09-03-2018, 01:33 PM
A couple of comments:
On women's soccer: it does appear that Macario, Boissiere, and Xiao are all injured or unavailable. Catarina played some in the game at BYU, and IIRC they said she "wasn't feeling well," so it may have been illness rather than injury, but OTOH, she was limited in earlier games.
The issue is "the spine." Basically, Stanford was playing with a LOT of new and/or inexperienced players running up the center of the pitch. Instead of Tierna Davidson, freshman Naomi Girma. Instead of Andi Sullivan, Hiatt. Instead of Boissiere, Goad. Instead of Macario, Sophia Smith and Abby Greubel. Watching the games, we've been much more vulnerable in the middle than the Cardinal is used to - Minnesota's goal was the FIRST Stanford has given up in the run of play since the Florida game. Last September 1. Every other goal has been off a PK or set piece.
That said, Hiatt came through, albeit in a more "scrambling" sort of goal than normal - a pinballing set of headers and blocks in the area, with the ball falling to Sam at the far post, and a low ball back across the face that the Gophers' post defender was slow to react to, and ended up not being able to clear.
It's also not to say that the talent level is much different - there are a helluva lot of great players out on that pitch, including the new players mentioned above. But they haven't played together that much. I've noticed a lot of missed connections, especially on balls out of the back to the midfield. With returns to health, (and as much Davidson as we're allowed), they'll be really good. But, as mentioned, this is one of the hardest stretches of games outside of the NCAA tourney that I've ever seen.
And as an aside on Davidson, she started the friendly against Chile on Friday. And scored the first goal of the game on a header from a free kick in the 8th minute. She'll probably get called up for the qualifiers in October, and who knows how much national team camp they'll demand? Going into the 2019 World Cup, she very well may be in the mix to start in the backline, never mind make the team. Second game against Chile from Avaya Stadium in San Jose tomorrow night. Will be interesting to see if she plays a more limited role, giving her a little rest before the games next weekend.
Also on alums, Andi Sullivan, Jane Campbell, and Maddie Bauer all played for the U-23s in the Nordic Cup, with Sullivan tabbed as captain and she and Bauer playing every minute, I think. Those Stanford defenders were part of a side that ran off three straight clean sheets to win the tourney, against Norway, Sweden, and England.
Men's team next.
VG
On women's soccer: it does appear that Macario, Boissiere, and Xiao are all injured or unavailable. Catarina played some in the game at BYU, and IIRC they said she "wasn't feeling well," so it may have been illness rather than injury, but OTOH, she was limited in earlier games.
The issue is "the spine." Basically, Stanford was playing with a LOT of new and/or inexperienced players running up the center of the pitch. Instead of Tierna Davidson, freshman Naomi Girma. Instead of Andi Sullivan, Hiatt. Instead of Boissiere, Goad. Instead of Macario, Sophia Smith and Abby Greubel. Watching the games, we've been much more vulnerable in the middle than the Cardinal is used to - Minnesota's goal was the FIRST Stanford has given up in the run of play since the Florida game. Last September 1. Every other goal has been off a PK or set piece.
That said, Hiatt came through, albeit in a more "scrambling" sort of goal than normal - a pinballing set of headers and blocks in the area, with the ball falling to Sam at the far post, and a low ball back across the face that the Gophers' post defender was slow to react to, and ended up not being able to clear.
It's also not to say that the talent level is much different - there are a helluva lot of great players out on that pitch, including the new players mentioned above. But they haven't played together that much. I've noticed a lot of missed connections, especially on balls out of the back to the midfield. With returns to health, (and as much Davidson as we're allowed), they'll be really good. But, as mentioned, this is one of the hardest stretches of games outside of the NCAA tourney that I've ever seen.
And as an aside on Davidson, she started the friendly against Chile on Friday. And scored the first goal of the game on a header from a free kick in the 8th minute. She'll probably get called up for the qualifiers in October, and who knows how much national team camp they'll demand? Going into the 2019 World Cup, she very well may be in the mix to start in the backline, never mind make the team. Second game against Chile from Avaya Stadium in San Jose tomorrow night. Will be interesting to see if she plays a more limited role, giving her a little rest before the games next weekend.
Also on alums, Andi Sullivan, Jane Campbell, and Maddie Bauer all played for the U-23s in the Nordic Cup, with Sullivan tabbed as captain and she and Bauer playing every minute, I think. Those Stanford defenders were part of a side that ran off three straight clean sheets to win the tourney, against Norway, Sweden, and England.
Men's team next.
VG