Women's Gold Cup Day 3: We've Got 2 Semifinalists. Who Will Be Next?

Gold Cup Day 3 is done, and we already know the 2 Group B Semifinalists who are heading into the next stage of the competition. But who will follow them from Group A?



Hello everyone! Gold Cup Day 3, which was another exciting and thrilling day of this World Cup qualifying competition, is now set and done. Let's talk about today's games!


Costa Rica vs. Haiti- I missed this game actually, because I unfortunately had something to do. However, I checked in at the last few minutes. Costa Rica won 3-0, with 2 goals from Dedeno and one from Cruz. Costa Rica now sits at the upper half of the Group table with 6 points. With this win, they also advance to the Semifinals.


United States vs. Guatemala- Now this game was something to behold. Especially if you were a big USWNT fan, such as myself. The USA mercilessly slammed Guatemala 9-0. It was just a complete slaughtering. And, there were some beautiful goals and plays to witness. And honestly, there were so many goals, all of them being excellently scored, that I can't even explain each of them/put them into words here, I wouldn't do them justice. These are the kind of goals you have to actually see.

Here's the link: http://www.concacaf.com/page/WGC/NewsDetail/0,,12813~2202453,00.html

Enjoy! Because, you're in for a real treat.

Overall, the United States played great. They put on a fantastic performance, and didn't seem as lazy as they were against Haiti. Still, the United States were dissecting Guatemala without going overboard, and for the USWNT, that's a great advantage to have.

A-Rod, Wambach, and Rapinoe celebrate one of the team's 9 goals against Guatemala.



After Wambach scored her 2 goals, she was pulled in around the 39th. A smart choice by Pia. Like I said yesterday, why risk an injury or unnecessary fatigue when you know you are going to win? By that point, the USA was already up 6-0, no need to further tire your top striker. At halftime, Lori Lindsey was subbed in for Boxx, and also, LePeilbet, arguably the USA's best defender, was taken off in the 2nd half. Pia Sundhage used her substitutes wisely, resting key players for the match against Group B's 2nd best team: Costa Rica. Unlike in the Haiti game, the USA did not become lazy in the second half. Throughout the entire 90 minutes, the USA attacked and created a ton of chances on goal. Overall, it was an entertaining and dominating performance put on by the Americans. With these 3 points, the United States still maintains their place atop Group B, with a total 6 points, and also automatically advances to the Semifinals. They will face-off against Costa Rica, who also has 6 points, in a battle for first place of Group B.


Tomorrow, Group A resumes their competition. Here are tomorrow's matches:

Canada vs. Guyana- It says this match starts at 19:00 (which is 7pm). But, just to be sure, check at 6pm! There is some weird time change going on with Mexico, I think its because they fall back earlier than we do. So, to avoid another schedule mishap, just check 6pm!

Mexico vs. Trinidad and Tobago- It says this game starts at 21:30 (which comes out to be 9:30). However, it listed that 9:30 time for today's USA match, and on concacaf.com it was aired an hour earlier here in the States. So, be sure to check 8:30pm!

It doesn't matter what match it is, just make sure you check an hour before the said time to see if its airing then! The time issue is a bit confusing.

Here are the possible outcomes of tomorrow, in regards to the Semifinals: If Canada and Mexico each win their games, both automatically advance to the Semifinals. If either team loses, its still an open group.

Have a Happy Gold Cup Day 4, and a Happy Halloween! I better put a sign on my door that says "No Candy from 6pm-11:30pm." Well, lucky for them my family will take care of the doling out of treats, because from 6 to 11:30pm, I'll be busy watching Gold Cup!

See you all tomorrow!

Denise

A Mistake!

Guys, I said that the Group A games were at 6pm and 9:30pm ET. This is not true! I made an error. The website says 18:00 (which is six) but also says 21:30 which is 9:30. But I forgot to note that Mexico is falling back earlier than we do, so the games are at 6pm (already over, sorry if you missed from misinformation) and the USWNT is playing now!

Women's Gold Cup Day 2: Group A Follows in Group B's Tracks

The Women's Gold Cup Day 2 was entertaining and full of some great performances. Group A, who opened their campaign today, followed in Group B's footsteps by starting their competition with a bang.


Hey everyone, here reporting and commenting on the Women's Gold Cup Day 2! In fact, I just finished watching the Mexico game, which was great by the way, but, let's talk about the matches in chronological order. So, I'll analyze the Canada vs. Trinidad and Tobago game before we even get into Mexico's performance.


So, the first match of the day was Canada vs. Trinidad and Tobago. Canada won 1-0 over the Trinidadians (not even sure if that's how you say it), thanks to a goal from Melissa Tancredi. I was expecting a way bigger scoreline in Canada's favor, though. I caught the 2nd half of the game, and it seemed like Canada dominated the match. Their performance somewhat resembled that of the United States, shots barely missing, or being blocked by a wall of defenders. Canada had some great chances which they just couldn't seem to put away. The case with Canada, as was the case with the United States just a day ago, was that many of the opportunities created by their team, or even created by the mistakes of the opposing team, were not finished. The reason for this, I think, is that in the case of the Canadians, and more so the Americans I think, is that both teams were not playing at their highest gear. Yesterday, the USA put on a good performance and got an outstanding result. However, if you were watching the game, you knew that the USWNT was not giving it their all. I'm not saying they put no effort into the game, but they did just enough to get the result they wanted. And I do not blame either team for doing this, not one bit. Here's my argument: Why kill yourselves when you know very well you are going to win? The USWNT played Haiti in a rather lazy (for lack of a better word) fashion. It was definitely not their best performance, but even though they didn't play at their full potential, they got an exceptional result. So why kick it into high gear and overdo it, risking an injury or further tiring yourself out? These teams have 3 matches to play in 7 days, that's a lot of playing squeezed into only a short period of time. The USWNT was smart to not kill themselves, as was Canada. If you can put in less energy (conserving it in the long run, which is extremely important in a competition where a World Cup berth is the stakes) and still win (and in the USA's case get a fantastic 5-0 result) then good for you. Many people will say "Oh, well they better not pull this crap when they play tougher opponents." Well, to be honest, I'm sure both Canada and the USA are well aware what they are up against. The USA and Canada have each dealt with tough opponents before. Taking it down a notch against teams they can afford to do so against, does not mean they will suddenly forget how and when to kick it into high gear. It is a smart strategy I think. Well, that is all for my mini-rant. Back to Day 2! So yes, Canada gains 3 points, and sits atop the Group A table.


Now for Mexico vs. Guyana, which concluded about 30 minutes ago. That game was a real treat to watch. It was entertaining, there were plenty of goals to feast your eyes on (well executed goals that were the result of smart, accurate, and creative plays), and the home crowd was truly a presence in the game, which was pretty cool to hear. Mexico shredded Guyana 7-2. Mexico went up 2-0, then Guyana would make it 2-1. Close game still. Then Mexico added another making it 3-1, but shortly after Guyana answered, making the scoreline 3-2. Close game right? Well, not after that it wasn't. And honestly, even when Guyana was scoring, the Mexicans still had control of the match. The Mexicans made it 4-2, then 5-2, then 6 and 7-2. The goals just kept coming, and while you were watching you just thought they would never stop. The home crowd was absolutely electric, and their presence was definitely heard and felt by the players. Mexico undoubtedly pulled and gained energy from the Mexican home crowd who were cheering them on throughout the 90 minutes. Mexico looked like they were giving it their all, in contrast to the USA and Canada, who seemed to play at cruise-control. The Mexicans were relentless in their attack. they didn't stop after 3, 4 or 5. They kept going, and there were some beautiful goals. One from 30+ yards out, a few from 1v1 with the keeper, some from a direct cross, it was a cornucopia of plays and goals, and it was a fun game to watch. However, as I said, Mexico was kicking it into high gear, and never rested once throughout the 90 minutes. Whereas the USA got almost the same result, but cruised through the entire game. However different these teams played, both got a fantastic result and 3 points. The goalscorers in the Mexican "Hat Dance" around the Guyana team, were Dominguez (4), Garza (2) and Worbis (1). For Guyana, it was El-Masri and DeSouza.


That is all for Day 2's report! Tomorrow, Group B will resume play, as its teams will be playing in their 2nd of 3 fixtures. First up will be Costa Rica, who currently have 3 points, taking on Haiti at 7pm ET. In the 2nd match of the day, the USA, who also currently sit atop Group B with 3 points, will take on Guatemala, at 9:30pm ET. Be sure to catch both matches on concacaf.com!


That's all for today everyone! I'll be back tomorrow when Gold Cup resumes!

Until then,

Denise

The Gold Cup Begins With A Bang

The Gold Cup has begun!




And we're underway! As you probably know, The 2010 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup began today, and the tournament is already off to a great start. The opening match was played between Costa Rica and Guatemala, with Costa Rica grabbing the win with a 1-0 scoreline, the lone goal courtesy of Venegas in the 51st. I unfortunately missed the game and was only able to catch the last 5-10 minutes. So, that's 3 points for Costa Rica.



