Well A-Rod played like the 2009 version for 119 minutes yesterday....before scoring a beauty to win it... Hopefully we get a sellout...And so much for the WPS family-friendly scheduling.... The match will kickoff at 8:30pm on Thursday...a schoolnight. I wonder what this will do to attendance?? I think this will be the loudest match ever for Riptide...I only wish we had Solo in net as we'll be closer than ever to the endline! Speaking of that....Who plays goal for Philthy??? I'm hoping for Val....It'll be much easier taunting her for 45 minutes!! Should be fun!
I think KO is 2:30am my time...ouch! Although I doubt there'll be overtime *crosses fingers* I'm excited! It took what... about 10 mins for Philthy to revert to form against Washington? How long do we give before they unlease Magnus-slaughter and Bucz-saw?
How many supporters are driving up for the match?? Is the team going to pay Sons of Ben to travel as well??
There's actually a match on Thursday as well you know.... You think Coach Riley will change GKs?? Karina's on a bit more rest and Val wasn't really tested yesterday.... Magnuslaughter will have to be on her best behavior (if she has any ideas of playing in the final) as she's 1 yellow away from suspension.... Does Mittsie get to play or does coach stick with Johnson?? What does Tony put out for his 11...formation?? Will A-Rod or A-Fraud show up???
The match is at 8:00 PM. Not 8:30 PM. For some reason, Fox Soccer Channel's crew stated 8:30 PM on air yesterday and their production staff also posted graphics stating 8:30 PM. But that was incorrect. It's later than we would have liked, but a soccer match starting at 8:00 PM is no different than a baseball game starting at 7:00 PM. They finish at the same time. If anything, the soccer game will be done earlier with far less traffic. Funny how an 8:00 PM Breakers game seems outrageous to some fans we have talked to who wouldn't hesitate for a moment about taking their 11-year old to a 7:05 PM Red Sox game on a Thursday night. It's always fascinating to see how your product is perceived and what it is compared against. As I have said before, there will always be a small -- and, in their own way, loyal - segment of our fan base that would prefer the Breakers to be operated like a Chuck E. Cheese franchise rather than a professional sports team. Perhaps the most important game in the history of our club thus far will simply not appeal to them because it is on a Thursday night at 8:00 PM during the school year. Their loss. At least they can DVR the match, but it won't be the same as being there. The good news is that the fans who are in Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium this Thursday night will be the true believers. The fans who wear "Sobrero" Breakers shirts from the WUSA. The fans who not only know all of the Breakers names, but have an informed opinion on whether the Independence should start LeBlanc instead of Henderson in goal. The fans who debate whether we should have traded A-Rod or re-signed Mitts. The drummers and the chanters and the "Lilly is Legend" guy. We don't know what the crowd size will be yet, but we know that it will be composed of an unusually high percentage of Awesome People. AC
There is a reason for the 8pm start time. That's 5pm on the West Coast. Thank god for DVRs, or I'd miss the first half.
Off-topic posts moved. If this is the way Boston posters want to go, y'all have every right. But let it be known if another team calls out the Breakers in their forums, I don't expect a single reported post from any of you.
hahaha! Andy is awesome....very funny. FSC strikes again....When I saw the 8:30pm I figured they were running a pre show at 8:00pm... Now I just gotta figure out how to throw the streamers over that giant net!
I'm going to be sitting in a classroom on Thursday night until 9:00 with the most boring professor known to man, 130 miles away from the stadium. Can't DVR the game cause I don't get FSC...can only watch the second half (and extra time?) via webcast. I'm thinking back to the first home game of 2010 against Philly, which was also the first time I stood in the Dock section, and how far the team and fanbase has come since then. We were blessed to have a coach and captain who recognized the positives even when the team was losing, and brought in the missing pieces to turn things around. We were also blessed by a certain Angeli. And now the team is two games away. Good luck to the Boston Breakers..... Even though I can't be there, I made sure to bring my Riptide scarf along to my dorm room at college. AMB
After watching the Philly/Washington game, there's no reason the Breakers can't beat this team, especially if the A-Rod that we all know and love shows up (the one from the first 119 minutes of that game). Our Amy is better than their Amy. I'd also like to see Val in goal over KK, if only because I like Karina. I'm a little afraid of Magnusslaughter. The card trouble may help... but "you may miss the next game" isn't that much of a deterrent when there may not be a next game. As for our starting 11, 10 are clear: Naeher, Scott, LePeilbet, Dieke, Cox, Angeli, Tarpley, Lilly, Smith, Cheney. I wish the 11th could be Osborne... whoever starts in that 11th slot will probably be the first sub, and that role will be filled by some combination of Fabiana, Del Rio, Bogus, Hemmings, and Moore. Who should get the last starting spot?
