Los Angeles Sol Dispersal Draft

Sol light now shines through the eight remaining teams…  Still faithful for Sol 2011.

Check out my Bleacher Report Slideshow:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/340264-womens-professional-soccer-presents-los-angeles-sol-dispersal-draft

FCGP waive Arakawa

Ooh.. this is interesting.  The shuffling begins.  Arakawa  out to make room for which Sol international?   Marta? Miyama?

The Wheels are turning – Gold Pride Waives Arakawa

Still One of the FAITHFUL

Los Angeles Sol

Last Thursday – January 28 transpired to be an awful day for women’s soccer…   Before this day came,  I knew  it was a possibility for a team to fold after its first year of operations.  It definitely made it more believable when the Sol was dropped by owners AEG and were $2 million in the red.  But when I first heard the news, I did not want to post because I honestly feel the league cannot afford to go without the Sol in the 2010 schedule.  I also did not want to post because despite all the settling that  Sol has set – I’m still hoping for a miracle.  Is that wrong of me?  To still have a little bit of faith?  I guess I’m still hoping that some gracious saint of a person with cash money to spare, sees this downfall and shows up last minute to break our fall and keep the Sol shining in LA.  Of course, losing a “flagship team” like the LA Sol is a devastating blow to women’s soccer –  the show still must go on.  Each team recognizes the challenge without LA and encourages all supporters that the best is yet to come with two new expansion teams and ATL’s new stadium designed specifically for WPS.   All 8 teams will suffer a bit or even come out of the dispersal draft with a jack pot of talent.  How much suffering and how much talent?  We will have to see on February 4th, with  the dispersal draft of the Sol players.

Now, 19 Sol players will have to be dispersed among the 8 teams – which means crowded rosters.  It’s just unfortunate f0r the players that went through tryouts, “bubble” players, and future developmental players because they’ll go on an even more difficult route trying to be 1 of 18 players.  I honestly don’t think all 19 ex-Sol players will land rosters spots, but we will definitely see player shuffled off to make room for new talent.  However, this creates an even more cutthroat environment for each team in the league, which always means great competition with games just around the corner.

The 19 Sol players:  Brittany Bock, Shannon Box, Marta, Aya Miyama, Steph Cox, Tina DiMartino, Casey Nogueira, Nikki Washington, KK LeBlanc, Manya Makoski, Brittany Cameron, Christie Shaner, Michelle Enyeart, Kiersten Dallstream, Kiki Bosio, Estelle Johnson, Scasna, Paaske-Sorenson, Rydahl Bukh.

The Dispersal Draft will consists of 3 rounds with ATL getting the first pick.

Round 1
1. Atlanta Beat
2. Philadelphia Independence
3. FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
4. Chicago Red Stars
5. Boston Breakers
6. Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
7. Washington Freedom
8. Saint Louis Athletica

Round 2
9. Saint Louis Athletica
10. Washington Freedom
11. Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
12. Boston Breakers
13. Chicago Red Stars
14. FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
15. Philadelphia Independence
16. Atlanta Beat

Round 3
17. Atlanta Beat
18. Philadelphia Independence
19. FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
20. Chicago Red Stars
21. Boston Breakers
22. Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
23. Washington Freedom
24. Saint Louis Athletica

For now,  I’m still hoping for a miracle until next Thursday…

Great Reading:

The Rise and Fall of the Sol by Anthony DiCicco

http://equalizersoccer.com/WebPages/blog.aspx

Further Reading can be found:

WPS Bookmarks

Links

– A-Rod 2.0 – US Soccer

“…When I start up with Philly, I want to paint a different picture from last year.  I don’t think that was a good representation of the player that I am.  I really, honestly believe that I will be a much more effective player.”

I can’t wait to see this new & improved A-Rod.  This season presents the perfect opportunity for her to prove herself and show the hard work she put in the off season.  Will the grass be greener on the other side? – I hope so..

– U-20’s beat Mexico 2-1 in the CONCACAF Tournament US Soccer

– ATL Beat Announces Home Opener Against Defending WPS Champs – Women’s Pro Soccer

May 9th, 2010 at their sweet new stadium in Kennesaw, GA.

Atlanta Beat's New Stadium

Thank you, Aly Wagner

Aly Wagner Retires from Soccer – US Soccer

There have been  many women’s soccer greats that have come out of the Bay Area – Brandi Chastain, Tiffany Roberts, Kim Patrick, and Danielle Slaton, to  name a few.  But Aly Wagner has been the one player that I have consistently watched since I was eleven-years-old.

My dad bought me my first hero jersey after a Bronco soccer clinic one year.  It was a Santa Clara jersey with the number seven on it – Aly Wagner’s jersey.  I loved it so much, I wore it for a week straight.  I cherished this jersey because when I put it on, I felt like I could play like her.  Perfectly strung passes, graceful, and  technically sound on the ball.

My first jersey ever.

