The Good A-Rod comes to Beantown

It's really not fair for Amy Rodriguez.

Of all the places she could have started her professional soccer career, she ends up in locale where she get booed and hissed at right from the start.

Yes, I know that she was just selected first overall in the very first WPS Draft yesterday in St. Louis. I also know that she's easily one of the best American players, by virtue of her gold mdeal earned last summer with the Women's National Team, not to mention her outstanding collegiate career at University of Southern California, where she and her teammates clinched the 2007 NCAA Championship. The 21-year-old has pretty much done it all.

But, I'm telling you, that stuff doesn't mean anything when you're nicknamed "A-Rod." Not in Boston, at least.

Take a summer stroll down Boyleston Street and you'll see the sidewalks littered with unflattering tees that say "A-Rod SUCKS", "Jeter (Heart) A-Rod" and a couple of other "colorful" slogans that aren't exactly PG. Poor Amy.

She can score bushels of goals like Leo Messi, deliver Beckham-quality crosses, and dribble like Cristiano Ronaldo, but that moniker will doom her in Beantown. No doubt about it.

So with that being said, I feel compelled, both as a soccer lover and a citizen of Red Sox Nation, to propose a solution. On behalf of all sports fans this side of the Hudson River, I publicly welcome Amy Rodriguez to Boston.

Now, to avoid any negative connotations to much-persecuted Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, I suggest the following qualifier to Amy's nickname: "The Good", as in "The Good A-Rod." Henceforth, by decree of no one but myself, Amy Rodriguez, the newest big-name athlete in the Hub, shall be known as "The Good A-Rod" among the sports masses in and around New England.

When the WPS regular season fires up in April, shower The Good A-Rod with hearty cheers and applause when she races onto the pitch at Harvard Stadium. I don't want to hear the Bronx (no pun intended)-inspired "AAAAAAA-ROOOOOODDDDDD...AAAAAAAA-ROOOOOOOODDDDDD!" No, that mocking proclamation is reserved for The Bad A-Rod - yes, the aforementioned Alex Rodrigruez. We're talking about The Good A-Rod here.

Besides, The Good A-Rod is not at all like The Bad A-Rod. The Good A-Rod is actually pretty good in pressure situations. Her assist on Carli Lloyd's game-winning goal against Brazil for the gold during the last Olympiad? Yeah, pretty darn clutch. Winning the 2007 NCAA Title? I didn't see any choking in that one, either.

So, please, soccer fans, Beantown sports fanatics, Red Sox Nation, Sons of Sam Horn, and all other circles where the term "A-Rod" is a dirty word: let us all make a clear distinction.

There's a new A-Rod in town, and she's a heck of alot better - not to mention cuter - than that overpaid Madonna seducer in the Bronx.

Breakers roll back into Boston April 11

I rarely get excited about press releases. I suppose it's because 95% of my inbox is filled by them. That, and heck, how often are releases in general that exciting?*

(*Granted, I haven't been a journalist for that many years, but is there such thing as an "exciting" press release? I can't think of one. However, I have a nagging feeling that there are many examples of exciting press releases. Feel free to dispel the above premise in the comments section.)

But last night, I opened my inbox to find a release from the Boston Breakers announcing their home opener, which has been set for April 11, 2009.

YAAAAYYY!

Why do I find this exciting?

Well, I've actually been looking forward to the Breakers home opener since the announcement of Women's Professional Soccer was made back in early-2007. This is largely due to the fact that the very first soccer game I attended was a U.S. Women's National Team match in Foxboro in 1999. Ever since, I've always held women's soccer dear to my heart.

Unfortunately, that sentiment wasn't enough for me to take the train to Boston for a Breakers match. Thus, I missed the first Breakers run back in the early-2000s. I have excuses. None of them are good. So, I never got to see Kristine Lilly and Angela Hucles don the Breakers kit and scurry around Nickerson Field.

After WUSA folded in 2003, my time machine began to malfunction. A missed the opportunity. Sigh.

Luckily, the Breakers returned. They came back in the recently-formed Women's Professional Soccer. Not only were players like Lilly, Hucles, Abby Wambach and Shannon Boxx given a second chance to help women's pro soccer succeed, but I was given the opportunity to cover them this time around.

At first, 2008 was the projected timetable for WPS' inaugural season. But eventually, it was pushed back to 2009, presumably to grow stronger roots and build better infrastructure. That move seems to have paid off, as WPS just announced a $10 million partnership with Puma this week.

I've already calculated the number of days (114) until Opening Day. It'll be a thrill for me to see Lilly, Hucles and, this time around, Heather Mitts in Breakers blue. The fact that they're all sticking around New England, rather than the occasional, once-every-three-years World Cup Qualifier or friendly that the WNT plays in Foxboro is just awesome. I love covering the WNT. Now, I get to cover many of them throughout the summer.

Exciting? You bet.

***

This story is worth more than a passing comment, but I figured something is better than nothing.

