WPS Championship Game Photo Journal

Sky Blue FC wins first WPS crown after stormy season

We were at the first game of the WPS season as well as the last (and many inbetween). And what a season’ it’s been.

Sky Blue FC completed its storybook rise from bottomfeeder to league champion with a dramatic, 1-0 victory over a valiant, 10-woman Los Angeles Sol side, whose remarkable season ended in bitter disappointment at their home park.

Heather O’Relly earned MVP honors by scoring the match’s only goal in the 16th minute and later contributing a dazzling slide tackle to dispossess Aya Miyama during a dangerous sequence early in the second half of the inaugural WPS Championship Match.

“It’s a special team we have here with Sky Blue,” said Christie Rampone, who began the season as team captain and ended it as the interim player/coach. “It was a great run for us just battling back to get into the playoffs.”

In ideal conditions at The Home Depot Center, the match began evenly with neither side producing much in the way of dangerous possession through the first quarter hour. Sky Blue FC earned a deep throw-in in the 17th minute and Keeley Dowling began the season’s most important series of passes by floating a well-meant cross into the box aimed at Natasha Kai. Back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench for playoff victories in Washington and St. Louis, Kai flicked the ball to the back post where Heather O’Reilly had shed Sol right back Manya Makoski and the U.S. National Team star did not miss her mark, beating Karina LeBlanc to put the underdog visitors on top.

For LeBlanc, who had posted a dozen clean sheets in 19 starts, the goal against was the product of a rare miscue from her backline which lost track of O’Reilly.

“It came pretty quickly,” LeBlanc said. “I was just trying to get something on it. The coaching staff said that it was pretty point blank. It came pretty hard.”

The Sol then set their sites on the equalizer, and nearly had a chance in the 24th minute but Jen Buczkowski, who has started throughout the playoffs for the Euro-bound Anita Asante, swooped in to tackle the ball away from Shannon Boxx.

Three minutes later, controversy ensued when Natasha Kai made a long run on the ball and was fouled from behind by Allison Falk. Referee Kari Seitz reached for her pocket and pulled out a red card on the basis that Falk was the last defender back to deny Kai an opportunity to score.

“I didn’t feel it was a red card. I thought it was a poor decision,” Sol coach Abner Rogers said. “Stephanie Cox was a recovering player so (Falk) wasn’t the last defender. And it wasn’t a blatant tackle.”

The loss of manpower was rarely evident. The Sol spent almost the entire second half assaulting the Sky Blue FC goal, but continued to fall just short of finding the equalizer. O’Reilly’s moment of defensive magic came in the 51st minute when Marta held the ball and laid it off for Aya Miyama on the right side of the penalty area. O’Reilly charged in to win enough of the ball to force a corner kick. The crowd—7,218 strong—gasped in anticipation of the equalizing red card, but there was no such call.

“I did get the ball, but that’s a scary play especially with what happened early in the game,” O’Reilly said. “She’s a sneaky player and she slipped right behind me. I know that as an outside midfielder, that’s my mark.”

Moments later, Marta ran on to a ball in space and Buczkowski, Dowling, and Meghan Schnur all made outstanding defensive plays over the next two minutes to keep the Sol at bay.

“They did a great job,” Rampone said of her defense, of which she is the fourth member. “They did a good job of being mindful of where (Marta) was and dropping when they needed to and stepping when we needed to. Just trying to play that game with her instead of man marking her, basically trying to frustrate her.”

The Sol never let up. They had two great chances in the 61st minute, the first a backheel by Han Duan that did not have enough on it, and the second a twisting ball by Miyama that Jenni Branam went up high to corral.

Shannon Boxx ripped off a shot in the 72nd minute that Branam spilled for a corner kick, but the corner went to Cox who sent a chip harmlessly over everyone.

The last dangerous moments of the season for the Sol commenced six minutes from time when Branam had to make a tough touch on a Marta cross intended for Miyama. The ensuing corner kick went to Boxx who slipped a pass in to substitute Lyndsey Patterson near the top of the six-yard box. Branam fell on it at the last moment.

