Just Another Soccer Fan

FIFA Short List Analysis

2011-11-10T12:50:00.006-05:00

Like I said, its that time of year again! Time for FIFA officials and media to vote on who will be the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year. And just like last year, I'l be analyzing the short list.

Abby Wambach
Hope Solo
Alex Morgan
Sonia Bompastor
Louisa Necib
Marta
Kerstin Garefrekes
Lotta Schelin
Homare Sawa
Aya Miyama

Anybody who knows their Women's soccer and is looking at this list can tell most of this was based on each player's performance in the WWC. The World Cup is very influential in deciding a player's candidacy for that year. Its seen in the Men's evaluations as well. However, many of these players had successful club seasons too. They were likely taken into account, but not as heavily as WWC performance. I'm gonna cut to the chase and give 4 people who I really think have a chance at being named a finalist.

Here we go!

Abby Wambach- I'm gonna get this out of the way now, and say, before even touching on any other nominees, that in my eyes Abby Wambach fully deserves to be the winner of the WPOTY this year. She has deserved it many years prior to 2011, but never received the award. If she doesn't get at least one in her lifetime, it will be an utter shame. She is a living legend, and is sure to go down as one of the best to play the Women's game. You don't see a player like her very often. Wambach did have somewhat of a rocky start, and she experienced a scoring drought, falling from her original goal-every-99-minutes ratio. However, much of this could be credited to her nagging achilles injury, which caused her to miss out on some matches, and also caused her pain, affecting her running and scoring abilities. As the World Cup was on the horizon, many people wondered if Wambach would be able to carry the team. Two matches into the WWC, she was already being criticized for her lack of productivity and her weakening presence. However, in the fashion of a true world class player, she stepped it up and broke her lengthy scoring drought in order to help the USA. And as many predicted, once she got that start-up goal, the flood gates opened. Wambach went on to score arguably one of the most important goals in USWNT history, and helped make one of the greatest comebacks ever seen in sports history. Her header in the 122nd minute against Brazil to tie the game and send it into penalties was a goal that sent millions around the world out of their seats, and would keep the United States from what looked like a certain Quarterfinal exit. In fact, Wambach's goal won the ESPY for Play of The Year, and has likey won some smaller accolades. This goal alone will go down in USWNT and WWC history, and sports history, too. Wambach would once again come to the USA's rescue against France. France had equalized and had put USA on the backfoot. They were commanding midfield and had the USA on a tiring defensive strategy. It looked like trouble for the USA, but once again Wambach came in and headed it home to put the USA ahead. The game changed after that. And Wambach would yet again prove to be the clutch savior, in the Final. In extra time, Japan and the USA were tied. Wambach headed in what was thought to be the winning goal to put the USA in front. Unfortunately, Japan would equalize 2 minutes before the end of ET and send it into penalties. Every single player who kicked for the USA missed their penalty. Only Wambach scored her penalty. Wambach went on to win the Silver Ball, the award for the tournamen't runner-up MVP. She would also win the Bronze Boot, having scored 4 goals in the tournament. These 4 goals put her ahead of Michelle Akers on the USWNT's WWC scoring list, making her the team's top WWC scorer in history. She was also named to FIFA's WWC All-Star team. After the World Cup, Wambach was back to her normal self in terms of scoring, despite still having the nagging heel injury. Wambach scored at least one goal in each of the two September friendlies against Canada. Also, it should be noted that Wambach had an excellent WPS season too, acting as player-coach for magicJack and taking the team to the WPS play-offs. Wambach went on to score 9 goals; just 1 goal shy of top scorer. She also joined the "hat-trick club", a select group of only a few players who have scored 3 goals in a single WPS match. With 125 goals to her name and a stellar World Cup and WPS performance, its a sin if she doesn't get a WPOTY. This is the perfect year for her to finally get what she deserves. Its a bit overdue. This was definitely a highlight year for her, and for the Women's game as well. Both the sport and Wambach herself got a lot of deserved attention and recognition in 2011.

-Do I think Wambach will get the award? I think the evidence is too stacked in her favor, that it would be absolutely absurd if she did not win it this year. I have a good feeling that she's finally going to get that WPOTY which is overdue. I see no reason why she shouldn't.

Hope Solo- After coming off of shoulder surgery, Hope Solo fought hard to push herself to be ready for the WWC. This was not an easy feat at all, but she pulled through, recovering in time to play in the World Cup, after much pain and hard work. Solo was excellent in the World Cup, making crucial saves especially in the USA's penalty shoot-out against Brazil. She held a clean sheet for the first two group games, and made many critical saves during the knockout rounds. Hope Solo was absent for much of the WPS season, so the nomination is based solely on her USWNT performance. During the World Cup, Solo received the Bronze Ball award, and also received the award for the tournamen't Best Goalkeeper. She was also named to FIFA's WWC All-Star team. Hope Solo played a huge role in the USA's World Cup success.

-In terms of Hope's chances of winning it, Goalkeepers almost never win. Hope Solo had a great year, and she is without a doubt the best GK in the women's game. However, GKs just don't win WPOTYs.

Homare Sawa- Sawa had a splendid year, scoring 5 goals in the WWC, and notching the only hat-trick in the competition as well. Sawa was undoubtedly Japan's MVP, as she equalized against the USA in Extra Time during the Final. Sawa's goals were critical and important, and they helped her team through the competition, and eventually helped them to win. She went on to win the Golden Ball (tournament MVP) and the Golden Boot.

-Sawa's chances of winning WPOTY are very high, seeing as her country won the WWC. She also grabbed individual awards, and being the tournament's MVP certainly helps.

Marta- Marta had a pretty good year, scoring 4 goals in the WWC (winning the Silver Boot), and scoring 10 in the WPS (winning the Gold Boot). However, if this makes any sense, these goals were not influential like, say, Wambach's goals. Not that she didn't have important goals in her WWC or WPS campaign, but Marta did not play as big of a role for club or country as many others on this list. I know I'm sounding completely biased but its the truth. Christine sinclair also scored 10 goals this season in WPS, and was really responsible for WNY's success and advancement. Sinclair scored the important goals. However, Marta received the golden Boot because she played one less game. If it were based on assists like it should have been, Sinclair would have won the Boot. Anyways, while Marta did have a prolific year, she did not play as big a role as many others on this list.

- Marta as always, has a decent chance at winning. I'm sure she'll be announced as a finalist. But honestly, I don't think she should, or will win the award. There are a handful of players on here who really did have stellar years, they're in a league of their own on this one. Marta is always going to be considered, and will always receive votes. She's a good player and she consistently does well. However, there are players every year who do just as well, but maybe don't have the recognition or that one stand out moment. This year is different. FIFA can't just pick Marta like always, not this year. Because this time, it really would be a farce. Marta did not have the best year out of all these nominees, and she did not do the best. Brazil was knocked out early in the WWC and did not place in a rank. Marta scored a lot, but she is not the WPOTY for 2011. Not at all.

It seems only fitting that the 3 MVP Ball winners (Gold, Silver, and Bronze) would make it to be a finalist. This group also boasts players who are top scorers, and one who was considered the WWC's top GK. The other players on the shortlist all were consistent and effective for their country during the WWC and stood out. Most all of them were named to FIFA's WWC All-Star team. However, their accolades and impact on their team's were not as great as these 4. I think the 3 finalists will be:

Abby Wambach
Homare Sawa
Marta

In terms of who wins it, I wouldn't be surprised, but I think FIFA is going to pass over Marta this year. Sawa and Wambach had much better years and much greater impacts on their respective teams. I think Wambach is going to edge out Sawa in the end, if based on all of the accolades combined, from both club and country. I just think Wambach had a better year. But I wouldn't put it past FIFA to give it to Sawa because her country won the WWC, and because she got the Golden Ball. Also, I think sympathy might play a role in the voting. We will see however, since the finalists will be announced sooner rather than later.

Recap of October, Looking Ahead To November

2011-11-03T12:44:00.008-04:00

Hey guys, its been about a month since a post has surfaced on this blog, however aside from a few things, October was rather run-of-the-mill as far as news goes. Here's the recap though since some big news was revealed. And, we'll also look at what's coming up in November.

The Termination of magicJack- The Florida-based MJ team is no more, as the WPS came to a unanimous decision that it would be in the league's best interest to terminate magicJack. The former Washington Freedom club, which was bought by Dan Borislow, had been moved, and its name changed. Many people had a feeling this would not bode well, and they were right. Attendance was horrifyingly low, and WPS' lack of judgement in finding a fully competent owner came to bite them, when he made frequent violations against the league's contract. In fact, there was a snafu involving the WPS players, and the playes union. After he sued the league, and later withdrew his charges, pretty much everyone suspected this was far from over, and that the issue would be revisited in the off season. And it was. Dan was not good for the league, and while I don't think he was completely wrong in some situations, and that his and WPS' relationship was not fully explained, he was a detriment to the WPS' success. I'm just going to miss that core group that lasted from 2009's Freedom days. They transformed, or grew rather, into an elite team. They were loaded with talent. Its sad that they're gone. Where will players like Wambach, Rapinoe, and Solo end up? We'll need to stay tuned to see which times they sign for! Hopefully Connecticut joins the WPS. We kinda need them to balance out the number of teams.

Pan-American Games- For those who weren't following, the Pan-Am games took place last month, and it was a short competition which mirrors the gold cup, however there are no stakes. The final was played between Canada and Brazil. The teams played to penalties, and the Canadians edged out the Brazilians in the shootout to be named Pan-American Champions for the year 2011.

FIFA Shortlist Announced- Its that time of year again folks! Voting for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year (WPOTY for short) is underway. The shortlist of candidates was released this October, and it contains 10 players who had exceptional years. Here are the 10 players who made the cut:

Abby Wambach
Hope Solo
Alex Morgan
Sonia Bompastor
Louisa Necib
Marta
Kerstin Garefrekes
Lotta Schelin
Homare Sawa
Aya Miyama

That's just about it for October! Now let's look at what can be expected in November. Honestly, its not looking like much, but maybe a WPS player signing, or team addition will change that! Here's what's doing for this month:

WPS Free Agency Period- The Free Agency period has opened up, meaning all free agents (players with expired contracts, or those without homes) can get picked up by the remaining 5 clubs. If teams are interested in international talent, now is the time for them to sign overseas players. They can add up to 6 foreign players to their roster. The WPS draft is coming up, so teams can further srengthen their squad with fresh-out-of-college talent, when January rolls around. Hopefully we see some interesting signings in this Free agency period, which only opened up just yesterday.

USWNT vs. Sweden- This match-up between the USA and their rivals Sweden will take place on November 19th, in the state of Arizona. There is already a record crowd set to attend. 12,100 tickets have been sold, which breaks the previous record of people who came to see the USWNT in 2000, which was 12,039. The game is at 7pm MT which means its probably on at 9pm ET. The game will probably be on ESPN networks or on Fox Soccer Channel. When I find out I'll post it on here! The team has already begun their training camp in AZ, preparing them for their match against Sweden. After this match, the USWNT will have a longer training camp in December, gearing them up for Olympic qualifying in January.

Reaching 8,000 Views

2011-09-26T12:45:00.002-04:00

Hi all, as I've neglected the blog for the past few months, I've forgotten all about reaching my 1,000 page view milestones! I came back to the blog to realize that I had tallied a few thousand more views, so JASF now has 8,182 views total! Thanks to all of those who read! My thanks go out to those who followed from the start, to those who picked up along the way, to those who were WoSo fans for years, and also to those who have a newfound love for the sport, perhaps after this summer's WWC. No matter what type of reader you are, I appreciate the interest and views!

Here's to the continued growth and interest in Women's soccer!

Denise

September Finishes Up

2011-09-26T12:09:00.003-04:00

Semptember is on the way out, and there's some news that'll round out the month for us.

USWNT vs. Canada: In the last match of the USA's "Celebration Series" The USA defeated the Canadians 3-0. The USA looked like a deadly powerhouse; they constantly attacked, had possession, made plays, and stripped their opponents of the ball. Canada once again tried to employ a defensive and physical system, but they could not overpower the tactically superior Americans. Wambach scored a brace; the first goal was a beautiful left-footed shot just outside the 18 yard line, and the second was a diving header off of a Kelley O'Hara cross. She was productive and dangerous the whole game and she could have had a few more goals. The last goal came from Alex Morgan. A header in the box by Cheney was skipping along towards goal, and Alex Morgan gave it a touch to help it in (I guess you can say she poached Cheney's goal!). It seems like they tweaked the formation a bit, put in some new players (Boxx and Lori Lindsey started and strung together some excellent services and distributions), and it looks as if the formation is starting to show sure signs of success. Next up for the USA is Sweden. It was announced during the Canada match, that the USA's next match would be against Sweden, on November 19th. For now they'll be on break, getting some ample resting time, and then likely joining a camp or 2 before the next match. Sweden is always a pesky opponent for the USA. They'll be facing off against them in Phoenix, Arizona. Hopefully we can get some revenge for that loss they dealt us in the WWC. Also, we'll likely see some new/young players called up. This was the last set of matches for the "WWC Roster". This means Pia is sure to be testing out some new pairings, players, and options, so she will likely bring in fresh faces and/or people who didn't make it onto the WWC roster.

FIFA Women's World Rankings: Not much has changed in the ranking, the top 7 teams remain unchanged in their positions. Korea DPR has moved back up to 8th after qualifying for the 2012 Olympics. Both Canada and Australia have dropped one place, so they are 9th and 10th, respectively.

WPS Names New CEO: After the resignation by Anne-Marie Eileraas earlier this month, the WPS has been looking for a new league CEO/Commissioner. And it was announced today that they've found one. Jennifer O'Sullivan will be taking over. Let's hope she will actually take the initiative to capitalize on the new interest and hype surrounding the sport, and doesn't just let it fade away.

Well, that's all for now everyone! Let's hope the news (good news that is) continues to come in! Until next time!

Thanks for reading,

Denise

USA and Canada Set To Go At It Again

2011-09-22T11:34:00.002-04:00

Tonight, friendly rivals USA and Canada will go at it again. This will be the second and final match of the USA's "Celebration Series" against our Northern Neighbors. Since both teams fought to a deadlock the last time around, the desire for a win is there, even though this match is labeled as a "friendly". There's tension between these two rivals, espcially now after their tie, and neither wants to lose to the other. The World Cup runner-ups are going to want to treat their home fans to a win and finish strong against the Canadians (who ducked out in only the group stage of the WWC), especially after their WWC Final loss. Not to mention they probably could have driven Canada to the ground last week if they finished more. Canada on the other hand wants to defeat the USA on their own turf, in their own Celebration Series. Canada likely feels like they have something to prove, especially after being sent home from the WWC so early. Both teams are motivated to win, and both teams want to stay in good form and remain sharp, keeping January's Olympic Qualifiers in mind.

The key for the USA is to tweak that 4-2-3-1 formation, if they're staying with it. I would experiment with Lori Lindsey in the midfield. Put Rapinoe on the left wing and use A-Rod as a substitute. Get more services in to Wambach/Alex Morgan. Krieger is key on that right back position. Her and HaO link up often in a match, and this is crucial for the offense. Cheney and Lloyd need to distribute to middies/forwards, can't lose possession too much. Don't hold onto the ball when you have options. The defense needs to play tight and not get stretched out too much in a counter-attack. Slot Sauerbrunn into a starting position in the defense. Need to watch the gaps. Have either Cheney or Lloyd drop back when Krieger or LePeilbet go forward. Team USA can't be too predictable in their use of the wings. Go through the middle too. Just a few ideas, most are common sense, but I figured I'd share them anyway!

The final Celebration Series match-up between the USA and Canada is going to be aired on ESPN 2, live at 8pm PT, which means that it'll be 11pm ET. The match is being played at Jeld-Wen Field in Portland, Oregon. The capacity of the stadium is around 18,000-22,000. Only obstructed view seating is available, meaning that this macth is likely going to be a sell-out! Get ready to hear the chants and cheers! Portland may just beat out Kansas City's crazy crowd! The atmosphere is sure to be electric, and hopefully the game on the field is too!

So, will the USA come out victorious and win the Celebration Series in front of their home crowd? Or will Canada rain on the USA's parade? We'll have to wait and see until tonight when these two clash.

Denise

USA Reach Deadlock Against Canada

2011-09-19T12:01:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! Happy monday! Here today to discuss Saturday's match-up that featured our one and only USA, against our friendly rivals, Canada.

Before we even go into the match itself, let's discuss some key features that played a role in the game, before it even started. As many people had known, Christine Sinclair, Canada's star striker, would not be available during the game (nor will she be for the next match on Thursday) because she needed to take some time off to rest and "be fresh" for the Olympic Qualifiers (which are coming rather soon). This meant that Canada would be without their main goal-scoring force up front, so they had to rely on some other players to get the job done. On the USA's side, the change had to do not so much with players, but with formation. Instead of employing a standard 4-4-2, Pia opted for a 4-2-3-1. Cheney and Lloyd played as holding midfielders, whereas Rapinoe, O'Reilly, and A-Rod played as more of an attacking/offensive middie force, with O'Reilly and A-Rod on the wings, and Rapinoe working more as distributor in the middle. Now let's talk about the match.

The first half of the match was mostly in favor of the USA. They had most of the possession, and the passing was executed well for the most part. There were some turn overs, but I think overall, the passing accuracy and rhythm of attack was fluid and flowing quite nicely. The first goal came in the 10th minute, when a cross was unleashed into the box; Wambach latched onto it and took a shot from about 6 yards out. However, one of the defenders came sliding in and blocked the ball with her hand/arm. The ref called for a penalty, and Wambach converted for the USA to make it 1-0. Play was pretty back and forth from there. USA had most of the possession, and kept winning the ball from Canada who were making careless turn overs. There was an established rhythm. The USA came close to goal, but as always, had problems finishing. Right before half-time, Canada took advantage of a huge opening in the USA's defense, and sent Tancredi racing towards goal. As the defenders rushed back, Tancredi blasted a shot, and Hope Solo was hung out to dry. The ball slipped past and went in. The score was tied 1-1 going into the second half. The second half started and it was pretty much the same game. However some changes were made. Tobin Heath was put on for Rapinoe, Barnhart for Solo, and Sauerbrunn for Buehler. Heath had moments of brilliance, Barnie did well in goal, and honestly, I think Sauerbrunn proved once again why she should start, no offnse to Buehler. The game continued as it had, USA with more possession, Canada with counter-attacks. The midfield for the USA got a little less solid. There were more turn overs, and while it still maintained a good passing game, it wasn't as good as with the first half bunch. Canada's defense continued to keep the USA at bay, and the USA still failed to finish. Wambach was brought out, and Morgan was put it. With the many chances she had, she could not finish. Until the dying minutes the USA attacked and looked strong. I thought they would get a late goal. But this was not the case. The ref blew the whistle and it ended 1-1; not the kind of result the USA wanted coming off their World Cup performance. However, one thing to note was that the attendance at Livestrong Park exceeded 16,000 people. It was a sell-out (or near sell-out at least), and I gotta say, I was impressed with their energy. They cheered the whole game. I heard chants, drums, boos, cheers - the atmosphere was definitely electric. And they were LOUD. Sounded like all 16,000+ fans were in on the chants. It was great to hear, and to see. That's at least one good positive to draw from the match. Its going to be hard for Portland to top that!

My analysis of player performance and formation change:

It seemed like the formation worked for some, yet didn't fit well with others. I have always preferred a 4-4-2, since I am not at all fond of "lone striker" formations. A-Rod did decently on the wings and I feel she is more effective there. She didn't get many good crosses off but I feel that playing as a winger is a better fit. She was able to maneuver well on the wings at times. Plus her speed is better utilized when running up to aid the attack, rather than running up to receive service. It causes the ball to reach the offense faster. This skill isn't utilized when she is waiting for the ball in a striker position. Breakaways were effective and quick when she was a choice on the wing. As for Rapinoe, I feel she did pretty well in the center midfield. She was a good distributor and was able to maneuver and gain possession. However, I think she needs space to be creative. She went out on the wings a few times. That's where she's the best I think. HaO worked well in the formation. HaO was HaO, she ran the whole game and created havoc on the wings. Lloyd in midfield showed moments of brilliance. In fact, she won a lot of balls and gained possession quite often. However, that was all kind of forgotten when witnessing her utterly frustrating turn overs. Either she just flat out gave it away or had it stolen. Even worse, she has a habit of holding onto the ball way too long, and it was making me angry because there were at least 2 good passing options whenever she would unecessairly hold possession. I'd say a fair performance by Carli. I prefer Lori Lindsey. Why don't they start her? I think she'd fit well in this formation. Cheney, I feel like she didn't do so well. I saw her losing the ball a lot. She's a great player, but she had an off night. Better as a partner striker maybe. And the whole lone striker thing? Did not like it one bit. Both Wambach and Morgan had fair performances. Not stellar, just fair. Wambach looked a bit off, might be partly due to the fact that she didn't receive the ball as much as she should have been. Morgan got a few good chances (more than Wambach I think) but blew them. I think having 2 strikers is more beneficial. One creates space for the other, and with 2 strikers they're able to link up. If you're the one target striker it becomes difficult to do much. However, maybe the reason the strikers didn't do so well was because Canada's defense was so effective. Back to midfield, sub Tobin Heath was ok, I don't think she did all that well however. Maybe things would have been different if Boxx started in there somewhere. As for defense, they weren't affected by the formation too much, but one note is that Sauerbrunn fits better into the defense in my opinion. Buehler is a good player, but I think Sauerbrunn should start. The defense did quite well overall, save for one or 2 plays where they got caught with their pants down (one of those occasions being the Canada goal). I think the formation has the potential to be a successful experiment, it just needs to be tweaked a bit. I'm curious to see what Pia does with the line-up on Thursday.

Alright everyone, the next match is on Thursday, September 22nd! I made a mistake with the time announcement last week for you guys. The game is at 8pm PT. So that means all of you East Coasters out there, the game is on at 11pm for us! Yes, 11pm ET, quite a late game! So correct your calendars, write it in your planners, do whatever you need to do! Just make sure you realize its at 11! Hopefully the USA will can it in this one. They're going to have make sure to bring their finishing ability to Portland!

Thanks for reading! See you again after Thursday's match!

Denise

Mid-September Updates

2011-09-15T11:44:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! We're only about half-way through September and there is a nice bunch of news that has come out in the WoSo World. Let's get started.

Olympic Qualifiers- Asian Qualifying has just finished up, and the two teams who have come out victorious, and will be in London for the 2012 Olympics, are Japan and North Korea. North Korea's qualification has stirred up general unrest and anger among fans. Particularly those of the Australian WNT. North Korea was found guilty for "doping" during the WWC, and therefore were banned from the 2015 WWC. However, many people think it unfair that North Korea was allowed into the Olympics, and that they should have been banned from the tournament as well. The IOC is investigating and reviewing the matter. If North Korea was kicked out of the Olympics, the Aussies would join Japan in London. My opinion is that it would make more sense to punish the North Koreans and have them suffer the consequences more immediately, not 4 years from now. Unfortunately its not my decision. Anyways, I figured I'd give a brief list of the teams going to the Olympics.

Host: England
Asia: Japan and North Korea
Europe: France and Sweden (due to their finish in the WWC)
South America: Brazil and Colombia (due to their finish at the CONMEBOL Women's Championship 2010)
Africa: South Africa and Nigeria/Cameroon (placement based on play-offs)

That leaves only 4 berths to be determined. CONCACAF will produce 2, and Oceania and Africa will be producing one each.

WPS News: I've heard of one more move that was recently reported. Lisa DeVanna will be going to the Brisbane Roar during the WPS off-season. Also, Marta is reported to be in negotiations with a European club. This means she also might be among the likes of players like Seger and Vero, who signed deals overseas and won't be immediately returning to WPS. However there is one more piece of news which is pretty big. Tony DiCicco has backed down as coach of the Boston Breakers. He stated his move was made regarding personal/family reasons. Now Lisa Cole, who coached the team while he was in Germany for the WWC as an analyst, is taking over the role full-time. He will be returning to Connecticut, where he lives with his family, and where he is well-known in the soccer community. There have been talks of league expansion to Connecticut, and maybe he had that in mind.

USWNT vs. Canada: This Saturday is the first of a two game series that sees the USWNT take on Northern Neighbors and friendly rivals, Canada. These games are set as the USWNT's Celebration Series; a mini-tour if you will, after their tremendous WWC campaign. These matches won't be all celebration - Olympic qualifiers are around the bend, and both teams will want to practice and stay sharp. The first match between these two is on Saturday, September 17th, and will be aired live on FSC at 7pm ET. The 2nd match is on Thrusday, September 22nd, and it will be aired live on ESPN2 at 8pm ET.

That's all for now everyone! See you again soon.

Denise

Some General News in The World of WoSo

2011-09-05T22:04:00.004-04:00

Hey guys, since I've finally gotten onto my actual computer, I'm able to update some of you on the happenings and news in the WoSo world!

Retirements- Two Germans have retired. Both Birgit Prinz and Kerstin Garefrekes have hung up their boots. Prinz has retired completely from soccer, while Garefrekes has only chosen to retire from National Team duty. She will continue playing for FFC Frankfurt in Germany. I'm going to be honest, I feel quite bad for Prinz. The 2011 WWC was not a kind swan song for her National Team retirement. And to retire from club football too after such a bad note on the World stage? She didn't deserve that kind of exit. At least a good 2011-12 season with her club could have been a high note/redemption.

Another Lilly- Kristine Lilly has just recently given birth to a baby girl! Congratulations to her! The future of the USWNT is in good hands.

Olympic Qualifiers- Some Olympic Qualifiers have been taking place, and some will be starting rather soon.

Right now, the Asian Qualifiers are taking place. The table is as such:

Japan: 9 pts
North Korea: 7 pts
China PR: 5 pts
Australia: 3 pts
South Korea: 1 pt
Thailand: 0 pts

The top 2 teams will advance. Only Thailand has been eliminated so far.

USWNT action: This month, the USWNT will be facing off against Canada in a double-header. The matches will be played on the 17th and 22nd of September, in Kansas City and Portland, respectively. This is their "Celebration Series", serving somewhat as their post-World Cup tour, featuring the WWC roster. Always love watching the USA-Canada rivalry! I'm expecting the team to schedule possibly a couple more friendlies between the months of October and December, seeing as their Olympic Qualifiers are in mid-late January, and they might want to get some more game-scenario practice in.

WPS News- As I mentioned in my previous post, WPS season 4 is in the works. One of the biggest pieces of news is that the league CEO, Anne-Marie Eileraas, has stepped down from her position, effective September 18th. The league will begin looking for a new one, if they already haven't. Not much was said about her resignation, only that she has done it for family reasons.

Expansion: It seems like some potential areas for expansion are Connecticut and DC. There are interested parties located in the West, however that will have to wait until 2013. That was the projected year for a return of West Coast teams, if there were serious enough talks regarding expansion. Expanding west now wouldn't be the best idea. Airfare from the east to west coast, and vice versa, is a big hit to the budget. The idea is that if enough West coast teams are developed, there would be 2 separate conferences, one for the East and one for the West.

Salary Cap: The league has been discussing a salary cap, but they aren't exactly sure of the model yet, nor if there will actually be one. But its important to ensure players aren't being paid pennies. Also, its important that people don't exceed a budget. Marta's salary alone, for example, is $400,000, according to some reports. The league is thinking of adopting the MLS model, which involves a certain number of players being exempt from the salary cap, while the others on the roster are counted towards the cap. Also, a salary cap ensures that there isn't a monopolizing of all the stars onto one team, particularly one with an owner that has more money, and in the league's eyes, an unfair advantage over others with less money.

Overseas Moves: For the most part, players have gone over seas on loan in order to keep training and to stay fit and "in the groove of things" so to speak. Here is a list of those traveling overseas (borrowed from Our Game Magazine):

Atlanta Beat
India Trotter - Sweden (Dalsjöfors)
Angela Salem - Finland (Aland)
Katie Bethke - Norway (Arna-Bjørnar)

Boston Breakers
Alyssa Naeher - Germany (Turbine Potsdam)
Niki Cross - Norway (Medkila IL)
Ifeoma Dieke - Cyprus
Aya Sameshima - France
Megan Mischler - Sweden (Östersund)

magicJack
Johanna Rasmussen - Sweden (Kristianstads DFF)
Ashleigh Gunning - Sweden (Eskilstuna United)

Philadelphia Independence
Val Henderson - Sweden (Örebro)
Danesha Adams - Norway (Medkila IL)
Joanna Lohman - Spain (Espanyol)
Lianne Sanderson - Spain (Espanyol)
Veronica Boquete - Russia (Energiya Voronezh)
Holmfridur Magnusdottir - Iceland (Valur)

Sky Blue FC
Karen Bardsley - Sweden (Linkoping)
Carolyn Blank - Sweden (Vittsjo)
Petra Hogewoning - Germany (FCR Duisburg)

Western New York Flash
Caroline Seger - Sweden (Malmo through the fall; begins two-year deal with Tyreso in 2012)
Beverly Goebel - Finland (PK-35)
Becky Edwards - Sweden (Hammarby)
Whitney Engen - Sweden (Tyreso)
Gina Lewandowski - Germany (Frankfurt)

It was brought to the attention of the public that two names (so far) have actually signed contracts for more than just loans. Both Caroline Seger (as noted above) and Veronica Boquete have signed 2-year deals. Seger signed for Tyreso, and Vero signed for Energiya Voronezh. Will other players be making permanent moves, especially if there is a salary cap? We'll have to wait and see.

