WPS will stop being polite and start getting real
By: Melissa | May 11th, 2009Marta is very, very good. She’s the main star that is actually living up to her billing in the U.S. league – unlike a certain Englishman. – Andrea Canales, Goal.com
I would like to take a few seconds here to give a shout-out whut whut thank goodness Andrea Canales is back writing about women’s soccer again. When the old Sideline Views blog folded I was absolutely crushed. She and Kathryn Knapp are putting together a fantastic one-stop-shopping news source over at Goal.com. And regarding the recent review/suspension of Abby Wambach and Kia McNeill from last Sunday’s Athletica/Freedom game, Canales spells it all out short, sweet, & to the point:
Women should not be exempted from the fierce desire to win and the willingness to push themselves to the limit to make that happen. However, neither should they get a pass on reckless “red mist” moments of play where they lose sight of the potential to injure.
Perhaps Commissioner Tonya read Canales’ article because after the WPS Disciplinary Committee ruled to take no further action, she stepped in and announced a one game suspension for Wambach and McNeill. She also requested US Soccer review the referees assigned to WPS games. Except, I think Fox Soccer Channel didn’t get the memo because all throughout Sunday’s Red Stars/Sky Blue game, the commercials for the upcoming Freedom/Boston game kept announcing Abby Wambach’s Washington Freedom (and I’m not quite sure on this but Wambach may be out not from suspension but really because national team camp officially starts on Sunday).
Saint Louis did react to the loss of Daniela very very fast. Fast enough to get two trades in before their next game against FC Gold Pride. Christie Welsh and Kendall Fletcher moved from LA to STL in exchange for a conditional 2010 first-round draft pick and a 2011 first-round draft pick. But with the league so new, it’s hard to gauge this decision. Brash and desperate = yes. But how losing these future draft picks will affect STL in the future is unkown at this point. The last time I checked, each team was only allowed 5 international spots and for the women’s game in the US, the college draft does produce quality players. At least the band aid appears to be working as Saint Louis beat FC Gold Pride 1-0 this weekend.
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Comments
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Just saw the challenge, it didn’t look that bad but it’s suspicious because of who it’s on. I miss my fair playing Abby where’d she go? I wish Daniela a speedy recovery.
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Making an example of…
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Meliss -
All tolled, the decision works. Abby’s challenge was classic “red mist” although not unprovoked. Daniela didn’t deserve it (from what I saw.) The refs need to think hard about ways to MANAGE a match, protect the players and do their work. And the League — the players — get the message that hockey-style enforcing is simply out. Play has been very physical in more than one instance.
The WPS will inevitably go through its growing pains; this incident was part of that natural process.
The League should be commended, overall, for putting together a very consumable product. They need to protect the franchise & don’t appear to have put many feet wrong.
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