GIRLS DAII

C.A.M. said:
Samantha Tran is one our favorite players from that group. I had a chance to watch the Stanford vs Washington game on Pac 12 Network and was so disappointed in how Stanford defenders passed the midfielders up to just launch the ball forward. Samantha was basically useless because she never had a chance to be involved. Same for the other wings. Very sad.
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And Stanford is one of the better possession teams in college soccer, besides UCLA and UVA. I would have thought Tran being a former YNT player would slide right into the college game in Stanford's style of play. Now Tran will be in a battle just for minutes with incoming forwards Macario, Haley, and Khulmann.

Maybe there is some merit by the college D1 head coach wondering if their youth development would transfer into success in the college game. Tran's former partner in crime CAL's Kayla Fong also had similar results her freshmen year.
 
C.A.M. said:
They have been doing that for at least the last 6 years. They don't really press off it anymore so it's really just the first turnover of the game.
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Played the '06's in the Finals of Legends and Man city over the past 2 weeks. They were pressing off the direct style play and successful at doing it.
 
Did Rennie so his signature attempt to score directly from kickoff by bringing his CB up.
That was his signature move 2013-2014.
 
NoGoal said:
And Stanford is one of the better possession teams in college soccer, besides UCLA and UVA. I would have thought Tran being a former YNT player would slide right into the college game in Stanford's style of play. Now Tran will be in a battle just for minutes with incoming forwards Macario, Haley, and Khulmann.

Maybe there is some merit by the college D1 head coach wondering if their youth development would transfer into success in the college game. Tran's former partner in crime CAL's Kayla Fong also had similar results her freshmen year.
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They didn't play possession though. Even the announcers were perplexed. All game the defenders just checked the ball forward. Tran should have slotted in because Stanford and UCLA do play possession soccer. Note the defenders were high ranking freshmen coming in also and may be they need to grow i to the possession game since it usually starts from the back.
 
C.A.M. said:
They didn't play possession though. Even the announcers were perplexed. All game the defenders just checked the ball forward. Tran should have slotted in because Stanford and UCLA do play possession soccer. Note the defenders were high ranking freshmen coming in also and may be they need to grow i to the possession game since it usually starts from the back.
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Stanford had a problem at right back all year. They have a player coming in this year that will solve thst problem for them.
 
NoGoal said:
IDK if ALL the Baker players have a good first touch. I know one on their 01 players does. Don't be fooled by any player flicking a ball forward as having a great first touch. IMO, it doesn't compare to taking a 1st touch into space away from an incoming defender and playing in a more controlled fashion.
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Was primarily referring to the o2s. Having seen them play a half dozen times, I am pretty confident they have an excellent first touch as a group, are in control of where the ball is going -- even if it is into a space they know they have the speed to get to first, and the technique to control and produce a result. And they finish better than any girls'/women's team I have seen -- ever. That is 8 years of watching college soccer, 12 years of watching club soccer, and around 14 years watching the WPSL and the various women's professional leagues who have come and gone.

I am not a homer, nor a fan of the coaching style, nor an advocate for the style of play. But I can appreciate what that team is good at, and acknoweldge no team has matched or even approached the athleticism and skill, in three years, that are required to play posession and beat them.
 
Dos Equis said:
Was primarily referring to the o2s. Having seen them play a half dozen times, I am pretty confident they have an excellent first touch as a group, are in control of where the ball is going -- even if it is into a space they know they have the speed to get to first, and the technique to control and produce a result. And they finish better than any girls'/women's team I have seen -- ever. That is 8 years of watching college soccer, 12 years of watching club soccer, and around 14 years watching the WPSL and the various women's professional leagues who have come and gone.

I am not a homer, nor a fan of the coaching style, nor an advocate for the style of play. But I can appreciate what that team is good at, and acknoweldge no team has matched or even approached the athleticism and skill, in three years, that are required to play posession and beat them.
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Man the only chance is park the bus hard, but even that is nearly impossible because they can finish from 30 yards out top corner and you simply can't counter on them consistently without being punished for it over and over.

They grew up a lot from that lost they took against that Michigan team in National Cup two years ago. They just tried to punk that team and didn't play the ball. Michigan took the punishment and kept trucking then got the one goal they needed. Now the Bakers play the ball and play the ball well defensively. They control the flow of the game. I mean you are talking about a team that was down a goal or two at half and put up more than 8 in the second half against top notch teams.
 
