Creating a thread for UCLA since I want to post some links. I couldn't watch the friendly with Germany and Canada where Jessie Fleming played and scored a goal so hopefully there will be a full replay of the event on Youtube. But some interesting quotes came from the game and from an interview with Fleming. The interview done before the friendly. http://lfpress.com/sports/soccer/in...-veteran-fleming-nowhere-near-the-ceiling-yet This is in the middle of the interview. There’s also the constant self-examination she puts herself through. “There’s a lot of self-honesty in knowing what I’m good at, what I could be good at and what I’m not so good at and going toward that and fine-tuning my game,” she said. “It’s just specifically about growing . . . I’ve been here five years and it seems like a long time but there’s little things that you can find every time I come into camp and I leave camp and I’m re-inspired by it.” School is one of those situations that’s been good for her both on and off the field. She is going into her third year at UCLA studying materials engineering. “I’m so happy with my decision. I love my friends; I love the school,” she said. “Yeah it’s hard sometimes but I’m surrounded by good, passionate people that it makes it easy to enjoy myself . . . University is cool. That’s where you find yourself and I’m kind of settling in to myself both on the field and off the field. It gives me more of an opportunity to be a leader in that environment.’ Fleming has identified the need to be more aggressive offensively as a way to further improve her game and “just being more consistent in big games for the team, not having spells of 10 minutes at a time when I’m out of a game.” The bold sentence I highlight because that is what I want to see more from Fleming. More demanding of herself and also demanding her team mates play to her strengths. I want to see less direct attacking plays from the forwards and have the forwards actually include Fleming into the offense instead of taking the ball and immediately trying to take a shot. Fleming has incredible composure on the ball and her ability to hold up play and bring other players into the offense should be taken advantage of. Here is an article on Sportsnet, a Canadian sports Cable station. Its after the match with Germany and we find out some interesting nuggets of information. https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/germany-continues-domination-canada-womens/ The Canadians are using this match and future friendlies as preparation for the CONCACAF Women’s Championship in October, a tournament that also serves as the qualifying competition for next summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. With this in mind, Canada coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller went with 3-5-2 formation, instead of using four defenders at the back. Sinclair and Sophie Schmidt led Canada’s attack, with Fleming filling in as a playmaker in the hole just behind the two forwards. It was a bold move by Heiner-Moller to go with such an attack-minded set-up against the German side, even one that left several members of its Gold medal roster at home. A native of Denmark, Heiner-Moller said he was proud of his players for their performance and the way they adapted to the 3-5-2 formation, something the team worked hard on in training sessions all week leading up to Sunday’s contest. “The middle third of this match was one of the best [stretches] we’ve played since I’ve been coach,” Heiner-Moller said. It was a sentiment echoed by Sinclair, the team’s iconic captain and goal-scorer. “This is one of those games that we’ll be able to look back on and [know] we put forth a good performance, and a positive performance that we can build up ahead of World Cup qualifying,” Sinclair stated. The Canadian coach is experimenting with the 3-5-2 formation because he wants his team to be more fluid in its playing style, and to be able to make changes on the fly and as the situation dictates it. “For me and this team, it’s [about] exploring how we can improve, instead of doing what we’ve always done,” Heiner-Moller explained. Using this system also gets Fleming, one of Canada’s brightest attacking prospects, more directly involved in the attack. “One of the things I like about us playing [in a 3-5-2] is she gets closer to goal. She’s a great player setting up the game, but if we can have her closer to [Sinclair] or whoever is playing up front, that’ll be a huge win for us,” Heiner-Moller said. Canada has won three and lost three since Heiner-Moller replaced former coach John Herdman in January. This is something I wanted Canada to do for a long time with Fleming. NOT play in a 3 back set. I hate that formation but the men's side do it and I guess the women are following suit since the USWNT are trying it out. But I have wanted Canada to use Fleming as a more 10 role midfielder that pulls the strings. In the past Fleming was more of the box to box midfielder. She would run around the field, defending and linking up with her midfield and forwards and didn't get into the attack as much. I didn't like that since Sinclair played as a false 9 for Canada. Playing deeper so she