Posted herewith are my picks for the 2008 Womens College Cup. Any one of my projected final four are entirely capable of winning this thing. A few others are, as well.
Notre Dame is really, really good. They are good tactically. They have skilled, fast players. But they can also get after you and grind the daylights out of you. They can finesse you and score goals, or they can ram the ball down your throat and score goals.
UCLA is UCLA. They are fast, and thy are tall. They play some good soccer despite some occasional sloppy passing. You better play fast against these folks or you will be toast.
UNC is the perennial powerhouse. For them, winning the College Cup equals a successful season, anything else is a failure. They have US National teamers who you'd better contain or you will be in a hole, futilely chasing the game.
Stanford is probably the best pure soccer-side in the entire tournament. They have loads of flamboyant firepower up front. Top to bottom they have the best strikers in the country. Their a-mids can kill you, too.
Notre Dame Bracket
First Round Winners/2nd Round Matchups
UND-MSU; Minn-Col; BC-NEastern; Auburn-FSU
3rd Round
UND-Col; BC-FSU
Quarters
UND-FSU
Stanford Bracket
1st Round Winners/2nd Round Matchups
UP-Wash St.; UGA-WFU; OSU-Rutg; Den-Stanford
3rd Round
UP-WFU; Rutgers-Stanford
Quarters
UP-Stanford
UCLA Bracket
First Round Winners/2nd Round Matchups
UCLA-LBS; BYU-USC; Duke-S. Car; WVU-UVA
Third Round
UCLA-USC; Duke-UVA
Quarters
UCLA-UVA
UNC Bracket
1st Round Winners/2nd Round Matchups
UF - Miami; Wash.-Tx A&M; Missouri-Memphis; Charlotte-UNC
3rd Round
UF-Wash.; Missouri - UNC
Quarters
UF-UNC
FINAL FOUR
UND - Stanford; UCLA - UNC
FINAL
Stanford-UNC
CHAMPION
Stanford
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Correction
I said in a previous post that the #1 seeds in the NCAA Womens' tourney would likely go only to conference winners. Further reading has revealed that RPI (a computer strength rating index) is a heavy determiner of the seeding. Stanford was, according to the Pac-10 website, a #1 seed last year even though they did not win the Pac-10.
Seeding isn't everything, anyway. But it is important.
Seeding isn't everything, anyway. But it is important.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Some Good (Old) DC United Stuff
Some fond memories about the most successful and decorated soccer club in the history of the United States.
The first home goal, from 1996.
"Campeones, campeones, Ole! Ole! Ole!"
The first home goal, from 1996.
"Campeones, campeones, Ole! Ole! Ole!"
A Certain Someone
... has offered a tongue-in-cheek list of suggestions to our gridiron fan friends for making their game more appealing to an international audience.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Report from Hoo-Country
We loaded up the van and headed down the road to Charlottesville last Friday night for the tilt between the Maryland and Virginia.
The CR did his best to ruin the match by issuing, well, a Straight Red Hat-Trick. First to go was a Maryland player who was sent of for a cynical tackle that took the man as well as the ball. It merited a warning at most. Then some minutes later came a make-up call against a Virginia midfielder who pushed a Maryland player. Then another Virginia player is sent off for I have no idea what.
All that aside, Maryland was clearly and to a man the better team, and came out on top of the score sheet by a 2-1 margin.
This is the weakest UVA team I have seen in a long time. It seems George Gelnovatch's recruiting results are waning. In recent years you would see players on the roster from all over the country -- top players from soccer hotbeds such as New York, North New Jersey areas, Texas, Florida, and top talent from right here in Virginia. Now the roster is heavily weighted with players from Virginia. Virginia produces many good players, but not many great players. To get a roster full of great plyers, you have to cast a wide net. It seems that net was light going in to this year.
The CR did his best to ruin the match by issuing, well, a Straight Red Hat-Trick. First to go was a Maryland player who was sent of for a cynical tackle that took the man as well as the ball. It merited a warning at most. Then some minutes later came a make-up call against a Virginia midfielder who pushed a Maryland player. Then another Virginia player is sent off for I have no idea what.
All that aside, Maryland was clearly and to a man the better team, and came out on top of the score sheet by a 2-1 margin.
This is the weakest UVA team I have seen in a long time. It seems George Gelnovatch's recruiting results are waning. In recent years you would see players on the roster from all over the country -- top players from soccer hotbeds such as New York, North New Jersey areas, Texas, Florida, and top talent from right here in Virginia. Now the roster is heavily weighted with players from Virginia. Virginia produces many good players, but not many great players. To get a roster full of great plyers, you have to cast a wide net. It seems that net was light going in to this year.
The View from Base Camp
Well, the Stanford Womens Soccer team has made it to base camp.
The problem is, UCLA, by virtue of their 1-0 defeat of Stanford last Friday, arrived there first, thus getting all the best shelters, and have all but secured the most favorable passage to the summit that is the College Cup trophy. UCLA has essentially won the Pac-10, and thus has virtually assured itself of a top seed going in to the NCAAs.
Stanford is still well-positioned, but likely will have to take a steeper path to the rarified air of that same podium; one rife with obstacles such as the ice walls of having to play at altitude, and the crevasses of having to play strong teams in neutral or hostile venues and conditions.
Only if Stanford wins it all will they have established themslves as an elite program. Another crash-out in the lowly second round will cement its status as a bottle-rocket for at least another year.
There was no video of the SU - UCLA match, and the match reports have been very sketchy. But reading between the lines it sounds as if UCLA clogged the midfield with such success that Stanford had no penetration up the middle to speak of, and were marginalized to the flanks, where they won corners but little else. Not only that, but word is Stanford's defenders coughed the ball up repeatedly in their defensive third, which if true makes it a miracle that Stanford did not get shredded for more goals.
A #1 seed in the NCAAs is unlikely for Stanford. The #1 seeds will likely go to major conference winners such as UNC of the ACC, Notre Dame of the Big East, Florida of the SEC, and UCLA of the Pac-10.
All that said, there is not a soccer team in this country that Stanford cannot beat, including UCLA.
From here on out, Stanford needs to remember the lesson from the Philadelphia Flyers and go out and win soccer games.
The problem is, UCLA, by virtue of their 1-0 defeat of Stanford last Friday, arrived there first, thus getting all the best shelters, and have all but secured the most favorable passage to the summit that is the College Cup trophy. UCLA has essentially won the Pac-10, and thus has virtually assured itself of a top seed going in to the NCAAs.
Stanford is still well-positioned, but likely will have to take a steeper path to the rarified air of that same podium; one rife with obstacles such as the ice walls of having to play at altitude, and the crevasses of having to play strong teams in neutral or hostile venues and conditions.
Only if Stanford wins it all will they have established themslves as an elite program. Another crash-out in the lowly second round will cement its status as a bottle-rocket for at least another year.
There was no video of the SU - UCLA match, and the match reports have been very sketchy. But reading between the lines it sounds as if UCLA clogged the midfield with such success that Stanford had no penetration up the middle to speak of, and were marginalized to the flanks, where they won corners but little else. Not only that, but word is Stanford's defenders coughed the ball up repeatedly in their defensive third, which if true makes it a miracle that Stanford did not get shredded for more goals.
A #1 seed in the NCAAs is unlikely for Stanford. The #1 seeds will likely go to major conference winners such as UNC of the ACC, Notre Dame of the Big East, Florida of the SEC, and UCLA of the Pac-10.
All that said, there is not a soccer team in this country that Stanford cannot beat, including UCLA.
From here on out, Stanford needs to remember the lesson from the Philadelphia Flyers and go out and win soccer games.
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