[DenverCard]

Three national championships in Men's Soccer is so remarkable as to almost defy explanation.  The parity among the teams and the quirky way in which the team that scores the most goals may not have controlled the majority of the play makes is so difficult to win just one championship.  And to do it again, and yet again, all while turning over players from one year to the next just boggles my mind.

While Stanford certainly has, and in years past has had, excellent players, I think that they have had far from the most talented teams during the past two years.  (In 2015, with Jordan Morris, Brandon Vincent, and others, they very well might have had the most talent.)  This year's team is not particularly athletic with respect to team speed or big/dominating players.  Their attributes are indefatigibility, tenacity, and savvy.  Their defense beats teams up, their midfielders press until the other team starts to crumble, and the office is creative and unpredictable.

I would have favored Indiana going into today's game, and yet Stanford very much deserved to win.  Akron in the previous round, a coin flip at the start.  Wake Forest at Wake Forest -- an unlikely win.  And yet once again, they did it.

A fantastic game, a fantastic tourney, a fantastic season!  To the third power!  Wow!!!!

[DenverCard]

Three national championships in Men's Soccer is so remarkable as to almost defy explanation.  The parity among the teams and the quirky way in which the team that scores the most goals may not have controlled the majority of the play makes is so difficult to win just one championship.  And to do it again, and yet again, all while turning over players from one year to the next just boggles my mind.

While Stanford certainly has, and in years past has had, excellent players, I think that they have had far from the most talented teams during the past two years.  (In 2015, with Jordan Morris, Brandon Vincent, and others, they very well might have had the most talent.)  This year's team is not particularly athletic with respect to team speed or big/dominating players.  Their attributes are indefatigibility, tenacity, and savvy.  Their defense beats teams up, their midfielders press until the other team starts to crumble, and the office is creative and unpredictable.

I would have favored Indiana going into today's game, and yet Stanford very much deserved to win.  Akron in the previous round, a coin flip at the start.  Wake Forest at Wake Forest -- an unlikely win.  And yet once again, they did it.

A fantastic game, a fantastic tourney, a fantastic season!  To the third power!  Wow!!!!