Germany won the match, but not before a few anxious moments, defeating France 4-2 in their final group stage match. The Germans won Group A and will meet Japan in a quarterfinal match on Saturday. France finishes second in the group and will play England.
While Germany certainly had the better of play, the French kept coming back at every turn, making the Germans work the whole match to hold on.
Germany was in control for most of the match and they did so without Birgit Prinz, who sat through the match on the German bench. Silvia Neid made several other changes to her lineup, inserting Bianca Schmidt, Lena Goessling, Inka Grings, and Fatmire Bajramaj.
French coach Bruno Bini made changes as well. Wendie Renard was back in the lineup after missing the last match with an injury. Laure Boulleau and Elodie Thomis were also given starts, with Marie-Laure Delie and Camille Abily sitting on the sidelines at the start.
Most of the early part of the match was played from 18 to 18, with few chances. Bajramaj shot from 15 yards was blocked by the French defense in the 12th minute. Another Bajramaj effort was caught by Berangere Sapowicz in the 15th minute.
Germany started to take more control of the match and they finally broke through in the 25th minute. And it was Kerstin Garefrekes doing what she does best, using her head to score. Babett Peter took a free kick from 40 yards out and Garefrekes beat Renard, heading the ball cleanly into the upper left side of the net. Germany led 1-0.
France attempted to come back, but their chances were not particularly dangerous. A Sandrine Soubeyrand long-range effort from 35 yards went well over the net in the 28th minute. A free kick from Soubeyrand was punched safely wide by Nadine Angerer.
Germany made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute and once again it was a header. Simone Laudehr placed a beautiful cross from the left side to about 12 yards out, with Inka Grings cutting across the box. Grings headed it just past Sapowicz's outstretched hands and Germany appeared to be in control with a two goal halftime lead.
Marie-Laure Delie and Camille Abily came in for Thomas and Louisa Necib at the half, while Ariane Hingst was inserted for Simone Laudehr.
If Germany thought they were going to have an easy time of it in the second half, France had other ideas. The French seemed to come out with renewed determination in the 2nd half and they were the ones to strike first. Soubeyrand took a French corner kick in the 56th minute and Delie headed the ball in from the near post about eight yards out. All of a sudden, France had life.
Germany was awarded a questionable free kick just outside the box in the 59th minute, while Renard was given a yellow card for what appeared to be a clean tackle. Grings low shot was headed just inside the left post, but Sapowicz made a beautiful diving save.
In the 65th minute, Inka Grings controlled the ball on the right side of the box and pushed a nice, soft pass across to Bajramaj. As the German midfielder attempted to move in for the shot, Sapowicz took her legs out. A red card was given to Sapowicz and a penalty kick awarded to Germany. On this call, there was no question. Inka Grings hit a solid shot into the right side, with replacement keeper Celine Deville guessing the other way. It was 3-1 Germany and the game appeared to be over. Well, maybe not yet.
Just when German fans thought they could breathe easy, France struck again. Camille Abily's corner kick went just over the head of Wendie Renard, but Laura Georges was right behind her and unmarked. Georges perfect header once again cut the lead to one. The French were not giving up easily. Four goals on headers had been scored at that point as both sides were having trouble defending in the air.
Delie nearly tied the match a minute later, getting in on the left side of the box, but her shot went wide of the right post. France was playing a player down, but were still making things interesting.
Grings' free kick in the 76th minute slipped just wide of the right post and hit the side of the net. Hingst hit a cross from the right side a minute later, with Deville missing the ball. Bajramaj's bouncer was saved off the line by a sliding Abily to keep the margin at one.
Germany finally finished it off in the 89th minute. A cross came from Alexandra Popp to the head of Inka Grings who flicked a header to the right side of the box where a wide open Okoyino da Mbabi was waiting. She drilled a hard shot passed the feet of Deville and into the left side netting to finally clinch it for the Germans.
Germany wins Group A with an undefeated record. France comes in second, with this match being their only blemish. In addition to Sapowicz's red card, which will keep her out of France's match with England, several yellow cards were handed out which could affect both teams further into the tournament. Renard, Georges, and Elise Bussaglia all received yellow cards for France. Bajmaraj and Lena Goessling each received one for Germany.
Showing posts with label Camille Abily. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Camille Abily. Show all posts
July 5, 2011
June 30, 2011
France 4, Canada 0
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Labels: 2011 World Cup, Berangere Sapowicz, Camille Abily, Christine Sinclair, Elodie Thomas, Erin McLeod, Gaetane Thiney, Jonelle Filigno, Laura Georges, Louisa Necib, Marie-Laure Delie
Labels: 2011 World Cup, Berangere Sapowicz, Camille Abily, Christine Sinclair, Elodie Thomas, Erin McLeod, Gaetane Thiney, Jonelle Filigno, Laura Georges, Louisa Necib, Marie-Laure Delie
In one of the most surprising results so far, France easily defeated Canada 4-0 in Group A action on Thursday. This result coupled with Germany's victory over Nigeria clinches a quarterfinal berth for France and eliminates Canada.
The surprise in this match was not who won, but by how much. This game would have been rated a fairly even matchup coming in, maybe a slight advantage to the French. But no one could have foreseen a four goal thrashing that France dished out.
The two teams traded chances in the opening minutes of the match. Jonelle Filigno sent the ball through on the right side for Christine Sinclair, but Berangere Sapowicz came out beating Sinclair and getting just enough of the ball to keep Sinclair from putting any kind of effort on goal. Sinclair was wearing a specially made mask to protect the broken nose she suffered in the match against Germany.
A minute later, Marie-Laure Delie had the Canadian defense beaten, but Erin McLeod cut down the angle and made the save as Delie tried to move around her.
In the 15th minute, Sophie Schmidt put a soft pass through to Diana Matheson, but her first touch was heavy and the chance got away from her.
A Canadian turnover led to the first goal of the match. Elise Bussaglia released a shot from the 18 yard mark that was deflected into the air. Gaetane Thiney headed home the rebound for the goal and France led 1-0. Quite frankly, Thiney and Delie both appeared to be offsides on the play, but it was close.
France nearly made it 2-0 on Louisa Necib's blast from 25 yards in the 31st minute. It was heading into the upper left corner before McLeod reached up and deflected it over the net. A minute later, Necib crossed the ball to just outside the six, but Delie's header attempt went harmlessly wide.
Matheson tried to even the match in the 39th minute as she weaved through the French defense, but her shot from 18 yards went wide left.
At the very end of the half, an inswinging Necib corner was very dangerous, but McLeod reached up and slapped it away. While Canada had a few opportunities, France was controlling the match more and more as the half wore on.
In the 53rd minute, Delie was through the defense, but her shot from 16 yards was grabbed by McLeod. The French continued to assert themselves and Delie's speed was clearly causing the Canadian back line some problems.
Canada once again looked to tie in the 59th minute. Christina Julien stole a pass and quickly got the ball to Sinclair, who charged into the box from the right side. However, Laura Georges defended the play well and Canada came up empty again, not even getting a shot off.
Delie's hustle indirectly led to the second French goal as her pressure led to a Canadian turnover. Gaetane used her first touch to settle and then blasted a brilliant shot that hit the inside of the right post and in, past a diving McLeod who really had no chance on the play. Now 2-0, things were looking very dim for Canada.
Even when the Canadians created chances, something always seem to go amiss. Filigno made a very nice play gaining possession at the 18 yard mark and getting around the defender Sabrina Viguier. But just as it appeared Filigno would have a golden clear-cut shot at the goal, she stepped on top of the ball falling down in the process and failed to get a shot off.
And as happened just minutes earlier, a missed Canadian opportunity was followed by a French goal. Sandrine Soubeyrand's corner was placed perfectly in the center of the goal about nine yards out and a wide open Camille Abily put a beautiful header into the upper left corner of the goal, with the unfortunate McLeod again having no chance whatsoever.
More frustration followed for Canada as a Filigno cross found Sinclair, but the great Canadian striker put it over the bar from 10 yards out.
To add insult to injury, Sinclair was pressing the defense in the 80th minute when Sonia Bompastor clearance caught her square in the face. There was clearly no ill-intent on Bompastor's part and she quickly rushed over to see if she was alright. Some blood trickled down Sinclair's nose, which had been broken just four days earlier. However, it later appeared that the blood came from a newly opened cut at the corner of Sinclair's eye.
While Sinclair was being attended to on the sidelines, Necib played the ball over the top of the Canadian defense and second half substitute Elodie Thomis was easily clear by the time she touched the ball around McLeod and rolled the ball safely into the net.
Perhaps the most startling statistic of the match was that Canada had no shots on frame. France had played one of the most dominant matches so far in Germany.
For France, it was a very convincing win and a quarterfinal berth. Louisa Necib continued to impress and seemed to be involved in nearly every play. The speed of the French forwards gave the Canadian defense problems throughout. And while the French defense seem to have moments of vulnerability, they always seemed to recover in time before any trouble was to come of it.
As for Canada, in a year that looked so promising for them, this has to be a bitter disappointment. Even after the loss to Germany, they weren't in bad position. It must be said that the Canadians' task was always going to be hard given the group they were in, but a 4-0 loss in an important match like this one is almost inexplicable. Canada will clearly need to re-evaluate at this point. They have one more rather meaningless match against Nigeria before heading home.
France and Germany will now meet to decide who wins the group next Tuesday. A tie would give the number one seed out of Group A to France, as they have the advantage in goal differential.
The surprise in this match was not who won, but by how much. This game would have been rated a fairly even matchup coming in, maybe a slight advantage to the French. But no one could have foreseen a four goal thrashing that France dished out.
The two teams traded chances in the opening minutes of the match. Jonelle Filigno sent the ball through on the right side for Christine Sinclair, but Berangere Sapowicz came out beating Sinclair and getting just enough of the ball to keep Sinclair from putting any kind of effort on goal. Sinclair was wearing a specially made mask to protect the broken nose she suffered in the match against Germany.
A minute later, Marie-Laure Delie had the Canadian defense beaten, but Erin McLeod cut down the angle and made the save as Delie tried to move around her.
In the 15th minute, Sophie Schmidt put a soft pass through to Diana Matheson, but her first touch was heavy and the chance got away from her.
A Canadian turnover led to the first goal of the match. Elise Bussaglia released a shot from the 18 yard mark that was deflected into the air. Gaetane Thiney headed home the rebound for the goal and France led 1-0. Quite frankly, Thiney and Delie both appeared to be offsides on the play, but it was close.
France nearly made it 2-0 on Louisa Necib's blast from 25 yards in the 31st minute. It was heading into the upper left corner before McLeod reached up and deflected it over the net. A minute later, Necib crossed the ball to just outside the six, but Delie's header attempt went harmlessly wide.
Matheson tried to even the match in the 39th minute as she weaved through the French defense, but her shot from 18 yards went wide left.
At the very end of the half, an inswinging Necib corner was very dangerous, but McLeod reached up and slapped it away. While Canada had a few opportunities, France was controlling the match more and more as the half wore on.
In the 53rd minute, Delie was through the defense, but her shot from 16 yards was grabbed by McLeod. The French continued to assert themselves and Delie's speed was clearly causing the Canadian back line some problems.
Canada once again looked to tie in the 59th minute. Christina Julien stole a pass and quickly got the ball to Sinclair, who charged into the box from the right side. However, Laura Georges defended the play well and Canada came up empty again, not even getting a shot off.
Delie's hustle indirectly led to the second French goal as her pressure led to a Canadian turnover. Gaetane used her first touch to settle and then blasted a brilliant shot that hit the inside of the right post and in, past a diving McLeod who really had no chance on the play. Now 2-0, things were looking very dim for Canada.
Even when the Canadians created chances, something always seem to go amiss. Filigno made a very nice play gaining possession at the 18 yard mark and getting around the defender Sabrina Viguier. But just as it appeared Filigno would have a golden clear-cut shot at the goal, she stepped on top of the ball falling down in the process and failed to get a shot off.
And as happened just minutes earlier, a missed Canadian opportunity was followed by a French goal. Sandrine Soubeyrand's corner was placed perfectly in the center of the goal about nine yards out and a wide open Camille Abily put a beautiful header into the upper left corner of the goal, with the unfortunate McLeod again having no chance whatsoever.
More frustration followed for Canada as a Filigno cross found Sinclair, but the great Canadian striker put it over the bar from 10 yards out.
To add insult to injury, Sinclair was pressing the defense in the 80th minute when Sonia Bompastor clearance caught her square in the face. There was clearly no ill-intent on Bompastor's part and she quickly rushed over to see if she was alright. Some blood trickled down Sinclair's nose, which had been broken just four days earlier. However, it later appeared that the blood came from a newly opened cut at the corner of Sinclair's eye.
While Sinclair was being attended to on the sidelines, Necib played the ball over the top of the Canadian defense and second half substitute Elodie Thomis was easily clear by the time she touched the ball around McLeod and rolled the ball safely into the net.
Perhaps the most startling statistic of the match was that Canada had no shots on frame. France had played one of the most dominant matches so far in Germany.
For France, it was a very convincing win and a quarterfinal berth. Louisa Necib continued to impress and seemed to be involved in nearly every play. The speed of the French forwards gave the Canadian defense problems throughout. And while the French defense seem to have moments of vulnerability, they always seemed to recover in time before any trouble was to come of it.
As for Canada, in a year that looked so promising for them, this has to be a bitter disappointment. Even after the loss to Germany, they weren't in bad position. It must be said that the Canadians' task was always going to be hard given the group they were in, but a 4-0 loss in an important match like this one is almost inexplicable. Canada will clearly need to re-evaluate at this point. They have one more rather meaningless match against Nigeria before heading home.