The 2nd match of the day was USA vs. Haiti. What a game it was! (If of course you were a USWNT fan like myself. If you were a fan of Haiti...then maybe not a great game to watch). It was a goalfest that ended 5-0 in the USA's favor, however it could have easily ended 8 or 9-0. For the USA, goals from Buehler, A-Rod, and a hat-trick from Wambach, led the team to victory.

Wambach celebrates one of her 3 goals in the match against Haiti. Her Hat-Trick, along with goals from Buehler and A-Rod, helped the USWNT in gaining the 3 point win.



However there should have been plenty more goals. If not for the missed opportunities, unbelievably close shots, and some downright poor offsides calls, this game could have ended much worse for the Haitians. But, why emphasize a negative aspect? The USWNT kicked ass, and Wambach got a well deserved hat-trick (one that has seemed to elude her for a while). Who could ask for more? In fact, saying they should have scored more shows just how much they dominated the match. Besides, why kill yourself when you're going to win, risking an injury or further tiring yourself out? The USWNT definitely took it down a few notches in the second half, but I don't blame them. Overall, it was an excellent and entertaining performance from the USWNT, and Haiti gave it a valiant effort. However, I would like to point out that the Haitians played a little dirty. A rough tackle made on Wambach in the first half could have easily been a red, but a yellow was given. Throughout the match Haiti persisted with some rather harsh tackles. Not only that, but the diving! Felt like I was watching La Liga all over again, what with players obnoxiously flipping and rolling around after tripping on their own shoe laces, and with some players who were barely touched writhing in supposed 'pain'. It was ridiculous. Anyway, Group B's first matchday ends with the United States and Costa Rica atop the group table with 3 points each.


Tomorrow, Group A will kick off its Gold Cup action. Tomorrow's matches will see Canada face off against Trinidad and Tobago, and then later will feature hosts Mexico facing off against Guyana. Be sure to catch both games live on concacaf.com!


That's it for today everyone, I'll be sure to get a picture or 2 up for this post, and I'll do my best to cover tomorrow's matches as well!

P.S.- By the way, when I say 'tomorrow' I actually mean today, since its technically Friday. Here on the East Coast, its about 2:00am, and I don't consider it the next day until morning. Just thought I'd clear that up to help prevent confusion!

Gold Cup is off to a great start and I'm excited for more! See you all tomorrow!


Until then,

Denise

2010 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup

It all starts tomorrow! Are you ready to watch some Gold Cup action?

Hello everyone! Tomorrow is the beginning of CONCACAF's World Cup Qualifying competition: the Women's Gold Cup. The tournament has quite a long history, as it has had 7 previous editions, with this being the 8th edition of the competition. The 2 finalists will automatically qualify for the 2011 Women's World Cup in Germany, with the 3rd place team gaining the right to face-off against the 5th place team in Europe for the final play-off berth. Let's take a close look at the groups for the 2010 Gold Cup!



Group A:
Canada
Mexico
Guyana
Trinidad and Tobago


This is Group A. One would think that since A comes before B in the alphabet, it would be Group A who would open the tournament, however it is Group B who are opening the tournament. These teams will play their matches on October 29th, October 31st, and will finish up their group campaign on November 2nd. Their matches will be played in Estadio de Beisbol Beto Avila. Here are the matches and times:

October 29th
Canada vs. Trinidad and Tobago- 6pm Eastern Time

Mexico vs. Guyana- 8:30pm Eastern Time


October 31st (Happy Halloween!)
Canada vs. Guyana- 7pm Eastern Time

Mexico vs. Trinidad and Tobago- 9:30pm Eastern Time


November 2nd
Trinidad and Tobago vs. Guyana- 7pm Eastern Time

Canada vs. Mexico- 9:30pm Eastern Time

Remember everyone, concacaf.com is going to be streaming every game of the Women's Gold Cup from their website. So, register with them (it is free, and it takes no more than one minute) and you will be able to witness all of the Gold Cup action!


Now, let's take an individual look at every team in Group A:

Canada- Canada is on a mission. Canada has reached the final of the Women's Gold Cup 5 times, winning once and being runners-up 4 times. However, the one time Canada won, was when the United States was not present in the tournament. In the other 4 instances, Canada has had to face off against the USA in the final, and has lost. Canada is tired of constantly reaching the final, only to lose to their regional rivals--United States. Canada has played the role of 2nd best often, and they want to change it around this time. The Canadians will be using this rivalry to motivate them, as they've got a point to prove. The Canadians are definitely one of the favorites in the competition, and are favorites to win Group A. They are definitely a good candidate to reach the Final, but you can be sure that if they reach that point and meet against the United States, they are going to want the win. As for my personal prediction, I say Canada will be one of the finalists, and will be going all out to prove that they're more than just 2nd best.


Mexico- The host nation of the tournament who will be vying for a berth in the World Cup. These CONCACAF up-and-comers will be coming into the tournament with something to prove. They will be fighting for only their 2nd World Cup appearance. Mexico are expected to come out of Group A as well, and as hosts, they'll have the home fans behind them in their campaign to grab a spot in Germany 2011. Will Mexico finally prove themselves to be serious contenders? Its a definite possibility. Mexico are coming back from the 2010 Peace Queen Cup, where they finished their group with a win and a defeat. They sustained a tough loss to Australia, losing 3-1, but they posted a 1-0 win against Chinese Taipei. Mexico is definitely a rising force in the Women's game, and I think they will be making it out of Group A. They are definitely not to be taken lightly.


Trinidad and Tobago- I personally don't know much about this team, but in earlier stages to qualify for the Gold Cup (for teams who do not get an automatic bye), Trinidad and Tobago won their group with 9 points, posting wins against teams like Barbados, St. Lucia, and also fellow Group A contenders, Guyana. Since they won, they moved onto the tournament finals, which start tomorrow. Most people think they'll be trampled, but in soccer you can never take anyone lightly. This is World Cup qualifying and you have to bring everything. Every team here deserves to be here.


Guyana- Don't know much about this team either. They too battled through the group stage of qualifying, and had to play-off against Cuba to make it here. Another team that should not be taken lightly.




Group B:
United States
Costa Rica
Guatemala
Haiti


This is Group B, and they will be kicking off the Gold Cup tournament. They will be playing their games in the Estadio Quintana Roo, on October 28th, October 30th, and will finish up group play on November 1st. Here are the matches and times:


October 28th
Costa Rica vs. Guatemala- 6pm Eastern Time

United States vs. Haiti- 8:30pm Eastern Time


October 30th
Haiti vs. Costa Rica- 6pm Eastern Time

United States vs. Guatemala- 9:30pm Eastern Time


November 1st
Guatemala vs. Haiti- 7pm Eastern Time

United States vs. Costa Rica- 9:30pm Eastern Time


Remember, you can watch all of Group B's games on concacaf.com, who will be streaming every game live! Do not miss out on this! All you have to do is register which is free!


Now, like we did with Group A, let's talk about Group B's teams:

United States- The United States are the favorites to win the whole competition, but its no surprise that they are. The USA is undefeated in all of its Gold Cup campaigns, and has won every single Gold Cup they have participated in, which is 6 of the 8 tournaments held. The United States has an excellent record outside of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying as well, having only lost one match since the 2007 World Cup, which was a loss to Norway in the group stage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The United States are the definite favorites to win, but that title comes with its disadvantages. It puts a lot of pressure on them to perform flawlessly, and not only that, but it makes them a target for some of the other favorites. For example, teams such as Canada, who has a grudge against the USA in this competition especially, and Mexico, who are dying to prove that they can play with the big girls, will be wanting to taste the glory of taking down the favorites of the competition, proving their prowess as soccer nations. The United States has struggled a little in its past match against China PR, in which they tied 1-1. The players, who were coming off a long and demanding WPS season were not all on the same page, and have made it a point to smooth out some edges in their play. The United States is entering the Gold Cup with its own mission; to show everyone that although they can have their low performances, its nothing that can keep them down for long. The United States is eager to perform in the Gold Cup, ready to give it their all and show everyone that they're back on form once again. I think the United States is going to make it out of Group play for sure, and my prediction, although being made early, is that they will reach the Final.


Costa Rica- Costa Rica participated in the qualifying stages and won their group as well, beating teams such as Nicaragua and Honduras to reach this point. As with all teams in this competition, they should not be taken lightly simply because they are not a top world power. Many of the teams have been improving over the years, and the gaps in skill have been steadily narrowing.


Guatemala- reached the finals stage after winning their group in the earlier qualifying stages. They beat teams such as El Salvador and Belize. As I've said with all of the other teams, they cannot be taken lightly. A complacent team that doesn't take these teams seriously can be in for quite the rude awakening.


Haiti- Haiti over the years has continued to improve, and deserves to be here, as they won their group in the early stages of qualifying, defeating teams such as Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Antigua and Barbuda. The country is still recovering from the devastating earth quake that haunted the country last January, but the Haitian women are coming in to show nothing can keep them down.


Those are the groups of the competition. Now let's take a look at the knockout stages:


November 5th- Semifinals
Winners of Group A vs. Runners-up of Group B- 7pm Eastern Time

Winners of Group B vs. Runners-up of Group A- 10pm Eastern Time


November 8th
3rd place game
Loser of Semifinal 1 vs. Loser of Semifinal 2- Time TBA


Final
Winner of Semifinal 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal 2- Time TBA





The 2 teams who win the Semifinals will face-off in the final, and since they will be the finalists of the tournament, both will clinch a berth in the Women's World Cup. The 2 teams who lose in the Semifinals will face-off in the 3rd place game. The winner of that match will face-off against the 5th place European (UEFA) team, which will be Italy, as they beat Switzerland with a 5-2 aggregate recently.


Well, that's all for now everyone! Remember, concacaf.com will be streaming every single game of the tournament live, so do not miss them! Really, it takes 2 minutes to sign up, and its all free. Here's the link that will lead you directly to the sign up: https://secure-concacaftv.premiumtv.co.uk/page/secure/loginOrRegister/0,,12907,00.html


By the way, if there are any errors with the schedule I posted, or if there are any updates or last minute changes, I will try to fix it as soon as possible. But for the most part, the schedule is pretty accurate.


I hope you join me in experiencing the excitement of the Women's Gold Cup! Good luck to all of the teams participating.

I'll be seeing you all very soon, I can guarantee you that.

Until then,

Denise

Attention Women's Soccer Fans!

Very good news regarding this competition below!



Hello everyone! There's an important piece of news that I think deserves its own post. I will mention it again when I write later about the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup, but this news needed to have its own segment. As you know, the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup begins tomorrow, and for us here in the United States (and I'm sure for other countries around the world), the big sports networks have ignored the competition, and are not televising the games. This is quite ridiculous, seeing as it would be unheard of to not have Men's World Cup qualifiers and even Men's Euro Cup qualifiers aired in not only the USA, but also everywhere else in the world. However, as all of us women's soccer fans know, sexism is still alive and well when it comes to the world of sports. But, I have amazing news for you. We do not have to resort to our beloved match tracker this time around! The good news is, concacaf.com is going to be streaming the games live, and for free! Yep, I know, take a minute to rub your eyes and shake your head to see if what I wrote is actually on the screen. Because, it is. In fact, I read it on the USWNT blog, which I have link to on the right sidebar. The only thing you have to do is register to the website, which takes no more than a minute. You know the deal, name, email address, what's your pet's name, the whole 9 yards. After you register, you will have complete access to CONCACAF TV, which is the website's streamed webcasts of the games. So, if you're a fan of any of the teams in the Gold Cup, or if you're just a women's soccer fan who can't get enough of the sport and loves to watch any game, you're in luck! I'm pretty sure CONCACAF TV will be streaming all of the games from their website. So, get ready to watch some Gold Cup action everyone!


Thanks to CONCACAF for acknowledging the women's game and the importance of the Gold Cup, and for giving us fans the ability to see our own teams play in this extremely important competition!


Coming up in a little while is a post on the actual Gold Cup competition, and I'm probably also going to write an opinion segment on the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award, and the list of 10 nominees who were announced recently.

(I still have to get pictures up for a few posts, including this one. I'll be sure to do that when I publish the other upcoming posts)

See you back here soon!

Denise

Koreans Triumph Over Australians To Win The 2010 Peace Queen Cup

Korea Republic are the Champions of the 2010 Peace Queen Cup, after defeating Australia 2-1 in the Final.


Hey everyone, sorry to report this news kinda late, I got caught up in some stuff this weekend. But, anyway, I'm here to talk about the final results of the Peace Queen Cup. Korea Republic beat Australia in the final 2-1. This result came as a total surprise to me, in all honesty. I seriously thought the Matildas were going to win, especially having won both their group games, scoring 4 goals, while the Koreans could only tie with their opponents, not even mustering up 1 goal in their entire group campaign. In fact, Korea Republic could just as likely have missed the final, getting in only by way of a draw. But, this is soccer, and results vary from match to match, and nothing is ever certain. Korea Republic is not going to Germany in 2011, but they played well and won a tournament in which many of the teams are World Cup goers, and also potential World Cup goers. So, hats off to Korea who held their own out there, and won the Peace Queen Cup! As for the Aussies, this loss is gonna hurt, but they're just gonna have to dust off and work on whatever they need to work on. They've still got time to smooth out the edges come World Cup! Also, its fair to note that Australia is missing a few instrumental players in their line-up, and still did excellently. With a full squad, the already dangerous Aussies will be even more lethal. They'll be facing Germany in a big upcoming friendly on the 28th. Both teams have a talented squad and it'll be interesting to see them go head to head. However, the Aussies are probably at a disadvantage going in since they still don't have their full squad. Still, it should be interesting to see how that one turns out.

Once again, congratulations to the Korea Republic. Sometimes I think FIFA should bump up the number of teams in the Women's World Cup. A lot of teams who didn't get a spot still play excellently. Take Korea Republic and China PR for example, and some of the UEFA teams who simply got unlucky.

Well, that's all for now! The post on the CONCACAF Gold Cup is coming either tomorrow (later today, technically), or by Wednesday at the latest. See you all again soon (and I'll get a picture for this post, I'm writing this from my Nintendo Wii which doesn't allow some standard options).

Until then,

Denise

Get Ready For A Lot Of News!

You know what this soccer ball means. Get ready to read a ton of news and updates!



Hello fellow Women's soccer fans! I figured I'd do one big post today on everything going on. Today, we're going to be talking about the 2010 Peace Queen Cup, the WPS Expansion Draft protection lists, some upcoming events, and I'll also mention a cause that I think you guys would want to get involved in! Let's start, because we've got a lot to cover!


2010 Peace Queen Cup- The competition's group stage is finished, as the last 2 matches were played today. Here are the scores and group information:

Group A- Mexico won their match against Chinese Taipei 1-0, ending their Peace Queen Cup campaign with a win and a defeat. They will now head back to their home country where they will host the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup. Chinese Taipei is going home completely empty-handed. They are not going to Germany in 2011, and they certainly aren't going to the final of the Peace Queen Cup, as their group stage campaign ended with them notching 2 losses. They were simply an invite. Out of Group A, its Australia, with 2 victories in group play, who are going to the Final.


Group B- In Group B, things were decided a little differently. Today's match, the final one of the group, saw New Zealand tie England 0-0. An excellent result for New Zealand, who typically loses to the higher ranked teams. I gotta say, hats of to the Football Ferns! They are looking like serious contenders for the World Cup...do I sense a dark horse team emerging? They've held their own against everyone so far in this competition. Anyways, all the games in Group B have ended in scoreless ties, so the only way to decide who moved onto the final was through a draw. Korea Republic's name was drawn, and so by way of chance, Korea Republic will face off against Australia in the 2010 Peace Queen Cup Final, on the 23rd.


The Final- Australia vs. Korea Republic. Should be an interesting one for sure. Although, I would have liked to have seen New Zealand in the final, and if not them, then England. I personally think they would have been better contenders, but what do I know, Korea Republic might make for a great opponent. Either way, I still say Australia takes the Cup. We'll see on the 23rd!



WPS Expansion Draft- Alrighty everyone, promised that I'd talk about the Expansion Draft. The lists I'm gonna post here are the ones I borrowed from womensprosoccer.com. Here are the lists. I don't know some of the names on them, especially the unprotected list. By they way, I'll put my little two-sense, if I have any, next to the player's name on each list:

Unprotected Players
Kaley Fountain (Atlanta Beat)

Angie Kerr (Atlanta Beat)- surprised Atlanta isn't keeping her actually. She was co-captain with McNeill. Guess she wasn't working out. Although not many people did that stellar on the Beat.

Johanna Rasmussen (Atlanta Beat)- she seemed alright for the Beat. Well, Atlanta did pretty terrible last year, guess they need to do a lot of remodeling.

Liz Bogus (Boston Breakers)

Cynthia Morote-Ariza (Boston Breakers)

Ashley Phillips (Boston Breakers)- She started for Boston, then Naeher took over the spot. Guess Boston just simply doesn't need her, neither will they use her now that Naeher is their number one. She might be better off starting on a new team.

Ji So-Yun (Boston Breakers – hold WPS rights)
Kelsey Davis (Chicago Red Stars)

Jessica McDonald (Chicago Red Stars)- saw her once in the opening FSC game for the 2010 year, and never saw her again. Guess they're letting her go.

Julianne Sitch (Chicago Red Stars)- she's a player that I liked back when she played with Sky Blue FC. She's actually one of those players that, if you give her a chance to shine, she might turn out to be a good player. Perfect example, Joanna Lohmann. Philly gave her a starting spot and she did great. A year before while she was on the Freedom, no one knew she existed. Going to the Buffalo Flash, or whatever they'll be called, might give Sitch that chance to shine.

Brittany Cameron (FC Gold Pride)
Rosie Tantillo (FC Gold Pride)

Kim Yokers (FC Gold Pride)- played on FC Gold Pride for 2 seasons. I don't know much about her, but I guess FC Gold Pride, being the champions, had higher priority people they wanted to protect.

