Pilots 1 Beavers 1

I think that the Beavers pushed the envelope on physical play and the referee failed to keep them in line. I agree that teams use this approach to challenge the Pilots finesse game. UP can play through the physical game if they have 10 outfield players who have the skill, touch and vision to play one- and two-touch soccer which also requires the movement necesary to get open and the vision to pick up the open and/or running player. That wasn't the case yesterday and UP gave up possession a lot, especially in the first half.

The ref's foremost responsibility is to keep players safe. This is women's college soccer, not the NHL playoffs. I always chuckle when a team is called "physical" -- as if their opponents were somehow not of the physical world but rather spiritual, intangible or metaphysical. What kinds of fouls are called when two metaphysical teams collide?

purple haze wrote:The ref's foremost responsibility is to keep players safe. This is women's college soccer, not the NHL playoffs. I always chuckle when a team is called "physical" -- as if their opponents were somehow not of the physical world but rather spiritual, intangible or metaphysical. What kinds of fouls are called when two metaphysical teams collide?

Being objective about this thread, we need to remember that some of our national championship teams actually fouled other teams more often. Soccer is a physical sport in a completely different way than the NHL playoffs whether it's a men's sport or a women's sport. Most athletes can leg press or squat far more than they can bench press, and a clean tackle on the ball can generate a lot of force and even look a little bit dirty. I personally am for letting some contact in the sport go, but, red carding players who obviously flop (which is often hard to tell). But, I understand when people want games called tightly as well for the sake of safety and fairness. Sometimes dangerous fouls can look innocuous...