PRESS RELEASE
HAMMAM DEFIES FIFA
KUALA LUMPUR, THURS - The embattled President of the Asian Football Confederation, Mohamed bin Hammam, has defied FIFA and rejected their instruction to re-instate the voting rights of five countries who were banned from taking part in the May 8 AFC Congress.
The impending ban on the five nations – some of whom had given their allegiance to Hammam’s challenger for the FIFA seat Sheikh Salman Al-Khalifa -- was decided by AFC’s ad-hoc Legal Committee that was formed early this year.
The Legal Committee was one of three Standing Committees removed from the list at the 2007 AFC Congress. The others were Medical, and the Ethics & Fairplay Committees.
The AFC president’s defiance is reflected in the inclusion of this voting issue in the agenda for the May 7 AFC Executive Committee meeting.
Junji Ogura from Japan, a member of FIFA’s 23-man ruling committee said last night: “The AFC President completely ignores FIFA’s opinion and that should never be tolerated. He was even quoted in an Arabic newspaper to have said that while he would obey the rules of FIFA, he would not practise the FIFA’s legal opinion this time.”
Despite FIFA clearing the five nations – Afghanistan, Mongolia, Laos, Timor Leste, and Kuwait – to vote, Hammam has put up the voting issue for discussion and decision under Proposals and Matters for Decision in the agenda.
Item E.1 will be to decide on the eligibility of vote of Afghanistan, Laos, and Timor Leste. Item E.2 will determine the status of FIFA World Cup qualification matches, and E.3 will determine the status and recognition of the Kuwait Football Association.
While Afghanistan, Laos, Mongolia and Timor Leste face voting bans for not fulfilling the minimum requirement of participation in at least three tournaments in two years, Kuwait are expected to be shut out for being an interim body.
The ad-hoc Legal Committee, through video conferencing on April 7, concluded that the Festivals of Football Under-13 and Under-14, and the FIFA World Cup qualifiers do not constitute Confederation tournaments.
Laos, Timor Leste, and Afghanistan are contesting that the Festival of Football tournaments are valid, while Mongolia is fighting to validate the World Cup qualifying matches as Confederation tournaments.
On April 22, FIFA’s Legal Department verified all these tournaments as valid.
But FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valkcke in a letter to Ogura dated April 27 clearly stated that one, the ad-hoc Legal Committee has “no competence to take any decision with legal effect” and secondly it’s up to the AFC Congress to decide about voting rights of member associations.
“Neither the AFC Executive Committee nor any other AFC Committee has the power to decide about such issues,” re-iterated Valkcke.
“The Congress as the supreme authority of AFC (Art. 9.1 of the AFC Statutes) is the body to decide about voting rights.
Sheikh Salman, vice-chairman of FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee for the last six years, said:
“This is symptomatic of how Mr. Bin Hammam seeks to dominate Asian football in his undemocratic way. Yet again he is using doubtful techniques to disrupt the AFC’s most important election in many years. He seems prepared to do anything to gain an advantage – instead of confronting his record in power.” 
________________________________________________________________________
April 30th, 2009
Released on behalf of Asian Football Watch. For further information please contact GEORGE DAS by email: george@pro-sports.biz
Image courtesy of Triad Publications.
"Steve, sometimes I wake up from a dream,
and I am crying. I am dreaming that
I am back
Please read "My Friend Who Played with Pelé."
Global Goal Videos and Highlights. Major European League Videos at the Bottom of the Blog.
Recently Featured Articles
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Mohamed bin Hammam Defies FIFA by George Das of Asian Football Watch
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
WPS Weekly by Rob Penner, Communications Director of WPS
WPS Weekly – Tuesday, April 28 by Rob Penner
Freedom-Pride Week 5 Thriller Set for Primetime Re-Air on FSC
The signature game so far of the young WPS season – a thrilling 4-3 victory by the Washington Freedom in stoppage time over the FC Gold Pride – has been designated as an instant classic and will be re-aired in primetime by Fox Soccer Channel on Friday, May 1 at 11pm EST/8pm Pacific. The game featured an explosion of goals in the last 20 minutes and several exciting offensive plays throughout the match.
“We are pleased that our fans have another primetime opportunity to watch this game on Fox Soccer Channel,” said Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. “The quality of soccer in WPS has been tremendous so far in the first five weeks and this game was indicative of what we’ve seen. Both teams turned in a tremendous performance on the field.”
Weekend Report
Ending their three-game winning streak, the Los Angeles Sol came away with their first draw of the season in a 0-0 match against Saint Louis Athletica, Saturday, April 25. The game came down to the keepers, with Saint Louis Athletica’s Hope Solo closing down Aly Wagner’s penalty kick in the 73rd minute and Sol goalkeeper, Karina LeBlanc maintaining her blank slate for the season on a blocked penalty kick from Lori Chalupny in the 83rd minute. Angie Woznuk nearly scored in the closing minutes of the game for Saint Louis with an upper left shot. However, LeBlanc made a spectacular reaching save to secure the 0-0 tie.
After a nil-nil tie with Sky Blue FC two weekends ago, the Chicago Red Stars came out with avengeance on Saturday and smashed the Boston Breakers. In a 4-0 match, the Red Stars offense hit its rhythm with goals from Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, Karen Carney and Brittany Klein, who also notched two assists during the game. Chicago outshot Boston 20-8. The Breakers were only able to create some late scoring opportunities, but Chicago keeper, Caroline Jonsson secured her third shutout this season.