France and Germany will now meet to decide who wins the group next Tuesday. A tie would give the number one seed out of Group A to France, as they have the advantage in goal differential.
June 18, 2011
Group A Preview: France
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Labels: 2011 World Cup, Berangere Sapowicz, Camille Abily, Marie-Laure Delie, Sandrine Soubeyrand, Sonia Bompastor
Labels: 2011 World Cup, Berangere Sapowicz, Camille Abily, Marie-Laure Delie, Sandrine Soubeyrand, Sonia Bompastor
France (#7)
Region: UEFA
Coach: Bruno Bini
How They Qualified: Won UEFA Group Stage, then defeated Italy in playoff.
Prior Cups:
2007: DNQ
2003: Group Stage
1999: DNQ
1995: DNQ
1991: DNQ
Roster (Average Age: 26.41)
Recent Matches:
The French team is known for their technical skills. It will take every ounce of technical skill and then some to advance out of what might be the toughest group at the World Cup. Germany might be the best in the world right now, Canada is a very tough side, and Nigeria has the ability to upset any team that takes them too lightly.
The French have not been as busy as some of the other teams entering the World Cup. Outside of the Cyprus Cup, they have played only a handful of matches since they qualified last September. They’ve only faced one other team that will be at this World Cup in the last 20 months, that being New Zealand. One has to wonder if they have faced enough top competition to prepare them for what they will be facing in Germany.
Most of the French team is in their mid-20’s and in their prime. This includes players like Camille Abily, Gaetane Thiney, Louisa Necib, Laura Georges, Corine Franco, Ophelie Meilleroux, Elodie Thomis, and Elise Bussaglia. They are used to playing together, all coming from four teams in the French league. This team has the ability to make some noise in this tournament.
Sandrine Soubeyrand is the elder statewoman of French soccer. At age 37, she has 160 caps to her credit, making her debut in 1997. She is one of five players on this team that were on the French 2003 World Cup squad, the only other time France has made it this far.
Another one of those five is former WPS star Sonia Bompastor. Fans here in the states will remember her displaying her talent for the Washington Freedom. She was one of the best all-around players in the league in her two years here.
Berangere Sapowicz was also on that 2003 team when she was just 20 years old. At the time, she was the goalkeeper for the U-19 team, but made only one appearance on the senior team before being named to the French World Cup team. She did not appear in any matches in that World Cup, nor for the national team over the next six years. But as qualification began in late 2009, she took over as the number one keeper and hasn’t looked back. She will be facing world class strikers in Group A such as Inka Grings and Christine Sinclair.
But with all of the veteran talent on the French team, the player to watch could well be Marie-Laure Delie. At 23, Delie made her debut with the senior French team just two years ago. She is averaging a goal every 36 minutes played since then. After two recent matches against Belgium, she has scored 11 goals in her last five matches, including three hat tricks.
This team is solid enough to advance into the quarterfinals and maybe beyond. But getting out of the group stage will be quite a task to start with. They open against Nigeria on June 26, a match in which they must post a victory if they are to have a solid chance of advancing. If France can open with two strong matches against Nigeria and Canada, they would relieve a lot of pressure that the third match against Germany could bring.
Note: Some information for this article was obtained at www.fifa.com and www.statfootofeminin.fr.
Region: UEFA
Coach: Bruno Bini
How They Qualified: Won UEFA Group Stage, then defeated Italy in playoff.
Prior Cups:
2007: DNQ
2003: Group Stage
1999: DNQ
1995: DNQ
1991: DNQ
Roster (Average Age: 26.41)
| Name | Pos | Club | Age | Caps/Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celine Deville | GK | Montpellier | 29 | 41/0 |
| Laetitia Phillippe | GK | Montpellier | 20 | 1/0 |
| Berangere Sapowicz | GK | Paris St. Germain | 28 | 16/0 |
| Sonia Bompastor | DF | FCF Lyon | 31 | 126/15 |
| Laura Georges | DF | FCF Lyon | 26 | 96/2 |
| Laure LePailleur | DF | Paris St. Germain | 26 | 26/2 |
| Ophelie Meilleroux | DF | Montpellier | 27 | 42/0 |
| Corine Petit-Franco | DF | FCF Lyon | 27 | 45/8 |
| Wendie Renard | DF | FCF Lyon | 20 | 5/0 |
| Sabrina Viguier | DF | FCF Lyon | 30 | 84/1 |
| Camille Abily | MF | FCF Lyon | 26 | 73/18 |
| Laure Boulleau | MF | Paris St. Germain | 24 | 12/0 |
| Elise Bussaglia | MF | Paris St. Germain | 25 | 79/18 |
| Louisa Necib | MF | FCF Lyon | 24 | 56/9 |
| Caroline Pizzala | MF | Paris St. Germain | 23 | 13/0 |
| Sandrine Soubeyrand | MF | Juvisy | 37 | 159/18 |
| Sandrine Bretigny | FW | FCF Lyon | 26 | 17/8 |
| Marie-Laure Delie | FW | Montpellier | 23 | 18/16 |
| Eugenie Le Sommer | FW | FCF Lyon | 22 | 32/9 |
| Gaetane Thiney | FW | Juvisy | 25 | 46/19 |
| Elodie Thomis | FW | FCF Lyon | 24 | 50/14 |
Recent Matches:
| Date | Opponent | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/18/11 | Belgium | Friendly | W 7-0 |
| 6/15/11 | Belgium | Friendly | W 2-1 |
| 5/18/11 | Scotland | Friendly | T 1-1 |
| 3/9/11 | Scotland | Cyprus | W 3-0 |
| 3/7/11 | New Zealand | Cyprus | W 5-2 |
| 3/4/11 | Holland | Cyprus | L 1-2 |
| 3/2/11 | Switzerland | Cyprus | W 2-0 |
| 11/19/10 | Poland | Friendly | W 5-0 |
| 9/15/10 | Italy | UEFA Playoff | W 3-2 |
| 9/11/10 | Italy | UEFA Playoff | T 0-0 |
| 8/25/10 | Serbia | UEFA WC Qualifier | W 7-0 |
| 8/21/10 | Iceland | UEFA WC Qualifier | W 1-0 |
| 6/23/10 | Estonia | UEFA WC Qualifier | W 6-0 |
| 6/20/10 | Croatia | UEFA WC Qualifier | W 3-0 |
| 5/5/10 | Switzerland | Friendly | W 2-0 |
The French team is known for their technical skills. It will take every ounce of technical skill and then some to advance out of what might be the toughest group at the World Cup. Germany might be the best in the world right now, Canada is a very tough side, and Nigeria has the ability to upset any team that takes them too lightly.
The French have not been as busy as some of the other teams entering the World Cup. Outside of the Cyprus Cup, they have played only a handful of matches since they qualified last September. They’ve only faced one other team that will be at this World Cup in the last 20 months, that being New Zealand. One has to wonder if they have faced enough top competition to prepare them for what they will be facing in Germany.
Most of the French team is in their mid-20’s and in their prime. This includes players like Camille Abily, Gaetane Thiney, Louisa Necib, Laura Georges, Corine Franco, Ophelie Meilleroux, Elodie Thomis, and Elise Bussaglia. They are used to playing together, all coming from four teams in the French league. This team has the ability to make some noise in this tournament.
Sandrine Soubeyrand is the elder statewoman of French soccer. At age 37, she has 160 caps to her credit, making her debut in 1997. She is one of five players on this team that were on the French 2003 World Cup squad, the only other time France has made it this far.
Another one of those five is former WPS star Sonia Bompastor. Fans here in the states will remember her displaying her talent for the Washington Freedom. She was one of the best all-around players in the league in her two years here.
Berangere Sapowicz was also on that 2003 team when she was just 20 years old. At the time, she was the goalkeeper for the U-19 team, but made only one appearance on the senior team before being named to the French World Cup team. She did not appear in any matches in that World Cup, nor for the national team over the next six years. But as qualification began in late 2009, she took over as the number one keeper and hasn’t looked back. She will be facing world class strikers in Group A such as Inka Grings and Christine Sinclair.
But with all of the veteran talent on the French team, the player to watch could well be Marie-Laure Delie. At 23, Delie made her debut with the senior French team just two years ago. She is averaging a goal every 36 minutes played since then. After two recent matches against Belgium, she has scored 11 goals in her last five matches, including three hat tricks.
This team is solid enough to advance into the quarterfinals and maybe beyond. But getting out of the group stage will be quite a task to start with. They open against Nigeria on June 26, a match in which they must post a victory if they are to have a solid chance of advancing. If France can open with two strong matches against Nigeria and Canada, they would relieve a lot of pressure that the third match against Germany could bring.
Note: Some information for this article was obtained at www.fifa.com and www.statfootofeminin.fr.
April 8, 2010
FC Gold Pride 2010 - Offseason Changes Make FCGP a Contender
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Labels: 2010 WPS, Ali Riley, Camille Abily, Christine Sinclair, FC Gold Pride, Kandace Wilson, Kelley O'Hara, Marta, Nicole Barnhart, Rachel Buehler, Solveig Gulbrandsen, Tiffeny Milbrett
Labels: 2010 WPS, Ali Riley, Camille Abily, Christine Sinclair, FC Gold Pride, Kandace Wilson, Kelley O'Hara, Marta, Nicole Barnhart, Rachel Buehler, Solveig Gulbrandsen, Tiffeny Milbrett
Coach: Albertin Montoya
2009 Record: 4-10-6 (7th place)
Postseason: Out of the playoffs.
Returnees (8): Nicole Barnhart, Rachel Buehler, Carrie Dew, Kristin Graczyk, Tiffeny Milbrett, Christine Sinclair, Kandace Wilson, Kim Yokers.
Draft Choices (6): Kelley O’Hara, Ali Riley, Becky Edwards, Kaley Fountain, Erin Guthrie, Ashley Bowyer.
LA Dispersal Draft (2): Marta, Kiki Bosio.
International Signings ( 1): Solveig Gulbrandsen.
Free Agents (3): Brittany Cameron, Candace Chapman, Rosie Tantillo.
Trades (1): Camille Abily.
After finishing last in 2009, Gold Pride was very aggressive in the offseason. Even before Marta joined the team, they had signed Solveig Gulbrandsen and Candace Chapman and traded for Camille Abily. They appear to have had the best draft of any team in the league, selecting quality players in areas of need. But no matter what else happened, the addition of Marta makes Gold Pride a contender.
Exactly two thirds of LA’s 2009 offense now make their home in the Bay Area. Marta scored 10 goals and Abily scored 8 in '09. Add to that Christine Sinclair’s 6 goals in WPS, Solveig Gulbrandsen 6 goals with Stabæk in the Toppserien, and Kelley O’Hara’s 26 goals on the college level for Stanford and we should see a scoring juggernaut this season from FCGP. But like many teams, there are question marks. Gold Pride gave up a lot of goals last season and it is yet to be seen whether newcomers Chapman, Ali Riley, and Becky Edwards can improve the defense enough to push Gold Pride to the top.
Goalkeeping-Bay Area returns starter and USWNT team goalkeeper, Nicole Barnhart. Barnhart posted a 1.44 GAA and 2 shutouts in 2009. With a better team in front of her, expect that to improve in 2010. Brittany Cameron spent 2009 as LA’s developmental keeper behind Karina LeBlanc and Val Henderson. She should get a better chance for action in 2010. Rutger’s Erin Guthrie, one of the top college prospects at goalkeeper, joins Gold Pride as their developmental keeper.
Defenders-Last year’s Gold Pride gave up 28 goals, the 2nd worst total in WPS. That has to improve. Leigh Ann Robinson is gone, but Bay Area will get a boost with the return of Kandace Wilson, a big part of FCGP’s early success before injury ended her season. Gold Pride also added two more players, Candace Chapman through free agency and Ali Riley through the draft. Chapman is a member of the Canadian National team and played for Boston last season. Riley had a stellar career at Stanford and is perhaps the best two-way outside back coming out of college. If Wilson and Riley start on the outside, opposing teams are going to have to contend with a lot of speed coming out of the back.
In the middle, USWNT defender Rachel Buehler leads the way. Buehler is solid defensively and known for her hard tackling. Kristen Graczyk also returns on defense. She is the only Gold Pride player to play in all 20 matches last season. Except for a couple of tough breaks, Carrie Dew had pretty good season at back last season and should continue to improve. Kaley Fountain, out of Wake Forest, will add depth on defense and can play forward as well. This defense should be improved from a year ago, but the question is how much.
Midfielders-No team revamped their midfield for 2010 more than FC Gold Pride. The two major additions are Camille Abily, obtained in a trade from Los Angeles, and Solveig Gulbrandsen, a longtime veteran of the Norwegian National Team. Abily’s eight goals were second only to LA teammate Marta’s league-leading total of 10 last season. Abily had an uncanny ability to find open space between defenders enabling her unleash her dangerous shot. Gulbrandsen comes over to the states with a distinguished career for Norway, where she ranks among the leaders in caps and goals scored. She has played in 15 World Cup and 9 Olympic matches over her career.
Past those two players, it gets a little more uncertain. Kim Yokers is one returnee in the midfield. She scored one goal in limited playing time in ’09. Gold Pride drafted top defensive midfielder Becky Edwards out of Florida State and later added Ashley Bowyer of Ohio State, who made the team as a developmental player. Ageless Tiffeny Milbrett can play attacking mid or forward. Milbrett proved she could still put it in the back of the net with 4 goals last season. Linking with Gold Pride’s talented forwards could be the key to the season. Expect Gulbrandsen to shoulder a lot of that load.