Thanks for reading, and I'll try and keep everyone updated as the info rolls in! Off-season for the league starts now, but be on the look-out, as international teams will be in action in preparation for Olympic Qualifying (or will be participating IN Olympic Qualifying!)

See you again soon!

Denise

WNY Flash triumphs over Philly Indepndence to Become 2011 WPS Champions

2011-09-05T18:27:00.002-04:00

The WNY Flash outlasted the Philadelphia Independence in penalties after a long, hard-fought deadlock to become 2011 WPS Champions

On August 27th, in front of a 10,000+ crowd, the two best teams in WPS faced off in Rochester, in what would be one of the grittiest, hard-fought matches in the history of the WPS post-season. It was Regular season Champs WNY Flash, vs. the Philly Independence. The Flash were favorites to win, as Philly was seen as an underdog, mostly based on the fact that their squad wasn't as "stacked" with stars. Nonetheless, both teams deserved to get where they did, and no one was to be taken lightly. What ensued was a pretty even match from both sides.

The first half was actually quite sloppy. The turn overs were plentiful, and the passing accuracy was just plain dreadful. there was moments of brilliance but for the most part, the first half was more gritty and physical, and not as elegant as some would have hoped. The highlight of the first half was the appearance of the "WPS Squirrel" who ran in circles for a few minutes. The players laughed and watched in awe (and maybe fear, for some). After about 8 minutes total, the stadium's staff captured the critter in a box and took him off the field. Play resumed, and eventually the half ended 0-0.

In the second half, things would change. The game relied much more on actual passing and plays, and in the 62nd minute, after both teams having gone back and forth on attacking efforts, the WNY Flash drew first blood. Sinclair latched onto a flawless ball from Chapman, finished with a half-volley past Barnhart, and celebrated with her teammates. Philly and WNY were pretty even for the rest of the half, with Philly having some extremely close calls. Eventually, in the 87th minute, A-Rod would score. After a shot bounched off the post, a scrambling Harris got up and attempted to get into position in time, but A-Rod slotted it right under her. The game was tied and it went into ET.

The ET in this game was some of the most exciting periods of ET I have ever seen. I was on the edge of my seat, hoping it went to penalties (I love seeing penalty shoot outs!), and also, I felt that it was the only way to settle a game like this. They were so well-matched. I know penalties are a terrible way to lose/win, because it doesn't merit how you've played. But that was kind of the reason why I wanted penalties. Both teams played so evenly, I didn't want one to triumph over the other in that regard. It just wouldn't feel fair. I figured in this case, it was best to pull it down to penalties. Anyway, the ET was nerve-wracking. Both teams got dangerously close to goal, and in fact I got most of my family to actually get into it with me. The craziest part was the final corner kick before penalties. It was a Flash corner, and after Marta delivered it, Seger connected. It was about a foot away from bouncing in when Barnhart managed to push it out in the nick of time. After the final play, the game went to penalties.

I'll admit I wanted the Flash to win, but I would have been ok with either team wining. However, I favored the Flash all the way through, and especially wanted my favorite GK, Harris, to do well. The penalty shoot out was even more nerve-wracking than the ET! Every player from each team scored on their turn. Although, both Barnhart and Ashlyn had close calls on a save. The final kicker for Philly, Laura Del Rio, went up. She shot the ball to her right. Ashlyn Harris dove for the ball, made contact, and knocked it away from goal. She got up and ran towards her teammates in what will be a memorable celebration and moment in the history of WPS Championships. What a way to win the game.

Ashlyn Harris, Coast Guard GK of the Year, celebrates after blocking Del Rio's shot. Her save won the game for the Flash, making them 2011 WPS Champs

It was a wonderful conclusion to a wonderful season. As I always say, it seems like it gets better every year. Just when I thought last season couldn't be topped, Year 3 proved me wrong. Despite the loss of some players for a length of time due to the WWC, the season was marvelous, and the return of the WWC players made it that much sweeter. The future looks bright at this point for the league. Increased interest and attendance numbers bode well for the WPS. I expect we'll be treated to another fantastic season in Year 4. But first, there is an off-season to get through! There are talks of expansion, salary caps, etc, and let's not forget we'll likely witness some crazy trades and transfers! Also, the draft(s) will be taking place as well. As we say so long and "thank you" to season 3, we look forward to season 4. I promise that next season I will try my best to cover it better! I fell quite a bit short this year. New season, clean slate! It'll be here before you know! I'll be sure to keep up with off-season events though!

Thanks everyone for reading!

Denise

WPS News

2011-08-23T22:17:00.003-04:00

There is a ton to catch up on, especially since I've been gone for quite a while. In fact, I never even covered it this year! My sole focus was on WWC 2011, and I as away from the blog altogether after the Final, so I haven't done ANY WPS Week Reviews, no posts on the Play-offs, NOTHING! So disappointing. And now we're at the end of the season. The Final is just 4 days away. (Watch, I'll cover WPS a ton after the season's over...) So anyway, let's get down to business. Some quick recaps of the play-offs.

WPS First Round: MagicJack vs. Boston Breakers- MJ won 3-1, and it honestly should have been by more. Abby Wambach scored in the 5th minute on a rebound off of Huffman's shot. Later, Keelin winters of Boston equalized. MJ was knocking on the door, but they could not finish many of their chances. Huffman would eventually get fouled in the penalty box, and so a penalty was awarded to MJ. Wambach did what she does best and coolly slotted it away. Afterwards, Press fired down the 18 yard box, lured the keeper, turned back, chipped it towards the open goal and Rapinoe headed it in. MJ advanced to the Super Semifinals after a dominating and convincing display. Rapinoe and Huffman were on beast mode the whole game, and the same should be said for Abby. Rookie Press gave Naeher trouble all game, and the Boxx-Schmidt combo held down the midfield pretty well.

WPS Super-Semifinals: MagicJack vs. Philly Independence- This game proved to be quite an unlucky one for MJ. Philly started off better, but then MJ picked up the pace and started playing better. The 2nd half is when all the scoring happened. Only minutes after the opening whistle for the 2nd half, Kai scored, catching Loyden off guard and in a bad position. Now MJ, who had developed a good pace and finished the first half with the upper hand, was in a hole. Its not good to be down like that right after the 2nd half begins. So with some lost confidence, and lost concentration, MJ began their efforts to come back. MJ attacked constantly, and was playing better than Philly who employed what seemed to be an 11-man-defense at times. They were just unlucky. Between hitting posts and crossbars, it seems the team couldn't buy a goal. Later in the second half, A-Rod would score one from what looked to be 20-25 yards out (judging from memory), catching Loyden with her pants down yet again. 2-0 was the final score, and MJ was out of play-offs. Philly would be meeting up WNY Flash in the WPS Championship Final. This is sounding a lot like last year's FCGP vs. Philly, isn't it? Anyways, the Super Semi was lost by MJ because of fatigue (having to play that previous match) and a lack of finishing. Also, let it be noted that Philly's goals came off of 2 GK errors. Both the same one: bad positioning. Philly scored on the chances they had to. MJ couldn't. That's why Philly will be facing WNY.

Miscellaneous league news: Higher Attendances- As its been noted, WPS attendances have seen a massive improvement. A few stadiums have seen sell-outs (WNY's stadium reached a 15,000 capacity for their match against MJ- highest attendance in league history. MJ's FAU stadium reached a 3,000 sell-out [not bad for a team only getting around 500 each game previous to WWC]) And other stadiums have reached high attendances in general (Philly had a near sell-out with somewhere in the 4-5,000's, Sky Blue reached its second highest attendance at 5,065 [I was there], and Boston reached a 6,000 or so attendance). These numbers bode well for the league. But they need to capitalize on the new-found interest and keep these people interested going into next season.

Dan Borislow vs. WPS- Shortly after the WWC, a statement was released by WPS saying Dan would be taking legal action against them. It was said that WPS wanted to terminate his franchise. It was not made clear when, since Dan claims they wanted to do it in June, while the league maintains they stated they wanted to terminate it at the end of the season. The league's reasons for doing so was based on his breaches of the league's contracts and inability to follow the rules. Dan felt like he did nothing wrong and invested too much money to get booted in the middle of the season. The 2 have settled their differences and put the lawsuit to rest. However, this is only temporary, as I feel the situation is sure to heat up once again, in the off-season.

WPS Championship Final: WNY Flash vs. Philly Independence- You do not wanna miss this one folks! The game is on Saturday, coverage starting at 3:30 pm ET. This is sure to be a great match. WNY and Philly are 1st and 2nd in the league regular season table, respectively. There is a pre-game, and they'll likely be showing some background on the teams, as well as their Top 10 Goals of the Season segment. I'm so excited for the match, because it all comes down to these two teams, but I'm also very sad, because it means that after that game, we have to wait until April for more WPS action!

Really hope that you accept my apologies of not being around! I plan to be more diligent with the blog. I will be doing a post on the Championship Final most likely. Thanks for reading! By the way, maybe when I feel better about the WWC and its not such a sensitive topic, I'll give you all the recaps you deserve. Anyway, the WPS Final is in 4 days, an off-season full of happenings (Please be GOOD happenings) is upon us, and Olympic qualifiers are just around the corner. The blog will be buzzing again, you'll see!

Denise

Disappearing Act And Quick Recap

2011-08-23T21:47:00.006-04:00

Hey all. I look back at the time I spent away from the blog, and I feel nothing but complete disappointment. However, I think its safe to say that after the WWC Final, featuring our beloved USWNT and Japan...I needed a little mental holiday. Talking about the match is STILL a touchy subject for me, and I'm sure this is the case with many other fans, maybe even some of you currently reading. But as college is about to swing back into session, its back to business. Also, now that I have an iPhone, I feel like I'm at a computer only once a month, whereas pre-iPhone, I'd be here at least once every week. So, as I've told you all many times, I apologize. You've been good to me and have actually read my posts, and you've showed interest, but I was just too lazy and I regret it. This time I'm seriously going to try and be consistent. I love to write about the sport but I've been so caught up in my vacations etc. to even report on the stuff. I have been keeping up with all the info, but I should have been writing about it. My last post left off at the Semi-Finals. So, to do the WWC some justice without getting cold sweats myself, here's a quick recap.

Semifinal: USA vs. France- A great game, although admittedly, France played better for quite some time. We capitalized early, but France eventually equalized. Later in the match, Wambach pulled another rescue with a header off a corner kick. It was Abby doing what she does best. The USA went on to be finalists.

Final: USA vs. Japan- I can already tell I'm going to have a problem even just writing a quick description. To be honest, after that game was the worst I had ever felt. Anyway, the game was absolutely splendid, when looking at the way each team conducted themselves, and played. It was an excellent advertisement for the Women's game. It was beautiful, passing accuracy, talent, organization, it was everything you'd want in a great soccer game. I feel the USA played the better match however. And I'm not even being biased. I can admit the USA was not the better team against France for some stretches of time in the Semis. I can honestly say the USA played better against Japan. We had more chances throughout the whole game, and we had more possession and attacking. We just couldn't finish. And it came to haunt us. Morgan scored our first goal to put us ahead. It looked like we were in the clear to win the WWC, as there were only 10 minutes left about, maybe 15. But then a defensive error led to Japan's equalizer, and ET. In ET, Wambach once again came up big, and scored a clutch header. The USA was 2-5 minutes from lifting the trophy, to becoming Champions after their long, hard journey. But Japan again equalized, forcing it into penalties. Boxx kicked first. She was blocked. Lloyd kicked, she missed. Tobin kicked, she was blocked. Only Abby got her penalty in. Hope made one save. Japan won. In the most cruel way to go, the USA lost the trophy, which they probably could practically feel in their hands. I cried for a good 20 minutes after the match. It just sucked. It sucked really bad. Especially after the USA's journey. It was incredible. Almost not qualifying for WWC, struggling to make it, struggling with consistency before the WWC, enduring criticisms, then to proving everyone wrong, making the greatest comeback of all time, to reaching the Final. They were going to be THE team. It was going to be THEIR year. The trophy was going to be in THEIR hands. But it all vanished. And it wasn't even like we got blown out like 3-0. We HAD IT. We played better. We dominated. We just couldn't finish early on. And we couldn't hold the lead with 2 minutes to go. I still think we deserved that cup. I still think it was our year. With the way we played, the stuff we pulled off...I don't know, I look back, and I think that's what pains me so much. We were 2 minutes from that podium, and it slipped from our grasp. It was almost stolen. It was literally heartbreaking to see the USWNT utterly crushed and devastated from the loss. And it pained me to see Japan lifting that cup on the podium while the USWNT stood on the field, watching what could have been theirs, what was going to be theirs if they held on for 2 more minutes. Credit to Japan though, who played a fantastic tournament and were good sportswomen all the way through. Its just...soccer didn't award the best team that day. As many people said...something bigger was pulling for Japan. This is my honest opinion: Both teams won that day. Think about it...Japan needed that win to bring hope and morale to their devastated country. We needed to make a legacy of our own, apart from 99.
We needed to bring interest to the sport in the USA. In my opinion, we did both. We may not have won, but in the fans' eyes, The USA were Champions. After that Brazil game, where they displayed such heart and faith and determination, they won over the hearts of so many people. It really felt like the whole country was behind the team, for the first time since 99. Everyone will remember the heroics of Solo, Wambach, Morgan and Rapinoe...everyone will remember the tenacity of the entire team, really. This team, and their World Cup run, has and will, go down in history. They may not have won the cup, but they didn't have to. They left their own legacy behind. Its not always about winning a trophy. It would have been a more fitting end to their journey, and I feel like it would have done them justice, unlike a devastating loss, but I beleive everything happens for a reason. They gained so many fans, and the whole country got behind them. They showed the World how talented they are, and how inspiring they are. Their determination, fighting spirit, and hard work won everyone over. They showed everyone what they're all about. Interest here in the states spiked, and WPS felt the effects with numerous sell-outs at games. General rising in attendance has come to the league. They accomplished their goal without getting the WWC, and they had a hero's welcome upon their arrival. I think the loss was undeserved, and that their run, and their legacy deserved nothing less than to end with them as World Champions, holding the WWC 2011 trophy, but sometimes you have to think that maybe it wasn't meant to be. Ending it on penalties is the worst. It can literally go either way. It was Japan's year, sure, but it was ours too. They just happened to bring the trophy home to their country. That's the only difference.

Next post will deal with WPS. I know I haven't covered that at all either. All the news is coming up next. Sorry again for the huge delay.

Denise

Semi Finals Tomorrow

2011-07-13T03:52:00.002-04:00

The Semi finals of the WWC are tomorrow (Or if you're here on the East coast, later TODAY)! Here are the match-ups:

USA vs. France (11:30am ET)

Japan vs. Sweden (2:45am ET)

I'd love to give a preview but I can't. Its rather late here on the East coast of the USA (its 3:53am), and I've got to get to bed, or else I'll oversleep and miss tomorrow's matches! All I can say is, this is it. Our finalists will be determined TOMORROW!

Get ready everyone, its sure to be a wild ride.

Denise

The Greatest Comeback In Sports History

2011-07-13T02:48:00.003-04:00

July 10th, 2011. The marquee match-up between rivals Brazil and the USA. 11:30am, kick-off is about to begin. The fans knew all the history and general facts going into this game. That the USA was defeated by Brazil 4-0 in the 2007 WWC, that they won in their last meeting with Brazil in the Gold medal match of the 2008 Olympics. That Marta was a player to watch, and that Hope would be key for the USA, etc, etc. But what the fans didn't know, was that they were about to be taken on an emotional roller coaster, and that they were about to witness arguably the greatest, most dramatic comeback in the history of sports.

The USA took the lead early on in the match. Boxx sprinted down the left flank in the 2nd minute and drilled a ground cross into the box for an on-rushing Abby Wambach. The ball however, deflected of Daiane, and bounced into the net. This was the dream start for the USA, as it lifted off some pressure in the opening minutes. However, this game was FAR from over. The game continued and was a rather back-and forth affair. Both teams were pretty even. There was some sloppy passing, disorganized play, and it was from both teams. Both sides went into the locker rooms at halftime, with the 1-0 lead still standing. After the teams came back out, it was a similar game, but things took a major turn for the worse for the USA. Marta beared down on the USA's penalty area, and when she got inside the 18, Rachel Buehler pressured her. Both players went down, however, Marta flopped up in the air while Buehler simply fell under her. In what was a very questionable call, Buehler got a straight red and was sent off, meaning the USA had to play with one less player, and it also meant that Brazil was about to get a penalty. The red card in my opinion should never have been given. It was supposedly a "denial of a clear goal scoring opportunity" however Marta denied her own opportunity. She flopped up then landed, and poor Buehler who was only doing her job, and did nothing to obstruct Marta illegally, was the victim of a Marta dive. What followed would be an even more controversial call. Cristiane stepped up to take the penalty. She shot the ball, but Hope Solo came up big and blocked the shot. Everyone began to celebrate...but the referee called it back for a retake. The reason isn't quite clear...some say it was because Solo moved off her line too early, others say it was encroachment. If these are the case, it is either the most strict call I've seen, or just the most incorrect call. I did not see Solo come off her line at all before the shot, and as for the encroachment, I've seen way worse encroachments that haven't been called. the players movement looked fair to me. Whatever it was, the referee was clearly biased, and gifted Brazil with a retake. Marta converted on the second one, and gave a nice little "F*ck you" by slapping her forearm in the universally known derogatory hand signal. Marta displayed absolutely disgraceful employment of the "beautiful game"...she used derogatory hand gestures, protested, complained and screamed at the refs and opposing players (she screamed at Wambach who was on the ground after being fouled), and she dove, getting her team some nice fouls and even that penalty kick. This caused the entire stadium, save the Brazil fans, to boo and jeer at her every touch of the ball.

Now that the game was tied 1-1, the pressure was on. The penalty was converted in the 69th, meaning there were approximately 20-25 minutes for either team to capitalize and win. However, this never happened. The USA played well a man down, and still attacked frequently, but no chances were converted, neither were any of Brazil's. And so the match was sent into Extra Time. Two minutes into the first Extra Time saw Brazil go ahead. Marta flicked the ball at an odd angle, and it chipped over Hope Solo and dropped into the net. On review of the play, the Brazilian that passed to Marta appeared to be offside, but the refs did not call it. This game was being robbed from the USA, and it was being robbed in plain sight. The entire stadium rallied to support the USA. It was your classic tale of Good vs. Evil, Heroes vs. Villains. The Brazilians employed nothing but dirty tactics, bad sportsmanship, and nasty play, and they disgraced the beautiful game. They played nothing like a team, and to top it all off, the refs should have been considered teammates to the Brazilians. The United States worked together as a team, were playing a clean, fair game, and were continually getting robbed by the referees. Extra time continued on, and the USA relentlessly attacked, time and time again. The Second period of ET began, and still, the USA plugged away. In around the 114th minute, after a USA corner had been dealt with, Erika remained in the box and fell to the ground. Nothing had touched her, however she went down, feigning injury. The medics took her off after a good 4 minutes of stalling and time wasting. She was stretchered off, and as soon as she was taken on the other side of the endline, she sprung up out of the stretcher and ran back to midfield so she could be called in. This disgraceful time-wasting tactic earned her a yellow card, and some well-deserved jeers from the stadium. At the 120th minute mark, the sideline ref signaled for 3 minutes of stoppage time. It looked as if the USA's road had come to an end in the competition. Albeit a terrible an unfair exit, it looked like they would be saying good bye to Germany. The whole stadium rallied and cheered on the Americans in the dying minutes, chanting "U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A!" the 121st minute was gone. Only two more minutes left. The ball was in the USA's half of the field. It was the 122nd minute. The ball was taken from Cristiane, it was then quickly moved to midfield, where Lloyd distributed it to Rapinoe, a half-time sub, who was stationed on the left flank. Rapinoe swung her left-foot and released a Hail Mary cross. This was likely one of, if not the last play of the game for the Americans, who were seconds away from elimination. It flew across the 18 yard box, and had just missed the likes of the Brazilian GK and defender who had come out to block the ball. It passed them and found Abby Wambach, who was stationed at the back post. Wambach did what she does best, rose up to meet Rapinoe's service, and headed the ball into the net. With only seconds remaining, Abby Wambach (who was playing on Achilles pain and inflammation) came up big and saved the USA from elimination. Cheers erupted, as Wambach ran across the endline in complete euphoria and disbelief, and met her teammates who gathered around and enjoyed a massive group hug. This clutch play had saved the USA who was literally on the brink of elimination from the tournament. Seconds later, the whistle blew, and penalties would soon commence, making this an all-too familiar setting. On this very day, 12 years ago, the 1999 USA team outlasted China on penalties in the Final, winning the WWC. The teams gathered around and decided their kickers. Each team walked out to midfield, arms wrapped around each other in a line. Boxx was first to take her penalty. She missed at first, but the referee ordered a retake because Andreia came off her line too early (this call was actually legit), and on the retake, Boxx buried it. From there, Cristiane and Marta would convert, and so would Lloyd and Wambach. On Brazil's third kicker, Daiane, who was the one that scored the Own goal, Hope Solo had a good feeling about her chances. She knew it would be the one. And she was right. Solo leaped and blocked the shot. This put the USA in an excellent position. Rapinoe would convert, and so would Francielle. Ali Krieger stepped up to the spot. If her kick went in, the USA would complete the greatest comeback of all time. Krieger shot it low, and it zoomed right into the left corner. Celebrations and cheers erupted from the USA players, and the fans in the stadium. Justice had been served, or forced rather, and the United States, against all odds, completed the greatest comeback in history.

This game showed the world what the USWNT is all about. They played with such heart and determination, and their will to win was strong and inspiring. They believed in each other, and believed in coming back. They never gave up, and even when the pressure was on, and all odds were against them, only seconds away from elimination, they pulled it off and equalized. There aren't many words for what happened that day. I just like to say that it was incredible...unbelievable really. and for the fans, this was an emotional roller coaster. I went from shedding some tears, to screaming my brains out and jumping around in pure joy. This was a game for the ages. The heroics and character of the team were admirable, and they showed the world that its never over til its over, that you should never give up, and despite all of the adversity, their will to win was stronger, and they overcame all obstacles. It truly was the greatest comeback in sports history. My belief is that the USWNT is still here for a reason. If they weren't meant to be here, they would have lost to Brazil, and never would have pulled off that clutch comeback. Instead of saving themselves at the death, they would have exited. But no, they are here for a reason. They were not meant to be eliminated. That's why despite every single obstacle, they prevailed, its why they came back. I feel like they are destined to be Champions. Hell, they played like Champions, and after their performance, quite frankly, I think they DESERVE to be Champions.

Denise

WWC Knockouts Bring Shock and Drama

2011-07-13T00:42:00.003-04:00

Hello all! Know I'm a bit late on the uptake here, but the past few days have been emotionally draining, and overall tiring. But I'm here to record the events of the first round of knockouts in this Women's World Cup: The Quarterfinals!

The first Quarterfinal of the day brought some heavy action and some heavy drama. It was the match-up between England and France. This one was a well-played match, however France was clearly the better team. They were more organized and were playing the better passing game. England capitalized first however, in the second half. It looked like France may lose, when they equalized in the 88th. This sent the game into Extra Time. No one capitalized in ET, however, it looked like France should have won. England was tired and desperate. They hung back and defended, and the players hobbled and looked sluggish. France continued their attack relentlessly but never scored. The game would be sent to penalty kicks. France outlasted England in PK's. Abily missed the first shot for France, but both Faye white and Rafferty missed for England, sending France through to the Semifinals.

The second Quarterfinal proved to result in the biggest upset of the WWC 2011. It was the hosts Germany vs. Japan. While both teams played a good game, Japan were tactically superior, and their ground game was much better than the Germans. The game was a deadlock, and entered Extra Time. When it looked like yet another game was headed for penalties, Maruyama scored in the 108th minute to give the Japanese the win. And so the biggest shock in the tournament thus far was complete. The hosts Germany, who were favorites to win it all and do the "Threepeat", were eliminated.

The third Quarterfinal was a more decisive one. Sweden played the better game and took advantage of the Aussies poor defending. While the Aussies tried hard, they did not have what it took to beat a powerful Swedish side. The game ended 3-1, with the Swedes advancing to the Semifinals to play Japan.

The fourth Quarterfinal...deserves it own blog post.

Denise

An Eventful Group Stage Concludes, While Knockouts Have Just Begun

2011-07-08T21:47:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone! Back here again after 11 or 12 days or so of Group Stage action in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2011! I'm going to take this time, before I mention any scores, that the world Cup has not failed to deliver! It is as great as I have expected it to be. This is my first World Cup as a Women's soccer fan. Yes, while I am very knowledgeable in regards to the history of past World Cups, I have never actually viewed one! It has been very exciting, and it really is a heaven on earth for fans of the Women's game. Its rewarding, because our loyalty has paid off. The teams and players have been showing everyone why Women's Soccer should not be written off. Very little theatrics plague the matches, and the whole World can see that the women's game is not sullied with this disgraceful practice. In fact, a study was just done recently, showing that women's soccer athletes dive half as much as their male counterparts (it should be less from what I've seen...they probably watched all of Brazil's and Mexico's matches! Haha!). Aside from the pride of seeing Women's soccer athletes continuing to stay on their feet, I'm also proud to see that the players and teams have been putting forward an excellent showing of skill and grit, and have performed some beautiful play and goals that have been reaching "ESPN's Top 10 Plays" status...and deservedly so. Also, the WWC has drawn wonderful crowds, and they're noisy and boisterous...its the kind of audience we know the sport deserves. Its so great to see that kind of audience for a women's soccer event, and it makes me so happy to see that people do care, and that the fan base is growing. TV ratings are phenomenal too, and media coverage has been outstanding. As I predicted well before the start of this tournament, it seems Germany 2011 is going to seriously put this sport on the map.

Now that I'm done ranting, time to list the scores of the group stage! I'll give the score, and a small paragraph about the match. I hope to not be lazy like I have been, and post FULL reviews for the Quarters, Semis, and Final. Hey, at least I'm admitting I've been lazy! That and overwhelmed with all the news I would have had to report if I did a full review of every group stage game! Ok, here we go!

Group A

Nigeria 0-1 France

This game will always hold sentimental value for me. It was my first WWC match ever. It felt special, and different. You never get to see other teams play, unless they're playing your national team. It was great. It felt like World Cup. The audience was like nothing I had ever heard for a Women's match. You could see the stadium was packed. It was the start of an awesome tournament. And the match gave us a taste for what the tournament would bring. France played smart and tactically, while Nigeria fought with a strong will. France eventually won off Delie's goal, the first of the WWC. There should have been more for France, who was superior the whole game. I'll always remember the Nigerian trumpet guy in the audience though!

Canada 1-2 Germany

This game has so many highlights, and my blurb will not do it justice. The Germans may have won, by the Canadians could have just as easily taken the lead early on when Sinclair missed a gift right in front of Angerer, shooting it well over the crossbar from close range. Germany would end up taking the lead, 2-0. But the Canadians fighting spirit was inspiring, and I think they deserved the tie for their splendid display of heart. Sinclair showed true grit (not referencing the movie) and guts when she had her nose broken, then still insisted to play! She slammed in a free kick and gave the Canadians hope late in the match, and it looked as if they would equalize in a tremendous comeback. Its just too bad that it was a classic case of "too little too late".

Canada 0-4 France

This game proved to be quite the shock. France gutted the Canadians 4-0, sending them packing their bags as the first team eliminated from the World Cup. The Canadians just could not finish their chances, and simply could not handle the French, who had brought their A game. The Canadian side that showed heart and guts against the tournament's hosts in front of 74,000 people had vanished, and their hopes of reaching the knockout stages were crushed. This game not only revealed the Canadians as being one of the tournament's biggest shocks in regards of exiting teams, but it also revealed France as an unexpected force to be reckoned with.

