Transfers All Around

After the ceasing of operations on St.Louis, many players were left without a home, becoming free agents on the market. However, now that it is past June 1st, which was the day where all of the free agents could start signing with the teams they wanted, a few players are going to start settling into new teams.


One of the biggest moves on the transfer summary right now is the signing of Aluko, Ellertson, Solo, and Chalupny to the Atlanta Beat. Not only were these 4 arguably the most talked about and valued assets, but they are going to the league's last place team. However, although it may sound like they aren't going to the right place, I believe its exactly where they're needed. Atlanta Beat needs all the help they can get right now, as they are in the basement of WPS with only 1 point in 7 games. The Atlanta Beat knew they had to turn things around, and fast, so the management made the right move by bringing these talented players into the squad. The Beat weren't necessarily a bad team to begin with, but they were lacking those pieces of the puzzle that would help them get that final touch or finish, and these 4 might just be what the doctor ordered. The way I see it is, why take these players onto an already talented squad? Of course everyone would love to have high class players like these on their roster, but its good that they're going to a team where they will help with the growth and will definitely have a strong impact, instead of going to a team where they will just be another high quality player to add onto an already talented squad.


Another move involving a former St.Louis player is Shannon Boxx to FC Gold Pride. She's had some pretty bad luck, having been on the 2 teams in the league that have been discontinued: LA Sol and St.Louis Athletica. The Pride have agreed to terms with Shannon Boxx, and the middie will be returning to California...only this time on her former cross-town rival's squad. Boxx's talents should definitely come in handy for any team, as I'm sure they will with FCGP.


Also, Ashlyn Harris, a back-up keeper on St.Louis, will be joining the Washington Freedom. The Freedom have had their eye on the young player, and believe she has a lot of potential.


In other transfer news, Sky Blue FC have signed a player that will hopefully help put their goal-scoring difficulties to rest. Patrizia Panico, an italian international team player, and Serie A player, will be the first italian to play in the WPS. She has an outstanding record of scoring goals, as she has scored over 400 times in her professional career. For her national team, she has scored 80 in 145 matches. A player who has scored this many goals in her career seems promising, and right now, a player who knows how to put it in the back of the net is something Sky Blue needs. With Kalmari, Kai, and Panico combining on the offensive efforts, this team should start scoring a lot more.

A Few Things To Think About Going Into Week 8...Along With a Few Predictions.

Hey everyone, this is a little bit of a new kind of post segment. As I said once before, I don't usually like to predict matches because I'm usually wrong, but then again, I'm going to give myself some credit and say that sometimes I'm right. Its even harder to predict the outcome of matches in the WPS, as any team can beat any other at any time. Sure you have the teams that are favorites and those that are the underdogs, but this league is pretty much up in the air as far as predictions go. A perfect example was FC Gold Pride losing to Chicago this past weekend. Anyway, I figured I'd take the plunge and give my instincts a shot. Maybe I'll get 1 or 2 right. Plus, I'll give some info and tidbits that should be taken into consideration going into each match. Here we go! Let's start the betting, shall we? Just kidding.


First match up for analysis and prediction:
Washington Freedom vs. FC Gold Pride- This is bound to be an exciting game, as both teams will be fighting for first place. FCGP will be defending their place atop the standings, while Washington is going to try to take it over. There are actually a few little factoids and tidbits that make this game even more interesting. In WPS history, whenever these teams have met, it has always been a high-scoring game. The lowest score between these 2 yielded 4 goals in a match, and the highest score between these 2 teams yielded 7 goals in a match. I would expect a ton of goals to be scored once again, as history is likely to repeat, especially with the players who'll be in the match. Star strikers Abby Wambach, Christine Sinclair, and Marta will all be playing. Each have 3 goals to their name in the campaign. These powerful offensive forces will all be vying to give their team the edge in one of the most entertaining and anticipated matches so far this season. Based on Week 7's games, I'd have to say that Washington Freedom is looking best out of everyone so far. FCGP in my opinion are right there with them. Even though they lost one game to Chicago, it doesn't mean they're gonna down to everyone easily, in fact, I think they are going to come out swinging against Washington. But, I'm going to say the Washington Freedom will take this one. I'm thinking it'll be a hard fought match from both teams, but I'm going to give the Freedom the edge because they seem a little stronger.

