Oklahoma Sooner Soccer: Two Games Left? Ole Miss then Florida

[OUBeliever56A]

The Oklahoma Sooner Soccer Team has just two games left in the regular season in the SEC. So far, the season has taken a less-than-expected turn after starting 1-2-1 in the first four matches. That produced the first 4 points for the Sooners in SEC play. Since then, the Sooners are 0-4-0 as their offense has simply gone somewhere else with only one goal as their defense plays well, but despite allowing 7 goals in the four matches are winless. I think the main culpruit for the Sooners is the lack of ability to control the ball effectively moving out of their defensive third of the pitch and use the midfielders to gnerate the push of the ball into the offensive third of the pitch. There are way too many kicks into the offensive half of the pitch with no possesion for the Sooners at the receiving end of the kick.

The Sooners play the Ole Miss Rebels on Thruisday night. The Rebels are truly a team that is struggling. Ole Miss is 0-7-1 in SEC play and 5-11-1 overall. In their last 7 matches, they have scored 3 goals and allowed 19. The Rebles have only scored 18 goals all season against 29 goals allowed. They do limit their opponents to less than 2 goals on average per match, but score just slightly above 1 goal per match. In 16 matches, the Sooners have socred 33 goals and allowed 20 goals. But of those 33 goals, 19 were scored in a span of three games against ORU, Stetson, Missouri State in pre-conference play. Eight of the 18 goals scored by Ole Miss are scored by Kayla Keefer #6 and Kelly Brady #8 as both of them have scored 4 goals. They also have the most shots for Ole Miss. Kate Smith #3 has scored 2 goals.

I think If OU can just control the better and actually connect with solid passes from the their 3rd to the midfield and then on to the offensive end, things will improve for OU. With two matchs left, the Sooners still have a chance for the SEC Tourney. But thier loss to Missouri last week was a key loss and made the road to the tourney tougher. A win over Ole Miss is a must, with no doubt. If the Sooners can play well and win over Ole Miss, the Sooners will still have a shot at making the Top 12 teams and earn a berth in the SEC Tourney.

Good luck to the Sooners on Thursday night in their 8 PM match.

Boome Sooner!

[OUBeliever56A]

John Crane Field was 'a busy place' last night when I arrived for the match between Ole Miss and Oklahoma. A crowd of almost 1700 fans helped to establish a new season attendance record record for OU Soccer. The game result was what they all wanted as well as the Sooners won 4-1 over Ole Miss breaking several trends for the Sooners. In scoring the four goals they scored the most goals they have scored since Sept 8th. The win also ended a 6-game non-winning streak by the Sooners. The Sooners are now 9-7-1 for the season overall and they are 2-6-1 in SEC play. The win places the Sooners three points closer to their goal of 10 points in SEC play. The better news is that the Sooner do have a pathway to finish in 12th place in the SEC standings and qualify for the SC Tourney. Things went well last night for the Sooners.

The Sooners scored two goals before Ole Miss scored their lone goal and then OU scored two more goals.

The first goal was on a corner kick east end of the pitch. Leonie Weber feed the ball into the front of the goal where a couple of Sooners were able to make plays on the ball. At one point the ball bounced off the crossbar and then back into the middle of the 6 foot box where Andie Wolfe made a spin and kick to deposit the ball in the net for OU's first score. Julietter Rayo was credited for an assist on the goal to put OU ahead 1-0. That is how the first half ended. Sooners 1-0.

Five minutes into the second half, Leonie Weber found herself with the ball, fairly wide open, and Hadley Murrell in front of her moving towards the goal between defenders. Weber made anic aerial pass to Murrell. Murrell was able to extend in front of herself with a leg and one-touched the ball up and over the GK for Ole Miss into the net for the Sooners second goal. Exactly 70 seconds later, Ole Miss got the ball into the box in front of the goal where Keefer was able to score to make the score 2-1. Before the goal, Ole Miss gained control of the ball just inside the midfield line by a funny bounce of the ball that lead to a charge and an open Ole Miss forward for the goal.

Leading 2-1, the Sooners were able to provide constant offensive pressure in the Ole Miss end of the pitch with good ball control and crisp short passing of the ball by the Sooners. Weber ended up in the ground inside the box after a scrum for possession. A foul was called against Ole Miss and after a review, a PK was awarded to OU. I was surprised that Juliette Rayo was given the shot on the PK, but she smartly kicked the ball into the right side of the goal to make the score 3-1 in favor of OU. Finally, on a corner kick from the nothwest corner of the pitch, Abigail McNulty got to the kick into the box first and headed the ball past the GK for OU's 4th goal of the game.

Rayo, in her first start of her career, totalled an assist and a goal, while Leonie Weber totalled two assists. With those two assist Weber became the all-time assist leadee for the Sooners. Senior forward Leonie Weber broke the program's all-time assist record with No. 18 and 19 of her career, producing two assists on the evening. Weber's 19th career assist broke a tie with Alexis Washington (current junior player) and alumna Lauren MacIver for the program's all-time mark.

Here is the post-match article by the OU Athletics Communications group.

https://soonersports.com/news/2024/10/2 ... ome-finale

Arond the SEC in play last night a few things helped the Sooners. the two most important were that Tennessee and Ole Miss both did not win their matches. Both did play to a tie, but the 1 point awarded to both teams gives than 9 and 8 points respectively which helps OU. With the Oklahoma win and the three points earned, the Sooners now have 7 points.

On Sunday, these matches will be key for the Sooners.

• Tennessee at Kentucky -> OU needs Kentucky to win the match to keep Tennessee at 9 points.

• LSU at Missouri -> OU needs Missouri to at least play to a tie at home in Columbia. If Missouri wins or ties with LSU, LSU will have no more than 9 points.

• THEN - OU needs to pick up a win on the road at Florida. If they do that, OU will pickup 3 points and they will valut themselves over Tennessee and LSU with 10 points for 12th place.

• One more game left. Due to the weather earlier in the season, a makeup game is scheduled. Tennessee will play at Florida next Wednesday. Florida needs to win the match so that Tennesse does not earn a point and stays at 9 points. The win by Florida will give the Gators 8 points. OU will be in the SEC Tourney that begins on Sunday, November 3rd.

Start rubbing those lucky rabbit's feet and wishing for several matches to play out the way needed for the Sooners. Yes, the berth into the SEC Tourney will leave the Sooners playing the #1 seed, probably Mississippi State. But, at least OU made the Tourney and maybe will be awarded an NCAA Touney bid.

Boomer Sooner!