can get more touches and play make for her team. Its not that Sinclair isn't bad, its just that Fleming should be there pulling the strings. This match which I did not see, had Fleming played in that role and she was rewarded with a goal. Amanda Cromwell uses a 4-4-2 diamond midfield formation. I love that formation. Fleming is the 10 in that formation. The issues I had about the team last year is that Hailie Mace got converted to a forward. She hasn't played forward in years and so understanding her role and actually learning the nuances of playing back to goal is foreign to her. Yet she scored a lot of goals for UCLA, so she really never had to learn to play with her back to goal to activate players like Fleming on the attack. Which is why you saw Fleming's numbers plummet last season. As soon as Mace got the ball, she tried to attack and rarely tried to include her midfield into the attack, making the UCLA offense very one dimensional. Then there was Ashley Sanchez who has loads of talent and skill and dribble skills to boot. The issue with her was she was a freshman. She came into the season, thinking she can beat any defender on the dribble but at this level, defenders are a lot smarter and instead of trying to tackle Sanchez and giving Sanchez a free pass to goal, they fronted her up and waited help from another defender to put pressure on her. And for Sanchez's part, instead of passing out of those defenses, she thought she could press against a 2v1 situation which always irked me since she would frequently lose that battle. So last season, the 2 forwards that played the most time, didn't link with their midfield and Fleming didn't get the touches she did last year. Despite this, UCLA still got to the Championships but then against Stanford you saw what a back to goal forward looks like in Macario who had what a 17 goal 17 assist season? Macario is a special player who can score and also active her midfield. Something UCLA lacked and required UCLA to play direct way too many times to score goals. When you have Jessie Fleming, use her, she is such a special player. Here is the highlights for the Canada vs Germany match with Fleming scoring a goal for Canada.
Thanks for the links and commentary I enjoyed it. I love Flemming and agree with everything you have written above. She's the skillful, smart, creative, durable #10 that the US national team does not appear to have. I completely agree that in the hole is her best spot. I would, add that Anika Rodriguez's selfishness on the ball also contributed to Flemming's declining numbers last year. Flemming would be magic with Macario or another skillful back to goal type forward to play with and off. That forward has to be willing to lay the ball off at times, play a decent ball to her run, and see the ball sometimes back to herself in combination with her attack mate. As a related aside: The US do not have a player who consistently plays with an ephemeral unpredictableness; no player that you sit on the edge of your seat wondering what she's going to do with the ball. Even Lavelle was somewhat predictable in her penchant to drive right to left to hit her left footed shot. Although, I do concede that she might back heel a through ball to a runner on her way to box top left. I look forward to discovering whether her year long rehab has reinvented her physicality and we now have a Lavelle 2.0. Having said this, I am not sure that Flemming would have gotten the support of the USSF in her younger days. She may have been invited to a camp or two, but her "style" might not have fit the "system". You see that a little even with Lavelle. Her first call up may have been the last camp of her U18 year. I saw an interview, I don't think it was with her, might have been with her Cincinnati cup gold coach, wherein he said she did not have huge interest from colleges as a kid. Wilkins was her Region 2 ODP coach and that's her Wisconsin connection. Wisconsin is not UCLA and I don't think anyone would include the badgers among the nation's top 10 soccer programs. This year with the DA, I have seen more games than previously, many are posted on youtube. We do have some creative players coming up. I am interested in seeing how the USSF deals with them and whether they prove durable enough to survive the beating they are bound to receive. Nothing sets off the ire of a defender like a player who makes them look "silly'. The will literally stop at nothing t prevent that from happening again. Flemming is so agile that she avoids a lot of that confrontation.
I hate to disappoint, but US Soccer would probably take a Julie Ertz- type of youth player and stick her at the #10 because she likes to slide tackle, has a great motor, is very physical, and is great in the air. I have been around the YNT system for many years and the emphasis on slide tackling, heading, tough tackling, and track star speed seems to trump creativity, skill on the ball, high pass completion rate, and a high soccer IQ. In many instances they are picking athletes and not soccer players. I think that you are correct when you suggest that Jessie Fleming would have probably never gotten a look by the US YNT coaches...and it is a shame IMO.
