Massive Women's Update

We must start by acknowledging the Rochester Ravens and the end of their 45-match winless streak going back to July 23, 2000 (0-44-1--the tie in the streak came last season). Nina Scalzo turned in a W-League player of the week performance with her goal and two assists in the Ravens' 3-2 OT win against South Jersey. Rochester received kudos from Ottawa even after a 5-0 loss to open the season.

Rochester has, by the way, a W-League franchise (Ravens) and one in the WPSL (Reign).

Despite the loss of the WUSA, the Boston Globe notes that women's soccer is alive and kicking. The article takes a focus on the upstart WPSL, which after being more-or-less a west coast league has expanded its women's horizon to the east coast.

The Ottawa Fury want to justify their automatic place in the W-League final four (as host, they're guaranteed one of the four slots) after finishing 11-2-1 in 2003 and making it to the semifinals last season in Hampton Roads. There are new opportunities for women players in West Michigan. Marionette Pichon recently signed with the New Jersey Wildcats. Her first game will be June 5. Mercy Akide scored twice in a 4-0 win over Bradenton, extending their winning streak to 16. They'll get a tough home test this weekend against Charlotte.

The Washington Freedom aren't going quietly if the WUSA is never to play again. They've lined up an aggressive slate of friendlies against various opponents. Having earlier taken on college opponents, they are now playing a combination of W-League, WPSL and international opponents this summer. However, it appears that they've got a collection of high-school age players in the mix with a few veterans, as this post from StarCityFan on Big Soccer notes about their win last night against the W-League's Northern Virginia Majestics:

Freedom win, 4-0, with goals from Meredith Beard and Jacqui Little, among others. Additional familiar faces consisted of Nicci Wright, Emmy Barr, Lindsey Stoecker, and Carrie Moore, who served as team captain (yay!). I was told that most of the other players were from a development team of 16-year-olds. It showed - the Freedom didn't dominate except for about the last thirty minutes of the first half and were almost totally incapable of maintaining possession for much of the second. The defense and Nicci Wright had to work hard in the second half to maintain the shutout.

A former Freedom and San Jose player, Michelle French, is biding her time by coaching youth teams in the Seattle area, and playing for the Sounders women.

The women's national team gets back in action Sunday in Louisville, Kentucky against Japan as they tuneup for the Olympics in Athens. Coach April Heinrichs has named her 18-player roster for the match. Heinrichs has brought back Joy Faucett and Shannon MacMillian for the match. Japan will be without their notable star, Homare Sawa (knee injury), but they have given the US fits in recent matches (0-0 in 2003 and 2-2 in 2000). US roster:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Kristin Luckenbill, Briana Scurry; DEFENDERS (6): Brandi Chastain, Joy Fawcett, Kate Markgraf, Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone, Cat Reddick; MIDFIELDERS (5): Shannon Boxx, Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly, Lindsay Tarpley, Aly Wagner; FORWARDS (5): Mia Hamm, Shannon MacMillan, Cindy Parlow, Abby Wambach, Christie Welsh.

By the way, there's got to be some kind of irony in Nomar making an appearance in Louisville just days before Mia takes the field for the US WNT. Says Mia's hubby:

"This is a great stadium, and these are great fans," he said. "This was my first time in Louisville, so I thought I'd sign some autographs. When my wife comes in, I'm sure she'll sign some, too."

Garciaparra's wife, Mia Hamm, will be in town this weekend with the U.S. women's soccer team, which will play an exhibition game Sunday at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

Heather Mitts proved an inspiration recently for some Louisville high school girls.

The Olympics can't come soon enough for Mitts, 25. This has been "a lifetime dream.'' Even the security concerns in Athens don't dampen her enthusiasm.

"I know there has been a lot of talk about it," she said. "But for the most part, we're very confident. If they feel like it's fine for us to go over there and play, then by all means (we'll go). Our No. 1 concern is winning the gold."

In the meantime, there are high hopes for women's soccer in Israel. Three of their players have US collegiate experience and the team is ranked 69th in the world out of 115. Not bad for a team that's only been around since 1997. However, not all is rosy for them:

If the national team is on the up, the state of women's league soccer in Israel only seems to slide deeper and deeper into chaos. This season the league began in January after a delay of three months and even then it was stopped after the first round without a champion being declared because the players went on strike in protest at the sorry state of the league.

The success of the women's team comes without any institutional backing and Itzik Zeltzer, the team's assistant coach looks set to be axed because of cutbacks. Zeltzer doesn't receive a salary and all he gets from the Israel Football Association is reimbursement for expenses. Shimon Maimon, chair of State Cup holders Maccabi Holon says the chances of his team playing in the UEFA Women's Cup are slim. "It will cost us NIS 300,000 out of a budget of NIS 500,000 and we only get government support of NIS 25,000."

In September, South Africa will be the host for the women's version of the African Cup of Nations.