10-11-2019, 11:19 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-11-2019, 11:21 PM by Viking_Guy.)
DC--
You're right, that first half was tough to watch. One minor caveat, Stanford plays a flat four in back, so no real "sweeper." But UCLA's keeper and two center backs were one more set of feet than the two Stanford forwards, and as you say, that enabled them to keep the ball for endless stretches.
Panchot was also missing, from the red card suspension carryover from the OSU game.
Which made Stanford's defensive discipline and ability to maintain their shape that much more impressive. Definite kudos to the backline and defensive midfield.
The Bouda shot of the post was a definite eye-opener. While he's been touted, and his speed and creativity are evident, that run, where he started on the left and ran across the top of the box before letting fly a curler through traffic that hit the BOTTOM of the far post (the second most difficult save for a keeper, after far top corner), was really impressive. I look forward to his play and development.
As for the scoring sequence, it was a clever piece of work. Tingey throw-in about 25 yards off the endline in the Bruins end. Bouda drags the Bruin CB and outside back with him by trying to post up in the box, leaving one defender to guard Tingey the thrower and Gilbey, IIRC. Gilbey comes to the ball, receives it, then running away from goal along the touchline backheels it back to Tingey. Gilbey then runs inside, Tingey lays it off to him square, and Gilbey touches it forward to Bouda, who also backheels it into space as Gilbey continues his run past Ousseni, gets to the endline, and fires a low cross that Wehan beats his man to in the center of the box for a simple sidefoot into the back of the net. Really creative and well-done all around.
Gilbey and Waldeck both had strong defensive games in the central midfield. The most impressive thing was taking Iloski pretty much out of the game - they moved him from the middle out to the right to try to get him going, but while he had some looks, nowhere near the impact he could have had.
VG
You're right, that first half was tough to watch. One minor caveat, Stanford plays a flat four in back, so no real "sweeper." But UCLA's keeper and two center backs were one more set of feet than the two Stanford forwards, and as you say, that enabled them to keep the ball for endless stretches.
Panchot was also missing, from the red card suspension carryover from the OSU game.
Which made Stanford's defensive discipline and ability to maintain their shape that much more impressive. Definite kudos to the backline and defensive midfield.
The Bouda shot of the post was a definite eye-opener. While he's been touted, and his speed and creativity are evident, that run, where he started on the left and ran across the top of the box before letting fly a curler through traffic that hit the BOTTOM of the far post (the second most difficult save for a keeper, after far top corner), was really impressive. I look forward to his play and development.
As for the scoring sequence, it was a clever piece of work. Tingey throw-in about 25 yards off the endline in the Bruins end. Bouda drags the Bruin CB and outside back with him by trying to post up in the box, leaving one defender to guard Tingey the thrower and Gilbey, IIRC. Gilbey comes to the ball, receives it, then running away from goal along the touchline backheels it back to Tingey. Gilbey then runs inside, Tingey lays it off to him square, and Gilbey touches it forward to Bouda, who also backheels it into space as Gilbey continues his run past Ousseni, gets to the endline, and fires a low cross that Wehan beats his man to in the center of the box for a simple sidefoot into the back of the net. Really creative and well-done all around.
Gilbey and Waldeck both had strong defensive games in the central midfield. The most impressive thing was taking Iloski pretty much out of the game - they moved him from the middle out to the right to try to get him going, but while he had some looks, nowhere near the impact he could have had.
VG