Akron vs. St. Louis (Exhibition)

[yazan07]

Alright figured I'd start a thread since I'm unfortunately not there. Big surprise already is Wil Trapp not in the starting XI as freshman Matt Foldesly takes his place in the midfield. Also surprised to see Stevenson instead of Derschang or Quinn.

[bobbyake]

12 minutes and no shots yet. Akron's dominating possession

[TennZip]

are Aodhan Quinn and Wil Trapp injured

really missing Aodhan on the corner kicks

[bobbyake]

Goal Zips!! Yedlin makes it 1-0

[bobbyake]

Highlights

[plowerman78]

Trapp and Derschang were out for precautionary reasons, will be fine for next Friday vs FGCU maybe Wright State this Friday

[GoZipsGoZips]

Thought that Porter would be more disappointed... as most fans in the grandstand were... and we are among some knowledgeable fans (e.g., parents, professors, UA Execs, long-time season ticket holders).

The hustle seemed to be there... but there was a complete lack of sharpness in passing for half of the match. Also... the guys have to learn that Schmitt is not 6' 5"... so passing a ball that he has to bring down against a defender is just not a good idea. I saw the taller defender win the ball more than a few times.

We had 11 corners... no goals... not even many good attempts. Gotta work on that!

Maybe... if we would would have had a 1st half lead... we would have seen Pena for the second half... but that didn't happen. Both GKs had an unstressful night in saves... most that required very little movement (your grandma could have saved most shots).

Also... St Louis looked pretty good... not like a sub .500 team (2011). It could be that they are headed for a better year... or could have been the "bring your best against Akron" syndrome.

[bisbee]

Impressions of those who were at game? Always difficult to adequately tell whats going on from a webcast.

[TheTank123]

Impressions of those who were at game? Always difficult to adequately tell whats going on from a webcast.

Obviously wasn't at the game but my impressions are as follows:

Meves: played extremely well. He got down and stretched out on balls quicker than I remember. Only had one or two clearances that I can remember but both seemed to be more accurate and with more distance than last year.

Yedlin: Thought he was the MotM. Obviously I'm biased but I think the argument is valid. Lockdown D and the entire offense ran through him in 2nd half.

Barson: Typical CB game. Steady, strong, composed. Nothing flashy, no screw ups.

Gallego: Same as Barson. Thought he loooked pretty good when he moved forward into DM role in 2nd half.

Portillos/Fives: Neither really jumped out at me. Thought Fives did well in 2nd half but he was also given an enormous amount of space as SLU shaded their defense to their left (our right).

Foldesy: Thought he did well, especially as a freshman in his first start. Biggest knock on him is that he's not Wil Trapp.

Caldwell: Typical Scotty game. Thought he distributed fairly well. Should have done better on some of his finishing balls (through balls, crosses, etc.)

Stevenson: Same as Portillos/Fives. Didn't jump out at me. Should have finished Koroma's cross. Maybe I'm a bit more critical because I was excited to see Derschang

Koroma: Grown ass man. Will be an absolute beast. Puts his head down a bit too early but that will improve with time. May need to work on fitness...looked like he was laboring around 65th.

Serna: Saw flashes of what he is capable of. Biggest knock about his play last night was that he didn't get the ball enough. Obviously not his fault, but I'd like to see him on the ball more. Was too bad he couldn't finish that header, put himself in a great position.

Schmitt: Would have like to see more out of him in first half. Should have had a goal on the ball that was called offside. It looked to me that in 2nd half he and Koroma switched, with Koroma up top and Schmitt out wide. I really liked (and liked last year) the combo of him and Yedlin on the same side. They seem to really understand and enjoy playing off each other. Also gets the taller Koroma up front for any crosses into the box.

Quinn: Thought he played really well once he got in the game.

[zippyfan34]

Impressions of those who were at game? Always difficult to adequately tell whats going on from a webcast.

