The game tomorrow evening looks to be fine assuming you can deal with 20% chance of showers. The Sunday Georgetown game is more likely to be affected.
Really Hoping the Georgetown Game get's played. Huricane should be gone come Sunday. It'll depend on how much water get's dumped on the field.
Weather's fine here in College Park, though there was a non-Irene thunderstorm headed this way when I checked the radar an hour or so ago. Meanwhile, Maryland has already given up on their Sunday game and put it off until Monday.
0-0 at the end of regulation, which fairly reflects the game. Stanford dominated the first half but couldn't put the ball in. Maryland did likewise for most of the second, though as the half wore on it got more even. It really seemed like a personality transplant at halftime: Stanford had all the attacking ideas early, while Maryland didn't have a clue. Then Stanford couldn't do anything for a while - including at one point getting the ball past their own 18. Feel as if the game could go either way (or neither) in overtime.
Still 0-0 after overtime. Upon reflection, Stanford had the better chances on the whole - including three "how did that not go in the net?" moments - but couldn't put them away.
Watched the game on "Terps TV." Stanford dominated possession in the first half. Maryland looked absolutely horrible. Their first touch and inability to connect passes in the first half had me thinking perhaps the field hockey team had shown up, thrown on soccer uniforms and trotted out onto the pitch. They looked disorganized, intimidated, and completely out of sorts. Stanford had several good looks, a few of which really tested Maryland's goalkeeper, but obviously no shots went in. As the game went on, particularly in the second half, Stanford looked more and more listless and their ball control game started getting sloppy. By the end of regulation, the Terps were putting together some really good chances and the Cardinal was lucky they didn't slip one in. I realize Maryland is ranked #4 but I was thoroughly unimpressed with their game. Other than some exceptional athletes, particularly Spencer and Brooks, their attack lacked sophistication. Stanford should have put this game away 3-0 and instead come out with a 0-0 draw for their efforts.
Anyone know how bad the injury to Rachel Quon is? Man, this season is not starting off well in terms of staying healthy...
I agree that Maryland seemed pretty clueless when they had the ball - at least in the first half - but they played very tough, pesky defense then and throughout. That and a couple of Balogun saves kept them in the game.
Showed up at G'town under a brilliant blue sky with puffy clouds to find the game postponed till tomorrow...I assume to save the pitch, which must be soaked. The first warning sign was a woman wearing a "Stanford Sailing" T-shirt, walking away from North Kehoe Field looking grumpy....won't be able to attend the Monday game, but the students are coming back so maybe there will be a crowd.
A droopy day at Cagan didn't spoil the fun for Cardinal fans, as Stanford mowed the clawless Wildcats. Ok, the Cardinal also thumped Penn State, another Big Ten team, but the Nittany Lions are a real team. Northwestern is not very good at all and I won't be surprised if they are this year's conference doormat. The game was still fun to watch because even though the team wasn't at full strength, everyone seemed committed to the team-oriented and free-flowing style that is becoming this year's trademark. I don't know if they can succeed with so many starters on the dry dock, but credit the whole squad (and to my surprise coach PR too) for managing an easy game with style and composure. Last year, CP would have probably scored 25 goals on this Northwestern side, but only because she would have taken 300 shots and her own teammates out of the game. But this group seems committed to making it happen as a team. CU and LT may have been a little too selfish at times, but not to the point of wrecking the team's overall movement and pace. I loved the bookend goals: TN's first strike may have been my favorite, creating space for herself with the ball glued to her feet and unleashing a 20 yard cross shot with LT-like gusto. And TM's header at the end: She corkscrewed her neck to finish with fantastic technique and precision. Except for CU's left footed loft from the top of the box (also very nice but not nearly as sophisticated as the other two), the other goals were basically cleanup detail to very sloppy defending. Green lights to the backline and midfield, except KZ. AG and TN, in particular, were superb. They, along with an efficient NW holding the fort in the middle, made me forget that MN wasn't on the pitch. TN was particularly good. If she gets the ball with space and raises her head, we're in for a treat. I've always thought that she's at her best as master puppeteer and when her teammates run the game through her. A couple of sidenotes about the backline: MT had a wonderful day, but she may have a hard time holding her ground against faster forwards. PR may have to move CL to the middle if KR isn't back for the Notre Dame match (I saw her in a boot), but that would work only if RQ can play. The left side looked good both with flat-footed AC and fleet-footed NG. Yellow lights, though, to KZ and the front line. KZ is problematic. I do see why PR has her in the mix, after all she's relentless and energetic, a strong presence. But she's a mess with the ball at her feet. The question is, can anyone else step up as the third middie? AD looks great when she gets some space, but she is still too weak and slow in tight spaces. The other subs are just as slow, so I think my choice for third mid right now is NW. On to the top, which I thought was the weakest of the three lines. LT and CU were off their game, continuously losing possession and missing passing opportunities. And SP was lost in her lane. Except for TM, the subbies weren't any better. In fact, I thought TM was the best forward today, with great off-ball movement and high quality decisions. I suspect that she will be in the mix more and more. I already have my tickets in the new section for next Friday's match. I hope that against a much more sophisticated and physical Notre Dame team, PR will continue to trust this group's commitment to composed and free flowing soccer, although the team will probably have a hard time succeeding if RQ, KR and MN don't recover in time.
