W-League's pros are a different class
July, 31, 2010
7/31/10
11:15
AM PT
By Scott French | ESPNLosAngeles.com
Most of the W-League's clubs are strictly amateur, and a few -- maybe more than a few -- are more or less semipro, taking care of some of their players' expenses and so forth.
Only the Buffalo Flash, officially, is a professional club, with salaried players drawn from around the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe. It's a policy that has worked: The Flash, in only its second season, is playing for the W-League championship on Saturday, taking on two-time titlist Vancouver Whitecaps at Canyon High School in Canyon Country. The 7 p.m. game will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel, and that's pretty meaningful.
“We're in Buffalo, N.Y. There's not a lot of quality in the area, in terms of top universities,” says head coach Aaran Lines, a former New Zealand national-teamer who played for clubs in Germany, Poland, Australia and with two second-tier American clubs, the Portland Timbers and Rochester Rhinos. “If I wasn't able to call upon a professional roster, we would be bottom of the division, fighting for last place.”
Instead, the Flash heads into the biggest game in its history with a 13-0-2 record, 11 shutouts and a 13-game winning streak.
“I think we have a lot of quality. We're a very powerful team ...,” said star forward Kelly Parker, a Canadian national-teamer who has scored 15 goals in 10 games and won her second W-League MVP award Friday night at a Santa Clarita banquet. “When you get a group of quality players that are smart, with soccer minds, I think it allows you to gel a lot quicker. We have a lot of soccer minds, a lot of players with a lot of experience.”
There certainly is a lot of quality.
Midfielder Jenny Hammond, who starred at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, and forward Mele French played with Sky Blue FC last year, and forward Mandy Moraca was with FC Gold Pride during preseason this year.
Forward Veronica Boquete (Spain), goalkeeper Pamela Tajonar (Mexico) and defender Kimberly Brandao (Portugal) are international players, there's a quartet with experience with English youth national teams, and a few others have played in Germany or Sweden, home to Europe's best leagues.
“You've got to spend wisely, bringing in good players, and that's not easy,” Lines said. “And there's a certain level of pressure that comes along with being the only professional franchise (in the league). … I was particular. We started our opening game with 11 players. I knew what I wanted with players, and we didn't compromise, and the quality that we have now is because we were patient.”
The Flash went 10-2-1 in its first season, reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals with a talented side, but Lines said “this year, man for man, I have better players than what I had last year. We had a good team last year for a first-year franchise, but this year we're just a notch up in quality and depth off the bench, as well. All around we have improved.
“And it's great for Buffalo. We've put Buffalo on the map, in terms of soccer, by making this TV game.”
Only the Buffalo Flash, officially, is a professional club, with salaried players drawn from around the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe. It's a policy that has worked: The Flash, in only its second season, is playing for the W-League championship on Saturday, taking on two-time titlist Vancouver Whitecaps at Canyon High School in Canyon Country. The 7 p.m. game will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel, and that's pretty meaningful.
“We're in Buffalo, N.Y. There's not a lot of quality in the area, in terms of top universities,” says head coach Aaran Lines, a former New Zealand national-teamer who played for clubs in Germany, Poland, Australia and with two second-tier American clubs, the Portland Timbers and Rochester Rhinos. “If I wasn't able to call upon a professional roster, we would be bottom of the division, fighting for last place.”
Instead, the Flash heads into the biggest game in its history with a 13-0-2 record, 11 shutouts and a 13-game winning streak.
“I think we have a lot of quality. We're a very powerful team ...,” said star forward Kelly Parker, a Canadian national-teamer who has scored 15 goals in 10 games and won her second W-League MVP award Friday night at a Santa Clarita banquet. “When you get a group of quality players that are smart, with soccer minds, I think it allows you to gel a lot quicker. We have a lot of soccer minds, a lot of players with a lot of experience.”
There certainly is a lot of quality.
Midfielder Jenny Hammond, who starred at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, and forward Mele French played with Sky Blue FC last year, and forward Mandy Moraca was with FC Gold Pride during preseason this year.
Forward Veronica Boquete (Spain), goalkeeper Pamela Tajonar (Mexico) and defender Kimberly Brandao (Portugal) are international players, there's a quartet with experience with English youth national teams, and a few others have played in Germany or Sweden, home to Europe's best leagues.
“You've got to spend wisely, bringing in good players, and that's not easy,” Lines said. “And there's a certain level of pressure that comes along with being the only professional franchise (in the league). … I was particular. We started our opening game with 11 players. I knew what I wanted with players, and we didn't compromise, and the quality that we have now is because we were patient.”
The Flash went 10-2-1 in its first season, reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals with a talented side, but Lines said “this year, man for man, I have better players than what I had last year. We had a good team last year for a first-year franchise, but this year we're just a notch up in quality and depth off the bench, as well. All around we have improved.
“And it's great for Buffalo. We've put Buffalo on the map, in terms of soccer, by making this TV game.”
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Scott French
Orange County native Scott French has been writing about soccer for more than 30 years for dozens of publications and Web sites. He was senior editor at Soccer America and was managing editor of MajorLeagueSoccer Magazine from April 2007 until summer 2009. He has covered three World Cups for the Long Beach Press-Telegram and Los Angeles Daily News, two Women's World Cups for Soccer America, the Olympic Games, European Championship, nine MLS Cups and all five professional women's championships.
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