Flashcard Preview Verus New York Fury
Published on May 18, 2012 under Women's Professional Soccer (WPS)
Western New York Flash News Release
While last Saturday's convincing 4-1 win over FC Indiana injected confidence in the Western New York Flash (1-0), this weekend's match-up against the New York Fury (1-0) will surely test the mettle of Aaran Lines' young squad.
"This game will be a different kettle of fish," Lines said Thursday. "The Fury will probably go in as favorites."
The match:New York Fury at Western New York Flash
The venue:Sahlen's Stadium
The time:7 p.m. Saturday
Last match:Western New York thumped FC Indiana 4-1; New York Fury squashed the New England Mutiny 5-1.
In each installment of the weekly 'Flashcards' throughout the season, we'll examine any roster moves for Western New York, take a gander at the weekend's opponent and absorb insight from Lines or a player.
1) Depth challenges:The Flash will be shorthanded Saturday; Meghan Klingenberg and Lori Lindsey continue to train with the U.S. Women's National Team, Colleen Boyd and Tori Huster have been called into camp with the U.S. U-23s and Stephanie Ochs will be taking exams at the University of San Diego. Recent addition Omolyn Davis, a Jamaican international, does not sound like she'll be free to suit up.
Lines noted that Nikki Marshall will make her season debut on defense Saturday, while Katherine Reynolds will shift to left fullback to fill in for Huster. The Flash head coach has yet to decide who he'll use on the left wing to replace Ochs; Laura Heyboer, who scored as a reserve in the opener against FC Indiana, or Jodi-Ann Robinson are options.
2) Training focus:Although positives were abundant following the win over FC Indiana, Aaran Lines wasn't satisfied with his team's inability to bury chances.
"The cohesive football that we want to play in the final third is something that needs work, and we'll get there, but if we get there winning games, it's all the better," Lines said following the victory.
The week's training focus wasn't solely on finishing, however - Lines encouraged his team to be "generally a little more compact all over the field." Also, given the team's average age of 24-years-old, some of Lines' instruction has been mental rather than tactical.
"We're learning to be good professionals," the former New Zealand National Team player said. "We need to develop a toughness, a hardness that comes with playing at this level."
3) Scouting the Fury:In the WPSL last year, the New York Fury went 7-2-2, good for second in the East-Mid-Atlantic Division. Fury head coach Paul Riley, who spent the last two years with the Philadelphia Independence of Women's Professional Soccer, earned a pair of WPSL titles as the manager of the Long Island Fury in 2006 and 2009 before landing WPS Coach of the Year honors in 2010 and 2011.
While you won't see former Independence stars Tasha Kai and Veronica Boquete on Riley's Fury roster, there are some familiar names from the opponent the Flash conquered in penalty kicks during last season's WPS Championship.
Fury defenders Kia McNeill, Nikki Krzysik,Leigh Ann Robinson and Estelle Johnson combined to start 47 WPS games for Philadelphia last year, while starting midfielders Tina DiMartino and Sinead Farrelly also followed Riley to New York.
Even though New York will be missing one of WPSLE's biggest stars - former No. 1 WPS Draft Pick Tobin Heath - to national team duty, newcomer Merritt Mathias notched a hat-trick against New England in a forward partnership with former Maryland Terrapin Jasymine Spencer. Will the young Flash squad embrace the challenge posed by the Fury?
Women's Professional Soccer Stories from May 18, 2012
- WPS Demise Can Be Partly Blamed on U.S. Soccer Federation - OSC Original by Dennis Justice
- Flashcard Preview Verus New York Fury - Western New York Flash
- Women's Professional Soccer Suspends Operations Permanently - WPS
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