It is finally here, the Premier League starts on Friday with Match Week 1. Get ready for another entertaining year of top flight soccer. What are the story lines to follow.
–Can Manchester City Repeat? They are the class of the league and only strengthened their squad with the acquisition on RiyadMahrez from Leicester City. Another strong wing player on an all ready stacked team. Best striker in the league with Sergio Aguero. Best midfielder in the league with Kevin DeBruyne. A really strong back four with Kompany, Walker, Mendy and Stones. Great young players in Sane and Jusus. It will be very difficult to take the title away from them. Plus….the best coach in the league in Pep Guardiola.
–Who can take them down? The logical contenders. Liverpool…can Salah repeat his magical year. Will their front three on Salah, Mane and Firmino deliver another epic year. Key additions include Shaqiri and GK Alisson Becker. Manchester United….its year three for Jose Marinho. If he has not won a large trophy yet…he hasn’t with Man U…then year three he usually starts to wear on players, and fans..The act gets old. The whining gets old. The excuses get old. The mind games …yes…get old. There is some pressure to product big results and not just coast into the top 4. Can new additions Fred and Alexis Sanchez (last season late buy) make a difference and create a more dominant attack. Will Lukaku become the best striker in the league. Or will they implode and finish 5th. Tottenham Hotspur…will all that talent and coaching finally product a big trophy or title. Harry Kane and Deli Alli make a dynamic twosome up front. Christian Eriksen is top class running the midfield. Son, Dembele and Trippier make a great midfield. Is this the year. Arsenal…will the change in leadership from Arsene Wenger to Unai Emery jump start Arsenal back into the top 4. Can Lacazette become a force. Will Ozil go big or take a step back. Who will score goals for Arsenal this year…no stars but solid players. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang needs to step up and take a leadership role. Aaron Ramsey needs to own the midfield. And finally…Chelsea…A season of transition for the Chelsea club. New coach….will Sarri-Ball become a force in the league or just flounder. Can they find a competent striker. Morata needs to start scoring goals or he is in danger of being replaced by Batshuayi or Giroud. Will Hazard , Willian and Courtois stay or go. Is Jorginho the new Midfield wizard? How will Kante adapt to the new 4-3-3. can their defense hold up? Lots of questions…..a top 4 will be the goal…I don’t think they are ready to challenge for the title.
New Teams this year who were promoted in 2017/2018.
-Wolverhampton Wanderers
-Cardiff City FC
-Fulham FC
Match Week 1
Key Games:
Arsenal v Manchester City
Liverpool v West ham United
Chelsea v Huddersfield
To get you ready….a little video on the kits for 2018/2019.
Do you have a World Cup hangover….I do….where did all the games go! I want to watch more soccer, with the top teams and top players going at it. I was in a groove. Soccer on Saturday and Sunday. Then soccer on Tuesday and Wednesday as we worked thru the Group play and then the Knock Out stages. And then, cold turkey, they take it all away. No weaning or time to adjust. From the best World Cup in decades…to no soccer for weeks. Ugh!
So what do all us soccer geeks do?
Well, let’s reflect a bit on the World Cup and also look forward to another season of the Barclay’s Premier League.
VIVE LA FRANCE, VIVA LA WORLD CUP. A quick look back.
And of course…the Top Goals of the Tournament.
FIFA Player of the Year 2018 Finalist. FIFA announced the 10 finalist for the Player of the Year. Can you name them all and the clubs they play for. Are you thinking about it right now. Well, let’s start with the easy ones.
Two Players have dominated World Football the past 6-8 years and their names should surprise no one. Christiano Ronaldo- Real Madrid and Lionel Messi-FC Barcelona. So let’s assume everyone got those two. If not these two, then who. Maybe a player who is on the list for the first time, a player who came out of no where to score the most goals in the Premier League in 2018….Mohamed Salah-Liverpool. Okay, that was an easy one as well if you follow the Premier League. Since Real Madrid won the Champions League, maybe another player from their team? How about two more form their team……..Luka Modric and Raphael Varane. They are so good, they also helped lead their teams to the World Cup finals of Croatia vs. France. We are halfway there. Are you 5 for 5?
Speaking of France, World Cup winners, they must have a few more players we need to consider. Yes, of course. Maybe the youngest member of the group and a savvy veteran. Kylian Mbappe-PSG and only 19 as well as Antoine Griezmann-Athletico Madrid. Getting a bit tougher now. Who else had a high finish in the World Cup and could that be a clue. Well, Belgium finished 3rd. okay, no more clues. Did you pick out the two players from Belgium and the Premier League….Kevin DeBruyne-Manchester City and Eden Hazard-Chelsea. One left. Now it’s really tough. Well, maybe who finished 4th in the World Cup will help you. Is there a dominant player from the England team. Yes of course…Harry Kane-Tottenham Hotspur. Did you get all 10, give yourself a pat on the back if you did. Some great players missing you may have been thinking about: Paul Pogba, Neymar, N’Golo Kante, David DeGea, Marcelo, Thibault Courtois, Tony Kroos to name a few. So…who you got….can someone talk the mantle of Best Player away from Messi and Ronaldo. It’s time!
2018/2019 Barclays Premier League. Match Week 1: Saturday August 11. 17 days and counting! I can’t wait.
Game of the Week: Arsenal v. Manchester City. Can the reigning champs start strong? Will the new look Arsenal with a new coach, Unai Emery, for the first time in 22 years make a statement.
Chelsea. They finally ended the drama and named a new coach to replace Antonio Conte,. Can Sarri-ball become a “thing” and can Maurizio Sarri lead Chelsea back in the Top 4 and a challenge for the title.
