I think you are lost. This is not the referee subforum. Heavens forbid I publicly criticize an official with history by name. For what it's worth, depending on if you believe me when I say this or not, but I genuinely meant to write "near and dear to *this* UNC's fan's heart" ... (singular possessive "fan's", singular "heart") ... Yea, I don't really think there are many other, if any, UNC fans who still hold that grudge. I apologize if any other UNC fans thought I was speaking for them. I think I've been about as courteous as possible engaging with someone who has not been engaging in this conversation in good faith. Had they been doing so, we would be talking about the actual decision and topic at hand ... you know the one in the SEC, the video review where onside was called on the field but overturned in the SEC... the conversation where I tried twice to steer the conversation back to but failed because someone from the other side of the forum, and now you, has decided to lord on your high horses over me and the conversation. To "well actually" me for a rule interpretation that has A) only been publicly clarified in a way that casual fans can read for TWO DAYS and B) has absolutely nothing to do with the decision in the SEC ... being discussed on the SEC subforum ... Maybe I can try steering the conversation back one more time? Third time's a charm? This play (starts at 8:45) where South Carolina scored what appeared to be an onside goal, was reviewed. The call on the field by the AR was a good goal, but against apparent precedent and rule interpretation, (apparent because transparency is terrible in soccer officiating) it was overturned for offside by the center. Maybe if we are all here in good faith, we can talk about this instead.
Just as a note on RefQuest, I watch the "you make the call" clips and the answers are all over the place...never consistent, from the officials who work all the college games. Obviously there is a tremendous amount of subjectivity in calls.
I didn't agree with the initial post on SEC refs--but I do after yesterday when I observed a RAFT of seemingly terrible ref decisions--most made after review! It is stunning to me that refs can look at replays and still make bad or highly questionable calls--but then we see it with VAR in pro soccer all the time. Mid-season Hierarchy in the Dog Eat Dog SEC Top tier: Tennessee: good team defense + mentality and manages to score enough goals to win even though the Vols possession/attacking style can be ragged. Team lost its best scorer, who blew out her knee after scoring 2 goals against UNC and the winning goal against UCLA, but others have picked up the slack. Coach Joe Kirt--who was, uh, over his skis his first 3 years as the head man, making a number of highly questionable personnel decisions--has got this team on a roll. Vols are recruiting well. Arkansas: Playing its usual brand of helter-skelter soccer--constant pressure that wears opponent's down. Team doesn't seem as SOG/Goals prolific as recent Arky teams and has had to come from behind to win or tie a couple of matches. Got some favorable key calls against Miss. State last night. Scored late to tie Notre Dame--I believe the only blemish on the record of the very good, very potent Irish squad. Miss. State: Gave Tennessee its only loss of the season scoring two goals late against a stingy Vol defense to erase a 2-1 deficit. Well-coached team that has two or three players who can belt balls into the net. South Carolina: As always, well-organized defensively-- and opportunistic offensively. 3 wins, 0 losses and 3-ties in SEC play--the ties coming against Florida, Arkansas and, yesterday, against Auburn. Forward Katie Collins is a talented scorer whom I think has netted 8 this season. Gamecocks were rather fortunate to earn a tie yesterday against auburn, but always a formidable opponent. --------- Upper Mid-Tier: I'd rate Georgia and Vandy as the best of the next tier. Georgia: 3-1-2 in SEC. Very solid team, young talent, well-coached: In OOC played well against UCLA in a 0-1 loss, then beat UNC. Team performance has perhaps dipped slightly of late: Lost to Tennessee, tied by LSU yesterday. Vandy: Strong possession team. Always competitive. Dores are 3-2-1 in conference play. Sydney Watts is top attacking player--scored both goals in yesterday's 2-1 win over Kentucky, bringing her goal total to 9. (She looked easily offside on the winning goal--no call). Lost to a struggling Texas team. Tough last 3 games--at Miss. State, at South Carolina, Tennessee at home. ----- Lower Mid-Tier After Vandy and Georgia, there are half a dozen teams that are certainly competitive and can get results against better (or more talented) teams on a good day but have a lot of mehness about them. Kentucky: Hard-working and unspectacular. Alabama: Very up and down. 3-3 in conference. Tied Duke early in