Super Semi-Final Athletica vs TBD Aug 19th P/I/P

A week and a day!! Where is the thread?

Weather report: Scattered T-Storm with a high of 87 and low of 68 with a 40% chance of rain according to weather.com. Tomorrow we will have a better look with KMOV and KSDK.

No Aluko, Larsson, but Welsh is coming along and hopefully we go back to the 4-4-2 we've been using all year.

Washington will be missing Bompassjflsjflj something...

Game at 6pm. Lots probably opening at 4pm. Laclede's Army will hopefulyl have our spot marked off so we can chill in the lot more.

Face painting (not cartoon animals or hearts) will be available as well as scarves for a 1 day discount of $10. I want to see them all over the stadium.

I'm still detecting a lack of respect for our team. Dan Lauletta, a soccer writer who is regularly on the WPS site, picked Hope Solo as his starting goalkeeper and........that was it. Not only did he not pick Chalupny, Aluko, or Ellertson on his first 11, he didn't even have them on his honorable mention. He didn't mention them period. We need to find an email address for Mr. Lauletta and pummel the hell out of him. I know we have great goaltending, but I don't think that's the one and only reason we finished 2nd.

http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/news/columnist/090811-lauletta-wps-weekly-20.aspx

Leaving out Aluko is especially egregious since the Athletica would probably not even be in the playoffs if it weren't for that pint sized dynamo. Even Chalupny towers over her!

Aluko led the team in goals AND assists so she is the Athletica's Gretzky or Lemieux.

BTW, I notice the game is on the 19th but the playoff games had been advertised as the 15th and 18th.

I'm going to suggest sitting in our regular section for the playoff game.

I just think it makes since to keep our same spot. We don't have ppl cutting through it alot, kids running amuck, etc. And allows ppl that don't want our drums drowning them out, to sit away from us.

I realize moving has to do with the camera's but we have more banner space in 20 too. Anyways, only a suggestion.

Where can we buy the scarves? In the parking lot?

In the parking lot, or if you can't find us there, in the stands where we sit. Just follow the drums and flags. There should be 2 of us with cash and scarves on hand to sell.

Cool. See you then.

Even though I won't be there for the game, I second this notion. I feel like we're a more cohesive (read: more energized and louder) group when we sit in 20. Also, when I reviewed the FSC footage on the WPS site, I think you saw more of 20 during the play of the game than of 18. Finally, as flamepruf said, the banners work better in 20. Just sit closer to the front!!! =-)

I'll review the footage. haha. I think we may be in 20 if it seems like it works out better. I want to be close to a mic though because stupid sambaboom sits next to one and drowns us out on the sound.

Random question:
I've seen it printed as Sambaborn, Samba Bom, and Sambaboom. Which is it for crying out loud????

thirtymtp(at)aol(dot)com

It's listed at the bottom of every WPS.com column of his except for that last one - maybe he anticipated your reaction.

Way more frightened of Washington than LA. Washington somehow escapes us every time with points. LA has looked beatable the last month. Should have fallen easily last weekend aside from a typical WPS garbage goal from Marta. <yawn> another through ball that Solo would have been on before Marta was 10 yards away ends up in the back of the net due to another thick-legged, slow-witted goaltender.

Thank you for the info. I'll try to go easy on him.

Is the Army doing anything tomorrow for the Freedom-Sky Blue match? Are the players meeting any place special? Are we on our own?

Well, I'm not doing anything. I will be out of town. But the army can go on without me.

Prepare the "Who's your coach now?" chants! ^.^

thats funny..and the answer would be the team is! haha they don't care they just go out and try to play

Yea, we know Props to Rampone for taking the spot and to the team overall for surviving the apparent maelstrom NY-area coaches are caught in.

I think I need to make up a sign that asks "Can I Be Your Coach This Week. Everyone Else Has Had a Turn."

As for the game today, my caution is be careful what you wish for, it just might come true. Even though most of us were not showing feelings one way or the other for who would win today, I think a lot of people are thinking in the back of their minds that we were 3-0 against Sky Blue and 0-2-1 against Washington. We defeated Sky Blue 3 times, but all three were close and all three were up for grabs. Sky Blue's playing us on Wednesday for good reason. They've earned it. They did get a bit lucky in that Boston lost the last match, but that doesn't matter now.

I'm very happy for Francielle. I think it killed Barcellos to have to trade her. But to get Walsh, we had to give up an international player and she was the one playing the least. Up until today, she had played in one match for Sky Blue, that against Chicago 4 weeks ago and then for only 28 minutes. But now she's a hero. Good for her! Just don't do it again against us on Wednesday.

So now we have to deal with a speedy Sky Blue team. Although they probably don't have anyone as fast as DeVanna, they have more overall team speed than Washington. They don't have a Wambach that we'll have to deal with, but their speed will cause us problems. Branam really got beat up today and she was in pretty bad shape at the end of the match, not taking any goal kicks or free kicks. I imagine she'll tough it out and play against us. Her backup, Karen Bardsley is with England, so their other option is Cori Alexander, who hasn't played at all in the regular season. But I fully expect Branam to be on the field come Wednesday.

Hope Solo said earlier that she prefers to play SkyBlue so she got her wish. She said that Wombat will find a way to score during a semi-final game which is kind of funny because she couldn't even score in the first round!

I'm surprised since I don't think I've heard Solo predict that ANYONE will score on her. She is very confident in herself. Think of her saying "I could've made those saves" in the 2007 World Cup.

That's not what she said. She said she has been going back and forth on who she wanted to play. She said that part of her wanted redemption against Washington, but part of her knew that Wambach always found a way to score and that she has been a winner everywhere.

She did say she preferred to play SkyBlue. She also specifically mentioned Abby is the type of player who will find a way to score in the semi-final. You can even hear the audio on the SSR website.

No that's not what she said. She said "So I've been going back and forth on who I'd rather have win, I would like to get redemption from DC, but at the same time, I think, I think we might play Jersey better than DC."

She went on to say how she gets more nervous when she's not playing, even "if I'm not for a team."

She never said she would prefer to play Sky Blue. She said "I've been going back and forth" and then gave the back and forth. To say that she thought they might play one team better, is not saying she preferred to play a team. Good thing you're not a reporter, because you wouldn't last a day before your ass would be sued for every dime to your name.

Expecting Sky Blue to win two road games in a row...That's too much to expect. Also the team's number one goalkeeper is not 100%...

St. Louis should win on Wednesday...

Just like Washington should have yesterday. Rule out Sky Blue at your peril. They're one of the most resilient groups I've seen, and sometimes that's the crucial ingredient in a championship team. They look worse on paper, but on the field they find a way to win.