Set you alarm clocks, get your DVR cleared out to make room to record the early morning games, get you popcorn ready. It’s back, The best league in Football, the Premier League!!
Well, another World Cup is in the books. In what many soccer pundits are calling the Greatest World Cup ever, France’s big name players were just too much for Croatia, as they took the title 4-2 for the second World Cup title, their first being 1998. It was an interesting game up until France’s third goal. That goal from Pogba really killed Croatia’s will. A fourth by Mbappe killed the game and even though there was a little life after the GK gaffe and goal by Mandzukic, France controlled the game and was a deserved winner. I was not thinking that right up until the 3rd goal.
After what I felt was an obvious dive that earned a free kick, that resulted in the OG and a 1-0 France lead and then the hand ball in the box that led to France’s second goal, I was thinking…..please score another goal so there won’t be a bunch of controversy about France winning. I wasn’t really cheering for either team, hoping for PK’s! After the first goal, I must admit, I did start cheering for Croatia a bit. That first goal just bugged me a bit. So thank you Pogba anbd Mbappe…controversy over…France well deserving. Their big name stars were just better than Croatia, who were a true David vs. Goliath underdog who really had to battle just to qualify for the World Cup. Hats off to them. They controlled large parts of the game, were the better team in the first half and somehow were down 2-1. They really needed the perfect game to upset France. An OG, a very soft hand ball and PK were just too much to overcome.
For 33 minutes and at 1-1… I was on the edge of my seat. Great game, full of action. After the hand ball PK and 2-1 lead, it just slipped a little. And then of course, class is just class, Pogba…Mbappe….wow!
Game Highlights
A Few Takeaways.
Greizmann Flop or Foul. It felt like flop. He leaves his feet and is going down way before any contact….and the contact was minimal. Didn’t like the call….and it had a huge impact on the game. I think the Center Ref, if he watches that again will agree, should have been a no call and play on. I don’t like players who look for these type of calls….just feels wrong and not good for the game or the sport.
Hand Ball. I hate when it is called, especially when it’s in the box and a PK. Especially when it just feels arbitrary. I don’t think the Croatian player was attempting to block the ball with his hand. It just happens to hit it. It should be an intentional move of your hand toward the ball to block it. Not when it just happens to hit your hand during the normal play of the game. We can’t expect players to put their hands behind them when playing defense or defending a cross…that is just dumb. Rule needs to be defined better. Today’s call seemed harsh. If that is a good call then the rule needs to change. These calls change big games and it is just too harsh for what occurred. Maybe don’t award a PK. Soccer has been slow to change rules so not expecting anything to happen.
Mbappe. He is 19 years old. Let me repeat that….19 years old. Makes $20m per year, scored a goal in a World Cup Final. Wow! The last player at 19 to score a World Cup goal….Pele. I think that is all you have to say about that!
Third Place Game. If you missed it, Belgium looked the better team all afternoon and took third place with a 2-0 win over England, Eden Hazard looked dominant, scored the second goal, and Belgium just had more quality than England. Great tournament for England, they have some really good young players and an energized coach, so hope in 4 years they can make another deep run. Belgium had a chance to win it this year. 2-1 defeat to France was for me, the World Cup final. Whoever wins that, wins the World Cup. Can Belgium’s stars hang on until 2022? One question…How did Phil Jones make this team. The defense on Hazard’s goal and in general his play all season seems suspect. England needs to improve their back line.
Next Up: Qatar in 2022. It won’t be a traditional July World Cup. To void 100+ degree temperatures, Qatar will be held in November and December of 20-18. Do you think the USA can qualify??
Premier League Action is back In August. Saturday August 11 is Match Week 1. Gamer of the Week: Arsenal v. Manchester City. Can’t Wait! Get your popcorn ready!
What is being called the greatest World Cup ever continues to provide big time drama and excitement. The Final Four is set and the Semi-Finals kick off on Tuesday as the tournament winds down. Let’s take a quick look at the past few games.
France 2 Uruguay 0. France was in control from the beginning and looked the better team throughout. A solid win. Probably the favorites now to win it all.
Belgium 2 Brazil 1. Amazing game. Belgium’s amazing run continues. Best offense left in the tournament.
England 2 Sweden 0. England gets the best draw but you still need to win the games. A solid win, but it gets much tougher from here.
Croatia 2 Russia 2 Croatia advance 4-3 on Penalty Shootout. What a game. 1-0, then 1-1, 2-1 in OT, 2-2 in 2nd OT. the PK’s. Great drama! Given the geo-political climate and history of these two countries, even more drama.
Semi-Finals are Set
France v Belgium Tuesday, July 10 at 1:00
England v Croatia Wednesday, July 11 at 1:00
Quick Takeaways
-Belgium-Belgium-Belgium. In one of their greatest wins in Belgium history, the Red Devils knock off tournament favorite Brazil 2-1. Belgium’s counter attack is stunning this tournament. In their incredible come from behind win against Japan they scored a stunner as the clock ticked down to zero and won 3-2. Against Brazil, the counter attack was again on full display. The DeBruyne goal deserves another look. Romelu Lukaku makes an amazing surging run of about 50 yards. He destroys Brazil’s midfield with some dynamic moves and speed. He finds DeBruyne out wide and DeBruyne does the rest. A few quick touches as he approaches the 18 and then…BAM…he rifles a low hard strike into the side net. Amazing strike. Game Winner!
