Coin flip determines NCAA Men's College Cup

And that's fine, it's part of the way hockey has always been played. But the point is there shouldn't be hard and fast rule for what works for similar sports.

Hockey, by its nature, has far more shots on goal and scoring opportunities than soccer. That's part of why you can play overtime, because in a 20-minute overtime, you're going to get around 15-20 shots on goal, on average.

In soccer, you'd have to play a whole second game to get that many attempts, let alone actual shots that hit the target.

College soccer, which I've watched far more of this season than before, is intrinsically a defensive game. Many coaches and teams favor a 4-5-1 formation, and try to keep games as defensively tight as possible, at times to the detriment of attacking soccer. Virginia and Akron were in the final, and they were the two tightest defensive teams in the country this season. The Cavaliers held a 0.29 GAA entering the Final Four and the Zips a 0.30 GAA. That's the nature of the sport at that level.

Shootouts are part of the way soccer is played, from high school and youth games to the World Cup final. And that's ok.

 

I cannot get worked up over soccer.

 

"That's how we've always done it."

Nice.

 

I don't see anyone playing defense when someone is playing home run derby, or shooting free throws, or even playing horse.

 

;D

 

What's your point?

And Moddy, couldn't that just be as a result of Virginia being a terrific side defensively?

I see teams with great defenses praised all the time in American sports. Why does it become an issue when it prevents another team from scoring, and causing a shootout to decide a championship?

 

The thousands of empty seats at the biggest NCAA soccer game of the year, in the heart of soccer country, say many people agree with you.

I watched the entire game, have watched or played soccer for decades, and games like today certainly aren't helping in bringing it much past a niche sport.

I've been to a CWS, a Frozen Four, bowl games and NCAA tournament basketball games. Nothing I've ever seen in the worst game at any of those events was as coma-inducing as a College Cup Final Four in which nobody on the four best teams in college soccer can score a goal.

 

My point is that "That's the way we've always done it." is one hell of a lazy excuse to keep from changing things.

 

Same with hockey. It's always 5.5. Every now and then, it's either 5 or 6. Usually 5.5, if I'm not mistaken.

 

Sorry Buck, but those guys were fouled during the game. Good pulls, but not apropos.