US WNT claims Algarve Cup (again), beats Denmark 2-1

VILA REAL DE SAN ANTONIO, Portugal - The US Women's National Team captured their second consecutive Algarve Cup title when defeated Denmark 2-1 today at Municipal Stadium.

The clubs approached the 50th minute on level terms until Abby Wambach and Natasha Kai collaborated on a nice one-two pass that Wambach chipped in for the go-ahead goal. Hope Solo kept the US net unoccupied for the remainder of the match en route to their fourth consecutive victory in the tournament.

Kai kicked off the scoring the 14th minute when she took a cross from Carli Lloyd, and powered it past the Denmark keeper.

But Denmark answered back nearly fifteen minutes later when Catherine Sorenson headed the equalizer past Solo, thus knotting the clubs an one apiece. The goal was the first scored upon the Americans during the entire tournament after Solo and Nicole Barnhart kept the sheet clean in Portugal for 301 consecutive minutes.

Any hopes that Denmark could knock the defending champions off their throne were for ultimate squashed when Wambach's 50th minute shot on goal crossed the goal line and rested in the left corner of the net.

With the their successful defense of the Algarve Cup, the US Women have now claimed five of the last six Algarve Cup championships (2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008).

The post-flu submission

Yes, I was enraptured by the monsterous flu bug that's been terrorizing cubicled wokplaces across the country. Or so I'm told. Anyway, I got it, it sucked, I passed out, I went to the ER, I waited, I waited some more, and 48 hours later, boom! Here's today's post.

*It's been much too long since I last gave the US Women's National Team some love. So right off the bat, I'm happy to mention that they thrashed China like a Vincent Gallo movie, 4-0 in the opening match of this year's Algarve Tournament. Linsday Tarpley chipped in the first goal after only five minutes, and Tobin Heath scored her very first WNT goal only two minutes into the second half. From there, the usual cast of characters - Abby Wambach (64') and last year's tournament MVP Carli Lloyd (69') scored the final two goals en route to the win.

*The MLS Waiver Draft commenced this afternoon at 3 o'clock. One can ascertain that because there are no announcements on the Revs website, they declined to claim anyone. Now, if you're at all familiar with the club, this is pretty much par for the course. But looking at the list of names available, would it have hurt to taken a look at Ricardo Virtuoso? I mean, I can't be the only one with a man crush on the Brazilian formerly of Columbus? Yeah, so he's only tallied a goal in 18 matches before Columbus gave up on him. He's still only 24. He was a Brazilian U-17 midfielder, and oh, btw, he plays on the left. Oh wait a minute, I forgot. We have Khano Smith. My bad. How could I forget?

*Lastly, my flu medication is starting to wear off, and I'm becoming irritable, so I'll make this short. If you're like me, you still wonder what happened to former New England Tea Men midfielder King Keita. Well, here's his son.

Damn...

Interview with US WNT Midfielder Lori Chalupny

Ask any soccer pundit or casual fan about the biggest story from last month’s Women’s World Cup, and the sure answer can be summed up in two words: Hope Solo. Much of the media, including mainstream, focused of the goalkeeping controversy that, depending upon whose views you subscribe to, cost the United States Women’s National Team the World Cup after their astonishing 4-0 loss to Brazil in the semifinals. While the spotlights focused on the tabloid-like tension between manager Greg Ryan and Hope Solo in the days after, the fact that a few players were playing tremendously during the tournament was hopelessly lost between in between the flashbulbs and front page headlines.

One such player who certainly opened some eyes was midfield Lori Chalupny, a 23-year-old native of St. Louis who plied her trade with a women’s collegiate soccer powerhouse – University of North Carolina - before playing alongside the likes of Kristine Lilly, Abby Wambach and Linsday Tarpley on the Greatest Team You’ve Never Heard Of.

In fact, the former Tar Heel wasted no time in recording her first World Cup goal against Nigeria – her 1st minute goal was the second quickest in Women’s World Cup history. Altogether, she scored two goals during her first Women’s World Cup tournament, in addition to making a name for herself on the game’s brightest stage.

Revsnet’s Brian O’Connell caught up with Lori shortly after her breakthrough performance last month in China.

Brian: With this being your first World Cup, what were your emotions like, not only arriving in China, but in the hours leading up to the match vs. North Korea?

Lori: “Being my first World Cup game, there were a lot of nerves and a lot of excitement leading up to the North Korea game. I really just tried to focus on the things that I needed to do in the game and the things the coaching staff outlined for the team. Standing on the field for the National Anthems was probably the most nerve-racking time, but once the whistle blew, the nerves went away and I could just play like normal.”

Brian: Against Nigeria, you scored that first goal right off the bat. First of all, what was going through your head right after the ball found the back of the net? Secondly, did you ever expect to score so quickly in any match, never mind a World Cup match?

Lori: “Well during the game, I didn't even realize how quickly we scored so that wasn't even a thought in my mind. It felt really good to get one for the team and it was really nice to have the early lead to work with. That always helps in a game of that magnitude.”

Brian: After the Group stage, your first opponent was England, and early on, it appeared that the game may end in their favor. What did the team do in the second half to really turn the attack up a few notches and score three goals within the course of 12 minutes?

Lori: “I don't think anything out of the ordinary was said in the locker room at halftime. You have to remember, a soccer game is 90 minutes long, not 20 minutes or 45 minutes. As we always do, as a team, we just kept going after them and finally got the ball to bounce our way.”

Brian: Going into the Brazil match, was the team distracted at all by the move? It appeared that the team itself wasn't firing on all cylinders as the game wore on.

Lori: “The goalkeeper change really had no effect on our preparation or confidence going into that game. We just really got some unlucky breaks, giving up an own goal and then getting a red card. To give Brazil credit, they are a great team and unbelievably skillful. I think as the game wore on, we started to get tired. It is hard to play a team the caliber of Brazil while a man down. I think the third goal kind of dampened our spirits and it was tough to recover.”

Brian: Lastly, I think you really established yourself as perhaps one of bright young stars on this team. Are there any "what ifs" personally that maybe you wished you could have accomplished?

Lori: “I am really proud of the way the team responded against Norway and the performance we put forth for ourselves and our country. After such a tough loss, we pulled together for our best team win of the tournament. Personally, I would have loved to come back home as champions and wish I could have done more to help the team accomplish that goal, but I am proud of what we did achieve.”

Sunday Morning Striker: A trophy on Wednesday, but a loss to follow on Saturday

The Dewar Trophy has finally returned to New England!

For the first time since Ponta Delgada F.C. of Fall River, MA, won the US Open Cup tournament 3-2 against Chicago Sparta A & BA in the 1947 Cup finals, the prestigious chrome and silver booty has returned to the region with the New England Revolution's 3-2 win over FC Dallas during Wednesday night's US Open Cup final in Frisco, Texas. Additionally, it is the first championship trophy acquired by the MLS club in its 12-year history.

Soon after the 8:30pm kick off, it was apparent that the Revs were onto something they rarely did in prior championship matches: they came out with an aggressive, all-out attack rather than the defensive turtle they typically displayed when the stakes were at their highest.In fact, any indication that the match would slide into the realm of a defensive bore were duly suspended when Pat Noonan magically harnessed a loose ball in the 6-yard box and tapped it in for the first goal of the match in the 21st minute. It was the earliest goal scored in Revolution championship (US Open Cup and MLS Cup) match history.

The Revs continued to push the pedal to the metal, playing the aggressor rather than the pacifist, the bull rather than the matador.

Though this approach caused a few defensive hiccups in which Carlos Ruiz and Arturo Alvarez boldly escaped the backs, the Revolution refused to abandon the attack, and did so with the fervor of a team hellbent on grabbing the silver hardware.

However, that fervor was temporarily quelled in less than ten minutes later when Arturo Alvarez guided a heat seeker from the left corner of the box that pounded the far post and deflected in.

Instead of deflation, the Revs kept the breathing down the collective necks of the FC Dallas defenders, and after a Steve Ralston corner kick, the ball deflected off a defender and right toward Twellman, who banged it in outside of the far post for the go-ahead goal in the 41st minute.In the 58th minute Taylor Twellman journeyed down the left flank, and crossed to Noonan near in the box. But with two defenders buzzing close by, Noonan deferred the ball with a quick, back-heeled pass to Wells Thompson, who deftly took the short pass and launched a left-footed thumper past Dario Sala for the New England’s second goal.

After Alex Yi came out in the 64th minute after had a close encounter with Khano Smith, his replacement - Abe Thompson - immediately put his mark on the match by trapping a short pass outside of the box from Clarence Goodson and chipped it in to close the gap to one.

And after a breathtaking half hour which included close calls near each net, and four minutes of stoppage time, the referee Alex Prus finally blew the whistle as the Revolution secured their first championship spoils in club history. With a small contingent of Revolution fans in attendance, the players brought the spoils to them in appreciation for their unwavering loyalty and encouragement. Meanwhile, about 2,000 miles away SMS and good friend Tony Biscaia enthusiastically slapped hands and already began looking ahead toward the MLS Cup in November.

Three days later, Sunday Morning Striker waited patiently for the 8:30pm start time for the Revs and Fire on Cox3. In an unfortunate sequence, the UConn-Rutgers women’s game was nine minutes into their first overtime, matched tied 0-0. With a five minute break, and another ten minutes for the second OT, a streaming message alerted viewers that the Revs-Fire would be shown in progress once the collegiate match was over.

In other words, SMS was at the mercy of the goal-scoring prowess of two college sides. Aiyeeeeeeee! SMS want a quick score ladies! Now, SMS loves college soccer when it doesn’t interrupt his Revolution viewing habits, especially on a summer-like Saturday Night and a WaterFire taking place in downtown Providence. “We’ll join the New England Revolution @ Chicago Fire in progress at the conclusion of this game. Please stay tuned.” Tease me, tease me, Cox Sports Television.

Speaking of WaterFire, the Revs tried to do douse the fifth place Fire and take three road points in their attempts to chase the Supporter’s Shield. DC United currently sports the best record in MLS, and after they drew to KC 1-1 on Friday night, the local lads tried to inch that much closer to their Eastern Conference counterparts.

Finally, at 8:48pm ET, the powers that be at Cox3 allowed SMS to at long last view the proceedings in Chi-town at the 12th minute exactly. Score 0-0 and Chicago controlling the ball, the Revs looked to acquire an early score when Jeff Larentowicz fired a shot high of the bar only a minute later.

The sweat began to appear in the 19th minute after a questionable handball call. Cuauhtemoc Blanco elected to take the free kick, ran up at full speed, and fired a high-ballistic missile that grazed the top of the bar as Matt Reis stood in awe of the comet.

