12-14-2014, 01:11 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-14-2014, 01:14 PM by Viking_Guy.)
The good news:Â UCLA lost the NCAA men's soccer final in PKs to UVa after a 0-0 draw, so they don't extend their championship lead by one more, after the men's water polo they won last weekend.
The bad news: Virginia played an absolute bunker the ENTIRE game. It was an ugly cynical display of the worst of American college soccer - pack in the defense, foul early to prevent anyone from getting into a dangerous position, and on your rare forays forward collapse in a heap at the slightest contact to try to draw a foul. Okay, some exaggeration, but the Cavaliers only went forward with any numbers when they drew a free kick or corner.
Even in the golden goal overtimes, UVa would send two people forward against six, and maybe a third attacker arriving 5-10 seconds later. At one point, they looked as if the formation was a 6-3-1 or 6-4-0; UCLA was allowed to possess the ball without any pressure at the half line.
Let me put it this way - with 18 seconds left in the second overtime, just before going to penalty kicks, UVa drew a foul about 35 yards out in a very dangerous spot on the left side of the field. And kept three players back on defense. WITH EIGHTEEN SECONDS LEFT.
The sad thing was it worked. They got into a penalty shootout, and the Bruins hit the crossbar twice in trying to avoid the Cavaliers' really big goalkeeper.
As a Stanford fan, I'm happy, though I hate to reinforce the ACC's soccer ego, especially with Florida State winning the women's title. As a soccer player, seeing that strategy rewarded with a national championship was disheartening.
VG
The bad news: Virginia played an absolute bunker the ENTIRE game. It was an ugly cynical display of the worst of American college soccer - pack in the defense, foul early to prevent anyone from getting into a dangerous position, and on your rare forays forward collapse in a heap at the slightest contact to try to draw a foul. Okay, some exaggeration, but the Cavaliers only went forward with any numbers when they drew a free kick or corner.
Even in the golden goal overtimes, UVa would send two people forward against six, and maybe a third attacker arriving 5-10 seconds later. At one point, they looked as if the formation was a 6-3-1 or 6-4-0; UCLA was allowed to possess the ball without any pressure at the half line.
Let me put it this way - with 18 seconds left in the second overtime, just before going to penalty kicks, UVa drew a foul about 35 yards out in a very dangerous spot on the left side of the field. And kept three players back on defense. WITH EIGHTEEN SECONDS LEFT.
The sad thing was it worked. They got into a penalty shootout, and the Bruins hit the crossbar twice in trying to avoid the Cavaliers' really big goalkeeper.
As a Stanford fan, I'm happy, though I hate to reinforce the ACC's soccer ego, especially with Florida State winning the women's title. As a soccer player, seeing that strategy rewarded with a national championship was disheartening.
VG