UW

I watched all 4 games in Seattle last weekend. I thought UW was the dominant team in both their games, but they came away with only 1 victory.

UP often struggles against UW. While they usually win, few of the victories have been easy.

UW plays a very aggressive game. We Pilot fans often complain that they are too physical, but if that is what the officials give them, they are wise enough to take advantage of it. Two of the players who typify the aggressive UW play are #2 & #24.

Kate Deines, #2, is one of the mainstays of the Huskies. I believe that she has recently had some experience on with the national U23 team. She is big & strong, and doesn’t back down. A counterpart to Cloee for UP, but Kate is more involved in the offense.

Another player that I was VERY impressed with last weekend is one of their non-starters, #24 Hillary Zevenbergen. She is a 6’0” forward. When she came into both games last weekend, she made things happen. She is big, fast, and very aggressive. Watching her I wonder how she can NOT be starting (some of the same wonder I have that Taylor Brooks is not starting for UP, although she did on Sunday).

There are also two freshmen who impressed me, the Archers (#3 Chelsea & #14 Christina). They are quick, fast, and handle the ball well.

On the UP side, I would like to see more aggressive play, making things happen rather than waiting for them to happen. Also more team coordination. I think the shortage of both is related to the relative inexperience of the players in their positions. I also think both will come with time. I’d like to think that we, as fans, are willing to give the players and coaches the time to work through these early season issues.

September 9 fireworks display cancelled due to Willamette Valley red flag fire warning and Multnomah County burn ban

A fireworks display scheduled to take place at the conclusion of the September 9 women’s soccer game at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex has been cancelled due to numerous fire warnings in the Portland area. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag fire warning for the Willamette Valley, and Multnomah County has issued a burn ban until further notice.

Because of high temperatures, low humidity, dry fuels and strong east winds that could quickly make any wildfire grow out of control, officials are asking everyone in the Portland metro area to use extreme caution.

The fireworks display has yet to be rescheduled – check PortlandPilots.com for more information as soon as it becomes available.

The real fireworks will be on the pitch!

Yeah!

This will start a long winning streak for the Lady Pilots! (You heard it here first.......!)

From Rookie's analysis, it looks like tonight will not be easy by any means.

I am also intrigued how the crowd will affect play and the officiating, with some fans out for revenge.

Will the visceral crowd and player reactions sway the officials to not tolerate the "overly-physical" play or will they turn a blind eye to the crowd and their linesmen? Will Garrett stand or move at some point? Will we overhear any verbal gems like Sunday's Men's game against Loyola? (Always remember to cover the middle if your keeper tells you to cover the middle!) How will the Drum Squad Tifo turn out?

The gridiron Huskies host Hawai'i tomorrow. Might we see a return of their pep band and the "Defense!" chant?

The Pac 12 swing continues tonight, let's hope the infusion of energy from Assistant Coach Davis and home cooking make tonight a match to be remembered, hopefully for the right reasons!

I am envious of the members of Pilot Nation who will be at tonight’s game. I wish I could be there too.
I would love to hear that someone on the team picks up the energy level and runs with it tonight. Perhaps if one player does than another player will as well. And if two players do perhaps a few more get excited and join in the fun. And if a few do perhaps it will becomes a veritable movement and the entire team goes crazy and plays with unbridled passion.
Now, that would be a sight to behold.

Go Pilots!!!!!!

The result was a little tough to take but the team looked much better than when I saw them against WSU. Of course part of that is playing against 10 most of the game but still, there was better passing and they were more aggressive getting forward. I saw a lot more "Pilot soccer" out there and was encouraged.

As for the defense, I'll put it like this: You can see the outside backs are still getting used to playing there. I thought the central defense, especially Olivier, was very good tonight.

Also, did anyone get any pictures of the tifo? Fabulous job by the guys who made it. Good energy from the student section tonight.

Deja Vu.

Pilots learned nothing from last year's game against UW. If you took the keepers out of the game, not only could Portland have won in regulation, but FC Portland or Emerald City could have won. I have to admit Jordan is an All American...but as for the rest of the Washington team they are all but three gang bangers. One red card! For crying out loud, these beasts were using fists in the first half.