The Revs tried to answer seconds later when a high bouncing ball in the box found the foot of Ralston, who fired a shot high that Matt Pickens had to levitate to stop in the 21st minute. The attack stayed strong, as the pressure continued to mount deep in the Fire end. Then, a token gift appeared when Steve Ralston sent a ball into the box that deflected a Fire defender that fortuitously found Larentowicz yards above the D. The Kaiser immediately struck a beautiful ball that slalomed through defenders and found the inside right post for the goal at the 24th minute. 1-0, Revs.

The Fire tried to knot it on a break into the Revs end in the 31st minute when Blanco, carrying a white-shirted entourage, forced a ball forward to Chad Barrett. But the quick strike went wide of the far post, as the Revs went back on the attack after the ensuing goal kick.

Though possession fluctuated often, the overall possession was clearly favoring the guests, as they traipsed into the Chicago end like they were carrying postcard invitations from the Fire defenders.

Barrett tried to spark another attack in the 37th minute when he went one-on-one with Parkhurst and sent a shot that was batted high and away by the paw of Reis.

Then, in the 42nd minute, Shalrie Joseph, absent from Wednesday’s US Open Cup final, went down with an apparent leg injury that required a few minutes of medical attention before the Grenadian luckily returned shortly thereafter.

Just as stoppage time was about to commence, the Fire blazed through the Revs back line as Barrett meandered into the top left corner of the box, fed an oncoming Chris Rolfe, who laced a groundhog right past Reis for the equalizer in the final seconds of the 45th minute. 1-1, Anyone’s match.

As the WaterFires sparked up on the Woonasquatucket River deep in the heart of downtown Providence, SMS wondered aloud if the Revs could throw some water on the Fire in Chicago. While he pondered that, TV38 showed some highlights of Wednesday’s US Open Cup Final game. Ahhhhhhh…..The sight of the Revs hoisting the Dewar Trophy will never get old.

The Fire kicked off for the second half, and immediately coughed the ball up to the Revs, keenly intent on getting the go ahead.

A hilarious moment erupted in the 47th minute, when the ref stopped the proceedings as the Revolution goal was showered with streamers courtesy of the Fire Supporters. Never one to let his ego get in the way, Blanco attempted to clean up the mess himself, as he visibly urged the home crowd to lay off on the streamers ‘til Halloween.

The streamers almost came out again when Barrett headed a shot right on Reis welcome mat. But the bald brickwall stood stout and calmly hauled in the light shot right on his line in the 49th minute.

The match began to get hot in the early part of the second frame, as Chicago continued to threaten with quick shots and good pressure on the backline. Then in the 55th minute, the Fire was awarded a dangerous free kick just before the box. Just after Blanco wound up and fired, James Riley cleverly, if not illegally, ran toward the shot and headed the ball away from the shadow of his net.

At the hour mark, with the constant pressure on the backs, the Fire finally broke through on a beautiful sequence as Paulo Wanchope came down the left edge of the box and fired hard right on Reis who initially batted the shot out of danger. But with Barrett nearby, the Fire forward quickly took the rebound and nailed the go-ahead right into the back of the net in the 61st minute.

The Revs nearly got it back in the 62nd when Ralston took a pass from Larentowicz and fired a laser from long distance that unluckily skimmed the top of the bar. Less than ten minutes later, the Revs mounted heavy pressure, and launched three corners within the course of two minutes, but came away from the assault empty-handed in the 68th minute.
The evening cannonade commenced yet again in the 70th minute, when Joseph cocked and unloaded a cannonball that clanked off the right post.

In an effort to keep the attack fresh and charged, Steve Nicol unleashed speedy rookie Abdoulie Mansally for Pat Noonan in the 76th minute. The Gambian immediately got himself into the mix, and was fouled near midfield mere seconds into his MLS debut.

During the final ten minutes, the Revs feverishly searched high and low for the late equalizer. Dorman launched a dangerous cross from the right channel that was parried by Pickens in the 84th. Three minutes later, Jay Heaps tried to left-foot the ball goalward, but grossly misplayed the shot in the 87th minute.

Four minutes of stoppage aided the Revolution’s late-match efforts, but the attack fizzled, as newly-crowned US Open Cup champions disappointingly clocked out of Chicago with nary a point.

THREE PENNY ANALYSIS: The Revs appeared to be en route toward victory early when Larentowicz struck gold in the 24th minute, the Chicago’s killer B’s, Blanco and Barrett, were relentless, and terrorized the Revs backs for much of the night. When they finally found paydirt themselves in the Chris Rolfe equalizer just as regulation expired.

In the second half, it was Fire early and often, and with the Revolution ship springing leaks courtesy of Chicago’s shots, it was just a matter of time before the vessel took on water. Then, the Fire finally put a large hole in the broadsides when Barrett, after a few frustrating sequences earlier in the match, struck for the game-winner just after the hour mark.

An interesting pair of notes: Andy Dorman was dropped from the starting eleven though he came on for Wells Thompson in the 74th minute. Additionally, two minutes later, Nicol deferred to Mansally rather than Cristman when he pulled Noonan out late. The latter was an especially bold move down a goal late, and the idea nearly worked, as Mansally’s speed certainly aided the attack late. Unfortunately, his speed was not enough to find the equalizer, as the Revs were unlucky to find it late despite their best efforts.

Stat of the Match, Part 1: The Revs have scored 47 goals, while the Fire has scored a paltry 30 in the same amount of matches (28).

Stat of the Match, Part 2: Matt Reis has allowed two goals in four of his last five matches (including US Open Cup play).

Stat of the Match, Part 3: Abdoulie Mansally became the fifth Revolution player to make his MLS debut this season.

Stat of the Match, Part 4: Jeff Larentowicz has scored his last two MLS goals from beyond the box.

Stat of the Match, Part 5: Prior to Saturday night’s match, the last time Andy Dorman came on as a substitute was on November 13, 2005 in the 2005 MLS Cup Final.

Red Sox pull a Revolution and wrap up playoff berth: After spending nearly 155 games in first place, the Sox clinched the AL East on Friday, September 28th, despite a lead over the Yankees that, at one point, was 13 games. The Sox did what they did best down the stretch: played mediocre baseball and made it interesting down to the final week of the season.

Now, the Revolution did the exact opposite: they clinched a playoff berth with their win against FC Dallas on September 15th, nearly six weeks before their season ended. Drama? Not in Revolution Nation, my friends!

Granted, there are far more games to be played in Major League Baseball than in Major League Soccer, but give the Revs credit: they’ve played good football without hitting any major funks during the season. They endured a grueling August, and came out with a 5-2-0 record. Then, they amazingly came away with the US Open Cup championship last Wednesday. Heart palpitations? High blood pressure? Not in Revolution Nation – at least not this season!

Now, both teams have amazing similarities: both have long-suffering fans due to prolonged lengths of time between championships. Both have arguably the most potent pairs of offensive weapons - Pat Noonan and Taylor Twellman for the Revs, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez for the Sox. Both often play into September with eyes on playoff glory, and this season saw both claim said glory after strong regular-season campaigns.

Despite the similarities, SMS is proud to report that to the best of his knowledge, Revs Nation currently has no pink-hat contingent, thankfully. Our fanbase is one founded upon true passion and celebration for our team, rather than it being fashionable and/or popular. That in itself makes Revolution Nation one of the most admirable in a land filled with bandwagon Patriots and Sox fans.

SMS Alma Mater Update: The Anchorwomen bounced back this past week with a pair of victories at Wesleyan University (10/3) and Keene State College (10/6). Ashley Jordan scored both goals in the Anchorwomen’s 2-1 win against Wesleyan, and Brittney Godbout scored the lone tally in the third minute on Saturday afternoon in pastoral Keene, New Hampshire.
The Anchorwomen currently stand at 5-5-1, and are 2-2-0 in Little East Conference play this season, good enough for fourth place at the moment. They will return home on Columbus Day intent to break the .500 mark against intrastate rival Roger Williams University at RIC Soccer Field at 6pm.


US Women’s National Team feature: Well, the US women thrashed Norway 4-1 last Sunday, courtesy of two goals from Abby Wambach and one apiece from Lori Chalupny and Heather O’Reilly. But overshadowing the admirable third-place finish in the Women’s World Cup was the fact that club departed China shortly thereafter with more questions surrounding them than when they arrived a month ago. Who’ll take the goalkeeper reins in light of the Hope Solo-Greg Ryan fallout? What direction will the club head in after a somewhat lethargic and precautious overall performance? Which players have worn the red, white and blue for the last time in international play?



Rest assured, all of these questions will be answered soon enough, if not, at least in part, when they face a three-match mini-series against Mexico this month. Stay tuned!



Join us again after the final regular season home match against Columbus on Saturday night. Boy, is it hard to believe that the regular season is on its final 180 or so minutes! In any event, with a playoff spot safely secured, we’ll see if Steve Nicol has any tricks up his sleeve against the desperate Columbus side that will enter Gillette Stadium vouching for a final playoff spot. Hey Columbus – no last minute equalizers this time around, bubs!

Sunday Morning Striker: Revs outlast Rapids on a late goal, 1-0

This is a grand time of the year. Though the calendar indicates summer's concluded, the days are still somewhat warm, and the leaves begin to turn astonishing pigments of orange, yellow, and red. Yes, fall has greeted us at the front door, and soon, we will be carving pumpkins, raking leaves, and retiring the lawnmowers ‘til spring.

But before then, SMS wanted to elaborate on a term that he has recently coined. Now, before said term is shared, SMS wants to give due credit to one of his college professors for the inspiration behind this phrase. For it was four years ago, during one of SMS's favorite courses - Courts and Public Policy - that his professor, Dr. Schmeling, noticed that with the cool air blowing through the open class windows, "Halloween weather" was upon us.

So with that, Sunday Morning Striker declares that said weather is also "Revolution weather." Why? For a few reasons.

One, as a sports fan in general, this is the time of year where the Red Sox start tanking it (thankfully, they held on and clinched the AL East on Friday night), the Patriots, though off to a tremendous start, are still in the toddler stages of the NFL season, and with the Bruins...wait...does anyone still care about the Bruins? Exactly. The Revs are playing critical games as the season winds down - games which they typically win, if you look at the recent history of their September stats - which is very un-Red Sox like. Though there is some sadness that the regular season is almost reaching its finale, it's quelled by the excitement of another playoff run. The tickets are already punched; it's just a matter of where they finish, and who they play. Simple.

