NJ Sky Blue FC

The Telephone Game...

2009-02-19T15:06:00.001-05:00

Hopefully, this also means that they'll go on sale soon!
Hey there, This is Amanda, I'm the Web Coordinator at WPS. I enjoy reading your blog about Sky Blue FC. Also, wanted to let your readers know that WPS will be unveiling the WPS team jerseys (personally I think Sky Blue's are awesome!!!) online at http://fancorner.womensprosoccer.com/events/wps-team-kit-unveiling immediately following the event in Manhattan. Thanks!

Tough Clothes for Tough Times!!

2009-02-18T16:03:00.007-05:00

So sayeth the recent news article, and they must mean jerseys! If you have a soccer jersey fetish, it's going to be a good week. The WPS is finally unveiling its new soccer jerseys! HAO and Rempone will represent SBFC, and we assume the SBFC jerseys will look like the ones HAO is signing in the above pic. No word yet if fans can attend or not, but we especially want to see the fabulous Christian Siriano "fashion interpretations" of the uniforms - the possibilities are endless!

UPDATE: you're not invited. WPS says invitation only.

Event DetailsTime: February 24, 2009 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Location: Manhattan, New York City
Website or Map: http://www.womensprosoccer.com
Event Description: On Tuesday, February 24th, PUMA and WPS will unveil the uniforms for the WPS 2009 Inaugural Season, including both Home and Away styles. In addition to the uniforms, fashion designer Christian Siriano will showcase his fashion interpretation of the Home and Away uniforms, creating two unique outfits inspired by the sport and team uniforms.

Players!
- Marta and Johanna Frisk, Los Angeles Sol
- Amy Rodriguez and Angela Hucles, Boston Breakers
- Leslie Osborne and Christina DiMartino, FC Gold Pride (SF Bay Area)
- Carli Lloyd and Nikki Krzysik, Chicago Red Stars
- Hope Solo and Lori Chalupny, Saint Louis Athletica
- Heather O’Reilly and Christie Rampone, Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
- Allie Long and Sarah Huffman, Washington Freedom

Fashion Designers and Icons!
- Christian Siriano, Fashion designer, Winner of TV’s Project Runway Season 4
- Summer Sanders, Event emcee, and two-time Olympic Gold medalist
- Tonya Antonucci, Commissioner of Women’s Professional Soccer
- Paul Gautier, Global Head of International Marketing for PUMA AG

* * * Images of the team kits will be available - right here at the Fan Corner - immediately following the event. * * *

We Just Got A Letter! (from HAO)

2009-02-17T11:19:00.005-05:00

From answering machine message announcing to letter writing, HAO does it all:
Dear Soccer Fan,

I vividly recall sitting in the stands for the 1999 Women's World Cup-the largest watched women's sporting event in history. And only three years later, in 2002, I made the U.S. National Team. From fan, to player-I realized my dream.

It was being there, live and in person, actually seeing the best women in the world play-that inspired me beyond words.

What I have learned in the years since is that players and fans alike all share the experience. It is the joy of being in the atmosphere of the live soccer action, and the sounds of young girls screaming. I know; I was once that screaming little girl.

What is so unique about being a Sky Blue FC player is that now I am playing at home-in my own community. New Jersey soccer helped me form my identity-the gritty, "never let down" part of my player personality.

I invite you to share in the experience. Come out and watch me, and all of my Sky Blue FC teammates, play in Women's Professional Soccer. With your support, accompanied by your cheering, I'm confident that we will be in the best league of its kind in the world.

Buy your tickets today at www.SkyBlueStore.com or call 888-SBFC-TIX, and tell them Heather sent you!

See you at the stadium!

Heather

Heather O'Reilly, a US Olympic Gold Medalist, joined Sky Blue FC during the 2008 US Women's National Team Allocation. Heather grew up playing youth soccer in East Brunswick, NJ - a true Jersey girl. She went on to star at the University of North Carolina for two NCAA College Cup championships and has been a mainstay on the US National team roster since 2003.

SBFC 2009 Schedule!!

2009-02-05T21:11:00.008-05:00

The WPS 2009 Schedule has just been released, and SBFC's schedule is below.