Next match we'll pick apart and analyze:
Sky Blue FC vs. Philadelphia Independence- This match will also be involving a battle for sole rights to a spot in the standings. Sky Blue and Philly are both tied with 11 points, and whoever wins will gain sole ownership of 3rd place for the moment, and the other will descend to 4th place. This is a hard one to call, as is any WPS match like I said. Sky Blue would seem likely losers in this match, taking into consideration their goal-scoring problems and sub-par form. I'm surprised to see Sky Blue FC this far up in the table actually, because they haven't been playing like a team who would be fighting for 3rd. Philadelphia on the other hand has been playing excellently. They were undefeated for the longest period of time this season, and have conveyed great form thus far. Philly means business, and they will take no prisoners. They're out to prove themselves, and to me they've already established themselves as quite a threat in this league. This is not the expansion team you want to take lightly. If anybody in this league underestimates an expansion team, they will find that they're making a big mistake. As for this match, I think Philly is on fire, and they're determined to keep fighting and winning. Sky Blue's rather weak presence as of late will not stand a chance against Philly's strong will. Sky Blue are capable of pulling some surprises from their sleeves, but something tells me that Philly isn't a fan of magic tricks, and won't be interested in a magic show on Sunday. I say Philly walks away with the win, and with sole rights to 3rd place.


And now, for the last match to analyze:
Chicago Red Stars vs. Atlanta Beat- Believe it or not, this is a hard one to call. Right from the get go, one would say Atlanta is for sure going to lose this match. But with the acquisitions they just got, that can start to turn around fast. Even still, if Solo, Aluko, Chalupny, and Ellertson don't play, Atlanta reminds me of Chicago, fighting hard, and not necessarily playing badly despite losing games. Chicago is under new management as far as coaches go, as Hayes has been sacked and replaced by McDermott. Chicago won their first game under her management. Did she make an immediate impact on the team, or was it just coincidence? Maybe she did have something to do with the win, but Chicago seem like they have a great team waiting to come out, and I'm not too surprised that they pulled together against FCGP, as they held their own against teams like St. Louis earlier in the season. But they need to start scoring more and holding teams better from this point forward. They fight with a lot of heart, now all they need to do is keep winning, and stay up in the standings. If they do, they might just surpass Boston who has had some serious scoring problems as well. Atlanta on the other hand, has shown a lot of fight as well. They just cannot seem to score however. They have some talented players, especially in young striker Bachmann who is fearless in 1 v 1's, yet still they just can't put them away. I'm going to say Chicago takes this win, but I think its going to be a hard match to fight for both sides. I give Chicago the edge since they're coming off a big win and have momentum.

That's all for my predictions and team analyzing. Feel free to post your own comments and predictions.

Enjoy!

Denise

WPS Week 7 Review

Wambach continues to be a strong offensive presence. She leads the league with 7 assists, and is still on form, as she scored a goal for the Freedom, upping her tally to 3 goals so far in her league campaign.


It was a good weekend for WPS, that once again brought some good match-ups, and even a few surprises.

Saturday saw 2 anticipated matches, the first being Sky Blue FC vs. Boston Breakers; the Eastern Derby. Boston had never won a match against Sky Blue FC in the inaugural 2009 season, as they tied them once, and lost on 3 occasions. Boston would not break that record however on Saturday, as the 2 eastern teams would fight to a 0-0 deadlock. However, the score was definitely not representative of how the game was played. The match was very back-and-forth, with both teams having to defend and attack constantly. There were quite a few opportunities to score from both sides, but no one would capitalize. Bardsley made a few saves on the night, continuing with her excellent form, and still doing well once again for Sky Blue. This game also marked the return of striker Tasha Kai, who was out for a few weeks due to a hamstring injury. Having Kai back should help spur Sky Blue's offensive efforts substantially from here on in. Sky Blue will also be seeing the return of a few other injured players, such as Lloyd and Branam. Also, Rampone, who was out due to a pregnancy, will be back on the field very soon.

Boston still seems to be having trouble scoring, and Sky Blue is in that same boat. The reason this game ended the way it did, in a 0-0 tie, is because neither team could capitalize on some rather golden opportunities. Both teams had 1 on 1 chances with the opposing keeper, one time it was O'Reilly for Sky Blue, and another time it was Cheney for Boston, but neither could put it away. Although both teams had excellent chances in the opposing team's final 3rd, no one could slot one home. The reality of scoring problems has become even more evident for these teams as the season has progressed, and they have to work on it. It'll be crucial to them later on. When they play tough teams like Washington and Philadelphia, who do know how to score, that kind of problem will hurt them big time. Sky Blue is better off, as they are 4th place in the standings and are holding onto that place for dear life, as they continue to win by and inch, or tie with other teams. Boston however has started to fall down in the standings. They are in 5th place, tied with chicago Red Stars, who has been one of the sub-par teams this season. Boston better pick it up if they want to set themselves up the right way. If both teams want to stay in it, they have to start scoring goals. In soccer, you can't win unless you score goals.