MakeAPlay said:
Stanford had a problem at right back all year. They have a player coming in this year that will solve thst problem for them.
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Explains a lot because Samantha plays the right side on that team. Amazing how important good synchronicity is for teams to truly flourish to their maximum.
 
C.A.M. said:
Explains a lot because Samantha plays the right side on that team. Amazing how important good synchronicity is for teams to truly flourish to their maximum.
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Having watched most of Stanford's games last year I will say that they simply had better attacking options than Tran. Her game to me seems predicated on speed and to be quite honest with you being fast at the club level doesn't mean that a player is fast when compared to top D1 competition. When my players team played them they had 3 attacking players that made their team go and they were Sullivan, Xiao and Dibiasi. Davidson was seriously outplayed by her matchup and Tran didn't play much as she wasn't able to hold onto the ball against more athletic defenders.

If a player can't make plays with a team that has arguably the biggest stockpile of talent in D1 when would they make plays? I saw DeAnza play and although they play nice soccer they are nowhere near as talented as the Cardinal.
 
Dos Equis said:
Was primarily referring to the o2s. Having seen them play a half dozen times, I am pretty confident they have an excellent first touch as a group, are in control of where the ball is going -- even if it is into a space they know they have the speed to get to first, and the technique to control and produce a result. And they finish better than any girls'/women's team I have seen -- ever. That is 8 years of watching college soccer, 12 years of watching club soccer, and around 14 years watching the WPSL and the various women's professional leagues who have come and gone.

I am not a homer, nor a fan of the coaching style, nor an advocate for the style of play. But I can appreciate what that team is good at, and acknoweldge no team has matched or even approached the athleticism and skill, in three years, that are required to play posession and beat them.
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That is a big statement. Teams tend to look clinical when they are playing less talented teams. When they come up against players that are more athletic then they are is when the Baker style breaks down.

I got to see their Breakaway team up close on several occasions (my daughters teammate had a sister on the team) and my player trained with the Bakers's and I think that they are good skills trainers. I only remember 2 of them having decent college careers at good D1's.
 
MakeAPlay said:
Having watched most of Stanford's games last year I will say that they simply had better attacking options than Tran. Her game to me seems predicated on speed and to be quite honest with you being fast at the club level doesn't mean that a player is fast when compared to top D1 competition. When my players team played them they had 3 attacking players that made their team go and they were Sullivan, Xiao and Dibiasi. Davidson was seriously outplayed by her matchup and Tran didn't play much as she wasn't able to hold onto the ball against more athletic defenders.

If a player can't make plays with a team that has arguably the biggest stockpile of talent in D1 when would they make plays? I saw DeAnza play and although they play nice soccer they are nowhere near as talented as the Cardinal.
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Being a UCLA family we are planning in going to the UCLA vs Stanford game. I am interested if Tran will make the adjustment. It did seem as if her teammates didn't trust her and her confidence was low. The first touch was lacking, which isn't like her.

I really appreciate the insight on what you are seeing at D1. Frankly because of my daughters body type, skill set and mind set I have always encouraged her to watch the mens pro game. May be that is why she hasn't fit the ECNL/ODP subset they look for to say a player shines. She plays to her strengths and her opponents weaknesses in a whatever way it helps the team. I have noticed that allows her to play one or two years up and always be able to adjust into whatever style a team plays and whatever speed. Basically we have always built to the future.

We will make sure to refine some points to ensure she is has weapons available to keep her relevant at the D1 level also.
 
MakeAPlay said:
That is a big statement. Teams tend to look clinical when they are playing less talented teams. When they come up against players that are more athletic then they are is when the Baker style breaks down.

I got to see their Breakaway team up close on several occasions (my daughters teammate had a sister on the team) and my player trained with the Bakers's and I think that they are good skills trainers. I only remember 2 of them having decent college careers at good D1's.
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It is a big statement, and I used to say the same things about the team in terms of vulnerability, but since the age group change, they are undefeated in the best league in the country, and have played all comers without once breaking down. Before that, they were undefeated as well for what -- almost 2 years? 100+ games?

I am not saying they are the best players at any level, nor will they all stand out when top talent is aggregated (like it is at a D1 college). But as a team in their peer group, they are clinical in their approach, and I have come to believe that is what sets them apart the most, combined with a higher than average level of skills as a team (resulting in fewer mistakes). There are 3-5 girls on most top teams who have similar skills and drive, and can compete with them. But not 11, in my experience.

