SLU Women's Soccer Thread

[slufanskip]

1st game on ESPN+ at 7. Let’s go Bills

[Lord Elrond]

Odd not seeing Chris Allen here, but great to see Brianna Halverson back. She does have lots more hair than Allen ever did..,

[slufanskip]

I am as excited for this season as I’ve ever been for any season of any sport at SLU. 

[thetorch]

Feel like this is the year the women break through and get to a final four and more.

[Lord Elrond]

0-0 at the half, Billikens have generated 8 shots and 5 corners, no goals, I’m sure Coach Sheilds will issue instructions during halftime. The Billiken defense has been just as stifling as the heat and humidity here at Hermann. 

[Lord Elrond]

Lightning delay 

[OkieBilliken]

Good lord, where is the relentless attack?  The body language really seems off.   

[Lord Elrond]

Not connecting in the final third. Defense has been good, midfield play good on defense and possession, but not connecting at the end. Maddie Sibbing in goal for the Roos has also seen what the Billikens can do on offense from playing against them in practice last year before heading back home to play for UMKC. We also have put some beatings on this bunch over the years, I’m sure they were all pumped up for the game. Still, you have a target on your back every time a lesser team plays you, got to fight them off and figure it out.

Most boring place to wait - Compton Garage

[Lord Elrond]

I hope someone kept track of when they stopped the game, they just let the scoreboard clock run. Decided to go take a look and see what’s up, I think the lightening had left the area, but I’m sure we will not be allowed back in until the insurance company guidelines and NCAA says we can.

[Lord Elrond]

About 8 more minutes 

[Lord Elrond]

Back at it

[slufanskip]

They’ve taken about 75 corners. They really seem to be missing Abbie Miller on the corners. Last year they had dual aerial threats with Miller and Heckel. They’ve only even gotten a head on about 2-3 

Sibbing had a couple of nice saves. 1 spectacular one pushing the ball over the top on a shot by Gaebe 

[Lord Elrond]

0-0, delayed again and ended the game

[slufanskip]

Called the game with 18 min left. Not a good start for the women 0-0

[OkieBilliken]

Pretty awful start to a long awaited season.  Are they still ranked on Monday?  More disappointing than any game last season???

[Pistol]

24 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:

Pretty awful start to a long awaited season.  Are they still ranked on Monday?  More disappointing than any game last season???

Yeah, I'd say so. They lost 3 games last year, all to ranked teams. 1-goal games, tough to swallow, but against great opponents. They tied twice, to the second best A10 team (Dayton) and on the road against a ranked Brown.

This is way worse than any of those results. They beat KC 8-0 last season. KC is better, way more experienced, and had a very good Maddie Sibbing in goal. But this is a bad result.

[Lord Elrond]

13 minutes ago, Pistol said:

Yeah, I'd say so. They lost 3 games last year, all to ranked teams. 1-goal games, tough to swallow, but against great opponents. They tied twice, to the second best A10 team (Dayton) and on the road against a ranked Brown.

This is way worse than any of those results. They beat KC 8-0 last season. KC is better, way more experienced, and had a very good Maddie Sibbing in goal. But this is a bad result.

Especially with the way they dominated the game. KC only took a few shots, none threatening, and SLU won 16 corners. Inability to finish killed them. They need to figure this out now, better teams are just ahead on the schedule. 

[Cowboy II]

-were all players available?

[courtside]

 

SLU 0 UMKC 0 shortened game.

 

Disappointing result. Very disappointing to not be able to finish a game and leave so much time left on the clock. It’s just one game of a long season. 

 

There were some finishes that SLU would like back. Some elite level saves UMKC did well to hang on until the game was called. It very easily could have been another very lopsided score. 

 

Formations: SLU 4-3-2-1/4-1-4-1 Kansas City 5-4-1

 

Lineups: SLU had 2 starters unavailable for the game, and 4 total players unavailable.

 

UMKC 5-4-1 formation. It’s a very defensive, pack it in style of play. It’s used to frustrate high powered attacking teams. It’s used to take away space and to limit stretching the field. And the hope is to convert the few counter opportunities in transition to steal a low scoring game.

 

Attacking it requires a mix of spacing, pace, adding an extra attacking player, pushing forward the outside backs, reversing the ball over the top, diagonally on the wings (not simply East/West) and moving the defense side to side, which eventually opens up the middle.  

 

LaSalle for example played the same formation last year against SLU. And they were able to hold SLU scoreless at halftime before giving up 4 on the 2nd half. SLU switched to a 4-1-3-2.

 

Last year SLU played a 4-1-3-2 formation vs KC. It’s a more aggressive.attacking formation. KC played SLU more straight up, and they tot blown out early, 8-0. 

 

The 4-1-3-2 is something SLU usually only does in 2 scenarios: 1) They need a goal. not creating enough offense. It’s a 2nd half wrinkle. 2) They open with it against teams they think they can blow out early. Then they switch back. SLU didn’t go to this formation. They did however switch later on the game to a 4-1-4-1.

 

A 4-1-4-1, allows SLU to match numbers in the middle, in the attacking third. Playing on the ground to 1 of 2 central attacking midfielders is an option. Another option is to play over the top diagonal balls like the one Heckel played to Gaebe, that Sibbing tipped over the goal. SLU also had 4 point blank scoring chances inside the 6 yard box. Gaebe 1 on none, saved twice. Sarnowski fanned on an open goal pass from Le. etc…SLU pushed its outside backs up as well. 

 

KC’s 5-4-1 in the first half was a deep back 5, with the 4 midfielders playing a little higher. The big space was in between the two. In the 2nd half, it was a back 9 or 10, very deep, hanging on as long as possible before SLU eventually scores.