Forwards-At last year’s All-Star game in St. Louis, we saw the Marta-Sinclair connection for the first time and the two worked well together with Marta assisting on Sinclair’s first goal in that match. Sinclair’s talent was showcased in that game, giving a clinic in perfectly timed runs and scoring two goals. Marta is the best player in women’s soccer. A 4-time FIFA Player of the Year, she is not only talented, but her speed and determination make her very hard to stop. She also has the most lethal left foot in women’s soccer.
Even before Gold Pride secured Marta, they already had the makings of a great front line combo after drafting Kelley O’Hara out of Stanford. O’Hara, with teammate Riley, helped lead Stanford to the NCAA final before falling to perennial power UNC. Santa Clara’s Kiki Bosio and free agent Rosie Tantillo help add depth to this talented group of forwards. Bosio had 3 goals and 7 assists for the Broncos last season.
Summary-Last season, Bay Area had only two players (Sinclair and Milbrett) to score more than one goal over the course of the season. In fact, between May 3 and August 1 (a total of 12 matches), the only player that scored on anything other than a penalty kick was Sinclair. We won’t be seeing that kind of drought this year. My guess is Gold Pride will have 6 or 7 players with two or more goals this season.
That leads us to the midfield and defense. No organization did a better job at trying to fill their needs than FCGP. But will the midfield be deep enough and will the defense be good enough for Gold Pride to earn a title? No matter how many changes a team makes, it still isn’t easy to go from last to first in just one season. I’ve always said that any team that Marta is on will be a contender, but only time will tell whether Gold Pride’s other improvements will be enough to win it all.
2009 Record: 4-10-6 (7th place)
Postseason: Out of the playoffs.
Returnees (8): Nicole Barnhart, Rachel Buehler, Carrie Dew, Kristin Graczyk, Tiffeny Milbrett, Christine Sinclair, Kandace Wilson, Kim Yokers.
Draft Choices (6): Kelley O’Hara, Ali Riley, Becky Edwards, Kaley Fountain, Erin Guthrie, Ashley Bowyer.
LA Dispersal Draft (2): Marta, Kiki Bosio.
International Signings ( 1): Solveig Gulbrandsen.
Free Agents (3): Brittany Cameron, Candace Chapman, Rosie Tantillo.
Trades (1): Camille Abily.
After finishing last in 2009, Gold Pride was very aggressive in the offseason. Even before Marta joined the team, they had signed Solveig Gulbrandsen and Candace Chapman and traded for Camille Abily. They appear to have had the best draft of any team in the league, selecting quality players in areas of need. But no matter what else happened, the addition of Marta makes Gold Pride a contender.
Exactly two thirds of LA’s 2009 offense now make their home in the Bay Area. Marta scored 10 goals and Abily scored 8 in '09. Add to that Christine Sinclair’s 6 goals in WPS, Solveig Gulbrandsen 6 goals with Stabæk in the Toppserien, and Kelley O’Hara’s 26 goals on the college level for Stanford and we should see a scoring juggernaut this season from FCGP. But like many teams, there are question marks. Gold Pride gave up a lot of goals last season and it is yet to be seen whether newcomers Chapman, Ali Riley, and Becky Edwards can improve the defense enough to push Gold Pride to the top.
Goalkeeping-Bay Area returns starter and USWNT team goalkeeper, Nicole Barnhart. Barnhart posted a 1.44 GAA and 2 shutouts in 2009. With a better team in front of her, expect that to improve in 2010. Brittany Cameron spent 2009 as LA’s developmental keeper behind Karina LeBlanc and Val Henderson. She should get a better chance for action in 2010. Rutger’s Erin Guthrie, one of the top college prospects at goalkeeper, joins Gold Pride as their developmental keeper.
Defenders-Last year’s Gold Pride gave up 28 goals, the 2nd worst total in WPS. That has to improve. Leigh Ann Robinson is gone, but Bay Area will get a boost with the return of Kandace Wilson, a big part of FCGP’s early success before injury ended her season. Gold Pride also added two more players, Candace Chapman through free agency and Ali Riley through the draft. Chapman is a member of the Canadian National team and played for Boston last season. Riley had a stellar career at Stanford and is perhaps the best two-way outside back coming out of college. If Wilson and Riley start on the outside, opposing teams are going to have to contend with a lot of speed coming out of the back.
In the middle, USWNT defender Rachel Buehler leads the way. Buehler is solid defensively and known for her hard tackling. Kristen Graczyk also returns on defense. She is the only Gold Pride player to play in all 20 matches last season. Except for a couple of tough breaks, Carrie Dew had pretty good season at back last season and should continue to improve. Kaley Fountain, out of Wake Forest, will add depth on defense and can play forward as well. This defense should be improved from a year ago, but the question is how much.
Midfielders-No team revamped their midfield for 2010 more than FC Gold Pride. The two major additions are Camille Abily, obtained in a trade from Los Angeles, and Solveig Gulbrandsen, a longtime veteran of the Norwegian National Team. Abily’s eight goals were second only to LA teammate Marta’s league-leading total of 10 last season. Abily had an uncanny ability to find open space between defenders enabling her unleash her dangerous shot. Gulbrandsen comes over to the states with a distinguished career for Norway, where she ranks among the leaders in caps and goals scored. She has played in 15 World Cup and 9 Olympic matches over her career.
Past those two players, it gets a little more uncertain. Kim Yokers is one returnee in the midfield. She scored one goal in limited playing time in ’09. Gold Pride drafted top defensive midfielder Becky Edwards out of Florida State and later added Ashley Bowyer of Ohio State, who made the team as a developmental player. Ageless Tiffeny Milbrett can play attacking mid or forward. Milbrett proved she could still put it in the back of the net with 4 goals last season. Linking with Gold Pride’s talented forwards could be the key to the season. Expect Gulbrandsen to shoulder a lot of that load.
Forwards-At last year’s All-Star game in St. Louis, we saw the Marta-Sinclair connection for the first time and the two worked well together with Marta assisting on Sinclair’s first goal in that match. Sinclair’s talent was showcased in that game, giving a clinic in perfectly timed runs and scoring two goals. Marta is the best player in women’s soccer. A 4-time FIFA Player of the Year, she is not only talented, but her speed and determination make her very hard to stop. She also has the most lethal left foot in women’s soccer.
Even before Gold Pride secured Marta, they already had the makings of a great front line combo after drafting Kelley O’Hara out of Stanford. O’Hara, with teammate Riley, helped lead Stanford to the NCAA final before falling to perennial power UNC. Santa Clara’s Kiki Bosio and free agent Rosie Tantillo help add depth to this talented group of forwards. Bosio had 3 goals and 7 assists for the Broncos last season.
Summary-Last season, Bay Area had only two players (Sinclair and Milbrett) to score more than one goal over the course of the season. In fact, between May 3 and August 1 (a total of 12 matches), the only player that scored on anything other than a penalty kick was Sinclair. We won’t be seeing that kind of drought this year. My guess is Gold Pride will have 6 or 7 players with two or more goals this season.
That leads us to the midfield and defense. No organization did a better job at trying to fill their needs than FCGP. But will the midfield be deep enough and will the defense be good enough for Gold Pride to earn a title? No matter how many changes a team makes, it still isn’t easy to go from last to first in just one season. I’ve always said that any team that Marta is on will be a contender, but only time will tell whether Gold Pride’s other improvements will be enough to win it all.
February 21, 2010
The Los Angeles Sol-An All Too Short History Part 4
Part 4 - Demise and Legacy
After a disappointing finish to an otherwise great season, players and fans were looking forward to 2010. The Sol were in the process of overhauling their international cast and were positioning themselves well for the January draft. Behind the scenes, with AEG on their way out, WPS officials were working on getting a new ownership group in place. Unfortunately, they quite simply ran out of time. A look at the last few months of the Los Angeles Sol.
November, 2009-WPS takes over operations of the Los Angeles Sol and continues attempts to find another ownership group.
Late, 2009-Abner Rogers is dismissed as head coach of the Los Angeles Sol, earning the Coach of the Year award in his only season.
January 7, 2010-The Sol trade Camille Abily to FC Gold Pride for Tina DiMartino. Abily was the league's 2nd leading scorer, while DiMartino was a 1st round selection for FCGP in 2009. The trade startles many LA fans.
January, 2010-Los Angeles adds three new international players. Dutch players Cathrine Paaske-Sorensen and Julie Rydahl Bukh and Czech forward Pavlina Scasna are the new additions. They are to replace Abily, Han Duan, and Johanna Frisk.
January 15, 2010-At the WPS Draft in Philadelphia, Los Angeles selects Nikki Washington, Casey Nogueira, and Kiersten Dallstream with their three 1st round picks. They also add Michelle Enyeart, Kiki Bosio, Estelle Johnson, Mary Casey, and Lindsey Browne in later rounds.
January 19, 2010-GM Charlie Naimo is named acting head coach of the Los Angeles Sol.
Late January, 2010-Negotiations between WPS and a potential buyer break down, leaving the league with no alternatives for the 2010 season.
January 28, 2010-WPS announces that the operation of the Los Angeles Sol has been discontinued. The league also announces that a dispersal draft would be held the following week.
February 4, 2010-The Sol's players are selected by the remaining 8 franchises in the Los Angeles Sol dispersal draft.
The end came with stunning swiftness to those of us not privy to negotiations that had been going on for months. While this signals the end of the Los Angeles Sol for now, the league will certainly make expanding to Los Angeles a priority for the future, maybe as soon as 2011. And former Sol players will be helping other WPS teams to the playoffs and for one team, a championship in 2010.
An incomplete list of the records and accomplishments of the 2009 Los Angeles Sol:
First WPS Goal in history-Allison Falk (March 29, 2009 vs. Washington)
First WPS Assist in history-Aya Miyama (March 29, 2009 vs. Washington)
First WPS Shutout-Karina LeBlanc (March 29, 2009 vs. Washington)
First WPS Win-Los Angeles 2, Washington 0 (March 29, 2009)
First 2-goal game-Marta (April 5, 2009 vs. Sky Blue FC)
Longest Winning Streak-Los Angeles 4 (June 21 through July 5, 2009)
Longest Unbeaten Streak- Los Angeles 11 (May 9 through July 5, 2009)
Most Wins in a Season-Los Angeles 12
Most Points in a Season-Los Angeles 41
Most Goals by a Player in a Season-Marta 10
Most Consecutive Games with a Goal-Camille Abily 4 (May 24 through June 7, 2009) and Marta 4 (June 21 through July 5, 2009)
Most Assists by a Player in a Season-Aya Miyama 6 (tied with Sonia Bompastor)
Most Shutouts by a Goalkeeper in a Season-Karina LeBlanc 12
Most Consecutive Shutouts by a Goalkeeper-Karina LeBlanc 4 (March 29 through April 25, 2009)
Best Goals Against Average in a Season-Karina LeBlanc 0.53
Golden Boot Award-Marta
Player of the Year Award-Marta
Coach of the Year Award-Abner Rogers
WPS All-Stars-Shannon Boxx, Karina LeBlanc, Marta, Aya Miyama, and Camille Abily (unable to play)
The Los Angeles Sol, at least in their first incarnation, had a short, but very memorable history. The WPS will continue with eight teams, each having committed ownerships for the 2010 WPS season. I am looking forward to a very exciting 2010 season, but there will certainly be something missing without the Los Angeles Sol. May we see women’s professional soccer in Los Angeles again in 2011.
After a disappointing finish to an otherwise great season, players and fans were looking forward to 2010. The Sol were in the process of overhauling their international cast and were positioning themselves well for the January draft. Behind the scenes, with AEG on their way out, WPS officials were working on getting a new ownership group in place. Unfortunately, they quite simply ran out of time. A look at the last few months of the Los Angeles Sol.
November, 2009-WPS takes over operations of the Los Angeles Sol and continues attempts to find another ownership group.
Late, 2009-Abner Rogers is dismissed as head coach of the Los Angeles Sol, earning the Coach of the Year award in his only season.
January 7, 2010-The Sol trade Camille Abily to FC Gold Pride for Tina DiMartino. Abily was the league's 2nd leading scorer, while DiMartino was a 1st round selection for FCGP in 2009. The trade startles many LA fans.
January, 2010-Los Angeles adds three new international players. Dutch players Cathrine Paaske-Sorensen and Julie Rydahl Bukh and Czech forward Pavlina Scasna are the new additions. They are to replace Abily, Han Duan, and Johanna Frisk.
January 15, 2010-At the WPS Draft in Philadelphia, Los Angeles selects Nikki Washington, Casey Nogueira, and Kiersten Dallstream with their three 1st round picks. They also add Michelle Enyeart, Kiki Bosio, Estelle Johnson, Mary Casey, and Lindsey Browne in later rounds.
January 19, 2010-GM Charlie Naimo is named acting head coach of the Los Angeles Sol.
Late January, 2010-Negotiations between WPS and a potential buyer break down, leaving the league with no alternatives for the 2010 season.
January 28, 2010-WPS announces that the operation of the Los Angeles Sol has been discontinued. The league also announces that a dispersal draft would be held the following week.
February 4, 2010-The Sol's players are selected by the remaining 8 franchises in the Los Angeles Sol dispersal draft.
The end came with stunning swiftness to those of us not privy to negotiations that had been going on for months. While this signals the end of the Los Angeles Sol for now, the league will certainly make expanding to Los Angeles a priority for the future, maybe as soon as 2011. And former Sol players will be helping other WPS teams to the playoffs and for one team, a championship in 2010.
