The University of Conneticut Huskies defeated the New Mexicos Lobos 2-1 in double overtime of their NCAA tournament third round match to get a birth to the elite eight round. Freshman Nicolas Zuniga's first goal of his collegiate career came at the right time, as he scored the golden goal for the Huskies. Devon Sandoval (NM) and Mamadou Diouf (CT) goals cancelled each other out before the Freshman's winner. UCONN will host Creighton on Sunday in the quarterfinals of the College Cup.
UCONN Huskies
Max Wasserman (Senior, Right Back, #22): The senior RB did all he could to keep his college career going. He made a game-saving tackle in the second half to keep the Lobos from going up 2-0. Then he served up the cross that was converted by Diouf. Did a decent job against New Mexico's Left Winger Blake Smith. And he also occupied the right wing in attack, had the work rate and the energy to do both jobs well. He has good control on the ball and is composed. He can whip in decent crosses, the Huskies could have scored a couple of times off his services. This performance along with getting further along the tournament will take him far, at least get him into the Combine.
Carlos Alvarez (Senior, Attacking CM, #10): Their most creative player in midfield. Likes to take set pieces. He didn't get too much going, but his touch and control was decent nevertheless. He checked deep into the midfield to start the attacks once he found it frustrating to join the attack from further up. At times, a bit selfish, but has good vision.
George Fochive (Junior, Defensive CM, #9): The Frenchman worked hard during Sunday's match, breaking up plays and making great tackles. Also showed he had the ability to switch fields with a long ball. Can cover tons of ground along the back-four and will take the place of a member of the back four when necessary.
New Mexico Lobos
Blake Smith (Senior, Left Midfield, #23): Blake is a very quick and talented midfielder. He didn't have the most freedom that he's probably had in many games this season. However you can tell he has what it takes to be a first round draft pick in the MLS. He's quick, good on the ball, and has very good vision. I saw him play this beautiful ball into the path of an attacker. He didn't have the same effectiveness during the later portions of the match. Quick player who has terrific vision, has a good left peg.
Devon Sandoval (Senior, Striker, #9) He scored his team's first goal. He was the first to the loose ball in the box. The player isn't the faster but he's strong and persistent. His touch was okay. Didn't show me great movement. He would at least project as a striker but I don't know how good he would be in the MLS. Seems like he doesn't have the technical ability to, but it was only one game I saw him in
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
(2) Radford vs (6) Winthrop (Big South Semifinal)
Winthrop defeated Radford 2-1 in overtime after Alex Istern scored his second goal of the match. The Spaniard was determined to cut inside from his left midfield spot and hit a nice volley which went to the far post of Radford's goal. Istern cancelled out Radford's Bernando Ulmo's goal in the first half. The second ranked Highlanders started out brightly when the Brazilian Ulmo made a clever run off a free kick and slot the ball home. Winthrop was the better side during the second half and overtime and they deserved the victory. Radford's season ended after this match with a 10-6-4 record. Meanwhile Winthrop's season is still going on after they defeated Coastal Carolina in the Big South finals, then they upset SMU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles face Louisville in the second round of the tournament.
Radford:
Bernando Ulmo (Junior, Center Midfielder, #7): Ulmo has decent movement, he showed clever movement when he curled around and received a short pass to score his team's first goal of the game. Very good on the ball. Has a decent touch. He was active in the first half but he disappeared in the second half.
Lucas Diniz (Freshman, Forward, #11): Good pace. Lots of energy and decent work rate. Pressures the ball Pesky forward who worked the line pretty well in the first half. Deceptively fast. Like a lot of the players on the Radford team, he disappeared also.
Winthrop
Achille Obougou (Junior, Forward, #7): Tall Spanish forward who has quick feet. I was watching the game with a good friend Daniel Revivo, who is a Winthrop alum, and he told me that Achille was a futsal player going on, so it does explain his quick feet. Very physical player. Doesn't mind banging around with the central defenders. He received a red card after the Highlander defender dove on the ground and was yelling. It was unfair to him but his physically was going to hinder him.
Alex Istern (Senior, Left Midfielder, #6): Scored two goals. Has good pace and quick feet on the ball. At times he gets caught dribble too much. He made some good runs into the center to get into the box. Inconsistent at times. He faded a little bit but he came back strong towards the end. Doesn't track back too often. Good player but not MLS quality.
