The preview of the preview

By: Melissa | March 26th, 2009

With game-time around the corner, I’m getting ready and excited to post regular previews and reviews every week. If you ever stopped by when I was writing the San Jose Earthquakes blog, you probably know that these posts will likely be full of as many pop culture references as humanly possible… and maybe some soccer. I’m also still on the fence whether to bring back Song of the Week (an idea lovingly stolen from the absolutely amazing Sacha Kljestan and Benny Feilhaber podcasts over at US Soccer). But before I sit down to write the Freedom/Sol preview, I first gotta preview the pre-game activities scheduled at the Home Depot Center, starting around 2:30pm PST.

• A parade of nations prior to kick-off with flags from all 10 nations represented in WPS for the Inaugural Season: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, United States.
• The opportunity for fans to follow along with players thoughts about the historic day with real-time tweets right to fans’ cell phones.
• On-field opening remarks from WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci and on-field ball handover from Mia Hamm to the referees.
• The creation of a special WPS Inaugural Match logo to commemorate the game that will be included in team photos and stamped on all official match balls.
• Video welcomes from key sports figures and officials, including among them FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
• National anthem sung by rising stars “The Beach Girlz”.
• The development of a unique website – My WPS Inaugural – where fans in attendance can post their memories and images of the historic day.
• Fox Soccer Channel live pre-game show beginning at 5:30pm EST/2:30pm PT followed by game coverage at 6pm EST/3pm PT.
• The ball used in the historic first goal for WPS will be taken out of play, then signed after the game by the goal scorer, and sent for display to the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum in Oneonta, NY.

Oh wait, you mean THE Sepp Blatter who once publicly said the women’s game will be more popular if players wore tighter shorts? Well sheet, Since Kerri Walsh is probably a bit busy with her first kid and with Dancing With the Stars onto a new season, I bet Misty May-Treanor has a bit of free time to come on down. Ok, I may be kidding a little bit here (but perhaps someone *should* give her a call). Mia Hamm will also be around and posing next to the WPS logo which just happens to be a silhouette of her kicking a ball. Tres postmodern.

Right. So in the next day or two, I plan to have my first WPS game preview out. But until then, here’s your Picture of the Week and a lil’ teaser of what’s to come…

(I’m blind! I’m blind!)

And to everyone planning to attend the game at the HDC on Sunday, tailgating in the parking lot is totally ok. You just gotta keep the booze bottles in the car trunk and the booze in plastic cups. And after the game, there are usually vendors strategically located in the parking lot selling cheap and delicious bacon wrapped hot dogs. Great for the drunk munchies. Have fun everyone!

p.s. It’s important to note that now the entire world knows Sepp Blatter is an ass man. Keep that in mind when you are watching him do whatever he’s gonna do on Sunday.