LADY VOLS ARE NOW THE #2 TEAM IN THE COUNTRY-THE OFFICIAL TENNESSEE ⚽️ THREAD

[MAD]

 

[turbovol]

I'm not sure that playing a team that's been Div. II until this year is good for us, but it's a moot point now. I'll give Queens credit--they played very hard defensively. I can't say I was encouraged by the fact that it took us 35 minutes to score in the 2nd half, despite having the ball almost all the time. We sent a TON of crosses into the box--but Queens always had it least 4 defenders in the box and we could not get on the end of one until Bartholomew did so in the last minute of the game. We have to do better at trying to hit the cross at specific UT players in the box--as opposed to just getting it in the box. That sort of precision is pretty rare in college players, so really what we need is for our players in the box to do a better job of seeing the ball and getting to it.

I like Eskin, but she's not a forward. She's got speed, works ver hard, but she is small and just not a scorer. She had lots of chances today but couldn't put the ball in the net--I know she was frustrated. She can't head the ball at all, unfortunately. She'd be better playing in the midfield--where she played mostly last year and was effective--but we're thin at forward and have a /lot/ of midfielders, so I expect she'll stay at forward.

The coaches decided to give Burdette and George the day off, which was wise. They started G. Washington in Burdette's defensive midfield spot. That was not wise. I'm sorry to say it, but Washington is far too passive and low-energy to be a good soccer player. We hear that she just spent some time with the Jamaican national team, but I'll be shocked if we ever see her actually play in an important game for Jamaica. Indeed, she was on the NT roster a few years ago but got dropped. The problem is, she jogs around at what seems like half-speed, sits too deep on the field, doesn't work hard enough off the ball to get into space to receive passes and thus struggles to get involved in the action. She was basically invisible for her 25 minutes on the field in the first half--maybe touched the ball 3 times. She got an assist on our first goal, but that was off a corner and simply a matter of the ball bouncing to where she was standing. When freshman Dakota Brown came in for Washington, she played much higher up the field, was much more active and involved in our play--as of course every player should be. She could become a good player--has a good grasp of the game and good fundamentals--but will need to get stronger and more physical to be an effective defensive midfielder in the way that Burdette is. I"m sorry to be negative about Washington--I had hopes for her when she signed as she's got good size--but soccer is a game that requires lot of energy, movement, competitiveness and an ability to read the game.

Now comes SEC play and we'll get a good read how whether this new 3-5-2 system is effective or not. I think it's makes us a bit more threatening offensively but, as a counterpoint, it makes us more vulnerable defensively than we were last year, which is what happens when you substitute 4 in the back for 3 in the back. One can say that our two outside mids, who often drop deep, provide extra defensive help--but I wouldn't say that either one of them are particularly good defenders. Let's hope it works!

As for your question about 5 freshman who haven't played and may be redshirted, I didn't realize it was that many. I'm surprised that Shell hasn't played as she was/is considered a strong defensive prospect. Maybe she's got an injury issue--or...I don't know. Usually, if a freshman can play, she plays---but we have one of our bigger squads this year--and if the coaches feel it will be hard to get minutes for everybody, maybe they hold out a few players for one reason or another. Bailey, the 6-foot centerback from Utah, hasn't played. Weimer, whom I don't think was a top prospect, hasn't played. I didn't even realize that Lloyd was on the roster--I thought she was a commitment for next year. Has she been on the roster since the start? There isn't much info about her. Who's the 5th--Reisz? My strong sense is that she's being legitimately redshirted and will be our starting keeper next year. Based on all I've read and seen, she's got the potential to be very good. She was a top keeper prospect--has good size and athleticism.

We need to really show our team quality starting now.

 

[MAD]

I'm not sure that playing a team that's been Div. II until this year is good for us, but it's a moot point now. I'll give Queens credit--they played very hard defensively. I can't say I was encouraged by the fact that it took us 35 minutes to score in the 2nd half, despite having the ball almost all the time. We sent a TON of crosses into the box--but Queens always had it least 4 defenders in the box and we could not get on the end of one until Bartholomew did so in the last minute of the game. We have to do better at trying to hit the cross at specific UT players in the box--as opposed to just getting it in the box. That sort of precision is pretty rare in college players, so really what we need is for our players in the box to do a better job of seeing the ball and getting to it.

