I know this is very PTH... but, name your favorite Beat player and tell us why. I was just thinking that we all post on here together and have been for some time. By now, I'm sure we have fave players... I'm just curious as to the "who" and the "why". With the 2nd season over, I feel we should extend them some props (sp??). I know we may all have more than one... so lets limit it to three, okay? I'll go first! LISA KRZYKOWSKI - First and foremost, my favorite player. I've never seen Lisa give less than 100%. You see players get out there sometimes and half-ass around, but not Lisa. More than anyone else, she plays with heart. She has a huge following among fans because she is genuine and has a sincerity about her that is impossible to fake. She's an excellent role model. My niece (Sydney) picked Lisa out at the very first game and chose her as her favorite. Lisa has never failed to give her a wave or acknowledge her in some way. Hands down...one of the nicest individuals you will ever meet. Soccer wise, Lisa brings stability, intelligence, patience and toughness to the backline. She is fundamental for our defensive success. MARCI MILLER - Marci tops my list at #2. A tough competitor with a heart of gold. Marci is another genuine person that gives her all out on the field. She's definitely someone I'd want on my team. I've seen her with kids at soccer camp and she is incredibly patient and will one day make a fantastic coach. She was coaching the heading portion of the clinic. Marci only had about 15-20 minutes with each group before the whistle blew and the group rotated out to another session. Even within that small amount of time, you could see vast improvement in each child. One word... incredible! Just remember: It's never too late for...MILLER TIME!! SAWA!!! - Third was a tough decision, because realistically, half the team would make my fave list. However, I love to watch Homare play. She is so fast, full of energy and seems to never be in need of rest. It was awesome seeing her get into the attack more this season. I finally had a chance to talk with her at the season ticket holder picnic and she is so funny! We spoke for about 15 minutes and I was very impressed by her. An awesome personality and play maker. Honorable Mentions for me: Serlenga, Hooper, Nancy, Julie, Nonen and Burt!!!!!!!!!!
Nikki. I wasn't impressed with her performance last season, but I tried to look past that and said over and over that this would be her season, and it really has been. She has really improved 10-fold since last year and I'm hoping she keeps it up and improves again next year. I also have to hand it to her that it takes guts to choose your club over your country, especially since it's the fabled U.S. Nat team you're turning away from. Even if it is for just one season. Nikki's physical, moreso than other players in the league, but she makes beautiful, clean tackles that I've not seen many others in the WUSA do. She has a wonderful foot, a great mind for the game and her leadership was some of the very best out there this year.
Well, to no one's surprise, my favorite player is Sun Wen. I have been a fan of hers since the 1996 Olympics when I saw her play for the Chinese nats against the US and other teams in Athens. I also got to see her play while I was living in Shanghai and was excited when the Beat made her the first pick in the first draft. She has been battling injuries, but when she is in there, she has had an impact. I don't think she has had the chance to show what she can truly do. This is a combination of the injuries and Stone not knowing how to play her. Not only that, she is wonderful to talk to. She writes poetry and is very well educated. She is one of the nicest people I have ever met, and I heard her speaking English to other fans this past year, telling me that she has really worked on her English. I really hope Sun comes back next year. Her positive attitude and her incredible skill with the soccer ball will be missed if she doesn't return.
Scurry And I don't know if it's really soccer related. As most are well aware..she has some aspects of her game that she needs to work on, mainly her foot skills. Her athleticism is what does it for me. Look at the way Scurry has evolved as an athlete from 1999 to 2000 to 2001 to 2002. 2000 was probably her worst year...she was a tad out of shape. But in the past two years she has dedicated herself to being an atheletic freak. Look at her now. The lady is one fine athletic specimen. Tough! That's what makes her my fave. I admire folks like that in any athletic discipline.
Wow tough one, good points for the above mentioned. I will go with :drum roll: SAWA - (big surprise). She is just AWESOME! And fun to watch. Greatly improved from last year, imagine that. So much skill, energy and personality. KEEP YOUR DIRTY LITTLE CYBER-SCUM HANDS OFF HER SJ - SHE IS NOT TRADE BAIT! It was hard enough to pick one, so I will stop there.