The only positives this year as opposed to last is that the Husky crowd didn't fill the air with expletives and we didn't have to go to a shootout.

Now that my venting is done, it was really nice to see Keeling, Elli, and Kelsey again.

Angie was there too; and Rebecca Meierbachtol (and her twin sister).

The pilots are back! They played pilot soccer for the first time this year I thought. Dani and Michlea were awesome. I loved seeing Kassi agian. She brings so much energy and hard work. She and Mo were nearly flawless. Tough to tie again but I feel like they are really gelling as a team. It was great to watch! Pilot till I die!!!

Despite the disappointing result there were some positives. Seems odd to say when Pilots only scored once on 23 shots but Dani and Micaela played well. Both could have finished better. The Washington GK made 13 saves and kept them in the game.



Ellen Parker played attacking mid and had a good game. That is clearly the right position for her and I'd like to see her have more time there.



Taylor was a force. Sarah and Michelle C are starting to figure out the outside d positions. As they get more comfortable they will come forward more - both have the ability to do so effectively.



Big question for me is the holding mid position. Cloee is a top, top player at center d but has not shown remotely that level of play at holding mid. In final 35 minutes yesterday Cloee was back with MO and Hallie played holding mid. I think I prefer that line up. Or I'd go with MO in midfield and Cloee in charge at the back.

Interesting to see what the line up looks like on Sunday. There were some tired players out there after 110 minutes last night. Erin, Taylor, MO, Cloee, Dani, MCruz and Ellen played all 110. Dani is the workhorse this season - she's played all 560 minutes. Dani, MCruz and Micaela are the only three players to have started all 6 games.

The Huskies came into the game with a 1-3-1 record. They played with 10 for roughly 80 minutes in a 110 minute match on the opposing teams turf. UP earned a 1-1 tie in this situation. Draw your own conclusions.

This was a gift-wrapped win downgraded to a tie. Exciting, tense and in the end frustrating. The Pilots did so many things right and yet could not close it out. So it goes.

On the plus side, the student support was awesome. The giant "Legends" banner was cool. The student body was out in force, chanting, singing, swaying and urging the team on. On a gorgeous September night, Merlo was a sea of purple.

Some adult fans sitting near me, however, are turning negative about the team and openly criticizing, not encouraging, the team. I hear disappointment in many voices. The feeling is easy to understand when nearly 30 shots yield one goal, but the negativity is a downer. It can also be contagious.

Sunday is forecast to be a scorcher in the mid-90s. Bring a cap, shades, sunscreen and positive vibes for the players. Go, Pilots!

I just lost a post I have been working on for 20 minutes!!!

nuts...

Just a slip of the finger - and an ill-fated tab close.

In essence:

purple haze - I agree with your comments on negativity. It only leads to a sour state of mind.

Harry Redknapp - Love it when you talk about who is playing what position, and how they are doing. You do people like me a great service when you get into a few details about the game and our playing positions.

I can't go to games anymore, so I miss out on seeing the entire field of play and what is happening in every corner. A post like yours is great to help give me a taste of what is really going on out there.

Sounds like we're on the right track. (And I think the crowd had a big influence on that, too.)

purple haze wrote:
On the plus side, the student support was awesome. The giant "Legends" banner was cool. The student body was out in force, chanting, singing, swaying and urging the team on. On a gorgeous September night, Merlo was a sea of purple.

This is how it's done. Proper supporter culture at a small university. An amazing, beautiful sight.

purple haze wrote:Some adult fans sitting near me, however, are turning negative about the team and openly criticizing, not encouraging, the team. I hear disappointment in many voices. The feeling is easy to understand when nearly 30 shots yield one goal, but the negativity is a downer. It can also be contagious.

If you want to criticize the players that's fine. I certainly saw some mistakes out there. But the stadium is not the place for it. They don't need to see or hear that.

