How Good Is Florida?

Calling all soccer "experts":

What does your "gut" tell you about Florida? Can they beat the Pilots on any given day/night?

What kind of game do you expect from them: Pack it in and wince every time the ball goes whistling by their heads? Or a more open, confident game?

Do they even have a chance? (Be realistic. I don't like the injuries we seem to be accumulating again. But we still have the "three amigas" and the Fab Frosh!)

Don't take UF lightly. They beat then #4 Florida State 1:0 and Then #10 Illinois 2:0. They also tied Colorado 1:1

and just lost to USC by 1:0

They played Central Florida twice, and couldn't score either time, losing 0:1 and tieing 0:0

They aren't a particularly high scoring team. their top game was 6:0 against a Nebraska team that is pretty weak this year, and their next highest game was the illinois game.

Expect tough defense, a keeper that is capable of real lock-down play, and counters. The fact that they held USC with AROD to one goal and shut out Florida State (keeper had a career day) should tell you something, but they haven't met a team yet that can score like UP.

UF doesn't lead their opponents in many categories. They have been outshot and outcornered this year. The categories they lead in are fouls and saves. I think we like to play teams that have to make a lot of saves.

I think Garrett will put the best 11 out there this week. It's an important game to win for the sake of the seedings and the RPI.

5 games left before conference play. Florida and Penn State are top teams, Rutgers is 5-1 with a 1-0 loss to Penn State the only blemish, Washington is 6-0 although their results against four common opponents this past two weeks were not as good as UP. Oregon State should be an easier game.

All of which is to say that my guess is that we're more likely to see a strong line up in the next few games unless the Pilots score several quick goals, and the reinforcements can be deployed to protect against injury and fatigue. Having said that UP will probably with out Michelle E and Elli for the Penn State and Rutgers games. Mixed feelings about Keelin: happy she'll be with UP; sorry she's not with the national team..

Don't get your hopes up (or your condolences) about keelin yet. I think she's on the final team and this camp is to find some players in other areas.
from USSoccer.com"

In preparation for the tournament, U.S. head coach Tony DiCicco will hold two training camps before heading to Chile. The team will train in Sunrise, Fla. from Sept. 21-29, after which, DiCicco will make his final roster selections. The 21-player roster will come together from October 19-26 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

From that I read he's still experimenting and the following camp will be the final team. The finals loss in the qualifiers tournament to Canada apparently leaves him with doubts in a couple areas (keeper and forward). There are two "new" keepers getting shots and several forwards after OHara and Noquiera were dropped from the team.

So, while we apparently get Keelin for the Penn State and Rutgers games, I don't think we get to keep her for the tournament.

As a matter of fact. Keelin should be feeling good about not having to go to camp. From what I know of these things after the coach announces that most of the roster is set except for a couple spots, there are three kind of players that get called into camp at this stage. 1. Players that have made the roster but the coach needs them to have a full camp. 2. Players on the bubble that the coach may have selected in the past but is now undecided. 3. New players that are being considered either for the team or for being added to the pool.

The fact that Keelin is not going into camp tells me she is a lock to go to Chile barring any unforseen circumstances.

I'm sure that this is only a short-term reprieve vis-a-vis Keelin. Agree with others that the most likely scenario is that she's headed to the World Cup and not the College Cup (we hope).

The Florida players will be well-rested, having only played 1 game each of the last two weekends.

By the way, FU coach Becky Burleigh referred to Portland as an "iconic place to play."

Burleigh is a bit of an icon herself being only the second female coach to win 300 games