Really tough result for A&M tonight after that effort against an elite FSU squad. A missed opportunity and we deserved the tie, but unfortunately the match is 90 minutes long, not 86. In the early stages of the match FSU looked far superior in every aspect of the game, but then A&M finally made a few substitutions and adjustments in the midfield and the game changed for us. A&M had a good game plan tonight, allowing FSU to pass around the back and not get sucked into attacking and opening the field for them to operate. We only engaged when they passed midfield, which resulted in some good counter opportunities. We consistently got the ball out to the wing where McDonald, who had maybe her best game at A&M to date, consistently provided a crossing threat and resulted in a textbook goal from Sammy Smith. We had the momentum through the first 15 minutes of the second half as well and played FSU straight up by winning more 50/50 balls and creating some chances on breakaways. FSU might have the most talented roster in America (with several World Cup participants), so this was quite a feat for A&M to hang with them most of the match.
Wilkinson is very deliberate player but doesn't have a lot of speed and sometimes missed her assignments coming back to help defend, especially at the end of the match when the FSU winning goal was setup by a wide-open player who had plenty of time to set up the long ball to split the defense. Pante was excellent at times, but she's got to be able to finish if A&M is going to have a good season. The misses by her and Wilkinson were huge and should have won the game for us. We are just missing that final touch up top, and if we find it, we could be a good scoring team this season.
The starting lineup, especially in the midfield, was confusing because we don't have the speed or quickness (outside of Hayes) to keep possession away from a team like FSU. When Boeckmann and Smith entered the game, we had a clear upgrade in our ability to keep the ball and move the ball forward to our forwards. Hayes didn't have the impact we'd like to see, and I wonder if her size in the middle of field is tough for her to win balls because she disappeared at times. Maybe switching her back up top might be better when some players return? I'm not sure if Beccera is still injured and Geczik (who was our best player two years ago) is still out (she came in for a few minutes at the end), but we need them in the midfield to give us more possession early in matches. Grace Ivey didn't play tonight, so not sure if she is injured, but she could help us as well as one of our top signees.
The backline was solid at times, but also had some major breakdowns, including the terrible through ball at the end that no one stepped up to intercept. There were some freshman mistakes out there as well, but this is FSU, so expecting a perfect game was not going to happen. I was really impressed with Adysen Armenta, who has very good on ball skill and can split opponents to find the open teammate. She was clearly underrated by the recruiting services, and I see why she is starting as a true freshman. On the other side, Margo is talented, but she had very up and down match. Caldwell had an okay match, but I would have liked to see her tip that deflection over the bar because I thought there was enough time to get to it. Not sure if Bella James is injured but she is a talented freshman as well.
A few others mentioned it as well, but I disagreed with Coach G telling his players to step up from the backline late in the match, because by playing a higher back line the odds are you can probably only lose with a long ball played over the top of the defense, which is exactly what happened. We were exhausted and you only need to run out about 5 minutes on the clock, so it's okay to bunker in behind the ball and make FSU beat you with an elite play of some kind. The counter argument is that maybe we were trying to win the match, but I think our legs were done at that point.
In the end, a loss is a loss, and you don't get anything for it except maybe some confidence going forward. We will need to learn how to finish off matches as well, because that last 10 minutes was brutal as we wilted down the stretch. FSU looked fresher than us and that can't happen at home in the heat. A tie was a win for A&M tonight and would have been huge for RPI late in the season. And this was a match that A&M could have won had they taken their chances. Moreover, statistically it was an even match, outside of more possession by FSU, mostly in their defensive third. However, tonight was certainly encouraging as compared to the last few seasons, and once we get some of our players back and we are at full strength, I think this team can make some noise in the SEC.
