Reflections and Random Musings on the 2009 Los Angeles Sol season

Before I sat here and typed my thoughts on a year that saw much that was accomplished and much to be desired for the 2009 Los Angeles Sol, in between the vitamin supplements by Herbalife and league logo decals bearing Mia Hamm's image, I pulled out a scarf that had the team name on it.

Shades of blue, gold and white. A yellow impression of the sun on an O, surrounded by and S on the left side, and an L. And the name: Los Angeles Sol.

I took a long look at it. And as I took a long look, I closed my eyes and pondered an important piece I wrote a while back.

"If they have the moxie to topple the likes of the Washington Freedom and the rest of the league for the title, only then will those expectations have been met. I could care less if Marta rains the goals and wins all the accolades she can at this league. If it doesn't equate to us hoisting the trophy, it means nothing.

Marta, welcome to Los Angeles, and the Sol. The bar has been set. It's time to prove that you are what we came here for: a Player of the Year worthy of giving us a WPS Championship."

This calls for a review.

The Los Angeles Sol never lost to the Freedom. They did beat every team in the league at least once this season (including the reigning WPS Champions Sky Blue FC), and they did clinch the Regular Season title.

Marta finished the season with the most goals scored and looks to be set to earn Player of the Year honors. But they didn't hoist the trophy.

Ouch. That big silver cup with the handles is in Piscataway right now, instead of the halls of the Home Depot Center.

All Los Angeles got was a shield-like plate on a pedestal.

The Sol could not figure out how to prevail against a team like Sky Blue FC, who knew that no matter what the sport, "defense wins championships." Forget FC Gold Pride, St. Louis Athletica or the Washington Freedom becoming the chief rival of the Sol.

On August 22, 2009, Sky Blue FC earned the right to become LA's number one nemesis.
Now let's not take anything away from Sky Blue FC. This is a side that, as we all should know, went through turbulence and adversity like you wouldn't believe to be where they are. And we should applaud them for their achievements. They are the feel-good story of the season, and for good reason.

But you can't tell anybody in the City of Angels that there isn't at least a trickle of bitter vitriol right now that comes from the being a fan of the top dog in the league losing to a side that really did not need Karen Bardsley or Anita Asante.

On the other hand, the Sol wouldn't have needed Camille Abily to be their lifeline, in spite of her goal-scoring prowess. They had the talent to finish the job without the French international.

They had Aya Miyama. They had Han Duan. They had Shannon Boxx and Stephanie Cox and Aly Wagner, among others. And of course there was Marta.

The stars had to be aligned for the Sol to seal the deal before 7,000-plus at the Toolbox. The football gods had other plans, and the players in navy blue could only submit to the decision made by the forces that be.
If there was someone I had to pick as the fall guys, it's the manager. Abner Rogers, for all his expertise and experience, can take solace that he's managing the Sol and not Chelsea Football Club.

You see, Blue Star LLC is not Roman Abramovich. If that were the case, we'd already be seeing the headlines: "Sky Blue FC 1, LA Sol 0, Rogers fired hours later" or something in that mold.

Maybe Charlie Naimo could figure out how to get a team like this up for a championship match. After all, Pali Blues, the Sol's affiliate, was able to win the W-League title.

The skepticism I had about Marta getting the results fans in LA have been itching for is starting to come back. I am starting to wonder. It's a mixed bag that I see sitting next to that silver plate on a pedestal.

For an organization like the Los Angeles Sol that had so much momentum coming into Saturday's WPS Championship Game led by a player who still made her mark, this is embarrassing.

There is nothing more fitting to have the the entire organization-the players, coaching staff, and the entire administration from top to bottom-to marinate on that 1-0 scoreline and how they underperformed, and make this the driving force for them to get the right people to finish the job.

Nothing more proper. And with the [revived] Atlanta Beat and Philadelphia Independence set to spice up the competition next season in the WPS, it will be a necessity for the Los Angeles Sol to step things up.

This big city on the West Coast that takes pride in getting great talent and to deliver quality results sees a bad moon rising. It sees trouble on the way, not unlike that portrayed by a certain Creedence Clearwater Revival ballad.

So could this be the start of something big next year?

I decided, shelve the thought for now. As I kept watch for the dawn of a new season in WPS, I took one last look at my newly-purchased scarf before tucking it away in a safe place for that day of reckoning in 2010.