Ian Murphy

seen it with brad stuver over the last six years right and now

stuvino comes out every other week and he's okie doke and attacking opponent opposing attacking players you know so damien will get there it's all been good uh experience for him here and a couple chances he's got in league playing they still undefeated with damien in that there is 70th 70th minute here Austin shows their first real signs of life with San Diego content to sit back and absorb a little pressure here now up three and in this moment it's Irvin pulling up from about 30 yards sends it about a foot wide of that near post down there in the south end banging the ball off the boards maybe woke some guys up down there because it's three minutes later where Austin now has all of the ball just kind of probing for any sort of space among San Diego's low block and here the ball finds Irvin it Again, he's got some space to measure across just right over the head of Ian Murphy and just boop right to the head of Brandon Vasquez, who measures his header perfectly down into the ground, keeping the pace on it.

The ball bounces up and over free to pull one back.

But holy shit, do we start laughing our asses off, dude? in the north end because like we were for like great for bb congratulations yes it's overdue because you've been in you know he's been inches away multiple times here over the last 10 games or so but like it's awesome to see and again like we thought okay there's our consolation three one we get to laugh about and look i'll give you

But our Serenity Defender of the Month, specifically for this defensive play, I'm going to pull it up.

It is Ian Murphy, a player who has just joined this team at the end of July and has really made his way into the starting rotation, really integrated into this group very well.

He had this clearance versus Miami.

And let's just play it.

But he brought a ton of players in as well.

They got center back Ian Murphy in a trade from Colorado.

They also acquired attacking midfielder Gabriel Pirani.

from DC United.

The new way it calculates.

And finally, we have Ian Murphy 2077 saying, Brian looks like the type of guy to wear a tie over my T-shirt.

I forgot today.

Oh, God.

Like, you could see it, uh, in the back heel goal he scored, which is a, a pure counter-attacking goal.

Um, and he's, he's in a cat and mouse game with Ian Murphy, um, and he understands how to win that game and create space for a one-touch finish in the box, and it's all about, "Okay, when the center back looks at me, I'm gonna ... move hard towards the near post because I want him to bite on the near post.

And then as soon as he looks back away to reorient himself towards the ball, I'm gonna jam on the brakes because that means I'll be available for a one-touch finish for the pullback.

It's just understanding where the space is going to be.

And to that point, you watch the run he makes on the Backe heel goal.

It's, uh, Ian Murphy, who's a pretty solid MLS defender, been around, you know, four years in this league now, I think, um, who's tracking him.

Murphy looks at him, and as soon as Murphy looks at him, Sullivan makes, like he faints like he's gonna go hard to the near post.

And then so Murphy bites, and he starts protecting the near post.