I like Eskin, but she's not a forward. She's got speed, works ver hard, but she is small and just not a scorer. She had lots of chances today but couldn't put the ball in the net--I know she was frustrated. She can't head the ball at all, unfortunately. She'd be better playing in the midfield--where she played mostly last year and was effective--but we're thin at forward and have a /lot/ of midfielders, so I expect she'll stay at forward.

The coaches decided to give Burdette and George the day off, which was wise. They started G. Washington in Burdette's defensive midfield spot. That was not wise. I'm sorry to say it, but Washington is far too passive and low-energy to be a good soccer player. We hear that she just spent some time with the Jamaican national team, but I'll be shocked if we ever see her actually play in an important game for Jamaica. Indeed, she was on the NT roster a few years ago but got dropped. The problem is, she jogs around at what seems like half-speed, sits too deep on the field, doesn't work hard enough off the ball to get into space to receive passes and thus struggles to get involved in the action. She was basically invisible for her 25 minutes on the field in the first half--maybe touched the ball 3 times. She got an assist on our first goal, but that was off a corner and simply a matter of the ball bouncing to where she was standing. When freshman Dakota Brown came in for Washington, she played much higher up the field, was much more active and involved in our play--as of course every player should be. She could become a good player--has a good grasp of the game and good fundamentals--but will need to get stronger and more physical to be an effective defensive midfielder in the way that Burdette is. I"m sorry to be negative about Washington--I had hopes for her when she signed as she's got good size--but soccer is a game that requires lot of energy, movement, competitiveness and an ability to read the game.

Now comes SEC play and we'll get a good read how whether this new 3-5-2 system is effective or not. I think it's makes us a bit more threatening offensively but, as a counterpoint, it makes us more vulnerable defensively than we were last year, which is what happens when you substitute 4 in the back for 3 in the back. One can say that our two outside mids, who often drop deep, provide extra defensive help--but I wouldn't say that either one of them are particularly good defenders. Let's hope it works!

As for your question about 5 freshman who haven't played and may be redshirted, I didn't realize it was that many. I'm surprised that Shell hasn't played as she was/is considered a strong defensive prospect. Maybe she's got an injury issue--or...I don't know. Usually, if a freshman can play, she plays---but we have one of our bigger squads this year--and if the coaches feel it will be hard to get minutes for everybody, maybe they hold out a few players for one reason or another. Bailey, the 6-foot centerback from Utah, hasn't played. Weimer, whom I don't think was a top prospect, hasn't played. I didn't even realize that Lloyd was on the roster--I thought she was a commitment for next year. Has she been on the roster since the start? There isn't much info about her. Who's the 5th--Reisz? My strong sense is that she's being legitimately redshirted and will be our starting keeper next year. Based on all I've read and seen, she's got the potential to be very good. She was a top keeper prospect--has good size and athleticism.

We need to really show our team quality starting now.

You pointed out George and Burdette sitting out, Katz sat out as well.
Thanks for answering my question.

 

[MAD]

Determined Defense, Relentless Offense Pushes Lady Vols to 6-0 Victory





KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – An all-around, whole-team effort pushed the Tennessee women's soccer team to a 6-0 victory over Queens University of Charlotte Sunday afternoon at Regal Soccer Stadium.

The Lady Volunteer (4-2-1) offense came out of the gates racing, peppering the goal to the tune of 11 shots in the first 20 minutes of play. Nine of those were on frame and two found the back of the net.

"It's great, the consistency we have shown over the last two weeks and getting ourselves in a place where we are confident," head coach Joe Kirt said after the win, discussing building confidence going into conference play. "We are continuing to get better and more consistent and finding ways to score creating a ton of chances. We are happy about how we finished the non-conference slate and are excited to get into league play."

Just 10 minutes into the game, the Lady Vols scored for the first time when Lawson Renie sent it home for her first goal of the season. Renie got a lovely pass from Giselle Washington and confidently drove it inside the far post. The play was set up on a beautiful header from Jaida Thomas on a corner kick that was saved at the last second by a Royals' defender manning the near post. Washington received the clearance and delivered the ball to put the Big Orange in front first.

It only took six more minutes for the ball to rip the twine for a second time as Thomas notched her eighth score of the season in the 16th minute. The chance began with nifty dribbling from Maddie Eskin, starting at the top of the box and dribbling to 12 yards, before rifling a right footed shot on net. Queens' keeper Erica Turner deflected the effort, but Thomas came in with a smooth finish to up the tally to 2-0.