Magnus Thorsson (Freshman, Central Midfielder, #8): The Icelandic player hit a beautiful strike that just barely struck the post before Istern came in for the rebound and scored his first. Very hard-tackler and clever. He dove to get a foul and a yellow card for the opposing team then he jumped up and laughed like everything was all good.
Radford:
Bernando Ulmo (Junior, Center Midfielder, #7): Ulmo has decent movement, he showed clever movement when he curled around and received a short pass to score his team's first goal of the game. Very good on the ball. Has a decent touch. He was active in the first half but he disappeared in the second half.
Lucas Diniz (Freshman, Forward, #11): Good pace. Lots of energy and decent work rate. Pressures the ball Pesky forward who worked the line pretty well in the first half. Deceptively fast. Like a lot of the players on the Radford team, he disappeared also.
Winthrop
Achille Obougou (Junior, Forward, #7): Tall Spanish forward who has quick feet. I was watching the game with a good friend Daniel Revivo, who is a Winthrop alum, and he told me that Achille was a futsal player going on, so it does explain his quick feet. Very physical player. Doesn't mind banging around with the central defenders. He received a red card after the Highlander defender dove on the ground and was yelling. It was unfair to him but his physically was going to hinder him.
Alex Istern (Senior, Left Midfielder, #6): Scored two goals. Has good pace and quick feet on the ball. At times he gets caught dribble too much. He made some good runs into the center to get into the box. Inconsistent at times. He faded a little bit but he came back strong towards the end. Doesn't track back too often. Good player but not MLS quality.
Magnus Thorsson (Freshman, Central Midfielder, #8): The Icelandic player hit a beautiful strike that just barely struck the post before Istern came in for the rebound and scored his first. Very hard-tackler and clever. He dove to get a foul and a yellow card for the opposing team then he jumped up and laughed like everything was all good.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Elon Phoenix vs Furman Paladins l College Soccer - 10-6
Greetings, I know I've been gone for sometime. I am now doing most of my reviews on www.worldfootie.net So there hasn't been any need for me to get on here and do my match reports but I will come back on here to chat about other games that I wasn't able to put on the WFN blog.
I watched Elon take on Furman in a Southern Conference match-up. Elon won the match 1-0 off of an overtime penalty by leading scorer Chris Thomas. Furman dominated possession, looking phenomenal at times with their one and two touch passing but they couldn't find the back of the net with the chances they got. The Phoenix took advantage of a handball in the box a couple of minutes into extra-time and Thomas tucked it home to give Elon the victory. Don't know if I could use the term deserved but the amount of effort in defending they exerted, I'm not too upset they won.
Elon:
Gabe Latigue RMF #7: Probably the best game I've seen him play. He showed better foot-work on the ball, able to keep his dribble even if the defenders tried to knock off his balance. Also has a good shot on him. Gabe has pretty good pace to get around defenders. Used energy to track back and help defend against Furman's constant attacks. He definitely impressed me tonight
Daniel Lovitz LMF #11: He wasn't asked to do much offensively, when he received the ball deep in his half often he would try to play a long pass. He's a pretty good passer though, completing most of them. Showed his good foot-work when he did get the ball on the dribble. Intelligent enough not to dribble into defenders, he kept the ball and found his teammates. Otherwise not impact during the match.
Chris Thomas CF #20 scored the goal but his impact was limited also. Furman and US youth international, Walker Zimmerman did a good job shutting down Thomas, Chris wasn't able to get much of the ball and he basically had to switch to the other CB to get it. Fortunately for the the Phoenix, Chris had the last laugh with his penalty goal.
Furman:
Walker Zimmerman RCB #23: Probably the best defender I've seen this year. Doesn't have a flaw on him. He's dominant in the air, always in the right positions, hardly makes mistakes on his clearances, and he's a very technical player. The only problem I could see is that he's a little slender but he can build some strength on him. Definitely a player that could get a Generation Adidas deal this year if he pushes for it or go to Europe. Him and the u-20s go to Spain for this week so if he does well, he'll get some looks abroad.
Michael Gandier CM #18: Tall midfielder with good feet. Neat technically can make any type of pass but mostly went to the short passes as his go-to. Also Gandier made a couple of nice heel flicks to pass to his teammates. Very good in the air, his 6'3 frame helps. He mostly holds and get the ball from the defenders but he pushes up for goal kicks just so he can get the flick on. Decent player, I wonder if he could possibly transition to a CB in the next level? Somewhat like Stephen McCarthy at the New England Revolution has done.
