ACC 2021

So, when you were a referee, did you make a //goal// call based on your theory/observation here, even if you weren't in a position to actually see where the ball came down? Refs are almost never in a position to see whether a ball that's hit the underside of the crossbar and ricocheted down crossed the goal line or not--and neither are linesmen, usually. That's the problem, and it will always be a problem unless and until broadcasters set up goal-line cameras. I assume they don't now because it's just not economical to do so. And that usually works against the offensive players who have lasered a ball off the car--and possibly scored!

 

I did not see or hear about that game so I looked it up on YouTube. That was incredible and unfortunate for Dunn and UNC. It was fun watching Dunn in this clip. She was a special player at UNC.

The play in question is from about 1:10 to the slow-motion replay through 1:35ish.

 

Yeah. But it's an easy fix.

 

Yep, just put a gopro or some camera with wifi tech behind the post and look at it from a tablet.

 

To answer your question, no I never did make such a call. I think that I had seen about a half dozen of these situations where the ball smacked the bar, hit the ground under the bar and then from back spin lept out into the field of play and this led me to analyze the possible physics when this happened. I had my first heart attack in 2010 and gave up running up and down soccer fields before one of these rare instances came my way again (and I probably would have been too timid to call it anyway.)

When I saw this phenomenon happen from the stands in 2013 at UNC it was really satisfying to be able to say to my wife that what we just saw was a goal based on how the ball sprang forward into the field of play even thought we were 150 feet away and an oblique angle. You can imagine how eager I was to get home see the replay. (At that time UNC was years away from getting a video board on the field.)

As I said in my post above, the only real answer to this is to have a VAR camera looking at the goal.. But if you understand what you are seeing (including the parameters I lay out in my post above), I'm convinced that even the fans could call this phenomenon reliably.

 

Thanks. Glad to hear that you are healthy. My wife and I were watching a high-school soccer match maybe three years ago when we heard a very audible thud on the field. We look and see that the referee--a somewhat heavy-set, middle-aged or late-middle aged man--was lying supine on the field. He'd just fallen over like a chopped tree, and it was assumed by all--correctly--as it turned out--that he was having a heart attack. There was a medical person at the match who had in her cart a defibrillator. It was hooked up to the man and shocked him two/three times, which I presume saved his life. I don't know how serious his situation was--except that it serious enough to need a defib--and thank goodness for it, as the match was in a bit of an isolated area and it took at least 20 minutes for the emergency squad to get there and treat him. Scary situation--but thankfully he survived and I hope stopped reffing soccer matches!

Speaking of ref decisions, I saw an interesting red-card call in the South Florida v. Kentucky match yesterday. A long ball was kicked down the field. A Kentucky player darted after the ball, toward the South Florida goal. A SF centerback comes charging over to challenge the Kentucky player--and meanwhile the SF keeper comes running out to try to get to the ball. I want to say that the bouncing ball wasn't in the box--maybe just outside it. In any case, the Kentucky forward has maybe a half-step on the defender--there are nearly side by side, but the attacker is a hair in front of her opponent. The defender throws her shoulder into the shoulder/back of the attacker, who goes down just as the keeper is knocking the ball away--or is a half-second away from doing so. The ref blows the whistle and calls a red-card foul on the defender and a PK. There was no other defender near the Kentucky forward, so I get that the defender's foul perhaps interfered with a goal-scoring opportunity--except for the fact that the keeper got to the ball just ahead of the attacker. Correct call? I'm not so sure. Crazy game, as it turned out.

 

ACC represented pretty well in the top 25. The normal suspects taking the top spots and Pittsburgh making a debut in the top 20.
1. Florida State
2. North Carolina
3. Virginia
5. Duke
15. Clemson
20. Pittsburgh

 

We'll see if it lasts any longer, but as of today after 5 or 6 games into the season no ACC team has a losing record. Even Miami and Syracuse are still afloat. Miami, who lost at Missouri 1-0 on Sunday dropped to .500, but the rest of the league is in positive territory.

 

Syracuse and Wake Forest have played joke schedules thus far. Miami is 3-2 and has South Florida as their last non-conference game, so I don't love their chances of still being above .500 for the start of league play, after which they'll plummet.

 

Syracuse certainly proved your point this weekend. A tie against a poor Cornell team and a 3-0 beating by a UCONN team that was thrashed by Brown. Their previous schedule was terrible. Considering they don’t play Miami, not sure I see a conference win for them (upsets always happen obviously). They are out of their depth in the best and deepest conference in America. They would be a bottom of the table team in the Ivy League.

