Month: July 2012

soccer

AmWoSo (W-League, WPSL) Power Rankings: July 10 — Playoffs??!!

Posted on by Beau Dure

By this time next week, we may know all our playoff teams. Instead of an “Also considered” this week, we’re going to look at the playoff races.

The big results this week: New England’s (controversial?) win over Boston, Atlanta’s draw at VSI Tampa.

1. Pali Blues (12-0-1, W-League Western; Last Week: 1) – roster
5-0 and 2-0 over the visiting Colorado teams. Last up in regular season: Sunday showdown with Seattle.

2. Chicago Red Stars (9-2-0, WPSL Elite; LW: 3) – roster
Slight struggle to beat Philadelphia 1-0. Remaining schedule is tough: Home vs. Western New York, then at New England and at New York.

3. Boston Breakers (9-3-0, WPSL Elite; LW: 2) – roster
Took care of business against Chesapeake 3-1 and seemed to be in control the next day against New England before conceding two very late goals and losing 2-1. Reminder: One of their losses (to Western New York) is on a technicality over player registration.

4. Western New York Flash (7-1-3, WPSL Elite; LW: 4) – roster
Beat Chesapeake 4-0. They haven’t played a pro team since June 13; Chicago and Boston await in their last two.

5. New York Fury (7-3-1, WPSL Elite; LW: 5) – roster
Practically clinched a playoff spot with 4-0 win over New England.

6. Seattle Sounders Women (8-2-1, W-League Western; LW: 6) – roster
No trouble with Victoria in home finale. The last week features a five-day, three-game California swing ending at Pali.

7. D.C. United Women (10-0-1, W-League Atlantic; LW: 7) – roster
Trounced Dayton 4-1 to clinch home field in the divisional playoffs.

8. New England Mutiny (4-5-2, WPSL Elite; LW: 9) – roster
The 4-0 loss at New York was deflating, but with two late goals vs. Boston, the Mutiny became the first amateur team to beat the pros in the Elite.

9. Ottawa Fury (10-1-0, W-League Central; LW: 10) – roster
3-2 over Laval; 1-0 over Toronto. Clinched first place in Central even though they have bye to Final Four as hosts.

10. Atlanta Silverbacks (8-0-3, W-League Southeast; LW: 8) – roster
Draw on Florida road trip leaves team needing a result this weekend in Charlotte.

11. Charlotte Lady Eagles (8-1-2, W-League Southeast; LW: 12) – roster
Held off Central SC Cobras 2-1 to set up showdown with Silverbacks.

12. Long Island Rough Riders (7-3-0, W-League Northeast; LW: NR) – roster
After two 1-0 wins over New York, the Rough Riders left a little less doubt in the teams’ third meeting of the season, winning 6-2 on Sunday.

Read on for the playoff picture:

Continue reading →

5
soccer

Sauerbrunn’s sendoff, Sullivan’s smashing debut and a JoLi party

Posted on by Beau Dure

Scenes from D.C. United Women’s home regular-season finale at the Maryland SoccerPlex, in which DCU beat Dayton 4-1 and clinched home field for the W-League East playoffs:

1. Becky Sauerbrunn, the one-time “iron woman” of WPS who had played every minute for the Plex-residing Washington Freedom through 2009 and 2010, played her fourth and final game with D.C. United Women this season. She seemed to be cursed in her previous games. DCU Women needed a late goal to beat Dayton 3-2 in May, and Virginia Beach handed DCU its only tie in June. This time, DCU dominated the first half but only got one goal to show for it, then went in level at 1-1 when Dayton scrambled in an equalizer in stoppage time. But the curse was broken in a big way.

Here, she talks about her season, prospects for pro women’s soccer going forward, MLS involvement in women’s soccer, and Lauren Cheney’s non-British pregame music selection. Seriously — no Knights of Cydonia?

2. The DCU roster got even better this week with the addition of U.S. Under-17 player Andi Sullivan. The Bethesda SC player just finished her season in the ECNL, and to put it mildly, she didn’t seem intimidated facing older opposition in the W-League. She created several chances down the right wing, including one for herself when she sliced into the middle and ripped a shot just wide, and she scored from a holding midfield slot later in the game.

3. DCU teammates Joanna Lohman and Lianne Sanderson are continuing their work with JoLi Academy, with plans to return to India in January. Sanderson scored the game’s first goal. Here, Lohman talks about the Academy and her “shot” during the game.

Dayton — starting a murderous five-day, four-game swing through the sauna of Northern Virginia — defended well through the first half and managed to scramble the ball into the goal on one of its few chances. But once a team like DCU gets rolling, it’s very hard to stop.

Atlanta had drawn with VSI Tampa Flames earlier in the evening, which meant DCU’s win clinched home field for the Eastern playoffs.

