⚽️ LADY VOLS SOCCER
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Vol coaches need to work the transfer portal the next off-season. Pensky & staff usually brought in at least one transfer a year, and
most contributed--a couple were huge assets (Shaw and George). One or two have not contributed. This past off-season we didn't bring
in any transfers--perhaps because we had most of our starters back and had a fairly large incoming class of freshman--probably too large, IMO.
However, the portal has a lot of solid or good, experienced players every year--and if you don't get one or two of them and upgrade your roster, your competitors will. Two of bama's best players are transfers. Two of UT's best athletic programs--swimming and men's tennis--are big users of the portal. We brought in at least four or five defenders, but none has played much this year and it's hard to know if any of them will develop into good SEC players. We should have beat the bushes for a /good/ centerback transfer. Not necessarily easy to find, but we needed one. We took a centerback transfer from Syracuse a couple of years ago, but Syracuse is one of the worst programs in the ACC and she has not worked out. What that shows is that talent evaluation for transfers is as important as talent evaluation for new club commits: If you bring in a transfer and she's not an upgrade, then you've done yourself or the transfer no favors.
most contributed--a couple were huge assets (Shaw and George). One or two have not contributed. This past off-season we didn't bring
in any transfers--perhaps because we had most of our starters back and had a fairly large incoming class of freshman--probably too large, IMO.
However, the portal has a lot of solid or good, experienced players every year--and if you don't get one or two of them and upgrade your roster, your competitors will. Two of bama's best players are transfers. Two of UT's best athletic programs--swimming and men's tennis--are big users of the portal. We brought in at least four or five defenders, but none has played much this year and it's hard to know if any of them will develop into good SEC players. We should have beat the bushes for a /good/ centerback transfer. Not necessarily easy to find, but we needed one. We took a centerback transfer from Syracuse a couple of years ago, but Syracuse is one of the worst programs in the ACC and she has not worked out. What that shows is that talent evaluation for transfers is as important as talent evaluation for new club commits: If you bring in a transfer and she's not an upgrade, then you've done yourself or the transfer no favors.
We've already had four corners and not one Vol has gotten a head on one yet. We are LAME on corners--and it continues to be a serious problem.
They are lost scoring opportunities. Meanwhile, Ole Miss has done nothing but kick the ball down the field toward our goal. They are clearly
just trying to put a lot of balls in the box. They've not impressed. Fusco had a good scoring chance--got a decent shot away but right at the Miss. keeper.. She could have paused another second and gotten off a better shot. She is a very good player but needs to finish better.
They are lost scoring opportunities. Meanwhile, Ole Miss has done nothing but kick the ball down the field toward our goal. They are clearly
just trying to put a lot of balls in the box. They've not impressed. Fusco had a good scoring chance--got a decent shot away but right at the Miss. keeper.. She could have paused another second and gotten off a better shot. She is a very good player but needs to finish better.
We have to be better in the attacking third. Dipasupil's crosses and corner deliveries are too inconsistent; maybe half of her deliveries are good. And we just don't have players getting onto balls into the ball. You need players who can head the ball in the box and we have nobody. On our first four corner kicks--we did not get a head on even one of them. Lost opportunities.
Ole Miss has been unimpressive--they nick the ball away from us in their defensive half and just kick it down the field. Not good soccer. We need a goal and a win.
Poor Auburn: It played its guts out against Vandy, trying to get its first win; HAD its first win...until with 30 seconds left, Vandy shoots the ball into the Auburn box. Auburn should have had more people back, but in any case, the ball hits the ground in the box and a Vandy player and AU player both kick at it. The Auburn player loses her footing and falls on her butt with her legs over the ball---and just sits there. She should have kicked the ball away. The players stop, the ref blows the whistle and awards Vandy a free kick from 9 yards away from the Auburn goal. Auburn has all its defenders lined up on the goal line. The Vandy kick is blocked, but it bounces back to another Vandy player, who kicks the ball. There are still about 8/9 Auburn players in front of its goal--but the ball deflects off one or two of them and goes into the net for the equalizing goal. Nobody scores more late goals to pull out wins or ties than Vandy. I've seen them pull results out of their backsides like this time and again--but then the Auburn player screwed it up. That's a tough way to late a win slip away after 90 minutes of hard work....Vandy is well-coached and plays a very solid game of soccer--much more intelligent soccer than many SEC teams.
Volstylexx
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Volstylexx
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Volstylexx
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Wow: We did exactly what we've struggled to do--a nice delivery from Dipasupil and a headed goal.
Have not seen the second half, but was not much impressed by Ole Miss in the first. Neverthless, this was a VITAL win--our first quality win of the year (shocking to say) and one that should help our RPI a lot, I should think. Also nice to see that we got the shutout. All of these SEC games are likely to be this way--tough, competitive, not always very pretty, not many goals, which is why being strong defensively is absolutely crucial. Good win.