Thank you, Aly Wagner for your contribution to the game and for representing the Bay Area.

WPS: 2010 Fresh Out of the Box

New ball, new kits, 2 new teams, and new players! I’m so excited for what this 2010 season has in store..

2010 Puma WPS Game Ball

The new kits also look very cool!  I would definitely have to say they look way better than last year’s kits.  I think my favorites are the LA Sol’s home “hybrid” jersey and Chicago Red Stars’  blue away jersey.  The “V” neck style of the tops are very “in.” Later on in the night after the draft, Puma held their 2nd annual WPS Kit unveiling.  Not quite your regular catwalk consisting of fragile under-fed models, but instead a group of last year’s stars and newly drafted players showcased the kits.

Puma unveils 2010 WPS Kits

New Kids on the Pitch

I was actually one of those west coasters who set their alarm for 6:55 AM to follow the 7:00 AM Draft on Twitter.  First off,  I thought the coverage of the Draft from WPS Headquarters and all of the teams were great and on point!  I love social media..

To be honest, I felt like each team got better with each player they picked up – but some teams got better than others.

Had a good day at the Draft:

• FC Gold Pride came out of the draft with a pot of gold! There’s no doubt that they needed this boost, but now I think they should and will be a top contender this coming season.  FCGP’s offense should light on fire with MAC Herman Trophy winner, Kelley O’Hara, and the return of Kandace Wilson.   FCGP also drafted another Stanford Card in Ali Riley, who has world class experience through playing for the New Zealand Ferns. Also adding to the roster is 2008 U-20 World Cup Champions – Kaley Fountain and Becky Edwards.
• LA Sol also got some great picks out of the draft. Not quite as gold as FCGP, but definitely a great in the long run investment.  Getting two Tar Heels in a draft is a steal.  Nikki Washington – who is coming off an ACL injury – was LA’s first pick.  Even though she is hurt, she’s worth it and I dig that pick.  She’s unstoppable running down the planks and unbeatable in 1v1’s.  Second pick was Casey Nogueira – I’ve said this once and I’ll say it again..  She is America’s most talented player.  Her consistency worries me a bit, but big players step up in big games and she dominates in big games.  Another investment pick that I really liked was Michelle Enyeart out of Portland.  She is the fastest white girl I have ever seen.  Along with the returning 2009 Sol team, plus Tina DiMartino, and adding these 3 players – this 2010 Sol team is going to be FAST, extremely skilled, and dynamic.

Save the Date: April 10th WPS Season Opener

See Extraordinary starting April 10th 2010

The WPS website just posted the date of the game that will officially open up the 2010 season with the Washington Freedom hosting the Boston Breakers on April 10, 2010.

Season Opener Schedule

2010 WPS Draft Series #1: Top GK Prospects

Each week from now until the draft,  the WPS website will post a prospect evaluation for each position starting with the goalkeepers.

Here are the experts’ evaluations: Top GK Prospects

My evaluation:

1. Ashlyn Harris – UNC. Fearless. Vocal. Simply amazing in the air. 3-time NCAA Champion.

2. Kristin Olsen – USC. Her performance from the 2007 College Cup is epic. Truly one of the main reasons why USC won that year.

3. Alyssa Naeher – Penn State. 2008 U-20 Women’s World Cup Champion between the posts.

4. Kelsey Davis – Portland. 2006 U-20 Women’s World Cup GK.

5. Erin Guthrie – Rutgers.  I don’t know too much about her, but she created a lot of spark her last collegiate season.

The Drama of the College Cup

Captured in a single video.  Thanks to Demonno1 on YouTube for a nice video of the College Cup.

The Fall of the Cardinal

Thoughts on the Championship game:

North Carolina: 1, Stanford: 0

To be honest,  I was hoping for a better game between these two teams.  I hoped for a game that was as nail-biting and thrilling as the 2008 matchup.  Congratulations to the Tar Heels on their 20th Championship Title and to Stanford for an incredible season!

Falling Behind

Stanford fell behind in the third minute when Casey Nogueira hit a perfect 30 yd cross to Jessica McDonald, who easily ran on and redirected it to make it 1-0.  That cross was incredible! It was perfectly placed in the box, where it was too far for Maker to save and too ahead of Garcia-Mendez to block.

The Card are no stranger to being down a goal.  As a matter of fact, the best comeback I’ve seen of theirs was when San Diego State managed to get ahead two goals at the half, and Stanford came back in the second half scoring 5 unanswered goals in a span of 25 minutes.  But that was San Diego State. This was the Tar Heels of North Carolina, who are no stranger to being in the final. I have to admit I was scared but I was even more terrified, when they couldn’t find feet, or even find a rhythm.