The results also saved the W-League from an absurd situation.

In the current W-League playoff format, the three division winners in the East make the playoffs. The division winner with the best record is the top seed. The wild-card team is the team that finished second in the division with the top seed. So it could be in a second-place team’s best interest to make sure the first-place team has the best record.

This hypothetical problem so nearly became reality. Had Atlanta run the table — not that winning at Charlotte next weekend will be easy — the Silverbacks would’ve finished up their season this coming Saturday around 7:30 p.m. with 32 points. DCU has 31. So Virginia Beach, the second-place team behind DCU in the Atlantic, would have to hope DCU won its final game or at least drew and earned a tie-breaking edge.

The problem with that? DCU’s finale is at 8 p.m. Saturday … at Virginia Beach. So if Atlanta had won out, Virginia Beach would have entered its season finale at home knowing that a win or possibly even a draw would eliminate it from the playoffs. Lose, and the Piranhas would be in.

Crisis averted, but clearly, this playoff format can’t stand next year.

Fortunately, we don’t have to worry about that. Virginia Beach can focus on keeping second place and a playoff spot — the Piranhas’ Sunday game with third-place Fredericksburg has been postponed. And DCU can prep for the playoffs.

1
soccer

AmWoSo (W-League, WPSL) Power Rankings: July 3

Posted on by Beau Dure

Not much action this week outside the top three. The big results were in the Boston-Chicago game and on Seattle’s road swing through Colorado.

1. Pali Blues (10-0-1, W-League Western; Last Week: 1) – roster
Survived challenge from Vancouver, winning 2-1. Colorado teams visit this week.

2. Boston Breakers (8-2-0, WPSL Elite; LW: 3) – roster
Won the big showdown with Chicago 1-0.

3. Chicago Red Stars (8-2-0, WPSL Elite; LW: 2) – roster
Lost at Boston.

4. Western New York Flash (6-1-3, WPSL Elite; LW: 4) – roster
In the midst of a long break.

5. New York Fury (6-3-1, WPSL Elite; LW: 5) – roster
Squeaked past ASA Chesapeake Charge 1-0.

6. Seattle Sounders Women (7-2-1, W-League Western; LW: 6) – roster
Split games on Colorado trip, losing 1-0 to Rapids and beating Rush 4-1.

7. D.C. United Women (9-0-1, W-League Atlantic; LW: 7) – roster
Clinched division title and remained in lead for home-field with wins over Northern Virginia and Fredericksburg.

8. Atlanta Silverbacks (7-0-2, W-League Southeast; LW: 8) – roster
Idle. Must make the grueling two-game, two-day Florida swing this week.

9. New England Mutiny (3-4-2, WPSL Elite; LW: 9) – roster
Idle last week; must make its playoff charge this week.

10. Ottawa Fury (8-1-0, W-League Central; LW: 12) – roster
Avenged sole loss with 3-0 win over Hamilton.

11. Colorado Rush (5-3-1, W-League Western; LW: 10) – roster
Lost to Sounders 4-1.

12. Charlotte Lady Eagles (7-1-2, W-League Southeast; LW: 11) – roster
Idle

ALSO CONSIDERED (alphabetical order)

Beach Futbol Club (3-1-0, WPSL Pacific South) – roster
Idle — will finish six-game regular season with two games Saturday and Sunday.

FC Dallas (8-0-0, WPSL Big Sky South) – roster
Stunner – lost 4-2 at Oklahoma Football Club.

Laval Comets (5-2-2, W-League Central) – roster
Lost 1-0 to Quebec

Long Island Rough Riders (7-3-0, W-League Northeast) – roster
Won 6-0 over New Jersey Rangers. (Not Wildcats.)

New Jersey Wildcats (5-2-2, W-League Northeast) – roster
Won 3-1 over New York. Will likely have to catch Rough Riders and win division to make playoffs. Won’t play again until playing three in four days July 11-14.

San Diego SeaLions (5-0-0, WPSL Pacific South) – roster
Idle — will face Beach FC on Sunday with division at stake.

Toronto Lady Lynx (5-3-1, W-League Central) – roster
Idle

Virginia Beach Piranhas (4-2-3, W-League Atlantic) – roster
Idle

GAMES TO WATCH (times Eastern and possibly incorrect)

Tuesday, July 3
WPSL Elite: New England Mutiny at New York Fury; 7 p.m.; Hofstra Univ.

Saturday, July 7
WPSL Elite: Boston Breakers at New England Mutiny; 6 p.m.; East Longmeadow, Mass.

Sunday, July 8
W-League Atlantic: Virginia Beach Piranhas at Fredericksburg Impact, 5 p.m.; Fredericksburg, Va. (possible playoff berth on the line)

0