Predicting the Men’s College Cup teams, one month into the 2024 season

It’s the end of Week 4 in men’s college soccer and these four teams have emerged as serious contenders for the 2024 Men’s College Cup — the final two rounds of the DI men’s soccer NCAA tournament.

Here are my predictions for who’s making it to Cary, NC:

Note: All team records are through Sept. 22

Stanford, 7-1-1

Here’s a team that is fueled by the noise and can battle out wins in tough environments. Stanford’s 3-2 victory over Clemson in early September was not only a testament to its relentless, fighting spirit but an avenging of the Cardinal’s quarterfinal loss to the Tigers in the 2023 NCAA tournament — the deciding match for a ticket to the College Cup. Stanford has only let seven goals in this season compared to the 21 it’s scored against opponents — including a 1-0 shutout over last year’s national runner-up, Notre Dame, in its first conference match in the ACC. 

The ZBO equalizer ‼️

📺 » ACCNX pic.twitter.com/uUWPR4cxXX

— Stanford Men’s Soccer (@StanfordMSoccer) September 23, 2024

The Cardinal last saw a Men’s College Cup in 2019, and has won three national titles (2015, 2016, 2017) — the first team since 1994 to have won three consecutive titles. Could the golden years of Stanford men’s soccer be reignited this season? Its standing after a tough ACC should be a decent indicator.

Clemson, 4-1-2

Speaking of golden years, the 2021 and 2023 national champions have a decent shot at making the College Cup for a fourth time this decade. But Clemson will have to clean up its act if it wants to make it out of the ACC on top. Here’s the thing, though, it doesn’t take a perfect record to make a deep run into the postseason. Around this time last season, the Tigers were 5-3-1 before going on a 14-game unbeaten streak to claim the national title — so a 4-1-2 record is nowhere they haven’t been. With 22 returners, the Tigers have the experience and talent to make it back to the College Cup.

➡️ More: 4 high-performing transfers impacting the season so far 

Denver, 5-0-4

Standing out from the Summit League, Denver is the only team to beat Stanford so far, claiming a 1-0 victory in Cardinal territory. Tallying four ties — including a scoreless draw with a strong UCLA team — the Pioneers’ strength lies in their backline and the rest of the team’s ability to close down on transitions. Averaging 10 shots per game, hitting 20 in…