09-22-2019, 10:02 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-23-2019, 09:54 AM by Viking_Guy.)
Solid win for Stanford tonight down at Santa Clara. Lots to work on, still, but they can score.
Same issues - the Cardinal has problems controlling the middle of the pitch. They're often down numbers, but the defense in front of the backline is not great, and it burned them tonight.
First, the good. Sophia Smith finished a rebound off a missed clear of a Macario ball to open the scoring, and when the Broncos equalized out of a scrum off a corner kick, the Cardinal wasted little time in going back ahead, as in 31 seconds later, Malatsky got open on the right and made it 2-1.
One problem all night long, and will need to be addressed. Santa Clara concentrated on forcing Stanford up the left sideline, where Harber and Malatsky are not nearly as threatening as Pickett and Smith on the right. Early in the second half, a midfield turnover led to Santa Clara's Kelsey Turnbow against Harber out on the left. Turnbow just ran laterally with the ball at her feet away from the defender, then a late reacting Girma, before hooking the ball back with her left foot into the top right corner. Really high-caliber finish, but we needed better defending on the initial ball out wide.
Stayed 2-2 for about 25 minutes until the 77th minute, and then, as Stanford's Twitter put it, sometimes Macario just Macario's:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1175982795165851648
If you don't want to follow the link, Catarina took a free kick from about 25 yards off the right post. With her right boot, over the inside edge of the wall, curling away from the keeper, and quite literally far upper 90. Hit the side netting about two feet inside the post, and probably was less than 6 inches under the bar.
The Cardinal added an insurance goal as SCU pressed forward late. Abby Greubel rode out a couple of challenges on the left sideline 10 yards past midfield, then found herself free with Haley in front of her. Greubel sprung Madison through, and Haley slotted the ball under the Santa Clara keeper in about the 85th minute.. Santa Clara didn't really threaten again. (EDIT: Scratch that. I forgot they got one really good look, again through the seam between the left center back and the left back, leading to a low burner that Rood went to ground nicely to smother and prevent a rebound. Solid save for her, and she had no real chance against the other two goals.)
On the left side issue - after the Macario goal, I think Ratcliffe recognized he needed better defense, and put in Wesley in place of Harber. I wouldn't be surprised to see that switch done more aggressively as the season continues.
But again, the midfield got its butt kicked. The first Bronco goal came about after Girma got turned outside, and the Bronco forward laid a ball back to the top of the box to an onrushing midfielder, whom a trailing Breide took to the ground. Yellow card, and the ensuing free kick was blocked away for a corner. And our corner issue (as in, no great or even really good aerial presence) came to the fore again. A looping ball in, no clearance (and this time, there was enough traffic that I doubt the keeper could've gotten there), ball pinballing around inside the penalty spot, an attempted volley clear goes nowhere, and the ball trickles into the lower right corner.
More generally, still a whole lot of uncertainty in the midfield, but it's not as if the substitutes are consistent. Goad, coming off the bench as a sub for Doms, looked a lot more tentative and slower than the starting perfomances she had put in. Greubel had the good possession to setup Haley, but had a few bad turnovers. Malatskey scored the first, but didn't have enough speed to really press the Bronco outside back, and sent a beautiful setup from Macario, an open foot on a slightly bouncing ball inside the penalty spot dead-center, a good 3 yards over the bar. By midway through the second half, it was a lot of Macario trying to take on the whole Bronco defense.
One more word, on the officiating. Happened again tonight. Haley turns the ball, looking forward, and it dragged down from behind about 40 yards from goal. No card. Later in the game, she jumps laterally with her back to goal, and wipes out a Bronco defender. Center ref yellows her, as the defender, who went down acrobatically, gets up and walks away. Early in the game, Santa Clara's keeper engaged in a little physical bout with Malatskey. As Carly came in on a through ball and pulled up because she wasn't going to get there, the keeper scooped the ball, rolled over into Malatskey's legs, then came up and gave her a shove for good measure. Not even a short chat from the referee. And this is a guy who gave out 6 yellow cards. Just uneven officiating.
In any case, the better team won. Santa Clara has a great counter-attack, with Turnbow a really good finisher, but Stanford had probably 60-40 possession, 10-5 SOG, 7-2 corners (and again, we didn't get a really good shot off of any corner. We need someone who can win the ball in the air - praying to St. Mariah :) .)
Stanford writeup now available:
https://gostanford.com/news/2019/9/22/wo...eaten.aspx
Open Pac-12 play next weekend with one of the two marquee matchups left in the conference - at $C, Saturday at 1 pm. Probably be the highlight of my Saturday.
VG
Just a hint of the physical nature of the game. Beyond the six yellows, THIRTY SEVEN total fouls, 17 on the Cardinal. This with a Stanford team that had been averaging low single digits in fouls per game.
