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Ladies Man: Playoff Race Heats Up
In the latest installment of the Ladies Man women's soccer column, Goal.com's Giovanni Albanese Jr. discusses the intrigue of the WPS playoff race.
Aug 4, 2010 3:54:00 PM
By Giovanni Albanese Jr.
There’s something about drama that heightens the interest of many people. If people weren’t interested in drama, reality TV shows wouldn't constantly at the top of the Nielson Ratings each week; or TNT would not dedicate all its programs to the slogan, “We know drama”?
Women’s Professional Soccer is not short of drama, which is the perfect remedy to captivate soccer fans to finish off the league’s second season. With each team having anywhere from six to eight games remaining, every team has a shot at finishing in the top four spots and earning a berth in the post season.
Outside of FC Gold Pride (12-3-2, 37 points) who has a commanding 11-point lead over the next closest team, just 10 points separate the remaining six clubs. Philadelphia Independence (8-5-3, 27 points) has the second spot going into the 17th week of play, with Boston (22 points), Chicago (20), defending champion Sky Blue FC (18), Washington (17) and Atlanta (17) rounding out the table.
Ten points is a mere three-game advantage so, while first place may not be a reachable goal, second place is something all clubs can set their hopes on. Even Independence coach Paul Riley believes this is the case.
"Right now Gold Pride are running away with regular season and I don't see anyone being able to string six to eight wins together, combined with a Gold Pride collapse. They will simmer the rest of the season and prepare themselves for the championship,” said Riley. “We are in a dog fight for a playoff spot and all remaining six have a chance to make the post-season.”
Even the Freedom, who hasn’t won a match in over two months (a 2-1 home win over Philadelphia on May 30) still sits just three points out of a playoff spot.
“Freedom are a very good team with an excellent coach and I truly believe they will string a run of games together and make the playoffs,” Riley said. His club will meet the Freedom on Wednesday night.
Atlanta coach Gareth O’Sullivan has never backed off his belief that his club will make a run for the playoffs. Now, with all the former St. Louis Athletica players starting to mesh with the original Beat players, they have reeled off three wins and a tie in the last four contests and are three points out of a playoff spot.
Boston coach Tony DiCicco, whose club made a strong statement in July with a 5-1 record while jumping into third in the process, discussed the importance of wins after his club’s impressive 3-1 win over the Freedom last weekend.
“There are five teams all within two points of each other going into the game,” said DiCicco, whose Breakers put some space between themselves and the other clubs with the win. “You can't have any bad efforts.”
Boston and Atlanta will square off on Wednesday night. An Atlanta win will bring them just two points shy of the Breakers for third.
Last season’s champion Sky Blue FC knows all about making a late-season surge. In their up-and-down 2009 season, in which they had three coaches, they were sky high -- no pun intended -- at the end, making the playoffs in the last weekend, which led to its championship run of three road wins in three weeks as the lowest seed.
The Jersey girls will need the same type of effort in 2010 to make a repeat effort. Newly-hired coach Rick Stainton is trying to balance the scoreboard watching with the performance on the field.
"We don't put the pressure of the standings on the players,” said Stainton after his club’s 2-1 home loss to Chicago on Sunday. “But as coaches, we're watching and looking at it.”
It’s safe to say that the stretch run of WPS will be jam-packed full of intrigue. Each game has the utmost importance and can flip the table upside down depending on a single result.
So many questions will be left unanswered until the final week of the season, for sure. Will Atlanta race back from its seemingly hopeless season? Will the Boston Breakers have another collapse like its 2009 season? Will Chicago figure out the medium between strong defending and clutch scoring to string wins together? Can Philadelphia hold onto second? And on and on they go.
A question for readers is: Who do you think will finish in the top four when WPS’ second regular season concludes on Sept. 11?
Goal of the Week
Johanna Rasmussen, Atlanta Beat -- As good as this goal was, the through ball, courtesy of Aya Miyama, was just as impressive. Miyama gathered the ball just shy of midfield in the Beat’s defensive half in the 20th minute. After settling, she send a slightly-elevated, bending through ball into Rasmussen’s feet.
Miyama’s through ball took two small skips on the turf before the Danish international player settled it with her left foot, took a touch toward goal and placed an unstoppable shot into the far, upper 90 for the Beat’s first goal in a 3-2 win over the DC Freedom on July 28.
Here’s a look at the goal:
Save of the Week
Hope Solo, Atlanta Beat -- It was tough to pick just one save from Solo in her performance on Sunday against the Gold Pride. However, I could zone into one match-up -- Kelley O’Hara vs. Solo.
In the first half, O’Hara headed down a cross from Shannon Boxx at goal. Solo was quick on her feet to shuffle over and dive to bat the ball off the goal line before it could cross over for the goal.
And in the second half, O’Hara got the ball on the left flank and cut the ball into the middle -- which she’s making a habit of doing with great success -- to unload a hard-hit right-footed shot for the far post. Again, Solo was quick to react and laid out to save the shot.
Have a look at both saves here:
Quote of the Week
“We really can’t put our finger on what’s the problem,” from well-decorated United States women’s national team and Washington Freedom striker Abby Wambach.
Wambach’s disbelief and confusion came after the Freedom lost its fifth straight match, a 3-1 drubbing by the Boston Breakers on July 31. But Wambach may be on to something here. What really is the problem? Offense isn’t scoring; defense isn’t stopping anyone; coaching isn’t putting the team in a position to win; so what could it be?
It seems it could be the whole operation. But they’re still in the playoff hunt so it’s tough to say blow the whole thing up and start anew. My suggestion: Stick with it and see if you can break out of it DC. But should you drop more than six points out of a playoff spot, then make the change.