Heather Mitts (Philadelphia Independence)- this is the second time Mitts will be up for grabs. She's a good defender, so the new team might wanna pick her up to anchor the back line.

Lyndsey Patterson (Philadelphia Independence)
Sarah Senty (Philadelphia Independence)
Shannon Myers (Sky Blue FC)
Angela Salem (Sky Blue FC)
India Trotter (Sky Blue FC)

Jill Gilbeau (Washington Freedom)- she didn't seem like that bad of a player. Guess the Freedom are letting her go.

Beverly Goebel (Washington Freedom)- she didn't seem bad either. But, I don't know what plans the Freedom have.

Christie Welsh (Washington Freedom)- I personally like Welsh. She is not a bad player at all, and if she got a chance, she might do well. Maybe she should go to the Flash, and get a starting position.

These, my friends, are the unprotected players. Every single one of them is subject to being drafted by the new franchise, situated in Western New York. However, if one team loses 2 players, the rest of their unprotected players will be automatically protected. So, that means that no one team can lose more than 2 players. Most of these players are one's who haven't played much. I don't even recognize the names of some of them. Hopefully though, these players will showcase their potential on a new team, where they can probably start.


Protected Players
Eniola Aluko (Atlanta Beat)
Lori Chalupny (Atlanta Beat)
Tina Ellertson (Atlanta Beat)
Tobin Heath (Atlanta Beat)
Lauren Sesselmann (Atlanta Beat)
Jordan Angeli (Boston Breakers)
Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers)
Ifeoma Dieke (Boston Breakers)
Taryn Hemmings (Boston Breakers)
Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers)
Kristine Lilly (Boston Breakers)
Alyssa Naeher (Boston Breakers)
Leslie Osborne (Boston Breakers)
Alex Scott (Boston Breakers)
Kelly Smith (Boston Breakers)
Veronica Boquete (Chicago Red Stars)
Karen Carney (Chicago Red Stars)
Marian Dalmy (Chicago Red Stars)
Whitney Engen (Chicago Red Stars)
Karina LeBlanc (Chicago Red Stars)
Jillian Loyden (Chicago Red Stars)
Ella Masar (Chicago Red Stars)
Casey Nogueira (Chicago Red Stars)
Megan Rapinoe (Chicago Red Stars)
Natalie Spilger (Chicago Red Stars)
Kiki Bosio (FC Gold Pride)
Carrie Dew (FC Gold Pride)
Becky Edwards (FC Gold Pride)
Kristen Graczyk (FC Gold Pride)
Marta (FC Gold Pride)
Tiffeny Milbrett (FC Gold Pride)
Ali Riley (FC Gold Pride)
Kandace Wilson (FC Gold Pride)
Danesha Adams (Philadelphia Independence)
Jennifer Buczkowski (Philadelphia Independence)
Allison Falk (Philadelphia Independence)
Val Henderson (Philadelphia Independence)
Nikki Krzysik (Philadelphia Independence)
Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence)
Joanna Lohman (Philadelphia Independence)
Holmfridur Magnusdottir (Philadelphia Independence)
Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence)
Caroline Seger (Philadelphia Independence)
Karen Bardsley (Sky Blue FC)
Jenni Branam (Sky Blue FC)
Kiersten Dallstream (Sky Blue FC)
Kendall Fletcher (Sky Blue FC)
Danielle Johnson (Sky Blue FC)
Laura Kalmari (Sky Blue FC)
Heather O'Reilly (Sky Blue FC)
Brittany Taylor (Sky Blue FC)
Kristi Eveland (Washington Freedom)
Nikki Marshall (Washington Freedom)
Erin McLeod (Washington Freedom)
Becky Sauerbrunn (Washington Freedom)
Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)

This is the protected list. I am gonna save my 2 sense however for this one and just say that I agree with pretty much everyone who was protected. I'm happy to see all of these players returning with their teams.


WPS Free Agents
Marisa Abegg
Camille Abily
Anita Asante
Yael Averbuch
Ramona Bachmann
Nicole Barnhart
Stacy Bishop
Carolyn Blank
Brittany Bock
Sonia Bompastor
Shannon Boxx
Rachel Buehler
Meghann Burke
Candace Chapman
Katie Chapman
Stephanie Cox
Cristiane
Niki Cross
Laura Del Rio
Lisa DeVanna
Gina DiMartino
Tina DiMartino
Keeley Dowling
Fabiana
Formiga
Jen Grubb
Solveig Gulbrandsen
Erin Guthrie
Ashlyn Harris
Kelly Henderson
Sarah Huffman
Chioma Igwe
Estelle Johnson
Robyn Jones
Natasha Kai
Brittany Klein
Daphne Koster
Sara Larsson
Allison Lipsher
Carli Lloyd
Mallori Lofton-Malachi
Allie Long
Manya Makoski
Brett Maron
Analisa Marquez
Meagan McCray
Kia McNeill
Caitlin Miskel
Kasey Moore
Rebecca Moros
Lene Mykjåland
Rebecca Nolin
Monica Ocampo
Kelley O'Hara
Patrizia Panico
Kelly Parker
Christie Rampone
Sophie Reiser
Katherine Reynolds
Leigh Ann Robinson
Rosana
Lianne Sanderson
Homare Sawa
Meghan Schnur
Christine Sinclair
Hope Solo
Lindsay Tarpley
Lydia Vandenbergh
Sarah Walsh
Nikki Washington
Elise Weber
Kacey White
Cat Whitehill
Allison Whitworth
Mami Yamaguchi
McCall Zerboni


These are the Free Agents. What this pretty much means is that these players' contracts have expired. These players cannot be picked during the Expansion Draft. There will be a Free Agency period following the Expansion Draft, in which teams can negotiate with the Free Agents. Most of these players will likely renew their contracts with their original teams, but there's a chance that we might see some moves. Imagine seeing Sinclair or Kai on a new team! It might happen, you never know, the off-season is a time of many surprises, and there might be some surprises coming up! I personally want to see an exciting surprise move.

The Expansion Draft is November 4th, and it will be followed by a Free Agency period, and then probably an International Draft shortly after.


Upcoming Events- Along with all of this other stuff happening, there will be other events. Here they are:

Sweden vs. Norway (October 26th)- Should be a good game, 2 great Scandinavian teams right there. A good test to see where they stand, especially in regards to each other, and a great way to get in some practice less than a year away from World Cup.


Germany vs. Australia (October 28th)- This match is sure to be a good one. Germany is a strong team, number 2 in the world, but I'm telling you, the Aussies have been impressing me. They're on a roll right now. Quite the team to reckon with. I think these 2 are some of the top contenders going into the World Cup. Curious to see how this one will pan out.


UEFA Loser Play-offs- Almost forgot about these guys! 5th place in Europe is up for grabs. Italy will face off against Switzerland on October 23rd and 27th to decide who will be named the 5th place team in the UEFA region. The winner will play against the 3rd place CONCACAF team in late November for the rights to the final spot in Germany 2011.

CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup (October 28th-November 8th)

CAF Africa Women's Championship (October 29th-November 14th)

CONMEBOL Futbol Femenino (November 4th-November 21st)


Petition- Listen up my fellow women's soccer fans! You guys want to see WPS get the attention it deserves right? One of the first steps is getting ESPN to list WPS info and stats on its bottomline, where they list stats and such for all the major sports, along with collegiate and even high school. WPS definitely deserves to be there! Women's sports deserve more attention, and our beloved WPS is no exception! I'm posting a link below for you guys to sign a petition to get ESPN to post WPS league stats, etc. on its bottom line. Maybe we can make a difference. Really, it takes no more than 1 minute of your time, if even. All us Women's soccer fans gotta pull together to help promote the sport and help get our players and the league the attention it deserves! So please, sign it! Here's the link:

http://womensrights.change.org/petitions/view/espn_please_help_promote_womens_professional_soccer

Let's help the WPS get the attention it should be getting! The league and the players definitely deserve it.


OK everyone, that's it for today's combo post. Hope you enjoyed reading! I'll be back later, or sometime during the weekend with the post on the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup. See you again real soon!

Until then,

Denise

Updates And Other Important News

Hello fellow women's soccer fans! You're here to get your daily dose of news and updates right? Of course you are! So, let's get started:


2010 Peace Queen Cup- Today saw some more action in the 2010 edition of the Peace Queen Cup. Here's what happened in today's matches:

England vs. Korea Republic- Both of these teams fought to a 0-0 tie. That was a bit of a surprise I think, since England is one of the stronger teams in the Women's soccer world, ranked at 9, while Korea Republic is ranked at 21. Its good practice for England though. And as for Korea, they're holding up pretty well against their opponents so far. Not scoring any, but not conceding either.


Australia vs. Chinese Taipei- The Matildas beat the Chinese 1-0. The one goal was just enough to edge out their opponents. So far, Australia seems to be the dominant team in this competition. The other qualified teams better watch out...Australia is looking strong, and we're less than a year away from World Cup.


