FC Gold Pride were crowned WPS 2010 Champions today as they defeated the Philadelphia Independence 4-0.Hey everyone! Today was the Championship game, and it was an excellent match. Not so much for the Philadelphia Independence, but for the Pride, it was probably one of the best performances I've seen them put on all year. As for Philly, they gave it a valiant effort, but FC Gold Pride was just too strong for them.
The game was excellent. It was played in front of a sell-out crowd, and the cheering and constant music made by the fans created an excellent atmosphere. It was a great way to end the 2010 WPS Season I think. This game gave the 2010 season the awesome close it deserved. It was pretty intense, and there were plenty of attacking chances. Mostly though, the attacking was done by FC Gold Pride. Philly spent most of the game defending. In this game, there honestly was no question of who was Champion and who wasn't. FC Gold Pride played 10 times better than Philly. I'm sure the fact that Philly played 2 consecutive 120's, combined with the traveling, didn't help, and I know Philly wasn't playing their best at all, but regardless, FC Gold Pride was going to win, and there was no question about that. The first goal came after a huge scramble in Philly's box. Marta took 2 shots which were blocked consecutively by Henderson. The ball went loose, it was shot at goal, but a defender cleared it away, and somewhere in the mix it got shot/passed to Sinclair who was open in front of the goal line to put it away. The next goal would come later when Wilson would run down a ball on the right flank. She would beat a tired Falk and would shoot a high ball from the right side of the 18 into the net past a confused Val Henderson. Halftime came, and the teams headed to the locker rooms. When they came back out, the game resumed, and the second half was practically identical to the first. Philly could barely keep control of possession, and FC Gold Pride passed the ball around the field, using quick one touch passes to split the midfield and defense, and also using long balls and long passes to beat the defenders. The 3rd goal would come from Sinclair. Marta would pass a ball from the right side of the 18, straight to Sinclair who slotted the ball into the open net. It was 3-0 for the majority of the 2nd half, and the fourth goal would come in stoppage time, as Marta notched hers from the right side of the 18 off a ground cross from Riley who was on the left side. On the sideline, the FC Gold Pride players dumped the water from a Gatorade cooler on Albertin Montoya, and got ready to jump over the ad boards to their on field teammates. The whistle blew, and the FC Gold Pride players on the sidelines ran in celebration to their teammates on the field. Everyone began screaming, hugging, and jumping around in the ecstasy and glory of victory. As for Philly, the players skulked around in exhaustion and defeat. Many consoled each other after sustaining this rather embarrassing loss, especially in the Championship Game. As the FC Gold Pride players lined up and climbed onto the podium, the Philly players gathered around and put their arms around each other, united in defeat. The FC Gold Pride players danced around, and celebrated atop the podium as Tonya Antonucci thanked the fans and players for a great season. The Trophy, which was held by Sky Blue FC only a year ago, was then presented to FC Gold Pride's captain, Rachel Buehler, and she lifted it over her head. The trophy was passed around and each player got a chance to hold it. Afterward, the players went to take a victory lap around Pioneer Stadium, which was packed. It was an excellent way to end such a fantastic WPS season.
My take on this game? I kind of always had a feeling that FC Gold Pride would take the Championship, no matter who faced off against them. FC Gold Pride was simply on form this season. To think that a team who was last in 2009 with only 13 points, would end up blowing everyone out of the water in 2010, winning the Regular Season and the Championship. Even from the beginning of the season, FC Gold Pride looked like they were going to go very far. I felt the same for Philly. So, I guess my feelings were correct. I would just like to say, hats off to FC Gold Pride. They played outstanding all season and proved that they truly are the WPS Champions. And Philly? Hats off to you too. The Independence came in this season as a new team and gave everyone a run for their money. Hell, they made it to the Championship game! I am confident that Philly will once again be contenders in 2011. Putting all my bitter feelings aside regarding the first round, I loved Philly all season, and I felt bad for them today. They played their hearts out to get to the Championship, and in the end, the fatigue just set in, and that factor, combined with FC Gold Pride's beastliness (for lack of a better word), just made this match far worse for them. Even though they lost, they put in a great effort. I have nothing but respect for Philly. Once again, congrats to both teams in this match. You guys ended the year with style.
Well everyone, the WPS 2010 season is over! In my opinion, the 2010 season was a huge improvement over 2009 (and that's saying a lot, since 2009 was awesome)! This season was just amazing. I want to give a huge thanks to all of the teams, players, and all of my fellow fans for making this year an awesome experience. I loved every single minute of this season, whether it was going to a game, watching on TV, watching a webcast, matchtracking, having a good conversation with fellow fans, or managing my fantasy team. Thanks a lot, you guys made this season absolutely fantastic. I'd also like to say, thank you to all of my readers. Whether you're a follower, or a casual reader, or someone who stumbled upon my blog and decided to check it out, thank you so much. I have a lot of fun writing about women's soccer, and this WPS season was so much fun to experience and to write about. Thank you guys for joining me in enjoying the 2010 season! Now, I hope you guys don't think this is a good-bye, because it certainly is not. I know for a fact that I'll still be visiting womensprosoccer.com frequently throughout the off-season, and I will be blogging about any updates or off-season events. Also, as the WPS comes to a close, that opens the door to new excitement: Women's World Cup Qualifiers! Also, don't forget about USWNT friendlies and other international women's soccer action! The WPS might be over until 2011, but I will still be blogging about everything from the USWNT to Women's World Cup Qualifiers to WPS Off-Season events, so be sure to check back here often! Also, I'm planning to do a "WPS Season in Review" highlighting this season's big events, and also an overview of each team and their story throughout the year. Be sure to check in for that! Once again, thank you to all of the readers, and also, a HUGE thank you to the players, staff, teams, and fellow fans of WPS. Without all of you, this wonderful league would not be possible.
The 2010 season was a thrill ride full of memorable games, moments, goals, saves, and plays, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I hope you did too! Here's to the WPS 2011 Season!
See you again very soon!
Denise
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