An incomplete list of the records and accomplishments of the 2009 Los Angeles Sol:
First WPS Goal in history-Allison Falk (March 29, 2009 vs. Washington)
First WPS Assist in history-Aya Miyama (March 29, 2009 vs. Washington)
First WPS Shutout-Karina LeBlanc (March 29, 2009 vs. Washington)
First WPS Win-Los Angeles 2, Washington 0 (March 29, 2009)
First 2-goal game-Marta (April 5, 2009 vs. Sky Blue FC)
Longest Winning Streak-Los Angeles 4 (June 21 through July 5, 2009)
Longest Unbeaten Streak- Los Angeles 11 (May 9 through July 5, 2009)
Most Wins in a Season-Los Angeles 12
Most Points in a Season-Los Angeles 41
Most Goals by a Player in a Season-Marta 10
Most Consecutive Games with a Goal-Camille Abily 4 (May 24 through June 7, 2009) and Marta 4 (June 21 through July 5, 2009)
Most Assists by a Player in a Season-Aya Miyama 6 (tied with Sonia Bompastor)
Most Shutouts by a Goalkeeper in a Season-Karina LeBlanc 12
Most Consecutive Shutouts by a Goalkeeper-Karina LeBlanc 4 (March 29 through April 25, 2009)
Best Goals Against Average in a Season-Karina LeBlanc 0.53
Golden Boot Award-Marta
Player of the Year Award-Marta
Coach of the Year Award-Abner Rogers
WPS All-Stars-Shannon Boxx, Karina LeBlanc, Marta, Aya Miyama, and Camille Abily (unable to play)
The Los Angeles Sol, at least in their first incarnation, had a short, but very memorable history. The WPS will continue with eight teams, each having committed ownerships for the 2010 WPS season. I am looking forward to a very exciting 2010 season, but there will certainly be something missing without the Los Angeles Sol. May we see women’s professional soccer in Los Angeles again in 2011.
February 17, 2010
The Los Angeles Sol-An All Too Short History Part 3
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Labels: Abner Rogers, Allison Falk, Aya Miyama, Camille Abily, Christie Shaner, Karina LeBlanc, Los Angeles Sol, Marta, Shannon Boxx
Labels: Abner Rogers, Allison Falk, Aya Miyama, Camille Abily, Christie Shaner, Karina LeBlanc, Los Angeles Sol, Marta, Shannon Boxx
Part 3-Clouds on the Horizon
By late June, Los Angeles had risen to the top of the WPS. It would be only a matter of time before they clinched the regular season title and barring an upset, the WPS Championship. But by July, things weren't going perfectly anymore. The combination of injuries, a strange schedule which saw them play only sparingly over the last two months of the season, and some less than sparkling play on the field started catching up with them. And apparently off the field, the problems were far greater.
June 29, 2009-Martina Franko is listed by the Sol as having a season-ending injury.
June 30, 2009-Los Angeles trades for Christie Shaner to help fill in for Franko. Shaner plays only 52 minutes for the Sol. In her first game for Los Angeles just 5 days later, Shaner fractures her leg in a collision with the Freedom's Abby Wambach, thus ending her season.
July, 2009-Yet another Sol defender is having injury problems. Allison Falk misses all three games in July with injuries.
July 5, 2009-Marta scores the only goal of the game in stoppage to defeat Washington 1-0. Karina LeBlanc earns her 11th shutout. It is LA's 4th consecutive victory and they run their unbeaten streak to 11 games. The Sol now lead 2nd place Athletica by a whopping 17 points and will have a chance to clinch the regular season title in their next match.
July 8, 2009-With a chance to clinch first place, the Sol suffer their first and only regular season loss at home in their final regular season home game. Los Angeles falls to Saint Louis 1-0 as Amanda Cinalli scores the game winner for Athletica.
July 13, 2009-The Sol signs Sharolta Nonen to help their beleaguered defense. Nonen, like Martina Franko, is a veteran of the Canadian National Team.
July 23, 2009-After a two week layoff, Los Angeles clinches the WPS regular season title in a scoreless tie against Gold Pride. Karina LeBlanc gets her 12th and final shutout of the season. The Sol shut out Gold Pride all four times they play them.
August 2, 2009-Falk returns to the lineup, but Los Angeles' winless streak extends to 3 games with a 3-1 loss in Chicago. After falling behind 2-0, Han Duan scores a late goal to temporarily make it close, before Cristiane puts it out of reach with a goal in stoppage time. It is only the 2nd time all season that the Sol allow more than one goal in a game.
August 4, 2009-Four Sol players are named to the WPS All-Star First XI. Karina LeBlanc, Shannon Boxx, Camille Abily, and Marta grace the first WPS All-Star team. Abily would be unable to play because of her national team commitment for France. Abner Rogers is named to coach the WPS All-Star team.
August 7, 2009-Aya Miyama is added to the WPS All-Star roster as the next highest vote getter as a replacement for players not able to play in the game.
August 9, 2009-The Sol end the regular season with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Boston, keeping the Breakers out of the playoffs. Marta scores her league best 10th goal of the season and then forces a penalty kick late on a call strongly protested by Breakers' players. Shannon Boxx converts the penalty to give Los Angeles the win. Ironically, this result puts Sky Blue, the team that would ultimately defeat them in the title game, into the playoffs.
August 22, 2009-Los Angeles hosts the first WPS Championship Game at the Home Depot Center. Playing without their 2nd leading scorer, Camille Abily, the Sol are upset by Sky Blue by a 1-0 score. Heather O'Reilly scores in the 16th minute. Then Allison Falk receives the first and only red card in Sol history for tripping Natasha Kai from behind later in the 1st half. The final is played before 7218 fans.
August 29, 2009-At the WPS Awards Banquet, Marta is presented with the PUMA Golden Boot Award and the Michelle Akers Player of the Year Award. Abner Rogers wins the Coach of the Year Award.
August 30, 2009-The WPS All-Stars defeat Umeå IK by a 4-2 margin in St. Louis. Marta gets the game tying goal and adds two assists in the contest. Abner Rogers is the winning coach.
September 15, 2009-The Sol lose Katie Larkin and Sharolta Nonen to Atlanta in the WPS Expansion Draft.
October 7, 2009-Los Angeles sends starting center back Allison Falk and backup keeper Val Henderson to Philadelphia for the 5th and 22nd selections in the 2010 draft. The Sol would later draft Nikki Washington and Kiki Bosio with those selections.
The finish of the 2009 season was a disappointment for players and fans alike, but it was always assumed that there would be a next year. Unfortunately, behind the scenes, things were not going well. The team lost what has been variously estimated between $2 and $3 million in their first season of operation. AEG had maintained that their involvement with the team was always on a temporary basis and that involvement was coming to an end. And equally unfortunate for the Sol and their fans, this was one issue that couldn't be settled on the field.
For the final part in this series, we'll look at the final months and the legacy of the Los Angeles Sol.
(Sources for some of the information in this story came from http://www.womensprosoccer.com/ and the 2009 Los Angeles Sol Media Guide)
By late June, Los Angeles had risen to the top of the WPS. It would be only a matter of time before they clinched the regular season title and barring an upset, the WPS Championship. But by July, things weren't going perfectly anymore. The combination of injuries, a strange schedule which saw them play only sparingly over the last two months of the season, and some less than sparkling play on the field started catching up with them. And apparently off the field, the problems were far greater.
June 29, 2009-Martina Franko is listed by the Sol as having a season-ending injury.
June 30, 2009-Los Angeles trades for Christie Shaner to help fill in for Franko. Shaner plays only 52 minutes for the Sol. In her first game for Los Angeles just 5 days later, Shaner fractures her leg in a collision with the Freedom's Abby Wambach, thus ending her season.
July, 2009-Yet another Sol defender is having injury problems. Allison Falk misses all three games in July with injuries.
July 5, 2009-Marta scores the only goal of the game in stoppage to defeat Washington 1-0. Karina LeBlanc earns her 11th shutout. It is LA's 4th consecutive victory and they run their unbeaten streak to 11 games. The Sol now lead 2nd place Athletica by a whopping 17 points and will have a chance to clinch the regular season title in their next match.
July 8, 2009-With a chance to clinch first place, the Sol suffer their first and only regular season loss at home in their final regular season home game. Los Angeles falls to Saint Louis 1-0 as Amanda Cinalli scores the game winner for Athletica.
July 13, 2009-The Sol signs Sharolta Nonen to help their beleaguered defense. Nonen, like Martina Franko, is a veteran of the Canadian National Team.
July 23, 2009-After a two week layoff, Los Angeles clinches the WPS regular season title in a scoreless tie against Gold Pride. Karina LeBlanc gets her 12th and final shutout of the season. The Sol shut out Gold Pride all four times they play them.
August 2, 2009-Falk returns to the lineup, but Los Angeles' winless streak extends to 3 games with a 3-1 loss in Chicago. After falling behind 2-0, Han Duan scores a late goal to temporarily make it close, before Cristiane puts it out of reach with a goal in stoppage time. It is only the 2nd time all season that the Sol allow more than one goal in a game.
August 4, 2009-Four Sol players are named to the WPS All-Star First XI. Karina LeBlanc, Shannon Boxx, Camille Abily, and Marta grace the first WPS All-Star team. Abily would be unable to play because of her national team commitment for France. Abner Rogers is named to coach the WPS All-Star team.
August 7, 2009-Aya Miyama is added to the WPS All-Star roster as the next highest vote getter as a replacement for players not able to play in the game.
August 9, 2009-The Sol end the regular season with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Boston, keeping the Breakers out of the playoffs. Marta scores her league best 10th goal of the season and then forces a penalty kick late on a call strongly protested by Breakers' players. Shannon Boxx converts the penalty to give Los Angeles the win. Ironically, this result puts Sky Blue, the team that would ultimately defeat them in the title game, into the playoffs.
August 22, 2009-Los Angeles hosts the first WPS Championship Game at the Home Depot Center. Playing without their 2nd leading scorer, Camille Abily, the Sol are upset by Sky Blue by a 1-0 score. Heather O'Reilly scores in the 16th minute. Then Allison Falk receives the first and only red card in Sol history for tripping Natasha Kai from behind later in the 1st half. The final is played before 7218 fans.
August 29, 2009-At the WPS Awards Banquet, Marta is presented with the PUMA Golden Boot Award and the Michelle Akers Player of the Year Award. Abner Rogers wins the Coach of the Year Award.
August 30, 2009-The WPS All-Stars defeat Umeå IK by a 4-2 margin in St. Louis. Marta gets the game tying goal and adds two assists in the contest. Abner Rogers is the winning coach.
September 15, 2009-The Sol lose Katie Larkin and Sharolta Nonen to Atlanta in the WPS Expansion Draft.
October 7, 2009-Los Angeles sends starting center back Allison Falk and backup keeper Val Henderson to Philadelphia for the 5th and 22nd selections in the 2010 draft. The Sol would later draft Nikki Washington and Kiki Bosio with those selections.
The finish of the 2009 season was a disappointment for players and fans alike, but it was always assumed that there would be a next year. Unfortunately, behind the scenes, things were not going well. The team lost what has been variously estimated between $2 and $3 million in their first season of operation. AEG had maintained that their involvement with the team was always on a temporary basis and that involvement was coming to an end. And equally unfortunate for the Sol and their fans, this was one issue that couldn't be settled on the field.
For the final part in this series, we'll look at the final months and the legacy of the Los Angeles Sol.
(Sources for some of the information in this story came from http://www.womensprosoccer.com/ and the 2009 Los Angeles Sol Media Guide)
February 13, 2010
The Los Angeles Sol-An All Too Short History Part 2
Part 2 - Rise to the Pinnacle
After winning the inaugural WPS game, Los Angeles dominated the league early on. Only in a home and home with the Boston Breakers in early May were they held in check. They had everything...scoring (Marta, Camille Abily, and Aya Miyama), defense (Karina LeBlanc and a fine back line), young talent (Brittany Bock and Allison Falk), and veteran leadership (Shannon Boxx and Aly Wagner).
April 5, 2009-Marta becomes the first player in WPS history to score twice in one game, leading the Sol to a 2-0 victory over Sky Blue FC at TD Bank Park in New Jersey.
April 16, 2009-Defender Martina Franko signs with the Sol. Franko, a veteran of the Canadian National Team, would strengthen an already solid back line.
April 19, 2009-Karina LeBlanc earns her 3rd consecutive shutout as Marta scores the only goal in LA's 1-0 win over FC Gold Pride. Aly Wagner assists on the goal.
April 25, 2009-With Marta and Camille Abily away on international duty, Los Angeles and Saint Louis battle to a scoreless tie. Wagner and Lori Chalupny are stopped on penalty kicks by Hope Solo and Karina LeBlanc, respectively. It's the first match that Los Angeles comes away with less than 3 points.
May 2, 2009-The Sol suffer their first setback, a 2-1 loss to the Breakers in Boston. After falling behind 2-0, Brittany Bock scores the only Sol goal, assisted by Aya Miyama.
May 8, 2009-Los Angeles and Saint Louis complete the first in-season trade in WPS history. The Sol send Kendall Fletcher and Christie Welsh to Athletica for a conditional draft pick in 2010 and a 1st round choice in 2011. The Sol later use the 2010 pick to select Casey Nogueira.
May 10, 2009-For the second straight week, Boston frustrates Los Angeles. The Sol have to settle for their second scoreless tie of the season. It runs LA's winless streak to 3 games, but LeBlanc earns her 5th shutout of the season.
May 15, 2009-In the league's first ever Friday night contest, Marta beats Sky Blue's offside trap and dribbles around goalkeeper Jen Branam to score the only goal in the 80th minute. Meanwhile, the Sol announce the signing of veteran Keri Sanchez and move Liz Bogus to full-roster status.
May 24, 2009-Behind a Camille Abily penalty kick and a late goal by Han Duan, LA defeats FC Gold Pride 2-0. Val Henderson gets the shutout in her only match of the season.
