The Arkansas State soccer team welcomes the No. 18 ranked University of Arkansas to Jonesboro Saturday in a match between two of the Natural State’s biggest universities in an enticing Arkansas Derby at the A-State Soccer Complex. 

With the rule finally lifted of Arkansas’ long standing tradition of not playing in-state schools, especially A-State, the soccer pitch is where the universities will meet during this new period of athletics in the state before the schools meet on the baseball field, football field or basketball court.

Despite the two programs hardly ever playing each other in any sport, social media feeds tend to be filled with fans of both teams spewing insults and arguments at each other. A-State head soccer coach Brian Dooley said he doesn’t think that bad blood really applies to the soccer teams.

“I think that may carry for some of the other sports because that’s where most of the Twitter muscles come from,” Dooley said. “You know, people who have no idea of what it takes to compete having opinions on what others do to compete. I don’t think that applies to us in this particular situation. It’s a great game to play. We’re very honored that we have the opportunity and the fact that they’re willing to come to our place says a lot of the respect they have for us. There’s no bad blood here, it’s about respect.”

This isn’t just a big occasion because it’s the Red Wolves versus the Razorbacks, these are two high flying soccer programs playing each other with the NCAA tournament on the horizon. 

According to the United Soccer Coaches poll, the Razorbacks (10-3) are the 18th best team in the country and the NCAA RPI places the Razorbacks at No. 24 in the nation.  

The Red Wolves (11-3-1) are on the hunt for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and a result at home against Arkansas, with a match at Ole Miss and a trip to Fayetteville remaining on the spring schedule, would increase the chances of an at-large bid tremendously. 

Both teams lost in their conference championship matches in the fall. The Razorbacks fell to Vanderbilt 3-1 while A-State lost controversially to South Alabama 2-1 after both teams had outstanding regular seasons. 

Arkansas opened the spring season with a 7-0 win over Missouri State and a 3-1 loss to St. Louis, while the Red Wolves took down Little Rock 1-0 and fell to Mississippi State 2-0. 

Despite the 2-0 scoreline, the Red Wolves played well on the road in Starkville against an SEC opponent and did not look outmatched. Although Dooley said that obviously the team wanted the win and no matter who the opponent is a win is always the goal, he praised his squad’s performance.

“I think we showed that we weren’t outclassed in any way on the field which was really good to see,” Dooley said. “Overall I was happy, I didn’t think we were physically dominated at any stretch. That’s what we’re trying to build here, teams that can compete at that level and I think we’ve proven that we’re right there.”

A-State’s all-time leading goal scorer Sarah Sodoma got behind the Mississippi State backline a couple of times and had a chance to score on a flicked header from Olivia Smith that Sodoma ran onto. 

“I thought our chances didn’t bring the danger that they could have,” Dooley said. “When Liv flicked it on and Sarah got in, we talked about getting our shots off before we got closed down and I think Sarah might’ve taken it a little bit early. I think she might’ve been able to get away with another touch. But I think she liked the way the ball was sitting for her so she decided to go for it, which that’s OK. You’re making those decisions in the heat of the moment.” 

Looking ahead to Saturday, the Razorbacks’ offense is stocked with offensive talent. 

Forwards Parker Goins and Anna Podojil earned First Team All-SEC honors in the fall and Podojil was named SEC Forward of the Year. Kayla McKeon earned Second Team All-SEC honors.

The Razorbacks will be fresh as they last played Feb. 28.

“I think their system and how they play is not something that we’re used to being against,” Dooley said. “I think the novelty of that is going to be exciting for us. It brings a whole different kind of challenge than last week. They’re very effective at how they play and they get the ball into the attacking third more than any other team in the country and they create more chances than pretty much any other team in the country.”

Dooley said since Arkansas does send so many players forward, there will be space in behind. It comes down to whether the Red Wolves can exploit that space. 

A-State’s Sodoma will have the chance to meet up with Arkansas’ Goins not only on the pitch Saturday, but also in the NWSL at Racing Louisville FC. Goins was drafted by Racing Louisville in the third round before Sodoma’s playing rights were claimed after the draft.  

The connections between the two universities and the NWSL club do not stop there as Racing Louisville announced the club also claimed the rights of Razorback forward Taylor Malham the same day Sodoma’s rights were claimed. 

Back to the collegiate pitch, Olivia Smith’s presence will definitely be felt on the pitch Saturday.

That being said, Smith received her fourth yellow card of the season at Mississippi State meaning if she receives another yellow this season, she’ll have to sit out the next match. 

Smith is a tremendously physical player on the pitch and while Dooley said the accumulation might be in the back of his mind, he doesn’t think Smith will be thinking about it. 

Smith has already had to sit out one game this spring due to her controversial red card in the SBC championship against South Alabama. 

“Obviously it’s a sore spot with us because I don’t understand how you can’t appeal things and how there can’t be a committee that oversees things and when there is an injustice why can’t it be corrected,” Dooley said. “Why can’t it be corrected? I just don’t understand that. If it’s a mistake, and I’m not saying it’s an intentional mistake, but if it’s a mistake this kid has had to sit out an additional game because of that error. Why there’s no recourse, and the recourse that is provided is just for show.”

While Dooley won SBC Coach of the Year for the 2020 fall season, Arkansas’ head coach Colby Hale won Co-Coach of the Year in the SEC during the 2020 fall season. 

“We’re excited,” Dooley said. “I have a lot of respect for what they’ve done. I know their staff well over the years. Colby’s been really supportive and helpful of what we’ve been trying to do here, which says a lot about him. I think it was a couple of years ago, we had a really good season, UCA had a really good season and Pine Bluff had a pretty good run, he was taking pride that all these Arkansas teams were doing well in their conference. To me that’s pretty cool.” 

It’s the Red Wolves versus the Razorbacks, the Northwest versus the Northeast of the Natural State, A-State versus the U of A at 1 p.m. Saturday from the A-State Soccer Complex. 

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