aggiegreg06 asked if any soccer players read this forum....yes some of us do and i wanted to say thanks for all of the support. its been fun reading about how much everyone enjoyed the game on friday night. it was very special for me too. i couldn't have asked for it to be any better....senior year, last regular season home game, against our rival, for the championship. and the crowd was amazing. thanks again for the support and we will try to bring home another trophy this weekend.

Its been a great run so far, but y'all still got work to do. I don't think I'll be able to make the trip to S.A. this week, but I'm hoping the Ags get to host a regional, so I'll be able see some more of the best soccer in the country.

Kick some butt in San Antonio and bring back that tournament title!

WOW!! Andrea Starns responded to one of my posts!!

Andrea - You are now my second favorite soccer player in the world. Kati Jo is still my favorite because she played amazing against the t-sips and she's '06 (AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!) but I promise you are my second favorite.

Is it true that yelling for the Ags while we're on offense can cause the opposing defense to screw up their assignments?? That's what I was told but I figure you can tell me for sure.

Also, do you have a favorite Yell that you like to hear. We do take reaquests you know.

Anyways, "The Men of Dunn" are making the trip to San Antonio Sunday to see us BTHOtu, assuming both schools make it that far. We'll be painted up and yelling at the top of our lungs. I can't wait!!

One more thing......

Andrea, before my first Aggie soccer game, I wasn't a soccer fan, outside of watching the U.S. play this summer in the World Cup. I always thought soccer was a boring game of "kick the ball" and it never excited me. After coming to my first game, I did learn quite a few things about the game but what really turned me on to soccer was the intensity yall play with.

My first game was against Kansas, the day after the so called "Wrecking Crew" got slaughtered in the 4th quarter by Jamaal Lord & David Horne. Football has been my favorite sport forever and it always will be but after watching yall play with INTENSITY the entire game, I came away liking our soccer team more so than our football team!!

greg, the crowd being loud does two things, it intimidates the other team and it gets us fired up, so yelling lots always is a terrific thing. i'm glad that we have inspired you to like soccer. alot of people think of it as boring for some reason but it is really a fantastic game that is so much fun. i will miss it! hope that you are able to watch us play this weekend. oh and by the way i'll let kati jo know that you are her #1 fan in case she doesn't already know.

I'll be there on Thursday yelling my head off (that is, if I remember to breathe- soccer is a lot more exciting than that Other Sport).

I'll be in maroon.
Go, Aggies, and keep your eyes open! You've got bullseyes painted on you.

Things to watch to enjoy soccer more:

1. Skills - Good soccer players pass and trap (catch) as skillfully as throwing/catching a baseball in a mitt. The better the trap the sooner the player has control of the ball.

2. Coaching strategy - does your team appear to be stacked toward the front or toward the back ?
Your coach may stack the back (defense)until half and then change strategy and attack. He may do the opposite.

3. Communications - good teams are almost psychic. If a player is going to pass to space, her/his teammate seems to know it and moves to the space on cue. Many times you can hear the players yelling to each other.

4. Set plays (corner kicks, kickoffs, free kicks, and throw-ins) - these 4 situations can be run with an unlimited number of formations, fakes, etc, very similar to calling a play and formation in American football.

5. Intelligence - (my favorite) some players just have the knack for outsmarting the opponent.

Please help me learn the basics of Soccer 101:

I picked up on the trapping Friday night and that really impressed me, though I didn't know the term for it then. I was impressed at how well the players were able to control the ball, no matter which the ball was coming at them.

As for as stacking goes, I take it that you stack the front when you are behind to improve your chances of scoring and you stack the back when you have a lead and you don't want to give up a fast break opportunity.

What are some ways to out-smart your opponent?? Also, what is the most important skill in soccer?? Is it athleticism, how well you can control the ball, leg strength, soccer smarts, or something else?? I know they are all vital, but is one more important than the rest??

Andrea - You tell Kati Jo she's my favorite player!! LOL

You can find out the rules here:

http://www.fifa.com/refs/laws_E.html

If you want to know more about soccer, watch some games. ESPN or Fox Sports shows English Premier League or Champion's League matches and follow what they do. The basic rules are easy, so you can pick up a lot by just watching.

Contrary to some beliefs, soccer is a very exciting game to watch. More so in person than on TV. I have been fortunate to see some great ACC games (men and women) and IMO, size and speed are the most important attributes. I think the most important aspect is ball control. It sounds obvious, but you want to limit the opportunities in your 'red zone'. On offense, if you have fast strikers, it's about timing and pushing the limits of being offsides. Another strategy is taking the ball to the corners and centering it, hoping to get a shot in front of the goal. Pay attention to how the players move without the ball.

For those going to the tournament, enjoy. You should see some great games Unfortutely the ACC tournament is not at Wake this year.

ESL / IYACYAS '88

Wow, thanks Aggie Soccer Team...
FOrgive me for doubting but when Nicky graduated, I thought that ya'll wouldn't do as good as last year but boy did ya'll prove me wrong. ya'll have shown heart all through the season and I love watching ya'll play. All I got to say is why did Lindsey get married. I was planning on asking her to marry me...j/k

Good luck and can't wait to see ya'll again

Go, ag7 and Ags.