On the face of it, a 3-2 defeat in soccer appears to be the fault of defense.
Especially in a match where the team scored two equalizers before the opponent scored just seven and three minutes ?afterward.
In No. 2 IU’s 3-2 loss against No. 21 Michigan State on Wednesday, that was not the case.
IU attempted 20 shots, but only five of them forced Michigan State junior goalkeeper Zach Bennett to make a save.
“With all the chances we had we should be putting a lot more on frame and challenging them,” IU sophomore midfielder Tanner Thompson said.
Thompson had five shots himself but failed to get any on frame.
Thompson also said he wasn’t as sharp as he needed to be in the final third when it came to his ?distribution.
Distribution in the final third was not just a problem for Thompson, IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. Yeagley said many Hoosiers lacked the quality distribution that sets up goals.
“We were territorially dangerous, but we just still couldn’t connect a few sequences,” Yeagley said. “It would have been really, really nice if we finally made the final pass.”
A pass can be subpar even if it reaches its intended recipient.
If a pass is not put on the player’s foot, it could cause the player to slow down or accelerate his run, which would cause a poor first touch and the chance to dissipate.
If the pass arrives too slowly, the player will have to come toward the ball to receive it, which would take him out of the advantageous position he was in. If it comes in too fast, the ball is harder to control and has a propensity to bounce away to the opponent.
“We were just a little bit off on our final pass in some sequences,” Yeagley said. “We do that, I think we get another half dozen more chances on goal.”
All these possibilities can also result in the opposing defense recovering into good defensive position, making a shot toward goal more difficult.
“Part of it was there were just a lot of numbers so it kind of throws you off,” Yeagley said. “Your plant foot is off, your head position, your body position.”
Not every missed opportunity was the fault of a poor pass.
With only five minutes remaining and IU down 3-2, IU senior Jamie Vollmer was presented with a throw in. With Vollmer’s ability to launch the ball into the box, this was a precious ?opportunity.
Vollmer catapulted the ball into the box into the mass of Hoosiers and Spartans where IU junior midfielder Matt Foldesy was gaining separation.
Bennett was out of position, meaning Foldesy had a free header and an open goal with the chance to give IU its third equalizer of the match.
His header drifted wide right.
“I was already getting ready to celebrate on that one,” Thompson said. “I thought for sure that one was going in. That just kind of summed up the night, though. The final touch just wasn’t there.”