Stanford 6 – 0 Northwestern Stanford mauled the Wildcats despite missing four starters, six total, to injury. It was still a bit foggy at kickoff, and the Card were in a bit of a fog themselves in the first 10-15 minutes. Little to no movement up front, little to no passing between the front-runners, no diagonal runs, no patterns to goal, always checking back to the middies. Cami takes off with the ball and the forward in front of her doesn’t make runs to pull defenders out of her way, essentially blocking Cami’s running lanes and not providing a passing channel. Rat has a LOT of work to do with the crew up front, I suggest Doll up front, more on that later. T seemed to be getting tired of the quagmire in front of her, so she took off with the ball herself, and launched a rocket from about 25 yards out. Card 1-0. anyone else notice how as T was going back to restart at the center circle advising a forward, perhaps about the subtleties of positioning? As if to prove her point, T knocked in the 2nd goal just five minutes later. It was courtesy of Chioma’s shot that just kissed the inside post, bounced out about a yard, and T was the only Stanford player within 20 yards of goal. Perhaps Rat should play T up front. With less than a minute to go, Maddie scores her 1st collegiate goal when the ball clipped her heel. It was really great to see her get a goal in her first-ever career start. She was so happy that she forgot that she was shifted to a d-mid position as she lined up in a 5-back set. lol Looks like she’ll be playing a lot more with Kendall’s chronic foot injury. Gotta work harder at it though, because next year, if Maya Theuer heals from her ACL, the best defensive CB prospect since Buehler. For me, Maya was the best player on a very talented U-15 squad that scrimmaged a Stanford squad that had O’Hara and Press, and she won her battles with them. The only other 15-year-old defender that impressed me like that was Buehler. I’m not going to anoint her Stanford’s future best defender ever, I’ll leave it to my esteemed colleague wowow. HT Stanford 3-0. H2 would start ominously for the visitors. LT scored off a rebound when Chioma’s cheeky backheel was cleared off the line. Like the great poacher that she is, LT will be in position inside the PA. Her running mates just need to supply her with balls. Chioma scored a beautiful left-footed curler from an acute angle about 25 yards out. McCann finished the scoring with a beautiful textbook header, uncoiling from her core. Shots total of 36-4 flattered to deceive. At best, it was 31-2. Some frosh may have more extensive credentials, but the one with best first touch is Lo’eau. Size and speed may not be ideal, but her touch and her forward pass completion rate among the mids is eclipsed only by T. instinctively knows how to make space for herself, has good positioning and spatial sense, and knows where her teammates are. Bottom line, she knows how to move the team forward. at this point, I’d have her come off the bench first over Doll. Doll is still trying to find her place in the team and in the midfield. Don’t know if it’s the style of play and/or the pace of the college game that doesn’t bring out her potential. The inconsistency of linking play to the forwards is troubling. Has the shooting accuracy of a blunderbuss. The one thing that she does very well is to take the ball to the endline, creating space for her teammates, and giving her options to center a pass, or toe the ball across the endline, or create a CK. At this point, I would start Doll over Sydney, since Doll has shown that she can consistently create space for her teammates with the ball at her feet. To UNC lurkers, Reilly Parker was at the game. Don’t worry, she was wearing a UNC tee. Having seen 4.5 games [saw the entire MD game & H1 of G-town online], it seems that the Card are creating chances and doing well. I have to say though, that none of these previous opponents are legit title contenders and will be nothing like a powerful ND team that will roll into town on Friday. Got my reserved tickets, at $20@, cost me an arm and a leg. Hope those Recaro seats recline, with lumbar support and come with 2 cold drinks that has those quaint toothpick umbrellas. Gotta say I love the noon kickoff. Got to do more things back home, put a couple of tri-tip roasts on the grill while lounging about in the pool having a couple of those, you know, quaint umbrella drinks. Summer has finally come to the Bay Area. I suggest that Stanford move up the traditional 1300 kickoff to noon or even 1100, or play on Sunday nights. Who’s with me? See you all Friday.
