Dayton at # 4 Stanford today at 4 PM

[College B-Ball Fan]

I think we get a win today......

[Chris R]

If we keep it within 4 goals ill be happy.

[Avid Flyer]

Originally Posted by College B-Ball Fan I think we get a win today......

Not there yet. Long way to go. Might get schooled today. But, hey, anything is possible, right

[College B-Ball Fan]

Originally Posted by Chris R If we keep it within 4 goals ill be happy.

Chris you don't look to happy.......and haven't "sounded" real happy lately! Maybe the ladies will keep it under 3 and we'll call it a successful day

Go Flyers!

[Lifelong Flyer Fan]

Being streamed http://pac-12.com/videos/stanford-university

[College B-Ball Fan]

Stanford 3-0 so far first half. Stanford playing "possession" now.....not many real flyer threats on goal thus far! I'm still hoping to keep it within 3.....looks like we won't be getting close to a win!

[ud69]

Men against boys. We are getting whipped and manhandled all over the field. Not real competitive. Not seeing a lot of fire and effort from the Flyers.

[Avid Flyer]

Originally Posted by Lifelong Flyer Fan Being streamed http://pac-12.com/videos/stanford-university

My streaming needs some Tylenol as too much buffering.

[Avid Flyer]

Originally Posted by College B-Ball Fan I think we get a win today......

More accurately "I think we get winded today"

[Avid Flyer]

Originally Posted by ud69 Men against boys. We are getting whipped and manhandled all over the field. Not real competitive. Not seeing a lot of fire and effort from the Flyers.

The sisters of the poor would have given a better showing. But there's still a half to go. Good news is we haven't given up a goal in the last 15 minutes

Whoops, spoke too soon. Gives up a goal in 2:13 min of 2nd half.

[Avid Flyer]

Guess James is our best and only viable option at Goal. If so it is going to be along season and no post season. Her weak leg is killing us.

8:44 seconds into second half and they score two more goals. 5-0 this is a butt whopping and it ain't over.

[Avid Flyer]

At 59:11 Jenna Ditusa in goal for Dayton. Can't hurt, I guess. Hope she has a leg.

Some good news. UD men tied with UAB end of regulation 0-0. UD has 6 saves. someone needs to wake up the UAB goalie as he has no saves.

[Chris R]

I had to turn the Stanford stream off.

I have no words for the pitiful inexcusable effort -- not execution but EFFORT. I dont mind getting drilled 5-6-7 to zip by Stanford. But I have a problem with looking like we're there as tourists.

[Avid Flyer]

Originally Posted by Chris R I had to turn the Stanford stream off. I have no words for the pitiful inexcusable effort -- not execution but EFFORT. I dont mind getting drilled 5-6-7 to zip by Stanford. But I have a problem with looking like we're there as tourists.

Guess I was blessed as my stream didn't work.
UD men earn a 0-0 tie end of 2nd OT. Now 2-2-2 on season.

Ladies now 2-5-1 Very poor showing final UD 0 Stanford 8.

[ud69]

8-0 final. One of the most pathetic matches ever by a Dayton women's soccer team. The Cardinal may well be a national title contender but we did not belong on the same field with them today.

Could have been even worse. Stanford called off the dogs and pulled Walker and others after she got her hat trick to make it 5-0 in minute 54. The clock could not run fast enough that second half.

[Chris R]

That was the worst beating in the history of UD Womens Soccer.

Far less talented teams have competed better against equal or more talented foes.

[Avid Flyer]

All anyone can ask is give the effort. Better talent may win out but the bottom line is did you compete. The Palm trees must have been a distraction.

This game told us more about this team and the ladies than we cared to know. Now the question is, how do they and the coaches respond after a totally flat out effortless attempt.

Total effort has been lacking in the last 4 womens soccer teams.

Regroup, or wilt?

[College B-Ball Fan]

Originally Posted by Chris R That was the worst beating in the history of UD Womens Soccer. Far less talented teams have competed better against equal or more talented foes.

OK Chris so what is wrong other than a lack of effort? Or is it all about a lack of effort? Is stanford just that much better than every other team we've faced and will face or is there something else we don't know about?

[Avid Flyer]

Originally Posted by College B-Ball Fan OK Chris so what is wrong other than a lack of effort? Or is it all about a lack of effort? Is stanford just that much better than every other team we've faced and will face or is there something else we don't know about?

Is this a serious question? You don't seem to think effort is that big a deal.

Stanford is unbeaten, Wins:

Beat North Carolina 1-0 OT
Beat Duke 2-0
Beat Portland 1-0
Beat UC Santa Barbara 2-0
Tied Notre Dame 0-0
Beat Florida 1-0 OT
Beat Dayton 8-0

Anything in those victories stick out to you? All games were competetive except one, can you tell which one?

Underdogs have beaten their opponents with effort, sometmes it beats talent. Lack of effort against a top 4 opponent gets you what UD got today. And thats after Stanford's coach called off their big dogs.