May 30, 2009-Los Angeles dominates Saint Louis in a 2-0 victory, with LeBlanc posting her 7th shutout. Shannon Boxx scores her first goal of the season.
June 3, 2009-In the first WPS midweek contest, the Sol tie Chicago 1-1. After falling behind on a Cristiane goal in the 88th minute, Camille Abily ties the game in the closing seconds of the match.
June 7, 2009-Camille Abily scores for the 4th consecutive game, this time hitting the back of the net twice. Brittany Bock adds a third goal to give the Sol a 3-1 victory over Washington. Abily converts her second penalty kick of the season.
June 10, 2009-Los Angeles signs Julia Schnugg as a developmental player.
June 13, 2009-The Sol play their 3rd scoreless tie of the season, this time against Sky Blue. LeBlanc gets her 8th shutout as SBFC badly outshoots LA by a 14-5 margin.
June 19, 2009-Los Angeles waives Greer Barnes and moves McCall Zerboni to full-roster status. In spite spending two and a half months on the roster, Barnes never plays for the Sol in a regular season match. She later signs with FC Gold Pride.
June 21, 2009-Los Angeles defeats Gold Pride for the third time, with LeBlanc again getting the shutout. Abily scores her league leading 7th goal, with Marta getting her 5th in the 2-0 victory.
June 22, 2009-Los Angeles signs forward Lyndsey Patterson.
June 24, 2009-The Sol win a hard fought contest in Saint Louis by a 2-1 score. Karina LeBlanc and the Sol defense survive 25 shots and 12 corner kicks to preserve the win. Goals are scored by Han Duan and Marta.
June 27, 2009-Los Angeles mauls Chicago by a 4-0 margin. In doing so, Los Angeles becomes the first team to clinch a playoff berth. Shannon Boxx scores the opening goal assisted by McCall Zerboni, her first assist of the season. Both Abily and Marta reach the 8 goal mark, with Aya Miyama assisting on two of the goals.
By the last week in June, Los Angeles has sprinted to a 10-1-4 record and have outscored their opponents by 23-5. They have a 16 point margin over 2nd place Boston and it is only a matter of time before they clinch the regular season title, which would give them an automatic berth in the WPS Championship Game at home. However, difficulties on road trips to Boston, New Jersey, and Saint Louis seem to prove they aren't invincible. Part 3 will examine clouds on the horizon as Los Angeles headed into the final two months of the season.
(Sources for some of the information in this story came from http://www.womensprosoccer.com/ and the 2009 Los Angeles Sol Media Guide)
After winning the inaugural WPS game, Los Angeles dominated the league early on. Only in a home and home with the Boston Breakers in early May were they held in check. They had everything...scoring (Marta, Camille Abily, and Aya Miyama), defense (Karina LeBlanc and a fine back line), young talent (Brittany Bock and Allison Falk), and veteran leadership (Shannon Boxx and Aly Wagner).
April 5, 2009-Marta becomes the first player in WPS history to score twice in one game, leading the Sol to a 2-0 victory over Sky Blue FC at TD Bank Park in New Jersey.
April 16, 2009-Defender Martina Franko signs with the Sol. Franko, a veteran of the Canadian National Team, would strengthen an already solid back line.
April 19, 2009-Karina LeBlanc earns her 3rd consecutive shutout as Marta scores the only goal in LA's 1-0 win over FC Gold Pride. Aly Wagner assists on the goal.
April 25, 2009-With Marta and Camille Abily away on international duty, Los Angeles and Saint Louis battle to a scoreless tie. Wagner and Lori Chalupny are stopped on penalty kicks by Hope Solo and Karina LeBlanc, respectively. It's the first match that Los Angeles comes away with less than 3 points.
May 2, 2009-The Sol suffer their first setback, a 2-1 loss to the Breakers in Boston. After falling behind 2-0, Brittany Bock scores the only Sol goal, assisted by Aya Miyama.
May 8, 2009-Los Angeles and Saint Louis complete the first in-season trade in WPS history. The Sol send Kendall Fletcher and Christie Welsh to Athletica for a conditional draft pick in 2010 and a 1st round choice in 2011. The Sol later use the 2010 pick to select Casey Nogueira.
May 10, 2009-For the second straight week, Boston frustrates Los Angeles. The Sol have to settle for their second scoreless tie of the season. It runs LA's winless streak to 3 games, but LeBlanc earns her 5th shutout of the season.
May 15, 2009-In the league's first ever Friday night contest, Marta beats Sky Blue's offside trap and dribbles around goalkeeper Jen Branam to score the only goal in the 80th minute. Meanwhile, the Sol announce the signing of veteran Keri Sanchez and move Liz Bogus to full-roster status.
May 24, 2009-Behind a Camille Abily penalty kick and a late goal by Han Duan, LA defeats FC Gold Pride 2-0. Val Henderson gets the shutout in her only match of the season.
May 30, 2009-Los Angeles dominates Saint Louis in a 2-0 victory, with LeBlanc posting her 7th shutout. Shannon Boxx scores her first goal of the season.
June 3, 2009-In the first WPS midweek contest, the Sol tie Chicago 1-1. After falling behind on a Cristiane goal in the 88th minute, Camille Abily ties the game in the closing seconds of the match.
June 7, 2009-Camille Abily scores for the 4th consecutive game, this time hitting the back of the net twice. Brittany Bock adds a third goal to give the Sol a 3-1 victory over Washington. Abily converts her second penalty kick of the season.
June 10, 2009-Los Angeles signs Julia Schnugg as a developmental player.
June 13, 2009-The Sol play their 3rd scoreless tie of the season, this time against Sky Blue. LeBlanc gets her 8th shutout as SBFC badly outshoots LA by a 14-5 margin.
June 19, 2009-Los Angeles waives Greer Barnes and moves McCall Zerboni to full-roster status. In spite spending two and a half months on the roster, Barnes never plays for the Sol in a regular season match. She later signs with FC Gold Pride.
June 21, 2009-Los Angeles defeats Gold Pride for the third time, with LeBlanc again getting the shutout. Abily scores her league leading 7th goal, with Marta getting her 5th in the 2-0 victory.
June 22, 2009-Los Angeles signs forward Lyndsey Patterson.
June 24, 2009-The Sol win a hard fought contest in Saint Louis by a 2-1 score. Karina LeBlanc and the Sol defense survive 25 shots and 12 corner kicks to preserve the win. Goals are scored by Han Duan and Marta.
June 27, 2009-Los Angeles mauls Chicago by a 4-0 margin. In doing so, Los Angeles becomes the first team to clinch a playoff berth. Shannon Boxx scores the opening goal assisted by McCall Zerboni, her first assist of the season. Both Abily and Marta reach the 8 goal mark, with Aya Miyama assisting on two of the goals.
By the last week in June, Los Angeles has sprinted to a 10-1-4 record and have outscored their opponents by 23-5. They have a 16 point margin over 2nd place Boston and it is only a matter of time before they clinch the regular season title, which would give them an automatic berth in the WPS Championship Game at home. However, difficulties on road trips to Boston, New Jersey, and Saint Louis seem to prove they aren't invincible. Part 3 will examine clouds on the horizon as Los Angeles headed into the final two months of the season.
(Sources for some of the information in this story came from http://www.womensprosoccer.com/ and the 2009 Los Angeles Sol Media Guide)
February 10, 2010
The Los Angeles Sol - An All Too Short History
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Labels: Allison Falk, Camille Abily, Karina LeBlanc, Los Angeles Sol, Marta, Shannon Boxx
Labels: Allison Falk, Camille Abily, Karina LeBlanc, Los Angeles Sol, Marta, Shannon Boxx
Part 1 - The Beginning
On February 4th, what was left of the Los Angeles Sol roster was dispersed and only time will tell when the WPS returns to Los Angeles, but the Sol made an indelible mark in their only WPS season. In their short one-season history on the field, they won the regular season title, set many records that will become benchmarks, and set a standard of excellence by which other teams will be measured for years to come. This is a look back at the short history of the Los Angeles Sol.
September 4, 2007-Los Angeles is announced as one of seven teams that will compete in the inaugural season of a new women's professional soccer league. The team will be owned by AEG and Blue Star, LLC.
September 15, 2008-Abner Rogers is named as the first coach of the Los Angeles WPS franchise.
September 16, 2008-Los Angeles receives its first players as Shannon Boxx, Stephanie Cox, and Aly Wagner are allocated from the USWNT.
September 24, 2008-Los Angeles selects Marta as their first selection (3rd overall) in the WPS International Draft. They also draft Aya Miyama, Han Duan, and Margret Lara Vidarsdottir. The following day, they would add Camille Abily as a post-draft discovery player.
October 3, 2008-Charlie Naimo is named as general manager for Los Angeles.
October 6, 2008-Los Angeles chooses Karina LeBlanc as their first selection (5th overall) in the WPS General Draft. They also select Kendall Fletcher, Christie Welsh, and Manya Makoski. All four would make the team, although Fletcher and Welsh were later traded to Saint Louis.
October 25, 2008-Los Angeles officially announces that the team would be called the Los Angeles Sol and they also unveil the team's new logo.
November 25, 2008-Los Angeles names Johanna Frisk as a post-draft discovery player.
January 12, 2009-The Sol announce the signing of three-time FIFA Player of the Year, Marta.
January 16, 2009-At the first annual WPS Draft in St. Louis, the Sol select Brittany Bock with their first selection (5th overall). In later rounds, they select Allison Falk, Katie Larkin, Greer Barnes, Valerie Henderson, Katie Hooker, McCall Zerboni, Brittany Cameron, Erica Janke, and Lisa Sari. All but Hooker and Janke would make the Sol's opening roster.
February 4, 2009-The Sol officially announce the signing of Aya Miyama.
February 19, 2009-The Sol announce the signings of Camille Abily, Han Duan, and Johanna Frisk.
March 2, 2009-The Los Angeles Sol training camp begins.
March 5, 2009-Los Angeles becomes the first team to announce an on-jersey sponsorship with Amway Global.
March 25, 2009-Los Angeles announces its opening day roster. Full-roster players are Camille Abily, Greer Barnes, Brittany Bock, Shannon Boxx, Stephanie Cox, Allison Falk, Kendall Fletcher, Johanna Frisk, Han Duan, Val Henderson, Katie Larkin, Karina LeBlanc, Manya Makoski, Marta, Aya Miyama, Aly Wagner, and Christie Welsh. Developmental players are Brittany Cameron, Lisa Sari, and McCall Zerboni.
March 26, 2009-The Sol add Liz Bogus, just recently released by FC Gold Pride, to their developmental roster.
March 29, 2009-The Sol defeat the Washington Freedom 2-0 before 14,832 fans in the WPS inaugural game played at the Home Depot Center. Allison Falk scores the first goal in WPS history on a header in the 6th minute. Camille Abily later adds a goal to seal the victory. Karina LeBlanc is sharp in goal and earns the shutout. The attendance would be the largest for a non-WPS/MLS doubleheader in the 2009 season.
With an immensely talented roster, the Sol were off to a great start and looked to be the team to beat in 2009. Over the next three months, the Sol were a dominant team. We'll look at that period in Part 2-Rise to the Pinnacle.
(Sources for some of the information in this story came from www.womensprosoccer.com and the 2009 Los Angeles Sol Media Guide)
On February 4th, what was left of the Los Angeles Sol roster was dispersed and only time will tell when the WPS returns to Los Angeles, but the Sol made an indelible mark in their only WPS season. In their short one-season history on the field, they won the regular season title, set many records that will become benchmarks, and set a standard of excellence by which other teams will be measured for years to come. This is a look back at the short history of the Los Angeles Sol.
September 4, 2007-Los Angeles is announced as one of seven teams that will compete in the inaugural season of a new women's professional soccer league. The team will be owned by AEG and Blue Star, LLC.
September 15, 2008-Abner Rogers is named as the first coach of the Los Angeles WPS franchise.
September 16, 2008-Los Angeles receives its first players as Shannon Boxx, Stephanie Cox, and Aly Wagner are allocated from the USWNT.
September 24, 2008-Los Angeles selects Marta as their first selection (3rd overall) in the WPS International Draft. They also draft Aya Miyama, Han Duan, and Margret Lara Vidarsdottir. The following day, they would add Camille Abily as a post-draft discovery player.
October 3, 2008-Charlie Naimo is named as general manager for Los Angeles.
October 6, 2008-Los Angeles chooses Karina LeBlanc as their first selection (5th overall) in the WPS General Draft. They also select Kendall Fletcher, Christie Welsh, and Manya Makoski. All four would make the team, although Fletcher and Welsh were later traded to Saint Louis.
October 25, 2008-Los Angeles officially announces that the team would be called the Los Angeles Sol and they also unveil the team's new logo.
November 25, 2008-Los Angeles names Johanna Frisk as a post-draft discovery player.
January 12, 2009-The Sol announce the signing of three-time FIFA Player of the Year, Marta.
January 16, 2009-At the first annual WPS Draft in St. Louis, the Sol select Brittany Bock with their first selection (5th overall). In later rounds, they select Allison Falk, Katie Larkin, Greer Barnes, Valerie Henderson, Katie Hooker, McCall Zerboni, Brittany Cameron, Erica Janke, and Lisa Sari. All but Hooker and Janke would make the Sol's opening roster.
February 4, 2009-The Sol officially announce the signing of Aya Miyama.
February 19, 2009-The Sol announce the signings of Camille Abily, Han Duan, and Johanna Frisk.
March 2, 2009-The Los Angeles Sol training camp begins.
