The mystery of the new W-League team at the Soccerplex is revealed: DC United is sponsoring a W-League team. However, despite Stephen Goff's claim, it doesn't appear to be a new version of the Northern Virginia Majestics, as the Majestics have a separate entry in the USL Media Guide (large PDF file, see page 81 for the DCU Women and page 83 for the Majestics).
I am glad to see there will be women's soccer at the Sports Plex. Maryland soccer took a hit this year with the loss of TSC Maryland Pride (WPSL), Crystal Palace Baltimore (NASL), the Freedom, TSC Red Devils (NPSL). Thankfully Real Maryland (PDL) and Chesapeake Charge (WPSL) stayed around!
Ran into Christie Welsh here at the Philly match. She says she's going to help coach the DCU Women and might play some.
Awesome! They can take .... OUR FREEDOM! By the by, I bought the Living Social package. Season tickets for a song!
Thanks for the heads-up. I've done likewise. If anyone else wants to do so, go here: https://livingsocial.com/deals/41277-women-s-soccer-tickets/purchases/new?preferred_city=235
Saw this tweeted from @DCUWomen: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/5/prweb8473725.htm Alarm.com is 2011 sponsor. But will that mean a jersey sponsor, or will they have VW, or...?
I think the jersey will still have VW on it (Presenting Sponsor), but I am guessing that Alarm.com will be on the ad boards surrounding the pitch alongside other various and sundry companies to be determined.
D.C. Women Prepared For Opener Article includes a roster, with at least seven players who've been with the Freedom in some capacity or other: Welsh, Nairn, Marisa Abegg, Danielle Malagari, Jill Porto, Hayley Siegel, and Katie Watson. Welsh and Abegg were on the Freedom's WPS roster, while the rest have played for at least one of the Freedom's W-League teams.
The Wildcats will be webcasting tonight's match. It's accessible from: http://www.njwildcats.com/LiveVideo/index_E.html (Okay, if a W-League team can do this, why can't the WPS teams?)
Turns out the video didn't work. However, tweets report that the DCU Women lost their inaugural match the hard way, on a Wildcats goal scored in the 88th minute.
Pali Blues are supposed to be streaming some of their games too, on USL Live. Their May 14 game is archived on the site now.
The Wildcats highlights are on the DCU website. And it looks like the Volkswagen logo is on the front of the shirts. So who's coming next week for the home opener?
I watched their game last night. Not great video (particularly after the light started to fade), but workable. I hope DCUW plans on doing likewise.
DCU Women defeated the New York Magic, 3-0, thanks to two goals from Christine Nairn. Meanwhile, the Long Island Rough Riders were held to a tie with the North Jersey Valkyries, leaving the New Jersey Wildcats as the only team in the Northeast Division with an unblemished record (and one of only two teams in the league). The Wildcats will be coming to the Soccerplex on Thursday, giving the DCUs a chance to spoil their record and get revenge for their only loss so far. Good news is that work shouldn't be conflicting after all, so I plan on being there.
The DCU Women placed two players on the W-League's Team of the Week for the past week, Christine Nairn for her two goals and Briana Hovington for her goal and her contributions to the shutout. Additionally, former Freedom Future and current Terrapin Lydia Hastings also made the team, though she now plays for the Ottawa Fury. And remember, of course, that their first-ever home game is tomorrow night at 7 at the Soccerplex.
I'll be there tonight doing a video segment. Curious to see how many people come out. On the upside, it's the debut of a team that has given people a few reasons to be excited. On the downside, it's 100 degrees, there's a 50-60% chance of thunderstorms, and making it up 270 through a weekday rush hour is never easy.
Good to run into you last night, Beau. I kind of wished they had actually scheduled a 9 p.m. kickoff ... a pre-emptive strike against the thunderstorms!
1-1 draw, clinical finish by Christie Welsh getting behind the back line (somehow she got the ball under the goalkeeper and herself over the goalkeeper without losing possession before finishing past a defender who moved in to cover), then a long arcing shot across the goalmouth that tied it up again six minutes later. Not the best of results for the DCU Women, who needed a win in order to compete for first place in the Northeast Division, but the season is young. DCU Women press release Quarter Volley's writeup