[UACFlyer]

Originally Posted by Avid Flyer Is this a serious question? You don't seem to think effort is that big a deal. Stanford is unbeaten, Wins: Beat North Carolina 1-0 OT Beat Duke 2-0 Beat Portland 1-0 Beat UC Santa Barbara 2-0 Tied Notre Dame 0-0 Beat Florida 1-0 OT Beat Dayton 8-0 Anything in those victories stick out to you? All games were competetive except one, can you tell which one? Underdogs have beaten their opponents with effort, sometmes it beats talent. Lack of effort against a top 4 opponent gets you what UD got today. And thats after Stanford's coach called off their big dogs.

While our record is far from good, UD has been competitive in every game....and we beat UCSB by the same score as Stanford. Seems to me that our record and performance in previous games is not consistent with today's humiliation.

[Chris R]

We didn't waste Stanford's time today. We wasted our own. I felt differently on Friday night.

There are personnel shortcomings, but, I wont go into that for now.

[Avid Flyer]

Originally Posted by UACFlyer While our record is far from good, UD has been competitive in every game....and we beat UCSB by the same score as Stanford. Seems to me that our record and performance in previous games is not consistent with today's humiliation.

Which is why many are feeling the effort wasn't there today, like it wasn't against tOSU. We gave up 4 goals to an average tOSU team, 4 goals to a very good Texas AM team. Giving up just too many goals. After our 5-1 win over Murray State our offense has been shut down and our defense softened.

In an earlier video of Waters she reiterated what Julianna Libertine and Colleen Williams had said previously. Only a few players plaly like the game matters, only a few hustle while the others either just take up space or have a let the others do it. This team has a great wealth of talent but it takes all of them to play together and do their part.

Defense used to be our strength. GK used to secure shut outs on a routine basis. Now its our weakest link. As Chris R hinted there are personnel issues and they need be addressed pronto. Too inconsistant and lackadaisical. Gotta correct all that before A-10 conference play. We have 3 games to hone things up.

	Chris Rieman CHRIS RIEMAN, PUBLISHER Founder and publisher of UDPride.com. Writer, photographer, videographer, coder, grip, comedian, auto aficionado, and lifelong Flyer fan.

[NorthernFlyer]

I am concerned about effort but I think it there is more to it than that. I saw excellent effort from a few players yesterday that went unrewarded.

What's more concerning for me is that some of our players, who play a lot of minutes, seriously lack the fundamentals that should have been taught at younger ages. And our coaching staff appear to be simply spectators to the events unfolding with very little intervention.

When you are receiving a pass in the midfield/wing/forward position you need to look over your shoulder to see what is going on behind you when the ball is on the way so that your first touch is in the direction of the open space or is a pass to a player in open space. Also, you are looking behind you AS YOU ARE MOVING TOWARDS THE BALL NOT STANDING AND WAITING FOR IT.

The drill at age 9, 10, 11, and 12 went like this: Check out (move away from the ball to draw the defender back), check in (move towards the ball and do it quickly to create separation), look over your shoulder (you should be deciding at this point where you are going to play it), receive the ball, play one touch if you can and two touches if you have too! I know the Stanford players did the same drill because I watched them do it all day yesterday with great success.

We turned the ball over many times yesterday because the player receiving the pass did not look over their shoulder and either lost out to an opposing player coming from behind or simply played it back in the direction from whence it came which is where the pressure was to begin with. On a few occasions yesterday they would have seen nothing but green behind them if they just had a look.

We gave up at least two goals yesterday in transition because we cannot make a simple 10 yard pass to the feet of a teammate. On both occasions we attempted 10 yard passes that were 5 yards behind the player and gave them a break in transition that resulted in easy goals (too easy by the way). This is not someone having a bad day. These are the same players consistently making bad passes where teammates have made the effort and made quality runs into open space. How many times did you see Stanford lose possession because their passes missed the target that badly. I don't remember any but not many nonetheless.

These are problems that I have seen for the last two years. One is coachable (but hasn't been coached for some reason) the other is just concentration.

Finally, lets get some structure to our defense. One of my peeves for the last couple of years is that our holding midfield get way too far up the field attacking and get beat badly on defense. HOLDING MIDFIELD IS A DEFENSIVE POSITION. IF IT WAS AN OFFENSIVE POSITION THAT WOULD CALL IT ATTACKING MIDFIELD.

It's inherent in the name what the position entails. Hold. That is to be behind the ball at all times. They are the first line of defense in the middle third that disrupts the oppositions transition attack and allows all players to get behind the ball and organized on defense. They are the primary outlet for a defender under pressure in the defensive third. If they are chasing the game on defense we are leaving our defenders exposed to the run of play, as we have seen all too often this year, no matter the competition let alone a top ten team. Opposition teams are playing passes directly from the backline to their forwards (who are checking in I should add) because the holding midfielders are inside the opposition 18 yard box. On offense, the holding midfield should be standing 20-30 yards out and wait for the opportunities to attack. If one goes in the other moves to a more central position to be in a good position to defend the transition. They NEVER go into the 18 yard box together. If our wingback gets up the field then the whole defense shifts to that side to cover the hole including the holding midfield. I think we have quality players in this position they just need to be coached and their play won't be as frantic as it has been this year.