-England v. Sweden. Sweden…really. I mean come on man! Sweden with a population of just under 10 million. That’s basically the population of Minnesota and Wisconsin combined…and they are in the World Cup Quarter Finals. One of the best 8 teams in the World. And the USA can’t even qualify for the tournament. Ouch! Every time I think about Sweden or Switzerland or Tunisia making it into the world Cup it just blows my mind the US didn’t qualify. The only thing that makes me feel a bit better is neither did Italy….and they have won the World Cup twice! The people in Italy must really be going crazy right now! Okay…moving on now.
–England. For the first time in 28 years, England has reached the Semi-Finals. They won the World Cup in 1966 and finished 4th in 1990. That is their only two appearances in the top 4. For the country that invented soccer in 1863, seems odd to only have 2 appearances, but now its three and they have a real shot at winning.
-Belgium v France. This feels like the finals. sometimes it works out that way…the two best teams meet before the finals. Belgium has had tow epic games, back to back, can they keep it going. Will France’s dynamic Mbappe and Griezmann outshine Hazard and Lukaku. Will Kante shut down DeBruyne in midfield. This is must see TV. Don’t miss it!
Neymar Getting Hammered by Social Media. So, one of the greatest players in the world is getting trolled everywhere. Neymar is arguably the worlds best striker. But he does have this thing about diving, or trying to dive, or looking to get tripped so it creates a penalty. It is getting talked about everywhere. Why all the drama. Why does he try to get penalties in the box rather than just staying on his feet and taking a shot. Why does he look like he is in so much pain every time he goes down. All good questions. I don’t like it. Most don’t. He is too good and doesn’t need to do it. Anyway…all the drama has created so pretty funny videos. Check this one out.
Thank You
A quick thanks to those who have checked out the site the past year. Coming up on the 1 year anniversary of WestWisconsinSoccerTalk. Just went over 3,000 views! I try not to think about whether that is good or not, just have enjoyed writing the blog and sharing some thoughts on local high school soccer and the World Soccer scene. Some sites get 3,000 hits a day…some sites get 3,000 hits per hour. But I am okay with 3,000 in a year. Every site starts somewhere. I plan to keep it going and keep posting about soccer. I hope you enjoy the updates and will keep coming back and looking for updates on the game you love! Who knows where it will go from here.
So…I have been trying to find some time to really get into and blog on the World Cup. That darn work thing always gets in the way…and then a weekend trip out of town…and well, you get the idea…no BLOG that I had promised. And then today, I found myself curious on the score of Belgium vs. Japan. Belgium has been my favorite National Team the past few World Cups. I had checked my phone at saw that it was 0-0 at the half and thought maybe I should treat myself to a late lunch and watch the second half. What a really good decision that was. I flip on the TV and BAM, at the 55 minute mark it is Japan 2-0. What the heck, my favorite to win the World Cup has given up 2 goals in 10 minutes and is on the verge of getting eliminated. But hey, still 35 minutes left, maybe they can find a way.
And then, it what is one of the most improbable comebacks in World Cup history, Belgium stuns Japan. I was just mesmerized at the turn in the game. It was truly epic. Japan’s first goal was the result of a really bad defensive gaff from Jon Vertonghen. 1-0 Japan. The second, a great shot but maybe GK Courtois could have made a save, 2-0 Japan. But then, the soccer gods flipped the script. Belgium had been pressing for a goal and just could not find the final shot or the final pass. A few great saves on headers by Romelu Lukaku kept the Red Devils scoreless. Belgium coach Roberto Martinez makes a few substitutions, into the game comes Fellaini and Chadli. Let’s see how that works out. In Redemption Part 1, Vertonghen scores a really crazy but totally intentional header. Not your normal thumping header from the box, but a well calculated and floating header that finds the back post. Unreal to be honest that he was able to score on that header. 2-1. Game On!
Really Good Substitution Part 1. Fellaini, who stands 6’4″ and is a beast in the box on headers was looking dangerous from the start of his entry int the game. Several good attempts on headers were just wide. At one point he was out wide and sending in a cross…and I thought…dude, what are you doing out there, Belgium needs you in the box! At the 75 minute mark, Edan Hazard (another of the reasons I watch Belgium), works a great move on the left side, circles back toward the line and rifles a beautiful cross into the box…that finds Fellaini…BAM. Back of the net, 2-2.
Redemption Part 2. Courtois, who maybe did not have his best game, comes up with two really nice saves in the last 5 minutes. At the 93 minute mark, on a Japan corner, Courtois takes a cross out of the air and instantly distributes a wonderful leading ball roll out to midfielder Kevin DeBruyne. And then what unfolds is maybe the most beautiful counter attack goal I have ever seen in the world cup. DeBruyne takes 3 touches and then executes a perfect pass into space on the right-wing. When you watch the highlights, take special notice of the speed of the attack. 4 players across the field for Belgium all running at full speed and spaced wonderfully. It is really amazing. Lukaku is just above the line of 4 and moving into position. but still 5 Japan defenders in the area. If any one of the 5 Belgium players don’t commit to the attack, likely if falls apart, but they all are fully committed. The wide ball into space goes to Meunier who one touches the pass back across into the box for Lukaku. Lukaku, in maybe the best dummy of all time, lifts up his right leg to let the ball run across him, and does not take the selfish move and shoot. Lukaku had spotted Chadli’s run as he was moving up field, but then he turned his back to Chadli to face the pass coming across from Meunier. To have the trust in a teammate to be in the right spot, to give up a chance for glory and take the shot and then to execute the dummy to perfection and pull the defender to him to create the space Chadli needed. And then there is Really Good Substitution Part 2. Nacir Chadli who has been sprinting at full speed down the left side measures the ball coming past Lukaku and one times a left footed drive past the Japan GK and into the left side of the net….on what was the final touch of the game.
