Implausible Dreams - May 28, 2012

I'm not giving in to security under pressure
I'm not missing out on the promise of adventure
I'm not giving up on implausible dreams

Implausible Dreams is my personal webpage, originally posted in 2002. The name comes from the Rush song you see above.

I've got a number of interests that I'll share here - not the least of which is soccer, but also motorcycling, hockey, music and TAMU athletics.


My most recent post is "A Simple Kickaround on Memorial Day - or was it?" It is a fun look at my afternoon - one that started out as a simple exercise session that turned into a really fun day. If you love soccer or sports in general, check it out.  I also take a moment to thank those who have served to make days like today happen.

Also, I've added a few small updates to one of my more popular pages, "Why Motorcyclists Wave" and "Karma = Good (Motorcycle Version)."

HOT TIMES IN DFW SPORTS!

So the FC Dallas and Texas Rangers (page with recent update) seasons are in full swing. The Mavs are the Defending Champions, but no longer in the playoffs. The Stars, unfortunately, missed the playoffs again but read my article about how not everything is doom and gloom. And here is my Stars page, Cygnus X-1 (also recently updated).

US Soccer Links

One of the key parts of this website is the US Soccer Links Page. It is designed to ultimately be a one-stop launching pad for much of the soccer world for people who follow soccer in the US. FC Dallas, MLS, US national teams - all there. It does reflect the recent changes in professional and high-level amateur women's soccer and the recent addition of Pro Soccer Talk - the new blog from NBC Sports that is a part of their new focus on soccer. I've also updated the MISL and PASL Pro  links to reflect their current situation. (PASL Pro is the league the revived Dallas Sidekicks have joined for the upcoming season.)

The idea is to have all the links in one spot. So far, I've got the major ones down, especially for Dallas, MLS and the USSF. I have the basics of the USL and some general overall news sites so you can get to EPL, etc., if that is your cup of tea. It is still a bit under construction in a few spots, but recently revised and still very useful. Let me know what you'd like to see added!

What you'll find below are descriptions and links for the new additions/updates to certain pages, some information about older but still useful pages, and then some other stuff about me. Note that most of the main pages also have links on the right side of the page. Enjoy!

CHAOTICA

The most recently completed page is Chaotica, my music page. See it just below this post with information about some unique musicians that I personally enjoy. Most recently, I've done blog posts on Kaki King and Del Castillo.

Other Updates

I had previously updated Highway Child - my motorcycle resource page, as well as written some actual blog entries including two motorcycle/karma blogs, Why Motorcycle Riders Wave and Karma = Good (Motorcycle Version).

Here are some other pages, most with recent updates:

Janice and The Music Therapy Show - about Janice's wonderful radio program
Neil Peart Condolences Page
Highway Child - Motorcycle Page

Go HERE for a little more background information about these pages and me.

A simple kick-around on Memorial Day - or was it?

I love this sport.

I love this country.

And I love those who have committed to, trained to, and protected this country.

So here I am, wanting like many my age to lose a little weight, be a little bit more fit.  I go to find a neighborhood field where I can run a training program that will help me in my playing and refereeing efforts, and also burn some calories.

It took a little longer than I expected, but eventually I found a field that had a lot of room and also had a seven on seven game already going.  I took that to mean that the ground wasn’t too bad and went ahead and parked there.

With a couple of recent events, I’ve been working pretty hard so I had planned on just a medium workout/partial recovery session.  Some jogging, some sprinting and longer running, some work with a ball.  About 30 minutes or so.  Initially, that was more important to me than playing and I hadn’t really thought to ask in.  Of course, I *wanted* to play, but I knew that getting the workout in would be more effective for me.  I had hoped the guys didn’t take it the wrong way that I just walked by…

The workout went fine.  I was actually able to push myself a little more than I had planned, and the ball work was more effective than I had expected as well.

As I’m finishing up and about to do the warm down, I set down my ipod and not a moment later, the bigger guy with the booming voice asked if I wanted to join in. My workout mostly done, how could I say no? They seemed like a family/friends group – mostly guys 25-30 with two 10-12 year olds and a 14-15 year old mixed in.  Various rates of skill and fitness.  Most of the skill was higher than mine (70%? Probably, including the kids…!), but all having fun and joking around and playing. Jerseys from around the world - Inter Milan, Argentina, Tigres, Liverpool, etc. - are on display.

Introductions all around, started playing. I take advantage of a little more athleticism (probably because I hadn’t been out there as long as they had) to be available for passes, etc., try to pass quickly and share the ball as much as possible.

The loud guy who invited me in is one of the larger personalities.  Always talking, obvious skill on the ball although I’m sure he was in better shape a few years back. He sets the tone for the game and it is a good tone – play hard enough that we’re all challenged, but fun enough that it isn’t too serious.

About 15 minutes in, I notice something that just made me smile. At a break while a ball is being chased down, I catch that guy teaching one of the younger players - who didn’t seem to be his son - how to deal with people grabbing the jersey, etc. “When a guy grabs your jersey from behind, you do this”, etc. It reminds me of watching Oscar Pareja teach the FC Dallas Development Academy kids...

