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fknbuflobo

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Posts posted by fknbuflobo

  1. 1 hour ago, zippy-claws said:

    Two quick thoughts:

    1)  Not that Akron is any different than other schools, but with all the transfers in and out and 5th year and grad players coming and going, putting in a season or two here, have we lost the team chemistry that for years was the Zip trademark of play?

     

    2)  Would we be less vulnerable to "pussyfooting", quick strikes after scoring, heck at all, if we played a more "conventional 4-4-2 rather than going with the 3-5-2?

    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.  

    • Like 5
  2. 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.

  3. 8 minutes ago, malonepioneer12 said:

    All I can tell you is my interest level is waining.  I want championships….I have been to the College Cup to see Akron lose and that is not fun but last night was one of the worst performances I have ever seen from an Akron team in the 10 years I have had season tickets.  Michigan 3 years ago and a 0-0 tie was an awful game, losing to Hartwick was awful but last night was terrible.  It was a shame, such a beautiful night outside and such an awful performance.  There is still time to turn it around but .500 is not acceptable.   

    Out of Likes for the day... something about the Time/Space Equilibrium....

     

    Spot On!  Preach!

  4. The schedule has become noticeably more localized in recent seasons.

    Road trips to Omaha NE are sure to cause a grimace every other year.

     

    There has not been funding for off-season international trips. 

    Not for a while.

    This I know.

    If elite programs are offering such enticing perks, then Zips are simply not keeping pace with the serious Market.

     

    There are many similarities between Universities of Marshall and Akron.

    Whatever they are doing is what we should mimic.

    We should observe and learn how Marshall MSOC is funding their program.

    Only so much can be kept secret; Marshall is a "public research university," as is Akron.

  5. 12 minutes ago, YipaZip said:

    Unlike you, I have common sense. 
     

    3 on staff now, 4 on staff for College Cup runs. Pretty obvious. 

    Are you suggesting that the restructuring of Zips MSOC coaching staff years ago is equal to strangling MSOC?

    -1 = strangulation?

    Seems like a minor shift.

     

    How might common sense (which you have) lead to such a conclusion?

    The correlation is obscure.

     

    Surely, there is more to your point than this.

    Please review and advise.

     

  6. 21 minutes ago, YipaZip said:

    Also quoting a preseason poll is stupid. Zips were picked top of Big East. So it cant be one way for one (meaning zips are bad but picked first) and one way for the other (OSU picked in 6th). 

    Perhaps Buckeyes were underrated in the pre-season voting.  I do not believe that.  I think Buckeyes will finish middle of the pack in Big 10.  

     

    On the other hand, judging from four games watched, Zips appear to be grossly overrated in pre-season coaches' poll. 

    (I do not recall mentioning the Big East pre season polling on this thread.)

     

    The good news is that plenty of season remains for Zips to right the ship.

    But they need to start right now, in Kalamazoo come Friday.

     

  7. 18 minutes ago, YipaZip said:

    Based on the above quote, you suggest the players were more at fault that the staff despite being on bigsoccer and up quoting an Embick on the hot seat post. 

     

     

    Embick has won many things at the Zips. I would be close to suggesting big players - Clapier, Malik, Buechte all very very bad last night. 

    The debacle versus OSU I hang mostly on the players. 

     

    Also, Jared Embick is on the Hot Seat.

     

    These two things are not mutually exclusive

    • Like 1
  8. In a pre-season poll, Big10 MSOC coaches voted OSU to finish #6 in an eleven-team league/conference.

     

    That a mediocre side, and primary intrastate rival, can undeniably manhandle us, on our own grounds, is absolutely shameful.

     

    Zips lost 90% of all physical confrontations.  Akron was consistently second to every contested ball.  Fundamental passes were executed only erratically.  Very rarely was there a meaningful three pass combination.

     

    There is no strategic planning, no tactical maneuvering, no formational scheming that can overcome the physical capitulation that 3,500 witnessed against OSU.  If every 1v1 matchup is lost, success is impossible, regardless of the system employed.

     

    The attendance estimate of 3,500 is the largest crowd seen in quite some time.  Most of those fans are not returning this season, and I cannot blame them.

     

    The course of this campaign must be corrected dramatically - and soon.   If not, this season will end shortly, pathetic and bitter, prior to mid-November.

    • Like 2
  9. On 8/14/2024 at 2:15 PM, zippy-claws said:

    Is Emil the son of (or related to) Jussi, former Bolton Wanderer's Goalkeeper?  I see he lists his hometown as Bolton, so I wonder.  Also, didn't we play LIU last season with him in their lineup?

    I realize your question has already been answered on this thread.

    Indeed, Emil is son of Jussi Jaaskelainen, longtime GK for Bolton Wanderers.

    I too am impressed with your depth of knowledge of minor tier English professional football.  Bolton were last in the Prem in 2012.

  10. 5 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

    For those at the first two scrimmages, what are we missing on the offensive end?

    We have lost the ability to receive the ball in midfield with our backs to the opponents’ goal, and then turn it upfield.  Other teams are very physical when keeping us from playing through the midfield.  That first pass from our defensive third into the middle third is hotly contested.  Teams now realize that preventing that pass is the key to beating us.  So, we must resort to playing over midfield rather than playing through midfield.  And we are not especially good at that, the long ball.

    • Thanks 2
  11. AKR 0-0 PIT   FT

     

    Another lackluster scoreless draw. 

     

    On a positive note, though far from flawless, Zips defending looked more cohesive and determined.

     

    Especial recognition to MF Matt Dreas who has developed into our #6.

    More than one Zips historian has compared Matt Dreas to Ben Zemanski at Defensive Mid-field.

    Encouraging to see players improve; that is why we watch collegiate sports, right?

    I would counsel that Dreas needs work on distributing the ball after winning possession.

    • Thanks 1
  12. 1 hour ago, zippy-claws said:

    Why oh why do we have to wait until Our Leader decides to post non-con matches?  There was an Instagram post with the non-con schedule, but it mysteriously disappeared the next day....cannot be found.  Yet the knuckleheads that try to show "leadership" in Marketing 101 won't let us know who we're playing....but there's more!  Now they want me, us, to renew our season tickets but they won't tell us who we're playing or when...

     

    What a GREAT DI experience!  Way to go Zips Athletics....

    Does UA still have a Marketing curriculum?  Or was that cut?

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