NCAA TOURNAMENT 2024

[Ron Boerger]

Consider yourself fortunate.

[SierraFD3soccer]

That article, man... Someone needs an editor. Sheesh.

Favorite ¶ not -

The Williams fans, 300+ in number, had shifted over as a pack to William's attacking half before the start of the second overtime period.  When Kirkman scored the game-winning, walk-off goal, he fell to the ground at the corner flag in celebration and was soon pilled on by fans and teammates alike. It was an incredible moment enjoyed by the entire Williams community, not just the players and coaching staff of Williams Men's Soccer.

Wow. "game-winning, walk-off goal" and just odd that the goal scorer was "pilled" though the video did not show anyone pilled.

I'm guessing that this person never had an editor or the editor was worse??? However, the reporter may be Bob Costas' son/grandson/third cousin which would explain everything.

[Hopkins92]

I just finished editing an 85 page, very technical and jargon-filled document, so I'm in this mode right now. This "lede*" or opening paragraph breaks almost every Journalism 101 rule in the book.

t was a gritty, battle for the badge match today between the Messiah University Falcons (14-6-2) and the Williams College Ephs (12-4-3). There was never a clear front-runner, as both teams had their fair share of opportunities, coming from long passes and combination play matched with an equal if not greater set of brilliant defensive actions and recoveries that saw the 90 end 0-0 and the match go to over time. As soon as the overtime whistle was blown, both sides battled like their life depended on it, because it did, and yet neither team distinguished themselves as deserving to win. Soccer, however, is a game of moments, and a brilliant, beautiful moment at the start of the second overtime period would determine the winner of the match. In the 101st minute, sophomore Kellan Grace played an over the top pass into the run of junior Henry Kirkman. Kirkman, with a deft touch, created enough space for a shot that he tucked under the dive of Messiah goalkeeper Adam Carter into the back of the net, ending the game that seemed like it would never end and sending Williams into the round of the 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

First off, the basic rule of journalism being trampled here is that a news article has what is called an inverted pyramid, in which the reporter provides the most important information in the opening paragraph. Typically, this includes the 5 Ws and an H.

Secondly, while there is some leeway, this opening paragraph is 199 words long. Typical articles usually come in around 800 words, if given the room. I know this isn't print, but the same "hold the reader's interest" rule is at play. Two hundred words for a lead is ridiculous.

And my last bit of criticism is really more of a question: What in the Hell is a "badge match"

Oh, wait, actually, the reporter states that both teams fought like their lives depended on it "because it did." No, person writing this article, their lives were not on the line. Saying "because it did" is a really odd choice in an already bonkers article.

I'm not going to criticize calling the goal "spectacular" in the headline because a) that's pretty subjective and I'm sure to Eph Nation it was and b) as reporters always remind critical readers, they often don't have anything to do with writing the headline. (though in this instance, the writer almost certainly entered that headline.)

* - lede is a very old school way to say "lead"... I am old and the folks who taught me to write professionally were way older than me.

[Hopkins92]

That article, man... Someone needs an editor. Sheesh.

Favorite ¶ not -

The Williams fans, 300+ in number, had shifted over as a pack to William's attacking half before the start of the second overtime period.  When Kirkman scored the game-winning, walk-off goal, he fell to the ground at the corner flag in celebration and was soon pilled on by fans and teammates alike. It was an incredible moment enjoyed by the entire Williams community, not just the players and coaching staff of Williams Men's Soccer.

Wow. "game-winning, walk-off goal" and just odd that the goal scorer was "pilled" though the video did not show anyone pilled.

I'm guessing that this person never had an editor or the editor was worse??? However, the reporter may be Bob Costas' son/grandson/third cousin which would explain everything.

You don't know what was happening to someone's sweater in that pile!

[NEsoccerfan]

I have a friend who referees at the college and pro level (he actually reffed the d3 semis a couple of years back), so I sent him the clip, and this was his response:

"I don't like where the clip starts because it doesn't give the full context to how that challenge is made. Did the messiah player make a bad touch before the contact? Was it a mis-hit pass before the contact? Does the Williams player play the ball with his right foot and change the direction of the ball (passing it to a teammate)? The clip cuts in too close to when contact occurs to really appreciate the movement of the ball before and after the challenge.

That being said, if we're getting hyper technical, I don't initially see a foul by White. It looks like it's a bad touch or a hospital ball that forces the blue player to go right, except the white player then has position on the blue player and doesn't make any clear fouling action. He shields the ball and possibly plays it with his right foot, and contact appears to be created by the blue player.

I could make an argument for a foul too. But this isn't a great clip for a clear answer based on timeframe and camera angles, so I'm comfortable trusting the referee's judgment.

Looking at it more and more there appears to be a rotational change after the white player's right foot is near the ball. I think he plays the ball."

[stlawus]

Very unpersuasive.  We all saw it with our own eyes.

[NEsoccerfan]

Very unpersuasive.  We all saw it with our own eyes.

