Women's Soccer Coaches Corner
by Aron Bassoff
Updated: 9/18/05

The team is still learning to win games that could go either way. In the first test this week, we found ourselves against Union College who we knew were led by several players in particular one that could dominate a game. I talked to the girls about minimizing her effect on the game. I told them not to let her turn when her back was to the goal and to just contain her when she tried to go 1V1. However, in the 2 nd minute of the game this player took the ball off our keeper’s foot and finished into the empty net. So much for making life tough on her. From that point on for the next 20 minutes, we played some very good soccer. We were getting in behind their defense quite frequently and coming up with great scoring opportunities. We had several one on ones with their keeper, but just could not finish. In that 20 minute span, we had 7 shots and five on goal. Then in one short minute we allowed their dangerous player to take the ball from the sideline dribble to the middle of the field toward the box and beat 4 players then proceeded to bring her down in the box for a penalty kick which she finished. She then began to find more space, was able to dribble the ball down the sideline and crossed the ball to the middle. Two of our defenders went to win the ball but both tackled each other and the ball falls to a player that shoots in an empty net. One more goal before half would put us in a difficult task of coming back from a 4-0 deficit. The 2 nd half was much better for us as we generated more scoring opportunities and were able to finish. However, for every goal we scored; we were more then glad to give one back. Final score 8-4. A very ugly display of soccer by our defense. They made some fundamental mistakes that you just would not expect from collegiate soccer player.

We showed them the tape of the game before training on Wednesday and emphasized that we could not make mistakes like this and expect to win. We have been very frank with the girls about their play and told them while the opportunities they created were great, they should have been able to finish more, but we cannot make those mistakes and expect to win. The next few training sessions were very good and I thought we had their attention. Their play was becoming much better and the effort matched it. Saturday, we took on a much improved Cumberland University team. A game that I felt could go either way. We started well. Our possession started very good, and we were trying to get in behind their defense. They had a very good defense with a strong defender in the middle surrounded by some very fast players. This made it tough on us to get in behind them. We were getting passes behind their defense but just not able to get possession behind their defense. We minimized our mistakes in this half, but our play dropped off before half. We talked at halftime about getting more possession, timing our runs better to get behind their defense, and players playing the way they were facing when trying to get the ball behind the defense. I felt if we could do those things we would get the victory. The 2 nd half was a struggle for us. Where as the first half we could pass the ball behind their defense, but just not get a player on the other end, the 2 nd we could not even get the passes behind them. They beat us to most 50/50 balls and just wanted the game more. Our fitness seemed to fade a bit in the 2 nd. I am not sure if that has to do with not being all the way there with our fitness in a game that requires two strong halves. In the 70 th minute, they got a ball in the midfield and the player had some time and space. Our defense did not react to this free player nor to the pass that she sent in. Our keeper hesitated then came off her line late, but by that time their player was first to it and beat our keeper with a soft shot over her head. The next 20 minutes, our team could still not generate anything of consequence. We would finish the game with 1 shot on goal. Their shot total was not that much higher, but they certainly were around our goal more. While our play was better, it still can and needs to be better if we are to win matches like this one. Our next match is home on Saturday, September 24, against Spalding University at 12:30

Week 1 Corner - 09/04/05
Week 2 Corner - 09/11/05