09-28-2019, 03:25 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-28-2019, 03:27 PM by Viking_Guy.)
Tale of two halves. Both sides' offenses shone in the first half, and defenses in the second.
Best chance for either side in the second half a Greubel breakaway midway through the half. She was at the top of the box with a defender recovering, and took way too heavy of a touch instead of shooting, ending up pushing the ball far enough forward to end up with the next touch being a 50-50 ball with the keeper. The keeper won.
Stanford also had Greubel hit the far post on a lovely shot earlier in the half, as Abby found herself more open as SC concentrated on Macario and Haley.
SC had a couple of good chances off scrums in the box, but never really got a great look.
The stats tell the story of the game. Stanford was fairly dominant, getting a 26-6 shot advantage and a 12-3 SOG advantage. The Trojans took two shots in the first half, and both went in. And that's how Stanford gives up goals. The defense contests the ball, and wins a lot, but if they don't, they give up good looks.
I think we should set aside gameball this year - because Macario is in a league of her own. The two goals and an assist in the first half, paired with some good defending in the second. Apart from Catarina, I'd probably give it to one of Girma, Breide, or Pickett.
Girma played pretty stellar defense all game long, in the style I just described - she tries to take the ball away, or cut it out early in the play. It cost in the first half, when she anticipated and got burned, but it also stops a lot of shots before they happen by changing possession before they can.
Breide, because I'm normally very tough on her. A solid match this game, especially as the Trojans played two up top and took away switching the ball through the back by marking those two against the two CBs. Stanford moved the switching one level forward, with the outside backs switching the ball through defensive midfield rather than around the back. Belle for the most part handled it well, and had some nice momemts on defense.
And Kiki Pickett showed why other teams are trying to force the ball up our left side, and away from her. Marauding forward, playing wirh an aggression and speed that obviates her lack of size, she was a force around the pitch today.
Special mention to Madison Haley for the excellent headed finish of the Macario freekick to open the scoring. Stanford has been lacking an aerial threat, and it would be nice to see her develop in that role, given the number of set pieces the Cardinal wins.
My major worry at this point is turning into the left side. The announcing team was talking up Harber today, but I disagree. I think her play up the left was mostly because that was what SC was willing to concede. With Malatskey in front of her, there's not a ton of speed to threaten a throughball, and on Harbers' forays forward, especially one early in the second half, she got a little lost. And late in the game, they had Greubel playing in front of her, and with Stanford laying back to protect a one-goal lead, Abby had some issues on defense. SC's best chance late was a corner kick Greubel conceded by letting her player get in behind her to the endline off a simple play, where Abby was ballwatching while her mark turned and served a ball in that had to be headed away, conceding the corner. Luckily, Rood came out strong and plucked the ball out of the air, at least temporarily assuaging our concern about her aggressiveness in controlling the box.
Wesley, who subbed for Harber about 25 minutes into both halves, had some freshman moments, to be sure, but I'd like to see her get some minutes with Smith in front of her. She appears to be a more natural, if less seasoned, left back option.
But all in all, an exciting and signifying win. With it, and Cal's last-minute upset of UCLA in Westwood last night, the Cardinal is definitely in the driver's seat moving forward, with the UCLA match at Cagan in mid-October.
Go Card!
VG
(EDIT: P.S. And Bob, of course, was right :) )
Best chance for either side in the second half a Greubel breakaway midway through the half. She was at the top of the box with a defender recovering, and took way too heavy of a touch instead of shooting, ending up pushing the ball far enough forward to end up with the next touch being a 50-50 ball with the keeper. The keeper won.
Stanford also had Greubel hit the far post on a lovely shot earlier in the half, as Abby found herself more open as SC concentrated on Macario and Haley.
SC had a couple of good chances off scrums in the box, but never really got a great look.
The stats tell the story of the game. Stanford was fairly dominant, getting a 26-6 shot advantage and a 12-3 SOG advantage. The Trojans took two shots in the first half, and both went in. And that's how Stanford gives up goals. The defense contests the ball, and wins a lot, but if they don't, they give up good looks.
I think we should set aside gameball this year - because Macario is in a league of her own. The two goals and an assist in the first half, paired with some good defending in the second. Apart from Catarina, I'd probably give it to one of Girma, Breide, or Pickett.
Girma played pretty stellar defense all game long, in the style I just described - she tries to take the ball away, or cut it out early in the play. It cost in the first half, when she anticipated and got burned, but it also stops a lot of shots before they happen by changing possession before they can.
Breide, because I'm normally very tough on her. A solid match this game, especially as the Trojans played two up top and took away switching the ball through the back by marking those two against the two CBs. Stanford moved the switching one level forward, with the outside backs switching the ball through defensive midfield rather than around the back. Belle for the most part handled it well, and had some nice momemts on defense.
And Kiki Pickett showed why other teams are trying to force the ball up our left side, and away from her. Marauding forward, playing wirh an aggression and speed that obviates her lack of size, she was a force around the pitch today.
Special mention to Madison Haley for the excellent headed finish of the Macario freekick to open the scoring. Stanford has been lacking an aerial threat, and it would be nice to see her develop in that role, given the number of set pieces the Cardinal wins.
My major worry at this point is turning into the left side. The announcing team was talking up Harber today, but I disagree. I think her play up the left was mostly because that was what SC was willing to concede. With Malatskey in front of her, there's not a ton of speed to threaten a throughball, and on Harbers' forays forward, especially one early in the second half, she got a little lost. And late in the game, they had Greubel playing in front of her, and with Stanford laying back to protect a one-goal lead, Abby had some issues on defense. SC's best chance late was a corner kick Greubel conceded by letting her player get in behind her to the endline off a simple play, where Abby was ballwatching while her mark turned and served a ball in that had to be headed away, conceding the corner. Luckily, Rood came out strong and plucked the ball out of the air, at least temporarily assuaging our concern about her aggressiveness in controlling the box.
Wesley, who subbed for Harber about 25 minutes into both halves, had some freshman moments, to be sure, but I'd like to see her get some minutes with Smith in front of her. She appears to be a more natural, if less seasoned, left back option.
But all in all, an exciting and signifying win. With it, and Cal's last-minute upset of UCLA in Westwood last night, the Cardinal is definitely in the driver's seat moving forward, with the UCLA match at Cagan in mid-October.
Go Card!
VG
(EDIT: P.S. And Bob, of course, was right :) )