Renie got on the scoresheet again in the 22nd minute, marking her first career multi-goal game and her third career score. The corner worked to perfection as Hannah Zaluski bent in a left-footed set-piece from the far side. Renie came in at the back post and elevated high in the air, sending a strong header to the top-left corner of the goal.

The Lady Vols made it 4-0 before the half came to a close, getting a goal from true freshman standout Kameron Simmonds, the first of her career. The score developed on the outskirts of the attacking third as Kennedy Price and Jenna Stayart linked up beautifully, dishing a one-touch give-and-go that freed up space for a lovely cross into the box where Simmonds sent it into the net with poise.

The offense generated 19 shots with 13 on frame in the first half. It was a balanced attack that created chances as eight Lady Vols attempted a shot and another four logged an assist in the period. Tennessee took a 4-0 lead into the locker room at half time.

Not only was the offense stellar, but the defense also stood their ground yet again. Tennessee recorded its fourth-consecutive clean sheet, dating back to August 31 against Bowling Green. The backline did not allow a shot until the 66th minute. It took until the 78th minute for the Royals to put one on frame.

That shot came from a free kick, situated about 25 yards from the net. The shot by Queens' Savannah Stuart was tracking for the goal, but Kingston, Tenn. native MacKenzie Haba went flying trough the air to snag the attempt and keep the Royals off the scoresheet.

Tennessee recorded a pair of goals in the second half, the first a volley from Stayart in the 81st minute that snuck through a crowded box and found the bottom-left corner. UT added its final score in the 90th minute when Nolyn Bartholomew registered her first career goal right in the face of the goal, setup by Eskin and Lindsey Brick.

The contributions from all facets was noted by Kirt and he sees it being a big part in what the team can do for the remainder of the season.

"The SEC slate is challenging, two-game weekends at a high level, so having players that can come in and contribute and play major roles off the bench is going to be crucial to our success," Kirt added. "It was a big part of our success last year, our depth, and we will remain consistent this year with it. All of our players being confident on the ball, finding ways to score, creating chances, they have been really good and consistent throughout. It is going to help us considerably moving forward in league play."



Thomas Ties for Two
Redshirt-junior Jaida Thomas scored her 34th career goal in the game, moving into a tie for second place on the all-time Tennessee goals scored list with Hannah Wilkinson (2012-16).

UP NEXT
Southeastern Conference play kicks off for Tennessee as the Lady Vols travel to Florida on Friday, Sept. 16, to take on the Gators in Gainesville. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. and can be seen on SEC Network +.

 

[MAD]

 

[MAD]

Congrats to VFL soccer standout Christina C.C. Cobb on the assistant coaching position at Iowa State.



She played as a midfielder from 2012-2014 in Knoxville.

 

[MAD]

 

[turbovol]

I saw where Chris Henderson posted what I think is his first (might be his second) RPI Top 25. We aren't in it, which doesn't surprise me. Not getting at least a tie in the Duke game, and then SMU tie--two games we should have won--has really hurt our RPI. Major bummer. The SEC schedule is our opportunity to raise our RPI level. The alabama game, in particular, looms large given that team's surprisingly good start. These first three conference games are crucial. I think I heard that bama plays south carolina this week: that will be an interesting game to watch between 2 SEC teams that are high in the early RPI rankings. In south carolina's last game, against n.c. state, I read today that the two teams /together/ had only 3 shots on goal. So it's another south carolina team that is very stingy defensively but doesn't pack a lot of attacking punch--but if you are holding teams to 0 or 1 goal, you don't need a lot of attacking prowess--and we've seen that in our games with them in recent years.

RPI is crucial because it is largely how the NCAA decides who gets into the tournament--and seeding. If you get into the tournament but don't have an especially good RPI, you could end up playing a strong opponent in the first round on the road.

Finally, I may have been a bit too pointed in my comments about a Vol player in my post above about yesterday's game--and, if I was, I apologize. One should never be too critical of college players. I got frustrated as, based on what I've seen and read over the last couple of years, the player in question has been treated quite favorably both as a soccer player and a student at Tennessee--and if that is the case, and it's fine if it is, I feel like you really ought to be bringing something to the table as a player. And if you can't, then somebody else who can bring something should be starting/playing--assuming one believes in meritocracy. I'll leave it at that and certainly try to be more respectful and circumspect going forward.