 

SLU had half a dozen good to very good scoring chances in the first 10 minutes, but they didn’t finish any. They easily could have been up a couple of goals or more. And that would forced KC to open up a bit. And the result would have possibly been lopsided.

 

SLU could have been sharper with its final passes and decisions inside the 30, while moving forward in transition. And they could have been more efficient on set pieces. 

 

Sibbing was unsurprisingly very good. She had other bigger school options, but she wanted to play right away. Several point blank saves, and she was very aggressive coming out on some scoring chances. She used her 5’11 all conference volleyball background on many set pieces.

 

18 minutes is a lot of time not to be played in a game, unfortunately. And that made for a tough result. 

 

A few other teams will possibly play the 5-4-1 vs SLU, Most won’t. But it’s good experience against it. SLU opened with a conservative formation as opposed to a more aggressive formation. But they eventually made some adjustments. 

 

Japan played a 5-4-1 against the USA in the Women’s Olympic semifinal. It took extra time for the U.S. to win 1-0. That’s a game for people to watch a similar style and formation. 

 

Shots 12-3

Corners 16-0 

 

And many of a game’s best chances often don’t result in a shot or corner. 

 

Elise Le did well playing out of position at central defensive midfielder. She was a 3 year left back at Xavier. SLU also played Larson there out of need for the game, before eventually moving her up next to Schwartz in the 4-1-4-1. As the game progressed. SLU adjusted its personnel based on how they were playing 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[OkieBilliken]

Well Caroline Kelly scored for TCU as they obliterated #20 Alabama 3-0.  SMH. Of course she did.  

[courtside]

5 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:

Well Caroline Kelly scored for TCU as they obliterated #20 Alabama 3-0.  SMH. Of course she did.  

She did. Good for her. She gave SLU 4 great seasons. She wanted to do something different her final season. She and her family were also very generous hosting SLU over the years in KC. Having so many players come back for a 5th year at the same school is less common. SLU has done very well the past few years in that regard vs their peers. Many take their 5th year elsewhere, play professionally, or move on from playing soccer. 

Carol overpowered St. Louisan Maison Smith 1v1 in space for the goal. Smith was also beaten 1v1 by TCU’s starting Forward, Seven Castain on a very nice goal. 

I mention it because Smith is 1 of 4 very promising Freshmen on Alabama, that had welcome to college soccer moments. Happens to the best of them. She’s going to do well there.

Carol played 34 minutes, up top at Forward, coming off of the bench in both halves. She scored a minute after entering the game. 

TCU is good and they are likely going to have a strong season. They missed the NCAA tourney last year. 

Clemson made the Final Four and they lost 4-0 at Auburn. 

Related to SLU’s schedule:

BYU defeated Wisconsin 1-0. Xavier over Milwaukee 4-2. Mizzou over Missouri State 2-0. Penn State 4-0 over Texas Tech despite missing several players. Creighton couldn’t hold on to a 1-0 leas and fell 2-1 to Minnesota 

 

[OkieBilliken]

Please and thank you!   Huge game tonight.   It would be terrific if they could connect early and take some pressure off!  

[Billiken Rich]

17 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:

Please and thank you!   Huge game tonight.   It would be terrific if they could connect early and take some pressure off!  

Heading for Hermann via Urban Chestnut now.......what's the stadium policy re water bottles there?  

[courtside]

 

BYU:

Jenn Rockwood:

24 of last 29 NCAA Tourneys

2 Final Fours in the past 3 seasons.

3 Elite 8’s

8 Sweet 16’s.

 

Probable formations: 

BYU: 4-4-2 Diamond

SLU: 4-2-3-1

 

BYU is a good team, but they’ll have many new players. Mozingo, Wade Katoa, Folino have all moved on from the attack. Fryer and Bailey return. 

 

Stringfellow and Gardner are back from their Missions, as is former Billiken Mattyn Summers to help provide attacking depth and a pace option up top or wide. 

 

BYU tried to move Fryer to a wing position in the preseason, but they moved her back up top with Bailey. These are the two best and most experienced scorers on their team. Bailey did not make the trip due to illness. So, Mattyn Summers will get plenty of opportunity to play up top with Fryer. 

 

Vance, the UCLA transfer will play as a central attacking midfielder. And Krommenhoek, the true Freshman will play in the defensive midfield at Shepherd’s previous position. Dixon and Gardner on rhe wings. 

 

New back line has been good so far for BYU. (Smith-Griffits, Vaka, Stratton, Peterson moved on) Warner and Frischknecht in the middle, Freeman and Rustand outside. Hernaez is a good experienced keeper. 

 

Unlike the recent past, BYU hasn’t been getting the pace, triangles, or trailers up and involved in their attack. They haven’t been as dynamic on the wings with diagonal runs, and, they haven’t gotten their outside backs and dmid involved yet. That’s what they hope to accomplish more each game. They have been playing a very deep back 5, conceding possession. and playing tor some quick transition counters. And that’s how they scored against Wisconsin. A midfield trap turnover, 2 quick diagonal passes, and Fryer split the defense. 

 

The 3-5-2 clog the middle possession game reversing fields, from Wisconsin, bothered them quite a bit. SLU plays a very different style than that. It should be much more of an open game against SLU. I expect BYU to try to be a little more aggressive and player closer to their preferred style. If BYU does get a lead, they may go back to a deeper back 5 which has been their early strength. SLU will be aggressive with high pressure in their 4-2-3-1. 

 

[Lord Elrond]

On to a Billiken victory, the crowd is gathering, many students already hear, lots of vevuzelas being given away