March 5, 2009-Los Angeles becomes the first team to announce an on-jersey sponsorship with Amway Global.
March 25, 2009-Los Angeles announces its opening day roster. Full-roster players are Camille Abily, Greer Barnes, Brittany Bock, Shannon Boxx, Stephanie Cox, Allison Falk, Kendall Fletcher, Johanna Frisk, Han Duan, Val Henderson, Katie Larkin, Karina LeBlanc, Manya Makoski, Marta, Aya Miyama, Aly Wagner, and Christie Welsh. Developmental players are Brittany Cameron, Lisa Sari, and McCall Zerboni.
March 26, 2009-The Sol add Liz Bogus, just recently released by FC Gold Pride, to their developmental roster.
March 29, 2009-The Sol defeat the Washington Freedom 2-0 before 14,832 fans in the WPS inaugural game played at the Home Depot Center. Allison Falk scores the first goal in WPS history on a header in the 6th minute. Camille Abily later adds a goal to seal the victory. Karina LeBlanc is sharp in goal and earns the shutout. The attendance would be the largest for a non-WPS/MLS doubleheader in the 2009 season.
With an immensely talented roster, the Sol were off to a great start and looked to be the team to beat in 2009. Over the next three months, the Sol were a dominant team. We'll look at that period in Part 2-Rise to the Pinnacle.
(Sources for some of the information in this story came from www.womensprosoccer.com and the 2009 Los Angeles Sol Media Guide)
January 7, 2010
Abily to Gold Pride, DiMartino to Los Angeles
The deal sending Camille Abily to FC Gold Pride is, in fact, a reality. Los Angeles has traded Camille Abily and their 2nd round draft choice (20th overall pick) in the 2010 draft to FC Gold Pride for Christina DiMartino, FC Gold Pride's 2nd round draft choice (14th overall pick) in the 2010 draft, and the rights to one of Gold Pride's 2009 International Discovery Players.
Abily, a member of the French National Team, was the Sol's 2nd leading scorer last season with 8 goals and 1 assist. The talented midfielder was a major factor in LA's regular season title, but she was unable to participate in the championship game due to her national team duties. Additionally, she was selected to the WPS All-Star team, but was playing for France in the 2009 Euros.
DiMartino was FC Gold Pride's 1st round selection (3rd overall) in the 2009 WPS draft. She also has 5 caps for the US National Team and scored her first international goal against Denmark in the 2009 Algarve Cup. For Gold Pride, DiMartino assisted on one goal while starting 18 games. She returns to Los Angeles where she played her college soccer for UCLA.
Abily, a member of the French National Team, was the Sol's 2nd leading scorer last season with 8 goals and 1 assist. The talented midfielder was a major factor in LA's regular season title, but she was unable to participate in the championship game due to her national team duties. Additionally, she was selected to the WPS All-Star team, but was playing for France in the 2009 Euros.
DiMartino was FC Gold Pride's 1st round selection (3rd overall) in the 2009 WPS draft. She also has 5 caps for the US National Team and scored her first international goal against Denmark in the 2009 Algarve Cup. For Gold Pride, DiMartino assisted on one goal while starting 18 games. She returns to Los Angeles where she played her college soccer for UCLA.
Rumor-LA Trades Abily to Gold Pride
At this point there are no details or confirmation, but there was briefly a news headline on the FC Gold Pride website that they had acquired Camille Abily from the Los Angeles Sol. The headline seems to have been removed, possibly awaiting league approval of the deal before releasing info to the public.
Updates, if any, to follow.
Updates, if any, to follow.
December 30, 2009
Los Angeles Sol - The Offseason So Far
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Labels: Brittany Bock, Camille Abily, Karina LeBlanc, Los Angeles Sol, Marta, Shannon Boxx
Labels: Brittany Bock, Camille Abily, Karina LeBlanc, Los Angeles Sol, Marta, Shannon Boxx
When Last We Left Them...
Los Angeles won the WPS regular season title with a 12-3-5 record and 41 points, well ahead of the rest of the league. By early June, they had opened up a double digit lead on the field, posting shutouts in 8 of their first 9 games. They were led by three great international players on offense, Marta, Camille Abily, and Aya Miyama. These three combined for 18 goals and 10 assists for the season. Karina LeBlanc was unbeatable in goal and a strong defense led by veteran Shannon Boxx at defensive mid kept opponents in check.
However, with not much to play for, they struggled down the stretch. A loss to Athletica in early July put their championship celebration on hold for two weeks. A scoreless tie against Gold Pride on July 23rd clinched it for them, but they appeared to be losing momentum. The Sol managed only a 1-2-1 record over their last 4 matches and then had a two week layoff before hosting the WPS Championship. They just never looked sharp in that match, surrendering an early goal to Sky Blue, followed quickly by a red card to Allison Falk. The 1-0 loss was a disappointing ending to a great season for Los Angeles.
Roster Moves
Los Angeles retained several great players from their 2009 roster, but little beyond that. At the present time, they have only 9 players signed for the 2010 season. Those players are Marta, Abily, Miyama, Boxx, LeBlanc, Brittany Bock, Stephanie Cox, Johanna Frisk, and Manya Makoski. It remains to be seen if they will re-sign any of their own free agents such as Aly Wagner or McCall Zerboni.
The Sol lost defender Sharolta Nonen and all-purpose player Katie Larkin to Atlanta in the expansion draft. Nonen, a veteran of the Canadian National Team and the WUSA Atlanta Beat, was a late season signing for Los Angeles after their defensive ranks were depleted for various reasons. She appeared in only two matches for the Sol. Larkin was a 3rd round draft choice for LA in 2009 and showed a lot of potential, but she rarely cracked the starting lineup of the talented Sol. She proved to be very versatile, even filling in at defense when needed. Larkin didn't score, but played in 14 matches and started 5.
In early October, Los Angeles traded defender Allison Falk and backup keeper Val Henderson to the Philadelphia Independence, for a 1st and a 3rd round draft pick. Falk, the Sol's 2nd round pick from 2009, started 16 games for Los Angeles and was considered to be one of the best young defenders in the league. Her absence will leave a pretty big hole in the Sol's back line. Henderson got very little chance to play because of LeBlanc's brilliance. But when she did, she sparkled with a shutout against Gold Pride in her only match. Additionally, free agent Lyndsey Patterson, who saw action in one match for LA, was signed by Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles has been very quiet, making no major acquisitions. They are in good position to make a lot of noise at the draft. They have possession of the 5th, 8th, and 9th overall picks.
Current Roster
Goalkeepers (1)-Karina LeBlanc.
Defenders (4)-Brittany Bock, Stephanie Cox, Johanna Frisk, Manya Makoski.
Midfielders (3)-Camille Abily, Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama.
Forwards (1)-Marta.
Additions- None
Subtractions- Sharolta Nonen (drafted by Atlanta), Katie Larkin (drafted by Atlanta), Allison Falk (traded to Philadelphia), Valerie Henderson (traded to Philadelphia), Lyndsey Patterson (signed by Philadelphia).
Other Free Agents from 2009 roster-Liz Bogus, Brittany Cameron, Martina Franko, Han Duan, Keri Sanchez, Lisa Sari, Julia Schnugg, Christie Shaner, Aly Wagner, and McCall Zerboni.
Internationals-Abily, Frisk, Marta, and Miyama with 1 slot open.
Draft Choices (in first 3 rounds)-Nos. 5, 8, 9, 20, and 22.
Needs to Address
Los Angeles has three things going for them. They have a lot of talent, a lot of draft picks, and some versatility. Brittany Bock can play any position on the field and Manya Makoski can play defender or midfielder. But there are still holes to fill. I would think that their first need would be defender. With Franko, Falk, and Nonen gone, they really need a center back. I'm guessing that LA will use their final international opening for a scorer, leaving the draft as the means to fill their defensive needs. Would LA possibly package a couple of their draft picks to move up to the top spot in the draft?
Los Angeles also needs a scorer and probably more than one. Brittany Bock could move up to forward. Bock and Marta seemed to have pretty good chemistry when they paired together up front, but their 5th international player will probably be the key here. Will Laura Del Rio be the missing piece of the puzzle or do they have someone else in mind?
The other needs for the Sol could probably be filled by re-signing some of their own players. Brittany Cameron, last year's developmental keeper for the Sol, could move into the backup position, although the Sol could opt for one of the top college keepers instead. And then at midfield, there is the question as to whether Aly Wagner and/or McCall Zerboni might be back to complement the already strong group of Boxx, Abily, and Miyama.
It's almost as though Los Angeles is banking on this year's draft being stronger than last year's. They've lost three talented young players from that 2009 draft in Falk, Henderson, and Larkin. In addition, they got Bock, Zerboni, Cameron, and Sari in the draft. Will their 2010 draft class be as talented as the 2009 class was? The Sol will definitely be a team to watch on draft day.
Los Angeles won the WPS regular season title with a 12-3-5 record and 41 points, well ahead of the rest of the league. By early June, they had opened up a double digit lead on the field, posting shutouts in 8 of their first 9 games. They were led by three great international players on offense, Marta, Camille Abily, and Aya Miyama. These three combined for 18 goals and 10 assists for the season. Karina LeBlanc was unbeatable in goal and a strong defense led by veteran Shannon Boxx at defensive mid kept opponents in check.
However, with not much to play for, they struggled down the stretch. A loss to Athletica in early July put their championship celebration on hold for two weeks. A scoreless tie against Gold Pride on July 23rd clinched it for them, but they appeared to be losing momentum. The Sol managed only a 1-2-1 record over their last 4 matches and then had a two week layoff before hosting the WPS Championship. They just never looked sharp in that match, surrendering an early goal to Sky Blue, followed quickly by a red card to Allison Falk. The 1-0 loss was a disappointing ending to a great season for Los Angeles.
Roster Moves
Los Angeles retained several great players from their 2009 roster, but little beyond that. At the present time, they have only 9 players signed for the 2010 season. Those players are Marta, Abily, Miyama, Boxx, LeBlanc, Brittany Bock, Stephanie Cox, Johanna Frisk, and Manya Makoski. It remains to be seen if they will re-sign any of their own free agents such as Aly Wagner or McCall Zerboni.
The Sol lost defender Sharolta Nonen and all-purpose player Katie Larkin to Atlanta in the expansion draft. Nonen, a veteran of the Canadian National Team and the WUSA Atlanta Beat, was a late season signing for Los Angeles after their defensive ranks were depleted for various reasons. She appeared in only two matches for the Sol. Larkin was a 3rd round draft choice for LA in 2009 and showed a lot of potential, but she rarely cracked the starting lineup of the talented Sol. She proved to be very versatile, even filling in at defense when needed. Larkin didn't score, but played in 14 matches and started 5.
In early October, Los Angeles traded defender Allison Falk and backup keeper Val Henderson to the Philadelphia Independence, for a 1st and a 3rd round draft pick. Falk, the Sol's 2nd round pick from 2009, started 16 games for Los Angeles and was considered to be one of the best young defenders in the league. Her absence will leave a pretty big hole in the Sol's back line. Henderson got very little chance to play because of LeBlanc's brilliance. But when she did, she sparkled with a shutout against Gold Pride in her only match. Additionally, free agent Lyndsey Patterson, who saw action in one match for LA, was signed by Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles has been very quiet, making no major acquisitions. They are in good position to make a lot of noise at the draft. They have possession of the 5th, 8th, and 9th overall picks.
Current Roster
Goalkeepers (1)-Karina LeBlanc.
Defenders (4)-Brittany Bock, Stephanie Cox, Johanna Frisk, Manya Makoski.
Midfielders (3)-Camille Abily, Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama.
Forwards (1)-Marta.
Additions- None
Subtractions- Sharolta Nonen (drafted by Atlanta), Katie Larkin (drafted by Atlanta), Allison Falk (traded to Philadelphia), Valerie Henderson (traded to Philadelphia), Lyndsey Patterson (signed by Philadelphia).
Other Free Agents from 2009 roster-Liz Bogus, Brittany Cameron, Martina Franko, Han Duan, Keri Sanchez, Lisa Sari, Julia Schnugg, Christie Shaner, Aly Wagner, and McCall Zerboni.
Internationals-Abily, Frisk, Marta, and Miyama with 1 slot open.
Draft Choices (in first 3 rounds)-Nos. 5, 8, 9, 20, and 22.
Needs to Address
Los Angeles has three things going for them. They have a lot of talent, a lot of draft picks, and some versatility. Brittany Bock can play any position on the field and Manya Makoski can play defender or midfielder. But there are still holes to fill. I would think that their first need would be defender. With Franko, Falk, and Nonen gone, they really need a center back. I'm guessing that LA will use their final international opening for a scorer, leaving the draft as the means to fill their defensive needs. Would LA possibly package a couple of their draft picks to move up to the top spot in the draft?
Los Angeles also needs a scorer and probably more than one. Brittany Bock could move up to forward. Bock and Marta seemed to have pretty good chemistry when they paired together up front, but their 5th international player will probably be the key here. Will Laura Del Rio be the missing piece of the puzzle or do they have someone else in mind?
The other needs for the Sol could probably be filled by re-signing some of their own players. Brittany Cameron, last year's developmental keeper for the Sol, could move into the backup position, although the Sol could opt for one of the top college keepers instead. And then at midfield, there is the question as to whether Aly Wagner and/or McCall Zerboni might be back to complement the already strong group of Boxx, Abily, and Miyama.
It's almost as though Los Angeles is banking on this year's draft being stronger than last year's. They've lost three talented young players from that 2009 draft in Falk, Henderson, and Larkin. In addition, they got Bock, Zerboni, Cameron, and Sari in the draft. Will their 2010 draft class be as talented as the 2009 class was? The Sol will definitely be a team to watch on draft day.
