SMU / Oklahoma St.

I asked about the interesting start...sounds like a circuit breaker was tripped, hence no player intros.

There was an anthem...didn't you guys hear the student section sing?

Big thanks and well done to the student section.

I think weaker teams have no choice but to defend the way SMU did last night. Basically, they just sat back and waited. SMU let the Pilots have the mid-field for sure. The outside backs (Jessica, Elli in particular) had so much space and freedom whenever they started an attack. Many times they'd received a switched ball from Keelin and literally....have a 25 yard run unmarked. Keelin was essentially distributing the ball to the wings unchallenged.

Whenever the Pilots got nearer to the box, the sheer mass of bodies became a defensive tool for SMU. The Pilots excellent possession and passing opened things up a little bit and provided some scoring opportunities... but most teams would be stymied by it. To me...the key stat in the learning curve for the team in this match came was the team's...patience and efficiency! I think the Pilots ended up with just under 15 shots on goal last night? Nothing like 27 shots they put up against PSU....who had implemented a similar defensive strategy.

I'm not worried about the assumed lack of speed our forwards have. Stronger teams...who believe they have the players to keep up... or mark us 1 on 1 will be in for a BIG surprise if they play us looser in the box. I think the Pilots offensive style of play more than compensates for any our player's lack of speed. When it comes down to it...you don't have to be too fast... if you create an advantage to get open on the receiving end of a pass... and have the abilities to put the ball in the back of the net! Players like Dani and Halley thrive in this system. I loved what I saw in Michelle C, Micaela C, Kendall and Brooke. I think we'll see them step up and shine against top tier teams if they focus on Dani. That was the mistake opponents made when Christine was playing.

GO PILOTS!!!

Just a couple thoughts on SMU match:

I thought M. Cruz got more and more dangerous on the right wing as the second half wore on. I was thinking it might not be long before she is scoring or assisting on a goal. Seems like she was taking on two or three defenders and had them back-pedalling more and more as time passed. Her confidence since game one against PSU is growing quickly now, I believe.

M. Capelle, it appears more and more, is going to be the real deal for the Pilots at striker. Dani and Halley have their strengths, that's for sure. But with teams loading the box with 9 defenders or so, it's almost impossible to get through unless you have someone with Micaela's explosive speed, crafty quicknees and flair for the game.

Interesting. We haven't even seen Amanda Frisbee or Ellen Parker thus far. And I've heard they are fairly decent players...

FANatic wrote:.
We haven't even seen Amanda Frisbee or Ellen Parker thus far. And I've heard they are fairly decent players...

They are coming off injuries. Hope to see them both soon.

I would love to see micaela C play at wing. her speed and work rate are great. no one has said anything about it, but in the first half i thought halley played incredible. she played with more confidence with her back to her goal than i have seen out of her, and i think she is really turning into a great target forward. she held the ball very well and for the first time, turned and attacked the defense. her development has been amazing to watch, and i'm excited to see her progress even more. i believe that halley and dani are building a great relationship, as witnessed in them switching roles and dani taking a long ball of her chest perfectly into the path of an advancing kreminski. i think micaela creates a great spark, i just think halley is developing so much that i would hate to see that halted. she is gaining confidence every game, and with micaela running at the defense from the wing, i think those three players could really gel well together and become an impressive strike force.

I agree about Cruz - I thought she looked much more confident last night. I'd like to see her take defenders on more.

The point about speed isn't just about speed, it's about the ability to get off a shot when covered in the area around the box. Quickness might actually be a better term than pure speed - they don't always go together. Michaela seems to me to have that ability, and I don't think the other attackers do. They definitely have other real strengths, but taking someone on in close quarters is not one of them. I think Sophie also has that ability - using her quickness and footskills rather than pure speed - but I don't think you can move her from midfield.

I like the SMU coach's post-game statement: "I think Portland is the best team in the country. I think the way they play is the best in the country. I think the environment is the best in the country."

I'd love to hear the quotes in context. The way he was acting up on the sidelines, it might have been a Rasheed "both teams played hard" quote.

<edit> so I went hunting for it..

http://www.oregonlive.com/pilots/index.ssf/2010/08/portland_pilots_strike_hard_do.html

And it looks pretty qenuine.

Worthy of note is that Sarah Bridges got into the SMU game and showed college-level skill playing left mid. It's just not the Pilots without a #12 jersey on the pitch! (We've come to expect the best from those wearing that number.) She is definitely one to watch as this team develops.

eProf wrote:

purple haze wrote:Worthy of note is that Sarah Bridges got into the SMU game and showed college-level skill playing left mid. It's just not the Pilots without a #12 jersey on the pitch! (We've come to expect the best from those wearing that number.) She is definitely one to watch as this team develops.

With Vanessa Talbot, Christine Sinclair and Michelle Enyeart being the last three players to don #12, Sarah has a big jersey to fill. She looked good out there; I look forward to seeing more of her.

question 12c) Who wore the #12 jersey before Talbot?

Some observations;
#1 re dani garnering so much defensive attention. I believe that Sophie is drawing an equal amount of attention. We need our supporting cast to step up because of the pressure Dani an Soph are getting.
#2 re Sarah B first action. While I agree that she looked very good, I also took into consideration that she came into the game when SMU was playing a man down an were at the point in the game where they were dog-tired by then. I would like to reserve my judgment until we can see her more often an against a full squad.
#3 re michaela cappelle. One of the things that I noticed against SMU is how Michaela doesnt shy away from contact whether it's initiated or received. Most frosh are very tenative when they think they are going to get hit. Not Michaela.
#4 kendra chandhoke. Lastly, while we are all fretting about who plays where an when, what are we going to do when Kendra comes back?? I think we can all can agree that you cant keep Kendra on the bench. Maybe we should consider red-shirting a couple of our young players?

Another thought, does anyone know why clohoe had what looked like a soft cast on her right wrist/forearm??

Just really hoping Kendra is going at full speed by the NCAA's!! Redshirting a few of the younger players might then become a sensible option.

I THINK I would love seeing Kendra at attacker paired with Danielle.