I watched Elon take on Furman in a Southern Conference match-up. Elon won the match 1-0 off of an overtime penalty by leading scorer Chris Thomas. Furman dominated possession, looking phenomenal at times with their one and two touch passing but they couldn't find the back of the net with the chances they got. The Phoenix took advantage of a handball in the box a couple of minutes into extra-time and Thomas tucked it home to give Elon the victory. Don't know if I could use the term deserved but the amount of effort in defending they exerted, I'm not too upset they won.
Elon:
Gabe Latigue RMF #7: Probably the best game I've seen him play. He showed better foot-work on the ball, able to keep his dribble even if the defenders tried to knock off his balance. Also has a good shot on him. Gabe has pretty good pace to get around defenders. Used energy to track back and help defend against Furman's constant attacks. He definitely impressed me tonight
Daniel Lovitz LMF #11: He wasn't asked to do much offensively, when he received the ball deep in his half often he would try to play a long pass. He's a pretty good passer though, completing most of them. Showed his good foot-work when he did get the ball on the dribble. Intelligent enough not to dribble into defenders, he kept the ball and found his teammates. Otherwise not impact during the match.
Chris Thomas CF #20 scored the goal but his impact was limited also. Furman and US youth international, Walker Zimmerman did a good job shutting down Thomas, Chris wasn't able to get much of the ball and he basically had to switch to the other CB to get it. Fortunately for the the Phoenix, Chris had the last laugh with his penalty goal.
Furman:
Walker Zimmerman RCB #23: Probably the best defender I've seen this year. Doesn't have a flaw on him. He's dominant in the air, always in the right positions, hardly makes mistakes on his clearances, and he's a very technical player. The only problem I could see is that he's a little slender but he can build some strength on him. Definitely a player that could get a Generation Adidas deal this year if he pushes for it or go to Europe. Him and the u-20s go to Spain for this week so if he does well, he'll get some looks abroad.
Michael Gandier CM #18: Tall midfielder with good feet. Neat technically can make any type of pass but mostly went to the short passes as his go-to. Also Gandier made a couple of nice heel flicks to pass to his teammates. Very good in the air, his 6'3 frame helps. He mostly holds and get the ball from the defenders but he pushes up for goal kicks just so he can get the flick on. Decent player, I wonder if he could possibly transition to a CB in the next level? Somewhat like Stephen McCarthy at the New England Revolution has done.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Carolina Railhawks vs Ft. Lauderdale Strikers
It was a rare midweek match in the NASL, and boy both sides didn't disappoint. The match ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw, with five goals being scored in the second half alone. The Railhawks were led by goals from Brian Shriver and two goals from Nick Zimmerman, as the Strikers had three different goals scorers with Lance Liang, Walter Restrepo, and substitute Mark Anderson.
Carolina did well with their pressuring the Strikers' back line during the first half, it was difficult for the Florida side to get some fluidity with their attack. The Railhawks were rewarded with getting the ball in dangerous positions and creating chances. The Strikers started gaining momentum while the Railhawk midfield begun to tire down and they were able to come back from 3-1 down to get the draw.
Carolina:
Zack Schilawski (Fwd): Carolina's new signing and he did well in his 80+ minutes of action. Holding the ball well, pressuring and harrassing Striker defenders and linking up with his midfielders. I think he did more in the first half then I saw Jason Garey do in this whole season (Garey has been coming off from an injury which might be a reason for his poor start). When the ball gets to his foot, he has decent vision to play a first-time pass to players like Shriver or Zimmerman coming into the attack. Obviously he doesn't have the match fitness yet, towards the end of the game his passes weren't connecting as well. It could have been tired feet but he should have been rewarded with a goal from all the energy he used during the match.
