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Knapp Notes: Sol Leading WPS
Week three of WPS action is underway. Three games will be played this Saturday. The only team that gets a break is Los Angeles. And with the Sol sitting a top the league, it's a much deserved break. Kathryn L. Knapp takes a look at how things are going so far.
Apr 9, 2009 12:06:08 AM
Well folks… we’re now three weeks into the WPS season. Four games have been played. So far, so good. Here are a few of my observations from the first two weeks.
TEAM TO BEAT – LOS ANGELES
Ok… so only one team has played two games. Is it really fair to pick a team to run away with it all? Nah. But statistically speaking, the Los Angeles Sol is the team to beat. The Sol has won its first two matches by a 2-0 margin. So they’ve now outscored opponents four to zero. It’s impressive. The best part is - the goals have been scored by three different players. Everyone expected Brazilian sensation Marta to run away with the scoring… but she’s only scored half of LA’s goals. And it only took her 132 minutes to get one into the net. But tallying two in three minutes, that’s a hard one to beat.
And not only that… but LA is running away with the league’s attendance. Over 20,000 fans have attended a Sol game.
BOTTOM OF THE WPS
Four games in, four teams have yet to win a game. You can’t win ‘em all. But these ladies have a bigger task at hand – scoring some goals. St. Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC and Washington Freedom have yet to tally a goal. I know, I know… they’ve only played one game. But we all know how soccer fans love to see goals!! The Boston Breakers may have dropped a 2-1 decision, but Kelly Smith found the back of the net. Expect all the ladies to turn up the offense… once they get a bit more settled.
DEFENSE ANYONE?
When I think of dominating women’s soccer… I think of high-scoring games. I remember sitting in the stands at Soldier Field June 24, 1999. I remember watching the U.S. Women score once… twice… three times. Before I knew it they had topped Nigeria by a 7-1 margin. I was dumbfounded. To this day, it was one of the most exciting games I’ve seen. So I figured all women’s games would be high scoring. Obviously they are not. The WPS games are a pure example of that. These ladies defend just as hard as they attack. They’re relentless and know how to sneak by a stalwart defender or stop a sneaky attacker. It’s entertaining soccer. These games have been hard-fought and won by no more than two goals. As a matter of fact, only one game didn’t end in a shutout – FC Gold Pride’s 2-1 win over Boston.
SUCCESS IN SAINT LOUIS
Saturday, I drove to Saint Louis (Edwardsville, Ill.) for the Atheltica vs. Chicago Red Stars game. Aside from a boring drive (except for horses, cows and an occasional donkey), it was a great night. The atmosphere was electric. Everyone was smiling. All 5,008 fans piled into SIU’s Korte Stadium. The crowd was standing room only. And the game was fun. It was an intimate environment, which allowed the fans to be up close and personal with the players. Over 100 Red Stars fans made the trip down. And after the game, the ladies were gracious meeting and greeting their fans with smiles on their faces. I heard fans mention they were surprised at the quality of soccer. I must admit, I myself was impressed with the play. The teams battled it out for 90 minutes. There was no stopping. I have no doubt that all 5,008 of those fans will venture out to another game at some point in time.
WEEK THREE
And now it’s on to week three. There are three games this Saturday. The Los Angeles Sol has a bye week, but everyone else – will be leaving it all on the pitch. It may still be a bit chilly outside… but if you have a spare moment and are in Cambridge, MA, Germantown, MD or Bridgewater, NJ… you may want to go watch some soccer, women’s soccer that is.
- Kathryn L. Knapp, Goal.com
Go to Goal.com's women's soccer section for all the latest about the sport.
TEAM TO BEAT – LOS ANGELES
Ok… so only one team has played two games. Is it really fair to pick a team to run away with it all? Nah. But statistically speaking, the Los Angeles Sol is the team to beat. The Sol has won its first two matches by a 2-0 margin. So they’ve now outscored opponents four to zero. It’s impressive. The best part is - the goals have been scored by three different players. Everyone expected Brazilian sensation Marta to run away with the scoring… but she’s only scored half of LA’s goals. And it only took her 132 minutes to get one into the net. But tallying two in three minutes, that’s a hard one to beat.
And not only that… but LA is running away with the league’s attendance. Over 20,000 fans have attended a Sol game.
BOTTOM OF THE WPS
Four games in, four teams have yet to win a game. You can’t win ‘em all. But these ladies have a bigger task at hand – scoring some goals. St. Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC and Washington Freedom have yet to tally a goal. I know, I know… they’ve only played one game. But we all know how soccer fans love to see goals!! The Boston Breakers may have dropped a 2-1 decision, but Kelly Smith found the back of the net. Expect all the ladies to turn up the offense… once they get a bit more settled.
DEFENSE ANYONE?
When I think of dominating women’s soccer… I think of high-scoring games. I remember sitting in the stands at Soldier Field June 24, 1999. I remember watching the U.S. Women score once… twice… three times. Before I knew it they had topped Nigeria by a 7-1 margin. I was dumbfounded. To this day, it was one of the most exciting games I’ve seen. So I figured all women’s games would be high scoring. Obviously they are not. The WPS games are a pure example of that. These ladies defend just as hard as they attack. They’re relentless and know how to sneak by a stalwart defender or stop a sneaky attacker. It’s entertaining soccer. These games have been hard-fought and won by no more than two goals. As a matter of fact, only one game didn’t end in a shutout – FC Gold Pride’s 2-1 win over Boston.
SUCCESS IN SAINT LOUIS
Saturday, I drove to Saint Louis (Edwardsville, Ill.) for the Atheltica vs. Chicago Red Stars game. Aside from a boring drive (except for horses, cows and an occasional donkey), it was a great night. The atmosphere was electric. Everyone was smiling. All 5,008 fans piled into SIU’s Korte Stadium. The crowd was standing room only. And the game was fun. It was an intimate environment, which allowed the fans to be up close and personal with the players. Over 100 Red Stars fans made the trip down. And after the game, the ladies were gracious meeting and greeting their fans with smiles on their faces. I heard fans mention they were surprised at the quality of soccer. I must admit, I myself was impressed with the play. The teams battled it out for 90 minutes. There was no stopping. I have no doubt that all 5,008 of those fans will venture out to another game at some point in time.
WEEK THREE
And now it’s on to week three. There are three games this Saturday. The Los Angeles Sol has a bye week, but everyone else – will be leaving it all on the pitch. It may still be a bit chilly outside… but if you have a spare moment and are in Cambridge, MA, Germantown, MD or Bridgewater, NJ… you may want to go watch some soccer, women’s soccer that is.
- Kathryn L. Knapp, Goal.com
Go to Goal.com's women's soccer section for all the latest about the sport.
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