The next Saturday match-up was the Chicago Red Stars vs. FC Gold Pride, and it was a big surprise. Chicago won 1-0 against FCGP, with a goal from Asllani, all the while keeping a clean sheet against FCGP who is currently the number one team in the standings. The Red Stars, who were the clear underdogs in the match, became only the second team this season to shut-out FCGP. In the 18th it looked like FCGP would get the first strike when Sinclair put the ball in the net, only to be whistled for the foul against Loyden. Later in the match, just after half-time, Asllani would put it home for the Red Stars. FCGP looked dangerous towards the end of the match, but the Red stars' defense held steady as they kept FCGP from scoring.

This was the biggest surprise of the weekend, and possibly so far this season. FCGP looked the sure winners going into this match. Their squad is a formidable one, especially in the offense. With players like Sinclair, who is always expected to score, along with Marta, and excellent player who was coming off a great match in which she scored 2 goals, they looked great going into this match. With an offense like FCGP's, any team would be expected to win, however, Chicago, who had a change of coach, beat the odds and held the Pride's offense at bay. They also did something else that was quite surprising. They scored, and won a match. There are signs of a great team in Chicago, but if they want that side of them to show face, they need to do what they did against the current best in the league. They need to score goals, and concede as little as possible, and they need to start doing it more often. Could their win be a result of having a new coach....or is it just a coincidence? Regardless of the influence of these circumstances, Chicago still won. Maybe the change in coach was a good thing. We shall see if this success is permanent or at least common. If so, the change might have been good to move Chicago forward. As for FCGP, anybody can have a bad game, and anybody can lose one, but they might want to take this as a lesson: Don't get too complacent.



The Sunday match, which was the final match of Week 8, featured Washington Freedom vs. Philadelphia Independence. The Freedom would win 2-1, but it was no easy feat. Philadelphia has been rock solid all season, holding their own, showing that even though they are a "new" expansion team, they will pull no punches, and will show that they mean business. Its exactly what they've done, as they have steadied themselves in the top of the league table, currently in 3rd place. The Independence won their first match against Washington this season, 3-1, which was a rather embarrassing defeat for the Freedom. They didn't want this loss to go unanswered, and they did exactly what they intended to do, on Sunday. Washington won against Philadelphia 2-1. The Freedom landed the first strike as Moros had a bit of a give and go with Welsh near the flank, then proceeded into the 18 yard box, where she sent it past a defender and against the far post, where it rebounded off and into the net. The next goal would come a little later, as Bompastor was fouled in the 18. The ref pointed to the spot, and Wambach stepped up to take the penalty. Wambach coolly put it away, putting it into the bottom right, as Henderson went left. The game was actually quite physical. Possession would fluctuate between opposing teams frequently during the match, and both teams would have opportunities. But, like I said, the game seemed rather physical, and it culminated towards the end of the match, around the 86th minute. Seger would challenge Huffman for the ball. Huffman put more pressure, and Seger, who was clearly frustrated, pushed Huffman off of her violently, hitting her in the face. Seger protested verbally against the referee rather violently, and exchanged words with an angered Wambach. After this, Ted Unkel issued Seger a direct red card, and she was sent off. Philly would end up scoring one goal, but it was a fluke. McLeod underestimated a ball coming in, and didn't quite get her hand around it. She dropped it, and as it went loose, Sanderson was there to take advantage of the mistake, and put it home for Philly. The score would stay 2-1, and Washington would walk away with yet another win.

This game was a tough one to call going in, as both teams were doing rather well, and haven't necessarily had problems scoring. Washington had the drive to win and get "revenge" so to speak, and did what they had to in order to get the win. It looks like Washington is one of, if not the strongest team in the league right now, up there with FC Gold Pride. Its no surprise that both these teams have heavy-hitting offense. Next week should be extremely interesting, as the top 2 teams, Washington and FCGP, will go head to head for first place. Both of these teams are home to top scorers, and these teams have a history of high-scoring games when they've met. FCGP will defend their perch atop the league standings, while Washington will be fighting to knock them down and take first place. As for Philadelphia, its one loss, they need to keep going as they have been. If they keep working hard the wins will keep coming. I'm sure they'll be working even harder now, so that when they meet Washington again, and even the other teams, they'll have gained more experience, and will be prepared to put up an even better fight.


Well, that's all for the WPS Week 7 Review! Hope you enjoyed the run down of this week's events!


Denise

Injury Report: Australia and The Washington Freedom Have a Woman Down.

DeVanna will be out for 3 months due to an injury sustained in Australia's match against China, in which they lost 1-0.

