Ladies and Gentleman, RAY REID!

[UConnDan97]

Izzo gets further on in the tourney than Reid has

I've coached the game for over 30 yrs and have coached ODP
Ray is a knowledgeable guy who relates well to the kids BUT the one thing he has not been able to do is get out there on the field and work with the kids due to physical restraints. Unlike baseball and football where coaches at the D1 level have kids who have skills that basically will cover a variety of various position demand. These coaches also have staff members who can mix it up with the players in practice. Soccer is very different in that due to the constant movement and number of players involved, position knowledge of specific responsibilities is vital. That knowledge comes with experience.
The way Reid recruits - he goes after the BEST PLAYER and then tries to mold 60% of them in positions they are not accustomed to. It is very difficult to mold a HS AA who played up front into a contributing midfielder, it is difficult having a HS AA midfielder to be an effective marking or zone defender. He has a strong asst head coach and then there is nothing else on the coaching bench. That puts pressure on him to work with the kids but he can't do it.

They execute a short passing game very nicely but that can be a tribute to the skill level of these kids. They seem to have a problem translating that tactic into a full field scheme. They either play over the midfield or get caught up playing horizontal limiting their opposite field vertical vision. Rarely do you see any of their front runners making diagonal off ball runs or execute crossing switch runs to free themselves and vary the target. They rely too much on sideline switches with midfielders and marking backs acting as supporting attack. This will sometimes mess up their spacing and shape. Against inferior opposition it can be very successful but a skilled and quick opponent will likely have numerous transition opportunities.

At D2 Southern (my alma) he coached a bunch of guys who came in at 21 - 23 yo and that is a bonus. In addition, he recruited huge from Long Island and New Jersey - D2 coaches in the 80's did not recruit that much outside their locale - the program gained some success while he was playing there and he was benefactor as a HC. Southern soccer in the 80's was like Duke Mens BB - the kids just came.

My opinion - he should have gone MLS in 2001 and right after 2005 season when he had the chance. I think it's time for a younger coach who can get those American youth who will stay in school and play for 3-4 years or at least the European kids who will treasure the 4 yr degree at a school like UCONN. The island kids are a gamble (while he has done well with quite a few) and if they fail in school or don't like the weather after the season - they are gone.

Ray will be a NCAA Soccer HoF coach - no doubt about it and deservingly so. His combined record of accomplishments at both SCSU and UCONN speak for themselves.

A couple of things:

1) If you think the coach of a soccer team needs to be out there to "mix it up" with the players in order to properly train them, then you are going to have to explain how 90% of professional international coaches can't do that and are still extremely successful.

2) If you think that the team has a problem translating the short passing game into a "full field scheme", then you are going to have to explain to me how UConn creates many more chances than their opponents in almost every game, even against top25 talent.

3) His recruiting at Southern was indeed better than almost any other D2 school, no doubt about it. But then explain to me how his team was even better than D1 UConn at the time, and that he was able to generate multiple MLS level players at a D2 school if it didn't also come with some measure of player development.

In other words, you have a lot of explaining to do...

We at least agree on two things; Ray will certainly be an NCAA soccer HoF coach, and his accomplishments speak for themselves.

 

[dbmill]

For those keeping track of these things, UConn men's soccer has a 4-0 lead over Columbia. After struggling for goals all season, the Huskies suddenly have 7 goals in the last two games, with a good chunk of the second half to go in this one. It might not be top 25 competition, but any sort of Husky goal explosion is good to see going into Saturday's game at Louisville.

By the way, Andre Blake is back in goal for tonight's game.

 

[Buffett10]

Love seeing Allando step up. Has 4 goals in the past 2 games.

 

[UConnDan97]

For those keeping track of these things, UConn men's soccer has a 4-0 lead over Columbia. After struggling for goals all season, the Huskies suddenly have 7 goals in the last two games, with a good chunk of the second half to go in this one. It might not be top 25 competition, but any sort of Husky goal explosion is good to see going into Saturday's game at Louisville.

By the way, Andre Blake is back in goal for tonight's game.

It's good to have Blake back. And like I've said before....eventually, all of those chances that the team has been generating all year will eventually convert into goals. I'm proud of this team and the way they are performing. They are still a top25 squad, even though they are so young and their star forward has been out for at least 4 games out of the season...Keep it up, Huskies!!!

 

[UConnDan97]

Love seeing Allando step up. Has 4 goals in the past 2 games.

The best part is that Allando Matheson and Cyle Larin will both be back next year (as will most of the squad). Hard to believe that Larin is just a freshman! Between the two of them, I think they have combined for 10 goals already this year. The future looks bright...

 

[dbmill]

It's good to have Blake back. And like I've said before....eventually, all of those chances that the team has been generating all year will eventually convert into goals. I'm proud of this team and the way they are performing. They are still a top25 squad, even though they are so young and their star forward has been out for at least 4 games out of the season...Keep it up, Huskies!!!