What a relief that game was. Yes, 1-1 against 10, but we saw Pilot hustle and aggression out there. I thought Cloee looked pretty good at holding mid, but she's also critical to the back line. And Dani is obviously back where she belongs. I understand trying her at center mid due to lack of an obvious replacement at that position, but she's a forward is a forward is a forward! Ellen Parker looked the best I've seen her all year in her new position, and although she appears to be fragile, I think there might be some tough in her. With any luck, she could be a Lindsay Huie type of center mid once she gets her feet on the ground.
Great game from Taylor, and Emily looks like she'll be the latest in a long line of fast red heads on the outside for Portland. Disappointing result, but glimpses of the Pilots we're used to.

It was good to see the pilots back in form last night, though it can be tough to watch so many close calls.

Looks like the offsides call on the goal was blown.

http://www.portlandpilots.com/news/2011/9/10/WSOC_0910112507.aspx?path=wsoc

Yes, fun game but also frustrating - that highlight reel brings it all back because the UW goalie is stellar! It's her highlights too, I guess.
Any theories as to why GS/UP is so committed to the offense that brings the ball back across the middle of the box?
It looked several times last night like Brooke/Cappele/ etc could beat the wing defender on the dribble, but pulled back for the cross. They are obviously being coached to look for the center.
I understand it's a higher percentage shot/harder for the goalie to defend the movement, but the pass completion in the box seems to be as low percentage as a shot from the wing.
I'll provide my own counter argument: I know that's how they scored & I could watch that Brooke to Foxhoven cross/shot all day on repeat.
But why not more variety?

I believe the goal was disallowed, not for offside but for the tackle on the GK in the goal area. That's what I thought at the time and the video confirms it. I think it was a bad call but women's college soccer tends to be more protective of players. The keeper just barely pinned the ball and the Pilot (don't recall who) slid cleats first to put it in. I think it should have been allowed but I understand the ref making the call.
I thought UW was much weaker than last year, especially on defense. They had gaping holes that we weren't able to probe sufficiently in the first half but they did give up a lot of chances. Contrary to others opinions, I don't think the UW keeper played all that great. Most of the shots she saved were not well struck, a testament to the tentative nature of the shots and the lack of confidence in finishing. A good example was the first shot after the missed PK. Instead of driving it into the net, it was kind of side footed to try to guide it. The keeper dove (almost in slow motion) to steer it around the post but it actually wasn't that far away from her (I sit behind the goal and have a decent angle). The header that was missed at the end of the first half was plain unlucky. Feet got tangled just before the shot and couldn't get off the ground. The rocket cleared off the line late in the first OT was just dumb luck for UW, they didn't know anything about it and 6 inches in any direction and the Pilots win.
Soccer is like that. When things aren't going your way, the goal gets small. The best thing about the game was, as others have mentioned the improved play. Still a ways to go and I still think rebuilding is the key, but the play of Ellen in the middle and some of the play of Dani with her back to the goal is showing hope. When the goals come, I think they will start to come in bunches. Maybe a Beaver blowout will help regain the confidence and swagger that the Pilots need to see them into the coming brutal part of the schedule.

"We walk in the footsteps of legends."

The names at the bottom are obscured, but there's also Cherundolo, Steph Cox, Milbrett, and MacMillan.

Makes me proud to support the Pilots seeing the students make something like this.

Photo by @steeple3k, a true Timbers and Pilots supporter.

Thanks for the photo, PPT. Long live student creativity.

I saw the UW vs New Mexico game and was very surprised...it was like watching Friday's game.
New Mexico outplayed UW all over the field technically, but when they got near the goal (except once) UW had legs kicking right and left, causing the ball to go to midfield so that no second chance was available to NM. The Huskies seemed to be mostly defensive throughout the game and when they were on offense they just kicked hard and hoped for the best...which not only worked against Portland, but also against NM...as UW scored the equalizer with 1:30 left in regulation and the win with about 40 seconds left in the second OT...with wild kicking (no finesse) from every player.
I may not know as much about soccer as most of Pilot Nation, but I still stand by my previous post...their keeper is my choice for 1st team All American, but if there was a game with no keepers, Emerald City or FC Portland could keep up with UW, but if they keep this kind of luck and Jordan doesn't get hurt...they could win the Pac 12...it's enough to cause me to lose my dinner (which so far has just been MacTarnahans).