View from the Pali, Volume 12: A New Season Beckons for LA's Top Women's Team

The 2011 W-League season approaches, and with it, a chance for Jacob Tudela's Pali Blues to start their campaign on the right track after seeing the chance at a three-peat end against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

On Saturday, May 14, the Blues took on the LA Strikers in a precursor to the match involving the Los Angeles Blues and the Charlotte Eagles at Titan Stadium on the campus of Cal State Fullerton in Fullerton, Calif.

Unlike their male counterparts, who have yet to do so just once, they made Titan Stadium theirs on the first try.

Granted, it took them 87 minutes for them to figure it out, but Tiffany McCarty solved the puzzle and helped the Pali Blues bounce back from their season-ending defeat last year and prevail over the L.A. Strikers, 1-0.

Of course, having to go through the whole process out-shooting the Strikers 18-8, but only gain one late second-half goal for efforts means, well...they are a long ways from establishing their finishing touch.

“It is frustrating, but games go like that in soccer,” said Tudela, younger brother of LA Blues captain Josh Tudela, to BluesSoccerClub.com. Some days you’re on, we easily could have put in five or six of them, and some days it just doesn’t fall for you.”

Christie Shaner was cautioned in the 80th minute of play.

“It started off pretty good, but we just were unlucky with a lot of our shots. We hit the post like 7 times, and that was only in the first half,” McCarty said. “It was frustrating but we kept going and we got the result, and that’s the most important thing.

“We have a lot of stuff (to work on). The possession is going to get better. For (having had) two practices, they created a lot of opportunities and usually that striker is going to put in three or four of those, so we’ll get better.”

So will the chemistry arrive for the Blues, as they aim for a third title in the W-League?

“It think (the chemistry) will come," McCarty assured. "I know I just got in yesterday, and a lot of us are just coming on from college and stuff like that. As the season goes, I think we’ll get more comfortable with each other and our touches will be more sharp.”

Pali will hope that is indeed the case when they take on the Victoria Highlanders at the Blues' traditional stomping grounds, the Stadium by the Sea of Pacific Palisades High School in Los Angeles, Calif.

Kickoff is scheduled for Friday, May 20 at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET.