Despite the challenges of a last-minute flight to a road game, Missouri played well against South Carolina. However, a series of miscues ultimately cost them the game, a 4-1 defeat.
With the game behind them, here’s how each positional group performed on Sunday.
###Goalkeeper###
The starting spot was up for grabs to start the season, and head coach Bryan Blitz said that any of the four rostered keepers could’ve started. But it was sophomore transfer Isabella Alessio who got the nod.
Alessio started well and had good command of her back line but made two costly mistakes which both finished in goals for the Gamecocks.
The first came on a botched clearance. Alessio tried to send the ball up the field with her left foot but didn’t get the connection she was looking for. The ball bounced off a Gamecock’s foot and rolled into the back of Alessio’s net.
The second occurred as Alessio called off her defenders to dive for a ball in the box. She seemed to have good control as she slid but lost control of the ball and spilled it straight to the feet of a pursuing South Carolina forward, who scored easily.
Alessio also let in a free kick, which was powerfully struck to be stopped.
Alessio was subbed off in the 70th minute. The keeper change likely had nothing to do with Alessio’s performance, as it was stressed by coach Blitz that any of the rostered keepers were ready to play. Sophomore McKenna Sheehan came in for Alessio.
Sheehan also was impressive, showing strong signs of leadership and direction, especially with a squad playing a man down.
###Defense###
The four goals scored didn’t really reflect the performance of the Tigers back line. Two were the fault of the goalkeeper, one was a free kick, and one was scored with Missouri playing a man down.
That free kick, however, was given when Missouri defender Momola Adesanmi brought down a Gamecocks forward just outside the box. Since Adesanmi was the last defender, the referee ruled the play as denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity, otherwise known as DOGSO. Adesanmi was shown the red card, and the Tigers were forced to play with ten players for the remainder of the match, which helped South Carolina score its fourth goal.
A 3-4-3 formation leaves lots of space on the outside, which South Carolina used to generate its attack. With just three defenders, it was vital that the midfielders track back to defend, but that did not happen consistently for Missouri.
Though Missouri allowed four goals, its defense was quite solid. Shots taken by South Carolina forwards and midfielders were often blocked, and the goals that South Carolina scored were not due to poor defending.
The back line was often too distanced from the midfielders, which allowed South Carolina to easily advance down the field off a turnover. This was especially evident towards the end of the game, when players were fatigued. If the back line can’t push up the field with the rest of the team on the attack, it leaves dangerous holes behind the midfield for the opposing team to exploit.
Going forward, it’s important that the back line continues to communicate with the goalkeeper to prevent these mistakes from happening. Playing with three defenders puts more pressure on each player, but Missouri seemed to be up to the challenge on this particular occasion.
###Offense###
The Tigers generated most of their attack on the sides of the pitch, utilizing the width to play its wingers, who sent balls into the box hoping they would connect with a teammate’s head. Midfielder Zoe Cross seemed to be on the ball all the time, and her crosses from the right wing were sharp and accurate most of the time.
But that tactical strategy did not work against the Gamecocks. Missouri only managed to get nine shots off, five that were on frame. Cisneros was the only forward to have a shot, which didn’t even come during the normal run of play. Her 11th minute free kick was placed perfectly into the top left corner of the goal, out of the reach of the goalkeeper.
Cisneros has now scored in her last six matches, a streak that began last season when the Tigers defeated Tennessee on Oct. 13, 2019.
Four midfielders were able to take shots — a good sign of Missouri’s effort to get numbers forward — but the Gamecocks dealt with the Tigers’ attack without much difficulty.
Throughout the game, the Gamecocks midfield and defense left space in the middle of the pitch, but Missouri never really took advantage. It appeared as though the Tigers had their game plan — attacking up the wings — and stuck with it. This game could serve as a lesson on adapting to what the defense gives them.
_Edited by Jack Soble | jsoble@themaneater.com_