USC

After finally seeing a couple of games, I also agree with Harry. Players health allowing, the back line needs to be Cruz, Olivier, Cloee and Bridges, with Kremenski holding - she looked very solid to me and occasionally adds to the attack. I love the energy Kassie brings to the game, and she delivers WONDERFUL entry passes down the field, but she does get beat sometimes.

I thought Cruz was probably the best Pilot player against Stanford. It looks to me like Parker is being very tentative for an attacking mid - almost all of her passes are to the back or side. I hope she will develop the confidence to get turned when she has space and play some penetrating passes. I like Capell and Fox together. Both goals against USC were the result of Michaela breaking down the defense, like Enyeart used to do, and which we haven't seen much of since Michelle played. Outside mids? It doesn't seem like much is happening there right now. We are really missing Johnson.

The first 10-15 minutes of the second half against Stanford were excellent. We looked like the Pilots of old. So, the potential is there.

Keeper has some good comments. The Pilots have been susceptible to the ball over the top for a few years now, and always seem to have trouble against teams that have pacey forwards. I also agree that Micaela holds on to the ball too long typically. It's easy to get away with this in youth and high-school, but the game moves faster now and I think she'd be far more successful if she played a little more simply at times. The difference between her and Michelle was their sense of directness. When Michelle got the ball, she would run past defenders and to goal. Micaela takes too long to dribble around at times, which allows defenders to cut down her options and eventually take away the ball.
The staple of the Pilot possession game the last few years have been because of Elli and Jess at their outside backs. That position started what seemed like 100% of the attacks the last few years. That being said, I agree that Cruz has to be kept back there, because she is the best person on the field to try and do this. I understand that the Pilots are lacking in attack, but I like her at RB with whoever at RM better than her at RM and whoever at RB.

I think that some commenters are forgetting what was said about a couple of previous Pilots in their first couple of years on the Bluff -- holding the ball too much, not enough speed of play. The ones I'm referring to: Lindsey Huie and Elli Reed. It takes time to learn and improve. If you don't try to take on three defenders at once, you never learn how to do it. One of the good thing about the Pilots' coaching is it has allowed players to do that and learn.

To put it differently, the way to get assists is to force multiple defenders to focus on you -- thus allowing a teammate to be open -- and get the ball to her.

Which Pilot has the most assists this year? Micaela.

UPSF is 100% correct. I was one of those posters who said Elli tried to go 1 v 1 way too often her first couple of years on the team. As we all know she learned how to better deal with those situations and became a key player for the Pilots.

A_Fan got it right. As Al McGuire used to say "the best thing about Freshmen is that they become Sophomores".

Many of our revered and beloved Pilots held on to it a little too long as Frosh... except Christine, of course. She could hang on to it as long as she wanted

Good one OldePilot. I wish I had remembered that Al McGuire quote!

I would put UPSF at 50% right. I remember multiple games during Lindsey's junior and senior years where she continued to hold the ball too long looking to dribble through/around opponents rather than make the easy pass. But that is looking backward, time to move forward.

If we don't win the WCC again this year, I think that maybe...(take a deep breath)...this could be more of a rebuilding year for the Pilots.

I haven't given up on them completely this year, but they see to need more time than the season is long.

With that said, the players are getting valuable playing time this year at differing positions. And we need Kendall back big time - she is a dynamo!

With hopefully a great team work ethic off-season and a monster 2012 recruiting class, unless there are other internal issues that we are unaware of, I think we could be back to our old selves by next August.

There is always hope, right?

And really, haven't we all been just a wee bit spoiled the last eleven years or so?

A wee bit??? Nah, I just thought I had logged onto an Oregon Duck football blog by accident on a couple of occasions.

FANatic wrote:And really, haven't we all been just a wee bit spoiled the last eleven years or so?

Amen, FAN!

Greetings, Dan here, first post, been lurking for a few seasons.

Been going to games since the early '00s I guess and every game for a number of years now. I used to do a lot of yelling, but I try to tone it down and keep it positive so as not to set a bad example for the youngsters. Hard sometimes.

I know nothing about soccer except what I have learned at games and from my friends I sit with who have coached (PYS) and played (rec). Doesn't stop me from having opinions. Lots of them.

Here are a few of my opinions:
The Pilots are my team and I love them win, lose or draw.
Since Kelsey Davis joined the staff DeYoung is greatly improved.

OK, I wrote and erased a bunch more opinions. You will hear them all eventually.

3 questions:
1) Why are there only 21 players (including Johnson) on the Pilots roster and 30 on the Anteaters (UC Irvine) roster?
2) Could the size of the roster be effecting outcomes?
3) Where is the UC Irvine thread?

Dan No Yell wrote:Greetings, Dan here, first post, been lurking for a few seasons.

Been going to games since the early '00s I guess and every game for a number of years now. I used to do a lot of yelling, but I try to tone it down and keep it positive so as not to set a bad example for the youngsters. Hard sometimes.

I know nothing about soccer except what I have learned at games and from my friends I sit with who have coached (PYS) and played (rec). Doesn't stop me from having opinions. Lots of them.

Here are a few of my opinions:
The Pilots are my team and I love them win, lose or draw.
Since Kelsey Davis joined the staff DeYoung is greatly improved.

OK, I wrote and erased a bunch more opinions. You will hear them all eventually.

3 questions:
1) Why are there only 21 players (including Johnson) on the Pilots roster and 30 on the Anteaters (UC Irvine) roster?
2) Could the size of the roster be effecting outcomes?
3) Where is the UC Irvine thread?

Welcome, Dan. Agreed 100% on the Kelsey effect. And, it may go beyond Hailee.

Regarding players on the roster, going back to the Clive Charles days, the Pilots always have had relatively small rosters. Clive believed in the rules of soccer (except for the NCAA's rules), which only allowed three subs per game. I'm not saying that he never subbed more, but he wanted and expected his players to be able to play an entire game. This doesn't just have to do with wanting players to be well conditioned. It also has to do with knowing that it takes time for players to get into the flow of the game and, in particular, a team flow, and that if you keep substituting you disrupt this. In one of the epic games in Pilots soccer history, Clive played 13 players (partly due to Pilots' injuries) against North Carolina's 20+ into quadruple overtime, losing only to a great shot at about the 129'30" mark. The coaching staff's perspective has been that they're training players to play on the world stage, where this is what is expected of them.

Coupled with this is the intention that the Pilots not carry on their rosters players who never are going to get to play. They are very loyal to all their players and consider them critical to the team, with the idea this is what soccer is all about -- the team and the importance of every player on it.

Regarding this affecting outcomes, it might. It's particularly difficult if there are a significant number of player injuries. On the other hand, this is one of the things I admire about the Pilots and may be a major contributor to the nationally revered love of Pilots fans for their players.

I don't know where the UC Irvine thread is, but I'm guessing there will be people in the chat room watching the UC Irvine livestats and commenting. Someone, can you give directions to Dan about how to get to the chat room? I'm just about to go figure it out myself!

I clicked on chatbox.
It said I was disconnected.
Would not open the log in link.

Potland lost 3-1. Article of the game on the UC Irvine web site.

On a brighter note, the US vs Canada game was a great game to watch with US comming out on top 3-0. However, with Sinclair not playing puts Canada at a disadvantage.

color me purple wrote:Potland lost 3-1. Article of the game on the UC Irvine web site.

The box score lists Cloee starting, but playing only 22 minutes--and Kassi not playing at all. Injuries?