SLU Men's Soccer Thread

[Gremio14]

22 hours ago, courtside said:

Top Drawer Soccer and College Soccer News have SLU at 20th nationally this week.

CJ Coppola is honorable mention Top Drawer Soccer national team of the week. 

Did we know Carlos was this good when we recruited him?  Only downside is he’s most likely a one and done. 

[courtside]

1 hour ago, Gremio14 said:

Did we know Carlos was this good when we recruited him?  Only downside is he’s most likely a one and done. 

Yes. Both SLU Soccer programs want to recruit at the highest possible levels. Players leaving early to play professionally because they were successful at SLU is a good thing. SLU usually has a good idea far in advance as to which players want to skip college. Tyson Pearce recently signing a homegrown local deal with St. Louis City SC, was not a surprise to the SLU coaching staff. (SLU did still recruit him. But they knew it was coming)

Competing is now year to year as it is in other college sports. 7 SLU Men’s Soccer players transferred out of the program after last season. Six transferred to other schools for more playing time, and, one retired from college soccer. With professional opportunities, the transfer portal,’ etc…the amount of time to piece together a high level winning team is getting shorter than before.

Each year there are often a few players, not many, but some, that potentially could sign a homegrown contract with their MLS club team and not make it college. That is not a factor with players who don’t play for an MLS Academy. Then there is the possibility that some players may leave school early to play professionally. And that happens a bit more often but not with everyone. 

Two seasons ago, SLU had 8 players that went on to play professional soccer. 4 left early. Only one left before playing 3 seasons of college soccer.

Carlos and CJ had a club mate sign a homegrown deal with Minnesota before he set foot on campus at SLU. Devin Padelford. Devin was actually under the radar when SLU recruited him. He had a rapid ascent to the point where he never made it to campus and Monnesota signed him to a homegrown deal.. Those are still isolated examples but they do exist. Playing a few years of college soccer is still more common. 

An example would be perhaps Henry Gershon (Real Salt Lake Academy) is a 2024 SLU commit and he is a top 20 or so caliber national player. It isn’t going to be discussed publicly but privately the hope is he makes it to campus. You never know. 

The Minnesota MLS team sees Carlos as a right back. But he also played a lot of (defensive) center midfield for them too. And that is where he has excelled the most early for SLU. He’s already played 3 positions in a few games with SLU. (wing, outside back, center midfield) He’a a skilled defender that gets forward. 

The focus for Carlos and SLU as a team of course is on getting better the next training session, the next film session, the next game. Lots of work to do and lots to learn.

 

[Lord Elrond]

Bronze Boot Game tonight, off to CitiPark

[Lord Elrond]

0-0 at halftime at CityPark, neither side generated a lot of offense, shots are 3-2 in favor of SIUE, corners 2-1 SIUE, only 1 shot on goal overall, that one by SIUE. Not sure what happens to the trophy if the game ends in a draw.

[Lord Elrond]

They just announced the crowd at 8574

SIUE has a 2-0 lead with about 13 minutes left. 

[Lord Elrond]

SIUE 2, SLU 0, the Bronze Boot is on its way to Edwardsville. SLU started generating more opportunities when they went for the goal late in the game, but most of the game SLU’s passing the ball back and forth accomplished nothing. FYI, the SIUE fans near me thought the ref was very inconsistent, turns out he was the same one who reffed the SLU-Xavier women’s game on Thursday night. Nothing he called affected SLU’s inability to score.

[Franchise_08]

When did SLU become SIUE’s b*tch? We should lose zero games in any sport to a low major school. Embarrassing.

[Bay Area Billiken]

This is a disappointing result. SIUe was the aggressor, as evidenced by the 3 Yellow Cards, seemed to want it more. 

[Taj79]

Three games.  Three goals.  Offensive juggernaut once again.

[courtside]

15 minutes ago, Taj79 said:

Three games.  Three goals.  Offensive juggernaut once again.

New year, same few people who only post after a less than desired game result. Last year when you did the same thing, the team went on to go undefeated in 11 of the their next 12 games, including in the NCAA Tourney. 

https://www.billikens.com/forum/index.php?/topic/29758-slu-mens-soccer-thread/page/39/

And here you are yet again. For someone that doesn’t like soccer, you sure can’t stay away. Soccer school. Same time next year? 

 

[SLUBALLS]

Upside of last night: Great crowd for men's and women's games.  ~8500 announced attendance.  Women's game was fun and open....plenty of goals especially for SLU.  Fun taking my boys team down to walk out the SLU players and getting out to the middle of CityPark. Then a few of them got to be ball boys.  Priceless experience for sure. Nice to walk around CityPark at less than half the typical capacity of a CIty game.

Downside: Bit of a warm night.  SLU didn't look on while SIUE was there to win.  Hope this is just reflective of early season play and working in new players.  Bit concerned about that left side of our defense.  I believe a majority of goals scored against us have come down that channel thus far.

Anyway, running around the place talking to team parents and players left me unable to really take in the game properly. Credit to SIUE for executing their plan.  

[Bay Area Billiken]

I’ve watched parts of all 3 games. Frankly, SLU is fortunate to be 1-2, was outplayed the first 67 minutes of the Butler game. In the Lipscomb road game, how can you not convert on 2 penalty kicks? We could see one going awry, but two? 
 

