There has been plenty of talk as to referees essentially dictating style of play. Not just of one game, but on entire leagues and at all levels. The implication is that this has direct influence on a coach’s player selections and the style of play he implements. So generally: Spain has more possession, skill-based play […]
Archives for September 2011
UCLA Bruins vs UCSB Gauchos: 3-2
Editor’s note: While this game occurred last week, we still find it worthwhile to publish. If anything to continue demonstrating what form a simple match breakdown/recap could take, what things to look for in a game, give praise or criticism to the coaches and players involved, and well … have a record of what went […]
UCLA Bruins vs LMU Lions: 2-1
Westwood, CA – Made the 45 minute journey on a free Sunday afternoon to catch the Bruins-Lions. From a soccer standpoint it was a disappointing 90 minutes. However, I got to see the only player on the 3four3 watch list that I had never seen. It was well worth the trip. Kelyn Rowe is a […]
Klinsmann’s Roster Decisions Leading up to World Cup Qualifying
In his last post, Jacques posed an interesting question: Is it acceptable/effective to select experienced players with incomplete skill sets and little tactical malleability? Or, is the system Klinsmann seeks to implement better served by selecting players with less pedigree but with skill sets better suited to succeed in a possession based system? Experience or […]
USA vs Belgium: Dempseyfication
This is a guest post by Jacques Pelham. You can find more of his soccer writing at the Football Garden. Predictably, there are still many outstanding questions regarding Juergen Klinsmann and the US national team after Klinsmann’s second and third games as US coach. On Tuesday, the US demonstrated sustained effort for 90 minutes and […]
Top College Soccer Prospects 2011
I’ve seen numerous lists of top college players/pro prospects in the last few weeks and quite frankly they’ve made me laugh. The same robotic big athletic players are being hyped up and called the nation’s best. I am going to keep it short and sweet and post a small list of players we feel have […]
USA vs CRC: Turbulence
This is a guest post by Jacques Pelham. You can find more of his soccer writing at the Football Garden. On Friday, the US showed signs of progress and promise through its possession play and aggressive tactics without the ball. The revamped central midfield looked far superior as compared to the game against Mexico and […]
Akron Zips vs Cal State Fullerton Titans: 0-0
Northridge, CA – Game 2 of our college season coverage involving the defending national champion Akron Zips couldn’t have come at a better time. Caleb Porter’s team gave me a clear reminder that “it can be done at the collegiate level.” Playing the game with a true possession style and having a consistent team identity […]