. They spend hours on this. It's Jimenez wide of the top. The second one is a very different conversation. Creates the advantage there in the moment. Nesto Perez already. And tonight proving no exception. Jimenez thinks about it. 18 matches back in 2023 love to see him back to full health. All kinds of picks and players moving off the ball to Rich. You can see the idea right he was supposed to slip through the frustration with himself for not getting that one through. Here's John he is off and yet we're tied 3-3. Zirajan trying to burst through two. Got a shot away. Here's John splitting two onto that left drives it low just wide. Ransford John almost another special moment. 6-7 teams deep this year for who could take down the title. That one fell to Nathan Richman. It's Ransford John one of the best attacking players in the country. Finding Nathan Richman who's already got one today. Richman drives it low and puts Clemson in front again of course it's those two and Clemson hoping to put this one to bed but got a long way to go. The big question now is going to be Zirajan into the nine. And if they can roll it near the edge of the penalty area. Picked out Umar wants it on his left that took it deflected. It's going to be six minute wait for his corner man goes down. Gemma turned away from one and Medner was calling that. 6-8 pivot within the midfield eliminate the central threat for Wake. Long ball for switches on for Willett running in behind. Andima read it and is a full volley. More fitness lately. Kruger finally long for Subhashan. Willett trying to run off of him. They're up high right now you can use it to your advantage. Great movement by Lorenz got it to Willett. The field understood where the underlap assignment was going to be the way that he released it. Yoshizawa John is the decisive play right now. Kruger long looking for Subhashan. He elbowed off a man and was whistled for the foul. And from the referee's angle he's going to see the arm come away from the body a little bit. You can square up. Fantastic tackle by Kruger started this. Thomas too high for everybody. Umar looking for Vlad Willett. Goalkeeper came out it's loose in the sixth and seconds Mason Sullivan sends it forward. We don't need any of this.