90 Minutes to Kickoff – Fans begin to line up and purchase their tickets. This is going to be exciting. The electric billboards surrounding the pitch on the sidelines say: “Go Sol Go.” Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Wanna Be” plays. The turnout, I think, may be least half-capacity. That’s my personal expectation.
T-83 minutes – A single bass drum can be seen in the Angel City Brigade section. Later on, the drum-and the banner- would be moved to section 121.
T-81 minutes – The first practice apparati are placed. The fans begin to arrive and take their seats.
T-75 minutes – A slight break in the clouds.
T-72 minutes – Some photographer from a Japanese news site greets me in my press box downstairs. I would later be joined by another writer from another Japanese site, as well as Joe Nixon, another contributor to b/r, and one of his friends who attends my alma mater, the Beach.
T-71 minutes – hint. That is the name of this new energy drink (actually, I found out it’s water that has no sugar, but some fruit flavor) that they are sponsoring. Wonder if anyone on b/r has tried this. I know the people in my press box-and myself- would try it out inside my box.
T-67 minutes – I notice section 119: “Marta’s Maniacs in the Amway Corner.” Clearly the people in that part of the stadium will go wild when she takes the field, let alone score (She would have an assist instead, and sign some autographs later). For more info on my memo, check it out here.
T-60 minutes – One hour to kick-off. The sprinklers are on, for some reason known only to the grounds crew. Maybe this is to make the pitch lusher, more pleasing to the players…who knows?
T-55 minutes – More fans come in, banging their Amway Thunderstix.
T-50 minutes – The fans who came out early see the Freedom take the field for their preliminaries. They will don all red for this contest.
T-48 minutes – Sol keepers enter their field for their preliminaries.
T-47 minutes – The rest of the Sol players take the field for the first time. I head down to take some shots of the teams going through their warm-ups.
T-33 minutes – After returning to my box, I watch some highlights of WPS players on international duty. Poor Matildas…
T-30 minutes – A lady from NHK japan asks me for assistance regarding press access. In spite of my bout with laryngitis (which explains why my behavior in the box was, surprisingly, typical of those in the press boxes), I show her where to go to enter the field, as well as referred her to people upstairs regarding some instances where my knowledge may not be strong enough.
T-28 minutes – Sepp Blatter send his well wishes.
T-24 minutes – Found out what hint was all about.
T-20 minutes – The Sol complete their warm-ups after practicing ball handling in the new Puma green and whites commissioned by the league.
T-18 minutes – The Freedom complete their warm-ups as well.
T-17 minutes – The dignitaries arrive, including Mia Hamm. Photo op.
T-15 minutes – The flags of Sweden, Japan, Brazil, USA, Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland, France, China, and Australia (what? No Ireland?) grace the midfield circle. They used that movie theme that I do not know the movie, but it’s too effing familiar.
T-11 minutes - WPS commissioner Tonya Antonucci addresses the crowd.
T-10 minutes – A coach from a Cypress AYSO girls team talks about her team’s 2nd place run at the state championships. Also, a family who won a promotion from Amway Global speaks.
T-4 minutes – The players enter…to U2 and Eagle Eye Cherry!? Word to the WPS, we have a piece of music called the FIFA Anthem…
T-1 minutes – A quintet called the Beach Girl five performs the Star-Spangled Banner.
Kick-off 3:11 p.m. PST
1’ – And the history of the WPS begins! Marta trying to control the ball early. Goal kick to Washington’s Brianna Scurry.
3’ – Both sides trying to feel each other out. Aya Miyama should have done better, but snuffed out. The Angel City Brigade gets to work.
4’ – Washington trying to stake their claim early with a shot from Homare Sawa, but high.
5’ – A nice tackle by Manya Makoski
6’ – GOAL! The first goal in WPS history scored by Allison Falk! It was off a set piece by Miyama. Poorly handled by Scurry. The crowd goes wild, and Jim Gabarra’s Freedom are on the defensive.
8’ – Marta trying a shot after some juking, but wide. Sawa asks her ladies to remain composed for the remainder of the match, but Washington’s passed are swallowed up by LA’s back line.
11’ – Already the Mexican Wave, initiated by the ACB, rolls around the HDC. First corner in the WPS to the Sol. Marta is getting a number of touches this match.
12’ – Things getting a bit chippy. Referee Kari Seitz wants some order. She wouldn’t have to deal with booking anyone today.
13’ – A free kick by Miyama saved by Scurry. She still has good hands after all these years.
14’ – Too high a shot by Marta; apparently the crowd may be asking a bit too much? Control will come in time.
16’ – By now the fans can see that the longer the team is together, the better they will gel, and the passing will be a bit more fluid. The long passes aren’t on the dot, as they saw.
17’ – The ACB seems to be successful in waking up the Thunderstix. Even with a one-goal lead, the passing will need to be addressed by Abner Rogers.
