UVA3---FFA0 with our German friend scoring a brace! We suck at american football...we have to humiliate them in the world sport. Be there...unless, of course there is some sort of calving going on.
Thank you! Come, come all you Whoovillians...First it was football, then basketball, and then soccer last year...the correct order of the universe is in the balance...I mean , what's next...lacrosse? Sat. nite is when we must make a stand!
Well, as one who supports UVA and attends many of their matches, I have to support Tech in this match being a Tech grad myself. That said, I must admit Tech is going to have tough sledding at Klockner (sorry, I don't know how to make the two dots appear above the "o" in Klockner). Tech has a reasonably good, up and coming soccer team, but I'd guess they are still *at least* one tier down in quality from UVA. Probably closer to two tiers down. I'm a realist. You gotta go with UVA at home. 2-1 'Hoos. I would like to hear from someone familiar with the personnel on both sides give an analysis of the matchups. I never get to see Tech play -- B-Burg is too far away. I can barely scrape up enough time to get to C-Ville which is 75 minutes from my house.
I don't know anything about Tech's team, but UVa's attack is really improved from last year, primarily because we have two legitimate strikers up top in Rayering and Christman, and Nico Colaluca, Joe Vide & co make up a midfield that is pretty strong this year, after two years of playing together. What is really impressive to me is that the back four are all-new from last year, yet have 11 shutouts in 15 games this season and have allowed only nine goals so far this year. Basically, another strong team in a year that was originally supposed to be a rebuilding year. We lost to Maryland last week but have won our other ACC games. I would assume that Tech is improving, simply moving to the ACC will up their recruiting as the ACC is the best soccer conference in the country. Your 2-1 scoreline may be accurate, but it assumes that Tech scores.
By the thread starter: "UVA will whip Tech this weekend" Doubtful! Va Tech has a good defense and a solid coach. Yeah they could lose to UVA, but that's true about every game in the ACC these days. It's not out of the question that the Cavs end their regular season with two straight loses. This one vs Tech and next Friday at Wake on Fox Soccer Channel. There is no regular season game in the last 5 years that Wake wants more than Friday, November 4th at Spry!
You ought to know that no matter what happens in any other game or how good any team is, there is always one constant in the ACC: UVA will somehow find a way to beat Wake.
Well in hindsight, you were just plain wrong. Two in a row over the Hoos for the Hokies. Patrick Nyarko (cue the one guy who always posts negatively about the Hokies having a few international players) scored both goals and is a candidate for all-ACC after having lit up the league since getting international clearance to play. Lots of crucial game winning goals. A good year for Hokie football (both kinds)!
I missed the game...my best polo pony was foaling...ok, ok, I was there. The two tall Germans cancelled each other out on corners and set plays...Chrisman had two open shots cleared off the line by defenders...one with his head six inches off the ground! Reyering went inches wide from the top of the 18...UVA had a bit more of the play but both teams had their chances. I have to say Tech is a much different team then when I saw them lose to JMU at the start of the season, and showed more composure and grit as the game progressed. Not sure why Joe Vide didn't play...he got in for the last 10 min of regulation but George took him out for the OT. So I guess this ill-concieved thread needs an [R]...which brings up my pet peeve as this forum has no mods!
va tech v. uva [r] missed the game because of recruiting trip, but it sounds like an exciting one from the reads. weiss seems to have his team improving. let's hope uva can stop the acc lose skid with a wfu win next week. are you going to guarantee this one too jmsdoc? don't forget to put your [r] in!!
Well I was right with my prediction. Score was 2-1. I just got the winning team wrong, that's all. This was an exciting soccer match. Tech was much better than I thought they would be. Cleary the Hokies are well-coached and have some guys who can play. They were well-organized, and poised. That said, I thought UVA was the better team, and overall outplayed the Hokies. UVA had a alot of quality chances. Two of which were cleared off the line in heart-stopping fashion by Tech defenders. IMHO what lost the match for UVA was a dreadful mental breakdown after they went up 1-0. They thought the match as over, and frankly I did, too. The UVA central defense and to an extent the defensive midfield just stopped playing soccer, and seemed content to phone it in the rest of the match. And then Nyarko struck. I think just after the Tech goal Gelnovatch slid Colaluca over to the middle from his position on the right flank. That helped UVA's attack, but it was not enough, and the match went to the end of regulation level at 1. UVA mounted good, well-organized pressure in the first OT, but Tech responded with some pressure of its own, resulting in the second Nyarko strike. Game over, Tech wins, 2-1. As I said, from where I sat it seemed to me UVA are the better side, in terms of organization, tactics, and individual soccer skill. They should have won this match at least 1-0. It was youthful lack of discipline wherein they did not buckle down and press for the result over the last 8 minutes that did them in. I also have been thinking over the last several UVA matches I have been to that putting Nico Colaluca anywhere but in the middle of the midfield is a waste of his talent. He looked flat-out bored over on the flank in the Liberty match. Or maybe it was frustration. I don't know. That just does not seem to be his natural position. Just my opinion. I would be interested to hear more learned analysis than mine on this point. To its credit, Tech clearly came to play, and were not about to be intimidated by the Wahoos. Tech also brought a ton of vocal supporters, which really added to the atmosphere of the match, especially in the second half. Oliver Weiss has some good things going in Blacksburg. UVA had a good, vocal, stand-and-sing-the-entire match student cheering section. Props to the UVA supporters, as well. Great match. Great atrmosphere.
i can't claim to be any more knowlegdeable, but i can throw my thoughts into the mix. colaluca is dangerous anywhere you put him - attacking mid or right wing. i think it's important to look at what he is best at, AND what uva needs the most. first, colaluca is magic on the ball and attracts defenders. he is capable of beating three in close quarters and seems to know just the right split second when he has his defender off balance and then take advantage of the fact that his skills have created a numbers advantage. from my perspective uva needs a lightning quick attacker to compliment the big fowards. he's been at attacking mid almost all year and uva has been successful. since his move to right wing, uva is 1-2. the disadvantage of being in the middle is that he gets the "cheet" beat out of him.
It sounds like the kid from Ghana is the real deal. I should be more specific since they have two Fr. from Ghana on the roster. I was talking about the one who torched my Hoos for two goals though the other one is supposed to be pretty good, too. One of Va Tech's assistants if former Nigerian World Cup and MLS player Michael Emenalo. I wonder if he is responsible for the African connection. BTW, Emenalo is a licesned FIFA agent and has an athlete representation committee. That's GOTTA be walkin' a pretty fine line with the NCAA rules about players involvement with agents.
Nyarko is the real deal, no doubt about it, but UVA's backline had the answer for him all game long until UVA scored and then their defenders promptly forgot that soccer is a 90 minute game. Nyarko shredded the center of UVA's suddenly ballwatching defense, and tied it at one. On the other goal, I think (couldn't see it that well as it was at the far end of the field) Burke gave up an uncharacteristic rebound, and Nyarko buried it. The other Tech Ghanian, Boateng, I believe came on after halftime. He definitely stretched the UVA defense a bit giving Nyarko more isolation to run at his marker. With 90 minutes of concentration and Colaluca back in the center of the attacking medfield, UVA should do very well in the ACC tournament.