Jessica McDonald's scores the winning goal in the Championship Game

Carolina’s Swarming

Carolina’s high pressure starting with their forwards frustrated the Cardinal possession game.  I give a lot of credit to Carolina’s back three (Givan, Eveland, and Engen); they were absolutely solid. They held a high line which caught Stanford offside more times than I have even seen them offside ever.  They were not only fast enough to keep up with O’Hara, Press, and Taylor, but they were able to easily strip the ball away.

What Stanford was good at during the season was getting there outside backs involved in the attack and having them get forward and sending in crosses.  I felt it was almost impossible for Riley and Quon to get forward because they were extremely occupied with focusing on defense and helping cover the midfield.  But when O’Hara got sent off,  Riley definitely pressed on as best she could with what tired legs she had, and I give her a ton of credit for that.

Tar Heels Dominate the Midfield

Like I said in an earlier post,  whoever controls the midfield will control the game. And Carolina’s midfield was dominant with Tobin Heath and Klingenberg, and at several moments Ali Hawkins.  For the majority of the game,  Stanford’s midfield was close to non-existent.  Several times, their passes to the frontrunners were way off or just piss poor – which was frustrating because I know the Card midfield is better than that.  During the season,  I was continuously impressed with Mariah Nogueira’s power and dominance in the air.  But this game, UNC’s Ali Hawkins gave her one hell of a fight.  To be honest, I thought Ratcliffe dropped the ball with preparing for this final game.  Sure, his team went undefeated in regular season and proved to be at a higher level when playing against some great teams.  But when your team is matched up with Carolina who plays a hostile high pressure 3-4-3, you need to make some moves and strategize.  He was flat out outcoached and it’s disappointing to see a team overflowing with raw talent not be utilized to the best of their ability. Don’t get me wrong,  I’m all for “playing our game” and making the opponent “play on our level.”  But from kickoff, Carolina’s pressure in those field conditions proved to be too much for Stanford.  After the halftime break (or even after the first TV timeout), I would’ve liked to see some changes in the midfield.  He moved Taylor back, but maybe dropping another great ball-handler like O’Hara would’ve helped control the midfield. Along with moving O’Hara back, I would’ve put a fearless Cami Levin up top to work with Press.  She’s tough, gritty, loves to take risks, and has proven to be another offensive threat for the Card.

Critical Calls

Christen Press of Stanford

The Soccer Gods were not on the Card’s side for the biggest game of the season.  Verloo’s offside call remains a mystery to me.  It’s very difficult to watch on replay because the camera’s angle was not the best.  Although she claims she never came in contact with the ball, we will never know for sure, and the result remains. The second critical call was on Press in the second half. First of all, let me just say that I’ve seen press play for awhile now and she never ceases to amaze me.  She has truly grown as a player from her freshman year.  After her attacking partner was sent off,  Press remained composed, showed character, and leadership to help motivate the Card in the last 17 minutes of the match.

Back to the call… I thought UNC dodged a big bullet because for one, the AR was completely out of position and was level with the midfield (c’mon!) and Press’ run and shot were beautifully executed. She just has a great first step, people! In my opinion, the game should’ve went into OT. Hat off to Press on an incredible junior season!

Oh, KO…

Credit: Andy Mead. Kelley O'Hara receiving a Red Card

I think I speak for all Cardinal fans when I say that our hearts dropped and possibly broke when KO got sent off.  This year, the Card had shown to be a “second-half” team, so I knew that things would get better in the second half.  It wasn’t great, but it was hell of a lot better than the first half.  But the ejection could’ve possibly been the nail in the coffin.  Again, credit to Press & Riley for staying positive and hopeful.  O’Hara is one of my favorite players and it was tough seeing her exit the game that way.  To be honest, I’m still iffy on the first yellow.  When you’re running that fast, it’s extremely hard to stop. I honestly, don’t think it was yellow card worthy – maybe a good warning.  It didn’t help that Eveland screamed like she just broke her leg… (Sorry, not taking anything away from Eveland, I’m just still disappointed in this call and the game).  First one = iffy. Second one = hell yeah, she deserved it.  It was just unfortunate that it had to be her second yellow.  O’Hara is an extremely fierce competitor, who hates to lose, and carries this spirit of intensity that is contagious. In any regular game, she is the player on the field who overexerts her passion, plays with reckless abandon, and sacrifices her body for the betterment of her team.  So, when her team is down in the most important and last game of her college career ever, you’re damn right she’s going to be taking lots of risks. I don’t blame her for getting frustrated, especially when your team isn’t playing up to par.  But she played like she always does; like this game could be her last. And for sure it was her last collegiate game.  For a great senior season- Co-Pac10 Player of the Year, National leader and school record breaker in goals (26) & points (65),  O’Hara deserves the MAC Hermann Trophy Award.  There isn’t a doubt in my mind that this girl will do big things in the WPS and with the full Women’s National Team.

3 Rings for Tar Heel Seniors

As for Carolina, what an incredible way for the seniors to go out! Hats off to Anson and his Heels!

Tar Heel Seniors go out with 3 Championship Titles