Germany 1-0 Nigeria

While the scoreline only has one goal to boast of, the game was more interesting, and was a back-and-forth affair. The Germans were the dominant team, but in perhaps a performance that revealed they too were vulnerable in this competition, they failed to finish chances and looked at times unorganized. Laudehr got this game's only goal, and while there should have been more for Germany, the host team did not play all that convincing. Nigeria however displayed some rather nasty tactics and styles of play. They kicked about 5 or so German players in the shins, etc. I was waiting for the Germans to kick their asses at some point, and it looked like Bresonik was about to, if not for the referee.

Germany 4-2 France

In one of the most entertaining games of the tournament (You know its an entertaining one when it is the highest scoring game thus far), Germany outlasted France in a battle of wills. The Germans and French were about equal. Both were having great performances, and they were well matched opponents. It was an exciting back-and-forth affair, and it yielded plenty of goals. The Germans took a good lead when they made it 2-0, since they had created more chances and finished them. However, the French scored and put themselves right back in the mix. Soon after, the first red card of the competition was given, followed by the first penalty awarded, when France's keeper came out on a risky challenge on Bajramaj in the 18 yard box, resulting in a collision that yielded punishment from the ref. She was sent off, and replaced by Deville. Grings netted her 2nd goal of the game from the penalty spot, sending Germany up 3-1. But once again, France fought back, making it 3-2. Before France could equalize however, Germany scored again, ending the match 4-2. This match displayed the Germans strong will and desire to win, but embarrassingly revealed one of their weaknesses. Aerial plays, especially on corners. The French capitalized twice on aerial set plays, making Silvia Neid realize that there is something that needs to be worked on. Lucky for Germany this was only the Group stage. And so, the Host team tops the group, while France became runner-ups.

Canada 0-1 Nigeria

In a pointless game that at this stage of the competition was only to be utilized by either team to salvage some pride and show face, the Nigerians came out on top, adding insult to injury for the Canadian side who were expected by many to reach the knockout rounds, and even to medal in the competition. This game was also a back-and-forth affair, with both sides having numerous opportunities to score. However, all of the opportunities, save for one, were squandered. The Nigerians gained the upper hand off of sheer dumb luck, having gotten their look on goal because of 2 deflections off of Canadian defenders. This game proved to be somewhat of a consolation prize for the Nigerians who weren't really expected to go far, and also served as a painful swan song that capped off the disappointing exit of a Canadian side that was thought to have had its best chance in years to medal in the World Cup.

Group B

Japan 2-1 New Zealand

I missed most of this game, but from what I did see, New Zealand displayed a fighting spirit, and Japan displayed tactical superiority. New Zealand could not handle the Japanese, and suffered a defeat at their hands. While they were tied for some time, the Japanese played a better game, and deserved the 3 points.

England 1-1 Mexico

This game was very entertaining, and is in my opinion very memorable, though the scoreline may not suggest it. This game was a tale of two halves. The English dominated at first, and took the lead. I was very impressed by their accurate passing, quick offensive progression up the field, and rather creative and fluid plays. Mexico equalized on what is likely to be one of the goals of the tournament off of a splendid rocket shot from Ocampo that was blasted in from about 30 yards out. In the second half, the Mexicans took the flow of play away from England and actually imposed their will, making England change their game plan a bit. This game ended as a stalemate, and I think it was a fitting result.

Japan 4-0 Mexico

This game saw the tournament's first hat-trick, as Homare Sawa netted 3 for her country in her 5th World Cup. This game consisted of Japan ripping Mexico to shreds. The Japanese were tactically superior, and the Mexicans simply could not keep up, and the 4-0 embarrassment was a result of that.

England 2-1 New Zealand

This was another exciting match, with New Zealand drawing first blood and taking the lead against England. New Zealand would hold the lead until the 2nd half, when England came back and equalized. A fight for the win would ensue, and it was a nail-biter especially towards the end. Would England make the comeback, especially now that they were putting on heavy pressure? Or would New Zealand be able to keep the three lionesses at bay and walk away with their first win? In the 81st minute, England completed a come-from-behind win to steal the 3 points right out from under New Zealand. New Zealand too were to be sent home early after the Group Stage.

England 2-0 Japan

Some people thought that Japan would be able to rip England to shreds, just like they did to Mexico. However, many people forgot the the English are not as inexperienced as the young Mexican squad. England put up a hard fight, and played a very smart and tactical game against the Japanese, whose strong point is technical ability. The English were physically superior, and they played a very organized game. They scored 2 beautiful goals, and kept the Japanese out of their net. While some were saying that England has been unimpressive, I've had to disagree. The English to me have proven to be very technically talented and can score some pretty goals. They were able to beat a regimental and organized Japan, and that's saying something. England won the group, while Japan became runner-ups of Group B.

New Zealand 2-2 Mexico

I missed most of this match because I was watching the England vs. Japan match-up, however it seemed like it was quite an entertaining game. Mexico took a 2-0 lead, but just when it looked like New Zealand would go another World Cup without getting a single point, they rallied to equalize in a span of 5 minutes. The first goal for New Zealand came in the 90th, and then 4 minutes later, they scored the equalizer, giving them a storybook finish for their first ever WWC point.

Group C

Colombia 0-1 Sweden

I missed most of this game as well, but it seemed like a game full of squandered opportunities. Sweden, considering their ranking, should have posted a better performance against the young Colombian squad. They squeaked out a win in a 1-0 scoreline, though people say it should have been by more, which is understandable.

USA 2-0 North Korea

This game was a classic tale of two halves. At first, the Americans looked unorganized, sloppy, and unable to finish in front of goal. The North Koreans gave us quite a few scares. However, in the 2nd half it was all business for the USWNT. They settled down, created a rhythm, and attacked the Koreans' goal incessantly. Wambach sent a beautiful cross into the 18 yard box in the 54th minute of the game, and Cheney finished the play by nodding the ball into the net to make it 1-0. Later, Buehler would strike one into the net in the middle of a scramble, to make it 2-0.

North Korea 0-1 Sweden

Missed this game, but it seems that the Swedes again squeaked out a win against their opponents. They sent the North Koreans out of World Cup after dealing them their second loss of the competition. Seger received her second yellow card, meaning she would miss the match-up against the Americans.

USA 3-0 Colombia

This game was memorable, with the USA scoring 3 absolutely beautiful goals, all from range, to beat the young Colombians who could not keep up. Aside from a few dangerous counter-attacks, the USA dominated this game, and it showed. O'Reilly sent the USA ahead with a strike from about 30 yards out. It sailed into the net, and quickly after, the U.S. players lined up to salute the American military members who attended the game. Later, Rapinoe would score one from about 18 yards out, slamming it into the top of the goal. In arguably the most memorable World cup celebration thus far, Rapinoe ran to the TV microphone, and sang "Born in the USA", delighting the excited fans. To cap off the scoring Lloyd would release a cannon of a shot that the Colombian keeper tried to save but couldn't. The powerful shot slammed into her gloves and bounced in regardless. The USA looked much more organized this game and set the pace early on.

North Korea 0-0 Colombia

I just plain did not watch this game. Both the USA's match and this match were airing at the same time. This was a pointless game, and apparently it was goal-less as well. Both Colombia and North Korea exit the competition with a point each.

USA 1-2 Sweden

The marquee match-up to see who would win the group ended in a bit of a shock. This game saw a lucky Sweden side, and a tenacious but unlucky USA side. The USA's misfortune was Sweden's fortune. Sweden would take the lead because LePeilbet, who had a black cloud hanging over her head all day, mishit a challenge to strip Sweden of the ball, landing the USA in a bit of trouble as a penalty was awarded. Hope Solo almost blocked the shot, getting fingertips to the ball. However, Sweden would score and take the lead, making it 1-0. Things got worse for the USA and for poor LePeilbet, when Sweden was awarded a free kick. After it was launched, Solo read the ball correctly and was positioning herself to save it, when it took an unexpected bounce off of LePeilbet's leg and sailed in the other direction, making it impossible for Solo to save, and making it an inevitable goal. Swede was now up 2-0. The USA showed determination and tenacity however, and had excellent opportunities which they failed to finish. They seemed unable to settle down, and were too eager in their efforts to get services into the box. The USA's constant pressure would pay off in the 67th, when Wambach would score off a corner kick. This marked a rather special moment, as Wambach, who has been dealing with Achilles pain, and was not even supposed to play all 90 minutes, scored her first goal of the tournament, after being criticized and constantly reminded of her scoring drought. It looked like the USA would actually equalize a few times before the final whistle blew, making the remarkable comeback that they deserved, however they just couldn't do it. The loss was not the result they wanted, but it was a reality check that was better to come now, rather than in the knockout stages. It will give them more motivation to come out strong in the quarterfinals. Group C ended with Sweden as winners, and the USA as runner-ups.

Group D

Norway 1-0 Equatorial Guinea

Norway, who everyone thought would dominate, put up an unconvincing performance. Equatorial Guinea looked better than everyone thought and held their own against the Norwegians, however, it was Norway who won this one. While they got the 3 points, it was clear Norway did not look nearly as good as they were expected to.

Brazil 1-0 Australia

In this game, I feel the scoreline doesn't tell the whole story. In fact, it was the Aussies who were dominating the game. They played better, were more accurate, strung together more plays, and were a lot cleaner in terms of tactics. The Brazilians did some diving, looked rather sloppy and unorganized, and got their goal off of an individual play. It was a real shame if you ask me, the Australians played with more heart and more skill. Everyone talked about Marta, but not many mentioned Lisa De Vanna, who unlike Marta, truly displayed "Joga Bonito" in that match.

Australia 3-2 Equatorial Guinea

This game was rather eventful, as the Aussies scored first, only to have Equatorial Guinea equalize. The Matildas would go on to score 2 more goals and get a 2 goal lead, however Anonma of Equatorial Guinea displayed more heart and scored her second goal of the game, putting her team within one goal of equalizing. While Australia played better, Equatorial proved they were quite a pleasant surprise of this World Cup, and could not be written off so easily.

Brazil 3-0 Norway

As in their game vs. Australia, Brazil was again rather unimpressive and sloppy, with Norway playing better at first. However, Brazil capitalized on a breakaway counterattack in which Marta fouled and shoved down a defender, did some of her typical foot motions to fool defenders, and scored. Her goal did not display her skill as much as it exposed Norway of having a pathetic defense. This trend would continue throughout the game, with Norway totally losing their rhythm, and being constantly on their back foot the whole match. As soon as Brazil scored, the tide changed completely. Norway panicked and so Brazil was able to capitalize, even if their play was unimpressive and their diving still constant. They would go on to score 2 more goals.

Brazil 3-0 Equatorial Guinea

I did not watch this game because I admittedly have a hatred for Brazil, and also because the marquee match-up was being aired at the same time. This game had no bearing...Brazil would be through to the quarterfinals regardless. They scored 3 goals against Equatorial Guinea, and I'm actually surprised. Either Equatorial Guinea couldn't handle Brazil's sub-par play, or they just weren't on it.

Australia 2-1 Norway

This truly was the marquee match-up of the group, and it did not disappoint. Norway was in a must-win position to go through, and the Aussies had to tie or win to advance. The game was very back-and-forth, and in the second half, Norway took the lead. This spelled disaster for the Aussies, or so we all thought. But in pure Aussie "Never Say Die" fashion, they equalized one minute later, keeping their hopes of advancing alive. This was a nail-biter that had me on the edge of my seat. With a Norway goal, they were on their way through to the knockouts, with a tie or Aussie goal, the Aussies were on their way to the quarterfinals. There were some close calls for the Aussies, as a Norway free kick slammed off the woodwork late in the game. However, the hero of the game, Kyah Simon, scored her second goal of the match in the 87th, sealing the deal for the Matildas. Brazil went on to win the group, while the Aussies clinched second place.

THERE'S NO LOOKING BACK

Its time for the Quarterfinals. The knockout stages begin tomorrow, which means its all down to one game. Its either you win, or you don't. There are no such things as easy matches from this point forward. Here are the match-ups involving the tournament's final 8 teams left standing:

July 9th

England vs. France (11:30 am ET)

-England has played very well thus far. They are tactically talented, they put together creative and fluid plays, and can play well through their midfield. The French have proven themselves as a force to be reckoned with. They too play a very sophisticated and skillful passing game. Which will come out on top? My prediction is England. Though I think this will be a very close match.

Germany vs. Japan (2:15 pm ET)

-The Germans have strong will and have showed that when they want to win, they will do everything in their power to come out on top. The Germans have showed some signs of weakness, but are overall talented and organized. Japan is a very technical and tactical team, and if you give them the chance, they will rip you apart with skillful and penetrating plays and services. Both teams are skilled in their passing game, however I feel that the Germans are physically superior, which may cause a problem for the Japanese. The hosts will not want to exit this early. I think Germany will win, but again, I predict a close match.

July 10th

Sweden vs. Australia (6:30 am ET)

-The Swedes have not been too impressive in their group stage, and their win against the USA was really on sheer luck. The Aussies however, have played well and are a very tenacious team. These are the comeback queens, the dark horse team that can never be written off because of their inspiring "Never Say Die" spirit, and because of their pretty skillful play. The Swedes are a good team, but I think the Australians are better. I say Australia advances to the Semi-finals.

USA vs. Brazil (11:00 am ET)

-This is the marquee quarterfinal. You just can't find a match-up as tantalizing as this, nor will you find one with such a storied history. The USA has built somewhat of a rivalry with Brazil. The Brazilians dealt the Americans an embarrassing 4-0 defeat in the 2007 WWC, sending the USA packing earlier than they had hoped. However, in 2008, it was the USA who beat Brazil in the Final of the Beijing Olympics to win the Gold medal. Both teams have grudges against the other, and this will be an intense battle for supremacy. It is an understatement to say these two have a bone to pick with each other. Their history and dislike for the other makes this match so mouth-watering. While the USA has not exactly seemed to find a consistent rhythm as far as performances, its safe to say that Brazil hasn't either, and has in fact been rather unimpressive in their group stage matches. I am biased, but I say the United States will come out victorious. I think that they will deliver and show everyone that they mean business.

The Group stage is over, and now we're onto the knockout rounds. Its either you win, or you go home. The real tournament has just begun.

Denise

Tomorrow....It All Begins

2011-06-25T16:16:00.003-04:00

As all of you know, tomorrow is the beginning of the Germany 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup!!! Can you believe its finally here? It feels like just yesterday when they announced the groups, or when they started the 100 day countdown. My fellow fans, it all begins tomorrow. The long wait will FINALLY be over. Its almost sad, because part of the fun of a World Cup is anticipating it, feeling the excitement grow every day, until it rises into a fever pitch, like it has in the past week. You can tell its here when everyone is buzzing about it, articles and videos and promos and commercials everywhere! What we've been waiting for has come. Women's Soccer fans, our time is now! This summer, the spotlight is on our sport. I hope the ladies representing their teams in the tournament show the World how much the sport has grown, and just how entertaining it can be. All eyes are on Germany. I am confident the teams will deliver and show the world how special Women's Soccer is. Tomorrow kicks off the action with Group A, with France vs. Nigeria at 8:45 am ET, and then later, hosts Germany face off against Canada at 11:45 am ET. All of the fans around the world are as eager as ever for tomorrow to arrive. I wish every player in the tournament luck and good health throughout the tournament. I'm confident that the players and teams will make the fans proud, and will do the sport justice.

Good luck!

Everybody, its about to get real!

Denise

Its been too long

2011-06-25T16:09:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone, I must say I sincerely apologize for how long I was away. It was a little over a month since I last reported, and I'm honestly a little ashamed. However, nanaging a blog becomes difficult when there are so many other things going on. Everyday obligations, things popping up, and just general forgetfulness. We are halfway through the season and I have YET to post a WPS Week Review...that's embarrassing. Hopefully if I get my act together I will be covering it for the last half. Also, I didn't cover the USWNT and their send-off, which I actually attended. I've dropped the ball folks and I know it. Since there is so much stuff I've missed out on I'll try making a video for my youtube page and I'll upload it. I'll just talk about some stuff I missed, to catch us up and discuss some smaller things happening in the Women's Soccer world. Once again, sorry all! I will try being more diligent!

Denise

USWNT Tops Japan 2-0

2011-05-16T11:19:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, the USWNT played in their first of a two game series against Japan. The USWNT came out on top 2-0, and showed evident progress after April's match-up against England. Seems like that training camp helped the group focus on some weknesses, as the USWNT were more effective in dealing with pressure from the opposing players, were not as stretched, and were able to establish an attacking rhythm.

Game Summary- The game went well for the United States. They not only outshot their opponents, but had a higher percentage of their shots on goal, in comparison with the Japanese. The first goal in the match came off a set piece. Ali Krieger sent the ball into the 18, where Wambach in one graceful, fluid movement, rose to the ball just feet from the GK, wound up, and snapped forward, making contact with the ball which soared into the net shortly after. A perfect execution and a beautiful header marked the USA's first of the match, and Abby's first since November. Only a little bit later, Wambach had a run towards goal, and she cut a ground cross to A-rod who put it home, however, it could have just as easily not gone in, as it hit the post, and crossed the line thanks to the backspin on the ball. Although I thought that this game would end 4-0 now that the game was in our hands, it stayed at that score for the remainder of the match. The USA could easily have walked away with 5 or 6 goals in that match however. Wambach, along with a few other players, had chances on goal that were squandered away. However, they got 2 and got the win.

Injury Whammy Strikes- I hoped that the Injury curse would leave the United States and eveyone else alone, but it looks like the WNT just couldn't avoid it. It loomed over Columbus Crew Stadium Saturday night, and landed on someone who has had terrible luck to begin with. Tarpley, a player who many people were happy to see finally return to the WNT, and especially in time for World Cup, entered the game in the 2nd half. After she went up for a ball and landed hard on her right foot, she limped off the pitch and left on crutches. The news everyone was hoping not to hear was delivered. After having her first game back in a while, and after suffering an ACL tear and making her comeback, Tarpley would be missing the World Cup due to an injury, having been named to the WWC roster only 5 days earlier, and playing the first of 3 friendlies before leaving for Germany with the rest of the team. Some things are just really messed up. Its also been reported that Mitts, who suffered a hamstring injury in February and recovered to make the world cup roster, may not make it because of complications/a possible injury. I wonder who they'll get to replace Tarp, and possibly Mitts. Wishing the speediest recovery to Tarpley, and to Mitts if she is in fact injured.

Denise

Over Men and Horses, Hoops and Garters, Lastly Through a Hogshead of Real Fire! In This Way Mr. B Will Challenge WPS!

2011-05-12T11:39:00.000-04:00

Hello all! For anyone here who is a Beatles fan, I'm sure you enjoyed the title of this post, as it was a witty use of the lyrics in the circus-themed song "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite." Of course, I altered some of the words to fit Mr. Borislow's circus-like antics involving magicJack. The club was already a joke, as the identity and location was completely changed due to one owner's whims, and as they have not communicated anything to the public at all. But its gotten more ridiculous in the three-ring circus known as magicJack. Besides embarrassing attendance numbers which fans in DC would likely have topped easily (seeing as it was the team's home fan base...), the team has now lost its head coach. And, there doesn't seem to be any efforts to replace him. In fact, since the team has not been complying with the league rules in a number of different ways, they have been penalized. the team lost their 3rd and 4th round picks in the 2012 Draft, and have been docked a point in the league standings. And now, as for the whole coaching situation, Mr. Borislow is leaving it up to the players, in particular, probably team leaders/captains. Mike Lyons quit his post after magicJack's last match, and it was reported that he had an argument with the refs and also a verbal confrontation with Abby Wambach. He used more personal reasons in explaining his resignation as head coach, but nonetheless he is no longer their coach. He is now only a consultant. The coaching is left to the players. This could be a good or bad thing. Sky Blue FC's 2009 championship team won after going through coaches constantly, and then having Rampone as the player-coach. Maybe player-coaches are better for them. they can do things they way they want, and maybe its a more effective training and game environment. Not only that, but maybe there will be less stress on the players. However, a situation like this could be potentially distracting and could maybe make some players lose focus. But, I'm confident they'll be able to work well in these circumstances. There a few players from Sky blue's '09 winning team that have experiencd this type of situation, including Rampone, who was the player coach. Also, magicJack is loaded with World Cup roster players, and many other highly talented and professional athletes, who I'm sure will be able to handle the situation smoothly.

Best of luck to magicJack! Let's not forget, they're the only team still undefeated! It'll take a lot to knock them down.

Denise

USWNT Women's World Cup Roster Announced

2011-05-12T11:23:00.000-04:00

A few days ago, the World Cup roster for the USWNT was finalized and released to the public. Here's the team:

GK: Solo, Barnie, Loyden

DEF: Rampone, Sauerbrunn, Cox, Krieger, Mitts, Buehler, LePeilbet

MID: Boxx, Heath, Lloyd, Rapinoe, Lindsey, O'Reilly, Tarpley

FWD: A-Rod, Cheney, Morgan, Wambach

The roster delivered no real surprises. I'm happy with the selections. The only thing I would have done differently is picked Harris as the third string keeper. but honestly, it doesn't matter, since 3rd string keepers normally sit the bench the whole time. still, as a young and talented keeper I feel she deserved it. Loyden however, is also a skilled keeper who will do just fine. There's no doubt in my mind that these players deserved their spots and worked hard to get them, and I'm sure they will make the USA proud.

Don't forget, there are 2 matches coming up for the USWNT. They will be playing a double header against Japan on May 14th, and May 18th. Here's the TV schedule in case you forgot:

May 14th
USWNT vs. Japan
Fox Soccer Channel- 6:30pm ET

May 18th
USWNT vs. Japan
ESPN2- 7pm ET

Be sure to catch these games! The new USWNT jersey will make its debut for the first time in a match. After May 14th, the jerseys will be available for purchase with customizing options.

Mark your calendars if you haven't already!

Denise

Official Song for Germany 2011 Announced

2011-05-05T11:52:00.003-04:00

You know you're getting really close to the kick-off of the Women's World Cup tournament when the official song is announced. Come to think of it, we are only about 6-7 weeks away from the competition! And as we get closer, more and more aspects of the tournament are being announced/completed. The official song of the WWC 2011 is Sean Kingston's "Ready or Not." I hope the song sounds just as good as the song title! I'm not sure if the song has actually be released, but it was mentioned that it will be used in stadiums and clubs in Germany very soon.

We just keep getting closer to the World Cup! Only a little more than a month away! I grow more excited by the day. June 26th will be here soon enough.

Denise

The Pre-World Cup Injury Whammy

2011-05-05T11:40:00.002-04:00

Before all major competitions, whether it be a World Cup or an Olympics, there is always some poor soul hit with what I like to call "The Injury Whammy." Its described as a bunch of bad fortune/luck, or a "black cloud", and it lands on a player/number of players, prohibiting them from playing in said competition. This whammy and bad luck always floats around before these major competitions and it always lands on someone. And, this time is no different. There seems to be a trend happening right now, where many top/key players are falling prey to the curse. So far, Kate Gill of Australia, Segerstrom of Sweden, and Maroszan of Germany, have all been reported as having sever knee injuries (ACL tears) and will subsequently miss the World Cup. Also, a friend of mine who is a fan of England's squad said that both Faye White and Fara Williams are/might be injured. The evidence is clear that the whammy is in fact making its rounds. Four teams have already been hit. Let's hope and pray that no other players have to miss the competition! Its a dream to play in the World Cup, and these players work incredibly hard to get to the tournament. It is a shame to see these players miss it, and it would be a shame to have to see any more players become injured and miss the competition. I'm wishing all the teams luck, in hopes that their players stay healthy.

Denise

News Aplenty

2011-05-02T11:41:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone. I've been away from this blog for a long time! Didn't even realize it, but its practically been a month! College work has kept me busy, along with other day to day things, and the blog has taken a backseat. But, its time we catch up on some important news. I plan to have the first post in my "WPS Review" series either later today on Week 4, or at the latest by next week based on Week 5. First though, let's do a general update.

USWNT Action Kicks Off- The USWNT will be playing a number of friendlies quite soon. On May 14th and May 18th, the USWNT will face off against Japan. Both games will be on TV. The game on the 14th will be aired live on Fox Soccer Channel at 6:30pm ET, while the game on the 18th will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 7pm ET. Also, the USWNT's World Cup send-off will be played against Mexico, in Red bull arena, located in Harrison NJ. That will be live on ESPN2, with coverage starting at 2pm ET. Also to note, the USWNT will debut their new World cup jerseys in the first game against japan. In fact, if I have the time, I'll write a post on the jerseys.

WPS Is Back- That's right, the WPS is back, and its already going on Week 5! Week 4 just finished up, with 3 games having been played on Sunday alone. Here are this week's scores:

magicJack 2-1 Philly independence (Wambach and DeVanna scoring for Freedom, with diMartino netting one for Philly.)

Boston Breakers 1-0 Sky Blue FC (Goal for Buehler)

WNY Flash 3-0 ATL Beat (2 for Sinclair and 1 for Marta)

And the standings of the league are as such:

WNY flash GP: 3 PTS: 7

magicJack GP: 2 PTS: 6

Boston Breakers GP: 4 PTS: 6

ATL Beat GP: 4 PTS: 4

Philly Independence GP: 2 PTS: 1

Sky Blue FC GP: 3 PTS: 1

-Note that some teams have played more games than others. WNY Flash has 7 points accumulated over 3 games. MagicJack has only played in 2 games and is only a point behind, and is the only team who remains undefeated. Boston has played in 4 games, but has only won 2 of them. The Beat have played in 4 games, and only have 4 points. Sky Blue is doing the worst after playing 3 games and only having one point. An order is starting to establish itself already, however, as we've seen in past seasons, teams fall into slumps halfway through, or even towards the end, and also take into account that the world cup will have a huge effect on many of the teams in the league. During World Cup, teams will be relying on youth players for the most part, which can turn the tides and cause some changes to take place within the league table.

I haven't watched the WPS' FSC Sunday fixture between sky Blue and Boston yet, and I will try and squeeze in a Week 4 review soon if possible. If not, expect one on Week 5.

Thanks for reading! I will try my best to keep up with the blog despite being rather busy! Summer vacation is almost here so then I'll have plenty of time to focus!

Denise

WPS Gets Ready To Make Its Return Once Again

2011-04-07T11:17:00.003-04:00

The 3rd season is upon us! With only about 2 days left until the start of the season, its hard to believe that much time has passed. I look back and realize just how much time has elapsed since the 2010 Championship final, and here we are again, about to witness a new season and a fresh slate for all the teams. Time to witness new rivalries, more outstanding goals and players, and more exciting matches! Let's take a look back and a glimpse ahead of what's to come. First, let's take a look at the league's biggest off-season events.

FC Gold Pride collapses and Chicago Red Stars suspend operations- This off-season was rather tumultuous, in that a few teams across the league suffered financial problems, and only one came out alive. FCGP and CRS were not so lucky. Gold Pride completely shut down after the investors could no longer support the team. This in particular led to major upset and shock from the fans, and the harsh reality hit that in a growing league, even the Champions aren't exempt from folding. Chicago also suffered from not being able to find investors. However, instead of ceasing operations completely, they simply suspended them in the hopes of finding an investor in time to rejoin the 2012 season.

The rescue and identity change of the Washington Freedom- The Freedom were also in danger of folding, and had difficulties finding investors as well. Washington did find an investor just in time, however, and that salvation proved pivotal in the future of the WPS, since losing 3 teams would have been more than enough to put the whole league under. Dan Borislow, the inventor of the magicJack, and current owner of the Washington Freedom, likely saved the league the day he decided to rescue the DC based team. However, this change of ownership did not come without consequences. Borislow changed the name of the team to magicJack, and also changed the location/base of the team from DC to Florida.

Season Preview

Now that we've addressed some of the big league-wide events, let's take a look ahead! What are the teams and what can we expect from them? Who are the front-runners? Who experfienced the most change? Let's start in order of the teams we'll see:

Boston Breakers- For the second year in a row, we'll see Boston play in the first match of the season. Over the offseason, Boston acquired Buehler, who will further strengthen the back line, forming a strong tandem with National teammate LePeilbet. Also acquired was the young Kelley O'Hara, who will add more depth and speed to Boston's attack. O'Hara formed a deadly trio when playing alongside Marat and sinclair. She could hang with the big girls and will no doubt bring her capabilities to the Breakers, who in past season have shown a strong defense, and an at times average offense. Boston hasn't changed much, and it seems they followed the philosophy of "if ints not broke, don't fix it." In the past Boston have always been top contenders. In '09, they just missed out on a spot in the play-offs, and in '10, they hosted the Super Semifinal. As in the past, I think Boston will be in the upper half of the table. I see Boston as a contender, but not a champion.

