The following is a brief team-by-team injury overview entering Week 17 of the 2002 WUSA Regular Season: ATLANTA BEAT: PROBABLE - M Liping Wang (R knee contusion); F Sun Wen (left adductor strain); M Kylie Bivens (Plantar fascitis). WASHINGTON FREEDOM: OUT - M Ann Cook (L knee strain).
What an incredible game this is going to be. It is the turning point of the season. This is the type of game you really want to play in. And, I predict, Kylie will be ready to go on Sunday. Go Beat!
As I said in and earlier thread the injury Kylie has is one of the most frustrating a player can have. One day they can play or practice at full speed for the entire time. Another they have too much pain to even get started. And it can be anywhere in between. While there are injections that help they can make the injury MUCH worse in the long run. As much as the Beat need Kylie and as much as she wants to go they need to make sure that she is truly ready. One of the problems with plantar fascitis is that the foot can feel good through a warm-up period and then suddenly become too painful for even walking shortly thereafter. Fortunately the WUSA allows a lot of subs and a risk can be taken as far as the game goes but I would hope that it is not the most serious kind of plantar fascitis and Kylie is able to go for this and the rest of the games.
From CyberSoccerNews: Can the defenses prevent lots of goals? Atlanta and Washington are both teams who have hit their stride at the end of the year by Joseph Wanandi
This game is a VERY important one and the playoff picture could be nearly set after it is over. Both teams will know the result of San Jose @ Carolina that is played the day before and that game has a huge effect on what this game will actually mean. Before Saturday: Carolina has 33 points and three games left. Washington has 32 points and two games left. Atlanta has 31 points and three games left. San Jose has 28 points with three games left. After this weekend these teams have no more games against each other. ============= At this point I was going to put a calculation of all the possibilities but it got too complicated. ============= Both Washington and Atlanta win the tiebreaker against San Jose so to win a playoff position San Jose must finish higher than one or the other. In effect this gives both Atlanta and Washington one extra point against San Jose. A win by San Jose Saturday really applies the pressure on Washington to win against Atlanta because of San Jose’s and Atlanta’s extra game. Looking at the remaining games after Sunday: Washington plays NY an almost sure win. Carolina plays San Diego and NY two fairly sure wins. Atlanta plays San Diego and Philly. The toughest of the schedules and I would think that a win and a tie would be VERY good from these two. From this and the other possibilities it is clear, well at least not unclear, that the game Sunday gains back any of the imperative it might loose for Atlanta based on the results Saturday. This means that Sunday's game is as close to a must win for both Washington and Atlanta as they could possibly want. If either team looses they open the door for San Jose and for the winner and loose a large measure of control over their own destiny. The other thing of interest is that the game is between the, currently, two hottest teams in the league. Both teams have been making a VERY impressive run toward the playoffs and have really impressed with their play. Washington has beaten Atlanta for the first time and Atlanta has beaten Carolina for the first time during their runs. Finally I believe the winner of this game wins the tiebreaker between the two and that could be very important also. A VERY interesting and exciting weekend coming and it would be hard to improve on the suspense. I never thought that last year could be surpassed but it looks like two teams making strong runs down the stretch may have done it.
Good thoughts FoF. "With just 7 points separating first and fifth place, Atlanta needs six points in their final three games to clinch a playoff spot. A little good luck is needed for them to clinch a home game in the playoffs as they trail first place Philadelphia by FOUR points and Carolina by TWO." so this is very possible. If we need 6 points, this game against Washington is VERY important. I like that we have a game in hand on Wash. "In this year’s series against Washington, Atlanta has split 1-1. In the second of those games, the Beat looked horrible. Their offense was anemic and unable to score a goal... Their defense let in two quick goals in the first half, caused by poor marking in the defensive third." okay, so maybe it wasn't the best game, but we've improved a lot since then. We've pulled our act together and I think it should be a much better game. It's going to be tough, but we sure do need the points.
LET'S GO BEAT!!!!! I wouldn't miss this one for all the world. I hope the TV gods don't pull a fast one like last Wednesday!
This game will also be carried on CSN...so if you have DirecTV you are in luck. And I'm SURE the fine folks in the ATL will DO a PBP for this match for the folks across the country that cannot watch this on TV. I...FearM9...am still unsure about what I will do tomorrow afternoon. Will I watch it or not? We'll see.
It is also on CSN. If you have DirecTV and the sports pak, or live in the "local" Washington area, it will be on DTV ch 629 live at 4:00 PM EST Sunday Aug 4 and repeated at 1:00 AM on the 5th. It should, also, be available on Dish Network on whatever ch they have CSN. If you do not have DTV or dish maybe you have a friend that does or you can find a sports bar that is willing to tune it in. (Boy I almost submitted that with the "a" and "r" reversed in bar. That woud be interesting but a bit uncomfortable for someone...)
Fear, you are faster than I. As far as a PbP I will contribute comments BUT I cannot do one full blown as I really want to watch this game without worrying too much about getting the events into the computer. I hope you chose to watch because, even if your loyalities are split, the soccer should be first rate and the game fun.
Many of the local folks who post here will be going to J and J's for a viewing party hosted by the Beat... there will probably be players who didn't make the trip there. I don't think there's any way to plug in a lap-top there. I for one don't HAVE a laptop, so I definitely can't help.
Sounds like we'll be stuck following along on the woosa matchtracker thing (except for some stuff from FoF). Have fun at JandJ's you lucky folks!!!
If anyone is interested I have had some sucess in the past with using a Yahoo chatroom with voice enabled. I allows for easy PbP and still has keyboard interactive. The only requirements seem to be a Yahoo ID and, at least for me, Yahoo instant messenger. I would create the room and give its name here and although I would create it private anyone could join. I just would not show up in the regular room list preventing the random surfer from interfering with the PbP. I would like to test it before we need it so, if anyone is interested, you can PM me and we will set a time for testing of the typing and the sound. It "could" be fun. I think.
Nothing in the local media. Three games in 10 days will be almost impossible for someone with plantar fasciitis. I hope she'll at least be up for one!
I have known several runners throughout the years that have had plantar fascitis. I wonder how common of an injury this is in soccer players? And I wonder how much can be attributed to their boots. As most of you are well aware...soccer boots are no where near the level of cushioning/support of their running shoe cousins.
Did anyone notice the condition of the pitch at RFK today? It took one hell of a beating from the rain and players today. Dr. Lane .... what is the weather forecast for tomorrow? If y'all remember correctly from the FearM9 match last season.....the rain started hitting the DC area in the second half and that is when the Beat came alive to win that match.
I don't think you can compare cleats to running shoes. Running shoes are used on harder surfaces (like say asphalt) and need to be able to cushion the foot better. Cleats are worn on grass which is soft and cushy. It does become a problem though in a hot dry spell when the fields become hard as a rock.
Well, it has gotten real simple, as far as getting a playoff spot: A win, ANY win, in the last three game and Atlanta is in the playoffs. Also they make it on three ties. This is no matter what San Jose does. Also a San Jose loss to Philly(who are still in a race for first) or a loss to boston and The Beat play at least one game after the season. Atlanta needs to get the clinching win out of the way against Washington so they can make a decision on any playing any injured players without the pressure of having to win to get a playoff position. The only concern would be the chance of getting to second which requires that Carolina looses at least one of their last two. It would be very good to have decisions on the play of the final two games to not have "Must Win" as part of the equation.