19’ – Miyama almost made it 2-0, but again, Scurry is there for the save.
21’ – Apparently the Sol announcer, David Courtney, wasn’t given a pronunciation guide for some of the names. For example, it’s “AH-yuh,” not “EY-yuh.”
22’- Scurry is getting her work cut out for her.
23’ – Karina LeBlanc with a heads-up kick save. The first big defensive stop for the Sol. Up until then, LeBlanc didn’t need to do much.
26’ – Crenshaw High’s marching band, in a nod to the Seattle Sounders FC (who are still undefeated as of this post [can they become the next Chicago Fire and pull off the whole enchilada in their first season? Stay tuned from Qwest…]), play, along with the drumline. Sound Wave they aren’t, but at least they were close.
27’ – Becky Sauerbrunn of the Freedom has a daunting task of marking Marta…
29’ – LeBlanc bails out the Sol on what was a botched defensive play.
31’ – Camille Abily and Aya Miyama weren’t in sync on that counter-attack.
32’ – Sharp tackle by the Sol. Set piece by Washington goes wide.
33’ – Washington needs to do whatever it can on the free kicks, but they are not dialing in.
35’ – Miyama not connecting on the passes again. The midfielders in red are delivering textbook marking.
37’ – No one receiving Marta’s crosses. While Rogers will be pleased with the lead going into half, more goals could have come, but bad finishing and alert keeping from Scurry and LeBlanc have made them harder to come by.
39’ – Washington doing what they can to gain possession, Miyama helping Leblanc clear the danger defensively.
40’ – Offiside. First offside in WPS history.
42’ – Have mercy, Miss Percy (to quote a lyric from ZZ Top’s prose piece “Manic Mechanic”), what what Makoski doing? Open net, squandered chance.
43’ – Lisa de Vanna comes in for Claire Zimmeck.
44’ – Another save from Scurry. 1 minute stoppage time, says Seitz.
HALFTIME – LOS ANGELES SOL 1 – 0 WASHINGTON FREEDOM (LA: Falk 6’)
So, I head back upstairs, wondering if there are any munchies. As I was about to go to the concessions, a guy in a suit, with escorts, brings some kettle-cooked crisps, peanuts, and cashews. I tried some of the hint. A bit bland. No sugar or Splenda-like material. Will this sell?
And there is a product called Not a hint. Not a hint is water without the fruit-scented “hint”: it’s just premium bottle water. I’ll take my Kirkland Signature any old day, thank you very much!
Tell you what: as a matter of fact, how about I go draconian and choose tap! Thanks for the samples, though.
46’ – Katie Larkin goes in for Kendall Fletcher to begin the 2nd half (start: 4:15 p.m.)
48’ – The Freedom look to equalize and set the pace. A shot on the rebound from LeBlanc goes into the stands.
49’ – Set piece taken short for LA. Communication a work in progress again.
51’ – The objective for Washington is to find some opening. They almost hand one, but De Vanna wasted it, going wide.
55’ – Another shot going high for De Vanna. It’s not been her day today.
57’ – Han Duan will want that one back. Plenty of space, too much time to think.
58’ – A good kick save from LeBlanc.
59’ – An important corner for the Freedom…cleared. The Sol standing tall on defense.
61’ – Impressive marking.
63’ – What an opportunity to tie the match! Shot by Lori Lindsey goes off the post.
64’ – And LeBlanc is there again.
65’ – Miyama’s shot would have split the uprights in the American code. Tackling now getting a bit more physical.
68’ – A low volley by Marta is blocked. Washington, showing a sense of urgency now.
71’ – Offside for LA. The floodgates were about to open there.
72’ – Jill Gilbeau goes in for Lori Lindsey.
Rogers is pressing the forwards to press for a second.
73’ – Yet another impressible clearance for Scurry. Only meters from the line. This may be the Inagural Game, but it is the Brianna Scurry show, save for the howler to Falk in minute 6.
75’ – LeBlanc keeps the goalkeeping showcase going. The Angel City Brigade chants “Seven Nation Army.”
76’ – One-time from Abby just missed.
79’ – Header by captain Abby Wambach went awry. Her speed is a bit slower compared to years gone by. The pitfalls of age. Wiser in mind, slower in body. Something like that.
80’ – Scurry hasn’t missed a beat in making saves. What a punchout.
83’ – Defense is going to assure the Sol a shutout during this stretch.
84’ – Christie Welsh comes in for Han Duan.
86’ – Time is not on the Freedom’s side…
87’ – GOAL! Nor was that. After not clicking in the 31st from Miyama, Abily gets a pass from Marta and flicks a looping release past Scurry. Lyon was happy to have her services, and it looks like Los Angeles is set to enjoy them as well. That is the nail in the coffin, it seems.
90’ – 2 minutes of stoppage time added.
FULL TIME
LOS ANGELES SOL 2
6’ Falk
87’ Abily
WASHINGTON FREEDOM 0
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