“Amazing,” Rampone said of Branam, who has battled injuries and illness and thrived with a frenetic, high-risk style that has given Sky Blue FC fans many anxious moments during the season. “Jenni was a huge part of our success. She allows the backline to hold a higher line at times because she comes off her line. She basically won a lot of these games for us. She does get hit and she goes down, but I know nothing is going to keep her off the field.”

Sol players remained on the field after the match while Sky Blue FC celebrated, and LeBlanc addressed the fans, who helped the Sol lead not only the standings but the attendance table. Still it was a tough pill to swallow for a team that raced to the head of the pack in April and never looked back.

“When the season started, we had a lot of goals. And we accomplished all of them but one,” said Boxx, the team captain. “I’m not disappointed in our whole season. I think we played very well all year. Does this one hurt? Yeah, it hurts a lot.”

“I thought it showed a lot of character to play the way the second half that we played with ten players,” Rogers said.

The inaugural WPS season concludes on Sunday, Aug. 30 with the WPS All-Star Game presented by the Coast Guard. The match will pit the WPS All-Stars against Swedish Champions Umeå IK and will be played at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park, Saint Louis Athletica’s home field, in Fenton, Mo.

Marta throws out first pitch at Dodgers game

Los Angeles Sol striker Marta plays with the baseball as if it were a soccer ball before throwing out a ceremonial first pitch in Dodger Stadium at the MLB National League baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, California, August 17, 2009.

WPS Championship Game Live Blog – Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 1:00pm Pacific

It’s Playoff Time!

The WPS Championship Game will take place this Saturday, August 22, at 1pm Pacific at the Home Depot Center. The Los Angeles Sol will host the  Sky Blue FC (Watch on Fox Soccer Channel at 7pm EST).

Women Talk Sports’ Ann Gaffigan will be there to see the action in person and get updates to those of you without Fox Soccer Channel (or those of you who have it and would like to join the conversation!). Go to this link on Saturday at 1pm Pacific and she’ll be there letting you know what’s happening. We’re excited to see the final game for the league’s inaugural season.

Come back and join the conversation on Saturday! Would love to have you!

LIVE BLOG

Vote for Sportswoman of the Year

It’s that time of year. Time to head over to the Women’s Sports Foundation website to vote for Sportswoman of the Year.

Every year, WSF  recognizes an individual and team Sportswoman whose performances over a 12-month time span have been exceptional. Criteria is based on new records and world championships won.

Nominees represent a variety of sports including tennis, bowling, swimming, softball, and gymnastics among others.  Some are well-known athletes like tennis champ Serena Williams and racecar driver Danica Patrick and some are lesser-known ones like bowler Kelly Kulick – all are deserving.

Last year, gymnast Nastia Liukin won the individual athlete award while softball player Jessica Mendoza took home the team sport athlete title.

So what makes a Sportswoman exceptional? Goals. Upsets. Strength. Determination. Heart?

It’s up to you to decide who should be honored for their outstanding accomplishments and why. Vote now.

Award winners will be announced on October 13, 2009 and honored at the Annual Salute to Women in Sports Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

Women’s Professional Soccer announces first team for All-Star Game

Women’s Professional Soccer on Tuesday announced the selection of the league’s First XI and the WPS All-Star Team Head Coach in preparation for its 2009 WPS All-Star Game. Each of the players selected are invited to the 2009 WPS All-Star Game. The players were selected based on votes by fans (25%), media (25%), coaches (25%) and players (25%).

Listed by position, club team and national team:

2009 WPS All-Stars – First XI
Karina LeBlanc     GK        Los Angeles Sol         Canada
Tina Ellertson           D       Saint Louis Athletica   United States
Amy LePeilbet         D        Boston Breakers        United States
Alex Scott              D        Boston Breakers         England
Camille Abily          M        Los Angeles Sol         France
Sonia Bompastor     M       Washington Freedom  France
Shannon Boxx        M        Los Angeles Sol          United States
Lori Chalupny        M        Saint Louis Athletica    United States
Kelly Smith            M       Boston Breakers          England
Eniola Aluko           F       Saint Louis Athletica     England
Marta                    F        Los Angeles Sol            Brazil

Not surprisingly, Los Angeles Sol’s Marta was the highest overall vote-getter, selected by 94% of all media ballots, along with all eligible coach’s ballots (teams can’t vote for their own players), second in the player vote and finished fourth overall in the fan vote.  Hope Solo, who didn’t make the final roster,  was the top pick by fans.