The Asian Cup has been underway, and the Matildas of course are in on the action, as they are part of the AFC. Australia's campaign has been going fairly well so far, as they've already notched 2 wins, the first against Vietnam in which the result was 2-0, and another win against Korea Republic, the result being 3-1. However, their campaign has taken a sudden turn for the worse. Australia lost 1-0 to China on the 23rd, but the match isn't the only thing they lost. They also lost star striker DeVanna, who had already notched a goal in the competition. DeVanna broke her leg in a collision with China's Goalkeeper, and is expected to be out for 3 months, meaning she will miss the majority of the WPS season, and is also ejected from the Asian Cup tournament. There is a possibility that if her recovery goes as planned, she can be back in time to play in the WPS Playoffs, that is, if Washington Freedom clinch a playoff berth by the end of the WPS season. There is no doubt that both Australia and the Washington Freedom will miss DeVanna's lightning fast pace and world class dribbling skills, as well as her excellent scoring ability, which often times come through in clutch situations.


I wish DeVanna a speedy recovery. Her teammates and fans will miss her while she's gone.

I know I will.

Denise

WPS Weekly Review (Week 6)

Another 4 games, and another week down for WPS. This weekend marked some interesting match-ups, some great goals, some great soccer, and of course, some points for the teams that won, further advancing them in the title race. Let's take a look at our first fixture-FC Gold Pride vs. Boston Breakers. What a tight game this was expected to be, a real tough one to call. FC Gold Pride have been on the top of the league table for at least 3 weeks now, and had the edge going into this game, but Boston was not to be underestimated. The game ended 2-1. FCGP got their goals thanks to Marta. The Brazilian scored both goals for FCGP on the occasion, putting her on the board with a total of 3 so far for the 2010 season. Boston didn't go down without a fight however, and would score a goal that came from English player Kelly Smith. In the past few weeks, FCGP have shown they are a team to reckon with this season, unlike their lackluster, last place counterpart from 2009. As a team, I think FCGP has undergone the biggest transformation from 2009. They've gone from last place lackeys, to dangerous contenders, in the span of one off-season.

What we can take from this game:
Its still too early to determine FCGP as a "sure" anything, but I think it would be safe to say we will be seeing quite a lot of FCGP this season, and not in the basement of WPS. If FCGP keeps it up, they could be looking at a good place in the league as the season progresses. They have already proven themselves against some of the tougher teams in WPS, one being Boston Breakers, who have a decent defense, and a talented offense....one that actually has a little bit of a tough time finding the back of the net. The Boston defense needs to tidy up as well, they are still conceding more than necessary I think. Also, Cheney needs to get back into the game and re-establish herself as a threat in the offense. As for FCGP, if they stay on their form, they'll go far this season. Boston, on the other hand, has to dust themselves off and keep going, but must keep in mind their place in the league. Too many losses, and they may start to fall behind.

Next order of business. Chicago Red Stars vs. Philadelphia Independence. To be quite honest, I was not surprised with the result in this one. Philly won 1-0, with a goal from Joanna Lohmann. I would think this would have been a hard fought game, since neither team really won by much. A 1-0 result, doesn't show complete dominance by any team. However, I missed both the matchtracker and the Webcast, if there was one, so it could have been a hard fought game by both teams, or it could have been a complete domination by one team, with either the failure to find the back of the net, or just luck in doing so. I'm not exactly sure, but as I said, with the way I have seen Chicago play this season, its not so much about the quality of play, or problems with possession. Its the finding the back of the net. Philly, on the other hand, has no problems scoring for the most part. They've won the majority of their games, and are continuing to do so.

What we can take from this game:
Chicago does play well for the most part, but they can't score. They just can't do it. Philly on the other hand, has really surprised me. They have an excellent record this season, and continue to win. If they keep up their form, they will have a great chance of going far. Philly is on quite a roll, and its going to take a lot to stop them. As for Chicago, its a repeat of last year. Playing hard, but although they can't find the back of the net, not necessarily playing poorly. This team has always had problems scoring, and they need to fix it. Cristiane is a talented striker, without a doubt, but has had serious trouble finding rhythm this year. Her form is better than last year...but in the scoring department....not so much. Chicago is relying a lot on Cristiane to score, and she's going to need to break out of the slump and start putting them away. Nogueira has notched 2 on the board for Chicago. There are high expectations surrounding Nogueira, and she's doing well for a rookie, but the veterans are the ones who need to step up. As for Rapinoe, she came into her first game with a bang, giving Cristiane the assist....but now what? You can't put the pressure all on one player, but I truly believe Rapinoe is a pivotal midfielder. She brings speed and offensive spark, and it needs to start showing. Scoring and getting that last touch in the final third is virtually Chicago's only problem. If they can start scoring goals, they can be contenders. Only 4 points in the league....they have some catching up to do. They aren't setting themselves up well. Score the goals, and the wins will follow. If they don't fix the problem now, they will fall way far behind, and their chances of winning much this season will be very slim.

