The Buzz and The Fish

So I was watching the Buzz Bullets/Sockeye Dream Cup Final and I had some thoughts.

Strengths - Buzz Bullets

It is pretty obvious that the BB are a collection of extremely fast players. If they get separation from their defender and the throw is good, there is no catching them. Their cutting ability is unreal and with one 5'10" speedster after another, it is only a matter of time before one of them gets open down field for a bomb. They aren't exactly a short team but their average center of gravity is very low, not unlike your run of the mill asian handler here in the states, and their ability to change direction is something that cannot be stopped, just hopefully contained.

I think their focus is another asset. It is very obvious that this game matters more than anything to these players. Having been to Japan myself, I can say that the Japanese love to work. These people love doing whatever they do with the utmost commitment and effort and it shows with their playing ability. There is no question that this team is motivated and with a year to prepare, I have no doubt that they will be fast and furious come Vancouver.

Lastly, their down-field defense. This is something that was more evident in the ECC footage (because I think Sockeye wasn't as prepared as they were for Dream Cup) but their ability to win battles in the air was amazing. They have the speed to get into position quickly and potentially box out a bigger opponent and with great closing speed, they have the ability to leap for a D when their opponent is waiting for the disc to come down.

Strengths - Sockeye

It seems like the biggest advantage Sockeye is going to have is experience. It is was very evident that they just have more tricks up their sleeves. Their marking tactics, calling tactics, poach D, heads up plays, the works. These veterans are the best at what they do and with years of club experience under their belt, there is nothing that the Fish have not seen and cannot handle.

Sockeye's understanding of the game is most evident with their defense. There were quite a few plays where defenders were just more aware than BB cutters, Mike Caldwell especially. He had two heads up D's (one called back) because he played the disc better than his man. He was focused and got to the spot more effectively despite comparable speed.

Another strength of Sockeye is their air game. BB played very well in the air at ECC and Dream Cup but as far as who ruled the skies, Ray Illian and Alex Nord are unreal. I think a 17-16 DGP ECC final woke Sockeye up and both Ray and Alex were unstoppable in the air. Ray had an incredible game and if he continues to dominate both as a down field cutter and defender, Sockeye's chances at a world title are very good. More of the same with Nord. I had thought Nord had lost a step but his vert and speed seem right where they need to be. In piles (that don't include Ray) he will come down with it. There is no one out there that does it like Nord and when you are 6'5" with his experience, playing the disc and pulling it down is something he just doesn't screw up.

Weaknesses - Buzz Bullets

If you only watch a point or two of footage, it is pretty obvious that Japan is really dependent on their flicks. They love their outside in flick puts and with very fast cutters it makes sense. With a little separation, an outside in flick huck is almost impossible to defend. However any strength can potentially be a weakness. If a team can isolate this weapon and potentially take it away or make it less effective with a back hand force, junk zone defense, or just tighter on the mark, the BB will have their hands full. I am also curious to know what kind of game the BB have in poor weather because then, their offense will have to rely on good decision making and their speed and throws won't be enough to get threw good man/zone defenses.

I think Sockeye recognized this propensity and tried to force backhand later in the game. However, I think their marks could have been better because a fair amount of flick breaks still got off. Not to say they were lazy but they either were more straight up or bit too much on the backhand side which opened up the flick break. This break around is really easy in this situation and when this flick is a break throw, it is all the more dangerous. I think Sockeye should focus on this one attribute of the BB offense and try and get Japan to throw backhand more often, not to mention tighten their mark and use their size to intimidate/rattle these crafty japanese players. A perfect example of this was early in the game when a physical defender in Sammy-CK forced a turfed throw by Kenji Hamda (#31). They do have backhand puts, but they are straight and flat more often than not. Without the advantage of the OI, the success of down field defenders like Skip, Ray, Seth, Flemming and Sammy-CK drastically goes up.

Another weakness of the BB seems to be the strength that Sockeye has as far as experience goes. I have found that the more ways you know how to meddle with ultimate "trends" the more success you'll have. Unconventional throws, cuts, defense, offensive strategy, marking etc... are all advantages that American teams have because we have learned to break away from conventional ultimate. I don't think Japan has quite the arsenal of these weapons, 1) because it is tough to think outside the box when you are not challenged and 2) these players don't have the experience that the Americans do. Things like drawing a foul as a thrower, poach D's, fakes, and endzone offense are all things that allow veterans to use their creativity and experience to beat their opponent. I think because the BB don't have much National competition, they are not as seasoned as Sockeye will be and the Fish's ability to out think their opponent will help out Team USA.

Weaknesses - Sockeye

I think one of the biggest advantages of Sockeye is also a potential weakness and that is their size. Nord, Chase, Ray, Sammy, Seth, etc.. are all on the order of 6' or taller. This allows them to have good top speed but their ability to cut and change direction is not nearly as good as BB. I think players like Andrew Fleming, Idaho, Nate Castine, Mike Jaeger and Tim Gehret have the ability to bring Sockeye's agility up but with only some of your players capable of keeping up with every cutter, there are going to mismatches at some point, it is just up to the BB to find them. This isn't to say that Sockeye can't handle it, but their best defenders will also have to play stellar offense if they want to convert on possible breaks.