Sawa is my favorite player. She is the engine the runs the Beat and, in my opinion, should be the Beat's MVP. Without her in the lineup the Beat sputters on offense and their defense also suffers. Her ability to create rivals the other great creators in the league like Riise and Sisi and her work rate is well above either. When I see her play it is simply a joy to behold and she seems to play with joy inside herself as well. I have this other vision of her as the typical Japanese woman; meekly following her man 3 steps behind him then getting fed up with the subservient roll and taking three quick steps and kicking him so hard in the rear that he hurts for a week and taking the lead roll for herself and then holding it no matter what the man does. And to top it off she is SO cute: oops dirty old man perspective slips out.
First and fore most: AMY WALSH - Cause shes a trooper. Then its a tie between Hoop and Nonen, cause duh, they my girls. Did you honsestly expect me to say anyone else?
I thought you were a big Chinese fan!!??? So it's the Canadian's you follow...okay, my bad ! "Mel...made in Canada" ...BTW, exactly where is that tattoo??
Ok since this forum has been dead lately, I will chime in again... MARCI MILLER - aka "the headhunter", came back from multiple injuries a year ago and is the heart and soul of the team. WAR BEAT! was coined after her - the original warrior. Not to mention a great personality on and off the pitch. WAR MARCI!!!!
A little script to liven up the boards... Now that's what I'm talking about!!!!!!!!!!!! GO Marci!!!!!!! She's awesome! I just love this team...I don't know how a soccer fan could cheer for another! WAR BEAT!!! WAR MARCI!! WAR MOLSON!!!! ...Hey Mel...bring on the keg!!! We still need to work on those Soccer drinking games.... what is it? A shot for each foul... two shots for a yellow... Chug a Beer for each goal?? Good grief, it's no wonder people think our Supporter's Club needs its own AA chapter!! :: passes out from Molson overload:: KIM - :: lifts head in drunken stupor :: {slurring} "IT'S MILLER TIME!! #16 RULES!!!" ::falls off bar stool:: MEL - How embarassing. A Beat fan should be able to hold their liquor. Lemme show you how it's done... Name a player and her jersey number. KIM - {from floor} Miller, number 16. Oh my God! Are we on a ship? Everything's rockin'... MEL - Okay...Miller, 16... barkeep... line up 16 shots of tequilla! PIPER - KIM - There ain't no damn way... {Flix enters scene with a camera, for prosperity sake} {Terry runs in} TERRY - Did someone say Tequilla???? Count me in! {Mel and Terry toss back 16 shots each... Mel staggers slightly on bar stool as Terry is unphased by the amount of alcohol they have both consumed} PIPER - {walks over to Mel and Terry to congratulate them... but passes out from the fumes} TERRY - That was fun! My next favorite player is Nancy #25... Yo, Barkeep...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MEL - :wide eyed: I think I hear my Mom calling... {runs out of bar} TERRY - Hey!!!!!!!!!!! {spots Kim on floor- grabs her and props her up} Okay, I guess you'll have to do. Who's your next favorite player? KIM - {looks horrified at the thought of more tequilla} Ummmm, Ummmm.... Scurry. Yeah that's it! Scurry...#1!!! TERRY - {pushes Kim back over} Lightweight. First, Nancy... then Krzykowski, #21... then Julie #15, then.... --------------------THE END--------------------- ...I think my writing is rusty. Mel, wanna give it a try???? ...Kim Sorry...off topic. Okay someone else discuss your fave player!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Small of my back. I havn't written in a long time. I'm not going to try .. maybe later after a few tonight.
Come to think of it ... I wasn't at FCII this year. I was last year. Almost all of the people from last year were there this year. See? Y'all should have had me there. Might would have made for better druck stories
Ya, seriously. I WANT BETTER DRUNK STORIES. Whatever happen to a classic 'i almost beat the ************ out of a crays GK'. THAT should have been made a tradition.
Back to favorite players I may not be a Beat fan, but I do have some favorites on your team. #1 is Charmaine Hooper, a great, great player and a fierce competitor who always makes intelligent and gracious remarks whenever the media stick a mike in her face. #2 is Cindy Parlow. Another great player and fierce competitor and a former Tar Heel as well.
