Re: First goal of the season prediction thread.

[ninjapizza]

I don't think Rachael Rapinoe will start on Saturday and I'm not sure she'll even play in the opener. That said, my best guess... Megan Rapinoe in the 11th minute on an assist from Enyeart.

[aleppiek]

Ninjapizza-

What a great segue into my next prediction, what do you all expect to see as the starting lineup.

I'll go with
F Enyeart, Foxhoven

LM-Kendra CAM- M Rapinoe RM- Ellie
CDM- Keelin

LB Sweeney LCB Olivier RCB Korie RB Tsao

GK- Kelsey

[DaTruRochin]

You heard it hear first... Megan Rapinoe... 9th minute, chips the out of position keeper from the UO side of the center circle... crowd goes wild, she does a running slide to her repaired knees to celebrate the goal, we all cringe... then she hops up and the sigh of relief, bells ring, angels get their wings and the flood gates open.... I predict keep away the entire second half...

[Geezaldinho]

Too light on the freshmen.

For the Oregon game, Garrett will try to get as many in as he can so they get D1 experience for the PAC10 weekend coming up.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see both CD's and an all freshman midfield against Oregon. If not at the start, then for big portions of the game.

[aleppiek]

Geez agree %100

I looked back at my lineup and thought... hmmm McCluskie.... Burk....

I am sure we will see SIGNIFICANT minutes from all of them, but I see setting the tone early with a little more experience. I would imagine we see Ellie shifted back to defense a bit for either Tsao or Sweeney or both, which would create more minutes for the Frosh Mids.

All in all, I see a lopsided game, but not as much as it probably could be as the experience will be very valuable for the freshman.

[harryb]

Considering that Megan is described as a forward in the news release, I'll try this:
Enyeart, M. Rapinoe
Foxhoven, Burke, Tsao
Winters
Sweeney, Nicholson, Olivier, Reed
Davis

With liberal substituting at halftime.

[FANatic]

Great challenge picking a starting line-up, aleppiek. Normally, it might be a tad simpler, but with all the talent of the freshmen group, (and they do need experience for the Pac-10 weekend), and also with the Rapinoes apparently going nuts up top, it makes for an almost impossible job picking a starting line-up.

But, here goes (I feel like I'm walking the plank):

F - Rachel, Megan R. (Rach will play first 45 minutes only)

LMF - Elli, AMF - Danielle, RMF - Michelle E.
HMF - Keelin

LOB - Jessica, LCB - Michelle O. - RCB - Korie - ROB - Megan S.

GK - Kelsey

(I'll have to see how close I am when they line up Saturday night for the opening kick-off!)

Anyone else starting to feel some butterflies in their stomach...I've gone from extreme excitement to being nervous in the last couple days. I feel sorry for the people sitting around me. I yell REALLY loud at games like these...

[FANatic]

Purplegeezer wrote:

uhh... FANatic...

When you make an edict, you don't ask permission from the Chinese or anyone else....

[Auto Pilot]

Like this?

[aleppiek]

Great challenge picking a starting line-up, aleppiek. Normally, it might be a tad simpler, but with all the talent of the freshmen group, (and they do need experience for the Pac-10 weekend), and also with the Rapinoes apparently going nuts up top, it makes for an almost impossible job picking a starting line-up.

But, here goes (I feel like I'm walking the plank):

F - Rachel, Megan R. (Rach will play first 45 minutes only)

LMF - Elli, AMF - Danielle, RMF - Michelle E.
HMF - Keelin

LOB - Jessica, LCB - Michelle O. - RCB - Korie - ROB - Megan S.

GK - Kelsey

(I'll have to see how close I am when they line up Saturday night for the opening kick-off!)

Anyone else starting to feel some butterflies in their stomach...I've gone from extreme excitement to being nervous in the last couple days. I feel sorry for the people sitting around me. I yell REALLY loud at games like these...

Fanatic, nice lineup... I like it, I just am not quite sure Rachel is fit enough to start... We will see. Congrats on the 500th post btw!

[Auto Pilot]

Handling the Rapinoes should be interesting. Usually players coming back from injuries start out the first game coming off the bench. However, they are featured senior leaders. I haven't seen the media guide yet but I'll bet
they are on the cover.

Could be that Megan starts and Rachael comes off the bench due to different stages of rehab. I think the back line will have Megan Sweeney starting as Garrett is on record being a little miffed that her injury was overlooked somewhat in all the discussion about Megan and Rachael. I think he will want the rust off her before the SC/UCLA weekend. The rest of the back line and the midfield should be game of musical chairs.

[Geezaldinho]

Handling the Rapinoes should be interesting. Usually players coming back from injuries start out the first game coming off the bench. However, they are featured senior leaders. I haven't seen the media guide yet but I'll bet
they are on the cover.

Could be that Megan starts and Rachael comes off the bench due to different stages of rehab. I think the back line will have Megan Sweeney starting as Garrett is on record being a little miffed that her injury was overlooked somewhat in all the discussion about Megan and Rachael. I think he will want the rust off her before the SC/UCLA weekend. The rest of the back line and the midfield should be game of musical chairs.

Megan is quoted as having two goals.