How the heck did Toronto get Dwayne DeRosario, one of the league's best offensive weapons, for a rookie defender and allocation money? Moreover, how - why - did Houston allow this? 01010101!!!!

I understand that the league's single-entity structure played a role in this. I also understand that DeRosario, who hails from Canada, likely expressed a desire to play in his home country.

But come on. Trades in MLS are often about as fair as Rod Blagojevich. Rarely does a trade occur in which both sides truly benefit. In this case, Houston got twenty cents on the dollar in this trade - unless, of course, the allocation money approached seven figures.*

(*It probably didn't.)

How fair was this trade? Let's disregard the allocation money and look at what we know: the stats.

2008
James: 13 G, 1 G, 0 A, 1 SOG

DeRosario: 24 G, 7 G, 2 A, 34 SOG

I know what what you're saying: James is a defender. Obviously, the disparity in offensive output is going to favor D-Ro. I'm cognizant of that. Even so, why would Houston trade one of its best players - nevermind, one of the league's best players - for a rookie defender and some cash?

Why? Because that's how MLS rolls.

***

Contrary to what many of my friends think, I had absolutely nothing to do with the Rhode Island Stingrays change of home venue next season (scroll to the bottom half of the page).

Trust me. I've got alot more people to pay off before I can even imagine wielding that kind of influence.

WPS Allocations

It's been far too long since I've written about the women's game, so here's some fodder for that anticipated water cooler discussion.

I expected the returns of Angela Hucles and Kristine Lilly to Boston. No surprise there. With another recognizable name like Heather Mitts on board, the Breakers have positioned themselves well with their selections. If the matches were played on paper, I already like the Breakers' chances.

I can't tell you how excited I am that the Breakers - and women's pro soccer as a whole - are finally back. Without going on a full-bore tangent, I can't overstate how great this is for not only soccer fans, but girls who play sports. Their dreams of becoming professional athletes can only be enhanced with WPS now in place. I've stated before that if I'm blessed to have a daughter/daughters someday, I'll want her/them to look at the Breakers as sports role models. In fact, one of the things I look forward to as a parent someday is taking my daughter(s) to a Breakers game up at a soccer-spec stadium TBA.

I cannot wait until their season starts in April. As a reporter, I'm excited at the chance to cover them and give them as much press as possible. My interactions with the U.S. Women's National Team have been nothing but the positive, and they are all more than willing to speak with the media. Stuff like that goes a long way for us media types. Needless to say, I hope WPS will be a smashing success for years to come.

******

On a sad note, I was hoping that Carli Lloyd, my favorite Jersey girl, would be traveling up I-95 to play for the Breakers. Alas, she was selected by Chicago, thus depriving me of the chance to see her play regularly.

Perhaps a mid-season trade to Boston could be orchestrated?

Breakers Return

My initial reaction upon hearing of the news that the Boston Breakers will return in 2008 quite honestly took me by surprise. Graham Hays from espn.com had sent me an e-mail about a press conference in Brookline involving Kristine Lilly and Angela Hucles (both former Breakers), and I didn't know what to think. Was this the press conference to announce that the Breakers were back, ready for 2008?

The prospect of the the Breakers returning was somewhat dim back in February, when WUSA announced its relaunch in 2008. Major investors in other cities such as Chicago, DC, and LA were already in place, but no mention was made of Boston. So my initial reaction to yesterday's press conference, without many details, was one of guarded optimism.

Then, by way of some google searches late last night, I was able to find confirmation that the Breakers were indeed returning next year. And after speaking with many US WNT players over the weekend before and after their win Saturday at Gillette, I can only say that I am extremely proud of their efforts.

I am especially happy for Kristine Lilly, who I sometimes have a hard time grasping that she is one of the best players in the world due to her small stature. I heard it in her voice last Friday while interviewing her that she was excited and hopeful about the possibility of finishing her career on Boston-based pro women's team. Now the opportunity is there for her to do just that.

Congrats Lil - you deserve this.

Boston Breakers Crash Back to Shore

The Boston Breakers will be back for a return engagement in 2008 when the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA), which originally folded in 2003 due to financial constraints, returns next year after a five-year hiatus. Tonya Antonucci, CEO of the Women's Soccer Initiative, Inc. announced the return of the Boston-based franchise on Wednesday.

The Breakers, one of the original WUSA franchises back in 2001, featured notable US Women’s National Team stars, such as current captain Kristine Lilly – a native New Englander – in addition to Angela Hucles and Shannon Boxx.

The WUSA has tabbed other locales such as Chicago, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and Dallas as part of its reincarnation.

The Breakers originally played its home matches at Boston University’s Nickerson Field, which has a total seating capacity close to 10,000. The Breakers were among the league leaders in fan attendance during their initial run, drawing an average of 7,674 per match during the course of their three-year run in Boston.

Joe Cummings, the original president of the Breakers franchise, will once again reclaim his former role with the team. No official announcement has been made regarding the club’s potential home field, players, or coaches, although it would seem likely that Lilly, the hometown hero, would be an ideal candidate to play up front for the Breakers in ’08.