Quote from: hiyasoccer on November 25, 2019, 06:28:41 PM

Quote from: Buddham on November 25, 2019, 05:37:19 PM
A technical, possession-oriented team might benefit from playing in tight confines using quick one-touches to play through traffic. Conversely, a larger field might favor a long-ball kick and run team with speedsters because they'd have the space to outpace their opponents. The muck gives the player with the ball the advantage and possession looked fairly even between RPI and Amherst (I think?).

Uhh not quite. Possession oriented teams like large fields with nice playing surfaces that allow them to space themselves out and move the ball. Physical set piece teams like traditional Amherst sides feast on small fields where they can send a ball into the opposing box from almost anywhere. The more recent sides have also been able to use speedsters to counter into space  on the wings to counter into space on larger fields, either generating a chance or at least a throw in they can put into the box...

Thank you - lots of big bodies on lots of rosters these days so will be interesting to see how that mixes with the higher technical levels of players.

The original post: "Serpone has his hands full with #23. This kid has the athletic ability to be a star but he needs coaching like no player I have seen in a while in this league. The improvement / lack thereof of this kid might give some of us outsiders a real chance at seeing how good a Head Coach Serpone is. I will say it does matter the kids attitude..He has to be willing to learn and hopefully is open to it."

#23 started and scored the winner in the playoffs: he obviously has athletic ability, and has the apparent faith of his coach. What about his play that game, or this season, would make anyone say his coach has his hands full (which I may be misinterpreting, but that seems a negative comment). Why does this player need coaching so desperately according to the post?

What makes this kid a litmus test of the coach's ability more so than any other player?

Then to specify nothing other than his attitude with the elipsis to reference him being willing to learn, as if that doesn't apply to every player? Like I wrote, if the intent was to compliment, "he's got tremendous upside potential, hope his trajectory continues upward" wouldn't that have been much easier to communicate? Unless that wasn't the implication?

Yes, my tenth post, if we are counting. I sought further explanation because I'm too new to understand what Mr Right found so obvious (and if so, then pointing it out served what purpose?)

Quote from: Buck O. on November 25, 2019, 06:42:52 PM

Quote from: jknezek on November 25, 2019, 05:55:53 PM

Quote from: Buddham on November 25, 2019, 05:48:43 PM
My observations about the players are factual and specific. You called out a player for "needing coaching" and being "a handful" while questioning his "attitude" (in that your imply his currently doesn't show a willingness to learn). 

My observation about your post: you have no facts. I asked you to clarify what you "meant". It was not clear b/c you didn't cite any specifics.

You've gone right up to the line of saying something akin to "he's got lots of athleticism but lacks brains and discipline". Which if you follow sports, you'll recognize as implicit racism many athletes of color have had to confront. I've tried to give you every opportunity to climb down, but feigning ignorance and saying you were "pretty clear what I meant" makes me conclude that your hood is showing.

9th post and accusing a long time poster of racism. That's impressive. Mr. Right and his previous name have been many things, not all of them well liked, but racist isn't a label I'd have thrown at him.

Wow, lots of stuff going on the board today.  I'll address this one first.

Buddham, your entire string of posts has been based on a poor reading of Mr Right's original post.  Read it again.  He said that the player could be very good but that it would depend on his attitude and openness to learning.  You chose to assume that Mr Right was asserting that the player had a bad attitude and wasn't open to learning, and you ignored his response which should have clarified things.  That says more about you than it does about Mr Right.

My observations about the players are factual and specific. You called out a player for "needing coaching" and being "a handful" while questioning his "attitude" (in that your imply his currently doesn't show a willingness to learn). 

My observation about your post: you have no facts. I asked you to clarify what you "meant". It was not clear b/c you didn't cite any specifics.

You've gone right up to the line of saying something akin to "he's got lots of athleticism but lacks brains and discipline". Which if you follow sports, you'll recognize as implicit racism many athletes of color have had to confront. I've tried to give you every opportunity to climb down, but feigning ignorance and saying you were "pretty clear what I meant" makes me conclude that your hood is showing.