After the guy moves on back into the game, I find myself near the younger player a moment later and mention, “and remember to be aware of where the referees are” with a wink and a smile. Mostly because it is part of the lesson, but also I can’t help myself – this is the kind of atmosphere that just oozes the greatness of sports. And everyone is into it.  Everyone is challenging the younger kids enough that they had to work to be successful, but not bowling them over with their size and skill advantages. It isn’t overpowering, but there are always little encouragements, little lessons.  This is how young players learn – with older players and the game showing them what works and what doesn’t.

You see the same thing in other sports, too.  Football, baseball, basketball, etc. It is one of the incredibly human things, and I always love seeing it. My father was always trying to teach me golf, and I will always love playing with him.  Shamefully, I never shared his love for the sport itself…. On the other hand, the other sport he helped me learn and love was soccer.  We had a family kick-around a few years back – me, my dad, my sister (who played collegiately), her husband (who grew up in Manchester – yes, is a United fan) and others. That is one of my favorite family memories.

So here I am, dropped into the middle of this group of friends and family. The game makes it easy for me to work into a group I’ve never met, and may never see again (although that is unlikely – they invited me back and when I’m available, I’ll definitely swing by.) And I’ve done that same thing on three continents, with people from all around the world (twenty countries, and probably half of the United States). It truly amazes me at how a simple round object can connect billions of people.

So maybe I’m oversimplifying things, but I can’t help but love the game – because with one simple experience, I’m reminded of how great humanity is, so that when I read the news of the most recent atrocity in [insert random country here, unfortunately even our own], I know that while there clearly is still evil in the world, our inherent nature is a positive one.

And nowhere else other than the sport of soccer have I seen a single, simple concept spread across such a wide swath of the world and have such a wide, connecting impact.

Some might point to the Olympics – and they obviously have a point. It is another massive show of the greatness of humanity. But the Olympics are a set of events – a wide variety of sports that happen to be under one umbrella. With soccer, it is one set of rules – an amazingly simple set of rules, no less (although obviously, the interpretations have many shades of color!).

And it isn’t every four years. It is constant.  Somewhere, there is always a soccer league playing at just about any time of the year. You have youth leagues, pro leagues, pub leagues and international play. Yes, you have the World Cup every four years, but you have other international tournaments in between: the Euros, the Gold Cup, Copa America, the African Cup of Nations, etc. And you also have all the various club competitions.

It is an amazing collage of people of all ages, religions, gender, class, etc. And to bring it back to Memorial Day a bit, isn’t that one of the things that we pride ourselves about the United States?  The melting pot?

So thank you to all who have helped make the US what it is today, most especially those in uniform, past, present and future. The ability to enjoy that interesting cross section of my favorite sport and my love of country is in large part because of your efforts. I cannot in any way thank you enough.

P.S.

After setting this down and coming back to it, I find myself thinking it isn’t enough. Okay, so we take a day off of work and some go to Memorial Day parades.  But what are we doing to really help past, present and future veterans? Legitimate issues of medical challenges, post-traumatic stress disorder (or whatever technical name you want to use for the way the horror of war changes you), general challenges of re-integration into a regular job and regular society – they are happening all the time and I don’t really get the sense that we have a handle on the scope of the problem, let alone are working to fix it.

And let’s not just think about those who have served – just the time and energy to prepare to serve is a major sacrifice. Mentally preparing yourself to be ready at all times to go to war to serve your country – think about what you would have to go through to get ready to get on a bus or plane headed for where-ever, then to be ready to do what is asked of you in an environment some of us can’t even imagine, no matter how many times we watch Saving Private Ryan, etc. And we haven’t even touched on the effect this has on the family of those who serve….

Please reply to this post with feedback – especially thoughts on what can be done.  Share experiences – where people can volunteer, contribute funds, etc.

If I were to guess, it would start with the USO - http://www.uso.org/. But is that enough?  Or is there more? I don’t know – I’m asking.

So first, thank those you know who have, are or will serve.  Then think about what you can do to help them through the challenges they face – if for no other reason than they help us avoid challenges we may not be able to face.

Implausible Dreams - April 2012 update

I'm not giving in to security under pressure
I'm not missing out on the promise of adventure
I'm not giving up on implausible dreams

Implausible Dreams is my personal webpage, originally posted in 2002 (Implausible Dreams). The name comes from the Rush song you see above (more).

I've got a number of interests that I'll share here - not the least of which is soccer, but also motorcycling, hockey, music and Texas A&M University athletics.

One of my most popular articles on this website is Why Motorcyclists Wave.

HOT TIMES IN DFW SPORTS!

So the FC Dallas and Texas Rangers (page with recent update) seasons are in its infancy. The Mavs are the Defending Champions. The Stars, unfortunately, missed the playoffs again but read my article about how not everything is doom and gloom. And here is my Stars page, Cygnus X-1 (also recently updated).

US Soccer Links

One of the key parts of this website is the US Soccer Links Page. It is designed to ultimately be a one-stop launching pad for much of the soccer world for people who follow soccer in the US. FC Dallas, MLS, US national teams - all there.