More than 25,000 ballots were cast online by fans and all players on WPS rosters voted, including their choice for the WPS All-Star Team Head Coach. The players selected Los Angeles Sol head coach, Abner Rogers to lead the 2009 WPS All-Stars.

With several players expected to be unavailable due to national team commitments at the 2009 European Championships, the First XI players who cannot play will be replaced by the next-highest vote-getters at that position announced later this week. A total of 18 WPS players will be part of the WPS All-Star Team with the WPS Commissioner and the All-Star Game Head Coach selecting the other seven WPS All-Star Team members.

The 2009 WPS All-Star Game features the WPS All-Stars against Swedish league champions Umeå IK at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Fenton, MO, on Sunday, August 30th with kick-off scheduled for 5:30pm ET/4:30pm CT.

The game will be televised live nationally on Fox Soccer Channel and regionally on select Fox Sports Net affiliates (check local listings) with coverage starting at 5:00 p.m. ET with a half-hour pre-game show prior to kick-off.

For information or to reserve tickets for the 2009 WPS All Star Game call 1-888-STL-GOAL or visit www.SaintLouisAthletica.com. Group and individual tickets are now on sale.

Soccer mom Joy Fawcett takes center stage

The ultimate soccer mom reached the pinnacle of her sport Sunday.

“In my life, I’ve had two dreams: To play soccer at the highest level and to be a mother,” former United States Women’s National Team standout defender Joy Fawcett said midway through her induction speech at the National Soccer Hall of Fame. “In short, U.S. Soccer enabled me to live both of my dreams, and for that, I’m thankful.”

The Soccer Hall enshrined Fawcett over the weekend in a  ceremony that also honored Jeff Agoos who played for the U.S. Men’s National Team.  Longtime New York Times soccer writer Alex Yannis who was presented with the Colin Jose Media Award.

Fawcett drew the loudest cheers of the day at the end of a nearly 13 minute speech that touched on the importance of family and closed the 2009 Induction Ceremony.

“My first dream was to be a mom and the No. 1 priority for me was my kids,” Fawcett said following the ceremony, which was attended by all three of her children _ Katey (age 15), Carli (12) and Madi (8). “To be able to play soccer and try and balance both, it was hard, definitely. I wanted to make it as easy as possible on them and easy on my teammates. I didn’t want them to have any hardship with their careers. So it was hard to balance, but it was something so worthwhile because I loved both. I was so thrilled I could do both.”

Fawcett said U.S. Soccer allowed her children to grow up around the Women’s National Team, which gained fame by winning the first FIFA World Cup, in 1991. None of her children were around then, but all three had been born by the time she ended her 18-year run with the Americans in 2004.

“Throughout her career, Joy always told me if the game of soccer ever had a negative effect on her family, she would walk away in a heartbeat,” said former teammate Shannon MacMillan, who introduced Fawcett on Sunday. “I know you can always hear people say that, but Joy truly meant that. She said she’d walk away to save her family.”

Instead, Fawcett helped the U.S. to another World Cup title (1999) and two Olympic gold medals (1996, 2004). On Sunday, she became the eighth player from the “91ers” to earn induction into the Hall, joining Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Carla Overbeck, Michelle Akers, Shannon Higgins-Cirovski, Carin Jennings and April Heinrichs.

Pioneer, world champion, mother, leader, role model, Fawcett did it all during her historic career. She may have been elected into the Hall a few years after her contemporaries, but no female player has been more deserving.

Fawcett by the Numbers:
3     Olympic Games participated in
3     Daughters had during career
4     FIFA Women’s World Cups participated in
6     Yearly high in goals, scored in 1993
9     Consecutive years in which she started every match in which she played (1989-1998)
14   Jersey number worn for many years
16   Olympic matches played
17   Years in which she played a WNT match
22   Assists in her career
23   FIFA Women’s World Cup matches played
27   Goals in career
234 Starts in WNT career
239 Appearances during her WNT career

Congrats to Fawcett on a well deserved award.

Abby Wambach scores 100th career goal in hometown as U.S. women defeat Canada 1-0

Abby Wambach scored her 100th career goal in her hometown to lead the U.S. Women’s National Team to a 1-0 victory against Canada in front of 8,443 wildly appreciative fans at Marina Auto Stadium.