Abby Wambach posted her long-awaited first goal of the season in the Washington Freedom’s 4-3 victory over FC Gold Pride, Sunday, April 26. However, Wambach did not stop there. She later secured the game-clinching goal with a header off of Cat Whitehill’s free kick, the same play that resulted in her first goal, in the 90th minute of the match. The Freedom and FC Gold Pride headed into the second half with a 1-1 tie, but Washington soon put away two goals from Lori Lindsey and Allie Long. The Bay Area responded with two goals in a twelve minute span of play to tie the match before Wambach scored the game-winner.
Line Up Notables
Karina LeBlanc and Hope Solo played significant roles in the Los Angeles Sol vs. Saint Louis Athletica tie match, Saturday. Each posted a penalty kick save and closed down every opportunity the other team had for a goal. The game also saw LeBlanc secure her fourth shut out this season.
The Washington Freedom’s Abby Wambach tallied not one, but two goals, on Sunday against FC Gold Pride to get on the score sheet for the first time this season. With two outstanding headers right past Bay Area keeper, Nicole Barnhart, and an assist to Lori Lindsey, Wambach was the most notable player of this match.
Chicago Red Stars midfielder, Brittany Klein, posted a goal and two assists in her team’s 4-0 victory over Boston. Klein generated outstanding offensive play for the Red Stars, scoring the fourth goal and assisting Megan Rapinoe and Karen Carney. She helped lead her team forward into the second place of league standings.
Quotables From Notables:
A few words from players and coaches…
“Everyone can say there’s a monkey on my back, I do want to score goals for my team but most importantly I want to win games,” said Abby Wambach. “There are still some things to work on – defensively we had a few break downs. We put some goals in the back of the net today and that’s a big reason why we came out on top today.”
“It was a very difficult game and we had very good chances. Goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc made huge saves for the team,” said Los Angeles Sol head coach Abner Rogers. “It was a physical game and St. Louis had that edge on us. Overall, it was a very exciting game for the fans.”
“I don’t think she struck it very well,” said Hope Solo on Aly Wagner’s missed penalty kick. “Nevertheless I was going to my right.”
“Chicago was better in every aspect of the game,” said Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco on the Red Stars thrashing Saturday. “We have to extract the lessons learned from this game and get better.”
“The whole week we have been working on our final third play and our finishing,” said Chicago head coach Emma Hayes. “All week the press has asked me about our wonderful goal scorers and where have they been; they came and played tonight. I thought they turned it on not just with some quality moments but I’m talking about world class finishes.”
WPS Player of the Week: Week 5
Washington midfielder Abby Wambach has been chosen WPS Player of the Week for Week 5 after scoring two goals, including the stoppage-time winner, in visiting Freedom's 4-3 thriller over FC Gold Pride.
Wambach netted her first two goals of the season, both on headers, sending the Freedom to an 18th-minute lead, then nodding home Cat Whitehill's free kick in the second minute of stoppage to give Washington its first victory. The decisive goal settled a back-and-forth encounter in which Gold Pride twice rallied from deficits to pull even, the last time in the 83rd minute.
The WPS Player of the Week award is voted upon by a panel of journalists who cover WPS from the North American Soccer Reporters. The league will announce a WPS Player of the Month for April on May 1 at www.womensprosoccer.com.
April WPS Player of the Month Voting begins
WPS began its April Player of the Month voting for fans, media and teams. The nominees come from the WPS Player of the Week winners and any write-in selections are also accepted. Fans can vote at http://fancorner.womensprosoccer.com/ with votes closing on Thursday, April 30. The winning player will be announced on the league website on May 1.
WPS Players by State27 of the 50 states are represented by American players in WPS, with California, Illinois, and New York ranking highest in amount of players on WPS rosters (including developmental players).
Abby Calls Mia (reprinted from www.womensprosoccer.com)
No player should be taken to task for not scoring three matches into a new league, especially after major surgery, but the whispers were starting to get louder about Abby Wambach. It wasn’t only that she had not scored, but that she had come so close, never more so than a penalty kick telegraphed for Breakers goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill two weeks ago.
“It’s weird what you do, especially as a goalscorer, when you’re not scoring goals,” Wambach said after scoring twice on Sunday. “You over think it. You go out early and shoot a thousand balls in the week before games. I did everything that I possibly could to prepare myself. Ironically, all I had to do this past week was call Mia.”
Mia, of course, is Mia Hamm, all-time leading international goalscorer, WPS logo inspiration, and former teammate of Wambach on the National Team and the WUSA Freedom.
“She gave me a lot of really great things to listen to, to think about,” Wambach said. “Whenever you’re in a slump or not playing to what your potential is, you have to reach out to the people you trust, and she is obviously one of those people for me. She told me a lot of things in terms of not putting too much pressure on myself, having to feel like you have to win games by yourself because this is a team sport.”
Goals by the Numbers
Goal-o-Rama: Prior to Week 5, WPS had 19 total goals in 10 games before 11 goals were scored in two of the three games this past weekend for a total of 30 goals in WPS and an average of 2.31 goals per game through Week 5 of the 2009 WPS Season.
