WPS: Something’s missing for women’s league’s second season
by Steve Davis on Apr 9, 2010 9:22 AM EDT
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By Scott French
Women’s Professional Soccer’s second season kicks off Saturday, and there’s a lot that’s new: clubs in Initially, at least, the focus is on what’s missing. The Los Angeles Sol, the league’s best team for most of the first season and ultimately the WPS runner-up, suspended operations in late January after the league was unable to find new ownership. WPS took control of the club in November from initial owners Anschutz Entertainment Group, which planned all along to drop out after season one, and Blue Star, LLC, which lacked the financial backing to go alone. Two months of negotiations with a local party fell apart in the "11th hour," reported Commissioner Tonya Antonucci, who hopes the Sol can return to the field in 2011. The Sol’s players were distributed throughout the league, with big prize Marta going to FC Gold Pride in a bidding process that preceded the Feb. 4 dispersal draft. The Sol’s other big name, holding midfielder Shannon Boxx, went to the Saint Louis Athletica with the first pick in the dispersal draft. Saint Louis, which under Brazilian coach Jorge Barcellos finished second to the Sol and lost in the semifinals to WPS champ Sky Blue FC, strengthened its roster with several high-profile additions and heads into the new season as title favorite. Sky Blue’s stunning postseason run was led by U.S. national team captain Christie Rampone, who had taken over as interim coach after Ian Sawyers was dismissed following a physical altercation with forward Natasha Kai and successor Kelly Lindsey resigned abruptly just before the playoffs. Sky Blue edged the Washington Freedom and Rampone, it turned out, was pregnant during the playoff run; she gave birth to her second daughter on March 6. Her plan all along was to return to the Sky Blue backline, but she had no interest in continuing as coach; former Finnish national-teamer Pauliina Miettinen, a standout striker for NCAA D2 power Franklin Pierce in the 1980s, has taken charge. The Atlanta Beat and Philadelphia Independence join the league as the seventh and eighth teams, and they’ve built their rosters through the expansion draft, trades and signing free agents. Read on for much more, including team-by-team previews, Best 11 selections and predictions
Heath, striker Lauren Cheney, who joined
Washington will play host to
The Sky Blue-Chicago game will be shown on Fox Soccer Channel at 6 p.m. ET.
ATLANTA BEAT
2009: Expansion team
Coach: Gareth O’Sullivan
Top players: F Ramona Backmann (
From the Sol: M Katie Larkin, M Manya Makoski, M McCall Zerboni
Outlook: The Beat arrives with the same name as its WUSA predecessor, a new stadium and a bit of talent, led by former Florida State All-American Mami Yamaguchi, the 2007 MAC Hermann Trophy winner. Irish coach Gareth O’Sullivan guided
Home field:
BOSTON BREAKERS
2009: 7-9-4, 25 points (fifth place)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Top players: F Lauren Cheney, D Amy LePeilbet, M Kristine Lilly, M Leslie Osborne, M/F Kelly Smith (
From the Sol: D Stephanie Cox, M Liz Bogus
Outlook: The reconstituted Breakers, one of two returning teams from the WUSA, underachieved last year, but former U.S. women’s national team coach Tony DiCicco has brought in some top players, highlighted by central midfielder Leslie Osborne and UCLA striker Lauren Cheney. A healthy Kelly Smith would take
Home field: Harvard Stadium,
CHICAGO RED STARS
2009: 5-10-5, 20 points (sixth place)
Coach: Emma Hayes
Top players: F Kosovare Asslani (
From the Sol: F Casey Nogueira
Outlook: The Red Stars might have been the most disappointing first-year team, struggling to score goals despite the presences of Cristiane and Lindsay Tarpley. Cristiane is fit (unlike last year), Tarpley is gone (to Saint Louis) and Kate Markgraf arrives after skipping the first season to have twins, but the big acquisition is midfielder Formiga, FC Gold Pride’s best player in season one.