Quick repeat. Courtois takes the ball out of the air, lays off a rolling pass to DeBruyne, 3 dribbles and a pass, one touch pass from Meunier, dummy by Lukaku, one touch shot by Chadli. Goal! Wow! 3-2 win Belgium. Amazing goal. Really amazing goal! 10 seconds. You will want to watch that goal a few times. If you enjoy soccer, then really appreciate what they did in 10 seconds. I love It! I am now fully engaged into the World Cup. More posts to follow. Thank you Belgium.
World Cup Group Play Recap
8 Groups of 4 or 32 teams start the World Cup. Groups A-I start the tournament in Round Robin Play, each team gets three games and the top 2 from each Group advance to the Knock Out Stages. World Cup scoring is in effect. 3 points for a win, 1 for a tie and no points for a loss. To advance to knock outs, point total ties go to multiple tie-breakers, goals scored, goals allowed, total goals, etc. Here were some highlights from the Group Stage. It is 5 minutes you will really enjoy. So many unbelievable goals.
And now we move into the Knock Out stage.
16 teams, win and advance or lose and go home. We are 3/4 thru the Knock Outs. 6 games down and 2 to go. The first 6 have been epic.
France v. Argentina. France led by Kylian Mbappe, only 19 years old, yes, 19, scores two goals, earns a penalty in a 4-3 win over Lionel Messi and Argentina…passing of the torch maybe.
Uruguay v. Portugal. Uruguay defeat Christiano Ronaldo 2-1 and take down another of the game’s greats in the knockout stage.
Russia v. Spain. 1-1 after regulation and two overtimes and then on to PK’s. Russia advance 4-3 on PK’s. A pre-tournament favorite is OUT!
Croatia v. Denmark. 1-1 after regulation and two overtimes and then on to PK’s. Sound familiar. Back to back PK games. Croatia advance 3-2 on PK’s.
Brazil v. Mexico. Brazil advance with a 2-0 win over Mexico.
Belgium v. Japan. Please see above!!! Enough said. Belgium advance with thrilling 3-2 win.
Sweden v. Switzerland. Tuesday.
England v. Columbia. Tuesday.
Quarter-Finals Approaching. 4 Huge Games Friday and Saturday.
Uruguay v. France July 6
Brazil v. Belgium July 6.
Russia v. Croatia. July 7
Winners of Tuesdays Game in the final Quarter-Final. July 7.
Biggest Surprise So Far: Germany Eliminated in the Group Stage
Here is a little history for you. The World Cup is played once every 4 years. There have been 20 World Cup competitions since the inaugural event in 1930. The top winners of the competition as follows: Only 8 Countries have won this incredible tournament.
Brazil 5 Times
Germany and Italy 4 times
Argentina and Uruguay 2 Times
France, England, Spain 1 each.
In those 20 competitions, Germany has finished first 4 times, Runner-Up 4 times, Third 4 Times, and 4th place once. A total of 13 times in the Top 4 in the World Cup. Brazil has been in the Top 4 only 11 times. So the most successful and consistent team in World Cup history for top finishes and who has made it into the knock out stage in every competition since 1938, was eliminated in the Group Stages. SHOCKING. Germany eliminated in the Group Stage, I had to write it twice, to make sure I believed it. For comparison, The USA has finished in the Top 4 once, in the inaugural tournament in 1930. hosted by and won by Uruguay. 13 teams made up that first tournament.
Can’t wait for England tomorrow. Only two Top 4’s for England but that includes their historical win in 1966. Maybe this is another magical year for England. Or maybe Belgium!! But France is looking strong….and Brazil wants revenge for last years humiliating loss to Germany. Oh my!! I am now fully engaged into the World Cup 2018!
So, a few weeks have passed and now it is time to reflect. Memorial wrapped up their season in the Sectional Finals with a difficult 4-2 loss to Bay Port. I could have written this blog last year…same result, Memorial loses to Bay Port in the Sectional Finals, just a different score 3-2 in OT. Felt like this one was headed to OT until the cruel fates of soccer prevailed. A shot to take the lead just misses and near full-time, Bay Port somehow finds the game winner on a shot that typically does not find the net. In a game of inches, Bay Port found a way against a very good and determined Memorial team. Bummer dude. That sucks! Tough way to go out…back to back years to Bay Port. Does it help that Bay Port went on to win the State Title. Not sure, but maybe it was just destiny…Bay Port lost in the State finals last year and was on a revenge tour to get back and win. That on top of having some of the best talent in the state. Tough combination.
So..a successful season by an awesome group of players or …..a disappointment to go out in the same round against the same team…YES. I think you probably are feeling both, but mainly you just wanted to see this group make it to State. They really deserved that. Just dumb luck to have to face the State Champion in the Sectional Finals. I felt this team had all the keys to a deep run. Solid GK, tough defense, possession minded and aggressive midfield, dynamic forwards, experience….just needed a little luck as every team does to get to state. Bummer dude…did I say that already? So I am taking the great season approach!
So let’s take a little stroll down memory lane and recap the season for you.
Season Stats
Record: 18-3-1
Shut Outs: 9
Goals Scored: 119 (5.4 per game)
Goals Allowed: 22 (1 per game)
Conference Record: 14-0
Conference, Regional Champ
Player Stats- Goals Scored
Abigail Stow 37
Lauren Carmody 20
Josie Barstad 14
Jacque Beaudrie 9
Ali Bowe 8
Serena Sorenson 7
Ava Kison 5
Molly Graaskamp 5
Olivia Pasch 3
Madison Etzel 2
Morgan Priem, Sarah Lindsay, Rebekah Gerry, Jenna Hinden, Claire Steines 1 each.