One theme has been the inability to generate offense, the inability to make passes without an opponent intercepting. In all 3 games, the opponents had someone in SLU’s way, as if the opponents had too many players on the field (they didn’t). The Butler game took a favorable turn when SLU started kicking long drives behind the Butler defenders and the speedy SLU forwards beat Butler to the ball. But SIUe had that maneuver diagnosed and stopped it in the first half.

Here’s a suggestion. SLU has a freshman who scored 100 Goals in high school, was the best player on an Illinois State Championship team last season. He played 17 minutes as a sub off the bench last night. How about playing him more minutes and at his natural position? Try it and see what happens. My prediction is that result will be favorable. 
 

[SLUBALLS]

Good point on the lack of penetration.  I made a comment at half time that we were having trouble getting into the final third with consistent threatening moves.  Speaks to what you are saying.  That and the turnovers and consistent interceptions by SIUE really hurt our flow.  Two years of starting off slow is disappointing but I do think it is about getting the pieces right.  At least four new guys on the pitch each time we start......and subs are either transfers or freshman.  Talent is there but not clicking right now.

[Lord Elrond]

We had a definite problem generating offensive chances the first part of that game. The talent I think is there, but we were just not putting it together. SIUE is also not a bad team, I would have picked them to make the NCAA tournament this year, I think they are the best team in the OVC. Remember, they also beat Butler this year and Butler came into the season highly rated. SLU did much better at generating offensive chances when they started attacking the net, not just passing it around looking for the perfect shot. They got some chances, just didn’t finish them.

[Brighton]

15 hours ago, Franchise_08 said:

When did SLU become SIUE’s b*tch? We should lose zero games in any sport to a low major school. Embarrassing.

You do realize they’re the only non SLU program to have a D1 national championship, right ? 

[JMM28]

3 hours ago, courtside said:

the team went on to go undefeated in 11 of the their next 12 games, including in the NCAA Tourney.

Isn’t every team in America in any sport undefeated except the games where they are defeated?

[courtside]

11 minutes ago, JMM28 said:

Isn’t every team in America in any sport undefeated except the games where they are defeated?

???

Not every team in every sport does it in their next 11 of 12 games. 

[Taj79]

Just pointing out the lack of offense for the #20 team in the nation.  If we go win 11 of our next 12 games are we truly undefeated?  Must be some soccer math I'm not familiar with.  

[courtside]

15 minutes ago, Taj79 said:

Just pointing out the lack of offense for the #20 team in the nation.  If we go win 11 of our next 12 games are we truly undefeated?  Must be some soccer math I'm not familiar with.  

Undefeated literally means not defeated/without defeat. SLU went undefeated in 11 of their next 12 games. We’ll see how they do this season. See ya next year. We know you will be following along. 

[TheA_Bomb]

I think most sports fans just call it a winning streak. in the parlance of our times SLU went onto win 11 of their next 12.   I can only hope whoever plagiarizes the future posts cleans up the diction.

[courtside]

12 minutes ago, TheA_Bomb said:

I think most sports fans just call it a winning streak. in the parlance of our times SLU went onto win 11 of their next 12.   I can only hope whoever plagiarizes the future posts cleans up the diction.

If I had a nickel for all of the private messages I’ve received from you and fellow trolls, I’d have exactly zero nickels. 

[willie]

5 minutes ago, courtside said:

If I had a nickel for all of the private messages I’ve received from you and fellow trolls, I’d have exactly zero nickels. 

Come on side. Give it a break. No one is challenging your knowledge or dedication. It’s not a personal affront. 

[courtside]

Just now, willie said:

Come on side. Give it a break. No one is challenging your knowledge or dedication. It’s not a personal affront. 

I’m not the one trolling the thread. Take it up with them. 

[willie]

7 minutes ago, courtside said:

I’m not the one trolling the thread. Take it up with them. 

You are way too sensitive. Keep the information coming but you don’t have to respond to everyone who says something negative about the program. For what it worth I thought our approach last night was poor. Does that make me a troll? 

[courtside]

2 minutes ago, willie said:

You are way too sensitive. Keep the information coming but you don’t have to respond to everyone who says something negative about the program. For what it worth I thought our approach last night was poor. Does that make me a troll? 

Respectfully, I’m not going to tell you how to post, and you aren’t going to tell me how to post.

There’s a difference between being a sincere poster and being a troll. It isn’t difficult to figure out the difference. Trolls are the ones sensitive to being held accountable for being a troll. I’m fine with that. Taj79 isn’t a sincere poster in this thread. I am far from the only person that has known that for years. I get a lot of private messages about it. I even copied a link to Taj79 doing the exact same thing last year. Maybe start with that. 

If people only come around only after a less than desirable result to only whine and complain, and they otherwise disappear and have nothing else to contribute at any other time, then yes, that makes those people a troll.

Non trolls come around in good, bad, and indifferent times, posting good, bad, indifferent things. Then that leads to other trolls like the others that followed who jump in at those times. That’s not on me. That’s on them. Holding trolls accountable doesn’t bother me at all or I wouldn’t do it. If that bothers you, take it up with the people who troll.