courtside

Akron scout This is Akron’s 4th Elite 8 in the past 11 seasons. They made the Final Four all of the previous 3. Unlike some of their other offense first teams, this team has been built on defense with a complimentary, opportunistic offense. Akron has 13 shutouts this season defensively. They are a top 5 defense. SLU is top 10. Akron’s best player last year was the 7th pick in the MLS draft by St. Louis. Emil Jääskeläinen. Stud 21 goal scorer. Akron is not as explosive offensively. But their front 3 is still very good. SLU was 100% a no show in the first meeting. It was SLU’s only bad performance of the season, and it was bad in all phases. This is a different game at a different time. SLU was playing 4 games in 11 days with injuries and different personnel. Akron plays a pretty straight forward 4-2-3-1. (Looks like a 4-1-4-1 when they pressure) This is another game vs another two time league goalkeeper of the year. Mitch Budler. Very solid in all phases, few mistakes. Back 4 of Kossehasse, Palva, Reilly, Kamdem. Reilly is a rock solid high level left center back. Kamden is a high level left back. Akron is a little more vulnerable on its right side, SLU’s left attacking side will see the ball often. 2 Defensive midfielders, Dreas and Morck. Dreas is the better defender/distributor, and he will stay back while Morck will at times push up higher when press defending or on counters. Stefan Dobrjevic is their start left wing. He’s injured, shoulder. Big question is if he plays and how effective will he be in the game. If he is healthy, he’s a a lot to handle. He may not play and he may not he 100%. It’s a big deal for the game. Dobrijevic is a total package attacking player. 6’2 size. Pace. Skill and flare on the ball. Can create for others or score himself. He will switch sides occasionally and he will play up top but usually only when forward Remi Agunbiade is subbed out later half. He is good up top too. Ignancio Aloen may wplay for Dobrijevic if he can’t play. Solid but nowhere near Stefan’s level of a threat. They would instead play through O’ Rpurke’s side. Agunbiade their lone forward is very good, dangerous. He plays alone up top. He’s more effective as a space player than as a target. Akron will look to slot combination play through balls to him behind the SLU’s back line. He will also find the ball on set pieces. O’Rourke on the right wing is a very solid, hard working player. Jack Roman is their central attacking midfielder. He will move to the wing when Sullivan check into the game at his spot. (CAM) Akron will have a short bench of a couple of subs. Mostly midfielders. Akron builds wide often, using width and spacing. Lots of wide service 1v1 winning many corners (among the most nationally)and set pieces. You can’t give them the middle diagonal runs in addition to their wide build. Make them stay wide. Lock down short interior central combination play in the final 3rd. SLU was bad at this the first game and SLU turned it over way too much. Again, personnel and formation will be different for SLU. But if you let them, they will torch central defenders in space in and near the 18 with wing cutters and Remi cleaning up the 18. Akron is very organized defensively. Very good aerially. Have to be strong the challenge with 50/50 balls and aerial duels middle of the field. SLU will have to play over their midfield and in front of their back 4 at times. Akron will sometimes press high and sometimes not within a game. It’s the 4 attacking players and a defensive midfielder. Have to defend set pieces. Akron is better offensively and more dangerous when they press high and play faster. They don’f always do it. It forces quick SLU back line decisions. SLU has played the same formation with the same personnel the last few games. Unique version of 4-4-2. No right wing. overload the left side. Carlos plays 2 positions at the same time. No one covers more ground. Carlos vs Dobrijevic with help from the right side diagonal run defending of either Barnett or Coughlan. Schramm on the other side. By doing that and keeping 2 forwards paired together, it allows DiMaria to stay in the game. Jack moved to a hybrid defensive attacking midfielder in order to stay on the field. 6/8/10. Left side shaded. This keeps Tanner and Franca paired, or KP paired with one of them when needed. It was also previously Delkus. Jack will sometimes be the 3rd of 3 across during high pressure for SLU. Then he drops central mid shading left. Have to make Akron’s excellent defense move side to side with pace. Reverse the ball diagonally to isolate wide defenders, especially their right side. SLU has also used Henry as a defensive left wing, especially with a lead. He is a left back. Game circumstances will dictate some of that. But SLU will look for Theo and Tanner to combine or 2 forwards to combine and get a lead.

Nick Zimmerman is the new Head Coach at Florida. 1 year Mississippi State Head Coach. 6 year Mississippi State assistant coach. He received the Mississippi State Head Coaching position after his boss, James Armstrong left for the Auburn Head Coaching position. (Armstrong was a previous assistant there). 4 year D2 assistant prior. Played at James Madison, from Tampa. 4 NCAA Tourneys. 2 Sweet 16’s. 1 Regular Season SEC Championship, mostly as an assistant. Mississippi State, Auburn, and Florida all recruit St. Louis. And, SLU competes with them regularly for players in other regions too. The recent Mississippi State, SEC Defensive Player of The Year, is from St. Louis. Rylie Combs. St. Louisan Alivia Buxton also plays there. SLU would have hosted Mississippi State in the NCAA 2nd round in 2022, had SLU defeated Memphis in round 1. ……………… Recent years: Mississippi to Oklahoma Mississippi State to Auburn Mississippi State to Florida Other football four to SEC: Minnesota to Missouri USC to Georgia UCLA to Texas. ………………. Football four inter or intra conference HC change examples. Big Ten has had 2, neither are recent. ACC has had 1. Tennessee to Florida State Big 12 has had 0. ……………….. https://floridagators.com/news/2025/12/5/nick-zimmerman-is-gators-soccer-coach

