Vol Soccer: Big Bama Win after Tough SC loss

[armchair]

The Vols played a huge away game tonight at Alabama, and took care of business, winning 2-0. We dominated the first half and scored two goals--one by Khadija Shaw (her 9th of the season) and another by her center-forward teammate Salera Jordan--her first as a Vol after transferring from Middle Tennessee. Bama came out in the second half with more energy and put some pressure on us--but we weathered it well, played solid defense, and went on to the win. The Vols are now 2-1-1 in the SEC. If you want an example of how tough the SEC has got in soccer, alabama beat perennial ACC/national power Florida State a few weeks ago yet as not won an SEC game.

The win was crucial because the Vols had squandered some conference points in the previous two games--against Auburn and South Carolina. We had Auburn beat and then futzed it up, giving up a silly goal with 5 and a half minutes to go in the game. What should have been a victory ended up a 1-1 tie.

Against South Carolina we probably played our best overall game of the season--outplayed the gamecocks--and yet lost in OT, 0-1. Nobody wins more tight games than South Carolina. I thought we'd be tired after the 2OT game against auburn 3 days earlier--but the Vols played well. We were the better team in run of play, but were unlucky, really--we had two near goals on balls that hit the SC crossbar and had a number of good crosses that we weren't able to connect on. UT keeper Shae Yanez made a couple of nice saves on South Carolina's outstanding forward McCaskill, but they were really the only good chances the gamecocks had in regulation. I did not see their game-winning goal. In short, we should have had, worst case, a win and a tie in those two games and ended up a tie and a loss. So we needed points against bama--and we got them.

Our next game is Thursday against the no. 18 ranked Ole Miss rebels. It's another big statement game. The rebels have scored a lot of goals but we've got a good defensive team and the Vols really need to play a tough, assertive game and get another win.

 

[RollerVol]

another nice one AC...:salute:...we seemed to play a little more looser...passing was better and team play all around was better...good coaching too...these girls can play with anybody...and,

GO LADY VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jeff1vol]

Seems like Soccer and softball are the ONLY two sports worth a **** here anymore. Kudos to them!!

 

[1CHATTVOL]

The Vols played a huge away game tonight at Alabama, and took care of business...

I've been more impressed with this TN Soccer team than any in Pensky's tenure.

 

[sccshortstop]

I've been more impressed with this TN Soccer team than any in Pensky's tenure.

:yes:Me too!

 

[The Dog]

Looked like they dominated the whole game to me. Bama's probably lucky, UT didn't score 5+ goals. Bunny's the real deal Holyfield and our goalie is very impressive. Should host a regional unless UT completely collapses.

Oh yeah, I ran into Peyton, Bituli, Ty Chandler and wait for it, Brian Pensky today walking by Stokely Hall and the indoor practice facility

 

[LurkerExposed]

South Carolina out-shot UT 17 to 10, and had 6 SOG to their 2 SOG. USC also had the advantage in corner kicks at 5 to 3. UT only had one shot on frame over the final 92 minutes of a 95 minute match. Most learned observers would hardly call that out-playing USC....

The win is the typical match for South Carolina this season: they play a stifling defense. In USC's 4 SEC wins thus far, they have scored only 5 goals, but allowed 0....

 

[The Dog]

South Carolina out-shot UT 17 to 10, and had 6 SOG to their 2 SOG. USC also had the advantage in corner kicks at 5 to 3. UT only had one shot on frame over the final 92 minutes of a 95 minute match. Most learned observers would hardly call that out-playing USC....

The win is the typical match for South Carolina this season: they play a stifling defense. In USC's 4 SEC wins thus far, they have scored only 5 goals, but allowed 0....

Proud of u all. Take it to Cock Tails or Talk or whatever u all call it. I just don't understand all u all SC lady sports fans, camping out in VN. To each their own, tho. Hell, u all won the women's NC and made it to the final 4 in men's BB, plus beat UT in football last year. I know SC teams are used to losing, but not lately, so why come and rub it in UT fans' face. Must be that loser mentality that the FF says about Butch and now, apparently SC fans.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Proud of u all. Take it to Cock Tails or Talk or whatever u all call it. I just don't understand all u all SC lady sports fans, camping out in VN. To each their own, tho. Hell, u all won the women's NC and made it to the final 4 in men's BB, plus beat UT in football last year. I know SC teams are used to losing, but not lately, so why come and rub it in UT fans' face. Must be that loser mentality that the FF says about Butch and now, apparently SC fans.

They haven't been there before and they act like it. They may grow up in another fifty years.

 

[gule]

Let the chicken's crow, makes them easier to find when you need to ring their necks a little.

 

[armchair]

Shots and shots on goal can be misleading sometimes. A number of shot attempts are not really dangerous but if they are caught by the keeper it is a SOG. I certainly think UT had more possession than South Carolina in the second half. I hate to do it, because I don't like McCaskill (diver) or their coach, but South Carolina must get credit for their defense as they pretty much shut out everybody. They don't make those one, two or three mistakes that a lot of teams will make that give the opponent chances to score. For example, in the South Carolina game, during a period when we were playing well, our outside back on a throw-in from the sideline inexplicably threw the ball back toward our goal. I assume she was throwing it to one of our centerbacks--I'm not sure what happened--but the ball went to area not near any Vols but close to McCaskill, who picked it up and went in unchallenged on our keeper. Yanez made a great stop.

