WSoc: Stanford 4 Hofstra 0 - Printable Version
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WSoc: Stanford 4 Hofstra 0 - Viking_Guy - 11-22-2019
In a game that was both closer and not as close as the final score, Stanford won 4-0 to advance to the round of 16.
It was closer, in that the game was 1-0 at halftime, with the only goal being a Madison Haley header off a cross from Pickett that found the back post in the third minute. In some ways, I think that the goal was so early hurt, because it didn't change the strategy of the opposition.
For the vast majority of the first half, Hofstra did what many teams do when overmatched in skill and athleticism - they parked the bus. 9 or 10 players back on defense, generally only bring 2 people forward unless they won a set piece in Stanford's end, and rarely having more than 5 people over the midfield stripe.
And Stanford did what it does too often against that formation - pass the ball around the back, and then try to pass through or into the middle of the defense, or dribble into the middle of it, or in some way put their offensive players in a bad numbers situation in the center of the pitch. Pickett and Wesley were living in the offensive end (Pickett much more so), and Hofstra really only managed one stretch of good offensive possession in the first half, set up when Sam Hiatt dribbled forward and gave the ball away with a careless touch, leaving herself out of position and Hofstra with a rare almost even in numbers offensive chance. It didn't lead to much, but it was indicative of the Cardinal's first-half frustrations, outshooting the Pride something like 11-2 but only the goal and a ball that Haley hammered off the crossbar to show for it. Sophia Smith in particular was having a frustrating half - I kept pleading with her to use her speed to go endline and send a cross in behind the 8 or 9 defenders, but she kept on cutting middle.
I don't know if Ratcliffe was trying to send a message, but a lot of the starters ended the first half on the bench.
I actually began to be concerned. But a quick stretch after halftime solved things. About 8 minutes in, Haley made a nice turn to draw a foul at about 22 yards on the right side, and Stanford ran a perfect practice pitch play. They put two people in Hofstra's wall, inside the four Pride defenders that were anchoring the wall at the near post. Macario stepped up and hit the ball right at the wall - to be more precise, at the Stanford players about 4 feet off the ground. They knew it was coming, ducked down out of the way, and the shot hit the inside of the far post and went in. Just a perfectly placed ball off a perfectly run set piece.
That knocked Hofstra off stride, but before they even had a chance to "open up and push forward," Stanford struck again. This time, Smith made a nice run down the left and sent a ball into Greubel about even with the near post 12 yards out. Greubel could've easily scored, but she laid the ball across to the penalty spot - to the nation's leading scorer, who promptly scored her 29th (I think) on the season, all of about 3 minutes after the second goal.
And even more quickly, Stanford again took advantage of a reeling defense. Kiki Pickett found herself alone with the ball on the right sideline, as the defender was way out of position and slow to react. Kiki took the offered way forward, drove to about 6 yards off the line and sent a low ball to the front post. Smith ran on and easily one-touched the ball home less than a minute after the third goal.
That was it. Stanford had a few more chances, but Ratcliffe proved to me that the substitution pattern in the last game was even more wacky than I thought. I was wondering why Stanford had only played 7 subs in a 15-0 blowout. And tonight, he proved that it wasn't a roster limit - he subbed in 10 different field players, with Katie Meyer in goal the only starter remaining on the pitch for the last 25 minutes of the game.
Stanford will next play Penn State, who twice rallied to tie Arizona before winning the game in overtime 4-3. Arizona's midfield and outside backs just look way overmatched - not by any particular skill, just getting run off the pitch. The center defense time and again faced even number rushes without much support, and when they got back, the midfielders and outside backs just got out-worked and outrun time and again. The two tying goals were both a run out of midfield beating a midfielder and then simply running around the outside of the defense to hit a ground ball to the far post.
This is not to say that the Nittany Lions aren't dangerous. Their midfielder Sam Coffey scored both goals to tie the game, at 2 and then at 3, and assisted on the first to get Penn State off the mat after trailing 2-0 early in the second half. But Arizona just never really looked that good - two of their three goals were keeper issues for the Lions, one a direct flub into her own net off a high cross, the other getting beaten near post on bad positioning.
Hoping for a great game Sunday. And congratulations to Averie Collins and the Washington State Cougars for the brobdingnagian win at #1 seed (and for a long period top-ranked) Virginia. They actually have a shot at the College Cup - they play West Virginia on Sunday at what will probably be a fairly dead Charlottesville, and the winner of that plays the winner of Kansas and South Carolina. Oh, and of course the Gamecocks are the last SEC team left out of 5. Boo hoo.