It seems to me that despite the lack of goal scoring until recently, this is a much more offensively minded team than in year's past. In recent year's the team did not score all that much, but they also didn't take all that many shots as well. This team takes a lot of shots, even if they don't necessarily score a lot of goals, at least until the last two games. Given the youth of the team on the field and the fact that Mamadou has hardly played, I definitely see it as a positive. I definitely think things are bright for the future.

 

[rw005]

2-2 Tie at Louisville

Next up is Yale, then 2 conference games against Cincy and @SMU.

Need some wins here!

 

[UConnDan97]

Cyle Larin was at it again tonight. A big goal late in the game from the freshman. He's gonna be an extremely good one before his UConn career is over...

 

[Matrim55]

I work in professional soccer. This thread is ridiculous.

Reid has his issues, certainly, but he really is a top coach. Can't blame him for PK misses, by the way.

 

[UConnDan97]

UConn 1 - Yale 0

Cyle Larin is on a friggin' streak!!! He is a freshman with 7 goals on the season already. Watch out for this kid....he's gonna have a bright future...

 

[dbmill]

Also of note, Mamadou has played very brief stints off the bench in the last two games after missing a number of games due to injury. He hasn't scored all season. Despite this, UConn has only lost two games. If he is able to get back to full speed soon and return to his goal scoring self, the Huskies could become a very dangerous team in the tournament.

 

[Adios]

If we are going to be dangerous, we're going to have to get more goals. That was a fun game to attend. Nice crowd.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

My concerns aside, I do hope the Huskies can continue to upward trend and make it to the College Cup as I would enjoy catching them in Philadelphia (even if it snows, which can make for a fun soccer game, ask Costa Rica).

 

[UConnDan97]

UConn 1 - Cincy 0

Matheson hit the game-winner in OT, assist from Larin. These two have become a potent duo throughout the course of the year. This young team keeps getting better as the season progresses. Keep working, Huskies!!!

 

[dbmill]

On the Mamadou Doudou Diouf front, he started the Cincinnati game and played 65 minutes. He took three shots but didn't score. At least he's playing some good minutes now.

 

[UConnDan97]

On the Mamadou Doudou Diouf front, he started the Cincinnati game and played 65 minutes. He took three shots but didn't score. At least he's playing some good minutes now.

It will probably take him a couple of weeks to get properly match fit, so essentially that will be during conference tourney time. If he's 100% by then, we'll hopefully be able to make some real noise on the national stage...

 

[dbmill]

Tonight the men's soccer team went on the road and beat SMU 1-0. Larin with a goal a few minutes into the game, with Mamadou picking up an assist on the play. The Huskies stretch their unbeaten streak to eleven games, and finish the AAC regular season schedule with a 4-0-4 record.

 

[ASweet3781]

I am very happy the men's soccer team is finally playing up to potential. Looks like I was right. They were better than 1-0 losses to teams like Bradley at home.

I am also very happy for Diouf that he is getting healthy. Even happier because now Ray Reid can't use it as an excuse.

 

[UConnDan97]

I am very happy the men's soccer team is finally playing up to potential. Looks like I was right. They were better than 1-0 losses to teams like Bradley at home.

I am also very happy for Diouf that he is getting healthy. Even happier because now Ray Reid can't use it as an excuse.

ASweet claims in this thread:

1) Goalie continues to give up goals.
2) UConn soccer team is an unmitigated disaster.
3) Ray Reid should not be our coach (implied by thread title).

Reality:

1) Goalie has 0.6 goals against average.
2) Young UConn team is 9-2-5 without their top player for half the year.
3) Ray Reid proves yet again that he can coach.

Yup.....looks like you were right....

 

[ASweet3781]

"Goalie continues to give up goals."

I said the goalie continued to give up goals facing MINIMAL SHOTS. Which judging by the 1-0 losses and 1-1 ties despite out shooting our opponents by a wide margin was accurate.

"UConn soccer team is an unmitigated disaster"

My 85 yr old grandma has a better memory than you. I said UConn fall sports this year was an unmitigated disaster. The winless football season alone makes it one.

"Ray Reid should not be our coach" (implied by thread title)

Hey at least you admit it up front that I never said that. Ladies and Gentleman, Ray Reid does not imply he should not be our coach. If you implied that perhaps your overly sensitive. Not a great position of strength while debating when you are responding to your own created straw mans.

 

[UConnDan97]

"Goalie continues to give up goals."

I said the goalie continued to give up goals facing MINIMAL SHOTS. Which judging by the 1-0 losses and 1-1 ties despite out shooting our opponents by a wide margin was accurate.

"UConn soccer team is an unmitigated disaster"

My 85 yr old grandma has a better memory than you. I said UConn fall sports this year was an unmitigated disaster. The winless football season alone makes it one.

