[Viking_Guy]

Halftime, still 1-0.  Wake Forest had a glorious chance to tie when a failure to track back led to a defender trying to guard two players on the far post after the ball came into the box on the right.  The ball got slotted through to Omir Fernandez, a sub, who had a shot from just outside the corner of the six-yard box, but Corti came out and cut the angle, and the shot was into the side netting trying to beat him near post.

General impressions: Stanford's combination of aggression and organization is disrupting Wake whenever they try to move into the Stanford defensive third.  A lot of great field blocks by Stanford's defense.  The other difference is their pressure on the ball - Wake is taking a bit too much time on the ball, and the defensive pressure arrives.  The Deacons have turned the ball over quite a bit at midfield.

One other general note: the real difference for Stanford is the work rate.  In their "two lines of 4" defense, the midfield line is getting help from the forwards, and the defense is getting help from the mids.  When a defender slides to pressure a Deacon player with the ball, the defender only has to "hold him up" for a second or two, and then a second defender is providing pressure from behind.

They're helped out by Wake Forest's determination to work through the center for the pitch.  Stanford is winning by working the lines.

And yet all the commentators can talk about is "how physical the match is."

VG

[Viking_Guy]

Halftime, still 1-0.  Wake Forest had a glorious chance to tie when a failure to track back led to a defender trying to guard two players on the far post after the ball came into the box on the right.  The ball got slotted through to Omir Fernandez, a sub, who had a shot from just outside the corner of the six-yard box, but Corti came out and cut the angle, and the shot was into the side netting trying to beat him near post.

General impressions: Stanford's combination of aggression and organization is disrupting Wake whenever they try to move into the Stanford defensive third.  A lot of great field blocks by Stanford's defense.  The other difference is their pressure on the ball - Wake is taking a bit too much time on the ball, and the defensive pressure arrives.  The Deacons have turned the ball over quite a bit at midfield.

One other general note: the real difference for Stanford is the work rate.  In their "two lines of 4" defense, the midfield line is getting help from the forwards, and the defense is getting help from the mids.  When a defender slides to pressure a Deacon player with the ball, the defender only has to "hold him up" for a second or two, and then a second defender is providing pressure from behind.

They're helped out by Wake Forest's determination to work through the center for the pitch.  Stanford is winning by working the lines.

And yet all the commentators can talk about is "how physical the match is."

VG