Post Game Notes vs Crew

Girls,

The 2-0 Win is excellent.  Any time you play the 2nd team from the Crew Club, you are playing a good, well coached, and well trained team.  They were strong, fast, and extremely physical.

No, it was not our best game.  But how many times a year ago did we play better than another team, but not get the winning result?  This shows how much you girls have grown.  This could be the first game we might have gotten outplayed (at least the first half), and gotten the win.  This shows GRIT and PERSERVERANCE!  I know many coaches that say "this is a funny sport and the best team doesn't always win".  In a way I sort of agree with this statement, but the smarter side says "the best team FINDS A WAY TO WIN".  And you found that way today!  Excellent defense, and true grit in getting fouled in the box Maleah to get a PK for Olivia to score.  And Taylor giving the extra effort coming weak side, when everyone thought the play was over, but Tay got in the toe poke catching the goalie off guard!!!  Neither were pretty, but they did the job!

The first half can be boiled down to them beating us to the 50/50 balls.  They checked harder to the ball, played more physical, shielded better when necessary, went up for way more headballs, etc.  They could have been the most physical team I remember playing all season.  We worked hard, but 90% effort wasn't going to get it against this team--they were giving 100%, and they all had strong bodies to go with their effort.

We talked about this at half, and you guys came out, especially the first 10 minutes, WAY MORE PHYSICAL than in the first half, and played much stronger.  I want you to know this. I saw decent movement off the ball--it really wasn't that bad.  I saw you girls looking up and finding the right person for most of the time.  But, unfortunately, what I did see were passes that just weren't accurate.  We got into the habit of trying to make "lead" passes when passing to feet was the better option.  The other team was not giving us much space ANYWHERE on the field, and pressured very high, so these passes that were inaccurate by a foot or two, where enough for the Crew to step in and disrupt our play.  The passes simply need to be more to feet!  Don't get caught in that "inbetween" where you aren't sure if you want to make a thru pass, or lead pass, or pass to feet.  With that type of pressure, it's got to be very direct runs to space, opening up for the ball, being strong to get your defender on your backside to give a better and bigger target, and the pass has to be accurate (I will show you what I mean at practice versus what we kept doing).

Besides that, you worked extremly hard in a game that looked like it was going to end in a Tie; but you stepped it up and scored two goals in the last 10 minutes!! Well done.

Defense--another shutout.  Hope, Hunter, Sophie, Delaney, Hannah, and Olivia---well done, again!  Only 3 goals given up in 7 games of league play.  That is the lowest of all 12 teams!!  And only 8 goals in 15 games--wow!  If you take away our only loss (3-0), then that is only 5  goals given up in 14 games--UNREAL! Going from a diamond in the past seasons, to this season being the first time playing a flat back 4... you girls have WELL exceeded my expectations.  GREAT organization on defense.

I can't question your effort that second half.  We were a little "off" our normal game, but you got the win agaist a good team, and are still the only undefeated team in the league!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy your week girls.  You are all special and I mean that.

Coach Brian