Have not seen the second half, but was not much impressed by Ole Miss in the first. Neverthless, this was a VITAL win--our first quality win of the year (shocking to say) and one that should help our RPI a lot, I should think. Also nice to see that we got the shutout. All of these SEC games are likely to be this way--tough, competitive, not always very pretty, not many goals, which is why being strong defensively is absolutely crucial. Good win.
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MAD
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Lady Vols Overwhelm #13 Ole Miss, Log 1-0 Road Win
Box Score OXFORD, Miss. – The Lady Vols picked up a 1-0 win over #13 Ole Miss on Friday to remain undefeated in Oxford and improve their overall record against UM to 18-4-2.
Tennessee (7-3-1, 3-1 SEC) dominated possession, taking 18 shots to just nine by the Rebels and 12 corner kicks to their two
Redshirt-junior Jaida Thomas scored the lone goal of the match in the 79th minute off a cross from senior Claudia Dipasupil. Senior Lindsey Romig recorded three saves in the game.
Price Loposer led the Rebels (9-1-2, 3-1 SEC) offensively, taking three shots on the night. In goal, Ashley Orkus collected seven saves.
Tennessee got off three shots and took four corners in the opening 15 minutes of the match while holding UM to just one shot.
Thomas broke behind the Ole Miss defense in the 26th minute and played the ball across the middle, but Tennessee couldn't get anyone into the box before it was cleared.
Jordan Fusco got a quality look in the 30th minute, running onto a deflected Taylor Huff shot, but it sailed high over the crossbar.
Tennessee maintained possession well during the closing minutes of the half, but the shot by Fusco proved to be the last scoring opportunity for either team as the game went to halftime tied at zero.
The Lady Vols came out of the locker room aggressive offensively, getting the ball into the box four minutes into the second half for Taylor Huff to get a contested shot off from eight yards out, but it missed high.
Two minutes later, Thomas ripped a shot from beyond the 18-yard box, forcing Orkus into a diving save.
Huff put a shot on goal in the 58th minute that was bobbled by Orkus, and Thomas ran onto it, but Orkus dove on the shot to keep the score tied at zero.
Tennessee got another chance with just over 22 minutes left in the game when Huff won possession at the half line and found George streaking down the right sideline. George got off a good cross to Kameron Simmonds at the six-yard box, but the UM defense was able to clear.
Ole Miss got its best opportunity up unto that point in the 77th minute when Stella Downing ran onto a loose ball and sent a screamer toward the Tennessee goal, but a host of UT defenders converged to deflect the shot.
Thomas put the Lady Vols on the board in the 79th minute, sending a perfectly placed header into the side net off a cross from Dipasupil.
UT nearly added a second goal two minutes later when Huff blasted one off the right goal post and Fusco ran onto the rebound, but the follow-up missed wide.
Romig came up with a crucial save in the 88th minute, getting a hand on a well-struck blast by O'Conner to tip it over the goal and secure the victory for Tennessee.
UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will return home for a 7 p.m. ET match against Missouri on Thursday that will be streamed on SECN+.
GIRL ON FIRE: Thomas has racked up 10 goals and two assists over the last 10 games to lead the SEC in total goals, goals per game and points per game. Coming into tonight's match, her 0.90 goals per game ranked ninth in the nation, and her 2.00 points per game tied for ninth.
This was the best game, I think, that we've played all year. Our spacing, movement and passing were good all night--and after a sloppy first 10 minutes or so we dominated the game. We should have scored more than one goal. We put some strong shots on goal in the 2nd half and forced the Ole Miss keeper, Orkus (who originally signed and played for us) to make some good saves.
Huff and Burdette were outstanding. Huff was all over the field--made some nice runs, had a bunch of first-class passes (including 3 or 4 cross-field/switch the field of play passes, and was a threat to score--putting, I think, 3 shots on frame. She really showed her class tonight. Burdette, meanwhile, bossed the midfield and won a number of balls with her timing, field awareness and physicality. She was super.
I thought out our outside backs were more influential than they've been all year. This was Dipasupil's best game, for sure. In the first half she was getting around the field, using her body, very competitive. She sends too many of her corner kicks too close to the opposing keeper (a consistent issue with her), but had the nice, accurate cross to set up our goal. Nelson and Hennessey were solid on the right. Hennessey can play--a little stronger than Nelson.
Our centerbacks were solid. Their jobs were made easier by the way we controlled the midfield, but they all played well. Rain is an excellent player. The Ole Miss broadcast announcer, who on the whole wasn't bad, frequently identified Renie as Rain, which was both funny and annoying
Romig didn't have a lot to do--but suddenly had to deal with an excellent left-footed strike from distance with about 4/4.5 minutes left. The shot caught me by suprise, watching the game--but thankfully Romig was vigilant and made a strong, leaping save with (I think) her left hand to ensure our victory.