Second, there's a little something extra on the line this season. You may have heard about this little trophy called the U.S. Open Cup – the oldest of its kind in the U.S. - which the Revs will be playing FC Dallas for this Wednesday. It's the club's shot at its first piece of braggable hardware. How lucky are Revolution fans right now for their beloved club to be in contention for three trophies? In addition to the U.S. Open Cup, the Supporter's Shield (top MLS club) and the MLS Cup are all within grasp.

Third, as a history buff, the fall reminds SMS of tales of the Battle of Yorktown, perhaps the decisive battle of the Revolutionary War. The battle began on September 28, 1781 and concluded on October 17th. After this battle - a battle in which a team of American and French forces defeated an embarrassed General Cornwallis - the war, which by now had reached year six, and the British were losing their resolve. This battle served notice that the colonists were in this for the long haul, while the British were simply losing interest. Think of it like any previous Revolution-Toronto FC match up, and the fourth goal was scored. After the first three, you knew Toronto wanted nothing to do with the affair. They just wanted to pack up and go home. Same thing here with the British. (And both wore red…not a coincidence!)

In general, it's worth nothing that the ragtag continental armies despised fighting during the cold winters; so much of the strategy and planning of battles usually took place before the cold set in (which made Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas Day 1776 that much more brilliant – the Hessians and British wanted nothing more to do that day than to feast while a wicked snowstorm had just blown through Trenton, NJ). Thus, fall was great opportunity to stage battles, as the air was often dry, and the weather seasonable enough to endure weeks upon weeks of battle, if necessary.

Speaking of “Revolution weather”, the Revolution and Rapids kicked off Saturday night under –what else- cool and breezy early-autumn conditions! The last time these clubs met was back on August 16th, in what essentially proved to be a glorified game of keep away, as Revs chased and chased en route to a disastrous 3-0 result in Commerce City.

Soon after the Gillette Stadium audio system blasted the ubiquitous “Welcome to the Jungle”, the Rapids kicked off at 7:38pm ET. A surprising subplot took shape when the Revolution marched onto the pitch without their sniper, Taylor Twellman, who was nursing a strained groin. To make up for the loss, the Steve Nicol surprisingly employed the 3-4-3, with Steve Ralston inserted as a forward.

Early on, it was the Rapids that threatened, as the Revs struggled to form an attack of some sorts. Nearly ten minutes after Gun n’ Roses blared, a brief assault was organized in the 9th minute. Adam Cristman pickpocketed a lazy Rapids pass deep in their own end, took a touch, and fired a shot from the right channel that forced Bouna Coundoul to make the save.

Just seconds later, the theatrics sparked up when Tony Sanneh dramatically fell like he’d been shot in the hindquarters after he ran into a stout Jay Heaps. Sanneh remained on the pitch for some time, drawing as much attention to his condition as possible. Amazingly, referee Ricardo Salazar took the bait and Heaps was awarded a yellow for his non-efforts. As Sanneh hobbled off the field, Medhi Ballouchy entered for his Oscar-worthy teammate.

Halfway through the first frame, the Rapids had the Revs on their heels, occupying the land in front of the lighthouse for a better part of the first twenty five minutes.

Then, a quick counterattack was commandeered by Captain Ralston in the 26th minute, but after sidestepping a defender and racing into the D, his shot was stopped cold by Coundoul.


Although Colorado controlled possession for much of the first half, the Revs attack sprung to life briefly in the waning minutes when Shalrie Joseph, Khano Smith, and Ralston all orchestrated invasions of Rapids territory. But it was all for naught, as the local lads failed to penetrate the goal line before the frame concluded.

Entering the second half, Nicol’s troops came out poised to spoil their guests’ stay in Norfolk County, and what better way to say “get the heck outta here with your foolish flopping” than a quick goal? However, the Rapids rejected the proposition and continued their first half ownership of the adidas Teamgeist ball.

However, in the 55th minute, the Revolution mounted a mild attack in which Ralston kicked it back to Dorman and fired a deflected shot on a vulnerable Coundoul. Fortunately for the keeper, he was in perfect position, as the ball magnetically found his mitts as he literally sat in the 6-yard box.

At the hour mark, the Revolution attack began to show its teeth, as it found more and more opportunities near the lighthouse in the second half. Though the home side threatened with a pair of corners, Coundoul kept the ball away from the net.

On offense, Rapids threatened on a dangerous free kick in the 71st minute after Cummings powerfully headed the ball goalward, until Larentowicz deftly blasted the ball out of the vicinity

With the scoreboard on snooze at 0-0, the Rapids continued to fall like gray dominoes, hoping to draw the attention of Salazar. Apparently, they had forgotten that 1.) The object of the game is to put the ball in the back of the net, and 2). By the way, you’re still three points short of a playoff berth.

To their credit, the Revs ooohhhed the crowd in the 77th minute after a couple of quick attacks, but failed to deposit the pill through the Colorado goalmouth. Pat Noonan harnessed a high ball and booted it to Cristman on the doorstep. Unfortunately, the rookie crashed before he was able to put an appendage on it.

In the 83rd minute, a spirited Matt Reis repeatedly pushed forward his large mitts as he implored his teammates to salvage a late goal with the clock winding down.

And as the autumn breeze began to pick up in the 88th minute, the Revs answered the call to arms. Joseph, stationed mere yards after the halfway line, fed a ball forward to a streaking Smith on the left wing. The Bermudan cut inside, split two defenders, and boomed a shot into the net for the late-match tally at 9:22pm ET under the waning gibbous moon that glowed above the Stadium. It was the only goal needed, and after four minutes of stoppage, the Revs walked off the pitch proud with another home victory.

THREE PENNY ANALYSIS: Well, it had all the makings of a lackluster performance early on, but the Revolution truly found a way to win. The first half was all Colorado, and despite the Revs outshooting them (2-1) and having the advantage ok corners (4-1), the possession was clearly in favor of the guests. The Revs best chances in the first sixty minutes came from close-range free kicks, where Twellman’s absence was especially felt when Ralston’s lobs failed to meet a teammate’s noggin.

With the free kicks only giving brief promise, the Revs would simply have to keep attacking – and did just that in the final 15 minutes. Whether it was weariness from chasing the turbo-charged Ralston or from flopping so often, the Rapids were exhausted, and Kenny Smith made them pay dearly with his next-to-next-to-last-minute heroics. The defense held its part of the bargain in the second half, and the Revs put it altogether for the win.

And not to be overshadowed is the fact that they ride this momentum into Frisco on Wednesday for the US Open Cup final against FC Dallas.

Random soccer-related thought, Part 1: The Rapids, in their grayish-blue road kits, sported a look that can best be described as throwback Philadelphia Phillies road jerseys.

Random soccer-related thought, Part 2: And say what you will about Fernando Clavijo, but the man knows how to dress. By the way, how was he not listed in GQ’s “50 Most Stylish Men” issue? But fear not, for the soccer gods, though mysterious, smile upon these sorts of matters.

O ye trifle not with the soccer gods: Medhi Ballouchy was issued a yellow card in the 67th minute, after his predecessor, Tony Sanneh, convinced referee Salazar to award one to Jay Heaps on a highly-suspect foul in the 10th minute.

Back, and better than ever…well, at least they’re back! A couple of Revolution haikus for you to chew on…

Twellman out tonight
Ralston steps in to replace
3-4-3 indeed

Match stuck at zero
For a long eighty eight minutes
Then Kenny seals it.

A silver Revolution jersey? Last week, the Patriots, donned the incredibly useless silver alternate jerseys against the Bills. By useless, I mean they are essentially the white jerseys without being washed. Seriously. They look like the unwashed version of the white jerseys. SMS is not the only one who thinks this.

Anywho, this reminded SMS that the Revs also wore silver jerseys at one time. Though he does not have any photographic evidence to corroborate this claim, he does distinctly remember his intent to purchase one at the local Sports Authority back in 2000 after seeing them on TV. Unfortunately, being the poor college student that he was, SMS was ten dollars short of the $45 retail price, and thus the shiny shirt was never purchased. Seven years later, SMS simply wishes he had mowed a few more lawns and picked it up a few days later. Sigh…

Who oversees grammar at MLSnet.com? Recently, SMS received an e-mail from MLSNet.com promoting their charitable efforts in fighting malaria, a deadly, mosquito-transmitted disease that affects many children on the African continent. While the cause is certainly worthwhile –SMS himself sent in a donation - the e-mail was oddly-titled “Enter the MLS WORKS for Nothing But Nets Sweeps.” Huh? What’s MLS doing? Or what is it not doing? Aiyeeeeeeeeee!

US Women’s National Team Update: The WNT faced off against Brazil on Thursday, and for a little added drama, manager Greg Ryan boldly benched Hope Solo in favor of Briana Scurry. Owing to Scurry’s overall record and previous play against the formidable Brazilians, Ryan played the percentages and went with the ’99 World Cup hero rather than Solo and her 290-minute shutout streak. SMS said it in his Running Diary and he’ll say it again: Dance with the one that brung ya! Predictably, the experiment failed, the US went down early 0-2, Shannon Boxx got tossed, and the Brazilians never looked back, as they thrashed the Americans 4-0. Thus, the best team in the world will not be playing for the World Cup, and poor SMS will have to settle for watching the third-place game on Sunday.

Greg Ryan is a great coach – his record proves that – but his decision to bench Solo was a dumb, dumb mistake. The early goals (one of which was an own goal by Leslie Osborne) seemed to deflate the US, as they failed to establish any prolonged attack before Boxx was sent off. After that, it pretty much became elementary: the US was not coming back, and Brazil did well to ensure that. Kudos to them, and though the US will always be my team, SMS will be rooting for Brazil in the finals.

SMS Alma Mater Update: The Anchorwomen clashed against Springfield College on Tuesday night, but were blanked 3-0 by the Pride. Then, on a date that SMS had circled on his calendar, RIC played #23 Western Connecticut State University on Homecoming Weekend. SMS proudly sported his RIC hoodie and hat, and though the Anchorwomen were shutout 3-0 by Colonials, the home team played their hearts out in the face of much stiffer competition.

That being said, while the Anchorwomen sport a “they can do better” record of 3-5-1, their schedule is laced with nationally-ranked opponents. SMS personally admires the lack of cupcakes in the schedule, and feels that the sharp competition will only improve the play of the Anchorwomen over the next few years.

Sunday Morning Striker will be reporting back after the Chicago match where he will discuss the US Open Cup Finals, the farce that became the MLS national TV schedule, and the amazing parallels between the Red Sox and Revolution.

Got a question, concern or deeply-held grievance? E-mail the Sunday Morning Striker at SMSRevs@gmail.com.

