I don’t disagree, but they have to be able to actually play to be influential. Note the NWSL unjurybreport this week includes Lavelle who really hasn’t played in over a year, Brian whom was noted by the French to have never been fully fit, Pugh who has had longer periods of fitness than Lavelle so I remain hopeful and Heath who has similarly not sustained fitness for a year. If you are familiar with many of my posts I have been lamenting exactly that: We don’t have enough sophisticated technical players included in programming. Right now we seem to focus on kids who make individual impact rather than those that play well in combination and create a whole bigger then themselves. I think that’s because we have come to rely on an individual moment of greatness to win games. Sadly it’s ebough to win most games and those wins result in a hubris that impedes real tactical advancement
I am high on Auburn as a program, however this year will most likely be a very down year. They scored 25 goals last year and graduate 15 goals and 10 assists. They gradate their best attacking player by far. They also gave up 24 goals and graduated their best defender. They have a goalkeeper and some young unproven attacking talent. Their spring results were 3-0 loss to Tenn, 2-0 Loss to Clemson 2-2 draw vs Samford and a 1-0 win vs bottom feeder UGA. Not encouraging. UGA is a pick out of the blue. They were winless in the conference last year and statistically graduate the most. I have not seen their recruiting class ranked in anyone's rankings. Making the conference tourmanent would be a big step forward, although, if rumors are true, maybe not enough to save his job,
Well Auburn has the potential to really reload. I know some of these kids. Hoppa's DO has a nice page on the freshmen. You can see some highlights and descriptions here: http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/020718aab.html The 2 from Birmingham are solid. One is a very fast and dangerous forward/winger and the other is an attacking mid who I don't remember as well. She will be competing at least with the Hungarian kid for ACM time. I also know the tophat dmid- Dedels well. She's very solid. Ball winner and tidy on the ball -underrated in my opinion. She connects the defense to start the attack neatly and cleanly. She caught my eye because I think clean, brave holding mids are often overlooked in the success of their teams. Her team's success hinged heavily on her abilities to protect the back 4 and distribute cleanly and quickly before the opposition had a chance to organize. Gosslein doesn't have big numbers but she's on a mid to lower table team in a tough conference. Craven is a 6'2" centerback who should be able to potentially control Shaw when Auburn hits Tennessee. Jacobs I don't know as well. She's an outside back who appears to be able to cross well as she has a lot of assits. Player Pos. Ht. Hometown High School (Previous School) Club Team Time Signed M.E. Craven D 6'2 Cumming, Ga. Lambert United FA . Angeline Daly MF 5'5 Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Ponte Vedra (FSU) Jacksonville FC EE Olivia Dedels MF 5'6 Lawrenceville, Ga. Collins Hill Tophat SC Taylor Gosselin F 5'7 Ladera Ranch, Calif. JSerra Catholic Pateadores SC Abby Jacobs D 5'7 Pensacola Beach, Fla. Gulf Breeze Alabama FC EE Julia Pack MF/F 5'7 Birmingham, Ala. Oak Mountain Alabama FC Hailey Whitaker F 5'1 Birmingham, Ala. Oak Mountain Alabama FC "AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn soccer program added another piece to its 2018 roster with the addition of Furman transfer Treva Aycock, head coach Karen Hoppa announced Friday afternoon. “We are thrilled to add Treva to our team,” Hoppa said. “She’s a true goal scorer with high-level college and club experience and will be an exciting addition to our attack.” From just up the road in Marietta, Ga., Aycock makes her way to The Plains after spending the last two seasons at Furman, where she was both an All-Southern Conference performer and member of the SoCon All-Freshman team in 2016. Aycock totaled 39 points on 13 goals and 13 assists in two season with the Paladins. She led Furman with eight assists during her freshman season and ranked second on team with 21 points during her sophomore campaign. During her prep career at Harrison High School, Aycock scored 139 goals and added 32 assists in 83 games. She was a two-time NSCAA All-American and earned all-state and Cobb County Player of the Year honors on a pair of occasions. Aycock was also named the Georgia High School Player of the Year as a sophomore after leading the team to a GHSAA 6A State Championship with a 22-0 record. Also a member of Tophat SC in the ECNL, Aycock led her team in scoring for four straight seasons. " Also added an international playmaker: "AUBURN, Ala. – Head coach Karen Hoppa and the Auburn soccer program announced the addition of Stella Kiss Tuesday afternoon. Kiss will join the Tigers this summer and be eligible to play in the fall. “We are thrilled to add Stella to our 2018 team,” Hoppa said. “She’s a crafty play-maker with some high level international experience. She will be a great addition to our offensive unit.” A native of Tatabanya, Hungary, Kiss joins the Tigers as an attacking midfielder. Kiss competed for the Hungarian National Team in multiple age groups and helped the U-17 team reach the Elite Group in 2015. She totaled 44 points on 14 goals and 16 assists while representing her country at the highest level. Kiss also excelled at the club level, where she played for multiple teams over a seven-year span and totaled 156 goals scored in 178 games played. FSU transfer and redshirt freshmen Angeline Daley also may have an impact. They may have lost a lot, but they look like they have added some real quality in transfers and in freshmen. I wouldn't write the off yet. They may be a darkhorse.