I have some tips. I also post a separate more detailed scout. These are sincere tips. They are things I would look for myself. Some are very quick, small things before the game even begins. Oh, and don’f worry about the previous matchup. Different game. Different circumstances. I can explain that later. Have rosters handy of both teams if you don’t know names and numbers. It will make following the game easier. 1) Weather. In particular wind. Wind matters most. Cold means quality is reduced. And you have to hit the ball twice as hard as usual to get it to where you want it to go. Nothing soft. 2) Who is available? Who is not? limited minutes availability, etc…example: Akron has a stud left wing number 18. He fell on his shoulder last game 15 minutes into the game He sat the rest of the game. They didn’t need him. As much as you can follow player movement more than following the ball. Go back and forth between the two. (Like any sport) Also focus on 13 and 24 offensively for Akron. If 18 doesn’t play, focus on the other two and the other side of the field, but I expect him to play. 3) Akron’s best defenders are 3, 27, 22. Numbers 3 and 27 play next to each other on the left side of Akron’s defense. Will SLU intentionally play up its own left side more often to avoid them? I would. Akron is normally an explosive offensive team in past years. This year they are rock solid defense first but opportunistic on offense. 4) Formations matter to me because they tell you what a team wants to do. And when they change during a game, it tells you something is or isn’t working and why. To keep it simple, look at the beginning of the game, is SLU playing an attacking wing player in front of #2 Carlos Leatherman? Same right side, directly in front of him? Or is Carlos playing 2 positions at the same time? SLU has been doing the latter because Carlos is that good. Doing that allows Jack DiMaria to stay in the game as a hybrid defensive/offensive midfielder shaded on the left side. And it allows SLU to pair 2 forwards together up top, #18 and #9 Anderson. 5) Is SLU’s defense turning the ball over in the middle of the field on its own end? Are they more willing to play the ball over the Akron midfield, and in front of Akron’s back 4 players, or are they too stubborn? Success is doing that combined with building centrally on the ground. Variety. Is SLU’s defense not allowing the short, ground, pass inside its 18 yard box to wide cutters? Is SLU anticipating those passes or are they flatfooted? Defense is aggression. It’s taking it to the other team’s offense. I am looking for that. 6) Is #18 Franca for SLU getting enough touches? He needs to touch the ball periodically to stay interested in the game. If he is physically battling defenders for 50/50 balls, aerial duels, etc….that is a good sign. He will play in combination at times with #9 Tanner and later in the half, #7 KP. 7) How are Tanner and Xavi moving while playing? Both are playing with minor injuries. Can Xavi and KP and Andrew be effective wide on the wings offensively? 8 Is SLU reversing the ball? This means you spread wide, get good spacing, you play a few ground passes before diagonally playing the ball to the other side of the field over the top, or you are able to do it on the ground more laterally. In order to defeat Akron, you have to make their good defense move side to side and backwards. Side to side and backwards. The faster you can do it the better. Have to speed up their defense. Akron’s offense is better when it plays faster too. That means their attacking players will press very high into the shorts of SLU’s back line defenders, not letting them have time. Most teams, these two included alternate strategies within a game. 9) Subs. Is it a straight up position sub or is it more strategic such as an offensive player for a defensive player or vice versa. Either team. I don’t expect a lot of subs in the game. A handful. 10) Set pieces. Akron draws more corners than most teams nationally because it builds wide often. Is SLU properly defending and clearing corners. Are they limiting fouls on their own end? 2nd clear, 3rd clear? Is SLU winning enough of their own set pieces on the other end. ………………………. Keep 2 rosters handy. Look for 18, 13, 24 on offense for Akron. It’s bad if Akron is allowed to dribble the middle of the field, and slot ground passes through the central defense. Limit them to wide build ups only. Defend set pieces. Keep it simple. Clear first. possession second. Make a play on offense. That can be drawing a foul or corner. That can mean forcing quick turnover and go the other way in transition, it can mean isolate attackers 1v1 with defenders without help. It is literally making 1 or 2 difference making plays in a game. And it is 90 plus minutes of not budging on defense. Is SLU getting deep into Akron’s corners with its wings? Is Franca getting touches combing with Tanner? Is SLU the aggressor especially defensively? Are they matching the pace, energy, physicality of Akron? Are they a step ahead or a step behind? Watching #2 Carlos for SLU play 2 positions at once is pretty insane, if SLU continues with what has worked the past few games. Defending set pieces is man to man, goal side, meaning the defender is closer to the goal. Do not leave your man. Do not let your man get ahead of you. It’s like boxing out for a rebound. Box out first, get the ball 2nd. What adjustments are being made during the game? Half time? Late? That is dictated by the results during the game. Soccer is like chess. Sometimes moves are aggressive, sometimes defensive, sometimes neutral, but the pieces always move. And your opponent is doing similar. ……………………. The first game had different players, different injuries, different formations, 4 games in 11 days, different time. Mid season game vs a deep playoff game. ……………………. I don’t usually post while I am at games. Once in a while maybe an adjustment suggestion. So we’ll see what happens after the game. ……………………..

