SLU Men's Soccer Thread

[Lord Elrond]

This was a bad loss. The Travis Ford reference was over the top, but this was a bad loss to a team that hadn’t won, and was out scored 9-1 in their games prior to this. Bad loss, shouldn’t have happened.

[OkieBilliken]

6 minutes ago, willie said:

Ford never had the number 1 and2 recruiting classes. 

Those top ranked classes shouldn’t lose to a garbage commuter school.   

[Lord Elrond]

If we have ambitions to go to the NCAA tournament this year, then we need to clean up the play and start scoring goals in rivalry games. We are now scoreless in our past 180 minutes against SIUE. Last year I can accept because they were a good team, but getting our butts handed to us this year was not acceptable, not with the recruiting classes we’ve had. Just not acceptable. 

[SLUBALLS]

I know there will be plenty on tactics and formations regarding the SIUE game but I did find myself simply wondering last night what is exactly wrong with a team that brings in two top notch recruiting classes and does not meet reasonable expectations for results? Two straight years of trying to develop depth and but still having to put pieces together between existing players, freshmen and transfers on the field is a bit frustrating. It is a long season though and we can pull it together but I did not see this year starting out as pathetic as it has in terms of offensive output.

We've ID'd talent but the output on the field is not aligned with the talent on paper. So, I do wonder if losing asst coach Kris Bertsch was more impactful than some may think. I have no inside knowledge but all coaches on a soccer team bring something unique to the table that helps a team succeed. Did he provide a quality that has not been easily replicated since he left?  

https://lindenwoodlions.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/coaches/kris-bertsch/3821

[Speyburn]

34 minutes ago, SLUBALLS said:

I know there will be plenty on tactics and formations regarding the SIUE game but I did find myself simply wondering last night what is exactly wrong with a team that brings in two top notch recruiting classes and does not meet reasonable expectations for results? Two straight years of trying to develop depth and but still having to put pieces together between existing players, freshmen and transfers on the field is a bit frustrating. It is a long season though and we can pull it together but I did not see this year starting out as pathetic as it has in terms of offensive output.

We've ID'd talent but the output on the field is not aligned with the talent on paper. So, I do wonder if losing asst coach Kris Bertsch was more impactful than some may think. I have no inside knowledge but all coaches on a soccer team bring something unique to the table that helps a team succeed. Did he provide a quality that has not been easily replicated since he left?  

https://lindenwoodlions.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/coaches/kris-bertsch/3821

I agree with the Kris Bertsch reference he was probably more valuable than Chris Allen leaving women's soccer.

[WUH]

Maybe, but there are almost no players on the roster who played in 2022.

Brogan Townsend and maybe someone else.

It makes it even harder to imagine that an assistant coach is the difference.

[TheA_Bomb]

Friend of mine's Dad, Steven Frank just passed, a former All American supported SLU his whole life. I think he used a NCAA scholarship to attend SLU Law after graduation.

[courtside]

 

Portland Pilots.

 

They should be 4-1. 

 

2022 NCAA National Quarterfinalist, and, an NCAA Tourney team again last season. They returned 7 starters from that team.

 

Portland has a lot of speed and pace, especially on the wings and at outside back. Their outside backs (Garnette, Trujillo, Bellini) get forward often and thus can be vulnerable to effective counters down the flank. 

 

They don’t have much size, especially at center back with Olmos and Hernandez but they play bigger than their size. Jeppe has been out with a minor injury. 

 

Oladapo is a big athletic keeper. Waggoner is their size target up front. 

 

Quietly, Nick Fernandez was the WCC Midfielder of the year. He plays high in a central attacking role. Playmaker. He often plays next to Nava. 

 

They like to play a 4-1-4-1. 

 

Their flash is on the outside, Rosas and Fofanah on the wings. Evans has been effective there as well. 

 

Aror often plays as the lone traditional holding defensive midfielder. Again, another athletic pace player. 

 

They will play several transfers, some from the WCC, a few from out East and a few P4 players, in addition to their own recruits, mostly domestic with a few Internationals. Several former LA Galaxy Academy players.

 

Portland has talent. They use the width of the field and they adjust to opposing defenses and personnel. High volume shot team. 

 

SLU needs to use its size advantage, get set piece opportunities in dangerous areas. 

 

This not likely to be a game where SLU will be struggling to break down 8 or 9 or 10 defenders behind the ball. Have to use Portland’s pace to your advantage with counters and transition. 