Onto the next fixture, which featured Sky Blue FC vs. St. Louis Athletica. I honestly believed St. Louis would walk away with the win on this one, taking into consideration St. Louis' decent form and record, and also Sky Blue's difficulty in possessing, dominating play, and scoring as of late. I also missed the matchtracker for this one, but I did stop in briefly when I tried to make some last minute changes to my fantasy team. I saw that Boxx had converted a penalty from the spot, and had gotten the goal early in the first half. I figured St. Louis was sure to win, especially with Sky Blue's subpar form as of late. But, they proved me wrong. Sky Blue ended up tying 1-1 into the second half, and then leading 2-1 just minutes later. This was thanks to Kalmari, who scored 2 goals in a quick 5 minutes. Just as it looked like Sky Blue would triumph over this tough contender, St.Louis salvaged the game and settled for a 2-2 tie. I missed the matchtracker the day of, but after reading up on the game, it seemed very back and fourth, and it also seems like its the best Sky Blue has looked all season.

What we can take from this game:
Sky Blue may be down right now, but they are certainly not out. They have a situation similar to Chicago in a way, having trouble winning convincingly, and sometimes scoring goals. But also, as of late, they've had trouble with possession and dominating play. However, this game has shed some new light on Sky Blue. The team has managed to win games, even if it has been by the skin of their teeth, but that still counts. They're keeping up, but just barely. If they play like they did against St.Louis from now on, they might just be able to turn their game around. Is this going to be the turning point in Sky Blue's improvement? We'll see in the weeks to come if maybe this serves as a wake up call for the WPS Champions to start playing like champions. They're certainly capable. After Kai comes back, the goal-scoring (generally that is) at least should improve. As for St. Louis, a team who looks absolutely fantastic on paper, has once again proven that they can be beat. They can't let their guard down, because when they least expect it, a team will come right up from behind and steal the win...as was almost the case against Sky Blue. St. Louis has a good team, and are doing fairly well, but they can be beat.


Time to analyze and review our last fixture, which I had the pleasure of watching right on FSC. Washington Freedom vs. Atlanta Beat. This game was a real treat to watch. Opportunities on goal were plentiful for both teams, and the plays and chances were exciting to watch. I had predicted a win for Washington, seeing as they have the strongest offense right now, and also taking into consideration that ATL hasn't won a game yet, and has serious problems scoring. I figured Washington had this one in the bag. It was an exciting game, and once again, the Freedom's offense reigned supreme. The first goal for Washington came from a brilliant play. The ball was played into Wambach, who moved the ball into the 18, and took on defenders. She maneuvered smartly around them, although they hindered her advance toward goal, and was able to get a back-heel pass off to Mykjaland, who finished easily, sending the ball to the back of the left side of the net. This would mark Mykjaland's 2nd goal in WPS, and Wambach's 7th assist in 6 games. ATL tried to answer, and came close a few times, with Bachmann posing serious threats, charging head on at defenders in the direction of goal. Luckily for Washington, and unluckily for my fantasy team, she never scored. Washington would score again, and what a spectacular goal it was. It was one of Wambach's trademarked diving headers. Bompastor crossed the ball in, and Wambach dove to meet it with her head and put the goal away. ATL did have chances, but never answered, due to their continued troubles with the last touch, and with finishing.


What we can take from this game:
Washington is a true presence in the league, highly due to their offensive players, and their offensive power and efforts in general. The defense of course needs a little tidying up if we're speaking generally, but the defense did well in this particular game. McLeod was on form, and made some excellent decisions and saves to gain the clean sheet, and rightfully so. As for the midfield, the plays made were good for the most part. They supported the offense well. The only thing they could improve on is not losing as many balls, and not turning over as much. Other than that, the midfield is a great support system. As for the offense, Wambach continues to shine. 7 assists in 6 games, that's outstanding. Not only can she put the goals away, but she can supply the offense as well, and does it more often than not. She's on form this season, and is the main offensive force driving Washington. She's a dangerous presence on the team, and can play both supplier and goalscorer roles. If Washington continues to score goals, which they have no problems in doing, contrary to some of the other teams in this league, the points will continue to come in, and Washington will have nowhere to go but up. Washington are true contenders in the league this year....one with a highly dangerous offense. If they keep doing what they're doing, and just tweak the defense, Washington could be looking at possibly winning something this year. As for Atlanta Beat, it was business as usual. Another game where the final touch never came, and neither did the goals. The chances were there, but like some other teams in this league, scoring has been a problem. With only 1 point in the standings, the pressure is on ATL now. Even though it is only Week 6, every game is important. ATL is 14 points behind league leaders FCGP, in other words, almost 5 wins behind them. The closest team to ATL is Chicago, with 4 points, who is 1 win ahead of them. The point is, Atlanta, although they play well overall in games, needs to start putting goals away, or it will be too late for them to have a fighting chance.

