Taken from WUSA press release MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Mia Hamm Maren Meinert Abby Wambach COACH OF THE YEAR Tom Sermanni Tom Stone Pia Sundhage DEFENDER OF THE YEAR Joy Fawcett Jennifer Grubb Sharolta Nonen GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR Karina LeBlanc Siri Mullinix Briana Scurry REFEREE OF THE YEAR Sandra Hunt Erich Simmons Terry Vaughn ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Maribel Dominguez Christine Latham Aly Wagner HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR Jenny Benson Nel Fettig Jaime Pagilarulo EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Katy Button, GM Washington Joe Cummings, GM Boston Scott Travasos, GM Carolina TEAM COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD Boston Breakers New York Power San Jose CyberRays TEAM FAIR PLAY AWARD Boston Breakers Carolina Courage Philadelphia Charge GOAL OF THE YEAR Maribel Dominguez Atlanta April 12 Juked two Boston defenders and blasted it by Boston 'keeper Karina LeBlanc Marinette Pichon Philadelphia May 17 Cracked a one-time, half-volley shot past New York goalkeeper Carly Smolak Melanie Hoffmann Philadelphia June 7 Cracked a half-volley past diving San Diego goalkeeper Jaime Pagliarulo Conny Pohlers Atlanta July 12 Beats two defenders and slices shot through another defender's legs to score Christine Latham San Diego July 15 Scored on a dipping, half-volley from just outside the penalty area Abby Wambach Washington July 19 Hammered home a header as her body was parallel with the ground In addition to the awards stated above, the WUSA will have an All-WUSA first and second team in 2003. The WUSA also provides awards for the following based on statistics: SCORING CHAMPION This award goes to the player who registers the most points (goals + assists) during the regular season. Washington Freedom forwards Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach were Co-Scoring Champions in 2003 with 33 points each. GOLDEN BOOT This award goes to the player who scores the most goals during the regular season. Boston Breakers forward Dagny Mellgren and Philadelphia Charge forward Marinette Pichon were Co-Golden Boot award winners as each player scored 14 goals. PLAYMAKER OF THE YEAR This award goes to the player who registers the most assists during the regular season. Washington Freedom forward Mia Hamm was the 2003 WUSA Playmaker of the Year with 11 assists. With three offensive awards, the WUSA discontinued the "Offensive Player of the Year" award in 2003. On August 24 in San Diego, the Founders Cup trophy will be awarded to the championship team and the Founders Cup Most Valuable Player presented by Hyundai will be given to the top player in the title game. With the exception of the Goal of the Year, Executive of the Year and Team Fair Play award, the voting was conducted in the following three blocks: 1. Media panel 33 percent of the vote 2. WUSA players 33 percent of the vote 3. WUSA coaches and general managers 33 percent of the vote WUSA AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT SCHEDULE Tue. Aug. 19 Coach of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Humanitarian of the Year Referee of the Year, Goal of the Year Wed., Aug. 20 Defensive Player of the Year, All-WUSA First and Second team, Team Community Service award, Team Fair Play award, Executive of the Year Thur., Aug. 21 Most Valuable Player
Namazi is not even nominated? That's interesting. Joy as defender of the year? I don't think so. Latham is rookie of the year then. Hate to say it, but Dominguez or Pohlers probably had the best goal of the year. Toss up. But I have to go back to look at a couple of the years. I would have nominated Tiffeny's free kick against(not sure) for goal of the year. That was pretty good.
Namazi was my #2 choice as Coach of the Year. I also had Pichon in my top 3 for Player of the Year. I'm guessing Mia will win, but it should go to Meinert (of course last year it should have gone to Riise, but I digress). Goalkeeper is the only category where all three of my picks were finalists.
I am really surprised that Stone got the nod over Namazi. It's not like he turned his team around, or battled through depleted injury ridden lineups. I'm glad to see Joy get nominated for defender of the year. She anchored the second best rated defense in the league. While playing in a three back formation. That's not all bad. And not to make this a completely San Diego bias even though that is my favorite team. I can be honest and fair where props are due. But, the only one of the goals up for being the best that really stand out in my mind is the Latham goal. That was pretty sweet. Finally, I can't believe that Wagner got nominated for rookie of the year. Latham and Dominguez are both totally deserving. And while I love watching Wagner play, I don't think she really earned that distinction.
But can't a coach have a good year without having to overcome such hurdles? To be honest, I've never really thought that Atlanta has had the talent to match whatever the other top teams have had over the league's history. Tom can, and often is, an ass - but he really does get maximum results out of his players. That said, I voted for Omid 2nd and Tom 3rd for COY. And you're going to disagree with my other categories, too. I didn't vote for Joy, but I did vote for Aly.
