Was really happy to see Premji score in the final game of her UNC career, what a great way to finish her senior year. On another note, is the ACC tournament really needed?. Most conferences at least in the west don't even have a conference tournament. Would Virgina have been better off resting rather than going from a very tough ACC title to the NCAA tournament. By losing in the first round Ohai and Dunn got almost a two week rest, the first they have had since coming off a grueling year and a half U20 world championship run.
+1. Also: Last year, the 4-2-3-1 had Ohai alone up top and Brooks was the fourth defender in the back line. That took UNC's best players and split them over the length of the field. Ohai was basically left to fend on her own in the final 3rd while Premji and Courtney Jones tried to get her the ball. As we all know, that formation just didn't work well and allowed other teams to get their offense going. During the 4-2-3-1 formation in the 2012 NCAA final, Ohai was a right winger (something Penn State probably never thought would happen since Ohai was a left/central forward for UNC and a left foward/midfielder for the U20), Green was the designated striker, and Bowen was the fourth defender. So at the start of the 2nd half the midfield is Dunn, Brooks, Ohai and a revolving door of Morris, Elby, McFarlane, Premji, Nigro, and Rich (I think Nielsen was the designated lone forward substitute the way she was running after the defense but I might be wrong.) Yes, it was the same formation as the much-maligned 4-2-3-1 of last year, but the personnel in the midfield for this year's formation was much better suited to get the ball into the final third of the field than last year. But YAY TAR HEELS!
Yeah I'm not sure about Virginia resting players. They still needed a win or two to get a #2 seeding to ensure homefield advantage until the quarters, and the Cavaliers didn't win back-to-back games against ACC competition until the final 2 games of the regular season. Any momentum you can get before NCAA play can only help, IMO. I think Virginia losing was a combination of Duke playing the way we all thought they COULD play after last year's final run and a mistake by Swanson in not starting Morgan Brian.
From a different perspective, in terms of overall conference ratings there are three conferences that have conference tournaments that would be better off if there were no tournaments: ACC, SEC, and Big 10. The Ivies, West Coast, and Pac 12, which don't have conference tournaments, also would be better off with no tournaments at all. Of course, there may be other reasons for having conference tournaments.
Caitlin Ball was the key. If she didn't come back from the injury, this thread would be much, much uglier right now. Her return allowed Dunn to be moved up the field. Any deeper analysis isn't really needed.
True, but if Ball was out for the rest I still would have taken my chances of putting someone else (Morris or someone else) in the back and getting Dunn out of there even if AD went to a 4 back. I would have taken my chances of giving up a goal knowing that Dunn was good for at least 1 either putting one in or setting up someone. Dunn's strength in the middle or up top outweighed her value to the team in the back if AD had to make that decision. With her in the back the rest of the offense was struggling.
Ball made it allot easier for Anson to move Dunn up I will give you that but the back line was still a little shakey, ie Baylor,and BYU. Great defense starts on the offesnisve side of the ball and how well they can hold it up top. I do get your point if Ball is not in the back perhaps Dunn isn't moved up. If Dunn isn't moved up there is no Ohai to Dunn or Dunn to Ohai.
I'm a neutral. My opinion is that if Ball doesn't come back, there's no College Cup - much less a national title. Putting someone else or two someone elses in the back line wasn't the answer. The key player was Ball. I've never been particularly enamored of her play. But she's a consistent, know what you're going to get, don't do anything stupid, defender. Her return allowed them to move Dunn up the field - which is what fueled the post-season attack, and helped the team get its confidence at the right time. I can't think of any other player I've seen on this roster could've stabilized the backline without Dunn - other than Ball. YMMV.
Well seeing how Anson only trusted two players play centerback. You must be correct. I still think the MVP of the team was Amber Brooks. She does all the dirty work. Go in for the tough tackles, she wins nearly every ball in the air.