That's all for the WPS Week 6 Review and Analysis! This weekend coming up is going to be a bye weekend, meaning there will be no WPS action......don't get too upset yet though! There will be a special treat this Saturday-an international friendly! The USWNT will be hosting the Germany WNT for a "Rematch" of the 2010 Algarve Cup Final! Its on ESPN2 at 6pm eastern time. Won't want to miss that one!

Denise

And in Recap ( WPS Week 5)

Now its time for me to give my recap and opinions on the week in review. These posts will probably always be named "And in Recap". Let's get started!

FC Gold Pride- I knew this team was too good to be down for long. They have been first place for 2-3 weeks now. With players like Sinclair (currently one of the top strikers in the league with 3 goals), Marta (4 time World FIFA Player of the year, and top scorer last year...need I say more? She will come to life at some point this season, she's too good to be silenced forever.), Abily (French middie who scored quite a few goals last season, about 8 or more. Another player that is too good to stay dormant for too long.), Milbrett (an oldie, but a goodie. Already has 2 goals in the league. A good striker to have up front.), Barnie (Good GK.), Dew (defensive anchor, and a good one) and rookie O'Hara (quite a prolific rookie. 2 assists, and 1 goal, that's a record that no one can complain about. More is definitely on the way.), I would sure hope so. Continue winning, and you might see yourself go far this season

St.Louis- seem impressive at first sight, but are better looking on paper than they are on the field. Have a decent record as of right now, but they are beatable. They have almost too many players to mention, So here's a few standouts- Solo (greatest 'keeper in women's soccer in my opinion. Getting past her is a challenge for sure.) and Aluko (not her biggest fan...but she can score, no doubt about it). To be honest, St.Louis is my least favorite team in the WPS right now. They're a shadow of past league superstar team La Sol, as they have many of the the former La players (Boxx, Chalupny, Miyama). Good? Yes. Beatable? Absolutely.

Chicago Red Stars- A team to watch, for sure. Possibly a dark horse this season. Chicago consistently dominates possession against most of the other teams they've played against. Only problem? Find the back of that net. With the addition of Rapinoe (excellent middie with superb 1 v 1 abilities, along with world class dribbling, outstanding vision and play-making skills, combined with some flair? You've got yourself quite a player on your hands.), the attack efforts should increase for the better, as should the speed of the midfield. Rapinoe will bring that offensive spark which is just what the doctor ordered. Other key players, like Cristiane (a great Brazilian player. Broke out of her slump by scoring her first 2 weeks ago, but needs to start scoring more. The team is relying on her to do what she does best. She's having problems finding her rhythm, but I'm sure she'll find it again.), Nogueira (rookie who has been doing pretty well this season. Yes she might have made a horrible miss one time that would have been the game winner, but what do you want? The girl is 21 years old, lacks experience, and is doing more than anyone else on the team! Cut her some slack. She's got 2 goals, and I expect more.), Masar (She needs to find her rhythm. She's a decent player and could only benefit CRS if she just got it together), will be instrumental in CRS's success. Dominate possession, find your rhythm, get in sync, and find the back of the net!

Washington Freedom- Home of the league's best offense, and for a good reason. With Strikers like Wambach (tall, fast player who is great on and off the ball. Great in the air, and when playing against physical opponents. Wambach will find opportunities to score anytime, anywhere, which makes her such a versatile player. Not only that, but she's also selfless. 6 assists in 5 games? That's incredible. A true force in the offensive effort.), and DeVanna (DeVanna's accolades and goals speak for themselves. Her lightning-fast pace can beat even the best of defenders, and her World Class Dribbling makes her a threat to any defense. Its hard to contain DeVanna, and when you have to, you will have your hands full. With 6 goals and 5 assists last year, she showed not only can she score, but she can provide and drive the offense on the other side of the coin as well. Its only a matter of time before this offensive player busts out and begins to score.), along with attacking midfielders like Sawa (2 goals on the campaign. For a midfielder? no complaints at all.) the proof is in the pudding. Keep dominating and scoring those goals, and the wins will of course follow, as will the points. The only thing that needs work is the defense, as Washington also houses the league's most scored on defense. Patch up those holes, and you'll be near unstoppable.

