The Wait Is Over

90 Minutes To A Trophy

Saturday has finally arrived and the Hollywood Studios Cup final between Boston and Chicago, televised on the Lifetime Network, begins at 4:00pm. Before that, however, a number of the players from both teams enjoyed a somewhat relaxing morning in and around the Wingate. The Boston Wrecking Crew (Labbe, King, Oyster, Chapman, and Mewis, with Dahlkemper Skyped in) met up for a quick strategy session. Steph has taken on leadership for the defensive end of the field, which has been OK with Julie given her vast experience at the highest level of professional and international soccer.

Steph: With Huerta and DiBernardo fighting the clock to make it to the stadium by kickoff, we should be able to hold Chicago's makeshift offense scoreless until they are inserted. Anything less than that will not find me being so kind after the game, and Abby KNOWS what kind of mood I can get into when things don't turn out well.

Abby: Preach! You do NOT want to be on the wrong end of Steph's stare or anger. You know the exterior that scares you half to death without knowing her? Imagine an interior that can rage and make you feel as though you're being burned alive.

Steph: Thanks for striking FEAR into our teammates. Seriously, just play your best, stick to your assignments, and all will go well.

Sam: What is the back line today going to be?

Julie: When John, Yael, Steph, and I talked at the Red Sox game on Thursday, his plan was to go Me-Sam-Oyster-Chapman right-to-left and Morgan fronting it, because that is the closest center back pairing we have to Abby and Oyster. Having Jenni gone the past couple of days I think played into his thinking, but I'm not sure he even knows what the best way to deal with our right side is at the moment. Play me inside and their left flank gains an advantage. Put me outside and you have to play deeper than you'd like, which ends up affecting our offensive play.

Steph: Abby, everything good with respect to your timeline for returning?

Abby: No setbacks that I or the people at the clinic can detect. End of April for clearance for contact, added to the roster for the Orlando match on May 13th, get playing time then and against North Carolina two weeks later, then start against Seattle the following week.

Steph: In other words, we have to make it through the first seven games without Abby in the first XI.

Allysha: Do you know how the Red Stars plan to cover for their two players missing?

Julie: I don't know, really. My guess is with DiBernardo out, they'll go to three in midfield and bring in Hoy and Sophia Smith on the front line. If that's the case, we will probably want to have Rose and Jessie switch spots so we're able to take advantage of them pushing Gilliland up since your sister, Sam, isn't much of an inside player and that's how they would balance the midfield with Kristie roaming left.

Sam: I'm not 100% sure that they start her if they play 4-3-3. They have Carle who is more centrally apt, and they could get away with Kratch playing on the front line, which they did in one of the matches here.

Steph: Simple plan today. Keep everything in front of you, don't get sucked out, and don't let the possible second-half switches to bring those two players on affect how we want to defend. It's a full 90 minutes and each team will only have five subs, plus one to swap goalkeepers should the game go to kicks. Same page, everyone?

Julie: I'm in.

Megan: Me, too!

Sam: Let's do this and bring a title home to Boston.

Abby: Don't forget about me, up here ready to take that trophy off your hands when you get back tomorrow.

Julie: Bus leaves for the stadium at 2:00. You're free until then, but make sure you eat during that time.