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MSoc: #5 Stanford 2 #3 Akron 1 (F) - Printable Version

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MSoc: #5 Stanford 2 #3 Akron 1 (F) - Viking_Guy - 09-02-2019

A small smidgen of payback for last year's quarterfinal loss, as Stanford got an 89th minute goal to retake the lead and defeat the Zips 2-1 in Akron. Zach Ryan headed home from the back post of a Gilbey service for the final tally.

Prior to that, the Cardinal seemed to be having trouble hitting the broad side of a barn - they took 18 shots, but only managed to get 3 on goal, before Ryan's clincher. Felt like the Zips were crowding the box quite a bit - a whole lot of blocked shots.

Stanford took the lead on an early Beason conversion of a PK in the 13th minute. The Cardinal seemed to be on the back foot for a lot of the first half, from the PBP (sorry, I didn't subscribe to ESPN+ - trying to figure out if it's worth it.)

Akron equaized in the opening minute of the second half, on a nice give-and-go feeding the ball to their best offensive player, David Egbo.

One play I'll be looking for a highlight of - in the 71st minute, Egbo gets loose on a breakaway. Andrew Thomas comes out to meet him, but Egbo dribbles around him and shoots for the open goal - only to have the ball stopped by freshman defender Keegan Hughes on a full-out recovery run. Egbo was so upset he committed a yellow card foul a few seconds later.

All in all, it felt like Stanford got stronger as the game went along - the Zips only had one shot after the Hughes save, while the Cardinal generated three successive corner kicks at the end of the game, the last of which resulted in Ryan's goal.

Coupled with a 5-0 white-washing of Penn State, a very solid opening weekend for the Cardinal. I'd say they'll probably be up to #3 or so in the next polls. To be fair, the Zips may not be as strong as they were last season - they lost at Xavier earlier in the week, albeit without their best defender Carlo Ritaccio, who was serving a carried-over suspension from a red card in last year's 1-0 final loss to Maryland.

VG

RE: MSoc: #5 Stanford 2 #3 Akron 1 (F) - DenverCard - 09-02-2019

Really nice broadcast of this game, including solid narration and color commentary by the two announcers. Well worth the $4.95 for ESPN+. Contrast that to the very regrettable $14.95 spent on the B1G+ network to watch Stanford-Penn State: live stream of terrible quality, no announcers, and no replay. (I've come to conclude that crappy announcers beat no announcers, if only to give the viewer the opportunity to get riled by terrible takes.) Thank goodness for the 5-0 result of that game to take the sting off the purchase.

However, for all the optimism engendered by the Penn State result, and notwithstanding a real nice victory on the road against a good team and a large crowd, I have concerns about the team. I have a sense that this year's edition of Stanford men's soccer will crush lesser teams, but that they will be vulnerable to teams with good ball skills throughout their lineup, like Akron.

Whereas this was only the second official game, the inability of Stanford to string together a series of passes to mount a productive attack was glaring. There was a plethora of long balls out of the back in the hopes that the athleticism and tenaciousness of the forwards could lead to a payoff, or generate a dead ball opportunity, which is the team's deadliest weapon. Perhaps by dint of nerves/lack of confidence, several Stanford players seemed less technically skilled than their counterparts. Whereas the defensive four, plus goalkeeper Andrew Thomas, are again the team's strength, the defenders also lacked either confidence or skill to build up an attack from the back, and instead were quick to blast the ball up field.

From a personnel standpoint, freshman Ousseni Bouda has been as advertised. Great combination of athleticism, skills, and effort. I anticipate he'll really blossom as he gets accustomed to the college game and the team. Senior Derek Waldeck has always been a favorite of mine. Rock solid in all ways. Zach Ryan, who scored the game-winner against Akron, seems to just know how to score goals. Relative weaknesses, at least thus far, are Charlie Weehan, who always seems somewhat out of control, and Jared Gilbey, who was almost invisible against Akron. I was hoping that as he developed physically, Gilbey would become a better defender and more of an offensive threat, but I have not seen that in the two games this year. Perhaps he is constrained by the role he is asked to play (linking midfielder).

In years past, Stanford has not always looked as pretty as a Wake Forest or even a UCLA; Stanford just did what it took to win games. And that quality seems present once again, so perhaps there's no need to fret. But with player of the year candidate Tanner Beason choosing to return for his redshirt senior year, and Andrew Thomas likely to be courted by the pros after this season, I really want to see any weaknesses in the lineup shored up, if possible.

RE: MSoc: #5 Stanford 2 #3 Akron 1 (F) - washingtonismoney - 09-03-2019

Stanford was rewarded for its week by moving up to ... #4: https://twitter.com/SoccerInsider/status/1168939073526018049

RE: MSoc: #5 Stanford 2 #3 Akron 1 (F) - BostonCard - 09-03-2019

At least we jumped over Akron.

BC

RE: MSoc: #5 Stanford 2 #3 Akron 1 (F) - Viking_Guy - 09-03-2019

And the women... stay #3, as UCLA jumps them on the strength of beating pre-season #1 FSU.

$C beat the Seminoles as well, and moves up to #4. FSU falls... all the way to #6.

And UNC, whose best win thus far is against #10 Duke at home, and who only beat UW in Seattle 3-2 (as in, picked to finish in the lower half of the Pac UW)... is the new #1.

Watch the third place team in the Pac-12, no matter if they're ranked top 4 at the end of the season, get sent on the road to an ACC school, because they'll have one or two non-winning results in the league.

VG

RE: MSoc: #5 Stanford 2 #3 Akron 1 (F) - oldalum - 09-03-2019

(09-03-2019, 11:43 AM)Viking_Guy Wrote:  Watch the third place team in the Pac-12, no matter if they're ranked top 4 at the end of the season, get sent on the road to an ACC school, because they'll have one or two non-winning results in the league.
Are you suggesting the selection committee is biased toward the ACC? (Such as when they sent UCLA to UNC for a regional final a few years ago when it should have been the other way around?)

RE: MSoc: #5 Stanford 2 #3 Akron 1 (F) - Viking_Guy - 09-03-2019

Or last season, when they made $C (RPI #8) the FOUR seed in Florida State's (RPI #2) region, meaning they had to play at the Seminoles in the round of 16. While making RPI #15 Virginia the THREE seed in the bracket with Georgetown (RPI #4).

VG

RE: MSoc: #5 Stanford 2 #3 Akron 1 (F) - BostonCard - 09-06-2019

UCLA upsets defending champions and third ranked Maryland.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/uclaathletics/status/1170188232245383170?s=21[/tweet]

BC

RE: MSoc: #5 Stanford 2 #3 Akron 1 (F) - martyup - 09-07-2019

At lease one of their football teams is doing well.

RE: MSoc: #5 Stanford 2 #3 Akron 1 (F) - d4cohn - 09-07-2019

(09-07-2019, 03:45 PM)martyup Wrote:  At lease one of their football teams is doing well.

Lol. +1.

RE: MSoc: #5 Stanford 2 #3 Akron 1 (F) - Viking_Guy - 09-07-2019

That's a brobdingnagian win for the Pac12. UCLA wasn't only not ranked, they weren't even receiving votes in the most recent poll, despite their near-upset of #2 Indiana on the road.

Despite Stanford's 3 straight titles, we still live in an ACC-centric soccer world, as evinced by 5 of the current top 7. Will be interesting to see how far Maryland falls - they actually were #3, having lost earlier to UVa.

UC-Irvine will be a good measuring stick - they've got a good program, and got a couple of votes in the last coaches' poll.

VG