By Rachel Sharper- Concord Heights Times, Senior Editor
Most teams that are 7-4-0 will tell you that they are happy, or at least satisfied with the performance of qualifying through the first 11 games. Many Cassadagans would have told you the same thing after 11 games, based on being the third seed of the group. It is how this 7-4-0 has happened that is a complete head-scratcher. The draws: two against City of Woe, one against Kishrael, and now most recently against Lzherusskia are a complete waste of points. The Dagans have defeated Audioslavia and Kiryu-shi once, and the top two seeds are next on the schedule. Every team will have questionable results, and there is bound to be a wiseass who will think they are being all smart and say that “well at least you didn’t lose those games!” Feel free to slap such person in the face if such a comment is made to you.
Simply put, these wasted opportunities are unCassadagan. It happens in World Cup qualifying, and it has happened to Cassadagan teams in the past, just not the World Cup team. Our soccer teams have always had the ability not to blow points, from the beginning days in World Cup 43, to the return trip in World Cup 64. Maybe there would be one or two bad draws. But four? That’s just not us. Especially having two of these bad draws back to back. What has happened lately?
When Cassadaigua was on a roll, and getting those big wins against, Lauren Kearns was fantastic in goal, and went on a streak of 433 minutes without surrendering a goal. That was also a product of the defense, which had done a great job of limiting the quality scoring opportunities that every opponent wants to get. All things considered, the defense and Kearns have still been solid over these last two draws. Only one goal has been conceded in them, so you can’t point the finger here. City of Woe have thrived on defensive soccer during this qualification, and while no one really knows much of anything about this
Given this, is the current problem something that we can fix? Losing nations are picking up their play not only against us, but against the other top seeds in the group as well. If they were able to play like this throughout the qualification, then who knows maybe they would even be contending for World Cup berth themselves. What I have noticed is a Cassadaigua team that seems to be struggling in the middle of the field of late. Erika Fenwick, since returning from her red card suspension has seemed to be ineffective. Not that she’s been bad, but she needs to be better. I would also like to see Ashlee Spillane become more of a presence in preventing opponents from gaining possession in the midfield and then transitioning the ball to their forwards. Spillane should be more physical, and she will have to step up to the plate against Audioslavia, #1-ranked team in the world or not, if she wants to continue to start. I would not be surprised to see Jillian Hale take that spot if Spillane does not play well. On the wings, Fenwick’s struggles have epitomized the performance of the team. In the 32nd minute of the draw to Lzherusskia, her losing track of where she was on the field an accidently stepping on the out-of-bounds line ruined what would have been a 4-on-2 break upfield and onsides for the Dagans, but instead they turned the ball over. No one knows if it would have led to a goal, but Erika cannot be that lax anymore. I was surprised that coach Lawton did not immediately sub her out after that, but next time she just might. The forwards, Brianna Bouchard and Danielle Leonard haven’t been as bad as their lack of goals suggests, they just haven’t gotten many chances.
Another sign of struggles is Cassadaigua’s lack of scoring recently on corner kicks. The Dagans have gone four games now since they last successfully converted a corner into the back of the net, and that needs to change. All of this needs to change on the homefield of the two-time defending champions. That is not accepted as an excuse though, and there is no one saying “steal a point”. They must win to reverse this course.