Shaken Solo clouds the US WNT goalkeeper picture

Last week, I sent Hope Solo a few questions after the US Women’s National Team’s first-place Group stage finish. After receiving the reply, what I observed from her answers was a headstrong, warrior-like persona with the confidence of the world-class keeper that she is.

But after Thursday's devastating 4-0 loss to Brazil, a vastly different Solo appeared in a post-match interview. Less than a week after I glanced upon her responses, I saw a broken player freshly stripped of that trademark confidence. Instead of the ever-present poised and determined look, her eyelids became dams for tears waiting to burst. As her voice trembled with insecurity, the world got a brand new look of Hope Solo: that of a shattered psyche that no horrendous, multi-goal game could ever deliver.

Of course, the events that led up to this debacle are still fresh. In a controversial move, US manager Greg Ryan decided, less than 48 hours prior to the World Cup semi-final match against a formidable Brazilian side, that his keeper of choice would not be Solo. Rather than sticking with the proverbial hot hand – Solo was riding a 298 minute shutout streak - he elected to go with veteran keeper Briana Scurry, whose career statistics against Brazil (12-0-0, 0.41 GAA) seemingly favored the US’s chances of beating them and advancing to the finals. After the news broke, Solo addressed the media, half-heartedly projecting the image a level-headed teammate, stating that it was a coach's decisions, while all the while the world could see that the keeper was troubled.

Fast-forward 24 hours: the US was shelled by an enormously talented Brazil, and the controversy sparked on the eve of the match just erupted turned into a full-fledged forest fire. In his post-game press conference, Ryan stuck by his decision; Solo was less than diplomatic.

During an emotional post-match interview - one given despite protocol that bars a non-performer from doing so - Solo publicly blasted her coach, saying that she should have started, and not Scurry. “It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that.”

Congratulations, Coach Ryan. You've single-handedly rattled the confidence of your club's best keeper, nevermind one of the world’s best.

Now the question that hovers above the radioactive fallout of the Brazil fiasco is whether Solo will return to her goalkeeping duties anytime soon. Obviously, it would appear that a quick answer would come in the form of Sunday's third-place match against Norway. No announcements have been made as of yet; it’s quite possible that Ryan will stick with Scurry or perhaps even insert third-string keeper Nicole Barnhart in order to gage the 25-year-old’s poise in a World Cup atmosphere. Then again, it’s not entirely out of the question that if Ryan and Solo quickly resolve their differences, the Washington state native could return to action.

On a larger scale, with another important tournament coming up in less than a year - the 2008 Summer Olympics - the next few weeks may give a clearer picture of who will be back in net when the women return to China in search of a different kind of gold. Will Solo – whose confidence has been shaken to its core – ever return the to become the same stonewall form that she once was? Whether it’s Solo, Scurry, or up-and-comer Barnhart remains to be seen. But if the last 48 hours are any indication, it could be anyone.

The fact that the keeper’s position –one that was seemingly already determined and set in stone - is now mired in uncertainty may transform "The Greatest Team You’ve Never Heard Of" into "One Of The Greatest Teams You’ve Never Heard Of."

2007 FIFA Women's World Cup Running Diary: US 3, England 0

It’s just a little before 8:00am ET on a Saturday morning, and here I am, tapping away at my little laptop. By that, I mean that I am awake at 8am on a Saturday morning. By that sentence alone, you can tell how uneventful my Friday night was.

I bypassed good times with great friends, meeting strange women and filling my body with unhealthy beverages. Instead, I have awakened early to greet more familiar women, and honestly, I take great pride in it.

I’ve always been of the opinion that I’d rather watch the US WNT than go to a strip club. Why? Because I admire any one who can play this wonderful game – male or female. It’s a beautiful game, and I love watching it played. I love seeing the country’s best female soccer players battle it out on their biggest stage.

You see, I don’t have a girlfriend. Hard to believe, I know. So in order to compensate for said lack of girlfriend, I have 18 women all fill that void simultaneously. Not one, two, three…but 18, thank you. Abby, Carli, Lilly, Hope, Stephanie, Briana, Lindsay, Leslie, among others. If I could take them all out to eat, I would. Take them all to the movies. Play mini-golf with them, and take them all to my company’s Christmas party.

But anyway, I’m getting gcarried away. On to the action….

7:53am ET Players march out onto the pitch.

US looking as intent as ever during the pre-match festivities….England…a little scared.

7:56am ET American National Anthem

7:57 am ET British National Anthem

Pants! I forgot my Carli Lloyd jersey upstairs…gotta hurry back.

Back! Wow, they’re really promoting this “My game is fair play” mantra. I can’t picture this in any other men’s match.

8:00am. ET - AGH! Carli Lloyd starts off on the bench. Wow, that’s big, as mentioned by Julie Foudy.

8:02 Shot of Abby…I think she’s gonna have a big game. Two goals maybe?

1-England kicks off.

3-US opens up in 4-3-3

3-Kelly Smith takes the ball near midfield. Wow, she can cross!

5-Foudy states exactly what I was gonna type. Both teams just trying to find their rhythms.

5-England starts pressuring…until the ball goes wide of the near post. Solo sends it away on the goal kick.

8-England makes another trip into the US end…but no shots taken.

9-US attacks briefly as Christie Rampone races down the right flank before her cross is headed away by the British.

11-Possession at this point-67% England 33%USA

11-Whoa…USA attacks and ball finds the doorstep before the English keeper corrals the ball as Chalupny tries to pry it out.

12-Foudy makes first reference to the ’99 team.

Side note: I was supposed to be at Riverside station in about an hour and a half to catch the bus to the Meadowlands.

14-Kelly Smith turns the corner, and Markgraf defenders her well, as the ball is poked out of bounds. Wow, Kelly Smith is sick. I mean good.

15-Lopez gets the throw in from Whitehill, and launches a rocket. England heads it away.

17-England free kick yards after the center circle, and the ball sails close to the doorstep but sails out for the goalkick.

19-Here we go…first corner kick. Play it short or launch it? Ball bounces around, but nothing doing.

20-Crap. England gets caught off guard, when Casey Stoney seals the ball near the box Markgraf saves the day. Fewf!

22-England counters quickly, Carney crosses into the box, and Solo, Lopez and Jill Scott all violently converge a few yards in front of the goal. Lopez down for a bit Amazingly, Solo is fine, even though it looked like she took the brunt of it. Could’ve easily been a goal for England.

24-Lilly tries to cross from the left flank to Abby…nothing.

27-Carney sends a long range shot on goal. Stuffed by Solo.

28-Chalupny tries to cross, ball deflected out. Corner. C’mon ladies! Rachel; Brown bats it away, but goals beyond the goal line. Another corner, but Lopez’s cross fails to find an open player.

31-England brings numbers, and attacks well until Leslie Osborne clears the ball away down field. England is really dominating this match thus far. The American attack looks lethargic, while England’s is on Red Bull. They’re just way more energized for this match.

34-Abby penetrates the box, but the ball is defended out. Corner. Lopez. Nothing.

35-Posession starting to even out a little. 52%England, 48%US. But England’s possession has been a lot more potent, with a lot more quality attacks than the US.

36-Faye White down near midfield. Looks like she got elbowed pretty bad.

39-White gets back to her feet. Hopefully she’s ok.

40-White returns, with the ubiquitous wad of tissue up the nose. She’s a fighter. (What a cheesy remark…but it works).

42-Lopez dances near the box, ball deflects off her mark, retakes it, and fires it into the box. Abby kicks a rocket on the pass, but it flies high over the bar.

43-Lilly races goalward, and puts a nice shot on net. USA starting to look like their normal, attacking selves.

44-I’ll say it right now. The first mistake will be the fatal mistake. This game will end with only one goal. Who will get it.

45- 2 minutes of stoppage indicated.

45+-England corner, and Solo parries it away.

8:49am ET: First half concludes. I’m hitting the shower…maybe that’ll help with the team’s chi.

46-RRRRRR!!!! Just back in time for the second half, just five seconds late. I know, I know. Inexcusable. No subs for US to start. US attacking right from the get go.

48- Lilly corner. Abby rises near the back post unmarked and BOOM into the back of the net. YEAH!!! Wow, what a goal. How good is Abby? Big, BIG goal. JP agrees with me.

51-Quick English chance. They’re not going away anytime soon.

55-Lilly to Boxx just before the area. But the numbers just aren’t there.

57-Lilly plays it waaaay out to Rampone, who gets it back to her forward moving teammates. Boxx gets the ball, fires…and goal! Goal into near corner! NICE! The lead’s a little more comfortable now, but then again…it’s still the dreaded two-goal lead. Way to go ladies!

59- Lilly turns her defender near the box and launches a shot on goal.

60-Long ball to Lilly, and Rachel Brown badly misplays it, as the ball bounces above her. Lilly follows up, takes the ball, runs past Brown, and calmly taps it in for the easy goal. Poor Rachel, you know she wants that one back. Wow. I need to start taking showers more often…errr….

63-US attacking again. I hope England has a backhoe, because they’ve got a lot of digging to do if they’re to catch up with only half an hour left.

67-US dominating this second half. Talk about night and day. It was exact opposite during the first half.

68-oooooohhhh England now attacking. Corner kick for Carney, defended well, as the ball skips away.

69-free kick taken, and Hope does well to knock the ball away near the far post.

71- US attacking as Chalupny sends a ball wide of the far post. This is like the tale of two halves. In hindsight, England were unlucky to not get goal then.

72-Whoa, Lopez is bleeding pretty bad. Gets some attention from the medical staff. Back in a flash.

76- Agh! I jus trealized I forgot to throw my Carli Lloyd jersey back on. Let me do that right now…

77-There we go. Maybe Carli will come on a sub within a few minutes?

78-Lilly throws a hard shot on goal. Just noticed that she sports neon yellow boots as well.

79-Solo tested with a long shot. Easily catches it and turns it back upfield.

82- Carli’s coming in! YES! She comes in for Boxxy, and now all is well with the universe.

83-Carli getting some nice touches before passing it forward to Lilly.

85-England pushing forward. Attack dissipates shortly thereafter.

86-Natasha Kai for Abby. Abby applauds the crowds in her typical classy fashion. She’s had a very good match. She didn’t net the two goals I predicted, but a solid second half performance nonetheless.

89-Corner for England. No shot. England continues its pressure.

90-Kelly Smith finally records her first shot of the match, as it sails above the bar.

3 minutes of stoppage.

91+ - Yankee launches a shot on Solo. England just looking to break the shutout.

93+ - Quick attack by England, and nearly clinches the shutout-breaker with a couple of furious attempts in the vicinity of the goal.