I am not advocating for the Bakers, as between their sideline behavior and the style of play, there is no fit for my daugher -- she likes the ball at her feet and the criticism constructive. But I acknowledge the talents of that group of girls, as they deserve it.

And thanks for the Breakaway reminder. That bring back some memories of those pre-ECNL, pre-DA days, when not all was as perfect as we recall.
 
Dos Equis said:
Was primarily referring to the o2s. Having seen them play a half dozen times, I am pretty confident they have an excellent first touch as a group, are in control of where the ball is going -- even if it is into a space they know they have the speed to get to first, and the technique to control and produce a result. And they finish better than any girls'/women's team I have seen -- ever. That is 8 years of watching college soccer, 12 years of watching club soccer, and around 14 years watching the WPSL and the various women's professional leagues who have come and gone.

I am not a homer, nor a fan of the coaching style, nor an advocate for the style of play. But I can appreciate what that team is good at, and acknoweldge no team has matched or even approached the athleticism and skill, in three years, that are required to play posession and beat them.
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Let's just say I watched one of the Bakers 02 players in HS game and I was NOT impressed. She has average skill and touch, only thing she had was height at 5'8". Instead, I was impressed by a 01 Arsenal ECNL player from the same HS school team. Later I found the player who impressed me is being recruited by Utah and Northeastern.
 
MakeAPlay said:
Having watched most of Stanford's games last year I will say that they simply had better attacking options than Tran. Her game to me seems predicated on speed and to be quite honest with you being fast at the club level doesn't mean that a player is fast when compared to top D1 competition. When my players team played them they had 3 attacking players that made their team go and they were Sullivan, Xiao and Dibiasi. Davidson was seriously outplayed by her matchup and Tran didn't play much as she wasn't able to hold onto the ball against more athletic defenders.

If a player can't make plays with a team that has arguably the biggest stockpile of talent in D1 when would they make plays? I saw DeAnza play and although they play nice soccer they are nowhere near as talented as the Cardinal.
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You are spot on, I recall my DD telling me after she played DeAnza. She said among the 3 forwards she defended in that game. The best was A.A who committed to Pepperdine this fall. She said, Tran and Fong were NOT blazing fast.
 
NoGoal said:
You are spot on, I recall my DD telling me after she played DeAnza. She said among the 3 forwards she defended in that game. The best was A.A who committed to Pepperdine this fall. She said, Tran and Fong were NOT blazing fast.
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From the many highlights Trans' father put on YouTube what we always liked was her use of the first touch into space, taking a player on with her skills with the intent to feed her teammates, playing box to box, finishing ability and using her speed properly.

We did notice she has grown immensely and now is a giant on the girls field. May be that effected her speed and her game was never predicated on being really physical.

Being the optimist I am I would suggest a position change for her after off season training on using her body in a way that fits her now.

I hope this doesn't come off the wrong way, but are some of these players highly rated because they player lesser competition in their area?
 
NoGoal said:
Let's just say I watched one of the Bakers 02 players in HS game and I was NOT impressed. She has average skill and touch, only thing she had was height at 5'8". Instead, I was impressed by a 01 Arsenal ECNL player from the same HS school team. Later I found the player who impressed me is being recruited by Utah and Northeastern.
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Don't most of the Bakers 01-02 girls go to high school together? I thought that was a major reason for them not playing DA and staying ECNL. Was the girl you were watching "lost" without her compatriots?

A friends daughter just joined them. She has some adjustments to make coming from the people she has played with, but I think it should fuel some growth in her game for the next two years.
 
C.A.M. said:
From the many highlights Trans' father put on YouTube what we always liked was her use of the first touch into space, taking a player on with her skills with the intent to feed her teammates, playing box to box, finishing ability and using her speed properly.

We did notice she has grown immensely and now is a giant on the girls field. May be that effected her speed and her game was never predicated on being really physical.

Being the optimist I am I would suggest a position change for her after off season training on using her body in a way that fits her now.

I hope this doesn't come off the wrong way, but are some of these players highly rated because they player lesser competition in their area?
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You are right, girls generally lose a step or two as they get older. Not, sure if it's the hips getting wider or just the estrogen that slows them down.

IMO, there are some players are system players. You know the cliche the team is greater than the sum of their parts. Thus making the players look better than what they actually are. May it be a kickball player and instruct her to hold possession cannshe do it? Vice versa can a player who has played possession their entire youth age, can they adapt to a more physical, less runs off the ball style of game.
 
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