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Target Man: Five WPS Games To Look Forward To In 2009
With the release of the Women’s Professional Soccer schedule, Goal.com’s Greg Lalas starts to prepare for a busy summer.
Feb 7, 2009 11:28:10 PM
By Greg Lalas
Normally, I’m not the type to schedule anything. No circling dates on my Motley Crue wall calendar, no alerts from my computer. I don’t even know what I’m doing tonight, a Saturday night, which is almost sacrilegious here in New York.
But this isn’t a normal year. This is the year Women’s Professional Soccer brings the women’s pro game back after, shall we say, a forced hiatus. Last month, the draft stocked the seven teams that will debut in late March and early April, and a few days ago, the league released the schedule. And there are several intriguing games for which I’m going to plan ahead, maybe even write them down so Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee can remind me.
Los Angeles Sol vs. Washington Freedom
March 29, Home Depot Center
This is the league’s premiere, the debutante ball, with a national TV audience and the kind of starpower that LaLaland demands. But forget all that. Names mean little when there is so much attacking power on hand.
The Sol’s midfield is stacked with talent, including FIFA Player of the Year Marta and American internationals Shannon Boxx and Aly Wagner. While the Freedom have the goal machine that is Abby Wambach—if she’s fit by then. She’s recovering from a broken leg, and returned to training only recently. If she’s not ready to go, the Freedom are going to need Cat Whitehill to be a brick wall in the back. Otherwise, the Sol are going to leave the visitors with a painful burn.
FC Gold Pride vs. Boston Breakers
April 5, Buck Shaw Stadium
As Jake and Elliot Blues did, they’re getting the band back together! Although this time, legendary US teammates Kristine Lilly and Brandi Chastain will be on opposite sides of the field: Lilly with the Breakers and Chastain with the Pride. I’m not sure how the 40-year-old Chastain—side note: the Pride’s website says she’s a spry 29; who knew the fountain of youth was on the web?—is going to hold up, but you bet against her at your peril.
Lilly, of course, is the most capped player, male or female, in the history of the game (340), and although she took 2008 off to have a child, she is the kind of hyperdriven athlete who probably ran to the hospital. If Chastain makes the field, these two will butt heads a few times.
Chicago Red Stars vs. St. Louis Athletica
May 23, Toyota Park
The “I-55 Derby” actually launches in the second week of the season, but this rematch should be a better game, after the sides have had two months to find their rhythms. Plus, I love the international intrigue of the coaching match-up: The Red Stars’ English “gaffer,” Emma Hayes, who won enough silverware with Arsenal’s ladies to make Arsene Wenger jealous, takes on Athletica’s Brazilian “tecnico,” Jorge Barcellos, who has stacked his roster with the samba beat.
Barcellos, who coached Brazil to the silver medal in Beijing, will look for some measure of revenge against Chicago’s Carli Lloyd, who scored the winning goal in the Olympic final.
Boston Breakers vs. NY/NJ Sky Blue FC
July 12, Harvard Stadium
I’m calling it right now: Midway through the second half, if the Breakers have a lead, the fans will start yelling “Yankees Suck!” at their visitors from the Big Apple. A rivalry is a rivalry, no matter what.
FC Gold Pride vs. Los Angeles Sol
July 23, Buck Shaw Stadium
Despite that aforementioned made-up bit about the I-55 Derby, the only real derby in the WPS—for now, at least—is this match-up, the “California Clasico.” They will play four times this inaugural season, and this clash will be the final regular-season meeting.
It could be the deciding match, about more than the “clasico” series. Although both teams will have two games left to play after this one, something tells me the result could make or break their seasons. A win? Playoffs. A loss? Hit the beach early and start working on that California tan again.
Greg Lalas is site director of Goal.com USA.
Normally, I’m not the type to schedule anything. No circling dates on my Motley Crue wall calendar, no alerts from my computer. I don’t even know what I’m doing tonight, a Saturday night, which is almost sacrilegious here in New York.
But this isn’t a normal year. This is the year Women’s Professional Soccer brings the women’s pro game back after, shall we say, a forced hiatus. Last month, the draft stocked the seven teams that will debut in late March and early April, and a few days ago, the league released the schedule. And there are several intriguing games for which I’m going to plan ahead, maybe even write them down so Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee can remind me.
Los Angeles Sol vs. Washington Freedom
March 29, Home Depot Center
This is the league’s premiere, the debutante ball, with a national TV audience and the kind of starpower that LaLaland demands. But forget all that. Names mean little when there is so much attacking power on hand.
The Sol’s midfield is stacked with talent, including FIFA Player of the Year Marta and American internationals Shannon Boxx and Aly Wagner. While the Freedom have the goal machine that is Abby Wambach—if she’s fit by then. She’s recovering from a broken leg, and returned to training only recently. If she’s not ready to go, the Freedom are going to need Cat Whitehill to be a brick wall in the back. Otherwise, the Sol are going to leave the visitors with a painful burn.
FC Gold Pride vs. Boston Breakers
April 5, Buck Shaw Stadium
As Jake and Elliot Blues did, they’re getting the band back together! Although this time, legendary US teammates Kristine Lilly and Brandi Chastain will be on opposite sides of the field: Lilly with the Breakers and Chastain with the Pride. I’m not sure how the 40-year-old Chastain—side note: the Pride’s website says she’s a spry 29; who knew the fountain of youth was on the web?—is going to hold up, but you bet against her at your peril.
Lilly, of course, is the most capped player, male or female, in the history of the game (340), and although she took 2008 off to have a child, she is the kind of hyperdriven athlete who probably ran to the hospital. If Chastain makes the field, these two will butt heads a few times.
Chicago Red Stars vs. St. Louis Athletica
May 23, Toyota Park
The “I-55 Derby” actually launches in the second week of the season, but this rematch should be a better game, after the sides have had two months to find their rhythms. Plus, I love the international intrigue of the coaching match-up: The Red Stars’ English “gaffer,” Emma Hayes, who won enough silverware with Arsenal’s ladies to make Arsene Wenger jealous, takes on Athletica’s Brazilian “tecnico,” Jorge Barcellos, who has stacked his roster with the samba beat.
Barcellos, who coached Brazil to the silver medal in Beijing, will look for some measure of revenge against Chicago’s Carli Lloyd, who scored the winning goal in the Olympic final.
Boston Breakers vs. NY/NJ Sky Blue FC
July 12, Harvard Stadium
I’m calling it right now: Midway through the second half, if the Breakers have a lead, the fans will start yelling “Yankees Suck!” at their visitors from the Big Apple. A rivalry is a rivalry, no matter what.
FC Gold Pride vs. Los Angeles Sol
July 23, Buck Shaw Stadium
Despite that aforementioned made-up bit about the I-55 Derby, the only real derby in the WPS—for now, at least—is this match-up, the “California Clasico.” They will play four times this inaugural season, and this clash will be the final regular-season meeting.
It could be the deciding match, about more than the “clasico” series. Although both teams will have two games left to play after this one, something tells me the result could make or break their seasons. A win? Playoffs. A loss? Hit the beach early and start working on that California tan again.
Greg Lalas is site director of Goal.com USA.
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