Thoughts on the Stanford Women's Team

I don't follow women's soccer that much, but a friend of mine follows this team closely so I started to keep track of their doings.

Stanford is a team with loads and loads of talent and athleticism at every position. They are tactically very sophisticated. I really believe top to bottom they have the best strikers in the nation. I was amazed as Stanford made UNC, of all teams, look slow and flat-footed for much of the second half of the recent match between the two sides.

The problem with Stanford historically is they tend to tire as they get well into the meat of their conference schedule, especially when they have to travel. They try with some success to get a second wind going into the conference tourney, but then by the time the NCAAs roll around they are pretty much spent, and they crash out in the early going. That, to me, goes to conditioning, which implicates the coaching. Coupled with some questionable substition patterns, and some mystifying bootball tactics that seem to surface when the going gets tough, and there are thus real question marks in the coaching department.

We'll know if these coaching issues are resolved if the team is stronger once they have gotten through most of their conference schedule.

This team has more than enough talent barring injuries to win their conference, and there is no reason personnel-wise they can't get to the College Cup ("Final Four")and win the thing.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. They have the players to get it done. But do they have what it takes behind the training-ground whistle, and in the coaches' area at the games?