Top Scorers – Los Angeles Sol’s Marta (3), Boston Breakers’ Kelly Smith (3)
Goals by Team – Boston Breakers (6), FC Gold Pride (6), Chicago Red Stars (6), Washington Freedom (6), Los Angeles Sol (5), Sky Blue FC (1), Saint Louis Athletica (0)
Total Goals – 30 goals scored since WPS Inaugural Match on March 29, 2009 with an average of 2.3 goals per game.
Quickest Goal in League Play: Allison Falk in 6th minute of WPS Inaugural Match, Los Angeles Sol vs. Washington Freedom (3/29/09)
Quickest back-to-back goals by one team: 2 goals in 3 minutes – 42nd minute, 45th minute – from Marta in Los Angeles Sol vs. Sky Blue FC match (4/5/09)
Most Goals in One Game by one team: 4, Washington Freedom 4-3 FC Gold Pride (4/26/09) and Chicago Red Stars 4-0 Boston Breakers (4/25/09)
Most Goals in One Game by both teams: 7, Washington Freedom 4-3 FC Gold Pride (4/26/09)
Most Goals in a Game by a player: 2, Marta (Los Angeles Sol – 4/5/09), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom – 4/26/09)
Longest Scoring Drought: 270 minutes over 3 games, Saint Louis Athletica
Soccer Hall of Fame Receives Inaugural WPS Match Ball
Oneonta, NY – The National Soccer Hall of Fame has received the First Goal Ball from the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) Inaugural Match played on Sunday, March 29th between the Los Angeles Sol and the Washington Freedom at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. Allison Falk of the Sol scored on a header in the 6th minute of the game off a free kick from the right wing played by Aya Miyama. Also arriving with the First Goal Ball were the official line-up cards submitted by each coach prior to the game.
WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci, who presented the ball in pre-game to Hall of Famer Mia Hamm, said: “The WPS is taking the first step in creating a new history in women’s soccer. By sending this ball to Oneonta, we memorialize the first goal in WPS history. The league looks forward to creating more moments of history for American soccer and to contributing more memorabilia to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.”
The WPS Match Ball will go on display in early May.
The June 20 game between the Chicago Red Stars and Boston Breakers at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL, has been rescheduled. The game will now be played on June 21 at 7:00 pm CT (8:00pm EST) at Toyota Park. The league website at www.womensprosoccer.com has all the latest times and schedules for the 2009 WPS Season.
The Weekly Forecast
Saturday, May 2
What a difference one week makes. Going into last weekend’s slate of WPS games, it looked as if the Boston Breakers vs. Los Angeles Sol two-game series at Harvard Stadium and Home Depot Center would be a showdown of the league’s top two teams from the first month of the season. That notion was quickly erased when the Chicago Red Stars stormed to a 4-0 win over the Breakers in the most lopsided game of the young WPS Season thus far. Instead, Boston will be looking to re-assert their standing as one of the premier teams in WPS against the league-leading Sol in the first of two games between the clubs in a Champions League-style home and away series set for Boston on May 2 and Los Angeles May 10. Boston will get back the services of WPS Player of the Month nominee Kelly Smith, who sat out last weekend’s game, after being called up for national team duty, while Los Angeles will have playmakers Marta, Han Duan and Camille Abily back in the line-up after they played in international friendlies last weekend. The young Los Angeles Sol defense, which has yet to give up a goal, will be tested by a veteran crew – the likes of which they have yet to see this season: standout Smith, experienced Kristina Lilly and top scorer for the U.S. at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Angela Hucles. The Breakers defense, which was shelled for four goals, will have to shore itself up – especially on the left side where three of the Chicago goals originated. Following the two game series, the Breakers and Sol don’t play again until the final week of the WPS Regular Season.
Sunday, May 3The Washington Freedom return to the Maryland SoccerPlex with its first win under its belt and a jolt of confidence from a thrilling 4-3 victory over FC Gold Pride in Santa Clara, CA. The Sunday national television game against Saint Louis Athletica will be the fourth time in six weeks that the Freedom will be featured on FSC, with Saint Louis making its first appearance in front of a national television audience. Despite the win, the Freedom will have to firm up its defense. They’ve given up nine goals on the season, the most in the league, for an average of more than two goals per game. Saint Louis has yet to score but it hasn’t been for lack of opportunities. They have notched an impressive 46 shots in three games and U.S. National team stalwart Lori Chalupny missed a PK against the Los Angeles Sol, as the Athletica nabbed their first points on the WPS season in a scoreless draw. It will be interesting to see which players who started for the Freedom for the first time against FC Gold Pride – KJ Spisak, Jill Gilbeau, Kristen DeDycker and Rebecca Moros – will start again in Jim Gabarra’s re-tooled line-up. For Saint Louis, it’s a question of getting on the board and ending their 270 minute scoreless drought. Even with the arguably the world’s best keeper in Saint Louis’ Hope Solo, no team can thrive without occasional goal scoring.