The idea is to have all the links in one spot. So far, I've got the major ones down, especially for Dallas, MLS and the USSF. I have the basics of the USL and some general overall news sites so you can get to EPL, etc., if that is your cup of tea. It is still a bit under construction in a few spots, but recently revised and still very useful. Let me know what you'd like to see added!

What you'll find below are descriptions and links for the new additions/updates to certain pages, some information about older but still useful pages, and then some other stuff about me. Note that most of the main pages also have links on the right side of the page. Enjoy!

CHAOTICA

The most recently completed page is Chaotica, my music page. See it just below this post with information about some unique musicians that I personally enjoy. Most recently, I've done blog posts on Kaki King and Del Castillo.

Other Updates

I had previously updated Highway Child - my motorcycle resource page, as well as written some actual blog entries including two motorcycle/karma blogs, Why Motorcycle Riders Wave and Karma = Good (Motorcycle Version).

Here are some other pages, most with recent updates:

Janice and The Music Therapy Show - about Janice's wonderful radio program
Neil Peart Condolences Page
Highway Child - Motorcycle Page

Go HERE for a little more background information about these pages and me.

NHL Realignment - One that (mostly) makes sense

[Update - the NHL owners passed a proposal that was a bit different than this, but it did resolve the "Stars in the Far West" issue. Unfortunately, the players union promptly shot it down. With another round of labor issues on the horizon, I can't say I have a lot of faith that something positive is going to come of it....]

There are a number of issues with the National Hockey League.

One of them - that the league is clearly aware of - is that with the move of the Atlanta Thrashers to Canada and renamed the Winnipeg Jets, you now have a team from Manitoba in the "Southeast" Division.

The good thing about this problem is that we now have an opportunity to really look at a few glaring issues in the way the divisions are set up and schedules are set.

Close to my heart is Dallas being in the "Pacific" division. Really? Is this punishment for the Cowboys being in the "East" for so long? Add in the hyper-division-focused scheduling, and with that setup, it is a challenge to see game after game start at 9 pm Central and end at midnight.

But with the new realignment needs, there is a chance of that being fixed.

One option - that is basically geographically based and one that solves most (but not all) of the issues, is this:

Pacific - Los Angeles, Anaheim, Phoenix, San Jose, **Colorado**
Northwest - Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Minnesota, **Winnipeg**
Central - Detroit, Columbus, St. Louis, Chicago, **Dallas**

Southeast - Florida, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Washington, **Nashville**
Atlantic - New Jersey, New York (Islanders), New York (Rangers), Philadelphia, Pittsburgh
Northeast - Boston, Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal, Ottowa

It gets Dallas out of having to travel TWO TIME ZONES to play "division" games.
It puts ALL teams in geographically close divisions.

The possible flies in the ointment? Detroit wants to get into the East (as does Columbus and Nashville).

The other thing that NEEDS to be done - and what could help address Detroit's situation - is change the schedule format. In a league that is trying to regain its place in the US sports landscape, using a format that makes it financially difficult on Western Conference teams and keeping fans of all teams from seeing all teams is just . . . well, indicative that the league isn't looking out for the success of the whole but rather the continued success of certain teams.

The NFL is the king of the hill for a reason. Yes, they have a few hanger-on franchises that don't really keep their product up to speed and just enjoy the revenue sharing money that comes in, but that is few and far between. Overall, it is the most healthy, financially strong, balanced and competitive league in the world.

The NHL ain't the NFL, but could take a few lessons from it and realize that the health and competitiveness of all franchises helps everyone have better crowds and television ratings - which means more $$$.

So those in the NHL who pull the strings - take a moment to think about the fact that you have had to move one franchise (and were lucky that you had a suitor for it) and that you have a few other teams that could use some help and others that could be even better than they are, and seriously think about these two issues. Making the right moves could help solidify one of the best sports in the world by making its best league more stable.

Tron:Legacy - REVIEWED!

I got a chance to see Tron:Legacy earlier this week and figured I'd share some insights and observations. Note that this review is broke into two parts - the main article and then a segment below involving spoiler stuff. So read on! Find out if there is substance behind all the slick marketing that Disney is throwing at you!

Short answer - Mostly yes. In a variety of ways, this is a great movie. In a few others - ways that Sci-Fi movies sometimes tend to fall short - it isn't great but it is pretty solid. Visually, musically, etc., it is top notch. The story is good enough for Sci-Fi and it definitely is entertaining. The 3D aspect ain't all bad either. So Sci-Fi and action-adventure fans will dig this.

Tron:Legacy - REVIEWED!

One question up front - we're all familiar with the original Tron, yes?

No?

Well, luckily you don't need to know much about the original movie. In one of the things that the writers did very well, they lay a good foundation and Tron:Legacy stands mostly on its own.

Basic Storyline

For Tron:Legacy's story, we have son Sam trying to handle being abandoned by his father, Kevin Flynn, when he is given an opportunity to find him. This little adventure brings him to the world Flynn discovered in the 1982 movie, where the electronic computer world manifests itself as an action-adventure landscape called "The Grid." Sam tries to find his father while trying to survive a gladiator-type arena. This much you can get from the trailers and I'll leave it at that for now. See below for a more detail, including spoiler information.

