“Bigger Than the World Cup” – US Soccer Fans Go Wild on Social Media After Syracuse’s First-Ever NCAA College Cup Win in a Dramatic Penalty Shoot

Syracuse Orange lifted their first-ever Division I, NCAA National Championship trophy after beating Indiana Hoosier 7-6 in a nail-biting penalty shootout. The final score at the final whistle was 2-2 which led the game to penalties.

Syracuse forward, Nathan Opoku put in a performance of a lifetime claiming a match-winning goal and assist to his name. However, Indiana never shied away and scored an equalizer on both occasions to force the game to extra time. However, the scorecard still remained 2-2 at the end of extra time.

Once a soccer match reaches penalties, all eyes are on the goalkeepers of their respective teams. Such was the case in this match as well. Both keepers managed to save their second penalty respectively. This made the game even tighter and after a few rounds of successfully scored penalties, the game went into sudden death. Maouloune Goumballe – Indiana missed a decisive penalty on the 3rd round of sudden death. It was then down to Syracuse’s captain, Amferny Sinclair to score the winning goal. And he surely did, by banging the ball in the top corner of the net.

The Syracuse fans are more than ecstatic!

The nail-biting final got all sorts of reactions from fans. A fan called it “Bigger than the world cup”.

The USMNT had quite a decent World Cup Campaign. Emerging as a surprise package nobody knew what to expect from the USMNT. The USMNT finished second in the group stage below England. A win against Iran in their final group match sealed their spot in the next round. However, the USMNT came crashing out of the World Cup after losing 3-1 against the Netherlands in the Round of 16.

Here are a few more fan reactions post-Syracuse winning the final.

Where was Syracuse intended to finish?

When the season began, Syracuse was predicted to finish closer to the bottom by the bookies. With no limelight whatsoever, Syracuse managed to pull off a magical season with a new school record of 19 wins in the four months of this tournament.

Read More: ‘US Is No Longer In’- USA’s Soccer Legend Slams Country’s Fans for Missing ‘Unbelievable Games’

Some might say it was luck, but luck cannot get you so far for sure.

A déjà vu? Surely not!

A similar experience happened in the English Premier League a few years ago. Finishing just one spot above relegation the previous season, Leicester City was predicted to eventually get relegated the following season.

The following season, Leicester City started the 2015-16 season with not a lot of hope. The Bookies had placed the club at a 5000-to-1 chance to win the Premier League at the start of the season. 

Leicester City made history as one of the best teams in the English division with sheer hard work and team chemistry. With close to no limelight on them, Leicester City had no plans of just fighting from relegation. With consistent wins and a hint of good luck, Leicester City went on to shock the world by winning the Premier League for the first time in their history.

Watch this story: USMNT From Training to Match Day – an Inside Look Into Life as a US Men’s National Soccer Team Player