Back on Track, Friday Against the Flyboys

Some quick observation about the Air Force match.

First – thanks to the Air Force Academy, and the Mountain West on-line network for the broadcast. It is very nice to be able to watch these matches. An HDMI cable from laptop into the television, and it can be enjoyed on the big screen

The Wolverines demonstrate their depth and their team speed again. As always, they show that the individual players have great ball handling skills – and, as always, the big challenge is stringing a seamless interplay together. In this match the long diagonal passes found their mark with more frequency than we have seen lately. The Wolverines controlled much of the tempo, but still suffer from simple give-a-ways at times.

Cameron Kidwell returned to start. Nice to see him anchoring that backline.

This was a very physical match – a lot of hard challenges, but only 11 fouls whistled between the two teams. We saw this trend in the last two matches as well. On the positive side of this trend, Karson Payton continues to avoid a 5^th Yellow, which will disqualify him for a match. On the negative side, allowing physical challenges seems always to favor the less-skilled player, and can be frustrating. In this match it the Flyboys came out matching Wolverine speed and skill with tough-nut contact, which was not whistled. By midway through the first 45, the Wolverines had equaled the Air Force physicality and the remainder of the match was played that way.

The Box Score will indicate that UVU had more shots, more SOG and more corners. They truly had two exquisitely close chances in the first half. Hoffmeister took a shot straight on that squeezed through the keepers arms and rolled oh-so-slowly towards the goal line, but was cleared just as it touched the goal line by the Air Force defensive back.

Matt Gay’s goal on a free kick from 25 yards out on the right side (shooting diagonally into the left corner of the goal mouth), was a pinpoint marvel. Matt always takes these with great force – as he approaches the ball, don’t blink, because you’ll miss everything if you do. The free kick came when Lucas Cawley, looking very dangerous was tackled from behind just as he approached the 18 yard box.

The Air Force goal coming late, in the 86^th minute happened with Air Force pushing forward when the Wolverines allowed just a little too much space, a pass across the top of the 18, and a clear shot which struck the right post and bounded in. Answered in the 87^th minute – the very next time the Wolverines touched the ball – by a feed from Cawley and a solid finish from Karson Payton, who controlled with a quick touch to clear the defense and then shot into the right-side goal corner. During the match, the Wolverines had a few opportunities like this, but none so cleanly open as the scoring strike.

They now meet UMKC on Sunday. The Roos with two surprising results given their overall record, winning games back-to-back games against UNLV and Seattle. The win against Seattle, who led 2-0, is interesting in that it came with 3 goals scored in 11 minutes, the last two coming 37 seconds apart, all late in the second half. UMKC plays on artificial turf, so it’s a fast game, with the sometimes unnatural slide or bounce that comes from turf. They have scored at least two goals in each of their last three games. The Wolverines will need to play well, keep their shape, support, and take advantage of chances without letting KC see the goal clearly.

The Sunday, 1:00 pm mach will be broadcast on the WAC Digital Network.

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Personal Observations

In the last post, I discussed officiating. I still contend that the easiest way to judge how on top of things the center official will be is to watch him run – or not.

As I watch the EPL, Swansea –v– Leicester City, two team that sit 8^th and 15^th respectively in the 20 team Barclays Premiere League, I am always amazed at the quality - the skill, strength, speed, and teamwork displayed in these matches. But, what I really wish we had is the officiating. Mike Jones was the center official in this EPL match – absolutely in control from start to finish. He didn’t buy the embellishments (players can be carded in the EPL for embellishment), he kept physical play in tow, and yes, there were times when he strolled among the moving players. But he also ran up and down the field, moving from a jog to an all-out sprint to be where he needed to be when he needed to be there. Such a pleasure to watch a well-managed match. Players and coaches watch the stars at fútbol’s top tiers and try hard to emulate them. The officials should do the same, there is a lot to learn and apply.

We live in a time when fútbol is growing in the US. The Wolverines have enjoyed pretty good crowds – and I hope it grows to be a huge part of the UVU experience. With our own little niche, there is a fan base out there.

Landon Donovan will play his last regular season game as an MLS pro this weekend, it will come in front of 60,000 fans in Seattle where the Supporter Shield is on the line. This is the age of the The Men in Blazers: Yes, they discuss fútbol. And they wear blazers. “Usually at the same time. Men in Blazers is driven by the belief that Soccer is America’s Sport of the Future. As it has been since 1972.” NBC just launched the The Two Robbies, a national radio show on NBC Radio. The Chevrolet logo now finds itself on the kit of Manchester United. This is The World's Sport.

Men In Blazers: Very Entertaining

It is a lot to ask, but what I want, in addition to the Wolverine Fútbol Program is shoulder programming. I would like to hear interviews with the coaches and players, a pre-game show and a post-game show. A mid-week coaches show would be great. We only have, perhaps 30 or 40 Sports Talk Radio stations along the Wasatch Front – all they know how to talk about is football, as if we actually needed that many voices discussing BYU’s slide from grace, or who is going start at quarterback for the Utes – mind numbing and boring, boring! “Well, I don’t know James, we’ve talked about the exact same thing for 27 days in a row, should we run through it all one more time? What do you think?”

There is only one Fútbol Specific radio show, On Frame, (KALL 700) which is suppose to discuss all things soccer, but that’s really devoted to MLS, nothing about this Wolverine team.

I know it’s a circular thing – there have to be fans that want to listen. The college game is new to Utah, new to UVU, and it takes time to build. I also want 10,000 fans at all the games, singing and going crazy because it is so much fun to be in that kind of atmosphere. So there’s my rant, right now I want things I can’t have – but someday, someday soon.