 

[Speyburn]

A good road winning beating Portland 2-0.

[Bay Area Billiken]

SLU 2 @Portland 0 - Final.  That’s a good Win for the Billikens in the Great Northwest. 

[OkieBilliken]

9 minutes ago, Bay Area Billiken said:

SLU 2 @Portland 0 - Final.  That’s a good Win for the Billikens in the Great Northwest. 

Massive!  Gets the taste of that CityPark debacle out of my mouth.   Great job tonight.  

[Bay Area Billiken]

6 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:

Massive!  Gets the taste of that CityPark debacle out of my mouth.   Great job tonight.  

The Anderson Brothers came through for SLU tonight. #7 Seth assisted on both SLU goals, including the second, a header by his brother, #23 Tanner. Max Floriani scored the first SLU goal, also a header. 

[thetorch]

Anyone know what this means? I'll even accept a courtside essay explaining it.

[Lord Elrond]

2 hours ago, thetorch said:

Anyone know what this means? I'll even accept a courtside essay explaining it.

No idea. Aside from the fact that they need to win a lot of their remaining games to make up for last week’s performances against IU Indy and SIUE

[courtside]

16 hours ago, courtside said:

 

Portland Pilots.

 

They should be 4-1. 

 

2022 NCAA National Quarterfinalist, and, an NCAA Tourney team again last season. They returned 7 starters from that team.

 

Portland has a lot of speed and pace, especially on the wings and at outside back. Their outside backs (Garnette, Trujillo, Bellini) get forward often and thus can be vulnerable to effective counters down the flank. 

 

They don’t have much size, especially at center back with Olmos and Hernandez but they play bigger than their size. Jeppe has been out with a minor injury. 

 

Oladapo is a big athletic keeper. Waggoner is their size target up front. 

 

Quietly, Nick Fernandez was the WCC Midfielder of the year. He plays high in a central attacking role. Playmaker. He often plays next to Nava. 

 

They like to play a 4-1-4-1. 

 

Their flash is on the outside, Rosas and Fofanah on the wings. Evans has been effective there as well. 

 

Aror often plays as the lone traditional holding defensive midfielder. Again, another athletic pace player. 

 

They will play several transfers, some from the WCC, a few from out East and a few P4 players, in addition to their own recruits, mostly domestic with a few Internationals. Several former LA Galaxy Academy players.

 

Portland has talent. They use the width of the field and they adjust to opposing defenses and personnel. High volume shot team. 

 

SLU needs to use its size advantage, get set piece opportunities in dangerous areas. 

 

This not likely to be a game where SLU will be struggling to break down 8 or 9 or 10 defenders behind the ball. Have to use Portland’s pace to your advantage with counters and transition. 

 

SLU 2 Portland 0

 

Strong win for SLU. Fun game. 

 

Matchups, tactics, personnel, formations all matter. And all are fluid. 

 

In the past few seasons, SLU has often started a defensive player on the wing in their 4-4-2. (Mika, Townsend, Barnett, Dougherty, others) which essentially limits the attack on one side of the field. 

 

SLU hadn’t been getting enough from its two forwards playing together, while leaving open the middle of the field. 

 

Portland is a fast team. Lots of pace moving forward. But they are smaller and they commit untimely fouls in defensive parts of the field at times.

 

SLU tweaked and changed tactics and formations. 4-2-3-1 instead of the 4-4-2. They played a pace defender in the central attacking midfield for pressure, to defend speed up the middle, and to change fields. It was effective with Barnett and Fournier playing there. And this allowed SLU to play 2 attackers wide instead of 1, and it allowed SLU to double the outside backs of Portland. (Lara, Seth, Tanner, Delkus). This also takes pressure off of the defensive midfield where Lopes and Townsend were able to have good games. Rock solid back 4.

 

SLU used its big size advantage both offensively and defensively. Several diagonal balls wide to the aerial target passes for Wrobel etc…and defensively to win 50/50 balls in the middle of the field, as well as aerial balls in back to restart the other way. And it allowed SLU to score 2 goals which could have been a few more. SLU was much more dangerous on set pieces and corners. And they’ll need those to win games.

 

27th minute goal. Maher diagonal over the top to Seth who cut it back inside, and he drew the foul. Townsend free kick back post to Floriani header for the finish. 