season--it's best result--but losses to Oklahoma and Kentucky, wins against weaker SEC teams. Don't have a high-quality win but a capable squad not to be underestimated. LSU: Decidedly enigmatic with 2-2-2 conference record. Best SEC results are ties against Georgia and Vandy--but no real quality wins except Wisconsin early on. Has easy remaining conference schedule. Best player is from Iceland. Adjusting to the ickk of Red Stick (humidity) could not have been easy. Florida: Is this program pulling itself up off the doormat after an extended string of bad seasons? It might be: 1-2-3 in the SEC--but unbeaten in its last 4 conference games---tying SC, Georgia and Kentucky, then getting its first SEC win yesterday thanks in part to a couple of tough decisions against the Longhorns. Has some young talent. Oklahoma: 2-3-1 Haven't seen this team. Wins: bama, florida. Losses: kentucky, SC, Vandy. Sooners pinched coach Matt Mott from Ole Miss, where he'd had success. Auburn: 1-2-3 in the SEC. New head coach James Armstrong is an Englishman whom Auburn hired away from Miss. State after he led the bulldogs to their best years ever, in '23 and 24--winning the SEC last year and getting to the NCAA Sweet 16. Always a flinty opponent, Auburn has good ties against SC and Miss. State, but its only conference win a squeaker over A&M. Bottom Tier: Texas A&M: program has been sliding in recent years. 1-4-1 in SEC this year--but team has played better than its record, with 3 of its conference losses (including Arky, Tennessee) by 0-1 scores. It's so bad that the ROTC corps has decided to sit during home games--and no drums. Could be Coach Guerrieri's last season. Texas: Youngish team that is struggling. A win over Vandy, but season otherwise has been dismal: 1-5 in SEC, 3-9-1 overall. Rebuilding year, maybe, but not sure you can justify a season this poor when your recruiting ground is texas. Arguably hard done by a couple of ref decisions yesterday. Missouri: Can't seem to get any traction. 1-5 in the conference. Not a good soccer environment, not a good roster, not a good team. Mississippi: Woeful. Soccer field now flying White Flag. Rebels lack talent. I heard yesterday that they have not won a conference game in 2 years. Best SEC result this year is a tie against Auburn; otherwise, a bunch of thumpings. I think this is the coach's 2nd year. She will need to find better players or her supply of Hoddy Toddys will run dry.
Well the season isn't quite over but I accomplished my goal and have probably watched at least 20 games of SEC soccer this fall. I didn't quite catch all the teams, but got a good cross section. That said just some quick thoughts on a few of the teams: Arkansas: The style of play is hard on the eyes but continues to get results. Won the regular season with a bunch of turnover from last year. Early exit from the conference tourney, so I guess lets see if the extra rest helps them w/ the NCAA's Tenn: Cooled down after the hot start, but still finished well and will certainly make the NCAA. I'm a sucker for the checkerboard uniforms. Agree w/ L'orange above that I've found it tough to tell exactly how they are trying to play tactically, but I admit that I have no coaching background. Miss State: Think the new coach did a great job this year and Perry is an absolute beast of a player. This team works hard together. Kinda got hosed w the red card in the SEC semi-finals, but I thought the PK was warranted. LSU: Has been on a real tear w/ Galligan and Hermansdotir seemingly scoring every game at this point. The SEC final vs. Vandy should be a fun game to watch assuming both teams aren't completely fried. What a grind to do potentially 4 games in the SEC tourney and then hit the NCAA's. South Carolina: easy on the eye to watch stylistically and loved the crowd support they get at home Georgia: Another solid season for the team but like Tennessee I watch them and I'm not quite sure I understand their tactics. If someone with more knowledge has any insights I would really like to hear it as DD is quite interested in the school. Texas: They were awful every time I watched them and I was surprised that for a school with so many resources that they don't seem to have a dedicated soccer field. A high D-1 with a field in the middle of an outdoor track is pretty lame. I'd make the same observation about Ohio State. Vandy: Completely were not on my radar, but also pretty easy to watch and did very well this year. With the men's football team doing well it will not surprise me if the school surges in popularity and recruitment options. Nashville is a fun place!
Amazing how awful Texas is for the star recruits they have had and the number of kids with national team camps.
if your daughter is actually good enough to play for Georgia, Keidane is not only one of the best coaches in the league/country, but one of the best people.