In the late Sunday game, FC Gold Pride host Sky Blue FC. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw in New Jersey in Week 3 and are the first two teams to play each other for a second time in WPS league history. Albertin Montoya’s Santa Clara-based side can take solace in knowing they fought until the end and looked impressive offensively to tie Washington late, but that doesn’t ease the pain of Abby Wambach’s game-winner for the Freedom in stoppage time as the FC Gold Pride are now staring at a two-game losing streak since playing Sky Blue. Still, they remain one of the most exciting teams on offense in WPS with creativity coming from all over the pitch in Tiffany Weimer, Tiffeny Milbrett, Eriko Arakawa and Christine Sinclair along with exciting overlaps from defenders Leigh Ann Robinson and Kandace Wilson on both sides. Sky Blue FC has been steady if not solid the past three weeks and could be fresh coming off a bye week. They look to Heather O’Reilly for goals but will need contributions from other players in the offensive half to make a move up the WPS ranks. The game marks the return of Ian Sawyers to the Bay Area where he was head coach of the San Jose CyberRays in the WUSA from 2001-2003, being named WUSA Coach of the Year in 2001.
Off Week
Chicago Red Stars are off this weekend.
On TV
The WPS Sunday on FSC match between the Washington Freedom and Saint Louis Athletica will air on the Fox Soccer Channel on Sunday, May 3 at 6 pm ET.
Standings
TEAM W L T GF GA POINTS
Los Angeles Sol 3-0-1 5 0 10
Chicago Red Stars 2-0-2 6 1 8
Boston Breakers 2-2-0 6 7 6
Washington Freedom 1-2-1 6 9 4
FC Gold Pride 1-2-1 6 7 4
Sky Blue FC 0-1-2 1 3 2
Saint Louis Athletica 0-2-1 0 3 1
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Los Angeles Sol Tie Saint Louis Athletica in An Intense Showdown
Karina LeBlanc had her fourth consecutive clean sheet for The Sol.
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Erin Lopez of Leader Enterprises.
LOS ANGELES SOL TIE ST. LOUIS ATHLETICA IN AN INTENSE SHOWDOWN
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – Saturday, April 25, 2009– The Los Angeles Sol (Women’s Professional Soccer) tied the St. Louis Athletica 0-0 on a hot Saturday afternoon at Robert R. Hermann Stadium. The Los Angeles Sol remains undefeated.
“It was a very difficult game and we had very good chances. Goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc made huge saves for the team,” said Los Angeles Sol Head Coach Abner Rogers. “It was a physical game and St. Louis had that edge on us. Overall, it was a very exciting game for the fans.”
With close shots on goal by Shannon Boxx and Aya Miyama and missed shots from Daniela and Lori Chalupny (Athletica) the game remained scoreless in the first half.
In the 73rd minute, Katie Larkin was fouled in the penalty area. Aly Wagner took the penalty kick which was blocked by goalkeeper Hope Solo. The tables turned in the 83rd minute when Allison Falk committed a handball foul in Sol’s penalty area. Midfielder Lori Chalupny (Athletica) took the penalty kick that was saved by Sol’s goalkeeper, Karina LeBlanc.
"Anytime you have seasoned world-class players missing like we did today with Marta, Camille Abily, and Han Duan you definitely miss their talent. The team stepped up big but we still have room for improvement," said Rogers. "We are looking forward to the challenge in Boston next week. The team will be regrouping with the return of the three players and we will be in good shape for the tough game."
The Los Angeles Sol will be on the road for the next game in Boston before returning home to take on the Boston Breakers on Sunday, May 10 at 1p.m. (PT) at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA.
Pro-rated season ticket packages for the Los Angeles Sol’s inaugural campaign are on sale now. For more information or to purchase your tickets today, please call toll free at 1-877-4-SOL-TIX (467-5849) or visit www.LosAngelesSol.com.
04.25.2009
St. Louis, CA – Robert R. Hermann Stadium
Scoring Summary
0-0
Lineups
Los Angeles Sol: Karina LeBlanc; Stephanie Cox , Brittany Bock, Allison Falk; Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama, Manya Makoski, Aly Wagner, Katie Larkin, Martina Franco (Sari, 77), Christie Welch (Bogus, 60)
St. Louis Athletica: Hope Solo; Elise Weber, Kia McNeill, Niki Cross (Gray, 45); Lori Chalupny, Lisa Stoia, Daniela; Angie Woznuk, Tina Ellertson, Melissa Tancredi (Pistorius 77), Kerri Hanks (Aluko, 53)
Misconduct Summary
STL—Kia McNeill (caution) 42
STL—Daniela (caution) 45
LA—Aya Miyama (caution) 55
LA—Shannon Boxx (caution) 85
Referee: Juan Carlos Rivero
SAR: N/A
JAR: N/A
4th Official: N/A
Attendance: N/A
Weather: Cloudy and 86 degrees
www.LosAngelesSol.com
Week/Giornata 33 of the Serie A
Image courtesy of Wikipedia.
To learn more about the Azzurri and their history, please click the image.
Live Radio Streaming of the Games
Image courtesy of RAI.
- Click the image to listen to RAI International Satellite Radio.
Week 33 Fixtures
Saturday, 25 April 2009
Chievo Verona 1 x Udinese 2
Fiorentina 4 x AS Roma 1Sunday, 26 April 2009
AC Milan 3 x Palermo 0
Bologna 2 x Genoa 0
Lazio 0 x Atalanta 1
Lecce 2 x Catania 1
Sampdoria 3 x Cagliari 3
Torino 1 x Siena 0
Reggina 2 x Juventus 2Napoli 1 x Internazionale 0 (Milan is now -7 with 5 games remaining.)
