Duke Women's Soccer 2024

It was another crowd with a loud Duke section. Both Duke games outdrew their UNC counterparts. I know that it is a little different in women's soccer with how many of our players are from California, but men's soccer's game at Stanford also had a pretty good alumni presence. It will be interesting to see what Cal and Stanford do in 2026 to prevent Duke people from taking over the men's basketball crowds and what kind of Duke football crowd can infiltrate Berkeley next year.
 
Only talking about Duke here, not subsequent career (sort of like Laettner better Duke player than Jayson Tatum, but Tatum better overall career)

Freeman leads the ACC in Goals Against Average, Save Percentage and Combined Shutouts
If you go to the Duke record book, EJ Proctor and Allison Lipsher are the gold standards
I've watched them all....Proctor and Lipsher were fine players, no doubt.....technically, they are not near the standard that Freeman sets. Better in every area....distribution, reading the field, closing out shooters, shotstopping, defensive organization, overall athleticism. She brings an entire different level of play to the field.

Duke right now may have the best keeper (Freeman), best centerback (Roller) and best outside midfielder (Oliaro) in the country. The level of speed, athleticism and physicality in the starting 11 from 1 to 11 is unmatched in Duke history

I did not know this until this morning, but Church switched athletic trainers after last season....it shows. We were routinely bullied off the ball last year......not so this year.
 
Only talking about Duke here, not subsequent career (sort of like Laettner better Duke player than Jayson Tatum, but Tatum better overall career)

Freeman leads the ACC in Goals Against Average, Save Percentage and Combined Shutouts
If you go to the Duke record book, EJ Proctor and Allison Lipsher are the gold standards
I've watched them all....Proctor and Lipsher were fine players, no doubt.....technically, they are not near the standard that Freeman sets. Better in every area....distribution, reading the field, closing out shooters, shotstopping, defensive organization, overall athleticism. She brings an entire different level of play to the field.

Duke right now may have the best keeper (Freeman), best centerback (Roller) and best outside midfielder (Oliaro) in the country. The level of speed, athleticism and physicality in the starting 11 from 1 to 11 is unmatched in Duke history

I did not know this until this morning, but Church switched athletic trainers after last season....it shows. We were routinely bullied off the ball last year......not so this year.
That’s a fair comment. A lot of goalkeepers’ “quality” is dependent on both the quality of your backs and how well you organize them, so that you minimize the need for the spectacular.
 
Only talking about Duke here, not subsequent career (sort of like Laettner better Duke player than Jayson Tatum, but Tatum better overall career)

Freeman leads the ACC in Goals Against Average, Save Percentage and Combined Shutouts
If you go to the Duke record book, EJ Proctor and Allison Lipsher are the gold standards
I've watched them all....Proctor and Lipsher were fine players, no doubt.....technically, they are not near the standard that Freeman sets. Better in every area....distribution, reading the field, closing out shooters, shotstopping, defensive organization, overall athleticism. She brings an entire different level of play to the field.

Duke right now may have the best keeper (Freeman), best centerback (Roller) and best outside midfielder (Oliaro) in the country. The level of speed, athleticism and physicality in the starting 11 from 1 to 11 is unmatched in Duke history

I did not know this until this morning, but Church switched athletic trainers after last season....it shows. We were routinely bullied off the ball last year......not so this year.
maybe Church talked to Feeley.
 
I got cut off before

Groff and Chico have been fantastic. Really have locked down the alleys. Their level of physicality and speed has largely kept opposing wingers in check. Paired with Roller…this threesome has been on the same page all year. Roller will ultimately be a starting CB for the USWNT….she is THAT good. These kids don’t get enough credit.

We also are significantly faster on the wings up top. Hase and Walters can blaze. Their ability to high press effectively has paid massive dividends this year.
 
I got cut off before

Groff and Chico have been fantastic. Really have locked down the alleys. Their level of physicality and speed has largely kept opposing wingers in check. Paired with Roller…this threesome has been on the same page all year. Roller will ultimately be a starting CB for the USWNT….she is THAT good. These kids don’t get enough credit.

We also are significantly faster on the wings up top. Hase and Walters can blaze. Their ability to high press effectively has paid massive dividends this year.

Paired with Girma? 'Cause there's no way in hell she'd displace her—Girma is perhaps the best in the game right now.
 
Paired with Girma? 'Cause there's no way in hell she'd displace her—Girma is perhaps the best in the game right now.
Dahlkemper, Krueger, Sonnett and Sauerbrunn are all over 30 and being phased out of the CB pool
Honestly, she has the potential to be the best of the entire bunch in my opinion....she is that good...she was captain of the U17 national team. A true superstar.
 
Dahlkemper, Krueger, Sonnett and Sauerbrunn are all over 30 and being phased out of the CB pool
Honestly, she has the potential to be the best of the entire bunch in my opinion....she is that good...she was captain of the U17 national team. A true superstar.

Sauerbrunn, one of the best ever, is long gone at this point. Krueger generally isn't a center back. Sonnett plays wherever -- maybe she would end up at center back for veteran leadership in her last few years.

Dahlkemper may still have some years left.

But Girma's partner in the Olympics was Tierna Davidson, who just turned 26. She's not going anywhere for a while unless she gets hurt again.

There's also Emily Sams (formerly Madril, formerly of Florida State), who was an Olympic alternate. Roller credits her as a role model for how she plays: https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2022/04/center-back-on-a-roll

Jordyn Bugg has just turned 18 but signed with Seattle this summer and has played a handful of games for them while also playing nearly every minute of the U-20 World Cup.

Eva Gaetino has been called in at age 21. She plays at PSG.

Alana Cook and Sam Staab are still in the mix.

Not saying Roller won't ever get her shot, and Emma Hayes is going to take a more open approach than past coaches have (in part due to the CBA limitations that have been lifted), but she'll have a ton of competition. Everyone's going pro earlier and earlier these days. (It's going to be interesting to see how the NWSL adapts to having no player draft!)
 
Sauerbrunn, one of the best ever, is long gone at this point. Krueger generally isn't a center back. Sonnett plays wherever -- maybe she would end up at center back for veteran leadership in her last few years.

Dahlkemper may still have some years left.

But Girma's partner in the Olympics was Tierna Davidson, who just turned 26. She's not going anywhere for a while unless she gets hurt again.

There's also Emily Sams (formerly Madril, formerly of Florida State), who was an Olympic alternate. Roller credits her as a role model for how she plays: https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2022/04/center-back-on-a-roll

Jordyn Bugg has just turned 18 but signed with Seattle this summer and has played a handful of games for them while also playing nearly every minute of the U-20 World Cup.

Eva Gaetino has been called in at age 21. She plays at PSG.

Alana Cook and Sam Staab are still in the mix.

Not saying Roller won't ever get her shot, and Emma Hayes is going to take a more open approach than past coaches have (in part due to the CBA limitations that have been lifted), but she'll have a ton of competition. Everyone's going pro earlier and earlier these days. (It's going to be interesting to see how the NWSL adapts to having no player draft!)
No denying there is plenty of competition out there. In my opinion, this 19 yo has the "it" factor. She just never gets beat....never.
 
Back
Top