With a student body size that not only more than doubles that of many of their 4A competitors, but also draws that population from one of the most soccer-rich areas of the state, it would be hard to say that Wando's weakness is drawing from a smaller talent pool than any of their competitors, public, private, or magnet. There are girls sitting on the Wando bench (and, probably, some who didn't even make the varsity bench) who would be sought-after starters in the majority of programs in the state. It has often been speculated that Wando could field two very competitive girls' and boys' varsity teams, not just one--the boys' successful tactic this season of subbing the full field at a time would seem to support that theory. No, if Wando has an Achilles' heel, I don't think it's access to plenty of quality athletes.
The only serious "Achilles' heel," or weakness, I can see for the Wando girls is a set of expectations that, while not exactly impossible, is very improbable and maybe a bit impractical to maintain. If a team has set such a precedent of winning state championships that anything less than a state championship indicates weakness, then they are bound to show "weakness" sooner or later.
The Law of Diminishing Returns shows that everything has a limitation--a level of peak performance. As you near that peak, no matter how much effort or how many resources you put into things, the level of IMPROVEMENT tapers off, and will even begin to fluctuate up and down near the peak level. Every athlete, every team, every organization, has that fluctuation, and odds are no matter how good you are, sooner or later you're going to run into someone who happens to be at their peak when you're a little off. That's why in sports we continually hear the statement, "Today, they were the better team." Tomorrow, or next week, or next month, the result might be different.
Wando has had their share of championship trophies, and it's hard to remember a year when they weren't in the finals. That's consistently maintaining a level at the very top of S.C. soccer...I certainly wouldn't call that fluctuation at the top a weakness.
Perhaps if Wando has an Achilles' heel, it's the expectation itself. Championships are only meaningful if they aren't guaranteed; it's hard to get excited over something you do every year. Championships at that level are fueled as much by heart, desire, and pure will to win as by skill and athleticism. If one team is doing something that has become routine and expected, while the other team is finding themselves in the excitement of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, then sometimes that "X-Factor" that tips the scales falls on the side of those who are trying to accomplish something they've never done before, who are striving for that first taste of championship.
At any rate, in order to have an Achilles' heel, you first have to rise to the status of being an Achilles--the guy who was renowned for being unbeatable except for that one little weakness. And that's no small accomplishment in and of itself.
As for everyone liking to see a winner lose, I don't think that's it--sometimes people just like to see someone else get a chance to experience the thrill of being the heroes. It's good for next year's Wando team as well--now, instead of just trying to maintain what the girls before them had all done, they get to try to be the heroes who win back the lost title. It will give them something to strive for, and a reason to step up!
Anyway, just one guy waxing philosophical from the sideline, hoping one day to narrow down his own weaknesses to an Achilles' heel!
