Playoff Scramble

Publicerad 23 augusti 2010, 10:53
As the 2010 WPS season comes within view of the playoffs, teams are scrambling to get a foot in the door. With four of just seven teams making it to the playoffs, teams are by no means giving up on their chances. The FC Gold Pride is the only secured team at this point, sitting on top with 40 points and just four games to go. But for everyone else, the spots are still up for grab. Even for the bottom feeders miracles can still happen.

Let’s not forget that last year Sky Blue made it into the playoffs at the last minute strictly because Boston couldn’t get a win in its last four games. The unlikely squad of Jersey- girls had a three game run to take down the third, second, and finally first place team to steal the championship. So playoffs dreams die hard.

In crunch time changes are to be expected. But what is unsettling is that the changes have come more in personnel than anything else.

The Atlanta Beat has taken the cake for changes this season. Struggling from the start, they had only picked up a mere 2 points in their first seven games and jumped at the chance to get players when St. Louis Athletica disbanded. After they quickly picked up Hope Solo, Eniola Aluko, Tina Ellertson, and Lori Chalupny, the joke of the league was that the team had now become the Atlantica Beat. Unfortunately for them, the fusion was slow to get going and even with several more roster adjustments, Atlanta is currently sitting at the bottom of the league with just 17 points.

However, the most recent Atlanta Beat change did not involve the player roster. After Atlanta’s most recent loss, head coach Gareth O’Sullivan was “relieved of duties” and named James Galanis as interim. The Beat certainly doesn’t seem to lack in individual talent, so maybe this change will actually do them good.

Along with Atlanta, Chicago has been seeing a lot of new faces as well. Most recently they picked up Christie Shaner, a former casualty of LA Sol’s folding. Now finding new life, she hopes to help the Red Stars find a way into the playoffs.

Likewise, Sky Blue recently added Canadian Kelly Parker. Part of the team last year, she could be a spark in the midfield that cinches the team’s post-season chances.

As the teams scramble to change rosters, formations, and lineups searching for any way to scratch themselves into the playoffs, the clock is ticking. Rosters will soon be frozen, and teams will be forced to face inward and work with what they’ve got. But with the bottom four teams within a few points of each other anything can happen.

As a member of the Philadelphia Independence, I can tell you the only kind of change we’re looking for is from second to first. Follow along as the 2010 season culminates this September.

Taggar: Val Henderson, WPS