Everybody’s working for the weekend, especially the LSU soccer team.
Though soccer is not a sport meant to be played at a high level twice within 48 hours, the Tigers are hitting the familiar Friday-Sunday turnarounds that are the hallmark of Southeastern Conference play.
“Traditionally, games on Friday are really well-played, attractive matches,” said LSU coach Brian Lee. “Sunday games get bogged down in fitness-related lethargy and tired legs. It becomes a real mental challenge for both teams. The overall level of play takes a hit.”
For the first time, the SEC adopted a “1-2-2-1” format this fall to replace the old format, which featured teams playing Friday-Sunday slates throughout conference. Under the new system, SEC squads will have one-game weekends
sandwiching consecutive weekends with two games.
The move was partially inspired by the conference’s expansion and partially by several years of coaches pushing to eliminate some grueling Sunday soccer.
“It took three or four years to get that through administrative checkoffs, spreading everything out,” Lee said. “You lose a week of non-conference play by doing that, but us as coaches felt it was necessary.”
The new system didn’t prevent Lee from tailoring the Tigers’ non-conference schedule to mimic the weekend doubles.
LSU split a pair of games in the Minnesota Gold Classic last weekend, earning a win against then-No. 13 USC on Sunday, and will travel to Houston for games versus Rice and Stephen F. Austin this weekend.
“We’re just now getting into these Friday-Sundays, so they’re good tests to see where our legs are,” said senior goalkeeper Megan Kinneman. “It’s definitely difficult to go back-to-back so quick, but everyone is doing it.”
Junior midfielder Alex Arlitt didn’t have much sympathy for her goalkeeper. With soccer midfielders typically running several miles per match, Arlitt said Sunday games tend to bog down.
“They can feel more physical, just because everyone’s tired and closer to the ball, not trying to push the play forward,” she said.
To prepare the players for the grind, weeklong monitoring goes into ensuring maximum fitness for the short turnarounds each weekend.
Sleep schedules, time of meals, post-match “cool down” exercises and adjusted practice times are closely tracked, though more so in recent years.
“We’re much more cognizant in the role of nutrition and just general life behaviors. It’s a 24/7 process,” Lee said. “It starts right from the final whistle of the Friday game and really never stops until a season is over.”
Lee said that rigorous regime has created an advantage for LSU on Sundays, when the Tigers tend to be the fitter squad.
“Our Sunday fitness level is generally noticeably better than the teams we’re playing,” he said. “We’re as prepared as you can be, and it ends up giving us a leg up.”
He’s not just spitballing there or making an observation favorable to his team without any tangible evidence.
After all, LSU is a sterling 22-7-5 in Sunday matches following a Friday contest since 2008.