9:52am ET: Final whistle blows. As much as you root for your team – I’m seeing a few English players just distraught. They really were on fire in first half, but that fire just seemed to be extinguished as the second half commenced. A well-played second half by the USA did them in.

Onto the winner of tomorrow’s Brazil-Australia match tomorrow!

2007 FIFA Women's World Cup Running Diary: US 1, Nigeria 0

Waking up at more reasonable 7:30am for this one. Boy, is my awareness and cognizant skills much greater after 7:30am. Anyway, it looks like its another rainy affair in China, as the national anthems are being played. Which begs the question: does it always rain in China when the Swedish aren’t playing?

8:00am – Kickoff. Birds are already awake, the sun’s already up, and I’m munching on perhaps the greatest cereal created: Honey Comb (Now "better tasting!", according to the label. But it tasted fine before!)

1: Here come the funny musical tones in the background…

1: …and just like that, the USA score! Wow, that didn’t that long. Chalupney crashes the box, nutmegs a defender as she falls slides into the pitch and the ball goes into the goal. Clever, clever.

3: Sheesh, it’s only the 3rd minute and it looks like someone just killed the collective pets of the Nigerian coaches.

6: Shot of Carli Lloyd….I’d like to see her get on the scoresheet this game. She’s too good a player to not score in group play.

7: Nigeria’s already roughing up Abby…what else is new?

8: Highlights show Sweden up top 1-0 over North Korea right now. Wow…that could be an upset. And it’s sunny there…which just serves to fortify my claim that it’s always sunny when Sweden play.

10: It’s safe to say that US is clearly dominating this match

10: Nigeria tries to counter…but no counterattack for you! USA cuts off a quick Nigerian surge just yards after midfield

12: This game is looking a lot like the Brazil-USA game back at Giants Stadium back in June. Early goal, USA domination, imminent that another is on its way..

14: Free kick for Whitehill, initially headed away by Nigeria, and sparks a Nigerian counter before Hope Solo kicks the ball away.

14: Chalupney tackled hard…yellow card for Nigerians.

15: First ‘99 world cup reference by Foudy…that train is never late!

16: Shot of some young USA fans in the stands – hey girls, what the heck are you doing in China at 8:00am? Oh, yeah, you’re watching the WNT. My bad…

17: Update, Sweden still ahead 1-0 on The Deuce (espn2).

18: Lloyd hard tackled before the center circle…you leave her alone, Nigeria!

19: Good looking attack here...Chalupny tackled hard yet again…

20: It’s interesting (to me at least) that despite wearing the gold jerseys for nearly all their pre-WC matches, they have yet to bring ‘em out for the World Cup so far. Maybe waiting ‘til the final?

20: Lilly crosses to Abby, who just glances the ball wide. Thank you, for the verb choice Michael Davies. I also plan on using “pants” sometime soon.

22: Nigerian sub…wow…Nigeria’s really, really lost right now, their in a 4-5-1 to counter the US’s 4-3-3. Don’t they know they need like a gaggle of goals to advance?

23: JP Dellacamera suggests “picture in picture” to watch the USA-Nigeria and Sweden-North Korea simultaneously. Although your offer is a good one JP, my attention is solely focused on the US women.

24: Wow, how does Carli not get a PK for that? She crashed the box with a Nigerian defender tackling her from behind right in the box. Foudy says it’s a good call…free kick from before the box awarded instead. Lilly fires high and over the bar.

26: Highlights…North Korea draws even to Sweden…Argh!!!

26: Throw in for USA…the 4-5-1 is stifling the attack for now. Chalupny hits the deck. She’s getting the brunt of the Nigerian physicality.

27: Carli sets up for the free kick, but plays it short to Lilly. I’d like to see her wind up and fire one of her famous cannonball shots from 25 yards.

29: Just as Nigeria looks like its going to assemble the attack, a heavy pass goes past the touchline.

30: Foudy comments that Abby should not be lurking in the midfield, but rather more up front near the box. I concur.

32: Shot of Hope Solo: just noticed hope wearing the blue keeper jersey now, rather than he traditional green with the Nigerian team wearing their green kits. When I started typing that sentence, I honestly didn’t know why it was blue, but figured it out mid-sentence. I know – brilliant.

33: Nigeria make it interesting with a deep break into the US end..no shot though.

Side note: I was almost stunned to see the WNT gold jerseys at Olympia the other day. They had both white and gold, some blank, some with “Tarpley 5” and “Wambach 20”. Pretty cool to see some retail recognition.

35: Update – North Korea and Sweden still knotted at 1.

35:Though Nigeria is really overmatched on paper compared to the us, they are a fast team. I like how they play.

36: Rain starts to pick up, according to Dellacamera. Shot of Whitehill about to take a throw in backs that claim.

36 whoa…Abby heads the Whitehill throw in , Chalupny heads it goalward, and is just saved by the Nigerian keeper. Good save.

40: USA is back organizing the attack. Chalupney takes it down the left flank, crosses to Lilly – header into the pitch and left of the near post. Good try.

42: Number 2 on Nigeria laces a shot that forces hope to spring from her feet to corral.

43: Beautiful give and go between Lilly and Lloyd. Lilly then crosses to Abby, and heads the ball powerfully on net before Dede makes an acrobatic save just below the bar.

45: Ominous stat of the match – In World Cup play, us is 16-0-1 when leading at the half, while Nigeria is 0-9-1 when trailing.

45: 1 minute of stoppage

46 +: Boxxy manhandled near midfield. She’s ok. Whistle sounds.

HALFTIME

46: US kicks off…no changes/subs at halftime

46: Seconds later, Nigeria attacks early…gets into the box. Good defending by Christie Rampone.

48: WhitehIll looooong free kick..and Boxxy wants to bicycle kick it, but half-heartedly tries a scissors.

49: Dangerous free kick from the right flank for us…Lilly taking it and strikes it to the near post before O’Reilly tries to head it in, but no dice.

51: Whoa…number 14 for Nigeria just did a Matrix-like backward bend defending in the midfield. Wow.

52: Abby gets a long ball and shoots wide.

54: Foudy comments on the lack of urgency of the US attack…and I wholeheartedly agree. They’re better than this. Their defense has been great, but their offense is running on regular 87 octane rather than NASCAR-Standard 106 stuff. C’mon ladies!

57: O’Reilly pierces the Nigeria defense…CK coming up on the deflection…and CK parried by Dede.

60: Sweden takes 2-1 lead over North Korea. Wow!!! That could be huge

61: Nigeria really starting to test the US backline. Ladies, you’re better than this.

62: O’Reilly crosses to Abby on the doorstep, but can’t muster enough power to push it past Dede, who’s having an incredible match thus far.

64: Leslie Osborne for Carli…ok move, I guess, though I’d like to see Carli still in the game because of her attacking prowess.

69: Nigeria’s Faith Akidi goes down, she’s in a deal of pain. Hope she’s ok.

72: This game is taking the shape of a back and forth game, with both sides intermittently attacking, but no clear shots.

75: Nigeria attacks…Perpetua Nkwocha takes Whitehill to school on the right wing, before sending a shot just wide of the far post.

76: Lilly takes a free kick just above the D of the box. The ball hovers high above the bar.

77: Tina Ellarton in for Christie Rampone.

80: Nigeria attacking again…holding the ball fairly well, but not really penetrating. Ball goes by the touchline, and now USA takes it back. Heavy passes are killing Nigeria.

82: Chalupny tired to dance into the box, but the ball is stonewalled by Dede.

84: Lindsay Tarpley for Lilly. This is Tarpley’s first World Cup appearance.

85: Dangerous play in front of US goal. A mad scramble takes place on Solo’s doorstep, and luckily, she smothers the ball. US looking sloppy on defense.

87: Hope smothers another low-caliber cross. There’s no way the US should be pinned against the wall this late. Nigeria is attacking almost at will.

88: Chalupney takes a hard shot on Dede, saved as she fell backward. Nigeria quickly clears it away.

90: USA just playing the ball deep in the corner to kill the clock. Foudy commenting on how she doesn’t like this tactic. Nor do I…Wow, did I just agree with Julie Foudy three times this morning? I must really need some coffee!

91+ :USA corner kick. 3 minutes of stoppage time.

91+: Abby down, but thankfully gets back up, but goes back to stalling in the corner. Not a good idea.

94+: Nigeria attacks, Hope pounces on a Nigerian shot. Referee whistles the game over. 1-0 US.

2007 FIFA Women's World Cup Running Diary: US 2, Sweden, 0

Yes, I have returned in full bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for this second early-morning World Cup match with a little more sleep this time around.

But before I get started, I wanted to inform you of a troubling mini-sequence of ominous events that unfolded Monday morning, less than 24 hours before the proceedings in China.

Exhibit A: Only a few short hours before dawn, I was awakened to the sound of something crashing near me in my bedroom. I jumped to see what it was, but due to overall lethargy, I quickly dismissed it and went back to bed.

In the morning, I discovered the mystery: my 2007 US Women’s National Team calendar had fallen to the floor after the nail that supported it failed.

Exhibit B: Minutes after replacing the nail and putting the calendar back up, I was sitting at the computer, munching away at my Honey Nut Cheerios. Then, I heard muffled gagging about ten yards behind me. What was it?

It was my cat, Penelope, coughing up a hairball…on my laptop. The same laptop I would use to diary the WNT match the next morning.

So there’s the background of a little sinking feeling I had prior to Tuesday’s match.

Anyway…

3^rd minute: Sweden attacking early. Three corner kicks in three minutes for Sweden already. At this rate, they will record an astonishing 90+ corner kicks, which would probably be some sort of World Cup (Men’s or Women’s) record. The US is already being outplayed, to say the least.

Side note 1: Lineup changes from last game – Tarpley for O’Reilly, and Osborne for Boxx. Also a different formation. Today it’s a 4-3-3 rather than a 3-4-3. Oh, and it’s not pouring outside this time.

Side note 2: Eyes don’t sting as much, although it is 5:01am ET and I am wearing a women’s jersey….a Carli Lloyd US Women’s National Team jersey! Make a long-storu short from my previous diary, the online storefront that botched my order apparently got it right, and the jersey arrived late-Tuesday. This is a good omen.

4^th minute: Fourth corner for Sweden already. C’mon (U.S.) Ladies!

6^th minute: Sweden is playing a 4-4-2. It should also be noted that they are a cuter team than North Korea – which may play to our advantage.

6^th Minute: “Jingle bells” melody being overheard in the background? What? It’s not Christmas yet!