It looks as if the Friday night games are completely sold out? Anyone know whether there are tickets held back that will be sold at the gate on Friday? If not, any thoughts on how to find a ticket? Thanks!
We obviously made a bad bet by walking out during suspended play. When we left, the Cardinal were in deep trouble, so they should thank the weird weather for pressing the pause button on an impressive Notre Dame show. Stanford did have a couple of chances in the first 10 minutes, but the run of play was mostly under Irish control. Notre Dame is a fantastic team and made Stanford look...slow!!! Their transitional speed and sustained shape is one-of-a-kind. I did wonder if they would be able to sustain it for 90 minutes. Apparently not and I am sorry to have missed the dramatic and exciting turn of events in the second half against a really, really good team. A great result, but the first half was spotty: The good: Flank play and distribution. RQ was surprisingly sharp after being out three weeks. The bad: Unlike RQ, KR wasn't sharp coming back from injury, arriving late to challenges and very, very rusty on the ball. Lucky for her the Irish were in forgiving mode, but getting back to form is a must. MN also seemed a wee bit off in her return to play, and her lack of speed was exposed in the Notre Dame transitions. But it wasn't all her fault: The frontline lost too many balls to count and cost the team the run of play over and over. With bad or untimely decisions and sloppy footwork, the three forwards caused many of the transitional problems MN endured. I wonder if PR would consider tinkering with the formation against faster teams to protect MN a little more in transition. The ugly: Finishing chances in the first 10 minutes. I missed the fun part last night, so I look forward to seeing this increasingly endearing team keep its momentum when it faces a very attractive and dangerous UC Irvine squad tomorrow afternoon.
hmmm wowow, strange. I feel like we were watching two different games. haha. Stanford still managed to move the ball around quickly. their speed of play in possession was still impressive as they did keep it for most of the time. However, they definitely were pinned back (in D 3rd and mid) much more than we are used to seeing. that's for sure. Still looked confident, just not quite as feverishly attacking the final 3rd as usual. ND definitely made things more difficult and looked very dangerous when they did get their chances and they did create a few at such a quick pace. but the game was actually quite a back n forth, exciting affair in the first half. two amazing teams for sure! It was actually in the second half that I was afraid Stanford was going to fall apart as ND really put on the heat and start doubling up like crazy and Stanford was having a hard time getting out of D 3rd at times. Actually looked disheveled and lacked their normal graces out of the back on more than a few occasions. ND's goal was brilliantly set up---the final pass to that final run in the box (that was missed by the back line) was spot on. Luckily for Stanford, Taylor is just AWESOME and too much to handle! Her goal made many gasp at her audacity for taking it so deep, but it was AMAZING! highlight reel stuff! And, overall, the girls managed to pull it out for the exciting finish as Nogueira came through with another header on goal in the last two minutes i believe. But i'm not sure what was more entertaining...her goal or her celebration after. actually scratch that. the celebration was definitely more entertaining! It was also fun to see Cami Levin pushed up as she was even more ambitious in her attacking ways and needed to be further up. Good move Ratcliffe! And, you're right. it didn't even look like Kwon was ever off. She's so quietly consistent and reliable, I love it. oh and HOW FAST is Chioma?!?!?! wow. Going to be an fun year!
haha oops. i knew who RQ was and i still managed to spell her name wrong. embarrassing. lol also, I was impressed with UCI too. not so much Santa Clara. wow. what happened to them? But yes, UCI game should be interesting. sad i'm going to miss it.
I thought #3 did a solid job stepping in late and didn't really put a foot wrong and enabled Levin to move up on the pitch. Honestly, I didn't feel they grasped more 'control' as much as they just looked more lively, which helped. Their sense of urgency was amped up. As far as the players that had the greatest impact, I think the real difference was actually made by the starters late on.
