8/17 Playoffs Pre-game discussion [R] (Will edit thread to include 'Courage' after 24 hours) Atlanta take on the Courage at Cary, N.C. Freedom will take on Philly at Villanova === Any thoughts? Carolina's always been our weak spot, but we finally got the better of them last go 'round. At least we did 'break' the curse, and we know going into this that they are capable of being beat by us.
Hmm. I'm glad we're not facing the Freedom in the first game. Should be an interesting game vs the Courage given how the last game ended
Hey Bonnie surely you're gonna go? One thing for sure... it will be a VERY hard fought game, and Beergut will take some knocks. Obviously I hope we can take them.
---------------------- I asked this question in several forums already... Can a traveling team bring it's entire squad this Saturday or will the Beat be limited to only bringing 16 players?
Same thing cam up last year. I THINK Phily brought its entire squad to Atlanta last year... but I can't swear on it.
Well, all I can say is that there was a reason for finally breaking the "curse" against Carolina this year. The girls know how to play with them and will have the confidence and will-power to stay the course and fight hard at SAS Soccer Park Saturday evening. I predict that these two semifinals will be two of best games this year. It will be a very fun and interesting Saturday afternoon!! GO BEAT! SKIN THE COWARDLY LIONS!!
I think this will be a very good game... Any predictions, any key players to watch, any key matchups?
I believe that the control of the midfield will be key in this game. I think our midfield needs to pressure Carolina's much like how we did it against Philly. We need to constrict Riise's and Lehn's service and man mark them both or at least Hege Riise. Bivens didn't do so well marking in the Philly game. Maybe we should let Nikki do that. Burt needs to play. Let Sun Wen come in after the half because she is injured and has not produced much lately. Let Burt take her place. Cagle has proven that she can have an impact coming off the bench. Let her come in later in the game for Bivens or Parlow. Well that's just my opinion.
jd hit the nail on the head. Riise is pretty much the catalyst for the Courage offense. When she ain't there then it's a long day for the Courage. And it would help to piss off Prinz too.
LMAO, Dani! Nice note from Marcia. LMAO! Little does McDermott know that the "not so shy Beat fans" are going to invade her home field! We are gonna rock the house! There are over 100 confirmed Beat fans attending and sitting in the same section. We will be LOUD and PROUD! BTW, Whatcha doing receiving Courage fan mail??? This is gonna be awesome and I have the same good feeling about this game that I had going into the Philly game this past Saturday. The Courage played like sh!t against SD during their last game, whereas we kicked ass! We have the momentum and they have the pressure of performing well at home and validating their first place regular season finish! They are going to fall! WAR BEAT!!!
1) Who is bringing the Brigade banner? 2) Do you know what sections of SAS y'all will be sitting in so we can look for you on TV? 3) Is anyone bringing a bass drum?
1) AB1 will have the banner - make sure it makes it to the stadium this time. 3) I think they should bring the Calypso band they had at Beach Day I will be listening for BeerGut's Boo-birds
I agree that the midfield is key to a victory. In the first game against Carolina, we lost 1-0 with Tiffany Roberts scoring the only goal of the game. If you remember, Kylie owned Lehn and probably would have been player of the match if it had ended in a tie. She was spectacular in that game. Against Philly, she did have a problem due to being so fatigued and still nursing a foot injury. She is a big game player and you shouldn't even worry about her staying with and/or controlling Riise or Lehn in this one. She needs to be on the field for the full 90. By the way, the WUSA Media Guide states that the key matchup in this game will be between Riise and Bivens. http://wusa.com/press_room/322151.html
hey anybody and everyone coming tomorrow bring your loud stuff and blue and green and purple and help us to prove McDermott wrong!
I agree that the game will be controlled by the team that wins the midfield BUT Atlanta's fate may well rest on how the ref calls the game. Controlling a game has not been a real key to victory in the WUSA more than half of the games I have seen that were one goal games were won by the team that was in a counterattacking mode rather than the one that passed the ball around all the time. If Nonen and Hooper are allowed to play as physical as they like to against their respective matches then it will make it a LOT easier for the midfield to play well as Carolinas mids will not have and open target all the time and they will have to retreat to help on Hooper. This will also mean that Atlanta's mids will have a target available and they will not have to be as defensively aware. A close game at the end plays into Carolina's hands however as the Beat still show a huge weakness on defending set pieces and they do not get the number of good chances off their own set pieces as they should the odds favor a late goal off a set piece for Carolina. Prediction: If the ball bounces in the beat box off set pieces more than five times in the game Carolina wins but if it is less than five then the Beat wins. At exactly five the game is a toss up. In the final analysis set pieces, I believe, are the real key and goals off set pieces will be the real key to loss or victory for both teams.