40' 0-0 UCLA presses to 27m box right, backpass to Mewis. She tries a square tap -- way too soft, never saw the Hoo coming into the lane from behind. To Brian, who sprints through midfield box left, to 20m mid-left. Diagonal out-pass just-in-time to Doniak at 16m box left. Doniak cuts centerward, shoots right instep low across the mouth -- Rowland lets it roll across, just wide left. 42' 0-0 UVa two right corners, UCLA head both clear. 2nd one #14 Smith dribbles it out, long diagonal pass knocked back but UCLA regains it. Mewis picks out #13 Rosie White facing away at 25m right post. She turns under no pressure, shoots long -- slices it wide right and high.
Watching the ucla and Virginia game and that 1st half almost put me to sleep. Lots of passing but where is the attacking. Lots of announcers talking of Brian's cerebral passing and two teams possessing well -boring. Take a defender on and go to goal for God's sake. Funny that Foudy mentions Anson Dorrance would be screaming for someone to make a bone crushing takle.
Yeah, this match is beyond boring. The first match should have been played second. Also, as with FSU, I don't see what the big deal is about UVA. Those UCLA girls seem fairly tall.
Interesting comments. I think this is some of the highest level soccer I've seen this year. I think both teams are awesome. I hope UVA wins. Their possession is beautiful. I also like both coaches. I wish this were the finals.
With the ucla speed once in a while they need to play a long ball over the top - have to try something different some times.
There are many small battles on flanks, in the middle, Virginia is probing excellent UCLA defense all the time - they just can't find the hole. I like it from UVa, but I think UCLA is a little bit intimidated, don't know why they do not attack more with their phenomenal speed. I like the game.
47' 0-0 UVa gk, UCLA win it at circle top. Smith picks it up at 25m center, dribbles diagonally to box top arc right vs. close pressure. Chips a cross to mid-left, misses a lunging 1-v-1 header high -- but drops to Lavrusky racing inward from box top left. She heads it wide and over. 48' 0-0 UCLA chips over the top, but LB Dydasco offside. 49' 0-0 UCLA win a left throw-in just behind midfield. Jenkins dribbles hard down wide left, UVa seem content to guard her tightly and prevent any combo play. Jenkins runs out of field, gk. So far it seems like UVa waits, pings too much, loses it, and UCLA hoof long, run alone, and lose it.
51' 0-0 UVa work ball to 22m mid-right. Doniak weaves through UCLA's lines on a solo run -- stolen by Dahlkemper(?) stepping forward. Wide pass lets Smith run on. But still behind midfield, she has no support higher than her, and loses it. 52' 0-0 UVa right throw-in past midfield. They work ball to 24m center, probe to box left, back to Brian at centerline. She shoots long, too soft, Rowland steps out to 6-top to fair-catch it. Neither team's off-ball players can beat the wide defender enough to create a diagonal threat for a thru-ball. I think this ESPNU pbp guy is wrong on the NCAA subs: he says in 1H, you cannot re-enter, but we've been doing that all year.
55' 0-0 UCLA fouls. UVa fk just past midfield circle left, #12 Shasta Fisher sails it high to 4m right post beyond the scrum, Rowland catches. 56' 0-0 UCLA fouls at midfield wide left. UCLA fouls again, yellow card on #7 Jenna Richmond. 57' 0-0 UVa fk, short. Cross into box, cleared. UVa maintain siege, win a right throw-in at 12m. UCLA clear ball back to midfield, UVa reload. Now UVa's backline are switching under no pressure at midfield, as UCLA sits back. 58' 0-0 UCLA get it at their box top left, but cannot clear. UVa pass to Doniak facing away at 19m box right. She spins centerward, takes two steps and shoots hard left foottop rising across mouth -- sails wide left and high.
60' 0-0 #16 Sonnet slides across to clear a thru-ball, clips Smith down en passant. brb -- huuuge upset brewing in the FSU-Florida wvb ... FSU bounces it hard, 13-8 in the 5th and an ace!
there's only been 8 fouls total so far and there's only 26 min left. 27 fouls in the last game and another 5-6 the ref could have called on FSU, but ...
64' 0-0 UCLA right corner, to 3m center. Stearns catches it high amidst much traffic. 65' 0-0 UVa right throw-in at midfield. Switch left under no pressure. LB Menchel goes up the left. UVa take Courtnall down wide left, lose it over. 66' 0-0 UVa pass long to Smith at 30m box right. Her soft diagonal pass centerward intercepted by a retreating defender. 67' 0-0 UCLA regain the bounce, #6 Kaskie takes on a 1-v-1 at 19m mid-left, shoots low hard left post, Stearns smothers it well.