June 16, 2009
L’Athletica de Saint Louis
A fantastic French-language site has been profiling WPS and French stars Camille Abily (Los Angeles Sol) and Sonia Bompastor (Washington Freedom). Check it out -- WPS Francophone
Thanks to WPS Talk - Futebol Feminino for pointing us towards this site.
Thanks to WPS Talk - Futebol Feminino for pointing us towards this site.
June 11, 2009
WPS Weekend Matches-June 13 & 14
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Labels: 2009 WPS, Ali Krieger, Amanda Cinalli, Brittany Bock, Camille Abily, Cristiane, Eniola Aluko, Kelly Smith
Labels: 2009 WPS, Ali Krieger, Amanda Cinalli, Brittany Bock, Camille Abily, Cristiane, Eniola Aluko, Kelly Smith
Chicago Red Stars at Washington Freedom
The Red Stars, fresh off two ties on the west coast, invade RFK Stadium to face the Washington Freedom in another WPS/MLS doubleheader on Saturday. The Freedom lost their big showdown in LA, although they temporarily were level at 1-1 in the 2nd half of that game. After that loss, they will be trying to hold on to 2nd place in the standings against Chicago.
Sonia Bompastor continues to lead Washington. After winning Player of the Month honors in May, she started off June with the Freedom's only goal in the loss to the Sol. She now has three goals added to her league leading assist total of four. Washington has now scored 16 goals, more than any other team.
The Freedom welcomed a new, but familiar, face to their camp this week. Ali Krieger, who had been competing for FFC Frankfurt in the German Women's Bundesliga, is returning to the states to finish the season with Washington. Krieger has spent time with the USWNT and was allocated to the Freedom last year, but she still had to finish up her contract in Germany. She should help bolster the Freedom's defense that is giving up 2 goals a game and has yet to post a shutout. Claire Zimmeck was waived to make room for Krieger on the active roster.
Meanwhile, Chicago has found a go-to player of their own. Brazilian striker Cristiane scored both of their goals last week, her first goals of the season. Megan Rapinoe, Lindsay Tarpley, and Karen Carney join Cristiane in a talented offense that has yet to get untracked for the most part. Unfortunately, it was bad news for another of their forwards. Former University of Illinois star, Ella Masar, suffered four torn muscles in her hip against Gold Pride and will be out 4-6 weeks.
On defense, Coach Emma Hayes has been shaking up the lineup, choosing to go with veteran players Natalie Spilger and Jill Oakes over Nikki Krzysik, who was a starting center back for much of the season. Several Red Stars are recovering from injuries and as of this post, it is unknown whether Ifeoma Dieke or Carli Lloyd will be available for the game in Washington.
Last weekend's loss to the Sol had to be disappointing, but it is the only loss that the Freedom have suffered since the middle of April, so it's hardly time to panic and the addition of Krieger should help their beleaguered defense. On the other hand, Chicago took two draws on the road and need to build on those positives. If they can find some offense, they can be a dangerous team. Kickoff is at 4:30 eastern time on Saturday.
Los Angeles Sol at Sky Blue FC
Los Angeles takes their 12 point lead on the road to New Jersey where they will square off against Sky Blue FC this Saturday. Sky Blue is at the bottom of the table, but they are a mere 4 points out of 2nd place. This will be the third and final meeting of the regular season between these two teams.
Sky Blue has to be kicking themselves because they couldn't kick it in the net last week. They squandered chance after chance, including a near whiff by Collette McCallum, right in front of the Saint Louis goal. This week, they face another tough goalie in Karina LeBlanc. Having scored just 6 goals in 9 games, Sky Blue has got to find some offense. They have been missing Sarah Walsh, who has been bothered by a hamstring injury. Natasha Kai has been coming on with two goals and an assist in May and only a nice save by Hope Solo kept her from adding another. Heather O'Reilly was literally all over the field against Athletica, firing five shots for the game.
Kelly Lindsey went back to Karen Bardsley in goal against Athletica after Jen Branam had started five straight. Apparently, the keeper battle isn't over yet. Anita Asante, Meghan Schnur, and Christie Rampone lead a veteran defense that has been one of Jersey's strengths.
Los Angeles just continues to sail along. Camille Abily has been on a tear lately, scoring 5 goals in the last four games and winning Player of the Week honors. As if the Sol didn't have enough offensive weapons with Abily, Marta, and company, Brittany Bock scored her 2nd goal of the season on a nifty give and go play with Marta. At this point in the season, it appears that Los Angeles is just too fast and has too much firepower to be stopped. Just when you think you can relax against them, they quickly spring a counterattack. On Bock's goal, it took just a few seconds for a long pass from LA's own end to find her feet and the ball was in the back of the net before you could blink.
The Sol's defense is finally looking human, giving up a goal in each of the last two games. Still, they have posted 8 shutouts in 11 games, so I don't think it's anything to worry about. LeBlanc has 7 of those shutouts. The back line is solid, although they will be without the services of sometimes defender, sometimes midfielder, Manya Makoski again this week. 36 year old Keri Sanchez started her first game last weekend.
It's really hard to see the Sol slipping at this point. Their worst enemy could be over-confidence and complacency. Sky Blue played LA very tough in their last meeting, losing 1-0 in the waning moments of that match. SBFC is home for the next four matches and they need to take advantage to make progress up the table. They'll need to finish a lot better than last week for that to happen.
Saint Louis Athletica at Boston Breakers
Athletica, 3-1-2 over their last six matches, travels to Harvard Field to meet the Boston Breakers on an FSC televised match on Sunday. The two teams are tied for 3rd place in the standings with 11 points apiece. This game could be a matchup of the two talented English strikers, Kelly Smith and Eniola Aluko, that is if they are both healthy enough to play.
My curious stat of the week involves the Breakers. They are 3-0-2 against the top teams in the league...Los Angeles, Washington, and Saint Louis. They are 0-3 against Gold Pride, Chicago, and Sky Blue. It just doesn't make a lot of sense, except that one thing in common in two of those losses was an injured Kelly Smith. It is not a certainty that she will be able to go on Sunday, although the damage to her knee was reportedly not as bad as first thought. Having scored half of the Breakers' 10 goals, she is an essential part of their offense. Kristine Lilly is the other essential ingredient in Boston's offense and she has scored twice this season. The Breakers will also be missing Christine Latham, who will be serving the 2nd of her two game suspension.
Boston has a very good back line with Alex Scott, Amy LePeilbet, Sue Weber, and Heather Mitts. Kristin Luckenbill has started all eight games in goal for the Breakers. The team is at a strange stretch in their schedule where they have played just one match since mid-May.
Athletica has been very stingy on defense lately, shutting out three of their last four opponents, the exception being the Sol. Hope Solo will be in goal for Saint Louis, but the lineup in front of her may feature as many as five different starters from their first meeting with Boston. This includes former LA players Kendall Fletcher and Christie Welsh, as well as Amanda Cinalli and Stephanie Logterman, both of whom saw their first action last week against Sky Blue. Cinalli scored just 15 minutes into her first match and she is a welcome addition to an Athletica offense that has struggled much of the season.
Saint Louis' top offensive threat, though, is Eniola Aluko who picked up an assist on Cinalli's goal. She came out of last week's game with hamstring problems and her status for Sunday's game is not yet known. Melissa Tancredi and Daniela will be missing because of injuries. On defense, Logterman played outside back on the left side and performed well in her first match. If Smith does play for Boston, Athletica's back line will have their hands full.
Saint Louis will get to see just how much they've improved from that first game with Boston, which might have been the low point of their season. The Breakers need to find someone else to contribute on the offensive end and find consistency on the defensive end. The winner will have 3rd place all to themselves with a possibility of 2nd, pending the outcome of the Freedom game.
The Red Stars, fresh off two ties on the west coast, invade RFK Stadium to face the Washington Freedom in another WPS/MLS doubleheader on Saturday. The Freedom lost their big showdown in LA, although they temporarily were level at 1-1 in the 2nd half of that game. After that loss, they will be trying to hold on to 2nd place in the standings against Chicago.
Sonia Bompastor continues to lead Washington. After winning Player of the Month honors in May, she started off June with the Freedom's only goal in the loss to the Sol. She now has three goals added to her league leading assist total of four. Washington has now scored 16 goals, more than any other team.
The Freedom welcomed a new, but familiar, face to their camp this week. Ali Krieger, who had been competing for FFC Frankfurt in the German Women's Bundesliga, is returning to the states to finish the season with Washington. Krieger has spent time with the USWNT and was allocated to the Freedom last year, but she still had to finish up her contract in Germany. She should help bolster the Freedom's defense that is giving up 2 goals a game and has yet to post a shutout. Claire Zimmeck was waived to make room for Krieger on the active roster.
Meanwhile, Chicago has found a go-to player of their own. Brazilian striker Cristiane scored both of their goals last week, her first goals of the season. Megan Rapinoe, Lindsay Tarpley, and Karen Carney join Cristiane in a talented offense that has yet to get untracked for the most part. Unfortunately, it was bad news for another of their forwards. Former University of Illinois star, Ella Masar, suffered four torn muscles in her hip against Gold Pride and will be out 4-6 weeks.
On defense, Coach Emma Hayes has been shaking up the lineup, choosing to go with veteran players Natalie Spilger and Jill Oakes over Nikki Krzysik, who was a starting center back for much of the season. Several Red Stars are recovering from injuries and as of this post, it is unknown whether Ifeoma Dieke or Carli Lloyd will be available for the game in Washington.
Last weekend's loss to the Sol had to be disappointing, but it is the only loss that the Freedom have suffered since the middle of April, so it's hardly time to panic and the addition of Krieger should help their beleaguered defense. On the other hand, Chicago took two draws on the road and need to build on those positives. If they can find some offense, they can be a dangerous team. Kickoff is at 4:30 eastern time on Saturday.
Los Angeles Sol at Sky Blue FC
Los Angeles takes their 12 point lead on the road to New Jersey where they will square off against Sky Blue FC this Saturday. Sky Blue is at the bottom of the table, but they are a mere 4 points out of 2nd place. This will be the third and final meeting of the regular season between these two teams.
Sky Blue has to be kicking themselves because they couldn't kick it in the net last week. They squandered chance after chance, including a near whiff by Collette McCallum, right in front of the Saint Louis goal. This week, they face another tough goalie in Karina LeBlanc. Having scored just 6 goals in 9 games, Sky Blue has got to find some offense. They have been missing Sarah Walsh, who has been bothered by a hamstring injury. Natasha Kai has been coming on with two goals and an assist in May and only a nice save by Hope Solo kept her from adding another. Heather O'Reilly was literally all over the field against Athletica, firing five shots for the game.
Kelly Lindsey went back to Karen Bardsley in goal against Athletica after Jen Branam had started five straight. Apparently, the keeper battle isn't over yet. Anita Asante, Meghan Schnur, and Christie Rampone lead a veteran defense that has been one of Jersey's strengths.
Los Angeles just continues to sail along. Camille Abily has been on a tear lately, scoring 5 goals in the last four games and winning Player of the Week honors. As if the Sol didn't have enough offensive weapons with Abily, Marta, and company, Brittany Bock scored her 2nd goal of the season on a nifty give and go play with Marta. At this point in the season, it appears that Los Angeles is just too fast and has too much firepower to be stopped. Just when you think you can relax against them, they quickly spring a counterattack. On Bock's goal, it took just a few seconds for a long pass from LA's own end to find her feet and the ball was in the back of the net before you could blink.
The Sol's defense is finally looking human, giving up a goal in each of the last two games. Still, they have posted 8 shutouts in 11 games, so I don't think it's anything to worry about. LeBlanc has 7 of those shutouts. The back line is solid, although they will be without the services of sometimes defender, sometimes midfielder, Manya Makoski again this week. 36 year old Keri Sanchez started her first game last weekend.
It's really hard to see the Sol slipping at this point. Their worst enemy could be over-confidence and complacency. Sky Blue played LA very tough in their last meeting, losing 1-0 in the waning moments of that match. SBFC is home for the next four matches and they need to take advantage to make progress up the table. They'll need to finish a lot better than last week for that to happen.
Saint Louis Athletica at Boston Breakers
Athletica, 3-1-2 over their last six matches, travels to Harvard Field to meet the Boston Breakers on an FSC televised match on Sunday. The two teams are tied for 3rd place in the standings with 11 points apiece. This game could be a matchup of the two talented English strikers, Kelly Smith and Eniola Aluko, that is if they are both healthy enough to play.
My curious stat of the week involves the Breakers. They are 3-0-2 against the top teams in the league...Los Angeles, Washington, and Saint Louis. They are 0-3 against Gold Pride, Chicago, and Sky Blue. It just doesn't make a lot of sense, except that one thing in common in two of those losses was an injured Kelly Smith. It is not a certainty that she will be able to go on Sunday, although the damage to her knee was reportedly not as bad as first thought. Having scored half of the Breakers' 10 goals, she is an essential part of their offense. Kristine Lilly is the other essential ingredient in Boston's offense and she has scored twice this season. The Breakers will also be missing Christine Latham, who will be serving the 2nd of her two game suspension.
Boston has a very good back line with Alex Scott, Amy LePeilbet, Sue Weber, and Heather Mitts. Kristin Luckenbill has started all eight games in goal for the Breakers. The team is at a strange stretch in their schedule where they have played just one match since mid-May.
Athletica has been very stingy on defense lately, shutting out three of their last four opponents, the exception being the Sol. Hope Solo will be in goal for Saint Louis, but the lineup in front of her may feature as many as five different starters from their first meeting with Boston. This includes former LA players Kendall Fletcher and Christie Welsh, as well as Amanda Cinalli and Stephanie Logterman, both of whom saw their first action last week against Sky Blue. Cinalli scored just 15 minutes into her first match and she is a welcome addition to an Athletica offense that has struggled much of the season.
