the games are played ON the field. I dont care what rankings say. The U17 team did not play well and TDS rarely see enough kids play to give you a read. All they are doing is regurgitating what the USSF think. ie a YNT kid is by definition, great. I beg to differ.
also ..I dont get the significance of making the NCAA QF. I would have thought that was the minimum acceptable give their roster.
Reminisences: 1. I hope Anson gets some sleep tonight. My recollection of something I read - maybe from one of his books - is that the night before a final game, he writes personal letters to each of his seniors. That's 10 or 11 letters! If I have the story right, during halftime in the final game, such as a national championship, instead of the usual motivational speech, he reads excerpts from these letters to the team as a whole. Each, I believe, recounts that players special attributes, what knowing and working with her has meant to him, and what she has meant to the team. The seniors are then asked to leave the locker room. For many, that may be the moment when it actually dawns on them that they are playing their last game for UNC. Many are in tears when the emerge back on the field, but, no doubt, highly motivated to go out with a win. Meanwhile, back in the locker room, the underclass women have the chance to reflect on what these young women have meant to each of them. I suspect when they follow the seniors out a few minutes later, it is with a high level of determination to send them off winners, as well. I'm not sure I have the story right - it might even be an "urban legend," but I hope any former players of happen to read this will correct it. 2. I suspect we all realize this 2018 team is special. I was reading back over the posts on this thread from mid-August to early September, and even then some of us were seeing this team as possibly capable of winning it all. The quality of the depth was apparent then - even characterized as capable of fielding both a top 5 and a top 20 team; in retrospect, the top 20 might be under-rated. Also apparent was the extraordinary talent and skill we had on both flanks, anchored in Fox and Ashley and going up through whoever is playing forward on their respective sides. Also back then was, on the one hand, the strength of W-M, but some of us worried about Bingman, especially her lack of speed. Over the course of the year, though, she made a believer of me. She more than makes up for any basic foot speed issues with her very strong defensive skills, her read of the game and positioning, her grit, and perhaps not surprisingly, you don't see speed as much of a liability with her anymore. About that time, the idea was thrown out: "wouldn't it be interesting to see Otto move to the back." But I don't think anyone thought it would actually happen. It didn't happen as some of us hoped - a (unneeded replacement for Bingman at center back), but rather the much more interesting and, as it worked out, brilliant move to put her in front of the back line as defensive central midfielder. She really has blossomed there, becoming not just an outlet for play out of the back but as a strong defensive presence in the center, but also playmaker, distributor, and a threat up the middle. so, if you get a chance, you can see the potential that was there that is now mature. Don't know if the Heels will win it all tomorrow, but they have become an extraordinary team, playing not just powerful but beautiful soccer. A very mature team that has put its mark down as a very different team, with a very different way of playing. [How in the world can Julia Ashley NOT be a first team ACC player? Her play up the middle to end the Georgetown game, including the critical assists by Fox, Pinto, and Dowart was the most perfect, most beautiful play - from end to end - that I have ever seen. How about the Herman?!]
Well I can tell you that they show the halftime speech from the final in 2012 (losing to Penn state at half) to recruits and there was no tear jerking letters. It was actually a very passionate, foul language infused rant calling out the team for their lack of effort in the first half that obviously motivated the girls to get it done for the seniors It obviously worked
After watching some of the U17 USWNT 4-0 loss to Germany, and 3-0 loss to North Korea, and dismal showing in defeating a Cameroon team who ended with 9 players, as college coach you are better off recruiting girls who were not selected for that team.
you do realize that there are other good players in the ACC right ?And that if Dorrance really wanted her to be 1st team, she would be. I dont get the outrage. No kid has a right to that and she was 2nd team. All the defenders ahead of her are excellent players as well. Its hair splitting
game was tied at half. Ohai opened the scoring, Penn State equalized late in the first. Gardner, Murray, & Premji all scored int he second.
Well, the game was tied at 1-1 at half--whatever--and I do remember letter reading--an edited version of course--is this film around? Now there is a film on utube from years earlier at halftime that comes closer to what you're mentioning where Anson is sort of giving up winning--doubtless a psych job.
