"I think the reality is most players and the agents that represent them are recognizing that going to FSU is not a pathway for development." No dog in this fight, but this is ludicrous. I remember when teams used to use this in recruiting all the time vs UNC. Then in a college cup match they kept track of connected passes and consecutive connected passes between UNC and the opponent. It was so dominant for UNC that the "development" argument died then and there. Of course players develop at FSU, and Stanford, and Duke, and TCU, and ....... lots of places C'mon - this trope is old and used by the jealous and/or misinformed. Next we will say the French men when they won with 60% possession were special but when they won a WC with less than 50% possession (by design) they weren't good anymore. Lots of ways to play and lots of great places to develop in NCAA WSOC. The putting down of others is so unnecessary and weak.
Not putting anyone down, but I do not see College soccer as a developmental environment. The player's development frame has already been set already. Sure, they can improve at what they already know, but I don't consider that to be development in the purest sense. It is unlikely the way they see the game will change much. College is about winning, as was Club soccer before. The coaches recruit players who will help them win. It is what it is.
And I also don't disagree with this. Is it the best model for development? nope! Is it about winning -- well sure. But it also has served us VERY well over time and now we also have young players going pro, which is right for some for sure and should be the best "developmental" model.
Good as Stanford was in the first half, really amazing that FSU isn't winning this game. Dudley had two good looks that you'd normally see her put away.
Club soccer is the ONLY development pathway, and the next level is College. It is a matter of opinion as to how well that system has served us. I do not see the pro-environment as development-focused either. That too is about winning in the short term and those players are competing against players from all over the world. Some of whom have been thru development pathways that are NOT solely focused on winning, but helping the individual get better from an earlier age than in the USA. A poor example, but players like Lotte Wubben Moy and Alessia Russo were well into their development long before they came to the USA. AD got them because they could help UNC win, not to further their development! It is all good.
Have not watched all of it, but the part I have , there seems to be very little control in the game for either team. It seems stretched. That favors FSU.
Stanford has been so dangerous so much of the time. Ockene has been a stud! We just need to convert opportunities when we get them.
Can't remember a game I've watched in a while where one team has such a clear and obvious moment "to press", where their defensive structure is specifically designed to force the ball to go where they want it to. Heck of a game plan by FSU in that regard ... whatever they saw on the tape, their gameplan towards it was very effective in the first half. Curious to see the adjustments Stanford makes, if any.
That was a defensive masterclass. Stanford *did* make some adjustments, but there was something about how FSU was set up .... Stanford just kept settling for deep services. Completely took that mid to short range game out of the equation and let the FSU dominance in the air take over. I hesitate even to say that Stanford was the better team, especially in the second half. The goal felt deserved at the time. Congrats to FSU.
GO NOLES!!! Love to see it. Great performance from Ockene. Dudley looking dominant for stretches, just lacking the final touch. And great play from the defense. Stanford was going to get some looks but they did enough at every turn. Made it hard for them all night. 2023, they destroyed Stanford's best defense in the country. 2025, win it by shutting out Stanford's best offense in the country. Awesome.
What a narrative changer for FSU soccer under Brian Pensky. The take has always been, "great offense, suspect defense." Well tonight, FSU, with a little help from Ockene, shut out the best offense in the nation. These were 2 giants slugging each other. Too bad there can't be 2 Natty trophies b/c Stanford was special.
It was very gracious, but I'm 90+% sure Babs is an UNC fan! Babs occasionally gets emotional, but his/her takes are usually very well founded.
You're absolutely right, Babs is a UNC fan. I hope it isn't an insult to Babs, but I mix Babs up with Stanford's Cachundo (who always reminds me of something you say when someone sneezes).
The depth BP built helped us win this. Missing Solai Washington the last several games was huge. She was a great change of pace from Hudson. She had the speed and tenacity to make a difference offensively and defensively!
Interesting you say that because Brian really shortened the bench in Kansas City. Seven! field players played 90 minutes tonight. In fact, these healthy players didn't see the field at all in either College Cup game: Marianyela Jiménez Enasia Colon Lara Dantas Mya Brandon Giana Riley I agree with you on Solai. She brings something special with her speed and skill.
I gotta be honest. I didn't see this team adding the fifth star - especially after drawing with Kansas and getting a draw at the death at NC State. The talent was always there but this team really needed to figure it out. Kudos to them for righting the ship. Really an impressive effort. And Ockene is only a freshman. When this team/program is solid in goal they are extremely dangerous.
I'm with you Tally. As you say, the issue was never talent. Just kept waiting for things to come together. And it finally happened (kinda sorta?) in the tournament. We were obviously playing at a high level, but it was a charmed run -- played the worst team to advance to the round of 32 (Lipscomb), the worst team to advance to the Elite 8 (Ohio State, which also meant a home game that round), and probably the weakest of the College Cup teams in semis (TCU). Add in some favorable referee decisions along the way. Can't say enough about Ockene. I was unsure about her entering the tournament. She hadn't really been tested a ton, had allowed a few goals and didn't really have any big time saves that I remember. All I knew was she was a steady hand, making the saves she should. Then in the semis she makes an excellent game-preserving stop, and tonight, was a brick wall, a human highlight reel. Didn't know she had it in her. And now the future looks bright at the GK position.
Krikorian had a quote from years ago that it’s not always your team you expect to get a championship that does. It never felt like this team ever totally reached its full potential, which is crazy to say because it was good enough for a title. But full credit to BP and staff using the season to evaluate personnel and tactics and be willing to instill significant changes across the season. It’s important in the current game with just a couple weeks of pre season after so much roster turnover.
Hope to never see "Pensky did it with MK's team" again. BP created his own amalgamation of defense and offense and found his own success- with the right mix of recruits and transfers. So obviously, the future Hall of Fame coach has molded his own product. I don't think Mark K would disagree. And I'm grateful that both MK and BP chose to lead FSU and of course, the wonderful players that each has assembled.
I'm being nitpicky here, but how do you leave the best player in the tournament off the All Tourney Team? Though she didn't score here, she impacted the game tremendously! Stanford devoted a lot of attention to her. She gave us forward momentum and demanded multiple players to defend her. On a side note, that was the best referee I've seen all year. He was proactive w/o inserting himself in the game and called it evenly! Would love to see more of him.
Dorrance said the same thing after the 2012 championship for UNC ... of all the teams he expected to win, he didn't rank that one very highly. It's hard not to think of last year's UNC team the same way, with the offseason they had.
I was unbelievably jealous of the official in this game. The three UNC got in their games were atrocious, especially in the first halves of each game.