09’s Take 2nd Place at WA Cup

We’re so proud of our 2009 team for their 2nd place finish last weekend at WA Cup and their stellar performance throughout the year!

Led by head coach Mark and assistant coach Svetlana, the team finished their WPL season tied for first place on points, finishing second on goal differential. They led their league in shutouts and fewest goals conceded (6)! They were also champions or finalists in every tournament they entered this season: Champs at Skagit Firecracker, runners up at Crossfire Select Cup, Tyee Cup and WA Cup. In celebration of their amazing season, we’re sharing a Q&A with coach Mark below.

What do you attribute the successful season to?

The players. The players. The players.

But, to add some details around that…

• Steady defense: The team led the league in shutouts (6) and goals allowed (6).
• Consistent and balanced scoring: Three players tallied 8 goal contributions each during league:
  • Daphne: 8 (8 goals)
  • Eliza J: 8 (5 goals, 3 assists)
  • Eliza N: 8 (4 goals, 4 assists)
• Commitment: From the first day of training, the players were committed to each other, to putting in the work, and to growing individually and as a team. They trained hard, had fun, and consistently showed up for each other.

Where did you focus your coaching this season?

• We trained a lot on our build-up play and how to progress from possession in our own end to creating attacking opportunities in our opponent’s end.
• We drilled a lot on managing transitions, both when losing possession and when regaining it.
• We focused on being dangerous in 1v1 and numbers up situations and taking risks in the final third to create goal scoring opportunities.
• We rehearsed set pieces. The first goal of the league season came on a corner kick play and the last goal came on a free kick.

What are you most proud of?

• Consistency.
• We finished 8-1-1 in league with wins against every other team.
• We were finalists in every tournament we entered.
• In league play, we recorded six shutouts and only once conceded multiple goals on one occasion.
• Aside from the WA Cup final, we scored in every game we played with 23 goals in 10 league games.
• The team showed grit when trailing and responded with goals. Our league record was 1-1-1 after conceding the first goal.

What about WA Cup?

• Consistent with our placement in other tournaments, we entered the silver division and had competitive matches in the first two rounds: a 2-1 win against Sparta White in the first round and a 2-0 win against Steel United in the semifinals.
• The championship was against a strong MRFC team from the DPL league. We held them to a 1-0 halftime score. But, while pushing for a goal in the second half, we conceded more and finished 0-3.
• I’m proud of the team for reaching another tournament final and thankful for the opportunity to play challenging opponents along the way. MRFC gave us a glimpse of the next level up and we’ll work hard this coming year to get there.