That was not easy. There were times when I let fly with a "Go B ..." and a roncos almost came out instead of an uffs. Since then the SCU basketball women came to Boulder and I saw the SCU soccer women play St. Mary's twice, so the pent up "Go Broncos" got released. The CU soccer team won my heart a few years ago and I've very much enjoyed following them all over the place and writing about them. Frankfurt to San Francisco was the longest journey to see them play Stanford and SCU three years ago. My support didn't help.
A good win over UNC Greensboro, 4-2 but the game was not that close. Shots 19-3, on goal 10-2, Andi did not make a save, bet that doesn't happen very often. Sunday is my other alma mater, I'd be OK with a tie, I just hope it's a good game for everybody, should be a great one to watch. Might be low scoring, SDSU is not an offensive juggernaut but they are very difficult to score on. Could be a goalkeeper battle.
Washington State may be the dirtiest team I've seen yet. 3-0! Broncos win and deserved the scoreline. That was the Bronco's team I remember from spring. Best $8 I've spent all week.
The WSU parent near me was pretty obnoxious. Cheering and laughing at those deliberate WSU yellow card fouls etc. and wouldn't let up on the ref missing the offsides on the second goal. Hate to hear that kind of stuff and not appreciated by those with kids in the vicinity. WSU should have scored at least a couple goals but for some poor finishing. 3-0 was not indicative of the kind of game it was. Great job by Johnston to create some space on her header for the first goal. Broncos still looking to get it in gear on offense.
Actually I had no problem with the parents or players. And that 2nd goal seemed offside to me. Washington State is a similar team to Cal State Northridge and San Diego State in that they are active and physical and play fairly high pressure all over the field. But they aren't super creative and if they can't overwhelm you with all the activity and physical play they have trouble getting good looks. The last two weekends the Broncos have finally had Johnston and Huerta back from the U20 World Cup and their return has really revitalized the offense. 9 goals in the 4 games since they are both back v. 9 goals in 7 games beforehand. This last weekend the defense really played well overall with Rice and Vernon being stellar in the central defense. Tostanowski didn't have to make any great saves but she is very sure-handed on balls in the air. Her kicking needs to be more consistent, however. Matheson had a great game against Northridge but was tentative with her passing against the Cougars. Weatherholt had a nice weekend, but Shim missed the Sunday game for some reason. Good to see Jackson and Spiedel getting involved in the scoring. Only one game against Fresno this week, and then a big one at BYU next week. But the team seems well situated with league play looming.
I could hear her and she should have been asked to leave the stadium. I told my kids that this isn't baseball and we're not going to ever yell at the ref. The Bronco offense is looking tighter and more accurate each game - I did think they deserved their three. Number 2 may have been slightly offsides - not sure from where I was, but last week I thought there was an offsides call that was wrong so maybe those things even out? WSU may have deserved a few, but I thought the defense did the best job so far of continually shutting them down. As far as I could see, the WSU plan consisted of "get the ball to a forward, forward takes off like lightning and hopes to get to the end..." So is Fresno State going to get it together next week, or is it going to be a bloodbath? Eek.
I agree with SCU Fantastic...WSU played physical as do most PAC 12 teams...the frustration fouls set in after the missed offsides goal(?)...Spiedel looked a good 5 yards offsides to me unless I missed something...Shim didn't play due to concussion...Spiedel will have to score more to beat the good teams coming up
Hey Bronco Billy! I was wondering about Shim - I hope the concussion is mild. Was there any indication of when she'll be back? I think we'll have to go sit on your side on Thursday - I think the visibility is better over there.
Hey Mama... Don't know timetable with Shim but I believe she finished game Friday and IMO she had a really good game...Jerry decided to run everything through her and in fact took weatherholdt out early in second half...seems to me that Broncos really took control of game when Shim returned to her holding mid position and started linking to forwards...she is a tremendous and under appreciated player
We've always noticed her fabulous footwork. It is nice that she was called up twice by the u-23 team this year, too. Hopefully, they're still watching...
Julie Johnston WCC and Top drawer Soccer Player of the week. http://santaclarabroncos.com/sports/w-soccer/2012-13/releases/2012092484j4fo
3 - 2 win over Fresno was not a great game for the Broncos but it still counts as a win. Problems with finishing stood out, particularly on 1 v 1's with the sliding keeper who made some very nice saves. Then, 30 minutes in Santa Clara made a series of subs which took Huerta, Jackson, Speidel and Weatherholt off the field. The subs resulted in decreased team speed and ball winning ability and were a big factor in Fresno scoring shortly thereafter. But you have to be able to sub, right? Fortunately, Lauren Matheson rose to the occasion. Coming in 20 minutes into the 2nd half after playing all of the 1st, she immediately volleyed a Speidel cross goal-ward but right at the keeper. 5 minutes later she made another volley from the top of the box off a short MCauliffe pass into the back of the net. Johnston nudged home a beautiful pass from Klei and it looked as though the game was over with only 3 minutes remaining. But from the 18 Fresno ripped a low screamer into the lower right corner for the equalizer. In o/t Matheson made a beautiful play to beat her defender and finish clinically off the far-side post for the win. Santa Clara is going to have to play better to get a result at BYU. Better finishing and better fort-holding by the subs.
Wish BYU was streaming this game. I guess we'll have to be happy with radio. Fingers crossed for the Broncos...