No, no no. The story was 'I almost got the floor mopped up with my cocky ass by a c'rays GK ... As milbrett (the poster) takes off in one direction and Kim pushes me out the door.'
...Yes, I must say...I was fearful for both our lives. I'm not the kind of person who could walk away if my friend was getting the shat beat out of her. I'd have to join in and get the shat beat out of me as well ... on a positive note, we would have had a funny "remember the time after the Founder's Cup when we were in the ER..." Story. Sorry I left you out of the script, Bon! If you could give me some editing powers, I could put you in there!!! I could have Luckinbill (sp?) kick your ass or something ...
Re: Back to favorite players I'm trying to decide if you are being sincere or sarcastic. Hooper is awesome and I love her candor. Most people tell you what they've been taught to say when a "mike" is stuck in their face... Not Charmaine! She tells it like it is. Which to me, is quite refreshing. I know a lot of people do not like our team...(or us for that matter), but they are very straight up, honest and sincere people. They are ALL incredibly good to their fans as well.
I don't really have a favorite player. I like what everyone brings to the table. yea i have players i know but on the field they are players. I don't think I could ever say so and so is my favorite.
Nancy Augustyniak She saves our butt all of the time. Nancy is an awesome defender who often gets overlooked in the back. She always plays smart, leaves everything on the field, wins 50-50 balls,.....I could go on forever. Nancy proved a key player in the playoffs buy shutting down many highly skilled forwards. She also got Defensive Player of the Year. I have also been impressed by Julie's improvement this year. She has shown too that she can play with the best of the best. Sawa, Serlenga, and Bivens are pretty high on my favorite players list, too.
Re: Back to favorite players Well darn... you beat me to the punch! I was going to list the same two. Only for me Cindy would be first. Sawa has probably impressed me the most but these two are not only great but are sentimental favorites because I got to love them during their NC college careers. I'm not sure I've paid that much attention to what any of the players have said to the media so I can't really comment on that aspect.
Ummm, lets see, my favorite. Thats hard. I think I would say either Serlenga or Sawa. (not very original I know) I was very impressed with how they played this year. It seemed like everytime Sawa had the ball something magical would happen. And Nikki was definitely the leader it seemed like. Had a shaky start, but by the end of the season she was sensational. Plus as someone said, she has a bit of nasty in her. I like that
i was impressed with sawa all year. she was always creating in the mid and attacking third, and often fell back to assist on defence often stopping attacks and clearing the ball. she is selfless on the field, often taking severe punishment physically, but dusting herself off and taking off. scurry was the unsung hero of the year. she kept us into games and i think singlehandily kept us in the playoff contention. there were too numerous times where opponents had great oppurtunities to score only to be snuffed out by a diving save or tip by scurry. i think her performance is overlooked by a lot of people who don't see beat games. i think we take for granted her incredible play in goal. the twins did well this year playing defense. i was impressed with both nancy's play and shift to central d and julie's play on the wing.
To those of you who have "known" me by my posts since the days of Footie Power and wwconthewww, under various nicknames including Cory+Cindy and Cindy Parlow fan, you know who has always been my favorite (and I'll also speak for dearly missed Sarah aka parlowfan12). I like Cindy's drive against potential adversity: she entered UNC a year early (which is amazing enough)as a shy young woman, but has really found herself, both on UNC and now the Beat. She is admitedly not the fastest player in the world, but she runs her fastest and makes excellent use of what ARE her skills: heading and physical play. She does a goo job involving herself in every play possible. I would have never expected her to blossom into what she is now. She used to seem too shy and innocent to mix it up, but I was happily proven wrong. I can't wait to go to Columbus this weekend to see her shine against the Haggisheads!! But that said, I have come to love the Beat as an organization, too. Especially coach Stone, Hooper, and the Augustyniaks. Great at what they do, and seemingly great people, too.
Sawa Parlow Serlenga I agree that Marci Miller is awesome, with an incredible amount of guts and drive... as is Burtie- however neither of them is currently in a position to make a huge impact on the team. If they got some more playing time, they'd be up there in my estimation.