Start Bogus bring in Fabs. The workrate of Bogus will wear down Philly and hit them with speed off the bench.
One of my favorite quotes of the year!! Totally agree!! Even when my kids are grown, I'll still be a season ticket holder supporting my pro team of choice. Three out of the 5 of us will be there, my oldest is off in college and has a commitment and my yougest is playing in her HS game right after school and then by the time she gets home it just enough time to study and do homework. Same would be true for a Red Sox Playoff... I actually like the 8:00 start. Lets the rush hour traffic die out. I wouldn't miss it for the world! Go Breakers!!!!
Hey, RF1, nice job with the "Philthy" title. Not original, but you got one the 3 Indy fans all wound up on their boards
Well done. And right on the money. Except I'm not as into the the KK/Henderson debate as I am the Johnson/Mitts one. The Philthy boards are questioning which one should start. Are you kidding me? I am hoping for Johnson, she has been their weakest link in the back.
I can't imagine Mittsie not starting if she's healthy...if for only her knowledge of our players and the familiarity of defending them everyday in training... I also think KK will play. If Val had stood on her head to keep them in the match I think it'd be a much tougher choice for Riley... That said, I'm really hoping for Val....not because she's a bad keeper just because it'll be so much easier to heckle her for 45+....I've got a few floating around my head right now....
I guess we'll have to wait for the infamous "Roster Report" to see which subs we'll have available...I wouldn't be surprised to see Igwe on there....not that I endorse that in any way; Marquez? Anyone hear of any injuries?? Any Sarah Walsh sightings lately?? I'm not particularly excited by any of those 11th players...
Frank Dell'Apa tears off a 7yr old scab/ Almost everything was going right for the Boston Breakers the last time they played in a semifinal playoff match. Seven years ago, the Breakers won the WUSA regular-season championship, produced the Coach, Executive, and Player of the Year, and led the league in attendance. But things fell apart quickly after that. The Breakers were eliminated from the playoffs in a penalty-kick loss to the Washington Freedom Aug. 16, 2003, and a month later, the league ceased operations. Tonight we make everything right....
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20100923_Independence_ready_for_next_step_on_championship_route.html The Independence's Paul Riley, who was named the WPS coach of the year, said he will stick with Val Henderson in goal. Henderson earned the shutout against Washington. She didn't play in any of the four games against Boston, yielding to Karina LeBlanc. Thanks Paul!
http://www.examiner.com/soccer-in-n...ws-boston-breakers-philadelphia-wps-semifinal Tony DiCicco previews Boston Breakers-Philadelphia Independence WPS Championship Semifinal LE: How do Philadelphia coach Paul Riley’s strategies match up with yours for the Championship Semifinal on Thursday? DiCicco: Paul is a good coach. His players are combative[PHILTHY]. He has an expansion team, but he didn’t use draft picks but traded for experienced players, so his team isn’t inexperienced. They’re big, strong, physical[PHILTHY], so we’ve got to match that. We like to possess the ball a little bit more, but it’s hard to possess the ball over long periods against Philadelphia because they’re disruptive.[PHILTHY] Lori Lindsey is a very good player, the quarterback of that team. Our players have some nicks and bruises, but we’re in pretty good shape for the post-season. It will be a very, very tight game. See Tony agrees!!
Shek Borkowski throws in his 2¢ Suggests ARod make her runs into the space Scott leaves when she moves into attack.
What a shit way to go out Although, if ARod could actually hit an empty net from the 18yrd box the handball issue wouldn't be just that
There was no clear replay showing a handball. In fact, one of the replays looked very good that it was not. Good game regardless. Philly played hard and deserved the win. They really shut Smith down - I think that was the key.