Great goal by Shim to rescue the Broncos from surrendering another two goal lead. Well, they did surrender the lead but still got the W. Huerta's opening goal was a screamer from about 15 yards out. Their gk made several excellent saves on headers off corners but whiffed on this one. 5 minutes later, Huerta was taken down in the box from behind, one of the most blatant pk's I've ever seen, but no call. Huerta later had a good look but hit the post. Finally Weathrholt hit the post with the rebound going right to Johnston who had the quick feet to put it back in. USD got one back off a well-hit free kick from the top of the arc to pull within one. Then the Broncos were awarded one of the least blatant penalty kicks I've ever seen after the gk and Spiedel collided going for a ball. Spiedel didn't even go down. There may have been a bit of fist to face, but to me it looked incidental. USD coach apparently was in agreement with me, as he got himself tossed while discussing the call with the ref. But the gk saved the pk attempt so it all amounted to nothing, except for the red card. Late in the game a Santa Clara defender with the ball was being pressured by a forward near the Bronco goal. A pass into touch probably would have been the best option. A pass to the keeper also would have worked, if the pass had sufficient pace to cover the 10 yard distance with some velocity. However, the back pass ran out of steam after about two yards. The forward said, "Thank you very much!" and finished strong for 2 - 2. Things looked dismal for the home side, as they gave up a two goal lead for the 2nd game in a row. But only a couple of minutes later Huerta spotted Shim up top, and sent a pass beyond the back line for Shim to run onto. Shim had a defender on her shoulder battling her every step. She held off the defender and hit a hard shot to the far post. The shot beat the gk and Santa Clara came away with the victory.
Incredible perseverance by Shim on that last goal. Maybe that will get her another stint in the next u-23 gathering... Broncos looked very good in H1 against SD and SF but seemed to lose steam across the board in H2. Hope they can keep their H1 form up for two halves against Portland this week.
Good game between two teams who went at it the whole game. My beginning- of-the-year prediction that this would be an off year for the Pilots has obviously proved erroneous. If my pick in the presidential race, Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson, fails to come thru on Tuesday, I will have to consider this an off year for me and my prognostication ability. Fingers crossed! Santa Clara's first goal was a sneaky little tap in by Weathholt early in the match off a cross by Klei. Things were looking good for the locals until a Portland player (SCU website says Frisbie, Portland says Cruz) received the ball with nothing between her and the goal except the entire Santa Clara defense. What ensued was either a great play by the Portland player or a horrible play by the SCU back line, and a Portland goal resulted. After watching the World Series confusion as to whether the sweep was the result of great play by the Giants or horrible play by the Tigers, I think this was a great play by Portland. But the Broncos had an excellent play of their own on their second goal. Huerta and Johnston did a nice give and go, and Johnson beat a defender in front of her and finished strong for 2 - 1 at the half. Things were going smoothly in the 2nd half until Jerry outsmarted himself and moved Johnston back into central defense. Not that Johnston is a bad defender but this move disrupts both the defense and the midfield. One aspect of defending is keeping the ball away from the goal, which SCU can do much better with Johnston in midfield. At any rate, for the 2nd game in a row, Santa Clara lost the lead after "strengthening" our defense by moving Johnston back. Portland played a ball behind the defense, Tostanowski came out sliding but Portland got a touch just before and the ball rebounded of the keeper into the middle of the field at the top of the box. Portland was able to score on the open goal and the game was knotted 2 all. And that was how it ended. The other mistake Jerry made, which was so obvious in o/t, was the offense played with one hand tied behind their back the entire game. SCU needs to find another offensive player who can make a meaningful contribution other than running up and down the field. Somebody with some skill and heart and a desire to put the ball in the back of the net. I think they have such a player(s). But Jerry only seems to value the ability to run. But you can see what the players on the field value by where they pass the ball, which is leaving the Broncos with a big chunk of the attacking third going unused because players don't really consider it an attractive option.
I thought Johnston was so incredibly outstanding in midfield last night, it's not surprising the coach would think she can do anything. I was surprised to see her in the back line, but was thinking she was moved back there after some hard knocks to recover a little and maybe avoid some marking. As usual, I had one eye on all my kids, so I missed a lot, but I did see that she looked to be in tears, or close to it. At one point I thought she had been moved to a forward position - does anyone know? Again, missing so much with keeping tabs on my little darlings. When she jumped into the goal box to try to save that 2nd Portland goal, I thought, "I guess she's going to play every position on the field tonight..." That was an unfortunate moment for the broncos - does anyone know how that will affect tournament hopes/location? Also, does anyone know if Lexi the GK is transferring? I don't think she is a senior.
Well I agree with SCUFantastic, it's pretty hard to beat a good team when you play the whole game a man down as we did last night...as I've said before this team will not go far in tourney without Speidel on the field playing with confidence...she is a difference maker but Jerry seems enamored with a certain zombie player who wasn't even subbed out once last night...I wonder what the other girls are thinking as its obvious the favoritism/bad judgement is costing big time. Mama...yes JJ was moved/moving around tactically as situation dictated
Well, right now SCU is sitting as the #7 seed, you might drop to 8 just for playing St. Mary's, which means they will probably meet in the round of 8. Lots can happen before then. there are three games SCU has to win before then (and Stanford. They have gone out in the quarters as the #1 team in the country to a #8 seed to be un-named) And if you expect to win it, that kind of competition will come eventually. There is no easy road. Good luck!
Oops! What I meant was, they could get by them. It's even happened in recent history : ) The road would still be tough, but I'm not discounting anyone at this point.