M Soc beats UCLA - Printable Version
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M Soc beats UCLA - BostonCard - 10-11-2019
Highlights here
https://youtu.be/vzCmJXoZyWI
I watched the first half, and UCLA definitely seemed to control the ball more (though much of it was passing around the periphery without getting good penetration). I didn't watch the second half, and we scored the only goal in the 81st minute.
Seventh consecutive win over UCLA.
BC
RE: M Soc beats UCLA - BostonCard - 10-11-2019
Also, the Women's team beat OSU 2-0, with Macario's 16th goal of the season. Macario had 8 shots, which is 4 more than the entire OSU team had (her three on goal was more than OSU had).
Oh, by the way, she also got last week's Pac-12 offensive player of the week, for single-handedly outscoring WSU 2-0 and UW 1-0 (with 2 assists to boot), her second consecutive Pac-12 OPOW.
I find it rather surprising that Stanford has yet to net a defensive player of the week or goalkeeper of the week, despite the fact that we've given up eight goals all season (in 12 games) and are working on three consecutive shutouts.
BC
RE: M Soc beats UCLA - DenverCard - 10-11-2019
Boy do I love beating UCLA in soccer! Until about 2000, UCLA won about 90% of the time (since which time the series has been about even), so it'll take a while to square the ledger. Still, seven in a row is very impressive. And this year's edition of UCLA features Milan Iloski, who lit up SDSU last game for five goals, and who leads the nation in goals with 15. He's a master in flopping, and he drew at least two calls last night for incidents that were total nothings if they happened playing pick-up soccer in the park.
It was tough to watch the first half last night, as UCLA possessed the ball for minutes on end, helped by having their keeper come up to nearly midfield and participate as if he were a field player. (An exaggerated "sweeper-keeper" role.) This left Stanford a man short of covering everyone (and two short if they were keeping their own sweeper free ), and UCLA did well to play keep-away successfully. Yet as BC pointed out, UCLA only generated a handful of real chances. And per my 24-hour old memory, their best series of chances didn't generate an official shot on goal, as the Stanford defenders laid out to block the shots before they reached the keeper. But you can't score if you don't have the ball, and Stanford didn't get much going at all for the first 45 minutes.
Coach Gunn started the second half with three players who hadn't started the first half, which is a tact I don't recall seeing him use ever before. He substituted both of his forwards (last year's leading scorer, Zach Ryan and this year's super-frosh, Ousseni Bouda), as well as the one of the midfielders. (In the first half he tried a few different players at that midfielder position, and they all played uninspired soccer. The starter in that midfield position was step slow in taking a shot on a nice cross that should have led to a very good chance if not a goal, and this allowed the defender to break up the play. Once the starter went out, he didn't play again. One of the subs mishit a cross terribly and was later easily dispossessed of the ball. He, too, was consigned to purgatory for the remainder of the game. The second-half starter in that midfield position was a freshman, Cam Cilley, who hadn't played the first half. I believe he remained in the game for its duration.)
I wondered about the reasons Gunn made the changes, especially at forward. Was it because the starters were a bit lacking in effort? Had they become demoralized spending all their time chasing, and he wanted fresh legs? Perhaps he intended to rest them a bit for the final 30 minutes. Judging from what subsequently transpired, I also wondered if Gunn changed tactics, whereby he freed up more players to disrupt the endless possession of UCLA of the first half, at the cost of greater risk in the defensive end. (I couldn't discern whether tactical changes were made via what could be seen on the telecast. The announcers, unfortunately, were no help. They didn't even notice the line-up changes noted above.)
Whether by dint of fresh blood or fresh tactics, the second half started off totally different from the first. And it remained totally different for the remainder of the game. Stanford began to possess, and to build their attack with a series of passes, and UCLA resorted to much more "speculative" bombs from the back that our young defenders controlled very well. In keeping with what Gunn said in the story on GoStanford -- https://gostanford.com/news/2019/10/10/mens-soccer-world-class-winner.aspx -- I began to expect Stanford to break through with the winner. Indeed, not too long before the winner, Bouda took a shot that hit the far post.
And with ten minutes left, euphoria! Unfortunately, the highlights do not show the entire sequence that resulted in the goal, but the series of passes, like another series shortly beforehand, was delightful to watch. And big, big props to Jared Gilbey for making the run to received the penultimate pass, and for putting the ball on Wehan's foot for an easy conversion. Previously I have been critical of Gilbey, or how he has been deployed, for having little impact. But he was prominent throughout the UCLA game, and he made some very nice passes that required good awareness of the situation on the field.
For making the NCAAs, the UCLA game was not must-win, but it was certainly very important, as the season is short. To retain the possibility of catching 4-0 Washington and winning the Pac-12 for the 6th year in a row, beating UCLA was essential.