Quote from: Mr.Right on November 25, 2019, 11:01:59 AM

Quote from: Buddham on November 25, 2019, 08:52:52 AM

Quote from: Mr.Right on November 24, 2019, 11:40:05 AM

Quote from: Buddham on November 23, 2019, 06:48:49 PM

Quote from: Mr.Right on November 23, 2019, 11:53:01 AM
Serpone has his hands full with #23. This kid has the athletic ability to be a star but he needs coaching like no player I have seen in a while in this league. The improvement / lack thereof of this kid might give some of us outsiders a real chance at seeing how good a Head Coach Serpone is. I will say it does matter the kids attitude..He has to be willing to learn and hopefully is open to it.

What do you mean by "attitude" and why does he need "coaching"? Please cite specifics.

I rhought I was pretty clear in what I meant. He has to be willing to learn and that it matters if his attitude is "open" to it. Some players are open to suggestion and others not so much. I was not in any way implying the kid has a bad attitude and why would I? I have never met him. I actually stated he has the potential to be a star but he needs some polish. Most Frosh need to "learn" the college game and some take longer than others. I feel like the overall product could be much better if he works on game....thats it...u obviously disagree and that is fine as well.

Nearly every first year player would benefit from "polish". Giammattei - did he arrive a finished product or has Serpone already submitted evidence of his coaching props? Doesn't everyone need the appropriate attitude to learn? The appropriate teacher?

I'm calling your post out b/c it's highly...provocative to call #23 out on scant evidence, and the evidence there is contradicts your supposition - he's won a starting position on a final four team and happened to score the winning goal in the game that you commented about.

Or maybe you meant to say, "He's got tremendous upside potential". Please refrain from commenting on his "grit".

Yes...well I dont think I ever commented on his grit..u have obviously bungled my point...u even start criticizing his own teammates actions on the field to make ur point..however I am willing to drop it if it helps...

The ascetics of a soccer-only field (without the rainbow mazes of other lines) shouldn't be under-estimated. Saw a game at Yale where the visitors got confused as to exactly which lines they were playing.

A technical, possession-oriented team might benefit from playing in tight confines using quick one-touches to play through traffic. Conversely, a larger field might favor a long-ball kick and run team with speedsters because they'd have the space to outpace their opponents. The muck gives the player with the ball the advantage and possession looked fairly even between RPI and Amherst (I think?).

Regardless, RPI walked out with jackets on before the kickoff. The climate seemed to have gotten in their heads, and that might have impacted their feet. Channeling the Green Bay Packers and coming out in short sleeves might have sent a stronger message.

Quote from: Mr.Right on November 24, 2019, 11:40:05 AM

Quote from: Buddham on November 23, 2019, 06:48:49 PM

Quote from: Mr.Right on November 23, 2019, 11:53:01 AM
Serpone has his hands full with #23. This kid has the athletic ability to be a star but he needs coaching like no player I have seen in a while in this league. The improvement / lack thereof of this kid might give some of us outsiders a real chance at seeing how good a Head Coach Serpone is. I will say it does matter the kids attitude..He has to be willing to learn and hopefully is open to it.

What do you mean by "attitude" and why does he need "coaching"? Please cite specifics.

I rhought I was pretty clear in what I meant. He has to be willing to learn and that it matters if his attitude is "open" to it. Some players are open to suggestion and others not so much. I was not in any way implying the kid has a bad attitude and why would I? I have never met him. I actually stated he has the potential to be a star but he needs some polish. Most Frosh need to "learn" the college game and some take longer than others. I feel like the overall product could be much better if he works on game....thats it...u obviously disagree and that is fine as well.

Nearly every first year player would benefit from "polish". Giammattei - did he arrive a finished product or has Serpone already submitted evidence of his coaching props? Doesn't everyone need the appropriate attitude to learn? The appropriate teacher?

