11/05/24
August 22, 2009
Sky Blue FC Win Inaugural Women's Professional Soccer Championship: New Jersey's Sky Blue FC defeated the Los Angeles Sol 1-0 to take the first Women's Professional Soccer crown Saturday at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Sky Blue won three straight road games for the title under the leadership of player-coach Christie Rampone. Heather O'Reilly scored the goal. The fledgling league has survived its first season with expected financial and attendance results and will add expansion teams in Atlanta and Philadelphia.
Is this like a wild card team winning the Super Bowl? ;)
Seriously, great achievement for the team who, after all, went through three coaches, controversies and started the short season with several losses.
posted by billsaysthis at 09:14 PM on August 22, 2009
Finally, a professional soccer team from the Greater NY area (not named Cosmos) wins a trophy! Between Sky Blue's win, Jozy's assist, Juan Carlos Osorio resigning, and rumors that Red Bull is looking to sell the team, it's been a pretty good weekend for me soccer-wise.
Just a shame I had to watch this on tape delay. You'd think they'd at least make sure viewers in the NY and LA markets would have an easier time watching the game live.
posted by goddam at 12:34 AM on August 23, 2009
The final aired live here on the local Fox Sports channel and then delayed on another channel.
posted by rcade at 10:58 AM on August 23, 2009
Sucks that my FC Gold Pride* ended up dead last. But more power to Sky Blue. That was no small feat running the playoff gauntlet and winning against an LA team that had been dominant enough to cinch the season multiple games prior to the end. Particularly impressed with Sky Blue's keeper, Branam, who was getting crashed into on 50/50 balls throughout the playoffs and still soldiered through.
* What can I say? I'm a sucker for Canadian content, and you don't get more accomplished than Christine Sinclair. Plus, they're geographically nearest my alma mater. And 4 Brazilians. You had to figure that would've given them a decent shot at making the playoffs at least.
posted by juv3nal at 07:24 PM on August 25, 2009
Finally, a professional soccer team from the Greater NY area (not named Cosmos) wins a trophy!
I even put "I Am The Cosmos" on the SpoFi CD Swap just for you.
/Looks sadly into empty mailbox.
posted by owlhouse at 01:42 AM on August 26, 2009
Particularly impressed with Sky Blue's keeper, Branam, who was getting crashed into on 50/50 balls throughout the playoffs and still soldiered through.
When she got injured vs DC, it was her own fault the way she threw up her leg at whats-her-face. Use your knee for defense, not offense.
posted by inigo2 at 08:39 AM on August 26, 2009
/Looks sadly into empty mailbox.
Crap. Sorry owlhouse. I dropped the ball this year. I could blame my moving in April, but I've had the mix pretty much set for a while now. As god as my witness, you will get your CD before the holidays!
posted by goddam at 12:47 PM on August 26, 2009
I liked the playoff format for the league -- the regular season winner advanced directly to host the final, while teams 2-5 played two rounds to get there -- but it sure didn't seem to help the Sol. Sky Blue was playing its third elimination game in eight days, while the Sol hadn't played for two weeks.