Soccer players have to earn their minutes
Senior midfielder Mo Redmond started 21 of 22 games last year. She was fourth on the team in points and shots on goal. She even made the All-Big 12 second team and earned spots on several All-Central Region teams chosen by soccer publications and web sites.
What did her strong 2007 season get her? A seat on the bench for Missouri’s second game of the season vs. Auburn.
Redmond missed the season opener while attending her brother’s wedding. Although coach Bryan Blitz admitted the Tigers missed Redmond’s playmaking abilities against Illinois, Redmond had to wait until the 20th minute to enter the game against Auburn.
Redmond played 65 minutes and kicked the corner that led to the game’s lone goal. She led MU’s offensive charge, realizing Auburn was neutralizing Missouri’s forwards and that the midfielders needed to take their chances at the net. She proved that she is one of Missouri’s top players.
But Redmond still has to work her way back into the starting lineup, another example of Blitz’s earn-your-time philosophy.
Blitz doesn’t care what players have done in the past how old they are. He’s going to play the players who performed best during the week’s practices. That’s not to say Missouri’s starting 11 will vary completely from game to game. Blitz said he has 8 or 9 players penciled in as starters (penciled, not penned) and is getting a feel for who might earn the last few spots. But know this: if a player loses her edge and someone else steps it up in practice, Blitz won’t hesitate to make the switch.
Check back later in the week for a preview of Missouri’s upcoming weekend games in California.
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