Saint Louis University 2010-2011

I know of two other schools where this was a common practice. One was an NAIA school (where one would expect it to happen) but the other was a mid-major Division I university. The coaches would often wait until the financial aid was awarded before agreeing to scholarship specifics.

The coaches at the mid-major I am referring to could not take away athletic scholarship money based on a change of heart by the coach, or a change of coaching staff, based on signed agreements.

And, it was reported that when Rick Majerus entered the scene a few years ago and decided to make personnel changes, he needed players to leave the University to get the scholarship money. If that is not the case with basketball or soccer at SLU, then that is a shame.

 

Unlesss things have changed since I played, scholarships were year by year....no such thing as a 4 year scholarship...I understand what you guys are getting at, but it happens more often than you would think.

 

Bump - I can't remember the last time the SLU thread was off of the first page. They did win last night.

 

Dan Donigan's true legacy: BigSoccer apathy.

 

The apathy does extend beyond the thread. Attendance last night was 575. As a point of comparison, if you look at a few late season games last year, Fordham had 972, Richmond had 794, and Charlotte 1024.

UMKC is not a particularly exciting draw, but it is a regional game with several St. Louis players on the roster and a reasonable number of Kangaroo fans in the crowd. Many more than with Fordham, it seems reasonable to assume.

SLU did score three in the win last night even if one was an own goal. Incidentally, the line-up has evolved a little over the last few games. Pais is back in goal, for example. And, Beau Bellomy is making his way back as a late game substitute.

 

Zzzzzzzzz......

 

Apparently, SLU recognizes the apathy. They are giving away free admission to the game on Sunday to those who arrive in a halloween costume.

 

I had to leave before overtime of the UMKC game so I did not see the winning goal by Adnan. Lineup was a bit different since I last saw them at Hermann:

Goalie: Pais:
Backs: Brown, SMU kid, Briggs, Roeckle
D-mid: Robson
A Mids: Maglasang and Sito
Wide mids: Johnston and Newport
Fwd: Benny

Boring first half except for Benny's near post header off a corner. Lot of SLU's play was in their own half knocking the ball between the backs. McGinty was encouraging overlapping runs by the backs as usual. Second half saw SLU turn it up and generate several quality chances and plays. Sito disappeared in the second half but I think he stayed in throughout. Adnan and Bellomy came on late in the second and contributed to the winning goal. Briggs own goal was just bad luck as he tried to catch a cross and put it out of bounds but headed it in. Roach was actually running around warming up so maybe we'll see him when conference games start up.

 

Sito saved the day in the second half, blocking and clearing a possible game winning shot off the line.

Your take on the own goal is more kind than mine.

 

Sito: Regardless, absent that, he was not much of a factor in the second half. First half, I liked what I saw.

Briggs: I would have loved to seen a replay of it. I was watching from behind SLU's bench, so I saw what I saw.

 

Yup that would be soccertom also know as Donigan's pillow beach

 

Congrats to SLU on a 3-0 win over Temple. SLU scored some nice goals which was nice to see. Very nice to see Roach back on the field.

I'm still completely flabbergasted at McGinty.

Why does McGinty always play a 4-5-1? It makes zero sense to play a 4-5-1 against relatively weak opposition. Temple posed almost no threat against SLU. None. Yet McGinty's approach is as though SLU is playing Akron? It's confounding.

Why doesn't McGinty play with 2 attackers and take the action at the weaker opponent? SLU should have played a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3 against Temple. The result would have likely been 5-0 or 6-0. It's obvious that Adnan and Estes along with Sweetin or any other attacker would wreak havoc on Temple. Is SLU actually going to play a 4-5-1 against St. Joseph?

Why does McGinty take out Alex Johnson when Johnson was very likely the best SLU player on the field?

Why are the SLU back 4 defenders constantly hoofing the ball out of bounds or straight back to the oposition? It has been happening with alarming frequency. Especially by Briggs. Calm down. Settle the ball and find an open man. Perhaps they need to talk with Bruce Hudson, Bil McKeon, Joe Clarke, or Bob Matteson...

