One of the keys in this match will be how Sky Blue defend Abby Wambach. Wambach is a top forward and will cause Sky Blue problems especially from set-pieces, and if she is given a regular supply line from wide areas. When the Freedom give Wambach a good supply of passes to attack in the box, they’re one of the most dangerous teams in the league.
Wambach’s strength, the quality of her runs, her tenacity and sheer will to win make her one of the toughest players in the league, and world, to defend;
really looking forward to the Wambach-Rampone/Dowling match up.
Sky Blue’s back four plus Branam are experienced but any defense is only  as good as the two center midfielders in front of them.  Averbuch and Rosana will need to be solid, not necessarily spectacular, and take care of the ball. If they do, the Sky Blue will be difficult to penetrate and score on. But their play this season has been erratic. While there is no disputing Rosana’s talent when going forward, her positioning when defending and her tracking back are areas she can improve.
Sky Blues can’t rely on just Branam to deal with crosses in the box. It has to be a collective effort. Put a body on Wambach and don’t let her have free headers.
The Freedom will have to find a way to control O’Reilly on the flank. O’Reilly for me is a gem. She is willing to do what’s required of her, she brings energy, and is able to focus on team goals. She makes few mistakes, enjoys competing, and is reliable.
Looking at head coaches, Jim Gabarra’s experience in this type of match is key here. He has been around and understands how to set up his teams for such matches.

So which team will win? With Sky Blue having a game in hand they can choose to play conservatively away from home and take their chances on the counter. Washington will want to get all three points, and if they commit in numbers to going forward they could be vulnerable.
It would not be too surprising if Washington won, and likewise if Sky Blue took all three points. Home advantage could be the difference but it’s a really close call.

Their defensive problems are not because of inabilities of their individual players either. If you look at Philadelphia, for example, you would not say that their back four is better than Chicago’s. As a matter of fact Philly features at least one defender which was deemed surplus by Chicago after last season. But as a unit Philly are well organized, strong and they give nothing away. Interestingly, Chicago seemed to dominate possession in many of their games but the problem comes when you face well organized teams which will punish you on counters.
Philly’s game is to sit back and wait for their opponents to overstretch themselves and then break out.
And when they gain possession they try to cross the field in three passes or fewer, usually ending in a through-ball for the strikers to run on to. They attack in short and quick bursts and then dedicate themselves to letting the opposition do the work. They have enough players with attacking ability to capitalize on only a handful of chances.
Making playoffs in WPS is certainly achievable for a team like the Red Stars. They have a number of high quality, experienced players but you can’t make playoffs and for sure can’t win the title unless you are solid at the back. As the season ends you have to grind out results and giving up 3 goals at home is not the way.

This of course is silly. WPS attendance has nothing to do with sexism. Its a matter of expectations and adjustments.
WPS attendance is the highest in women’s football in the world.
As a matter of fact, it is higher than some men’s teams in European leagues. Check out attendance of bottom teams in top leagues in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Finland and it will make you realize that WPS numbers are not bad even when compared to men.
If any WPS owner or fan expects NBA or even WNBA numbers they are unrealistic.
The attendance and sponsorship benchmarks are now established. They are what they are. Start with what you have and work your way up.
As any start up business owner will tell you, the challenge is in controlling expenses. Player and front office staff salaries will have to be adjusted to reflect financial reality.
Get them in line and you will have a sustainable league. The product is good and improving. All teams have made/are making mistakes but are learning and improving.
Growth of women’s football must be organic and incremental.
As Boston knows, there is no substitute for having a winning team and while a wining team does not guarantee commercial success, a losing team can speed up commercial failure.
Having said that, marketing and social media are only useful when teams can deliver quality fan experience. The exaggerated sense of feel good and well-being instilled by a retinue of Twitter users can distort objectivity and evaluation in ways that are hard to overcome for most owners.
For a typical fan quality experience begins with winning.
A key component of a long term success is management of expectations. Owner’, GM’ and coach’ expectations must be realistic and similar. Too low, they will become a self fulfilling prophecy. Unrealistically high, it will lead to disappointment, division and strife.
Managing player, fan, media and owner’s expectations is one of the key, joint responsibilities of a GM/coach partnership.

Camille Abily – Good player who put a stamp on her team’s style and identity. Perhaps the best box-to-box midfielder in the WPS.
Aya Miyama – Continues her rapid improvement. Terrific at running at players and combining with Marta. Quickly improving defensively.
Sonia Bompastor – Multi-dimensional player who, because of her experience can play anywhere in midfield and could even play in the back if needed. Competes every night.
Kacey White – Perhaps a bit underrated but reads the game well, good movement, technically strong. Expect her to blossom in 2010.
Lori Chalupny – Incredibly quick and strong. Smart player who can create, score and defend. Gets her teammates involved. A winner.
BONUS: Yael Averbuch – one of the keys to Sky Blues post season success, she doesn’t get enough props but she can play.

Casey Nogueira

Nogueira has proved a handful to college defenses over the past four seasons. There are rough edges to her game but good coaching will refine them and she has already improved a lot since I first saw her playing for UNC, when she looked a raw talent but with little appreciation for her teammates or understanding of defending.
At that time, I observed that on number of occasions when dispossessed she stood and watched instead of actively trying to regain possession.
I saw her play again this fall in South Bend against Notre Dame and found her an easy mover with a relaxed running style who can control the ball with ease and she possesses the body movement to deceive or sway past defenders.
She prefers facing defenders rather than playing with her back to goal but, partnered by a talented front player who can hold the ball up, Nogueira could thrive at a higher level if she works hard and learns.
I believe that she has talent required to succeed in WPS but it would not be prudent for any club to expect Nogueira to come in and be the focus player from day one. Playing against 20 year old college defenders is vastly different than facing LePeibelt or Markgraf – she will need time to develop and to excel.