We are giving up goals because of bad "team" defense not just bad defense. Every player on the field has defensive responsibilities not just the defenders. Wide and Holding Midfielders should always be behind the ball on defense. ALWAYS. If they attack and lose possession your primary goal is to get back behind the ball and defend as quickly as you possibly can. If you can't make the effort to defend then you shouldn't make the effort to attack.

Sometimes good strategy and coaching makes the effort a lot easier. To say that yesterday was only a result of players not giving effort is a misrepresentation of the facts. The symptoms have been there for a while now and we have not changed our strategy or formation at all. I am sorry but that rests with the coaches not the players.

This team is not as bad as it looked yesterday. We could have easily won our three preceding games and we are good enough to win not only our next three non-conference but every A10 game as well. We just have to stop making the same mistakes over and over and over again. That is the coaches job and it is time that they get together and fix it.

[jack72]

Just as last year's volleyball team had coaching and leadership problems, which few would admit to, our soccer team has coach and leadership problems. When the staff fails to address the lack of defense and goalkeeping for more than one year, shame on them. This program was set to join the top level a few years back. Now we are a good A10 team. Start pruning this tree at the top.

[UD62]

Looks like the posters are a little cranky. Easy to blame everybody but the watergirl after getting waxed by a top team. Played SC well, Stanford not so much. If the Admin had followed the advice of the board last January as regards basketball, AM would be gone as well as the AD. Seem really early for "Pruning at the top".

[NorthernFlyer]

I am not suggesting a change in personnel but a change in strategy would help. The problems with this team are the same as they have been for the last three years yet I have seen nothing done to fix it.

I personally think the coaches are more than capable of seeing what ails this team. Now try something, anything...to try and fix it.

[Chris R]

Originally Posted by NorthernFlyer We are giving up goals because of bad "team" defense not just bad defense. Every player on the field has defensive responsibilities not just the defenders.

I have made this argument since I started kicking a ball in the early 80s. Most assume defenders defend and attackers attack, but the reality is defense starts at striker and offense starts in the back line.

If your strikers cherrypick all day or cannot/will not dig out loose balls or apply pressure to the opposing back line and force an opposition to start their offense from their own goal box, you place too much pressure on the mids and defenders to defend a short field. Conversely, if your defensive backs do not have the wherewithal to play timely, accurate, and judicial service out of the defensive third, your own offense is forced to start from a bunker position as well.

Strikers score and defenders defend, but the true elite players from each group are the ones that play both ways and understand that neither is more or less important than the other. The best goal-scorers track back on defense and win loose balls -- without needing service every time to receive the rock. The best defenders make the midfielders job easy, as well as the strikers, by sending balls to the feet, understanding angles and diagonal passing, and not simply kicking the ball to kick it.

Just because a striker is 80 yards from their own defensive net doesnt mean their job or team need to apply pressure on the ball is any less important than a defender 6 yards in front of the goal line. And just because a defender is 80 yards from the opposition goal mouth doesnt mean their job to find the feet of teammates and kick-start a move forward is any less important.

They are the first dominoes. Offense starts in the rear, and defense starts in the front. And when that doesn't happen, you're effectively playing short-handed. In my inexperience, getting strikers to defend is the hardest thing to coach up in soccer. They are so used to getting the glory from scoring a goal that they have tunnel vision on what their job is. When was the last time an A10 Player of the Week was a right fullback? Probably never.

Ive got a special appreciation for defenders. But, it takes all 11 to defend and attack well.

The 2001 Sweet 16 team started the year 2-5 with losses to Oregon State, Michigan, Michigan State -- and voila -- Santa Clara and Stanford. Granted, that team had Weisenfeld (best UD GK ever), Showalter (best sweeper ever and 2-time A10 DPOY), Simonetti (3rd Team All American), and Tesia (one of best MF ever - 2 time HS All American). But turnarounds happen. Tucker always seems to get the team to a good place at year end where they have a shot to punch an NCAA ticket either at-large or auto-bid. I think that will still happen!

[ud69]

And interestingly enough, regarding that 2001 team - that was the year Gregg transferred out. It all starts with defense.

[jack72]

Originally Posted by UD62 Looks like the posters are a little cranky. Easy to blame everybody but the watergirl after getting waxed by a top team. Played SC well, Stanford not so much. If the Admin had followed the advice of the board last January as regards basketball, AM would be gone as well as the AD. Seem really early for "Pruning at the top".

Don't kid yourself, despite what some think the Admin does not follow the advice of the board on any major issue. This is an only opinion forum.

[UD62]

Originally Posted by jack72 Don't kid yourself, despite what some think the Admin does not follow the advice of the board on any major issue. This is an only opinion forum.

If the Admin did follow any advice from the board, they would deserve to be canned. I'm not kidding myself, the boards are simply entertainment, nothing more.

[Chris R]

Its revisionist history now, but I had a few minutes so I decided to look at Stanford's women's soccer history. In the last 15 seasons, only two other teams gave up 8 or more goals to them: Hawai'i and Montana.

Its safe to say those programs have never been at the level of UD. Sunday was a calamity of biblical proportions, say the facts.

I will now bury the hatchet for good and look ahead to Ohio University on Friday.