[Viking_Guy]

A couple of thoughts.

(1) I was concerned, and am concerned, against playing against teams dedicated to a 3-5-2.  Both UCLA and UNC.  We've looked our worst against two varieties of teams this season - the complete pack it in park the bus and counter variety, and the ones who have the talent and speed to contest the midfield HARD.  

I especially thought that after the first goal today.  UCLA found acres of space in front of our backline, because our midfield was caught out on the flanks.  Castaneda got to launch a free shot from just outside the top of the box before the center backs could really close her out.  Now, Meyer should have stopped the ball - that was a pretty weak parry attempt, but in the rain and the wind, understandable.  But that pointed out the two spots I'm most concerned about - DMid and keeper.  Meyer made up for it with the PK stop (although the taunting was not cool - I wondered if there had been any previous interactions that I had missed, maybe a comment or two about the soft first one.)

But that corollary of that midfield pressure is space in the backline.  The 3 UCLA center mids were pretty much Macario and Haley watching, which left Smith and Malatskey 1v1 against the outside backs.  Malatskey didn't have the speed to take advantage through much of the game, but Smith certainly did and does.  We'll see - UNCs outside backs are a bit stronger.

The other tough game today was Doms - she seemed a bit lost out there, which, given the opposing midfield concentrating on Catarina, is a problem.  She had a few really bad back passes, and a couple of key caught in possession turnovers.  Hoping she can turn it up Sunday.

(2) The other problem - the drop off when we sub.  I hope it's only because of the mass nature of a lot of our substitutions - often times they're at the end of games with little doubt of the outcome and a lot of starters coming off the pitch.  But the talent and "bite" difference between our starters and subs is noticeable - late in the game, I saw a lot of situations that early in the game would've been Smith, Haley, or Macario winning a through ball turn into Goad, Malatskey, and Tran pulling up as the defender cut them off.  Tran did have a wonderful endline service that Goad should've finished, however.

UNC uses a mass-substitution technique of bringing in 5 new players about midway through the halves.  The combination of fresh legs and players who are used to playing together gives them a real boost, especially when that change happens in the second half against players that have already put in 60 minutes plus.  It was what turned the first half in their win over WSU tonight.

All in all, a great victory, and a wonderful return to the fore for Sophia Smith.  Hoping that Catarina can find the net on Sunday and finish off a truly all-time season.

But the turning point was that PK stop.  For all that I worry about our goal-keeping, that was the inflection point in the game.

VG

[Viking_Guy]

A couple of thoughts.

(1) I was concerned, and am concerned, against playing against teams dedicated to a 3-5-2.  Both UCLA and UNC.  We've looked our worst against two varieties of teams this season - the complete pack it in park the bus and counter variety, and the ones who have the talent and speed to contest the midfield HARD.  

I especially thought that after the first goal today.  UCLA found acres of space in front of our backline, because our midfield was caught out on the flanks.  Castaneda got to launch a free shot from just outside the top of the box before the center backs could really close her out.  Now, Meyer should have stopped the ball - that was a pretty weak parry attempt, but in the rain and the wind, understandable.  But that pointed out the two spots I'm most concerned about - DMid and keeper.  Meyer made up for it with the PK stop (although the taunting was not cool - I wondered if there had been any previous interactions that I had missed, maybe a comment or two about the soft first one.)

But that corollary of that midfield pressure is space in the backline.  The 3 UCLA center mids were pretty much Macario and Haley watching, which left Smith and Malatskey 1v1 against the outside backs.  Malatskey didn't have the speed to take advantage through much of the game, but Smith certainly did and does.  We'll see - UNCs outside backs are a bit stronger.

The other tough game today was Doms - she seemed a bit lost out there, which, given the opposing midfield concentrating on Catarina, is a problem.  She had a few really bad back passes, and a couple of key caught in possession turnovers.  Hoping she can turn it up Sunday.

(2) The other problem - the drop off when we sub.  I hope it's only because of the mass nature of a lot of our substitutions - often times they're at the end of games with little doubt of the outcome and a lot of starters coming off the pitch.  But the talent and "bite" difference between our starters and subs is noticeable - late in the game, I saw a lot of situations that early in the game would've been Smith, Haley, or Macario winning a through ball turn into Goad, Malatskey, and Tran pulling up as the defender cut them off.  Tran did have a wonderful endline service that Goad should've finished, however.

UNC uses a mass-substitution technique of bringing in 5 new players about midway through the halves.  The combination of fresh legs and players who are used to playing together gives them a real boost, especially when that change happens in the second half against players that have already put in 60 minutes plus.  It was what turned the first half in their win over WSU tonight.

All in all, a great victory, and a wonderful return to the fore for Sophia Smith.  Hoping that Catarina can find the net on Sunday and finish off a truly all-time season.

But the turning point was that PK stop.  For all that I worry about our goal-keeping, that was the inflection point in the game.

VG