W-D-L: 0-0-9 5-1-6
September 22, 2013
1:00 pm @ Texas Southern University, Houston
I know, I know. The big round goose egg leaps out at you from the wins column of TSU's stats sheet. But if I told you that I think the Tigers are done, I'd be lying to you, because every instinct I've developed over the decades of studying this game, the immeasurable impact of hours and hours of training and coaching, and the constant reflection obsession brings, compels me to believe that the Tigers are just now about to begin, just in time for the conference segment of the season. Actually, to me, the 46th minute of this match marked the beginning. Down by two goals at the half, TSU came out and played the next 45 minutes with a passionate sense of urgency, finishing as the dominant team. They shut South Carolina State out and won the second half on a brilliantly placed shot by Gabriella Perales. Though the final score still had the Tigers behind, this second half exemplifies exactly what I have been talking about all along. This TSU squad has what it takes.
My coaching instincts want me to tell it the way a coach would, so I will put it in words the only way I know how. Tigers, you have had many moments of brilliance throughout this first half of the season. As we face the most crucial matches of our lives just ahead of us, this is what we need to do - we must embrace all of those moments of brilliance we have scattered throughout the past nine matches, envision them as we walk out onto the pitch, and weave them together into a single 90-minute span. We have to play with the brilliance that we know we are capable of, and we have to do it for 90 minutes straight over and over and over until the end. This sense of passionate urgency that we brought forth in that last half we just played must be applied from the opening whistle to the final whistle. We must summon this sense of urgency again and again because that is what this next part of the season is calling for. Every moment of the match has to count, every movement you make must be meaningful, every touch on the ball must be of the highest quality. Difficult, you say? I say yes, of course it is. Nobody ever said that the road to a championship is easy. The road to a championship is littered with hardship, obstacles and challenges. But those are what make a championship worth winning. That is what makes all the work, the sweat, the pain, the blood, the years upon years that you have devoted to this way of life all worth it. Challenge brings about brilliance. We will face our challenges with the brilliance we know we have, and we will overcome - because that is what champions do.
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| Janell Cash (7) takes control of the ball under pressure from Ysamar Alonso (23). All over the field, Janell kept the TSU defense busy throughout the first half. Her first half goal put the Bulldogs back up on top. The junior midfielder transferred from Spartanburg Methodist College where she scored 16 goals and provided 14 assists last season. |
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| Janell (7) faces Kaylah Valdry (2), Kailand Thompson (14) and Marlyn Campa (5) in different parts of the field. |
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| Marlyn Campa (5) surveys her options. Finesse, speed and creativity are Marlyn's trademark strengths. |
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| Marlyn Campa (5) makes a move against South Carolina State's Rachel Pearce (8) from England and Amelia Green (28), who has been capped by the Antigua and Barbuda national team. |
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| The Tigers' second-half urgency produced numerous chances for Marlyn Campa (5) and freshwoman striker Ruth Giraldo (6), forcing Canadian defender Kaitlyn O'Neill (2) and Kaitlynn Penner (6) to step it up. |
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| Ruth Giraldo (6) has developed into an effective offensive threat for TSU. |
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| Ruth (6) gets past Justina Jarema (3) on the right side. |
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| Aggressively looking for opportunities, this slide into goalkeeper Haley Austin resulted in a caution for Ruth (6). |
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| South Carolina State's sophomore keeper Haley Austin (16) was tested over and over and over in the final 45 by a TSU offense playing with a sense of urgency. |
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| This shot by Gabriella Perales got over Haley and squeezed in under the crossbar. |
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| Gabriella Perales's (9) senior leadership and uncompromising work ethic is a key to TSU's success in their Southwestern Athletic Conference quest. |
(All photos by Kokoy Severino.)
Friday Sep 27 Northwestern State University (#260) @ HBU* 7:00 pm (Southland Conference)
Saturday Sep 28 Mississippi College (DIII) @ CTX (DIII)* at St. Stephen's, Austin 2:00 pm (American Southwest Conference)
Sunday Sep 29 Rice @ UTSA* 1:00 pm (Conference USA)
Thursday Oct 3 University of Cincinnati (#227) @ U of H* 7:00 pm (American Athletic Conference)
Friday Oct 18 Colorado College (#50) @ Rice* 7:00 pm (C-USA)
Sunday Oct 20 Mississippi Valley State University (#275) @ TSU* 1:00 pm (SWAC)
Thursday Oct 24 University of Central Florida (#20) @ U of H* 7:00 pm (AAC)
Friday Oct 25 Grambling State University (#322) @ TSU* 7:00 pm (SWAC)
Sunday Oct 27 East Carolina University (#97) @ Rice* 1:00 pm (C-USA)
Thursday Oct 31 LSU @ Tx A&M* 7:00 pm in College Station (Southeastern Conference)
Friday Nov 1 Sam Houston State University (#233) @ HBU* 5:00 pm (SLC)
Monday Nov 4 Conference USA Tournament Quarter-Finals* @ Rice
Wednesday Nov 6 Conference USA Tournament Quarter-Finals* @ Rice
Thursday Nov 7 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament* @ Houston Amateur Sports Park
Friday Nov 8 Conference USA Tournament Semi-Finals* @ Rice
Friday Nov 8 Red River Athletic Conference Tournament* @ Houston Amateur Sports Park
Saturday Nov 9 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament* @ Houston Amateur Sports Park
Saturday Nov 9 Red River Athletic Conference Tournament* @ Houston Amateur Sports Park
Sunday Nov 10 Conference USA Tournament Final* @ Rice
Friday-Wednesday Nov 15-20 NCAA Tournament 1st Round @ Campus TBA
(Kokoy's Matches of the Week are those which I plan to attend. Schedule subject to change.)
Kokoy Severino has been coaching junior high school soccer in the public school system of the Greater Houston area for 19 years. He holds a National Youth Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, two coaching certifications from the United States Soccer Federation, and a Master in Educational Leadership degree from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research focuses on the relationship between interscholastic competitive soccer and the academic success of at-risk students. He returns regularly to his native country of the Philippines and conducts soccer training sessions for economically disadvantaged youths.
"This blog is to document the intensity, the depth, the passion, the strategic and tactical nuances, the stars, the spectacular play that I witness in the women's teams at the college level. And in doing so, it is my hope that others might be inspired to discover for themselves the beautiful game brought by the women." (Kokoy, from blog entry dated Nov 4, 2012)
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