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WSOC: Stanford 1 Florida 0 (1OT) - Printable Version

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WSOC: Stanford 1 Florida 0 (1OT) - 81alum - 08-26-2016

I will look forward to one of our soccer experts commenting on the game, but our women pulled it out a few minutes into the first overtime.  Florida is ranked 6, we are ranked 3.  My inexpert impressions were that our team looked rusty or young--lots of turnovers off of ill advised long passes, failure to use the wings very much, even some small (and fortunately inconsequential) goalie mistakes.  The second half was better and we rather decisively out shot Florida.  Finally we got the winner when Jordan DiBiasi followed up a rebound of her own first shot off the Florida goalie and put the the second effort into the net. 

Our defense was usually solid, and the announcers remarked on a scheme to shut down Florida's All American scorer.  We out shot Florida 19 to 7, with 7 on goal vs. 4 of theirs on goal. 

That brings us to 3-0.

And now, someone who actually knows something about soccer, please step up.....

Re: WSOC: Stanford 1 Florida 0 (1OT) - Viking_Guy - 08-27-2016

81A--

Well, I'll put in my two pence.

I think they played very conservatively for the most part - only rarely did the outside backs overlap hard up the wing.  There was one point in the second half (or maybe OT) where Tegan McGrady took a better angle to the ball and got into space down the left flank off a Florida free kick - and simply booted the ball to the mid-line, not in the particular direction of anyone wearing red.  That seemed to be the case for a lot of play tonight - safe, short and backwards.  And it almost caught them - Florida's best chances came off Stanford misplays among the backline, or between the backline and a holding midfielder, all on short balls under pressure.  One dreadful giveaway led to a 3 v 2 Gator chance, but they couldn't get a good shot off.

More generally?  Very little attacking from our midfield, and I definitely include DiBiasi in that - lots of horribly heavy first touches, simple balls played out of bounds, and no connection to the frontline.  When Stanford did get to the endline and swing in a cross, almost always there were only 1 or 2 players in the box.  Even on the goal, DiBiasi hit a six yard shot pretty much directly at the keeper, and her score off that rebound was both the luck of the ball falling right back to her and even luckier the keeper being off her feet - and even then the shot from directly in front of goal inside the crease hit the keeper in the leg before going in.  Andi Sullivan was her usual solid defense and good distributor, but I occasionally wished she would simply continue her runs - she was often running at the Gator backline, only to try to slip a through ball to a forward whose first touch would betray her.  Tierna Davidson, the freshman, did have a nice game - some physicality, and a bit of bite to her.

The defense?  Well, Bauer and Cook are normally solid, but there was so little support from the midfield other than Sullivan, that they often ended up playing balls back to Campbell, then around to the other side, then back to Campbell, which encouraged Florida to press up.  They're so eager to maintain possession that even balls where they have a chance to turn upfield almost always go backwards first.  And Florida realized that - they had time to get back on defense.  McGrady had a couple of nice forays down the sideline, but Ceci Gee on the right flank was either by design (to cover Bauer and help against Savannah Jordan, UF's all-everything forward) or by inclination not very involved going forward, which, as you mention, really cut down on the width of the attack

Averie Collins is a big target, but didn't show a turn of pace that's going to worry backlines, and Sam Tran and Megan Turner were non-factors for the larger part of the game.  Tran sat for Collins in the first half, and never saw the field again, AFAIK. 

And Campbell, as you said, had little to do, but still had some issues - a spilled cross that should have been gobbled up, and a bit of nonchalance on a ball that dipped into the crossbar in the first half.

OTOH, Florida is #6.  Part of the issue is that they are big, physical and fast, if not particularly skilled, other than Jordan - a whole lot of bumping and tugging going on out there tonight against a smaller Stanford side.  And Stanford won.

Having watched this and the men's game tonight, I think a lot of teams are going to try to replicate the Leicester model - compact on defense, look to counter, and take advantage of set plays in the opponent's end.  That seemed to be Penn State's MO against the men, and Florida, with the exception of some periods of pressure when Stanford la-di-dahed the ball around the back and a stream of long balls over the top looking for Jordan, for the most part had 8 players behind the ball for the entire game, aided and abetted by the Cardinal's possession-first/look backwards proclivity.

Oh, and the subs - Michelle Xiao had one beautiful cross that Florida's keeper pawed away, but also had 4-5 balls that she turned over directly into the feet of Gator players.

Oh, and no Mariah Lee?  No Walker-Hartshorn?  The announcers mentioned that Amack has a knee issue, but no word on the other two.  Ryan played on the East Coast trip, so she appears healthy, and Mariah's turn of speed would've definitely been a benefit tonight.

Anyhow, that's what my tired brain remembers seeing.

VG


Re: WSOC: Stanford 1 Florida 0 (1OT) - 81alum - 08-27-2016

Thank you VG!  Your analysis always helps me get more out of the game, and helps me learn more things to look for in the future.

So, is this kind of conservative play normal at this stage of the season, or is it something unique to this year's team? 