Saint Louis' top offensive threat, though, is Eniola Aluko who picked up an assist on Cinalli's goal. She came out of last week's game with hamstring problems and her status for Sunday's game is not yet known. Melissa Tancredi and Daniela will be missing because of injuries. On defense, Logterman played outside back on the left side and performed well in her first match. If Smith does play for Boston, Athletica's back line will have their hands full.
Saint Louis will get to see just how much they've improved from that first game with Boston, which might have been the low point of their season. The Breakers need to find someone else to contribute on the offensive end and find consistency on the defensive end. The winner will have 3rd place all to themselves with a possibility of 2nd, pending the outcome of the Freedom game.
June 5, 2009
WPS Weekend Games-June 7
Sky Blue FC at Saint Louis Athletica
These two teams enter the game tied for last place, but both have played better as of late. Sky Blue defeated Boston last weekend, while Saint Louis has 2 wins and 2 ties over their last five games.
In between several tumbles and having her shoulder yanked back into place, Natasha Kai scored her 2nd goal of the season against the Breakers. After being blanked the first four games, Kai has two goals and an assist in her last four. Kai's normal frontline mate, Sarah Walsh, is out with an injury, but Kacey White filled in last week and added a goal of her own. SBFC has a strong midfield group led by Heather O'Reilly and Collette McCallum, with Rosana at attacking mid. Perhaps the biggest benefactor of the recent coaching change has been Yael Averbuch. Interim Coach Kelly Lindsey has started Averbuch the last two games and the team has responded well with her in the lineup.
Sky Blue has given up only a goal a game, good enough for 3rd best in the WPS. Veteran Christie Rampone heads up the defensive unit that also includes English National Team player Anita Asante. Jen Branam has played generally solid in goal since taking over as the starter, but she had a rough moment last week, badly misplaying a cross that led to an easy goal for Kelly Smith. Branam is quick, but she is also one of the shortest keepers in the league and it will be interesting to see if Athletica's lackluster offense can test her.
Saint Louis has had a lot of problems on the offensive end. The exception to that has been Eniola Aluko, one of the most exciting strikers in the league. Like Kai, Aluko scored two goals in May and played extremely well. Aside from Aluko, there hasn't been a lot to get excited about as far as goal scoring goes. Until now, Kerri Hanks has retained her starting position, but one wonders if Jorge Barcellos might be tempted to go with veteran Christie Welsh. Athletica usually does well building up with short passes through the midfield, but they can't seem to solve the final third of the field. Defensively, Tina Ellertson is having a strong campaign and she is joined by Kia McNeill on the back line.
This should be a tight game, with two very exciting forwards and two strong defenses. Hope Solo might give Athletica a slight edge. Both teams need to win the midfield and it might come down to a battle between the more offensive minded O'Reilly for Sky Blue and the more defensive minded Lori Chalupny for Saint Louis.
Washington Freedom at Los Angeles Sol
The FSC game this week will be a matchup between the league's two top teams. The Freedom's league leading offense will take on the Sol's league leading defense in Carson, California. The game features the two talented French midfielders, Camille Abily for Los Angeles and Sonia Bompastor for Washington.
Los Angeles is the only team to have shutout Washington, all the way back in the first game of the season. Since then, Washington has scored 15 goals in just 7 games. With the Freedom, it's not just one player, but several. Bompastor is coming fresh off winning Player of the Month honors and she has been a big part of the offensive explosion by the Freedom. Australian Lisa DeVanna scored three goals in May and complements Abby Wambach very well. In a league where many teams are having trouble scoring, the Freedom have even gotten three goals out of their defenders.
The early season goalkeeper problems for Washington are a distant memory now. Erin McLeod has been just the cure that the Freedom needed. Her back line is led by Cat Whitehill and a trio of young defenders, Becky Sauerbrunn, Jill Gilbeau, and Alex Singer.
The Sol's offense for the first month of the season pretty much began and ended with Marta. Their attack has become more balanced as of late, due in large part to the efforts of Abily. She has become a potent offensive weapon for Los Angeles and is part of a talented group of midfielders with Shannon Box and Aly Wagner. Wagner has been struggling with injuries, but is listed as probable for Sunday's game. Opposing defenses must still worry about Marta, which often opens up space for her teammates.
On the defensive end, the Sol just don't make a lot of mistakes and when they do, Karina LeBlanc is there. Steady Stephanie Cox might be their best defender, but two young backs, Allison Falk and Brittany Bock, are playing like veterans. And for the first time on Wednesday, Los Angeles showed that they could respond to adversity by scoring a late equalizer against Chicago.
Los Angeles shut out the Freedom in the opener, but it was Wambach's first game back from injury and they didn't have McLeod at the time. Washington is a different team now. We will see whether or not they are ready for prime time. A win means the Freedom will build on the momentum of the 3-0-2 run they have had. A win for the Sol and it basically becomes a six team battle for 2nd place.
Chicago Red Stars at FC Gold Pride
The Red Stars were close to pulling off a major upset in Los Angeles. Missing two key starters and on the road, a Cristiane goal in the 88th minute put them up 1-0. Unfortunately, that lead lasted all of two minutes as they gave up a late goal and had to settle for the tie. They continue their tour of the west coast against FC Gold Pride on Sunday night.
The good news is that Chicago finally found the net after going scoreless for 396 straight minutes. Cristiane's strike ended a long drought for the Red Stars. The tie was probably a disappointment given how close they were to sealing the game, but a point on the road against LA is a step in the right direction. They will still be without defender Ifeoma Dieke and midfielders Carli Lloyd and Heather Garriock. This will hurt them against a team like Gold Pride that prides themselves on possession.
Chicago has probably two of the most gifted attacking midfielders in the game with Megan Rapinoe and Karen Carney, but sometimes they need to show more patience. Ella Masar entered the LA game very late and provided an assist on the Chicago goal. Maybe that will earn Masar a start against Gold Pride. The Red Stars managed to shut down the Sol until late and they need a similar effort from their back line this week. Natalie Spilger filled in ably for Dieke.
Gold Pride will be without two of their top defenders in Carrie Dew (suspension) and Kandace Wilson (injury) and this will surely hurt them. Defense has been a problem recently as they have given up 5 goals in their last two games. Nicole Barnhart is strong in goal and Rachel Buehler will lead the defense, but who will be on the back line with her? Bay Area's midfield is one of their strengths with Leslie Osborne, Formiga, and Eriko Arakawa.
What started out to be a strong offensive unit has become a puzzle as Gold Pride has scored just twice in their last four games. On top of that, you never know from week to week who will be starting for the Bay Area side. After a strong start, Tiffany Weimer has been relegated to part-time status as Coach Montoya has shown a preference to veteran Tiffeny Milbrett lately. Even Arakawa has started a couple of games on the bench. FCGP will miss Wilson's forward runs and speed, although Leigh Ann Robinson occasionally fills that role.
This is a huge midseason game for both teams. A win for either team will vault them into a playoff spot to start the 2nd half of the season. Both teams need to overcome the loss of key players. Chicago is coming off of a strong effort in LA, while Gold Pride is trying to rebound from a frustrating loss in DC. It should result in a very interesting and entertaining game.
These two teams enter the game tied for last place, but both have played better as of late. Sky Blue defeated Boston last weekend, while Saint Louis has 2 wins and 2 ties over their last five games.
In between several tumbles and having her shoulder yanked back into place, Natasha Kai scored her 2nd goal of the season against the Breakers. After being blanked the first four games, Kai has two goals and an assist in her last four. Kai's normal frontline mate, Sarah Walsh, is out with an injury, but Kacey White filled in last week and added a goal of her own. SBFC has a strong midfield group led by Heather O'Reilly and Collette McCallum, with Rosana at attacking mid. Perhaps the biggest benefactor of the recent coaching change has been Yael Averbuch. Interim Coach Kelly Lindsey has started Averbuch the last two games and the team has responded well with her in the lineup.
Sky Blue has given up only a goal a game, good enough for 3rd best in the WPS. Veteran Christie Rampone heads up the defensive unit that also includes English National Team player Anita Asante. Jen Branam has played generally solid in goal since taking over as the starter, but she had a rough moment last week, badly misplaying a cross that led to an easy goal for Kelly Smith. Branam is quick, but she is also one of the shortest keepers in the league and it will be interesting to see if Athletica's lackluster offense can test her.
Saint Louis has had a lot of problems on the offensive end. The exception to that has been Eniola Aluko, one of the most exciting strikers in the league. Like Kai, Aluko scored two goals in May and played extremely well. Aside from Aluko, there hasn't been a lot to get excited about as far as goal scoring goes. Until now, Kerri Hanks has retained her starting position, but one wonders if Jorge Barcellos might be tempted to go with veteran Christie Welsh. Athletica usually does well building up with short passes through the midfield, but they can't seem to solve the final third of the field. Defensively, Tina Ellertson is having a strong campaign and she is joined by Kia McNeill on the back line.
This should be a tight game, with two very exciting forwards and two strong defenses. Hope Solo might give Athletica a slight edge. Both teams need to win the midfield and it might come down to a battle between the more offensive minded O'Reilly for Sky Blue and the more defensive minded Lori Chalupny for Saint Louis.
Washington Freedom at Los Angeles Sol
The FSC game this week will be a matchup between the league's two top teams. The Freedom's league leading offense will take on the Sol's league leading defense in Carson, California. The game features the two talented French midfielders, Camille Abily for Los Angeles and Sonia Bompastor for Washington.
Los Angeles is the only team to have shutout Washington, all the way back in the first game of the season. Since then, Washington has scored 15 goals in just 7 games. With the Freedom, it's not just one player, but several. Bompastor is coming fresh off winning Player of the Month honors and she has been a big part of the offensive explosion by the Freedom. Australian Lisa DeVanna scored three goals in May and complements Abby Wambach very well. In a league where many teams are having trouble scoring, the Freedom have even gotten three goals out of their defenders.
The early season goalkeeper problems for Washington are a distant memory now. Erin McLeod has been just the cure that the Freedom needed. Her back line is led by Cat Whitehill and a trio of young defenders, Becky Sauerbrunn, Jill Gilbeau, and Alex Singer.
The Sol's offense for the first month of the season pretty much began and ended with Marta. Their attack has become more balanced as of late, due in large part to the efforts of Abily. She has become a potent offensive weapon for Los Angeles and is part of a talented group of midfielders with Shannon Box and Aly Wagner. Wagner has been struggling with injuries, but is listed as probable for Sunday's game. Opposing defenses must still worry about Marta, which often opens up space for her teammates.
On the defensive end, the Sol just don't make a lot of mistakes and when they do, Karina LeBlanc is there. Steady Stephanie Cox might be their best defender, but two young backs, Allison Falk and Brittany Bock, are playing like veterans. And for the first time on Wednesday, Los Angeles showed that they could respond to adversity by scoring a late equalizer against Chicago.
Los Angeles shut out the Freedom in the opener, but it was Wambach's first game back from injury and they didn't have McLeod at the time. Washington is a different team now. We will see whether or not they are ready for prime time. A win means the Freedom will build on the momentum of the 3-0-2 run they have had. A win for the Sol and it basically becomes a six team battle for 2nd place.
Chicago Red Stars at FC Gold Pride
The Red Stars were close to pulling off a major upset in Los Angeles. Missing two key starters and on the road, a Cristiane goal in the 88th minute put them up 1-0. Unfortunately, that lead lasted all of two minutes as they gave up a late goal and had to settle for the tie. They continue their tour of the west coast against FC Gold Pride on Sunday night.
The good news is that Chicago finally found the net after going scoreless for 396 straight minutes. Cristiane's strike ended a long drought for the Red Stars. The tie was probably a disappointment given how close they were to sealing the game, but a point on the road against LA is a step in the right direction. They will still be without defender Ifeoma Dieke and midfielders Carli Lloyd and Heather Garriock. This will hurt them against a team like Gold Pride that prides themselves on possession.
Chicago has probably two of the most gifted attacking midfielders in the game with Megan Rapinoe and Karen Carney, but sometimes they need to show more patience. Ella Masar entered the LA game very late and provided an assist on the Chicago goal. Maybe that will earn Masar a start against Gold Pride. The Red Stars managed to shut down the Sol until late and they need a similar effort from their back line this week. Natalie Spilger filled in ably for Dieke.
Gold Pride will be without two of their top defenders in Carrie Dew (suspension) and Kandace Wilson (injury) and this will surely hurt them. Defense has been a problem recently as they have given up 5 goals in their last two games. Nicole Barnhart is strong in goal and Rachel Buehler will lead the defense, but who will be on the back line with her? Bay Area's midfield is one of their strengths with Leslie Osborne, Formiga, and Eriko Arakawa.
What started out to be a strong offensive unit has become a puzzle as Gold Pride has scored just twice in their last four games. On top of that, you never know from week to week who will be starting for the Bay Area side. After a strong start, Tiffany Weimer has been relegated to part-time status as Coach Montoya has shown a preference to veteran Tiffeny Milbrett lately. Even Arakawa has started a couple of games on the bench. FCGP will miss Wilson's forward runs and speed, although Leigh Ann Robinson occasionally fills that role.
This is a huge midseason game for both teams. A win for either team will vault them into a playoff spot to start the 2nd half of the season. Both teams need to overcome the loss of key players. Chicago is coming off of a strong effort in LA, while Gold Pride is trying to rebound from a frustrating loss in DC. It should result in a very interesting and entertaining game.
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