There’s a watch party at Grand Dining Hall.

SLU is adding James Madison transfer Jeanette Fieldsend to its 2026 recruiting class. She is a Redshirt Sophomore, with 2 years of eligibility remaining. Jeanette, is a 2 year starter in the central attacking midfield for the Dukes, where she has contributed 6 goals and 7 assists over 39 games. (31 starts) Jeanette also took many of their set pieces. She missed the 2024 season due to injury. She played, and she started, in 2023 and 2025. James Madison, under HC Josh Walters, was an NCAA Tourney team in 2023 and 2024. And, they were 1 PK away from returning this season. They had a top 50 RPI 2 of those seasons. Jeanette was named to the Sun Belt 2nd Team. Prior to JMU, Jeanette was a top 100 player at CSA club in Charlotte, NC. She was a 3 time First Team ECNL selection. That includes all of Virginia, North Carolina, and DC. Jeanette has also been a member of the U.S. Futsal team the past decade. Most recently, she was 1 of 14 players that represented the United States in the Concacaf Championship this past Spring. No stranger to the Billikens, Jeanette was recruited by SLU before she ended up at James Madison.

That’s great Willie. Mesa, or Saturday’s game?

Mesa, AZ is going to have to have wait a few more days. ABC: https://www.mlssoccer.com/mlsnext/news/2025-mls-next-fest-to-feature-the-top-teams-from-north-america-competing-at-the-largest-youth-soccer-scouting-and-talent-identification-event-in-the-united-states

Norco, California today and tomorrow. Kansas City, Saturday through Monday. ABC. Always Be ‘Crootin.

From 2018-2024, SLU was 1 of only 13 schools to play in all 7, Women’s Soccer NCAA Tournaments: Arkansas, BYU, Florida State, Georgetown, Milwaukee, North Carolina, Penn State, Rutgers, Saint Louis, Santa Clara, South Carolina, UCLA, USC. At 31, SLU had the best RPI of any team not in the 2025 NCAA Tourney. Ten schools with a worse RPI than SLU received NCAA Tourney at large bids. Many lost early in the NCAA Tourney.

From 2018-2024, SLU was 1 of only 13 schools to play in all 7, Women’s Soccer NCAA Tournaments: Arkansas, BYU, Florida State, Georgetown, Milwaukee, North Carolina, Penn State, Rutgers, Saint Louis, Santa Clara, South Carolina, UCLA, USC. At 31, SLU had the best RPI of any team not in the 2025 NCAA Tourney. Ten schools with a worse RPI than SLU received NCAA Tourney at large bids. Many lost early in the NCAA Tourney.

Celebrate success. Sell success. https://x.com/sluwsoccer/status/1996249967464423475?s=46

Moved. SLU is adding UMass Goalkeeper transfer, Pepper Escher, to its 2026 recruiting class. Pepper, a Freshman, played her club soccer with FC Stars. And, she played her high school ball with Worcester Academy. She helped lead her FC Stars 06/07 ECNL team to back to back New England Conference Titles. She also helped her team to the National ECNL Playoffs Round of 16 in 2024. The New England Conference includes all of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and much of New York. At Worcester Academy, Pepper was named Boston Globe Prep Player of the Year, and the NEPSAC Player of the Year. She was also named All State, All New England, and United Soccer Coaches all American. Recently, Pepper was one of three goalkeepers, and one of 24 players that received a USYNT U20 call up in October, 2025. She was coached by USYNT U20 Goalkeeper coach Brittany Cameron, who is also an assistant at Wake Forest. https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2025/10/us-under-20-womens-national-team-calls-24-players-training-camp-kansas-city-mo

Celebrating, and selling, success: https://x.com/sluwsoccer/status/1996249967464423475?s=46

Gracie de-committed from Florida due to its coaching change. She had previously chosen Florida very closely over SLU. SLU re-recruited Gracie a 2nd time. But this time, she committed to Notre Dame.

And? SLU’s current GK coach (Megan Link) was a recent U16 USYNT goalkeeper coach. She recruited and she coached a player (Noelle Henning) who was named the best goalkeeper in the U20 Concacaf Championship. She also played for Canada’s U20 World Cup Team. She started for Michigan State’s Elite 8 team this year. Meg also recruited Kaitlyn Parks who plays for Sporting JAX in the USL Super League. Kaitlyn is a former All Big Ten Goalkeeper, who helped the Spartans to the Sweet 16. She also was a United Soccer Coaches All American. Kaitlyn Redshirted her Freshman year at Wake Forest. Lauren Kozal Redshirted her Freshman year at Michigan State. When Megan Link arrived, she helped Lauren become the two time Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, and a two time All American. She plays professional in the Swiss Women’s Super League.