Video Highlights
A great source for Serie A videos.
Please click the image.
Goal of the Year: Giuseppe Mascara of Catania.
Video Clips from Serie A TV on YouTube
Online Coverage
Quotes of the Week in Italian Calcio
"They came to not lose by three goals." Jose' Mourinho of Internazionale on Sampdoria.
"Italian fans are not racist." Jose' Mourinho of Internazionale.
"Capello helped me a lot. At Juventus, once he called me into his office and said to sit down. 'Study this tape on how to move in the penalty area.' Then he left. It was a video of all the goals of Marco Van Basten. Goal, goal, goal..." Zlaltan Ibramivoic of Internazionale
"During the last three weeks, we have wasted too many chances." Gigi Buffon of Juventus
"I never give up." Claudio Ranieri of Juventus
"I would like to see Ronaldhinho playing more for Milan." Carlos Dunga of Brasil
"Carlo's English hasn't improved much since I arrived." David Beckham of AC Milan on Mister Ancelotti.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
WPS Weekly by Rob Penner
by Rob Penner, Communications Director of Women's Professional Soccer
Weekend Report
The Boston Breakers propelled themselves to a 3-1 victory against the Washington Freedom on Saturday, April 18. It was a game of firsts with the most goals scored in a Women’s Professional Soccer match to date, and the first two penalty kicks in WPS history, one converted and one saved. Kelly Smith put the Breakers ahead with her third goal of the season early in the second half on a penalty kick. The Freedom’s Lori Lindsey leveled the score four minutes later on a long range shot. Abby Wambach had the chance to give Washington the lead on a penalty kick 16 minutes later, but Kristin Luckenbill dove right – and guessed right – for the save. Christine Latham notched the game winner on a header and Angela Hucles added to the Breakers’ lead in the 81st minute.
The Chicago Red Stars opened at home to a crowd of 5,824 fans on Sunday, April 19th against Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY) in cold, rainy weather. The Red Stars out shot Sky Blue FC 18-7, but left the match with a 0-0 tie. Sky Blue FC goalkeeper, Karen Bardsley, did well to maintain a draw going into halftime with a barrage of 13 shots coming at her goal, including one bicycle kick from Megan Rapinoe that she tipped over the top of the crossbar – but left the game with back spasms before being replaced by Jenni Branam. Chicago moves forward with five points, while Sky Blue FC has two points on the year after recording its first shutout of the season.
Across the country, and in much different weather, California rivals, Los Angeles Sol and FC Gold Pride (Bay Area) battled to a 1-0 victory for the Sol on Sunday, April 19 in hot temperatures that have gripped the West Coast. Like the other two WPS games on the weekend, each team went into halftime with a blank scoreboard, but the Sol returned in the second half to capitalize early. Marta collected a chipped ball over the Bay Area’s backline from Aly Wagner, and placed it past FC Gold Pride keeper, Nicole Barnhart. The final scoreline maintained the Sol’s position alone atop the WPS Standings with three shutout victories and handed FC Gold Pride their first loss of the season.
Line Up NotablesThis weekend, line-up notables include Marta and Kelly Smith, who maintained their status atop the scoreboards with three goals each this season, and several goalkeepers, including Kristin Luckenbill and Karen Bardsley, who recorded shutouts.
Sky Blue FC’s Karen Bardsley kept Chicago from scoring in what was a 13-3 shot advantage for the Red Stars in the first half, Sunday. In a series of shots on goal for the Chicago Red Stars in the 35th minute, Bardsley closed down the end of the sequence by tipping a bicycle kick from Megan Rapinoe over the crossbar.
The Boston Breakers Kristin Luckenbill took her team into halftime with a 0-0 tie and was faced with a penalty kick after a handball in the box in the second half. But she shut down the Freedom’s chance to take the lead and the Breakers score twice late in the game to move into second place in the WPS standings.
Los Angeles Sol goalie Karina LeBlanc kept her record perfect and extended her un-scored upon streak to 270 minutes this season, while Caroline Jonsson recorded her second shutout of the season for the Chicago Red Stars.
Attendance Watch
With all of the WPS home openers in the books following the Chicago Red Stars home opener on Sunday, April 19, attendance for the WPS home openers in seven cities totaled 47,288 fans with an average attendance of 6,755 per game. The home openers included nearly 15,000 fans at the Home Depot Center (Los Angeles Sol), a sell-out in Saint Louis (Saint Louis Athletica), near sell-out in New Jersey (Sky Blue FC) and a record crowd for the venue at the Maryland SoccerPlex (Washington Freedom).
Through Week 4 and 10 total games in WPS, the league’s average attendance is 6,039 per game.
“We are pleased with what we’ve seen so far in terms of crowds,” said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. “It’s a long season and we continue to shoot for an average of anywhere between 4,000-6,000 fans per game over the course of the season. We had some very cold weather games and good crowds still turned out. I’m especially pleased with the great atmospheres that we’ve seen, the diverse crowds and the energy in the smaller venues that WPS teams are all playing in.”
Los Angeles midfielder Aly Wagner was chosen WPS's Player of the Week for Week 4 after leading the Sol to a 1-0 triumph Sunday over visiting FC Gold Pride in a top-of-the-table showdown at Home Depot Center.