A few thoughts:
Good News/Bad News. 34% of your goals are returning…but you lost the Conference Player of the year.
Stow was Hot late. As the season progressed, Stow started to take over. She scored 37, but 25 of those were in the last 9 games. She scored the only 2 goals in the final game.
Post Season Honors
With a team this successful, you are going to have some players recognized for the individual performances.
Abigail Stow: Conference Player of the Year, 1st Team All Conference, 1st Team All State
Ali Bowe: 1st Team All Conference, 2nd Team All State.
Rebekah Gerry, Serena Sorenson, Ava Kison: 1st Team All Conference
Lauren Carmody, Leah Hujik: 2nd Team All conference
Jordan Barstad: Honorable Mention Big Rivers. I think maybe Cameron Carmody as well, but not 100% sure I have that right, My apologies. She certainly deserves it!
State Tournament Results
Division 1. Bay Port over Sheboygan North 3-1 for State Title. Interesting note: Bay Port’s only loss of the season was to Sheboygan North 1-0. What a way to end your season, getting revenge on your only loss of the year and winning state after losing in the finals the previous year. Story book stuff. It’s a pretty cool story…except they beat us. Bummer Dude!
Division 2. Brookfield Central state champs 2-0 over Oregon. Quite a dynasty they have in Brookfield. River Falls made the state semi-finals Very Cool!
Division 3. Notre Dame 1-0 over Catholic Memorial. Yes, the very same Notre Dame we lost 2-1 in a great game. Rice Lake made the state semi-finals. Very Cool!
Division 4. Kenosha St. Joseph 2-1 over Cedar Grove-Belgium. Regis made the state semi-finals. Very Cool!
In case you were not aware, Memorial has a nice history in the state soccer tournament. 9 trips to State along with 15 BRC titles, and I think. Impressive.
DeRusha Resigns
Hard to have a season recap without mentioning there is a change of leadership coming to Memorial Old Abes girls soccer program. Scott DeRusha stepped down as Head Coach after a very successful 5 year run at the helm. An impressive 99-16-3 record, 5 BRC Titles in 5 years and 1 trip to State. Sure wish he had hit the century mark, would have meant a trip to state. Bummer Dude! It is a very attractive program for a head coach candidate. Great program, successful history, rich tradition, dominant Conference record, a winning program with a chance to get to State every year. Sounds pretty good. Anxious to hear the replacement. Can they keep their run going….will they reload and not rebuild….will they change systems…great questions. I do know they have some serious talent to build around. AND some serious talent coming into the program as Freshman next year. All the best to Coach DeRusha, quite a run and quite a program he built. Thank You! The future is bright!
A few Highlights to Remember the Season
Started the season on an 13 game unbeaten streak. Impressive.
Ranked as high as #2 in the State Coaches Poll in mid season. The highest raniking I can remeber for the program.
Winning Goal vs North
Maybe the Best Game of the Year. A classic game of two really good teams. Physical play, great athletes all over the field. Down 1-0 late when Abigail Stowe did this. This really sums up her Conference Player of the Year Award. Wow! And you just knew it would happen and DC Everest still couldn’t stop it.
Congrats to the 7 seniors on a great season and for your contributions to the program. This will be a tough group to replace but the program is deep and the next wave is coming! Returning starters Hujik (GK), Ava Kison, Abby Jochimson, Gretchen Hanson (Defenders), Jacque Beaudrie (winger), Cameron Carmody (Midfield) and Lauren Carmody (Forward) make a solid foundation to build from. A deep bench with players ready to fill the gaps from the Seniors. A JV program full of potential. Whose next! Go Abes!
Well that wasn’t supposed to happen quite like that. We were prepared for a tight battle, a nail biter, right down to the wire..maybe even a PK shoot out. We looked at the schedule and saw Stevens Point had played DC Everest to a tie…twice…and figured this one would be close. It wasn’t.
Memorial played one of their better games of the season and totally dominated Stevens Point 7-1 on Thursday night to secure a berth in the Sectional Finals today in Wausua. This one was over early as Memorial came out on the front foot and was active from the start. Possession was solid, the ball moved quickly, players were energized and the Abes put SPASH under pressure right away. Some games you just know things will go your way…the first goal was a good indication it was going to be Memorials night. A good run of possession and passing found Barstad with the ball on the left-wing and turning back onto her right for a shot. Stow was lurking in the box near the 6 in a dangerous spot. I don’t think this was the plan, but they don’t ask how, they just ask how many in sports. 1-0 Abes at the 8 minute mark.
Stow bagged her first of the night on a nice play out wide. She received the ball near midfield and just did what Stow does. Played a ball into space, used her speed and athleticism to create some separation and calmly found the side net. She makes it look so easy, but it is anything but…a quality finish after an aggressive move into the box. Stow is on a nice roll and seems to be making everything right now. She ended up with a hat trick tonight and is finding her stride at just the right part of the season.
Stow got loose again on the right-wing and again made a nice aggressive run into the box. The defender makes a last-ditch effort to tackle the ball…not sure she made contact with the ball…but did make contact with Stow. A little surprised no penalty call on this one. As Stow is going down, she somehow finds a way to deliver a little pass. Bowe is there and drives a low shot to the left of the keeper who makes a nice save….unfortunately…right into the path of the johnny-on-the-spot Beaudrie for the tap in goal. Is that a phrase kids know, not sure, but sure seems the right way to describe Beaudrie. She is always lurking on the back post and cleans up a lot of deflections for goals.