1. They will play Boston and Chicago 4 times each and will play the remaining teams 3 times each. So apparently the league sees a rivalry between SBFC and Boston/Chicago rather than Washington.
2. Six of the games will be on TV.
3. Oddly enough, SBFC will play LA, Bay Area, and Chicago 2 times each before they play anyone else.
4. July will feature a home-and-away with Boston.
5. There may be ancillary games too, though SBFC has not listed any on its site. However, the Washington Freedom list preseason, charity, and friendlies on their schedule - including a preseason game against SBFC. And it is not clear whether any extra SBFC games would be included in the season ticket package.
6. Preliminary information indicates that the May 23 and August 8 games against Washington will actually be at RFK Stadium.

Home Team Away Team Venue Time (ET) TV
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY) Los Angeles Sol TD Bank Park, Bridgewater, NJ TBD

Saturday, April 11, 2009
Sky Blue FC FC Gold Pride TD Bank Park, Bridgewater, NJ TBD

Sunday, April 19, 2009
Chicago Red Stars Sky Blue FC Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL 6pm ET FSC

Sunday, May 3, 2009
FC Gold Pride Sky Blue FC Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara, CA TBD

Sunday, May 10, 2009
Chicago Red Stars Sky Blue FC Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL 6pm ET FSC

Friday, May 15, 2009
Los Angeles Sol Sky Blue FC Home Depot Center, Carson, CA 10:30 ET

Saturday, May 23, 2009
Washington Freedom Sky Blue FC Maryland SoccerPlex, Germantown, MD TBD

Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sky Blue FC Boston Breakers Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ 6pm ET FSC

Saturday, June 6, 2009
Saint Louis Athletica Sky Blue FC Korte Stadium, Edwardsville, IL 8pm ET

Saturday, June 13, 2009
Sky Blue FC Los Angeles Sol Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ TBD

Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Sky Blue FC Chicago Red Stars Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ TBD

Sunday, June 28, 2009
Sky Blue FC Saint Louis Athletica Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ 6pm ET FSC

Saturday, July 4, 2009
Sky Blue FC Boston Breakers Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ TBD

Sunday, July 12, 2009
Boston Breakers Sky Blue FC Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, MA TBD FSC

Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Sky Blue FC Washington Freedom Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ TBD

Sunday, July 19, 2009
Sky Blue FC Chicago Red Stars Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ TBD FSC

Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Saint Louis Athletica Sky Blue FC Korte Stadium, Edwardsville, IL 8pm ET

Saturday, July 25, 2009
Boston Breakers Sky Blue FC Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, MA 7pm ET

Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Sky Blue FC FC Gold Pride Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ TBD

Saturday, August 8, 2009
Washington Freedom Sky Blue FC Maryland SoccerPlex, Germantown, MD TBD

Playoffs, First Round - August 15, 2009
No. 3 No. 4 TBD TBD FSN
Playoffs, Super Semifinal - August 18/19, 2009
No. 2 Winner First Round TBD TBD FSC
Playoffs, WPS Final - August 22, 2009
No. 1 Winner Super Semifinal TBD TBD FSN

Natasha Kai Gets (Another) Tattoooooo

2009-01-23T09:51:00.008-05:00

See the now-infamous video of Natasha Kai getting a tat on LA Ink! See what Kai and Rampone do with their time off! I loved it! It was better than Cats! (Anyone?)

Thank you to titanier on Youtube.

SBFC Draft Day Bonanza!!!

2009-01-20T08:25:00.009-05:00

Thanks to WPS for letting us follow along on Twitter. It was an exciting day for the draft; so many great players out there for the taking. There was even some intrigue with last-minute trades. But down to the nitty-gritty - what everyone's looking for. So here are the first round picks:

1. Amy Rodriguez (Boston)
2. Megan Rapinoe (Chicago)
3. Christina DiMartino (Bay Area)
4. Yael Averbuch (NJ)
5. Brittany Bock (LA)
6. Kerri Hanks (St. Louis)
7. Allie Long (Washington)

As for our team, SBFC, the draft brought in some young and more experienced players at all positions. The rundown:

4. Yael Averbuch (M, UNC) Occasionally there’s a good reason for hiring your relatives, and this is nepotism at its best. A top college holding/attacking midfielder, NJ native, possesses the ability to fly, related to the SBFC PR Manager. She was called up for the U-23 US WNT camp this month. We were hoping SBFC would take her, so now all we need is Tobin Heath in the 2010 draft. Then WPS domination. In related family news, Julie Foudy was not drafted even though she is the coach’s wife. Doesn’t spousehood count for anything? (Yes, we know…)

11. Meghan Schnur (M, New England Mutiny) Long-term member of the Mutiny with a decent goal-scoring record. US U-17, U-19, U-21, and U-23 WNT experienced - collect them all! Fills in some personnel gaps in the midfield that may be overfilled with subsequent foreign signings.

18. Karen Bardsley (GK, Cal State-Fullerton, Ajax America) First goalie taken in this draft. Given the amount of talented players available at the other positions, it's surprising that the WPS teams haven't spent more pick on GKs. Such an vital position! Though Bardsley was overlooked by Twitterers, she is a solid (presumptive) backup to Cori Alexander. Impressive college career, played for Pali Blues (who hasn't) and has served as a coach at Cal State-Fullerton and University of San Diego.

25. Christie Shaner (D, FC Indiana) A defender taken to bolster an already-strong defense, started in each year at Notre Dame, some U-21 experience, long-term starter at FC Indiana. Beginner assistant coaching at La Salle.

32. Julianne Sitch (D/M, FC Indiana) Former DePaul player who has significant US WNT U-## experience and has spent much time playing for US and Swedish clubs. Can play defense or midfield as needed. Didn't make it back to Chicago as she hoped.

39. Jen Buczkowski (M, Notre Dame) Possession-oriented midfielder with some U-16, 17 and 19 experience at defender. We were hoping that she would get selected, since she has become one of the faces of the combines. She bridges the gap between player and fan.

46. Ouying Zhang (M/F, San Diego Sea Lions!) OK, this pick was a curve-ball, but she can bring extensive experience and solid leadership to the field - much like Scurry for Washington and Chastain for Bay Area. Zhang is a former China national team player, who played in several Olympics and World Cups and served as team captain. One of a few veterans of the WUSA (San Diego Spirit) making a return.

53. Mary Therese McDonnell (D, Illinois) Defender with successful end to college years and taken by the Boston Renegades in 2008. If you're that interested, you can check out her college digs profiled on Sports Illustrated Online! Why? We don't know...

60. Mele French (F, Pali Blues) Another Hawaiian comes to SBFC, this time by way of Oregon and Cali Pali. Are there any players left on the Pali Blues? (Don't feel too bad, they just signed NZ Midfielder Ali Riley...)

67. Fanta Cooper (D, Sky Blue W-League) In-house draft, experienced in the SB system and a known versatile player. We don't think she played for the Pali Blues.

Other notes:

Nikki Krzysik (D, Chicago) was drafted 13th. Member of the U-23 US WNT. One of the best up-and-coming defenders out there and a surprise that she didn’t go earlier. Good on you, Red Stars!

In LA Sol news you can actually take joy in, Katie Larkin was drafted as the 19th pick. Great forward and offensive leader from BYU, WNT experienced, a goal machine for the future. Would rather see her on SBFC…

Briana Scurry (GK, Washington) was drafted 35th. Brandi Chastain (D, Bay Area) threw her hat in the ring in the Fall, and she was picked 45th. No need to explain their accomplishments. I imagine they were taken for their potential leadership and coaching abilities!

Congratulations to Christen Karniski (Washington), who we’ve met. Natural left backs are so hard to find, and she’s one of the good ones. Herzlichen Glückwunsch!
Here we go down the home stretch...

Opening Game Details!

2009-01-13T10:58:00.011-05:00

SBFC opening game details have been announced. Oddly enough, the first game will be played on April 5, 2009 against the LA Sol at the Somerset Patriots' stadium (a baseball stadium) and not at Yurcak Field (a soccer stadium; SBFC home field). The switch was made to accomodate the overwhelming demand for tickets...

