Soccer Game Versus Creighton

[bills10]

Tie 0-0 again tonight. Out of the three top ten ranked teams that they have played against this year, this was the most dominant I have seen the Bills be. I would definitely say that they won the possession battle throughout the game (I did get there with about 10 minutes to go in the first half). The only problem was that as soon as we got the ball to the 18 every single time, we would turn it over to the bluejays. Overall, I'm very frustrated that we didnt win this game, because I feel like they should have earned this one.

[kevinfootes]

Tie 0-0 again tonight. Out of the three top ten ranked teams that they have played against this year, this was the most dominant I have seen the Bills be. I would definitely say that they won the possession battle throughout the game (I did get there with about 10 minutes to go in the first half). The only problem was that as soon as we got the ball to the 18 every single time, we would turn it over to the bluejays. Overall, I'm very frustrated that we didnt win this game, because I feel like they should have earned this one.

Well, no losses anyway. Soccer is a funny game. IMO SLU is in good position to get at least one home game in the tourney unless they totally flake out in conference play.

[William Iken]

Well, no losses anyway. Soccer is a funny game. IMO SLU is in good position to get at least one home game in the tourney unless they totally flake out in conference play.

Sheer lunacy! Madness how anyone could could have said in a "preposterous fashion that SLU was set up well to go undefeated in the non-conference schedule." Impossible. That, and c-side denying saying it, will never get old. Seriously though...

The good: undefeated in non-conference. Low GAA (and by accounts - on here anyway - PD playing his best soccer)

The bad: more ties than wins (SLU better be practicing their PKs for tourney time), and by most accounts a lack of creative flair in the midfield. The lads on another website are also hammering DD for his tactics, but I won't even go there.

The ugly: Besides if PD goes down with another injury...SLU's ranking using the objective methodology at: http://www.soccerratings.com/index.php?***..._Soccer_Ratings (it takes into account opponent, home/away, etc. Flawed no doubt, but at least its not subjective like coach or media rankings).

What did I miss?

[billikenfan05]

Anybody know what was up with all the torn jerseys last night!? It was out of control. I think 4 players had their jerseys ripped open in the first and maybe 2 in the second?

[bills10]

Anybody know what was up with all the torn jerseys last night!? It was out of control. I think 4 players had their jerseys ripped open in the first and maybe 2 in the second?

There have been so many ripped jerseys in every game that I have been to this year. My sister says it is to keep the female fan base coming back

[kevinfootes]

Sheer lunacy! Madness how anyone could could have said in a "preposterous fashion that SLU was set up well to go undefeated in the non-conference schedule." Impossible. That, and c-side denying saying it, will never get old. Seriously though...

Reading that makes me dizzy!

[slufanskip]

Anybody know what was up with all the torn jerseys last night!? It was out of control. I think 4 players had their jerseys ripped open in the first and maybe 2 in the second?

I've never seen a team with so many ripped jersey's. Hell there were more in the 1st half than you would normally see in an entire season. Did you watch the game?

At half time I tried to get word to Warming that I had noticed 1 player in the 28th minute and another in the 43rd, running freely across the field. Not one Creighton player had a grip on their jersey .... how can you win like that?

I thought the Bills played well and for the 1st time in a while against a quality opponent actually created a few dangerous chances.

DD finally read my posts and put Kyle up top. He was the most dangeous he's been against a good defense and consistently kept Creighton under pressure. Tim Ream is playing at an All American standard. He is much more at home wide and so dangerous when he makes runs up the sideline. We played without Dado, he was hurt. Sometimes I think that's good, but for a team with so little firepower up top, he may have helped.

This team is what it is. A very good defensive team with enough speed and skill to beat average teams who play them straight up badly, but they will struggle occasionally against teams that pack it in or are in the top echelon defensively.