Glove Stinks, I do believe that you are getting somethings mixed up here. In the 2012 game it was tied at half time, and the only film I saw from the locker room was taken by Brittani Bartok and the atmosphere was sober respectful and the big issue for the players was the precarious health of Anson's wife.. Maybe you are thinking of something else or a different time? In one of his books and in a number of different public speeches over the years Anson has been quite forthcoming about his use of the senior letters. The description by jbs01 is pretty accurate to what Anson says. My own take is that Anson has mellowed a lot in recent years. He may have been more fired up competitive as a coach in his 20s, 30s, and 40s, but he has had his learning experiences and has matured in the last 15 years or so to a much more measured and compassionate man. As far as I can tell, his relationships with his players is increasingly strong and positive. No coach is perfect and all have their flaws an Anson has been no exception, but from what I can see he is moving ever more gracefully toward his retirement within the next 5 years or so.
Please don’t get me wrong. I really thought this was from 2012 because I had a personal family friend on the squad for that game. Yes I get some of the stats wrong...I just had the experience on our trip to UNC to see the Rockne-esq motivational speech at half time of the natty in 2012. It was powerful and really showed his passion for the game On a side note if you don’t have Julie foudy on Twitter she posted a quote from Anson about when he might retire his answer was “I want to die on the pitch preferably after beating the shit out of Duke”.
Having grown up a fan of the other football, I was used to despising my biggest rival. Seminoles hate gators and vice versa. Soccer has been a real paradigm shift for me. #1 the gators are not our biggest rival (although they were before we became a power in college soccer). UNC is our biggest rival. On a side note, they have lots of schools who claim them as their biggest rival. That goes with the territory of having a legendary coach and 2,000 or so Nattys in the sport! We have ONE and only ONE! We are rightly proud of that, but Anson and those dreaded baby blue (what's with the dark blue?) kits stand in the way of #2. I hate Ans... and, oh wait, I don't. Anson, like many college coaches, is very gracious, and has been even helpful to Mark in the past! It's awfully hard to work up a good hatred in a rivalry that is so civil, gracious, kind and full of mutual respect! Damn him!
Anson Dorrance just signed a new 5 yr deal to continue to coach UNC. When I asked him how much longer he has in him, his classic reply: "I'd like to die on the job & I hope I die on the field after beating the shit out of Duke." 😂 He asked to keep shit in there. How I love him. https://t.co/oJHerWX84n— Julie Foudy (@JulieFoudy) November 30, 2018
Hats off to UNC, they took it to FSU today and had more of the run of play. They fought hard and with class, great season and see you next year
#goheels women's soccer #goldengoal #nofilter #canonphoto #canon1dx #workingphotographer @ncwomenssoccer @GoHeels @juliashley11 pic.twitter.com/vhJ9Gwowa0— Andy Mead (@theAndyMead) December 2, 2018
Well..... It's telling that no UNC fans on this site have commented on the game yet today. I suspect that they, like I am, are still in mourning. It's hard to recap a painful event. And I suspect too that we do not know what to say when the players that we have come to know (as best we can from a distance and me from relationships with some of the parents) gave it their very best and left everything on the field. I agree with Julie Foudy that these soccer players are fine young women who are principled and engaged in life. I do think that the Heels faced a very strong team that, now that the dust has settled, is indeed the best women's collegiate team in the country. They may not have been the best at mid season, but at the end of the season they played solid skillful possession soccer against Stanford and then against us. There is nothing to feel badly about when your team essentially evenly matches the team best in the finals. The stats showed a dead heat in almost all categories except that UNC was up 5-1 on the corner kicks but FSU countered by trapping us offside 5 times. Of course the goal was THE other difference, with Dorosy described her shot as "throwing" herself at the ball and said that she was amazed that it went in. That was the best chance the Seminoles had to score and they made it count. I must admit that I was disappointed in the referee who called two fouls in the last minute against FSU in our attacking third even though we had retained possession and let time run out while he had the ball come back for the restart. But that is just my frustration showing..... In his press conference Anson talked about how the team had worked to successfully solve the problems that FSU had presented them with in the ACC finals and how even the game was in most all respects... but he also emphasized how skilled FSU was. He talked about everyone on the FSU team as having "a fabulous tactical platform and a tremendous skill set" and use those skills when they get the ball and make it "very difficult for us to take it away from them..." So I feel better that Anson publicly recognized what I saw too. And while it may have been an evenly matched game in most respects, the goal, of course, made all the difference. That's soccer! On to the 2019 version of the Tarheels!
