We need this win on Saturday. No ifs, ands, or butts about it. Philly and San Jose played to a 1-1 draw last night. The Beat need to finish their chances on Saturday. The Cyberrays outshot the Charge 22 to 9 but only managed to come out with a draw. Discuss.
Except for resting injured players Philly will bring their "A" game. The reason is that should they loose and Carolina win they would finish second and have to play Washington instead of San Jose or Atlanta and Washington is, and has been for several weeks, the hottest team in the WUSA, by far! There will be a full week for teams to rest after this weekend, for four a LOT longer, and there is still a LOT to play for among all the contending teams except Washington who are locked into third. The Atlanta/Philly game is first on Saturday and both teams must assume that the team they are contending with will win. This means that both Atlanta and Philly are in a must win. It is VERY imperative that Atlanta win and less imperative but still important that Philly win. The Beat played, according to reports, VERY poorly Wednesday and, if they play like that they can almost count on starting an extended vacation Saturday evening. The ONLY good thing about San Jose's game, from the Beat view point, is that Boston has not lost at home all year. If the Beat does not win or tie then they must root for Boston to win or tie and the last thing that Atlanta needs is to have to depend on Boston.
There are some reports Iverson and Mitts will miss the Atlanta match. The team the Charge don't want is San Jose. The choice of Atlanta or DC makes no difference. Tactically, the Charge wouldn't play either side much differently. Neither will fool you with their creativity. Rather get Atlanta in Philadelphia than risking getting them at home. And getting DC to the finals puts them as the favorite. Perfect consdiering Pichon has an 8:30 pm WC match against Denmark 8/23.... But that's getting ahead of the story. There are perfectly valid reasons why any of the 5 playoff potentials could win a title.
I think Sunny has just been injured for the whole season. She still has not played a full 90 this year yet. I think it's just an on-going thing with her.
A variation of the WUSA site article from the Beat site: Path to Playoffs Goes Through Philadelphia by Jennifer Pfluke
ATLANTA BEAT: QUESTIONABLE - D Nancy Augustyniak (R knee contusion); PROBABLE - M Liping Wang (R knee contusion); F Sun Wen (left adductor strain); M Kylie Bivens (Plantar fascitis); F Kelly Cagle (R knee contusion). PHILADELPHIA CHARGE: PROBABLE - D Jenny Benson (L knee); D Erica Iverson (L knee sprain); MF Mary-Frances Monroe (L groin sprain); GK Maite Zabala (L knee sprain); F Mandy Clemens (hip flexor), F Marinette Pichon (L big toe); D Heather Mitts (hip pointer); MF Rebekah McDowell (hip pointer).
And I'm sure the Beat would like to add a couple more to the injured list...maybe the question of whether or not accumulated cautions carry over to the postseason will deter headhunting by the Beat Saturday. Especially if the teams meet again the following weekend. Paul
From the Beat - San Diego game: CAUTIONS: Hooper 36' From the Beat-Freedom game: CAUTIONS: None From the Beat-Carolina game: CAUTIONS: Nonen 91+ ==== Serlenga has four yellows for the season, as does Bivens. Hooper has a total of five. So, how do the accumulated cards come into play? What's the rules again about the amount of cards in X-amount of games?
From the league site Yellow Card Accumulation WUSA has developed a yellow card accumulations system to determine suspensions by yellow card infractions, otherwise known as cautionable infractions, with the first one (1) game suspension occurring after a player has accumulated 2 yellow cards resulting in one (1) red and a game dismissal. For players accumulating yellow cards the following action is in place: Three yellow cards to a single player in three consecutive games will result in that player being suspended for the next match. Four yellow cards to a single player accumulated will result in that player being suspended for the next match. A subsequent three cards (total of 7) by the same player accumulated throughout the season will result in of three matches suspension and fine (TBD). If there is an third incident of three cards (10) by the same player, that player will sit out a total of five matches and be imposed a fine (TBD). Yellow Cards Accumulations for Playoff Games A list of players in jeopardy of not being able to participate in the Playoffs due to the maximum number yellow cards allotted will be available throughout the season. This list will be presented to teams before competition in the Playoffs. Players that accumulate their fourth (4) yellow card and/or are awarded their third yellow card in three games will be subject to a one game suspension during the playoffs. Players that receive red cards during the playoffs will be assessed a $250 fine and serve a one game suspension from their next playoff game. Players that participated in four (4) full games without a yellow or red card will be cleared from accumulated list and recorded at zero (0), including going from seasonal games to playoff games. Card Suspensions Red card and yellow card accumulation suspensions collected during WUSA Season Games will be served in the team's next WUSA Season Game. Suspensions for red cards and accumulated yellow cards will carry over to Playoff Games. Suspensions earned in an Exhibition Game will be served in the next Exhibition Game. Any suspension for a red card during Playoff Games that would otherwise be served after the team's last WUSA Season Game will carry over to the first game of the next WUSA Season. For any suspension due to a red card or yellow card, the player will continue to receive her pay, notwithstanding any fine that may be imposed in connection with such infraction.
