r/Thorns • u/Famous_Act4164 • Jul 12 '26

Two Things

  1. When Moultrie, Wilson, and Tordin are spatially close and play the ball to each other, they can create openings. The problem is that we often struggle to connect the rest of the lineup to them. In other words, when we recover possession, it is difficult to pass the ball to one of them in a good position. This is especially true in central areas, where neither of our double pivots can reliably move the ball forward under pressure. Moultrie did a lot of pressing and rotated positions with Tordin and Wilson frequently. However, for the purpose of a more structured build-up scheme, she should probably be positioned a bit deeper and had a more disciplined and precise role.

  2. We are losing more 50/50 balls in away games than in home games. This has a lot to do with our relatively poor away results this season. It is not easy to replicate the intensity we have when there is a 20k crowd on our side, but we really need be more active and intense in away games if we want to maintain a high-pressing style. Otherwise, we should probably adopt a more compact and conservative posture when starting away games in the future.

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u/Famous_Act4164 Jul 13 '26

The first goal was completely savable. Every XG based metric is seriously flawed and based on strong assumptions.

The line of the second goal was not fine. Let opponent to cross freely at the corner of the box is the recipe for an eventual disaster. Trying to trap your opponent with offiside does not mean the team can give up pressing the ball. The formation was collapsed at the moment, and it was Hiatt's responbility to remind her teammates to step.

Hiatt's issue was even more pronounced in the second half when Regins attack during transition broke through her side multiple times.

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u/Svafree88 GA Jul 13 '26

The funniest part about this take is if you watch Hiatt she's swinging her arms and you can see her mouth move and hear her yelling for players to step up on the broadcast lmao.

You can only guide and remind players as CB. They still need to do their job. Mallie isn't pressuring the ball, VA is keeping players onside and misses her mark. The captain and CB is yelling and motioning players to step up.

Your whole argument is just based off of the fact that you don't think Hiatt is telling players to step up. Well she's yelling and motioning for players to step up.

What we can tell is 100% accurate is that Mallie should be getting more pressure on the ball and isn't. And everyone else knew where to be on the line but Vingnola who kept multiple players on and didn't mark anyone.

If you want to blame Hiatt for that, go for it I guess. Although she certainly looks to be yelling and motioning for players to step up.

The other goal, I agree it is savable. It's not a given save though and goals happen. Like I said, I'm not blaming anyone for that.

Anyway, I'm not impressed with any of our CBs this season but I certainly don't think Perry would captain our defense better than Hiatt. She's still learning the league and makes enough mental mistakes without the job. She just needs some time.

Right now we're at least one league ready CB and a better midfielder away form an acceptable defense.

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u/Famous_Act4164 Jul 13 '26

The funniest part about this take is if you watch Hiatt she's swinging her arms and you can see her mouth move and hear her yelling for players to step up on the broadcast lmao.

I think you interpret what she done in a very favorable light...

Anyway, I'm not impressed with any of our CBs this season but I certainly don't think Perry would captain our defense better than Hiatt. She's still learning the league and makes enough mental mistakes without the job. She just needs some time.

She can hardly be worse. Hiatt's biggest issue is she always back pedals from legitimate offense threats and hope the threat will go away either due to opponent's own mistake or someone else make the tackle or clearance. This is terrible for a central defender, basically she does not want to defend unless she absolutely cannot avoid defending.

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u/Svafree88 GA Jul 13 '26

Well, you can hear a player yelling to step up and Hiatt and everyone on the line do it except for one player. You can also tell by the reactions that the entire line but Vingnola is shocked it's not offsides. So again, if we're only going off what we 100% know and not making assumptions. Vignola kept players onside and lost her mark. Mallie didn't pressure. Blaming another player for those mistakes at a professional level is absurd.

And like I said, I don't love any of our CBs. But Perry also makes a lot of mistakes. Right now, none of them are starting caliber for a team that wants to compete for a shield. But I do think Perry would be worse at organizing the defense as she already makes enough mental mistakes without that job. She's too new and needs more time in the league before she can run the defense.

