Looking for a description of the game from someone who was out at the game. I had a conflict (preseason tourney) and couldn't make it to the game. I am more interested in SLU's play overall. Is our defense not gelling right now? I figured with who we have back there, this defense could be the best in the conference if not the nation.
SLU vs UCLA. First things first. As always it was a pleasure watching the game @ Hermann Stadium on the SLU campus as this facility is immaculately kept and it is unqestionably the "HOLY MECCA SHRINE" of NCAA Soccer! 4500+ fans were in attendance for this EXIHIBITION Match and the weather was perfect. On to the game. UCLA and SLU came out crunching with at least 4 crunching tackles in the first minute of play with SLU being the crunchers and UCLA being the crunchees! I thought I was at an American Football game. After the first few minutes UCLA began to control ball possession and created several shots in the opening 10 minutes of play. None of the UCLA shots were particularly dangerous but UCLA does attack very directly and quickly when ever even a half of a chance presents itself which is in direct contrast it seemed with the SLU team whom it seemed can't recoginize a scoring opportunity if their life depended on it. More on that later. After the first 15 minutes SLU began to slowly but very surely and delibrately earning most of the ball possession and playing keep away from UCLA while attacking down the flanks of both sides of the pitch. Saint Louis scored on a real nifty play by the SLU freshman Danny Wynn beating his marker down the wing with some fancy footwork and serving a perfect ball onto the streaking head of Jack Jewsbury. Jewsbury deposited nicely up and into the near corner of the net with the UCLA keeper in no mans land with no chance of stopping the shot. The big crowd was quite delighted with the goal! SLU goal # 2 came 3 minutes after the initial goal again featuring the Wynn and Jewsbury connection with Wynn flighting a well placed corner kick directly onto the run of Jewsbury for a 6 yard box near post flick on header into the net. Again the Saint Louis crowd erupted. The first half closed with more SLU possession and the teams went into halftime 2-0 SLU. The second half was UGLY for SLU in terms of, 1) An injury to their star Freshman Recruit Kyle Hopson who went down all by himself as he was attempting to cut and it appeared he twisted a knee or an ankle. 2) SLU packed it in and was just playing as ugly as I have ever seen them. Poor pass after poor pass and just plain knuckleheadedness. UCLA to their credit pressured SLU relentlessly and very definitely deserved the tie with 2 late goals the first scored in the 79th minute off a bad give away by SLU at the midstripe line which resulted in a break in by Tim Pierce. Pierce faked the shot and stepped around the SLU keeper Martin Hutton (who played well by the way) and Pierce left footed the ball into the open net with a classic finish. (Pierce is a solid forward). UCLA continued to accept the gifts SLU was handing them with SLU's inability to maintain any significant ball possession. The second goal was scored in the final minute of play directly after Jack Jewsbury had the ball stripped from him as he was going in 1 v 1 and the UCLA defender. The UCLA defender swiped the ball on a good slide tackle (Jewsbury let the ball get to far out in front of him) and bada bing bada boom 3 or 4 passes down the right sideline and you know who scores again. Pierce scored off a real nice feed from Futagaki from the left 6 yard box unmarked at the far post. Pierce made no mistake with a simple left foot side pass into the open net. Pierce was a happy camper and the 4500 SLU fans were disgusted. SLU took the centeroff and had their best work of the second half creating a couple of last ditch chances with a blistering shot from the top of the penalty area by Joe Hammes that went just inches wide of the far post at the final whistle! As I said earlier UCLA can and does attack quickly and directly with great effect while it seemed the SLU players failed to recognize they had attacking opportunities as they either passed when the should have shot or incredibly pulling up and missing at least 2 golden attacking opportunities when they had numerical advantages and simply didn't recognize them. Perhaps it was youthful inexperience on the SLU players parts. Both these teams will be heard from this season and they will both be NCAA Tournament teams.
Thanks soccertom....I hate those last minute goals. Creighton had one against us a couple years ago off a corner kick with less than thirty seconds to go. And the fans who had to see it had been there through rain and cold the entire game. Disappointing to say the least. Well I hope Hopson is okay. How is the defense looking? I find it amazing that we broke down that much in the second half. I have usually seen SLU play bad first halfs and then come out on fire for the second half. Did they change the lineup a lot or did UCLA just get their act together? Is Walls doing anything out there? Wickart as good as his resume? Finally, who's our center mid?
kami, I was @ that Creighton game but I was in the press box for much of the game! I hope Hopson is OK as well. He did walk off the field under his own power. The defense will be fine although they were shaky at times vs UCLA. I think it is mostly a matter of needing time to gel as a unit. Mike Kirchoff an All Conference Defensive Midfielder has tweaked a back mucle and has missed both preseason games. The Center Midfield will probably have 2 defensive Mids with either Hopson or McKee playing the attacking mid and Wickart and Kirchoff or possibly Joe Hammes being the 2 defensive midfielders. The Bills ran a 4 man midfield against UCLA with Wickart as the defensive Mid and McKee and Hopson sharing the attacking mid. The flank midfielders were Andrew Moses and Danny Wynn both Saint Louis freshmen from Chaminade. SLU flat out just stunk for the most part in the second half. Total lack of composure on the ball and playing without any poise or good decision making at all. Walls was solid in terms of bing able to use his size strength and speed effectively. He didn't have anything to show for his efforts though. Wickart had a good game with flashes of both brilliance and knuckleheadedness. Wickart made some really fine plays offensively and was real solid defensively and in the air but he gave up the ball at least 7 or 8 times with ill advised or just plain bad passes. He also tried to be cutesy too often and had several give aways from that as well.