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Women's Soccer Coaches Corner It is always amazing to me when a team is winning the ability to do the right things are much easier. There are not as many problems both on the field and off the field. The things that bother you when are losing do not bother you when you are winning. However, when a team is losing it is much tougher to get out of that rut of not doing the things that it takes to win. That is the psychology of winning and losing. Our team had gone through a 3 game win streak then let their guard down, and last week did not perform very well and was overwhelmed by a very strong team. Then we did not rebound very well against a team that was one that we should have beaten. That took us to Wednesday match against Trevecca Nazarene a game that we should win. We did not come out as strong as I would have liked and were fortunate to get a goal by Davin Caudill on a nice shot that was misplayed by their keeper. Then as the 1 st half wore on, we began to carry the play and create some opportunities. However, against the run of play and on a ball misplayed by our keeper, they were able to get a goal back. We continued to carry play and were rewarded with a goal by Rebecca Rube. However, with the play now fluctuating back and forth, they were able to get a goal on another ball misplayed by our keeper. At half, it was 2-2. Our team knew that they were the better side, but that does not mean anything until you prove it which is what we told them at half. And the 2 nd half would teach us that lesson on being the better team but still allowing the other team to hang with us. We controlled the entire 2 nd half and both overtimes, but just could not find that killer instinct to get a goal. The score would end 2-2 which was a victory to them and a loss to us because of our talent compared to theirs. In a game like that, we need to be able to carry the play for longer periods of time to create the opportunities, we need to give more effort and show more desire, we need all 11 to show up and do their part and do the crucial things right in the attacking area of the field. And those things tend to be a lot easier when you are coming off wins rather then losses. And that is why I feel it is so important that I continue to operate the team as is regardless of winning or losing from previous games and address those areas because you will never overcome those things unless you meet them head on which is what I was challenging the ladies to do. Saturday’s game against Berea College was one where it was getting to where it was critical for us to get a win. Berea got stuck in an accident on I-75 which meant we had our team at the field and was waiting around for them to show up. It always tough for players to sit around and keep themselves focused to play in a game. It is a lot easier to go from the pre-game talk to warm-up to play as a player. And I always wonder what state on mind the team will being when going from being focused to relaxing to having to be focused again. Well, we did a good job of keeping our focus and carried the play almost from the beginning. We did a good job of shutting down any attacks that they could muster and did not give them much as far as our own mistakes. They bunkered their defense a consequence more of the play being in our attacking half then of a game plan on their part. We did not allow them out even when they got the ball. We would just go about winning possession and having at them again. The scoring opportunities were difficult because of this bunkering, but we do manage to make their keeper to make a couple of good saves and hit the post 3 times. We went into the half 0-0. At half, we stressed continue to possess the ball and wearing them down. We needed to switch the field more to see if they were willing to do the running and keep their discipline of marking. We also talked about taking our game to another intensity to finish off our scoring opportunities. I had made a decision if we did not get a goal within 10 minutes of the 2 nd half to go from a 3-5-2 to a 3-4-3. They were not troubling us in the midfield and an extra player in the attack might give us what we needed. 10 minutes into the 2 nd half, we still carrying playing and creating an opportunity every now and then, and they still were not troubling us in the midfield so I decided to make the change. We were now a little more dangerous and seemed at any moment to get the breakthrough. Although it took longer then I thought, we finally got a great opportunity with 15 minutes left in the game when Tammi Kerr played a well timed pass behind the defense to Rebecca Rube who calmly finished her one on one with the keeper. Almost a minute later, Leslie Allred would get the clincher as she took a ball, beat a defender and scored her one on one. And that is the way the game would end 2-0 in our favor. Hopefully, we are headed in the right direction and will be able to use this positive result to work harder and motivate us to continue to do the right things. Next week, we play both games at home with a Wednesday tilt against Campbellsville at 4pm. A game that we lost last year so we are trying to redeem ourselves this year plus it is a crucial conference match. A win would assure us of finishing 2 nd or 3 rd in the conference and avoiding Lindsey Wilson until the Conference Championship game. Then on Saturday, we take on Pikeville College at 1:30.
August 27, 2006 Corner |