Wambach, who was a high school All-American at Our Lady of Mercy in Rochester, becomes the ninth woman in soccer history to score 100 career international goals, and the fifth American, joining Mia Hamm (158), Kristine Lilly (129), Michelle Akers (105) and Tiffeny Milbrett (100). Wambach’s 100th goal comes in just her 129th career match, giving her the best goals-to-games ratio in U.S. history.

The milestone comes one year and three days after Wambach broke her left leg in the USA’s final tune up for the 2008 Olympics. It was Wambach’s first international goal since the injury and makes her the second U.S. players to score her 100th goal in Rochester after Hamm became the first in 1998.

Twenty-one-year-old forward Lauren Cheney, who replaced Wambach on the Olympic roster, came into the game in the 63rd minute and 15 minutes later set up the historic goal.

“I think it’s pretty fitting that Lauren Cheney, the girl that replaced me going to the Olympics after my leg breaking, played me an amazing ball,” said Wambach. “I took a great first touch, and just hit it far post. Thankfully, it didn’t go wide. I was peeling out, truckin’ to the sideline because I thought it was going in. I can’t really describe the emotion. I don’t think it’s really set in quite yet. It’s been a long year and to come home to score the 100th goal here in Rochester couldn’t be more of a picture perfect ending.”

The goal came following a Canadian goal kick as substitute Tobin Heath won the header, sending a short pass to Shannon Boxx in the middle of the field. She collected the ball and played forward to Cheney, who controlled and spun towards the goal, slipping a perfect pass behind Canadian defender Candace Chapman. Wambach ran onto the ball in the left side of the penalty area, took a touch and rolled her 15-yard shot past Canadian goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc and into the lower right corner just inside the post.

“I’m happy to be here right now, sitting on the bench to see that goal happen,” said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage, who scored 71 international goals herself for Sweden. “Cheney coming off the bench playing that great ball through and you just hear the sound of it and it’s fantastic. This is awesome.”

The U.S. team dominated possession in the match as Canada chose to pull back inside its own half, putting zero pressure on the U.S. backs. The Americans piled up a 21-3 shot advantage and had 10 corner kicks to Canada’s two.

The USA’s best early chance came in the eighth minute as midfielder Angela Hucles rocked the crossbar from 19 yards out, but her shot struck the underside of the bar and bounced away.

Wambach had several half chances to get her 100th before finally scoring, bringing the fans to their feet on each occasion. The first came in the seventh minute as she broke into the penalty area on the right side only to have Chapman block her shot away.

In the 49th minute, Megan Rapinoe bent a cross on the ground from the flank, but LeBlanc beat Wambach to bouncing ball. Amy Rodriguez spun in another low cross from the left wing in the 52nd minute, but Wambach just missed making contact on the slide as he was bundled over by a defender.

In the 61st, Hucles sent a little chip over top of the Canadian defense on a free kick from the left flank. Wambach stretched for the diving header, but just couldn’t get her head on the ball at the top of the six yard box.

In the 63rd, Wambach came the closest to scoring, getting free in the left side of the penalty area before sending a delicate chip to the far post, but the angle was just too steep and the ball flew wide.

Canada’s most dangerous chance may have come in the 68th minute as substitute Chelsea Stewart got behind the U.S. defense via a high ball over the middle as the U.S. back line was pushed over to the left of the field. The speedy Heather Mitts ran her down, blocked her shot and cleared the ball away.

In the 77th minute, Cheney had a chance for a goal of her own as she got behind the Canadian defense on a perfect slip pass from Wambach, but Emily Zurrer ran her down from behind and tackled the ball away.

U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage started Cat Whitehill at right back, giving the veteran defender her first cap since she tore her ACL in June of 2008. Whitehilll played very well in her 45 minutes before giving way to Mitts at halftime.

The 21-year-old Heath came on in the 75th minute for Heather O’Reilly and saw her first action since the quarterfinal match of the 2008 Olympics against Canada. Heath’s first touch of the game was an audacious nutmeg of a Canadian midfielder and a few minutes later she pulled off a double nutmeg down the left flank, hitting the ball to Shannon Boxx whose cross was controlled by Cheney inside the six, but she couldn’t turn to fire on goal. The ball was eventually bundled out by the Canadian defense for the USA’s 10th corner kick of the game.