Stanford rolled up its sleeves in the second half to grind out a well-earned win against a very organized UC Irvine team. The Anteaters tried to rope-a-dope the game to a tie, and the strategy worked for 70 minutes. But once they gave up one goal, their whole structure toppled. The two goals had very high degrees of difficulty and it's not surprising they came from Stanford's two most technical players. CU continues to amaze fans and kill opponents with her magical left foot. Her finish was superb, and I loved the off-ball movement by three teammates around her, which distracted defenders and gave CU space to move the ball to striking position. TN's goal was totally different but just as impressive. As the ball ricocheted off the head of a defender, I muttered to myself "She better settle the ball after the bounce because if she tries to volley it, the ball girls will have to go chase that one all the way to Stanford Stadium." So what does TN do? Volley the ball on the bounce and somehow put it in the upper v. Geez. Green lights: In the back, AG, RQ and a surprisingly effective AC were very solid. In the middle, NW, CL and TN provided very nice transitional support. I understand TN and CL also lined up next to each other in the second half of the Notre Dame game, with good results, so I wouldn't be surprised to see CL move into that role during Oktoberfest, especially if AC continues to impress in the back. The frontline's contributions mostly came from the substitutes, especially MHG and NG. Yellow lights: In the back, AG was very nervous coming off her line, KR made me look bad again and MT was too weak and tentative. Clearly, the second CB position is a work in progress. In the middle, MN's distribution wasn't quite there this weekend, AD was too weak again and KZ was ...KZ. The frontline was MIA and needed adrenaline shots from MHG and NG to get going. CU was static and invisible, except for her two creative plays in the second half. SP appeared in spurts and was technically inconsistent, but man is she fast. And LT had a stinker. She was off from the get-go and only made things worse for her by trying to do too much with the ball, taking CP-like shots from 250 yards out. The coaches should teach her how to simplify things when the game isn't going her way, because she tends to do the opposite and that just makes things worse for everyone. Altogether a very successful weekend. I look forward to seeing the team on TV vs. Portland on Thursday and live vs. Santa Clara on Sunday. Two more big challenges against very solid teams.
What a weekend! Mounting a fightback against Notre Dame and figuring out themselves against UCI! Had to leave the stadium during the lightning delay but came back alone to finish the game. $20 seats were not worth it. Sightlines are poor, much like Spartan Stadium. I'd rather pay $20 to stand at the terraces, where the sightlines are so much better. Notre Dame are a very good team. What they do have done consistently well every time I see them play is their play in the hole. Their pivot player can consistently find space between the defense and the mids, it doesn't help that Stanford mids as a group are very slow. In fact, that's how we gave up a goal. As Rat was exhorting his players to cover against the short CK, the coverage was slow, allowing the player to whip a cross into the box. The free header was also inexcusable. I mean, how could you not mark their best player? The only answer we had to their pivot play was for alina to literally step up and thwart the threat, as the mids were mostly late in transition. Best hole play in the country, for at least the last 10 years I've seen ND play. Close-quarters combat is ND's bread-&-butter, they slash you from the top of the arc, and can consistently bring in at least 5 players to the attack. ND plays better than their record. I wouldn't want to face this team in the playoffs. Their ability to hold the ball at the top of the arc and play in the hole will dismantle most teams, and that's why they consistently shot lights out parallel to that 18-yard goal. Credit to the team for finding a way to win with 10 minutes left. What a stirring fightback, bringing back memories of that memorable home game against UNC 3 years ago. This game could have gone either way, I'm glad the team found a way to win. The UCI game saw a lot of fatigue - both physical and mental. The frontline were not sharp, static, just waiting for the ball, no movement, no playing balls between each other. Rat's big with patterns to goal up front, and this crew just don't do it. Whether or not he will do something about it remains to be seen. Chioma's goal - she singlehandedly shuffled across the top of the PA, how 4 defenders couldn't touch her, I don't know, so she feathered a ball to the right upper corner. T's goal sealed the win, as she proudly displayed the letters of her jersey to the appreciative crowd. 2 wins this weekend were good, but the team can still see a lot of improvement. Team speed is the slowest since the 2005 edition. There is no separation threat from the top. Chioma may eventually develop into wowow's Stanford's best player ever, but she looks human running with the ball at her feet, and clearly is not a consistent finisher. Saw Kodi Lavrusky play this summer, the best finisher running at top speed since O'Hara, will lead the line next year. For Chioma, they need to lead the ball to space in front of her, and not to her feet. That's how they got the most out of Ali Riley. The only player that can consistently provide separation and penetration with the ball at ther feet is Cami, and she plays in the back. Cami is the clear MVP for me this weekend. T provides penetration up the middle with the ball at her feet, but the frontrunners don't consistently run with her, and she is not a burner. Q is not as effective an attacker on the left, and her lingering injury is clearly still affecting her. The key is if/for Natalie can develop further this season, she has the wheels to create separation whether she plays up top or as leftback. You can see ND has no respect for our team speed with their backline consistently playing high. Props to them for recognizing that, they would not have dared doing that if O'Hara was still playing. Will watch the Portland game on TV, and will be at Santa Clara on Sunday.