Atlanta Beat- During the off-season, it seems that ATL did nothing but lose key players and generally get worse. As if that was possible! I know I poke fun at the seemingly pathetic Beat squad, but they have something that pretty much no other team in this league does. The fact that the Beat will be virtually unaffected by National team call-ups in light of the WWC, means they will maintain chemistry and be together for the majority of the season. This bond cvould prove vital for ATL to take advantage of other teams who are missing key players and gain some points. Underdogs are a force to be reckoned with in WPS, and its safe to say ATL is likely the biggest. They picked up a few good players, such as Whitehill and Lloyd, but that's about it. Probably thei most devastsating loss was their relinquishing of Solo. Losing the best keeper in the world when your defense isn't exactly reliable means more problems. They don'tuch of a roster to boast of, but despite the fact that the chemistry will be there throughout World Cup, I predict another bottom-feeder position for them.

Sky Bue FC- Sky Blue is a team who balanced a loss of key players with an equal gain of skilled and youthful ones. While sky Blue lost Rampone, Kai, and Averbuch, they acquired Nogeuira, Heath, and Long. It seems they traded experience ofr youth. With a new coach, Jim Gabarra, the team will likely have a new outlook and even a style of play. also, some more solidarity since the team has gone through numerous coaches in the past 2 seasons. The '09 Champions will be looking to land a play-off spot after a disappointing finish last year in comparison to their '09 season. The new players can either help or hurt the squad, since losing some experience could prove to be a wekness. However, these new players are very talented and have excelled with the national team as well, so this change could be what Sky Blue needed. I was able to watch Sky blue play in one of the games in the Tournament of champions held in Turkey through a webcast, and they played excellently. They were on their game, and if they play like that this season, they will be a threat to anyone. Don't expect Sky blue to be chumps. I think they'll be right there with everyone else.

Philadelphia Independence- Just on paper this team looks like a huge contender. With a star-studded squad, these ladies are likely to go far. If they reproduce the form they had in their extremely successful inaugural season, and combine it with some new talent, this team looks good quite good to repeat and maybe even take it all. Joining the cheesesteaks are Tasha Kai, and the stellar flank middie Megan Rapinoe. After losing Seger, one of the most important midfielders of last season, Rapinoe will do well to link up with national teammate Lori Lindsey. Kai's speed and nose for goal will no doubt help Philly's forwards, particularly A-Rod and Sanderson, up front. These additions bring speed, and that's one of Philly's strongest points. The Indy maintained most of the talented squad responsible for last year's great success, and they simply added more stars, while only losing a few key players. All I can say is this: watch out for Philly.

Washington Freedom (magicJack)- Probably the most notable series of events that took place in the past few months was the management snafu that plagied the team for the majority of the off-season. After Dan Borislow took over ownership of the team, he made drastic changes. He changed the team's name to "magicJack", and ripped the club from its DC home base (where its been for about 10 years now) and moved it to Florida. Originally he was going to split the home games, but now the team is situated in Florida. The negligence of the fans and messy aspect of the business end did not permeate the actual squad management however. The Freedom has only lost a few key players, in long, McLeod, and Bompastor, but they've more than made up for it in acquisitions. Solo, Rampone, Masar, Loyden, etc. are just a few examples of the players joining the Freedom in 2011. Also, 2011 marks the return of forward Lisa DeVanna, who was absent most of last season due to a broken leg. In the past, the Freedom have always been top contenders, making it to the play-offs both in '09 and '10. I am a biased Freedom fan, but you'd have to be ignorant to say this doesn't look like a Championship squad. I think the Freedom will be in the top 4 as in the past years. I think they have a good chance to win, however, like a few other squads in the league, WWC call-ups will take a toll. Washington will be hit hard since many of their players are national team players, so they'll have to rely on draft picks Klingenberg and Press. Like almost every other team, they will have to rely on inecxperienced players to get the job done. Despite the rather poor business and organization management going on within the club, the team has still benefitted in the off-season and is looking strong.

Western NY Flash- Last but not least, we have rookie franchise Flash. While the flash may be a new team to the league, their squad can be labeled anything but a rookie roster. They may be newcomers to the WPS, but this squad is packed with experience and talent. Just to name a few of the highlight players, we have Riley, Harris, Seger, sinclair Averbuch, morgan, Marta, and the list goes on. This is a star-studded squad that mirrors the now defunct FC Gold Pride. This team is going to be a huge contender, and despite it being their inaugural season, will be favorites to win.

There you have it folks. Of course, its impossible to tell this early on, especially without seeing any teams play a bit first. What looks like a good team on paper may lack organization and chemistry on the field. However, as we've seen in past years, sometimes the squads don't lie. I'm super excited for a new season, and I can't wait to see all the teams and players back at it again! After a long wait, WPS is once again here.

Denise

Reaching 5,000 Views

2011-03-31T11:53:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone! Here again to mention that the blog has reached a new mile stone. It has acquired another 1,000 views and it not at 5,106 exactly. I'm really happy that the blog continues to get views and that it averages about 1,000 a month/month and a half! Viewing has been a little lower than usual, but for a lack of news people are still interested in Women's soccer!

Thanks again to all of my readers and followers who check out the blog. As I always say, I love the sport and love writing about it, and I'm happy to see so many fans reading my posts and having the same interest and passion in the Women's game.

Just as a side note, I plan to do a prediction post on the WPS soon! And I'll write a little about Saturday's highly anticipated match-up: USA vs. England!

Here's to 6,000!

Denise

WPS' Landmark 3rd Season Will Be A Challenge

2011-03-24T11:55:00.004-04:00

As many of you know, we are only days away from the start of the WPS' landmark 3rd season. Why "Landmark" you may ask. If you know about the history of Women's Soccer, then you'll understand why. Back in 2001, one year after the Olympics in Sydney, the WUSA, which was the first Women's pro league in this country, started its first season. The WUSA experienced much success at first, especially after the new-found excitement in the Women's game after the 1999 Women's World Cup victory. As time passed however, spectator numbers began to dwindle, and in 2003, the year of the league's 3rd season, and also a World Cup, the league as a whole folded. Then in 2009, one year after the Gold Medal victory in the Beijing Olympics, WPS rose from the ashes of its predecessor and started what it would hope to be a long standing history. We are coming into 2011, the year of the league's 3rd season, and also that of a World Cup. The histories of these two sound identical, don't they? Its because they are. The only difference is that this time, the league can learn from some of the previous mistakes and hopefully make it past. In 2003, the WUSA folded only weeks before the start of the World Cup. Because of that, we don't know how a league will fare when competing with a World Cup taking place at the very same time. If WPS doesn't follow in its predecessor's steps, by folding weeks before the major World competition, then it will be put to the test.

The biggest obstacle that makes this 3rd year that much more difficult is the timing, since the Women's World Cup will be taking place in roughly the same time period. The WPS season begins in April and goes straight through until the end of August. The World Cup only lasts about a month, taking place from June 26th to July 17th, but it falls smack dab in the middle of the season, and has the potential to draw fans away from WPS, and to the World's most prestigious competition. While it may seem short, we also have to realize that many stars and players for the National teams will have to report to training camps and friendlies in the beginning of the season. They will also have to depart early with their country to Europe before World cup as well, so you can expect them to leave by early June. Sure its ironic, since World Cup and WPS both help each other in that they both promote the sport. However, World Cup will be somewhat of an opposing factor, though it can ultimately help the league. The biggest problem it poses is the fact that many of the top players will be missing. This will be true for much of the season, since there will be pre-WWC training camps and friendlies, meaning lots of stars will be busy and will not be suiting up for their league team. Because of that, many fans will be busy watching national teams and unfortunately the league will take a back seat. Attendance numbers will likely drop, since stars draw crowds, and one can argue that quality of play may drop. Not drastically, but it may decline a little, since the league will be in the hands of the youth players, who are understandably less experienced. Aside from the fact that main players will be missing, World Cup is a major event that takes place only every 4 years, and since it is the most important Championship in the sport, it takes top priority. Ratings and attendance will likely drop due to the simple fact that the majority of fans will be watching World Cup. The WPS will be taking a hiatus, but only during the group stage. In the knockout stages, the WPS will be back. More people will opt to watch the World Cup knockout stage matches, rather than WPS. For example, there will be a game on July 9th that stages the Washington Freedom against Sky Blue FC at Yurcak field. Normally, I would be at this game without a doubt, however, there is also a WWC quaterfinal held this day. Two in fact. Instead of going to the WPS match, I like many other fans will be home watching the World Cup matches. Not only that, but as I said earlier, many of the big stars will be missing (and even if top stars came back from a group stage loss, they would not be back to league play so quickly I assume), which means that it will not entice fans to come out and support the teams. I love Women's Soccer and I'd love to support the WPS, but really, its just bad timing. As a fan you're torn, because you know that keeping the league alive is important for the growth of the sport, but you also know that the World Cup is the perfect chance to show that Women's Soccer has an audience, and the spotlight is going to be on Germany 2011, without a doubt. The World Cup is going to cause a drop in attendance and viewership during the season, and especially in our 3rd year, this only poses more difficulty for sustaining the league. While the World Cup as a whole can only help promote and showcase the sport, which in turn will help leagues around the world, they need to survive first. It will be a tough task, but I believe it can be done. And if the league holds out, it can benefit from this World Cup.

Wishing both the league and the World Cup much success!

Denise

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

2011-03-24T11:33:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone! Just as I have been away from the blog for a surprisingly long time, so too has Women's soccer been away from us. For many of us, we have not seen a live game since November. I had the privelege of being able to view one of Sky Blue FC's matches in Turkey for the Tournament of Champions on the computer. And when I watched it, I realized how much I miss Women's soccer, and how awesome the sport and its athletes are. I hadn't seen an exciting game quite like that in a while. Sky Blue was playing some awesome fast paced soccer, and the quick one touch passes were on point. Even better, I was treated to a nail-biting, nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out in the Semifinal match. Sky Blue fought through to sudden death in penalties. It was one of the most intense penalty shoot-outs I've ever seen. In the time away from Women's Soccer, I watched some Men's games by way of Champions League and La Liga. And I still say today, there's something Women's soccer has that Men's soccer doesn't. I still have difficulty finding the words, and pinpointing what exactly it is. But anyway, I've come to celebrate with you the fact that Women's soccer will be back once again, and quite soon. The action all starts in early April. The USWNT will be playing the much anticipated friendly against England on April 2nd. Soon after, WPS will start its landmark 3rd season. Then, shortly into May, the USWNT will play 2 friendlies against Japan on the 14th and 18th. Then not long after that is the June 5th send-off for the USWNT, and then they travel to Austria for a pre-WWC training camp. June 26th won't be too long after that. As you can see, the time is going to be flying pretty fast, and gaps between events are short. Many other teams will be participating in friendlies as well no doubt, and I'll list those as I research them. But yeah, Women's soccer will be back, and so will the blog (although I never really left, its just there was a lack of events).

I'm thinking I might write some posts coming up on insight and opinion. When there isn't much news, a good rant can always get people thinking or even talking!

See you around soon!

Denise

A Tale Of Two Champions

2011-03-09T20:04:00.003-05:00

Well, today was the final of both the Algarve Cup and Cyprus Cup. And of course, we have two champions! The Finals played in each competition were certainly ones to remember. Each champion had to work hard for their title.

The Cyprus Cup final which featured Canada playing against Holland was earlier than the Algarve Final. Filigno put Canada on the board early on, and Heiligenberg equalized just before the half. The score remained the same and got pushed into Extra Time. Zurrer would score the game-winning goal for Canada only 9 minutes into ET, and it would stand, meaning Canada would be reigning champions for the 2nd consecutive year.

Later, the the West, the Algarve Cup would stage its Final match between the USA and Iceland. Both have met each other as routine in the past competitions, but this time met in the Final. The game started off in the USA's favor, with Lloyd, who had an excellent tournament, scoring the first goal just 9 minutes into. Then, Iceland, would go up 2-1 when Omarsdottir and Gisladottir scored in a span of about 3 minutes. The USA then tied the score before the half, making it 2-2 before the teams returned to the locker rooms. Soon after the second half started, O'Reilly put the USA ahead, and to seal the deal, Morgan netted one of her own, making the score stand at 4-2. The USA was also champions at last years Algarve Cup, and have extended their reign for another year.

As the Algarve and Cyprus Cups conclude, we get one step closer to the Women's World Cup. There are only 108 days left. With only about 3 months left until Germany 2011 begins, the pressure is on. Everyone feels June 26th creeping ever closer. As these competitions come to a close, we realize its only just begun.

Denise

A Historical Day At The Algarve And Cyprus Cup

2011-03-03T11:56:00.003-05:00

Before the Cyprus Cup's first match day, many people were talking about Kelly Smith, and how that game would be a rather special one for her. On England's March 2nd match against Italy, Kelly Smith would be receiving her 100th cap, quite a mileston and achievement for a soccer player. After all the ups and downs she's had in her career, especially battling, and winning against a drinking problem and depression, the 100th cap is that much more sweet. And, to put that proverbial cherry on top, she scored in the match too.

Farther to the west in Portugal, someone else reached a milestone in regards to caps. Abby Wambach got her 150th cap in the match against Japan. An impressive number of caps for the USA's living legend and 3rd top scorer. She became the 14th player in US history to reach that milestone yesterday.

Congratulations to both! Two of the best in the Women's game!

Denise

Algarve Cup and Cyprus Cup are underway!

2011-03-03T11:35:00.002-05:00

Hello all! Its early March, and you know what that means! March Madness! No, I'm not referring to basketball, I mean Women's soccer madness(obviously)! Early March is when teams across the globe compete in two competitions with a deep history and tradition within the Women's game: The Algarve Cup and Cyprus Cup. Here are the scores from both competitions:

ALGARVE CUP:

Group A:
Norway 2-1 Finland

USA 2-1 Japan

Group B:
Sweden 1-2 Iceland

China 0-1 Denmark

Group C:
Portugal 3-1 Wales

Romania 2-0 Chile

CYPRUS CUP:
France 2-0 Switzerland

Canada 1-0 Scotland

South Korea 3-1 Northern Ireland

Russia 0-0 Mexico

England 2-0 Italy

New Zealand 1-4 Holland

The next fixtures for both teams will be taking place on March 4th! I might list them when I get a chance.

Denise

Canada Announced As Host Of The 2015 Women's World Cup

2011-03-03T11:26:00.002-05:00

Today, it was officially announced that Canada will host the 2015 edition of the Women's World Cup. In the running were Canada and Zimbabwe, since Chile had withdrawn their bid early on. Just erlier this week, Zimbabwe announced that they also were withdrawing their bid, meaning that unless Canada failed the FIFA inspection, they were going to be the host of the 2015 WWC by default. It will be the first time that Women's World Cup is held in Canada, and it will also be the first time the tournament holds 24 teams, rather than only 16. It will surely be a WWC that will make history. And, since Canada is the northern neighbor of the United States, I might pay them a visit for the World Cup, if all goes well! As we go into Germany 2011, we can also look to Canada 2015 as even further progress of the Women's game!

Congratulations Canada!

Denise

Happy March!

2011-03-03T11:10:00.002-05:00

Wow, has it been a while. Feels like ages since I've written on here. But, with the start of my second college semester, and with the day-to-day events, the blog has had to take a place on the back burner for about 2 weeks. I apologize for the delay in posts. Although, I have to say, the last 2 weeks have been rather uneventful in the Women's soccer world, save for the Algarve and Cyprus Cups which just began yesterday.In order to catch up, I'll be releasing a few posts in a rather rapid succession to make up for lost time. I would do a combo post, but I feel like they deserve their own headlines. However I will include some of the more small news that doesn't need an entire post.

Canada WNT Steps Down From Boycott- It was recently released probably sometime last week, that the Canada WNT has ended their threatened boycott. The CSA has made efforts to settle differences with Morace and keep the head coach who brought Canada to a Number 9 World ranking, around after the 2011 World Cup. That means the players could, and have been, participating in the Cyprus Cup. Although that battle is won, the war is not over; the Canadains are still fighting to get equal pay and compensation.

WPS Pre-Season Begins- Believe it or not folks, pre-season is actually here. Can you believe it? In about a month's time, we will once again be back to watching our favorite players and teams in the league every weekend. Its seriously crazy how time flies. It feels like just yesterday when FC Gold Pride triumphed in its "Last to First" run in the 2010 season, feels like only yesterday when that Championship Final gone as quick as it came, and we're here at the beginning once again. I honestly can't believe it. I've spent so much time researching off-season moves and getting all the updates, that I forgot to realize that everytime something new happened, we were one step closer to the beginning of the 2011 season. I'm excited to experience another season of WPS, and I'm sure it will treat us to only the best action, as it always does.

OK everyone, get ready for a few more posts! Its good to be back!

Denise

WPS 2011 Schedule Is Released

2011-02-17T17:21:00.002-05:00

The 2011 WPS Season Schedule has been released!

The Season is right around the corner. Who would have thought it'd be here this fast? I remember being sad that another great season had come and gone. I remember sitting in front of my living room TV excited for the first FSC game of the season, Sky Blue FC vs. Chicago Red Stars. Then before I knew it it was the halfway point of the season, then soon after, play-offs had flashed by, and the season was over. A long wait, that's what the aftermath of the play-offs were. A long wait full of withdrawal and internet surfing to get jollies out on off-season transfers and news. However, just as we find every year, time really does fly, and without even realizing it, we are upon the 2011 WPS season. This is our landmark year, the 3rd season which we must pass in order to break the vicious cycle put into place by our predecessor, the WUSA. Today, I realized just how close we are to meeting that landmark year, when the schedule was released. It does promise exciting match-ups, and new rivalries are guaranteed to form, while old ones will simply be renewed and re-invigorated. The one feature that is different this time around is that there is a hiatus that the league will take from June 25th to July 4th, during the Germany 2011 Women's World Cup group stage. Here is what all of us fans have been waiting for: The WPS 2011 schedule. Mark down your calendars and start seeing what games you can get to!

2011 WPS Season Schedule
Saturday, April 9
Atlanta Beat vs. Boston Breakers (KSU Soccer Stadium) 7:00PM

Sunday, April 10
Sky Blue FC vs. Philadelphia Independence (Yurcak Field) 6:00PM (FSC)

Saturday, April 16
Atlanta Beat vs. Sky Blue FC (KSU Soccer Stadium) 7:00PM
Philadelphia Independence vs. magicJack’s Washington Freedom (Widener Univ.) 7:00PM

Sunday, April 17
Boston Breakers vs. Western New York Flash (Harvard University) 6:00PM (FSC)

Saturday, April 23
magicJack’s Washington Freedom vs. Boston Breakers (TBA) 7:00PM

Sunday, April 24
Atlanta Beat vs. Western New York Flash (KSU Soccer Stadium) 6:00PM (FSC)

Sunday, May 1
Atlanta Beat vs. Western New York Flash (KSU Soccer Stadium) 4:00PM
magicJack’s Washington Freedom vs. Philadelphia Independence (TBA) 4:00PM
Boston Breakers vs. Sky Blue FC (Harvard University) 6:00PM (FSC)

Friday, May 6
Western New York Flash vs. Sky Blue FC (Sahlen’s Stadium) 7:30PM

Sunday, May 8
magicJack’s Washington Freedom vs. Atlanta Beat (TBA) 4:00PM
Philadelphia Independence vs. Boston Breakers (Widener University) 6:00PM (FSC)

Friday, May 13
Western New York Flash vs. Boston Breakers (Sahlen’s Stadium) 7:30PM

Sunday, May 15
Atlanta Beat vs. Philadelphia Independence (KSU Soccer Stadium) 6:00PM (FSC)

Saturday, May 21
Sky Blue FC vs. Atlanta Beat (Yurcak Field) 7:00PM

Sunday, May 22
Boston Breakers vs. Philadelphia Independence (Harvard University) 4:00PM
Western New York Flash vs. magicJack’s Washington Freedom (Sahlen’s Stadium) TBA (FSC)

Saturday, May 28
magicJack’s Washington Freedom vs. Atlanta Beat (TBA) 7:00PM
Sky Blue FC vs. Boston Breakers (Yurcak Field) 7:00PM

Sunday, May 29
Philadelphia Independence vs. Western New York Flash (Widener Univ.) 6:00PM (FSC)

Friday, June 3
Western New York Flash vs. Sky Blue FC (Sahlen’s Stadium) 7:30PM

Saturday, June 4
Philadelphia Independence vs. Atlanta Beat (Widener Univ) 7:00PM

Sunday, June 5
Boston Breakers vs. magicJack’s Washington Freedom (Harvard University) TBA (FSC)

Saturday, June 11
Atlanta Beat vs. magicJack’s Washington Freedom (KSU Soccer Stadium) 6:00PM

Sunday, June 12
Sky Blue FC vs. Boston Breakers (Yurcak Field) 4:00PM
Western New York Flash vs. Philadelphia Independence (Sahlen’s Stadium) TBA (FSC)

Saturday, June 18
Philadelphia Independence vs. magicJack’s Washington Freedom (Widener Univ.) 7:00PM

Sunday, June 19
Atlanta Beat vs. Boston Breakers (KSU Soccer Stadium) TBA (FSC)

Wednesday, June 22
Sky Blue FC vs. Atlanta Beat (Yurcak Field) 7:00PM

Wednesday, July 6
Philadelphia Independence vs. Sky Blue FC (Widener University) 7:00PM

Saturday, July 9
Philadelphia Independence vs. Western New York Flash (Widener University) 7:00PM
Sky Blue FC vs. magicJack’s Washington Freedom (Yurcak Field) 7:00PM

Sunday, July 10
Boston Breakers vs. Atlanta Beat (Harvard University 6:00PM (FSC)

Saturday, July 16
Atlanta Beat vs. Philadelphia Independence (KSU Soccer Stadium) 7:00PM

Sunday, July 17
Sky Blue FC vs. Western New York Flash (Sahlen’s Stadium) 6:00PM (FSC)

Wednesday, July 20
Western New York Flash vs. magicJack’s Washington Freedom (Sahlen’s Stadium) 7:30PM

Saturday, July 23
Sky Blue FC vs. Philadelphia Independence (Yurcak Field) 7:00PM
Atlanta Beat vs. magicJack’s Washington Freedom (KSU Soccer Stadium) 7:00PM

Sunday, July 24
Boston Breakers vs. Western New York Flash (Harvard University) 6:00PM (FSC)

Wednesday, July 27
Boston Breakers vs. Philadelphia Independence (Harvard University) 7:00PM
magicJack’s Washington Freedom vs. Sky Blue FC (TBA) 7:00PM

Saturday, July 30
Sky Blue FC vs. Western New York Flash (Yurcak Field) 7:00PM
magicJack’s Washington Freedom vs. Boston Breakers (TBA) 7:00PM

Sunday, July 31
Philadelphia Independence vs. Atlanta Beat (Widener University) 6:00PM (FSC)

Wednesday, August 3
Western New York Flash vs. Boston Breakers (Sahlen’s Stadium) 7:30PM
magicJack’s Washington Freedom vs. Sky Blue FC (TBA) 7:00PM

Saturday, August 6
Atlanta Beat vs. Western New York Flash (KSU Soccer Stadium) 7:00PM
Boston Breakers vs. magicJack’s Washington Freedom (Harvard University) 7:00PM

Sunday, August 7
Philadelphia Independence vs. Sky Blue FC (Widener University) 6:00PM (FSC)

Wednesday, August 10
magicJack’s Washington Freedom vs. Western New York Flash (TBA) 7:00PM

Sunday, August 14
magicJack’s Washington Freedom vs. Philadelphia Independence (TBA) 4:00PM
Boston Breakers vs. Sky Blue FC (Harvard University) 4:00PM
Western New York Flash vs. Atlanta Beat (Sahlen’s Stadium) 6:00PM (FSC)

Cannot wait for the 2011 Season! Its sure to promise us tons of action and excitement. Here's to the success of the league, and to a successful and thrilling 2011 Season!

Denise

Upper Deck Continues To Acknowledge Women's Soccer

2011-02-17T16:59:00.004-05:00

Upper Deck has a new set out, which includes Women's Soccer! Get ready to start collecting!

Hey everyone, as I mentioned yesterday, I would be doing a feature on Upper Deck's new card set, released in early February: "World of Sports". Last year, Upper Deck released the first ever set of Women's Soccer cards (one that was well-rounded and had sub-sets. Old Olympics and 1999 World Cup cards and such don't count). It was a set of WPS players that had an "All-Star" base set, an autographed sub set, and a jersey sub set. Earlier this month, Upper Deck released a new set, named World of Sports, which, as the name implies, features players from a wide variety of sports. And, thanks to Upper Deck, Women's Soccer was included! There is a base set, a jersey set, an autographed set, an autographed jersey set, and also a clear card set. Here is the checklist for the set:

BASE SET- A Base set, plain cards of players.

101 Tiffeny Milbrett
102 Abby Wambach
103 Tasha Kai
104 Ella Masar
105 Laura Kalmari
106 Kelly Smith
107 Heather Mitts
108 Cat Whitehill
109 Shannon Boxx
110 Jillian Loyden
111 Karen Bardsley
112 Nicole Barnhart
113 Marta
114 Hope Solo
115 Amy Rodriguez
116 Christine Sinclair
117 Tobin Heath
118 Jordan Angeli
119 Eniola Aluko
120 Sonia Bompastor

BASE SET PARALLEL AUTOGRAPH- Self explanatory, these cards are autographed. (Note-These are the base set cards, except these are autographed)

101 Tiffeny Milbrett
102 Abby Wambach
103 Tasha Kai
104 Ella Masar
105 Laura Kalmari
106 Kelly Smith
108 Cat Whitehill
109 Shannon Boxx
111 Karen Bardsley
112 Nicole Barnhart
113 Marta
114 Hope Solo
115 Amy Rodriguez
116 Christine Sinclair
117 Tobin Heath
118 Jordan Angeli
120 Sonia Bompastor

ALL SPORT APPAREL- These are cards with a piece of jersey in them. (Note- These also have parrallels, aka the same exact card, just with an autograph on it as well)

ASA-18 Heather Mitts
ASA-19 Hope Solo
ASA-20 Tasha Kai

CLEAR COMPETITORS- Cards made with plastic. They look pretty cool!

CC-40 Heather Mitts
CC-41 Hope Solo
CC-42 Heather O'Reilly

ATHLETES OF THE WORLD-Autographed card of a well-known athlete

AW-11 Mia Hamm

So that's the set my friends! Try getting your hands on a box, or simply look for them on ebay (warning you though, these ones are flying, just like the WPS set! And they're kind of rare!). Also, if you want to thank Upper Deck for including Women's Soccer in sets and for acknowledging the sport, or if you want to make a suggestion (like telling them to make a World Cup set which I did earlier) then you can contact them here: hobbytalk@upperdeck.com

That's all for now! Me and my friend are expecting some World of Sports cards in the mail, and when they do come, I'll be sure to post a video on my youtube channel, "USWNTfan92" reviewing the cards and giving you a closer look!

Have a good one, and I'll see you soon!

Denise

Youtube Page

2011-02-17T02:08:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone! I just created a youtube account today, and I'll probably do some blog features and such on there. Also, I might post highlight vids (when I learn how to), rants or "podcasts" (easier talking than writing sometimes!), game day videos (when I can get to a live WPS game), etc! So, if you'd like to add me as a friend or subscribe to my page, you can find me as USWNTfan92. Just created my first video today, showcasing my WPS card collection, and my WPS ttm's, which I have yet to feature on the blog! Hope you go and see, I ramble on about trades and such as well, so you might pick up some information too! Coming soon is a video of the new Upper Deck set: "World of Sports", which I'll write about on the blog in the coming days, probably by the end of this week. I hope the youtube channel will help extend the blog's capabilities, but my other goal is to have fun with it and see what else I can do with it!

Side Note: I added the link to my youtube channel on the right sidebar of the blog. Along with that, I also added the link to Just Another Soccer Fan's Facebook page, along with the link to the group I run on Facebook called "Help Get Women's Soccer The Coverage It Deserves." You'll also find a link to Women's Soccer United. I highly recommend joining the site, its inhabited by plenty of passionate Women's Soccer fans!

Here's the link to my first youtube video if you'd like to check it out: http://www.youtube.com/user/USWNTfan92?feature=mhum

Hope you stop by!

Denise

USA vs. England to be on TV

2011-02-10T11:44:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! Short announcement here! Believe it or not, ESPN 2 will be televising the USA vs. England match. It will be on April 2nd, at 3pm ET. Surprised that ESPN decided to air it, especially with the match being overseas! Guess they're waking up a little, especially since Women's Soccer is going to be in the spotlight this summer! Hope its a great match!

