I'm calling it now: this is our best team ever

4,365 Views | 51 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by redd38
Ag Natural
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Watt is a star. She'll be a regular on the US team after her A&M days are over. She may break records in her last two years. She is the best combo of size, speed and quickness I've seen in maroon and white. A true phenom.

But damn this whole team is talented. Speed to burn and great skill from all over the world. We have 5 ladies who would be the star of a lessor team. If they can keep composure and not get too impatient when teams try to muddy the match, then we could make a historic run. This is going to be a great season!

Expert Analysis
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Did you watch the first half vs OU?
redd38
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This team is still a few key pieces away from being really great. Definitely not the best A&M has ever fielded, but definitely a very good team with a lot of potential depending on how a few players develop throughout the year.
akm91
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Ag Natural said:

Watt is a star. She'll be a regular on the US team after her A&M days are over. She may break records in her last two years. She is the best combo of size, speed and quickness I've seen in maroon and white. A true phenom.

Sorry to burst your bubble but Ally doesn't have the technical skills that translate to the national team level. She's a very good collegiate player and may be a good pro.
mullokmotx
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If we make it to Cary then we can talk about best team ever. Our ability to score has been impressive but there are a lot of areas where we can improve our play. Chris Henderson of All White Kit has Ally the #5 pick in the NWSL draft in 2020. I think she does have national team potential, and her ball handling has improved a lot since she was a freshman. I have been impressed with how she gets back on defense when necessary.
Ag Natural
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Expert Analysis said:

Did you watch the first half vs OU?
You mean the match they won 3-1? yes

BTW, I didn't say they are CURRENTLY the best team ever. I said they will end up being the best. There is some improvement to be made on the defensive end for sure and some of the new players are clearly still getting up to speed. But the talent is there IMO.
HiddenAg2
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The team is improving for sure. I wasn't very confident about this season a few weeks ago, but the performance against a very good Santa Clara team was encouraging. If Asdis continues to mesh with her teammates and becomes a scoring threat and we clean up the bad passes from the backline, then we have a chance to be very good. Although we have talent, it's hard to see how this team is better top to bottom than the 2007 or 2014 teams. Those were elite squads. But we'll see, the schedule is set up for a big run.

I don't want to jinx us but when you look at the schedule, combined with some very tough games for Stanford, UNC, Florida St, and Virginia, it's certainly possible that A&M could make a run at our first #1 ranking in school history by the end of September. On paper there isn't a team that will be favored against us the rest of the season, especially the rest of our games in September. If A&M gets to 13-0-0 I think we'll see that top ranking, which doesn't mean much mid-season but would be cool to see for the program.
rgleml
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I don't know. The 2014 team with Day, Harvey, Malherbe, Pounds and Kung, to name a few, was pretty good. The last 5 years we have some pretty goods teams. Hopefully, this team will finish the season a little better than the 2014 team.
rgleml
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rgleml said:

I don't know. The 2014 team with Day, Harvey, Malherbe, Pounds and Kunz, to name a few, was pretty good. The last 5 years we have some pretty goods teams. Hopefully, this team will finish the season a little better than the 2014 team.
redd38
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I'm not yet convinced that Santa Clara is that great of a team. So I'm not sure how much we've actually been tested thus far. I'd like to see our back line be more consistent and I'd like to see our forwards working together more.
coloradoag69
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I can't speak to the technical abilities of this team, but I haven't seen anyone able to keep up with us speedwise. And it's not just Watts. We have a number of players who seem to be a lot faster than their respective opponents. You can't teach speed; it makes up for a lot of deficiencies.

Again from an amateur's point of view, we seem to have a lot of very capable players. I know a lot of folks have said we've need a wake-up call at halftime for several of our games. I think we just have worn opponents out. If you can throw a lot of highly skilled folks in a game that requires as much endurance as soccer, you have really tipped the outcome in your favor.
Hand Of God
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Watt would already be getting regular call ups to USWNT camps if she had a future at that level.

IMO, this roster has nowhere near the talent of our College Cup squad.
MookieBlaylock
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This team is built to challenge for a title this year

Solid keeper check
all American CB check
All American midfielder check
biobioprof
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rgleml said:

I don't know. The 2014 team with Day, Harvey, Malherbe, Pounds and Kung, to name a few, was pretty good. The last 5 years we have some pretty goods teams. Hopefully, this team will finish the season a little better than the 2014 team.
Odd to name a few from 2014 leaving out Groom, Monogue, Brinson, Mueller, Bailey ...
Ag Natural
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2014 was great no doubt. But if I remember correctly we still didn't have any all Americans on that team. I think this team has a couple of difference makers that we don't normally have. Watt and Bates IMO are superstar college players. Add in the GK, some next level speed and the incredible experience of the international players and we are dangerous.