I will ignore the insult for the time being. We were talking about #10s -attacking center midfielder creative playmakers in the hole. Again we don't have one of those who has proven durable. Rapinoe is not a #10, she's an 11. Regardless, you post mostly a bunch of crosses and straight forward goals. How is that creative? That type of play was certainly not what I had in mind when I posted: a player who consistently plays with an ephemeral unpredictableness How is anything on that video, except possibly the back heel that obviously didn't actually come off, anything but expected? Nope, I don't think of a Rapinoe as a creative play maker. She does however have excellent skills and ball control. That is not the same thing as creativity. One generally needs excellent ball skills to be creative, but creativity is a unique way to see and play the game. It's mental first and the physical abilities are needed to carry off the ideas. Maybe it's a chicken or egg thing. Kid has sick skills and figures out neat ways to use them. I am not sure. Heath would have been a better derisive answer for you. However, she hasn't played in so long, I don't really consider her at this point unless she proves able to maintain her form post injury. Thank you Mr. Bailey for verifying my beliefs after seeing some creative kids get little respect from the USSF. One such player, I have been watching is currently playing the 6 for the U17s. She's the best player on the team in my opinion. Another is under the radar because of lack of respect from the USSF and maybe interesting in the NCAA this year. Several others are still youth players.
Yeah I am with you on your arguments. I think Rapinoe is a great player, great ball control, great technique, but if you compared her with Lauren Holiday nee Cheney. Who would you say was more creative? I think most would say Holiday. Ever since Holiday retired, the USWNT haven't found a replacement for her. Simple as that. I think Heath could come close, but the issues with her is consistency and well health if we want to be very blunt. And same goes for Lavelle. Its actually quite interesting on your points about Lavelle, why wasn't she picked up by a bigger program that would emphasis her attributes. She is smart with the ball, thinks when she passes and can drive an offensive forward if she is supported with players around her. Then again how many big programs play a more possession style of attacking offense. Not many and those would be the programs that would need to recruit players like Lavelle. I honestly don't think the US youth system emphasis creativity or possession style of attack. They are more into quick players, physical players. Players that out hustle the other player for balls. But creativity comes second or third for coaches and that does leave players like Lavelle out. But I don't want to dig too deep into the US system for choosing players. We have had many discussions about that in the past. On your points about Annika Rodriguez. Yeah there is her selfishness and I think there are a few reasons why she is like that. 1) When Jessie Fleming came to UCLA in her freshman year, Rodriguez was already a redshirt freshman at that time owing to an ACL injury I believe she suffered. So she already spent a year with the UCLA program. 2) Rodriguez probably thought she was going to be slotted into the 10 role for UCLA since they play a diamond midfield. That 10 role is hugely important for an attacking midfielder. 3) Jessie's first game as an UCLA Bruin was magical. UCLA still lost the game but against the Florida Gators. she scored 2 goals, had a highlight reel back heel deke on a Gator player that made it to Youtube and twitter and she also came in as a sub to boot. Since Fleming arrived 3 days after from the Olympics winning the Bronze Medal for Canada. Fleming's accolades were very apparent. 4) Despite having no training with the Bruins, Jessie quickly became a starter for the Bruins. Cromwell used Fleming as a more of a box to box midfielder and Rodriguez played the 10 role for most of the reason right until the USC game where I noticed Fleming playing the 10 role. 5) During that season Fleming scored 12 goals and 5 assists. And this with a season she missed several games due to the Olympics. The next season, Fleming took over the 10 spot in the UCLA line up and I think this is where Rodriguez's attitude changed and she became a lot more about herself. 6) She started taking the ball and dribbling into the middle and trying to be the play maker. If she was on the wing, she would keep the ball and either try to score and set up a player to take a shot. Taking Fleming out of the equation. For me this was all deliberate by Rodriguez because she wanted to be noticed. The issue for Rodriguez, she can't dribble like Fleming, she isn't as good as a hold up player like Fleming is and the most important part. She doesn't create like Fleming does. Rodriguez like Sanchez loves to take marginal chances and try to score on them and will try dribble at defenders. Unlike the situation with Sanchez, Rodriguez usually only has to deal with one defender but even then its Rodriguez usually diving to the end line and then trying to turn the defender which I found to be very predictable and why force it? If the defender has that defended, send the ball back to the midfield. But, I understood Rodriguez's mentality at that point. She was in competition with Fleming. And that was pretty clear to see. For me, I would like to see Amanda Cromwell fix these issues, and we will have to see this season if they will be fixed or can they even be fixed because pride and stubbornness can be a problem for a player if they can't give up what they want. For Fleming she doesn't need to care about that situation. She already is a national team player since 15 years old. She is taking more and more responsibility for Team Canada, now playing as the 10 for them. Racking up points don't matter for Fleming. But for players like Rodriguez, Sanchez and Mace. Points matter since they are thinking about their future and the NWSL maybe for some. And that could and probably will cause issues for the squad. How does Cromwell deal with these issues we'll have to see. As for Fleming herself. Some are wondering why I think she is such a special player. She is going to be one of the best players in the World. Without a doubt. And when she graduates for UCLA, she will have offers from clubs like PSG. But what makes Fleming special? 