Denise

Canada WNT Is On Strike

2011-02-10T11:13:00.004-05:00

As most of you have probably heard of by now, the Canadian Women's National Team has decided to boycott the Canada Soccer Association (CSA). The boycott means, that the team refuses to play any international matches until the CSA recognizes their demands and negotiates with them. Now, why are they boycotting, you may ask? There are actually 2 reasons. First, The Canada WNT wants to see Carolina Morace be included in the team's plans for after the World Cup in Germany. Recently, Morace announced that she would be resigning from the position of head coach after the World Cup this summer, because her and the CSA had different methods for the advancement of the team. Since both would not see eye to eye, she would leave. However, the Canada WNT wants Morace, the coach who has brought them to new heights and has made a huge impact on them, to stay. They will be boycotting the CSA until they can settle their differences and include Morace in the team's future plans. But this boycott is not just about that. Its also a stand against pay inequity. The players never get compensated, even when they've played in huge competitions such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics, or even the Gold Cup. The men do get compensated, and the cheeky CSA has refused to show the Canada WNT the men's team's numbers in regards to compensation. The players want compensation equal to that of the Men's and are not looking for any more or less. They have every right to fight for equal pay. Its another classic display of pay inequity and sexism by the chauvinistic societies known as Soccer Associations. The players will be represented all by one lawyer, and arbitration is a likely outcome, if the CSA refuses to get moving on negotiations soon. The Canada WNT will be going to Rome to train for the Cyprus cup, but if these issues are not resolved, they refuse to play any matches, and if need be, the team will even sit out World Cup matches. Its time to move forward. This old, ignorant sexism crap is getting played out. Its the only thing keeping the Women's game behind. And FIFA, to the CSA, they're all chauvinistic and sexist organizations. But, as much as they might try to keep women behind in the game, its not going to be happening for that much longer. Women's soccer continues to improve globally, and continues to gain respect and recognition. Sexism is getting bashed and conquered left and right. If these societies think they can get away with it, they better think again, because players and teams are not going to tolerate it. The Canada WNT is already showcasing bravery and guts, taking a stand and speaking up. Good for them. I support their campaign fully. They have every right to get equal pay. Same job, same country, and hell, they probably have more championships! Time to get up with the times. And as for Morace? She's a great coach, she's changed Canada around completely and improved them big time. Throwing her to the wayside because you don't agree with her seems to be a pretty poor way to repay her, don't you think? Ridiculous. Go Canada WNT! Kick the sexism outta that place, and good for you guys taking a stand! They're proving a great example to everyone else. Hope this issue is resolved soon. It will be resolved, I'm just hoping it happens soon, so that the Canadian WNT can get in some good practice for the Women's World Cup!

Denise

Let This Brighten Up Your Monday

2011-02-07T14:41:00.002-05:00

Hello fellow Women's Soccer fans! As you all know, its a new week, which means today's Monday! Woohoo...not. Although, today we have something to cheer about. It was just announced that the USA will be playing in a friendly against England, leading up to the big event this summer. It will take place April 2nd (logical placement, since its after Algarve Cup, and soon before the start of the WPS season), and it will be played in England. It will be the first time the USWNT will visit England to play a friendly match. The last time these 2 went head to head was in the 2007 World Cup, so this should be a pretty awesome match, especially since England have really been proving themselves and gaining respect in the Women's game. This match only about 2 months before World Cup is crucial for each team to test the waters on their opponents, and to get in some good high level practice in. Before the WWC, teams want to play against tough opponents. It will be that way in the World Cup, so getting on practice will be important. As far as televising goes for this game, I think it will be on FA TV or something like that in England, but not sure about the case of it here. Hope we can see that one! It'll be a sin to be stuck on match tracker for that.

Hope this announcement brightened your day!

Denise

Freedom (FINALLY) Announces Some Off-season Acquisitions

2011-02-06T01:14:00.002-05:00

The Freedom has recently announced some signings they've made in the off-season. They've signed Shannon Boxx, Lindsay Tarpley, Kacey White, Marian Dalmy, and Rebecca Moros. I'm glad that they re-signed Moros, she's a great defender and its good to know that the Freedom players are getting resigned so that they can stay together. As a fan you get attached to the players and hope to see them stay together. I'm excited to see Boxx and Tarpley as additions. They're both great midfielders. I remember Kacey from her time in Sky Blue, and Dalmy from her time with the Red Stars. I'm sure they'll do well in their respective positions. I'm honestly just glad to know we're signing people! That's all for now. In other news, the USWNT seems to be having a good camp. Hopefully they train up and get better and kick ass in the Algarve Cup!

Denise

Eventful Day

2011-02-03T20:49:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! A quick update. As I mentioned the other day, the USWNT has a camp underway, and in fact it just started today. The team is down in Florida, and as the players have been reporting, they have immediately begun to appreciate the warmer temperatures. Who wouldn't though right? I know I'm personally not a fan of cold temperatures. Anyways, I came here today to mention more than just the start of the USWNT's camp. Today is also the day the WPS 2011 uniforms are unveiled at the Puma store in NYC. I had the chance to go, since I was in NYC, but I bet they wouldn't have allowed the General Public, and I'm not that well acquainted with the city to have successfully found my way there without getting lost. I still regret it though, there was a chance, even if it was slim, to meet some players! Pictures of the new uniforms will be up later tonight. I'm most curious about "MagicTalk SC's" jerseys (just saying that to clarify, I still call them the Freedom, but I'm curious how the jersey will house the new team name), and also the Flash's jerseys. Gonna be cool!

Can't wait to see them!

Denise

Germany 2011 Promises To Be Electric

2011-02-03T10:47:00.003-05:00

As it was recently announced, the Germany 2011 Women's World Cup has sold just about 500,000 tickets for the tournament, and is already on the list of the highest attended Women's World Cups to date. Its already broken the record for attendance to a Women's match in Europe, as the Opening match in Olympic Stadium (which holds about 74,000) has already reported that 50,000+ fans will be attending. The ticketing has already shifted into its fourth and final sales phase. The German team's games are the most popular, but other games are flying fast as well. The games are sure to have full and noisy crowds watching the best Women's teams in the World compete. If you're planning to head to Germany and watch the World Cup, you better get a move on as far as tickets go if you haven't already! The fourth phase is the last chance fans have to guarantee themselves a seat in the Final (who'd want to miss that?!), and tickets are becoming increasingly hard to get, since they're selling out at a high rate. So, make sure you get your hands on them! I wish I could, but I do not have the funds to make a trip to Germany and see some games. I'd love to, but like many of us I'll be watching from my living room, in gear, with snacks, good company, and a vuvuzela or two! As I've said before, I have a good feeling about this World Cup and what its impact will be on the sport.

Looking forward to June 26th.

Denise

Its A Special Day

2011-02-02T13:06:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone! Today is the 25th anniversary of Girls and Women in Sports Day! Its a Day to remember how far we've come, but to also continue to improve the opportunities and recognition that Women's sports get. Women's sports continue to grow here in the US, but globally as well, and especially for us soccer fans, we've seen in the past year that teams who once had no programs at all, or had neglected ones, have built strong programs and teams and it is showing. The Women's game as far as soccer has witnessed a closing of the gap each year, which mean Women's soccer continues to get attention, and that more young girls and women are discovering the game and playing the sports they love. Its just as much a Women's World as it us a Man's World, don't let the lack of coverage fool you. For the year 2011, I hope to see all Women's sports continue to prosper and get the recognition and respect that it fully deserves. Now its time for the coverage and attention match the growth and improvement of the sport. Hopefully, we move closer to equality. I have a good feeling that Germany 2011 will be a historical World Cup that will make a big impact. I have a feeling it will help put Women's soccer on the map in permanent marker. Let's hope I'm right!

Denise

All The News In One Post

2011-02-01T18:18:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! I've got some news to report! So, I figured I'd do a Combo Post, which seems to be quite popular around here! Let's get to it!

Transfer News- As you all know, the WPS off season is still rolling along, but won't be for too much longer! There have been some more moves for the Freedom and they were recently announced. Both Ella Masar of the Red Stars, and Rasmussen of the Beat were picked up by the Freedom. Also, it has been heavily rumored and said by sources close to the league that Hope Solo will be signing with the Freedom as well.

USWNT & The Algarve Cup- The Algarve Cup, an annual competition played in Portugal in late February/early March, is upon us once again. The teams competing are: USA, Norway, Japan, Finland, China, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland. The USWNT will be staging a training camp from February 3-9 to prepare for the competition. They will be training in Florida, and after camp is done, Sundhage will choose her squad of 23 players to take with her to the Algarve. Here is the roster of 31 attending the camp:

GOALKEEPERS (5): Nicole Barnhart (out of contract), Ashlyn Harris (Western New York Flash), Bianca Henninger (Santa Clara), Alyssa Naeher (Boston Breakers), Hope Solo (out of contract)
DEFENDERS (9): Rachel Buehler (Boston Breakers), Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers), Whitney Engen (Western New York Flash), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Atlanta Beat), Christie Rampone (out of contract), Becky Sauerbrunn (Washington Freedom), Meghan Schnur (out of contract), Brittany Taylor (Sky Blue FC)
MIDFIELDERS (13): Jordan Angeli (Boston Breakers), Yael Averbuch (Western New York Flash), Shannon Boxx (out of contract), Sinead Farrelly (Philadelphia Independence), Tobin Heath (Sky Blue FC), Meghan Klingenberg (Washington Freedom), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Atlanta Beat), Kristie Mewis (Boston College), Kelley O’Hara (Boston Breakers), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (Philadelphia Independence), Lindsay Tarpley (out of contract)
FORWARDS (5): Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Sydney Leroux (UCLA), Alex Morgan (Western New York Flash), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)

Every player who attended the Four Nations will be going. Veterans Abby Wambach and Hope Solo, who both missef the competition due to injury, will return to national team action.

That's just about it for now folks! See you all again soon!

Denise

Marta Signs With The WNY Flash

2011-01-26T22:49:00.002-05:00

Hello all! A huge transfer took place recently within the WPS, and that's the fact that Marta has signed with the newcomer team, the WNY Flash. This honestly was a big surprise, but then if you really think about it, it wasn't really. The WNY Flash has been crafting and building a talented and threatening squad, that while it hasn't played any games yet, could undoubtedly rival any veteran team's squad. The Flash is going to be the team to beat in its inaugural season, and that's saying something. Marta will be pairing up with former FCGP strike partner Sinclair. Both formed a deadly team on FCGP and will likely do so again. Its good to see Marta returning as she is a talented player. Abd since the WPS is the best Women's league around, Marta belongs here.

Denise

Four Nations Tournament: Down To The Wire

2011-01-24T23:25:00.002-05:00

Hello all! Some updating needs to be done. I've been really busy lately, so I'll make this post short and to the point. The last game of the Tournament is early this coming morning. Sweden plays Canada at 2:35 am ET, while the USA plays China at 5:35 am ET. Every team in the tournament currently has 3 points and equal goal differential. It is likely that there will be a tie breaker situation. Here's how the tie break will be worked out: Goal Differential, then Goals For, then Head-To-Head results. After the USA beat Canada and after China beat Sweden, everyone in the table has equal points. Its going to be a tight but exciting finish!

See you soon!

Denise

Four Nations Tournament Begins: A Great Start For Canada, A Not-So-Great Start For The USA

2011-01-21T13:54:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, or rather early today, marked the beginning of the 2011 Four Nations Tournament. Yesterday's fixtures were USA vs. Sweden and Canada vs. China. Let's start off with the first fixture that kicked us off (and it qualifies for my bad news first policy):

USA vs. Sweden- The first match of the day which kicked off at 2:35am ET started well for the USA as they went up 1-0 courtesy of a Carli Lloyd header off a Rapinoe corner kick in the 11th minute. However, Sweden equalized 5 minutes later in the 16th off a goal from Segerstrom. The game stayed level until the 61st minute when Asllani gave Sweden the lead. Even after 30 minutes, the USA could still not equalize. Sweden went on to grab 3 points, while the USA walked away with 0 points, and a loss to start off 2011. Definitely not the greatest way to start the Year, but maybe it's good to get these losses out of the way now. What better time to make mistakes than early on, when you can learn from them?

Canada vs. China- The second match started out great for the host team, but like the USA vs. Sweden match, the team that scores first doesn't always win. China went up by 2 goals after You Jia scored a brace. However, Canada would answer with 2 of their own to equalize when Chapman and Tancredi scored one each. Then, Canada pushed even harder, winning the game 3-2, sealing the deal with Sinclair's game-winning goal. Canada showed resilience and great form, possibly the best they've ever shown in a long time.

That's our match review for today. Canada and Sweden are off to good starts in this competition, but as we've seen in our first 2 games, the team that has a good start doesn't always win. There are still 2 more games to be played, and someone can come from behind.

See you again on Sunday when these teams play again! It'll be USA vs. Canada and China vs. Sweden.

Denise

Daily News

2011-01-18T22:33:00.002-05:00

I know things have been a tad slow around here, but finally some news has surfaced! Let's talk transfers and preseason!

Transfers: In transfer news, the Freedom finally has announced a signing, and will likely announce more this week and next. Recently, the Freedom landed a new defender, who is one of the most well known in the WPS. Yep, the Freedom has nabbed Christie Rampone. This is an excellent acquisition, especially with the loss of Cat Whitehill. It's good to have a great leader and experienced veteran, one who led Sky Blue to their '09 Championship mind you, in back for the Freedom. Also, it has been rumored that Lindsay Tarpley will be signing with the Freedom as well. Also in transfer news, the Western NY Flash signed free agent Becky Edwards.

Pre-Season: In other league news, it was announced that Sky Blue FC will travel to Turkey for part of their Pre-Season. They will compete against other top teams in leagues around the World. This is an excellent opportunity to represent the league overseas, and to help introduce it to an outside audience.

I'd like to conclude this post by reminding you that the full league schedule will be released in February. Also, don't forget that the Four Nations Tournament will start on the 21st!

See you all soon,

Denise

2011 WPS Draft

2011-01-14T15:55:00.005-05:00

The 2011 Draft was today, and it was a success!

The WPS Draft was today, and I have to say, by the looks of it, 2011 is going to be an exciting year. Let's get right down to business and name the picks!

Western NY Flash- Alex Morgan, Reed, Augustin

Washington Freedom- Klingenberg, Press, Davis, Da Costa, Fraine

Breakers- Winters, Palmer, Sheeleigh,

Beat- Wright, Lencyzk, Bowers, Taylor

Philly- Farrely, Stoltenberg, Barnes, D'Agostino, Rynier

Sky Bluey- Mautz, Alkek

Apologies if I butchered anyone's name! I'm not very familiar with the youth and college players, however I recognize some from the USWNT and some from the Final Four which took place a little while ago. There are some good players out there, and the season will be exciting! In the Draft, I think the Flash and the Freedom walked away with some top players, in Morgan, Augustin, Klingenberg and Press. Great players picked up by them! The Flash is looking even stronger, and they picked up some really excellent youth players. The Flash hasn't even seen a minute of action of their inaugural season mind you, and they are already looking to be a huge threat. The Freedom has some key players re-signed (Wambach, McLeod) but they mentioned at the Draft that they will be announcing more Free Agents they have re-signed very soon. It was nice to see Brianna Scurry as the GM for the Freedom, and its now official that Mike Lyons, who worked with Christie Rampone in 2009 when Sky Blue won the Championship, will be the head coach of the Freedom. That's all folks, the 2011 WPS draft was a success! Also, almost forgot to mention, the WPS ball was unveiled as well! It looks great and its decription sounds very promising, its a traditional 24 patch ball that is said to brave all elements. Here's a picture of it:

Pretty nice design, huh? Can't wait to see the players kicking that around! The ball is supposed to have a smoother flight pattern and is said to be able to withstand all the elements.

That concludes our post on the 2011 WPS Draft! In other news, the USWNT has headed to China before the Four Nations tournament! Sundhage recently released her roster of 23 players that she will be taking with her. Here's the list (borrowed from ussoccer.com as always!):

GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart (out of contract), Ashlyn Harris (Western New York Flash)

DEFENDERS (7): Rachel Buehler (Boston Breakers), Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (out of contract), Christie Rampone (out of contract) Becky Sauerbrunn (Washington Freedom), Brittany Taylor (Sky Blue FC)

MIDFIELDERS (10): Yael Averbuch (Western New York Flash), Shannon Boxx (out of contract), Tobin Heath (Sky Blue FC), Meghan Klingenberg (North Carolina), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Atlanta Beat), Kelley O’Hara (Boston Breakers), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (Philadelphia Independence), Lindsay Tarpley (out of contract)

FORWARDS (4): Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Sydney Leroux (UCLA), Alex Morgan (California), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence)

Now, these games will not be on TV, but there might be a place where we can watch the games. You might be able to catch matches here:

http://www.sopcast.com/download/

A friend of mine sent me that link. She was able to catch matches played in China through that website, which is a free downloadable site which features online broadcasts of channels. Since the games are frequently televised in China, we might be able to catch them on an online broadcast. Hoping for all the best on this one! The games are very early. I know the schedule for the USWNT's matches. Here it is:

USA vs. Sweden- 2:35am ET
USA vs. Canada- 6:05am ET
USA vs. China- 5:35am ET

Hopefully we can watch those! If not, you can always follow via matchtracker or twitter. If I find anything the day of, I'll post it here. See you all soon!

Denise

No Surprises

2011-01-10T16:30:00.004-05:00

Yesterday the FIFA Gala took place. Many coaches, teams, and players were honored for their accomplishments and moments in 2010. However, it would be an understatement to say the event was predictable. As usual, the same people walked away with awards. Marta won her 5th in a row yesterday. Silvia Neid won for coach of the Year. Also, the U-17 Women's Haiti team got the Fair Play Award.

Let me first start with my take on Marta winning it once again. The following is a combo of comments I made on Facebook, while discussing the event with other fans:

"Marta is great, but FIFA fails to realize the other talent that's out there. Wambach and Sinclair, 2 of the other original 10 nominees, are just as talented. Sure maybe they don't run around doing fancy maneuvers, but they score a lot, assist a lot, often carrying teams, making huge impacts for both club and country. You'd have to be insane to tell me that they didn't deserve to be up there. No one is that stupendous that they should win 5 TIMES. I don't care who you are. Marta is not godly, no one is. There is plenty of talent in the Womens game, so there is no excuse to focus on one person repeatedly."

"I don't think anyone should win in succession. Nobody, not in the Mens or Womens game, unless you did something so spectacular or unprecedented. Marta didn't do anything so amazing that she should be getting it so much. I think her winning it this much is putting out the wrong message. Its saying "Marta is the only one worth winning the award, everyone is way behind." but the point is there are plenty of talented players who can hang with her. I still stand by the fact that it should have been Wambach and Sinclair up there with Marta. Anyone who says their year with club and country was anything but prolific and outstanding, needs glasses. Out of this years nominees, Marta did deserve it, granted however that the wrong nominees were up there with her."

That's my opinion in regards to that. Now here's what I have to say about the other nominees and the coach award:

For some reason, FIFA seemed to be very German friendly with the Women's game this time around, more so than usual (and there's usually at least one German up for an award). Maybe they're doing it to support the Germans, especially before the Germany 2011 Women's World Cup, or maybe they just like Germans. Either way, FIFA put up 2 German Coaches and players. Seems a little overwhelming with the amount. You mean to tell me you couldn't put Carolina Morace up there, the Canada Coach? She's been turning the Canadians around, making them technically stronger and is actually turning them into a stronger, more skilled squad. Why? Because she taught them. She deserved to at least be a finalist. And another thing. I hate to be arrogant, but why did Silvia Neid win it over Sundhage, when the USA won every match against Germany in 2010? I know it shouldn't be contingent on this fact, but technically, we had her number. Still, I think made an evident impact with her team. With Sundhage and Neid, both are excellent coaches, who do however, coach already excellent teams. Morace really changed Canada around and made them stronger. That's partly why they won the CONCACAF Gold Cup. I don't know how they decided on Neid, but then again, how they decide anything within that organization, from World Players to technology in games, is a mystery to me and plenty others. Back to the German nominees. I'm not questioning the talent of Prinz or Bajramaj, but they simply did not deserve to be up there, not this year. As someone I know on Facebook said: " If Abby Wambach or Kelly Smith were German, they'd have won the trophy by now."

Well, another year, another time FIFA gets it wrong. However, the candidates did not get awarded for no reason. My main complaint is that even though the winners did deserve it, there were many others who were well worthy of winning as well. I just feel that FIFA awards it too many times to the wrong person. Even worse, sometimes the nominees that deserve it never make it to finalist. The whole system is a little crooked, and is designed to award only based on a certain criteria. The following is what I said in response to someone on Facebook yet again:

"FIFA should look at records like goals and assists, sure, that is an important part of the game, however they should look at other qualities of a great player. You have to look at leadership and like you said, how they inspire their teammates. What about the enthusiasm with which they play? I mean, Wambach was leading her team, and inspiring them to play hard too, what with her taking bad hits just because she cares so much about the team and the win. She'll take a beating for the team. When she got a hard hit to the head against Mexico in the Gold Cup Semis, and got staples, she was still raring to go and help her teammates. That's a real trooper right there, and she showed tons of heart. She has the stats of a great player, but it's the way that she plays with enthusiasm, passion, and leadership, inspiring those around her, that makes her one of the best. This is constantly being ignored by FIFA, and it's a shame that players who are even statistically close to Marta are cast into the shadows still. If Wambach doesn't get a FIFA WPOTY, or at least a finalist spot by the end of her career, then FIFA is officially crooked. They don't know how to value players that might not be as marketable for them, but who may still be as talented, or even more talented in a number of ways, than the current Marta monopoly.

That pretty much sums up my rant for the day! Hope you guys enjoyed. See you all again quite soon, especially with the Draft in a few days!

Denise

FIFA Gala Tomorrow

2011-01-09T15:39:00.003-05:00

As most of you probably know (us Women's soccer fans are a knowledgable group), the FIFA Gala is tomorrow. That means that the winners of the FIFA World Player of the Year Award will be announced, as will the winners of the World Coach of the Year Award. Once again, here are the nominees for each category:

FIFA Women's World Player of The Year:
Birgit Prinz
Fatmire Bajramaj
Am I forgetting someone...?

FIFA Women's World Coach of the Year:
Pia Sundhage
Silvia Neid
Maren Meinert

The whole presentation, including press conferences before the announcement of the winners, will all be on fifa.com. Here is a description of what you can watch tomorrow (borrowed from FIFA.com):

Women's Press Conference:

The event will kick off at 14.00 CET (8 am ET for us in the USA) with a press conference involving nominees for the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year and the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Football awards. Fatmire Bajramaj, Marta, Birgit Prinz, Pia Sundhage and Silvia Neid (editor’s note: Maren Meinert cannot attend) will share their thoughts on being shortlisted for their respective prizes, reflect on the year gone by and look forward to the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup™. You can watch this press conference live on FIFA.com.

Interviews before the Gala:

Between 16.30 and 18.00, Zurich’s lucky inhabitants and any fans having made the trip to the eastern Swiss town will be able to get a glimpse of the stars on show as a red carpet is unfurled in front of the city’s Kongresshaus. It will be a unique opportunity for a close-up look at the players, coaches, former icons and previous award winners present, and once again FIFA.com will be on hand to conduct interviews and bring you a taste of the building atmosphere.

Announcement of the Winners:

At 19.00 the stage will finally be set for the main course – the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala, which will be streamed live on FIFA.com.

That's how the day will be going. For us located on the East Coast of the USA, we gotta wake up early. For the people on the West Coast, it's probably more of a stay up all night thing! For those of you in Europe, it's in the evening, which is nice. However for us in the USA, since it happens in our morning/afternoon, we have more time to argue and complain about the decisions, because really, when does FIFA ever get anything right?

For the full article on what you can watch and catch on live stream, go to this link:

http://www.fifa.com/ballondor/news/newsid=1360028/index.html

Now as for my prediction, you know what I say. Marta is going to win for the 5th time, whether we like it or not. Do I think she deserves it 5 times? No. Do I think she's that much better than everyone else that she should be getting it for the 5th time? Not at all. Marta is good, but she's not some untouchable godly force in the Women's game that everyone fluffs her up to be, saying things like "only player good enough to singlehandedly raise the competition in WPS" (or something along the lines of that) and "The best player in the Women's game." There are definitely players in Marta's league. I still stand by my opinion that Wambach and Sinclair are just as good, if not better than her. But, we all know how FIFA is. They will pick Marta again. However, I don't feel Prinz or Bajramaj deserve it either. FIFA just plain screwed up once again. How Wambach and Sinclair weren't finalists is completely beyond me. Both of their individual accolades for club and country were better than Prinz and Bajramaj. It should be them up there with Marta. But once again, this is FIFA. As for coaches, I'm a biased USWNT fan so of course I want Sundhage. However, if you look at her records/accolades, she has done a great job coaching the team. The USWNT has only just had their first loss since the 2008 Olympics in the Gold Cup. While much of this success is due to the team's talent and ability, a lot if it can be credited toward the coach. Silvia Neid has done well for Germany, who is on form lately, and Maren Meinert led the German U-20's to victory in the U-20 World Cup.

We'll see what happens tomorrow!

Denise

Things Continue To Get Worse With The Freedom

2011-01-08T17:09:00.003-05:00

If you thought things couldn't get any worse with the Freedom (recently renamed "MagicTalk SC"), well you were dead wrong. For a club whose name is Magic Talk SC, you wouldn't think there would be a lack of news. But alas, there isn't much talking going on in regards to Magic Talk SC. Mr. Borislow couldn't have picked a more ironic name. It was recently stated on the Washington Freedom's Facebook page that there was going to be a "big announcement", yet no such announcement has been made. The fans have been waiting for some news, but there hasn't been any. For an owner who owns the magic jack phone business, there doesn't seem to be much communication. In fact, the whole big announcement seems like a lie conjured to appease the angry fans. Many season ticket holders, who want refunds on the home games they paid for (the half that will be played in Florida), don't seem to be having any luck with him either. The Washington Freedom's WPS page is desolate, with the same articles regarding renewing and buying season tickets that have been up since the club was in financial trouble. As if the total lack of communication and name/location change wasn't bad enough, it was recently released that Kristi Eveland, Jill Gilbeau, and Christie Welsh were waived. So, not only are the fans left in the dark with no news, but we are continuing to lose more players due to the utterly negligent and irresponsible management that has been plaguing the Freedom's organization. Nobody knows what this guy is going to do next. It's looking more and more like the Freedom will be permanently moved to Florida, as he has made no efforts to rent/lease the SoccerPlex. While he is busy turning the club into one big marketing project, we're losing players in the process. Mr. Borislow has no idea what he's doing. He has no respect for the Freedom, or it's history, and with the power the league has granted him (due to their desperacy to not lose his money) he has the freedom (no pun intended) to completely uproot the team, and change it's name, all to suit his marketing project. The worst part is, no one has a say anymore. The Freedom is no longer a team, it's just a group of players who will be treated as marketing stooges, and the team will just become one big walking advertisement, and there is nothing the players, fans, or league can do about it. We will continue to lose players because this guy does not know how to manage a team. He says we will
bring home the Championship, but what does that even mean anymore? At this rate, the Freedom won't have a home, or at least just one place they can call home anyway. And, how will we win a championship, when we have no more players? The point is, this guy does not care. He does not care about the fans, the players, or the team's history. The point is he only cares about promoting his business. And if that means treating the fans, players, and the team as a whole like crap, then so be it. He'll make whatever changes he wants, because he has power. This league does not want to lose his money, so he has been given absolute power. He doesn't care about this team or it's long standing history, it means nothing to him. He's going to use his power to make the team a marketing project, and he'll do so by treating the team like a worthless toy, with which he can use to do whatever he wants. That's all he cares about. And when he's done having his fun, he'll run off and leave the club in complete shambles. As far as I'm concerned, this club has gone to the dogs, in terms of the management. I still love the team and the players, and it would be utterly unfair to blame them, or have bitterness towards them for any of this. They have no say, and they have no control. I'm willing to bet they're not supportive of the way this guy treats this club, but they can't do anything about it. I will still support the Freedom. I refuse to acknowledge anything this guy has done however. He may have changed the name, but this team will always be the freedom. I do not agree with how this guy came in and saved the Freedom, only to disrespect their history and turn them into a big advertisement to satisfy his agenda to promote his business. At this point, the fans are just expecting more bad news. I bet the players will have to pose with magic jacks for team pictures. This whole thing has turned into one big joke and the manager is making a mockery of the team. At this point, I'm not sure things could get worse.

