11-09-2018, 10:38 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-09-2018, 10:49 PM by Viking_Guy.)
Workwomanlike, I guess is the best word for it.
Seattle didn't have many threats, apart from one brobdingnagian breakdown at the back, either by Cook or Hiatt - hard to tell with no repay on a stream.
But they packed it in, and played frustrate the Cardinal, with a version of the same pressure that has thrown a kink in Stanford's play in the past - two or three high pressing, trying to take away the ball movement from side to side.
Stanford deployed an interesting adaptation - it really felt, at least when they had possession, that they went to a three-back system, with Pickett, Cook, and Hiatt from right to left, and pushed Girma up into the holding midfield role - more of a 3-4-3 with a diamond in the middle. Girma made the decisive runs up the middle, including the gamewinner in the first half, a long run followed by a perfectly angled throughball to Kuhlmann for a near-post finish in the 18th minute.
But the Kuhlmann just was the exception that proves the rule of the last few games - they're not getting enough from the forwards - the threat was created by a center back. If we just fire the ball into the forwards, they don't do much with it, unless Macario's on the field.
Speaking of that: Macario and Boissiere off the bench, no Haley and no McGrady. Prior to Macario entering, Seattle had the chance described above - central defender, I think Cook, holding off a Seattle player as a searching ball kind of cross came in and bounced in the penalty box. Instead of simply playing the ball out to the touchline, Cook tried to settle it - and did so, right into the path of the Seattle forward, who one-touched the ball from about 8 yards out on the right side, just missing the left post. Macario came in a minute or so later.
When Catarina entered, Stanford's play picked up a bit - they rattled the posts twice in the space of a minute, but couldn't put another in before halftime.
Stanford opened the second half with a bit more pressure, and Kuhlmann made a nice move on the right side to send a cross in to the front post. Xiao was charging on it, but it deflected in off a Seattle player in the 52nd minute.
Seattle really didn't come out of their shell until late, trying to hold the deficit at two. In point of fact, they didn't get off a shot in the second half until the 84th minute. And they were quickly punished, as Macario made some nifty moves, got free and unleashed a shot that hit the right post, but rebounded directly onto the foot of Carly Malatskey about 9 yards off the post a bit outside of it. She buried the rebound right side high for the final margin.
Like I said, not totally ho-hum, but definitely not a lot of bite in the game. I find myself dreading Stanford's backline passing the ball around when the opponent brings pressure forward - beyond the shot mentioned above, there were a couple of backpasses that were extremely dangerous, including one hit by Girma that had hospital-ball written all over it - a slow roller backpass as the Seattle forward streams past her and nearly onto the ball.
Hard to discern much against an opponent like this, but the result, and the difficulty of scoring, is not that encouraging.
Right now, I see their chances of advancing as 70%, 60%, 50% over the next three games. If Macario is more fully back (more than 40 minutes, excluding garbage time), add 10-15% to each. If McGrady or Haley can play, another 5-10% chance in each game.
College Cup games would be toss-ups, and without match-ups, hard to speculate. But I feel that the absence of Haley, McGrady, not to mention the limits on Boissiere and Macario, would make even one win at that level difficult.
The way I'd put it is this - our most recent frontline is a bunch of very good players - long-term starters, valuable players. Kuhlmann would be a starter on almost any other team. But she's not Macario, in terms of the threat she presents. And Haley represents a player type that we just don't have in the current side. It is telling that our starting forwards in the latter half of the season are being outscored by our midfielders.
Hoping another week gives additional players time to get back on the pitch,
VG
One other point - Pac 12 5-0, outscoring opponents 22-1 today. But really, the Big 12 and the SEC were better conferences. </sarcasm>
WSU beat Montana 5-1.
UCLA beat SJSU 5-0.
As mentioned before, $C beat Long Beach 6-0.
Arizona beat Denver 3-0.
BC and Texas, both 4s, the only seeds to lose, and North Texas NEARLY knocked off the SEC's TAMU before losing 1-0 in the second overtime.
Stanford's next opponent will be decided tomorrow at 1 pm ET - Ole Miss at Clemson.