My only gripes are these:
I didn't understand Kirt's decision to play Washington for 21 minutes in place of Fusco. Talk about a move that made no sense. it was crazy. Recently, Kirt has played Washington for a few minutes as holding mid to give Burdette a rest, and Washington was, let's just say, NOT infliuential. Tonight he kept Burdette in the game for the full 90--and I understand why--but he put Washington in for Fusco--our attacking mid. Huh? Maybe I'm missing something, but I simply don't see what she brings to the field. Whenever she plays, she doesn't do anything. She lopes around the field and almost never touches the ball--partly because of her ponderous running style, partly because her positioning leaves something to be desired--and the play on the field typically just bypasses her. In her 21 minutes of action, I think she briefly touched the ball 3 times. Whereas Fusco is constantly involved in the action, Washington simply doesn't contribute much of anything. It's a complete head-scratcher. Stayart and Chatterton are better midfielders: Stayart played 3 minutes and Chatterton didn't play at all. As I say, a mystery.
Another knit I have is with Thomas, who saved the day with her goal. We pass her the ball often in the attacking third--and a lot of times she is well-marked and has no room to get a shot. But instead of passing the ball, and quickly, she often tries to muscle past defenders. It would be better if she'd spot an open teammate, quickly, and get rid of the ball.
Lastly, Fusco is a topper in the midfield, but she's GOT to get more shots on goal and stop skying them over the crossbar. I think she did it only once tonight, but I believe it was our best scoring chance in the first half, when she got the ball top of the box, right side, no defender--just her and the keeper--and she lofts the ball over the net. Grrr.
We seriously needed a win tonight--and the bonus is that the team played pretty good soccer against an Ole Miss team that works hard defensively but on the whole is overrated as the nation's 13th ranked team. Its ranking is going to be lower next week.
Huff and Burdette were outstanding. Huff was all over the field--made some nice runs, had a bunch of first-class passes (including 3 or 4 cross-field/switch the field of play passes, and was a threat to score--putting, I think, 3 shots on frame. She really showed her class tonight. Burdette, meanwhile, bossed the midfield and won a number of balls with her timing, field awareness and physicality. She was super.
I thought out our outside backs were more influential than they've been all year. This was Dipasupil's best game, for sure. In the first half she was getting around the field, using her body, very competitive. She sends too many of her corner kicks too close to the opposing keeper (a consistent issue with her), but had the nice, accurate cross to set up our goal. Nelson and Hennessey were solid on the right. Hennessey can play--a little stronger than Nelson.
Our centerbacks were solid. Their jobs were made easier by the way we controlled the midfield, but they all played well. Rain is an excellent player. The Ole Miss broadcast announcer, who on the whole wasn't bad, frequently identified Renie as Rain, which was both funny and annoying
Romig didn't have a lot to do--but suddenly had to deal with an excellent left-footed strike from distance with about 4/4.5 minutes left. The shot caught me by suprise, watching the game--but thankfully Romig was vigilant and made a strong, leaping save with (I think) her left hand to ensure our victory.
My only gripes are these:
I didn't understand Kirt's decision to play Washington for 21 minutes in place of Fusco. Talk about a move that made no sense. it was crazy. Recently, Kirt has played Washington for a few minutes as holding mid to give Burdette a rest, and Washington was, let's just say, NOT infliuential. Tonight he kept Burdette in the game for the full 90--and I understand why--but he put Washington in for Fusco--our attacking mid. Huh? Maybe I'm missing something, but I simply don't see what she brings to the field. Whenever she plays, she doesn't do anything. She lopes around the field and almost never touches the ball--partly because of her ponderous running style, partly because her positioning leaves something to be desired--and the play on the field typically just bypasses her. In her 21 minutes of action, I think she briefly touched the ball 3 times. Whereas Fusco is constantly involved in the action, Washington simply doesn't contribute much of anything. It's a complete head-scratcher. Stayart and Chatterton are better midfielders: Stayart played 3 minutes and Chatterton didn't play at all. As I say, a mystery.
Another knit I have is with Thomas, who saved the day with her goal. We pass her the ball often in the attacking third--and a lot of times she is well-marked and has no room to get a shot. But instead of passing the ball, and quickly, she often tries to muscle past defenders. It would be better if she'd spot an open teammate, quickly, and get rid of the ball.
Lastly, Fusco is a topper in the midfield, but she's GOT to get more shots on goal and stop skying them over the crossbar. I think she did it only once tonight, but I believe it was our best scoring chance in the first half, when she got the ball top of the box, right side, no defender--just her and the keeper--and she lofts the ball over the net. Grrr.
We seriously needed a win tonight--and the bonus is that the team played pretty good soccer against an Ole Miss team that works hard defensively but on the whole is overrated as the nation's 13th ranked team. Its ranking is going to be lower next week.
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