Why doesn't McGinty ever make any adjustments during the game. Every single substitution McGinty makes is predictable. Never a first half sub. Second half sub he takes out Alex Johnson. The next sub is always taking out Estes at the 65th to 70th minute mark. Then if SLu is ahead he will trot out a couple of very late game subs. Abolutely zero creativity or imagination is used. In contrast Temple used 20 + players.

What has happened to Bortolon?

Jordan Wolff has disappeared. Wolff has terrific skill and I can't understand why he can't get a run. I have watched Wolff dominate in practice. He always gives 110 percent all the time. It's a shame.

Why is Beau Bellomy rarely used? Bellomy had some great moments against UMKC set up a goal and the next game he sits the entire game. Why?

Why does McGinty pull Alex Johnson who is playing tremendous soccer and leave a very hapless Jake brown in the match game after game? Don't get me wrong I like Jake's potential but not at Alex Johnson or the overall teams expense. Against Temple Jake scuffed no fewer than 12 easy crosing attempts. If you want to make a sub take out Jake, move Alex back to the wingback and the entire team improves. Straight up Alex is the teams best wingback by far yet for some reason he is being punished.

Almost every single SLU player is having a down season from their performance from a year ago. Why aren't the SLU players showing any improvement? How did McGinty manage to turn a 15 win SLu team from a year ago that was picked by the A-10 Coaches to win the A-10 into a team that has to scramble to make the A-10 Postseason Tourney? McGinty has turned a SLU tem that was a top 30 RPI team into a 117 or so RPI team. How has this happened? I'll tell you how.

McGinty is pretty much clueless.

1) Play with 2 or 3 attackers the next 3 games.

2) Play Benny and Adnan up top together!


3) Keep Alex in the game.

4) Play possession soccer.

5) Get a few more players into the rotation.

 

Ironically you were never this critical of DD. It is nice to see who is wearing the panties.

This comment, "How did McGinty manage to turn a 15 win SLu team from a year ago that was picked by the A-10 Coaches to win the A-10 into a team that has to scramble to make the A-10 Postseason Tourney?", shows you have no idea what it takes to win. The team has completely different players you dummy! Worse players!

BTW, Wolff does not have terrific skill. Maybe against an 8th grader.

 

so a 3-0 win and you aren't happy. interesting. Why not play the system they will play against the tougher opponenets? get some confidence in these wins etc so that it might help against better teams.
The fact is the players in the program aren't as good as the SLU alums/fans think they are. They are too closely the same type of players, no one person is special, no person can stretch a defense, they are technically average or less and they have shown that can't play possession soccer under any type of pressure.

McGinty Clueless? Well that is just a stupid statement. Why don't you cut him some slack and give him time to get better players and get rid of a bunch of these guys?

 

I wonder what Rutgers fans think of Dan Donnigan's first season, which ended yesterday at 4-11-1 and only 1 conference win and failed to qualify for the Big East Tournament after finishing 1-8-0 in the conference.

A year ago, they were 9-10-0 and 5-6-0 in the conference.

So, do Donnigan fans think he did a worse job in his first year at Rutgers than McGinty is doing in his first at Saint Louis?

In fairness to Donigan, Rutgers has been on hard times for a while.

2006: 10-5-3, 6-4-1, NCAA first round
2007: 7-11-1, 4-7-0
2008: 6-9-3, 3-6-2
2009: 9-10-0, 5-6-0

Donigan inherited a team that had three (now four) straight losing season. So it wasn't like he turned a contender to a bad team. At the same time, Rutgers is far worse this year than last.

 

I'm thrilled with a 3-0 win. Make no mistake I hope Mike McGinty hauls his head out of his arse and wins every single game for the rest of his career.

