I also remember watching Jaelin Howell video montages. I knew she was highly ranked and had lots of age group NT experience. I could tell she had good ball skills. What I didn't pick up was just how physical she could be. She has exceeded my expectations. Maybe Taylor, or Paige, or Alexandra can really surprise us. We won't know until at least August.
Honestly Tom, I only from opinions on players Ive actually seen multiple times in person. In the right role JH is fine. She needs to be on a team creative enough to allow her to do what she does.
You've made that back handed compliment a couple of times. Exactly what does she not do well for a holding MFer? Who would you take over her in the current game?
Its not backhanded. Im realizing that unless you say something like - ABC is the best player ive ever seen its somehow seen as negative. Did you watch JH play for the U17s in the WC 2 years ago? Or the U20 WC ? Does not look like the same player she does at FSU. Has she improved some? Yes. is it mostly tactical and how she is asked to fill her role? Yes. I think JH is a very good CDM but an average CM .
JH is as good a CMF as any in college soccer. As a freshman, was best player at College Cup. Do you watch any player play for YNT program? The entire leadership, coaching and scout system is a joke and full of under qualified people with no vision, knowledge or feel for the sport. All the YNT players, whether or not they belong at that level in the first place, fail to reach their potential under current YNT regime.
G44, I'm no expert, and admittedly I do not pour over hours of other teams' games, so I can't say I've seen all the best Holding MFers (CMF) out there. I can say, that in all the games FSU has played no CMF has stuck out to me the way JH did the latter part of the year. Players who buy in to what Mark and his excellent staff teach, really do become better soccer players. JH is just one example! She has not reached her ceiling. I would be shocked if she doesn't end up on the USWNT as a permanent player at some point in the next few years. As an addendum, I'll say that IMO FSU had the best back line and midfield in the nation at year's end. I still remember Tierna Davidson's run from the back up the middle of FSU's defense last year in SU's victory. This year MB and NK did that to other teams repeatedly. Anson acknowledged stopping MB was key to beating FSU.
Some logic, she struggled at youth WCs and because of that she currently is slightly improved but still average?
some reading comprehension. I DIDNT SAY SHE IS AVERAGE. I said she is a VERY GOOD CDM average CM .. Why dont people read ? Because they are so desperate to create an argument or a distortion to fuel the agenda they have.
SO what s your point ? That the YNT used her incorrectly? Yes I agree. She is not a CM..she is a CDM. Here we go again with the best ever stuff.. i find it funny that we cannot have an objective discussion about a player without ridiculous superlatives.
I disagree. She is a very good destroyer. She fouls quite a bit (the refs in college don't punish this as much as in international and professional play). She plays really, really simply and she is no where near Fleming, Zhao, Pinto or numerous other extremely technical CM's. She is a good athlete though.
Fleming, Zhao And I believe pinto are attacking midfielders. Jaelin is an ideal holding midfielder in my opinion. She reads the offense very well and cuts off passes forward with regularity. She is physical enough to deal with big forwards. She is fast enough to cut off pace players and fast enough to counter attack. And she reads the game very well. She is excellent in the air. She gets her head on the ball on corner kicks more frequently than any other player on our team or the other team. She is not an attacking midfielder. That is truly not her skill set. As a holding midfielder, She is ideal in my opinion. She is just a freshman people. At FSU, and I suspect other top programs, players make a nice leap forward between year 1 and year 2. Zhao Would be wholly inadequate at holding midfielder, but has a chance to be very special as an attacking midfielder. It is no coincidence that with Howell in front of the back line, the best offenses in the nation were held scoreless
All these initials confuse me at times. At FSU Mark usually has 4 on Back line (not incl GK) 2 Central defenders (NK and MB) 2 wide defenders/Full backs? (KP and GC) 1 holding midfielder (?CDM?) Jaelin. 2 wide midfielders (?CM?) Lynch and Tillman most of the year. Gloriana took over for KL after injury. OB and MC and AP come in as needed. 1 attacking midfielder Zhao, GV and DC and AP even subbed here. 2 Forwards, Deyna and KM and DD, although Deyna frequently played like a second AMF much of the time. IT was like DC an YZ were twin AMFs. As I noted above, Jaelin is a superb HMF. She would only be average at the other 2 midfield spots IMO. Then again, Deyna or Yujie would not make good HMFers either. Some players are flexible enough to play all three at a high level. Most, including ours, are not. At FSU the defense wins nattys. Next year's defense has only one hole to fill, although it's a big one. Anticipate a great D once again. Who fills Nat's place? Emily, GAbby, Kirsten P? a freshman, Anna ?
This year it felt like we were playing a 4-5-1 (starting from backline going forward) I can't recall a time when Mark didn't play a 4 person flat backline (though the wings would then to be a bit ahead of the centrals usually). "Flat" as opposed to a generally out-of-style sweeper/stopper formation (though google Fabio Cannavaro to see the sweeper played brilliantly). Much easier to coordinate an offsides trap with a flat line, obviously. I'd say we played a sort of 1-3-1, maybe 1-2-2 midfield formation, though a very amorphous one, with JH always being the 1 (unless subbed). Deyna usually being the furthest forward, though with less certainty than Jaelin on always being there. It's probably more usual to refer to Jaelin's position as a defensive midfielder(DM, CDM) than a holding midfielder, though essentially the same. When we'd go to the 1-3-1, you'd probably label the mids as CDM / LMF, CM, RMF / AMF , with the slashes separating divisions up the field.
Yes. Because i think she is. You twisted it to suggest i called her average period. I did not. I said she was a very good CDM
Got it. And I agree. Jaelin would be an average center midfielder, although I don’t think she ever played that at Florida State. As a CDM, I think she is one of the very best in college right now!
Heard an interview with Howell last week and she mentioned that 3 freshmen are enrolling in the spring, I wonder which ones?
Mark Krikorian does as good a job as anyone in College soccer at putting his players in roles teh can succeed at. I watched Zhaos body language and at times she was visibly upset to be taken out of games, but it was best for the team. On the flipside, Swanson does as good a job as any coach at teaching his players and living thru their mistakes to make them better players. They are different skills but both admirable. Players like Latsko and Ratcliffe were dismissed and are now decent pros. Its all about what you want from a College coach. Most fans want Kirkorian, a guy who wins titles. I get that. Out if interest, who was the last FSU player to go on to big things in the NWSL or a National team ?
I honestly don't keep up with the NWSL. Casey Short is the only national teamer. When it comes to foreign national teams, I believe a partial list would include Dagny Brynjarsdottir, ?Berglind Thorvaldsdottir?, Emma Koivisto?, Janice Cayman, Megan Campbell, Deyna Castellanos, Gloriana Villalobos. I'm probably forgetting some. Natalia Kuikka On the current team, I believe Jaelin will make it. I think Gabby from Canada may make it in the future. I also think Yujie will make it for China. I think Malia Berkely and Emily Madril (out with injury this year) have the potential. I think the physical style of play took a toll on Zhao. She's going to have to get in even better shape next year. She was gassed in the natty game.