From someone who has just recently picked up soccer in the past few years and doesn't know much, I think the first half was a little rough. I have season tickets in the reserved section nearest the "Hill" so we get to see the action on the right side up close. I thought Yedlin and Koroma could not get on the same page especially in the first half. Sometimes they both went outside, sometimes inside, sometimes they would pass thinking the other would make a run and he wasn't. All these things will be fixed the more they play together (only been practicing about a week). I will say that probably 80% of the scoring will come from the middle or right side of the field.

To me I was very impressed with Serna when he had the ball. Very quick and decisive. Needs to work on getting his left footed corner kicks into the air. His first few were easily cleared. If Quinn is on the field at the same time I would think he will be taking those. Serna would be the only freshman that I think could be one and done and playing in the pros next year. Koroma still seemed a little raw to me. I don't see him having 15+ goals this year filling in for Mattocks. I see him in the program at least 2 years and improving greatly. I think we should have tremendous balance in scoring this year with a few guys in the 8-12 (Koroma, Schmidt, Serna) goal range.

Also as mentioned Dershang and Trapp were held out do to injuries so that will change the lineups and rotations when they are back.

Random observation on Phil Fives is that the way he ran with his elbows out made it seem like his side hurt for some reason . And I love Prince, I mean Deandre's hair .

[Zip_ME87]

Passing, especially in the first half, was not as crisp as that to which we've grown accustomed. The Zips seemed to lose the ball often and not win it back as quickly as they need to. Many of the corner kicks were either too long or too short. David Meves made 2 great saves in the first half. There was one defensive breakdown in the 2nd half that I remember where the ball went wide to the right of the goal and could have led to a draw. Wil Trapp and Robbie Derschang saw no action. Caleb Porter made more substitutions than we've seen in the past.

My takeaway is that I didn't see anything I wouldn't have expected in a first exhibition match which included numerous new players. From the squads I saw in practice a week ago, all of the players on the pitch last night hadn't played together as a unit in practice. They're getting used to the system and each other. I'm a little concerned that the season is just beginning, and players are already "banged up". As was mentioned on GoZips.com, Wil and Robbie were held out due to injuries that, although not serious, could be nagging. Hopefully, they rest and are able to fully recover prior to the season's start. I'll say I see a lot of depth on this team. A lot of talented players who just need to learn to effectively combine their talent in Caleb's system.

[fknbuflobo]

Meves looked lean, mean, and focused in goal. The poor guy will likely graduate with the most statistically impressive career in NCAA history. Yet he still is derided every match. Some of the criticism is legitimate. Some of it emanates from me. The irony! I remain curious to see Pina.

Yedlin #17 was Zips' MVP, not just because he scored. Tactical awareness has improved, 1v1 Defending has improved, Passing has improved. He has not hit his ceiling yet.

Because I can take Barson #3 for granted, I will. Gallego #4 would do very well to emulate Barson.

Souders #2 looked stiff and mechanical. I hope to see better of him.

Brenes #7 is our most versatile player, capable of performing anywhere on the pitch. It would not surprise me to see him at GK. He seems to prefer physical contact, unlike most of the roster. He is our toughest customer.

Foldesy #5 was surprisingly proficient in first start at HMF. He is a good tackler. He also has a penchant for the long ball, which will not endear him to Zips staff. I have followed this kid for years at St. Ignatius.

Caldwell #15 was Caldwell. We will not fully appreciate his dull consistency until he graduates and leaves. He must protect himself better. If not, the MLS will chew him up and spit him out.

Quinn #9 is indispensable. The Attack was much more potent the second half with him in the lineup.

Serna #10 reminds me of Ampaipitakwong, a small, quick, passing machine with good endurance. Hope Serna proves more rugged and durable than Ampai.

Koroma #8 was slightly disappointing. He did not display the advertised blazing speed. Nor does he seem an inveterate goal poacher like Mattocks, ALWAYS looking to score. Actually, Abdul-Salaam #25 showed as much production as Koroma did.

[TheTank123]

Meves looked lean, mean, and focused in goal. The poor guy will likely graduate with the most statistically impressive career in NCAA history. Yet he still is derided every match. Some of the criticism is legitimate. Some of it emanates from me. The irony! I remain curious to see Pina.