Finally, the announcer mentioned that Tanner Beason, the injured captain, leader, and star, would be out for an extended period of time, but is not considered done for the year. Whatever the injury, it'll be tough for him to regain playing shape so as to be up to speed during the intense games at the end of the regular season or tournament, but it buoyed my spirits to hear there's a chance he will play again this season.
RE: M Soc beats UCLA - BostonCard - 10-11-2019
(10-11-2019, 07:33 PM)DenverCard Wrote: And per my 24-hour old memory, their best series of chances didn't generate an official shot on goal, as the Stanford defenders laid out to block the shots before they reached the keeper. But you can't score if you don't have the ball, and Stanford didn't get much going at all for the first 45 minutes.
Thanks for the great analysis, as always, DC. I remember the sequence of which you speak, which was a highlight of sorts in the first half; twice UCLA got pretty strong shots off, and twice a defender blocked it. Seemed almost like hockey.
BC
RE: M Soc beats UCLA - Viking_Guy - 10-11-2019
DC--
You're right, that first half was tough to watch. One minor caveat, Stanford plays a flat four in back, so no real "sweeper." But UCLA's keeper and two center backs were one more set of feet than the two Stanford forwards, and as you say, that enabled them to keep the ball for endless stretches.
Panchot was also missing, from the red card suspension carryover from the OSU game.
Which made Stanford's defensive discipline and ability to maintain their shape that much more impressive. Definite kudos to the backline and defensive midfield.
The Bouda shot of the post was a definite eye-opener. While he's been touted, and his speed and creativity are evident, that run, where he started on the left and ran across the top of the box before letting fly a curler through traffic that hit the BOTTOM of the far post (the second most difficult save for a keeper, after far top corner), was really impressive. I look forward to his play and development.
As for the scoring sequence, it was a clever piece of work. Tingey throw-in about 25 yards off the endline in the Bruins end. Bouda drags the Bruin CB and outside back with him by trying to post up in the box, leaving one defender to guard Tingey the thrower and Gilbey, IIRC. Gilbey comes to the ball, receives it, then running away from goal along the touchline backheels it back to Tingey. Gilbey then runs inside, Tingey lays it off to him square, and Gilbey touches it forward to Bouda, who also backheels it into space as Gilbey continues his run past Ousseni, gets to the endline, and fires a low cross that Wehan beats his man to in the center of the box for a simple sidefoot into the back of the net. Really creative and well-done all around.
Gilbey and Waldeck both had strong defensive games in the central midfield. The most impressive thing was taking Iloski pretty much out of the game - they moved him from the middle out to the right to try to get him going, but while he had some looks, nowhere near the impact he could have had.
VG
RE: M Soc beats UCLA - troyc - 10-14-2019
(10-11-2019, 06:47 PM)BostonCard Wrote: I find it rather surprising that Stanford has yet to net a defensive player of the week or goalkeeper of the week, despite the fact that we've given up eight goals all season (in 12 games) and are working on three consecutive shutouts.
- don't blame me...last week I voted for Kiki Pickett!
- will be hard for Stanford keepers to get serious votes for POW when they only face two shots on goal per game
Troy C
RE: M Soc beats UCLA - BostonCard - 10-14-2019
(10-14-2019, 09:47 AM)troyc Wrote:(10-11-2019, 06:47 PM)BostonCard Wrote: I find it rather surprising that Stanford has yet to net a defensive player of the week or goalkeeper of the week, despite the fact that we've given up eight goals all season (in 12 games) and are working on three consecutive shutouts.
- don't blame me...last week I voted for Kiki Pickett!
- will be hard for Stanford keepers to get serious votes for POW when they only face two shots on goal per game
Troy C
Fair, but don't you think that would argue for at least one defensive player getting POW.
BC
RE: M Soc beats UCLA - troyc - 10-14-2019
(10-14-2019, 10:04 AM)BostonCard Wrote: Fair, but don't you think that would argue for at least one defensive player getting POW.
BC
See my first thought....
Troy C
RE: M Soc beats UCLA - oldalum - 10-15-2019
(10-14-2019, 09:47 AM)troyc Wrote: - will be hard for Stanford keepers to get serious votes for POW when they only face two shots on goal per gametrue, but that means the other team's forwards have the element of surprise! :)
RE: M Soc beats UCLA - BostonCard - 10-15-2019
Stanford allows 0 goals again this week end, and again not a Stanford defensive player on the POW list.
[tweet] https://twitter.com/pac12/status/1184167346283245573?s=21[/tweet]
BC
RE: M Soc beats UCLA - BostonCard - 10-15-2019
Congrats to Bouda, who secured PAC-12 POW.
[tweet]https://twitter.com/pac12/status/1184239673394098176?s=21[/tweet]
Also, we are now ranked #5.
BC