Suffice to say, it is quite a show. We'll break down the acting, cinematography, music a bit before getting into the story proper as that contains some spoiler information.

Cast

Jeff Bridges does a very good job as Kevin Flynn. He does a solid job portraying a man who has been confined for years, and is weighted down by certain issues. He re-captures the original character of Kevin Flynn very well. The same guy who will also dominate the December theaters in True Grit plays an almost 30 year old character in a way that not only is true to what the character was in the '82 film, but what you would expect him to become under the circumstances.

Garrett Hedlund portrays Flynn's son, Sam. New to the Tron scene, he embraces the role of frustrated, rebellious youth. He delivers both serious and humorous lines well and is overall believable. He also is a good action figure.

The Flynns' sidekick is female action hero, Quorra, and Olivia Wilde is pretty good at portraying the character's duality - on one hand, she is a vulnerable innocent, but on the other, she is a full-on action hero, starting with our introduction to the character as she pulls Sam's bacon from the frying pan. Now it isn't over-the-top amazing, and there are moments where the depth is a bit wanting, but on the whole, that is a small issue. Overall she is all most want in a Sci-fi female hero.

The fourth main character of the movie brings us back to Bridges. Kevin Flynn created a Tron-like program to help him develop The Grid. As he created the program, Clu, it looks like 1985 Flynn. While not perfect, the moviemakers do a good job of using images of Bridges from back in the day and digitally imposes it over Jeff's actual acting. The effect is slightly obvious, and that actually adds to the character a bit. Clu is the enemy - a program who overthrew its user - and has very evil intentions.

Bridges plays Clu well. The character is believable and true to his role in the film. Could he have been a bit more intimidating? (Christopher Walken/Prophecy) Yes. Could he have been more dastardly? Yes. (Ralph Fiennes/Schindler's List). But he certainly does the necessary evil things - double-crossing, controlling, lying, conniving, powerful - well enough to give Clu life and presence.

Tron returns - but to what extent I'll save for the spoiler section.

Overall, it is a good cast. The ancillary characters add just variety and uniqueness to complete the tapestry enough. Again, this isn't Saving Private Ryan - it is a good Sci-Fi movie, and overall the characters are more than they need to be to carry the story.

Cinematography and Music

The visuals and the sound are stunning. If you don't want to go out and buy a motorcycle or fly a plane after seeing this movie, then something is wrong with you. The chase and action scenes are gripping, and the overall picture painted of The Grid and its menagerie is spot on - definitely what the original writers and producers would have wanted from the '82 film if they would have had the technology. I won't say it is at the same level as Avatar, but it is definitely fun stuff and got this motorcyclist's juices flowing.

And I can't say enough about Daft Punk. Maybe it is just my personal taste, but it seemed that the music gave the movie a up-tempo, high-tech feel that the music in the original movie lacked. In many ways, the 1982 movie was ground-breaking, especially in terms of visuals and overall cinematography. But the music sounded like it was done on a personal Casio keyboard. No issues with Legacy - this soundtrack moves.

So overall, I give Tron:Legacy a B+. It is what it was supposed to be - a very good looking and sounding Sci-Fi movie, with above average acting.

The problem comes in when you look at the story, and here is where we have to get into spoilers, so for those who haven't seen the movie and don't want spoilers, just know that the story is good enough for a Sci-Fi movie and go enjoy it. Then come back and let me know if you agree or disagree about my comments below.

[SPOILER SPACE]








[SPOILER SPACE]

Okay, for those who have come with me - let's get to the story. I will give enough background so you'll understand my points, but not so much that you'll know the entire story. Overall, know that I think the story is good enough for what it is needed to be - just not as good as it could have been.

Details/Spoilers

Sam finds out that the reason why his father never came back for him was that he was trapped in The Grid when Clu overthrows him and he doesn't make it back to the portal in time. To keep Clu from getting to the real world, Flynn refuses to try to escape.

The "miracle" that Flynn mentions to his son early in the movie are an electronic race of beings that exist in The Grid - "Iso"s. Apparently they had the knowledge to cure cancer and all of the world's ills, but Clu considered them an aberration and overthrew Flynn and exterminated the Isos.

Clu's overthrow smacks a bit of Frankenstein, a bit of the Christopher Walken movie, Prophecy. It is relatively believable, if somewhat shallowly presented.

Sam obviously wants to get his father out, and eventually we see that getting Quorra - the last remaining Iso - out is Flynn's main goal.

Tron is basically Clu's right hand fighter, apparently reprogrammed to serve Clu rather than the Users.

Close enough for jazz, but what is missing

Overall, the story is good enough to be a vehicle for the action and visualization. The acting and music takes this from traditional Sci-Fi geek-only-love to a pretty accessible movie for most people. I expect there will be a pretty good buzz about the movie and it will do relatively well at the box office.

My issue is there are a few things that could have been written better. The Grid seems small - especially in the world of the internet we live in. Everyone seems to have an iPad or iPhone, their own webpage and internet personality, etc. Why not take advantage of that largess to make the threat more tangible?

