09-22-2018, 12:12 PM
OA--
Arizona actually did start out a little higher up the field - they put some pressure on starting about 3/4 field in the first 10 or 15 minutes. But they didn't fully commit to it; as Stanford's passing through the backline wore them down, the pressure line dropped further and further into their own end. (For non-soccer folks, what I mean by pressure line is at what point on the field you choose to actively defend the player possessing the ball.) By about 30 minutes in, I was looking at Alana Cook bringing the ball forward over the halfline, one player half-heartedly within about 15 yards of her, and the nine other field players with 8 yards of their own penalty area. OA is right, it made it frustrating to watch Macario receive the ball and instantly be surrounded by 4 defenders. Also led to a lot more of the low-percentage attempts at tricky passes.
I will say, I am getting more and more frustrated by the officiating of Madison Haley. And I'm tempted to start thinking unkind thoughts about why she's not getting calls. In the first half, she and a defender were jostling as she went into the top of the box. The defender stuck her leg across Madison's path of travel and chopped her down, with the ball rolling about 2 feet in front of where the defender "tackled." No call. There is no question Haley plays a physical game - she's playing as a hold-up forward, and she's generally bigger and stronger than her opposition. But that doesn't mean she's not getting fouled as well.
More generally, I think OA called it - I'm not sure you can play Goad centrally, at least not in a two-way role - she was better in the second half, when UofA had to come out of their shell a little bit and give her some space, than she was trying to maneuver under pressure in the first. Breide was the better option. And that's not a sentence I thought I would be typing at this point in the season.
Next week is critical. I think we can win both, and it really helps that they're at home. But we need to get off to a better start in both games.
VG
Arizona actually did start out a little higher up the field - they put some pressure on starting about 3/4 field in the first 10 or 15 minutes. But they didn't fully commit to it; as Stanford's passing through the backline wore them down, the pressure line dropped further and further into their own end. (For non-soccer folks, what I mean by pressure line is at what point on the field you choose to actively defend the player possessing the ball.) By about 30 minutes in, I was looking at Alana Cook bringing the ball forward over the halfline, one player half-heartedly within about 15 yards of her, and the nine other field players with 8 yards of their own penalty area. OA is right, it made it frustrating to watch Macario receive the ball and instantly be surrounded by 4 defenders. Also led to a lot more of the low-percentage attempts at tricky passes.
I will say, I am getting more and more frustrated by the officiating of Madison Haley. And I'm tempted to start thinking unkind thoughts about why she's not getting calls. In the first half, she and a defender were jostling as she went into the top of the box. The defender stuck her leg across Madison's path of travel and chopped her down, with the ball rolling about 2 feet in front of where the defender "tackled." No call. There is no question Haley plays a physical game - she's playing as a hold-up forward, and she's generally bigger and stronger than her opposition. But that doesn't mean she's not getting fouled as well.
More generally, I think OA called it - I'm not sure you can play Goad centrally, at least not in a two-way role - she was better in the second half, when UofA had to come out of their shell a little bit and give her some space, than she was trying to maneuver under pressure in the first. Breide was the better option. And that's not a sentence I thought I would be typing at this point in the season.
Next week is critical. I think we can win both, and it really helps that they're at home. But we need to get off to a better start in both games.
VG