Nick Zimmerman (LM): Had a two goal performance. He was very active during this game, his passing was decent and he put himself in positions to score which is why he scored two goals tonight. Not a left-footed player, he had a chance in the first half with his left-foot that if he had it on his right, he would have scored. Decent speed, good moves to get around players. Would rather cut inside into his right foot, rather than getting around the corner. Good performance by a very good player
Brian Shriver (RM): Quick player with decent technical ability. Scored himself a goal and got an assist against his fomer club. His pace was neutralized by Lance Liang but was decent when on the ball. He is an opportunistic goal-scorer, for his goal the ball popped out in space and he ran on to it and struck it to the far post of the goalkeeper. Shriver doesn't have a ton of moves but his quickness helps him glide around players, strength isn't his strong point
Ft. Lauderdale:
Walter Restrepo (ACM): He is a roaming play-maker for the Strikers' side. It took him a while to get into the game, he only saw the ball occasionally in the first half. In the second half, either he didn't do enough running in the first half or he has tons of fitness because he was more productive in the second half. He scored a goal and got himself an assist. The Railhawk midfielders tired down and Restrepo found more space to operate. He has quick and nifty feet, decent pace, his a slender player who gets pushed off the ball. Tends to dive to get calls, he did so in the first half and the referee was tired of it and gave him a yellow in the second. Walter is a very good technical player but does his game translate well in the MLS? I don't know, I think his knowledge of the game helps him but unsure if he can handle the strength of the first-division game. He is a young player, only 23.
Lance Liang (LWB): The one and only reason why I am highlighting this player is because of his spectacular free-kick. Other than that, his touch was atrocious. His first touch of the ball was a clearance and his clearance went straight up in the air instead of going forward. There were a lot of his touches that were shaky, the Railhawk supporter's group on the far side was ribbing him every time he got the ball. He's a very athletic player that is very fast and can jump. Decent defending on Shriver while defending 1v1. Don't know about his defensive awareness, on the Railhawks second goal which Shriver got the ball in tons of space, Lance was nowhere to be seen. I didn't like this player, raw in his football, pacy but apparently has a good FK (or was that a flash in the pan).
Toni Stahl (CB): Solid defender that is good with his distribution out the back, didn't get flustered when the pressure turned up. Tall center-back who is good in the air. Doesn't have enough pace but makes up for that with his cleverness. A very good mid-range passer, Stahl can by-pass the midfield with a low pass and find his forward's feet. Good positional sense, got into good positions to clear crosses from dangerous areas. I didn't notice his 1v1 defending, the Railhawks tried to pass into the attack rather than trying to beat him off the dribble often.
Carolina did well with their pressuring the Strikers' back line during the first half, it was difficult for the Florida side to get some fluidity with their attack. The Railhawks were rewarded with getting the ball in dangerous positions and creating chances. The Strikers started gaining momentum while the Railhawk midfield begun to tire down and they were able to come back from 3-1 down to get the draw.
Carolina:
Zack Schilawski (Fwd): Carolina's new signing and he did well in his 80+ minutes of action. Holding the ball well, pressuring and harrassing Striker defenders and linking up with his midfielders. I think he did more in the first half then I saw Jason Garey do in this whole season (Garey has been coming off from an injury which might be a reason for his poor start). When the ball gets to his foot, he has decent vision to play a first-time pass to players like Shriver or Zimmerman coming into the attack. Obviously he doesn't have the match fitness yet, towards the end of the game his passes weren't connecting as well. It could have been tired feet but he should have been rewarded with a goal from all the energy he used during the match.
Nick Zimmerman (LM): Had a two goal performance. He was very active during this game, his passing was decent and he put himself in positions to score which is why he scored two goals tonight. Not a left-footed player, he had a chance in the first half with his left-foot that if he had it on his right, he would have scored. Decent speed, good moves to get around players. Would rather cut inside into his right foot, rather than getting around the corner. Good performance by a very good player
Brian Shriver (RM): Quick player with decent technical ability. Scored himself a goal and got an assist against his fomer club. His pace was neutralized by Lance Liang but was decent when on the ball. He is an opportunistic goal-scorer, for his goal the ball popped out in space and he ran on to it and struck it to the far post of the goalkeeper. Shriver doesn't have a ton of moves but his quickness helps him glide around players, strength isn't his strong point
Ft. Lauderdale:
Walter Restrepo (ACM): He is a roaming play-maker for the Strikers' side. It took him a while to get into the game, he only saw the ball occasionally in the first half. In the second half, either he didn't do enough running in the first half or he has tons of fitness because he was more productive in the second half. He scored a goal and got himself an assist. The Railhawk midfielders tired down and Restrepo found more space to operate. He has quick and nifty feet, decent pace, his a slender player who gets pushed off the ball. Tends to dive to get calls, he did so in the first half and the referee was tired of it and gave him a yellow in the second. Walter is a very good technical player but does his game translate well in the MLS? I don't know, I think his knowledge of the game helps him but unsure if he can handle the strength of the first-division game. He is a young player, only 23.
