UP vs Colgate

UPSoccerFanatic wrote:
First, Elli Reed had a fantastic two games. Although Foxhoven got the MVP, Elli made a huge contribution to the demolition of the two opposing teams. She took the ball wide, around the opposing defenders, to the baseline, and then crossed to the middle countless times. She is so fit that she had both teams' right defenders absolutely exhausted by the end of the games and still was going strong. Geez, do you agree?

I stayed to watch the first half of the UW/Kennesaw State game because I wanted to see family friend frosh UW attaching mid Kate Deines play, plus I coached UW attacker Melissa Beal in HS tennis for a year. UW won 2-0, with Beal scoring the first goal. Deines started and played well. And Jesuit graduate, frosh keeper Kari Davidson played in goal for UW, her first game. Although UW is not great this year, they are improved from prior years and are a decent team. It was interesting to see a relatively close game with UW after the Pilots' demolition of Kennesaw State. Are the Pilots better than we have realized?

No question Ellie had some fantastic games. I don't think she ever lost a challenge, and ran at and around her opposites like she was playing Crack the whip or some other game than soccer. She not only tired her opponents, she tired out their subs and the defenders backing up those players, too.
She played like a combination of French and Lopez, with the energy of Queeny. It was amazing.

UW was, I thought, a lot better than the last 3 years or so, and a bit better than the other two teams. We'll get another chance to see them in our tournament before we play them, but I think it's pretty safe to say we'll beat them.


And a local note:
Missy Beal's high school freshman little sister Megan played her first round-robin pre season for St. Mary's yesterday as a striker along side Elinore Priest. They each scored a goal.

UPSoccerFanatic wrote:

In thinking about what the general offensive alignment was this weekend, I'm not sure I would call it a 4-4-2. I think I'd call it a hidden 3-5-2. I say this because it seems like although there nominally are two central defenders and two outside defenders, one of the outside defenders virtually always is swinging up as is her counterpart outside mid, with the defense rotating around. So, a lot of the time we have the two forwards plus an outside mid at the forward end of the attack, the other outside mid plus the central attacking mid plus the "same-side" outside defender in the mid-field to front area of the attack, and the holding mid in the middle, with the remaining three defenders swinging around accordingly to provide an appropriately balanced 3-defender alignment. It drives the opposing teams nuts because it can happen with the attack coming from either the right or the left.

UPSF - I have seen two games thus far this year: Oregon and UCLA. I noticed the Pilots doing this in both those games, (I think both, but definitely UCLA), and I was surprised because I don't think I've seen them use anything but the 4-4-2 in my time watching them.

I thought it was a great tactic. It seemed to fuel our offense a bit more, while not taking anything away from the defense. (As long as all the defenders are awake and alert at all times.) If it's new this season, I think it's a nice new twist to our attack.

I think they are still playing the 4-4-2, but UP is really aggressive with it so that the outside D's really push up. UP really does give opponents trouble with that. They did it up the left side a lot in the past. The difference this year is that we can do it up both sides now. One wag next to me asked if we were playing a 4-4-3. I assured him that wasn't the case. There was one stint in the first where Michelle Olivier was at the midfield stripe watching the whole rest of the team (including both wings and McCluskie - she had pushed the ball forward) pushed up around the opponents 18 yard line.

It may be a new definition of packing the box.



I did notice that when Jackman and Kelly were mids together, they played more side-by-side than in a diamond formation we are used to. That added to the confusion about what they were doing.

Interesting to hear from those of you who saw these games. Appreciate your insight.

I had noticed that in the midst of a very busy and somewhat confusing substitution rotation in both games Elli Reed played the full game both times! Given the role she plays that is a huge statement about her fitness. I'm guessing she will sleep well tonight.

AS some of you speculated I'd wager that the varied patterns have a lot to do with the fact that Garrett expects to have to replace three top players come playoff time. The challenge became greater when Rachel went down because that raises the possibility of needing Sophie to play forward thus leaving the holding mid unfilled. Or someone else needs to step up as forward if Sophie plays in midfield.

So this weekend he got to see Emma Nelson in action which offers the possibility of jessica tsao moving further forward; and he could try out Kristen Kelly and Sara Jackman in some other positions. He also had plenty of time to play Kassi McC, and Korie N to continue the auditions for Michelle O's partner.

It was a great opportunity to try things out given that UP was up 3-0 after 20 minutes in both games.

Just a little surprised at the defensive MVP, but I suspose it would have been unsportsman like to give Pilots all of the awards, or not . . .

Actually, considering the pilot total domination on defense they should have picked someone to hang the DMVP on. Its actually a common occurence for the winning team in a tourney to pick up the MVP awards but I suspect there might be a little Pilot envy brewing up in Wash.

Auto Pilot wrote:

Just a little surprised at the defensive MVP, but I suspose it would have been unsportsman like to give Pilots all of the awards, or not . . .

Actually, considering the pilot total domination on defense they should have picked someone to hang the DMVP on. Its actually a common occurence for the winning team in a tourney to pick up the MVP awards but I suspect there might be a little Pilot envy brewing up in Wash.

I've been thinking about this a bit. Elli did play some outside mid, but she played enough outside defender and played it so well, there really isn't a good reason she didn't get the award. Truth be known, the way UP has been interchanging those two positions, there isn't much difference between them anyway.

I noticed McCluskie playing way forward against USC as well... seems that we are adapting