Dear SBFC fans.........

Yes, that says it all. There is no structure, no system in how they are playing...
Like I already said, I don't see full games but when I look at the game highlights I barely see good play that leads to a good opportunity.

With the potential in this team, a good trainer should be able to make a solid team with these girls. For the moment (and personally I think she isn't the right trainer for this team) Mietiinen isn't doing good.
And indeed I can't believe her subs. a defender for a midfielder when you're 1-3 down and just a change of forward? She will have her reasons for it but I totally don't understand.

Come on with these players, this team should create a lot more scoring opportunities. When they play in a good system that suits them, they should be able to bring Kai in better positions in front of the goal and the midfielders would have better chances too. In all the game highlights that I've seen Kai never really came in a position where she should have scored (with the exception of the 2 times against Chicago and there she scored).

Anyway this is how it looks to me when I watch the summaries and read the reports, but maybe they don’t show every good chance and then maybe I have a totally wrong view on the whole thing. Please let me know if so.

Hopefully some improvement this weekend and not another ‘slaughter’ against Gold Pride.

 

Kai was ineffective Saturday. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and presume that her injury was bothering her. Playing O'Reilly up top with her continues not to work, and their midfield remains unable to control the ball and play it forward on the ground much. For my money, one of the midfield starters is their biggest problem.

That said, they were missing Calmari, Landstrom and Koster, and of course Bardsley. They were trying to work into the lineup Fletcher, who had just joined them. They were doomed.

 

you nailed it!!!

 

she has played so many lineups its crazy....get a group and stick with them like they did last year....every week she is changing it up.. no consistency. players have no idea what to expect week in and week out...i uinderstand when players ae gone...just saying....they hate practice...

 

Insightful.

However...
"our defenders can't defend" - even Koster?
Bardsley was gone and I am not crazy about Luckenbill... that had to be one issue.

Kai - I was not there, and there is, sadly, no video, so we don't know how Kai was playing. Did you see the game?

What troubles me is the lack of scoring in return. I also don't understand why the formation and roster is constantly changing. Mysterious.

 

but even if Kai was playing bad and ineffective like Norks Troll said, when you're 1-3 down, you can add an extra forward but don't take one off in my opinion.
Or change Kai for a forward + put an extra striker into the field.
and certainly don't bring another defender into the game

 

Sky Blue never had the best offense in the league but what the heck happened to our defense?

 

I've seen two games in person this year, saw about twelve last year. I think a lot of it is style of play. Last year, there was consistent pressure applied in the midfield and great defensive cover, so when play did make it through the midfield (it often didn't), the defense was there to clean up. There were lots of very effective double-teams. This year what I've seen seems like much lower pressure, so the clean-up job for the defense is harder. You also haven't had the same defensive lineup, consistently, so that makes a difference, too. I realize that injury and recovery have played a large part in that. But when you had Schnur, Asante, Rampone, and Dowling playing together for most of the season, that was a heck of a wall to get thru. When you get a back four that can stay together, that will help a lot.

The same was true on offense, play flowed through the midfield for the most part, and a lot of Kai's scoring chances came on shorter service slotted through or over the top, so the opponents' defense didn't have much time to read the ball and react--with her speed, that's a big advantage. This year's style of play seems much more direct out of the back. I think that has two consequences--the midfielders just don't get into the same flow of the game, since they're largely playing defense (Rosanna seemed lost in the first game I saw). And the other team's defense can sort of wait on the long ball, which makes it easier to contain players like Kai. You nullify her speed when defenders can time the flight of the ball. Honestly, Philly's play this year reminds me a lot of Sky Blue's last season. And look how well they're doing.

 

very interesting and helpful to know what's going on with the team, thanks a lot!

 

it keeps changing b/c she has no clue

 

Didn't expect them to win after last week, but I'm very happy and relieved they did! Hopefully against the freedom they can continue this.

But she played again with another formation? Does anybody saw the game and can tell if it was a good game? Did they play well?

 

I wouldn't say we played awesome, but very disiplined and conservative and then made good on our few opportuniutes...she went very defensive in the back and mid with 5 midfielders so pride have very few break aways opportunities like they usually get with marta. pride had chances but this slowed it down a bit. played a 4-5-1. got the result and thats what counts

 

the game is being replayed on fsc today i think.

you played a very disciplined game against a team with enormous talent, on their (new) home field.

your defense was especially well designed and consistent.

you bottled up marta many times.

you scored on two of the few chances you had.

fcgp squandered the many chances they had.




btw. did you guys read the story linked above?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...leTabs=article

wow!! just wow!!!!

 

The link's not working. What's it about?

I just watched the replay on MSG today. Summary's above are pretty accurate but here's my 0.02.

SB played a 4-1-4-1 with Rosana as lone striker vs GP's 4-3-3. I thought the 1st half was pretty even. FCGP had the better possesion but SBFC had the more dangerous changes. I didn't think we where being agressive enough on the final ball and just couldn't put the chances away. Defense was very solid, especially for thier first time as a unit. Great diving header by Rosana on a HAO cross for the goal.

Sky Blue played way too defensively after that. Not sure it was intentional or just the collective mindset, but they certainly invited a lot of pressure after the goal. Fortuanly Gold Pride couldn't finish thier many chances and then Tash crept one in the far post to put it away late.

Let hope they can build on the win.

 

it was intentional the way they played!!

 

I was referring to them going into a defensive shell after the goal, not to the formation and tactics. I was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. They had their share of possesion up to that point, then played almost excusively in their own half. There was way too much time left in the game (30 mins) to go into a bunker. Reminded me of the second half of the championship game last year.

I still have my doubts that Miettinen asked tehm to do that. Being on the road having just gone up a goal I can understand the players being cautious about giving up the equalizer right away and playing even more defensifely. That coupled with the GP pressing more effectively could make it seem like they where trying to bunker even if they weren't. I guess we'll never know unless someone actually asked them about it.

 

your are right.. its way too early but they do that in just about every game where they go ahead...and the coach made that adjustment, i ask. players think its way too early when you have that much time left but you gotta do what the coach ask i guess.