Lance Liang (LWB): The one and only reason why I am highlighting this player is because of his spectacular free-kick. Other than that, his touch was atrocious. His first touch of the ball was a clearance and his clearance went straight up in the air instead of going forward. There were a lot of his touches that were shaky, the Railhawk supporter's group on the far side was ribbing him every time he got the ball. He's a very athletic player that is very fast and can jump. Decent defending on Shriver while defending 1v1. Don't know about his defensive awareness, on the Railhawks second goal which Shriver got the ball in tons of space, Lance was nowhere to be seen. I didn't like this player, raw in his football, pacy but apparently has a good FK (or was that a flash in the pan).
Toni Stahl (CB): Solid defender that is good with his distribution out the back, didn't get flustered when the pressure turned up. Tall center-back who is good in the air. Doesn't have enough pace but makes up for that with his cleverness. A very good mid-range passer, Stahl can by-pass the midfield with a low pass and find his forward's feet. Good positional sense, got into good positions to clear crosses from dangerous areas. I didn't notice his 1v1 defending, the Railhawks tried to pass into the attack rather than trying to beat him off the dribble often.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Carolina Railhawks vs San Antonio Scorpions
I entered the park an hour early to prepare myself for Saturday night's game, I can see that the improvements to WakeMed Park are underway and quite possibly MLS expansion in the next few years.
As for the game is concerned, San Antonio ran out with a 1-0 victory over the Railhawks. A Kevin Harmse goal was the difference between the two squads, the former MLS midfielder stormed through the middle of the defense, gave a one-two pass with Esteban Bayona and Harmse finished past Ray Burse.
Carolina Railhawks:
Christopher Nurse: A big and strong center midfielder who has decent vision. He likes to change the point of attack with a long ball to switch fields. Sometimes he plays too many long balls, especially when a shorter pass would be preferable. Doesn't mind dribbling by multiple players to create plays for his team, at the same time he gets caught on the ball too long at times. Okay technically and decent ball control. Tries to be a box-to-box midfielder but doesn't create enough chances for his forwards.
Ty Shipalane: Fast winger who came on the pitch in the 41th minute as a sub for Mike Palacio. Stays out wide and likes to get around the corner to cross into the box. Has the ability to get around defenders with speed and skill, however his crossing ability was inconsistent.
San Antonio Scorpions:
Blake Wagner- Capable left-back that has very good ball control, he trapped down a couple of high clearances under heavy pressure. Always composed and able to retain possession and find the correct pass. Doesn't over-lap often, only did so a handful of times. For the most part, Wagner stays across the back four and keeps his defensive shape well. Average height and okay 1v1 defender, dealt with Shipalane's pace well enough.
Walter Ramirez: Walter has quick and tricky feet; He is very fearless in the way he goes at defenders. Average size, not very strong physically, Pacy player that gave Railhawk defenders fits. Left-footed player, not the greatest passer, his crossing was decent. Pretty effective during the 1st half, he disappeared towards the end of the game.
Pablo Campos: Tall striker who is slow and at times lazy. Had a great opportunity to score in the first half but blew the breakaway, didn't even get a shot on goal. He was lazy in the game I watched in Atlanta, in this game he was much more active. His channel running was better, always like to try to run on the last defenders shoulder. Towards the end of the 2nd half, he faded and wasn't involved a lot in the play. Okay on the ball, not quick enough to go around players but he is big enough not to be muscled off easily.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Wake Forest vs NC State
Wake won on State's Senior Night 5-2. Wake deserved the victory. Even though State dominated the shooting stats but Wake dominated the possession. I feel as if State's coach got a couple of things wrong with his lineup.
First, I don't know why Nazmi Albadawi doesn't play in a more central position He is the most dangerous option for the Wolfpack (he did score two goals tonight of the highest quality)
Secondly, I don't know why Gbenga Makinde isn't starting. I understand that the guy who is there now has a long throw in but he doesn't offer anything in service or getting forward. If hoping for long throw ins to be your offense then you will have problems scoring.
Wake Forest
Chris Duvall
Right back. Likes getting forward. Traps well. He took a couple of high balls down clean and went along in the attack. He tends to make too many runs. That leads him into being out if position when State got the ball out to the left midfielder. Good prospect for the future. Fast and athletic player with technical ability is what MLS clubs love in fullbacks.
