Utah soccer kicks-off (different kind of footy) tonight as the Utes travel to Spokane to play Gonzaga tonight. The game will be on ESPN+ at 8:00 PM MDT. For me on EDT, that is my UteBrunch® game on Friday.
Over the last two years, losing two players who are getting regular time with their NWSL clubs (O’Kane with Racing Louisville and Brown with Washington Spirit) it will be interesting to see who steps up to make a difference. In particular, O’Kane meant a lot to the team last year. The Blaylock sisters return and my eye is on Brooklyn, who played quite a bit as a Frosh last year.
Since Nakada likes to play a building up the field style, the midfield has to be the difference in connecting back and front and creating scoring chances. That group will be lead by Grace Watkins and Devi Dudley (in their last year).
In reviewing the roster, there are 10 freshman this year with about half them midfielders. It will be interesting to watch if any of them pop early in the season.
The Utes dominated possession the whole game (which I know makes the coach happy), and had good looks throughout the game.
One mistake by Callie Bullock letting a forward out work her on the ball on the left side, allowing a cross, then Eva Hetzel allowing her mark to get higher than her on a header was the only blotch.
Oka looks like she will be a nice contributor as a freshman. Her goal was a laser strike from outside the box catching everybody off guard. Good confidence and a difficult shot for the the freshman.
Brooklyn Blaylock played very well working the ball forward, and Bella Woods with a nice game to start her sophomore campaign.
Lots of good things to say about the win.
Next up is Utah Valley in Orem on Monday the 18th and it will be on ESPN+.
MONDAY’S MATCHUP Date Time: Monday, Aug. 18 7:00 p.m. (MT)
Utah (1-0-0) vs. Utah Valley (0-0-0) Location: Orem, Utah UCCU Stadium Live Stats:Click Here Live Stream:ESPN+ Twitter Updates:@UtahWSoccer
Watched first half. Soccer is one of those sports where a team can control possession and have more shots on goal, but lose. The UVU keeper made some great saves. She was the star of the game.
No question about that at all. The 2nd half didn’t get much better for the Utes, tons of possession, a ridiculous number of corner kicks and free kicks without finding the back of the net.
If they kept the xGF stat in college, the Utes may have been near 3.5-4 goals.
Loved: Play of Blum, almost single-handedly giving the Utes offense.
Hated: Defensive play by the center backs and wing backs. Also, where was Grace Watkins. Bullock not shaping up to be able to fill Kaufusi’s spot at striker. She was around the play a lot (the Utes had the ball in the box a lot), but seems to not have a lot of finish to her.
Second year in a row losing to UVU by a 2-0 score. That said, UVU has been a strong program and has had ranked teams over the last few years. They are not a pushover. That coach of theirs seems to have the recruiting touch to get those kind of players to a frickin’ WAC school.
Our coach was the recruiting master for Stanford and UVU’s was the same for Cal. One guy is exceeding expectations while the other struggles to get a strong team together.
Well the game went as I expected, Utah scores 3 second half goals and wins 4-0.
The 1st half Nakada played all newcomers and younger players. One stood out in Davidson finishing a box chance that landed at her feet (something missing this year, finish). She also scored in the second half on a beautiful pass from Swensen (if I remember correctly).
Bullock played minutes in the second half and I am still not sure she has the finish needed up front. A second straight game where Grace Watkins had no impact.
However, Swensen and Bellini both showed out last night. Bellini is a senior who played HS in Utah, but went to Florida for four years and is a SR transfer, really looked good, while Swensen, a Skyline HS grad who is now a SR transfer from Weber St, showed a lot of speed down the flank creating many of the 2nd half opportunities.
The freshman goaltender from Illinois played well (McClenahan) in her first game, and looks like a comer. I was also glad to see Mia Paugh get a lot more time at center back. She played a lot as a freshman last year and think she is one of the best backs on the team and should start and play the majority of games.
All, in all, a good win, and nice to see how new players and freshman worked out.
Next up, Utah St in Logan. It will not be on ESPN+ but whatever remnant of the MW exists now.
Swensen and Blum are playing very well. Bullock played better this game but was late getting into the box on a couple of good crosses.
This team, in every area but striker, seems to be better this year. Next up is Washington in Seattle on Thurday, then LSU at home on Sunday. That will make 3 games this week, which is a LOT for soccer. Hopefully the team has some legs left for the LSU squad.
Apparently, the game was on B1G+ last night. They have a replay available if you sign up.
The Utes beat Washington 1-0 on a goal by Kelly Bullock in the 84’. The way the article on the game reads, it was an effort by Grace Watkins to get into the box and a nice service right to Bullock for a header.
Always good to get road wins and nice to see Watkins and Bullock team up.
On Thursday, the Utes pull out a win versus Utah Tech 2-1, after going up 2-0.
Today, they play Oregon St at Ute Field at 1PM. If you are around and not in church, go out and catch the game. OSU is 0-3-3 losing to Weber St and tied Idaho St and South Dakota St. The Utes should be able to win this game.
However, as seen on Thursday again, this team has trouble against teams they should never struggle to beat. I am not saying that the other teams are undeserving or their athletes are not good, but with Utah’s resources, a talent disparity should never exist, but I frequently just don’t see it sometimes. I am anxious to see the game today to see if we can get a breakout of sorts against a weaker team.
They showed a stat in the Utech game that showed Nakada’s record essentially being .500 after several seasons on the job. Now, yes, he was competing in the PAC12 where the soccer teams are especially strong, but, the more I watch this team, the more I am puzzled in the results.
I am certainly no expert on soccer, far from it really, but I do watch my fair share, and this team is just lacking something that could tie it all together.
Going up 1-0 and then taking a red card 16 minutes into the game is a tough way to play. After conceding an own goal early in the 2nd half, the defense allowed Oregon State to take the lead and not relinquish it. Utah was the better side, but playing down a player is tough sledding. Red cards are the stiffest penalty in any sport. I would be in favor of disqualifying the recipient and having the offending team play down for 10 or 15. minutes, but in this game they played down for about 65 minutes. The red card itself was called when the Utah player tried to tug the back of the shirt of the opposing player and inadvertently got some of her hair that she wore down the back almost to her waist.
Yes, it is, and you are that right that Utah was the better team yet they still allowed a terrible team to beat them. I don’t know what to say about how frustrating it is to watch these Utes, even down a player they keep possession, and then we just see it fizzle out every time. Also frustrating to see OSU convert the only two good chances they got. While the Ute “finishers” bumble and stumble.
Usually, the Utes take roughly about 137 more corner kicks than the opponents (because of said fizzling) without even getting close to scoring, at least Mia Paugh stepped up and made it count this game.
@UTEopia you said it earlier. Finish, finish, finish. This team needs it from someone somewhere.
I finally was able to watch the home game against Cincinnati the other day and am again perplexed on how a team can dominate the ball and swamp the other team in shot attempts, and come out with a 0-0 tie. Of course, hitting three posts with shots will do that.
Brooklyn Blaylock and Lilia Blum do a great job getting the ball into positions to score, but they just can’t do it.
If you are up to another team that has trouble scoring, after watching the football Utes in WV, catch the other football Utes against WV at Ute field tomorrow at 6pm MDT.