 

Non-Conference Win Percentages.

Two records could/will be broken.

ACC breaks the Pac-12's 2019 record of best non-conference record. .814 win % just beats .813 win % from the Pac-12.

Big 12 on pace for worst Power 5 non-conference win %, beating 2011 Pac-12 (.590). pic.twitter.com/EZP8gIIMSc

— Chris Henderson (@chris_awk) September 13, 2021

Now let the ACC season bloodbath begin!

 

I understand why Syracuse tried to play a super easy non conference schedule. Probably just trying to build some confidence in their players. Unfortunately for them they didn’t win all of those games so not sure how much confidence was built. It will be a long ACC portion of the schedule for them.

Interested to see Wake Forest hit conference play. They really haven’t played anyone either. Should be confident but will be an entirely different ball game with Virginia this week!

ACC has been on fire setting a record as a conference for win percentage through non conference. Will be some great games coming up!

I will be interested to see how the middle of the ACC plays out. Will be a battle every game.

 

Well we're about 1/3 through the ACC season. Here's where things stand:

Florida State (10-0; 3-0 ACC; RPI #1)
Virginia (10-1; 3-0 ACC; RPI #9)
Notre Dame (9-1-1; 3-0 ACC; RPI #16)
Wake Forest (10-1; 2-1 ACC; RPI #36)
Louisville (6-2-1; 2-1 ACC; RPI #33)
Clemson (7-3; 2-1 ACC; RPI #49)
Virginia Tech (7-2-2; 1-0-2 ACC; RPI #18)
North Carolina (8-1-1; 1-1-1 ACC; RPI #3)
Duke (7-1-1; 1-1-1 ACC; RPI #2)
Pitt (8-3; 1-2 ACC; RPI #62)
Boston College (6-4-1; 0-3 ACC; RPI #29)
NC State (4-5-2; 0-3 ACC; RPI #57)
Syracuse (4-5-1; 0-3 ACC; RPI #115)
Miami (3-6; 0-3 ACC; RPI #171)

 

Went to the Notre Dame vs Clemson game yesterday in South Bend.

Not saying they will win the ACC or beat Virginia, Duke, or UNC in the next couple weeks, but Notre Dame looks better than I have ever seen them since the Randy Waldrum era.

 

ACC has a lot of parity this year. They absolutely can beat all of those teams. The league seems to lack difference makers.

 

I would agree, but with the caveat that that's not saying a lot?

 

Good analysis by College Soccer News of how wins and losses impact seeding tonight.

https://collegesoccernews.com/women...-down-to-the-last-day-of-regular-season-play/

 

Virginia are regular season ACC Champions. ACC Tournament is set. I feel like the ACC should see 9 teams in the NCAA Tournament this year: The six teams in the conference tournament, plus UNC, Virginia Tech and NC State.

https://theacc.com/news/2021/10/28/2021-acc-womens-soccer-championship-bracket-announced.aspx

2021 ACC Women’s Soccer Championship
First Round
#5 Clemson vs. #4 Notre Dame | 6 p.m. | ACC Network
#6 Wake Forest vs. #3 Duke | 8 p.m. | ACC Network

Semifinals
Clemson/Notre Dame Winner vs. #1 Virginia | 5:30 p.m. | ACC Network
Wake Forest/Duke Winner vs. #2 Florida State | 8 p.m. | ACC Network

Final
Semifinal 1 Winner vs. Semifinal 2 Winner | 1 p.m. | ESPNU

 

NC state has to be feeling a little nervous after getting slapped by Pitt tonight. yes they beat UNC and Duke but right at .500 and finished 10th in the ACC. can't be comfortable feeling.

 

Same conference that UNC finished 7th in? Quality wins? Top 35 RPI? A very high SOS? The top rated league, that had the highest non-conference winning percentage? If you take away the name of the school, this resume gets in to NCAA every time.

 

any team in the country that can beat both UNC and Duke deserves to get into the NCAA, even if they're .500 on the rest of the schedule.

 

Still mind blowing to me that they beat UNC and Duke and finished 10th in the ACC. How do you finish 10th with those 2 wins

 

When the 7th place team in your conference is ranked #7 in national polls and #4 in national RPI, it’s a pretty good clue that your conference is EXTREMELY STRONG! Go ACC!!!!