PBP: Week 12- Pre/In/Post-Game Discussion

Discussion in 'NWSL' started by BlueCrimson, Jun 26, 2013.

  1. TSawyer

    TSawyer Member

    Jun 21, 2013
    Club:
    --other--
    Well that didn't last long...posted and then saw the Spirit waived Hodak AND then traded their 2014 College pick to Seattle for Taylor. Come on guys, what is this? The flavor of the month club? This season is done, why start trading away next season?

    While, it is likely that you would not get a better forward as second pick, you still just traded for a forward that has only scored one goal in 360 minutes (against you). So, if you are counting on her to be your primary striker, welcome to a rerun of this season--you just acquired another McArty/Spencer (do we really need three of them?) And in the process you lost the ninth pick for what might have been a very good midfielder/defender. Ask yourself was Taylor really worth passing on the likes of Katie Stengel (in the MF), Vanessa DiBernardo, Mollie Pathman, or Kassey Kallman? Which player would make more of an impact? And you are still left with the original problem: you don't have a forward who can perform at this level.

    Then you waive Hodak? Am I watching the same games?

    The only benefit that I can see in any of this is that it is at least now clear where some of these problems originate (given that none of the original coaching staff is left); the GM needs to go as well.

    I really do want to be more positive, but this was just too painful...
     
  2. TSawyer

    TSawyer Member

    Jun 21, 2013
    Club:
    --other--

    And they chose Wells? Why not Spencer? Replace one forward with another. Just doesn't add up, but perhaps I don't see the whole picture.
     
  3. StarCityFan

    StarCityFan BigSoccer Supporter

    Aug 2, 2001
    Greenbelt, MD
    Club:
    Washington Freedom
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Journalist Beau Dure - who's basically embedded with the team because he's writing a book about their season - says there were "extenuating circumstances" that led them to dropping Wells. Apparently to find out what these were you'll need to buy the book.
     
  4. necron99

    necron99 Member

    Oct 17, 2011
    Club:
    Washington Freedom
    Wells was said to be looking to move to play in Germany. Perhaps they thought they were helping her along in that. Of course I am not sure she needed to get out of the NWSL before the end of the season to go play overseas.

    I have to say from watching every game that Wells seemed wasted in the style that the Spirit were playing. She was working very hard, chasing the game all over the field, and trying to pressure opposing players. In fact I wished McCarty put in even 1/4 of Wells effort. I would have cut McCarty before Wells or Hodak. But even with all of her work Wells was not getting too much done offensively. This is where style and coaching seem to come in in my mind. Other than Krieger, Lindsey, Matheson, and Ochs, the players did not connect passes well at all. Even at mid season it was like they had never played together before.  They did not have each others tendencies down. They could not weight balls for each other's speed. I can think of at least 6 through balls sent for Wells that she just did not have the speed to ever catch up with. She is good moving side to side but not fast at all. Those balls would have worked for McCarty or Matheson but never Wells. Of course they would fail for McCarty because she only truly runs hard after one ball per game. She never tries. Wambach outran McCarty more than once! Anyway, those balls for Wells weren't miss hits, the players just did not seem to have any idea where to put it for her. Even if Washington didn't have the top caliber of players to win every game, they weren't playing like they had practiced well.
     
  5. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    The Taylor trade smacks a little of desperation on Washington's part. I know they like to put up some wins for the fans but Im not sure Taylor is better than the number nine pick next year. Again, before I gave up that pick I would have started Williams in Ochs spot and paired Ochs and Pohlers on top. Williams would have helped a ton with distribution and Ochs can finish.
     
  6. StarCityFan

    StarCityFan BigSoccer Supporter

    Aug 2, 2001
    Greenbelt, MD
    Club:
    Washington Freedom
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Beau's confirmed that she's going to Potsdam for the upcoming season.
     
  7. BlueCrimson

    BlueCrimson Member+

    North Carolina Courage
    United States
    Nov 21, 2012
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Club:
    Sydney FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Now that I've finally gotten the chance to rewatch the Spirit-Flash game, time for some observations:

    - The Flash commentators were atrocious. Way too much time spent talking about everything other than the game they were supposed to be commenting on. I don't mind one or two mentions of other leagues, or even talking about results from other games in the league. But constantly bringing up the Confed Cup matches, or where one of the commentators went to college, is way off topic, and not something I as a fan want to hear. At all. It was so bad, I had to mute them on the rewatch.

