News/Info on MagicJack

Thanks for the report and pictures Lloyd Heilbrunn

 

From main forum news thread:

As fans, our opinions don't count for shit - just our $ in ticket revenue, merchandise, etc.
He's been such a headache that I can easily see why everyone wouldn't want him back. I don't really see him as "falling in-line" at the moment at all myself, unless you want to count him actually not attending games - Paul wasn't very specific as to how he's "turned the corner". He certainly has been bad-mouthing the league often lately, in responses to his suspensions and the WPSPU's grievance. Has he paid all the fines and such yet?
On the other hand, if he has the money and the means, (and by "means" I mean a nice stadium, active website, etc.,) then I'm not sure if there would be a reason for the league to reject him besides "we don't like how you treat us", which wouldn't stand up in court if he raised issue with being rejected, so...

 

Wow. Have you ever tried to sign your name for 200 people in the space of an hour? Carpal Tunnel!!

 

Thanks, Lloyd Heilbrunn for the game report. I'm quite concerned about Abby's health and her limping around even when only playing 45min does not alleviate any of those concerns. It seems that she's risking the Olys and her longterm health/career to finish out the season and help build/continue WPS.

I appreciate that dedication and it is in stark contrast to another of her teammates who hasn't shown up to a WPS game even to sign autographs since the WWC. But dang it, Abby, take care of that foot/ankle/leg.

I know this is the mJ forum but I wonder if you could speak a little about Boston's play. Just from the boxscore & other games they've played (and the personnel they used), I feel like DiCicco may have out thought himself w/ respect to re-integration of the USWNT players.

Again, just from the boxscore (which is never really a good indication of how a game went), it seems like the Boston defenders got handled w/ ease. And/or the midfield and backline were too disrupted by all the changes in personnel.

What did you see?

 

I don't know how Boston set their lineup preWC. But I was a bit surprised they did not have both LeP and Buehler in the middle. Unless it was tactical to lineup LeP vs Rapinoe, but she played RB. Cox played LB, and Buehler was in the middle with another women who did not make enough of an impression on me to look up her name in the program. They were beat for speed and tried to play extra physical to make up for it.

Boston was really dominated in MF too. I don't know what has happened to Osbourne's game but she showed nothing. Offense was all long ball, handled easily on the ground by Rampone and in the air by Becky.

The game was not as close as the score, to be honest.

 

Nice little blurb on newsouth's girl,Christen Press and her quest for the Golden Boot.

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/sports/2011/08/01/press-stakes-claim-for-golden-boot/

 

Nice. And someone said Boquete because she only played 180 mins or something like that last year. Nope, because you could make the case if Morgan only plays 200 mins or so this yr because of the WC, so qualify her for next season. Boquete was apart of last years class. My 2 for Rookie of the Year are Press and Farrelly.

and giovanni is crazy over at equalizer saying, they used ink to make morgan rookie of the year because of a lucky flick and 2 of her 4 goals coming after the 90th min when SB and Atl defenses didn't even bother checking her.
http://www.equalizersoccer.com/2011/07/26/step-aside-marta-flash-has-a-new-star/

Anyway, she's getting all the accolades anyway but she isnt wps rookie of the year.

 

Morgan has already played 453 minutes this year, so she's well past 200 and has clearly had enough time to make a case for herself.

Boquete is in a Catch-22. No way was she going to get any sort of honors last year by only playing 180 minutes. So is it fair this year to say, "No, you had your shot last year!"? Or maybe WPS should adopt MLS's approach of having separate Rookie of the Year (for players fresh out of college) and Newcomer of the Year (for players not fresh out of college but new to the league).

It would be interesting to see whose goals mattered most. I think Vero would come out way on top with that analysis.