I wish the best of luck to everyone who has to suffer from the terrible management. As a fan, I feel like we don't matter anymore. I feel sorry for the players who have no choice but to go along with the Borislow regime. I hope things get better. Instead of satisfying his marketing agenda, maybe Mr. Borislow should start acting like a responsible manager and get us some players and staff.

Denise

Hold On To Your Hats

2011-01-07T03:37:00.002-05:00

When the WNT blog said 2011 was going to be a huge year, they meant it. The hectic and busy schedule is about to begin, for many teams around the globe. All of the teams worldwide will be keeping very busy, all in preparation for this year's pinnacle event: the Germany 2011 Women's World Cup. Let's take a look at some upcoming games and events, shall we?

USWNT Training Camp- This will be taking place from January 8th to 13th, and will serve as preparation for the Four Nations Tournament, another event on our list. Once again, here's the roster (borrowed from ussoccer.com):

GOALKEEPERS (5): Nicole Barnhart (Out of Contract), Ashlyn Harris (Western New York Flash), Jill Loyden (Out of Contract), Alyssa Naeher (Boston Breakers), Hope Solo (Out of Contract)
DEFENDERS (5): Stephanie Cox (Out of Contract), Whitney Engen (Western New York Flash), Becky Sauerbrunn (Washington Freedom), Meghan Schnur (Out of Contract), Brittany Taylor (Sky Blue FC)
MIDFIELDERS (12): Jordan Angeli (Boston Breakers), Yael Averbuch (Out of Contract), Tobin Heath (Sky Blue FC), Meghan Klingenberg (North Carolina), Kristine Lilly (Boston Breakers), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Joanna Lohman (Philadelphia Independence), Kristie Mewis (Boston College), Kelley O’Hara (Boston Breakers), Leslie Osborne (Boston Breakers), Megan Rapinoe (Out of Contract), Lindsay Tarpley (Out of Contract)
FORWARDS (4): Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Sydney Leroux (UCLA), Alex Morgan (California), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence)

A couple of veterans have been given extra time off, which is why you don't see them there, unless that player is Lilly. She's not there because she retired. To read about this in more depth, visit my earlier post on the training camp itself.

Four Nations Tournament- An annual competition hosted by China. This year, they've invited the USA, Canada, and Sweden. Each team will play each other and at the end, the team with the most points wins. The competition takes place from January 21st to 25th. Here's a list of the games:

Jan 21st:
USA vs. Sweden
China vs. Canada

Jan 23rd:
USA vs.Canada
Sweden vs. China

Jan 25th:
USA vs. China
Canada vs. Sweden

So far, nothing has been mentioned as far as televising goes. As of now, looks like it's just us and some good ol' match tracker.

International Friendlies- Other teams will be getting down to business to, and have not wasted any time scheduling friendlies to feel out possible opponents, and to get in some good training and experience before the World Cup. Here are some upcoming friendlies:

England vs. Norway (January 21st)

USA vs. Japan, Sweden vs. Iceland (March 2nd)

USA vs. Norway, Sweden vs. Denmark (March 4th)

USA vs. Finland (March 7th)

I know some of these might be a long ways away, but they're really not when you think about it. Throw in some training camps, some other possible friendlies, WPS events, and an Algarve Cup in late February, and you realize it's going to be pretty busy! Can't wait for it though. Who wouldn't love an abundance of Womens soccer? A nutcase, maybe.

See you again soon!

Denise

Poking Some Fun

2011-01-07T00:02:00.002-05:00

Hey Freedom fans! Want to get a good laugh about our current situation? Check out this picture my friend Anthony made, inspired by the very same one (caption and all) that was featured in my earlier post:

Hope you enjoyed!

Denise

Borislow Given The "Freedom" To Make Changes

2011-01-06T16:45:00.012-05:00

Dan Borislow, current owner of the Washington Freedom, has been granted permission by the league to go through with some radical changes in regards to the team. However, the impact of these changes might cause more harm than expected.

It was recently released in the Washington Post, that Dan Borislow, current owner of the Washington Freedom, was granted approval by the WPS, in regards to his request to split home games between Maryland/DC, and Southern Florida. Borislow, who owns the MagicJack business, hails from Florida, and shortly after he bought the Freedom, made it known that he had some pretty big changes in mind. Looks like the league has approved both. Earlier today, WPS released the schedule for the first 2 game weeks. One of the games listed is "Philadelphia Independence vs. Washington Freedom/ Magic Talk SC." That in itself was disheartening, to see that the league approved him to change the name of one of the teams with the longest standing history. But it got worse as the day moved on. Later, the Washington Post published an article online stating that the league had in fact granted him permission to split the Freedom's (or should I say Magic Talk FC's) home games between the Maryland Soccerplex, and some stadium in Southern Florida. While this does not affect me, since I am a Freedom fan who resides in NY, I still find this unfair to the fans, especially those living in DC/Maryland, and also to the team. The Washington Freedom has been around for 10 years, and has survived the WUSA, and are one of 3 remaining teams from that era. To let some owner come in and make a complete mockery out of the team, using it as his little advertising stint, is just a complete disgrace. Its a shame this has to happen for the team's 10th year anniversary too. I think the league is too afraid to lose him as an investor, so they will satisfy his every itch and whim. The point is, the league is desperate, and they don't want to lose him, so instead they will appease his demands, because they wouldn't want to step on anyone's toes and possibly lose an investor. He knows he can do whatever he wants, and by creating these changes, he's also creating anger and unhappiness among the fans. Many other teams in the league have been working to sign players. Instead, our team has done nothing but lose them. We've lost Whitehill, Long, the list goes on. While everyone else in moving forward, our team is taking 2 steps back. We have an owner who is too busy doing whatever he pleases with the team. He's neglecting the important factors; we need more staff, we still are in need of a head coach, and we need to re-sign players or get new ones. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised of Borislow makes a statement tomorrow, declaring himself head coach. This guy may have saved the team from folding, but all he's done is made changes that have left the team somewhat in shambles. Instead of doing his job, getting players, making important decisions for the team's future, he's recklessly changing the name and location, treating the team like a toy with which he can do what he wants. He's making a complete mockery of everything. The fans have no say, the league apparently doesn't either. At this rate, who knows what changes he'll make next? With the power the league has granted him, he's sure to abuse it, as he already has made a point of doing. The team and staff is being neglected, and the whole thing's becoming a three ring circus. I don't even know if you could call the Freedom a team anymore. The whole situation is turning into a disaster, and is essentially harming and destroying the team. There hasn't even been any news on the Washington Freedom's page on the WPS website. Don't be surprised if this upcoming season, you see a scene like this:

Abby Wambach walks away sadly, as medics crouch over the remains of the Freedom, trying to revive the broken and neglected club.

This is certainly what it might turn out to be in the future.

With this 3rd year upon us, it's a bad time to have an irresponsible owner running rampant. We're coming to our landmark year. The WUSA folded in their 3rd year, which was also a World Cup year. Now, in the present day, WPS is hitting it's 3rd season, also in a World Cup year. The whole scenario is highly reminiscent of the WUSA. I'm not one of the pessimists who are writing the WPS off, but I am going to be realistic. We've had a team fold after the 2010 season, and one suspended operations. The league has hit a rough spot. However, I feel it doesn't bode well that the league is so dependent on investors, that they literally cannot put their foot down and deny whims that could possibly destroy teams. The WPS is shaky. But, I think they can make it through. Hopefully the World Cup will bring more attention and fans to the Women's game, and in turn, to the WPS. I am still a supporter of the Freedom, and even though their name and location has changed, to me, they will always be The Washington Freedom.

I think I speak for all of us when I say that I hope the WPS makes it through their 3rd year unscathed. There are great athletes, role models, and teams within this league, and to lose them, and to lose the chance to watch them play, and get excited about games and rivalries, would be extremely sad. The fans and players love this league, and deserve to have it stick around. I hope it finds it's way through the rough patches.

We'll see how it goes. The Draft is the 14th, and the full league schedule will be released in February.

Until next time,

Denise

Join Just Another Soccer Fan on Facebook

2011-01-05T16:43:00.004-05:00

You're favorite blog now has a page on Facebook! Yep, that's right people, you can now join the Just Another Soccer Fan blog's page on the web's most popular social networking site. If you have a Facebook, just type in "Just Another Soccer Fan" in the search bar, and it should come up, with the famous WPS logo that you always see at the top, as the profile picture. I wanted to make sure I let all of you readers know. On the page, I'll put links to posts, Women's soccer news, etc. Also, the page allows me to do some fun things, like start up discussions, post little things and updates here and there, so it should be pretty fun to expand the blog's capabilities on Facebook! I really hope to see you there!

All the best,

Denise

A Legend Retires

2011-01-05T14:33:00.002-05:00

Today, Kristine Lilly, aged 39, has announced her retirement from professional soccer. It's sad to see such an influential and passionate player leave the game, but she decided that it was the right time to go. Kristine Lilly who had an outstanding career, leaves behind quite the legacy. She's done so much for the sport, and was often times overlooked, living in the shadows so to speak of her fellow teammates Michelle Akers and Mia Hamm. Lilly's accomplishments speak for themselves; she has 130 goals (second all time in Women's soccer history) and also has 352 Caps to her name (World Record of appearances for a national team, for either men or women), which earned her the nickname"The Queen of Caps." Kristine Lilly was a great inspiration to many players; she always gave it her all on the field and was what you would call a "workhorse" up until the very end of her career. Lilly's last goal came in the USWNT's match against Germany on May 22nd, 2010. But, little did I know it'd be the last time we'd see her net one. I was taken by surprise upon hearing the news, since I thought Lilly, the famed number 13, would be sticking around for her swan song in the Germany 2011 Women's World Cup, which would be her 6th appearance in the competition. It seems like a lot of players have decided to retire in recent years. Take Markgraf last year, Hucles too, now Lilly. I wish them all the best. That leaves us now with 2 remaining 99ers: Milbrett and Rampone.

WPS Draft- January 14

2011-01-04T16:06:00.003-05:00

Hello! Have to say, things have been a little slow here on the blog, with both posts and views, which is probably due to the holidays, and also the lack of transfer and league news. So, I decided to write a short post about the Draft. As most of you likely know, the draft will be held on January 14, in Maryland. As for us fans, we will be able to watch the Draft live on womensprosoccer.com, with a webcast starting at 1pm ET. The WPS website gave an overview of which players, according to their respective positions, would be highly sought after in the draft. I don't know much about many of the players, but I recognized some names after seeing them play in the Final Four college cup. News has been rather slow, and I'm willing to bet that it's because many teams have been occupying themselves with the Draft, which will be here in only 10 days. After the Draft, I bet we'll start to see some more trades, transfers, and signings. But, right now, Everyone's focus is on the WPS Draft. I'm curious to see which teams the players go to, and I'm curious to see how each of them will fit into their respective teams.

Until then,

Denise

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T01:22:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! Happy New Year! Just wanted to wish all the fellow Women's soccer fans and readers a happy and prosperous New Year! 2010 gave us some great Women's soccer action, and all us fans (and players, if you're out there reading!) have experienced great joy for our teams when they triumphed, but also great sadness when they suffered losses. Either way, it granted us great experiences and drew us closer to our teams and strengthened our love for the Women's game. I'm thankful to have discovered and fallen in love with the sport, and 2010 was just another great year experiencing and enjoying the feast of soccer these great athletes put on. The more I watch the sport, the better it gets. I guarantee you that 2011 will be even better! We have a World Cup coming up, and it's sure to be an exciting competition. Also, the 2011 WPS season is sure to be great. My wish for 2011 is for Women's soccer to continue to grow, improve, and gain more recognition and support, for the WPS to continue to survive and prosper, for the Women's World Cup to be an absolutely awesome and thrilling competition, and for USA to lift the trophy!

To the future of the Women's game and to your health and happiness,

Denise

Another Interesting Move

2010-12-30T23:56:00.002-05:00

Hello everybody! Hope you all have been having a great holiday season! I myself have been keeping busy, but also enjoying some quiet time together with family and friends. Isn't that the best way to do it? Well, I decided to stop by and let you know that another great player has found a new home! Most of you probably know, since I'm a little late on the news, but it's a trade/transfer, which means I'm gonna write about it! So onto the news: Megan Rapinoe is going to be playing for the Philadelphia Independence in 2011. Rapinoe is an excellent middie who has the ability to weave around defenders, and has a cheeky style of play. Rapinoe is well-known for her flair and flashy moves which spice up her game and are a joy to see, especially when she embarrasses her opponents. The move to the Independence will definitely boost the team. Rapinoe will strengthen the midfield, and will definitely help the attacking efforts with her skillful ball movement and accurate passing and crossing. Also, her and Lori Lindsey should form a deadly middie tandem. Rapinoe will likely replace Seger, who was traded to the Flash. The Independence, who had an excellent run last year, are looking even stronger, and I think Rapinoe will make the squad even better.

I'll be back again soon to write about some upcoming friendlies, and the Four Nations Tournament. See you all soon, and I hope you enjoy your New Year's celebration! Here's wishing you all a prosperous and healthy New Year!

Denise

USWNT January Camp

2010-12-21T11:51:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! As you all probably know, the USWNT took December off, after they qualified for the Women's World Cup in late November. However, in January the USWNT will begin preparing and training for Germany 2011, and it will start with a training camp which is to be held from January 8-13. Sundhage recently released the roster of players. Here's the squad who will be training in January:

GOALKEEPERS: Barnhart, Harris, Loyden, Naeher, Solo
DEFENDERS: Cox, Engen, Sauerbrunn, Schnur, Taylor
MIDDIES: Angeli, Averbuch, Heath, Klingenberg, Lilly, Lindsey, Lohman, Mewis, O'Hara, Osborne, Rapinoe, Tarpley
FORWARDS: Cheney, Leroux, Morgan, Rodriguez

Wondering why some key players are missing? That's because Sundhage decided to give 8 veterans some time off. Boxx, Buehler, LePeilbet, Lloyd, Mitts, O'Reilly, Rampone, and Wambach are all going to be given extra time off. However, even with some key players missing, this squad of 26 players offers experience, talent, and youth. Its also great to see a few newcomers get a chance to train with the USWNT.

This camp is designed to have the players get in some good practice and training before the Four Nations tournament, which takes place in late January. Joining the USA in the tournament, are the hosts China, and other invited guests Canada and Sweden.

I'm looking forward to that! Hopefully the USWNT has a successful and productive training camp, and gets well prepared for the Four Nations tournament!

Until next time,

Denise

Transfers, Trades, and Signings

2010-12-21T11:18:00.003-05:00

The Western NY Flash have definitely been the most busy during the off season, constructing their squad, which is already looking strong, but other teams have been picking up players as well. Here's some of the recent news:

Cat Whitehill- Experienced defender and veteran player Cat whitehill will no longer be calling the Washington Freedom her home. She will be moving to the Atlanta Beat and will be playign with them for the 2011 season. There's a good chance that Whitehill and Solo, who are both teammates on the USWNT, will be combining to secure the defense for the Beat.

Carli Lloyd- Lloyd, a veteran midfielder for the USWNT, will be moving to the Beat come 2011, as she leaves Sky Blue FC.

Kia McNeill, Leigh Ann Robinson, Estelle Johnson- Both McNeill and Robinson, who played with the Beat in 2010, will be leaving to play with the Philly Independence for the 2011 season. Johnson, who was already a member of the Indy, will be returning.

Natasha Kai- The Philly Independence just signed forward Natasha Kai, who played with Sky Blue FC for 2 seasons. Kai, a talented player who has a nose for goal, hasn't had highlight years with sky Blue in the past few seasons, so maybe going to the Philly Indy will help her find her rhythm again.

Stephanie Cox- The Boston Breakers re-signed Cox as part of their strong defense. She will be rejoining the Breakers for her 2nd season.

That's the latest in terms of the WPS off season. Be sure to check back again soon, as the off season is really heating up with tons of signings and trades!

Denise

Western NY Flash Wasting No Time In The Off Season

2010-12-21T10:27:00.006-05:00

The Western NY Flash, the newcomer to the WPS, will be playing their first ever season in 2011 after their establishment towards the end of WPS's 2010 year, and they already look promising. The Western NY flash have wasted no time in gathering talented players and constructing what is looking to be a well-rounded, powerful squad. Both the Independence and the Beat, after their establishment, landed some good players, but the Flash are seriously go-getters. So far, they've taken advantage of every opportunity, and have not wasted any time in landing big players to begin constructing a strong and skilled squad for their inaugural 2011 season. So far, the team has done a tremendous job in building a squad, and have done well to take advantage of the abundance of great players in the Free agency market. The folding of FCGP and the suspending of operations for Chicago were not good news by any stretch of the imagination, but it resulted in many talented players becoming Free agents, and the Flash have not slacked one bit in the way of landing them. Let's take a look at who I think are some of the Flash's key players:

Christine Sinclair- She will surely be leading the offense for Western NY. Sinclair led the league last year with 9 assists, and she also tallied 9 goals. She had a quite prolific year, working well in a partnership with Marta. Sinclair is a complete striker, who has a real nose for goal. She plays the role of goal-scorer and play maker as well. Sinclair, one of the original 10 nominees for the 2010 WPOTY, is one of the best strikers in the women's game. I personally think this could be the Flash's biggest acquisition during the off season. With Sinclair alone, the offense is already threatening, now, if you get a good strike partner for her? You will have a lethal offense, as it was proven when her and Marta formed a deadly tandem on FCGP last year.

Ashlyn Harris- A young and talented GK. Harris stepped in midway through the 2010 WPS season to take over for Erin McLeod, who suffered an ACL injury. Harris is very talented for her age, and has the ability to keep any team in the game. She displayed tons of skill and leadership after taking over McLeod, and she did a great job of filling in for her. She proved that she deserved to be starting, so its great that she moved to the flash, where she could start and put her GK abilities to good use. As a new team, the Flash is going to want to have a secure defense, and Harris is definitely the one to get the job done. She's an up-and-coming keeper who already has a ton of talent and will only get better. She is sure to secure the Flash next season between the pipes.

Caroline Seger- A talented midfielder who is a great distributor of the ball. Seger had a great run with the Independence last year, and was instrumental in their rather successful season and play-off run. On Philly, Seger and Lori Lindsey formed a dangerous tandem of center middies, and the combination could cut defenses and offer great opportunities for the offense. Caroline Seger, who was one of the original 10 nominees in the 2010 WPOTY, will surely be the midfield center piece which the Flash will likely build around. Seger is going to be a critical and crucial part of the Flash's midfield.

Ali Riley- Riley, who was the Rookie of the Year for 2010, is a young and skilled player. She proved to be a crucial part of FCGP's solid defense. Riley did an excellent job defending the flanks and overall stopping opposing teams in their tracks. With Harris in goal and with Riley there to bolster the defense, the Flash is already showing signs of being rock-steady in back. Pair her up with other strong defenders, and you've got yourself quite a brick wall.

The Flash have done a great job of signing some strong key players, but they've signed plenty of players who are going to combine with the key players to make a strong squad. Here's some of the recent acquisitions:

McCall Zerboni
Brittany Cameron
Candace Chapman
Yael Averbuch
Whitney Engen
Brittany Bock
Candace Wilson

The Flash show no signs of slowing down, and have already begun constructing quite a talented looking team. It also seems there is a great mix of youth and experience on the squad as well. As for me, I haven't seen them play and
I'm already a fan. The Freedom is and will always be my number one, but I think the Flash will now occupy my second-favorite-team spot, which was once held by FCGP. I'm happy with all of the signings the Flash has made. I'm happy to know that this new team will be a strong one, and will have the ability to be a title contender. They're efforts have made the off season exciting and interesting. I like a lot of the players the Flash has signed, and I'm really excited to see how they combine, and how they play come 2011. I'll report any more information on trades and signings, as I'm sure at this rate, the Flash will definitely keep working hard to form their squad!

See you again soon!

Denise

Reaching 3,000 Views

2010-12-17T12:29:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! Once again, another milestone has been reached! I've recently reached 3,000 views, and have already started to exceed it. As you know by now, everytime I get another 1,000 views, I write a post about it.

Well as I always say, Thanks for reading! This is to all of my readers, from all around the world, whether you read casually or check in here often, every view counts! Like I've said before, I love the women's game, and writing about it is a lot of fun. I love reporting all the news, reviewing games, and giving my take on the events in the world of women's soccer, and sharing it with fellow fans is great! You guys make my the time and effort I spend on the blog rewarding. Thanks again for reading, following, commenting, and for being a fellow women's soccer fan!

Hope you continue to read and enjoy Just another Soccer Fan!

Denise

Tons of News in WPS

2010-12-13T17:01:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone, sorry for the complete lack of posting as of late. There's been tons of news but I haven't kept up! I'm here now though to report some awesome and some not-so-awesome news.

First let's start with the bad. You already know my policy on bad news first, good news last. Here we go.

Chicago Red Stars- The Chicago Red Stars just announced that they will be suspending operations, and will not participate in the 2011 season. However, they will try to make a comeback for 2012. They simply could not meet the deadline, and felt they did not have enough funds or investors to be able to participate in 2011. Like I said, this is only a suspending of operations. The team does have intentions of returning for the 2012 season. While it sucks that the Red Stars will not be competing this upcoming year, this makes the Free Agency a lot more interesting, with players like Rapinoe, Carney, Masar, Loyden, LeBlanc, etc. up for grabs. However, some of these players might have to end up playing overseas, since the WPS teams can only have so many players on their rosters.

Free Agency Heating Up- There has been quite the big moves and transfers happening in the past week or so. Here they are:

Western NY Flash- The Flash are not slacking at all when it comes to landing talented players. The Flash nabbed Harris recently, but landed quite a "big fish" if you will, when they grabbed Canadian legend and one of the 10 original FIFA World Player of the Year nominees, Christine Sinclair. Sinclair is a World Class striker and a legend for Canada, scoring over 100 goals for her country, and who has had 2 excellent season in WPS. In 2010, she led the league in assists with 9. Sinclair is one of the best strikers in the women's game today, and can be a playmaker or a deadly threat in front of goal. That so far is probably the biggest move in this Free agency period. Also, the Flash landed Rookie of the Year Ali Riley, who had a great year with the Pride, and they have also landed Kandace Wilson and Brittany Bock. The Flash have not wasted any time, and have already begun constructing what is looking to be a talented and powerful squad.

Boston Breakers-The Breakers have been doing well in the way of Free Agents too, as they have landed USWNT defender Rachel Buehler, talented young striker Kelley O'Hara, and also landed forward Nikki Washington. These are some pretty smart acquisitions, since Boston could always use an offensive spark (O'Hara is probably just what the doctor ordered, and pairing her up with Smith and Cheney should be promising) while Buehler and LePeilbet, teammates on the USWNT, will likely form the same rock-steady tandem that they do on their national side.

Sky Blue and Atlanta Beat- Sky Blue and Atlanta have worked together to make a few deals. Eniola Aluko, Angie Kerr, and Tobin Heath are all headed to Sky Blue. Atlanta gave these players up in exchange for 2011 Draft picks.

That's pretty much it for now everyone. I'll be sure to report on more stuff as it comes in! See you all soon!

Denise

FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award Finalists Announced

2010-12-06T16:26:00.005-05:00

Today, the Finalists for the WPOTY were announced, and I'm going to be dead honest and say I wasn't too happy with them. Here are the Finalists:

Marta
Birgit Prinz
Fatmire Bajramaj

It seems like a lot of you enjoyed my post on the original 10 nominees, and I know that one was strongly opinionated, so I can guarantee you this post is going to be just as opinionated.

Let me just start off by saying that when I saw the list, I was shocked. The first name I saw was Marta. Was that really a surprise? Of course not, everybody and their mother knows that Marta was going to make the finalists, I mean, this IS Marta we're talking about. Hell, she'll probably win the whole damn thing, AGAIN. As much as I don't think she should win it again, she deserved to be on the list. She did well for her team in the CONMEBOL Sudamericano Femenino, scoring 9 goals, and did well in WPS, scoring 19 goals as the top scorer. Then I saw Prinz next in line. I thought to myself "Well, it didn't seem like she had a stellar year with her country, and I don't know much about her club stats, but I'm gonna guess that they were not bad. I kind of like Prinz, so I'm not really complaining." But then I saw Bajramaj and thought "What is that all about?" But, then a friend of mine told me she did well for Turbine Potsdam, her Frauen-Bundesliga club. A lot of people are unhappy with the Prinz nomination, agreeing with my first thought of her "Great player, but not a highlight year for her at all." I was rather annoyed after reading this list. Needless to say, FIFA never ceases to amaze me with their strange choices. I for one think Abby Wambach, of all people, should have been on this list. She had a prolific WPS year, notching 13 goals and 8 assists, and scored 16 goals for the USWNT, 8 coming in the Gold Cup. There's no way someone like her should have been left off that list, especially with those numbers. What does she have to do, juggle and ride a unicycle while heading goals in? Even Sinclair, along with Wambach, heavily impacted her National and club team. To ignore both of them is a complete farce. Like I always say, Marta does not deserve 5 POTY Awards in a row. That's ridiculous. Here's what I said to a friend on facebook regarding the nominees:

"I'm still hoping FIFA announces the Prinz and Bajramaj nominations were part of an early April Fool's joke and that Abby and Sinclair are the actual nominations."

That pretty much sums it up right there. Who do I think will win? Well, I bet its going to be Marta. If its Prinz, that would be ridiculous, because it seems like she had an average year compared to some of the other 10 nominees. Bajramaj, I don't even know much about her. She seems to have done well for her club but not her country. If this was done right, they'd have taken club and country stats and impact into account. But, this is FIFA we're talking about. My final verdict is that Marta wins it all for the 5th damn time in a row. Why? Because FIFA picks the usuals, the favorites, and overall does things ass-backwards, or half-assed. Good job FIFA, first you give the 2022 bid to Qatar, and now you screw up the Women's POTY finalists! Good job guys.

Denise

WPS Free Agency and Western NY Franchise

2010-12-01T22:36:00.003-05:00

There's some events to mention regarding WPS! And they're good ones, I promise.

Hello everyone! Some goings-on have been happening in the WPS! So far, there's been some Free-Agency moves (finally!), and the Western NY franchise has announced some important information, so let's talk about it:

Ashlyn Harris- Harris, the young keeper who took over for McLeod in July of the WPS season (and did an outstanding job, I might add), will be making saves for Western NY next year. The brand new WPS team should be happy that they jumped on Harris, they've got a great keeper on their hands. As a Freedom fan, I'm going to miss her, but I can't wait to see what she does for Western NY! Good luck to her!

Allie Long- Long has been signed by Sky Blue FC, whose head coach is now Jim Gabarra (The Freedom's former coach). Long is a good middie and Sky Blue FC will definitely benefit from her presence!

Western NY- The Western NY franchise announced their official name and logo. Its going to be the Flash, as was their previous W-league name, the "Buffalo Flash." Instead, they're dropping the Buffalo part, to make their official name the "Western NY Flash." Cool name!

That's all on the WPS news for now, but expect to see some big transfers soon. There's no way big names like Sinclair, Marta, Boxx, Buehler, Kai, Lloyd, etc are going to stay in no-man's land for too long. Expect to see them and many other big players get swiped up sooner rather than later.

See you again soon,

Denise

Big News

2010-11-30T00:41:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone, I know I've been a bit behind, but lately I've been busy with a lot of different stuff. Here's some quick updates:

USWNT- The USA qualified for Germany 2011, and was the last team to do so when they beat Italy 1-0 in Chicago. A-Rod's goal lifted the USA to a 2-0 aggregate, and helped them clinch the 16th and final berth.

Germany 2011 Women's World Cup Draw- Earlier today, the groups were drawn for the WWC. Here are the groups:

Group A- Germany
Canada
Nigeria
France

Group B- Japan
Mexico
New Zealand
England

Group C- USA
North Korea
Colombia
Sweden

Group D- Brazil
Australia
Norway
Equatorial Guinea

These groups are looking pretty good, and by the looks of it, I bet we're in for a fantastic World Cup!

The official dates and venues were released as well, as long as the design of the official match ball. It was recently announced that over 350,000 tickets have been sold for the tournament. In the near future, I'll be giving reviews on each group, and I'll also cover the progress and news of the WWC more in depth.

See you again soon!

Denise

I Need A Favor

2010-11-26T23:32:00.002-05:00

Hello guys! As you might know, I don't get ESPN3.com, so I won't be able to watch the game. I'll be sentenced once again to the torture that is known as match tracker. For those of you who live in Europe/Southeast Asia, the USWNT-Italy game is going to be broadcasted in your region. I'm asking you guys a favor. If any of you can post the game on justin.tv, I'd be eternally grateful! Please, from one fan to another, you know how much it sucks to not be able to see your favorite team! So if you live in Europe or Southeast Asia and you get the game (99% chance you do) and know how to use justin.tv, I'd really love it if you could post it on the site! If you guys can do it, it'd be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance if you can do this for me and many other fans! If you did it, or are going to do it, it'd be great if you could leave me a comment so that I'll know. Thanks again!