Wagner, making her first start of the season, was the difference for L.A. with exquisite passing, including a beautiful ball over FC Gold’s backline for Marta to finish in the 47th minute. Wagner, playmaking from the center in the first half and the right flank most of the second, made another half-dozen dangerous passes to threaten the visitors during the game.
The WPS Player of the Week award is voted upon by a panel of journalists who cover WPS from the North American Soccer Reporters. The league will select a WPS Player of the Month.
Week 1: Aya Miyama (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 2: Marta (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 3: Kelly Smith (Boston Breakers)
Week 4: Aly Wagner (Los Angeles Sol)
Brazil Calls Up WPS Stars for National Team Game
Pointing to the growth of the women’s game globally, Brazil plays Germany Wednesday at the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt with more than 40,000 fans expected to turn out, according to the German Soccer Federation (DFB) estimates. This would break the record for a women’s soccer game in Europe set previously at the opening game of the 2005 European Championships in Manchester with 29,093 fans.
Several Brazilian WPS players will be called in for national team duty for the game and for their friendly against Sweden over the weekend and will not be available to their clubs teams, including Cristiane (Chicago Red Stars), Formiga (FC Gold Pride), Erika (FC Gold Pride), Francielle (Saint Louis Athletica) and Marta (Los Angeles Sol).
Also missing from WPS action this weekend for national team duty are Camile Abily (FRA – Los Angeles Sol), Sonia Bompastor (FRA – Washington Freedom), Han Duan (CHN – Los Angeles Sol) and Sara Larsson (SWE – Saint Louis Athletica), who will play in Sweden’s friendly against Brazil on Saturday.
Goals and League Firsts
Top Scorers – Los Angeles Sol’s Marta (3), Boston Breakers’ Kelly Smith (3)
Goals by Team –Boston Breakers (6), Los Angeles Sol (5), FC Gold Pride (3), Chicago Red Stars (2), Washington Freedom (2), Sky Blue FC (1), Saint Louis Athletica (0)
Total Goals – 19 goals scored since WPS Inaugural Match on March 29, 2009 with an average of 1.9 goals per game.
Boston Breakers star Kelly Smith is the only player to score in all three matches her team has played.
Los Angeles Sol’s, Karina LeBlanc, is the only goalkeeper in the league to have three shutouts.
Quotables From Notables
A few words from players and coaches…
“That ball had eyes,” said Briana Scurry, referring to Christine Latham’s game-winning goal. “Latham got up well for it. It was like that in the first half too, but fortunately we were able to get our heads on the ball.”
"There was some good and some bad,” said Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco. “I thought our back line and our goalkeeper Luckenbill defended very well. Offensively we finished very well in the second half. I didn’t think we passed the ball as well as we normally have, and we gave a lot of balls away, but give credit to Washington for that.”
“It was hot and we were lethargic in the first half,” Aly Wagner said about a slow first half for both teams. “We had bad movement, bad everything. In the second half we changed our formation and got a little wind under our sails. We came out sharper and crisper. I think that helped open the game up.”“Bardsley got back spasms at halftime,” said Sky Blue FC head Coach Ian Sawyers. “She was on the training table for a little while and we weren’t sure if she was going to be able to go or not. We don’t know what it is yet, probably having to make all those saves in the first half. I don’t know if the cold locked her up or what. We didn’t really want to (make a switch), but we were forced to do it.”
The WPS recently approved the tiebreak system to determine the final WPS Regular Season Standings which will determine the playoff seeding, including the hosts for the WPS First Round, WPS Super Semifinal and WPS Final.
In the case of a two-team tie:
5. Away points
6. Away goal differential
In the case of a three-team tie:
4. Away points
5. Away goal differential
7. Coin Flip
Notes:
- In the case of an unbalanced head-to-head schedule among three tied teams, the tie-breaker will jump to tie-breaker #2 (overall goal differential).
- Three-team tie breaker to be used for “three or more” teams.
Assist Correction – Washington Freedom vs. Boston Breakers
The Washington Freedom corrected a statistical error made during the Saturday’s match against the Boston Breakers, in which Rebecca Moros was credited with the assist on Lori Lindsey’s goal. After reviewing footage of the match, it was determined Jill Gilbeau should have been credited with the assist. The Freedom regrets this error. WPS League Stats have been updated to reflect this change.
The Weekly Forecast
Saturday, April 25
Saint Louis Athletica enjoyed a bye week this past weekend, using the opportunity to play a scrimmage against the University of Missouri and preparing to face league leaders Los Angeles Sol in a game that will be played at Robert R. Hermann Stadium in St. Louis. Saint Louis has yet to score a goal, Los Angeles has yet to concede a goal and the Athletica will be working hard to end both streaks. While the Athletica have been held scoreless so far it hasn’t been for lack of chances, notching 27 shots in two games. Kerri Hanks, who tallied 20 goals during her senior campaign at Notre Dame, and Lori Chalupny lead the attack for Saint Louis. With national team games this weekend, the Sol will be without the services of some key players including Marta, Camile Abily and Han Duan, while the Athletica will not have the talented young Francielle at their disposal or Sara Larsson. But the national team call-ups certainly work in the Athletica’s favor considering Marta has been scoring at a one-goal-per-game pace, Abily and Duan are playmakers, while Francielle has logged only 41 minutes on the pitch in two games. Look for WPS Player of the Week Aly Wagner to pick up the playmaking duties in the absence of the Sol’s top internationals.
