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1 minute ago, slufanskip said:

No details?

2-1 Memphis. The first half was 50/50 possession. SLU dominated the second half. Finishing remains a problem. Deciding when to whip a cross in vs retaining possession. Sometimes they get way too caught up in the Gallagher possession style. I left with 15 minutes left so I didnt see Browns goal. It felt like the bills got away from the high pressure system they deployed at ND.

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Host of random thoughts in no particular order:

  • Kalish is still trying to figure out the right people and the right spots for them on the field.  First subs came 20 minutes in which is quite early.  There were several changes throughout the game.  The only players  with major minutes who played the same position throughout the match were the keepers, Matteo at CM, Klein at CM and Brown up top.  Other than that, people were moved all over the place to the point Hein was shifted up top for the last 20 or so minutes as SLU tried to punch one in .  And he looked dangerous....maybe he will be our next Jason-Cole conversion by playing in the back for three years and then is put up top and explodes as a forward.
  • Finishing.....pure and simple.  We created a host of quality chances but simply did not finish.  So it was encouraging to see us put ourselves in great positions but need to seize upon those moments.  Easily could have been 4-2 game.  I think we have out-shot the last two opponents 36 to 14 but only have 2 goals.
  • Memphis played the counter and came up with two goals.  The first one actually came off a great save by Yeager as the forward was put in and stuffed, but the ball bounced around and found the foot of a Memphis player who slotted it in.   The second goal came within 10-15 minutes of the first and, if memory serves me right,  was a ball over the top which our CBs failed to deal with it or the player running on to it.   Reminded me of how Arsenal has been scorched by long balls this year with their CBs not respecting their high line or the ability of an opponent to put their forward in from 45 yards out.
  • The quality is there on the field, except for up top where we do not have a top-notch forward who can covert chances. 
  • The central midfield was buzzing at points.  Klein is Sweetin-esque but much more of a playmaker.  Matteo is more of the distributor on the field.  Boyce is energetic and difficult to mark.  
  • There were times in the second half where it felt like I was watching SLU of old with the possession maintained, worked through the back at the half line, simply being patient for a moment to present itself.   But those teams had guys like Jewsbury, Vedad, John, Davis, etc who could create the magic moment.  Boyce and Klein seem to be the only two guys of that ilk currently but they need a target forward (like Hein) to hold the ball  and bring them into the play.  Sort of like how Giroud played for France and Arsenal.    
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13 minutes ago, SLUBALLS said:

Host of random thoughts in no particular order:

  • Kalish is still trying to figure out the right people and the right spots for them on the field.  First subs came 20 minutes in which is quite early.  There were several changes throughout the game.  The only players  with major minutes who played the same position throughout the match were the keepers, Matteo at CM, Klein at CM and Brown up top.  Other than that, people were moved all over the place to the point Hein was shifted up top for the last 20 or so minutes as SLU tried to punch one in .  And he looked dangerous....maybe he will be our next Jason-Cole conversion by playing in the back for three years and then is put up top and explodes as a forward.
  • Finishing.....pure and simple.  We created a host of quality chances but simply did not finish.  So it was encouraging to see us put ourselves in great positions but need to seize upon those moments.  Easily could have been 4-2 game.  I think we have out-shot the last two opponents 36 to 14 but only have 2 goals.
  • Memphis played the counter and came up with two goals.  The first one actually came off a great save by Yeager as the forward was put in and stuffed, but the ball bounced around and found the foot of a Memphis player who slotted it in.   The second goal came within 10-15 minutes of the first and, if memory serves me right,  was a ball over the top which our CBs failed to deal with it or the player running on to it.   Reminded me of how Arsenal has been scorched by long balls this year with their CBs not respecting their high line or the ability of an opponent to put their forward in from 45 yards out.
  • The quality is there on the field, except for up top where we do not have a top-notch forward who can covert chances. 
  • The central midfield was buzzing at points.  Klein is Sweetin-esque but much more of a playmaker.  Matteo is more of the distributor on the field.  Boyce is energetic and difficult to mark.  
  • There were times in the second half where it felt like I was watching SLU of old with the possession maintained, worked through the back at the half line, simply being patient for a moment to present itself.   But those teams had guys like Jewsbury, Vedad, John, Davis, etc who could create the magic moment.  Boyce and Klein seem to be the only two guys of that ilk currently but they need a target forward (like Hein) to hold the ball  and bring them into the play.  Sort of like how Giroud played for France and Arsenal.    

Out of curiosity, is it odd to sub non-injured goalies in the college game (especially in the last 20 or so minutes)? 

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1 hour ago, billikenfan05 said:

It's odd. I would hypothesize that Kalish felt more comfortable with Steibel advancing up the field with the ball at his feet than with the starter.

Yes it was odd and I was thinking the same thing as to why in terms of Steibel having better feet for distribution.