A goal by Barstad…a rocket from near the 18 finished off the first half scoring, 4-0 Abes. Game over. For good measure, The Abes struck first in the second half to squash any comeback thoughts by SPASH, another calm side net finish from Stow. A goal on a set play corner kick got SPASH on the board, 5-1, but a nice direct kick from Beaudrie and an upper 90 strike from Stow finished this one off, 7-1.
A few thoughts on this one.
Playoff Soccer Script. Score early…check. Score multiple first half goals…check. Score early in the second half to avoid any crazy comeback…check. Gain confidence and rest players for the next game…check. No injuries….check. Stay hot and keep momentum building for the next game…check. The Abes checked all the boxes in this one.
Next Round: Bay Port for the right to go to State. Bay Port…ugh. Memories of last years tough 3-2 OT loss start swirling around when you think about the game today. This one really should be a close game and a nail biter.
The Good News, It’s a Revenge Game. Players are ready. The seniors and other players from last years team have the OT loss fresh in their memories. They are ready. They are jacked up. They are focused. They really really want to get past Bay Port and onto State. As well, Bay Port is ranked #1 in the State so that would add a little cherry on top to beat them today.
The Bad New, It’s a Revenge Game. Are they too jacked up and ready. Will they just be too fired up today. We just need them to play their game, stay calm…possess…find shots…move the ball and defend. Stow will get her chances. The defense needs to be ready for a battle. Hujik needs to come up with a big game. Memorial is on a nice roll and peaking at the right time. It is a wonder what practice will do! More bad news….Bay Port is really good! They lost in the State Finals last year and are looking to get back. It should be a good one.
I’m back. Sorry for the delay in posts, but sometimes life gets in the way of blogging. Graduations, Work, Busy Weekends all conspired to steal my time the past few weeks…but I am back and excited for the big game tonight. Full time blogger some day….just not today…bummer.
Eau Claire Memorial vs. Stevens Point in the Sectional Semi-Finals
Lets take a quick look at how we got here. Memorial cruised by #8 Superior 16-0 in Round 1 of the playoffs. A week of practice had the Abes sharp and ready and Superior really had no chance in this one. The Abes scored early and often and had piled up 11 goals by halftime. Not really sure why they toss out the 10 goal rule in the playoffs, but it certainly makes for some awkward games. Not fun really for either team, but that’s the rule, so you play it out. Here are a few highlights from Superior.
Barstad has a dangerous left foot. Getting her back out on the wing and getting her into some space could be really important for the Abes to advance deeper into the playoffs. Here is a rocket into the corner of the net. Well placed and well struck. A nice goal!
Memorials most dangerous player is Stow. She certainly has a lot of help this year, but sometimes big games just need a big player. She will be a big part of Memorial’s plans the rest of the way. A little sample of what she can do in the open field. Impressive run and calm finish.
Next up was Hudson in the Regional Finals. Earlier this year, Memorial played one of the best games in defeating Hudson 4-1 on the road and then followed that up with a solid 3-1 win at home. Hudson has some skilled players but lacks some big game experience. Always tough to beat a team three times in a season, but the Abes came into the game fresh and really controlled things from the very beginning.It was pretty clear from the beginning of the game that Hudson had made the decision to play their GK on a high line to shut down thru balls to their strikers. Memorial has scored a ton of goals finding Stow or Carmody in space. It was a gamble. It paid off early as the GK was able to clean things up on a few dangerous balls. I was next to Coach Yengo the first half and we both commented that it was just a matter of time. Memorial would figure out the GK’s position and take advantage. If a team plays a high GK, you just have to make them pay. GK’s have to be very confident they can get to the ball if they come out high. Shots from distance and chips over the top can be devastating if you play your GK high and you just need players who can execute and take advantage ….Memorial has those players.
After missing on some early opportunities, Stow found herself in the middle of the field near the 18 after a nice pass from the wing. The GK comes out again, but Stow is ready.
Easy chip over the top for the 1-0 lead….well, maybe not so easy, but Stow certainly makes it look easy! Memorial continues to press and get shots and a few minutes later they strike again. Another ball near the 18 and the GK comes out again on Carmody. She is able to get a deflection on the shot, but it dribbles past her and right into the path of a surging Stow…easy tap in goal for a 2-0 lead. Hudson never really threatens and Memorial GK Hujik shuts down any shots and things stay pretty comfortable the rest of the way. Very similar to the first half, Memorial strikes again in the second on another strike from near the 18. Stow presses Hudson and Carmody cleans things up for the 3-0 lead and the final tally. Nice left by the way!!
Sectional Semi-Finals
A few notes.
-It is hard to compare teams who have not played, but let’s give it a shot. Steven Point played DC Everest three times. Two of those games were ties, 3-3 and 0-0 in the Regional finals decided 5-4 in a PK shoot Out. Not sure the third, but thinking Stevens Point won that game. Memorial tied DC Everest 1-1 early in the season. Based on all that, this should be a very competitive game.
-Ali Bowe is back and playing well. She takes this team up a notch in quality of play and is a key cog in the attack. She missed some games against non-conference opponents, so it will be great to see her out there tonight against SPASH. she is a difference maker.
-Expect Stevens Point to put a lot of focus onto Stow…double teams, triple teams, physical play, bumping, pulling, tugging, etc. I think Stow still gets her chances, she is just that good, but we may need some of the other weapons to step up tonight…and there are plenty. Barstad, Beaudrie, Bowe, Sorenson, L. Carmody and others will get shots tonight.
-A competitive Sectional; Bay Port, the #1 team in the state faces off against Appleton West in a 1-2 seed game in the other half of the bracket. Bay Port with only 1 loss this year, 1-0 to Sheboygan North. As a reminder, Memorial only has 2 losses, both by 1 goal on what I would call some unfortunate goals and playing without some injured players. As Coach Calipari (University of Kentucky reference) says often….I like my team!!
