Monday Morning Gaffer: NCAA Final
December 16th, 2007 . 5:58 pm . By: Buzz CarrickSo like I was saying, games aren’t played on paper. Wake Forest plays the more beautiful soccer and has more talent, but Ohio State plays what we will call more efficient soccer that can win games. It was a heck of a lot of fun being here in Cary, NC, if a bit cold. At least it was warmer than last time the College Cup was here. I got a chance to talk to Jason Kreis and Garth Lagerway to catch up a bit. I also saw Jeff Agoos in the stands as well as Marco Ferruzzi. Mark Santel and Dante Washington were also here somewhere, I know cause Sean Mcgee told me so. On to the game. Wake comes from behind and wins 2-1. Wake ForestThe Demon Deacons again play a flat, but very modern, 4-4-2. They use two deep central mids in front of their back four, one of the mids links more than the other. Both outside backs attack and get into the box. As it should be the Deacons are in all white.
Again Zack Schilawski spells both forwards and both Austin da Luz and Corben Bone get playing time wide in the midfield. When Bone comes in he plays very central and leaves the wide right quite open. Ohio StateThe Buckeyes are in a flat 4-4-2 with a withdrawn striker. One of the central mids is a destroyer, one a link player. They use a stay at home back four and running outside mids. They are appropriately adorned in solid red.
Ohio States makes at lot more changes, particularly chasing the game late. #19 Eric Edwards again plays a lot for Magill, but #17 Ryan Kustos also gets a few minutes. #25 Konrad Warzycha (The Crew’s Robert is his father) spells Balc in both halves. #26 Nowa Thiam and #20 Steven Treager both come in to chase the game late. #13 Jordan Lomnicki replaced Gabel in the second half at left back. Game Observations and Player Notes- Ohio State played a very disciplined eight man box across the midfield and back line. It’s not pretty but it’s very effective team defense. Wake was having a lot of problems breaking them down. As was expected going in, the best State chances came on the counter, particularly from Espinoza playing off, and with, Balc, or on corners and free kicks. - Wake Forest was playing very pretty soccer but wasn’t able to draw the Buckeyes out of their shell until the second half. As deep as the buckeyes sat, they out shot Wake 12 to 3 in the first half, which just shows how much trouble the Deacons were having breaking down the defense and how effective the Buckeyes were on counter. - It looked to me early that the Ohio State defenders were looking to get very physical and grabby with Tracy early, perhaps in attempt to get into his head and get him out of the game. It seemed to work well in the first half and Tracy wasn’t effective. - After the Buckeyes took the lead, Wake switched Lahoud to the left to see if he could better handle Espinoza although it didn’t change much. Espinoza, who overall had a great game, should have taken advantage of the wide side when Bone was playing central, but he wasn’t able to capitalize, perhaps because Brown had such a good game. - Ohio State, as they did against UMass, had trouble holding the ball in possession and killing the game. They can play some nice passing stuff, but it’s all vertical and going to goal. They would have been well served by being able to hold it and kill the clock. - Unfortunately for Ohio State, junior left back Tim Gabel was injured right before halftime and freshman Jordan Lomnicki was forced to take his place in the second period. Not to kill the kid in this space but he tried to be too clever with the ball and Arnoux stripped him and carried in for the easy cross to Tracy to tie the game. When you’re a freshman defender in the national title game just boot the ball up the field when you get pinned to the sideline like that. - After the goal Wake subbed in Shilawski up top and put Arnoux on the right to take advantage of the weak spot on he left side of the back line and proceed to nab the winner going through the same spot. Verhoff needed to step up and help cover the freshman but wasn’t able to do so. - Either chasing the game, or after realizing the personnel mistake at left back, Ohio State immediately subbed out Lomnicki for an extra attacker and shifted to a more 3-4-3 formation the rest of the way. - The Buckeyes also did something else I don’t like, putting the 6′4″ Brunner up top late and firing long, high balls for him. That tactics often shifts your shorter, but better, attacker back toward midfield. Notably State’s most dangerous player Xavier Balc spent the last ten minutes deep in midfield. - I had wanted to see Eric Brunner when he had more to do and that was today. He’s very physical and moves pretty well. He’s got no left foot at all and is a bit nervous if he has to pass out of the back. Solid performance and he wasn’t at fault on the goals I didn’t think. All Tournament TeamAt the College Cup I am almost always surprised by the media voted All-Tournament Team. Draw your own conclusions about why that happens. I have my own theory. There’s usually just one player per losing team, not sure if that’s just coincidence (or bad memory on my part). Here’s the All-Tournament Team. Zack Simmons, UMass GK Offensive MVP: Tracy Tracy is a no brainer for MVP as he had the first goal and did all the hard work on the game winner plus the breakout Semi-Final. Simmons, Nyarko, Espinoza, Brunner, Cronin, and Arnoux I voted for and are worthy choices. Are you kidding me? How is either of the goalkeepers in the Final on the team, neither did squat to make a claim in either game for a spot. Edwards for Defensive MVP is a joke as he did nothing that any other keeper here couldn’t do. What do we in the media do, just vote for the winning goalkeeper? Opara was much more deserving the MVP and didn’t even get a tourney nod. I’d have taken both Phelan and Valentin over the keeper as well. I’m mystified by the Verhoff vote, who Tracy scorched on both goals. I’m also confused by the Shilawski vote since he didn’t do anything worth mention but get into the box for the easy goal off Tracy’s work. I had Matt Gold on my ballot who was just terrific for the Buckeyes coving over two thirds of the field. I had Opara both on the team and as Defensive MVP. Last I put both Pat Phelan and Evan Brown on the list as both were very influential going both directions for Wake. Anyway it’s on the MLS Combine. Our initial MLS Draft Pool Rankings will begin coming out in the next few weeks. Happy holiday’s everyone. 8 Comments Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI Leave a comment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
How about a final score?
Oh sure. Sorry. 2-1 Wake.
I figured most people knew the score from the normal news coverage.
Okay, when Espinoza scored that goal, he held his finger to his mouth, which made me think of Nunez, and then they said his parents (Espinoza’s) are from Honduras . . . made me wonder if he’s a cousin.
Anyway, interesting game to watch, and fun to see my Alma Mater playing soccer. The Buckeyes should be proud of even making the final, it sounds like.
Do you think Brunner would fit at all with Morrow’s style, after seeing him in this game? I don’t know enough, yet, to be able to evaluate details like that.
Hutch, Although he’s similar to Goodson, I don’t think Burnner would be a Morrow kind of guy. His feet aren’t good enough.
A defender in this game I think fits Morrow is Pat Phelan.
The wind seemed to be a big big factor in the game. With OSU in the first half, against them in the second half. The shots on goal stats are pretty revealing. Valentin looked like the ghost party-goer at the end of “The Shining”.
Verhoff looked dangerous going forward and narrowly missed out on a goal or two (I think he got a touch before Espinoza’s goal in the final). Defensively he was average.
I agree with most of the player assessments, but don’t get the love for Matt Gold. He may have run a lot, but he was fairly absent on the ball and WF overran OSU’s midfield for much of the game. I don’t see Gold having the athleticism to make in in MLS. Evan Brown has some very good qualities, but his touch is poor and Espinoza gave him fits at times. I see him as a possible develepmental player with a chance at a MLS squad player career, very outside chance of a little more.
In a final four, a few good moments in the final will get you on the all-tourny team. Probably unfair, but bound to happen.
Brunner filled in at Maryland (playing 21 games as a freshman) after Goodson left for MLS, but he played mostly left back while Goodson had been in the center. After that season, Brunner transferred to the Ohio State University.
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