7^th Minute: US threatens when my jersey’s namesake - Carli Lloyd – flicks a shot on the doorstep of the goal and takes out Swedish keeper Hedvig Lindhal. Carli – you’re my girl!

6:08am ET: Still dark outside. No oatmeal this time for yours truly. In order to avoid any sort of jinx from last match, I’m going with Apple Crunchies, the generic brand of Apple Jacks that can be found at Target for $1.67 a box.

10^th minute: Julie Foudy states that US playing very vertical (aka Route 1 ball). I concur

12^TH minute: Stat box indicates that the US has never had 2-game winless streak in World Cup play. Almost on cue, the US pressures, but no shots unleashed. Now the banter begins of the US not advancing past group play…wow, this is new.

13^Th minute: Christie Rampone snuffs out a quick Swedish attack. She’s quietly having a very good World Cup.

14^th minute: Shot of Hope Solo just about to clear out the ball. Nice shot of Solo, who, as previously mentioned, is a cutie.

15^th minute: Free kick awarded for US from 10 yards before the box. Good chance here. The US is deadly on free kicks. Lloyd blasts a shot through off the wall that deflects through, but is ultimately corralled by Lindhal.

16^th minute: Swedish applying heavy pressure, keeping Stephanie Lopez and Co. on their heels. Another corner for Sweden…Abby heads out the clearance. FEWF! This is not the US Team that I know.

Side note: My sleeping patterns this week are taking an absolute beating. My poor stinging eyes!

19^th minute: Although the possession line favors USA 51-49%, the stat is misleading: Sweden’s possessions are deep in the US end.

20^th minute: Cat Whitehill’s free kick from deep almost catches Lindhal ff-guard before the ball’s punched out of the box. Close!

21st minute: Left-footed laser from Kristie Lilly, and finally, some prolonged pressure on the Sweden back line. Now this is the US team I know of!

23^rd minute: US finally plays a corner short, something that they’ve been good at. Though the ensuing shot goes high and wide, it’s encouraging to see the attempt even made. Julie Foudy agrees that this was a good idea. See – I can be soccer savvy too!

24^th minute: Greg Ryan seen applauding his team, shouting encouragement. Bobby Knight he is not, thank God.

25^th minute: Shot of Carli trotting back on defense. She needs to be a factor in this game, with her deadly “lasers” from deep.

Side note: THUMP! Newspaper cleared for landing on my front porch. Actually startled me a bit after being engrossed in the game…and the fact that everyone’s still asleep and I’m the only soul awake at the moment in my house. (5:26am ET)

26^th minute: Rampone’s motor is definitely clicking on all cylinders, relentless chasing down her mark. Good job Christie!

27^th minute: Leslie Osborne almost single-handedly snuffs out a threatening Swedish attack.

29^th minute: Wooosh!!!! Chalupney with a rocket! Stopped, but a ROCKET! Not overweight Fat Billy of the New York Yankees, but a ROCKET!

29^th minute: Wow, the rabbit-quick Victoria Svensson shot flies just over the bar. Man, it can turn just like that.

Side note: ESPN Bottom line indicates that USC is still ranked number 1. Yeah, that’s right. Contrary to popular belief amongst my friends, I am not a fan of ‘SC just because of their nickname. (Go Trojans – FIGHT ON)

30^th minute: Whoa…Foudy almost made a ’99 reference when she said that this team isn’t as possession oriented as teams in the past. Close, Jules, close. I know you wanted to say “as possession-oriented the ‘99 team.” Almost caught ya there.

32nd minute: Swedish free kick from 12 yards before box…dangerous play here…5-player wall. Svenson takes the kick…and it’s high and wide. JP should call every soccer game. He should clone himself and have his spawn do every soccer game ever played by every US-based club. Except the Revolution. I like Brad and Greg, but then again, I’m biased.

33^rd minute: Ohhhhhh…Chalupny pounces on a ball misjudged by Lindhal and falls to the ground courtesy of #4 in the Swedish area. PK…PK????? PK!!!! PK!!! YES!!! Woooo-Hooo!!!!

34^th minute: PK by Abby…lines it up…whistle…and sends Lindhal the wrong way!!!! YESSSS!!!! Abby’s shot is somewhat badly-struck, but effective nonetheless. 1-0 USA. (5:34AM ET)

Side note: I’m crazy for waking this early and dairying a sports event at 5am on a workday. I won’t dispute this now, but may do so later in the day when after the effects of my fifth coffee of the morning finally wears off.

37^th minute: Lindhal tested yet again, with Abby bearing down on a ball en route to the box.

39^th minute: Lloyd winds up a shot that deflects off of Lilly that brings Lundhal to her side to stop the wayward ball.

Commentary: Game is clearly not even close to the game played against North Korea. US is really beginning to establish the attack, and finally putting its opponents on their heels.

43^rd minute: US starting to dominate possession.

Stat line: Possession now 54%-US, 46% Sweden.

Side note: It’s 6:45am ET – I’m debating whether to hit the gym or to go back to bed before I have to be at work at 8:30pm. I think bed is sounding a lot better at this point.

45^th minute: One minute of stoppage added. US playing the ball well. Bodes well for the second half (I’m not trying to jinx the US women, I swear!)

HALFTIME! Times to see what’s in the cereal cabinet. And visit the restroom.

Side note: Back, after letting the cat in, and munching on Apple Crunchies.

46^th minute: 6:02am ET. C’mon ladies…44 minutes from three points…

Stat line: The US is 15-0-1 when leading at the half during World Cup play. Another good omen?

49^th minute: Lilly makes a nice run to the post and chips the ball just wide. US looking much better this game than they did last match. They are out shooting Sweden 10-4.

Side note: 6:07am ET. Sun starting to up, as daybreak begins to cast shadows in the dining room

52^nd minute: The tempo begins to slow. Free kick for Sweden…and the US clears the ball. Crap! Forgot to start re-recording for the second half! Damn!

56^th minute: Another free kick for Sweden about 12 yards from the box. Sweden has players line up and Sjorgan takes the kick…and is snatched by Hope Solo.

57^th minute: Ensuing Swedish corner, ball loops toward the far post as Hope snatches the header off of Segerstrong.

58^th minute: OH!!! Abby races into the box, one touch, and blasts it into the back of the NET!!!! JUST LIKE THAT! WOOO-NICE!!! 2-0, US. Beautiful goal, Abby!

60^th minute: US pressuring the Swedish backs again, corner from Lopez coming up.

61^ST minute: Lopez’s corner goes into the heart of the box, but Abby just misses in search of her third goal of the match.

63^rd minute: Lilly plays the ball from the left wing and sends sharply it to Tarpley. Tarpley then takes an acute-angled shot that sails wide of the far post. US is definitely playing with much more confidence than on Tuesday, but I’m wary of the oh-so-feared two-goal lead.

67^th minute: Subs…Heather O’Reilly for Tarpley at 6:23am ET.

68^th minute: First reference by Jules to the ‘99 team. I knew I could count on ya, Jules!

70^th minute: Lindhal makes an awkward punch at a high ball that takes a weird deflection. Yawwwwn! Boy, do I need a coffee if I’m going to the gym after this. Probability of heading to the gym after this: almost zero. My eyes are stinging almost as much as they were during the MTV Music Video Awards opening act.

74^th minute: Sweden pressuring before hope snatches the ball. Less face time for Hope. I suppose that’s good for US, but bad for my throbbing eyes. She has become my second favorite US WNT player.

76^th minute: Sweden really lacking a sense of urgency to get a goal. Don’t they know that they’re down 0-2?

77: Swedish free kick flirts with the far post, but goes wide past a gaggle of players.

79: Svenson left foots a shot that is left-pawed by Hope as the ball skips off the bar right after. Sweden is really starting to attack late.

82^nd minute: Sweden attacking again, though merely launching the ball into the US end without any type of organization.

83^rd minute: Oooooooh Lundin beats Whitehill I nthe box before Lopez comes into clear the ball away…fewf…

85^TH minute: Lilly takes a corner. Ball bounces back out…another corner for US. US, of course, taking their sweet time on these set pieces.

86^th minute: Lopez corner taken, rebound comes close to goal, but temporarily cleared away. US comes right back when O’Reilly fires a shot on goal.

88^th minute: Two minutes until three points. This game is much MUCH less dramatic than North Korea – which is FINE by me. I won’t complain about two-goal lead.

89^th minute: Hope smothers a dangerous ball a few yards from her line. Lands on her shoulder, to which Foudy and Dellacamera are both hinting may be injured. Man, I HOPE not. Not Hope. She’s too good. Ugh, it’s still early for that one…coffee?

90^th minute: Three minutes of stoppage added. Yeah, I’m definitely not going to the gym after this. My bed is calling me.

93+ minute: US now toying with Sweden, just passing the ball amongst each other. Sweden can’t assemble an attack. Solo picks up a bouncing ball, launches it, and the final whistle blows at 6:51am ET. I’m not sticking around for the post-match stuff -my eyes feel like someone doused them with V8.

2-0 US…WOOOO--HOOOO….A win for our women, and it’s back to bed for me. I have work in an hour and a half. The gym can definitely wait.

2007 FIFA Women's World Cup Running Diary: US 2, North Korea 2

Welcome to my not-so-live Women’s World Cup blog. Ok, so let’s call it a diary instead. Here I will chronicle to the best of my abilities the US Women's National Team's journey in China to capture their third World Cup...from my living room couch. Anyway, here go...

Barely slept last night, and tried to figure out why. After all, I took sedatives to quell my excitement for this match, and also to get enough sleep to wake up at 5:00am. I figured out the culprit: my contacts were left in. ARGH!

Anyway, I “woke up” (technical term)/got out of bed (reality) at 5:05am ET. I’ve got a bowl of uncooked oatmeal waiting in the kitchen, but can’t cook it now because my stinging eyes are fixated on the tube.

First Mia Hamm reference by Julie Foudy at the 14:55 mark in the game. Actually, I probably missed the first at the top of the hour. I’m sure of this.

Foudy, 16th minute: “She (Kristine Lilly) was detained by North Korea.” What? Isn’t it too early in the day for political connotations? I know it’s 5pm in China, but Julie, my poli sci mind wasn’t prepared for that one. Yaaaaawn!

5:20am ET: I’m just trying to catch up a bit here. My mind is definitely not processing at its optimal speed at the moment.

The game’s surprisingly still dead even at 0-0 at the 18th minute mark. I guess the mystery surrounding North Korea is living up to its billing. The US usually figures out their opponents quite quickly. Kudos to Graham Hayes (who actually reported on this very topic) on his fantastic WNT reports on espn.com.

