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LA Sol Determined To Make Season Count In Final
After blazing through the regular season, the LA Sol is aware that it was all for naught if the team doesn't make it count in the final.
Aug 21, 2009 3:25:40 AM
The Los Angeles Sol know well that the excellence they have exhibited all season long will only result in regret if they fail to claim the championship in Women's Professional Soccer.
The team that led the league with multiple points to spare meets a Cinderella squad in the final, a Sky Blue team that overcame adversity and gained momentum with every playoff win.
Yet the Sol feel confident in the quality that brought them to the final match. Talented individuals have meshed into a formidable whole.
"From the very beginning, we just had such great personalities coming into this team," stated Sol midfielder Shannon Boxx.
Boxx was was aware of what lay at stake for the Sol in the championship match.
"We’ve been considered one of the best teams all season and it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win this last game."
The team that confronts the Sol for the title has had as much suffering in their debut season as the Sol have had success. Sky Blue FC struggled through two coaching changes, as first Ian Sawyers and then Kelly Lindsey left the squad. Now former team captain Christie Rampone is the player/coach of the New Jersey based team.
"They’ve had a rough season," Boxx said of the competing finalists. "They’ve gone through a couple of coaches. They now have a player-coach and they’re still showing that ‘Hey, as women we can still battle through all of these things.'"
Sol star Marta agreed that the circumstances that Sky Blue have battled through make them tougher competition.
"They are a team that was practically eliminated and entered the playoffs and has done very well," Marta said. "They have very little to lose when it comes to the championship game because they’ve already improved tremendously."
Besides counting on Marta to create goal-scoring opportunities, the Sol will also rely on goalkeeper Karina Blanc to keep the attempts of Sky Blue out.
"We’re going to have a whole new energy and different things that people necessarily haven’t seen all season because this is it," the Sol netminder promised. "Being a professional athlete, this is the game you play for. There is no other game. Winning the regular season was great but this is what we’ve been looking forward to."
One player who has helped the Sol advance to the final, though, will not be on hand. France's Camille Abily has to attend to international duty in the European championships.
Sol coach Abner Rogers acknowledged that the loss of Abily would be a handicap.
"Camile has been great for us all year," Rogers said.
However, the coach vowed his players would be set for the final. "We’re ready and the players are ready to do whatever it takes."
Andrea Canales, Goal.com
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The team that led the league with multiple points to spare meets a Cinderella squad in the final, a Sky Blue team that overcame adversity and gained momentum with every playoff win.
Yet the Sol feel confident in the quality that brought them to the final match. Talented individuals have meshed into a formidable whole.
"From the very beginning, we just had such great personalities coming into this team," stated Sol midfielder Shannon Boxx.
Boxx was was aware of what lay at stake for the Sol in the championship match.
"We’ve been considered one of the best teams all season and it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win this last game."
The team that confronts the Sol for the title has had as much suffering in their debut season as the Sol have had success. Sky Blue FC struggled through two coaching changes, as first Ian Sawyers and then Kelly Lindsey left the squad. Now former team captain Christie Rampone is the player/coach of the New Jersey based team.
"They’ve had a rough season," Boxx said of the competing finalists. "They’ve gone through a couple of coaches. They now have a player-coach and they’re still showing that ‘Hey, as women we can still battle through all of these things.'"
Sol star Marta agreed that the circumstances that Sky Blue have battled through make them tougher competition.
"They are a team that was practically eliminated and entered the playoffs and has done very well," Marta said. "They have very little to lose when it comes to the championship game because they’ve already improved tremendously."
Besides counting on Marta to create goal-scoring opportunities, the Sol will also rely on goalkeeper Karina Blanc to keep the attempts of Sky Blue out.
"We’re going to have a whole new energy and different things that people necessarily haven’t seen all season because this is it," the Sol netminder promised. "Being a professional athlete, this is the game you play for. There is no other game. Winning the regular season was great but this is what we’ve been looking forward to."
One player who has helped the Sol advance to the final, though, will not be on hand. France's Camille Abily has to attend to international duty in the European championships.
Sol coach Abner Rogers acknowledged that the loss of Abily would be a handicap.
"Camile has been great for us all year," Rogers said.
However, the coach vowed his players would be set for the final. "We’re ready and the players are ready to do whatever it takes."
Andrea Canales, Goal.com
Want more from Goal.com delivered right to your door? Introducing "Goal.com Magazine." Subscribe now!
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