Disagree that's fine. I'm calling it and we shall see.
MookieBlaylock
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#99 is the best player on the squad despite staff edits she will determine how the squad wins a natty

Soccer is brutal and it takes heart skill and luck to win it all at all levels
HiddenAg2
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redd38 said:

I'm not yet convinced that Santa Clara is that great of a team. So I'm not sure how much we've actually been tested thus far.
We'll know for sure in the next week as they play UNC and Stanford.
aggiesoccer#1fan
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MookieBlaylock said:

#99 is the best player on the squad despite staff edits she will determine how the squad wins a natty
I tried to imagine where punctuation could've been, but I still don't know what this means. Staff edits?
MidTnAg
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After playing only four games, It is way too early to label this year's team as the BEST EVER.
Santa Clara is the only ranked team we have played, and we do not actually know how good they are.

We have played a weak schedule. Oklahoma, BYU, and San Diego combined have won only three games. Oklahoma may be the weakest team in the Big 12.

We will know something after the #16Kansas game. If we can win our last seven SEC games, then we will definitely have one of our best teams ever. [@#35Miss, #10AU, @KY, #27MsSt, @AL, #9TN, @#19SC]
mullokmotx
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Shea Groom was a First Team All-American in 2014. Our current record is 6-0.
Our depth was real good in 2014. The back line and keeper were not subbed for much, but the 6 players at midfield and forward had great backups like Haley Pounds, Mikaela Harvey and Stephanie Malherbe and I'm sure I forgot some others. We seemed to really take off when G moved Kelley Monogue and Shea Groom from forward to midfield because they were our best ballhandlers.
I feel very good about our depth at forward and midfield this year and we seem to substitute every game at those positions.
hsvag
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IMHO. Big "beg to differ" on 99. Until some recent speed and challenges she has shown in the last few games I'm not sure I would have been starting her. She has been a potential foul machine, kicks the ball out to no one in particular, and lacks ball possession skills. Hope the last few games are changing my mind, but there are a number of girls I would place ahead of her. The thing is, she is in a very key position so hope she is on an upward trajectory.
redd38
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Just ignore him, he's just a troll.
hsvag
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My bad, shouldn't have responded. I support all the girls.
MookieBlaylock
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redd38 said:

Just ignore him, he's just a troll.


In what way was that a troll?

99 erases mistakes that is what the great CB do

Combine that with a keeper and that let's your offense go

Sorry I used her number and not the position number you learned from watching Fifa video games
Hand Of God
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Alston's mistakes directly led to two Notre Dame goals and our eventual elimination in last year's NCAA tournament.
AggieBarstool
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MookieBlaylock said:

#99 is the best player on the squad despite staff edits she will determine how the squad wins a natty

Soccer is brutal and it takes heart skill and luck to win it all at all levels


Lol #notsureifserious
MookieBlaylock
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Thought we are talking about this year's team

Wtf does last year have to do with anything?
Hand Of God
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Well, in that case she was also responsible for the only goal we have given up this year. OU scored on a corner after she turned a simple clearance into an unnecessary set piece for our opponent.
MookieBlaylock
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Ok

For every mistake she wipes away 50 with her speed and height
Gives her partner #9 freedom
They are a good tandem along with the keeper

wangus12
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Do you not know the names of the players?
MookieBlaylock
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I do I choose to use numbers and not name the coach that shouldn't be named bc staff edits my thoughts on our attack
FalconRT90
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HiddenAg2 said:

redd38 said:

I'm not yet convinced that Santa Clara is that great of a team. So I'm not sure how much we've actually been tested thus far.
We'll know for sure in the next week as they play UNC and Stanford.


And Stanta Clara defeats #2 UNC.
redd38
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FalconRT90 said:

HiddenAg2 said:

redd38 said:

I'm not yet convinced that Santa Clara is that great of a team. So I'm not sure how much we've actually been tested thus far.
We'll know for sure in the next week as they play UNC and Stanford.


And Stanta Clara defeats #2 UNC.
redd38
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I know UNC is UNC, but they don't seem too impressive thus far. Their next 2 games are at Stanford and at Florida St so they'll have a shot to prove themselves, but if they lose those two they're gonna have a pretty weak resume by UNC standards.
HiddenAg2
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Santa Clara won a thriller last night 1-0. UNC appeared to have scored the equalizer with 30 seconds left, but it was negated by a controversial offside call. I agree that UNC may not be as good as even last year, but Santa Clara is a really good side that is technically sound. Most soccer experts I talk to believe they are legit.

But someone has to beat (or tie) Stanford if A&M is going to get to #1 and I'm not sure that is going to happen.
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