 

[MAD]

I saw where Chris Henderson posted what I think is his first (might be his second) RPI Top 25. We aren't in it, which doesn't surprise me. Not getting at least a tie in the Duke game, and then SMU tie--two games we should have won--has really hurt our RPI. Major bummer. The SEC schedule is our opportunity to raise our RPI level. The alabama game, in particular, looms large given that team's surprisingly good start. These first three conference games are crucial. I think I heard that bama plays south carolina this week: that will be an interesting game to watch between 2 SEC teams that are high in the early RPI rankings. In south carolina's last game, against n.c. state, I read today that the two teams /together/ had only 3 shots on goal. So it's another south carolina team that is very stingy defensively but doesn't pack a lot of attacking punch--but if you are holding teams to 0 or 1 goal, you don't need a lot of attacking prowess--and we've seen that in our games with them in recent years.

RPI is crucial because it is largely how the NCAA decides who gets into the tournament--and seeding. If you get into the tournament but don't have an especially good RPI, you could end up playing a strong opponent in the first round on the road.

Finally, I may have been a bit too pointed in my comments about a Vol player in my post above about yesterday's game--and, if I was, I apologize. One should never be too critical of college players. I got frustrated as, based on what I've seen and read over the last couple of years, the player in question has been treated quite favorably both as a soccer player and a student at Tennessee--and if that is the case, and it's fine if it is, I feel like you really ought to be bringing something to the table as a player. And if you can't, then somebody else who can bring something should be starting/playing--assuming one believes in meritocracy. I'll leave it at that and certainly try to be more respectful and circumspect going forward.

Wow, surprising that Tennessee’s RPI isn’t in in the top 25, any idea how low it is?

I don’t think your criticism was harsh, it seem justified and on point.

 

[MAD]

 

[turbovol]

Wow, surprising that Tennessee’s RPI isn’t in in the top 25, any idea how low it is?

I don’t think your criticism was harsh, it seem justified and on point.

I don't know what our RPI is now but will check. We basically have to win our SEC games if we want to get our RPI up into top 15 or higher territory, which would get us a seed in the tourney.

 

[MAD]

 

[MAD]

 

[MAD]

Kameron Simmonds with Futbolr Clothing.



Futbolr Clothing • Where Soccer Meets Fashion



Futbolr is a lifestyle brand that reflects the global passion for the beautiful game of soccer. Our goal is to create, imaginative and fashionable clothing that captures the artistic greatness of the Futbolr. We believe that soccer is about more than just the game itself. It’s more than just a sport. It influences all areas of life and has the unique ability to bring people together.

Futbolr is about helping people look better off the field, while still being able to represent the essence of soccer. The magic of soccer has captivated the world and the futbolr brand aims to capture the magic of the game. Ever living Ever Faithful

 

[MAD]

 

[MAD]

 

[turbovol]

Well, after supposedly being back and healthy again, Vignola has not even been on the bench/substitute list for Angel City in its last two games. A flareup of her injury? I hope not--don't know. No Cousins, either, in the team's game last night (or tonight) against the North Carolina Courage. Oh, my....

 

[MAD]

Well, after supposedly being back and healthy again, Vignola has not even been on the bench/substitute list for Angel City in its last two games. A flareup of her injury? I hope not--don't know. No Cousins, either, in the team's game last night (or tonight) against the North Carolina Courage. Oh, my....

I had checked earlier, Vignola was out due to an illness.

 

[turbovol]

I had checked earlier, Vignola was out due to an illness.

Hasn't she missed the last two games? A completely lost year for her and Cousins--so sad.

 

[MAD]

 

[NochNoch]

I don’t want to talk about it here but there is a possibility the lack of playing time is due to circumstances on social media.

Understand that you don't want to speak about it so this isn't an attempt to get you to do that. Having said that, the bolded part of your post is thoroughly confusing to me. I obviously know that people can very easily get themselves in trouble via SM but describing it as "circumstances" throws me off for some reason.

 

[MAD]

SEC Play Begins Tomorrow.

 

[turbovol]

I don’t want to talk about it here but there is a possibility the lack of playing time is due to circumstances on social media.

That is intriguing. Hope she wasn't at fault for anything.

 

[turbovol]

If you haven't yet seen it, here's a story on Vignola's injury. Nice to finally get some real info....

