11-07-2014, 08:30 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-07-2014, 08:35 PM by Viking_Guy.)
A great result, and the result of some great work.
It really didn't look like it would be early, as the Huskies were an absolute buzzsaw for the opening 10 minutes. While Jimmy Callinan had a nice volley for the game's first shot, UW was camped in Stanford's end from the 4th minute until the 12th - they had 5 shots, hit the post on a header, and earned SIX corner kicks in the opening 12 minutes of the match. Stanford was really just looking for a way to ease the pressure a bit.
They found the best way, as Austin Meyer got some space on the left side just in the offensive half, no defender closed, and he took his time flighting a ball into Zach Batteer. Batteer, heavily marked with his back to goal about 8 yards out, jumped and got a perfect flick-on head on the ball, arcing it just over the Huskies' great keeper Spencer Richey. Completely against the run of play. And it completely changed the nature of the game.
Stanford slowly worked itself more and more on balance. They no longer gave up long spells of Washington possession in their defensive third, but instead started to establish more possession, and went into the half maintaining that 1-0 lead, thanks in large part to a great half by Andrew Epstein in goal, especially when Brian Nana-Sinkam let a pass get through his legs to the Huskies' best player, Cristian Roldan, cutting in behind him and alone on the goalmouth. Hilliard-Arce came across to pressure, but Roldan still got off a sharp-angle blast from about six yards out that Epstein managed to make a reaction block to clear.
That lead quickly doubled after the half. But not before UW's annoyingly pesky Josh Heard made a lovely chip touch to himself to beat Nana-Sinkam and break in on Epstein. Andrew went low, and Heard couldn't bring the ball down, but even without much if any contact it could've been called a foul and a PK.
Which really became important when the Huskies' left center back completely muffed a clearance into Zach Batteer's legs, and Batteer broke in alone, feeding Jordan Morris across the face of goal to complete a tap-in for the 2 vs goalie breakaway finish.
And that really put Stanford on the front foot for the rest of the game. After being outshot 9-5 in the first half, they outshot UW 14-7 in the second, and really should have had 1 or 2 more goals. But Spencer Richey spent a large part of the last 30 minutes standing on his head, with kick saves, tip saves, reaction saves, and throwing whatever part of his body he could in front of the ball to keep it out of his net. He managed to do so, but UW really couldn't mount much of a sustained attack. Their best chance of the second half came with only about 7 minutes left, and was another brilliant stop by Epstein off a point-blank header. But they only had two other weak header attempts in the last 20 minutes, as Stanford competently and cleanly cleared its lines and saw the game out.
For me, gameball to (1) Andrew Epstein, for not giving up one in the opening 10 minutes, and keeping Stanford in it, and (2) Ty Thompson, who had a marvelous game shutting down UW's midfield, including Roldan, for long stretches with high pressure, sure tackling, and an absolutely phenomenal workrate. Zach Batteer was the big offensive force tonight, but to shut down a UW side averaging more than 2 goals a game after that opening 10 minutes, especially given our sometimes-uncertain backline, argues for some midfield heroes.
On Epstein - he doesn't get a lot of publicity, because he doesn't have many saves very often. The problem, in relation to what WiM posted in the "Troubling" thread, is that, when Stanford's D goes bad, it doesn't just bend - it snaps completely. Almost every goal I've seen against Epstein this year has been from a breakaway, or an unmarked player, or (as in the UCLA game) a defender doing a poor job of shielding an attacker off the ball. He's almost never beaten from outside (unless it's through a forest of people obstructing his view), and he's been an absolute rock in the back in the middle of an at-times uncertain defense that often has Callinan and Vincent caught well up the pitch.
More later, now on to volleyball. It's a fun Cardinal sports Friday.
VG
It really didn't look like it would be early, as the Huskies were an absolute buzzsaw for the opening 10 minutes. While Jimmy Callinan had a nice volley for the game's first shot, UW was camped in Stanford's end from the 4th minute until the 12th - they had 5 shots, hit the post on a header, and earned SIX corner kicks in the opening 12 minutes of the match. Stanford was really just looking for a way to ease the pressure a bit.
They found the best way, as Austin Meyer got some space on the left side just in the offensive half, no defender closed, and he took his time flighting a ball into Zach Batteer. Batteer, heavily marked with his back to goal about 8 yards out, jumped and got a perfect flick-on head on the ball, arcing it just over the Huskies' great keeper Spencer Richey. Completely against the run of play. And it completely changed the nature of the game.
Stanford slowly worked itself more and more on balance. They no longer gave up long spells of Washington possession in their defensive third, but instead started to establish more possession, and went into the half maintaining that 1-0 lead, thanks in large part to a great half by Andrew Epstein in goal, especially when Brian Nana-Sinkam let a pass get through his legs to the Huskies' best player, Cristian Roldan, cutting in behind him and alone on the goalmouth. Hilliard-Arce came across to pressure, but Roldan still got off a sharp-angle blast from about six yards out that Epstein managed to make a reaction block to clear.
That lead quickly doubled after the half. But not before UW's annoyingly pesky Josh Heard made a lovely chip touch to himself to beat Nana-Sinkam and break in on Epstein. Andrew went low, and Heard couldn't bring the ball down, but even without much if any contact it could've been called a foul and a PK.
Which really became important when the Huskies' left center back completely muffed a clearance into Zach Batteer's legs, and Batteer broke in alone, feeding Jordan Morris across the face of goal to complete a tap-in for the 2 vs goalie breakaway finish.
And that really put Stanford on the front foot for the rest of the game. After being outshot 9-5 in the first half, they outshot UW 14-7 in the second, and really should have had 1 or 2 more goals. But Spencer Richey spent a large part of the last 30 minutes standing on his head, with kick saves, tip saves, reaction saves, and throwing whatever part of his body he could in front of the ball to keep it out of his net. He managed to do so, but UW really couldn't mount much of a sustained attack. Their best chance of the second half came with only about 7 minutes left, and was another brilliant stop by Epstein off a point-blank header. But they only had two other weak header attempts in the last 20 minutes, as Stanford competently and cleanly cleared its lines and saw the game out.
For me, gameball to (1) Andrew Epstein, for not giving up one in the opening 10 minutes, and keeping Stanford in it, and (2) Ty Thompson, who had a marvelous game shutting down UW's midfield, including Roldan, for long stretches with high pressure, sure tackling, and an absolutely phenomenal workrate. Zach Batteer was the big offensive force tonight, but to shut down a UW side averaging more than 2 goals a game after that opening 10 minutes, especially given our sometimes-uncertain backline, argues for some midfield heroes.
On Epstein - he doesn't get a lot of publicity, because he doesn't have many saves very often. The problem, in relation to what WiM posted in the "Troubling" thread, is that, when Stanford's D goes bad, it doesn't just bend - it snaps completely. Almost every goal I've seen against Epstein this year has been from a breakaway, or an unmarked player, or (as in the UCLA game) a defender doing a poor job of shielding an attacker off the ball. He's almost never beaten from outside (unless it's through a forest of people obstructing his view), and he's been an absolute rock in the back in the middle of an at-times uncertain defense that often has Callinan and Vincent caught well up the pitch.
More later, now on to volleyball. It's a fun Cardinal sports Friday.
VG