As long as the players go 4 games without another yellow, their slate is wiped clean, so no worry about accumulation. God damnit, now that people are interested in yellow card accumulation I don't have my thread to explain it and show who's in trouble and who's not. Grrrrr.
Sunny was taken down from behind by Pickup who was given a Yellow (for a IMO blatant attempt to injure foul). If not a Red on that one, then she deserved another yellow for a few other hard tackles later in the game. I don't remember the details of Cagle's case, but I do remember her limping around pretty badly afterwards. At one point, she headed back towards the bench like she needed some attention - but then changed her mind and headed back towards the center of the field. Serlenga and Bivens also were bloodied up some. Ridiculous case of the head referee looking the other way. He wasn't going to book Fleeting either (after her assault on Nancy), until an Assistant ref pointed out it was a CLEATS UP TACKLE! And Charge accuses the Beat of wanting to put a few Philly players on the injured list. Be thankful they aren't playing San Diego this weekend.
Re: From the league site A.) The only Beat player in danger of the first one is Hooper, am I right? Assuming she gets a yellow in the next game and one in the playoffs, unless her slate has already been wiped clean in the past. According the the WUSA stuff, she now has 5 yellow cards. B.) The only ones to get a yellow card in the past four games are Nonen and Hooper. The rest have been cleared as far as I can tell.
EDIT Crap that didn't work. http://www.wusa.com/players_coaches/players/charmaine_hooper/ Hooper's slate should be wiped clean. She got a yellow on Wednesday but he last yellow before that was on 7/3. She went five games. Then her slate was clean. So now she only has one. Right? Code: 2002 Game Log Date OPP GP GS MIN G A PTS SHT SOG B FC FS C E 4/13 PHI 1 1 87 0 0 0 2 1 0 4 2 0 0 4/20 @BOS 1 1 90 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 4/27 WAS 1 0 16 1 0 2 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 5/04 @CAR 1 0 45 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 5/11 NY 1 1 88 1 0 2 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 5/18 @SJ 1 1 90 1 0 2 1 1 1 4 0 1 0 5/25 BOS 1 1 90 0 0 0 2 0 0 4 2 1 0 6/01 @SD 1 1 90 1 0 2 4 3 0 4 4 0 0 6/09 @NY 1 1 79 1 0 2 1 1 0 7 6 0 0 6/22 SJ 1 1 90 1 1 3 3 1 0 7 3 1 0 6/29 @PHI 1 1 79 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 [b]7/03 @WAS 1 1 90 0 0 0 3 3 0 1 1 1 0[/b] 7/13 @NY 1 1 90 1 0 2 2 2 0 2 5 0 0 7/20 BOS 1 1 90 1 0 2 1 1 0 3 4 0 0 7/27 CAR 1 1 90 1 0 2 2 2 0 3 5 0 0 7/31 @SD 1 1 87 1 0 2 3 1 0 3 4 0 0 8/04 @WAS 1 1 90 1 1 3 5 4 0 2 2 0 0 [b]8/07 SD 1 1 90 0 0 0 3 2 0 4 3 1 0[/b]
i overheard someone saying that they are going all out to break pinchon's ankle or give her a good tear in her acl come saturday lets leave em black and blue for the playoffs!
San Diego played the Charge right before they went down to beat Atlanta. Very clean match between the two. Atlanta plays direct and physical, perhaps because creative and technical are beyond the coach?
Yes, well, don't forget the Charge got carded twice and comitted 14 fouls while playing San Jose. Every team is capable of being physical. Just as Philly became physical with San Jose, San Diego became the same with Atlanta. And let's leave the coach bashing out of this okay? We have forums for that sort of thing.