Chicago Red Stars vs. Boston Breakers (8:30 pm ET)
The Chicago Red Stars play their second of five consecutive home games at Toyota Park as they take on the Boston Breakers, who are on a two-game winning streak that has carried them into second place in the WPS standings. It’s the second-placed team in the WPS table vs. the third-placed team with the offenses going in opposite directions. Boston has notched a league-leading six goals, while Chicago has struggled on offense, going scoreless for more than 150 minutes since Lindsay Tarpley’s goal in the 29th minute in Week 3 against the Washington Freedom. Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd were very active on offense in Sunday’s water logged game against Sky Blue FC but the two Red Stars standouts have yet to find the back of the net this season. Brazilian star Cristiane will also be out for national team duty. Look for an interesting clash between Karen Carney and Kelly Smith at times in midfield. The two will be coming off their national team friendly against Norway on Thursday night in England and it could be a test of endurance and physical conditioning. With two excellent keepers in Caroline Jonsson for Chicago and Kristin Luckenbill for Boston, this game could come down to which keeper makes the big save at the crucial time.
Sunday, April 26
The final game of WPS Week 5 pits the Washington Freedom against the FC Gold Pride at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, CA in a game shown on Fox Soccer Channel. Both teams are coming off tough losses with the Washington Freedom losing the momentum -- and the game -- in the late stages to a hard-charging Boston Breakers team. FC Gold Pride played in scorching heat in Los Angeles and had one defensive lapse that gave up a goal to Marta and cost them the game against their California rivals. Temperatures are expected to drop in California this week with game-time temps forecast in the low 60s. Look for FC Gold Pride to try and feature their quick passing, possession offense, while the Freedom counter with long ball services from Cat Whitehill on defense and from the sides into forward Abby Wambach. The Pride will be without Brazilian’s Erika and Formiga, while the Freedom will be without exciting playmaker Sonia Bompastor but can look to the standout play of Lori Lindsey this past week as a focal point for their offense. Japanese star Eriko Arakawa (FC Gold Pride) could make several runs against her country woman Homare Sawa (Washington Freedom) on the offensive half. Much like the WPS Inaugural Match in which Los Angeles Sol’s Aya Miyama outshone Sawa, the battle in the middle between the Japanese internationals could be a telling factor in the final result.
Off Week
Sky Blue FC is off this weekend.
On TV
The WPS Sunday on FSC match between FC Gold Pride and Washington Freedom will air on the Fox Soccer Channel on Sunday, April 26th at 6 pm ET.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
"Stop the games for 10 minutes." Michel Platini, President of UEFA
He was asked to comment on the unfortunate events that occurred last Saturday night at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino. Some elements of the Juventus faithful abused Palermo native, Mario Balotelli of Internazionale, with ignorant racist chants ("A black Italian doesn't exist") throughout the game. Due to the behavior of a few, Juventus must play their 03 May fixture against Lecce behind closed doors.
"L'unico modo è fermare le partite", ha detto Platini. "Ci vorrà coraggio, ma la decisione dell'Uefa d'ora in poi è di sospendere le partite per dieci minuti in caso di cori razzisti, e in caso continuino nonostante gli annunci di fermarle definitivamente".Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport, 21 April 2009.
"Il nostro messaggio è chiaro: tolleranza zero contro il razzismo. Il calcio unisce le persone e supera le differenze. Il colore della pelle non si vede sotto una maglia da calcio e per l'Uefa sarà sempre così. Sul campo e sugli spalti"."
"Non è stata una cosa bella nè intelligente: ma conosco i tifosi Juve da trent'anni, non sono dei tifosi razzisti. Hanno avuto e hanno giocatori di colore".
"The only way is to stop the games. It will take courage, but the decision of UEFA at this time and in the future is to suspend the games for 10 minutes in the event of racist chants, and in case they continue, call off the games...
Our message is clear: Zero tolerance against racism. Football unites people and overcomes differences. The color of your skin is not seen underneath a football kit and for UEFA it will always be like this. On the pitch and in the stands."
"It wasn't a great or intelligent thing to see: But I know the Juventus supporters for over 30 years, they are not racist fans. They have had and have players of color."
Monday, April 20, 2009
Run for Alive & Kicking in the British 10K London Run
Image courtesy of Alive & Kicking UK.
I have written about Alive & Kicking in the past, and would like to share a recent email from Sughra about a fund raising event that will take place in London during July.
Dear Supporters,
Run for Alive & Kicking
You can now support Alive & Kicking by taking part in the British 10K London Run on July 12th 2009. This spectacular run which takes you along London’s most historic landmarks is an ideal way to help Alive & Kicking provide sustainable jobs, quality balls, and health awareness in sub-Saharan Africa.
We have a limited number of places available, so if you’re interested and if you think you can raise a minimum £100 in sponsorship for Alive & Kicking, then we’d be delighted to hear from you. Please e-mail Sughra Hussain at info@aliveandkicking.org.uk to book your place and for more information.
Alive & Kicking depends on the goodwill and generosity of its supporters to survive and would like to thank you all for your continuing support.
