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LADY VOLS ARE NOW THE #2 TEAM IN THE COUNTRY-THE OFFICIAL TENNESSEE ⚽️ THREAD
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Stanford and FSU are through to the College Cup.
I was shocked that Nebraska scored with 3 minutes to go in the game to tie Stanford. I watched large chunks of the match and Nebraska never looked a serious threat to score---though Stanford, which completely controlled the first half with their ball possession, did seem to be losing momentum when I stopped watching with about 20 minutes to go after Nebraska pressed forward more aggressively. Turns out the Stanford keeper, like the St. Louis keeper, made a bad mistake--coming way out to punch away or gather a long ball into the box, but she missed it and a Nebraska player headed into the goal. Had she stayed back, a comfortable safe.
I have not been all that impressed by Stanford in the last two games--odd the thing say about a team that has not lost a game. They are /very/ possession oriented and deliberate--too much so, arguably. The play a lot like FSU played under Kirkorian--dominating the ball but not being very aggressive. If you've scored a goal and have a lead--and that Stanford as done in its NCAA games--and play good defense, then it's a fine strategy, but it's not a strategy for building on a lead, because all that pinging the ball around means that your opponent has numbers back in defense--8/9 players--and so no matter how good you are with the ball, it is hard to score. And that is what happened to Stanford tonight--clearly the better team, scored within the first 11 minutes of the game, but kind of dithered around for most of the game and Nebraska ended up equalizing late. They are not an especially dynamic team in the way that FSU is.
As for FSU, it looked like the Pitt--FSU game would be tight and compelling, and it was until a Pitt defender foolishly stuck her arm out at an FSU shot: handball, and Huff belts it in for the go-ahead score, and then FSU scores two more--including another on a PK--and ends up beating a very good Pitt team comfortably.
I was shocked that Nebraska scored with 3 minutes to go in the game to tie Stanford. I watched large chunks of the match and Nebraska never looked a serious threat to score---though Stanford, which completely controlled the first half with their ball possession, did seem to be losing momentum when I stopped watching with about 20 minutes to go after Nebraska pressed forward more aggressively. Turns out the Stanford keeper, like the St. Louis keeper, made a bad mistake--coming way out to punch away or gather a long ball into the box, but she missed it and a Nebraska player headed into the goal. Had she stayed back, a comfortable safe.
I have not been all that impressed by Stanford in the last two games--odd the thing say about a team that has not lost a game. They are /very/ possession oriented and deliberate--too much so, arguably. The play a lot like FSU played under Kirkorian--dominating the ball but not being very aggressive. If you've scored a goal and have a lead--and that Stanford as done in its NCAA games--and play good defense, then it's a fine strategy, but it's not a strategy for building on a lead, because all that pinging the ball around means that your opponent has numbers back in defense--8/9 players--and so no matter how good you are with the ball, it is hard to score. And that is what happened to Stanford tonight--clearly the better team, scored within the first 11 minutes of the game, but kind of dithered around for most of the game and Nebraska ended up equalizing late. They are not an especially dynamic team in the way that FSU is.
As for FSU, it looked like the Pitt--FSU game would be tight and compelling, and it was until a Pitt defender foolishly stuck her arm out at an FSU shot: handball, and Huff belts it in for the go-ahead score, and then FSU scores two more--including another on a PK--and ends up beating a very good Pitt team comfortably.
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Wow: watched quite a bit of the UNC--BYU game on replay. UNC was great in the first 20 minutes, 3-0 lead at the half. But it's hard psychologically to protect a lead when you think you've got the game won, and that's doubly true when you ditch your normal attacking style and start playing defensively, on the back foot as opposed to the front, against an excellent attacking/scoring team like BYU. When BYU got its first goal, you could see UNC starting to break down---mentally and physically. The players were not moving well, rather disorganized, and in the cold and the snow, with the crowd baying and BYU in full attacking flow, the Tar Heels looked locked up with anxiety and fatique. Damn, Dorrance and UNC have had some tough losses in the last few years.
It's a bit disheartening to see how good in attack several of these NCAA teams are---good technically, excellent passing and movement, and multiple players who can shoot and score. We were very pedestrian in comparison.
It's a bit disheartening to see how good in attack several of these NCAA teams are---good technically, excellent passing and movement, and multiple players who can shoot and score. We were very pedestrian in comparison.
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Well, the ACC very surprisingly only got 5 teams in the NCAA tourney this year--compared to 8 for the SEC and 9 for the Big 10---but as the NCAA results have shown, those that did get in were very good. The ACC's best were better than the best teams in the SEC and Big10, as they got two teams in the College Cup and could have had three or even four. UNC seemed headed to the Final Four before the Heels blew a big lead against BYU, and then Pittsburgh was College Cup good as well. Had Pitt not had to play FSU and been in, say, Stanford's bracket, I think Pitt might have got to the final four as well. They were very good.
The Big10 seemed a bit overrated. Pa. State was strong, and came close to making the College Cup, but Nebraska, with its gaudy scoring numbers, didn't wow me. They only scored one legit goal against us, playing at home, and we weren't exactly a defensive powerhouse. They hung in against Stanford and got the match to OT, but Stanford was clearly the better team and, again, Nebraska's supposed attacking strength was not in evidence. I didn't see Michigan State play.
The SEC had a lot of depth but, except for Arkansas, maybe, no real exceptional teams. Georgia, too, was strong--but neither of those teams was at the level of NCAA quarterfinal/semifinal teams. The rest of the SEC teams in the tourney were solid but flawed, I think we can say.