WPS Expansion Draft- Here's some good news! The date of the Expansion draft was mentioned, and as I promised I'd tell you as soon as I found out. The date of the Draft is going to be November 4th, so mark your calendars. You can follow the actual draft on WPS' twitter. However, the most exciting thing regarding this draft, is that tomorrow, at 5pm ET, the protected lists will be announced. The protected list is the list that each team has, with 10 of their players protected from being picked in the draft. At least 3 players on each team, however, must be left unprotected. I'll be sure to give you all the information on the protected lists here, probably tomorrow, and if not tomorrow then by Thursday for sure! I'll post the lists and I'll give you my opinions on them as well.


USWNT- the USWNT players were scheduled to depart today for Mexico, in order to meet a little in advance to prepare for the Women's Gold Cup which starts on the 28th.

Well everyone, I think that's it for today. Remember, there will be an upcoming post on the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup.

Have a good one!

Until then,

Denise

2010 Peace Queen Cup In Progress

The 2010 Peace Queen Cup is underway



Hey everyone, here to talk about the progress of the Peace Queen Cup! Actually, to be honest with you, I didn't even know there was a "Peace Queen Cup" in progress. I figured it was a little odd that so many of the teams (England, New Zealand, Mexico, etc.) were all having friendlies in "Suwon". I figured "Well, Suwon isn't in Mexico, Enlgand, or New Zealand, but its in Korea...maybe its a Peace Queen Cup?" But I ruled out the possibility of a Peace Queen Cup, because I only knew of the 2006 one, and thought they stopped them. But, I started following the Women's game directly after the 2008 Peace Queen Cup, so my experience and knowledge of this tournament is still building. I did think that a Peace Queen Cup was a possibility, so yesterday when I looked up the scores and found out that this bunch of "October friendlies", which I liked to call it, was actually the 2010 Peace Queen Cup, I wasn't really surprised. So, I guess my hunch was right, and now I'll refer to it by its rightful name, rather than how I previously referred to it: "This amazing group of October Friendlies!" So, anyway, aside from my little personal anecdote, the Cup is underway, and 2 of the games have already been played. Since there is no existing Wikipedia article on the specific 2010 edition of the competition, I had to fish around the web for the scores. Here they are:



Australia vs. Mexico: Australia beat Mexico 3-1 in their opening match of the competition. This bodes pretty well for the Matildas. Mexico isn't the easiest team on the block, so to beat them 3-1 is certainly a plus. Judging by their current performance, and their Asian Cup victory, the Aussies are looking like quite the team to reckon with. As for Mexico, they're going to want to step it up; they've got World Cup Qualifiers coming up in 10 days, when they play in the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup. Next up for Australia and Mexico is Chinese Taipei. The Matildas take them on tomorrow, and Mexico will play them on the 21st.


Korea Republic vs. New Zealand: These 2 teams fought to a 0-0 deadlock yesterday. This result isn't a bad one for New Zealand, who has qualified for Germany 2011. Korea Republic is ranked higher than them, so a tie is showing they can definitely keep up. We'll have to see what happens when they play England on the 21st. As for the Korea Republic, they too will face England, tomorrow on the 19th.


That's all for now on the Peace Queen Cup! Tomorrow there will be 2 games:

England vs. Korea Republic
Australia vs. Chinese Taipei

As for these games, they are being broadcasted in Kore; I checked the official site. So, for all of you followers who live in Korea, you can probably get these games! As for everyone else in the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, or wherever you live, its going to be a little harder, and its probably not going to be on TV unless you somehow get Korean channels. So, for us, it might actually be possible to find a live web stream or webcast of these games. Unfortunately, I'll be unable to watch since I'll be busy during the game times tomorrow, however, for the upcoming matches, I'll try to see if the Korean channels that are broadcasting do a live stream. Also, it might be a good idea to check places like justin.tv. Good luck fishing around the web for all of you fellow fans! If you find any links that stream the games, send 'em to me, because chances are they will stream the remaining games in the competition!

I'll be sure to check tomorrow's scores as soon as I get the chance, and I'll talk about them on here. Also coming up is an in depth post on the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup. I'll list the Groups, matches, and maybe even some predictions! That'll be coming up soon; either tomorrow, Wednesday, or Thursday.

Have a good one!

Until then,

Denise

Quick Hits Calendar

Hey everyone! I realized that for the first time in a while, I've covered pretty much every upcoming event in depth. Usually, I have almost no time to catch my breath before I have to cover the next topic, which is great, because that means that I will always have something to write about (which I love doing. Why else do you think I'm on here so often?), and it also means that the women's soccer world is busy, and that means that us fans will have tons of exciting action and events to keep up on! But, I must have covered all of it, because I wrote in depth about the upcoming friendlies and qualifiers a few times. And, I did my daily information check, to see if there are any new upcoming matches, news, or if there were any current off-season events with WPS, and there seems to be nothing. So, I'll just write a little quick hits post for all of you guys, just in case you guys need a reminder on some of the upcoming friendlies and qualifiers (and also because I need an excuse to write about women's soccer!), so let's start!


October 17th- Australia vs. Mexico
New Zealand vs. Korea Republic

October 19th- Australia vs. Chinese Taipei
England vs. Korea Republic

October 21st- England vs. New Zealand

October 26th- Sweden vs. Norway

October 28th- Australia vs. Germany


As far as friendlies go, that's what's coming up. As for the qualifiers that are coming up, I'll post specific matches closer to the actual start of each competition.

As I said in an earlier post (probably yesterday's), I mentioned that I was going to be searching for either live streams, or webcasts of these matches. Chances are I won't have any luck, because its hard to come by women's matches especially on the computer (it kinda sucks that the women's international teams only really get coverage in their region/continent. It should be like the Men's teams, where the foreign team matches are televised on widely watched channels. But, we're still working on that one. Baby steps I guess. I don't think Gold Cup will even be televised at all, let alone in the USA, which is a complete and total farce. If they can do it for the men, they should do it for the women. Maybe that way Women's soccer wouldn't be as obscure as it is and we'd probably actually get more mainstream fans. Its completely unfair that the Germany men's team for example can have a friendly televised everywhere, but the German Women's team is only televised in Germany, if even! They should be televising all of the women's matches like they do with the men's. Especially qualifying competitions. It would be unheard of to not put men's WC or even EURO qualifying on TV. With women's teams, you'd be lucky. Its pathetic. Sorry, little off track there). But anyway, should I find one (best chance is with Australia vs. Germany), then I'll post the link on here when I find it. Of course I'll make sure it works first. If it does, I'll post it so you guys can follow along.


Ok everyone, that's it for today I think. See you soon!

Until then,

Denise

The Busy Year Continues

Its the famous soccer ball! You know what that means right? Combo Post!



Well, there has been a lot going on this year. Have to say, I thought that happenings were going to be scarce after WPS. But, there's been plenty of things to talk about. Between Women's World Cup qualifiers, friendlies, and WPS off-season events, things have not been the least bit boring in the Women's Soccer World. And the best part is, its never-ending. There's always new stuff coming up to look forward to. A lot of it is also thanks to the fact that this is the year before WWC, meaning lots of qualifying and friendlies. So, onto business here. We've got a few things to cover today.


LeBlanc's Move- Canadian GK Karina LeBlanc will be playing for the Chicago Red Stars come the 2011 season. The Independence traded her in exchange for draft picks in one of the upcoming WPS drafts. This will be the 2nd consecutive season where LeBlanc has switched teams during the off-season. She's a great GK, and I think that maybe this was a good move for her. Paul Riley began using Val Henderson over LeBlanc towards the end of 2010. Both are great keepers, and this will give both the start they deserve on their respective teams. Although, LeBlanc is going to have to compete for playing time with Jill Loyden, the current 2nd string GK for the USWNT. Good luck to LeBlanc on the Red Stars! I think this is first trade for the WPS off-season so far.


Markgraf Retires- Kate Markgraf, a long time player for the USWNT, has decided to retire from professional soccer. The 34 year old veteran, who played in the famous 1999 World Cup, ended her career with 201 caps, an accomplishment only a few players have achieved. She missed the inaugural WPS season with a pregnancy, but she came back in 2010 to play for the Red Stars, and was also called up to the USWNT again in July after her absence. But, unfortunately, she decided this was the end of the road for her career. That leaves us with only 3 of the '99 veterans remaining: Rampone, Milbrett, and Lilly. Thanks Markgraf for everything you've done for the Red Stars, the USWNT, and women's soccer in general!


USWNT Roster Announced- Yesterday, the roster of players that Sundhage chose to bring to qualifying in Mexcio was released. Here it is (borrowed it from ussoccer.com, as usual):

GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Jill Loyden (Chicago Red Stars)

DEFENDERS (7): Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers), Ali Krieger (FFC Frankfurt), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Philadelphia Independence), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (Washington Freedom)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Yael Averbuch (Sky Blue FC), Shannon Boxx (FC Gold Pride), Kristine Lilly (Boston Breakers), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (Chicago Red Stars)

FORWARDS (4): Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Alex Morgan (California), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)

Not a lot of surprises here really. The same people we've seen in the past few friendlies will be making their way to Mexico. I'm personally happy with everyone that's on the list. The squad is a great combination of experience, but also youth too. There's strength in every single category. I think we've got a great squad going in. The players are currently taking their week off before they depart for Mexico on the 19th. The team's first match will be against Haiti, on October 28th.