Best Regards,
Sughra Hussain
Programme Officer
Alive & Kicking
164 Vauxhall Bridge Road
London
SW1V 2RA
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Los Angeles Sol 1 x FC Gold Pride 0: Post-Game Quotes
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mike Iwamasa
miwamasa@leaderenterprises.com
LOS ANGELES SOL EDGE FC GOLD PRIDE 1-0 FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE SHUTOUT VICTORY
CARSON, CALIFORNIA – Sunday, April 19, 2009 – The Los Angeles Sol (Women’s Professional Soccer) defeated FC Gold Pride (Bay Area), 1-0, on a scorching Sunday afternoon at The Home Depot Center to claim its third consecutive shutout victory of the season.
“It was great to see the excitement today,” said Los Angeles Sol Head Coach Abner Rogers.
“There were a lot of great scoring opportunities for both teams. You usually don’t see that type of excitement in a 1-0 game.”
After trading scoring opportunities for the first 44 minutes of the game, Japanese international Aya Miyama received a well placed through ball that gave the Sol a one-on-one scoring opportunity in the closing moments of the first half. But with pressure from FC Gold Pride keeper Nicole Barnhart, Miyama was forced to take a quick shot six yards out that grazed the outside right post and ended the half.
With halftime providing the Sol with an opportunity to escape the heat and regroup, they opened the second half with a new energy and a new formation that allowed them to set the tone for the rest of the game.
In the 47th minute, midfielder Aly Wagner chipped a ball over the backline that found Marta running in stride through the 18 yard box. Marta settled the ball down, took a quick touch and placed it past Barnhart into the back of the net.
“Marta made a great run and was in the gap,” said Wagner. “I played a ball over the backline into an open space and she did a great job finishing it.”
The Los Angeles Sol will be on the road for the next two weeks with games in Saint Louis and Boston before returning home to face on the Boston Breakers on Sunday, May 10 at 1p.m. (PT) at The Home Depot Center in Carson , CA .
Pro-rated season ticket packages for the Los Angeles Sol’s inaugural campaign are on sale now. For more information or to purchase your tickets today, please call toll free at 1-877-4-SOL-TIX (467-5849) or visit www.LosAngelesSol.com.
04.19.2009
Carson, CA – The Home Depot Center
Scoring Summary
Marta 47’ (Wagner)
Lineups
Los Angeles Sol: 23 – LeBlanc (GK), 3 – Falk (D), 11 – Bock (D), 14 – Cox (D), 22 – Makoski (D), 4 – Wagner (M) (12 – Sari, 82’) , 7 – Boxx (M – Capt.), 8 – Miyama (M), 20 – Abily (M) (18 – Larkin, 92’), 10 – Marta (F), 13-Welsh (F) (17 – Bogus, 67’)
FC Gold Pride: 1 – Barnhart (GK), 4 – Buehler (D), 7 – Robinson (D) (13 – Graczyk, 57’), 9 –Wilson (D), 19 – Dew (D) (20 – Erika, 15’) , 5 – DiMartino (M), 10 – Osborne (M – Capt.), 31 - Formiga (M), 8 – Weimer (F) (15 – Milbrett, 67’), 12 – Sinclair (F), 30 – Arakawa (F)
Misconduct Summary
Aly Wagner – Los Angeles Sol – (caution) 10’
Referee: Veronica Brito
SAR: Adam Brugman
JAR: Maurizo Laudani
4th Official: Felisha Mariscal
Attendance: 6,119
LOS ANGELES SOL GAME QUOTES
LOS ANGELES SOL vs. FC GOLD PRIDE
April 19, 2009
ALY WAGNER ON ASSIST TO MARTA
“In the second half we made some changes and I moved outside to midfield. Marta made a great run and was in the gap. I played a ball over the backline into an open space and she did a great job finishing it.”
ALY WAGNER ON TEAM PLAY TODAY
“It was hot and we were lethargic in the first half. We had bad movement, bad everything. In the second half we changed our formation and got a little wind under our sails. We came out sharper and crisper. I think that helped open the game up.”
MARTA ON GOAL
“Aly gave me a great pass and put me in a position to score. We’ve connected several times during training and it was great that we got one today that was the difference in the game.”
ABNER ROGERS ON THE EXCITEMENT OF TODAY’S GAME
“It was great to see the excitement today. There were a lot of great scoring opportunities for both teams. You usually don’t see that type of excitement in a 1-0 game.”
ABNER ROGERS ON MARTA’S GOAL
“It was a series of great passes that led to her goal. When she got behind the backline, I knew she was going to get a shot on goal. Marta is just so explosive.”
KARINA LEBLANC ON THIRD CONSECUTIVE SHUTOUT
“It’s a testament to how well our entire team has played defensively. When our team defends as well as we have lately, it makes my job a lot easier.”
Quotes courtesy of Mike Iwamasa of Leader Enterprises.
Soccer Books from Amazon.com.
Recently Featured Articles and Sidebar News Content ---->
Premiership, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Eredivisie Match Highlights.
Latest Global Video Highlights From Around The World.
Featured At
Home | Mobile Version | About World Football Commentaries | Follow on Twitter | Contact Us | Our Contributors
Copyright © 2006-2012 by Steve Amoia. All rights reserved.
