Quotes From Head Soccer Coach Felix Oskam
October 23, 2000 | Women's Soccer
Oct. 23, 2000
"It was a tough weekend. We didn't qualify for the Big 12 Tournament in San Antonio. Maybe that takes the pressure off of us for this game. However, Friday's game against Colorado is going to be very, very tough. I'd like to go out on a good note, winning the last game of the season and a conference game. Colorado beat Iowa State yesterday, and they still have a chance to go to the conference tournament. So they have everything riding for them on this game. For us, hopefully we'll play for pride and win the last game."
"Going back to last weekend and Iowa State, a game on paper we should have won, but you don't play the game on paper. We were behind twice, we came back, but then the last three minutes we allowed a goal that killed us, and that's really how our season went. I was very disappointed in the Iowa State game in how we played because we were playing catch-up all the time."
"But then we turned around against Nebraska, with the team they have and the athletes they have. At practice Saturday morning, we worked on counter. We played a more defensive style of game, but I knew their goalkeeper would be way out [of the box]. That's their game, that's their style. I said once we get the ball forward, just turn and shoot. Wherever you are, if you're close in, just take a shot high. And in the first four minutes, that's what we did and we got a goal out of that."
"But I knew it was going to be tough against Nebraska. They were going to be ticked off after that. They went after us. They're so athletic. We can't keep up with a team like Nebraska with the horses they have, so to speak. They deserved to win. But I thought our kids played extremely hard, never gave up. It was 2-1 at halftime, so anything still could have happened in the second half. They scored in the first minute of the second half, and that kind of took the wind out of our sails. They scored another goal later. Overall I was very proud of the way my players played against Nebraska. We hung in there. We fought with them. We tackled, and actually when I looked at the stat sheet, we out-fouled them. That was kind of unusual, because we are not a very hard-tackling team. Out team is a little bit soft, but we out-fouled Nebraska. That's something else, because Nebraska is usually a team that takes pride in hard tackles and fighting."
"It was a tough season, but hopefully Friday we'll bounce back a little bit and get a win against Colorado. But like I said, it's going to be tough. They have everything riding on this game."
On getting over the hump in close matches "My assistant coaches came in this morning asking me the same thing. The bottom line is really to get better players in that maybe are more composed at certain times of the game. I know we were young, but that's really not an excuse. We just have to do a better job of defending well, not giving up those games during crucial times, and put the ball in the net when we have the opportunity. The first five or six games, that's how it went for us. Yes, we created a lot of opportunities, but we didn't put them in. Then there's that one little mistake that's costing us goals. We just need to have better composure, make better decisions on the field. The freshmen are going to be sophomores. They have a year under their belt. Maybe they'll have better experience next year."