Ben Newnam
Solid player. Can play multiple positions. Good technically. Makes accurate passes. Average speed but makes up for it with his intelligence. Has vision. Made a couple of nice one time passes. He will be a decent prospect. He is a reliable player that makes good solid decisions.
Danny Wenzel
Wasn't impressed with his performance. Good leader. Very vocal. But is average technically. Plays simple but accurate. Made one long ball that was successful. Powered in the ok he took in the second half. Tenacious defender but slow. Zabarle Kollie ran by him to set up State's first goal. He'll get some MLS looks but I think he'll start off with the reserves that is unless he stays for his last eligible year. He's a redshirt junior so he could come out this year.
Others: Luca Gimenez scored two goals. He impresses with his skill and speed. At times he's a bit immature but he is an impressive player once on the pitch.
Andy Lubahn had his best game that I've seen. He holds up the ball well. He's very strong. He muscled two players off the ball and slid a nice through ball to Gimenez who calmly slotted it in to make it 2-0 going to the halftime break. Has decent feet on the dribble and he's okay with his trapping.
NC State:
Nazmi Albadawi
Was still State's best player. He scored both of their goals. Has a wicked shot. Scored his second from about 20 yds out. He disappeared for patches of the game. He was isolated out on the left wing. He's not a fast player but he's crafty and has soft feet when it comes to trapping. He had difficultly getting around Chris Duvall at times. But overall, he was the best of the bad. He can be a decent future prospect for the pros in the next couple of years.
Nadir Jihat
Tall Forward who made an impact in the game as a 2nd half sub. He held the ball well and used his tall frame to shield and create shots for himself. He beat multiple players then had his shot blocked by a possible handball. Has above average pace. Always causing havoc.
Zabarle Kollie
Fast and Athletic player. Bit raw technically but has some moves. He delivered a couple of decent crosses. One of them Albadawi scored off it. Needs to develop as a player but he's decent.
Others: The back line had a terrible game. Moritz Steidten held on to the ball in the back, then got stripped by Sean Okoli and then punished them with a goal. Also the back line was just slow compared to Wake's attack. Simon Cox, State CB, made a rash tackle in which the Wake got the pen and it was converted
That's all for this weekend. I head to Durham and Charlottesville next weekend.
First, I don't know why Nazmi Albadawi doesn't play in a more central position He is the most dangerous option for the Wolfpack (he did score two goals tonight of the highest quality)
Secondly, I don't know why Gbenga Makinde isn't starting. I understand that the guy who is there now has a long throw in but he doesn't offer anything in service or getting forward. If hoping for long throw ins to be your offense then you will have problems scoring.
Wake Forest
Chris Duvall
Right back. Likes getting forward. Traps well. He took a couple of high balls down clean and went along in the attack. He tends to make too many runs. That leads him into being out if position when State got the ball out to the left midfielder. Good prospect for the future. Fast and athletic player with technical ability is what MLS clubs love in fullbacks.
Ben Newnam
Solid player. Can play multiple positions. Good technically. Makes accurate passes. Average speed but makes up for it with his intelligence. Has vision. Made a couple of nice one time passes. He will be a decent prospect. He is a reliable player that makes good solid decisions.
Danny Wenzel
Wasn't impressed with his performance. Good leader. Very vocal. But is average technically. Plays simple but accurate. Made one long ball that was successful. Powered in the ok he took in the second half. Tenacious defender but slow. Zabarle Kollie ran by him to set up State's first goal. He'll get some MLS looks but I think he'll start off with the reserves that is unless he stays for his last eligible year. He's a redshirt junior so he could come out this year.
Others: Luca Gimenez scored two goals. He impresses with his skill and speed. At times he's a bit immature but he is an impressive player once on the pitch.
Andy Lubahn had his best game that I've seen. He holds up the ball well. He's very strong. He muscled two players off the ball and slid a nice through ball to Gimenez who calmly slotted it in to make it 2-0 going to the halftime break. Has decent feet on the dribble and he's okay with his trapping.
NC State:
Nazmi Albadawi
Was still State's best player. He scored both of their goals. Has a wicked shot. Scored his second from about 20 yds out. He disappeared for patches of the game. He was isolated out on the left wing. He's not a fast player but he's crafty and has soft feet when it comes to trapping. He had difficultly getting around Chris Duvall at times. But overall, he was the best of the bad. He can be a decent future prospect for the pros in the next couple of years.
