Re: Portland Pilots vs. James Madison Gameday Thread

[DaTruRochin]

Ha ha ha.... you have no idea how much you guys noticing the lame media questions makes me smile.

I think I've said about 20 times how much I miss Abby Haight... well, let me say it again. Bo is a nice guy, but.............

Preach on!! No but seriously I could probably make a more compelling/technical write up by listening to the game on the radio... I mean at least Bo could ask them their thoughts on shin guard checks or the lack thereof...

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Most sports reporters are not really asking soccer questions. They are asking generic emotional questions that could be asked of any player after any game in any sport. The "up close and personal" pap that drives the Olympics feature stories is not what Pilot Nation faithful consider important. Fan From Afar makes an awesome request to hear "Garrett's thoughts on how the team needs to protect against counterattack when the outside mids are forward on the attack." Wow! That's news we could use.

We need to have a Pilot Nation correspondent at these press conferences to ask the tough questions.

[PurpleGeezer]

Before we roast these guys too much, remember that it wasn't too many years ago that nobody was writing anything about Portland in the Media.

[PurplePrideTrumpet]

I would ask the other team, "Coach, are the Pilots who you thought they were? And should we crown them now?"


Never gets old.

[pms275]

Fan From Afar makes an awesome request to hear "Garrett's thoughts on how the team needs to protect against counterattack when the outside mids are forward on the attack." Wow! That's news we could use.

That's also the question any good coach isn't likely to divulge. You'd probably get a "both teams will play hard" response.

That kind of reminds me of the championship season when Garrett was asked how someone can stop his team. To paraphrase, he replied that he luckily didn't have to worry about that.

[Auto Pilot]

[quote="pms268"][quote="Geezaldinho"]

Fan From Afar makes an awesome request to hear "Garrett's thoughts on how the team needs to protect against counterattack when the outside mids are forward on the attack." Wow! That's news we could use.

I would ask the team to make sure that both outside mids don't attack at the same time and have one dropping back into coverage. Any other armchair or real coaches have an opinion?

[fan from afar]

[quote="Auto Pilot"][quote="pms268"]

Fan From Afar makes an awesome request to hear "Garrett's thoughts on how the team needs to protect against counterattack when the outside mids are forward on the attack." Wow! That's news we could use.

I would ask the team to make sure that both outside mids don't attack at the same time and have one dropping back into coverage. Any other armchair or real coaches have an opinion?

As a certified armchair coach, I would say that is the best answer. If you always have three back, or nearly back, you should be able to organize and establish a numbers-up situation on the two attackers. Beyond that, if they establish a longer possession, it is simply a matter of getting the mids back. The real danger is the quick counterattack.

[Harry Redknapp]

I agree that the opposite outside mid should be behind the line of the ball and ready to cover back, while the defense rotates to cover the gaps. The other thing is that the defensive midfielder is also likely to be deeper than the attacking midfielder and ready to provide defensive cover.

[UPSoccerFanatic]

Well, this discussion is very interesting in relation to JMU's last goal. The group having a discussion with Lauren after the JMU game included the four defenders, Michelle, and Charney. I didn't understand why Charney was there. Sounds like they were working out the complexities of who was supposed to be covering for whom, given whatever had preceded on the field.

I also noticed that Bill Irwin had long discussions with Kelsey, during the first half TV timeout and after the game.

It looks to me like the Pilots' staff is using every possible situation they can to teach. That is what I really love about the Pilots. Yes, they want to win. But more than anything, they have continued the culture Clive established: winning is good, but what it's really about is teaching. It's a large part of what makes being a fan so appealing.

[onetouchfutbol]

At what point does it become a matter of taking the sport too seriously and forgetting that the players are also students? I mean, yeah, it's great to have a competitive team and all, but, to suggest that someone on our team which was ranked extremely high in the RPI has players who don't deserve to be playing division 1 ball is over the top for me.

There is a also natural progression and a learning curve of what should be expected of freshmen versus seniors, and I think that sometimes that also gets ignored. When I look at how far this team and this program has come since our first Final 4 appearance when Tiffany Milbrett was on the team, I just think we have really no reason to complain whatsoever.

No one who posts here scouts FC club talent that I know of. The bloggers here are not experts when it comes to soccer talent. For me personally, I just enjoy the ride and savor every win.

[Poopdeck Pappy]

There is a also natural progression and a learning curve of what should be expected of freshmen versus seniors, and I think that sometimes that also gets ignored. When I look at how far this team and this program has come since our first Final 4 appearance when Tiffany Milbrett was on the team, I just think we have really no reason to complain whatsoever.

It is a real testament to the quality of players on the Pilots and to overall team depth that the discussion of potential weakness centers on only one of the eleven positions. Most teams would LOVE to have that "problem". I'm thinking of teams like Rutgers who had Carli Lloyd for 4 seasons (2001-04) but were only able to advance to the Sweet 16 once due to relative weakness at many of the other positions.

[SoreKnees]

It's even more remarkable than that, given that we can talk about only one weak position when we have five starters missing.

Imagine last season if Megan R. had been as healthy as this year. National champions!

[purple haze]

Part of the beauty of this site is that anyone who cares to participate can post an opinion or comment whatever their expertise or background. There's no admission requirement beyond one's level of interest. And I'm glad of it. We don't have to be high-level players, talent scouts or college coaches to have something worth sharing -- although some posters are or have been some of those types of experts. Everyone's comments are reviewed, analyzed, mulled over, refuted, expanded, accepted ... as each of us sees fit. That's freedom of expression.

I personally don't like to see any coach or player called out by name for being less than perfect. Women's college soccer should be about teaching student athletes. Improving, not achieving perfection, is all any of us can reasonably aim for in that or any realm -- whether work, sports or Web posting.

[Auto Pilot]

Good post PH. I just have one clarification regarding perfection. Was it not Clive, and I am paraphrasing here who said it was the pursuit of perfection that characterized his coaching style not winning. He said if its all about winning then when you lose all you are is frustrated. But if you are striving for perfection and taking each opportunity to become more perfect there is something to be learned each time you lose.

Maybe what we are saying improving or reaching for perfection are really just two sides of the same coin.

I think we have an honest discussion here and sometimes names get thrown in there but I have yet to see a true troll pop up here. Everyone is respectfull and loving of the team. Having said that I believe everyone on here will be even more careful of how they address the members of the team in the future given that some hackles were raised in the last week regarding this issue.

[eProf]

From Dave Lombardo, JMU soccer coach, regarding the UP-JMU playoff game:

I have been coaching in college for over 25 years...I have never had an opposing team's fans clap us off the field before! That is truly a memory I will never forget!