Chicago Women’s Soccer Team Needs a Name

The new Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league will be launched in the spring of 2009, and Chicago will be one of seven cities with a franchise. The only thing is – the team is looking for a name.

On his soccer blog Red Card, Chicago Tribune columnist Luis Arroyave provided six of 10 names that are currently being considered. Those six names are the Chicago Blues, the Chicago Towers, the Chicago Riot, the Chicago Massacre, the Chicago Union and the Chicago Wind.

Beginning next week, the team is having a “name the team” sweepstakes. Fans are invited to vote for their favorite name at the team’s Web site. Here's a link to the online form to vote. Voting ends March 16th.

Looking at the names that are listed already, I would say the best choice is the Chicago Wind. The other names have negative connotations that aren't suitable for a women's sports team. And besides, the Chicago Wind goes nicely with Chicago’s WNBA team, the Chicago Sky. (The wind and the sky -- what a lovely thought).

Coach Ryan Made All the Wrong Moves

Before the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament began, Nike came out with an ad featuring the U.S. women’s team and the tagline, “The best team you’ve never heard of.” Well, now the U.S. team is getting a lot more publicity than it bargained for, and for all the wrong reasons.

After losing to Brazil 4-0 in the semi-finals of the World Cup last week, coach Greg Ryan came under intense criticism for choosing Brianna Scurry over Hope Solo as the starting goalie for the U.S. team. Scurry, one of the stars of the 2004 Olympic team, had not played in more than three months. Solo, on the other hand, started all three previous World Cup games for the U.S. with three shutouts to her credit. After the loss, Solo publicly criticized Ryan and Scurry, and claimed she could have made the saves that Scurry did not make.

We’ll never know if Solo’s presence in goal would have made a difference in the game or not. Brazil looked highly motivated and prepared to take on the American team, and I’m not sure the U.S. would have beaten them.

I do know that in preparation for any kind of tournament or championship game, you have to go with the hot hand. You stick with the people who brought you to the dance, and Solo has been the go-to person all along. Why bring in Scurry, who has been on the bench for so long and may have been a bit rusty?

Sadly, Solo received a lot of unfair criticism for her public display, and in fact, was dumped by her teammates who decided she was too much of a distraction leading up to the third-place game. But if I were in her shoes, I would have felt the same way. There is some speculation that Solo’s future with the team is jeopardized because of her comments, and that is sad. I don’t think it’s fair to cut a talented athlete because they express their opinions publicly. It certainly doesn’t seem to hurt Terrell Owens or Randy Moss. If anyone needs to have a career makeover at this point, I would say it’s coach Greg Ryan. The decision he made to switch goalies not only hurt the team on the field, it hurt the team’s morale more than Solo’s comments did.

Stay tuned. I’m sure there’s more to come.

By the way, the American women finished third in the World Cup, defeating Norway in the consolation game 4-1.

Hamm, Foudy in a Class by Themselves

I was thrilled to hear that Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy, two of the stars of the U.S. women’s soccer team, will be inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in August. They make up a women’s-only class for this year’s Hall selections. Hamm became the face of women’s soccer in America, and has been a role model for young girls. She received 137 of a possible 141 votes, the highest number of votes ever received by a player for election into the Hall. Foudy’s contributions have been just as impressive. To read more, visit http://www.soccerhall.org/.

In related news, U.S. Soccer announced the formation of a new women’s soccer league with six teams, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and a sixth market to be named later. The league is expected to launch its first season in the Spring 2008.

P.S. Mia Hamm and husband, Dodgers first baseman Nomar Garciaparra, are expecting twins in mid-April.