UCLA beating up on Clemson 4-0 in the second. USC hung on to beat Texas A&M 2-1, and will face Santa Clara, who beat Oklahoma State 3-1. That should be a great game.
Go CARD!
VG
RE: WSoc: Stanford 4 Hofstra 0 - 81alum - 11-22-2019
Yes, I was getting worried too by the end of the first half, but that was quite a stretch in which we scored 3 rapid goals. I'm not sure if I have ever seen more perfect execution than Macario's set piece with the ducking wall. Just wow.
RE: WSoc: Stanford 4 Hofstra 0 - oldalum - 11-23-2019
(11-22-2019, 10:30 PM)Viking_Guy Wrote: with Katie Meyer in goal the only starter remaining on the pitch for the last 25 minutes of the game.
just to prove your point, that was actually Lauren Rood for the last 30 minutes!
RE: WSoc: Stanford 4 Hofstra 0 - Viking_Guy - 11-23-2019
OA-
Thanks. Looking at the PBP, it's weird - they indicate every other substitution with a standard "STAN SUBSTITUTION" - but then right after all the switches they just say "Lauren Rood at goalie for Stanford."
https://gostanford.com/boxscore.aspx?path=wsoc&id=33199
A couple of more thoughts, after a night's sleep and coming down from the WVB and soccer wins.
The lineup against Penn State will be interesting. I'm wondering if we might see Enge as a starter; I'm not at all sure Breide can stick with Coffey out of the midfield. Our backline is definitely better than Arizona's, but having some more pace at d-mid would be nice. And Belle had a few of her "telegraphed pass across the field" moments last night.
I watched a bit of the Arizona-Penn State game (from early second half onward.) Both teams were VERY spread out - no one was really trying to maintain an offside line, and there were acres of space between Arizona's lines for PSU to operate. I'm concerned about that - we have had a tendency to "drift forward" in games this season, losing connection between the Hiatt-Girma-Breide triangle and the other MFs. OTOH, I don't expect Penn State to have the time on the ball that they had - Arizona was often slow to close.
But the largest thing was just the quality of play out of the back. Arizona often times simply hoofed a clearance up the field, even under little pressure, which gave their offense little to no organization. Penn State, apart from one breakdown, dominated possession for most of the half and overtime. Arizona had one good chance to win in OT, though.
More generally, watching some of the other games reinforces how very lucky we are to watch this Stanford squad. There's a whole lot of "kick it down field and pray" play, and a whole lot of passing to no one, and very definitely a dearth of finishers, the rarest breed of soccer player.
Stanford has at least three of them, and I would posit that Doms, Greubel, and several other of our players would be standout scorers on most other squads.
In other words, we're the most fun to watch, at least if you don't include "bumbling around and occasionally blasting a shot 15 yards over the cross bar" as fun.
VG
RE: WSoc: Stanford 4 Hofstra 0 - Mick - 11-23-2019
(11-23-2019, 12:33 PM)Viking_Guy Wrote: More generally, watching some of the other games reinforces how very lucky we are to watch this Stanford squad. There's a whole lot of "kick it down field and pray" play, and a whole lot of passing to no one, and very definitely a dearth of finishers, the rarest breed of soccer player.
Stanford has at least three of them, and I would posit that Doms, Greubel, and several other of our players would be standout scorers on most other squads.
In other words, we're the most fun to watch, at least if you don't include "bumbling around and occasionally blasting a shot 15 yards over the cross bar" as fun.
VG
Have to agree. Stanford's WSoc team is very dynamic, well schooled, in shape, plays reasonably precision football. But Stanford's ability to score is key. And they're only getting better. 40 goals in the last 7 matches, outscoring opponents 40-2 in that period.
Stanford beat Penn State at Penn State earlier this season. PSU defeated Arizona 4-3, a team that Stanford beat 6-2 recently. I'm feeling very good about Stanford's chances. Hope to see Stanford at Avaya Stadium during the Final Four.
SCU plays #9 USC. The class of the North Carolina bracket is, no surprise, North Carolina. The odds are pretty long that #20 SCU would get to play at Avaya, but they're 11-0-2 in their last 13 games, so here's hoping.
RE: WSoc: Stanford 4 Hofstra 0 - Spiny_Norman - 11-23-2019
BYU dominated NC State 3-0 today to advance to the quarters next weekend.