Soccer: Crashing Back to Earth

#1

armchair

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#1
The Tennessee soccer team had a bad weekend. We played two good teams--Vandy and Florida--and lost both games by a 1-2 score, spoiling what had been an excellent season. It's a tough last stretch of games for the Vols, and so far it's been back to earth with a thud.

The Vandy game was especially important, in my view, because I was pretty sure that florida would beat us--they are good, and always do. Is there any UT coach, in any sport, who can beat florida? It doesn't seem so. Sad to a bridesmaid in practically every sport.

We played well enough to get a win or tie against Vandy but made some mistakes at key moments and let the game get away. Yesterday, we played hard against Florida--had some moments--but the gators are talented, they've played a tougher schedule than we have--and their soccer game is just that much better than ours.

Florida scored first when our keeper, Yanez, cleared the ball badly early in the second half--kicking it on the ground straight out from her box. A florida player snatched it and pushed back deep into our zone, and the gators scored a goal. A. Bialczak tied the game around the 65 minute mark with a nice header off a free kick by Katie Cousins, but in the last 20 minutes we seemed to get tired and we lost our defensive shape. We left too many gaps, Florida had a lot of people forward and put pressure on us, and they scored the game-winning goal at roughly the 80-minute mark.

Pensky always tries to play a high-press against florida--and while it can be effective for stretches, it never works well enough. Florida is good at playing the ball out of the back, and we never create enough turnovers from our press to give ourselves some scoring opportunities. And if we do, our possession in the attacking third isn't good enough. We are absolutely too impatient with the ball--always wanting to rush forward make passes that aren't there. Good players have to know when to hold up play and let some of your other players get forward. We are not patient enough with the ball.

The high press is also taxing on the players and, I think, contributes to player fatigue as you have to run more. Late in the game, I think we were gassed. The problem with the high press is that once they break through our first line of defense, there is a lot of space in the middle of the field and they are immediately putting pressure on our back four and create chances. The florida coach said as much right after the game. Florida State, when they played Florida, started pressing florida from the halfway line--and that seems a smarter strategy to me. We also did not play good enough possession soccer. We reverted to playing a direct style, sending the ball in the air down the field for Shaw a lot, and while that is worth doing some, we have to have more to our game. Good teams know how to break a high press--and florida has a freshman player named Rose, a Canadian, who is strong and fast, and she was their press-breaking outlet all day. Good teams know how to thwart long balls to forwards like Shaw. We did the same thing when we had Wilkinson, and it didn't work with her either. We also did not get our midfield involved in the game enough, from a possession standpoint. Bialczak, Cousins and O'Keefe spent too much time playing defense. I thought freshman Paige Franks played quite well yesterday at left back. She had to deal with Rose a lot, and on the whole did a good job--and she got forward pretty briskly too. A nice effort from her.

We almost scored the first goal of the game in the first half when the ball bounded toward Marcano in the florida box, and she nicely chipped the ball over the on-rushing gator keeper. The ball was a foot from crossing the goal line when a florida defender used a bicycle kick to clear the ball away. It was an excellent play by her. In the second half, Vignola was 1v1 with the florida keeper after a couple of good passes--from Shaw to Bialczak and Bialczak found Vignola streaking in alone on the left. The florida keeper came out to challenge Vignola. The UT winger fired a shot but it was straight at the keeper and we missed the chance. Vignola could have chipped the ball over the keeper, but not many players think to do that in the moment.

We have a good team but we're 10 percent short of being a really good team. We need 10 percent more composure and good decision-making; 10 better better possession play--OK, make it 15 percent there; 10 percent better defense--and maybe 10 percent better tactics.

We've got one regular season game left--and it will be a tough one, too, as we have to play Arkansas at their place, and they play hard. We desperately need a win if we hope to get a bye in the first round of the tournament--something that is in jeopardy now. Let's do it.
 
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#2
#2
it was sad, for sure, AC...I'll just say we were beaten by a better team on Sunday and leave it at that...and,

PS. THANKS FOR THE POST...:salute:

GO LADY VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...BEAT ARKY!!!!!!!!!!
 
#3
#3
Always appreciate coverage of non-BB women's sports. We get none where I live. Hopefully better results next time.
 
#4
#4
Once again AC thanks for your excellent report of the game. Due to a social obligation I was unable to watch and just as well, as it turned out. I thought this would be the game we were most likely to lose of the final three. The Vandy loss is an even more bitter pill to swallow now. Hopefully, we can get a result against Arky and limp into the tournament with a bye.

It appears our flaws have been fully exposed now and teams are playing us in ways that we just don't handle very well. At least we are still one of the top 4 or 5 teams in the SEC which is not a bad place to be.

Quick update: We fell all the way back to 19th in the United Coaches poll so we are still in the top twenty nationally! So there is that. :eek:k:
 
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