That being said it doesn't change the fact that in my opinion McGinty doesn't know who to play, how to play or where to play the players he has. It's mystifying to say the least how you can go from top 30 RPI to 117 or so in the most recent RPI. That is the biggest drop in the nation. It's horrible. No excuse. McGinty seems to have very little idea what he is doing. He needs to take all of my advice and if he does SLU has a great chance to win all of the remaining games and hopefully win the A-10 like everyone expects him to do. Right now he is doing the worst job of any Coach in SLU's history.

 

Are you re-todd-ed? McGinty doesn't need to get rid of anyone. Who should he get rid of? I'll wait for your answer.

The simple fact is SLU is loaded with talent. Absolutely loaded. But if 4 or 5 of the better players don't ever get on the field and the Coach plays the wrong players, the wrong system and makes little or no adjustments and fails to use his bench properly than I'm going to point out his obvious mistakes. Not only that but almost of of his returning players are having a down year in production. Why is that? Every single Alum I talk with is very disappointed in the teams precipitous drop in play under his leadership.

 

Simplified your post.

 

Don't know and don't care.

All I know is Donigan did a hell of a lot better job than McGinty has so far. PeriodHopefully McGinty will stop being a stubborn mule and start listening to good advice before it's too late.

 

Just a few hours away from some of our least favorite posters most important holiday seems to be the perfect time to comment. I know that my contribution here is never very eloquent and I do tire of all the negative comments from the cancer club whose demonic members you will all hear from shortly after my post but everything you have said in this last quote is spot on. All of us who really know the game of soccer plus the rich heritage here at SLU agree with you. Never give up the good fight ST!!!

 

ha, fair enough ST. all you slu alums really know what is best.

 

My original mentor out of college taught me that most people major in minor things...I'm certain he had you in mind !!!

 

To long of post and many people have already commented on this but how hypricrital can you be. You ask why the backs keep kicking the ball out of bounds and straight to opposition but yet say how loaded this team is with talent? Perhaps the reason they are doing that is because they are not very good, especially briggs. He is probably the worst center back to start at slu in the last 10 years. Jake Brown is out of place at left back and roekles has only gone downhill as the season has gone on which happens to freshman not use to the demand of college soccer, but i guess he will be better than patterson or diriamondo in the future.

Second on the formation. DD never switched formations, ever. It was either a 4-5-1 or a 4-4-2 depending on the year and it didnt matter who we played and you never complained then. There is no reason that they should switch a formations they are not used to. What would help is having the forwards hold the ball up more to allow attackers to get forward. With how weak the competition was this weekend, slu still struggles to keep good amounts of possession in the attacking half which is alarming. The midfield does a good job but losses from the backs and attacking players is really hurting this team. Chad is the only defender that consistently keeps the ball out of the back.

And again there are not anymore players to put onto the field. Besides Beau and when roach is healthy will start, Adnan and benny are really the only decent subs they have. Dice isnt really a sub because backs shouldnt sub that much. The only real coaching decision i have is why the heck Dice isnt starting with chad in the middle. That seems simple to me and I know he is trying to get briggs so experience but quite frankly it is embarrassing how much he losses possession.

 

DD pretty much only recruited St. Louis, and wasn't even getting the best kids in the area...and this is the result (lack of talent). McGinty will widen his recruiting base, try to pick and choose the local kids a bit better, and use some of his ties from the ACC areas to bring in talent. Give the guy time.

I will say, having watched a lot of UVA, you are not going to get a style that resembles the "SLU/Scott Gallagher way"...but as of late what have those sides won with their possession at all costs monicker? McGinty will get these guys to win over time, but its going to be substance over style.

Guys like Sito and Roach will fit into any style, but it is clear the new staff doesn't see a lot of "their" type of players on the current roster.

 

I have to agree with you on this. Not only does he lose possession but his distribution is awful. He has created a lot of scarey moments in the back and unfortunately his mistakes have led to goals for the opposing team. On the plus side, he does a good job on set plays, especially corner kicks. He has scored some nice goals! Briggs is MM's only recruit...maybe that is why he gets so much playing time.