[OCcardinal]

The next 5 weeks, Stanford only plays four matches total. But that is primarily because of challenging travel.

Week 1 - to Dallas and back
Week 2 - off
Week 3 - to Syracuse and back
Week 4 - home vs. Cal
Week 5 - to Chapel Hill and back

In the past Stanford had to play 2 matches on an ACC road trip. This schedule is much better.  Wake Forest and Louisville both had to play 2 games on their Bay Area trip this week and both did worse on their 2nd games.

All that shows (artisanal evidence) is that the 2 matches are tough in a weekend after cross country travel. It doesn’t show that weekly dual disruption of your diurnal rhythm is easier or harder. 

I don’t know which is harder. I hope you are right

Most of these young women have been doing cross country (and international) soccer trips since their U14 ECNL days. That 5 week schedule seems very doable.

[OCcardinal]

The next 5 weeks, Stanford only plays four matches total. But that is primarily because of challenging travel.

Week 1 - to Dallas and back
Week 2 - off
Week 3 - to Syracuse and back
Week 4 - home vs. Cal
Week 5 - to Chapel Hill and back

In the past Stanford had to play 2 matches on an ACC road trip. This schedule is much better.  Wake Forest and Louisville both had to play 2 games on their Bay Area trip this week and both did worse on their 2nd games.

All that shows (artisanal evidence) is that the 2 matches are tough in a weekend after cross country travel. It doesn’t show that weekly dual disruption of your diurnal rhythm is easier or harder. 

I don’t know which is harder. I hope you are right

Most of these young women have been doing cross country (and international) soccer trips since their U14 ECNL days. That 5 week schedule seems very doable.

[Hieronymus]

Catching up.

The Wake game certainly showed the impact of having almost the full team back. They really didn't do much wrong after the frustrating UL loss. It will be interesting to see how the team lines up today at full strength.

A couple of concerns though and a couple of line up things I didn't love the last 2 games.

First the defense looks very good at defense - Smith is much improved 1v1, and that makes a big difference. However, distribution from the CBs isn't great, and as noted earlier Boamah struggled with this in the U20s as well. Both Young and Boamah have a bit of a habit to go walkabout, carrying the ball forward as a result, which is just high risk/low reward. That gets to my. first lineup issue -  Emri hits a great ball out of the back and looked like the best defender vs. Duke, but hardly played vs. UL and had 0 minutes vs. WF. I don't get it unless she is still having physical issues.

Second, yeah the starting midfield is scary and hooray to see Bhuta at RM and not RB vs. WF. My one slight concern is Bray and SLS played well enough this year to see minutes; so I hope the flog all the starters for a full 90 min was an aberration. Bhuta got tired around minute 70 and Nguyen started to struggle a bit later. Kohler just runs and runs.

Third, the big concern is at forward where it's been rough sledding. I hope Klinger is starting today because nobody beyond Winn has really impressed me so far. And the fact we saw Grilione twice says PR is searching too.

- Winn has clearly been the best of the bunch - she plays off teammates well, gets back on defense and can run all day; but she has struggled a bit against good teams. She was much better with a stronger team around her vs. WF.

The next tier:
- Thomas had one good game, but it wasn't very convincing; and otherwise has struggled including coughing up the goal on a turnover vs. UL. Second time this year. I wouldn't be starting her.
- Holden hasn't been very effective as a starter. The batter through opponents works better as a sub vs. tired opponents than as a starter. 
- Kral had the injury slow her development down, but she has been interesting. Some good and some bad.
- Marinos might be working her way into starting. I am not quite there yet, but it wouldn't take much to convince me from here.

At this point I am starting either:
Winn - Holden - Klinger   or   some variation of Winn - Marinos - Klinger/Winn - Klinger - Marinos
and then making sure the other 3 players are getting meaningful minutes and hope that somebody clearly emerges as the third starter.

[Hieronymus]

Catching up.

The Wake game certainly showed the impact of having almost the full team back. They really didn't do much wrong after the frustrating UL loss. It will be interesting to see how the team lines up today at full strength.

A couple of concerns though and a couple of line up things I didn't love the last 2 games.

First the defense looks very good at defense - Smith is much improved 1v1, and that makes a big difference. However, distribution from the CBs isn't great, and as noted earlier Boamah struggled with this in the U20s as well. Both Young and Boamah have a bit of a habit to go walkabout, carrying the ball forward as a result, which is just high risk/low reward. That gets to my. first lineup issue -  Emri hits a great ball out of the back and looked like the best defender vs. Duke, but hardly played vs. UL and had 0 minutes vs. WF. I don't get it unless she is still having physical issues.

Second, yeah the starting midfield is scary and hooray to see Bhuta at RM and not RB vs. WF. My one slight concern is Bray and SLS played well enough this year to see minutes; so I hope the flog all the starters for a full 90 min was an aberration. Bhuta got tired around minute 70 and Nguyen started to struggle a bit later. Kohler just runs and runs.

Third, the big concern is at forward where it's been rough sledding. I hope Klinger is starting today because nobody beyond Winn has really impressed me so far. And the fact we saw Grilione twice says PR is searching too.

- Winn has clearly been the best of the bunch - she plays off teammates well, gets back on defense and can run all day; but she has struggled a bit against good teams. She was much better with a stronger team around her vs. WF.

The next tier:
- Thomas had one good game, but it wasn't very convincing; and otherwise has struggled including coughing up the goal on a turnover vs. UL. Second time this year. I wouldn't be starting her.
- Holden hasn't been very effective as a starter. The batter through opponents works better as a sub vs. tired opponents than as a starter. 
- Kral had the injury slow her development down, but she has been interesting. Some good and some bad.
- Marinos might be working her way into starting. I am not quite there yet, but it wouldn't take much to convince me from here.

At this point I am starting either:
Winn - Holden - Klinger   or   some variation of Winn - Marinos - Klinger/Winn - Klinger - Marinos
and then making sure the other 3 players are getting meaningful minutes and hope that somebody clearly emerges as the third starter.

[Hieronymus]

0:0. Stanford better, but not that much better.

Forward play remains a brobdingnagian problem. Klinger didn't help today. So now I am saying we need Winn and 2 starters to emerge.

Kohler remains just a bit off - for example, the ball to Marinos at minute 52 was just too far out in front and killed the attack. Right now, she is the one who drives the offense. If she is off it's all shaky.

ACC play is going br hard with very little offense.

[Hieronymus]

0:0. Stanford better, but not that much better.

Forward play remains a brobdingnagian problem. Klinger didn't help today. So now I am saying we need Winn and 2 starters to emerge.

Kohler remains just a bit off - for example, the ball to Marinos at minute 52 was just too far out in front and killed the attack. Right now, she is the one who drives the offense. If she is off it's all shaky.

ACC play is going br hard with very little offense.