That's pretty much it for now everyone. Don't forget, there's a huge string of friendlies happening this month, from the 17th - the 28th. When those are done, the remaining qualifiers start! There's no time to catch your breath before the next event starts, but I'm certainly not complaining! For us fans, this is women's soccer heaven right now.

Remember, catch the upcoming friendlies starting the 17th. I'll be posting the scores on here. And, I might even fish around the internet for a webcast. If I find anything that works, I might post a link to the stream for you guys. Chances are I won't find anything though, so I'll just check the scores and keep you posted. Thanks for stopping by, and don't be afraid to leave a comment or something!

See you again pretty soon!

Denise

A Little Bit of Good News

Your chance to get USWNT gear is coming soon.



For all of you fans of the USWNT, you probably know that its pretty hard to get your hands on their gear, especially jerseys. I asked World Soccer Shop not that long ago about when and if they would get them in stock, but their answer didn't indicate that they'd be getting the USA Women's jerseys any time soon. The only thing they've had is training pants, and that's been the only thing up there for quite a long time. My friend recently asked U.S. Soccer about it, and they said that they would be getting the latest U.S. Women's gear in stock at the beginning of 2011. That includes jerseys. So, for all you fans out there who have been looking for a jersey, but haven't been successful, now you know when its coming. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled in early 2011 for the gear! I know I'm going to be getting my hands on a jersey as soon as possible. Just thought I'd let you guys know.


As for USWNT action, Sundhage hasn't released her roster yet, but I'm expecting that it will be announced tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest.

Have a good one,

Denise

What To Look Forward To

The famous soccer ball is back! Come on, you know you missed it.



Hey everyone, hope you've been enjoying the weekend. Happy Columbus Day, and Happy Thanksgiving to all you folks up in Canada! I'm here today to mention some upcoming events in the Women's Soccer World. There are a ton of friendlies this month, and not only that, but the CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, and the CAF regions all begin their Women's World Cup Qualifiers at the end of this month or the beginning of November. Let's take a look at what's going to be happening soon:


Friendlies To Watch
Now that Women's World Cup Qualifiers have ended for the UEFA, AFC, and OFC regions, the teams who have earned a spot in Germany will begin scheduling and playing friendlies, most likely against other teams who also grabbed a ticket to Germany. Here's a few that are going to be pretty important, especially to see where each team currently stands among their fellow World Cup goers.



Australia vs. Mexico (October 17th)- This match is for the Matildas to get in some practice against one of the top CONCACAF contenders; Mexico. For Mexico, this is a practice match for them before they head to qualifying. As with the other friendlies, the result will be indicative of where each team stands in comparison to the other.


Australia vs. Chinese Taipei (October 19th)- Chinese Taipei aren't going to really get anything from this match, as they haven't qualified for the World Cup. This is mainly a practice match for the Aussies.


Korea Republic vs. England (October 19th)- Both of these teams have earned themselves a one-way ticket to Germany. This match will give them a feel for the other.

New Zealand vs. England (October 21st)- New Zealand, the Champions of the OFC, just barreled through their qualifiers. Can they trample England, too? This will be an important match to see if New Zealand can truly hang with the big girls.

Sweden vs. Norway (October 26th)- Two dominant teams in the Scandinavian region who are big contenders going into the World Cup. Do not let the title of "friendly" fool you. These two teams are going in to test each other.

Australia vs. Germany (October 28th)- One of the biggest friendlies this month has to offer. The Matildas will be going in most likely as underdogs against the host nation, who are the reigning World Cup Champions, Euro Cup Champions, and stand at # 2 in World Rankings. This match is going to test both teams, and the result will show each team exactly where they stand in relation to the other.


These friendlies aren't really friendly at all. Each team going in wants to see who they're better than, where they currently stand in relation to their opponents, and will also want to see what they need to work on. These games are really just tests, they're not friendlies at all. Its a feeling out process to see who's who going into the World Cup. There's some pretty good ones coming up, so mark your calendars! Of course I'll announce the scores of these friendlies as they happen.



UEFA Loser Play-offs

Italy vs. Switzerland (October 23rd and 27th)- These 2 have made it through the first round of play-offs, and will now face each other in the final round of UEFA Loser Play-offs. They'll be playing a doubleheader against each other. Whoever accumulates the highest aggregate after both matches, will be named the 5th spot in Europe. The team who is named 5th in UEFA will have to play a match against the 3rd place CONCACAF team. Whoever wins that match will clinch the final spot in Germany.


Remaining Regional Women's World Cup Qualifiers

CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup (October 28th-November 8th)- This is the qualifying competition for North and Central America + the Caribbean. It will be taking place in Cancun, Mexico. Here are the groups:

Group A- Canada, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana

Group B- United States, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Haiti

I posted the schedule for the Gold Cup a few posts back, so you could probably check it out there if you're curious. I'll probably re-post it when we get closer to the competition's start. The Champions and Runners-Up (1st and 2nd place) get a one-way ticket to Germany come 2011. The 3rd place team has to play against the 5th place team in the UEFA confederation in a battle for the final spot in the Women's World Cup.


CAF Women's Football Championship (October 31st-November 14th)
This is the qualifying competition for the African region. It will be taking place in South Africa. Here are the groups:

Group A- South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Mali

Group B- Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Algeria, Ghana

This competition, like all the other remaining, follows the standard format. The groups will play their matches, the top 2 teams from each will advance to their respective Semifinal spot, and the winners will advance to the final, while the losers play-off in the 3rd place match. In the CAF, the 2 finalists qualify for the World Cup and will be traveling to Germany in 2011.



CONMEBOL Sudamericano Femenino (November 2nd-November 21st)
This is the qualifying competition for the South American region. It will be taking place in Ecuador. Here's the groups:

Group A- Ecuador, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Chile

Group B- Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela

The 2 finalists will automatically qualify for the World Cup and will be headed for Germany.


The qualifying for the Women's World Cup officially closes on November 27th, when the 3rd place CONCACAF team and the 5th place UEFA team play-off for the final spot in Germany. I'm not sure on this one, but I think the Draw for the Women's World Cup gorups will take place some time in December.


Well, I think that's about it on the news everyone! Next up on the blog will probably be a post on Sundhage's USWNT roster of players that she'll be taking down to Mexico for the Women's Gold Cup. Training in Philly for the USWNT concluded yesterday. The players now have a week off, and during that time, Sundhage will release the roster.

See you soon!

Denise

Three Confederations Down, Three To Go.

Hello everyone! The OFC has finished with its qualifying, which means we now have a regional Champion who's headed for Germany come 2011. And that Champion is New Zealand. In reality, no one in the OFC could even stand a chance against them. New Zealand was crowned the OFC Champion after they destroyed Papua New Guinea 11-0 in the Final. In the 3rd place consolation match, the Cook Islands defeated the Solomon Islands 2-0. And that marks the end of Women's World Cup qualifiers for Oceania. There are only 3 confederations who have yet to do their qualifying, and that is the AFC (Africa), CONMEBOL (South America), and CONCACAF (North and Central America + Caribbean). The remaining confederations are set to begin qualifying in late October, and will end their campaigns in early-mid November. I'll make sure to keep up on all of that.

That's all for today people. The next thing we'll discuss is likely to be some important upcoming friendlies, and also Sundhage's roster of USWNT players she chose for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. That should be announced sometime tomorrow or Sunday.

Until next time,

Denise

Wake-Up Call

Not the best of games for the USWNT. They're going to have to work on a couple of things after their 1-1 tie to China PR.