Boston Breakers- An all around team with a strong defense, and quite a strong offense. The only problem is that the defense will sometimes give up clean sheets easily, and the offense hasn't been as productive as of late. In back, LePeilbet (WPS Defender of the Year last year, and rightfully so. Able to mark players tightly, read the game extremely well, stop passes, long balls, through balls, and dodge attempts dead. Her speed make her one of the toughest defenders to beat, and one of the toughest to win a footrace against.) anchors defense. On offense, there are quite a few mentionable names. Smith (English player with 3 goals in the league. Great total right now. She has the ability to score from quite a few places, and reads the game well.), Cheney (young rookie who is sure to evolve into a great, at the rate she's been going. First goal of the season to start off the 2010 WPS year, but then silenced. Cheney needs to get it back together, and she'll be back on track in no time, scoring left and right, which she has the potential to do.), Laura Del Rio (player from Spain with impressive accolades gained and set in La Liga/Spanish WNT. Seemed impressive on attacking efforts in past Boston games. Now she needs to find the back of the net, off the bench.), along with some middie prescence, like Lilly (experienced veteran who is great on the wings). Boston Breakers has pretty much all of the pieces of the puzzle. Time to put them together and make them work. You have the offense, start scoring more goals. And defense? Tidy up just a little and stop giving away clean sheets, you're taking points off my fantasy team. Just kidding, but seriously, make it tight as can be back there.

Sky Blue FC- Where do I begin? You guys are WPS Champions. Start playing like you're champions. Score more goals, win against big teams, don't let other teams dominate, you should be 1st right now, technically. I'll give you more time, but you really have to shape up. You've got the players. Bardsley (excellent GK really making a name for herself.), Kai (an excellent, speedy striker with a great eye for goal, and an incredible scoring ability. Excellent dribbling skills, deadly vertical jump, smart plays on and off the ball, what else do you need? Tasha Kai is on form this year. Expect more than just 2 from her.), HaO (doing decent, but is a much better player than has been shown as of late). Point is, Sky Blue, you have to step up. You have not been playing, or winning convincingly at all.

Philadelphia Independence- a definite surprise team this season. Thought to be one of the noob teams that were going to be easier to beat, but they have shown almost every team in the league that they can play with the big boys. Philly has come up with incredible wins, and was the last undefeated team standing until Week 5. Don't let these first-timers fool you, they have a more talented squad than it seems. Players like Lori Lindsey (Lindsey is to Philly Independence as Xavi is to FC Barcelona. Instrumental in the midfield, high work rate, great passes, good play-making and vision, the reason why she has 4 assists and a goal.), Magnusdottir (Icelandic international who is a good defender. Good work rate in back, not afraid to get in there and mark up), and Falk (a great defender who knows how to score....even if she does put it into the back of her own net...), things are looking up. I would expect that Philly will continue to succeed in this league. Underdogs? Maybe for Week 1, but now, they're a team to beat

Atlanta Beat- You've lost every game, and I can only think of 2, maybe 3 players who have been worth anything for you. Bachmann (a 19 year old that has scored 2 of your goals. She's great, no doubt, but come on people, you're relying on a 19 year old alone? Sad. Guess its 'cause you got no one else.) Ocampo (Mexican player who's scored one goal, that's more than most of the rest of you.), and McCall Zerboni (did well in midfield for ATL against Sky Blue, seems like a driving force of the midfield). All in all, ATL, if you do not find your "Beat", and find it fast, you're done, because you're falling way too far behind.


And that's it for the WPS Week 5 in Review. Enjoy! Feel free to comment, agree, or even disagree.

Denise

WPS Weekly Rant (Week 5)

Welcome to my first actual soccer post in the history of "Just another Soccer fan". I wrote this the other day for fun, and now I'm putting it here for anyone who would like to read. Here we go!

Another week down for WPS, and the scores, although not necessarily yielding tons of goals, still got the job done for some of the teams. Here's a review of what happened in Week 5- FC Gold Pride is staying in 1st place, with 3 points, thanks to a goal by Milbrett, and another by O'Hara, one of the few prospect rookies in the league. On a side note, I have to say the rookies for the most part have been doing well this year. While Cheney has silenced a bit since her first few games, I know deep down she is a great player, nothing will change that. As for Nogueira, despite the lack of judgment used in the dying minutes against St. Louis (week 2), which is kind of expected from a young 21 year who lacks experience, she's been carrying Chicago. 2 goals for her in the campaign, and no one can complain, because that has been the only thing keeping the Red stars alive. She might not be a superstar...yet...but she's doing what the proclaimed superstars haven't been so far.