And good luck to the SCU Broncos tomorrow against Milwaukee, Mick!
VG
Seattle didn't have many threats, apart from one brobdingnagian breakdown at the back, either by Cook or Hiatt - hard to tell with no repay on a stream.
But they packed it in, and played frustrate the Cardinal, with a version of the same pressure that has thrown a kink in Stanford's play in the past - two or three high pressing, trying to take away the ball movement from side to side.
Stanford deployed an interesting adaptation - it really felt, at least when they had possession, that they went to a three-back system, with Pickett, Cook, and Hiatt from right to left, and pushed Girma up into the holding midfield role - more of a 3-4-3 with a diamond in the middle. Girma made the decisive runs up the middle, including the gamewinner in the first half, a long run followed by a perfectly angled throughball to Kuhlmann for a near-post finish in the 18th minute.
But the Kuhlmann just was the exception that proves the rule of the last few games - they're not getting enough from the forwards - the threat was created by a center back. If we just fire the ball into the forwards, they don't do much with it, unless Macario's on the field.
Speaking of that: Macario and Boissiere off the bench, no Haley and no McGrady. Prior to Macario entering, Seattle had the chance described above - central defender, I think Cook, holding off a Seattle player as a searching ball kind of cross came in and bounced in the penalty box. Instead of simply playing the ball out to the touchline, Cook tried to settle it - and did so, right into the path of the Seattle forward, who one-touched the ball from about 8 yards out on the right side, just missing the left post. Macario came in a minute or so later.
When Catarina entered, Stanford's play picked up a bit - they rattled the posts twice in the space of a minute, but couldn't put another in before halftime.
Stanford opened the second half with a bit more pressure, and Kuhlmann made a nice move on the right side to send a cross in to the front post. Xiao was charging on it, but it deflected in off a Seattle player in the 52nd minute.
Seattle really didn't come out of their shell until late, trying to hold the deficit at two. In point of fact, they didn't get off a shot in the second half until the 84th minute. And they were quickly punished, as Macario made some nifty moves, got free and unleashed a shot that hit the right post, but rebounded directly onto the foot of Carly Malatskey about 9 yards off the post a bit outside of it. She buried the rebound right side high for the final margin.
Like I said, not totally ho-hum, but definitely not a lot of bite in the game. I find myself dreading Stanford's backline passing the ball around when the opponent brings pressure forward - beyond the shot mentioned above, there were a couple of backpasses that were extremely dangerous, including one hit by Girma that had hospital-ball written all over it - a slow roller backpass as the Seattle forward streams past her and nearly onto the ball.
Hard to discern much against an opponent like this, but the result, and the difficulty of scoring, is not that encouraging.
Right now, I see their chances of advancing as 70%, 60%, 50% over the next three games. If Macario is more fully back (more than 40 minutes, excluding garbage time), add 10-15% to each. If McGrady or Haley can play, another 5-10% chance in each game.
College Cup games would be toss-ups, and without match-ups, hard to speculate. But I feel that the absence of Haley, McGrady, not to mention the limits on Boissiere and Macario, would make even one win at that level difficult.
The way I'd put it is this - our most recent frontline is a bunch of very good players - long-term starters, valuable players. Kuhlmann would be a starter on almost any other team. But she's not Macario, in terms of the threat she presents. And Haley represents a player type that we just don't have in the current side. It is telling that our starting forwards in the latter half of the season are being outscored by our midfielders.
Hoping another week gives additional players time to get back on the pitch,
VG
One other point - Pac 12 5-0, outscoring opponents 22-1 today. But really, the Big 12 and the SEC were better conferences. </sarcasm>
WSU beat Montana 5-1.
UCLA beat SJSU 5-0.
As mentioned before, $C beat Long Beach 6-0.
Arizona beat Denver 3-0.
BC and Texas, both 4s, the only seeds to lose, and North Texas NEARLY knocked off the SEC's TAMU before losing 1-0 in the second overtime.
Stanford's next opponent will be decided tomorrow at 1 pm ET - Ole Miss at Clemson.
And good luck to the SCU Broncos tomorrow against Milwaukee, Mick!
VG