 

53rd minute goal Seth free kick back post for Floriani header for the first goal. Set piece, back post header by Dougherty to the middle of the goal for Tanner’s header. Nice play from Dougherty. SLU forced a turnover by trapping the wing. Lopes one touch. to Seth to Dougherty. Cole played it over the top to Wrobel as the big target. He found Tanner in space wide who drew the foul and free kick. 

 

This turnover was an all game example of SLU having 3-4 defenders swarming the pace wing build up. Repeatedly frustrated their wings and forwards 

 

Tanner had struggled up top as a forward in the 4-4-2. He looked much more comfortable and productive on the wing where he played vs Portland. Formation and personnel changes helped that too. 

 

Several strong transition opportunities for SLU, using the pace of Portland to its advantage. while capitalizing on its own size. . 

 

When Portland did find ground combination play near the middle of the 18, Maher snd Floriani were solid defending.  Leatherman and Doherty gave very little on the wings as well. Very strong against a higher octane attack.

 

It was a good matchup for the Billikens. SLU put players in better positions and spaces to be successful. Good front foot energy. 

[almaman]

screw on the lid to MajicMarker after signing the W I e winning?

[courtside]

Lipscomb Bisons:

They play a roughly similar style as Portland, with a little bit more size. They push pace, play their outside backs higher. They will play both a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-1-4-1 depending on the situation within a game. 

They still have Javanne Smith up top as their pace forward. He’s as dangerous as ever in space, and on the ball dribble runs. He aggressively will seek to draw PK’s inside the 18, so if you have to foul him it has to be outside the 18. 

Smith works well in combination play, especially with Toronto Freshman Josiah Green on the wing. Lots of pace. They put a lot of pressure on defenses. And German Freshman Dan Karsten is their effective target player in their attack. He can finish. Strong transition team. Overlapping runs, switching fields.

They have had some turnover issues in back. Macready lost his spot. They have been going with York and Hurt in the middle. They are vulnerable to both high pressure. Undisciplined at times, prone to fouling in their own half, allowing dangerous set pieces. Wide service. Not a great shot blocking team up the middle. Rodriguez isn’t the biggest keeper, but he’s athletic and he has experience. 

Very experienced, veteran team that has made 3 straight NCAA tourneys. Likely to see half a dozen 5th year players or Seniors. A mix of International players, transfers, and a few local regional players.

Opportunity for SLU to continue with the new 4-2-3-1 formation from the Portland game, with Barnett in the middle. Double the wings and Smith. Get transition and set pieces in dangerous spots. 

[Lord Elrond]

So does anyone know if parking at Olive-Compton garage is now $10 for all games? That’s what they charged me, didn’t see any event parking sign up like they do if there’s something at Chaifetz.

[Lord Elrond]

SLU 1-0 seven minutes in, goal by Luis Lara, assist by Seth Anderson. Great goal to see, direct to the attack, nice pass to set it up, using north- south speed. 

[Lord Elrond]

1-0 at halftime, SLU ahead. They started out much better, Lipscomb adjusted and looked better at the end of the half. Billikens are attacking whenever they are out of the defensive half, emphasis is on attacking and going to goal, very north-south as opposed to the Bronze Boot game.

[Lord Elrond]

5 minutes in and Lipscomb ties it 1-1. They came out really pressing to start the 2nd half, created some action in the box SLU couldn’t defend.

[Lord Elrond]

SLU fouls in the box, to the spot, Lipscomb takes a 2-1 lead. SLU has lost a lot of their direct north-south offense, need to get back to direct attacks.

[Lord Elrond]

2-2, Luis Lara evens it up with 7 minutes left.

[Lord Elrond]

Ends in a tie, 2-2, SLU needed to find a way to win this on their home field

[slufanskip]

38 minutes ago, Lord Elrond said:

SLU fouls in the box, to the spot, Lipscomb takes a 2-1 lead. SLU has lost a lot of their direct north-south offense, need to get back to direct attacks.

I think what you meant to say is the player went down in the box to draw the foul. I think I could have stayed up balancing on 1 leg with both arms tied behind my back. 
 

The foul on Seth vs the keeper was a terrible call Seth jumps moving just slightly parallel to the goal. The keeper jumps 3 feet forward into Seth. 100% contact created by Keeper. keeper drops ball, Seth buries the rebound. Called back for foul. 
 

Both of those calls are lazy and poor officiating