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2 hours ago, SLUBALLS said:

Host of random thoughts in no particular order:

  • Kalish is still trying to figure out the right people and the right spots for them on the field.  First subs came 20 minutes in which is quite early.  There were several changes throughout the game.  The only players  with major minutes who played the same position throughout the match were the keepers, Matteo at CM, Klein at CM and Brown up top.  Other than that, people were moved all over the place to the point Hein was shifted up top for the last 20 or so minutes as SLU tried to punch one in .  And he looked dangerous....maybe he will be our next Jason-Cole conversion by playing in the back for three years and then is put up top and explodes as a forward.
  • Finishing.....pure and simple.  We created a host of quality chances but simply did not finish.  So it was encouraging to see us put ourselves in great positions but need to seize upon those moments.  Easily could have been 4-2 game.  I think we have out-shot the last two opponents 36 to 14 but only have 2 goals.
  • Memphis played the counter and came up with two goals.  The first one actually came off a great save by Yeager as the forward was put in and stuffed, but the ball bounced around and found the foot of a Memphis player who slotted it in.   The second goal came within 10-15 minutes of the first and, if memory serves me right,  was a ball over the top which our CBs failed to deal with it or the player running on to it.   Reminded me of how Arsenal has been scorched by long balls this year with their CBs not respecting their high line or the ability of an opponent to put their forward in from 45 yards out.
  • The quality is there on the field, except for up top where we do not have a top-notch forward who can covert chances. 
  • The central midfield was buzzing at points.  Klein is Sweetin-esque but much more of a playmaker.  Matteo is more of the distributor on the field.  Boyce is energetic and difficult to mark.  
  • There were times in the second half where it felt like I was watching SLU of old with the possession maintained, worked through the back at the half line, simply being patient for a moment to present itself.   But those teams had guys like Jewsbury, Vedad, John, Davis, etc who could create the magic moment.  Boyce and Klein seem to be the only two guys of that ilk currently but they need a target forward (like Hein) to hold the ball  and bring them into the play.  Sort of like how Giroud played for France and Arsenal.    

Thanks for the report

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good first half. Second half it looked like we just preferred to defend and as much as I hate just booting the ball away and defend again, it worked they had a couple of chances but nothing really dangerous. Marquette got their goal near the end of the 1st half on free kick from what looked to be about 25 yds out from where I was sitting near the opposite end. John Klein a frosh out of Columbia was all over the place, just non stop energy and some skill to go along with it. He's a small guy but plays tough, really a lot of fun to watch. I'll give a little better report on the game tomorrow. 

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Skip, you should have told me you were there.  Been awhile since we took in a SLU soccer game.  Anyway, few thoughts below:

  • Kalish continues to fine-tune the lineup.
    • Osgood was in goal for first time.
    • Rivers, Hein, Wilkinson, and Huels made up the backline.  Huels was an interesting choice since he has been playing forward most the time.  Did well though.
    • Single defensive mid with Scheiffer.
    • Davis, Kidd, and Klein played midfield.  Davis has consistently played in back before last night.
    • Boyce and Brown were up top.
  • As noted before, SLU (and Marquette) are trying to implement  a system that plays out of the back.  Goalie gets the ball, wingbacks push way up, centerbacks line up on either side of the 18 and d-mid positions himself at the top of the box.  Typically the ball is played to one of them to get things going.  In addition, when we had clear possession, the wingbacks are expected to push very forward while the d-mid drops between the centerbacks.  So we go from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2.  The middies stay pinched in to allow the wingbacks to get up the lines. 
  • SLU dominated the first half.  Marquette barely had much time in our half.  We had three 1v1 chances with Brown and Davis but the keeper came up with huge saves.  Goal one came off a throw-in to Huels who got down the line and fired a a low cross into the box which Davis ripped in with a one-timer from about 8 yds out.  Second goal again came from the right side too with Boyce sending a shot/cross at a tight angle that Brown elevated to redirect to back post.  Goal 3 came with Brown winning physical header at left-midfield, Novaes picked it up, battled a defender 40 yds to the goal and then let rip a left-footed drive from about 6-10 yds to the far post.
  • Marquette picked up a goal near half time via free kick. It was hit nicely.  Wall may have been poorly positioned from my vantage point.  Or the kid hit it perfectly.
  • Second half seemed like Marquette dominated as they were in our half most the time with sustained possession.  But they never really threatened.  My guess is SLU was told to hold their ground for the first 20 minutes and stay disciplined.  We made some forays toward goal and earned a couple free kicks an corners but didn't threaten as we did in the second.  It got very chippy in the final 20 minutes and the game opened up a bit but again shots were limited by both sides.
  • I still think we are missing an elite finisher and will likely need goal scored by several individuals this year vs a reliance on any single one person.  
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1 hour ago, SLUBALLS said:

Skip, you should have told me you were there.  Been awhile since we took in a SLU soccer game.  Anyway, few thoughts below:

  • Kalish continues to fine-tune the lineup.
    • Osgood was in goal for first time.
    • Rivers, Hein, Wilkinson, and Huels made up the backline.  Huels was an interesting choice since he has been playing forward most the time.  Did well though.
    • Single defensive mid with Scheiffer.
    • Davis, Kidd, and Klein played midfield.  Davis has consistently played in back before last night.
    • Boyce and Brown were up top.
  • As noted before, SLU (and Marquette) are trying to implement  a system that plays out of the back.  Goalie gets the ball, wingbacks push way up, centerbacks line up on either side of the 18 and d-mid positions himself at the top of the box.  Typically the ball is played to one of them to get things going.  In addition, when we had clear possession, the wingbacks are expected to push very forward while the d-mid drops between the centerbacks.  So we go from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2.  The middies stay pinched in to allow the wingbacks to get up the lines. 
  • SLU dominated the first half.  Marquette barely had much time in our half.  We had three 1v1 chances with Brown and Davis but the keeper came up with huge saves.  Goal one came off a throw-in to Huels who got down the line and fired a a low cross into the box which Davis ripped in with a one-timer from about 8 yds out.  Second goal again came from the right side too with Boyce sending a shot/cross at a tight angle that Brown elevated to redirect to back post.  Goal 3 came with Brown winning physical header at left-midfield, Novaes picked it up, battled a defender 40 yds to the goal and then let rip a left-footed drive from about 6-10 yds to the far post.
  • Marquette picked up a goal near half time via free kick. It was hit nicely.  Wall may have been poorly positioned from my vantage point.  Or the kid hit it perfectly.
  • Second half seemed like Marquette dominated as they were in our half most the time with sustained possession.  But they never really threatened.  My guess is SLU was told to hold their ground for the first 20 minutes and stay disciplined.  We made some forays toward goal and earned a couple free kicks an corners but didn't threaten as we did in the second.  It got very chippy in the final 20 minutes and the game opened up a bit but again shots were limited by both sides.
  • I still think we are missing an elite finisher and will likely need goal scored by several individuals this year vs a reliance on any single one person.  

I looked for you, but didn't decide to go until the last minute so I didn't have a chance to find out who was going. Didn't go to many last year and kind of forgot how much I enjoy them. Are you going Saturday? I was right behind Bills bench 1st half and then moved to the opposite side for the 2nd half towards the Bills offensive end

I don't have much to add to this. The 3rd goal by Novaes was impressive as he made about a 40 yd run while being pushed and seemed off balance ready to go down the entire time and then lifts a semi chip right over the oncoming keep. To be able to make this type of shot while off balance and running full speed was impressive. 

The 2nd goal also was began by Huels who deked playing the ball back just past midfield along the right sideline then turned and made a perfectly placed through ball to Boyce who hit a perfect cross to Brown who redirected with his head to the far corner. Keep had no chance. 

The 1st goal was a low cross by Huels which I was surprised didn't get cleared before it got to the middle of the goal. Davis was coming hard and just drilled it in.

I was pretty impressed with a few players 

John Klein. Just so much energy. Tough scrappy. The type of soccer player I usually respect but don't like. However, I walked away from this one loving him

Huels. Assisted the 1st goal and made a really nice play to start the 2nd. Thought he had a little trouble defending in the 2nd half but overall good. I like him as an outside back. He'll become a better defender but his ability to get down the line, possess the ball, and deliver a nice pass and cross are very good. Just one game but he seems like he could develop into a more valuable outside back than a forward. 

Novaes has a lot of skill but seemed to almost always try to do too much. However, that's what I was thinking during his run which he turned into the 3rd goal. 

Hein, Just big, strong, steady, and smart with the ball.

 

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I have to think MLS guys are watching Hein this year.  I was telling my son just to watch how calm and collected he was with the ball, whether with pressure or with out.    He's a bit Ream-ish with a more physical edge to him.  Won't be there Say but love to get the report.  Not that you noticed, but my little guy was the ball boy on the north side goal for the second half.

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7 minutes ago, SLUBALLS said:

I have to think MLS guys are watching Hein this year.  I was telling my son just to watch how calm and collected he was with the ball, whether with pressure or with out.    He's a bit Ream-ish with a more physical edge to him.  Won't be there Say but love to get the report.  Not that you noticed, but my little guy was the ball boy on the north side goal for the second half.

That's cool with him being a ball boy, probably why I didn't see you as I'd guess you sat on that end. I'll write a report after the game Sat. I'd agree with the Ream remark just due to the composure on the ball at this level and the ability to distribute

Anyone else got anything else to add? 

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Southern Methodist is 2-2 on the season having lost to Providence and Denver.

It is too bad that the Louisville game was cancelled due to severe weather, but this should be a good test (provided that this game does not get cancelled due to severe weather).

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Appreciate all the posts. Its been a couple years since I've been able to take in some SLU soccer. 

I went to Creighton's "Socctoberfest" Friday. $25 for commemorative beer stein + fill + food and entrance to their beer garden which is behind the south end's goal. Fills were 6 after that and they had a band going. It started with Women's game at 3:30 and finished with Men's at 7:30 against Memphis (CU won 2-0). The place was rocking. It would be a cool idea for SLU to implement. They definitely have space behind the east stands..?

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