2005 NJ Wildcats Season Thread [R]

Latham and Benny are listed on the Cats website because they signed with the team. I think they are not on the current roster as the roster can only have 26 players on it.

This is an important game as far as a tuneup for the finals. The last time these teams met, the speed of play was far above the rest of the wildcats games.

"those who haven't been in action" are the ones who played the last 3 weeks without the NT and U-21 members. This is a good game to get them all on the same page

I would expect many subs after the half, probably Reddick and O'Reilly playing into the 70 minutes.

BTW, the Wildcats are all "A" listers, they got one bad break(goal) with Ottawa, had that been the only game that weekend, they would have had a better chance to win.

 

Freedom will take it to the Wildcats tomorrow.

 

Yep, they will be taking the ball from their goal to the center line for the Kickoffs.

Last time they played, the wildcats did not have the WNT members, and both tried to get the score...

Freedom have a good Defence, but I don't see them putting up the offence... Wildcats Offence will solve the Defence much easier, this will be the best competition the Freedom will face this year

 

Nice, trash talking over an exhibition in which one team doesn't even play in an actual league. Now that's dedication.

 

Latham is on the final 26-player roster, Benson is not.

 

Wildcats win 1-0 over Freedom....1st half look good alot of possession but 2nd half not as good..Way too much subbing in the midfield to keep any rhythm going. need to keep your starting 11 on the filed next week.. way too many long balls. we seem to be so in to the long ball with reddick back.., we defintley need her leg but we have way too many skilled players that we need to use their skill and play that through ball from the midfiled to O'Rielly and Welsh up top and play the long ball every once in a while.....GOOD GAME overall..we need to pick it up for next week and thank God Charlie will be back.....

 

Fom what I read your post is into the Wildcats with nothiing to say about Feedom. some fan of soccer.

 

I have to say the Wildcats were definitely the more poised team on the field this evening. I got very frustrated with all the Freedom turnovers (I counted 30 in the second half). Their second half habit of getting the ball about ten yards past midfield and then kicking it past the Wildcats defensive line in the fond hope that some Freedom forward would miraculously run onto the ball even though none were in the vicinity became particularly annoying.

The Freedom definitely had their chances: Betsy Barr had a bouncing ball between her and an open goal and whiffed on it, and #19 (Miss Not-Listed-In-The-Roster) had a couple of chances that she sent right to the goalkeeper. As someone pointed out, the Freedom don't have the forwards that the Wildcats have.

Rachel Yankey's goal was impressive. She completely deked out a Freedom defender (not sure which one) before knocking the ball in - not much Nicci Wright, our goalkeeper, could do about it.

The only "name" Wildcats I recall from the game were Karina LeBlanc, Cat Reddick, Rachel Yankey, Heather O'Reilly, and Christie Welsh. But the announcer was kind of mealy-mouthed and I may have missed some other names.

I would be interested in knowing the comparative amount of time that the Freedom and the Wildcats have to practice as a team. Certainly the Wildcats looked as if they had a significant advantage on that score.

 

i don't care about the freedom.....i don't follow them so sorry....take a chill pill.

the wildcats were definiely the most poised team....actually the wildcat team was practically playing with alot of new players that have been in and out all season...so alot of these players have not even been around to practice.

Got er done

 

Thanks Starcityfan for the through analysis. very helpfull

 

You make no sense. I leave it to someone more objective than I am to correct your obnoxious rant.

 

This from the Wildcats, and which is a better account of the game than I've seen here. Having seen the game I can tell you that the best player on the field was Lori Lindsey, by far. Christie Welsh didn't do anything, O'Reilly was a second half sub and didn't do much, Cat Reddick was made to look good by the maddening decision of the Freedom plan (i.e. coaches) to play long balls all night long. Lindsey played from side to side, covered about 2/3s of the entire field and dominated the midfield. Had she had any help up top at all this game would not have even been close (meaning a big Freedom win). And why oh why did Gabarra take Tiffany Roberts out when she was playing so well? Could add more, but don't have time.

WILDCATS ACCOUNT
Rachel Yankey connected for the only goal of the game as the New Jersey Wildcats topped the Washington Freedom Reserves 1-0 in an exhibition match at the Maryland SoccerPlex. The two teams played to a 1-1 tie three weeks ago in New Brunswick, NJ. The Wildcats will next be in action on Friday, August 5th in the semifinal round of the 2005 W-League Championship at Mercer County Community College.

In an evenly played match with the shots finishing level at 12-12, the Wildcats took control of the game early as Yankey connected in the 14th minute. Alicia Wilson started the play feeding the ball up the middle for Kelly Hammond, who collected the ball and fed Yankey through into the left side of the box. The England winger cracked a shot that bounced off the hands off Washington keeper Nicci Wright and into the net.

The Wildcats had the only other good chance of the half as Wright stopped Wildcats forward Christie Welsh on back-to-back shots in the 30th minute. In the second half, the Wildcats nearly added to the lead on a long range blast from Alicia Wilson just three minutes after the break, but her chance bounced off the top of the crossbar and over the goal.

As the game wore on, the Freedom began to press forward more and more and it nearly paid off. Lori Lindsey's shot from an angle in the 57th minute forced Wildcats keeper Karina LeBlanc to tip the ball over the bar. Three minutes later, LeBlanc came up with a point-blank stop on Mallory Mahar to keep the Freedom Reserves off the board. Washington's last good chance came in the 66th minute when former Wildcats player Kim Francis slipped a shot just wide of the left post.

 

why in the world would a coach risk keeping the best players on the field in that game..thats why he subbed so much....duh.....the wildcats have more important business than to get someone hurt in an exhibition game.

and i was there and the wildcats were the better team for this night at least..

i agree lindsey did look good for the freedom...

 

maybe because the team has not played together for 4 weeks ?

 

I believe there is a ticket for that, since it is a buffet. Not sure on the price, info will be at the games on friday