1) She is unselfish. Way too unselfish. Something I want her to be more aggressive in demanding the ball and forcing the offense to flow through her. But its also an advantage since Fleming loves to set up for her team mates and create for them. Watch UCLA games enough and you see all the passes she sends to her forwards. Fleming should of gotten way more assists this season if more of her passes were finished into goals. 2) Her vision. Everyone talks about players with vision. Vision is not an easy trait to find in players. Vision is about seeing the field, knowing which players are making runs and there by creating for them. In the first season of play, I can't remember the game, but it was a Pac12 game. Fleming received the ball from I think Goralski, she had a defender on her back and Fleming with her head up saw Goralski make a run and turned on her defender and sent her a pass, Goralski then passed to Munderlyn on the run and Munderlyn one hit the pass back to Goralski freeing Goralski to enter the box and Goralski would then send a pass to Darian Jenkins and the keeper had to make a great save to stop the goal. The commentators were calling that Tiki Taka football. 3) Technique and ball control. Fleming can dribble at defenders, she has in the past will dribble right at the defender and nut meg them and then dribble by them forcing them to take Fleming down. She draws a lot of fouls because of this. And she is amazingly athletic. She had that leaping goal from last season which I posted on the 2017 thread. And durable very durable. Has never been injured for Team Canada or for UCLA. Whatever happens this season, I am hoping to see Fleming be more aggressive. And demanding for the ball. Its her team. And hopefully her team activates her more on the attack.
All of the criticisms on Rodriquez's game I agree with 100%. And her reward for being extremely selfish and having mediocre production at UCLA last year...was a call up to the U23 WNT! They probably had her playing the #10 also! The wheel in the sky just keeps on turning with US Soccer.
Someone posted a video of the game on Google drive. Its missing the first 4 minutes. I haven't watched it yet but it will interesting to see how Fleming plays in her new role. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t0w1TZ4sAwq768R5HFiDhWFwHnjXJbhE/view
Great Read here. I don't think anyone would argue Fleming is the best player in College Soccer. What I enjoy as well is watching her off the ball. Even when it doesnt get back to her, her movement is always dynamic. That is a very underrated quality in what she does because she draws eyes away from the ball as the defense has to constantly track her. It opens things up for her offense which in its own right is assisting goal scoring
I agree great discussion although I could live without the insults. I was reluctant to comment specifically on Rodriguez, but agree with your analysis completely. I too, saw the U23 call-up and knew it was from her last few games selfish play being noticed as "dynamic". She was terrivle in the u17 (I think) WC where she was featured as the 10. Yep I am sure she was the 10 for the 23s Another endorsement for the prowess of BJ Snow I have seen a few Flemming like players in the youth ranks. Some may be moving into college this fall. I am going to check because I am not sure which graduating year they are since the birth year cut off it's harder to tell as you. I may post some NCAA teams to watch, after I watch some games at the end of the month, although most I know are younger.
Olelaliga - That is so true what you have stated. So many of the US YNT coaches see selfish play as "dynamic" , "risk taking", and "brave". What I see is constant loss of possession, poor decision making, and a very low soccer IQ. Sure every now and again these players do get a positive result...but not often enough to earn YNT call-ups and praise.
Off topic my bad I won't comment again, but some may know this is a hot button for me. Thanks I appreciate the validation. I have been involved in youth soccer a long time. Know well many kids who have been selected to YNT camps and teams both boys and girls. I think the girls side especially really has little understanding of how ball skills, creativity, vision, and soccer IQ come together in a rare kid to make one truly special player. I also think they put too much emphasis on the "psychological" pillar especially in children/adolescents with varying maturity. Further that pillar is not used as I think its "inventors" intended: to pick out the dedicated and mentally tough players. Instead they use it in terms of a popularity contest between legacy players and in fact the coaches. I know some kids have been excluded or not asked back based on popularity. This is even more so a problem because there is bullying at these camps at times. The coaches do not want to address it and actually blame the kid for being bullied. Add the complete bias and nepotism of the club coaches serving as "assistants" and the mental pillar should be considered even less of a factor in these rapidly maturing, changing and developing players.
