MAC Men's Soccer Tournament returns to Akron ... Nov 15th and 17th

[Zip_ME87]

2 hours ago, TennZip said:

I am optimistic that Natnael McDonald will have an impact in 2020.   He missed the entire season due to injury.   He was as highly touted as Will Jackson.

When we look at the 2020 incoming recruiting class, hopefully a hidden gem from the 2019 recruiting class.....will have a large impact on the 2020 season.

Wishing you good health to Natnael.  The Zips need you.

 

How might this season have been different with a healthy Skye Harter, Diogo Pacheco, and potentially Natnael McDonald? 

 

Speaking of coaching, lest we forget that Jared and staff took an unseeded Zips team to the 2018 National Championship game, having to play every match on the road except the opening match v Rider.

 

    Nov 15 Rider at home

    Nov 18 At Syracuse

    Nov 25 At Wake Forest

    Nov 30 At Stanford

 

If any other Zips team did similar, it was only the 1986 Zips. 

 

[Zip_ME87]

On 11/16/2019 at 12:06 PM, ZipsVoice said:

I totally agree and love the coach and staff.....but to be honest, and I think Coach would agree, to be named the MAC Coach of the Year is a little bit of an indictment on the MAC as a league.  Not many D1 coaches go 6-10-2, even with our OOC schedule, and still win a Coach of the Year Award.  These were all his lads, his recruits, and he was never able to get them to consistently play together, hold their shape, especially on Defense, and find the "ideal 11".  I know, there were numerous injuries, KEY injuries, but the claim to fame for the staff was the fact that they were able to get these kids to play well enough for 5 matches to win the MAC, a little underwhelming when you think about it.  I know this will seem sacrilegious, to many on this board, but understand, my passion is with this team and staff, and mention this only as an honest critique.  If we want a more ideal situation, we should petition the MAC to drop men's soccer as a sport and let the 4 REAL MAC member find other homes in larger, more competitive conferences, where we could lessen our need for brutal, on-the-road early-season OOC schedules, and work towards a better strength of schedule and RPI based on our conference.  I'm sure there's a Conference out there that would love to have an Akron, with our pedigree, in their mix.  Okay, crucify me for my Jared comments....   

 

On 11/16/2019 at 12:11 PM, zippypitt said:

Fair criticism in my book, as I was a bit shocked by the award too.  The team struggled mightily outside the conference.  The early OOC may have messed with this team's confidence looking back at it.

 

On 11/16/2019 at 12:43 PM, 72 Roo said:

"Okay, crucify me for my Jared comments...." 

 

Zips Voice, to borrow a phrase from Stripes "Lighten up Francis". No one is going to crucify you for offering an opinion that the staff needs to up their game too. Jared will be the first to say he bears some responsibility for this season. He is open to criticism and holds himself accountable for getting better and he has proven he does just that. He gets better. That's why he is one of the best in the country.

 

Now can we just get back to ripping up each other over our opinions about Arth and Bowden. That is more in keeping with recent tradition on this board. Who cares that we are all Zip fans? Let's destroy anyone who doesn't believe as we do about our football coaches. Oh, and let's do it ad nauseum.

 

How could we possibly "crucify" any Zips fan for comments such as these when they stem from the fact that OUR STANDARD for Zips Men's Soccer IS SO HIGH, and rightfully so. Our standard for all of UA should be as high. Instead of "ripping up each other" in discussions as 72 Roo has pointed out, we should all be letting our President, Board of Trustees, Athletics Department and other leadership know that we expect them to live up to the same high standards. It's unacceptable to be lazy in making financial decisions, hiring coaches and & other important decisions. Zips Men's Soccer, Track & Field, Swimming & Diving, Volleyball... are all exemplary of the high standards we expect throughout. Get onboard, earn your salary, or move on.

 

[MDZip]

Its so strange to have the NCAA soccer tournament come out and not have the Zips in it. And the MAC rep in the tournament didn't win a single regular season MAC match. ? 

Edited November 19, 2019 by MDZip

[ZipsVoice]

30 minutes ago, MDZip said:

And the MAC rep in the tournament didn't win a single regular season MAC match

Once again....I know my bretheren would rather see the MAC expand, this is another example of why it should drop soccer - IF (and it's a big IF) all 4 member schools have a home to go to.  The Big 10 (14) only has 9 schools in men's soccer......what a great fit for Akron, Western, BG and/or Northern Illinois.  Travel time would be equivalent for the most part to MAC, we'd play a bigger in-conference schedule against teams like Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, OSU, Rutgers, Penn State, Wisconsin, Northwestern....all schools we have traditional rivalries with throughout the past 10 seasons either in OOC schedules or tournament play.  And that would allow us to be a little more choosy in our OOC schedule, with more home matches and a little less strenuous, because lleague play will be.  More opportunities to advance to the NCAAs, better recruiting material to lure prospects, TV on the Big 10 Network....a natural, I'm telling you.....

Edited November 19, 2019 by ZipsVoice

[Zip_ME87]

On 11/16/2019 at 7:50 AM, fknbuflobo said:

Corner Kicks.  Execute them efficiently.  We had thirteen last night vs. BGSU, with no score!  Thirteen!  Most offense is designed to get off a cross from wide into the box.  So, a s hort kick should only occur  to immediately get a different angle on a cross from wide into the box.  Taking a short CK just to pass it around the horn is a tremendous and unacceptable waste of opportunity.

 

Corner Kicks.  Defense them rigorously.  This is where men are separated from boys.  How many CK goals surrendered in 2019?  Zonal CK Defending does. Not. Work.  Stop it!  Need to be at least partially man to man.  Zips coaching should drill CK defense EFD!!! Ad nauseum!

 

Corner Kicks.  There.  I just fixed Zips Soccer.?

 

 

while I agree with you about the corner kicks being an issue both on defense and offense, I’m also frustrated that we didn’t have someone this season who “had a nose for the goal”.  How many open chances were missed? How many scoring opportunities were not taken? I attended every game, home and away, and this was absolutely the most frustrating season I can recall as to going for goal. Our midfield and forwards have to do better. Being one dimensional (Egbo) was easy for teams to shut down. 
 

oh how I wish that Jesus Perez would have stuck it out at Akron rather than going to UIC. He could have helped Akron and Akron could have helped him.
 

 

Edited November 21, 2019 by Zip_ME87

[ZipsVoice]

4 hours ago, Zip_ME87 said:

How many open chances were missed? How many scoring opportunities were not taken?

You are so spot on on this, used to be a car-crash-waiting-to-happen with Zips bouncing off one another in past years with multiple strikers and mids going to goal, and there were lots of opportunities taken by lots of Zips shooters.

[fknbuflobo]

Sure would be a swell night for a footie!  Perfect weather.

[fknbuflobo]

On 11/19/2019 at 3:54 PM, MDZip said:

Its so strange to have the NCAA soccer tournament come out and not have the Zips in it. And the MAC rep in the tournament didn't win a single regular season MAC match. ? 

I still filled out a bracket on Big Soccer.  Can you say "junkie", boys and girls?

[fknbuflobo]

 

[TennZip]

West Virginia is making the MAC look very good tonight

West Virginia leads 5-1 at Butler after 84 minutes

winner plays at #11 seed Marshall