 

Thanks a bunch. The times I've seen the Boston defense, it has been better with Dieke as a CB than without. I can't tell from just the boxscore if it was Hemmings or Marshall or Moore as the other defender (was she blond or brunett?). Hemmings played her first game as a CB in the Boston-WNY tie and didn't look bad (though clearly not use to playing defense) but wasn't eyecatching unless you were watching to see how a 1st time defender did against that offense.

But DiCicco playing LP as a right back seems to be more for the USWNT experience and not for the best interests of his club. As he said during the WWC, LP is a center back. And if Scott was 100% and didn't start, that's also a poor choice by DiCicco.Sounds like the best interest of Boston would be to not play Buehler & LP -- especially if one is going to be on the outside. Time will tell, I guess.

As for their midfield, this was the first game Winters did not start all season. And Osborne doesn't seem to be playing as well as she did last season.

Before you ask, there is something wrong with me but heaven help me my take away from that article was "it should be alumna..." which is petty and stupid to notice. Nice info in the article aside from that, though.

 

According to the Equalizer's report, Hemmings was the player next to Buehler.

 

well, i dont keep track of morgan's exact minutes. the point is dont try to change the rules. what if jordan was a rookie when she went down in the first game of the season against atlanta? boquete could be most improved or something but not rookie of the year.

 

I'm not trying to change the rules; I'm not even sure what the rules are. But most professional leagues have a definition of rookie such that a first-year player who doesn't get a chance to prove themselves in their first season isn't made ineligible for the next. Major League Baseball has very specific numbers to that effect. The most famous example might be Ken Dryden, who as goalkeeper of the Montreal Canadiens won the Most Valuable Player award for the 1971 Stanley Cup playoffs, then turned around and won Rookie of the Year in 1972 because he hadn't played enough regular-season games in 1971 to have been rendered ineligible.

As for Angeli, I'd have been fine if her rookie eligibility had been extended by a year if she had gotten injured in that same timeframe in her first season. I think you could also make a case that Tobin Heath should be considered a rookie for this year. Players should get a fair shot at the award.

 

In the least surprising news ever, Hope confirmed that she's done with WPS for the season:

 

Big Joke! She must be kidding. So, they'll blame this one on MagicDan, why she isn't returning?

Abby's foot is jacked but she is putting in 45 mins a game, just for the fans. Hope has a bad wrist but is driving cars and signing deals, but can't show up for MagicJack games to sign autographs and be a face of the World Cup to pump up attendance.

Maybe none of the clubs should sign her next season but dan will be right there next season with a check in hand.

I don't mind her popping off on twitter, etc but she just needs to show up for the 2 hr games. then, she can fly out and get deals.

 

For the folks who have attended the post-WWC games, were they still allowing fans to sit by the sideline or are they making everyone sit in the bleachers now? I went to a game early in the season and sat in the grass by the rope at the sideline, but it sounds like they may be a bit more structured than before. I'm coming down to Boca to catch Philly and WNY games, just trying to figure out if it will be worth bringing my camera.

 

MJ has a little competition for the South Florida soccer fan tonight.It will be interesting to see if they still sellout:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/record-crowd-expected-at-sun-life-stadium-to-1685681.html

 

sunlife is about 1 hr away, and mj tickets still run $10, plus $3 for food and drinks. how many people travel that far to the games? plus they only need 3000 to have a sellout. i'm not sure it does anything to mj. i think hope solo hurts them more by not being at the games.

 

Abby tweeted that she's doing a Gatorade behind the scenes thing today.

 

MJ wins 3-2 tonight.

 

What was the attendance at the MJ game on Wed? I was at the Barcelona game at Sunlife, and am curious about the turnout for MJ.

 

~1700

 

Curious about the playoff format. I think MJ clinched a spot by winning last night, correct? But the recent article about the lawsuit said they are adding seats to be at 5000 for the playoffs. However, looking at the standings, I don't understand how they can host, absent a win on the road and a massive upset in the 4vs1 game. Am I missing something?

 

No. 3 seed hosts the first game.

http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/schedule/wps-playoffs.aspx