[81alum]

I will be interested in VikingGuy's analysis. 

This was the biggest conference game of the year.  After beating UCLA 7 times in a row, we lost to them twice last year. including in the tournament on UCLA's way to the national championship.  Yesterday's game was played in LA.  The first half seemed to me to be quick, precise, with UCLA having more chances in the first part of the half and Stanford in the second part.  Every pass was closely contested but possessions tended to be long due to the generally good passing.  It was quite a display.

The second half opened with a Stanford score early.  LaBonta gave us the lead with a magnificent volley off of a deflection coming from a corner kick.  I felt, though, that it was almost too early--at the 52 minute mark.  There was a long ways to go and our defense had shown some signs of break down occasionally.  Would being ahead cause a little complacency?

In fact our defense--the best in the country up to this point--seemed to be having a few problems with UCLA.  Quite a few times it seemed that the UCLA players were flat out faster than ours and got in behind our defense more regularly as the second half wore on.  Worse, our center back got elbowed in the face during one of the scrums in front of our goal and had to go out, and was replaced (apparently, if I figured out what the announcers were saying) with a frosh midfielder.  Whether it was that, or just getting tired after all those contested passes, our defense seemed to not be quite as effective from that point on.

At the 76 minute mark UCLA scored off a fairly long blast that angled just above and beyond Campbell's reach.    And with only about 5 minutes left UCLA got in behind again and took a low shot from Campbell's left that crossed the face of the goal and just tucked itself inside the right post. 

Thus the number 1 team defeated the number 3 team in the country. 

I don't know our team or soccer all that well.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching the game up until the last 15 minutes, then I was horror struck.  We looked like we were not quite as fast, not quite as precise with our passes, or quite as organized.

[81alum]

I will be interested in VikingGuy's analysis. 

This was the biggest conference game of the year.  After beating UCLA 7 times in a row, we lost to them twice last year. including in the tournament on UCLA's way to the national championship.  Yesterday's game was played in LA.  The first half seemed to me to be quick, precise, with UCLA having more chances in the first part of the half and Stanford in the second part.  Every pass was closely contested but possessions tended to be long due to the generally good passing.  It was quite a display.

The second half opened with a Stanford score early.  LaBonta gave us the lead with a magnificent volley off of a deflection coming from a corner kick.  I felt, though, that it was almost too early--at the 52 minute mark.  There was a long ways to go and our defense had shown some signs of break down occasionally.  Would being ahead cause a little complacency?

In fact our defense--the best in the country up to this point--seemed to be having a few problems with UCLA.  Quite a few times it seemed that the UCLA players were flat out faster than ours and got in behind our defense more regularly as the second half wore on.  Worse, our center back got elbowed in the face during one of the scrums in front of our goal and had to go out, and was replaced (apparently, if I figured out what the announcers were saying) with a frosh midfielder.  Whether it was that, or just getting tired after all those contested passes, our defense seemed to not be quite as effective from that point on.

At the 76 minute mark UCLA scored off a fairly long blast that angled just above and beyond Campbell's reach.    And with only about 5 minutes left UCLA got in behind again and took a low shot from Campbell's left that crossed the face of the goal and just tucked itself inside the right post. 

Thus the number 1 team defeated the number 3 team in the country. 

I don't know our team or soccer all that well.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching the game up until the last 15 minutes, then I was horror struck.  We looked like we were not quite as fast, not quite as precise with our passes, or quite as organized.