Well that was the team we expected to see this year. Some will say that it was just finishing chances in front of goal that is the difference, but in this game we saw by far the best midfield play and passing with purpose this season. When you keep the tempo moving with quick passes to players' feet and then move without the ball into space anticipating a pass back (and then actually receiving it), good things usually happen. Malherbe, Piper, and McCain all played well together and really dominated their opponents for most of the game. And then you add in the incredible play of Emily Bates, who looked like the Bates of old and outhustled everyone on the field all day on both ends of the pitch and scored a goal as well, then you have the makings of a 5-1 beatdown of a good Kansas squad. A&M simply overwhelmed the Jawhawks with their athleticism and talent. I wish we had been playing Florida today. That type of performance would have beaten every team in the country today outside of maybe Stanford and UCLA.
It's ironic that our best game of the year came with Harvey and Coach G out with suspensions. I'm really starting to wonder if Harvey's style of play, which favors long possession without passing to open players quickly who are making runs, might actually be disrupting the rhythm that her teammates want to play? Harvey really needs to emphasize the 1-2 touch/pass tempo that the team had today and see if we can keep this momentum in the midfield. Addie McCain had her best game today and really saw the field well. Malherbe continues her stellar play and was more active than she was on Friday night, slotting some great passes forward onto the forwards' feet instead of too far out in front. I still wonder if Ellis Field plays too fast and if we should let the grass grow a bit to help the ball grip the field better for us on those passes forward? Arietta had some good tackles and won a lot of balls early in the match, but she did have some unforced turnovers that could have been costly. Finally, Piper did a good job in the air and winning some 50/50 balls in important places in the midfield.
With Watt and Pounds coming off the bench, I don't think Kansas really anticipated how fast and determined they would be once they came into the game. They both played pretty well, but Watts needs to trust her speed a bit more and take the ball to the endline for crosses instead of attempting to juke a defender and run inside; that's not her skillset. Crabtree got the start and actually played her best game as well - she held the ball and made some good passes and had one good shot on goal. I probably wouldn't keep this strategy of bringing Watt/Pounds off the bench, but once in a while it's nice shot in the arm for the team.
The defense was solid, however, there were times when the play was panicked and sloppy when Kansas had the ball in the box. The Jawhawks' lone goal was world class and was defended pretty well, so not much you can but tip the hat on that one. I'm still concerned about the GK play as Morche doesn't look confident back there right now and is slow to react to some shots on goal. This is my single biggest concern going forward. I still think we should play 4 in the back, but the coaches seem determined to use this formation.
It sure is fun to watch when A&M puts the pedal down early, takes a lead and then is just relentless in attack for an entire game. And when you have a player like Bates with tremendous change of pace and quickness on the ball who can stretch a defense, you earn a lot more good chances on goal. She was on the right side of the field today and I think that made a big difference; she needs to stay at that position the rest of the season. So the bad loss on Friday was somewhat offset today with a brilliant performance and a big RPI win as well, but can the team keep this momentum and style of play going at Auburn? If this is how we play the rest of the season, A&M will win the SEC and be a high seed in the tourney.