On Thursday night, the team displayed its outstanding possession on national TV against Portland and dismantled the Pilots on their home turf. Accolades to TN were highly deserved for pulling the strings and running the show. On TV she was clearly the best player on the pitch and it was nice to see FSC recognize a playmaking mid rather than the usual forward. Stanford tried the same formula at Santa Clara last night in front of a loud student section, but the task proved more difficult. As usual, coach JS outfoxed coach PR at the beginning of the game by man-marking TN and MN. The result for the Cardinal was predictable: total chaos. TN's off-ball movement opened up spaces for KZ, but that exposed KZ's limitations: she doesn't see things and has a very hard time on the ball. She's a great workhorse, but don't ask her to pull strings. Coach PR took too long to make the obvious adjustment and when he did CL used the acres of open space to quickly punish the Broncos. After Stanford's tactical adjustment, Santa Clara could no longer afford to leave CL open, so coach JS retreated to his regular zone defense. But that exposed his dilemma: TN was freed up to mastermind the offense the rest of the game. And then the difference in the quality of the personnel kicked in, mainly in the middle of the field. In fact, the two goals were orchestrated by CL and TN, respectively. I was somewhat disappointed with the second half performance, though, especially with the Cardinal frontline, which wasted a ton of scoring opportunities with sloppy and selfish finishing. The Broncos were lucky because the game could have been a blowout, but the Cardinal forwards took the foot off the gas. On a side note, I was disappointed that one of my former players didn't get any minutes, I think she could have helped. Green lights to starters EO, AG, RQ, CL, MN, TN, and subbies MHG and AC. Both MHG and AC are making strong cases for themselves when CL plays as the third middie. EO, AG and RQ held the fort very nicely, and CL played better in the middle than in the back. Her passing, vision and playmaking aren't anywhere close to TN's, but she has more bite, gets stuck in and wins balls. She is also a much better offensive outlet than KZ. Yellow lights to starters KR, KZ, SP, CU and LT, and subbies MT, NW, AD and NG. Just when I am ready to double down on my prediction about KR developing into the best defender ever, she stabs my heart with one boneheaded pass after another. I still say let her grow...and take her to the weight room. Of the three starting forwards, only CU played a half decent game. She did set up the second goal and had a couple of nice plays in the second half, but her finishing was atrocious. LT was invisible and I was wondering if she is hurt or just unfit. SP was the most interesting contributor in the front, despite having the most limited technical skillset of all starters. MT, NW and AD struggled with speed of play, and didn't contribute anything to the game, while NG was more energetic than she was effective. It will be interesting to see how coach PR juggles the formation going forward. I understand why he values KZ's role on the field, but I think that she will continue to struggle technically and tactically. The question is: can AC keep up, especially against a three man front line, freeing CL to move up? The other question is what the front-line rotation should look like and I'm still scratching my head about that one. Overall, the team is playing very fun-to-watch soccer and managing games with great proficiency. I hope they continue to improve through conference play, which starts on Friday night against the Arizona Wildcats.
Always fun to see what Jerry will come up with. He's a brilliant coach. SCU was really running the show early on with their successful man-marking strategy. The Broncos had more possession and some decent looks at the goal. Credit to the Stanford defense for putting up a pretty solid brick wall. While there were a few breakdowns as Wowow pointed out, teamwork enabled them to maintain the shutout. I'm impressed with this team's amazing overall talent level. A bit disappointed with how little this squad of strikers works together. Hard to complain during an undefeated season but it feels like Stanford could actually score far more goals if they established better chemistry up front. Moving Levin up to mid showed me Rad can counter Smith which is refreshing considering how difficult the Cardinal found it to score on SCU in last season's two games vs. the Broncos.