Sol Opens Training Camp
Sol Coach Abner Rogers leads the first day of training camp
Photos by Brad Graverson
I began my day at the opening day of the L.A. Sol training camp at Home Depot Center, so it's only fitting I end a busy day there, too, with this belated post.
I'll have more on the Sol in Tuesday's column (no, I'm not writing about freaking David Beckham again, although Scott Wolf will provide an update of his reported loan extension).
But here's a few things that didn't make it into the column.
The full Sol training camp roster is here.
Except - it's inaccurate.
There are 24 players in camp chasing 22 roster spots, not 26. The missing: forward Jodie Taylor who is finishing up school at Oregon State and defender Lana Bowen who concluded she had a better chance of hooking on with a WPS team elsewhere, according to Sol management, so scratch them
Also missing: Torrance's Shannon Boxx and defender Kendall Fletcher, who are with the U.S. Women's National Team at the Algarve Cup in Portugal, and goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, who's with the Canadian Women's National Team in Cyprus.
U.S. internationals Aly Wagner and Stephanie Cox were also no-shows at the Sol's morning session due to "contractual technicalities"; they were scheduled to practice Tuesday at the latest (the Sol are doing two a day sessions for the first week and I didn't have a chance to check back on the afternoon session Monday).
"We're very very happy that all five internationals have made it for day one of camp," said General Manager Charlie Naimo. "I think we may be the only team with that distinction right now, so were very, very fortunate especially having the first game March 29. ... Except for Washington all the other teams get an extra week to prepare.
The five: Camille Abily (France), Han Duan (China), LeBlanc (Canada), Aya Miyama, (Japan) and Marta (Brazil) plus Johanna Frisk, (Sweden).
More players coming into camp are unlikely, Naimo said:
"We don't have to go out and bring players in for looks. We have the right mix, right here."
On signing Frisk:
"She's an accomplished second back, won championships for years. Pia (Sundhage), our national team coach, had some really nice things to say about her so we were fortunate to be able to add her to our discovery list. She was a great fit and it worked out."
Frisk and Marta warm up Monday.
3 Comments
Leave a comment
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.
Abner is a fraud. You will see soon enough. His assistants will train and do game managment. He will do interviews. This franchise could not have made a worse choice. It's only a matter of time until Naimo has to come out of his office and on to the field. The international players will laugh at Abner.
It's great that all of the five internationals are here in LA and available to start training. I hope that the training goes very well. I don't know much about Abner, to be honest. But, I do have faith in Charlie Naimo. It will be apparent what Abner does and does not do once the soccer-learned public sees him during games.
My hope is that LA SOL will do well this year. But, I can't put all of my conviction into it, just yet... Not until, I see the product of the players out on the field.
All US fans of the women's game will soon see a devastating attack by Miyama plus Marta. And when both are heavily marked by block defenses, Ali Wagner will appear to score.
It´s my guess that the Japanese girl will develop her style further and very rapidly cause of simply a higher level of competition she doesn´t find in Asia.
And if she mates well with Marta, they might make history in California.