NCAA Tournament 2007 (R)

It was hard for me to root for either...a school full of spoiled kids getting a mediocre education cheered on by the most egotisitcal fans ever, OR one of the worst academic institutions in the country...basically an athletic factory funded by the state.

So that being said, I wasn't super impressed with either team. I thought FSU would be more dangerous, but I guess a good keeper makes a world of difference. (Come on off your line and join the party ND keeper...you got beat the same way 3 times!) SC had the better defense but FSU looked tired.

My observations...totally agree on the use of the work "flank". End it.

Nice getup by Ali. Ugly shirt with mesh shorts. Classy!

The "V" sign by the players is the USC sign. Wait, V isn't short for anything and they don't have a "V" in their name. Right.

What was up with Beth making USC sound like the david vs goliath? 2 seasons ago they had the #1 recruiting class in the nation and this year's freshman were highly ranked as well. There is a lot of talent on both sides.

While neither team was my favorite, I am all for new teams making the finals and winning it. Good for the game. And all jokes aside, congrats to SC. It never gets old seeing that post-game celebration by college kids. Congrats ladies.

 

It's a worst case scenario. A nightmare. Those other years may be explained away. Loss in '03 semi, UNC the better team; loss in '04 final in PKs to ND (UCLA probably shouldn't have made it all the way to the final as it was, but could have had the title); loss in the '05 final, Portland was the better team; loss last year against a better UNC team, but a very competitive game.

But this year the title was for the taking. This year, they were the best team. They outplayed SC, but SC pulled it off despite being outshot 20-8. Now, SC wins it all.

I think UCLA fans are stunned. I don't know how the team and coaching staff handles it. It changes the dynamics in So Cal women's soccer. SC won the tournament riding a hot goalkeeper and playing basic physical soccer. It's not pretty, but congrats to them. The only positive from my standpoint is it's good for the PAC10 and west coast soccer.

 

I think it was a great game, all things considered. It did look like FSU was gassed mid-way through the 2nd period.

Random notes-
-the "V" sign is the victory sign. It is a part of USC culture and it goes with "Fight On" which they all babble to each other. It is the same as the Hook 'em Horns for UTexas.

-I like heel kicks and dummys. I saw plenty of both by FSU. I don't think FSU utilized enough 1 touch passing. It seemed the girls trapped the ball and attempted to dribble before looking for a pass. I wanted to see 2 or 3 1-touches strung together and see what happened...

-The ESPN broadcast crew was generic and boring. Why not have Julie Foudy analyze this game with JP Dellacamara doing the play-by-play? They are the best. Foudy especially.

A&M facilities/fans looked great. Very good showing by the College Station fanbase I thought.

I have no doubt FSU will be building on this success. I wonder if USC will really build on this. As was mentioned above, they have the worst collection of fans in the nation. If it isn't pigskin, they don't care, basically.

 

A look back via the ratings

Everyone is labelling this the "Year of the Upset", "completely topsy-turvy", etc., and I have to agree to a certain extent, but it's not perhaps as crazy as everone seems to think. (btw, by "upset" here, I mean a team winning at odds against of 3:2 or better as computed by A-J ratings differential - using NCAA seedings for this is ...uh ... misleading ) Certainly there were MORE than in the past, but the one constant with past years is that nobody was able to pull off more than ONE!

examples :

- Texas upsets A&M and then falls to higher rated FSU
- UConn upsets Stanford and then falls to higher rated FSU
- WVU upsets PSU and then falls to higher rated USC
- FSU upsets ND and then falls to higher rated USC
- ND's lone upset was UNC
- USC's lone upset was UCLA

The upsets combined with the seeding fiasco to make the finals a kind of out-of-the-blue matchup that would normally be considered the JV game. FSU was rated lower than SEVEN teams going in, but never had to face one until they reached the College Cup. USC was the lone West Coast heavy sent to the cream-puff Penn State regional and survived in unspectacular fashion without even having to face the hosts. Both FSU and USC were reasonably long odds to make the Cup going in, but when you consider the teams they actually wound up playing their chances were almost as good as favored UCLA's. According to the ratings, FSU's probability of surviving both Texas and UConn was about 42% with USC's probability of surviving Florida and WVU about the same. UCLA's probability of beating both UVA and Portland was about 53%. However, if you put FSU up against UVA and Portland, their survival probability is less than 15%. For USC its only 24%. You've got to give them both credit for winning the games they played (who they faced was out of their control), and USC in particular seems to have made "winning ugly" into an art form (does this mean the 4-5-1 will come into vogue? ) but it seems fair to point out that neither of them had a very steep hill to climb to get their chance due to a big helping of "luck of the draw".