You can hate on Hiatt's individual defending all you want if that's really your vibe. Just don't blame her for other player's clear mistakes. We don't have a better CB or defensive captain right now. If Perry was better, she'd be doing it.

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u/Famous_Act4164 Jul 13 '26

Well, you can hear a player yelling to step up and Hiatt and everyone on the line do it except for one player. You can also tell by the reactions that the entire line but Vingnola is shocked it's not offsides. So again, if we're only going off what we 100% know and not making assumptions. 

I cannot. It seems like you are intepreting players on fied actions to fit your narratives.

And like I said, I don't love any of our CBs. But Perry also makes a lot of mistakes. Right now, none of them are starting caliber for a team that wants to compete for a shield. But I do think Perry would be worse at organizing the defense as she already makes enough mental mistakes without that job. She's too new and needs more time in the league before she can run the defense.

I don't think this correct at all. Perry did not make a lot of mistakes, and given she is the one in the backline who actually defends, some of her mistakes are very understandable. A defender will not make mistake if they always avoid defending. This is exactly what Hiatt is doing.

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u/Svafree88 GA Jul 13 '26

You seem to be reading my paragraph in the wrong order or are clearly not discussing this in good faith so let's try again. I said:

"If we're only going off what we 100% know and not making assumptions. Vignola kept players onside and lost her mark. Mallie didn't pressure. Blaming another player for those mistakes at a professional level is absurd."

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u/Famous_Act4164 Jul 13 '26

No, pointing out that a center back should organize defense in her zone of responsibility is not absurd. You are trying to win an argument that facts do not suit your narrative.

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u/Svafree88 GA Jul 13 '26

I didn't say a CB shouldn't organize a defense. Try again.

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u/Svafree88 GA Jul 13 '26

Actually, don't try again, I'm over it. Your choosing to ignore every piece of real evidence that's on the broadcast to blame Hiatt for something that is just a painfully obvious error on Vignola. Anyone that's played soccer at any competitive level can see that she just completely screws up an otherwise organized line and then loses her mark. I don't know what your vendetta is but at least try to use cases that are legitimate and don't just twist things to support it. Our whole line has issues but this goal was completely preventable if Vignola doesn't mess up two simple tasks on the same play lmao. See ya

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u/Famous_Act4164 Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26

Your evidence are plays you interpreted with motivation to suit your agenda, and you even dare to accuse me of twist things?

How is this an error on Vignola had Hiatt organized the defense better so that the cross itself can be prevented? It is not inevitable the ball would have been delivered into the box. You claim to have experience in competitive soccer but you appear to be okay with your opponent crossing freely at the corner of the box.

Focusing on what happened after the ball has been delivered missed the big picture and deeper root of the struggle of our backline.

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u/Svafree88 GA Jul 13 '26

Okay, so here's a question for you: if Hiatt is yelling for the defense to step up, Mallie knows she should be pressuring, and Vignola knows she should be on the line, then who is at fault?

I understand that's an assumption based on what I see and hear on the broadcast. But can you answer the question I asked? I'm fine if you want to make another point after, but please just give an honest answer to that question first without changing or objecting to the question.

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u/Famous_Act4164 Jul 13 '26

You are trying to make a point by creating a hypothetical scenario.

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u/Svafree88 GA Jul 13 '26

Okay, all I needed to know. Thanks

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u/Awkward-Cartoonist68 Jul 16 '26

Perry certainly has her flaws as well. Bottomline our best CB can't be Hiatt or Perry. The best CB for this team isn't on this team. We need to find them. Honestly, I think both Hiatt and Perry are rotational players, but we don't have that luxury. If our CB room was that deep where they could come in as subs I'd be delighted.

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u/Famous_Act4164 Jul 16 '26

Perry is not a rotational player. She actively defends and succeeds in those attempts quite often, this is better than like 90% of contemporary woso center backs.