USC game

It's never too early to start getting your thoughts on USC. Since I'm not very shy, I'll start.
Last season USC was ranked about 14th in the nation and managed to get a National championship from it.


USC played Portland State tonight and Beat them 2:0. their only other game was San Diego, who they beat 1:0 in overtime.

They are very different than UCLA. They aren't known as a scoring machine. AROD got 10 goals last year, and she's their top scorer. They play something that looks like a 4-5-1 to me, which means that they'll be running at you on counters with AROD every chance they get, otherwise they'll be very compact and defense minded. The Goal that Cheney scored tonight is really more like what AROD is known for.

I'll also be interested to see what Ali is like in person. the reports are he's a yeller. I wonder how that will go over in Pilot country.

An entry on the BigSoccer blog says that Amy Rodriguez will not be playing. I'm not sure I believe it.

Hmm...

the PSU box shows she didn't play in that game last night.
I think our game is a little different, though.

I talked to folks at the Men's game who confirmed that AROD is not on the trip. She stayed in California to recover from the Olympic tournament.
It would have been nice to see her play.

Probably a smart move on her and coach Ali's parts, but it would have been fun to see us play USC with her playing, as we did last year.

Should be an interesting game.

I would rather see the Pilots lose with A-Rod playing than to have the Pilots win and not see her play.

Psych! I want to see the Pilots rebound and stick it to USC no matter who's on the field.

Either way, you'll still see a very tight defense and a team that tries to counter.

At this point in the season its more about how we play than it is about the opponent..

Looking forward to another classic today, although it feels pretty cool out. May have to break out the fall attire.

Most important thing is to see how the Pilots play. Even though they lost against UCLA - undeservedly so in my opinion - they played much better than against Oregon.

Freshmen have all impressed: Olivier looks great, not just defensively but she plays the ball out so well. McCluskie did not come in with the same expectations as the other three starters. She has coped exceptionally well. Burk has been solid if not spectacular; and I thought that Foxhoven stepped up considerably v UCLA compared to Oregon.

Megan R also improved significantly. I'm hoping we see her at the level she was in 2005. Not surprisingly she is not there yet. She is a tiger in the tackle and covering acres of space. Her shot is not back yet, and she gave the ball away too often on Saturday. I'm betting she's holding herself to the same high standards as I am. If she gets it all back she has the potential to be one of the best plyers in the country.

Waiting to see how much we see of Sophie S and in what position.

While it is mostly about getting into top form for conference play, the fact is that RPI rankings do make a difference come playoff time. Having lost to UCLA - however undeservedly - it would be helpful to get a win today. Pilots have done well away from home in the early rounds in the past but are going to be without Michelle E, Elli R, and the midfield general Keelin "I win every header in the middle of the park" Winters come end of season and could use all the home field advantage they can get.

Let's go Pilots.

ps. I wrote that Megan S appeared to struggle against Oregon, so it's only fair that I observe that she had a strong game against UCLA. Given that she was up against WWF star Kara Lang (she uses her arms more than any soccer player I've seen in years), Megan's performance was all the more creditiworthy. Lang was the least impressive of the Trojan's front three. Cheney and Leroux were pretty darned good though.

Deep in the second half, I feel like I am watching an entirely different team. And not in a good way.

I really hope Rachael Rapinoe is ok.

Hard fought 1-0 win in overtime.

Phew. I think I have a new superstition, which is to be totally pessimistic and grumpy until the Pilots prove me wrong.

You sound like a fan of any other big-time team, then...

Great game. Photos late tonight, I hope.

Tough game today. I'm still coming down after the exciting finish. Great burst down the left side by Elli Reed, who played the whole game at left defense and did so well in my opinion. Cross to far post, Charney Burk got a header in; I'm not sure how it got to Sophie Schmidt - pushed out by keeper? knocked out by defender? whatever it came to Sophie who bundled it home. Cue pandemonium by Pilots team and crowd!

Davis, Tsao, Reed, and Enyeart played every minute but most everyone else rotated in and out at some point. I think Emma Nelson and Hailie De Young were the only ones not to see action.

Rachel R got hurt - knee! - in the first half. Fingers crossed that it's not serious.

Kelsey D made one great save on a one-on-one break by USC that kept UP in the game.

More thoughts later. Player of the game for me was Michelle Olivier.

Martin Jol wrote:
Davis, Tsao, Reed, and Enyeart played every minute but most everyone else rotated in and out at some point. I think Emma Nelson and Hailie De Young were the only ones not to see action.

Rachel R got hurt - knee! - in the first half. Fingers crossed that it's not serious.

Most of the Pilots played, but I don't think Kelly or Jacka got in either. I'll have to look at the Pilot website, but I don't think there's any news on R. Rapinoe's knee. That happened right in front of our seats, and it just sucked the life out of the stadium. Hope it's nothing serious. Both Rapinoe sisters deserve a break when it comes to their injuries.

Great game, I might offer up Kelsey as player of the game if for nothing else than for stopping a 2 on keeper break and Keeping UP in the game.

The game was a bit disjointed, credit the USC defense for that. I actually thought USC played a better passing game in the midfield than UCLA. that may have been because they packed the midfield. I thought we got the better of the run of play, and Keelin was still Queen of the air when she was in there.

Rachael was a bit of a scare. She seemed in good spirits at half time and told a passer-by she thought she'd be OK. At the end of the game she walked with no apparent hitch in her gait.

Hopefully, the games get easier for a bit until Florida and then should be manageable until Santa Clara. Lets hope everyone stays healthy.

The box score is up on the website if you want to see minutes. click "details" for the game on the schedule.