Okay, that feels like a good way to start the next post. Well done Abes. Undefeated in league play (so far, don’t want to jinx them) Conference Champs is even better.
Memorial Cruises Past Chippewa Falls
As we discussed in the last post, we expected Memorial to come out firing on all cylinders after the tough weekend. We got what we expected. With only one day rest, but likely a little fire brewing in their bellies, the Abes took on a competitive Chippewa Falls team. The first meeting was a battle that was not decided until late, a 2-1 win at Chippewa Falls. This one was over early. With a key player returning to the line up, the Abes looked confident, played with a swag, loose and easy and dominated the play from beginning to end. The rotations looked a little different; a combination of returning players, and rotating the squad a bit to keep players rested with all the games lately. Goals by Stow (2) , L. Carmody (2), and Bowe (welcome back) had Memorial leading 5-0 at the half. The solid confident play continued into the second half with goals by Stow (2), Beaudrie, Barstad ( a screaming rocket!) and Madsion Etzel to finish this one off 10-0. Back at home, back in the BRC and Back on track for the Abes. It was a nice way to ease back into the final stretch after a tough weekend. A new win streak started, players back and confidence restored.
Abes Stay Hot As They Take Down Hudson
The first game against Hudson was maybe the best half of the season I have seen. A really strong display of possession, midfield dominance and ball movement showed the Abes were the real deal. That seemed a long time ago but the replay again showed Memorial is ready for a deep run this year. Long stretches of possession in the Hudson half and pressure on the back four made the first half a near repeat of the first game. First half goals by Olivia Pasch and Stow had the Abes up 2-0. The first goal is one of my favorites so far this year. Check it out! A great strike by Stow is stopped by an excellent save by the Hudson GK. Stow stays calm, and plays a nice square pass across the box to Pasch. Pasch had a few options and you kind of expect a hard drive, low on the ground to try to beat the GK…..but oh no, that would be the easy play. OLIVIA ELECTS TO DROP A FLOATING LOFTED BALL OVER THE TOP OF THE GK AND INTO THE NET….what….and she pulls it off. Very nice!!
The Abes kept pressing for a second goal and earned a 2-0 lead on a nice hustle goal from Stow. A ball the GK could not contain and Stow pounced, right place at the right time. Later in the half she almost extended the lead with a nice trap, turn and shot.
So 2-0 at the half and everything under control. Not so fast…..and much like the first half, Hudson finds some energy and has a nice spell to open the half. A long ball into space and a 1 v 1 battle down the field leads to a nice finish and a 2-1 lead. Game On! As has happened a few times this year, Memorial responds. The game in the balance, would 2-1 slip away….or would Memorial respond. Respond they did. Just Six minutes later, and who better than Stow to answer.
A great pass by Sorensen leads Stow into the box and Stow calmly puts its past the GK.
Two goal lead restored and Memorial back in control. Memorial controlled the game the rest of the way and continued to press for a 4th while limiting Hudson opportunities. And then at the 69th minute mark something special happened. I have to call myself out first though. Big time rookie blogger mistake when you forget to make sure your phone is charged. And then you run out of power in the middle of the second half. And then you miss maybe the best goal of the season. Dumb, I know. My bad Ali. A penalty and direct kick are awarded near the Memorial 18, probably about 25 yards out. I make a comment to another fan nearby that this is a really dangerous spot for a direct kick. Ali Bowe steps up behind the ball, the whistle blows, she approaches the shot and ….bam….a rocket shot over the wall and headed to goal. GK is ready but the ball is on a perfect trajectory and headed toward the bar. The GK jumps and stretches for the ball but the shot is just outside her reach…and just under the bar, a target area with only a few inches to spare. The ball hits the bar, goes bar down, deflects off the GK and into the net. How did that happen. The perfect shot. Bar down and into the net. Wow! Really bummed I didn’t get it on tape. But….in honor of Ali, I did find this on YouTube. So just replace Marc Burch with Ali, make it a right footed shot…and you get the idea what happened.
One more conference game and them the real season starts! Go Abes!
First two losses of the season for the Abes on the same weekend, both by one goal after leading both games. So….that’s the quick highlight, but lots to talk about, so let’s get into it.
After a 13 game run with 12 wins and a tie it finally happened. No real surprise, I don’t think anyone expected an undefeated season. Some early season injury trouble and still missing a critical cog in midfield were all signs a loss might come. The BRC has provided a few challenges but unscathed so far. The non-conference schedule was a beast. If a loss was coming, you figured this was the spot. 8 games in the past 12 days. Throw in a rest day and you end up with just a few practice sessions to work on things. You add in a back to back against two very good, highly rated and skilled programs and really no surprise it was this weekend when the loss occurred.
Is a loss good? Lots of theories on this one. Some coaches claim no loss is a good loss. Others have the philosophy that every loss is a coaching moment and lessons learned. You either win or you learn. Sometimes coaches need a loss to get the players attention. Keep them hungry. Every team has that moment in a season where they need to dig a little deeper, fight a little harder, play a little better and maybe this is that moment for Memorial. So does this weekend get the players attention…we are beatable…we can’t rely on a late goal in every close game…we need to make sure we are focused in every practice and during all 90 minutes of the game. Time will tell, but I think this team will respond well to the weekend. They have shown great resilience all season. They are a bunch of fighters…they are tough. Now, I would have loved for them to get the win in the second game this weekend, but it wasn’t meant to be. I am marking this down as the moment in the season this team rallies together and goes on to have a great finish. It feels like all their players may be available soon, they can get their rotations back to where they want and I think become a very dangerous team. I hope Coach DeRusha has some opportunity to practice soon, but the condensed season has been a challenge. Once they get past the Menomonie game on Thursday, it will be like a second pre-season camp as they fine tune for the playoffs. I am pretty sure he cant wait!