TOTAL SHOTS: 9 (Tullock 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 1 (Stacey Tullock); FOULS: 14 (Koleski 4); OFFSIDE: 1 (Clemens 1); CORNER KICKS: 6 (Tullock 4); SAVES: 6 (Moore 6); CAUTIONS: (Tara Koleski 82' Lorrie Fair 87'); EJECTIONS: none. TOTAL SHOTS: 22 (Katia 5, Brandi Chastain 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Brandi Chastain 2); FOULS: 12 (Dianne Alagich 5); OFFSIDE: 8 (Katia 4); CORNER KICKS: 3 (Michelle French 3); SAVES: 0; CAUTIONS: None; EJECTIONS: none. TOTAL SHOTS: 9 (Fleeting 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Fleeting 3); FOULS: 18 (Pickup 5); OFFSIDE: 1; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: Smolak 4; CAUTIONS: Pickup 33'; Fleeting 91+'; EJECTIONS: None. TOTAL SHOTS: 14 (2 tied with 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Hooper 2); FOULS: 9 (Hooper 4);OFFSIDE: 2; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: Scurry 6; CAUTIONS: Hooper 36'; EJECTIONS: None.
first game of the season Sat, April 13 PHILADELPHIA CHARGE 7:00pm WB-36! 0 -2 (L) Lineups: PHILDAELPHIA CHARGE - GK Melissa Moore, D Jenny Benson, D Heather Mitts, D Jennifer Tietjen, D Erica Iverson, M Liu Ailing, M Mary-Frances Monroe, M Zhao Lihong, M Lorrie Fair, F Many Clemens, F Kelly Smith; TOTAL SHOTS 11 (Smith 5); SHOTS ON GOAL 7 (Zhao 2, Clemens 2, Smith 2); FOULS 23 (Mitts 5, Smith 5); OFFSIDES 6 (Clemens 3); CORNER KICKS 3 (Benson 2); SAVES Moore 3; CAUTIONS Smith 44'; Benson 58'; EJECTIONS None. ATLANTA BEAT - GK Briana Scurry, D Liping Wang, D Sharolta Nonen, D Kylie Bivens, D Julie Augustyniak, M Marci Miller, M Nikki Serlenga, M Sun Wen, F Kelly Cagle, F Cindy Parlow, F Charmaine Hooper; TOTAL SHOTS 8 (Sun 2, Hooper 2); SHOTS ON GOAL 3 (J. Augustyniak 1, Hooper 1, Sawa 1); FOULS 18 (Hooper 4); OFFSIDES 3 (Sun 1, Hooper 1, Parlow 1); CORNER KICKS 3 (Serlenga 2); SAVES Scurry 3; CAUTIONS None; EJECTIONS None.
The numbers do not lie. The problem is phats is that some folks will counter those stats with "the ref sucked and calls didn't go our way blah blah blah". Deal with it folks. Things even out in the end.
ATLANTA BEAT -- Briana Scurry, Sharolta Nonen, Julie Augustyniak, Amanda Cromwell, Nancy Augustyniak, Kylie Bivens, Nikki Serlenga, Kelly Cagle (Marci Miller 79), Homare Sawa, Charmaine Hooper (Emily Burt 79), Cindy Parlow (Sun Wen 50). TOTAL SHOTS: 15 (Kylie Bivens 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Kylie Bivens 2, Cindy Parlow 2); FOULS: 11 (Homare Sawa 3); OFFSIDE: 0; CORNER KICKS: 1 (Nikki Serlenga 1); SAVES: 1 (Briana Scurry 1); CAUTIONS: (Nikki Serlenga 30); EJECTIONS: none. PHILADELPHIA CHARGE -- Melissa Moore, Heather Mitts, Erica Iverson, Jennifer Tietjen, Jenny Benson, Kerry Connors, Lorrie Fair, Mary-Frances Monroe (Rebekah McDowell 76), Stacey Tullock (Liu Ailing 46), Zhao Lihong (Erin Martin 46), Marinette Pichon. TOTAL SHOTS: 9 (Marinette Pichon 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Marinette Pichon 2); FOULS: 11 (Kerry Connors 4); OFFSIDE: 7 (Marinette Pichon 6); CORNER KICKS: 8 (Jenny Benson 5); SAVES: 4 (Melissa Moore 4); CAUTIONS: none; EJECTIONS: none as you can see in our 2 matchups you still have outfouled us and outcautioned us. way to make wide sweeping generalizations without including any empirical evidence. thanks for playing the game, but sorry you lose this argument. i'm sorry but we don't have any consolation prizes to hand out, please don't let the door hit you in the ass as you leave.