As previously noted, its gets tougher from here, as if it has not already been tough enough.
Not a comprehensive game plan, but the following I believe will be helpful in the SCU match.
Maker does a nice job coming off her line. Occasionally though she is just a hair late. Another half second sooner would be optimal.
Defenders keep it up in terms of keeping your shape. Keep everything outside. Coordinate with the d-mids to pressure the ball in groups. A-mids should help in this regard. Garcimendez needs to man-mark the top opposing striker tight.
D-mids, don't get so rattled. You are some of the best soccer players in the country. Let's be a little more fearless out there. When you pass, strike the ball like you mean it. Don't be afraid to hold the ball a bit. That is why they call you "holding midfielders". Let's do a little holding instead of those premature boots up the flank, OK? When you receive a pass -- move, move, move. Standing around isn't going to lull the other team to sleep. That kind of thing does not work in MLS, where the pro men have made standing around an art form. Move. Make 'em chase you.
One thing you can do when you are short on space -- instead of booting those aimless balls up field, switch fields. Left to right, right to left. If nothing doing, back again or even backpass. Possession is the name of the game. When you are ready to play forward, play to feet. Speed kills, and Stanford almost to a player is faster than just about anybody.
Attacking mids, use your crisp passing to open space. Run at people. If the space closes down, then back pass or square ball. Get the ball to the forwards in the box, or run into the attack out of the midfield if they give you space.
Forwards, get the ball in the box and shoot. Volley it, Hit it with your weak foot. Head it. Bike it. Take your shot the millisecond you get an opening because the seam ain't gonna be there long.
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4 comments:
Coach Ron,
Your last paragraph is what we/you talked about last year. It is ever so important now in the playoffs where every team is fast. I hate to see games end in a shootout. Ugh. Reminds me of Clemson in '06 or was it '07?.
Great thoughts...hopefully Ratcliffe(sp) is thinking alike.
Jerry,
Stanford does most of those things well. My main thing is if Rat can basically convince his defensive midfielders that they are much better players than they think they are (because they really are much better players than they think they are), SU will be in good shape.
I actually really like Stanford's mentality on the last paragraph. If anything, based on the games I have seen, Stanford is maybe a little too quick to pull the trigger. But I would MUCH rather have that problem than the other.
As far as shootouts go, I can actually live with that. Soccer is a game in which evenly matched teams can stalemate in regulation/extra time. STanford is loaded with excellent shooters who strike the ball vey soundly. I like Stanford's chances quite a lot in any shootout with anybody.
Glad that you have confidence in their shootout capability. I've never understood the concept but I'm still a newbie. Just hope that after every practice, when the players are worn out, they take their penalty shot practice. Hope they don't need it.
Jerry,
The American sports culture is pretty much loathe to have a sporting event end in a tie. That is why, I believe, most major sports have built into them mechanisms designed to avoid ties as much as possible. Football has field goals, extra points, and 1 and two point conversions, as well as overtime to prevent the possibility of a game ending in a tie. Baseball has extra innings. Hockey has a bit of extra time and then shootouts.
Soccer, though, is a different animal. There are only three subs allowed per game. You play 45 minute halves for a total of 90 minutes. No timeouts. Every player plays both ways -- both offense and defense. After 90 minutes of soccer even players at the highest levels are pretty much DONE, though they do play extra time under certain circumstances. That is al=n almost superhuman feat.
So, you need a tiebreaker, since going beyond 120 minutes of soccer play is just too risky for the players' health, and the soccer would be horrible anyway. The PK shootout in my opinion is a good way to do it. Its guaranteed high drama, that is for sure. I have seen other tiebreaking techniques tried in soccer over the last 35 years, and IMO the straight PK shootout is the best. Anything else just takes too long, and increases the risk of serious injury, IMO.
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