Stone is a good coach. He's a little too intense in the way he yells for my particular taste. However, he has done a good job with his team. He's also been to the playoffs all three years of the league's existence. Meaning he's already shown that he can get consistency from his team. Namazi, on the other hand, took a team that has underachieved every year. Add to that the injuries and the games missed by key players with all the NT call-ups and he seems to have been by-passed in the coach of the year category. As for Joy and Aly . . . that's the best part of everything . . . being able to choose for oneself. All the girls nominated are deserving, or they wouldn't be there. Or would they??
???? Start with the best goalkeeper in the world. Move on to a defense that boasts the top Canadian defender. Not to mention a front line with the top Canadian forward. Sprinkle liberally with characters like Big Bird, er, I mean, Cindy Parlow. And Dominguez and Pohler (missing the last two games when the Beat hiccoughed). And those twins. And a Japanese superstar who played under a Chinese shadow the first two years. Naw. No talent here.
I didn't say "no talent". I just think they've overachieved for the talent they do have. The entire universe of womens soccer now (that Fulham has slid back) has only 8 professional teams - and those are down to 128 jobs. Every team has talent.
Of course every team has talent. But Atlanta's starting XI is filled with international-level talent. I think for the other WUSA teams, there are at most three or four international-level players on each squad. If anything, Atlanta has underachieved. How they don't manage to destroy the opposition week-in, week-out with that roster is beyond me. Seriously.
Well said. Perhaps it's not the players, but another force within the organization who prohibits them from succeeding.
I assume this was supposed to a humourous jab, but it's still possibly the dumbest thing I've read on BS.com in months. So let me vent with a smile on my face. Charmaine Hooper is a legend. She stood up to sexism of the Canadian Soccer Association and got her funding striped because of it. Because she stood her ground and drew press to the situation, they eventually retracted their stance and did a stunning 180. They founded national youth programs, developed an aggressive fixture campaign over the last four years and hired a great head coach. Charmaine did a lot to help bring that to light. Nevermind that she's one of the greatest women's players of all time. I said this years ago and her play in WUSA where she's been past her prime only backs up my belief: if she was American she would be the world's all-time leading scorer. Of course most USWNT fans criticize her for being 'too rough' and champion a diving cheat. And if you think the contribution of Sharolta Nonen and Charmaine Hooper hasn't made Canada a world class team, give us a month to change your mind. cheers, hobbes
Mark Bushman and I made our award picks as well. Check it out... http://onthesidelines.org/freedom081903.htm Some of the league picks have already been announced. Sundhage got coach; Latham rookie; Scurry goalkeeper; Wambach goal of the year among others...
Six Award Winners Announced Coach of the Year - Pia Sundhage - Boston Breakers Goalkeeper of the Year - Briana Scurry - Atlanta Beat Rookie of the Year - Christine Latham - San Diego Spirit Goal of the Year - Abby Wambach - Washington Freedom, July 19th vs. New York Humanitarian of the Year - Jenny Benson - Philadelphia Charge Referee of the Year- Terry Vaughn Tomorrow: Defender of the Year, All-WUSA First and Second team, Team Community Service Award, Team Fair Play Award, Executive of the Year
Yes it was sarcasm. Hence the little at the end. An the "oops wrong board". I sometimes for get that although most womens board regulars usually see the silly sarcasm of post like that.... there are those who don't. Unbunch your panties. If i had intended for it to be a malicious post it would have been evident. anyway.... my bad.
I figured it was sort of tongue in cheek, but still a really silly comment event if it was a sarcastic shot at Canada. Though probably no sillier than what I said about Mia Hamm. In any event, I wasn't angry, I just responded with a similar tongue in cheek reply. Note the wink and the venting while smiling comment. Nothing of mine was in a bunch. Or are you still bitter that we embarassed you during your 'Glory Tour' cheers, hobbes
Well good. 'Cause I hear that can be fairly uncomfortable. Excellent!!! Hey whatever gives you hope right? Nice to meet you.
Didnt know if these were posted: Homare Sawa holds her 1st Team All-WUSA award during the WUSA Founders Cup Awards Ceremony on August 22, 2003 at the Natural History Museum in San Diego, California. http://images.sportsline.com/u/gettyimages/photos/2412211DM001_Foundation_Cup082400_lower.jpg Mia Hamm holds hers. http://images.sportsline.com/u/gettyimages/photos/2412211DM002_Foundation_Cup082400_lower.jpg Scurry holds her WUSA Goalkeeper of the Year award http://images.sportsline.com/u/gettyimages/photos/2412211DM003_Foundation_Cup082400_lower.jpg Abby holds her WUSA Goal of the Year award http://images.sportsline.com/u/gettyimages/photos/2412211DM004_Foundation_Cup082400_lower.jpg A photo of the Founders Cup http://images.sportsline.com/u/gettyimages/photos/2412211DM005_Foundation_Cup082400_lower.jpg