And a bigger issue is this - with the original villain an Master Control Program and its programmer, Dillinger, how hard would it be to visualize some "Skynet" type defense program that breaks away from the government (with the help of its User?) to try to dominate the internet? With movies like "War Games", "Terminator", etc., there is ample opportunity to make the evil in The Grid tangible to us and the real world.

And the issue of the Isos seems too simply explained, tied up and dropped. Where did they come from? Why were they so special? Certainly, the opportunity to have a more complex rebellion within The Grid, as well as fleshing out the issues surrounding the Isos, was missed.

As I discussed with a friend after the movie, the mythology of the movie lasts 127 minutes. Good enough to occupy you during the movie, but doesn't really survive much examination.

So Alan is Flynn's best friend - why doesn't he check up on Flynn when he doesn't show up originally? Surely he has an idea where Flynn might be.

Tron returns and is Clu's No. 1 warrior - but we don't know how his "I fight for the Users" *main programming* is overriden by Clu for so many cycles.

There are a variety of other little issues you could pick if you took the time to do so. Personally, I know I could go back to see the movie again and enjoy it - it is that good on the other parts and the story line is good enough for a Sci-Fi movie. Again, the acting and music take this from your usual Sci-Fi pulp fiction and make it something good enough to be accessible to most moviegoers.

Just don't expect it to all tie neatly in a bow - that isn't going to happen. So enjoy Sam's rebellion - it is tangible enough to be enjoyable. The music, the action - all great fun. Quorra isn't La Femme Nikita (the movie, not the television series) great, but she definitely can fight and drive a car fast, and carries herself well. And Bridges does well to portray Flynn and Clu. So have fun with it, and thank your lucky stars we didn't have another horrible re-imagining with Tron:Legacy. We have a good, solid, fun Sci-Fi action film.

Coda

I'll be back after the movie comes out with some of my thoughts about the ending. For now, know that again, within the scope of the movie, it works well enough, but check back over the weekend to see where I think it might have fallen short of where it could have been.

Implausible Dreams - Main Page

I'm not giving in to security under pressure
I'm not missing out on the promise of adventure
I'm not giving up on implausible dreams

Implausible Dreams is my personal webpage, originally posted in 2002 (Implausible Dreams). The name comes from the Rush song you see above (more).

I've got a number of interests that I'll share here - not the least of which is soccer, but also motorcycling, hockey, music and Texas A&M University athletics.

HOT TIMES IN DFW SPORTS!

Right now, the two biggest things are FC Dallas and the Texas Rangers as they go after post-season glory. Here are a few notes about FC Dallas and then I've updated my Texas Rangers page with specific thoughts about the series v. the Yankees. Click HERE to read more.

FC DALLAS

As for FC Dallas, what can you say? 19 games unbeaten in league play. Set the MLS record for games unbeaten on the road. Hot on the trail of RSL and LA for the overall best record in the league. That doesn't count the game against the 2010 Champions League winners, Inter Milan. What an amazing run!

Jeff Cunningham has tied Jaime Moreno for the all-time goals-scored record in MLS, and with the way Moreno hasn't been playing, and the run Jeff is on, Jeff is in position to set a new record. Personally, I love the idea of FC Dallas being the only MLS club to have two players who held or hold the all-time goals-scored record.

Hands down, FCD is one of the top teams in MLS and has a chance to prove how good they really are over the next month. Although the loss to RSL was a step back, there were positives to take from it and Dallas can still do a lot of damage going forward. We find out this weekend where all the teams will finish and what the playoff landscape looks like. With FCD at Los Angeles on Sunday, we will know what result of the game will mean before kickoff.

Either way, get ready for the playoffs!

US Soccer Links

One of the key parts of this website is the US Soccer Links Page. It is designed to ultimately be a one-stop launching pad for much of the soccer world for people who follow soccer in the US. FC Dallas? MLS? US national teams? It either has it or will have it. The idea is to have all the links in one spot. So far, I've got the major ones down, especially for Dallas, MLS and the USSF. I have the basics of the USL and some general overall news sites so you can get to EPL, etc., if that is your cup of tea. It is still a bit under construction in a few spots, but recently revised and still very useful. Let me know what you'd like to see added!

What you'll find below are descriptions and links for the new additions/updates to certain pages, some information about older but still useful pages, and then some other stuff about me. Note that most of the main pages also have links on the right side of the page. Enjoy!

CHAOTICA

The most recently completed page is Chaotica, my music page. See it just below this post with information about some unique musicians that I personally enjoy. Most recently, I've done blog posts on Kaki King and Del Castillo.

Other Updates

Recent tweaks have been made to Cygnus X-1, my Dallas Stars page.

I had previously updated Highway Child - my motorcycle resource page, as well as written some actual blog entries including two motorcycle/karma blogs, Why Motorcycle Riders Wave and Karma = Good (Motorcycle Version).

Here are some other pages, most with recent updates:

Janice and The Music Therapy Show - about Janice Harris' wonderful radio program
Neil Peart Condolences Page
Highway Child - Motorcycle Page

Go HERE for a little more background information about these pages and me.