Sure, but "we all" aren't high-level referees. I'm not saying his word is gospel or anything, and I too thought it was a foul when I first saw it, but hearing another perspective never hurts.

[PaulNewman]

Was there any comment about the Messiah player on the ground motionless?  A bunch of folks observed the play live and a bunch of us have watched the video, both from the game and the clip, and the vast majority think it was clearly a foul.  The defender never got close to the ball, and poor touch or not, he knocked the player to the ground (and not with a shoulder to shoulder challenge).  And it is obvious that the play created a major advantage for Williams.  This not a case that needs to be sent to a forensic lab to figure out what happened.

[PaulNewman]

I'm confident no one will be complaining about the travel if their team happens to go to Las Vegas. I get everything else, but you go where the games are.

On the bitterly intense travel theme....NESCAC has won SIX out of the last NINE national titles, and as Enmorecat is well aware, that doesn't include two additional Finalist outcomes (and none were played in New England or the Northeast).  Somehow they manage.

[Freddyfud]

Wow, this is rivaling the Magic Loogie theory from Seinfeld now.

Not sure I would agree this is a good example but the reference to a possible poor first touch is interesting.  Whenever a poor touch leads to a 50/50 and the first touch offender dives in he is almost always called for the foul.  Almost like an unspoken rule of refereeing--as if the actual offense was the first touch.  Often the opponents are face to face though unlike this example.

[NEsoccerfan]

Was there any comment about the Messiah player on the ground motionless?  A bunch of folks observed the play live and a bunch of us have watched the video, both from the game and the clip, and the vast majority think it was clearly a foul.  The defender never got close to the ball, and poor touch or not, he knocked the player to the ground (and not with a shoulder to shoulder challenge).  And it is obvious that the play created a major advantage for Williams.  This not a case that needs to be sent to a forensic lab to figure out what happened.

Apologies for sharing! I should have known better than to disturb the echo chamber with a different, albeit qualified opinion.

[jknezek]

https://youtube.com/shorts/5RwWHZTKJVw?si=1PRuRMGE9kZGmzUA

Here's the play with more run in. White plays the ball not off a touch but a pass by. He is in position to chase when he is wiped out from the side/back right side by the defender. There is no ball touch by the defender, he plays the man completely after the ball passes.

I question a "high level ref" who is looking at foot rotation and thinks white touches a ball that has zero deflection.  Either it's a different clip or your high level ref went to a NESCAC school and is looking for a reason to justify the call.

Now I'm not saying the offensive player has possession, he doesn't, by design he's allowing the ball past to turn, but you aren't allowed to wipe him out without establishing position or challenging for the ball. The "foot rotation" is 100% because he wipes out the offensive player's planted leg.

The only way it's not a foul is if you consider this a 50/50 situation and they go shoulder to shoulder. I just don't see it. This is called a foul in almost every circumstance. That being said, it wasn't and the game went how it went and it's over.

[PaulNewman]

Was there any comment about the Messiah player on the ground motionless?  A bunch of folks observed the play live and a bunch of us have watched the video, both from the game and the clip, and the vast majority think it was clearly a foul.  The defender never got close to the ball, and poor touch or not, he knocked the player to the ground (and not with a shoulder to shoulder challenge).  And it is obvious that the play created a major advantage for Williams.  This not a case that needs to be sent to a forensic lab to figure out what happened.

Apologies for sharing! I should have known better than to disturb the echo chamber with a different, albeit qualified opinion.

Don't do that.  Send him the full video.  He says at the outset he didn't have sufficient data to make a clear judgment based on the limitations of the clip, and then he goes on to basically speculate as though he had a clear judgment.  And at least on this issue, there's been no echo chamber.  There's been a wide range of opinions, including with respect to how much weight should be given (or not) in terms of how much the play impacted the outcome.

[PaulNewman]

The additional video is helpful.  The Messiah player got trucked, plain and simple.  Not unusual or close to a red imo and probably happens 10-15 times in most games.  But it was a foul. 

[Kuiper]

Not to change the subject, but to change the subject, since I did this during last year's NCAA tournament Sweet 16 match between Occidental and Amherst, I thought I would do it again for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Middlebury.  For all the hardship a SCIAC team endures traveling across the country from Southern California to New England in November, there almost always are some familiar faces on the other bench when they arrive because so many SoCal boys go to New England and the Mid-Atlantic to play college soccer.  This year is no exception:

CMS Sophomore MF Christopher Kim and Middlebury Sophomore D Owen Davis were teammates on Albion SC San Diego B04/05 MLS Next

CMS Freshman MF Heiko Schultz and Middlebury Freshman D JT Federman were teammates on LA Surf B05/06 MLS Next

Also, Middlebury's senior defenders Casey Lund and Luke Madden played at Beach FC and so did CMS freshman defender Ian Rodriguez, although they obviously did not overlap.  Madden was back at Beach FC coaching at their camps this summer.

It's a big country and a global game, but a small community of top soccer players!