Ah...I think you're talking about Dave Saunders. He does FC Tulsa games for the ESPN+/My41 broadcasts. He knows the game well. Typically when Poplin is doing the game, Pop is PBP and Saunders is the analyst. For the AAC Championship game last season I believe the ESPN announcers for the game were a guy from UCF and Saunders for TU. They managed to make it a knowledgeable broadcast and keep it pretty neutral in the commentary.
TU men's soccer
- Thread starter drboobay
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I like the fact that Kentucky only dropped to #6.
Part of it is that they are blue bloods, but part of it is respect for the TU program.
I didn't see that and we got to the game pretty early. So there have been a lot of rule changes but there's nothing in any rulebook about injured players not being dressed or on the bench. Someone else mentioned something about all of TU's players not being on the roster but being on the bench. I do know some competitive soccer youth leagues have limits on how many players can be on an active roster for a game (i.e., I think EA and ECNL are 22). But the players who are on that team and not playing can be on the bench, just not in uniform. I don't know that the NCAA has that rule. OK HS doesn't care about roster sizes for regular season games but playoffs have a 20 man roster.
I talked to one of the police officers that provides security at most TU soccer games, FC Tulsa games, and even some TU football and basketball home games (he's a TCC police officer at the same campus I work at, we talk soccer frequently). He said the center ref was an absolute "asshole" and self-absorbed. One of the ARs told him he doesn't like to work with that referee because he makes the game about himself.
I'm just telling you what the announcers said bout it. There must be some rule about it, unless they made a mistake. It's in the early replay of the broadcast.
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Next 3 matches are pretty pivotal contests for TU as they will play 2 of the top 3 AAC teams (outside of themselves) in FIU (road) and Charlotte (home) with a non-con game vs Mizzou St. in Springfield sandwiched in between. FIU was getting votes in the NCAA coaches poll, Missouri St and Charlotte are 17 and 18 respectively in the latest Top Drawer soccer poll (and SMU has weaseled their way in at #16; I saw weaseled because they lost to their only ranked opponent (Stanford) 3-1. The rest of their wins are ORU, Central Arkansas, UTRGV, and SLU...who is only 1-3 on the season and struggling). FIU is only 3-0-2 on the season but they've lost to top 25 Akron and UNH, and beat St. John's, North Carolina, and North Florida. They've played a really tough schedule.
Plus UCF is getting votes. These three plus UCF/SMU to close the season, will be the toughest stretches left in the schedule.
After further review, Bottenburg's red card was deserved. Really bad foul. Studs up, half way up the leg. If there was VAR in NCAA soccer, it would not have reversed the decision and if a yellow was given, VAR may have suggested the upgrade to red.
And after seeing the foul on Cashion, that was borderline red. I probably would have been inclined to show the red as in addition to the reckless dangerous nature, there also seemed to be some intent behind the tackle. Had Miller just come across the front of Cashion and taken him out, maybe just yellow, but he appeared to scissor Cashion, from the side, with intent.
I think he was just tired of seeing Mitchell dribble circles around all of their players in that segment. Cashion is so under rated as a player...his technical skill is off the chart, he's super athletic (36" vertical) and quick, and his field vision is tremendous. If he's 5'10" instead of 5'5" tall, he may be pro already
Yeah, the team looked pissed off. Shoving foul right after half. Ran about 10 or 15 feet over after a relatively clean battle between the two, and shoved him from behind. Got a yellow. Looked like a frustration foul cuz he was tired of the ruff play. I think it was Henry-Scott.
I didn't see the 1st goal...it came early on. Field was a wreck. TU had stretches where it looked like the TU we've come to know the last 2 seasons but there was an element missing...not sure what it was but the crispness of the passing in the final 1/3 definitely wasn't there. TU had an opportunity to knot the game on a free kick later in the 1st half and Torrijos' FK hammered the crossbar. FIU then went down and scored about 2 minutes later and it was really deflating. TU also had some nice buildup to start the 2nd half and could never quite find the finish. I think if they get it to 2-1 early in the 2nd, FIU feels to the pressure and TU really settles into their game.
I don't think this TU team is great when they're behind. It's tough to say as they've not been behind very much the last 2 seasons but the style they play is predicated on being patient and wearing teams down until they lose focus for a moment and TU exploits it. When TU gets impatient, they lost that style and they turn the ball over a lot.
This should put us back in the Top 25 and will help some with an at large bid if needed.
On the road too. They've struggled on the defensive end away from TU. Even in the win vs Marquette they struggled to limit chances. Marquette's own ineptness in putting shots on goal really undid them (as much as their inability to stop TU's own counter). I didn't get to see the game last night but a 3-0 win seems to indicate we play a style that MSU's own style struggles to contain and or counter. If I remember from last year, they really had no answers for us and it sounds like the same issue last night. Teams are going to start figuring out that if they can, they should press us hard. Wisconsin had success doing it, FIU obviously had success with it, and WVa had some success with it in the NCAA game last year. The teams that sit at MF and force us to be patient (see UK before the red card), really are doing nothing more than trying to absorb the pressure. It typically isn't very effective against TU.
Big game on Sunday vs Charlotte. Another top 20 team. Good to get them at home on a day that seems like it should be great for getting out and watching some soccer.
MSU had players roughly the same size. But we were clearly in better condition, stronger, and more physical. When the players kept their composure, neither the ref nor MSU could stop TU from dispossessing MSU and circulating the ball. It was 1-0 for awhile but Mac stayed the course with his tactics rather than going into a shell. That led to the build up that gave us a second half goal. The third was an empty net tap in by a super sub during desperation time for MSU. Nice all around win for TU.
No, we fell to #23/26 and Charlotte is #10/12. But I know one or both of those polls don't include the Mizz St game.
It's now 2-0.
No. Charlotte is #12 and depending on the poll we're #22. The polls are pretty arbitrary and anyone who has watched us play knows we are easily a top 10 team. Not sure what happened vs Wisconsin and FIU other than it just didn't work well for us, but when we're engaged and focused, we are a team no one really wants to play. Alex Meinhard is the type of player that teams game plan against which opens space for everyone else. He is big, fast, and technically gifted and when he has just a small opening, the GK better beware. MHS is a technical freak of a player who can beat anyone 1v1.
Like how the broadcast opened with the Charlotte GK as a key player as they've only conceded 2 goals in 7 games. TBH, we should be up 3-0 in this one.
I'm worried about how emotionally charged we're playing right now because the Charlotte players seem to be playing chippy and they're flopping to get calls and that isn't sitting well with our guys. And we've had several pick up yellows for non-soccer related crap.
