[Viking_Guy]

Start of the second half, and Stanford playing with a bit more energy - but the Titans now only had to survive 45 minutes.  They began to play even more defensively, sending long ball clears down the sideline and to the corners at almost every opportunity, even at one point dragging the ball into their own defensive corner and trying to milk the clock - with almost 43 minutes left.

They also upped the physicality.  A long ball over the top was popped on by Uhl, who then got sandwiched by two Titans to prevent her from running onto the ball in the Fullerton penalty area.  No whistle.  A fairly obvious handball in the penalty area.  No whistle.  Finally, LaBonta got a ball at the top of the box on the right side (right at the arc) and got hacked from behind.  And the ref signalled it was outside the area, almost literally on the 18-yard line. 29 minutes left.

Turning point of the game.  Ubogagu steps up and drills a left-footed shot over/around the 5 person wall in front of her and into the right side of the goal.  I don't think Stuart ever really moved. 2-1.

Fullerton subbed, and Stanford put Turner back in for Mariah Lee, who hadn't really shown much gusto - at one point in the second half before the goal, she had been put through on the right side of the field with only one defender between her and the goal, and instead of using her speed to try to get by her or draw a foul in the area, Lee crossed the ball harmlessly into the area where all of the defenders were recovering.

And Stanford cranked up the pressure.  Another foul on the left side of the top of the box, as Uhl tried to split two defenders and run onto a bouncing ball and was dragged down, drawing a yellow card on the defense.  This time LaBonta cracked it high.

Then Uhl got on the end of a wonderful Ubogagu cross from the left and hammered it home with her head - only to be whistled for offside on a VERY close call.

All of this in about 4 minutes.  Liedle reentered for Amack, and Stanford earned a corner kick, playing around with the ball against an increasingly retreating Titan defense.  Chi again took advantage, receiving the ball being dropped back to her from the endline right at about the penalty spot, then dancing across the face of the goal and getting the ball on her left foot just to one side of a Titan defender before ripping it back into the right side netting for the tying goal. 2-2, 24 minutes left.

And Stanford kept pressing.  With a lot of traffic in the penalty area, Doll bounced a ball back to Uhl, who hammered a volley into the back of the net.  3-2.  A few minutes later, the same play, and the same result - Doll attacking, winning a ball in the box and having it fall to Taylor, volley, bam.  4-2.  And finally, as time ran down, Lo LaBonta got free on the left and chipped a ball over a defender to Chi standing alone about 10 yards out directly in front of goal.  Ubogagu crouched down and flicked a beautiful arching header over the goalie's head and settling it into the back of the net.  5-2, and Stanford saw out the last few minutes of the game, with Uhl very nearly scoring again.



For 45 minutes, Stanford was outhustled, outworked, and out-toughed by a game Titan squad.  Instead of sagging back and trying to play counter-attack as most underdogs do, they looked at Stanford's proclivity for slow build-up play out of the back line and pushed forward, disrupting the Cardinal offense and generating the chances that, with the help of some truly abysmal midfield play, gave them an astonishing lead.  Stanford outshot them, but they didn't outplay them.

Then Fullerton decided to try to see the game out.  While I was still mortified, when the Titans began to try to play delaying games only a couple of minutes into the second half, I started to feel a little better.  When they easily conceded possession by hoofing the ball down the field, and then not chasing forward with the 3-1 of their 4-2-3-1, but instead started sagging, you watched the "possession line" - where a Stanford player moving forward would be met by a defender - move steadily closer and closer to the Titan's penalty area.

Game ball to Chi Ubogagu.  No one else seemed able to shoot effectively, or willing to take on a defender, whereas Chi was often trying to play through three people marking her.  And both her freekick and the tying goal were gorgeous.  Some good work from Taylor Uhl and Hannah Farr.  But Doll and LaBonta REALLY need to take a look at what they were doing at the start.  And never do it again.

Stanford will take on Arkansas, which upset Oklahoma, in the second round next weekend, in a pod at Cagan with the other side being Washington (1-0 winners over Rider) and the winner of Missouri and Kansas, playing tomorrow in Lawrence.

Phew.