VG
Same issues - the Cardinal has problems controlling the middle of the pitch. They're often down numbers, but the defense in front of the backline is not great, and it burned them tonight.
First, the good. Sophia Smith finished a rebound off a missed clear of a Macario ball to open the scoring, and when the Broncos equalized out of a scrum off a corner kick, the Cardinal wasted little time in going back ahead, as in 31 seconds later, Malatsky got open on the right and made it 2-1.
One problem all night long, and will need to be addressed. Santa Clara concentrated on forcing Stanford up the left sideline, where Harber and Malatsky are not nearly as threatening as Pickett and Smith on the right. Early in the second half, a midfield turnover led to Santa Clara's Kelsey Turnbow against Harber out on the left. Turnbow just ran laterally with the ball at her feet away from the defender, then a late reacting Girma, before hooking the ball back with her left foot into the top right corner. Really high-caliber finish, but we needed better defending on the initial ball out wide.
Stayed 2-2 for about 25 minutes until the 77th minute, and then, as Stanford's Twitter put it, sometimes Macario just Macario's:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1175982795165851648
If you don't want to follow the link, Catarina took a free kick from about 25 yards off the right post. With her right boot, over the inside edge of the wall, curling away from the keeper, and quite literally far upper 90. Hit the side netting about two feet inside the post, and probably was less than 6 inches under the bar.
The Cardinal added an insurance goal as SCU pressed forward late. Abby Greubel rode out a couple of challenges on the left sideline 10 yards past midfield, then found herself free with Haley in front of her. Greubel sprung Madison through, and Haley slotted the ball under the Santa Clara keeper in about the 85th minute.. Santa Clara didn't really threaten again. (EDIT: Scratch that. I forgot they got one really good look, again through the seam between the left center back and the left back, leading to a low burner that Rood went to ground nicely to smother and prevent a rebound. Solid save for her, and she had no real chance against the other two goals.)
On the left side issue - after the Macario goal, I think Ratcliffe recognized he needed better defense, and put in Wesley in place of Harber. I wouldn't be surprised to see that switch done more aggressively as the season continues.
But again, the midfield got its butt kicked. The first Bronco goal came about after Girma got turned outside, and the Bronco forward laid a ball back to the top of the box to an onrushing midfielder, whom a trailing Breide took to the ground. Yellow card, and the ensuing free kick was blocked away for a corner. And our corner issue (as in, no great or even really good aerial presence) came to the fore again. A looping ball in, no clearance (and this time, there was enough traffic that I doubt the keeper could've gotten there), ball pinballing around inside the penalty spot, an attempted volley clear goes nowhere, and the ball trickles into the lower right corner.
More generally, still a whole lot of uncertainty in the midfield, but it's not as if the substitutes are consistent. Goad, coming off the bench as a sub for Doms, looked a lot more tentative and slower than the starting perfomances she had put in. Greubel had the good possession to setup Haley, but had a few bad turnovers. Malatskey scored the first, but didn't have enough speed to really press the Bronco outside back, and sent a beautiful setup from Macario, an open foot on a slightly bouncing ball inside the penalty spot dead-center, a good 3 yards over the bar. By midway through the second half, it was a lot of Macario trying to take on the whole Bronco defense.
One more word, on the officiating. Happened again tonight. Haley turns the ball, looking forward, and it dragged down from behind about 40 yards from goal. No card. Later in the game, she jumps laterally with her back to goal, and wipes out a Bronco defender. Center ref yellows her, as the defender, who went down acrobatically, gets up and walks away. Early in the game, Santa Clara's keeper engaged in a little physical bout with Malatskey. As Carly came in on a through ball and pulled up because she wasn't going to get there, the keeper scooped the ball, rolled over into Malatskey's legs, then came up and gave her a shove for good measure. Not even a short chat from the referee. And this is a guy who gave out 6 yellow cards. Just uneven officiating.
In any case, the better team won. Santa Clara has a great counter-attack, with Turnbow a really good finisher, but Stanford had probably 60-40 possession, 10-5 SOG, 7-2 corners (and again, we didn't get a really good shot off of any corner. We need someone who can win the ball in the air - praying to St. Mariah :) .)
Stanford writeup now available:
https://gostanford.com/news/2019/9/22/wo...eaten.aspx
Open Pac-12 play next weekend with one of the two marquee matchups left in the conference - at $C, Saturday at 1 pm. Probably be the highlight of my Saturday.
VG
Just a hint of the physical nature of the game. Beyond the six yellows, THIRTY SEVEN total fouls, 17 on the Cardinal. This with a Stanford team that had been averaging low single digits in fouls per game.
VG