Nadir Jihat
Tall Forward who made an impact in the game as a 2nd half sub. He held the ball well and used his tall frame to shield and create shots for himself. He beat multiple players then had his shot blocked by a possible handball. Has above average pace. Always causing havoc.
Zabarle Kollie
Fast and Athletic player. Bit raw technically but has some moves. He delivered a couple of decent crosses. One of them Albadawi scored off it. Needs to develop as a player but he's decent.
Others: The back line had a terrible game. Moritz Steidten held on to the ball in the back, then got stripped by Sean Okoli and then punished them with a goal. Also the back line was just slow compared to Wake's attack. Simon Cox, State CB, made a rash tackle in which the Wake got the pen and it was converted
That's all for this weekend. I head to Durham and Charlottesville next weekend.
UNC vs Maryland
Two top 5 teams were out on display last night. It was a big game to see who could take control of the ACC before the end of the season. It ended in a 1-1 stalemate. Both teams had good moments during the course of the game. It eventually turned when London Woodberry got an red card for handling the ball in the box. Which Enzo Martinez converted moments later. Maryland begun to sit deeper and deeper just trying to preserve the tie.
In fact about two minutes before the end of extra time, Sasho Cirovski took off his two top scorers, Patrick Mullins and Casey Towensend, to get fresh players to boom the ball forward.
This was the first time I watched Maryland and I came out being underwhelmed with their play. They actually possessed well in the back and across the midfield but once it came to attacking, balls were driven across the air for the forwards to run onto. They do have players with hops like Casey Townsend but other than that they weren't productive with their possession like they should be.
North Carolina on the other hand is the same story. They possess across the park but can't get that final touch to score goals. At times I feel they struggle with the "Arsenal Syndrome" where they possess and possess but they can't score or they try to walk it in the net. Also at times I feel as of the three frontmen play as individuals rather than as a collective group. How many times you see Rob Lovejoy take someone 1v1? It wasn't only him but just using him as an example.
NC's Defense continues to be solid. Matt Hedges had a steady performance and Boyd Okwuonu was solid and didn't make any mistakes that a freshmen could make in a big game. It is interesting how Carlos, UNC coach, has his fullbacks bomb forward and leaves his two CBs. It shows his trust in them (CBs) that they can get the job done.
Maryland:
Taylor Kemp
Left-back with dangerous service. He likes to getting forward. Passes well out of the back. Good with his feet can take players off the dribble. He did well defensively against Rob Lovejoy. Ron won a couple of battles but so did Taylor. Isn't the fastest player but is smart with his positioning.
London Woodberry
Athletic CB. Adequate with the ball on his feet. Very lengthy, he is able to stick his long legs to make crucial tackles. He had a solid game until the red card. He saved the ball with his hand on the goal line. At times he's clumsy in his tackling. Very good player will be an intriguing prospect that will get serious looks.
Jason Stertzer
Scored his 12th goal of the season. Otherwise he didn't have the greatest game. He's a pretty good leaper. He smashed a great header that was equally saved by Scott Godwin. Good technical player. Decent vision, he played a couple of one touch passes that were unsuccessful but the idea was right just the execution wasn't there. Towards the end of the game he was playing more defensive as they were holding on to the tight.
Casey Townsend
Huge ups for a 5'11 guy. He actually won a couple of headers from 6'4 Matt Hedges. He didn't have the proper service last night. Often he was left on his own devices to create. Decent speed and has good feet on the ball but wasn't able to show that too often.
Honorable Mentions: Will Swaim had an excellent match in goal. He was dominant in the air. Made crucial saves. All his clearances were clean and went away from goal. Faoru Forbess showed good pieces of skill during the second half, ghosting past a couple of players then sending a perfectly through-ball into Townsend's path. He was more effective when he had the ball in the middle rather than being out in the wing. Jereme Raley did a couple of neat things last night. He flicked the ball around Jordan McCrary and hit a decent shot on goal.
I've seen North Carolina too many times so I didn't pay too much attention to them. Kirk Urso had a good game before he left with an injury. His passing very accurate. I saw him carrying the ball up the field in a couple of occasions. He mistimed a couple of tackles but that could have been due to that injury. At least he's making an attempt at tackling which at times is lacking across the Tarheel team. Enzo Martinez was good, not as good as the standard he's been setting all season with his play. The weakness in his play is that he dribbles too much. He is a good dribbler and does go around players with his quick feet but he tries to take on too many players.