Memorial vs. Notre Dame
I was not at this game but was checking updates on the ECM twitter account. It felt like Memorial had this one in hand. Goal by Carmody, Barstsad, and Stow lead to a 3-1 halftime lead. The lone goal against on a free kick from Notre Dame. A recurring theme of the weekend will be SET PLAYS. 6 minutes into the second half and Stow gets her second for a 4-1 lead. Game over? Up three is a pretty strong lead considering the defense and GK for Memorial. So I am checking the account every few minutes and it goes from 4-1 to 4-3 really quick. One of the goals on a Corner Kick Set Play. Then no updates for about 24 minutes and I am hoping they are holding on….then in a three-minute span it goes to 4-4 and then down one 5-4. Ouch! I checked with a few folks who shared of the 5 goals, 4 were on set plays. Either corner kicks (2), a free kick from just outside the box and a PK with 12 minutes to go. So I watch a lot of soccer, have coached a few years and I must say..that is very unusual. In fact, if I go back and think about all the games I have seen, very few goals have been scored thru the normal course of play. I remember just a few, and some of those on crazy wind aided long balls. The Memorial defense is stout! But these darn Set Plays. What the heck! 4 of the 5 goals. Just weird. And a tough way to lose by 1 goal.
Memorial vs. DSHA
So I was really intrigued by how Memorial would respond to the loss. I decided to drive out and catch the early game on Saturday. The first half was a tale of two halves. DHSA really dominated possession early. Memorial was on their heels a bit. DSHA had a strong midfield and they really controlled the play for the first 20-25 minutes. From the games I have seen, it was probably the most possession against Memorial all year. Very aggressive and physical play had the Abes off their game. And then a Stow thing happened. Sort of out of nowhere a long ball gets played over the top. It did not look dangerous to me so I did not hit record on my phone. Stow chasing down a ball as it heads toward the DSHA goal keeper near the 18. The GK has it all under control and is just waiting to play a pass and clear the ball. Stow keeps coming, fast! The GK is really waiting to clear this ball…interesting…here comes Stow…here comes the clearance…bam…right in the back of Stow who is very close…defects towards the goal and Stow beats the GK and a defender to the ball and calmly slots it into the goal for a 1-0 lead. Wow. How did that even happen, again, just a Stow thing. Not sure I have seen that before. Why didn’t I get that on tape. It just did not look like anything could come from that. Check out the video below. This happened a few minutes later, almost identical to the goal….except this time the GK ( a new one by the way) clears the ball with a bit more urgency and Stow can’t block it. But imagine the ball bouncing off Stow’s back toward the goal and her running forward and tapping it into the goal. You can see it , right!
Memorial seems energized and then for the last 20 minutes of the half really takes control of the game. Possession improves, midfield play responds and takes charge. Opportunities to score, shots on goal, a really strong run of play. I think they left a few goals out there in the first half. Here is a nice sequence that almost leads to a 2-0 lead. Nice save!
And then the second half. DSHA came out strong again and really play energized soccer in the second half. A pretty even battle, but it did feel DSHA had better possession and time on the ball. Nothing too dangerous as far as shots on goal. Memorial was able to absorb the pressure and get balls cleared out of danger. About 12 minutes into the half and DSHA earns a corner kick. So, another set play. I have not recorded plays from Memorials opposition all year, I just try to catch goals for Memorial. I am down at the other end of the field but decide, maybe I will film this one. But, really it couldn’t happen again, not another goal on a corner kick after all the crazy goals yesterday. Bummer, 1-1. Strange, but hey , that’s soccer. With evenly matched team, it can sometimes come down to execution on set plays to determine a winner. I watched Memorials’s boys team get knocked out of a few Sectional Finals and State games on crazy set plays. It happens. And then for me, the play of the game happens. Tied a 1, Memorial starts to pick up possession game play and has a nice run of play. A beautiful thru ball and run by Carmody and she is in on goal. You can watch for yourself. There were a few groans out there on this one. I was not at the perfect angle, but I have watched it a bunch of times, I am not sure how she is offsides. I like to give the AR the benefit of doubt, but folks in line with the play seemed pretty clear it was not. It obviously was very close. Bummer. Felt like this might have made it 2-1, but it was not meant to be on this day.
So, you have probably guessed by now, the game winner by DSHA is another corner kick goal. Crazy but true. I happened to film this one also, but could not bring myself to posting either of these two goals. A tough way to lose, but I will also say I was really proud of how the girls kept fighting after the second goal. The never quit, they never lose their composure, they just play on. They had a few really good chances to equalize. Stow got loose a few times, Kison got up into the box for a few shots, Carmody looked dangerous in the middle. Time just ran out. Two really good teams with little separation. Good game.
A few Thoughts
Set plays are coachable. I feel pretty confident Memorial will work out the set play issues. They just need some practice time. Players need to stay with their marks, laser focus on getting the ball cleared. A little work with the team on positioning. Clean up the goals on set plays as the defense gives up very few opportunities for teams to score.
Practice time is coming soon. Get past this week and the schedule smooths out. Practice is coming…and I hope a key player comes back soon. Fingers crossed.
Still feeling really good about this team. A little wobble this weekend, but no worries. These girls are fighters. They will use this weekend to fuel their late season push and playoff run. Go Abes!