The U.S. played without team captain Christie Rampone who had emergency abdominal surgery yesterday, but Amy LePeilbet and Rachel Buehler played excellent games in the central defense, helping limit Canada to just one shot on goal. U.S. goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart picked up the shutout, but was forced to make just one save.

The U.S. team now travels to Charleston, S.C., to face Canada again, this one at Blackbaud Stadium on Wednesday, July 22 at 8 p.m. ET. The match will be televised live on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Espanol.

2009 WPS All-Star voting begins online

With the WNBA All-Star team picked, it’s now time to vote for your fave soccer players.

Voting for the 2009 WPS All-Star Team begins today on the Women’s Professional Soccer website: http://www.womensprosoccer.com/AllStars.

The 2009 WPS All-Star Game will feature the WPS All-Stars against Swedish league champions Umea IK  (Marta’s former team).   Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Fenton, MO,  home of the Athletica,  will host the match on Sunday, August 30th with kick-off scheduled for 4:30pm CT.

The game will be televised live nationally on Fox Soccer Channel and regionally on select Fox Sports Net affiliates (check local listings) with a half-hour pre-game show prior to kick-off.

A total of 18 WPS players will take part in the WPS All-Star Game with the Starting XI players selected through voting and the other seven chosen by the WPS Commissioner and the All-Star Game Head Coach. Players voted on to the Starting XI who are not available to play in the WPS All-Star Game will be replaced by the next-highest vote-getters at that position.

In order to be on the All-Star Game Ballot, players need to have played at least 50% of their team’s total minutes this season through June 22. Write-in votes are also accepted.

In a unique twist for the first year of the WPS All-Star Game, the head coach will be voted on collectively by the players.

If you’re voting for the All-Star players, you can select up to one goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders and two forwards. By voting you are also automatically entered to win one of three Puma match balls autographed by all 18 players who represent WPS at the WPS All-Star Game in St. Louis.

Voting ends at 8pm ET on July 31 and the WPS All-Star team will be announced the week of August 3rd.

So who will be checked on your ballot?

Saint Louis Athletica downs Los Angeles Sol 1-0

Today was one of the few home games I didn’t attend at the Home Depot Center, and the No. 1 ranked LA Sol suffered a loss at the hands of the Saint Louis Athletica. Would the outcome have been different had I been there? Probably not but I still feel a bit guilty.

Despite the loss, the Sol remain in first place the WPS standings at 11-2-4 (37 points), while the Athletica tighten their grasp on second with a 23 points and 7-5-2 record.

According the league’s game report:

Saint Louis took the lead just 11 minutes into the match when midfielder Amanda Cinalli slotted home a pass from Eniola Aluko past a helpless Karina LeBlanc in the Sol net. The Sol nearly equalized in the 20th minute – Marta hit a low, first-time shot towards the goal that the Athletica’s Hope Solo dove to her left to smother.

Chinese forward Han Duan almost drew the Sol even in the 31st minute after collecting a pass from Marta and eluding a couple of defenders in the penalty area, but Solo knocked her low shot out of danger. Neither team threatened for the remainder of the first half and the visitors clung to the slimmest of margins at the interval.

In the opening minutes of the second half, the Sol threatened a couple of times in rapid succession, but were unable to break through the Athletica defense and the visitors remained in the lead.

Marta nearly equalized for the Sol in the 58th minute, but Solo parried her curling corner kick out of danger. Defender Brittany Bock got her head to a corner five minutes later, but Solo reacted quickly, covered the near post well and punched the ball off the line.

Miyama collected a pass from Marta in the box in the 67th minute, but she hesitated before taking a low shot and Solo cut off the angle and again made the save to preserve the victory.

This was the last home game of the 2009 season for the Los Angeles Sol.  Their next match will be on Thursday, July 23, when they take on FC Gold Pride at Buck Shaw Stadium at 7pm PT / 10pm ET in Santa Clara, Calif.

I am looking forward to a play-off  game back at HDC.  And I’ll be sure to be in attendance and cheering for the home team.

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