Some odds and ends from the D.C. College Cup over the weekend:
Ryan Gracia looks to return to action after this weekend. He battled injury in a sub-par 2010 season but entered this season healthy. He looked fine when I saw him in Charlottesville, other than missing a few good looks at the goal.
Last season's front line is still injured. Those who didn't graduate that is. Gracia was supposed to anchor the front, but after Preston games, it looked like Derek Markheim was going to step it up on the other corner. Now that he's out with a leg injury sustained in the week after the UVa game, there's pretty much a new front line for the Patriots. He is really a midfielder anyways so this is a testament to the team's depth.
Timmy Mulgrew actually showed ne a lot in the matchup against Howard. If memory serves, he scored in the first half of the 9-0 blowout, but I was seriously impressed with his leg strength and accuracy working with the front line. Surly when Gracia and Markheim return he will return to midfield.
With the scoring stars out for the weekend, Taylor Morgan scored twice in the first half. He did good in one-on-one matchups to find the back of the net. His 3-goal, tournament MVP performance does much to bolster his legend. He seems to be able to anchor the center of the field with his above-average size and finesse.
Dustin Butcher has given up a few more goals than I like this early in non-conference play, but there have been a few ranked opponents in there. It should be interesting to see if Greg Andeulis gives the second-year keeper Sean Cote another shot after a successful 2010 campaign. If Butcher remains healthy, things could get very interesting down the stretch in conference play.
Draymond Washington appears to have a solid game over all, but I've seen too many defensive lapses on opponents' set plays that give me cause for concern. Hopefully, it is just due to the start of the season.
The team goes back on the road and I won't be with them, but it's a good break for a very worn and torn team.
No comments:
Post a Comment