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Post by UICAndrew on Nov 19, 2007 17:25:46 GMT -6
so the bracket was just released and we face st. louis this weekend....AT st. louis. pretty disappointed we didn't get a home game for the first round. they did set us up though so if we win then we would face N'western in the second round...of course, AT N'western
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Post by FuryJP on Nov 19, 2007 21:20:27 GMT -6
I REALLY hope we win on Friday. Won't be at the game...not because it's in St. Louis but because I have b-day plans.
GO FLAMES!
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Post by Big D on Nov 23, 2007 23:42:40 GMT -6
Congrats to UIC on a great win at St. Louis for the 2nd year in a row!!!
Scoreless for 110 minutes and then Matt Spiess, a recruit from St. Louis that apparently was not recruited by St. Louis, knocked in the penalty kick winner.
Now we get #9 Northwestern on their home turf.
Fury...get some people together and make the trip over....we will hopefully outnumber their fans, and pull off a win....sweet 16 here we come!!!
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Post by soccer fan on Nov 24, 2007 9:12:30 GMT -6
Can you guys BELIEVE that St. Louis didn't even try to recruit Spiess? What incredible irony that the star soccer player who supposedly lacked the tools or wasn't quite good enough is the won who puts the dagger in the very program who didn't want him. This kind of drama is why I love NCAA sports!
Made for TV movie ending or not, beating St. Louis in St. Louis is one hell of an accomplishment. Maybe the team is now reaping the benefits of that long road trip at the start of the season. Whatever it is, they pulled off the upset and now they get to face their local nemesis, the Northwestern Wildcats.
NU got out of the starting gate really fast and racked up a lot of wins at the start of the season, but struggled a bit down the road, finishing third in the Big Ten (3-2-1) and not making the finals of the tourney, either. Which is not to say that their record is bad - we finished third in our league, after all, which doesn't have Indiana or Ohio State. But they were ranked really high for most of the season, perhaps higher than they really should have been.
Anyway, we are going to find out soon enough is NU is for real or not, and I've got to figure out how to get to Evanston by 7:00 on Wednesday!
High class problems, I'd say.
CONGRATULATIONS FLAMES AND ON TO THE SWEET 16!!!
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Post by UICAndrew on Nov 24, 2007 10:52:09 GMT -6
last year we beat st. louis on their home field and now this year we do it again. unbelievable!
the fury will definitely be @ northwestern in full force so no worries about that. if there are any students on here and would like to go to the northwestern game, there is a fan bus going up on wed. night. you have to contact Shawn Sullivan at 312-355-1330 or ssulli3@uic.edu by noon on wednesday to reserve your seat.
oh yeah, and if you plan on driving, here are some directions to their soccer field (according to n'westerns website).
From Chicago: Take Lake Shore Drive north until it turns into Sheridan Road. Follow Sheridan Road north into Evanston, until you reach Lincoln Street. Turn right, and follow road to the second stop sign (just beyond the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion). Turn left. Parking lot for Leonard B. Thomas Sports Complex will come up on your right.
From the north: Take I-94 (Edens Expressway) East. Exit on Skokie Boulevard and turn left at stop light at Lake Avenue. Go east on Lake to Green Bay Road. Turn right and proceed south to Central Street. Turn left and go east until Central Street ends at Sheridan Road. Take a right, and follow south to next traffic light (Lincoln Street). Turn left , and follow road to the second stop sign (just beyond the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion). Turn left. Parking lot for Leonard B. Thomas Sports Complex will come up on your right.
From O'Hare International Airport: Exit the airport and take I-294 North. Exit on Dempster Street to the right and proceed east several miles until Chicago Avenue. Turn left, follow Chicago Avenue north until it merges with Sheridan Road. Continue northbound on Sheridan Road until Lincoln Street. Turn right, and follow road to the second stop sign (just beyond the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion). Turn left. Parking lot for Leonard B. Thomas Sports Complex will come up on your right.
GO FLAMES!
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Post by UICJohn on Nov 24, 2007 15:42:10 GMT -6
Maybe a dumb question, but was Spiess not recruited by St. Louis at all? Or was he a little but not huge interest? Or did he choose to go elsewhere instead? Just wondering. Thanks.
And hopefully see a lot of people at Northwestern on Wednesday.