The Women's Professional Soccer - Power Rankings

And now.... what?

Well, the excitement about a new women's professional soccer league has not only worn off, it has cooled significantly after the league suspended operations for 2012.

There is still hope, though, and the W-League of the United Soccer Leagues and the Women's Premier Soccer League will continue to grow high-level women's soccer.  The WPSL has added its "Elite" league for 2012 as well.  We shall see how things go, but hopefully things can keep moving in the right direction.

April 21, 2010

The second weekend started to show some separation. Not surprisingly, Washington got their first win over the expansion Atlanta Beat. St. Louis found a way to get a result at Chicago. FC Gold Pride took advantage of the traveling team and got a solid result over Sky Blue. The mild surprise of the weekend was the expansion side Philly finding a way to get a tie at Boston.

This weekend, Atlanta continues its road trip - fun way to start off for an expansion side, huh? This time, it is against the California team with Marta... On Sunday, Philadelphia hosts the Freedom, Chicago hosts the women from Jersey and Athletica takes on the Breakers. Put my money on FC Gold Pride and the St. Louis crew. I'm sensing a draw in the Independence match. Can Sky Blue take advantage of a Red Star side that is still looking for some consistency?

Here are the numbers for the week.

			Totals
No	Pvs	Team	Pts	G	PPG	Pace
1	1	Boston Breakers	4	2	2.00	2
2	2	St. Louis Athletica	4	2	2.00	0
3	3	Sky Blue FC	3	2	1.50	-1
4	7	FC Gold Pride	3	2	1.50	-1
5	5	Philadelphia Independence	2	2	1.00	-1
6	8	Washington Freedom	3	2	1.50	-3
7	4	Atlanta Beat	1	2	0.50	-1
8	6	Chicago Red Stars	1	2	0.50	-2

April 13, 2010

The first weekend of play didn't reveal much we probably couldn't surmise coming into the season. Philly and Atlanta tied at zeros for their first game. St. Louis picked up right where they left off, beating FC Gold Pride at home in convincing fashion and Sky Blue beat Chicago as well. The surprise of the weekend was Boston winning at Washington. Considering how tight last year finished, and the fact that there are now eight teams, is it too soon to worry about dropped points? Probably, but you can't like starting off that way.

So here are the numbers for the week. See below for the theory behind the numbers.

No.	Team	Pts	G	PPG	Pace
1	Boston Breakers	3	1	3	2
2	St. Louis Athletica	3	1	3	0
3	Sky Blue FC	3	1	3	0
4	Atlanta Beat	1	1	1	0
5	Philadelphia Independence	1	1	1	-1
6	Chicago Red Stars	0	1	0	-1
7	FC Gold Pride	0	1	0	-1
8	Washington Freedom	0	1	0	-3

Looking forward to next week, we have St. Louis at Chicago and Sky Blue at FC Gold Pride on Saturday and Atlanta at Washington and Philadelphia at Boston.

Can Athletica continue their home success on the road? Chicago obviously wants to defend their home turf, so that should be a good battle. Can Sky Blue FC do the same? FC Gold Pride didn't start the season well, but now they are home. Traditionally, coast to coast travelers don't do well.... The Sunday games ought to give us a good barometer of where the expansion teams are relative to the league. These are pretty much the first true-blue expansion teams in women's professional soccer history, so there isn't much of a track record to look at for perspective. I'm looking forward to seeing how they do.

April 3, 2010

Well, it has been quite an interesting off-season. No more LA Sol, but we've seen the addition of the Philadelphia Independence and the return of an original WUSA team, the Atlanta Beat. They join the Washington Freedom and the Boston Breakers as returning teams as we kick off Season Two of the WPS.It will be interesting to see how the new players settle into their new teams and how the league adjusts without the Sol.

August 23, 2009

Congratulations to Sky Blue - what an amazing run to the championship! Especially considering the format - obviously, I wasn't a believer, but they didn't give up and found a way to win all the games.

I can't say enough about the determination it took to win all those games under those circumstances.

August 10, 2009

Congratulations to Washington and Sky Blue for being the third and fourth seeds into the inaugural WPS playoffs! Especially for Sky Blue, who had the toughest road to the playoffs of the remaining three teams.

What I find interesting is that the playoffs all happen in a week - this weekend's first round, next Wednesday's Super Semifinal and then the Final the following weekend. That is a lot less of a down period for the LA Sol. Add in their victory over the Breakers on Sunday, and I think they have regained their mojo enough that I think they are no longer in significant danger of losing the final to a more in-form team. So call that me picking the obvious.

Here are the final rankings for the 2009 WPS season. It has been fun getting back into things and I look forward to next season where we have more teams to work with and a better feel for what teams bring to the table.

Once again, Boston and New Jersey swapped places. Those teams were neck and neck down the stretch, but a home win by Sky Blue over FCGP combined with Boston's loss to LA on Sunday gives the Jersey Girls (sorry, I'll admit, I'm a Kevin Smith fan) the edge at the end. After all was said and done, it was Sky Blue FC's better home record that put them over the top.

