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Soccer Bills on KFNS


thetorch

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I heard the game on a few minutes ago, Ramsey and Mcdermott doing the play by play. Ramsey said there will be 11 SLU soccer games on KFNS this year so look out for some more radio games if interested.

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This is a very young team. This was a good wake up call for a young team. Disappointing, yes. But they apparently were down 4-2 at one point and they came back. This is the second of 3 games in 7 days. Hope they hold up on Saturday against Louisville.

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My god....that was the worst defense I have ever seen in my life. WE got the four goals I was anticipating but to have two of them come at a time when we are trying not to lose to WESTERN ILLINOIS. The defense was horrible and that is why we tied tonight. NO communication. Forwards running around at will. It was just piss poor. The only bright spot during the game for me was when Grazier came in during the second ot at sweeper and I saw him turn to WIckart and tell him directly that he had a man to mark. Up to that point I hadn't seen anyone (Pusateri) do that. Defense has to communicate and it starts with the sweeper. Too bad Gannon wasn't out there or else the four goals would not have been scored.

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Yes the defense was horrible ... We had a big problem moving the ball out of the back to the midfield. They took advantage of our defenders misplays and counterattacked well. I thought Wickart was very good offensively last year, so far this year he has turned the ball over alot, generally holding it too long. When he does get his pass down field ... he just wants too boot it long and so far with very little accuracy.

The real problem with this game though was determination. We played like the #3 team playing a nobody. WIU is not a bad team, they are averaging about 3 goals a game. They wait for a defensive mistake and attack quickly. There defense is not much.

We again blew way too many scoring chances ... even allowing 4 goals this is a game we should have won. we hit the post twice and missed by inches 3-4 other times.

Vedad - For the first time I saw him use his head effectively. He scored our first goal on a very nice header off a corner kick by John D. He also mjust missed another corner heading it 6 inches over the top. He still continues to take on too much 1-1, ignoring teamates with better opportunity ...or a chance to give and go. WIU started the game with the intent to intimidate him and get him off his game, tugging, pushing and talking to him early and often in the 1st half. By the second half he starting getting frustrated ..this is when he just puts his head down and starts to take on the entire team 1-1. He also started to give a little back and his constant whining to the refs got him a yellow card on what should have been a foul on WIU.

Will John - He must get stronger ... to play in the midfield. He is continually knocked off the ball and can't get out of tight spots. When he is in the open field with room he is dynamic and very creative. He is an opportunist ...give him a little space around the goal and he is a major threat.

John D - I thought he had one of the better games. He is just so deadly from set plays. Vedad scored off one corner, just missed and just missed another. Also in the first half Wileman missed an easy header off of a corner, In the second half it was the same. He continually puts the ball in exactly the right spot on set plays. We should be taking better advantage of this. During the normal course of the game ...he controls the pace and does not turn the ball over often. There were a couple of times that he looked to be trying to get too fancy with the ball instead of making the sure pass.

The entire defense - very sloppy in transition. Numerous turnovers resulting in WIU opportunities that they obviously took advantage of. I don't know what was up with Nick Gannon but his presence was sorely missed. There is not a lot too single out here every one was equally poor. I think Coach D was even frustrated ...he had Mo Benne getting a lot of minutes towards the end of the second half and overtime.

Hutton - He did not have a lot of help ... but he did not come up with the big save when needed. He had a couple of good saves ... but we needed him. The first goal especially ...he was caught off guard on a volley directly over his head. That save should have been made.

Casey Speiss. - I have previously been very impressed. This game he was horrible ... he did not advance the ball and looked very unsure of himself with the ball at his feet.

Danny Wynn - finally got some good minutes coming off an injury and looked pretty good. He impressed me last year ...and looks to have gotten bigger and stronger. He has good speed ..looks a little like Nick Walls ... loves to go forward.

Well that is about it ... maybe we got lucky and learned a lesson through an tie and not a loss. They are too young and inexperienced to rely on their skills alone ... they must work harder than they did in this game.

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Thanks for the report. How about Brian Grazier's play? Curious.

I actually felt Andy Pusateri gave away the ball way too much against FIU, but recovered well each time with his speed, and hustle. There have been some issues coming out of the back. Smetimes Wickart falls into that trap of the long ball too often. I was cooncenred with contriolling the midfield against FIU. Sounds like not fixed.

This why I mentioned teams like UCLA and Maryland, big strong, skilled veteran clubs...SLU is not physically strong on the ball up front. Vedad had some nice headers and flicks previously off of set pieces and corners. What I didn't like before with him, or John or whomever is lack of desire for the 50/50 ball in the air at midfield.

1) Good thing it wasn't a conference game, because I don't think UAB is going to lose much.

2) Good thing they salvaged the tie.

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I’ve decided not to be so hard on this SLU team this year. I took a step back and looked at what we have ….a team in which half of its starters are freshman and who are relied upon to put in 99% of the goals. That’s a lot to handle for a group of eighteen year olds playing in their first year of college ball no matter what the talent level is. Given that, it has been utterly amazing that this team is 3-0-1 in overtime games with three of those games coming on the road. Now my disgust with the play of the defense on Wednesday has not subsided. However, those guys in the back have performed for the most part exactly like they should. Up to Wednesday night, they had allowed only three goals in 6 games. They had an off night….. very off night. If this team is showing us any sort of glimpse of the next couple years, I am thoroughly excited. On that note, I hope SLU comes out with a fire in their belly and shows the home crowd why Wednesday night was a one time incident.

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Courtside ... To tell you the truth I was trying to think about what I thought of Brian G. and really couldn't give a fair analysis. That is why I didn't mention him.

We've been saying the same about this team ... very young. I will be surprised to see them go through CUSA undefeated. It is also hard to say how much Nick Gannon would have affected this game.

To repaeat ... I think they can make the sweet 16. f they play well at tourney time ....maybe the elite 8 anything more I will be estatic.

I'm surprised that you think Vedad has shown previous positive signs with his head in the box ... I have been especially looking for that due to his size ... and really didn't see anything exceptional.

I agree that they need to work harder to win the ball in the midfield. Vedad does not work that hard at defense at all. Will is just not strong enough. Vedad should watch film of Brian McBride ... a very strong forward ...especially in the air ... but he still works as hard as anyone I've ever seen at disrupting the opponents defenders and midfielders ...frequently causing turnovers.

I don't think I can go Sat. night ... if you are there I hope we will get a detailed report.

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