Reed v. Chandhoke

I too saw a marvelous performance by the Pilots last night. Enyeart is the epitome of a dangerous scorer--her speed alone would be trouble for the opposition, but combined with her cunning and skill: well the level is hardly exceeded by any superlative you could use. Two more near goals also showed her great skill.

I am interested in the question of why Reed is seen by Coach Smith to be a better match or even a better player than Chandhoke. Obviously, Chandhoke is a very skilled and able player who adds a great deal to the Pilot attack. Do you think Reed is more dangerous or that she makes the Pilot offense stronger with her passing skills and the like? Simply put, why is it you think that Reed starts and plays over Chandhoke?

This is not to impugn anyone, nor to suggest poor judgment. Reed is a very good player. Chandhoke has made a case for playing time with her performance against USF. She nonetheless did not start. Hmmn?

Different positions. That's really all it comes down to.

Reed is extremely fast and has great touch out on the wing. Chandhoke doesn't have that blazing speed but is a great ball-striker and has terrific ball-control skills. But she's not a winger... she's a striker.

I think Enyeart could play the wing just fine and Chandhoke could go up front, but you saw what Enyeart did yesterday... she's just lethel with her speed and finishing ability at the top.

So really it's not a Reed vs. Chandhoke issue. It's a position thing. And Kendra will get plenty of chances to play and do her what she's capable of.

In my opinion, Reed is the quicker of the two and probably has better ball handleing skills than Kendra.
On the other hand I feel that Reed at times holds on to the ball longer than she should. This does not really answer your questionI feel that Kendra has a better scoring potential than Reed which is obviious from stats so far this year

At the risk of repeating myself from an earlier thread, I disagree that Reed is better skilled than Chandhoke. Kendra is a very skilled handler of the ball. The difference that I see is in attitude. Ellie Reed is an absolutely relentless player. Even when she gets tripped up by over-dribbling she is right back on the ball. She must be absolute hell to play against. Kendra, on the other hand, is almost delicate in her play with the ball. For an example, next time you see them play watch how they each carry their arms. Ellie's are out making space and Kendra's are usually in a praying mantis position serving almost no purpose. Remember how Christine Sinclair used her arms to make a large frame around herself.

I love Kendra's skills and scoring ability. The trouble is Michelle Enyeart is better and so is Sophie.

Well put, Oscar. I agree with you. Kendra is a fabulous player. (Note the four goals v. USF. You don't score goals like that on this level unless you're extremely talented).

However, Garrett and his staff have done a terrifec job of recruiting the last few years. We are simply loaded. We are still loaded with three potential starters out injured. (Megan and Rachael Rapinoe and Megan Sweeney. Who would be sitting if everyone was healthy? That's a question for its own topic.)

Both Kendra and Michele Scifo deserve to start. But Oscar's right. Although Elli still has a few things to learn about quickly rocketing a cross into the center, she is absolutely relentless. Even on the defensive end she is attacking the ball and wreaking havoc. She and Enyeart are two of the fastest and quickest Pilots I've ever seen. SPEED killed San Diego last night. They really had no chance of winning that game whatsoever. They were stunned and pretty much helpless from the get-go, save a very few attacks.

Garrett's teams continue to get stronger, faster, deeper. This is a great time to be a Pilot fan!

I think Oscar touched on the difference. Offensively...I'd say its even. Both are capable finishers. Kendra and Ellie are fabulous dribblers and usually exhibit excellent ball control. I love watching them both. But...what separates Ellie from Kendra is her determination and aggressiveness! Kendra seems (at times) to wait for service from her teammates to get going. She seems to wait for the game to come to her. Know what I mean? I hate to use the word "lazy"...but sometimes it seems like she's on idle...and does not get involved...or go after 50/50 balls which are in her vicinity. She doesn't challenge defensive backs and doesn't fight for take-aways or take-backs as hard as Enyeart and Reed. That's a part of her game I think she needs to step up to improve in order to earn a starting spot over Ellie. Anyway...to summarize my thoughts....Kendra, Ellie, Michelle and Natalie can ALL be dangerous with the ball. But....what makes someone a more dangerous player....is what they are doing when they DON'T have the ball?