VG

[Viking_Guy]

Start of the second half, and Stanford playing with a bit more energy - but the Titans now only had to survive 45 minutes.  They began to play even more defensively, sending long ball clears down the sideline and to the corners at almost every opportunity, even at one point dragging the ball into their own defensive corner and trying to milk the clock - with almost 43 minutes left.

They also upped the physicality.  A long ball over the top was popped on by Uhl, who then got sandwiched by two Titans to prevent her from running onto the ball in the Fullerton penalty area.  No whistle.  A fairly obvious handball in the penalty area.  No whistle.  Finally, LaBonta got a ball at the top of the box on the right side (right at the arc) and got hacked from behind.  And the ref signalled it was outside the area, almost literally on the 18-yard line. 29 minutes left.

Turning point of the game.  Ubogagu steps up and drills a left-footed shot over/around the 5 person wall in front of her and into the right side of the goal.  I don't think Stuart ever really moved. 2-1.

Fullerton subbed, and Stanford put Turner back in for Mariah Lee, who hadn't really shown much gusto - at one point in the second half before the goal, she had been put through on the right side of the field with only one defender between her and the goal, and instead of using her speed to try to get by her or draw a foul in the area, Lee crossed the ball harmlessly into the area where all of the defenders were recovering.

And Stanford cranked up the pressure.  Another foul on the left side of the top of the box, as Uhl tried to split two defenders and run onto a bouncing ball and was dragged down, drawing a yellow card on the defense.  This time LaBonta cracked it high.

Then Uhl got on the end of a wonderful Ubogagu cross from the left and hammered it home with her head - only to be whistled for offside on a VERY close call.

All of this in about 4 minutes.  Liedle reentered for Amack, and Stanford earned a corner kick, playing around with the ball against an increasingly retreating Titan defense.  Chi again took advantage, receiving the ball being dropped back to her from the endline right at about the penalty spot, then dancing across the face of the goal and getting the ball on her left foot just to one side of a Titan defender before ripping it back into the right side netting for the tying goal. 2-2, 24 minutes left.

And Stanford kept pressing.  With a lot of traffic in the penalty area, Doll bounced a ball back to Uhl, who hammered a volley into the back of the net.  3-2.  A few minutes later, the same play, and the same result - Doll attacking, winning a ball in the box and having it fall to Taylor, volley, bam.  4-2.  And finally, as time ran down, Lo LaBonta got free on the left and chipped a ball over a defender to Chi standing alone about 10 yards out directly in front of goal.  Ubogagu crouched down and flicked a beautiful arching header over the goalie's head and settling it into the back of the net.  5-2, and Stanford saw out the last few minutes of the game, with Uhl very nearly scoring again.



For 45 minutes, Stanford was outhustled, outworked, and out-toughed by a game Titan squad.  Instead of sagging back and trying to play counter-attack as most underdogs do, they looked at Stanford's proclivity for slow build-up play out of the back line and pushed forward, disrupting the Cardinal offense and generating the chances that, with the help of some truly abysmal midfield play, gave them an astonishing lead.  Stanford outshot them, but they didn't outplay them.

Then Fullerton decided to try to see the game out.  While I was still mortified, when the Titans began to try to play delaying games only a couple of minutes into the second half, I started to feel a little better.  When they easily conceded possession by hoofing the ball down the field, and then not chasing forward with the 3-1 of their 4-2-3-1, but instead started sagging, you watched the "possession line" - where a Stanford player moving forward would be met by a defender - move steadily closer and closer to the Titan's penalty area.

Game ball to Chi Ubogagu.  No one else seemed able to shoot effectively, or willing to take on a defender, whereas Chi was often trying to play through three people marking her.  And both her freekick and the tying goal were gorgeous.  Some good work from Taylor Uhl and Hannah Farr.  But Doll and LaBonta REALLY need to take a look at what they were doing at the start.  And never do it again.

Stanford will take on Arkansas, which upset Oklahoma, in the second round next weekend, in a pod at Cagan with the other side being Washington (1-0 winners over Rider) and the winner of Missouri and Kansas, playing tomorrow in Lawrence.

Phew.

VG