It was an exciting game Sat night, overall the Bills are playing less long balls out of the back and keeping possession better, they looked for the ball through to Kyle numerous times and were close a few times. The forwards still need to vary their runs, they are looking to much to just go straight ahead. There are seriously too many times when a midfelder has an opportunity to play the ball into space, but our forwards look like they are in the starting blocks for a race, in a straight line looking to just sprint straight ahead to the ball .... it just doesn't work. Tim Ream was dangerous on runs up the side and is even starting to cut the ball back in himself rather than just cross it. I'm not sure why he isn't in the mix on corners and deadball servces. We are wasting his ablity with him staying back.

The Bills really are just one creative mid with the ability to see the field and deliver the ball to the proper spots away from being a dominant team. Kyle's proper place is up top and with someone to deliver the ball in front of him with space to work, he'd be one of the top goal scorers in the country.

[William Iken]

I've never seen a team with so many ripped jersey's. Hell there were more in the 1st half than you would normally see in an entire season. Did you watch the game?

At half time I tried to get word to Warming that I had noticed 1 player in the 28th minute and another in the 43rd, running freely across the field. Not one Creighton player had a grip on their jersey .... how can you win like that?

In a 1988 (or possibly 1989) World Cup qualifier between Canada and the US, the Canadian team shorts had back pockets sewn in (for no reason whatsoever). By the end of the game, all 13 Canadian field players used in the match had lost their pockets and the field was covered in little red pieces of cloth. It was, to my knowledge, the last game Canada ever played with pockets on their shorts. I still laugh...

[courtside]

It was a very entertaining match. SLU played very well, and created lots of offense and scoring opportunities. Switching Patterson to up top and Hayes to the right mid flank proved beneficial for both players and the team.

I lost track of the ripped jerserys. I thought it was a shirts and skins game. Amazingly enough I don't remember any of them resulting in a foul call. It's a physical sport/game, but grabbing jerseys throughout and literally ripping some in half was about as obvious as you can get. Much of those were in the offensive third of the field.

Nobody in the country is playing better soccer than Tim Ream. And he's bulked up a bit this year to help himself too. I'd take him, Barklage, Viviano and Angus and start a team any time.

It's to be expected to be fouled in and near the box and not get a call. Therefore SLU's forwards must play through that in a more efficient manner, stronger on the ball and have a stronger first touch(Wiz, Patterson). Wiz had several chances that he couldn't finish, and Patterson, Hayes, Barklage were also dangerous throughout. Barklage had two point blank opportunities that he'd like back with strong saves being made on both.

The three set play dummy corners low hard top of box all worked well. All were terrific balls from Barklage as usual. The first one was a Jaramillo dummy for Wiz right side top box for a blast, but he took too long and it was blocked. The other two were very dangerous and Ream unleashed a lazer rocket that somehow got knocked off the end line in blind fashion.

SLU was aggressive again, and attacked well and handled the majority of possession with purpose. Lots of short crosses just off the edge of the far post that proved to be near misses. Good set pieces and good build ups.

Creighton countered well and had some dangerous chances as well. Johnston knocking one off of the end line, an almost own goal on a cross header. Disbennett was very solid in goal. He had a tough low and to his right save on a shot that would have hit the post or gone in near side and he controlled the corners well.

SLU should have won the game and was the better team Saturday night. Creating that many quality chances, a few will go in more times than not in many games. If SLU can play like that most of the rest of the season or in post-season, they will do very well for themselves.

Barklage would be well served being free to roam the middle of the field, and even move up top during some games when offense is at a premium. He's SLU's most dangerous and creative and skillful offensive player. Hayes stepped it up a bit on the right flank. The back line played at a usual very high level. Jaramillo was solid. Idealistically SLU would swap Sweetin for an offensive mid in the starting lineup. with Jaramillo, Aranda, Sweetin, it's a crowded defensive mid and back line. They don't have that player. But even without it, the chances were created and there for the taking Sat night.

There is a reason that Creighton has only given up 2 goals all season. They blocked a lot of shots, defend well in back, and their keeper played well. Northwestern had only given up one goal all season when SLU played them and UConn was stingy as well. So goals are hard to come by. I'll take SLU's play, execution, pace, and offense Sat night any time. A couple of 2nd Ot subs wouldn't have hurt. A few minor nit-picking turnovers from AJ and Sweetin. AJ is a Frosh and still had a strong game. Expectations of Sweetin are higher. First touch of Wiz and Kyle need to be better.