 

Re: A look back via the ratings

Thank you pipsqueak for making sense out of this mess again. Very good points. This year seemed more like March Madness than any other year for women's soccer. Usually, the best team in the final four wins, or even arguably the best team period. This year, #14 plays #9 in the final. While FSU looked good against ND (a vulnerable ND team), SC finds a way to beat UCLA despite being outplayed. Just a bizarre year. NCAA football is not much different. Maybe it's global warming...

Thanks for your analyses.

 

Thanks from me, too, Pipsqueak.

Having seen a few USC games this year, I have some appreciation for their play. They do what they do quite well and I can appreciate their ability to execute. At their best, they play solid possession offense that creates some threats.

But I hope (on many levels, being a UCLA fan!) that it was a one-season aberration for them to win the championship. And many of those who were delighted to see UCLA lose will know what I mean if USC, or a team that imitates them, will continue to have this kind of success and knock out their favorite team. Because isn't it almost the kind of soccer that is driving fans of the national team nuts? Maybe not so much route one, but a relatively uncreative attack relying heavily on headers, routine crosses, set pieces. Underline that last one: set pieces.

They play very physical defense. They don't mind taking some fouls. That's how you manage, if worst comes to worst, to keep the defense organized - you organize against the set piece! They're more than happy to get into a game of set pieces if it comes down to that, set pieces for both sides. That's their strong suit. That's their game.

And the type of player that it's geared around - exactly the type of player that BigSoccer fans are moaning about being overemphasized in the national team pool - not much individual flair, but big, strong, athletic.

At a time when fans of the national team are fretting about our reliance of that type of player and fear that other countries are surpassing us in individual creativity, wouldn't it be ironic if USC Coach Ali Khosroshahin proves that "big, strong, athletic" is still the formula to winning on the college level?

 

Just got back from the Final four in College Station. First of all let me say the weather was gorgeous. I left Chicago early friday morning with falling snow and below freezing temps. When I got to Texas A&M later on that day it was above 80. Second,I was very impressed with the stadium/venues. Beautiful grass, atmosphere and the people working were friendly. And they let you go back out if you need to during the games. You hear that SAS people, if folks want to go back out to their cars or whatever and come back, let them.

Just some short impressions of the games:
ND vs. FSU
ND IMO outplayed FSU for the most part, but defensive mistakes/lapses is what outdid them. FSU put away those mistakes. I feel bad for ND kids because they were the better team.

UCLA vs. USC
I was shocked at the outcome. But I have to give USC credit they never gave up and played with a lot of heart. Did you guys see Lauren Cheney's goal? That was National Team material and I hope Pia was watching. Cheney played her heart out to get the equalizer but it was not to be. USC's goalie came up big. She smothered some huge opportunities by UCLA.

FSU vs. USC
USC goalie came up big again. I was very impressed by her. Her play in this tournament alone deserves a call up to the NATS and see what she can do. IMO she pretty much won this championship for USC even though the whole team played their hearts out and capitalized on opportunities when they had them. Congrats to USC.

There were some pretty cool fans that traveled with the teams there. I got to talk to some parents of players who read these boards. It was nice to meet you. Hope to see you again at SAS next year.

Great experience for my first time in College Station. Nice campus. But now I'm back in freezing temps, snow everywhere. sucks.

 

that's interesting, i would LOVE to be in freezing temps with snow!! i'm in the MOUNTAINS-- in eastern KY-- in December-- and it is 50+ degrees at NIGHT. urgh-!!!

 

Two things-

1- Amy Rodriguez is fantastic. She outclasses her own team.

2- That was the most boring final I've ever seen.

 

I don't know if the game was boring, it was just unimaginative. I thought the game was fun to watch from a fan's perspective, but from a soccer-lover's perspective, not so much.

On TV it looked very slow. Did it seem like this to those at the game? I felt FSU lost because every player seemed to take 2-3 extra touches before getting rid of the ball and then USC slammed into them. FSU seemed too willing to make the back pass to the central defense rather than push the ball forward (the seams were there, they just took too long to recognize them).