69' 0-0 RB Courtnall intercepts behind midfield right touch, sprints upfield through midfield box right, not stopped to box arc right. One touch too many, loses her shot window. Taps square to 17m mid-left, #2 Alvarado shot blocked point-blank. UCLA fouled. 70' 0-0 UCLA fk at 20m mid-left, Killion blasts it to 1/3 left 1/2 high, Stearns flies sideways and double-punches it over the bar. 72' 0-0 UCLA pressing at midfield. UVa backline up to midfield, win a throw-in. Comedy: UVa throw-in backward, and a 2nd ball gets tossed onto the field.
72' 0-0 UVa backline clang ball away, UCLA clang it back. 73' 0-0 UCLA settle at 30m box left. Flick centerline to Smith or Jenkins, shot blocked. 73' 0-1 UVa chips from midfield left touch to 35m box left. Dahlkemper backshields Doniak and chases ball down, stumbles, recovers (-- or does she?), taps a backpass. Ball dies in the grass!! Doniak, chasing, is in alone. Rowland comes way out past box top, slides to box arc top mid-(her)-right. Doniak rounds Rowland, chases to box top arc right, shoots into the empty net, back right low.
76' 0-1 UCLA cross misses. LB #3 Dydasco chases it down at left touch, down to endline but cross shanked over. 77' 0-1 UCLA hoof down into left corner for a 1-v-2, but with advantage. UVa put it over. 77' 0-1 UCLA left corner, headed across, drops to Killion at 6m mid-right. She shoots low toward left post, Sonnet sticks a foot out and clears it. 78' 0-1 UCLA threads to Mewis at 25m arc right. She fires a low pass to White facing away at box top arc left. Perfect backshield-and-spin-cw gravitationally ejects her defender and puts her cleanly into box top. White shoots -- high.
79' 0-1 Brian leads a surge to 20m mid-right. Tries a dink square pass instead of just pulling the howitzer, intercepted. 80' 0-1 UCLA surge frantically into the 1/3. Long backpass(?), Stearns blasts it upfield. 80' 0-1 Courtnall shoots from 25m arc right, curves wide right. 81' 0-1 Coach Cromwell on the sidelines, holding up 5-and-3 fingers.
82' 0-1 UCLA dig ball out of their left corner, switch right. Longball drops over Fisher-v-Jenkins through box top mid-right. Fisher slide-kicks ball into right touch. UCLA right throw-in, cleared toward the flag. UCLA backshields, but ball stays above the flag -- 2nd deep throw-in. UCLA chips from box top, high to 6-top -- Stearns comes out but it's a 50-50. Ball bounces crazily to box top arc left, Smith heads it toward empty net -- wide right, Stearns sidesteps beyond her left post and gathers. 84' 0-1 UCLA hoof a long bouncer, UVa let it bounce and escort it 2-v-0 to(ward) Stearns. Jenkins arrives and breathes down a neck as UVa try to turn-and-pass -- ball pops up into box, bad 1-v-1! UVa blast it into touch.
84' 0-1 UVa settle ball at midfield, and start pinging. 20 passes ... finally a 50-50 pass, UCLA wrests it free. To Jenkins, who goes to 20m wide right. Looong backpass intercepted by Brian coming back -- UCLA keeps not seeing those comeback lanes. 85' 1-1 LB #3 Dydasco feeds Killion at 24m centerline. She rolls a perfect diagonal pass and finds RB #42 Ally Courtnall lurking at 16m mid-right -- ball splits the line, Courtnall is wide-open. Stutter-step to 8m right post, she took too long?! Hard shot right instep low, under Stearns' sprawl and into back center. Hard to stop that 2-5-3!
88' 1-1 Mewis switches to Dydasco racing up left touch. She passes forward, UCLA into the corner -- UVa block it over. 88' 1-1 UCLA left corner, goes behind the goal. Ugh.
89' 1-1 Lavrusky fouls Stith. UVa restart to Radcliffe, who drives solo down box right to endline. Her cross drifts behind the goal. 90' 1-1 UVa pinging at circle top. UVA long forward pass, 1st one headed back to start the countdown. 2nd one bounces at box top mid-right, UCLA clear it high enough to kill the rest of the clock. AER 1-1.