Over the last few years there always seemed to be some player that caught my inexpert eye--much like CMac cannot be missed even by someone who knows little about football.  I think it was Chioma Ubogagu's dribbling skills that fascinated me the last couple of years.  But last night's game, no one really stood out to me.  Anyone in particular you think I should focus on watching?  What did stand out to me, especially in the first half, were the sheer number of unforced turnovers.  For a team that was trying to emphasize possession they sure booted the ball wildly down the field a lot. 

Also, something I had not noticed in previous years, was that Jane Campbell does not seem to have much range on her goal kicks.  I don't think I saw her get it across the midfield line once.  Was that by design?  I'm not talking about the short passes or rolls out to nearby teammates to restart play, but the several times she really booted it it seemed anemic.  The Florida goalie sent several kicks past the midfield line, by contrast.

Re: WSOC: Stanford 1 Florida 0 (1OT) - oldalum - 08-27-2016

Mariah Lee and Walker-Hartshorn were there but not dressed to play. Lee had on a knee brace, don't know about Walker-Hartshorn but must be injury of some kind. I've heard Amack is not playing this year but have no confirmation on this, other than I haven't seen her at any of the 3 games so far.

My inexpert (1-pence) reactions to the game: early season game with lots of freshmen playing against a strong team, good to come out with a win which I think was deserved due to us having more dangerous chances. But lots to work on. Lots of quick turnovers by the freshmen not named Davidson. I think the heavy first touches were in part due to overly fast bouncy passes, not the well-placed ground passes that we've used in the past; Florida did a much better job settling the ball. I believe that Xiao has not been playing due to injury and I think the rust showed. McGrady was good but underutilized. Gee is learning how to play her new position. Even Andi had some uncharacteristic sloppiness. I agree on the conservatism, lots of times we could have moved up the field with the ball when we regained it, but just back passed. And not enough changes of side of field, which Florida did well. We did best in transition when we pushed the ball forward rather than playing it back. A recent article touted us as having the best midfield in the country, but agree we didn't see it this game.

I thought Florida seemed a little tougher and stronger than us, both in getting the 50/50 balls and in keeping the ball while under pressure. They just created little in the final third, except for the opportunities we handed them. We did a great job of keeping Savannah Jordan out of the game. She had one really dangerous opportunity right in front of the goal but just bounced a meek ball right to Jane. She is like a cobra out there waiting to strike suddenly.

Overall we have a lot of good players and they are learning how to play as a team. Corner kicks were mainly non-threatening, even the winning goal was off a cleared corner kick. We need a couple of great finishers to emerge.





Re: WSOC: Stanford 1 Florida 0 (1OT) - Viking_Guy - 08-27-2016

OA--

Thanks (I guess  :( ) for the update on player's health.  All the announcers relayed was that Amack hadn't played last week and wasn't this week; no info or even bench shots on Mariah or Ryan at all.

81A, I've never considered Campbell to have a really powerful boot; she's good with her feet, and passes well, but one issue last night was that when Florida pressed forward, they were forcing her to clear the ball up the field, and it wasn't getting all that far.  On the other side of that, we don't have a lot of size, and there are no aerial dominators like Nogueira or Zurmuhlen posting up at the midfield stripe to win the ball.  Collins and Carusa are good at receiving flighted balls, but they're normally a bit further up the pitch.  Collins in particular had a couple of nice flick-on headers off set pieces last night, but no one was running in behind her.  Would really like to see her as a target on corners (and maybe have Sullivan not take them - would rather have her trying to convert than to serve).

oldalum is very definitely right, it felt like a work-in-progress game.  And I was remiss in not mentioning Gee transitioning from forward to outside back; it's a transition Stanford has had a lot of success at in the past.  You saw both of those on display in one play late in the second half - DiBiasi receives the ball, moving forward and to the right across the midfield, and lays the ball out to the right sideline, where she obviously expected Gee to be overlapping - only to have it roll harmlessly out of bounds as Gee was still back just outside the 18 yard box.

OA is also right in that a lot of the passes were bouncy - compounded by the players who delivered those passes not getting out into space to allow easier one-touches out of pressure for the receivers.

What it looks like on first glance is a team that is going to have to score on scrambling plays - putting pressure in the box and converting ugly chances.  Maybe Sam Tran or one of the other frosh will emerge as a bonafide finisher, but can't see it yet.  OTOH, Davidson did take a couple of nice strikes from distance, as did Sullivan.  But the lack of pacy poachers up top to convert rebounds off those long balls into goals may be an issue; as OA said, the goal last night was scored off a poorly cleared corner kick, meaning Stanford's players were still in the box, and not having to beat defenders from the 18 into the area.  There was actually another chance just before the goal, where 3 Cardinal players were camped around the penalty spot and a ball came back in after a poor clearance from a set piece.  There was only one defender anywhere near them, but she held them onside, a complete breakdown by Florida as they tried to pull out of the area. The Stanford players couldn't know that, and squibbed an early attempt instead of settling and shooting.

Looking forward to watching the freshmen develop, and hoping that others return to health quickly.

VG