Whittaker (the winger) will struggle with the physicality of the league and I don’t think she will make it and will either quit or transfer to a program that fits her better. Pack will probably come in and fight to start as long as she comes in fit. She is probably the most talented player out of the Birmingham area since Frierson.
Thanks for the insights Mine (2019) played up against some of these kids over the years. But sometimes I haven't seen them for a couple few years. Sounds like you have better knowledge of the Birmingham area.
Possibly. But, beware of placing too much emphasis on year-to-year changes. From a statistical perspective, at least looking at the whole array of teams, history outweighs short term changes.
Well statistically I don't doubt you are right, but statistics allow for outliers. It is not uncommon for a team to bring a couple impact players who really affect the success of the team. Macario at Stanford was the difference, and will continue to be the difference in their success not Sullivan who is limping along recently and not the quality everyone thought. Last year in the SEC, Add a really elite attacking player or two and the team's success will change. I am wondering how South Carolina will do without McCaskill. Did Parker Goins impact Arkansas success? Kizer? Shaw? It seems so, and no I have done no analysis, but it would be interesting to check if, and by how much a team's success changes when the roster an elite goal scorer/producer. Defined by let's a 20 points season (may not be right and maybe should be a different stat all together)? Texas A&M (Watt 24 pts) Arkansas (Goins 22pts) Florida (Rose 21, Seiler 20) USC (McCaskill 25) Auburn (Dodson 20 ) Tennessee (Shaw 33) strength of schedule a variable Ole Miss (Kizer 39 Foster 26) strength of schedule a variable Miss St. (Mckee 20) Alabama 0 LSU 0 Georgia 0 Mizzou 0 Vanderbilt 0 excellent coaching mitigating variable in their relative success? Kentucky 0 Money ball discussion is entertaining thanks
Once I have all the schedules entered into my system (end of July), I'll do a stats-based projection of where the SEC teams will end up in the conference. It will be based on projected ratings for the teams and the conference schedule (including game locations), with adjustments for home field advantage. It will be interesting to see how that compares to others' predictions.
Florida will lose Rose to Concacaf qualifying in October as has already been mentioned Tennessee loses Shaw. My pediction A&M Florida Auburn Tennessee Mississippi Arkansas Alabama South Carolina Mississippi state Vanderbilt Mizzou LSU Kentucky Georgia
I meant Mizzou, Vandy or Georgia in any order for those final two slots in the SEC tourney. Again, based solely on schedules.
Some of these are really crazy. You are killing USC (who went undefeated in the league) because they lost their leading goalscorer (from 1st to 8th) and rewarding Auburn when they lose theirs. USC has way more important players returning. Why do you rate Auburn specific to this team? 1-4 A&M, UF, USC, Tenn (anyone would win the league) 5-7 Auburn, Arkansas, Alabama (Could jump into top group with some breaks) 8-11 Vanderbilt, Missouri, MSU (Unless freshman impact vying for SEC Tourney spot) 12-14 LSU, Kentucky, Georgia (Until proven otherwise clear bottom)
South Carolina is sure to be good again because they are the best defensive team in the conference, year in and year out. They will miss McCaskill--her scoring, her distribution and her unflattering habit of taking tumbles in the box to win late penalties. (How many games did South Carolina win late over the last two years because McCaskill fell down theatrically in the box and got a penalty call? A lot--she was a diver, or embellisher, if you prefer.) The gamecocks have won a lot of games by a 1-0 score. I do think SEC coaches need to make a point of telling the league and whoever is in charge of officiating to STOP making cheap penalty calls on suspect fouls in the box. I've seen quite a few cheap penalties the last two/three year, and not just involving South Carolina. You should never call a penalty unless it is obvious and/or egregious, as it can easily decide the game.
Yep McCaskill won a lot of games for them. I like Auburn’s program and threw them in as a dark horse. Otherwise I don’t see a huge difference from your list.
What is up with all the last minute asst changes in the SEC. The season is just around the corner. Arkansas obviously had to replace asst who left to be the Elon head coach. They hired an interim asst coach who was the former ECU head coach. Kentucky still no asst listed, as previous assistant resigned to take a club coaching position. Mississippi State asst who just got there this spring, has resigned. Not sure if he is leaving for a club or college position. Arkansas has had 3 assistants leave since November and Miss State 2 since December. That is a lot of change for the teams to deal with especially this close to the start of the season. Anyone have any insight on UK or MSU?
What are the thoughts on Wes Hart at Alabama? From a distance it looks like he is steadily improving the program.
His first year, 2015, was the worst year Alabama has had in a long time. His second year was right about their long term average. His third year, last year, was the best year they've had in a long time.
He has done an outstanding job. He wanted a different style of play from Bramble, so there was a short period of changing over the roster, but he has brought in very good players that are comfortable in possession and play quick. I think their roster (last I saw) was made up of kids from all over (TX, CO, NJ, etc.) vs just MS, AL and GA as in years past.
Seriously? That would be crazy. I know nothing about that team this year, I confess, but I think they've traditionally been near the bottom of the conference.
Big payday in this parlay is in Atlanta in february when grudawg and the silver and black hoist the Lombardi. #westcoast #secsoccer #crypto #raidernation