Side note: I’d be wearing my Carli Lloyd white WC jersey right now, but the online store I purchased it from sent it to me marked up. I asked for a direct exchange, and instead, they refunded me minus shipping. I knew after that, I wouldn’t get it back in time for the WC. Imbeciles.

O’Reilly nice shot to fight off defender and fires a sharp angled shot in 19th minute. Unfortunately, it was batted away.

Foudy impressed with North Korea at the 20th minute.

Yay! First Carli Lloyd sighting in the 21st minute as she was unceremoniously fouled near the halfway line.

Sun Hui Ho now coming out in 22nd minute after being injured minutes previous.

Wow, that rain is really coming down, and it nearly played to US advantage with Cat Whitehill’s free kick nearly finding the back of the net in the 22nd minute. The ball is really skipping off the wet surface a lot.

25th minute: Foudy and Dellacamera discussing that Hope Solo was a forward in high school, which is why she’s so good with the ball at her feet. I didn’t know that! (Big surprise, I know)

26th minute: Un Suk Ri takes a very, very threatening shot that skips just wide of a diving Solo. In a related note, my heart skips as well before shot rests outside of the net.

Another threatening free kick in the 28th by the WNT. Corner kick by Lopez marinates in the box for bit, but does not find the back of the net.

Oooooohhhh….29th minute, Solo dropped the ball after an initial quick save…this rain is really causing havoc on both keepers in this match.

Non-soccer related side note: Looking at my fantasy football statline on the espn2 bottom line. McGahee and Gore did not do well enough for me to win in either one of my leagues…grrrrr….anyway, back to football football.

32nd Minute: WNT still searching for a prolonged attack after just a few cameos in the North Korean end. It won’t be long before they get through though.

35th minute: A little bit of banter between Foudy and Dellacemera talking about WNT’s draw in the Group of Death. Though the US is ranked #1, Sweden is #3, North Korea is #5, and Nigeria is #23. Perhaps death to a lesser side…but not the U.S..

Nice sequence in 37th after Lilly tries to push the ball past the North Korean keeper after shaking a defender.

By the 39th minute, Solo is really being tested with another NK shot that sailed just wide of goal again.

41st minute: Chalupny threatens deep in NK end, setting up a Lopez corner kick and….OH MAN! Off the bar!!! Abby Wambach powerfully heads ball after outjumping two red defenders. Shot clanks right off of the bar and straight back down, mere inches from the goal line. Sooo close! Hands cradling the back of the head….

Tactics note: I’m kinda surprised that after a few unsuccessful corners, the US doesn’t mix it up and play it short for once. They were so good at that during the send off series this summer that I’m at a loss as to why they won’t try it now.

North Korea is really, really giving the US run for its money. They’re beginning to really pressure again in the waning minutes of the half. And boy do I need a coffee right now…but I must return to my slumber after the match is over in order to compensate for the sleep deprivation hours before the match.

Rain is really starting to drench the field, players, fans, and Greg Ryan (quick shot of a drenched US WNT manager).

Christie Rampone yellow carded in the 45th minute for late tackle near midfield.

Two minutes of stoppage.

I’m still tethered to the laptop right…just about to heat up the oatmeal momentarily. Still kinda dark outside at 5:46am ET.

And at 5:47am, whistle blows at first half. Time to cook the oatmeal and use the bathroom. Coming up: Halftime report with Rob Stone and Heather Mitts.

Weather conditions favor US? According to Heather Mitts, this is the case. After a quick three sequence bit about the game, a quick piece about JaMarcus Russel signing with theRaiders, thus concludes the quickest halftime report ever. Guess there isn’t much doing at 5:49am ET.

Random observation: With the sun yet to come up and the house perfectly quiet except for the TV and my incessant tapping of the keys, it feels alot like Christmas morning, when my brother and I used to wake up before the sun to open up the presents under the tree. A good omen for the US? I hope so….

Second half starts, and the it’s starting to get light out at 6:04pm.US pressuring early on.

Side note: Nice shot of Kristine Lilly’s husband, Dave, in the stands, sporting a cool US Hockey jersey with her wife’s name, number, and captain’s “C” . Nice idea for the male US WNT fan. (Note to self: check eBay for USA hockey jerseys and follow suit with a Carli Lloyd #11 model.)

Speaking Lil’, 49th minute, Lilly launches a long-distance shot right on the NK keeper.

6:08am ET, 50th minute: YES!!!!!!!!!!!! Abby takes the ball and fires a close range shot that through the keeper and into the net!!!!! Ands just as I was about to complain that Solo is getting way too much face time because of the continued North Korean pressure. (Actually, I can’t really complain about Solo’s face time…she is a cutie.)

The US is 48-1-1 when Abby scores. Another good omen?

53rd minute: Dangerous free kick for Lilly from above the “D” near the box. Argh...the shot rockets just wide of the far post.

US is really beginning to look like the US of old, and is establishing the attack in the 53rd.

55th minute: Oooo-oh-oh-oh-oh-OH……Solo harnesses a menacing ball close to the goalmouth. Abby goes down during the sequence, and is bleeding pretty bad from the forehead. Oh no….doesn’t look good.

57th minute: Shot of Lilly gathering the troops, trying to keep the team focused while Abby’s taken care of.

58th minute: Abby out for now, and the US is down to ten players at the moment.

Seconds later: Oh crap – North Korea immediately takes advantage, as Son Hui Kil fires a rocket right above Solo that slips right through here padded fingers. She wanted that one back even before the ball thuds to the ground behind her. Dammit Dammit!

61st minute: US is really playing back on their heels in Wambach’s absence. It’s quite a tall order without their potent goalscorer.

62nd minute: North Korea is buzzing around the box when Yong Ae Kim takes a deflection off a US defender and chips the ball past Solo. 2-1 NK. Oh boy…(pulls hair and shakes head in disbelief). C’mon Abby, we need you back!

64th minute: NK is really ruling the proceedings. Abby thankfully comes back. Hopefully, she can be effective after sustaining the head injury.

65th: Chalupny takes a speculative shot that sails high off a throw in.

67th: US reorganizes the attack, and earns the corner. Play it short, play it short! Instead, the kick curls into the grasp of the NK keeper. Ugh….I’m starting to get that sinking feeling.

6:26AM ET: Chalupney spearheads the attack in the 69th minute and disperses the ball to Lilly and the pass deflects off of NK defender, and right to Heather O’Reilly and BANGS IT into the top corner of the net….YESSSSSS!!!!!! 2-2!!!

71st minute: Foudy states that the US needs a point off this game. No thanks, Julie - I’d personally like three!!!! After all, there’s still 19 minutes left! Have some faith! (Note: said faith was slowly waning after NK’s 2nd goal. I’m a Red Sox fan, that’s all I can say.)

73rd minute: Whitehill is racing around like a Ferrari in the midfield. Her engine is def firing on all cylinders.

74th minute: NK starting to organize an attack of their own. C’mon ladies – keep the defense tight! Ball meanders in the US zone before a skipping shot finds Solo, who adeptly corrals the ball to finish the NK attack.

6:34am ET: 13 minutes to go in regulation. Man, what a match. A lot more entertaining than last year’s Men’s World Cup, save for the US-Italy match.

Side note: Greg Ryan’s voice is clearly audible on the sidelines, as he barks instructions to his side in the 78th minute. Fire ‘em up Greg!

80th minute: NK spearheads another attack, and it fizzles out soon thereafter when the ball trickles past the goal line.

83rd minute: US looking to attack. I’ve never realize what a security blanket Lilly can be, as I start to think “just give it to Lilly, she’ll take care of it.”

88th minute, NK looking for a go-ahead, US fails to clear the ball, and now, the US is back playing on its heels. C’mon Ladies!!! To borrow a phrase – “COWBOY UP!”

US counters in the 89th…and the ball goes right back NK soon after. Drama level = high. Oh how wish it were a 5-2 US bore so I hit the hay with the nerves calmed.

Four minutes of stoppage time awarded. Let’s go Ladies!

92+ minute: Whitehill free kick to Wambach, who directs the ball just wide of the far post. And now, Ryan goes with Natasha Kai in an effort to rejuvenate the attack.

OOOOOOOOOOOOH!! My hands are shaking! 93+ Solo SAVES two consecutive shots (and pretty much the game) to keep the score even at two apiece. Yikes. NK is potent, and luckily, the US has a world-class keeper.

At 6:53am ET, the whistle blows on the match. 2-2 draw. Oh man…that’s it. Well played, well played by both teams. NK showed up with all of its horses, keeping the US at bay for much of the match.

6:55am ET: Back to bed for me…without the contacts this time around. A stretch and yawn for me, and I’m headed back upstairs.

Random Thoughts: US WNT/Norway

If the U.S. WNT were an actual club team with a home stadium and regular opponents, I would definitely buy season tickets. The team is just so good, and yet so approachable off the field that you can't help but root for them.

To expand upon that little alternate-reality idea, should they ever decide to stake claim to a home stadium, the appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that it doesn't become Rentschler Field. Good grief, I have yet to visit a more utilitarian, let's-skimp-on-the-amenities type facility on the East Coast (must have been 100% taxpayer funded). The lines for food during halftime were painfully long, the back-less bench seats were enough to warrant an appointment to see the chiropractor, and the drab concrete surroundings certainly did not lend itself well to the atmosphere. It's like someone stole the blueprints from the old Foxboro Stadium - a stadium constructed back in 1970 and demolished in 2002, mind you - and constructed a "Mini-Me" of Foxboro.Yikes.

Those gold jerseys are growing on me. When they were first unveiled last month, I wasn't impressed at all, since I'm not a firm believer in metallic-toned apparel. But seeing them in person, and allowing myself sufficient time to get used to them, has changed my opinion of them. I'm liking them!

Speaking of gold jerseys, the only player jersey available at the souvenir stands were Abby Wambach #20 models. Obviously, Abby's a great player and she deserves to have her jersey be the one available to the kiddies, but, did anyone think that it might also be a good idea to sell Kristine Lilly jerseys on "Kristine Lilly Day"?

And, one last thing on jerseys: if it's wrong for me to, as a 26-year-old heterosexual male, sport a #11 Carli Lloyd jersey, then I don't wanna be right.

Sometime around the 78th minute, the crowd began to chant "U-S-A, U-S-A!" and thereafter, responded loudly to a few unflattering calls on our players with resounding boos and hissing. My hope is that the high energy and enormity of this fan response can be replicated at WUSA club venues next season.

Speaking of WUSA, it's an absolute treat watching Kristine Lilly perform, and I can't wait to watch her play regularly for the Boston Breakers next year. Simply, amazing. I have yet to witness, in person, one player - male or female - pretty much single-handedly influence a game as much as I have in the two WNT games I've taken in this year (the other being 4/15 at Foxboro). I know I'm repeating this, but she is simply in class all by herself.

