Florida Battles Back Twice to Tie UCF 2-2 - Florida Gators 1-0-2 after 3 matches is OK, not great. Should have beaten UNF, but a tie vs UCF is actually pretty good.
We finally score two goals and then give up 2 for the first time. Figures…The first goal we scored was a really nice one, the second one was a gift but a nice finish. Overall, still too many rushed passes forward, hopeful balls, inability to get wide for crosses among other things. Just nobody that can make that 1v1 play around the box. WCU had one who could, UCF had 2, we don’t really have anyone. We will see where UCF ends up, but it’s the first time they haven’t beaten us since 2016 if I heard it right. And I think the first time we have scored against them since like 2018. So there’s that.
I'm happy for every little thing that is better than the year before. Lost the previous 4 to UCF; tied this year. Haven't scored against them in years; scored 2 this year. Baby steps. And who knows? Maybe they start to figure out those things you (correctly) point out.
Well we have 2 more mid majors before FSU comes to town to kick sand in our face, so we had better get tuned up as much as we can.
2-14-1 in 2022 to 6-5-6 last year was pretty good improvement. Hopefully they can build on that this year and take another step forward.
Since they changed the overtime rules and took it away, you can anticipate seeing more ties. If I’m correct the year they were 2–14 –1, overtime rules were still in play. We just need to find a way to win more games in regulation as opposed to piling up the ties.
The play in this game was much better than what we saw in the UNF game. We had our chances. We need to erase the lapses on defense. Impressed with play by Tellex and Blom
again I know very little about soccer except when I watch us play or USA play. That being said I just keep hearing we need some better players, so today I see Grant Hills daughter committed and was told she is very good, more of an athlete to my friend who lives and dies soccer...She said Mia Gray is the girl we should be excited about...who knows anything about her? I have reached out to some people in NY that would know about her just waiting to hear back.
1st half vs Georgia State (played in Atlanta): UF leads 1-0. (Could easily have been 2-0, but Bailey missed an open net.) The good: Ga St is no match for UF's defense. The bad: UF's midfield is cause of their lackluster offense. I'm not sure there has been a single ball to the forwards that could have led to an attack. The strange: when McCloskey subbed in for Curtis, she appeared to be convinced that she is playing Forward instead of Defender. Took three shots in about 20 minutes, only one on goal (and that routinely saved).
@ 64’ GOAL scored by Blom,Vera, top right of goal off right foot; Assist by Vaka,Daviana. Florida 2 - Georgia State 0
2-0-2 is a pretty good start. Defense seems really good, but we are still offensively challenged. StatBroadcast Live Stat Feed
Yeah. Connection to the forwards just isn't there. Midfielders' passes are frequently inaccurate and/or weighted poorly (sometimes too light, but often too heavy). Until that changes, there won't (can't) be much offense, which unfortunately leads to..... Just my opinion, but UF defenders try too often to make long passes directly to the forwards (bypassing the midfielders altogether), which usually doesn't result in a realistic chance of attack because it's difficult to consistently deliver the ball accurately from distance. Once or twice a game as a surprise change of pace: OK. As a normal part of the offense: not effective. Just to emphasize what ufgtr77 said: Vera Blom's goal was a great individual effort. Really impressed with both her and Njeri Butts (again). And, again, this program IS moving in the right direction. Execution of basic passing skills just needs to keep improving.
I don’t understand why Butts doesn’t play more, every time she comes in good things happen. The frustrating thing for me tonight, while happy with any win at this point, was that time and again they tried to play it up to the top of the box and the holding forward, and it never worked. The holding forward was never good enough to control it, and even if they had, it was exactly what GSU was defending for. They clogged the middle all night. The two goals came from the wing into the box and from distance. We never really adjusted. And let’s not talk about the Bailey miss. Good heavens. But she redeemed herself.
Really good point about the inability to maintain control at the top of the box. I'd contend that it's a similar situation at the back of the formation: I don't observe any "playmaker" midfielder who is the focal point/field general as the ball is brought up through the first 2/3 of the field. Like basketball has a point guard, soccer needs a high-awareness playmaker who moves laterally throughout the formation, not just to be the most frequent receiver of passes, but to decide and control where the attack will be developed - and then distributes the ball accordingly. Rinse and repeat all the way up the field. (Erika Tymrak is a great example. She had the best field awareness of any UF player I've ever seen.)
I think this gal committed today. Huge get for Bohan. Edmond North’s Rylee McLanahan named Gatorade Oklahoma Girls Soccer Player of Year
GK Jayden Emmanuel given a red card a 69”, Florida down player for remainder of the game. Still Florida 1 - Towson 0
After a questionable yellow card IHO. Towson scored on a free play @‘90. final score Florida 1 - Towson 1.