Yesterday, the USWNT faced off against China PR in the second and final match of their doubleheader. As I sat on my couch, all excited to be seeing the USA play on TV, I never once thought that I'd be getting anxious about losing. Turns out, I was quite wrong. The game started up, and as in any soccer game, the first few minutes are kind of a settle down period, you can relax your nerves, settle down, and get into a rhythm. However, the USA's settle down period never quite came, until the very end of the match. For the entire first half, the USA looked unorganized, and was playing the polar opposite of how they usually do. Usually, they play accurate and precise, sometimes quick passing sequences that open up space, but yesterday, their passes were inaccurate, sloppy, and a lot of turn-overs resulted. The USA had a very hard time adjusting to a good attacking rhythm, and they had a hard time keeping the ball at midfield. I could tell right away that the team I was watching wasn't the typical USWNT. China took advantage of this, and ended up scoring late in the first half, off a cross from the left. The defense tried to get it out, but Ma Jun found the ball and volleyed it right over Barnhart. I couldn't believe it. I've never seen the USWNT go down a goal, or lose a game since I've been following (about 2 or 3 years now) and I thought "The USWNT? Losing a game? That's impossible, that just doesn't happen! The only way that would happen is if it were the Apocalypse or something." But, it started to seem like it was a possibility, although I never thought it was definitely going to happen. It wasn't a fluke, like the USA was really the better team and China just got a lucky goal, because that wasn't true. The truth was that the USA was losing, and no one cheated for it to be that way either. They were legitimately losing, and it showed that they aren't invincible to going down a goal, and they aren't invincible to poor performances. It happens even to the best. But, I knew that the USWNT would come back. They always find a way. And, they found their way in the 2nd half. The 2nd half was like the first, however, china began to play very defensively, while the USA was pushing on attack. China's only offensive efforts came off of failed counter-attacks. Sundhage put in Tarpley and Lilly at half-time, and while they did add an extra spark, the USA would not get their chance until the 71st when Sundhage sent Alex Morgan and Yael Averbuch into the match. Averbuch did a great job in the midfield and helped to change the game around. Alex Morgan was a huge breath of fresh air, since A-Rod was struggling as usual in the USWNT jersey, bombing a lot of her shots on goal throughout the match. Cheney also made her way into the game at some point, but I forget when! Morgan was just what the doctor ordered, and the 21 year old got her first goal as a WNT player in the 83rd minute. Abby Wambach headed the ball back for Morgan in the 18, and about 9 yards out on the right side, she unleashed a powerful shot with her left foot that just sailed into the upper left side of the net. Wambach got credited with the assist, while Morgan scored her first ever USWNT goal (Its pretty funny though actually. I guess it was destined to happen that way. Anyone remember the Germany game back on May 22nd? In stoppage time, Wambach and Morgan were 2 v 1 against Angerer. Wambach passed it to Morgan, who stuffed it into the net. That goal, which was going to be her first for the WNT, was called offsides, even though it wasn't. But, Wambach ended up assisting Morgan's first ever goal anyways, against China PR. That kind of makes up for the bad call in the Germany game. I guess that just goes to show, if something is meant to be, its going to happen eventually! I have a feeling we're going to be seeing the Morgan-Wambach combination a lot more often). And, I thought we were going to win the damn game too. The referee announced 4 minutes of stoppage time, and the USA had momentum in their favor. They attacked like they wanted to win. At some point, Cheney released a through ball to Morgan who was in space, but the pass went a little too close to the China GK, who cleared it out. But, in about the 4th minute of stoppage time, Morgan was about 6 yards out, and was involved in a huge scramble in front of China's goal. I thought for sure she would get her 2nd and we would win the match. But, there were too many defenders and the angle would have created a poor shot, so it was cleared out before Morgan could find any room to breathe. I almost thought we had it though, I was up off my couch with my face practically on top of the TV screen. But, we tied, and I'll take that over a loss any day. Have to say though, if Morgan got that 2nd goal to win the game for us in stoppage time, I'd be willing to bet she'd have a monument erected in her honor! In all seriousness though, we started looking like the good old USWNT towards the last 10 or 15 minutes. Otherwise, we had a sloppy and poor game. Congratulations to Morgan though, for getting her first ever goal! And nice assist, Wambach. That striker combination is going to be promising. The subs who came in did a good job of helping turn the game around. This game though, as I like to call it, is a wake-up call. The USA is an amazing team, and I truly believe they are the best, but that doesn't mean they're invincible from losses. This is soccer, and anything can happen. I think they need to work on sharpening up their passing, and they have to work on staying calm and developing a good attacking rhythm. Like I said, we didn't see the USWNT out there. They just have to work on getting their rhythm back, keeping possession (and not making turn overs) and getting back that precise and deadly passing. This is important for them to work on, especially since Women's World Cup qualifying awaits them in Mexico. I think this match was just a little wake-up call, and nothing more, showing them that if they get too complacent, or don't work on their weaknesses enough, they will pay for it. I'm confident that the USA will tweak whatever they need to, and I'm sure they'll be back on form in no time. Look forward to seeing the USWNT back again.

The USWNT is going to be training in Philly until Saturday. After that, Sundhage will announce the players who will be heading to Mexico for the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup. The players on the roster will get one week off, and will then depart for Mexico on October 19th.


The Women's Gold Cup will take place from October 28th-November 8th. I'm hoping they put the games on TV, but I have a bad feeling that's not going to happen. To all the broadcasters out there, if you can't at least air the group stage games, then can you at least air the Semifinal and Final? Really, they should be televising the whole damn thing. The scarce broadcasting in women's soccer is freakin' ridiculous. But, if we can't watch it on TV, then it looks like its back to the good old match tracker: a women's soccer fan's best friend. But, I'm not complaining, because I'll support the USWNT in any way possible. I'll be sure to keep up on the Gold Cup, TV or no TV. You can be sure of that.

That's all for now everyone! I'll be back tomorrow, or on Saturday to report the results of the OFC. Also, on Sunday, Sundhage will release her roster of players that are going to Mexico, so we'll talk about that.


See you again soon,

Denise

Lots of News

You're probably sick of this soccer ball by now.


Hey everyone, back here at Just Another Soccer Fan. Lot's have been going on, so its time to talk soccer! Who though it would be this busy after WPS? I'm not complaining, in fact I'm pleasantly surprised! Here we go:


UEFA Loser Play-offs- Switzerland played Denmark today in their final match of the first round of play-offs. The first leg ended in favor of Switzerland at 3-1. Today, the match stayed at a 0-0 deadlock, which means Switzerland moves through to the 2nd round of play-offs. There, they'll be meeting up with Italy, and will face off against them in 2 matches, the first on October 23rd, and the 2nd on October 27th. Whoever triumphs will face off against the 3rd place CONCACAF team for the final Women's World Cup spot.


Jim Gabarra's move- He left the Washington Freedom a little while back, maybe a week or so after the Championship game. It turns out that now he's been named the Head Coach for Sky Blue FC. I thought he was leaving coaching altogether, but he leaves just to go to another team. What a turn-coat! No, just kidding, I wish him luck on Sky Blue. I'm sure Washington will find a great coach as well in this off-season!


Oceania 3rd Place Game/Final- tomorrow marks the end of Women's World Cup qualifying for the OFC. In the 3rd place game (which is more of a consolation match than anything, since only the regional Champion will be heading to Germany come 2011) will have the Cook Islands facing off against the Solomon Islands. In the final, New Zealand will be facing off against Papua New Guinea for the sole rights to head to Germany. The winner will be named Champion of the OFC, and will get a one way ticket to Germany in 2011. The loser will go home empty handed. New Zealand has looked super strong, as they've defeated all of their opponents by more than 6 goals in each match. Papua New Guinea will be looking to pull off the upset though. We'll find out what happens tomorrow, but my prediction is that New Zealand is way too strong to lose to anyone in the OFC. Good luck to both of them!


Hope you enjoyed this miscellaneous bunch of news! I'll be writing a little review of the USA vs. China PR match that took place yesterday, so check back here in a few to read that if you'd like.

Until then,

Denise

Roster Change

Hey everyone, I just visited the WNT blog, and Sundhage has made a few changes to the roster for tonight's match. I borrowed this from the USWNT blog. Here's the players you will likely be seeing tonight:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Jill Loyden (Chicago Red Stars)

DEFENDERS (5): Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Philadelphia Independence), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (Washington Freedom)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Yael Averbuch (Sky Blue FC), Shannon Boxx (FC Gold Pride), Kristine Lilly (Boston Breakers), Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (Chicago Red Stars), Lindsay Tarpley (Boston Breakers)

FORWARDS (4): Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Alex Morgan (California), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)


Morgan, Tarpley, and Sauerbrunn were included, but players like Lindsey, Harris, and Stephanie Cox were left off. I don't know why she chose to do this, but she's the coach and she knows best!

Remember: ESPN 2 at 7pm ET. Watch it.

Good luck to the USWNT!

Denise

Half Of The Day Is Done

Half the day is done, so let's talk OFC and UEFA

Hello everyone! I'm on here a little earlier than usual, and I already know some of the scores for the matches that took place today. Instead of waiting to do an entire Combo post later (though they are fun) I'll split today in half. Right now I'll cover the Oceania Qualifiers and the UEFA Loser Play-offs.


Oceania Qualifiers: Semifinals- The Results are in, and seeing as how the tournament has been going from the start, they aren't exactly a surprise. New Zealand once again thumped their opponents pretty hard, as they beat the Solomon Islands 8-0. Papua New Guinea won their Semifinal 1-0 against the Cook Islands. So, the Cook Islands will face off against the Solomon Islands in the consolation game for 3rd place, while New Zealand and Papua New Guinea will go head to head in the All-Or-Nothing Final match. The winner gets to pack up and head to Germany in 2011. The loser stays home in Oceania and can watch from their TV's. All I have to say is...good luck Papua New Guinea.


UEFA Loser Play-offs- Italy played against Ukraine today in the last match for their first round of play-offs. The first leg was 3-0 in favor of Italy, so the Italians didn't really have to kill themselves over it; the pressure was all on Ukraine. An aggregate like that is tough to come back from, and Ukraine just couldn't do it today. The match ended 0-0, which means Italy will be facing off against the winner of the Switzerland-Denmark match in the 2nd round of loser play-offs. Whoever wins that will be named the 5th spot team in UEFA, and will have the ability to play-off against the 3rd place CONCACAF team for the final spot in the Women's World Cup.