No.	Prv	Team	Pts	G	PPG	Pace
1	1	LA Sol	41	20	2.05	1
2	2	St. Louis Athletica	34	20	1.70	-6
3	3	Washington Freedom	29	20	1.45	-11
4	5	Sky Blue FC	26	20	1.30	-14
5	4	Boston Breakers	25	20	1.25	-15
6	6	Chicago Red Stars	20	20	1.00	-20
7	7	FC Gold Pride	18	20	0.90	-22

So now we're on to the playoffs. As a reminder the format is 4@3, then winner @2, then winner @1. So Washington hosts New Jersey, then St. Louis hosts that winner, and then LA hosts the final.

Sky Blue at Washington. It looks like the Freedom have the upper hand both in terms of recent results and also playing at home. Through the course of the season, the Freedom compiled a 5-2-3 (w-l-t) record, including a recent 3-1 win over Sky Blue on August 8. SBFC only won two road games this past season - over Chicago and Boston. On paper, it looks to be Washington's. The question is whether Sky Blue can continue to show their mettle and beat the Freedom. Unlike last Saturday's game, where Sky Blue FC came into the game on short rest having played on Wednesday, this time New Jersey will be fresh and rested. I'm predicting a Freedom win, but these teams are close enough in competition that anything is possible.

Super Semifinal at St. Louis. Whoever wins the first round game will most likely fall victim to the second best team in the league. Athletica is the only team other than the Sol to have a winning record on the road as well as at home. Even without their star forward, St. Louis is deep enough to overtake either Sky Blue or Washington.

Super Semifinal winner at Los Angeles. If St. Louis is upset in the semis, you can chalk this up to LA before the first whistle. Yes, yes, I know - you still have to play the games. But three games in seven days for the visiting team? We've seen what this does in MLS to teams, and the WPS teams have a lot less experience dealing with short turnarounds (although every team did have to do it more than once this past season).

On the other hand, if St. Louis wins as expected, then I think you'll see one of the best games of the season, although I see LA edging out St. Louis at the final whistle as you will still have St. Louis playing on short rest and the break isn't as long as I originally thought - cutting down the chance that LA would lose a bit of its edge in the time off.

So yes, probably going According To Hoyle for this year's playoffs.

Thanks for joining us this season. Enjoy the playoffs and we'll see you - along with the Atlanta Beat and the Philadelphia Independence - in 2010!

August 4, 2009

And now we know more. Not everything, but we know a lot more. Going into tonight's game, we know that Boston has fallen further behind Washington, but because of where Sky Blue FC is and what that team is facing, the Breakers are most likely to make the playoffs - probably as the four seed.

We do know that as Athletica go into the game tonight against Chicago, they are locked into second place and will host the Super Semifinal on August 19.

We also know that Sol is not invulnerable - even with Marta.

What we do know is that there is a good separation of teams, with the New York/New Jersey team the lone possible outlier. LA and St. Louis are clearly Nos. 1 and 2. Boston, Washington and Sky Blue are the middle three and FC Gold Pride and Chicago are the bottom two. Both recent results over the past few weeks and the overall numbers bear this out.What we don't know are: (A) whether Sky Blue can overcome their coaching carousel to pull off the improbable - or maybe even just be competitive; (B) whether Washington can hold off Boston for the third spot; and (C) whether Boston can overcome recent stumbles to reassert themselves enough to at least be the Four Seed or even overtake the Freedom.

The fun of it is this - any of the three teams fighting for the playoffs can be third, fourth or out.

Enjoy!

Here are the raw numbers:

1	1	LA Sol	38	19	2.00	-1
2	2	St. Louis Athletica	30	18	1.67	-6
3	4	Washington Freedom	26	19	1.37	-11
4	3	Boston Breakers	25	19	1.32	-12
5	5	Sky Blue FC	23	18	1.28	-13
6	6	Chicago Red Stars	20	19	1.05	-19
7	7	FC Gold Pride	17	18	0.94	-19

July 27, 2009

With the season winding down, some of this will cover some playoff scenarios in addition to the current rankings. Despite a few stumbles, the LA Sol and St. Louis Athletica were able to hold onto their respective spots at Nos. 1 and 2. We now know that two teams won't make the inaugural playoffs (San Jose and Chicago), but we also know it will be a real fight to the end for the remaining three teams (Washington, Boston and New York) for the final two spots.

Yes, technically, St. Louis hasn't locked up a playoff spot yet, but with only three games remaining - two of which are at home - the chance that they will be caught by all three chasers is a lot closer to none than slim. Four points is a lot of points to make up. Athletica could very well lock up a playoff spot and all but take the second spot with a win over their new-found rivals, Boston, this Saturday.

On the other end of it, Sky Blue FC has the toughest road - only two games left and currently tied with Washington for that last playoff spot. New York catches a break in that they play a team mathematically out (FC Gold Pride) at home, but then play what could be a winner-take-all match in the nation's capitol for their final game.

Boston and Washington currently look to be the strongest to be the 3 and 4 seeds, and they play on Wednesday in Maryland. Not much at stake in that game, huh? The Freedom hold more of their destiny in their hand than any team, especially with two of their three remaining games at home.