The field will be oriented with the endlines in the infield and outfield, so most of the seats will be fairly poor (see picture above for approximate viewing opportunities).

We imagine (hope) this happened due to space constraints, because it's not going to be particularly fan-friendly. We're also praying for that soccer-exclusive stadium in Harrison, NJ to be finished soon...

Keeping An Eye On The January Draft Order...

2008-10-17T10:44:00.006-04:00

The WPS is up and rolling. They have already held their lottery for the 2009 January Draft, and we're happy to announce that SBFC is not last! However, the frightening fact is two of the best teams (Boston and Chicago) are drafting first and second.

Here's the order for the January 14-18, 2009 Draft in St. Louis:

1. Boston Breakers

2. Chicago Red Stars

3. Bay Area

4. Sky Blue FC

5. Los Angeles

6. St. Louis

7. Washington Freedom

A reversing draft order will be followed in subsequent rounds.

General Draft Day! Today! Hooray! Let's Play!

2008-10-06T14:30:00.007-04:00

General Draft Day '08

It's good to know that the league reads our blog. Obviously, based on OUR complaints regarding the International Draft selection order, the league has instituted a reversing selection order in subsequent draft rounds. In other words, since SBFC drafts last in the first round (again) of the General Draft, it drafts first in the second round. You're welcome, SBFC. We've got your back. We're serious.

On to the SBFC selections by round:
1. Cori Alexander G
*Yeehaw! Thank you SBFC for getting a goalie. I know firepower is wonderful, but we need some D!!! Looks like SBFC is following this defensive road, especially after getting the rights to Anita Asante.
*Solid goalie. Ex-Vancouver Whitecap and US WNT Camper. And blogger to boot!
2. Keeley Dowling D
*See last comment. US WNT member and some UTenn coaching experience.
3. Kacey White MF/F
*Nicely done. After preaching the D, this is still a great steal. Don't know how she stayed undrafted this long. Great assist player to set up Kai & Co. WNT player, former Tar Heel and NJ Wildcat! Growl!
4. Jenny Anderson-Hammond D
*More D. Awwlright! Some coaching experience too. Our only problem is: how will SBFC get her last name of the back of a soccer jersey? And you thought feminism didn't have any drawbacks...

Perhaps the only other player we would have liked to get is Karina LeBlanc, but that's what happens when your team drafts last every time...

Extra thoughts and brain farts:

Thank you to the WPS for letting us follow along on Twitter! Allowing the fans to "watch" makes the draft immensely more interesting...especially when it's a dynamic draft, not a pre-selection.
If you are on the draft clock, how can you take a timeout (ahem Red Stars, LA, Breakers)? Why bother having a clock then?
Special sarcasm points to Bay Area NoNombres for selecting Liz Bogus. Pretty much sums up your lame team. Can't pick good players or even a team name, but you sure can pick a last name. We predict that'll be the highest-selling customized team jersey. If Bay Area has any fans. (Sorry Liz. But you're a Utahn, so we can't help it.)
After reading the combine blogs from Jen Buczkowski, we couldn't help but root for her a bit. But looks like she didn't get picked. There will be other chances!
No, Tracy Hamm is not related to Mia. Don't ask.

On to the Post-Combine Draft on January 14, 2009!!

Discovering If They Want To Play

2008-09-29T11:56:00.003-04:00

Back on topic: SBFC has taken Collette McCallum (MF) of Australia in their post-International Draft Discovery Period. So they are talking to 5 international players. Only 1 to go to reach the maximum. And yet another Pali Blues player taken in the draft, potentially depleting all of the players on that team!

Not Kai Blue FC News, But Still Meaningful...?

2008-09-29T00:06:00.004-04:00

So the International Draft seems like a memory, but what about the other 2 international players that each team is allowed to "draft" (ie. hold negotiations with)?

The Red Stars kicked off this weekend by claiming Alex Scott (D). CRS Coach Hayes previously coached Scott at The Arse. Go Chelsea.

So the beat goes on and teams are still making moves, even before the General Draft on October 6. Stay tuned...