Goal.com contributer Giovanni Albanese Jr. covers FC Gold Pride for Tri-City Voice newspaper in Fremont, Calif. For all comments and questions you can contact him at GAlbaneseJr@hotmail.com or on Twitter @GAlbaneseJr.
For more on Women's Professional Soccer, visit Goal.com's WPS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
Women’s Professional Soccer is not short of drama, which is the perfect remedy to captivate soccer fans to finish off the league’s second season. With each team having anywhere from six to eight games remaining, every team has a shot at finishing in the top four spots and earning a berth in the post season.
Outside of FC Gold Pride (12-3-2, 37 points) who has a commanding 11-point lead over the next closest team, just 10 points separate the remaining six clubs. Philadelphia Independence (8-5-3, 27 points) has the second spot going into the 17th week of play, with Boston (22 points), Chicago (20), defending champion Sky Blue FC (18), Washington (17) and Atlanta (17) rounding out the table.
Ten points is a mere three-game advantage so, while first place may not be a reachable goal, second place is something all clubs can set their hopes on. Even Independence coach Paul Riley believes this is the case.
"Right now Gold Pride are running away with regular season and I don't see anyone being able to string six to eight wins together, combined with a Gold Pride collapse. They will simmer the rest of the season and prepare themselves for the championship,” said Riley. “We are in a dog fight for a playoff spot and all remaining six have a chance to make the post-season.”
Even the Freedom, who hasn’t won a match in over two months (a 2-1 home win over Philadelphia on May 30) still sits just three points out of a playoff spot.
“Freedom are a very good team with an excellent coach and I truly believe they will string a run of games together and make the playoffs,” Riley said. His club will meet the Freedom on Wednesday night.
Atlanta coach Gareth O’Sullivan has never backed off his belief that his club will make a run for the playoffs. Now, with all the former St. Louis Athletica players starting to mesh with the original Beat players, they have reeled off three wins and a tie in the last four contests and are three points out of a playoff spot.
Boston coach Tony DiCicco, whose club made a strong statement in July with a 5-1 record while jumping into third in the process, discussed the importance of wins after his club’s impressive 3-1 win over the Freedom last weekend.
“There are five teams all within two points of each other going into the game,” said DiCicco, whose Breakers put some space between themselves and the other clubs with the win. “You can't have any bad efforts.”
Boston and Atlanta will square off on Wednesday night. An Atlanta win will bring them just two points shy of the Breakers for third.
Last season’s champion Sky Blue FC knows all about making a late-season surge. In their up-and-down 2009 season, in which they had three coaches, they were sky high -- no pun intended -- at the end, making the playoffs in the last weekend, which led to its championship run of three road wins in three weeks as the lowest seed.
The Jersey girls will need the same type of effort in 2010 to make a repeat effort. Newly-hired coach Rick Stainton is trying to balance the scoreboard watching with the performance on the field.
"We don't put the pressure of the standings on the players,” said Stainton after his club’s 2-1 home loss to Chicago on Sunday. “But as coaches, we're watching and looking at it.”
It’s safe to say that the stretch run of WPS will be jam-packed full of intrigue. Each game has the utmost importance and can flip the table upside down depending on a single result.
So many questions will be left unanswered until the final week of the season, for sure. Will Atlanta race back from its seemingly hopeless season? Will the Boston Breakers have another collapse like its 2009 season? Will Chicago figure out the medium between strong defending and clutch scoring to string wins together? Can Philadelphia hold onto second? And on and on they go.
A question for readers is: Who do you think will finish in the top four when WPS’ second regular season concludes on Sept. 11?
Goal of the Week
Johanna Rasmussen, Atlanta Beat -- As good as this goal was, the through ball, courtesy of Aya Miyama, was just as impressive. Miyama gathered the ball just shy of midfield in the Beat’s defensive half in the 20th minute. After settling, she send a slightly-elevated, bending through ball into Rasmussen’s feet.
Miyama’s through ball took two small skips on the turf before the Danish international player settled it with her left foot, took a touch toward goal and placed an unstoppable shot into the far, upper 90 for the Beat’s first goal in a 3-2 win over the DC Freedom on July 28.
Here’s a look at the goal:
Save of the Week
Hope Solo, Atlanta Beat -- It was tough to pick just one save from Solo in her performance on Sunday against the Gold Pride. However, I could zone into one match-up -- Kelley O’Hara vs. Solo.
In the first half, O’Hara headed down a cross from Shannon Boxx at goal. Solo was quick on her feet to shuffle over and dive to bat the ball off the goal line before it could cross over for the goal.
And in the second half, O’Hara got the ball on the left flank and cut the ball into the middle -- which she’s making a habit of doing with great success -- to unload a hard-hit right-footed shot for the far post. Again, Solo was quick to react and laid out to save the shot.
Have a look at both saves here:
Quote of the Week
“We really can’t put our finger on what’s the problem,” from well-decorated United States women’s national team and Washington Freedom striker Abby Wambach.
Wambach’s disbelief and confusion came after the Freedom lost its fifth straight match, a 3-1 drubbing by the Boston Breakers on July 31. But Wambach may be on to something here. What really is the problem? Offense isn’t scoring; defense isn’t stopping anyone; coaching isn’t putting the team in a position to win; so what could it be?
It seems it could be the whole operation. But they’re still in the playoff hunt so it’s tough to say blow the whole thing up and start anew. My suggestion: Stick with it and see if you can break out of it DC. But should you drop more than six points out of a playoff spot, then make the change.
Goal.com contributer Giovanni Albanese Jr. covers FC Gold Pride for Tri-City Voice newspaper in Fremont, Calif. For all comments and questions you can contact him at GAlbaneseJr@hotmail.com or on Twitter @GAlbaneseJr.
For more on Women's Professional Soccer, visit Goal.com's WPS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
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