In the College Cup, I think FSU will have too much firepower for Clemson. The BYU -- Stanford game should be very interesting--a very talented attacking team vs. a stellar defensive team in Stanford. The Cardinal impressed me with their possession soccer in the tourney--but they are deliberate in attack and don't typically score a lot of goals. But they don't need to: Stanford did not allow 2 goalsl in any game this year--I wonder if that's a record--and did not lose a game (4 ties). You can't do much better than that. But FSU did better than that--also undefeated and only 1 tie. With its amazing attacking talent, I'll be surprised if FSU and Pensky don't win the national title. But I hope they don't.
The Big10 seemed a bit overrated. Pa. State was strong, and came close to making the College Cup, but Nebraska, with its gaudy scoring numbers, didn't wow me. They only scored one legit goal against us, playing at home, and we weren't exactly a defensive powerhouse. They hung in against Stanford and got the match to OT, but Stanford was clearly the better team and, again, Nebraska's supposed attacking strength was not in evidence. I didn't see Michigan State play.
The SEC had a lot of depth but, except for Arkansas, maybe, no real exceptional teams. Georgia, too, was strong--but neither of those teams was at the level of NCAA quarterfinal/semifinal teams. The rest of the SEC teams in the tourney were solid but flawed, I think we can say.
In the College Cup, I think FSU will have too much firepower for Clemson. The BYU -- Stanford game should be very interesting--a very talented attacking team vs. a stellar defensive team in Stanford. The Cardinal impressed me with their possession soccer in the tourney--but they are deliberate in attack and don't typically score a lot of goals. But they don't need to: Stanford did not allow 2 goalsl in any game this year--I wonder if that's a record--and did not lose a game (4 ties). You can't do much better than that. But FSU did better than that--also undefeated and only 1 tie. With its amazing attacking talent, I'll be surprised if FSU and Pensky don't win the national title. But I hope they don't.
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Sure.
So as to not leave a ton of comments, I'll just give you the list. These are the folks I've had on that are NOT associated with the Lady Vols.
Sade Lee - Pellissippi State (Oak Ridge) - Named TCCAA Player of the year this season
Norah Jacomen - Butler (Hardin Valley Academy)
Brinley Murphy - South Carolina (Bearden)
Megan Burleson - ETSU (Science Hill)
Taylor Hoag - Longwood commit (Maryville High) - She's coming on the show in a couple weeks
So as to not leave a ton of comments, I'll just give you the list. These are the folks I've had on that are NOT associated with the Lady Vols.
Sade Lee - Pellissippi State (Oak Ridge) - Named TCCAA Player of the year this season
Norah Jacomen - Butler (Hardin Valley Academy)
Brinley Murphy - South Carolina (Bearden)
Megan Burleson - ETSU (Science Hill)
Taylor Hoag - Longwood commit (Maryville High) - She's coming on the show in a couple weeks
MAD
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Student-athletes to participate in 2023 SEC Career Tour
Twenty-eight current and former Southeastern Conference student-athletes to participate in the eighth annual SEC Career Tour Nov. 28-30 in Atlanta.
www.secsports.com
MAD
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Players to Watch: ECNL Girls 2023 Tennessee National Event
View some key prospects heading to ECNL TN.
www.soccerwire.com
Breahn Fisher | Midfielder
Tennessee SC 07 (TN)
A 2025 Tennessee verbal commit, Fisher was a ECNL Ohio Valley All-Conference First Team selection last year. She just finished off another strong campaign with Ensworth High School, capturing All-State honors for the third consecutive year.
MAD
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ECNL GIRLS ANNOUNCES ROSTERS FOR CONTINENTAL TIRE ECNL NATIONAL SELECTION GAME
RICHMOND, Va. (November 28, 2023) – The ECNL Girls is excited to announce the rosters for the Continental Tire ECNL National Selection Game. The National Selection Game in Tennessee will take place at Richard Siegel Soccer Complex on December 2, 2023 at 6:30 PM on Field 11 and will be live...
theecnl.com
Congrats and a big honor to one of our incoming freshman
Cayden Norris
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The portal is a big deal these days--we need to find a couple of good players, including at least one solid centerback.
I read that 9 UNC players are in the portal. Not sure if that is accurate or not, but that's what someone on another board as said. At least one of them is supposedly a highly decorated midfield/forward prospect from New Jersey who, as a freshman, didn't play much this year. If she in fact transfers, I'd bet it would be to a school close to home, perhaps Rutgers or Pa. State.
UNC has been notably good in the past at keeping highly recruited players on their roster despite the fact that some/several play less than they want because of all the talent on the team, and UNC typically has a big roster. But that may be beginning to change. There were at least 3 transfers from UNC last year, and there are apparently lots more than this year. One of Wake Forest's best players this year was a transfer from UNC.
I read that 9 UNC players are in the portal. Not sure if that is accurate or not, but that's what someone on another board as said. At least one of them is supposedly a highly decorated midfield/forward prospect from New Jersey who, as a freshman, didn't play much this year. If she in fact transfers, I'd bet it would be to a school close to home, perhaps Rutgers or Pa. State.
UNC has been notably good in the past at keeping highly recruited players on their roster despite the fact that some/several play less than they want because of all the talent on the team, and UNC typically has a big roster. But that may be beginning to change. There were at least 3 transfers from UNC last year, and there are apparently lots more than this year. One of Wake Forest's best players this year was a transfer from UNC.
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