International News on Wednesday! Exciting!!!

2008-09-24T17:34:00.005-04:00

Brand new news! Here's who our own Sky Blue FC took in the International Draft:

Sarah Walsh Australia F
Rosana Brazil D/MF
Ester Brazil MF
Kelly Parker Canada MF

Keep it in your head that this means that SBFC has rights to these players, it's not a contract. This was not a bad draft, given that SBFC apparently picked last in every round.

Of note:
Formiga - Bay Area
Kelly Smith - Boston
Marta - LA
Daniela - St. Louis
Cristiane - Chicago
Homare Sawa - Washington

Enjoy!

Red Light...to Green...to Yellow...

2008-09-24T11:17:00.028-04:00

OK, after the dearth of communication, the WPS is pacifying its fussy fans. We now know that the WPS International Draft is a go; results will be announced on Thursday, September 25. Thank you WPS High Muckety-Mucks!

A pacifier can be a good thing.
(Hand gesture blurred for your protection.)

Looks like the Bay Area NoNombres will have the first pick, since they had the lowest-rated Allocation. But before we get too excited, there are caveats. From the WPS site, here are the vital facts:

Being selected in the WPS Initial International Draft does not reflect any intent or commitment on the player’s behalf to sign..or...by the team to the player. Rather, it signifies the beginning of the process...
Each WPS team will draft up to 4 international players in this initial international draft.
Each WPS team can sign up to 5 international players for the 2009 season.
Each WPS team can negotiate with up to 6 international players at one time.
Signings will be announced by the team, presumably whenever signings occur.

So basically, this is like a paper note passed in grade school class:

Do you like me?

Yes.
No.

Love, Your Secret-Admirer WPS Team

You may get a kiss out of it, you may be left holding a piece of garbage paper. And there's definately no guarantee of marriage.

But somehow we're still excited about the possibilities!!!

ARE YOU READY TO RRRRUMBLE?!?!

2008-09-23T11:51:00.011-04:00

With the rushed flurry of excitement from last week's WPS Allocation came a flood of news and pictures of our favorite players. The fun trumped the Olympics Gold excitement. So the International Player Draft this week should promise the same fun, right?

Not so fast. The WPS Draftmeisters are nowhere to be found if you're a fan. I'd say things came to a screeching halt, but there's been no noise. Mum.

A letdown.

The only thing we know is this: on the week of September 22, the WPS is supposed to assign teams the rights to negotiate with 4 international players. No other news.

Dear WPS: don't be coy, let us know what's going on!

PS to Sky Blue FC: all I want for Christmas is Birgit Prinz and Fatmire Bajramaj!!!

NEW INFO...SBFC Single Game Tickets

2008-09-17T13:57:00.016-04:00

For those of you who are as excited as we are for the upcoming WPS season, information about the 2009 Season itself is severely lacking.

There is plenty of info about season tickets. If you want to buy season tickets, go here. We have ours!!! See you there!!!

But what about single-game tickets? And maybe not all of us are wealthy enough, live in the area, are convinced about the league, etc. to buy season tickets...so we called the SBFC office for single game info. Below is what we found. (I would also venture that the info would mostly apply to the other WPS teams...)

The WPS is still getting on its feet, as you probably noticed, so not all is written in stone yet.

There will be 10 home games at Rutger's Yurcak Field.

There is no set schedule yet; the league should know more ~January 2009.

Games should run from April to August.

Mix of weekday and weekend games.

Approximate single game prices: $48 for VIP center seats; $28 for seat-back midfield seats; $19 for all other seats. If you want to see a diagram of the seating, go to the bottom of the page here.

Hope to meet you there!

Enjoy!

Thank you to the SBFC office for their help. And of course, as the WPS develops, the info may change, so stay tuned!!!

Showoffs!!

2008-09-16T21:43:00.001-04:00

High in the sky on the Empire State Building. More beautiful than any scene from Sleepless in Seattle or An Affair to Remember...

WPS Draft Day #1 Picks!

2008-09-16T16:42:00.003-04:00

Ian Sawyers, Christie Rampone, Heather O'Reilly, Natasha Kai, and Steve Nash on Draft Day. Yes, Ian, you should be smiling...