It was a strong game, tough result considering the game. But well played and SLU played hard throughout, aggressive, with pace, did well offensively and defensively and with possession. Many times out of ten, some of those chances go in for Barklage, Ream, etc..

[slufanskip]

It was a very entertaining match. SLU played very well, and created lots of offense and scoring opportunities. Switching Patterson to up top and Hayes to the right mid flank proved beneficial for both players and the team.

I lost track of the ripped jerserys. I thought it was a shirts and skins game. Amazingly enough I don't remember any of them resulting in a foul call. It's a physical sport/game, but grabbing jerseys throughout and literally ripping some in half was about as obvious as you can get. Much of those were in the offensive third of the field.

Nobody in the country is playing better soccer than Tim Ream. And he's bulked up a bit this year to help himself too. I'd take him, Barklage, Viviano and Angus and start a team any time.

It's to be expected to be fouled in and near the box and not get a call. Therefore SLU's forwards must play through that in a more efficient manner, stronger on the ball and have a stronger first touch(Wiz, Patterson). Wiz had several chances that he couldn't finish, and Patterson, Hayes, Barklage were also dangerous throughout. Barklage had two point blank opportunities that he'd like back with strong saves being made on both.

The three set play dummy corners low hard top of box all worked well. All were terrific balls from Barklage as usual. The first one was a Jaramillo dummy for Wiz right side top box for a blast, but he took too long and it was blocked. The other two were very dangerous and Ream unleashed a lazer rocket that somehow got knocked off the end line in blind fashion.

SLU was aggressive again, and attacked well and handled the majority of possession with purpose. Lots of short crosses just off the edge of the far post that proved to be near misses. Good set pieces and good build ups.

Creighton countered well and had some dangerous chances as well. Johnston knocking one off of the end line, an almost own goal on a cross header. Disbennett was very solid in goal. He had a tough low and to his right save on a shot that would have hit the post or gone in near side and he controlled the corners well.

SLU should have won the game and was the better team Saturday night. Creating that many quality chances, a few will go in more times than not in many games. If SLU can play like that most of the rest of the season or in post-season, they will do very well for themselves.

Barklage would be well served being free to roam the middle of the field, and even move up top during some games when offense is at a premium. He's SLU's most dangerous and creative and skillful offensive player. Hayes stepped it up a bit on the right flank. The back line played at a usual very high level. Jaramillo was solid. Idealistically SLU would swap Sweetin for an offensive mid in the starting lineup. with Jaramillo, Aranda, Sweetin, it's a crowded defensive mid and back line. They don't have that player. But even without it, the chances were created and there for the taking Sat night.

There is a reason that Creighton has only given up 2 goals all season. They blocked a lot of shots, defend well in back, and their keeper played well. Northwestern had only given up one goal all season when SLU played them and UConn was stingy as well. So goals are hard to come by. I'll take SLU's play, execution, pace, and offense Sat night any time. A couple of 2nd Ot subs wouldn't have hurt. A few minor nit-picking turnovers from AJ and Sweetin. AJ is a Frosh and still had a strong game. Expectations of Sweetin are higher. First touch of Wiz and Kyle need to be better.

It was a strong game, tough result considering the game. But well played and SLU played hard throughout, aggressive, with pace, did well offensively and defensively and with possession. Many times out of ten, some of those chances go in for Barklage, Ream, etc..

We're in complete agreement.

I am becoming more and more of a huge fan of Tim Ream. He's playing the ball long much less and making more runs up the side creating dangerous opportunities. The fact that he could switch into the middle during Calum's absence and not miss a beat says alot. For those of you who enjoy soccer, but don't come to the game ... Tim is worth the price of admission alone. I don't have the opportunity to watch much college soccer except when teams play SLU, but I really don't remember a better all around defender. As a matter of fact, there wasn't a player on Northwestern's team or Creighton's I'd swap for Tim. He was the best player in both games.