What is nice about the way the season is playing out is that each team trying to get into the playoffs has a game (or two) against their rivals for those playoff spots - so they get a chance to take their spoils right there on the field.

As for the rankings, we have a change - with the recent results, Washington has passed Sky Blue FC for the fourth spot. Even though they are tied on points, the Freedom have both a game in hand and a better road record. St. Louis came back to the pack a little with their loss and tie, but not enough to really flirt with being caught by Boston - yet, that is. A win for Boston this weekend could push the Breakers past Athletica in both points per game and Pace. LA isn't going to be caught this season - not until the championship game, anyway.

I still think three weeks off is a LOOONG time between games, and think there is a greater than zero chance that the No. 2 team - Athletica or not - has a good chance of being rested for one week, then taking on a beat-up 3 or 4 team, and then in a good groove to play the No. 1 team. We'll see how it plays out - should be fun!

Okay, so here are the raw rankings. As always, comments are surely welcome!

No.	Prv	Team	Pts	G	PPG	Pace
1	1	LA Sol	38	18	2.11	0
2	2	St. Louis Athletica	27	17	1.59	-6
3	3	Boston Breakers	25	17	1.47	-10
4	5	Washington Freedom	23	17	1.35	-10
5	4	Sky Blue FC	23	18	1.28	-13
6	6	Chicago Red Stars	17	18	0.94	-19
7	7	FC Gold Pride	14	17	0.82	-19

July 20, 2009

Due to some work issues, I wasn't able to do the rankings for this week, but it was notable that you started to have some real pressure on some teams in terms of playoff spots, and you got to see some real desperation.

July 13, 2009

So are we seeing a crack in the Sol armor? Could St. Louis not only be the second best team in the league, but one that has the guns to take LA down for the championship? Athletica's amazing road record points to that possibility. Joan of Arc's ladies have played four fewer home games than the Sol, but their Pace is but a mere -3 behind La's even.

Below what appear more and more to be the top two teams in the league, teams are bunched together tightly. Two points separate the next four teams, with the San Jose club falling behind a little more with each passing week.

We have one of our first best examples of how these rankings wash out statistical anomalies. Technically, the Red Stars are ahead of the Freedom in terms of points, but they have played one more game and have a worse home record than Washington and so you can clearly see how this keeps the Freedom in the Five Spot.

So here are the raw numbers - feel free to share your comments!

No.	Prv	Team	Pts	G	PPG	Pace
1	1	LA Sol	37	17	2.18	0
2	2	St. Louis Athletica	23	14	1.64	-3
3	3	Boston Breakers	18	14	1.29	-10
4	4	Sky Blue FC	18	14	1.29	-10
5	5	Washington Freedom	16	14	1.14	-12
6	6	Chicago Red Stars	17	15	1.13	-14
7	7	FC Gold Pride	12	14	0.86	-14

July 6, 2009 - Power Rankings Returns!

I am very proud to bring back my format for power rankings and apply them to Women's Professional Soccer!

After a four year hiatus, I'll be back on the web with what I consider to be the best objective evaluation of where teams are as the season progresses, this time for the new women's soccer league, WPS.

The idea is to find a way to wash out the statistical anomalies that come along during a season as some teams play more home games than away games or vice versa, and the same for games played. This gives you a more realistic look at where the teams stand at any given moment. This is different than most of the power rankings out there that are either mostly or entirely subjective - and we all know the flaws inherent in that system...

I originally came up with this formula in the early years of MLS, and did this for MLS while writing for 3rdDegree from 1998 through 2005. I also did them for WUSA for a time as a part of my Shannon MacMillan page.

Now, I'll be applying them to WPS, and I'm really looking forward to it.

So here they are - the first week of WPS Power Rankings!

July 6, 2009

No.	Prv	Team	Pts	G	PPG	Pace
1		LA Sol	37	16	2.31	3
2		St. Louis Athletica	20	13	1.54	-5
3		Boston Breakers	18	13	1.38	-7
4		Sky Blue FC	15	13	1.15	-12
5		Washington Freedom	16	14	1.14	-12
6		Chicago Red Stars	14	14	1.00	-14
7		FC Gold Pride	12	13	0.92	-13

As this is the first week, there aren't previous (Prv) numbers.

The System

The Points Per Game is pretty straightforward.

The Pace is the key, in my opinion. It is an objective standard that takes into account what in most sports - to some degree - is a factor: home field. The Pace refers to winning at home, and tying on the road. So if you win on the road, you get +2. If you tie at home, you get -2. Winning at home or tying on the road is 0.

Analysis - July 6, 2009

What is interesting is that for this current group, things line up pretty straightforward - PPG and The Pace are almost exactly the same in terms of how the teams are ranked. Obviously, the Sol are the cream of the crop. With the unique WPS playoff format, they will certainly be the most rested team once they have to play in the final - assuming they keep their place, with sure seems like a safe assumption at this point. I wonder if they might be TOO rested...

St. Louis and Boston are pretty clearly the next tier of teams, with the rest of the league following them. This will be fun to track these last bit of the season and then see how things play out in the playoffs.

So what do you think? Is this something that you're interested in?