Weekend Kick Off
Ajax America Women plays for national title today.
Rolling Hills Estates-based Ajax America Women of the Women's Premier Soccer League, one of the top two women's leagues in the nation, plays at 2 p.m. today for the national title in Seattle.Ajax America got to the final by winning 1-0 last night against Connecticut’s Soccer Plus, coached by former U.S. National Team Coach Tony DiCiccio.
Now Ajax plays WPSL champions FC Indiana, which beat the local ladies 4-3 on penalty kicks last weekend to win the title.
Ajax, which the likes of South Bay-based U.S. internationals Shannon Boxx and Abby Wambach have played for in the past, must score more against former U.S. international and Carolina Courage goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill than in their last game. Luckenbill, who made her debut for the Indiana team against Ajax and signed especially for the final games of the season, made 10 saves including two from penalty kicks to preserve the victory.
It's exactly the rematch wanted by Ajax, which ended the regular season 16-0 as Western Division champions for the 2nd straight year, scoring 60 goals and conceding just eight in the process.
Ranked the second best female team in the world by one publication before the WPSL final four, Ajax was missing some key players last weekend, but will have them back today.
England's Cami Boswell (daughter of Coach Brian Boswell) was ill and didn't play last weekend, while U.S. Under-21 internationals Kendall Fletcher and Kiki Bosio endured nightmare airplane connections as they attempted to link up with the team upon their return from the Nordic Cup and didn't make it to Florida.
The game is being Webcast here.
Here's a bit of background on the national championships from the WPSL Web site:
"The USASA National Cup Finals program is the oldest and most prestigious competition offered to all affiliated teams of the United States Adult Soccer Association. The Men's Amateur & Open divisions are over 90 years old. The program is also open to any youth soccer team whose players are registered with the United States Soccer Federation."
Armchair viewing
The Galaxy play Sunday and Chivas USA don't take the field again until Aug. 18, but there are three MLS games scheduled today including former Galaxy striker Herculez Gomez leading the Colorado Rapids against FC Dallas at 5:30 P.M. on Fox Soccer Channel.In addition, overseas leagues are beginning play again after the summer break.
The Mexican league resumes play this weekend with at least eight televised games, including a match involving Mexico's most popular team, Chivas, taking on Pumas at 10 a.m. Sunday on Univision.
Spanish-speakers can get full details here.
Meanwhile, the traditional opener of the English season airs at 7 a.m. Sunday on Fox Soccer Channel when EPL champions Manchester United plays FA Cup winner Chelsea in the annual Community Shield, a repeat of the May final between the two teams.
The full EPL program begins next weekend.
And as always, the definitive guide to soccer on TV is here.
About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
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