Angel City defender M.A. Vignola returns from hip injury – Daily News


I checked the web to see if there was anything related to Vignola and a social-media controversy, and I discovered that Cousins, in fact,
created some controversy in June with the Instagram post of below, in which she apparently channels her discomfort with lesbianism through a comment made by Tampa Bay Rays baseball player whose views on the subject seem to be endorsed by Cousins. Cousins caught some flak from some fans for the post, apparently. Cousins comes from a rural area and is /very/ religious--it wouldn't surprise me if she ends up being a preacher of some kind--and for this reason I have to think that LA and the NWSL is a difficult fit for her. Lesbian relationships are fairly common in women's pro soccer--here and in Europe. The whole "pride" thing is a pretty big deal in the league--and that might be creating some issues for Cousins. There is very good player in the NWSL, named Jaelene Daniels who is a devout Christian--and her career with the U.S. Women's National Team came to an end 5 years ago when she refused to wear a "pride" jersey in a NT friendly. She plays for the NC Courage now--and in July, 2022, she again refused to wear a "pride" jersey on pride night and did not play in the game. I wonder if this hasn't come up with Cousins as well--and if it's one reason why she's seemed ambivalent about pro soccer. She waited more than a year after her Vol career ended to finally start a pro career, which I didn't understand, and she claims on her Twitter account, as I've mentioned before, that she's "dabbling" in pro soccer. That's an odd (but revealing) comment, I think.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NWSL/comments/v6ejci/acfc_midfielder_katie_cousins_instagram_story/

 

[MAD]

Vol Soccer Report: Non-Conference Wrap-Up



KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- With a trip to Gainesville scheduled for this Friday, the Lady Vols are heading into conference play with some steam, having defeated their last four opponents by a combined score of 22-0.

Associate head coach Jonathan Morgansaid the team's non-conference schedule has been an excellent primer for SEC play.

"We played three high-level teams (to start the season). Obviously, we didn't get the results we wanted in those games," Morgan said. "In terms of our long-term development though, it was fantastic. We had the opportunity to go play in North Carolina in front of 4,200 fans, which was a totally crazy environment. We couldn't, as coaches, give them any instruction from the sideline, so they kind of had to solve everything themselves. With all the noise, it was just them on the field."

"The whole idea of those first three games was to create situations that they would experience in conference play. It helped us learn about ourselves and get experience in different areas. And that North Carolina game certainly exposed a lot. It gave us a platform in terms of where we were and where we could be better."

Tennessee opened the season at No. 10 UNC on Thursday, Aug. 18, and in a quick turnaround, faced No. 23 SMU on Sunday for a match that ended in a 1-1 draw. The timing and quality of opponents in those two games was a good all-around learning experience for the team.

"We played on Thursday and had to come back on Sunday and play at a high level again, which is just like the SEC season. As coaches, we learned some things about how to manage the team," said Morgan.

"We learned we probably should have gone with a little more of our depth. We probably could have trusted some players some more. Our kids learned how to manage their bodies and how to take care of themselves in between games. It's hard to play Thursday and then come back and have that same output on a Sunday."

When No. 5 Duke came to town, the Lady Vols put a lot of their lessons into practice, despite ultimately falling 3-2 to the Blue Devils.

"We tweaked some things, made some adjustments, cleaned up some of our defending, and we came out and had a really great performance against Duke," Morgan said.

"What we learned in that match is if we want to play at an elite level, we know athletically and technically we can do it. But there is a tactical piece and there is a game management piece that we have to be better at. We ended up giving up three goals in 11 minutes, which was crushing for us. However, in terms of, 'Can we play with these elite team?' We learned that we can."

Tennessee took the experience of opening the season with three ranked opponents and applied lessons learned in those matches to the rest of the non-conference slate while also working some younger players into the mix.

"The remainder of the non-conference season has been about developing our depth. A lot of kids started to step up and shine. They started to understand what it is we are asking for, in particular our freshman," said Morgan.

"So, (the last four games) have been great building that depth, because when you go into the SEC, you're playing Thursday and Sunday. Thursday you may only play 16 to 18 players, but on Sunday you might need to get 20 players. You have to have kids who are ready to go for that Sunday afternoon match. So, what we've been developing is that depth, and hopefully, we took some miles off of other players."

Tennessee closed out the non-conference schedule with a record of 4-2-1, having scored 25 goals while limiting opponents to just seven. The Lady Vols will open SEC play against Florida in Gainesville on Friday at 7 p.m.