No it's supporters that think North Carolina Soccer is still dominate in this day and age and Anson Dorrance is still the greatest women's college soccer coach ever. Well actually, in this past decade we have seen Florida State dominate most of the decade followed by some powerful performances over in the west coast, which nobody on here clearly follows and we get Stanford, Santa Clara(amazing win), and yes us for the second time, under a new coach, a first time coach...
if you connect with your players and treat them like you value them as people, you are more likely to get the best of them as players. Its all about people management. the culture on your team was broken under Cromwell, but talent got you into good positions in spite of it. This years team is not as talented, but they work hard, beleive in your coach and the culture and were rewarded with a title. Congratulations. it not all about Xs and Os. Enjoy it.
And you were one non blown call on the tying goal away from losing. Keeper was blocked and shoved into the goal, although her starting position was poor. Ref bottled that call. But it’s part of the game.
yes. people dont want to accept that luck plays a huge part in these games. a call here, a call there.
Oh wow, we are playing that game? Here's how us Californians see it in our roadtrip to Las Vegas. North Carolina did the initial Cajon Pass and we did the ********ing boring ass desert with windy hills to the goal.
I have started to write and still have a lot to say about this game but part of me wants to go Abe Lincoln on it and give a rest until at least tomorrow. I will say that the only way I can ever swallow this result is if the game improves as a result ... whether it be the officiating, or a rule change or ... something... Thinking on it as if UNC has sacrificed a championship so that the rules can change and all future NCAA soccer benefits from those rules. It's still a difficult pill to swallow, but it's one I can manage if I know things will change for the better as a result.
Damn, man, you've been out of control for a couple of weeks. Just a bunch of stupid, politicized comments.
I was a complete neutral on this game, and, yes, that was an obvious and pretty egregious foul on the UNC keeper on the tying goal. She was shoved into her own net--as can be plainly seen. I think in the moment--perhaps because it was essentially the last play of the game and amid the drama--the referee simply opted not to blow her whistle. As I mentioned on the other thread, I've never understood this tradition in soccer that allows players on the corner-kicking team to crowd around the keeper and make it hard for her/him to move and get to the ball. It's amazing that keepers are able to get to and grab as many corner-kick balls as they do, given how they are impeded. But then there's also this tradition-- more so in the pro game than college--of protecting the keeper by calling fouls on kicking team players on corner kicks when a foul is not evident. Tough one.
Congratulations to UCLA. Whatever we think of the officiating (more on that later), UCLA was a team giving all it had to win against some pretty slim odds down 2-0 in the 80th minute against a UNC defense that generally has been outstanding this year. Also note that the corner kick was a phenomenal one , regardless of what happened after it was kicked and that that player had multiple other phenomenal corner kicks. They played their brains out and they won in circumstances where many would have given up. Good for them and truly, congratulations! There is always crazy stuff going on during set pieces. Sometimes it gets called and sometimes it does not. I will be interested to hear someone with true officiating level knowledge weigh in. To me , it has to be a clear foul when your GK literally gets pushed 5 feet into the goal. No protection whatsoever granted to the keeper her. Bad call in my book. Still, doesn’t take anything away from the quality of the service on the corner or that player managing to head it into the roof of the goal. Devastating loss for UNC team… As a fan, it was the most disappointing game I have ever witnessed in any sport where I had a sense of personal stake in it (ie as a big fan). In other news, UNC has been in 3 of the last 5 NCAA Finals and 4 of the the past 5 College Cups. Soccer is alive and well in Chapel Hill.
basically the lone UCLA fan on this forum, who is the only consistent poster for their team in the UCLA thread. I'm guessing he was drunk and decided to have a tumble about on this thread with something like a half dozen posts .... political, personal, and just ... stupid. Really doesn't surprise me that you have him ignored. Ugh ... so hard to sleep right now.
I mean if it was double elimination and they had another game next week, yea ... but the season is over and it's a whole new team in 7 months...
My heart breaks for the UNC girls who gave it their all. I want to congratulate the UCLA fight! As a fan I know all too well the pain of a non-call. I'm no referee, but I have to admit it appears to me that #15 from UCLA just pushes the GKer into the goal. Not only impedes, but nudges/pushes her into the goal. Don't go to the referees forum, because a good many will find a way to justify it. I did that 2 years ago when an obvious Santa Clara foul in the box was not called, and I was crucified by a certain segment over there. Someone with greater rules knowledge can maybe explain why that was not called. It appears to these untrained eyes, that I have seen much less called in an effort to protect the keepers! I'm truly sorry that a referee's call or non-call had to play such a critical part.
You lost me at Swanson and winning. But the defensive corner set up by Carolina seemed archaic...I've never seen the "double goalkeeper" on the goal line behind the keeper, on top of the two players on the post which are a rarity these days. How about using the double goalkeeper player to mark/shove the ucla player that marks the keeper out of the way??? I think set up is really bad and invited this bad judgement call by the ref. But phenomenal corner that was driven thru the ball and was bending towards net, and the header to the roof of the net...stuff of legends. And going to the corner with 10 minutes left? What was that? SMH. Incredible. Played those last minutes in total scared panic mode. Kinda invited the disaster that ensued. and lastly: This is the most beautiful game on the planet, and this one is one for the ages.
Neutral observer here, and yes it looked like a foul, but what's with trying to kill the game off so early? Going to the corner flag with 8 minutes on the clock? Seems to me like UNC took the pressure off UCLA by trying to shave off seconds and it changed the momentum.
After Patterson’s second goal, Aozasa made the change from a 4-3-3 to 3-4-3 allowing the Bruins to be much more aggressive. Then, even Coach Dorrance later conceded the Heels went into panic mode.
Up 3-0 vs fsu , give up 2 late-ish goals . Up 2-0 vs ucla , give up 2 late goals and lose in OT. I've been watching Unc for a long time . Closest I ever recall was an early season game vs Texas AM at the Duke invitational . Maybe 2011 or so . Merrit Mathias of Texas AM against her old team . Unc up 3-1 , lost 4-3 in OT. Otherwise , I can't imagine there is another precedent anywhere close to the past 2 games. But hey , hundreds of D1 women's soccer teams didn't make it go Monday night