08-05-2025, 12:41 AM
(This post was last modified: 08-05-2025, 05:47 AM by Hieronymus.)
That does seem a bit low. Forget 2 years ago - they were a college cup team last year and most of the team is back (8 starters roughly.)
Overall position preview for this year. Note i don't know full injury statuses and i haven”r watched any preseason camp. I also assume that the staff keeps the current 433 though a formation change might be interesting this year considering the glut in MF. Also, there is almost always at least one surprise like Brandt not starting last year after starting the entire previous season. So I expect to get at least one of these wrong. Finally, things will likely look a little different 2/3 of the way into the season as players grow.
GK
Key losses: Craig who played all but 8 minutes last year.
This season: i expect Birkel to start, and I have no idea who the main backup will be.
Defense
Key losses: Harrison and Pagador as the starting outside backs. Brandt as a reserve defender.
This season: I expect Emri and Evans to start at CB and Boamah to be the LB (she was mostly the starter at the end of the year before Pagador got hurt anyway). RB is the biggest open question on the team. Sammy Smith is my guess at starter with Logan Smith as the only other outside back on the roster. So again I expect somebody - maybe Bray - to get converted to outside back this year. Murdock was pretty good late in the season as the emergency starter at CB. Tay might play a little as a second reserve CB. Finally, I hope to see Aikey play 0 minutes at CB this year. Read last year’s thread for why.
Midfield:
Key losses: none
This season: Bhuta is a lock at DM after moving from RM half way into last season. She was spectacular there - top 10 player and maybe the best DM in the country. Kohler was very good at LM as a Frosh, and should start again. RM will be either Harvey or Klinger and the non-starter is going to play a bunch somewhere. Jung is likely the 5th MF player again this year at least to start the season. Finally, Nguyen could see significant minutes, but MF is going to be really hard to break into. I don’t see Freer or Johnson getting many minutes this year just because there isn’t any open space.
Forward
Key losses: Williams outside and Lumi at CF as reserves.
This season: kitihata is a lock starter at LF. If healthy Aikey should start at CF with Thomas as the back up. RF should be Montoya though she had a rough last season, but there could be surprises later in the season here. Back ups are more interesting. Klinger played a bunch of minutes at RF and then started at CF late in the season, and could play more here this year. Since Grilione was not effective at LF and if Wolf is hurt, there are definitely reserve minutes to be had for Freshmen Harrison and Holden.
The biggest questions for me are:
1. Where does Klinger play - she is too good to not be on the field somewhere.
2. How does the staff balance MF minutes in general especially since Bhuta goes 90 minutes many games.
3. Starting RB and GK.
4. Where does Aikey play? I really hope it’s mostly CF.
5. Reserve L/RF minutes distribution.
Looking forward to 2025.
Overall position preview for this year. Note i don't know full injury statuses and i haven”r watched any preseason camp. I also assume that the staff keeps the current 433 though a formation change might be interesting this year considering the glut in MF. Also, there is almost always at least one surprise like Brandt not starting last year after starting the entire previous season. So I expect to get at least one of these wrong. Finally, things will likely look a little different 2/3 of the way into the season as players grow.
GK
Key losses: Craig who played all but 8 minutes last year.
This season: i expect Birkel to start, and I have no idea who the main backup will be.
Defense
Key losses: Harrison and Pagador as the starting outside backs. Brandt as a reserve defender.
This season: I expect Emri and Evans to start at CB and Boamah to be the LB (she was mostly the starter at the end of the year before Pagador got hurt anyway). RB is the biggest open question on the team. Sammy Smith is my guess at starter with Logan Smith as the only other outside back on the roster. So again I expect somebody - maybe Bray - to get converted to outside back this year. Murdock was pretty good late in the season as the emergency starter at CB. Tay might play a little as a second reserve CB. Finally, I hope to see Aikey play 0 minutes at CB this year. Read last year’s thread for why.
Midfield:
Key losses: none
This season: Bhuta is a lock at DM after moving from RM half way into last season. She was spectacular there - top 10 player and maybe the best DM in the country. Kohler was very good at LM as a Frosh, and should start again. RM will be either Harvey or Klinger and the non-starter is going to play a bunch somewhere. Jung is likely the 5th MF player again this year at least to start the season. Finally, Nguyen could see significant minutes, but MF is going to be really hard to break into. I don’t see Freer or Johnson getting many minutes this year just because there isn’t any open space.
Forward
Key losses: Williams outside and Lumi at CF as reserves.
This season: kitihata is a lock starter at LF. If healthy Aikey should start at CF with Thomas as the back up. RF should be Montoya though she had a rough last season, but there could be surprises later in the season here. Back ups are more interesting. Klinger played a bunch of minutes at RF and then started at CF late in the season, and could play more here this year. Since Grilione was not effective at LF and if Wolf is hurt, there are definitely reserve minutes to be had for Freshmen Harrison and Holden.
The biggest questions for me are:
1. Where does Klinger play - she is too good to not be on the field somewhere.
2. How does the staff balance MF minutes in general especially since Bhuta goes 90 minutes many games.
3. Starting RB and GK.
4. Where does Aikey play? I really hope it’s mostly CF.
5. Reserve L/RF minutes distribution.
Looking forward to 2025.