Pitt 2019 (R, news, etc.)

Discussion in 'Women's College' started by Nacional Tijuana, Aug 6, 2019.

  1. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    As many have said, and I always agree, it takes from 5 to 7 years to turn a program completely around. When Randy signed on with Pitt in 2018, most all of the top players had already committed through 2021. So he was already 4 years behind in the recruiting race. To make any reasonable judgment about his prospects for success, we fans are going to have to wait until the 2022 season. If he's on track, he could be in the middle of the ACC by that time.

    He knows as well as anyone that to compete at in the ACC in women's soccer you have to get the high calibre players. It appears that he is pursuing a reasonable recruiting strategy --that being to cast a very wide and large net at the beginning and see if at least a few small diamonds in the rough turn up. Then focus on the long range plan (a solid class for 2022 and especially 2023) while also trying to pick off a few late developers for 2020 and 2021 who hadn't committed yet.

    Precious few of his present frosh who are now starting will start as seniors in 2022. But starting next year he will have a few ACC calibre players. The first one is from down here in North Carolina, Paige Tolentino. She got a look-see at the U20 camp in August and apparently showed well and she is now slotted to train on the U18 YNT. Even if she doesn't rise to be on the U20 US WWC team in 2020 or 2022, she should be able to hold her own on ACC pitches. There should be a few more of these finds for 2020 and 2021 (and maybe some solid internationals) and then some real solid hits in 2022 and 2023. That would be the plan....
     
  2. Number007

    Number007 Member+

    Santos FC
    Brazil
    Aug 29, 2018
    Way to go Randy !!! :)
     
  3. Wildcatter

    Wildcatter Member

    Sep 9, 2018
    Man great job by Pitt tonight. Congrats Randy and Staff. This should shut up all the people saying Randy isn't the right guy for Pitt. Perfect game plan to shut down Boston College. Started a little shaky but after about 10 minutes Pitt dominated the rest of the 1st half. Pitt started off great in the 2nd but then BC started to get a little more control of the game. Pitt did score all 3 goals tonight! I bet Velrti is buying West's dinner tonight! Big time goal by the freshmen
     
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  4. Number007

    Number007 Member+

    Santos FC
    Brazil
    Aug 29, 2018
    Very happy for this program. I hope Randy has a nice bottle of w(h)ine tonight. Pun intended !!
     
  5. Mojo45

    Mojo45 Member

    Barcelona
    United States
    Aug 17, 2019
    Wow, wow, wow! A milestone win for the program. I like this formation for our team now that we are in ACC play. It is harder to isolate some of our slower players as we defend closer to our box but it will be put to the test hard against North Carolina.

    Kudos to co-captain Vazquez on her header goal last night. A right place right time goal which changed the complexion of the game for us. West continues to be West. Hard working and always going into the box. Great header in OT for the win. Two wonderful assists on balls served into the BC box by that hard working defender Hudson. She deserves the game ball in my opinion for her efforts, offensively and defensively, last night.
     
  6. Wildcatter

    Wildcatter Member

    Sep 9, 2018
    without a doubt Hudson was the player of the game.
     
  7. devad

    devad Member

    Nov 18, 2012
    First off, congrats to the Pitt soccer program!

    Let me clarify a few things. I do not have any agenda against Pitt or RW. My agenda is that GM was blasted for using the strategy to get the same results and CW is is given a complete pass. I do think RW at one time was a very good coach. I do not think he has forgotten how to coach. I do think he has taken this step for all of the wrong reasons and that never seems to work. The model that normally works is a younger hungrier coach who has 1 shot at proving they can do it. Maybe I am wrong, but all of the talk is he waited for a program that would let him hire his son so he could set his son up with a college job.
     
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  8. Wildcatter

    Wildcatter Member

    Sep 9, 2018
    I think Pitt has a great thing going. you have a very experienced coach who may not have all the drive to get out and hit the recruiting trail hard like a younger coach might but his assistants are. Ben and Dustin have done an amazing job getting out and being at a ton of events and seem to be bringing in recruit after recruit. Seems like you have the best of both worlds. Very eager assistants willing to put in the leg work and a very experienced coach leading the way.
     
  9. ping

    ping Member

    Dec 7, 2009
    Keep posting. I like that you express your thoughts and that they vary from the others. Everyone has an agenda so don't worry about any of that. There is nothing wrong with having passions about the program and coach even if they run contrary to others here.
     
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  10. Wildcatter

    Wildcatter Member

    Sep 9, 2018
    definitely keep posting. I like having people to respond to! even if the opinion is different than mine. that's what the forums are for.
     
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  11. Enzo the Prince

    Sep 9, 2007
    Club:
    CA River Plate
    Here's one big concern, then: how much money did RW committ to this massive class he brought in this season?

    His assistants may be hitting the recruiting trail hard, but if all the money is committed for the next couple of seasons, that's a problem.
     
  12. MotorBob

    MotorBob Member

    Oct 24, 2007
    Huge win and interesting dichotomy in the Pitt-BC coaching hires...presumably expensive (has anyone seen numbers?), experienced former national championship coach takes on downtrodden and talent deficient program v traditional power program with a loaded roster who hired an assistant with no head coaching experience presumably on the cheap (has anyone seen numbers?). Not saying one better than the other - just very different hiring strategies.

    Will the historical soccer school (BC) prevail in the long run or will the money hire and experience (Pitt) make up for what the school lacks in soccer pedigree.
     
  13. Number007

    Number007 Member+

    Santos FC
    Brazil
    Aug 29, 2018
    Loaded roster ?
     
  14. Wildcatter

    Wildcatter Member

    Sep 9, 2018
    I have 0 clue how much they are paying Waldrum. I do know that the Pitt AD (Heather Lyke) is spending a ton of money at Pitt and the school has put a lot more money into the athletic department to make them relevant in the ACC.

