I'm not sure that playing a team that's been Div. II until this year is good for us, but it's a moot point now. I'll give Queens credit--they played very hard defensively. I can't say I was encouraged by the fact that it took us 35 minutes to score in the 2nd half, despite having the ball almost all the time. We sent a TON of crosses into the box--but Queens always had it least 4 defenders in the box and we could not get on the end of one until Bartholomew did so in the last minute of the game. We have to do better at trying to hit the cross at specific UT players in the box--as opposed to just getting it in the box. That sort of precision is pretty rare in college players, so really what we need is for our players in the box to do a better job of seeing the ball and getting to it.
I like Eskin, but she's not a forward. She's got speed, works ver hard, but she is small and just not a scorer. She had lots of chances today but couldn't put the ball in the net--I know she was frustrated. She can't head the ball at all, unfortunately. She'd be better playing in the midfield--where she played mostly last year and was effective--but we're thin at forward and have a /lot/ of midfielders, so I expect she'll stay at forward.
The coaches decided to give Burdette and George the day off, which was wise. They started G. Washington in Burdette's defensive midfield spot. That was not wise. I'm sorry to say it, but Washington is far too passive and low-energy to be a good soccer player. We hear that she just spent some time with the Jamaican national team, but I'll be shocked if we ever see her actually play in an important game for Jamaica. Indeed, she was on the NT roster a few years ago but got dropped. The problem is, she jogs around at what seems like half-speed, sits too deep on the field, doesn't work hard enough off the ball to get into space to receive passes and thus struggles to get involved in the action. She was basically invisible for her 25 minutes on the field in the first half--maybe touched the ball 3 times. She got an assist on our first goal, but that was off a corner and simply a matter of the ball bouncing to where she was standing. When freshman Dakota Brown came in for Washington, she played much higher up the field, was much more active and involved in our play--as of course every player should be. She could become a good player--has a good grasp of the game and good fundamentals--but will need to get stronger and more physical to be an effective defensive midfielder in the way that Burdette is. I"m sorry to be negative about Washington--I had hopes for her when she signed as she's got good size--but soccer is a game that requires lot of energy, movement, competitiveness and an ability to read the game.
Now comes SEC play and we'll get a good read how whether this new 3-5-2 system is effective or not. I think it's makes us a bit more threatening offensively but, as a counterpoint, it makes us more vulnerable defensively than we were last year, which is what happens when you substitute 4 in the back for 3 in the back. One can say that our two outside mids, who often drop deep, provide extra defensive help--but I wouldn't say that either one of them are particularly good defenders. Let's hope it works!
As for your question about 5 freshman who haven't played and may be redshirted, I didn't realize it was that many. I'm surprised that Shell hasn't played as she was/is considered a strong defensive prospect. Maybe she's got an injury issue--or...I don't know. Usually, if a freshman can play, she plays---but we have one of our bigger squads this year--and if the coaches feel it will be hard to get minutes for everybody, maybe they hold out a few players for one reason or another. Bailey, the 6-foot centerback from Utah, hasn't played. Weimer, whom I don't think was a top prospect, hasn't played. I didn't even realize that Lloyd was on the roster--I thought she was a commitment for next year. Has she been on the roster since the start? There isn't much info about her. Who's the 5th--Reisz? My strong sense is that she's being legitimately redshirted and will be our starting keeper next year. Based on all I've read and seen, she's got the potential to be very good. She was a top keeper prospect--has good size and athleticism.
We need to really show our team quality starting now.
I like Eskin, but she's not a forward. She's got speed, works ver hard, but she is small and just not a scorer. She had lots of chances today but couldn't put the ball in the net--I know she was frustrated. She can't head the ball at all, unfortunately. She'd be better playing in the midfield--where she played mostly last year and was effective--but we're thin at forward and have a /lot/ of midfielders, so I expect she'll stay at forward.
The coaches decided to give Burdette and George the day off, which was wise. They started G. Washington in Burdette's defensive midfield spot. That was not wise. I'm sorry to say it, but Washington is far too passive and low-energy to be a good soccer player. We hear that she just spent some time with the Jamaican national team, but I'll be shocked if we ever see her actually play in an important game for Jamaica. Indeed, she was on the NT roster a few years ago but got dropped. The problem is, she jogs around at what seems like half-speed, sits too deep on the field, doesn't work hard enough off the ball to get into space to receive passes and thus struggles to get involved in the action. She was basically invisible for her 25 minutes on the field in the first half--maybe touched the ball 3 times. She got an assist on our first goal, but that was off a corner and simply a matter of the ball bouncing to where she was standing. When freshman Dakota Brown came in for Washington, she played much higher up the field, was much more active and involved in our play--as of course every player should be. She could become a good player--has a good grasp of the game and good fundamentals--but will need to get stronger and more physical to be an effective defensive midfielder in the way that Burdette is. I"m sorry to be negative about Washington--I had hopes for her when she signed as she's got good size--but soccer is a game that requires lot of energy, movement, competitiveness and an ability to read the game.
Now comes SEC play and we'll get a good read how whether this new 3-5-2 system is effective or not. I think it's makes us a bit more threatening offensively but, as a counterpoint, it makes us more vulnerable defensively than we were last year, which is what happens when you substitute 4 in the back for 3 in the back. One can say that our two outside mids, who often drop deep, provide extra defensive help--but I wouldn't say that either one of them are particularly good defenders. Let's hope it works!
As for your question about 5 freshman who haven't played and may be redshirted, I didn't realize it was that many. I'm surprised that Shell hasn't played as she was/is considered a strong defensive prospect. Maybe she's got an injury issue--or...I don't know. Usually, if a freshman can play, she plays---but we have one of our bigger squads this year--and if the coaches feel it will be hard to get minutes for everybody, maybe they hold out a few players for one reason or another. Bailey, the 6-foot centerback from Utah, hasn't played. Weimer, whom I don't think was a top prospect, hasn't played. I didn't even realize that Lloyd was on the roster--I thought she was a commitment for next year. Has she been on the roster since the start? There isn't much info about her. Who's the 5th--Reisz? My strong sense is that she's being legitimately redshirted and will be our starting keeper next year. Based on all I've read and seen, she's got the potential to be very good. She was a top keeper prospect--has good size and athleticism.
We need to really show our team quality starting now.