That's it for now everyone. Later, I'll be writing about the USWNT vs. China PR match, and maybe about some WPS transfer news/rumors.

Don't forget to tune in to see the USWNT take on China PR. Its on ESPN 2 starting at 7pm ET.

Enjoy the match!

See you again soon,

Denise

Reminder: Big Day Today

Hello everyone, here to give you a quick reminder, especially since there's a lot going on today. There are 2 main events:

USWNT vs. China PR- This is the 2nd and final match of the doubleheader between these two. Its going to be aired on television, so catch it on ESPN 2 at 7pm ET. I'd be willing to bet that you have this drilled into your head already, especially if you've read my last few posts. But this is just to remind you guys.


UEFA Loser Play-offs- Italy plays Ukraine tomorrow in the final match between these 2 in the first round of play-offs. The first leg ended 3-0 in Italy's favor.

That's all for now everybody! I'll be sure to give a match review for the USWNT-China PR game, along with the score of the UEFA match, a reminder of upcoming matches (there is a ton going on!), and maybe we can discuss some WPS rumors. Its past midnight here on the East Coast of the USA, so that's all for now everyone! I hope you all enjoy tomorrow's matches! (technically later today, but I don't really consider it the next day until I wake up in the morning).

Until then,

Denise

Its Updating Time

Its a cornucopia of news today. Read below for your daily updates!


Hello everyone, back here on Just Another Soccer Fan, doing the usual daily updates. In today's spotlight: Everything.


Oceania Qualifiers- Group A and B have finished up play, and the teams who are going to meet in the Semifinals have been determined. In Group A, New Zealand finished off strong against Tahiti, slamming them 7-0. The Cook Islands grabbed 2nd place in Group A after beating Vanuatu 2-0. As for Group B, Papua New Guinea grabbed the top spot with a total of 9 points after they defeated Tonga 3-0. The Solomon Islands just edged out Tonga by one point to grab the 2nd spot. The Solomon Islands ended with a total of 4 points after they fought to a draw with Fiji. In the Semifinals, New Zealand will face off against the Solomon Islands, and in the other match Papua New Guinea will take on the Cook Islands. In the OFC, only the winner of the regional competition will be headed to Germany. I don't know much about the OFC teams, but I'm going to predict a New Zealand vs. Papua New Guinea Final. I say New Zealand is going to make it to the World Cup. But, this is soccer, and upsets do happen. After all, 2011 is going to be the first Women's World Cup where we won't see China. So anything can happen. The Semifinal matches are going to take place on Wednesday the 6th.


UEFA Loser Play-offs- Yesterday, Switzerland beat Denmark in the first leg of their play-off match-up, 3-1. The 2nd leg will be played on the 7th. On the 6th, Italy will play Ukraine in their 2nd and final leg of the first round of play-offs for the losers. By the 7th we'll know who's facing off for the rights to the 5th spot in Europe, and also the ability to play against the 3rd place CONCACAF team for the final WWC spot.


USWNT vs. China PR- Of course I'm super excited for this one. It will actually be on TV too! Unfortunately we all had to miss the first one, or sit at our computer screens match tracking (which isn't as terrible as we all say it is, but I prefer TV any day of the week for sure). Its the 2nd match of the doubleheader against our long time rivals, China PR. And yes, it is on TV! As always, here's the TV info: Wednesday, the 6th, coverage starts at 7pm ET on ESPN 2. The roster for the match has been released. I'm going to post it here, but I borrowed it from ussoccer.com's WNT blog (which I have on my blog roll. If you're a fan, go check it out, if you haven't already! The blog is funny and informative, and gives you a real inside look at everything the team does. And no, they aren't paying me to list and/or promote their blog. In fact, I don't get paid to do any of this! Seriously though, I recommend you check them out). Here's the roster:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Ashlyn Harris (Washington Freedom), Jill Loyden (Chicago Red Stars)

DEFENDERS (8): Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers), Ali Krieger (FFC Frankfurt), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Philadelphia Independence), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (Washington Freedom), Brittany Taylor (Sky Blue FC)

MIDFIELDERS (9): Yael Averbuch (Sky Blue FC), Shannon Boxx (FC Gold Pride), Kristine Lilly (Boston Breakers), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC), Kelley O’Hara (FC Gold Pride), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (Chicago Red Stars), Lindsay Tarpley (Boston Breakers)

FORWARDS (4): Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Alex Morgan (California), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)

No big surprises really. As for me, I hope Harris gets the start in goal. She really proved herself when she had to step up for Washington after McLeod got injured in this past WPS Season. I'd love to see her get a chance. The same players in our strong defense were called up. I'd like to see Sauerbrunn get a shot on Wednesday though. The midfield has been stellar lately, and in fact 2 midfielders scored our goals on Saturday night. I've personally been impressed with Rapinoe's and Lindsey's performances. There's a deep bench when it comes to the middies. As for forwards, the usuals are there, and rightfully so. I think Wambach averages a goal every 99 minutes or something like that (pretty much averaging a goal a game). You know what that means, right? She's due for at least one on Wednesday. Even though she didn't score on Saturday, she provided an assist. You just can't keep Wambach quiet; she'll find a way to score or help her team somehow. That's why she's one of the best in the World. As for the game, I would like to see a big scoreline in our favor (obviously, since I'm a fan). It seems like we could have netted a lot more than 2 on Saturday, so if the finishing is a little better on Wednesday, I think we can get maybe 4 or 5. We came out swinging against China and according to match tracker, we were the obvious aggressors. Of course, I'd love to see a goal or 2 (or 3) from Wambach, since she definitely deserves them. A team player and great goalscorer, just simply one of the best in the women's game without a doubt. But, I'd also like to see goals from someone who doesn't normally score. I love when I see middies score, for example, Rapinoe. She's got pretty good finishing for a midfielder, and its nice to see her score once in a while. I'd like to see a goal from maybe a defender in this match, or maybe a middie who doesn't usually score, someone like Lindsey. O'Reilly and Rapinoe have scored in the past few friendlies we've had, but how about someone else, like Boxx or Lindsey, or one of the middie subs? I'd love to see that. Or like I said, maybe a defender. I'd like to see LePeilbet or Buehler notch one. When everyone gets in on the scoring, its super fun to watch. That's another thing that I like about the USWNT. Goals can come from anyone. A goal from any of the 24 players on the roster would make me very happy. This is the last match they're going to play before heading over to Mexico for the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup, which will be serving as Women's World Cup Qualifiers. In fact, they recently released the schedule for that too. I'll place it here as well. And as usual, I borrowed it, from ussoccer.com. Mark your calendars:


CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying
All Times U.S. Eastern

FIRST ROUND
Group A: Canada, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana
Group B: United States, Costa Rica, Haiti, Guatemala

Thursday, October 28
At Playa del Carmen
Costa Rica vs. Guatemala, 6 p.m.
United States vs. Haiti, 8:30 p.m.

Friday, October 29
At Cancun
Trinidad & Tobago vs. Canada, 6 p.m.
Mexico vs. Guyana, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 30
At Playa del Carmen
Haiti vs. Costa Rica, 6 p.m.
United States vs. Guatemala, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, October 31
At Cancun
Canada vs. Guyana, 7 p.m.
Mexico vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 9:30 p.m.

Monday, November 1
At Playa del Carmen
Guatemala vs. Haiti, 7 p.m.
United States vs. Costa Rica, 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 2
At Cancun
Guyana vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 7 p.m.
Mexico vs. Canada, 9:30 p.m.

SEMIFINALS
Friday, November 5
At Cancun
Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up, 7 p.m.
Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up, 10 p.m.

FINALS
Monday, November 8
At Cancun
Third-Place
Semifinal losers, 6 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Semifinal winners, 9 p.m.

I'm really hoping these games will be on TV. They didn't mention anything in the article on ussoccer.com, but I'm really hoping they televise it. These games are super important, they're WWCQ's for God's sake! If not, I'll be sure to have my ass on this computer, match tracking.


WPS Expansion Draft- I don't know much about this yet, but I do know that each team can protect about 10 players from being picked in the draft. Any of the other players will be at risk for being picked by the new Expansion team (and maybe some other teams) in the draft. The lists are going to be released I think, so I'll be sure to keep up on that and post all the news as it comes it. I think the Expansion Draft is scheduled to take place sometime in November.


All in all, The busiest day this week is gonna be the 6th. UEFA loser play-offs, the Oceania Semifinals, and the USWNT vs. China PR match. That's a lot going on there. The following day (the 7th) is another UEFA loser play-off, and then the day after that (the 8th) is the Oceania Final. There's a ton going on, but I'll be doing my best to report it all and keep you updated. Hope you enjoyed another miscellaneous combo post even if it was rather long!

Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you again very soon, either tomorrow or Wednesday for sure. Or maybe later today, who knows.

Until then,

Denise