    Pitt is doing a ton of upgrades to their soccer facility. They resurfaced the turf field. yes I know its turf but it looks extremely nice! they just installed a brand new video board which was a huge upgrade to the fan experience. They are adding on to the building behind their field and adding coaches offices, team meeting rooms, player lounge and redoing their locker rooms. This building also houses mens soccer, baseball, and softball. so its not all money spent on soccer but all together the renovations of the Petersen sports complex I heard cost around $34 million. I would have to think those upgrades along with the Waldrum name is going to keep the Pitt team going up.

    Also heard rumors that Pitt is considering tearing down an existing building and putting another soccer field in. Heard the new field would become a practice field and would be a turf field. They would then turn their stadium field into grass. That project is a few years down the road

    Enzo, you did bring up a valuable point about the scholarships. No clue how much the staff spent on this 2019 class.
     
  15. Wildcatter

    Wildcatter Member

    Sep 9, 2018
    pretty spirited effort by Pitt today against North Carolina. Actually played them tougher than I thought Pitt would. NC Gets the win 3-1 but Pitt actually had the lead 1-0 at halftime. In the end North Carolina just showed their class and pulled away in the 2nd half. Set piece goals are what killed Pitt today.

    Amanda West created the goal for Pitt by getting the ball and playing it into a dangerous area. Joel from North Carolina made a mess of the play and got the ball stuck in her feet and and Kardesler from Pitt buried the mistake. That is now the 8th assist of the year to go with her 8 goals. I feel like she should be in discussion for ACC freshmen of the year. Probably Ordonez from Virginia ends up winning it but West is doing it with a lot less talent around her. That should count for something
     
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  16. Mojo45

    Mojo45 Member

    Barcelona
    United States
    Aug 17, 2019
    Wildcatter help me with the numbers here. We are carrying 31 players this year. We have 2 or 3 seniors and 7 2020 commits. I don't see him carrying over all his players from this roster to next year. Am I tracking correctly on this one?
     
  17. Wildcatter

    Wildcatter Member

    Sep 9, 2018
    we have 3 seniors this year. Im not sure how many 2020 commits we have overall. we will find that out in November.

    I don't think they will carry over the entire roster but I don't think Waldrum will make cuts again this year. I just think it would hurt him in recruiting if he does again. Now that being said I'm sure there will be kids leave. especially now a days that the transfer portal exists. Its easy for kids to bail out and find a new home. I may be showing my age a little but I feel like most kids won't battle things out and just want things handed to them. im sure there's some kids on that Pitt roster that didn't play at all this year or played very little that are doing the math like Mojo45 did. Going we have 31 kids with only 3 seniors. Thats 28 girls. If we bring in 7 that's 35 which im not playing now so Im probably not in future plans.
     
  18. Val1

    Val1 Member+

    Arsenal
    Mar 12, 2004
    MD's Eastern Shore
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    It may be your age, LOL, but the transfer portal is a step (very small) in the right direction. Some of these kids made the decision to commit -- and I'm talking all kids, all sports -- when they were 16 and 17. Why should they stick around if the program changes, or their interests change? I'm firmly of the belief that every player ought to be able to transfer at any time without having to sit a year. I mean, I can change jobs any time I want. I think NCAA student athletes ought to have the same freedom.

    Of course, I also think the kids, especially in the revenue producing sports, ought to get paid.
     
  19. Wildcatter

    Wildcatter Member

    Sep 9, 2018
    I agree with you Val. I actually do like the transfer portal. I think kids should be able to transfer to another school if they want to. my point was its easy to do and I think several of the Pitt players will end up doing that which will bring the roster size down some. Its still going to be a big roster in 2020 for Pitt.

    I especially think some of the sophomores and juniors may leave if they didnt play this year. if they couldn't get on the field with the 21 new players Pitt brought in this year then I would assume the players coming in 2020 and 2021 are better then what came in for 2019. that would make it even tougher for playing time
     
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  20. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    I would think that Randy has thought through all possible scenarios when deciding to cast a very wide net in his first two years. I expect that he is fully expecting many players to transfer and I would think that he also prepared players for this eventuality when he signed them. Or to put it differently, all players and their parents and club/HS coaches new full well what was happening... that these first two classes would be huge and only a few would likely meet the grade of getting playing time on an ACC calibre team. But if you were available this late in the recruiting game and unspoken for, why not take the risk and hope that you could rise to the occasion. Admission to Pitt may be the reward even if you don't make the team going forward.
     
  21. Nacional Tijuana

    Nacional Tijuana St. Louis City

    St. Louis City SC
    May 6, 2003
    San Diego, Calif.
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  22. Wildcatter

    Wildcatter Member

    Sep 9, 2018
    Pitt might just play themselves into the ACC Tournament. if you would of told me that 3 weeks ago I would of laughed at you. Big game this week vs Wake
    Forest and it looks like the last game of the year could be a play in game vs VT

    its amazing how much this team has grown over the course of this season. will be exciting to watch this group of freshmen over the next few years.
     
  23. Nacional Tijuana

    Nacional Tijuana St. Louis City

    St. Louis City SC
    May 6, 2003
    San Diego, Calif.
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  24. mpr2477

    mpr2477 Member

    Jun 30, 2016
    Club:
    Vancouver MLS
    I think if Pitt had finished higher in the acc, Amanda West would be acc freshman of the year. (Id actually pick her regardless cuz her acc stats are phenomenal). But since UVA has the #1 team in the country, Ordonez will probably win it.
     
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  25. Number007

    Number007 Member+

    Santos FC
    Brazil
    Aug 29, 2018
    There are other live candidates. Bell @ UNC for one.
     

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