What you notice in collegiate soccer is that there are a lot of teams that are well-organized defensively, and it can be tough to score if you do not have some dynamic attacking players on your team who can create legit goal-scoring chances--either individually or via some sort of quick-passing combination in counterattack--or getting a head on a ball from a corner kick. That is the interesting thing about soccer: as important as defense is, you can't just sit back all game--you've got to get forward with the ball and create quality chances out of possession. Shaw is a special player in attack--but auburn and south carolina played her tight and did not give her room with the ball, which was smart. Alabama's defender did not play her tight enough in the box, and given room to turn Shaw scored. We may need for Shaw to move more in the attackign zone in future SEC games and not just be a (big) stationary target.

Florida and South Carolina are already almost a lock to make the NCAA. Texas a&M, a talented team that we don't play this year, has a good chance of making it as well. We have big upcoming games with Mississippi and Vanderbilit, two teams that along with the Vols will be pushing to finish high in the SEC and get an NCAA berth. Ole Miss was leading the nation in scoring--may still be--and yet got shut out last night by....South Carolina. We need to lay another loss on the rebels. They're all important games, but the Mississippi and vandy games are especially so.

 

[LurkerExposed]

USC plays a suppressing defensive style. UT is in the top 3-4 of the conference I believe in shots per game, shots, points, and USC is towards the bottom in each. This match was a battle of defense against offense, and the fact that USC was the team that almost out-shot UT 2 to 1, and had more corner shots and shots on goal, speaks volumes. It does NOT indicate however, that UT out-played USC, regardless of how the stats are perceived.

Often stats can be manipulated into supporting an argument. The stats in soccer however, is like saying that football Team A out-scored football Team B by using Team A's 7 points compared to Team B's 17 points, or saying that Team A outplayed Team B by using Team A's total offense of 250 yds compared to Team B's 450 yds, as the basis for your argument. It just doesn't stand up to logic....

 

[armchair]

USC plays a suppressing defensive style. UT is in the top 3-4 of the conference I believe in shots per game, shots, points, and USC is towards the bottom in each. This match was a battle of defense against offense, and the fact that USC was the team that almost out-shot UT 2 to 1, and had more corner shots and shots on goal, speaks volumes. It does NOT indicate however, that UT out-played USC, regardless of how the stats are perceived.

Often stats can be manipulated into supporting an argument. The stats in soccer however, is like saying that football Team A out-scored football Team B by using Team A's 7 points compared to Team B's 17 points, or saying that Team A outplayed Team B by using Team A's total offense of 250 yds compared to Team B's 450 yds, as the basis for your argument. It just doesn't stand up to logic....

I'm not going to argue about it--we played a very solid game, maybe the best game we've played all year in a lot of respects, certainly good enough to get a result. It was a tight game, and we had a lot of ball possession, and we sent a lot of balls into the box, but SC dealt with them all as they tend to do. South Carolina has become the Rutgers of the SEC--excellent defensive team that often keeps its opponent off the board and manages to score a goal or two itself. They are masterful at winning games that could go either way.


The revelations for UT so far this year are Cousins, Gilroy, Flynn and Gouner. The first time I saw Cousins was early in her freshman year against Liberty when she, O'Keefe and Baldwin were our starting midfield--two freshmen and a soph. They were not good--the Liberty midfield was better in the first half. Two years later her quality is apparent--partly because she's gotten even better from her U20 experience and partly because she's got better players around her now at UT, and she is a player who can do a lot to help a team like ours that has other talent on the field. She's not a player whose game is scoring goals or producing points. It's everything else.


Gilroy has been very good on the right flank. She is not especially fast but is good with the ball and creates chances--she leads the team in assists. Flynn, on the left wing, as been dangerous and productive all year coming off the bench. She has scored some key goals and set up our second goal against Alabama. While Vignola, a converted midfielder, starts on the left flank and has had some success, Flynn is the better, more natural winger. Gouner, a converted forward, has surprised me at centerback. I was shocked to hear she was even playing defense as she played outside back early last year and was yanked after the disastrous Alabama loss in 2016. She is not especially physical and won't wow anybody with ball skills, but she is athletic and covers a lot of ground and her decision making and positioning has been good--and, importantly, she is playing with confidence. Indeed, she seems to have become our defensive leader, and that is a good thing for the team. Good for her.

Gouner and the rest of our back four have been helped by our midfield, which is good defensively. O'Keefe, Bialczak and Cousins are each pretty good at breaking up attacks by the opposition and winning the ball. Our midfield's weakness is that it is not threatening enough in our attacking half of the field. O'Keefe has been quiet offensively all year. Bialczak is very athletic and flashes but is not aggressive enough and needs to be better at finishing her chances. She seems averse to striking the ball--always wants to pass. Cousins has been the most assertive of the three in attack. With Shaw getting a lot of attention, those three need to start creating more chances themselves. Maybe they'll break out against Ole Miss--would be a nice time to do it!