As for O'Hara, her record for the season isn't too shabby at all. 2 assists, and a goal. Keep it up, that's a good record, especially for a young'n. Anyways, FCGP gets past at the expense of Chicago Red Stars. Poor CRS, looked like they'd be making a comeback when Nogueira, Rapinoe, and Cristiane showed up against Boston, but apparently that was all for naught, as once again, no one on CRS could step up to the plate this time around. CRS had better get their act together, and fast. The addition of Rapinoe back onto the squad should help tremendously with the midfield speed and attacking efforts, but she can't be expected to do all the work herself. While CRS has possessed for the majority of their games, they can never find the back of the net. Maybe they need glasses? who knows.

As for one of the more looked forward to match-ups (for me anyway, as it was a rematch of this year's first match in which Washington lost 2-1 to Boston....revenge, anyone?), Washington Freedom vs. Boston Breakers, it was a bit of a disappointment. A 0-0 tie, in which nobody wins. If you're going to tie, at least score some goals! Then again, a 0-0 tie means both teams are pretty strong and were able to hold out against each other, making the next match-up that much more exciting. I'm guessing Boston's strong defense held off The league's best offense. In all fairness though, Washington were missing key midfielder Sawa, and also lightning fast striker DeVanna due to each players international duty. Could their contribution to the attack effort been the key to winning? We'll never know, not until next match-up of course. I like both teams, so I guess I am glad that they both tied, and nobody had to lose, but I would have liked to have seen Washington even out the record.

Now for St.Louis Athletica vs. Philadelphia Independence. This match seemed like a total disaster...for Philly that is. As the final undefeated team, this game proved to be pretty bad. The first goal, came from an own goal. Yes, that is right, first own goal in WPS I believe, and who was it scored by? None other than the biggest pioneer of firsts in this league. That's right, you guessed it, Falk. First player to score a goal in WPS, first player to score for the Philly Independence expansion team, first player to be shown a red card in a WPS Championship Final, and the first player to score an own goal. Way to go Falk, at this rate your trophy case will explode. Anyway, after the one goal, Philly made attempts, but I guess the "A-Rod wonder" couldn't produce any magic like she's cracked up to create. To put St.Louis even further ahead, Tarpley scored her first ever WPS goal for the campaign, and also for her time with St.Louis. Then Patterson came off the bench for Philly and scored. That did nothing, as St.Louis would end up winning the match. My one complaint for this game, is that St.Louis won. They aren't even that good. Sure they have good players but they aren't as uber as they seem. No matter who St.Louis beats, I will always be able to proudly say "Hey, Washington beat them...3-1. Taste that for breakfast." And Falk....own goal? You're kind of overachieving now with the firsts, don't you think?

And for the last match. Sky Blue FC vs. Atlanta Beat. Atlanta Beat, just don't have the "beat", or the rhythm. They haven't won a single game so far. Sky Blue undeservedly won 1-0 in the match. Sky Blue looked lost. Atlanta had possession most of the time, and created the best chances. Bachmann played excellently, and really impressed me. The young striker almost had a goal a few times. This is coming from someone who didn't believe the Bachmann hype before. All I have to say is, watch out for her, she's got talent. On the other side of the coin, Bardsley proved herself as a keeper to beat in this league. Hats off to Bardsley, she's been doing very well this season, definitely one of, if not the top keeper right now. Good job filling in for Branam, who is actually expected to return in early June. That should be interesting. But, here's where my complaints come in. Sky Blue won, sure, but off of an ATL own goal. What is this, WPS Own Goal Weekend? 2 own goals? In one week? Holy crap. That's not good at all. And here's my next big complaint. SBFC has not been playing like WPS Champions...not in the slightest bit. They've been winning games by very narrow margins, perfect example was their 1-0 win against ATL. I don't think they've scored more than 1 goal in a game. That's unacceptable. I understand that Kai is injured, and that really does hit the offense hard, but its not all about one player, as good as Kai is. We need other players to deliver when she's not there. To me, Sky Blue has been a CRS, only they're on the other side of the coin. They win every match, but by the skin of their teeth, often times letting other teams dominate. When faced with a true challenge though, like FCGP, they lose. Sky Blue had better wake up and start scoring and playing like they mean it. And ATL? I don't even know what to say. You haven't won a single game. I don't know if I should laugh or feel sorry. You have to start finding the back of that net. There's no reason to have not won a game by now.