So, to facts on the ground, I totally Agree. It was about Ball coming back. That is what made the difference! I disagree that is All there is to the story. Its not about one player on this squad; her injury or her return. Much of the grousing on this site has been as the result of fan perceptions that this team has been awash with Talent all season-- that there were other ways to configure the pieces-- that we could have gotten Dunn Forward (not even necessarily to ACM) earlier without Ball -- that we might have made a few other tactical changes as well-- and had we done so, we might not have tied our worst regular season yet, and our spectacular finish in the NCAA might not have seemed like such a surprise? I'm not here to relitigate the season. While a better regular season result and the ACC are always nice, that NCAA trophy washes away all before it (IMO). At the end of the day, Anson and this team had a Fantastic season!! Congratulations to them! I'm just saying, Andy, that when you say Ball is the whole story, some of us wonder (and have wondered for a while) why it was that only when Ball supplied the lever was Anson able to throw this team into high gear? It will remain an open and essentially meaningless question... Really, doesn't much matter now. We are the Nat. Champs and everyone is moving on to 2013. That 2012 National Champion sign will be hanging in Fetzer for decades beyond the time that everyone has lost interest in its details.... and no one doubts that this team (players and coaches!) Richly Deserve it. Nicely done, Heels!!!
This championship might have been one of the greatest team efforts in UNC history I can name 5 or 6 MVPs and have a good argument for each, starting with Brook Elby. To single out one person is an injustice to what took place in the 6 game series of the tournament. There were heros all over the pitch every game. How bout we have a Most Valuable Person: Anson Dorrance!
I thought he got two things out of the 4-2-3-1. Space for his wings to take the ball into the corners that turned into crosses and corners. He was also able to bring both his outside backs (Murray and Gardner) forward which pinned Schramm and Weber back in their own end.
Elby not only had the play of the year in Women's NCAA soccer but she absolutely crushed somebody in the Stanford game. It sounded like a car wreck on the field mics.
He didn't just rest his starters he left them home!. I think he wanted to win an NCAA title more than an ACC title, winning 6 straight games in the NCAA tournament is a monumental feat, let alone 9 straight games if you add the ACC tournament.
A distinction without a difference, except that STUDENTS would have more time for academics as well. Either way, they don't play. One could say UNC didn't place much importance on the ACC title this year. You mentioned scrapping the NCAA tournament. It may be a good idea. Either that or have two divisions and a playoff. As it is now, the ACC will only have about 7 out of conference games.
Awesome to see Crystal Dunn win the Honda Award for soccer. Not often a junior wins this award. Hopefully she can repeat in 2013, but would be especially nice if Ohai turned in some top numbers next year to join Dunn and Brooks with an honored jersey! http://www.goheels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3350&ATCLID=205823421
Damn, I knew there was a good discussion thread out there I was missing out on. Oh well, better late than never. I went to most of the games at Fetzer this year and watched as much of the games as possible. I have these few snippets I'm curious to see if others agree with. 1. Summer Green players better on the flanks, and I personally believe she would play better in the midfield, maybe in a 4 3 3 that would give her space to maneuver and options on all sides. She is very technically skilled and capable of wonderful 1 - 2's but I think she gets a little lost when shes asked to attack with the ball at her feet. She's been at her best this season when shes either driving baseline or going East to West somewhere on the field, at her worst when shes going down Route 1. 2. I hate, hate, hate it when this team asked Kealia Ohai to chase the ball. Put the ball at her feet and let her make the run, the long balls over the top that she has to chase downfield drove me nuts. The goal in the final was a perfect example of this (admittedly it was a long ball, but it was lofted and measured to fall at her feet, instead of her chasing a ball down field.) I think only Amber Brooks was better at winning 50 50 balls. 3. I love the energy and pace that Anson asks his girls to play, but I feel like its not directed and measured. I feel a lot of possessions were waisted in the final third going down route 1, when players were better suited to stretching the field of play and waiting for players to stack behind them. There were lots and lots of other talking points I am interested in but I am going to make sure I read the whole of the forum before I comment.
and I agree 100% that Ball returning turned a good team into a championship team. They would not have beaten Stanford with Dunn anchoring the back line.
Not to continue the point on this but why is it that other players are not asked to play more than 1 position. If Dunn was in the back could they have moved Ohai or Green to an attacking mid position to help create offense?
The major issue here is defense. Strikers and Midfielders are expected to be interchangeable pieces even within the flow of the game. You need reliable defenders who know their roles and stick to it. I was always nervous with Dunn anchoring the back, especially after her gaffe led to FSU's goal. That being said I remember a few times through the course of the season players like Lubrano & Premji starting in the midfield.
You did say you were new to this site. Premji has been the starting midfiielder for the past two years and I don't recall her playing any other position. Not sure I have heard anyone say they are nervous having a person in defense who has been the ACC defensive player of the year - TWO TIMES - and who has started every game in defense in in 3 world cups. Interesting.