I'm calling your post out b/c it's highly...provocative to call #23 out on scant evidence, and the evidence there is contradicts your supposition - he's won a starting position on a final four team and happened to score the winning goal in the game that you commented about.

Or maybe you meant to say, "He's got tremendous upside potential". Please refrain from commenting on his "grit".

Did #23 from Amherst turn back to his coach and yell, as one of the Rowan players did? I wonder what the stream captured of #23 that makes you think he has an attitude issue. Did he front up another player? Throw his shinguards down and refuse to track back and defend? Did he express dissent to the referee as the Amherst captain did in the last minute (for which he was cautioned)? #23 didn't get cautioned so I don't think the refs found his "attitude" lacking.

Oh, he did score the winning goal, so there's that. Whatever else could you have been referring to? Perhaps you've mixed him up with another player? Seems like you watched a bunch of games yesterday so perhaps you didn't watch the whole game between Rowan and Amherst which makes what you noticed all the more curious, because it wouldn't have likely been a long look and there wasn't a "flashpoint" incident with #23 (other than his goal).

Quote from: Mr.Right on November 23, 2019, 11:53:01 AM
Serpone has his hands full with #23. This kid has the athletic ability to be a star but he needs coaching like no player I have seen in a while in this league. The improvement / lack thereof of this kid might give some of us outsiders a real chance at seeing how good a Head Coach Serpone is. I will say it does matter the kids attitude..He has to be willing to learn and hopefully is open to it.

What do you mean by "attitude" and why does he need "coaching"? Please cite specifics.

Concur - that's strong writing. I always pictured Emelio Estevez when thinking "repo man" but now that's been replaced. This begs the question of how much one must interact with repo men before starting to distinguish between corporate and independent types. For my future reference, hopefully not, but just in case.

35 cautions (or 8 reds) over a season for a team is plenty of leeway for the occasional tactical foul. League might also have (or consider having) a per player limit before a suspension. How the team exceeded 30 cautions and didn't rein themselves in is entirely on them. Perhaps they forgot about the new rule?

Are any of the NESCAC fields and "crowds" all that intimidating? We can't be talking Beyond Thunderdome...I can't even see a ref crew getting intimidated at a D1 stadium (with sparsely filled seats making it maybe even less impressive what with all the echoes). Someone who's worked their way up to the collegiate ranks has been battle-tested if not scarred by the youth soccer scene plenty.

I'll be amongst the first to bemoan a bad call, but I haven't seen refs exhibit bias. They might be incompetent and blind, but they're wretched to both sides equally.

Midd gave as well as they got. I don't think any of the players would disagree. At the same time, I suspect most would agree the referees were not so great - many missed calls perhaps in the interests of "letting them play" but guys got absolutely mugged. It just seemed like the calls evened out, so ok? FWIW, this game didn't stand out from the typical 90mph bumper cars games at any collegiate level. I'd also note that European and SA styles tend to be even more "robust". It's a contact sport...

Tufts seems to have found a winning formula that combines athleticism, technical ability and a robust work rate. That would be seem the template to mimic rather than any notion of playing a beautiful game for its own sake. I noted that several Champions League teams gave up bad turnovers leading to "cheap" goals. Luca Modric was guilty! If that dude is going to make a bonehead pass every now and then, I can see why a college coach forbids it (b/c of the short season).

I find interesting that a week or go folks presumed it was an Amherst supporter dropping f-bombs when it turned out to be a Conn College fan.

Liverpool hired a long-throw coach and everyone mocked them. Not so much now (but yeah, need to do more than chuck it in the "mixah").

I hate the sub rules but can concede it would allow more players to get minutes except not all the coaches make the most use of the sub allowances. Williams seems to but not all of them. What I hate more is the clock countdown...even high schools rules stop the scoreboard clock and let the refs manage the last 2 minutes (or 5). You know, like real big soccer people do.