Yeah I think you highlighted a key point. Nepotism. Because it exists and is a big problem. There are plenty of coaching parents that coach their kids but those are not the ones I think are the main problems. Its the coaches that show favoritism over their star player and it goes right to the USWNT level. Its sometimes you will see teams filled out with players from one school. All that is nepotism. Skill, speed and physicality is an easy attribute for coaches to go for. If your star player can beat a defender or even 2 defenders on the dribble and score. Then that player can do no wrong. Instead of creating a system where the entire team participates, the team becomes a funnel to that star player to score and make the coaching staff look good. Because if a star player gets their accolades, gets called up to individual olympic development programs around the country and then call ups to the U level. That all rebounds to the coach and attracts more recruits. That favoritism is what underpins the entire system for athletes in the country and that forces the development to look for those star players. Not players that can create for those star players but players that score the goals. I think Amanda Cromwell understands these issues. There have been times where Rodriguez wouldn't start and would come in as a sub. I think she has been trying to get Rodriguez to play as a team player. But I don't know if its going to work long term because that culture of putting your goals ahead of the team is learnt and prevalent among players coming to the college level. And Rodriguez did get call ups to the U level. What she is doing is rewarding her. So how is it wrong for Rodriguez not to continue the way she playing?
Fordedias - You are correct. I don't fault her if she can continue to game the system. More power to her. However, it just shows that the system is broken. BTW...does anybody have any information on Canales and her call up also to the U23 WNT?
No, Stanford is. They were so loaded last year that their second string could have made the elite8. They lose sum real quality seniors (Andi Sullivan) but have the top recruiting class...again
Stanford recruit the number one class year after year. It all adds up to having pretty much a dynasty when comes to marching their way to the Championship. They are the new North Carolina TarHeels but the international scene is much more important since you see Florida State recruit some very outstanding internationals as well. So I don't think they are a lock to win every year. If UCLA didn't have that goal keeping gaffe by Teagan Micah or the fact that Micah should of saved that goal that went goal post side but couldn't get to the ground fast enough. Her limitations got exposed in that game. Her lack of athleticism is a problem since she can't even make kick saves. A kick save on that goal to the goal post side would of been the best option for her but she just isn't able to do those type of saves. So really even with UCLA's problems with having their forwards not activating Fleming. UCLA could of won that game against Stanford. If Cromwell can solve some the tactical issues with her squad, which I am not sure she will be able to. Benching Rodriguez last season and using her as a sub didn't seem to work. Its going to be an interesting year to see how the Bruins perform.
With Stanford, if one five-star position player doesn't work out, you put in another five-star--and so on all over the field. UCLA will be fine--better than--because if Stanford is no. 1 regularly in recruiting, UCLA is number 2. RE Florida State, I wonder if the coach's fixation on international players has hurt them somewhat with domestic players. They have a lot of domestic kids who are regularly leaving the program, perhaps because internationals are always showing up, and it wouldn't surprise me if there is a certain leeriness among domestic players about committing to that school.
UCLA announced their incoming class for 2018 Welcome our 2018 newcomers Olivia de Moraes, Cassidy Tshimbalanga, Maddi Desiano, Taylor Magliarditi, Meghan Scudero and Shana Flynn! And see you soon, Maricarmen Reyes!#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/QIUlVp3ngl— UCLA Women's Soccer (@UCLAWSoccer) June 25, 2018
I'm sure some of you know or have done the beep test. Jessie Fleming wins it again this year beating her mark from last year. Our #beeptest champ once again is Jessie Fleming, who went one stage beyond last year's mark, finishing strong at stage 57! 🏃♀️💪 #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/7gFvaNp7uI— UCLA Women's Soccer (@UCLAWSoccer) August 1, 2018 [/QUOTE]
Welp I'm ready for the first home game today. I really hoping the team puts in another exciting regular season even if Stanford is the better team once again this season in Pac 12. We sure came awfully close to beating Stanford so you never know. Unfortunately the schedule this particular season is more challenging than the one last season but I'll be rooting for another good run no matter what!
Happy New Year to you all! I'm looking forward to this years challenging schedule as well as more of the excellent analysis usually provided in this thread! I'm also looking forward to the online game links! They are most helpful, especially for those of us outside the US ,as my android box is always on the fritz lol Take care and GO BRUINS!