With the regular season coming to a close, Vanderbilt Soccer (9-2-6, 4-2-4 SEC) earned the No. 5 seed in the SEC, besting Auburn in a tiebreaker at 16 points. The Commodores will open their tournament journey with a rematch against No. 12 Alabama (9-5-5, 2-3-5) on Sunday, Nov. 3. Vanderbilt clashed with the Crimson Tide less than a week ago on Oct. 27 where it emerged victorious, 3-1. The previous matchup was hard fought, as both teams put up zeros in the first half before Alabama opened the door with a goal early in the second half. It was the Commodores, however, who controlled the rest of the match. Goals from Ella Eggleston, Caroline Betts and Courtney Jones carried the team to victory, ending the season with three triumphant points.
It’s rare for two teams to face each other in back-to-back matches with so much riding on the second game. The tension is only heightened by the fact that an SEC trophy and automatic bid to the NCAA tournament are both on the line. Though Alabama barely snuck in as the 12-seed, only five points separated it from fifth-seeded Vanderbilt. In soccer, where one good bounce can influence a victory, the chaos of the well-matched teams in the SEC means that any team can make it to the final four. The Crimson Tide will be hunting for blood in this match to prove that their last meeting with Vanderbilt was a fluke. On the other hand, the Commodores will have to replicate the same result as last time, only a week later and in a neutral location.
For those who missed Sunday’s game, don’t worry. Let’s talk about what to expect from Alabama’s team and the keys to winning the match for Vanderbilt.
Always on alert
Alabama works fast off the whistle. The Crimson Tide will waste little time starting its offense after fouls, goal kicks and corner kicks, forcing the defense to scramble to catch up. They did it against South Carolina, Florida and Vanderbilt — which led to some controversy. Last week, Courtney Jones was called for a foul and fell to the ground. Noticing that Alabama was setting up to advance the ball, she stuck her leg out while she was on the ground to prevent the advancement. Jones was awarded a yellow card for the action and left the game with some pain in her knee after the altercation. She later returned to the game and scored the dagger goal, so it all worked out for her in the end.
Jones later claimed that scouting had warned her and her teammates about Alabama’s tendency to work quickly off the whistle. Thus, her decision to block the ball was a calculated sacrifice to give her teammates more time to get in position. The Commodores will surely be on even higher alert for those quick advancements now that they’re familiar with Alabama’s game, if not to simply limit injury from another event like Jones’s.
In games of this magnitude, teams will take any opportunity to score a goal, which means Vanderbilt needs to do everything in its power — including plenty of communication — to prevent those opportunities from arising.
Win every jump ball
One thing that Vanderbilt did well last Sunday was win balls in the air. Defensively, there weren’t many scares on crosses and corner kicks for the Commodores’ back line. Offensively, nearly every cross found a Commodore head. While the Commodores couldn’t put a header in goal, their dominance on corners and crosses is worth getting excited about heading into this next match. As stated earlier, one good bounce can decide a game. Vanderbilt must convert on those headers and maximize opportunities and eventually, a bounce will go its way. Winning headers on corners and crosses and putting them on goal could decide this matchup.
Vanderbilt must prevent those same chances from happening for Alabama on the other side of the pitch. The Black and Gold excelled at this in their last match: All they have to do is keep it up. If Vanderbilt’s players can get the ball out of the 18-yard box using their heads (or feet, for that matter), it can start a counterattack immediately.
Keep an eye on Paul
Gianna Paul is one of the top goal scorers in the SEC. Her 12 goals are double the amount of the next highest on Alabama and are tied for second-most in the conference. Paul collected Alabama’s sole goal in its last match against Vanderbilt. Paul found herself left wide open in front of the goal after receiving a pass from Kiley Kukan, and all she had to do was take a single touch before firing the ball into the bottom left corner. The goal was not because of some massive mental mistake by Vanderbilt; it’s simply the design of Alabama’s offense.
Paul has dominated the pitch without many flashy on-ball moves or incredible shots throughout the season. She has simply made fantastic runs and trusted her midfielders to get her the ball in spots to succeed. Paul is everywhere on the pitch — there’s no specific run that she does more than others. She always lurks from left to right, waiting for a through ball to capitalize on.
Vanderbilt’s back line must keep an eye on No. 14 the entire game. Any second they lose sight of her, they become vulnerable and risk giving up a goal. This is especially apparent when Kukan, Leah Kunde or Nadia Ramadan have the ball, as they have been the main contributors to Paul’s goals in 2024. Vanderbilt did a great job limiting Paul’s shots (three) in the last matchup, yet Paul still found an opportunity to put one in. If left unchecked, she could single-handedly decide the game.h
A win for Vanderbilt will likely guarantee it a bid into the NCAA tournament — a spot it should have even with a loss. It would also set up a rematch with No. 4 South Carolina, which Vanderbilt tied 1-1 against after a 90th-minute goal from Katie Shea Collins, a match the Commodores would love to make up for.
No. 5 Vanderbilt will face No. 12 Alabama in Pensacola, Florida, on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. CST.