"Ray Reid should not be our coach" (implied by thread title)

Hey at least you admit it up front that I never said that. Ladies and Gentleman, Ray Reid does not imply he should not be our coach. If you implied that perhaps your overly sensitive. Not a great position of strength while debating when you are responding to your own created straw mans.

ASweet said, in this thread, verbatim:

"Men's soccer like football is an unmitigated disaster. That is a fact." (page 2 of this thread)

I hope grandma gets some ginko biloba. I'm tired of arguing with you because you are simply a blowhard. You rail on and on about things, and then when they don't come true, you have the gall to say you were right. Then, you claim you didn't say things when they are within the very same thread. Now, you are trying to claim that you were not implying that you didn't want a different coach than Reid. Yup.

You can of course continue to say whatever you want, but don't pretend like you've added some insight that has now become fact and pretend like you didn't say other things that were proven false...

 

[zls44]

They freaking demolished SMU tonight.

 

[UConnDan97]

They freaking demolished SMU tonight.

What a nice performance tonight. Cyle Larin is on a friggin' tear. Two more goals today....and this kid is a freshman! 5-0 win. Andre Blake with a 6-save shutout. Diouf got about 40 - 50 minutes of game time, so he's continuing to get more game fit. On to play UCF in the AAC semis. I hope the dogs keep rollin'...

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

I grew up playing soccer, love the sport, especially quality international soccer, but occasionally chuckle over over-anglicized soccer references sneaking into American English. Are Soccer Mom or suburban coaching dad credentials now required to call a field a pitch, refer to getting back in shape as becoming game fit, calling soccer football, etc.? What are the other requisite Soccer Mom terms now in the US? I jest, yet just a quick laugh on the way to hopeful continued strong UCONN performances on the pitch. )

 

[UConnDan97]

I grew up playing soccer, love the sport, especially quality international soccer, but occasionally chuckle over over-anglicized soccer references sneaking into American English. Are Soccer Mom or suburban coaching dad credentials now required to call a field a pitch, refer to getting back in shape as becoming game fit, calling soccer football, etc.? What are the other requisite Soccer Mom terms now in the US? I jest, yet just a quick laugh on the way to hopeful continued strong UCONN performances on the pitch. )

I play with a bunch of English guys on most Monday nights, and I still refer to the field as a "field" and soccer as "soccer", although I understand why they still want to say "pitch" and "football" respectively. Every now and again, I'll find myself slipping up and saying "pitch" because they say it so damned much, but for the most part, I stick to my Americanisms. If they get testy about it, I call the game "calcio" instead of "football" (the Italian version). Then when they get pissed about that, I ask them how many World Cups England has and how many Italy has. That usually ends the argument...

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I play with a bunch of English guys on most Monday nights, and I still refer to the field as a "field" and soccer as "soccer", although I understand why they still want to say "pitch" and "football" respectively. Every now and again, I'll find myself slipping up and saying "pitch" because they say it so damned much, but for the most part, I stick to my Americanisms. If they get testy about it, I call the game "calcio" instead of "football" (the Italian version). Then when they get pissed about that, I ask them how many World Cups England has and how many Italy has. That usually ends the argument...

I studied abroad in France in 1995 while at UConn and played on the college team in France (skill level was maybe DIII, Europe does not have college sport programs). Playing our cross-city rival, their top scorer was a trash talking machine (it’s funny in French) and I was a defensive midfielder. During a pause, he was commenting how bad American ‘soccer’ was and I pointed out that the US has been in the last few World Cups and France had not (they won it in 1998). The punk turned around and cold cocked me. He got a nice fancy red card for his effort, while my team won and I did not have to pay for a single drink that night at the pub.

 

[UConnDan97]

I studied abroad in France in 1995 while at UConn and played on the college team in France (skill level was maybe DIII, Europe does not have college sport programs). Playing our cross-city rival, their top scorer was a trash talking machine (it’s funny in French) and I was a defensive midfielder. During a pause, he was commenting how bad American ‘soccer’ was and I pointed out that the US has been in the last few World Cups and France had not (they won it in 1998). The punk turned around and cold cocked me. He got a nice fancy red card for his effort, while my team won and I did not have to pay for a single drink that night at the pub.

Did his name happen to be Zinedine Zidane by any chance?

 

[Matrim55]

Given the amount of talent UConn's lost over the last few years, this has to be one of Reid's best coaching jobs.

Hopefully it keeps up over the next month, and we can finally get back to the college cup.

 

[dbmill]

Given the amount of talent UConn's lost over the last few years, this has to be one of Reid's best coaching jobs.

Hopefully it keeps up over the next month, and we can finally get back to the college cup.

Agreed. The team has progressed very nicely this season, after looking like they could be in for real trouble back in September. It's a team with a fair amount of young talent that has been on an excellent run in the latter half of the season.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Did his name happen to be Zinedine Zidane by any chance?

No and unlike a lot of the Emmy winners on Italy’s national team, I earned that card, had a good shiner on my cheek for a few days