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Great team win!! Several really gritty performances tonight. How many miles did Malick Henry log? This is the sort of victory that can turn around the trajectory of a season. Emil Jaaskelainen is a man - full grown!! He was heroic tonight! Emil Jaaskelainen is the best pure #9 Zips have had since Teal Bunbury 15 years ago. His hold up play with his back to the goal is textbook. "Step aside, let the man go through..."

Future is bright.

I was told there would be no math.

Does Akron MSOC right now have the minimum resources required for elite performance? if that answer is “Yes,” then it is on Embick to right the ship. This task will not be achieved by publicly blaming anyone but himself, however accurate his claim might be. If that answer is “No,” then I fundamentally do not understand what we are actually doing. Participating?

Arby’s just called; they want their A back.

@Hilltopper Please forgive the repetitive and frank questioning. We The Faithful are mightily frustrated at the moment. It would be impossible to overstate our consternation. Has MSOC recruiting budget been cut? If so, when did this occur? Procuring talent is vital to any athletic organization, collegiate or otherwise. Has the MSOC equipment budget been cut (uniforms, boots, socks, warmups, Gatorade) at all? Rumor has it that the Nike deal is not so good for UA Soccer programs. if so, when did this occur? There are additional specific questions, but let us start with the two above. Please review and advise.

If Akron MSOC is operating at a strategic disadvantage, I want it out in the open. I want transparency. If these are legitimate excuses, these must be bared for all to see. Zips should have the same support that another public research university to the south enjoys. Marshall. Akron MSOC has earned full financial support from AD. If we are receiving second class treatment from Akron AD, I want everyone to know about it. Only then can appropriate pressure be appropriately applied.

I too want to learn a detailed accounting of how Akron AD has cut resources to MSOC. Exactly when did this change occur? Perhaps the needed change is within the Athletic Department.

How Maximus Barboto #21 does not get more playing time is beyond my reckoning. I would start Max, in the hole. At minimum, he should be in the regular rotation. Maybe Max is not entirely fit, I don't know. I do not understand it. In my estimation, Victor Gaulmin #25 and Max are both among the best eleven. They should both start.

You need to be very careful with what you are asking for. MSOC does not get the support from AD that they once enjoyed. And the Akron brand has been severely degraded. Which quality coach will come to Akron to replace Embick? If it is just another guy with a license, looking for a job, then we may as well stick with what we’ve got.

Jen Simonetti is a leader I would follow into battle. She has the Caleb Porter intensity behind the eyes.

Do not catch some Z’s on the Lady Zips! Akron WSOC is currently the standard bearer!

This play could have gone either way. In my playing days, this was definitely a handball, so sorry. But handball is not so cut and dry nowadays. I say both the VAR assistant and the head referee acted correctly. The system worked.

Refrain from RPI until October.

We have seen Hardin at RB before, pushing Henry up to R Winger. This combination has rendered mixed results. (Full disclosure: I would not have recommended this combination.) Clearly, Embick and staff identified something. Alluding to the obvious, Hardin and Henry appear to be among the swiftest on the team. But both are smallish. Against VCU, our right side put continuous pressure on VCU. It will be interesting to see if this fast but small combination starts Monday versus IU Indy. Major props go to sophomore Josh Hardin, the diminutive Defender with enormous fighting spirit. He reminds me of a right-footed Nico De Vera (high praise in my book).

Yeah. Sadly, they broke decades of tradition, most likely due to inclimate weather and sparse attendance. Also, music and public announcing seemingly cannot grasp how unimportant they are when compared to the team briefly celebrating with the students. If folks in the booth do not get it, someone from AD office should get it for them.

Tears of Joy are streaming down my face, down my arms, my legs, my back. Hell, I’m nearly soaked to the skin. Actually, it was probably the 30+ minutes of torrential downpour to end the match. But the smile has yet to leave my face. Well done, boys!

Here is how I would trot them out tonight:

Zips will host #13 VCU (according to coaches' poll) tomorrow. Does anyone even realize this? Akron Hosts No. 13 VCU - University of Akron Athletics (gozips.com) If Zips MSOC plays a match, and no one comes to watch, does the inevitable draw still count as one point?

Alas, Zips have not enjoyed superior level team chemistry in several seasons. 2018 seems very long ago. Yes, this was once the hallmark of this program. Multiple transfers in and out is the collegiate soccer World we now live in. Mind you, no one cares much for team chemistry that does not render success. Zips base formation/system is 4-2-3-1. We very occasionally play 4-3-3. I do not believe formation/system is responsible for “pussyfooting” in the back, as I understand the term. At fault is a strategic choice to draw out the opposition and lure them into over committing. This is analogous to a boxer sticking out his chin, daring his opponent to hit him, with the intent to counter punch the unbalanced foe. But when the Zips stick out their chin, we are even odds to get knocked off our feet. One starts to wonder: Maybe we are not very good at counter punching. Another apparent Zips strategy is to treat every possession as precious and equal. Precious? Agreed. Equally precious? No. Against CSU, Zips made, not one pass, but four too many passes in our defensive right corner. With 13 minutes left, Zips disrespected the overall game scenario. That Ball should been given a long ride to the other half, knowingly conceding possession. Obviously, Zips cannot achieve success by always booming the ball out of the back. But specific situations mandate specific actions. Victory was in hand. That ball should have been sent into the upper deck. Instead, we stuck out our chin, getting a bloody nose for our trouble. We mismanaged the game. Not all Draws feel the same. The draw at Notre Dame kind of felt like victory. The draw hosting CSU definitely feels like a loss.

🤮

I hate complaining about referees. I really do. But that crew in Kalamazoo was awful.

I will take the 1-1 road result. However, we are down several defenders right now. Hope Ashton Kamdem is OK, but it did not look good. Josh Hardin, appreciate the Moxy, but you got to back off when carrying a YC. Everyone gets to act the fool once; you just spent your one time. I do like your fight, young man! Any word on Roberto Ydratch? That did not look good against Buckeyes.

They ain’t got no lights no how!

If Zips replicate the performance shown in hosting OSU, things will get real ugly real fast in Kalamazoo. Like 4-0 ugly.