    - That was perhaps the best game I have ever seen Carli Lloyd play. She was calm, composed on the ball, constantly getting into good positions to score, and of course getting the hat trick. The Spirit defense was bad, but she still had to finish her chances, and she did. I still had some questions about whether or not Lloyd could continue her good run of form, but this game answered many of those questions. Now that she's had her breakout game, I hope to see more goals and a few assists.

    - Sad to see Abby's scoring streak end, but that didn't matter, because she was excellent at playing the provider. Besides the 2 assists and the through ball for Lloyd's 3rd goal, she had some really nice crosses that were unfortunately not converted. Can't wait for the last part of the season, when Kerr and Adriana are back. The Flash attack at full strength is going to be a nightmare for every backline.

    - I thought Washington had some great attacking sequences in the first half, and they did get some decent opportunities. The problem was that is was Pohlers who kept having to come back and start most of those attacks. With her scoring ability, she shouldn't be the one needing to go back and jumpstart the attack. This was where they were missing Matheson. Had they had Matheson available, she could have played that role and Pohlers could have stayed up top and gotten more chances on goal. Shame they let Wells go, because she also could have filled that role.

    - Speaking of Wells, I love this move by WNY. She was a nice option off the bench, full of energy and some good speed. Maybe it's because she was playing in her natural position instead of out wide, but she looked better in this one game than she did all season with Washington. She did look a little out of sync with her teammates, but that's to be expected in the first game. Having Wells as an option off the bench allows for Lines to be able to give Lloyd and/or Zerboni some rest, which is going to be crucial with the Road Trip from Hell coming up.

    - I don't understand how a backline that has Krieger, Gayle, and now Pressley can look so godawful. They were getting ripped apart all evening. Individually they were making good plays, but as a unit, it was painful to watch at times. No cohesion whatsoever.

    - Always good to see a shutout by WNY, but the defense didn't have much to do to get that clean sheet.

    - Not sure if Harris could have done anything on 3 of the 4 goals. The first was caused by poor marking, the second was placed perfectly in the one area she wasn't able to cover, and the last was again bad marking. That 3rd goal, however, was completely on her. She really should have gotten hold of the initial shot and not let it slip under her.
     
  8. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    One of the big complaints people have with Harris isnt that she doesnt stop shots well but that she doesnt make her back line better. U could make the argument that Washington has a much better group than Seattle in the back but Solo does such a good job positioning them that they play above their cum.
     
  9. CoachJon

    CoachJon Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Rochester, NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I honestly liked this turn-of-phrase, but I think it is spelled "cume" - see Dictionary.com:
    cume [kyoom]
    noun
    1. Marketing .
    a. cumulative/accumulated audience: the number of peoplereached by an advertising or broadcasting medium over aspecified period of time: The station has a weekly cume of 5.5million.
    b. the cumulative gross earnings from a movie, album, etc.:the cume for the Star Wars franchise.
    2. Informal. a student's grade point average.
    Origin:
    by shortening and alteration of cumulative or accumulated
     
  10. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    LOL now I feel stooopid.

    Im sure is was a typo and not a freudian
     
  11. CoachJon

    CoachJon Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Rochester, NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Agreed.
     
  12. BlueCrimson

    BlueCrimson Member+

    North Carolina Courage
    United States
    Nov 21, 2012
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Club:
    Sydney FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I just saw the replay of Schmidt throwing the ball, and IMO it wasn't red card worthy. Yellow, perhaps, but not red. Not that she should have done it, but the punishment was too harsh.
     
  13. StarCityFan

    StarCityFan BigSoccer Supporter

    Aug 2, 2001
    Greenbelt, MD
    Club:
    Washington Freedom
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I have no idea where that red came from unless Schmidt had been misbehaving earlier, and the referee finally had enough. She definitely deserved a yellow, but no more.
     
  14. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    does this mean the game is up on Youtube?
     
  15. BlueCrimson

    BlueCrimson Member+

    North Carolina Courage
    United States
    Nov 21, 2012
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Club:
    Sydney FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yes, it is. Boston posts its home games on their own channel a couple days after the game.
     
  16. kernel_thai

    kernel_thai Member+

    Oct 24, 2012
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Something to watch on an off night.
     

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