Yedlin #17 was Zips' MVP, not just because he scored. Tactical awareness has improved, 1v1 Defending has improved, Passing has improved. He has not hit his ceiling yet.

Because I can take Barson #3 for granted, I will. Gallego #4 would do very well to emulate Barson.

Souders #2 looked stiff and mechanical. I hope to see better of him.

Brenes #7 is our most versatile player, capable of performing anywhere on the pitch. It would not surprise me to see him at GK. He seems to prefer physical contact, unlike most of the roster. He is our toughest customer.

Foldesy #5 was surprisingly proficient in first start at HMF. He is a good tackler. He also has a penchant for the long ball, which will not endear him to Zips staff. I have followed this kid for years at St. Ignatius.

Caldwell #15 was Caldwell. We will not fully appreciate his dull consistency until he graduates and leaves. He must protect himself better. If not, the MLS will chew him up and spit him out.

Quinn #9 is indispensable. The Attack was much more potent the second half with him in the lineup.

Serna #10 reminds me of Ampaipitakwong, a small, quick, passing machine with good endurance. Hope Serna proves more rugged and durable than Ampai.

Koroma #8 was slightly disappointing. He did not display the advertised blazing speed. Nor does he seem an inveterate goal poacher like Mattocks, ALWAYS looking to score. Actually, Abdul-Salaam #25 showed as much production as Koroma did.

Can someone explain to me where the hell Abdul-Salaam came from? Walk on no-names don't usually get time at schools like Akron, but he played a good 20 minutes last night and used his time well.

[fknbuflobo]

Can someone explain to me where the hell Abdul-Salaam came from? Walk on no-names don't usually get time at schools like Akron, but he played a good 20 minutes last night and used his time well.

Gahanna Lincoln H.S., a suburb of Columbus OH. This is the same high school from whence comes Wil Trapp.

[Zip_ME87]

Can someone explain to me where the hell Abdul-Salaam came from? Walk on no-names don't usually get time at schools like Akron, but he played a good 20 minutes last night and used his time well.

My understanding is that he has been around for sometime now. He played in the Spring, and I believe I saw him around last Fall. I don't know why he wasn't eligible before Spring 2012 or exactly how long he has been around.

[fknbuflobo]

Yes, he (Abdul-Salaam) was definitely around in the Spring.

[TheTank123]

Yes, he (Abdul-Salaam) was definitely around in the Spring.

Yeah, I knew that. Just seems like an odd path to a top 5 team.

[fknbuflobo]

I think the kid has tremendous upside; I really do.

[bobbyake]

Yeah, I knew that. Just seems like an odd path to a top 5 team.

Are very own Rudy story?

[Zip_ME87]

Saad vs Kayvon in high school (Gahanna Lincoln defeats St. Ignatius, November 13, 2009)

St. Ignatius' Kayvon Afsarifard, right, defends on Gahanna Lincoln's Saad Abdul-Salaam. (Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer)

[fknbuflobo]

That is a nice find.

[bisbee]

That is a nice find.

Never met Kayvon but he looks about 40 in that pic

[Zip_ME87]

Never met Kayvon but he looks about 40 in that pic

Definitely not as you can see here.

Perhaps the duress of defending against Saad.

[fknbuflobo]

Not the most flattering picture, to be sure! EDIT: His team portrait looks fine.

Actually, Afsarifard #22 is not far behind Barson and Gallego, playing a very similar style.

For my money, Afsarifard is better than what I have seen (so far) from Souders.

Another very good player that may never see the light of day.

[bisbee]

Not the most flattering picture, to be sure! EDIT: His team portrait looks fine.

Actually, Afsarifard #22 is not far behind Barson and Gallego, playing a very similar style.

For my money, Afsarifard is better than what I have seen (so far) from Souders.

Another very good player that may never see the light of day.

Have never seen either of them play but wonder if Souders was one of those guys who was a top notch youth player who might have a difficult time adjusting to the college game. Only time will tell but hope he does well. Very tough for another player to break into the Akron back 4 as it now stands.