I know manager Greg Ryan is using these friendlies to experiment prior to the World Cup in the Fall, but the lack of crosses from corner kicks vs. Norway after the U.S. had been dominating in the air, definitely grabbed my attention. However, when the lone goal of the match comes from a short pass off a corner, I'm not inclined to make a huge deal of it.

You won't see it in the stats, but Cat Whitehill had a tremendous game, with two critical clears in the waning minutes.

Finally, I'm going to run into a little bit of a spiel here, but indulge me for however long it takes for you to read this.

First of all, is there not a better family-friendly atmosphere in sports than a US WNT match? In addition to world-class soccer played, I was absolutely tickled to see so many families with their girls and boys in their club soccer jerseys, all watching the game with so much interest. Sitting in front of me were three pre-teen girls enthusiastically cheering Abby Wambach, while a father behind me was explaining set-pieces to her daughter. Bar none, some of the most delightful moments I've ever witnessed at a sporting event.

Additionally, when I have kids (scary thought, especially after watching Knocked Up), I am going to steer them in the direction of the WNT in their formative years when they start developing the concept of sports role models. While parents should be the first and foremost role models in any child's life, it's inevitable that children also look outward at celebrities and sports figures in finding people to admire.

The WNT is a parent's dream when it comes to role models: strong, fit, and personable athletes that work hard and play well unquestionably serve as exemplary sports role models for today’s young girls. The constant negative light in which such less-than-stellar celebrities like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears lends itself further to the need for positive female role models. Forget the Olsen twins and Lindsay Lohan - if I ever have a daughter, I hope she looks toward the WNT rather than the trashy celebrity escapades of spoiled Hollywood starlets.

Sunday Morning Striker: Back in the win column

The Revs and Toronto FC kicked off on Saturday night on the artificial surface that they first played on back in April – a match in which the Revs thoroughly spanked the so-called Reds 4-0. Nevertheless, for the third match in a row, the Revs played a much lesser club in the standings, but this time came away with the just reward of three points by taking the 3-0 result.

At 7:35pm ET, the Revs kicked off to begin the match, and early on set the offensive tempo by controlling the Toronto end of the pitch. The Canadians only exacerbated their situation with some questionable passing and a rather unorganized defending policy.

At 7:49pm ET, in the 13th minute, Avery John put himself at the top of the box and mailed a pass directly into the mixer. The ball bounced off of defender Kevin Goldthwaite’s leg and right to a sneaky Andy Dorman, who lassoed the gift deflection and sailed it past the keeper for the opening goal of the match. 1-0, Revs.

While the Revs controlled the ball for a large part of the first half, Toronto eventually clawed its way into the opposite end. On a Toronto free kick just above the left corner of the box at the 26 minute mark, the Revs backline blocked the initial kick, and then proceeded to wall up two more consecutive shots, and the threat dissipated soon thereafter.

As the Revs continued to dominate possession, it was only a matter of the time before the home side acquired goal number two. At 8:10pm ET, Jeff Larentowicz catapulted a pass over two defenders en route to an airborne Pat Noonan, who headed the ball past a diving Djekanovic and into the net for the second goal of the match at the 33rd minute mark. 2-0 Revs.

In the 37th, Toronto crashed again. Jeff Cunningham rocketed a hard shot toward Matt Reis that was deflected away, but created a dangerous rebound that trickled back toward Toronto’s Danny Dichio, who attempted to steer it back on net before Jay Heaps guarded the line and kicked away the menacing ball.

With time winding down in the half, Andy Dorman raced down the heart of the field, and sent in a left-footed shot from the top of the box that skipped feet away from the side post, narrowly missing a potential third goal for the lads from New England in the 45th minute.

As Toronto kicked off for the second act, the Revs immediately continued their dominance of both the ball and the Toronto end of the pitch and reclaimed the rhythm they orchestrated in the first half. The Revs peppered Djekanovic with a Shalrie Joseph free kick in the 49th, then a Dorman surface-to-air missile in the 54th that required an acrobatic save by the Yugoslavian keeper.

Toronto countered with an obligatory rush in the 60th minute, but was effectively snuffed out before it ever reached Reis' zip code, as the ball unsurprisingly journeyed back toward the Toronto end of the pitch.

New England continued their mastery of the adidas MLS teamgeist match ball, and it became increasingly apparent to be that another goal was imminent. Said imminent goal materialized at 9:09pm ET, during the 81st minute, when Dorman, who had barely missed the Revs’ third goal of the match in the 45th, took a beautiful ball from Cristman and delivered the ball wide of Djekanovic and into the back of the net. 3-0 Revs.

The remainder of the match became a passing clinic, as the navy and red played a fine game of keep away from the Canadians for the final few minutes, en route to the home club’s first victory in over a month.

Stat of the Match, Part 1: With their win vs. Toronto, the Revs have now won all three home matches on FieldTurf.

Stat of the Match, Part 2: Andy Dorman has scored three of his five goals this season vs. Toronto.

Stat of the Match, Part 3: Pat Noonan has scored three goals in his last two matches.

Stat of the Match, Part 4: The Revs have allowed 0, 4, 0, 3 & 0 goals respectively in each of their last five matches.

Stat of the Match, Part 5: Toronto FC manager Mo Johnston is 0-2-1 all time vs. New England.

Random observation of the match: Prior to the beginning of the second half, the PA announcer touted Gillette’s new “Phantom” razor, which the company touts as being so smooth, you’ll barely feel the blade.

Ok, two things: a phantom is invisible – by that principle, because the razor itself is quite visible, isn’t that deceptive advertising? Secondly, the Revs are currently unadorned with any sponsorship labels on their kits this year. Hello, anyone home at Gillette? Why doesn’t Gillette sponsor the Revs? It would be a perfect marriage between the local soccer team and the local razor conglomerate.

The AND1 “OH BAY-BEE!” Play of the Match: In another display worthy of a mixtape DVD, Wells Thompson found himself with his back to the proverbial wall as Toronto made a rare excursion into Revolution territory. As Toronto FC midfielder Andy Welsh paced down the left flank, Wellsie kept up with him step-for-step. Then, when Welsh tried to get cute with spin move, Thompson simply poked the ball between the red-shirted poseur. Once again, the sweet move drew the approval of young kids covering their mouths in stunned amazement, and then waving their oversized tees in delight.

As an aside: Should the Revs or MLS ever put out a mixtape/DVD, Wells Thompson should be given a “streetball” name, in the same vein as “The Professor”, “Hot Sauce” and “The Pharmacist”. SMS will get to work on Wellsie’s street name in the coming weeks.

Sour sequence of the match: In the final minutes of the first act, Jeff Larentowicz hit the turf after it appeared that he has gotten poked in the eye by an unidentified Toronto FC defender. The harm required Larentowicz to visit the sideline for medical attention. Less than tow minutes thereafter, Toronto cornered as James Riley was grounded with an injury as well. Riley traded spots with Larentowicz on the sidelines. Luckily, both appeared to be ok, although Larentowicz was substituted for at the commencement of the second half.

Who did the Krafts root for? Patriots 9, Revolution 3. No, your eyes do not betray you. The Revolution and the Patriots actually played to a 9-3 score Friday night in front of a sold-out crowd. And guess what? They played two more times this past weekend…in York, PA, as the York Revolution and Somerset Patriots square off in Atlantic League baseball action.

The soccer gods chortled: After beginning the season 4-6-2, Dave Sarachan was fired as manager of the Chicago Fire this week. Revs fans remember well that it was Sarachan who successfully badgered the league office last fall to have Shalrie Joseph suspended for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals last year after the Grenadian "elbowed" Fire midfielder Ivan Guerrero during Game 1. Like Revs fans, the soccer gods also have a crystal clear memory of this incident, and doled out punishment accordingly.

The soccer gods did not chortle: SMS counted at least three instances in which Shalrie Joseph was hard tackled – and all three went unseen by referee Alex Prus.

Why not the Tea Men? As you may know, SMS has been known to allow himself to be distracted by other sports like baseball and hockey when there’s no soccer on the telly. Such was the case on Friday night, when the Padres and Red Sox squared off in San Diego both wearing vintage, 1980-style throwback jerseys.

This scene got SMS thinking…why not have the Revs don throwbacks as well? Picture this: the normally navy and red Revs in the garish, mustard yellow and red kits of their predecessors: the New England Tea Men! Revs marketing department, SMS’s agent is standing by to take your calls regarding more can't-miss marketing campaigns.

Rhode Island Stingrays Update: SMS previously stated that the Rays had a formidable challenge when the Cape Cod Crusaders came to town for Saturday night’s PDL match up. The Crusaders are among the elite PDL teams in the Northeast, and to drive home the point, they went 14-0-2 last season. So true to form, the Rays battled, but could not muster the firepower to counter a five-goal output by the 2006 champs, as they fell 5-2. Jeffrey Gonsalves continued his goal-scoring streak by netting both of the home club’s pair of goals, while Rays keeper Joshua Ford had his hands full, to say the least, as he had to come up with ten saves just to keep the score somewhat respectable.

US Women’s National Team Update: Instead of the usual individual player feature, SMS decided to devote this section to the entire team, after their 2-0 win against Brazil Saturday afternoon. Kristine Lilly scored in the 1st minute directly from a free kick at the corner of the box, and Abby Wambach scored in the 17th, as the US women continued their incredible streak of dominance (35-0-7) since manager Greg Ryan took over in 2005.

By the way, how cool are those new WNT gold jerseys? SMS loved them, and in fact, may have to pick one up prior to their World Cup in September. What’s that you say? It’s a chick jersey? As a comfortably secure 26-year-old male, SMS has no problem donning the jersey of one of the best teams in the world.

Next stop on the tour is Hartford, CT on July 14, and yours truly will be there to support the best women’s team in the world against Norway.

“I’m going, going/back back/to Cali, Cali…” Ok, so SMS is not going to California anytime soon, but the Revs are next week as they face Chivas USA for the first time this season. The match will thankfully be on TV38, which improves the chances that SMS will be able to watch the game live after catching the local Stingrays at Pierce Field at 7:30pm. It doesn’t get any better than this!

Finally, although the victory warrants more than what SMS can give right now, a big congratulations to the US Men’s National Team on their amazing 2-1 victory over Mexico in capturing the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup! How exquisite was Benny Feilhaber’s heat-seeker in the 73rd minute? Unquestionably - the greatest goal in recent US MNT history. Great job guys!