Home field:
FC GOLD PRIDE
2009: 4-10-6, 18 points (seventh place)
Coach: Albertin Montoya
Top players: G Nicole Barnhart, M Solveig Gulbrandsen (
From the Sol: M Camille Abily (
Outlook: The Bay Area’s team got the biggest prize in the dispersal of Sol players, outbidding its rivals for MVP and scoring champ Marta (which forced the release of Formiga, strictly a budget decision). Also coming from
Home fields: Castro Valley Athletic Stadium,
PHILADELPHIA
2009: Expansion team
Coach: Paul Riley
Top players: M Lori Lindsey, D Heather Mitts, F Amy Rodriguez, F Caroline Seger (
From the Sol: D Allison Falk, G Val Henderson, D Estelle Johnson, G Karina LeBlanc (
Outlook: The expansion
Home field: John A. Farrell Stadium,
SAINT LOUIS ATHLETICA
2009: 10-6-4, 34 points (second place; lost in semifinal)
Coach: Jorge Barcellos
Top players: F Eniola Aluko, M/D Lori Chalupny, M Daniela (
From the Sol: M Shannon Boxx, M Tina DiMartino, M Aya Miyama (
Outlook: Jorge Barcellos’ side played perhaps the nicest soccer in year one, and the additions of midfielders Shannon Boxx and Aya Miyama from the Sol and of forward Lindsay Tarpley and the return of Daniela, both coming off knee injuries, has greatly improved the roster. Much will be expected from first-year standouts Hope Solo, Tina Ellertson and Eniola Aluko, but how well Lori Chalupny can overcome concussion syndrome may determine Athletica’s fate.
Home field:
SKY BLUE FC
2009: 7-8-5, 26 points (fourth place, 3-0-0 in playoffs to win WPS title)
Coach: Pauliina Miettinen
Top players: D Anita Asante (
From the Sol: M/F Kiersten Dallstream
Outlook:
Home field: Yurcak Field,
WASHINGTON FREEDOM
2009: 8-7-5, 29 points (third place, lost in quarterfinal)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Top players: M Sonia Bompastor (
From the Sol: D/M/F Brittany Bock
Outlook: The Freedom, survivors from the WUSA, has WPS’s most productive attack last year, and Abby Wambach, coming off a broken leg, didn’t find her form until the end of the season. She has the ability to dominate in this league, and how well she connects with Sonia Bompastor, Homare Sawa, Lisa De Vanna and Norwegian newcomer Lene Mykajaland will be telling.
Home fields:
ALL-WPS PRESEASON TEAM
G: Hope Solo (
D: Anita
D: Tina Ellerton (
D: Amy LePeilbet (
M: Camille Abily (FC Gold Pride)
M: Sonia Bompastor (
M: Shannon Boxx (
M: Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC)
F: Cristiane (Chicago)
F: Marta (FC Gold Pride)
F: Abby Wambach (Washington)
MVP: Abby Wambach (Washington)
Rookie of the Year: Lauren Cheney (
Coach of the Year: Jorge Barcellos (
Defensive Player of the Year: Tina Ellertson (
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
1
2
3 Sky Blue FC
4
5
6 FC Gold Pride
7
8
Playoffs
Quarterfinal: Sky Blue FC over
Semifinal: Sky Blue FC over
Final:
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First intelligent predictions I've seen for WPS all year...
WHO ARE WE??? STL!!!!
'I would not be bothered if we lost every game as long as we won the league.'
MARK VIDUKA
Let's see
Soccer = fringe sport in US moving up to small dog in the pack
+
women’s team sports = not exactly big in US
= Let’s start a PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE Good Idea?
I would be a lot more likely to see Women’s baseball than Women’s soccer (which wouldn’t be very likely). Not sure what the logic for this league was.
I think
its partly because the women’s college game is so popular and much bigger than the men’s at least in terms of numbers of major universities that have them.
by the12thman11 on Apr 12, 2010 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions
