USL News Release
Friday, August 1, 2008
TAMPA, FL – It’s a double dose of exciting USL action on Fox Soccer Channel this week. In addition to the Vancouver Whitecaps visiting the Carolina RailHawks Friday at 8:00 pm ET on Fox Soccer Channel, the FC Indiana Lionesses will take on the Pali Blues in a battle of unbeatens for the W-League Championship Saturday at 11:00 pm ET.
The RailHawks and Whitecaps are meeting for the final time this season with the third meeting Friday night capping the series in a span of less than a month. The pair played to a 1-1 draw July 13 in Vancouver on back-to-back goals a minute apart from Dan Antoniuk and Eduardo Sebrango in the second half. Sebrango also netted the winner in the second game, both in Vancouver, for a 1-0 decision.
In the short history between the two clubs, Carolina has not won since the first game last year, a 1-0 victory via Connally Edozien. The two played to a scoreless stalemate in the second meeting of 2007.
W-League: First of four USL championships on FSC
Two of the leagues three unbeatens survived the playoffs to reach the W-League Championship match Saturday evening with the regular season champion Pali Blues (now 13-0-0) advancing from the semifinals Thursday to face the FC Indiana Lionesses (16-0-1) in Virginia Beach, VA. The match will air on Fox Soccer Channel at 11:00 pm ET.
While both clubs are in their first year of competition in the W-League, their backgrounds certainly do not reflect it. The Lionesses have been a successful team in the American women’s game prior to joining the league and brought in several experienced W-League veterans to complement the top international talent the club also boasts. Pali is guided by veteran W-League coach Charlie Naimo, who won the W-League championship with the New Jersey Wildcats in 2005, and several W-League veterans who joined the expansion franchise upon his appointment.
Among FC Indiana’s roster are three former members of the Ottawa Fury, who have reached the final four of the playoffs a combined 10 times between them. Annie Hamel, Marie-Eve Nault and Kelly Parker will be dutifully motivated to take advantage of what is arguably their best opportunity to claim the elusive championship.
Helping in the at cause are current and former international stars Laura Del Rio (Spain), Fatima Leyva (Mexico), Lena Mosebo (S Africa), Monica Ocampo (Mexico) and Veronica Phewa (S Africa). Goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill, who has been rarely challenged aside from their conference final victory over Ottawa, has 14 caps in her career with the US Women’s National Team and has been in camp with the squad over the past year.
On the other side of the ledger is a Blues squad overflowing with current and former US senior and youth internationals, including defenders Kendall Fletcher and Amy LePeilbet, who along with former Canadian international defender Sasha Andrews have helped lead Pali to a nearly flawless season with only four goals allowed this season. While FC Indiana has no W-League championships among the resumes on its roster, Fletcher (2005) and Andrews (2004, 2006) account for three.
The first-year side has yet to trail this season courtesy of its defense. At the other end of the pitch, its offense has been equally as good, scoring at least two goals every game, excluding their two 1-0 decisions over Seattle, who repeated the feat against FC Indiana in the W-League Semifinals Thursday. Leading the attack are US youth international Danesha Adams, who scored both goals in their 2-0 semifinal victory over the defending champion Washington Freedom Thursday, and Australian international Collette McCallum, who has 38 caps for the Matildas.
A replay of the W-League final will also be shown Sunday, August 3 at 4:00 pm ET.
Next USL on FSC Match: The game of the week switches to Thursday night for next week’s contest as the Seattle Sounders visit the Portland Timbers August 7. The game is at 11:00 pm ET on Fox Soccer Channel. The following night, the PDL Championship game will air at a time to be determined.