Rob Lovejoy was average tonight. He should have worn studs. He kept on slipping especially during key moments. Taylor Kemp for the most part neutralized him. Rob used his speed to get around Kemp a couple of times but couldn't make the final pass. I don't think he is ready to make the Generation Adidas jump this year. He still has some maturity issues with his play. Knowing when to pass or shoot. He is a decent prospect that can go left or right.
That's it for this game. Tonight I'm going to watch NC State take on Wake Forest. Should be an interesting game. Wake is currently in rebuilding mode and trying to find themselves. State is trying to pick up another big ACC win. See you soon.
In fact about two minutes before the end of extra time, Sasho Cirovski took off his two top scorers, Patrick Mullins and Casey Towensend, to get fresh players to boom the ball forward.
This was the first time I watched Maryland and I came out being underwhelmed with their play. They actually possessed well in the back and across the midfield but once it came to attacking, balls were driven across the air for the forwards to run onto. They do have players with hops like Casey Townsend but other than that they weren't productive with their possession like they should be.
North Carolina on the other hand is the same story. They possess across the park but can't get that final touch to score goals. At times I feel they struggle with the "Arsenal Syndrome" where they possess and possess but they can't score or they try to walk it in the net. Also at times I feel as of the three frontmen play as individuals rather than as a collective group. How many times you see Rob Lovejoy take someone 1v1? It wasn't only him but just using him as an example.
NC's Defense continues to be solid. Matt Hedges had a steady performance and Boyd Okwuonu was solid and didn't make any mistakes that a freshmen could make in a big game. It is interesting how Carlos, UNC coach, has his fullbacks bomb forward and leaves his two CBs. It shows his trust in them (CBs) that they can get the job done.
Maryland:
Taylor Kemp
Left-back with dangerous service. He likes to getting forward. Passes well out of the back. Good with his feet can take players off the dribble. He did well defensively against Rob Lovejoy. Ron won a couple of battles but so did Taylor. Isn't the fastest player but is smart with his positioning.
London Woodberry
Athletic CB. Adequate with the ball on his feet. Very lengthy, he is able to stick his long legs to make crucial tackles. He had a solid game until the red card. He saved the ball with his hand on the goal line. At times he's clumsy in his tackling. Very good player will be an intriguing prospect that will get serious looks.
Jason Stertzer
Scored his 12th goal of the season. Otherwise he didn't have the greatest game. He's a pretty good leaper. He smashed a great header that was equally saved by Scott Godwin. Good technical player. Decent vision, he played a couple of one touch passes that were unsuccessful but the idea was right just the execution wasn't there. Towards the end of the game he was playing more defensive as they were holding on to the tight.
Casey Townsend
Huge ups for a 5'11 guy. He actually won a couple of headers from 6'4 Matt Hedges. He didn't have the proper service last night. Often he was left on his own devices to create. Decent speed and has good feet on the ball but wasn't able to show that too often.
Honorable Mentions: Will Swaim had an excellent match in goal. He was dominant in the air. Made crucial saves. All his clearances were clean and went away from goal. Faoru Forbess showed good pieces of skill during the second half, ghosting past a couple of players then sending a perfectly through-ball into Townsend's path. He was more effective when he had the ball in the middle rather than being out in the wing. Jereme Raley did a couple of neat things last night. He flicked the ball around Jordan McCrary and hit a decent shot on goal.
I've seen North Carolina too many times so I didn't pay too much attention to them. Kirk Urso had a good game before he left with an injury. His passing very accurate. I saw him carrying the ball up the field in a couple of occasions. He mistimed a couple of tackles but that could have been due to that injury. At least he's making an attempt at tackling which at times is lacking across the Tarheel team. Enzo Martinez was good, not as good as the standard he's been setting all season with his play. The weakness in his play is that he dribbles too much. He is a good dribbler and does go around players with his quick feet but he tries to take on too many players.
Rob Lovejoy was average tonight. He should have worn studs. He kept on slipping especially during key moments. Taylor Kemp for the most part neutralized him. Rob used his speed to get around Kemp a couple of times but couldn't make the final pass. I don't think he is ready to make the Generation Adidas jump this year. He still has some maturity issues with his play. Knowing when to pass or shoot. He is a decent prospect that can go left or right.
That's it for this game. Tonight I'm going to watch NC State take on Wake Forest. Should be an interesting game. Wake is currently in rebuilding mode and trying to find themselves. State is trying to pick up another big ACC win. See you soon.
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