Good luck to both teams tomorrow! But since I'm a hardcore USWNT fan, I say the BEST of luck to them! Come on ladies!

Denise

Spotting The Nike Maestri

2010-11-26T20:44:00.008-05:00

As a soccer fan, I really appreciate and enjoy a great soccer game. And sometimes, I find it fun to check out what new cleats the players are sporting. When it comes to cleats, I love crazy, bright, and vivid colors. Nice shades of blue, green, red and yellow always catch my eye, and if I was a professional (or, if I had the money of a professional) I'd be sure to get a pair of those myself. In the past I've taken to red, blue, and green F50's, and also the crazy-colored Nike Mercurials, which ranged anywhere from blue and lime green, to red and even violet. But recently, I've taken to the Nike Maestri, and in particular, the blue ones (I always seem to gravitate towards blue, since it is my favorite color). Here's a picture of them:

Nice cleats, right? I spotted these recently during the Women's Gold Cup, and some of my favorite USWNT players were wearing them.

Abby Wambach, the USWNT's star striker, can be seen wearing a pair of blue Nike Maestri's, and likely scoring with them on her feet. Good taste in cleats, Abby!

Carli Lloyd delivers up passes and assists, and can be seen doing so with some nice blue Nike Maestri's!

Even Goal Keepers need good cleats! Ashlyn Harris makes some diving saves with her Maestri's!

Seems like a lot of the USWNT players are wearing the Blue Nike Maestri's. Nice kicks, guys!

Hope you guys enjoyed the Cleat Watch post! You can see many of the USWNT stars sporting the Nike Maestri's tomorrow, when they play Italy in Toyota Park, down in Chicagoland! If you can't make it to the game, like me, watch all the action on ESPN3.com. And, if you can't get ESPN3 (like me) then I'll see you guys on match tracker! The action starts at 1pm CT, meaning 2pm ET. Still disgusted that neither ESPN or FSC have taken the responsibility to cover this important game, but I will be on match tracker, cheering from home. Hope you all join me, as the final World Cup berth is decided!

Denise

Some Info You Might Want To Know

2010-11-26T18:42:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! Here to do some updating. Let's get started!

WPS- There's been a lot of talk regarding Free Agents. No one has really been signed yet, but the Western NY franchise has announced its first 6 players. They'll be anouncing their official name and logo soon as well. As for Free Agents, no one is expected to be signed until beginning of December, since the USWNT-Italy game is in the forefront right now. But, expect to see teams negotiating with players like Marta, Sinclair, Kai, Buehler, O'Hara, Lloyd, etc!

Germany 2011 is almost set- Women's World Cup Qualifiers are just about done! South America's regional competition is over, which means 2 more teams have joined the Elite. Those teams are Brazil and Colombia. All that leaves to be decided is the 16th and final berth. That berth will be decided tomorrow, when the USWNT and Italy play for the 2nd and final time in the UEFA-CONCACAF Play-off.

USWNT vs. Italy- Tomorrow is the big game everyone. This is the game that will decide the final World Cup berth. It all comes down to this. After tomorrow, we'll know each and every team who is headed for Germany in 2011. The game is at 1pm Central time, which means it will be on at 2pm ET. The game is taking place in Chicago, USA, but despite that fact, ESPN and FSC have refused to televise the game. Although, 75 other countries worldwide have recognized the extreme importance of this game, and they will be televising it. Thanks a heap ESPN and FSC, you're both pathetic. Cannot believe our WNT, who is #1 in the world, plays a do-or-die WWCQ in this country, and they can't even get the game on TV. Such Bull. ESPN3.com is great and all, but some people cannot receive the program. And in all honesty, a game of this magnitude and level of importance should be on TV in the first place. Period.

That's all for today everyone. I'll be sure to cover the results of tomorrow's match (I'm already anxious and excited!) and then after that, its on to the World Cup Group Draw, this Monday. See you all soon!

Denise

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T00:58:00.000-05:00

Hello! Just here to say, Happy Thanksgiving! Hope everyone has a safe, healthy, and happy one! Let us be thankful for our blessings, one of which is the gift of women's soccer of course! For my foreign fellow fans, I wish you a great day as well!

All the best,

Denise

Lack Of Posts

2010-11-24T02:00:00.000-05:00

Hey guys, just want to apologize for the lack of posting as of late. I've just been kind of busy, between pre-holiday stuff and also running the Women's Soccer Coverage group on facebook. We've been working hard to get ESPN to air the upcoming USWNT-Italy WWCQ, and the group has been writing them a lot! If you haven't already joined the cause, then join now! Join the facebook group, and if you can't, then write to ESPN and request the game and more coverage! You'll find the links to both in my previous post. As for the latest news, I know I'm a bit behind, but I'll catch up very soon. Expect some updates regarding the USWNT, WPS, and WWCQs in the next few days.

See you very soon!

Denise

ATTENTION TO ALL FANS!

2010-11-23T01:08:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! Well, me and a few friends decided that it was time to start taking matters into our own hands. We ended up creating a Group on Facebook, so if any of you have ever heard of it and actually have an account (hehehe, who doesn't nowadays?) then please join! Below is a link to the Group:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_179240932089919

If that doesn't work for you, enter this into the Facebook search bar: Help Get Women's Soccer the Coverage it Deserves

If you think the humble, genuine, and hard-working players we love deserve more coverage, and if you think the teams we're passionate about deserve some attention and respect, then this is the group for you!

That's all there is to it! Its time for the fans to unite, and for our voices to be heard. We can make a difference if everyone pulls together in a collective effort. We're some of the most loyal sports fans in the world, and there are plenty of us. If all of us join forces and start taking positive action, we can make a change and finally start to make a difference when it comes to women's soccer. These teams and players deserve the coverage. Time to do something about it!

Hope to see you all there!

Denise

ATTENTION USWNT FANS!

2010-11-22T22:03:00.003-05:00

Hey guys, sorry I've been late on posting, I have a post the first USWNT-Italy game in the works right now. But, I have something very important to ask each and every one of you.

For some of us, we cannot receive ESPN 3. I'm one of those people; my cable provider or whatever simply does not work with it. So, I could not watch the game this past Saturday, and was sentenced to the torture known as match tracker. Many fans had the same problem. Lots of us, even those who could receive ESPN 3, are hoping that ESPN pulls the same thing they did with the Costa Rica game, and televises the 2nd USWNT-Italy game, sort of spontaneously. Well, hoping isn't enough for me. To all of you USWNT fans out there, and even to those of you who love other teams, but want the coverage of women's soccer to improve, we should stop waiting around and hoping and should do something! One person isn't enough, we need a lot. So, I decided to contact ESPN today and complain about the serious lack of coverage. I wrote them a small response (they only allowed 1,000 characters but I could have easily written double or triple that), and told them exactly what I thought, and asked them to air the 2nd game. If enough of us ask/complain, maybe they will listen and actually put the game on! As for myself, I'm going to send a response every day up until Saturday. If you'd like to join me, I appreciate it, and I'm sure the USWNT would too. If there is a high enough response and demand, they will probably listen. So seriously, step up and help get us some coverage! Is it fair that the MNT gets cameras to South Africa and everywhere around the globe for FRIENDLIES, while our USWNT is trying to qualify for a World Cup and can't get TV coverage over in Italy, and hell, not even HERE in the USA? NO! Its not fair! So come on guys, make your voices heard! Please join me in this cause! The USWNT deserves the coverage, especially now, during these extremely important games!

Here's the link so that YOU can make your voice heard. Every fan's opinion counts.

http://espn.go.com/espn/contact?lang=EN&country=united%20states

Thanks a lot everyone. I hope you will write them. Do it for the USWNT!

Let's give them no choice but to listen!

Denise

WPS: The Good News and the Bad News

2010-11-16T14:33:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! As I said yesterday, WPS would be releasing information on their finalized teams for 2011, in particular, regarding the futures of both the Washington Freedom and FC Gold Pride. Well, as in almost every story, there is some good news and some bad news. I'm the kind of person who wants to hear the bad news first, so here we go:

The Bad News- Unfortunately, FC Gold Pride, the league's regular season Champions, and also the 2010 WPS Champions, will not be returning. They couldn't find the support or money they needed to keep the team afloat, and as a result, they will not be returning to the WPS in 2011. It sucks, because I liked FC Gold Pride a lot, they were always one of my favorite teams, ever since the first time I saw them on TV in 2009. Although, its fair to say that I love every team in WPS. Really, it just sucks to see anyone go. The coolest thing about WPS fans is that they are just that, fans of the entire league and all of its teams. Although we all may have ou favorite teams, we love every single team that's in the league. And, I think I speak for everyone when I say it really sucks to see a team go. No matter what team is your favorite, you still love the other teams, and its players, because you probably know them from somewhere else. That's what makes this league so fantastic. There may be rivlaries and we may have a favorite, but at the end of the day we have an attachment to all of the players and teams. R.I.P FC gold Pride. You will be greatly missed.

The Good News- The good news is that, the Washington Freedom on the other hand, will be returning in 2011! I was so happy to hear that the league was able to salvage at least one of our beloved teams, and since the Washington Freedom is my proclaimed "favorite", I was super happy to hear that they'll be returning. Congratulations to the Freedom! The fans and players fought hard together to keep the Freedom in for 2011, and it worked. So happy to know they are returning.

Other News (I think its good news for the most part)- The Free agency period opens up at midnight. That means teams will be working to re-sign their players whose contracts have ended, but that also means teams will be looking to land some new acquisitions. Since FC gold Pride has just folded, their players will be listed as Free agents. World Class players like Marta, Sinclair, Barnhart, etc will be finding new homes. Its going to be super fun to see where these players go, and it will also be fun to see where other free agents will end up! This Free agency period is going to be pretty exciting. Imagine Sinclair going to the Freedom, or Sky Blue FC? Or what if marta goes to the Beat? Any outcome will be exciting and will make the fans anticipate the 2011 season even more. Also, the chicago Red Stars are looking for investors. They have been given until December 15th to do so. I hope they hang in there too. We were able to keep the Freedom, let's make sure the Red Stars return as well! And for one last bit of news, the Western NY franchise will be selecting their 6 players now, since the Expansion Draft was postponed/cancelled. They will announce their picks later this week.

The WPS, as a young league, is going to suffer casualties. Its just something that's going to happen. It was unfortunate and sad to lose the LA Sol, the St. Louis Athletica, and now FC gold Pride. Those teams may be gone, but we'll never forget them! We're moving forward, and they will not have folded in vain. Here's to the future of WPS, a successful 2011 season, to moving forward, and to hoping that we don't lose anymore teams!

Keep your eyes peeled for free agency moves! This is the part of the off-season that's exciting and fun, becuase you never know what big moves will be made, and you never know which players will end up where! I'm looking forward to this Free agency period, and I'm excited to see where the Free agents will end up. As always, I'll post about any moves on here.

See you soon!

Denise

Best of U.S. Soccer Awards

2010-11-15T20:51:00.005-05:00

Fan nominations are open! So, why not nominate your very own Just Another soccer Fan for best blog?

Hey everyone! Well, if you're a fan of U.S. Soccer (which our beloved USWNT is a part of!) then you know all about the "Best of U.S. Soccer Awards". The 2010 edition is the 9th annual edition of the competition, and right now, fans can give in nominations for certain categories. Wanna nominate, but you're not signed up for ussoccer.com? Then simply register with them. All it will cost you is 5 minutes of your time. Fans can nominate a bar, specialty store, a costume, and a blog. Now, all of you reading this love Just Another Soccer Fan, right? Of course you do! Haha, I'm just kidding, but, if you happen to be nominating for those categories, then nominate Just Another Soccer Fan for best blog! That is, of course, if you really think it deserves the nomination. But, if you love Just Another Soccer Fan (which you should, because it kicks ass!) then you should nominate it. I'd really appreciate it. I'm just going on a long shot here, but if my blog shows up with enough nominations, then it will make the finals and you guys will be able to vote for your very own favorite blog: Just Another Soccer Fan! I work hard and put a lot of effort into writing, and I love doing it, and I appreciate the amount of views and readers I have. If I get enough nominations, maybe the blog will actually make the finals list and will get more recognition, and then more people will read, and then that means I'll be spreading the word and sharing the love of the Women's game with more people, which is great. But yes, just asking all you readers and followers to nominate Just Another Soccer Fan in the 2010 Best of U.S. Soccer Awards. All the big blogs are of course going to get recognized, but what if Just Another Soccer Fan made it up there with the rest? Wouldn't it be cool to have this blog listed with the likes of the MNT blog and the WNT blog? I think it would! It would be a great honor, so if you decide to nominate JASF, I greatly appreciate it.

Happy nominating!

Denise

Some Updates For You

2010-11-15T17:47:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone, haven't been on here in a few days, but I'm here now to update you all on some news that's worthy of mentioning in the Women's Soccer World. Let's start, because we have a few things to talk about:

2010 African Women's Football Championship- The CAF regional qualifiers have finished, and a Champion has been named. As I mentioned in an earlier post, both Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, who were named the finalists of the tournament, automatically clinched a berth in the Germany 2011 Women's World Cup. The tournament concluded yesterday, with South Africa beating Cameroon 2-0 for 3rd place, and with Nigeria beating Equatorial Guinea 4-2 to be named Champion of Africa. Congratulations to Nigeria, who with this win, clinched their 8th title in the African region. Now that the CAF region has finished qualifying, that leaves only 1 more confederation to finish, which is CONMEBOL, aka South America.

2010 Sudamericano Femenino- The CONMEBOL regional qualifiers, which are set to end the 21st of this month, are currently in the 2nd stage. In the final group, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia are vying to be named one of the 2 finalists. I'll keep you all posted as the tournament progresses.

WPS- This is a big week for the league. This week marks the deadline for both the Washington Freedom and FC Gold Pride to have an investor and their deposit for the 2011 season. By the end of the week, the futures of both teams will be decided. Once again, I'm hoping all the best for both teams, and I hope that both have found an investor and have done everything they could to make sure the teams stay alive for the 2011 season. Also coming up is the Free Agency period. We're hitting Mid-November right about now, so teams will probably start negotiating with Free Agents, either trying to re-sign their current players, or maybe trying to land another player. If either the Freedom or Gold Pride fold, or if both fold, then there will be a lot of players who will have to be dispersed. And, it will set loose 3 FIFA World Player of the Year nominees (Wambach, Sinclair, and Marta), and I'm sure plenty of teams will be licking their chops waiting to land at least one of those 3. Let's hope there won't have to be any dispersal drafts though. The WPS website will likely announce the fate of both teams in the mid-late week. Also, if you have a little thing called facebook, be sure to join the Group called "Get Ellen DeGeneres to support Women's Soccer!". Here's the link just in case: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=121812224538638#!/group.php?gid=121812224538638

Now I'm sure many of you know the Ellen DeGeneres show. This group's objective is to get Ellen to get some WPS or USWNT athletes on her show, to help provide awareness of the league, and also to get Ellen to help support the WPS! Its a great idea, and you all should join if you have facebook, which I think almost everyone does these days! But seriously, how awesome would it be if the USWNT/WPS players could be on the Ellen show? I think it'd be pretty cool.

USWNT- The USWNT traveled to Italy yesterday, and will now have 5 full days to prepare for the upcoming match against the Italians which will take place on the 20th. The roster has been announced, and I have borrowed it from womensprosoccer.com so that you could see it here:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Ashlyn Harris (Washington Freedom), 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 (10): Yael Averbuch (Sky Blue FC), Shannon Boxx (FC Gold Pride), Tina DiMartino (Philadelphia Independence), Kristine Lilly (Boston Breakers), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Leslie Osborne (Boston Breakers), 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)

Pia Sundhage has decided to take all 20 players that she took with her to Cancun to Italy, and has added 4 others, to make a full roster of 24 players. The new players added are Tarpley, Osborne, DiMartino, and Harris. Sundhage will choose 18 players to put on the USA's uniform in the match against Italy in Padova.

Here's some awesome news. You might already know this, but both the games are going to be on ESPN3.com. Awesome right? It may not be TV, but hell, as long as I get to see the game, I am certainly not complaining. I'll take getting to watch the USWNT with my own eyes over matchtracker any day. So yes, us fans will be able to watch our USWNT play Italy while in Padova and while in Chicago. Now, the match held in Italy on the 20th will be aired on ESPN3.com at 4:30pm in Italy, but here in the USA, the match will be aired on ESPN3.com at 10:30am ET. Feel bad for those of you on the West Coast, that means you guys have to wake up at 7:30am! Hey, anything for the USWNT, right? Right! That should be fun. The Chicago match, held here in the States on the 27th, will be aired at 1pm Central time, which means 2pm ET most likely. Can't wait for both of those games! Only 5 days!

Women's World Cup Train Ad- Well, since I commute regularly to NYC, I have to take the train, in particular the LIRR. As I was on the way home, my eyes were wandering around the train, when I thought I saw the Germany 2011 logo. And, I sure did. There was actually a Women's World Cup ad on the train, 4 of them that I counted (I'm sure there were more though, only was able to check the first half of the train). It was a Germany Travel ad, but it was based around the Women's World Cup. This was the picture on the ad:

Below this picture it said "On the ball with the beautiful game" and under it it had the Germany 2011 logo:

I thought that was pretty cool that first of all, they're putting up ads of the competition, and secondly, that they're doing so this early. Good job Germany Travel!

Well, that's all for now! I'll be back soon with all sorts of updates, probably news on the whole Freedom/Gold Pride debacle, the CONMEBOL qualifiers, and news of the USWNT.

See you again soon!

Denise

Attention All USWNT Fans!

2010-11-11T17:03:00.004-05:00

The USWNT needs our support!

Hello everyone, especially all of you USWNT fans! As you guys all know, our beloved USWNT suffered quite a hard loss in the Semifinals of the Gold Cup to Mexico. Since we were not named one of the finalists, we did not automatically qualify for Germany 2011, and now our road to the World Cup is going to be a much longer one. Our future regarding the competition is uncertain at this point, but I, like many other fans, have full confidence in them and know they can deliver on the task at hand. As many of you know, there is going to be a UEFA-CONCACAF Home-And-Away series to be played between the USWNT who is 3rd in CONCACAF, and Italy, who is 5th in UEFA. The first leg is going to be played in Padova, Italy. The second leg is going to be played here in the United States. It will be played in Bridgeview, Illinois. Ring a bell? Yep, it will be staged in Toyota Park, home of the Chicago Red Stars of the WPS.

Here's my message to all of you. For those of you USWNT fans in Italy (if you're out there, I'm talking to you!) then please try and get to the game. The Europeans love their soccer, and I assume that Italy will have a ton of fans doing exactly what the Mexico home crowd did. So, if any of you USWNT fans hailing/living in Italy are there, I'm sure it would really boost the team's morale. If you're one of those crazy fans from the U.S. who has the funds and time to go travel to Italy and support them, then hats off to you, and by all means get over there and support 'em! But, here's what I'm asking everyone else. For those of you that live in the United States (I know you're out there, most of my blog views--in fact 1,642 of them--are from my fellow Americans!) then please try to get to the game. I understand the USA is a big country, and if you don't live near, its definitely hard to travel there and it might not be possible for some of you, but I'm targeting those who live in or near the Chicago area. Even if its an hour or 2 hour drive away. And for those crazy fans that travel across the seas for their team, once again, hats off to you, and I'm sure you'll be heading down there. Unfortunately, I cannot go. I know you must be thinking "Well, you're blabbing on about how we should all go, but what about you?" And well, the truth is, I can't make it and it sucks. It kills me that I can't go, so I'm telling the people who live close to go, because if I were them and I lived close and had that opportunity, you could bet your ass I'd be there getting behind our USWNT. But unfortunately I can't. I don't have my own car, I live in NY, I have no funds to go, and it sucks. I know other fans who would go with me, but they're all in states far from mine. If I had the money and the transportation, hell I'd fly across the country, and even the world, to go see them. But I can't, and since I can't take advantage of that, I'm telling everyone else here to. Listen up people, this is our USWNT. They need our support more than ever before. Like I said in an earlier post, its great and very important to come out and support the team when they're doing great, but they really need us to come out to support and cheer them on now. The stakes are high and they need the fans behind them. There is a World Cup berth on the line. We need to do everything we can to support them, and make sure our USWNT gets into Germany 2011. It wouldn't be a Women's World Cup without them.

As of right now, tickets are available through ussoccer.com and also through womensprosoccer.com.

Come on guys, the USWNT needs us now more than ever! Let's get behind them and make sure they make it to Germany 2011!

Denise

On The Road To Germany: 4 Teams Join The Elite

2010-11-11T16:08:00.001-05:00

Four more teams, 2 each from the CONCACAF and CAF confederations, have joined the other teams who have qualified for the Women's World Cup. That leaves us with only 3 more berths to be decided.

Hello everyone and Happy Veteran's Day! The qualifying for the Women's World Cup has been underway for quite some time, and is coming to a close soon. Four more teams have qualified and will be joining the Elite in Germany come 2011. It also means that there are only 3 berths left to be clinched in the competition. First let's mention our qualified teams:

Hailing from the CONCACAF region, both Canada and Mexico have qualified. If you have been following the Gold Cup, you would know all about this of course. Canada, who faced Costa Rica in the Semifinal, won 4-0, and having been named a finalist, automatically qualified for Germany 2011. They would go on to become Champions of the region as well. Mexico faced the USA in their Semifinal, and pulled off the upset, dubbed "The Calamity in Cancun", in order to be named a finalist, and therefore received an automatic qualification for the Women's World Cup.

Hailing from the CAF region, both Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea won their Semifinals, and having both been named finalists, will qualify for Germany 2011. Nigeria won their Semifinal against Cameroon 5-1, while Equatorial Guniea won theirs against South Africa 3-1.

That leaves us with 3 berths remaining. Only 3 more teams will be able to join the Elite in the most important competition in the game of Soccer: The World Cup. Two of these berths will be clinched by South American teams, as the finalists of the CONMEBOL Sudamericano Femenino will automatically clinch a berth. The Sudamericano Femenino will finish on November 21st, and by then we'll know who from CONMEBOL will join the rest. The final berth will be decided by the UEFA-CONCACAF Play-off. Both Italy and the USA will be facing off in a home-and-away series in order to decide who is going to Germany in 2011, and who is staying home. The first leg will be played in Padova, Italy, with the 2nd leg being played in Bridgeview, Illinois of the United States, at the Chicago Red Stars' home: Toyota Park. The winner will be decided on the goal aggregate at the end of both matches.

The first step of the Road to Germany is almost complete! We now wait to find out which 3 teams will join the rest next summer.

We'll find out soon enough,

Denise

Some Miscellany For Ya

2010-11-09T02:42:00.002-05:00

Hello all! Now that Gold Cup is over, its time to catch up on some stuff that has taken somewhat of a backseat. Let's start!

WPS- Aside from the recent Freedom/Gold Pride scare, not much off-season news has surfaced. There have been no trades to speak of, and due to the folding scare, the Expansion Draft has been postponed. There will likely be a break of this news drought come mid-November or so, when the free agency period is underway. Teams will likely report who is returning, and will most likely report new players they've landed. Also, mid-November is a crucial time for the Freedom and Gold Pride, as the 15th is the deadline for them to have an investor, and for said investor to put down a deposit for the 2011 season. If the Freedom/Gold Pride do not find investors, they will have no choice but to fold. Best of luck to both. Really hope they stick around.

CONMEBOL Sudamericano Femenino- The competition started back on Nov. 2, and so far, both Argentina and Brazil are leading both Group A & B respectively. I'll post more info as the tournament progresses.

CAF African Women's Championship- This competition which started on Oct. 31, is already into the Semifinal stages. On November 11th, Nigeria will face Cameroon, and in the other Semifinal, South Africa will face Equitorial Guinea. The winners advance to the Final, and will also automatically qualify for Germany 2011.

UEFA-CONCACAF play-off- After beating Costa Rica to be named 3rd place in the CONCACAF region, the USA is scheduled to face UEFA's awaiting 5th place team Italy in the play-off for the final berth in Germany 2011. It will be a 2 game series, each team hosting one of the matches. The matches will take place on November 20th and 27th, with the first leg being held in Padova, Italy, and the second leg being held in Bridgeview, Illinois, at Toyota Park, home of the Chicago Red Stars, here in the States.

Women's World Cup Group Draw- On November 29th, after all qualifying is finished, FIFA will determine the groups for Germany 2011, by doing the draw. On that day we'll find out which teams will be facing each other in the Group Stage of the WWC.

That's all for updates and news for now!

See you soon,

Denise

Reaching 2,000 Views

2010-11-09T02:26:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! Here to mention that I've reached 2,000+ views here on the blog! I do a post every time I hit another 1,000 views, so here's the 2nd installment in the history of Just Another Soccer Fan!

As I did with the first one, I'd like to thank all of you readers out there! Doesn't matter what country you hail from, I appreciate each and every view. Women's Soccer is my passion, and I love writing about it. Thanks for being fellow fans and for reading, it really makes writing on Just Another Soccer Fan a rewarding experience.

So, whether you are a casual reader or a regular, I'd like to say thanks for stopping by, commenting, and for joining me in the love of the women's game!

Your fellow fan,

Denise

The Women's Gold Cup Comes To A Close

2010-11-09T00:07:00.005-05:00

The Gold Cup comes to a close today. Its been a good one!

Hey everyone. Know I haven't been on here in a bit, but I'm back and ready to talk about the Gold Cup! Let's discuss today's games:

USA vs. Costa Rica- This was a must win game for either side if they wanted to keep thei World Cup qualifying hopes alive. After its devastating loss to Mexico, the game dubbed as "The Calamity in Cancun", the USA began to re-think things and seriously analyze their situation. The road to qualifying was no longer going to be simple or easy. With this loss, the USA had to regroup and focus on them qualifying, which from that point forward was uncertain. The United States came in focused, realizing that the task at hand was a do-or-die situation. If the USA lost, they would not qualify for Germany 2011. The USA won the game 3-0, with a goal from Cheney to start the action, and 2 beautiful goals from Wambach to seal the deal and ensure that the USA would still be alive and kicking for a qualifying chance. With this win, the USA keeps their hopes alive and moves on to face Italy, the 5th place team in Europe. They will play a 2 game series, one home and one away, and the team with the aggregate in their favor, will qualify for Germany 2011. This is the first time the USA has had to qualify in the more desperate "Wild Card" method. The loss shook the United States and shocked many fans, but the loss, I believe was a blessing in disguise. This can be a turning point for the United States. They no longer have the berth handed to them, and fighting for it will humble them and make them realize that you gotta play every game like its a do-or-die. You can't slack. This loss will teach them an important lesson. It lit a much needed fire under their asses, so now they will focus and turn this loss into motivation and determination to fight and get into the World Cup. As Julie Foudy said "They might look back on that a year later and say 'You know, that was what changed everything for us'" and I couldn't agree more with her. This loss could be a turning point for the USA, and a positive one. I'm hoping and praying that the USWNT makes it to the WWC, and I will be rooting for them and supporting them the whole way, as will many of my fellow fans. After all, what's a WWC without the USWNT? This is not the time for the fans to be kicking them when they're down. Now's the time when our support matters most. Its great to support them when they're winning and doing well. But it really matters when they're down and they need to get back up. The USA is on a mission to qualify for the WWC, and its gonna take a lot to stop them, and the fans will have to be a force to back them up. Here's to the USWNT, and to them being in Germany 2011!

Canada vs. Mexico- A well played game from both sides, however the Canadians dominated I think. It was a back-and-forth game, with plenty of chances for each side, and as usual the Mexican crowd was a force, more so than ever. However, Canada shut them out as they did back in the Group stage, and it paid off. In the 2nd half, a scramble in the box for Canada resulted in a PK. At some point, after the ball went loose in the 18 after much scrambling, a player for Canada kicked it, and as it was soaring in, a Mexican player blatantly blocked the ball with her hand, preventing it from going in. She was pulled aside and shown a red, and a penalty was awarded to Canada. Sinclair stood at the spot, concentrated, then slotted a perfect shot that deposited into the bottom left.

Sinclair celebrates after converting the penalty into a goal. Her goal would win the game for Canada, and they would be named Champions of the Gold Cup.

The score of 1-0 would stand, and Canada went on to win the Women's Gold Cup. The celebration was fun to watch, and since I like Canada, I was really happy for them. I think they deserved it 100%. Although, as I watched them celebrate, I found myself slightly jealous. Slightly jealous that the USA was not guaranteed a berth in Germany in 2011, that they could not breathe that sigh of relief like Canada and Mexico, and jealous that I could not see my USWNT on that podium lifting the trophy. But, Congrats to Canada! You guys deserved it!