While the speed of play seemed very slow - USC's forwards looked very fast. Congrats to USC and Ali. I think his success with this team this year proves that JM has got to be one of the worst coaches in the women's game.

 

I thought it was exciting. I was standing by the left corner flag in the first half on FSU's attacking side and the opposite in second half and it was end to end action. Maybe if I was watching it on TV it would be different. But when you're in the "atmosphere", talking to people, listening to the band, enjoying the warm sunshine, 8 thousand people around you, hearing the ooohs and aaahs and watching the play up close you get a different perspective.

 

I'll second that. Great weather, great crowd . . . and a very competitive game. I am sure it was much, much better in person, but then what match isn't?

Now, if by "boring" you mean, "not the most attractive style of play," you might have something, at least as to USC. But this isn't ballet, it is competition, and say what you will about the aesthetics of USC's game, it is damn effective. Congrats to the Women of Troy.

Florida State plays more of the the so-called "beautiful game," but time and again FSU players passed up 23-25 yard clear shots to try to get what, maybe two yards closer, only to be closed down by well-positioned and physically strong USC defenders. I'm sure that Ali Khosroshahin knew that they would do this, and did a phenomenal job of preparing his team for a team that played a much different game than USC's semifinal opponent.

Oh well . . . Texas A&M did a great job (again) and should be commended. Top notch sports facilities everywhere you look - that place is like Disneyland for athletes!!

The worst part about the weekend was leaving 80 degrees and at least some sunshine, and arriving home to 35 degrees and light rain.

 

Exactly! In person FSU's offense was excrutiatingly slow, with no forward pressure, and too many touches to put players into position. My daughter was vey disappointed in FSU's play, especially after their game on friday. She pointed out all the missed opportunities, the same that you noted. For her, the best game was FSU vs NDU, also.

 

I had expected to see a ND vs. UCLA matchup for the championship and IMO if you look at the rosters that's who should have played for the Title. But when I saw USC never give up and they were all over the field, and then I read about how their coach ran them to death during the season to get them in peak shape I can see why they won. Often its the team that's in best shape will stay mentally alert and focused towards the late minutes of the game. They don't loose to fatigue. That IMO was the difference between UCLA and USC and of course the goalkeeping. I remember mentioning to someone standing next to me that after watching the last four or five womens soccer cups live, I have never seen a team play with more heart then USC. To go down to your rival who you have never beaten and come back to score two unanswered goals is unbelievable. When Olsen smothered the breakaway by Adams (I believe) in the second half, I was like wow, this is their game.
I do feel bad for the UCLA kids who have come so close for 4 years and not winning it. However, I feel with the group that they have now, they will get another chance. Danesha Adams will be gone, but in a wierd way that may be good for the team chemistry because IMO every time I've watched UCLA it seemed like her and Lauren Cheney never meshed well. They would get in each others way or something. Like both wanted the ball at the same time. Just my observation watching them on TV and a few games live, nothing negative intended.
I do feel that Cheney in the next couple years will become a college soccer superstar and will decide outcomes on her own. Maybe even outshining Fotopolous and Wambach's achievements at Florida.

 

i saw that there is a scouting channel on http://www.ifutbal.com/channel_detail.php?chid=2 im not sure if any college girls are featured on here. its good for young talents to get exposure though.

 

As promised photos of the final here.

Fair Game "College Cup Awards" here.

 

hahaha... love it-!

 

As others have said, it was great fun if you were there! I think all would agree that the two semi-final games were better soccer than the final. I am sure that FSU players all want a "do-over" -- they did not look like a team playing for a national championship-- they just looked out of gas . In fairness, USC played very tight defense and denied FSU their game strategy. They locked down the passing lanes and FSU could neither prevail on the field nor adapt from the sidelines. IMO, Krikorian could have made it a more interesting game to watch by switching up his tactics when it became clear that FSU could not execute against USC as they had against UND, but bottom line: FSU did not play very well and USC played very well but not very flamboyantly. I'm ok with that. Rock solid defense works for me. USC played very tight, well organized soccer against an opponent who didn't ever quite show up. USC deserves a lot of credit on a great tourney! As a fan, it was a beautiful day, and fun to watch USC carry the day on a game they very much deserved to win.