1) play with her sister up top

b)win a National championship.

It doesn't sound like either plans on sitting much to me. The fact that they are co-captains indicates to me they don't plan on riding the pines.

[FANatic]

Aleppiek wrote:

Fanatic, nice lineup... I like it, I just am not quite sure Rachel is fit enough to start... We will see.

Ya know aleppiek, I'm not really in the loop right now as to how Rachel's health is. I thought I read that she and sis were really tearing it up at the public scrimmage. I also have been thinking about changing my line-up since I read the Pilots 2008 Season Preview released yesterday. I just finished reading that now.

First off, I've got Foxhoven starting at attacking mid - that' not going to happen according to Garrett. She will play forward and sometimes outside MF. If they think Rachael isn't ready to start, I believe it could be Megan up front with Enyeart. Wow! What a combo that would be.

I do like your up front trio of Enyeart and Foxhoven at striker, and Megan at attacking mid, where she has been an absolute monster in the past. If Foxhoven is comfortable and scoring goals, I think I have to agree with you on our front three at those positions.

[aleppiek]

That's the beauty of prognostication... no one is wrong until the whistle blows

[FANatic]

There are simply a ton of options - and if we handle the Ducks like we should, plenty of people will play.

Garrett and Co. have done a terrific job of bringing in talented bodies - lots of talented bodies. We need to play them all during the regular season, and try combinations with the Big Three on the bench at times. So that when we lose these three for the playoffs, there will be a difficult but not impossible transition that has to be made.

Normally losing three players of this caliber for the playoffs would be a death knell for any team - except maybe UNC. But this Pilots team is different. It may be stretching it a bit, but I believe the Pilots can win it all even without the Big Three. (Perhaps a little pre-season unrealistic dreaming on my part...)

That shows my confidence in the program and the group Garrett and Co. have assembled.

[Stonehouse]

The interesting part (in my eyes) will be to watch how Michelle, Elli, and Keelin are used as the season progresses. Because we already know for sure that they will miss the playoffs, it would seem to make sense to use the freshmen and other bench players as much as possible to get them ready for November. So... I'm sure we'll see them play a lot early on (e.g. UCLA and USC), but how much will we see them as the season goes on? It's a tough call and of course the goal for every game should be to win, but we also have to keep in mind that they won't be there for the playoffs and we'll need to have the players that will be there ready to go.

[FANatic]

Very well put, Stoney! I think you hit the nail directly on the head.

As the season progresses, we must find time for the players who WILL be here come playoff time. So by mid-season, if not before, I would expect The Three to be substituted for quite liberally unless a match is in the balance, and we need them to ensure victory.

But that's the beauty of this multi-talented squad. I really believe there will be a lot of lopsided matches in our favor. What better time to sit The Three and play others who might play significant minutes in the playoffs due to the void left by their loss?

[Auto Pilot]

Add to the balance, as Garrett has stated on many occasions, he is very supportive of the national teams. Therefore, he will not want to deliver the The Three, rusty from bench sitting or worn out either.

That being said, I have full confidence in the coaching staff to strike the balance to best serve all involved; The UP program, the individuals and the national team.

[eProf]

Sophie is back. I talked to her on campus today.

[Geezaldinho]

Sophie is back. I talked to her on campus today.

Coolest post of the week! She broke free!

[aleppiek]

Great now I have to revise my whole lineup Glad to do it though. She is looking to put a few more in the net against the Ducks.

All-

Where do you expect Sophie to be used this season? back to a holding mid position, or would you expect stints up top when we face defenses that are susceptible to her strength? Or maybe as a utility player?

[aleppiek]

No fair!!! Boy...I'm late on this..Snooze...you lose!!

Ok then....I'm going with Sophie Schmidt in the 5th minute...YES...(even in absentia)...she can score on the Ducks! HA!

Will she be back from China for the Opener?

GO PILOTS!!!

Looks like GUPhantom may have been onto something after all?

[DaTruRochin]

Bigger question is... do you think she would start?? After being away from the team for an extended period of time I would see it more likely that she come in off the bench once the flow of the game has been established...

[FANatic]

Ya know, I really have no idea where Sophie's going to play. I do trust Garrett's rotations as far as where his players end up playing. So I'll be happy I don't have to figure this one out!

However, I don't expect a player of Sophie's caliber and international experience to sit for long. I don't think she'll start against Oregon, but I could be wrong. However, I would think that she would start and play significant minutes against UCLA/USC.

When Keelin leaves, Sophie probably goes straight to holding mid for the playoffs. (Not a bad replacement, eh?) Maybe she will share the spot with Keelin whis season. She could also find a home as a center back, and stay there until she's used up her eligibility. But we have so many other talented, tall and strong young players, it's kind of baffling to figure out where to put her.

Maybe aleppiek is right: Perhaps she'll be a utility player and sometimes play up top, like she did so effectively last year. We seem to have so many injuries and other issues every year, she could probably play all over the field!

[purple haze]

As a guy who liked George Harrison the best among Beatlees, I'll pick a quiet Pilot: Jessica Tsao on a classic Pilot attack from the backline, 16 minutes in. Go, OES Aardvarks!