Patience. Like with any ultimate team, your ability to be patient with the disc is your saving grace. Teams like DoG taught us that you need to use your advantages wisely by taking what the defense gives you. In addition, it is also up to you to take advantage of opportunities that your opponent's O-line gives you. In a lot of situations, Sockeye plays to their size and tries to muscle their way to a goal. These could be hucks, hammers or difficult break throws that might not be the best option at the time. With a team that has such a razor sharp offense (BB), you need to take advantage of every opportunity your defense gives you. With so much experience and talent, a turnover by the D-line is almost inexcusable. Maybe you get D'd but the average size of Sockeye gives them a distinct offensive advantage (just cuz they can reach farther) and it seems that most good decisions were rewarded with continuations of play. This is especially evident with high break throws where players like Chase can get up huge and pull the disc down despite good man D. In any event, their experienced handlers need to take control when a break opportunity presents itself and their biggest fear should be giving the disc back.

What to Watch For

BB Play Makers
It seems like the best offensive weapon the BB have is Masahiro Matsuno (#10). This guy is unreal. He can torch the best Sockeye defenders deep and pull down ridiculous grabs not to mention run a sophisticated offense with great throws and decision making. His speed and game sense also gives him great defensive ability and if given the opportunity, he will snatch a possession away from any opponent. However, his biggest contribution to his team is the fact that he is left handed. With a team that relies on bladey flick hucks, a transition to an effective backhand mark is something Sockeye and anyother team will try and do. However, because Matsuno is a South Paw he always has the inverse advantage. His backhand is perfect because he has to throw to the same side of the field as his flick heavy team mates do, but given the chance, he will shatter any mark and present major problems for a defense trying to slow down such speedy cutters.

Another huge asset for BB is #4 Satoshi Senda. Despite the fact that this guy is only 5'6", his speed and ups are up there with the best I've seen. He routinely owned his defender both at ECC and Dream Cup and it is very evident that he is always on and has as much play making ability as any player in the world. His throws are also amazing and he, on several occasions, broke defenders like Skip and Andrew Fleming for big yard gains/scores. Another thing that makes him so valuable is the defender he draws. With his down-filed ability he could be covered by a Ray Illian or Seth Wiggins, but his speed really puts him a step above slower/bigger players. If he is allowed underneath cuts, his fakes/breaks will slash through a defense and he can be as effective with the disc as he is pulling it down.

Lastly, Yohei Kichikawa (#12) is a fantastic all around player. He plays great down field defense and can put himself anywhere in the offense. He was the #1 scorer for Japan at WUCC in Perth with 59 total points (11 goals and 48 assists) and because he will draw the best defender on the field he will have the ability to set up his team mates not to mention get points on the board and D's for break opportunities.

Sockeye/BB Rivalry

The fun is now over. In the Dream Cup game it was clear that even the most spirited players like Chase, would not hesitate to make calls. Fouls and travels were called all over the place in Fuji City, both by Japan and USA. In addition, a lot of discs were hotly contested with many strip calls, especially made by Japan against intense USA defenders. With that in mind, I think the pleasantries are over. The BB were flown out to ECC, and Sockeye to Dream Cup and now the gloves are off. Much like Furious and Sockeye have been the last few years, each team will leave nothing on the field. Physical jump discs, suspect marks, and advantageous calls will all probably show up in Vancouver because each team will be ready and each team wants to win.

Closing Thoughts

I think Sockeye is still in a class all their own. In watching the Dream Cup finals, it looked like Team USA beat themselves. Seth called a time out and had a stupid turnover and there were definitely a few suspect throwing decisions. This isn't to say that Sockeye is weak, it just means they need to focus and peak right, much like what we saw in 2006 against Furious in the Club National Finals. In that game Sockeye was flawless (not to mention lucky) and just didn't screw up. Their decision making was the best it's been and since then they have picked up studs like Tim Gehret and Ron Kublanza. They have all the tools and it is up to them to put the necessary pieces in place to get the best out of the Red, White and Blue.

Conversely, I think the BB will have issues peaking when the time is right. They have never competed in a forum like this and while Sockeye gets conditioned with tournaments like Solstice and Cal States, BB will only have scrimmage after scrimmage and spotting weaknesses will be tough. I think their game is as good as it is going to get and with two DGP finals against Sockeye, they definitely have the tools to push Sockeye to the limit. However, they haven't seen Sarasota Sockeye and that is the team we'll see in August. The Fish will be peaking right when they want to be and it will be hard to get past a team with 3 US titles and more talent than you can shake a stick at.

The one thing that I think helps the BB is that Vancouver weather should be top notch and their OI flick game plan should run without a hitch. Playing defense in great weather is really hard especially when your opponents can run you into the ground. I hope they have a few tricks up their sleeves and considering that they have done well in the US, Australia, and at home, there will be no game day jitters and they will be ready to take gold.

just my thoughts

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