Also quite an accomplishment to post all of the shutouts in the tournament.
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Ladies are women's soccer NCAA champs!!!
- Thread starter GregInPitt
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Also quite an accomplishment to post all of the shutouts in the tournament.
That was a great match. Every pass was being contested. Players on both sides have to be exhausted.
PSU didn't give up a goal during the entire tournament. That's amazing. Unfortunately it also shows why soccer isn't a popular sport in the USA. The strategy seems to be to hopefully capitalize on one opportunity, then keep clearing it out of the zone for the rest of the contest.
PSU didn't give up a goal during the entire tournament. That's amazing. Unfortunately it also shows why soccer isn't a popular sport in the USA. The strategy seems to be to hopefully capitalize on one opportunity, then keep clearing it out of the zone for the rest of the contest.
WE ARE............Women's sports U!!
Congrats to the ladies. They know how to get it done in lots of sports.
No, that's not true. PSU has recruited VERY well over the past number of years and has a back four (two center backs, two fullbacks) that are very good. This is not the English Premiership. With a quality back line, supported by a strong midfield, it is not easy to penetrate that defense. Soccer is a popular sport in the United States and the fact that PSU did not give up a goal is not akin to them sitting back in a bunker. One of the methods of play is to counter-attack, you get numbers behind the ball and then look to break out when the ball is turned over or you win it through a tackle, interception, header, etc. You also have to remember that PSU's goalkeeper, (Eckstrom) will most likely be playing in the NWSL next year as she is that good. This is a case of PSU having top-notch talent AND an outstanding coach in Erica Walsh. I coached the game for sixteen years and so I do know a little about all of this. Had the opportunity to listen to Erica at a coaches clinic a few years ago. She was on Pia Sundhage's staff with the U.S. women's national team.
I hate soccer 99% of the time. Today, I love it! Congrats to our ladies, and to the soccer moms and dads who helped make their dreams come true.
Great match and a great goal by Rodriguez. sandy powerful gave her a hug after the match. Nice to see.
I heard Erica Walsh speak with James Franklin and Cael Sanderson - I kid u not, Erica stole the show. Her speech gave me goosebumps! She was so good that Cael, who followed her speech, began with, "I hate speaking after Erica." Huge fan of hers!
I hate soccer 99% of the time. Today, I love it! Congrats to our ladies, and to the soccer moms and dads who helped make their dreams come true.
Yes, I hate soccer 99.999% of the time (which I usually round to 100%) but today soccer was sweet for PSU!!
I agree with everything you said except the part about soccer being a very popular sport in the USA. How may were in the stands for the women's national championship today? Maybe 1,500?
I'll stick by statement that soccer is a game of cashing in on opportunity then defending. Look at the last 3 games. PSU beat Rutgers 2-0. Duke beat FSU 2-0. PSU beat Duke 1-0. That's 5 goals in 3 games. And goal #2 usually comes when the team that's behind has to start taking more chances to catch up.
PSU is very talented and does it well. They're almost unbeatable if they score the first goal.
I think this team has a lot of young players. Do they have a quality goalie to replace Eckstrom next year?
Unless they were lying, they said there were 1500 Duke students attending the game alone. The stands looked full, and the crowd was definitely into the game. Sounded like a lot of Penn Staters there, but it was more or less a Duke Home Game being played in North Carolina.
One of the more outstanding stats is that Penn State outscored their opponents I believe 21-0 in the tourney. They said during the game 20-0, but I think that was before we scored our goal.
Penn State announced an attendance of 104,355.
Reported to be over 11,000 tickets sold, second most attended championship game ever.
Rose Chandler, a redshirt freshman, is the backup GK and was a member of the U.S. Under-20 women's national team - just like the Rutgers GK. You have to watch more soccer as it is not always "cashing in on an opportunity then defending." Does that happen in big games? Yes, absolutely. However, not all soccer matches are played that way as you oftentimes see teams come out and attack. You have to know what to look for - what you think is holding back, waiting for an opportunity is actually attacking through possession play. PSU's second goal against Rutgers had nothing to do with them pushing up, taking a chance. They failed to clear a ball that was bouncing around in the area and Kaleigh Riehl made them pay with a beautiful bent ball for her 1st collegiate goal. I can understand how you would think that the game seems to be a "bunker mentality" but it is not always the case. There is plenty of attacking soccer out there. In the NCAA final, one mistake in the back or midfield can put you down 1-nil and then the other team starts getting more players behind the ball, making it more difficult for you. As a result, teams play cautiously to begin with; HOWEVER, this is a chess match and EACH pass is a probe, trying to determine where are the weak spots, where can a penetrating pass be made.
I hate soccer 99% of the time. Today, I love it! Congrats to our ladies, and to the soccer moms and dads who helped make their dreams come true.
I hate you 99% of the time fair!
Ah, but that 1% when you don't means so much to me GLOV.I hate you 99% of the time fair!
Ah, but that 1% when you don't means so much to me GLOV.
Now don't go getting all soft and mushy on me fair!
Outscoring your opponents 20-0 is certainly an impressive statistic. I think that they beat their first two low level opponents 9-0. The more evenly matched games didn't have that level of scoring.
I thought I
I thought I heard that attendance was over 11k. No way was it as low as 1,500.
I attended - 1000-1500 seems right.. they had a couple spots around the stadium, not really concentrated in one big mass.
Great showing from Penn State fans too & not just locals.. saw a lot of PA plates in the lot. I'd say the stands were 40/60 favoring Duke. Tough when we were in their backyard.. most families who came with their kids came to support the Devils as well.
We had a total sellout in Columbus yesterday for MLS Cup--about 25K. It's getting there, tho that match was not the best advertisement for the game.