It was a terrible, dreadful, dire game. Nobody will be talking about it in ten years. But then, championship games are often about winning and not about entertaining. The skill level was incredibly high. The tactical awareness was sublime. It was achingly dull to watch. UNC pressed more, but I think both teams showed the physical/mental fatigue of playing less than 48 hours earlier. Eventually I hope the College Cups move to Thursday/Sunday. Soccer is not meant to be played twice in a 40 hour window. Especially if there's a possibility of overtime/pks. I think Florida State was the better team, and the game basically went the way they wanted. They gave UNC a lot of possession, but very little of it was really dangerous. UNC certainly didn't have the wealth of goal chances they blew on Friday night. I think in the end that UNC will be happy with this season. The era of winning most of the championships is over. Making the final is a great result for this team, and they dominated a Georgetown squad that on paper was better. *I am not part of the UNC nation. I am, however, a local who works a lot of their games, occasionally for the University. I would've been happy to have seen them win, I know the seniors (and grad student) well enough from years of covering them. But Florida State was the best team this weekend.
Totally agree about the Thurs/Sunday or Friday Monday scenario. The championship game should have 2 teams with sufficient recuperation time to be at their best. Can you imagine the (American football) college football committee making the final game just 4 or 5 days after the semifinal?
The college football postseason games generate enough revenue to justify whatever they want to do. Paying for an extra night of hotel rooms and ancillary costs associated with extending the tournament an extra day would just add to the losses. This same weekend the Division III Men's College Cup was played an hour away at UNCG. The semifinals were Friday, the final was Saturday. And these are D3 athletes not D1 athletes.
UNC has lacked a quality striker since Casey Nogueria. Even Russo who is good, still didn't score at rate forward should. Don't get me wrong she's way better than Alex Kimball. Anson falls in love with local NC players that are average and it hurts team. Madison, Bridgette, Zoe all came to UNC with reputation of being a elite forward in high school and have been here for 3 years and still score very little. Don't get me wrong. A few of North Carolina born players produce. Otto, Bingham, Pinto. The coach has very sentimental fault to favor his NC born players.
AD said that Ashley's tracker had her running 11 miles in the semi. If that's true then she will have run almost a marathon over an 18 hour period not to mention doing it while jumping, falling, getting hit and kicking a ball. You have to question the wisdom of an organization such as the NCAA that professes to exist for the purpose of supporting young... and I mean YOUNG... athletes and looking out for their well-being continuing to schedule games that way. I know that's the way it has always been but there is enough data out there now that they should easily see how wrong and unhealthy it is. It's stupid! And even if the event itself is the only concern in question they should see that they are not putting out a good product. I'm just thinking back to the NWSL playoffs and the concern for the Courage having to travel and play two games on 3 or 4 days rest and these are seasoned athletes. Even on the world stage there is talk of better rest periods and more subs to address the problem. There should be an outcry to bring about new thinking on this. These are still young kids.
My understanding is that who starts in Anson's system is who grades out on top in games and practices. The Heels have half a dozen managers whose job it is to track every move of each player and these scores are posted every day for all to see. Historically, I see no evidence of benching better players for local kids.
I agree that Friday - Sunday is not good. However, it is possible for a team to play all the way to PKs in the semis on Friday and then win in the finals on Sunday against a team that won in regular time in the semis. So, let's not take too much away from Florida State. I was rooting for UNC in the game. But in the semis and finals, FSU looked really, really good.