Golden Boot- Golden Boot goes to Wambach! With 8 goals on the tournament, and fantastic goals at that, Wambach is the top goal scorer of the Women's Gold Cup. Good job Wambach, you truly deserve it (and more...like a FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award.) Wambach scored 8 important goals for her team (notching a hat-trick in the mix), and endured a harsh head injury in the Semifinal that required her to get staples on the sideline, yet she was still raring to get back on the field. That's a World Class player right there, and a trooper. That's why you gotta love Wambach. Congrats to Abby for getting the Golden Boot!

And, that's all she wrote! The Gold Cup comes to a close, with Canada as the Champions (for the 2nd time in history), Mexico as the runner-ups, and with the USA in 3rd place, facing a do-or-die situation that requires them to not have losing as an option, in order for them to qualify for Germany 2011. Canada and Mexico qualify automatically as finalists, while the USA has an uphill battle ahead of them. Its been a fun and entertaining competition, full of some surprises as well.

See you all again soon! I'm behind on my coverage of the CONMEBOL and CAF WWCQs. I'll be sure to cover that real soon for all of you!

Until then,

Denise

CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup: Final Is Set

2010-11-06T01:53:00.003-04:00

Semifinals are over, and the Final is set, along with the 3rd place game.

Hello everyone. Going to be honest with you right now. I'm not going to be writing this post tonight. It will come later tomorrow. I'm utterly disgusted right now, and a little sick to say the least. I will still update you however. Here's today's matches:

Canada vs. Costa Rica- Canada won 4-0. I'm happy for Canada since I like them a lot. Goal information and match information to come later today.

USA vs. Mexico- For me and many other USWNT fans, this was the game from hell. Mexico won 2-1. I've got a whole rant on this, and I am giving one warning. If you are a Mexico fan, steer clear of this page. Its not going to be pretty. More match info and recap + my personal opinion and rant later today, most likely. I'm just too disgusted to talk about it now. But, just wanna say this: I ain't disgusted at the USWNT. They deserved to win. I still love 'em 100% and I have faith in them, and I'm supporting them 100%. Us fans have their backs, especially after a tough loss, when they need it most. I just need to let my anger and disgust subside after a night's rest. More on this game to follow.

That's all for now my friends. Sorry if this is not a great update. But, I'll have more for you later today probably. Good night.

Denise

FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Nominees

2010-11-04T21:05:00.007-04:00

I present to you the 2010 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year nominees! I made this picture myself. It took a while but it came out nice!

As some of you might already know, FIFA released a list of 10 nominees for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award (for short we'll call it the FWWPOTY or just POTY)

Here is the official list, borrowed from the USWNT Blog:

Camille Abily (France), Fatmire Bajramaj (Germany), So Yun Ji (Korea Republic), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Caroline Seger (Sweden), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Kelly Smith (England), Hope Solo (USA), Abby Wambach (USA).

I'll write my own little summary on each player:

Abby Wambach- Wambach, first and foremost, is a true team leader. She's always directing her teammates, communicating on the field, and is the one to rely on where you're in a tough situation. She's the one who will get the goal the team needs, the dramatic equalizer, or the late-minute winner. A clutch player with all around great balls skills, and a physical style of play that I love to watch. She'll muscle anyone off the ball and put it into the back of the net. She'll score any way possible that doesn't involve hands; both her left and right foot, and with something for which she's very well-known-- a header. Her 115 goals speak for themselves. But, Wambach is just as selfless as she is skilled, a player who truly cares about the success of the team. If she sees a better opportunity for a teammate rather than herself, she'll pass it off. She'll sacrifice her own personal accomplishments for the benefit of the team; a quality of a mature and respectable player, which is exactly what she is. Wambach is just as much a play-maker as she is a goal scorer, and is great at one-touch passing, through balls, crosses, and has excellent vision which is why she's so great at scoring goals and making assists. One of my most favorite players, if not my all-time favorite. Wambach for sure deserves the Award just as much if not more than Marta.

Christine Sinclair- Sinclair is an excellent player, one who has scored 104 goals for her country. Sinclair is a player with great ball skills, accuracy, and will score some of the nicest goals you'll ever see. Also, she'll display some of the funniest and most entertaining goal celebrations you'll ever see! On a more serious note, Sinclair is a great goal scorer and is also an incredible play-maker. She led the WPS with 9 assists, and that just goes to show you how much of a selfless player she is. Sinclair is as modest as they come, and will sometimes not take as much credit as she deserves. Sinclair, on FC Gold Pride, is undoubtedly one of the team's top strikers, however she lives in the shadows of Marta. Sinclair is sometimes underrated, since Marta had most of the goals on the WPS team, however Sinclair was instrumental in many of the team's goals, and being modest and shy, never took much of the credit. Sinclair is a down-to-earth player who works hard and plays for the team, and is sometimes overlooked. She deserves the Award just as much as Marta, if not more.

Birgit Prinz- Prinz is a striker who's been around the block a few times in the Women's game, and has experience and skill. She's won the POTY Award before, and its no surprise that she was nominated again. A key player for Germany in any competition or game, Prinz is a dangerous presence who will score as soon as you give her the chance. As a tall player, standing at 5'11, Prinz is a presence in the air, and is also a player who will muscle anyone off the ball. A great goal scorer with 126 goals for her country, Prinz is a player to be reckoned with. Do not let her age fool you; at 33, Birgit Prinz is still kickin'.

Marta Viera da Silva- Marta is a talented, young player who can score goals, run circles around opposing players, and has the speed to beat most anyone in a foot race. Marta exhibits what I like to call "Marta Magic", which is Brazilian flair and fancy footwork on the ball. Marta can be a great play-maker when she wants to be, however sometimes I witness some rather greedy moments from the striker. I have nothing against Marta, but although she is a great player, I personally think she gets way more attention than she should, and 4 POTY awards is pushing it. Marta is an excellent and entertaining player to behold, no doubt, but what about the other players who can do the same that she does, sometimes scoring in contexts many overlook? Just because they can't throw down the Brazilian fancy moves doesn't mean they aren't entertaining. Many people are instantly captivated by the "Marta Magic", proclaiming her the best as soon as they are victimized by the sight of it. But, there is much more to soccer than dancing around a ball. There are plenty of other players who score just as much, if not more, than Marta, and certainly, many of the people on this list are more selfless. But, you cannot deny that Marta is definitely a great player, and fully deserves to be nominated.

Caroline Seger- Seger is a midfielder with great vision, is a great distributor of the ball, and is an aggressive player who will hustle and fight for possession. At first, I didn't care much for her, especially after she smacked Huffman in the well-known red card foul in WPS this past season. However, when watching her play, both her and Lori Lindsey make a dangerous tandem of center midfielders. Seger, much like her teammate Lindsey, can dish out a through pass that can cut through defenses, and can win a ball after fighting relentlessly for it. Seger can distribute the ball well via either a short pass or a through one, and she's great at doling out both. Seger will often be called for fouls, especially since her aggressive tackling and fighting for the ball will often result with a player on the floor. Sometimes we focus so much on strikers, but when you take a close look at these midfielders, especially the central middies who are the rocks of the whole midfield, you realize how important a role they play. It would be a lie to say Seger did not play an important part in Philly's overall successful WPS 2010 season.

Hope Solo- One of, if not THE best Goalkeeper in the Women's game. Sometimes keepers will look good stats-wise when their defense is excellent. This is not the case for Solo. Even when her defense is on point, Solo will still come up with the fantastic saves should the opponents break through. Solo is the kind of keeper any team would feel safe to have between the pipes. Often times on the Atlanta Beat, Solo was hung out to dry, however, the saves she made were some of the best in the league. If Atlanta had a better defense, Solo would have earned herself many a cleansheet. She's one of the most athletic and agile keepers you'll find, pulling off insane saves many people wouldn't even believe to be possible. Solo is a one of a kind keeper who fully deserves the nomination.

Kelly Smith- A midfielder who can change the game with the flick of a short pass, or a well-delivered through ball. Smith is one of the greatest midfielders in the WPS, and probably the World. Kelly Smith played a huge role in the Boston Breakers' season, and when she wasn't delivering on-the-money passes, she was scoring a goal here and there. Smith comes through for her teams no matter who she plays for, or where she plays. Whether its for England or the Boston Breakers, she's constantly using her great vision and ball skills to maneuver around opposing players, distribute passes to her teammates on the attacking effort, and to score goals for her team. Kelly Smith is the kind of midfielder any one would want to have.

Camille Abily- A player who this year seemed to experience a slight slump, but is nonetheless a talented midfielder. In 2009, both Abily and Marta formed a lethal scoring duo. If it didn't come from Marta, it was likely coming from Abily. Abily is the kind of player who can deliver an assist, and can also score a goal.

Fatmire Bajramaj- A young, talented midfielder from Germany. Since I don't really follow the Frauen-Bundesliga, and since I haven't seen her play much for Germany, I really don't know much about her. I know that she's highly regarded as a skilled youth player for Germany, and is also well-respected in the Frauen-Bundesliga, and on the Germany Women's National Team.

Ji So-Yun- Another player that I don't know much about. A talented youth player with some nice accolades to her name, that at age 19 has the potential to be an excellent player in the Women's game.

Now that I've written about each player, I'm going to be writing about who I think should/will win it, and my personal take on the entire POTY business. Enjoy! But remember, what I'm about to start saying is strongly opinionated, so keep that in mind. Rememeber, if you wanna argue, make a point, or agree, you can say it all in the comments at the end of the post.

Now that I've given my personal thoughts on each player, I'm going to evaluate each on whether or not I think they have a chance (in a FIFA perspective) of winning the Award.

Abby Wambach- She's just too talented to ignore. As a true legend in the Women's game who is currently active and playing, she will likely be one of the 3 finalists announced on December 6th. She has heavily impacted every team she's played for this year, in many ways, so if she's not on the list, its a farce.

Christine Sinclair- Also a tremendously talented player who deserves the spotlight much more often than its shone on her. Sinclair is modest, selfless, and skilled, and its about time FIFA awarded someone like her. However, I guarantee you she will be overlooked and overshadowed again, unfortunately. I think she should be one of the finalists though.

Birgit Prinz- An excellent and experienced player who has already won the Award 3 times before. I'm not keeping up on her Frauen-Bundesliga campaign, and she might be doing well. However, I don't think this has been a highlight year for the striker, and although she is great, I doubt she will be announced as a finalist.

Marta- The day Marta is not nominated will be the day the World ends. Marta is likely the most well-known and popular player in the Women's game, and she certainly gets the most media attention. She is a skilled and talented player, and her flair and fancy footwork definitely contribute to the gaining of media attention. Marta has already won the Award 4 times, and while I think its unfair to other players, and that its getting stale, I'm afraid everyone will vote overwhelmingly for the "Brazilian Magician". Everyone knows Marta, and usually, when everyone knows your name, you get an Award.

Hope Solo- As a GK, you are not likely to win an Award. Keepers save their teams on countless occasions, and are just as instrumental in victory as any other position. Unfortunately, FIFA doesn't agree enough to make one POTY.

Caroline Seger- Let's face it. If you're not a striker, you are probably not winning the POTY. As good as middies are, and as much as they're overlooked, they don't win awards very often, and its likely that its not going to change this year. Middies have a tremendous impact on the game, but everyone is looking at the goals, not the pass that made that goal possible. She's a great central middie, but unfortunately, her position on the field limits her award-winning chances.

Kelly Smith- Same goes for Smith. She's a midfielder, and since the Award is given only to strikers who score tons of goals, she probably won't even make the finalist list. The position of midfielder is essential in a game, but FIFA always gives the Award to the position which has the most obvious and statistically measured impact on the game, although middies have just as much impact as strikers do. She's a talented midfielder who can change a game, but the chances of her winning are slim.

Camille Abily- She may be a good player, but 2010 was certainly not a highlight year. Abily went through a slump after moving to FC Gold Pride, and seemed to have a hard time connecting with her teammates. She was a force to be reckoned with in 2009, but not so much in 2010 I don't think. Pair a slump together with the fact that you're a middie, and you've got yourself a double whammy. I don't think she'll even make the finalist list.

Fatmire Bajramaj- I don't know much about her, but I seriously doubt she will make the final list, especially being a middie, and a young one at that. Its just not gonna happen.

Ji So-Yun- She may be a talented youth, but FIFA is not gonna give the award to a player who is in the youth stage of their career.

The following is what I wrote on facebook in response to a friend's comment:

''If Marta gets the Women's World Player of the Year Award for the FIFTH time, I am going to jump off a cliff. There are plenty of other people on that list who are just as good, if not better than her. People like Kelly Smith and Seger will never get it, b/c they're middies, sort of like how Xavi will never win a PoTY award b/c he's in the shadows of Messi. Marta runs around and puts on a show and gives you the Brazilian flash, and yes, she is great at it, and she scores goals, but that's not ALL that's out there. There are players like Wambach who can stay calm in a tough situation and lead her team to victory. She got a crap load of goals this year too (13), and had 8 assists! Come on, you mean to tell me Marta is better than Wambach? What does she really have that Wambach doesn't? More media attention? Wambach is a more complete player in my opinion, and therefore should win the award. What about Sinclair, who constantly spends her time in Marta's shadow? Marta's goals were the result of Sinclair's perfectly placed assists...9 of them in fact. Sinclair is modest to a fault and is an ultimate team player, just like Wambach, and they desreve the award just as much, if not more than the Brazilian sensation. Solo is a GK, and she will never get an award that she deserves as well. The WPOTY award is really unfair. It glorifies goal scorers and FIFA favorites, and pushes hardworking GK's, middies, defenders (more than anyone) and some strikers who aren't "flashy" enough, or who don't get as much media attention, into the shadows. Marta is an excellent player, but she gets way too much attention. Its like C. ronaldo and Messi. Good players, sure, but they get way too much attention, and it isn't fair to the players who work just as hard, if not harder, and are probably much better and do much more for their team. The WPOTY is usually just a farce, and FIFA favorites win it. Either that, or FIFA, who don't know jack squat, will pick the player with the most attractive stastistics or the most flair and charisma and media attention. In my opinion, Wambach, Sinclair, and plenty other people on the list deserve that award. Every year, the same few people are nominated, but its just a formality. Everyone knows who its going to be. They should just save everyone the suspense and announce it, we all know who its going to be anyway, on the men's and women's side. The point is, its time for a fresh face in the women's game. By awarding Marta for the 5th time, you're saying "yes, women's soccer doesn't have much to offer in the way of talent. Marta is much better and is a league above everyone else on this list", which is so far from the truth it ain't even funny. Putting in a fresh face shows the world that the women's game is developing, and that women's soccer is much more than just Marta, and that the women's game has just as much talent and skill that can be found in a very wide array of players. Its not just Marta, and her flair and "magic". There are tons of other players, who are not even listed on the WPOTY list, who I believe have just as much talent as skill as she does. Wambach, Sinclair, Smith, Seger, Prinz, Rapinoe, Lindsey, Bompastor, I could go on forever. There is much more to the women's game, and there are many more styles and talnted players than just Marta. Its time for a fresh face. Marta does not deserve the award THAT much more than anyone else on the list, so to say it isn't a close race is a lie. When truly comparing these players, and throwing media attention and favoritism and flair out the window, you'll start to see that maybe Marta doesn't automatically deserve it after all. Marta isn't that much better than everyone else that she deserves it 5 times in a row, winning overwhelmingly over everyone else. To me, if Marta wins the award 5 times in a row, its FIFA saying that there is no one who can compete/compare with her, and that's the biggest lie I have ever heard. Everyone on that list can compete with Marta, but FIFA is gonna pull the same crap and give it to the big Media attention suck. I get so annoyed when I see her getting all the attention and winning every god damned award possible. During WPS, why don't they just give her Defender of the year and GK of the year, just because she's so damn great? To give Marta 5 WPOTY awards is to say no one is at the calibre of Marta, but everyone on that FIFA list is on her same level if not above. So FIFA, wake up and open your eyes and realize that there is just as much talent in plenty other players in the Women's game. Time for a fresh face, this Marta crap is getting old. Pick someone else who deserves it. Shouldn't be too hard since everyone on that list deserves it just as much, so Marta shouldn't be winning by a landslide, and if she does its pathetic. Just please pick someone else. Stop giving it to the player who merely gets more media attention. You're making Marta the C.Ronaldo and Messi of women's soccer. I can't stand those types of players, they ruin the sport. They do the same thing some other players do, yet the other guys don't get the same amount of attention which they probably deserve way more than the media figurehead. Time for a new face who probably deserves it more. FIFA officials or whoever the hell votes within the FIFA Organization, probably don't pay much attention to the women's game anyway. And quite honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't pay much attention to the men's game either. Everyone knows who's going to win. Last year everyone knew it was going to be Messi and Marta. Its always predictable. Everyone who wins is typically a heavy goalscorer who gets a ton of media attention. Meanwhile, there are plenty of other players who do the same thing they do, just as good if not better than they do, and they're thrust into the shadows, because FIFA picks the media figureheads. There is always going to be one posterchild. I just wish they didn't start doing it with the women's game, it ruins it. And if you ask me, they should have awards designated for each position. One POTY is limiting and unfair.''

Well, hope you enjoyed this rant and post on the WPOTY.

If you wanna share your opinion, feel free!

Remember to catch the Women's Gold Cup Semifinals live tomorrow (Nov. 5th) on concaf.com! Canada vs. Costa Rica - 7pm ET, USA vs. Mexico- 10pm ET.

Until then,

Denise

Women's Gold Cup: Semifinal Match-Ups Set

2010-11-04T01:35:00.004-04:00

We have our Semifinal match-ups!

Hey everyone! Both Group A and B have finished up play. Let's take a look at the last matches of Group A:

Trinidad and Tobago vs. Guyana- Trinidad and Tobago won this one 4-1. Guyana's goal came from El-Masri, while T & T's goals came from Cordner, Belgrave, Edwards, and Mascall. I missed the game, but this match will have no bearing on the knock-out stages, since this game was for 3rd place of the group, with none of these teams advancing further.

Canada vs. Mexico- This one I was able to see. Canada won 3-0 against the hosts of the tournament. Goals for Canada came from Candace Chapman, Belanger, and Filigno. The performances put on by both teams were excellent and entertaining.

Canada celebrates one of their 3 goals against tournament host Mexico. With this win, Canada advances to the Semifinals and will face Costa Rica. Mexico, on the other hand, will go on to face the United States.

This match, in my opinion, was one of the best of the tournament so far. The Mexican home crowd, which reached almost 9,000 fans, made their presence known for sure. But, the Canadians did a good job of shutting them out and and playing their game. Canada played a great passing game and didn't give away possession too often, not an easy task during a rain storm with a wet pitch. With this win, Canada grabbed 1st place in Group A, and will be facing Costa Rica in the Semifinals, while Mexico, who clinched 2nd place, will have to face the United States.

Here's how the Groups finished:

Group A: 1st: Canada 9 points
2nd: Mexico 6 points
3rd: Trinidad and Tobago 3 points
4th: Guyana 0 points

Group B: 1st: United States 9 points
2nd: Costa Rica 6 points
3rd: Haiti 3 points
4th: Guatemala 0 points

The USA, Costa Rica, Canada, and Mexico advance to the Semifinals. Each team is seeded into their respective Semifinal based on their rank in their Group. Here are the Semifinals:

Canada vs. Costa Rica (November 5th)- 7pm ET

United States vs. Mexico (November 5th)- 10pm ET

The winners of the Semifinals will advance to the Final, but more importantly, they will secure a berth in the Germany 2011 Women's World Cup. The losers will compete in the 3rd place game, in which the winner will play Italy, the 5th place UEFA team, for the final World Cup berth.

see you soon,

Denise

There's Hope

2010-11-03T02:24:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone! As you all have probably found out by now, there has been a huge amount of talk and speculation regarding the future of 2 WPS teams: The Washington Freedom and FC Gold Pride. On Halloween, and on the following day, multiple sources stated that both teams had already officially folded. In light of these claims, and of the many questions from frantic fans (myself included), womensprosoccer.com-the WPS's official website-came out today and released a league statement. It said that the WPS is working together with the teams to find investors, in order to ensure (or at least to try to ensure) that each team returns in 2011. There is a certain deadline that has to be met, and the teams and the league itself are not giving up. Because of this current situation, the Expansion Draft, scheduled for November 4th, will be postponed, and the free-agency period will be held sometime in mid-November.

The good news though, is that there's still hope! Our Freedom and Gold Pride are still alive, and they're hanging in there! I'm wishing all the best to the league and its teams, and I hope things work out and that they find investors. Women's Soccer is a World Class sport, and the WPS is a World Class league, and its an absolute shame that it does not get the respect, recognition, and support that it deserves.

Hope everything works out. The core group of players, staff, and fans that make this league what it is are eager to know the outcome. Here's to seeing our Freedom and Gold Pride return in 2011, and for many years more!

Stay tuned,

Denise

Women's Gold Cup Day 5: Place Holders Finalized As Group B Finishes Its Games

2010-11-01T23:52:00.004-04:00

Gold Cup Day 5 finishes up, as Group B finishes up play. The USA took 1st place in Group B, as they won over Costa Rica 4-0, who took 2nd place.

Gold Cup Day 5 was just as exciting and entertaining as the past few days of the competition! Today, the place holders in Group B were finalized, as the Group finished up all of its games. Both the USA and Costa Rica will be moving on to the Semifinals. Here is a breakdown on today's matches:

Haiti vs. Guatemala- Haiti won this match 1-0 on a goal by Saintilmond. I got to see some of the 2nd half of the match. Lots of chances on goal, but none were finished. Haiti leaves the competition as 3rd place in the Group, while Guatemala leaves the competition in 4th place.

USA vs. Costa Rica- This game was a pretty fun one to watch. However, it was a much tougher game for the United States than its previous match-ups. The USA won 4-0 against Costa Rica, with goals from Wambach (penalty), Cheney, Averbuch, and Morgan.

The USWNT celebrates after Wambach puts a penalty away in the 32nd minute. This goal kick-started the action for the USWNT. Wambach is currently the tournament's top scorer, with 6 goals.

The beginning of the match was rather hectic for the USWNT, as Costa Rica had 2 or 3 great chances that were clear on goal. Luckily for the USA, Costa Rica failed to capitalize on each attempt. The USWNT had a difficult time keeping possession in the first 20 or so minutes, losing the ball frequently and not making any threats on goal. However, after that, the USWNT began to establish a rhythm and keep possession. Pia Sundhage opted to exchange Lloyd for Lori Lindsey, who came into the match and really did a great job. She was on her game today, and her presence definitely changed things for the better in the USWNT's midfield. I personally think Lindsey's entrance into the game was key in the United States' establishment of rhythm and their success from that point forward. In the 31st minute, Cheney was chopped down from behind in the box, and an unquestionable penalty was awarded to the USA. Wambach calmly slotted it into the bottom left corner, the shot's path not even threatened by the Costa Rica Keeper who began to dive right. The USA was up 1-0, and now momentum was in their favor. Halftime came and went. The 2nd half began, and the United States by this point had the rhythm down, controlling possession, and therefore controlling the game. Cheney would score after many chances just slipped out of her grasp. She capitalized on a rebound that came off a corner kick to make it 2-0 for the USA. Later, Averbuch would score a beautiful free kick from about 25 yards out to make it 3-0. She rocketed a shot that went high and straight over the head of the Keeper. Later, Alex Morgan would finish up the night for the United States, scoring from close range amidst a scramble in the 18. This made it 4-0 for the USA, meaning they would go on to grab first place in Group B.

So, The USA and Costa Rica were seeded into their respective Semifinals, and await to find out their Group A opponents.

Tomorrow, Group A finishes up play. Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago will face off for 3rd place of the Group, while Canada and Mexico will duke it out for 1st place in Group A. After tomorrow, all of the Semifinalists will be seeded into their respective matches, and will know who they'll be facing.

I'm pretty sure Guyana vs. Trinidad & Tobago is first up at 7pm tomorrow, and that Canada vs. Mexico is at 9:30pm. Catch it on concacaf.com's live stream!

Until then,

Denise

Some Semi-Good News

2010-11-01T18:25:00.004-04:00

The Washington Freedom is down but not out.

As I wrote about yesterday, 2 teams in our beloved league, the WPS, might be folding. The Washington Freedom and FC Gold Pride are on the verge of announcing that they will be ceasing operations. However, on the Washington Freedom's facebook page, they posted this: http://bit.ly/94LGX5

The Washington Freedom are still working to find investors, and are not officially folding just yet. As for FC Gold Pride, no news has surfaced. So, as of right now, FC Gold Pride's future is still a mystery. At least with the Washington Freedom, we know they are still hanging on.

Right now, I'm just hoping for all the best, and I seriously hope things work out for both the Washington Freedom and FC Gold Pride. It would suck to see the league lose more teams. We can't keep taking one step forward and two steps back. For this league to survive, we need to get past these first few years and move forward. I feel helpless as a fan, because I don't live anywhere near these teams, and can't buy/renew season tickets, even though I definitely would if I could. And, I'm not a rich millionaire who has money to give to the league to help them out. I'm the only fan in my family, and even though I want to help, I can't. The only thing I can do is stand by and hope for the best, and its hard. This is the case for me and plenty other fans. We will do all we can to keep this league alive though. So everyone, spread the word, tell your friends, make/sign a petition, do anything possible! We need to keep our beloved WPS alive, so that its here to stay! We need to survive this off-season, and the landmark 3rd year. Let's do everything we can!

Here's to the future and success of the WPS!

Denise

Scary Rumors Delivered On Halloween...But The Scariest Part Is They Might Be True.

2010-11-01T02:40:00.001-04:00

Some of you might already know what I'm about to say. For those of you that have no clue, I'm just telling you right now that I've got some bad news.

It has recently been mentioned that the Washington Freedom and FC Gold Pride have folded. The WPS website-womensprosoccer.com-is waiting to drop the bomb on Monday or Tuesday. Should this statement be true, which it looks like it might, then the WPS will be down to 6 teams.

I'll post more on this soon, when WPS officially announces it.

At this point, all we can hope for is that the off-season will bring much much better news. I don't know how many more bad news situations this league can take. I'm hoping for all the best.

Denise

Women's Gold Cup Day 4: The Semifinalists Have All Been Decided

2010-11-01T01:28:00.003-04:00

Women's Gold Cup Day 4 was another one filled with excitement. Our Group A Semifinalists have been decided.

Hello everyone! Hope you had a Happy Halloween! Gold Cup Day 4 is now set and done, so its time to discuss the results!

Canada vs. Guyana- This match was a total demolition job. Canada thrashed Guyana 8-0, with goals from Sinclair (4), Filigno (2), Julien, and Lang. With this win, the Canadians advance to the Semifinals. I had planned on watching this game, but ended up watching some dumb horror movie that was a total waste of time. I think I might have lost a few brain cells. Anyway, I seriously regretted missing a Gold Cup game, let alone a high-scoring one.

Mexico vs. Trinidad and Tobago-Also missed this one due to a crappy movie. Mexico won 2-0 with goals from Dominguez and Lopez, and will be heading to the Semifinals. Have to give credit to Trinidad and Tobago though. They have only conceded 3 goals. Much better than how the other lower ranked teams have been faring.

The moral of the story is that its not the best idea to exchange a Women's soccer game, let alone a WWCQ Gold Cup game, for a stupid horror movie, because its not a fair trade! Plus, you'll end up regretting it.

Race for the Golden Boot- There's quite a close and intense competition running for the Golden Boot. With the most goals right now are Wambach and Dominguez with 5, followed by Sinclair and A-Rod with 4.

So, we have our 4 Semifinalists: USA, Costa Rica, Canada, and Mexico. The final matches within each group will feature both its top teams battling each other for 1st place. The placement of each team within their own group will determine who their opponent will be in the Semis.

Tomorrow, (today really...you know the deal) Haiti will play Guatemala for 3rd place in Group B, while the USA and Costa Rica will battle for 1st place in Group B. The matches begin at 7pm ET and 9:30pm ET respectively, but check an hour earlier. Better safe than sorry!

Catch you tomorrow!

Denise

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

2010-10-31T00:21:00.009-04:00

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!

2010-10-30T20:32:00.001-04:00

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

2010-10-29T22:33:00.004-04:00

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

2010-10-29T01:35:00.006-04:00

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

2010-10-27T22:53:00.009-04:00

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!

2010-10-27T18:50:00.006-04:00

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

2010-10-26T01:44:00.003-04:00

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