YES! ALLOCATION!

2008-09-16T13:05:00.003-04:00

So it's not exactly NFL Draft Day on ESPN...but we can follow on Twitter. Just as good, right? And when WPS said the league would be grassroots, they meant it! But here's the feed from the net, hot off the presses:

"O'Reilly and Rampone return to their home state of New Jersey, while Natasha Kai will make the long move from Hawaii."

While we will miss Carli Lloyd from NJ, we thank her from going to Chicagoland and making room for Kai!

So from the Catholic Church of Sky Blue, we sing:
Hallelujah..Kai in domini, new jersey in the highest...

Sky Blue in the Face Ranting

2008-09-16T12:18:00.000-04:00

Can we stop with the combination New Jersey/New York moniker/albatross? The MLS tried that too. It’s unnecessary and annoying. Pick a state. Use it. Stick with it. Presumably the league has combined the states to have name recognition and not to piss anyone off. But anyone with a central nervous system and/or a map can tell that New Jersey is next to New York and vice versa. Or maybe they should go the route of the old WUSA Carolina Courage: knock off the distinct words (i.e. North and South; so in this case Jersey and York) and use the word that remains - the “New Sky Blue” should work! And the internal rhyme makes it roll right off the tongue…

On the positive side, I like the newly-finalized “Sky Blue FC” name. It is somewhat ironic that a US league called “Women’s Professional Soccer” has a team with “Football Club (FC)” in its name. But tradition trumps all else in soccer. That’s the only reason I became a DC United fan instead of a MetroStars fan in 1996. That’s why the fans at every MLS game wave flags, hold up team scarves, bang drums, chant and sing, and set off flares. During our day jobs, we’re happy to be American; when we moonlight as soccer fans, we secretly want to be European or South American. Someplace where this sport matters. Hopefully, WPS will continue to keep this in mind when creating their new women’s soccer culture.

There’s no crying in soccer!!!

2008-09-16T12:05:00.000-04:00

…because professional women’s soccer is coming back. Fortunately, the WPS gods decreed that there would be a team in NJ: the New Jersey /New York Sky Blue. So this part of the site will cover all items Blue. Unfortunately, there’s not much to go on other than this: the team is coached by Ian Sawyers (husband of Julie Foudy) and the games will played at Yurcak Field, Rutgers University . The team already exists in the W-League, but will get its start in the WPS next week during the US WNT player allocation process. Teams will ultimately be filled out by allocations, combines, drafts, try-outs, arm-wrestling contests, etc.. involving US WNT, international, W-League, and college players.

It’s nice to see that there is a sizable pool of quality women soccer players around. Given the wide-open roster possibilities, it’s hard to decide who would be best for the team. But here’s my fantasy starting line-up, given that teams are guaranteed 3 US WNT players and despite the fact that we don’t know what international or college players will go pro in the US . Also, I tried to pick mostly women of tri-state (NY, NJ, CT) origin, but sprinkled in some others for variety.

Pos Player Club
F Natasha Kai Heaven
F Tiffeny Milbrett Vancouver
F Kara Lang Canadian WNT
M Heather O’Reilly US WNT
M Tobin Heath UNC
M Katie Larkin BYU
M Yael Averbuch UNC
D Christie Rampone US WNT
D Kim Brandao Sky Blue
D Nikki Krzysik UVA
G Kristin Olsen USC

Honorable mention for Birgit Prinz, since she probably won’t leave FFC Frankfurt for the USA …bummer.

The good news is that SBFC will probably get O’Reilly and Rampone, since they picked NJ for their top destination. O’Reilly, Rampone, and Milbrett are solid players and can provide experience and leadership at their respective positions. Lang and Averbuch are budding scoring stars, Brandao is the best player on the W-League Sky Blue team, and Olsen is a central reason why USC won the 2007 NCAA Championship.. Kai can do no wrong and Heath provides the sparks, just as long as she stops trying to nutmeg everyone on Earth.

So here’s to our Sky Blue Draftmeister team, may they draft well and begin their WPS domination already!