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Post by soccer fan on Nov 24, 2007 16:48:31 GMT -6
Maybe a dumb question, but was Spiess not recruited by St. Louis at all? Or was he a little but not huge interest? Or did he choose to go elsewhere instead? Just wondering. Thanks. And hopefully see a lot of people at Northwestern on Wednesday. The rumor mill told me not at all. I don't know the whole story, either, so don't quote me. What I do know is that Spiess posesses an unconventional skillset for his postion, which is my theory as to why UIC was able to land him in the first place. In a nutshell, he is a tight end playing wide reciever. If you've watched him play, you've notice that for a wing, he has below average speed. Most defenders can outrun him, so he is not the breakaway threat most coaches want (and conventional wisdom dictates) at that position. What Spiess brings to a game is the ability to mix it up in the box. He is not a brute, but he has a superior ability to negotiate a crowd and play physical near the goal. He is not a set piece specialist, ball-handler, or a passer. He is a fight off the defender and kick it in the net close-range specialist. That's his game, and he is REALLY good at it. Like I said, a tight end. It works because UIC's defense usually keeps them ahead or within a goal, so you'll rarely see UIC playing playing all-out attack, throw everything but the kitchen sink at them offense. UIC plays posession, which, when played correctly, simply does not require breakaway speed at wing. In those situations where the coach feels he needs to open things up, he usually substitutes him out. This is not to say you never need speed at wing, either. Spiess probably would have scored 3 or 4 more goals this season if he had the physical tools to execute a breakaway. But talk about a guy who makes the most out of what he's got, and you are talking about Matt Spiess, which is why I've become a fan. Not only is he one INTENSE competitor, he's also into getting the crowd into the game, which those of us who make a habit of attending these games very much appreciate. We had a similar player last season in Tonci Skroce, and we all wondered what UIC would do without him. We now know the answer.
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Post by UICJohn on Nov 24, 2007 19:07:17 GMT -6
Soccer fan,
Thanks for the answer. While I do really enjoy soccer, I must admit that I do not know all of the inside stuff like I do about some other sports. But what you explained, I do see what you're talking about. But from the little game time that I have seen, that would make it seem like Kevin Stoll would be a good compliment to Matt Spiess on the team. While both are big time goal scorers, it seems (at least to me, so if I'm wrong, you may say so) that the similarities kind of end there. And I would think complimentary players would be a nice part of the team.
Either way, I do not care why he wasn't recruited by St. Louis but I am glad he wasn't and glad he ended up at UIC. What is St. Louis' loss is most definitely our gain.
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Post by soccer fan on Nov 25, 2007 9:58:52 GMT -6
Players with complimentary skill sets are what its all about in soccer or in any sport.
UIC plays four-man attack, as do most teams at the collegiate level and higher. The four man attack consists of two midfielders and two forwards, or wings.
Although no position in soccer is as specialized as in American football, if you were to draw a football analogy, the two attacking midfielder positions correspond roughly to quarterback and running back. Both midfielders attack, score, and make passes, but one is supposed to be primarily a play maker while the other is supposed to be primarily a scorer. In the case of UIC, Pavel Dunjer is the quarterback/play maker, while Cesar Zambrano is the running back/scorer. If you follow the Fire, Blanco is the play maker, Barrett the scorer.
The wings correspond to wide receiver, and just like in American football, that is normally where you normally put your fastest runners. You want guys who can run the field because the ideal situation is a one-on-one against a defensive back. That is where your speed gives you maximum advantage, but it only happens if you can outrun the defensive midfielders (or linebackers).
When you get close to the goal, however, your needs change. Your speed demons are useless, because there is neither time nor space to outrun anybody. What you need there is a physical player who can catch a short pass, confront the defender head on, and beat him. In American football, a tight end does that job. In the case of the soccer Flames, a Matt Spiess.
Another similarity between American football and soccer is that quarterback/play maker is the money position. They are usually the stars of the team, despite the fact that they often DON'T lead the team in scoring in soccer, and NEVER lead the team in scoring in football.
That is where you put your most accurate foot (or arm), ie, your best passer, and just like in football, a guy who can pass is worth an order of magnitude more than a guy who can score.
Ronhaldinho, Cuautemoc Blanco, and David Beckham are all examples of superstars who play that position, although Beckham is extremely unusual because he plays it from the defensive midfielder position. That's how uber-talented he is, and you can see with our own Flames what kind of possibilities that would open up on offense. Among other things, you'd be substituting Spiess out a lot less.
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