Deflating. They gave her the leeway to take that ball to the goal.

We have no goal scores. Never put a shot do the middle.

Rince, repeat, lose again

I think we sailed past Coach G's expiration date. Sad because I like him and want him to succeed.

The buyout can't be much - way too much talent

Sometimes it's just not working but when it is not working for everyone it is maddening. When our player did not get to that loose ball (I don't know how far away she was) I had a bad feeling. We made the TCU keeper the Big 12 defensive player of the week and put her on the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week.
By my count that was the 8th game since the start of the 2021 season that we have given up a tying or losing goal in the last 5 minutes.
That was our last non-conference game against a Power 5 team this season and since the start of the 2021 season we are 8-18-8 against Power 5 teams.

The non-conference was a train wreck beyond what anyone here had expected. We have 3 left but none will move the needle much in a positive direction - Grambling, Rice, and Texas Southern.

I know it's still early, but A&M is not in a good position to make a run at the NCAA tournament. Currently #168 in the RPI (last in the SEC) and sitting at a pretty shocking 1-3-1 record through 5 games, A&M has to find someone who can put the ball in the back of the net or we will waste the best collection of talent we've had since the SEC-winning 2020 squad. This is partly on the coaches (who need a more consistent approach in the attack) but also on the players, who have to find a way to stay poised and take accurate, good shots on frame when the ball comes to their feet or head on crosses into the box. TCU has beaten us 3 straight matches now, and this Horned Frog team was the weakest team we've faced in a while. They did everything they could to give us this game and we refused to take it. A&M used to dominate Power 5 opponents in the state of Texas, however, we're now 0-4-1 against them over the last 3 seasons.

We wasted a terrific performance by the back line, as Calzada, Matulas, and Armenta played as a unit by keeping everything in front of them, marking players, and blocking several shots that could have been dangerous. TCU's only real threat was a shot that hit the crossbar in the second half, until the winning goal that came off of the first time we were beaten on the edge into the box, where a short pass bounced off a TCU players legs in the box into the goal. Total luck, but it counts. Margo Matula had her best game of the season with multiple good stops, while Calzada frustrated that small TCU forward all night with her speed.

The midfield was okay overall, but I'm really tired of watching the multiple turnovers off poor passes from Taylor Pounds. I know she has size and uses her body well to shield opponents, but at some point the coaches need to give Leb or Sam Smith an opportunity to start and build some chemistry with Mia Pante and McDonald. We did a good though of stepping in front of TCU passes and creating multiple breakaways at goal, but unfortunately the final pass or cross into the box wasn't accurate. Mia was frustrated tonight with several missed opportunities on the edge and in the box and missed and fell on a golden opportunity to score in front of goal. McDonald continues to be our most dangerous player and had several breakaways that she decided to pass instead of taking the shot. She needs to take a few more chances herself because no one is finishing in front of goal right now.

I thought Hayes really struggled tonight. Multiple chances in front of goal and she couldn't even get a shot off, including missing a PK and then an easy follow up on the rebound. She also was offsides on an easy 2 v 1 chance in the box, which is just a lack of concentration. Some of the angles she is shooting from are difficult and need more touch past the GK to be successful, but the ones in front of goal with one defender on her back need to be finished. And even though Boeckmann plays in the midfield, some of her attempts were really poor and way off target. It has to be better. In the first half alone, I counted breakaways of 3 vs 1, 2 vs 1, 2 vs 2, 1 vs 1, 3 vs 2 and we couldn't convert any of them. I just don't get it. Whether it's the poor final touch pass, cross, or inability to shoot, we should have scored at least 3 times during that stretch. However, I will give credit to TCU GK Lauren Kellett, who was spectacular at times, including the saved PK when she reached back behind her body momentum to save it, and then had another great save on a breakaway in the second half.

Unfortunately, as someone else pointed out, the Aggies have had a really poor non-conference record against Power 5 opponents over the last 3 seasons, which is another marker that the program is in decline. I'm very concerned that we are following the Florida trajectory of several years ago when they collapsed as a program and still haven't recovered. Some of it has been bad luck and bounces not going our way, but we have to find a way to close out matches when we are in position for a win or tie. I think we've lost games in the last 10 minutes about 10 times in the last few years. It's maddening.

The good news is that A&M has a winnable stretch of games here to get back on course, with 3 of the 4 against below average opponents. And Kentucky and Mississippi St are very winnable as well. If someone can emerge up top to finish chances in front of goal, we can still be a good team. But right now we are what our record says we are a losing team headed for another poor season. I really hope we can turn this around, otherwise it's going to get ugly on the these boards later in the season.

Coach and program is now 31 yrs. Last few yrs been pretty rough.
One College Cup(final 4) in our history. Seems to be pretty successful regionally,
but not nationally. Seems like too many shots NOT on goal. Do we need a new O coordinator??

Guess this year can still be salvaged, but something on O needs to change! Surely the coaches have enough
data points and are trying to figure it out. Must drive them crazy to create so many shots that are not on goal or
not in the net.

MookieBlaylock said:

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We have struggled to score and create easy goals for 31 years

It ain't the players

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This is not true lol

Now that coach G has entered the jo Evans memorial retired on the job portal, how much longer is his contract?