Twas three weeks to W kickoff and all through the house...

[Vic]

Other than the supersonic signings in Seattle, given the WPS meltdown it's been a pretty inconspicuous build-up to the season. The fledgling WPSL Elite league is picking pockets but without a doubt the next couple weeks will see more interesting names come out of the woodwork.

The first truly Canadian game is three weeks away (the BC derby with it's drama of big vs. small and money vs. community) but outside two others in the following weeks we'll see the real Canadian season get underway June 1st and go a month and a half to July 15. Blink and it's over.

Very few announcements but this is a bit of a primer.

Hamilton

- moves to McMaster's Ron Joyce Stadium

- tryouts a month ago, 60 out for men's and women's teams

- $10 adult/ $5 youth, season $80/30 (includes scarf)

- Fanclub $35 for under 15 and gets you a season ticket, signed team photo, and t-shirt

Laval

- a couple of regulars: Charron-Delage, Davis, De Chantal Dumont, Pinard

- $9 adult/ $5 youth, season $50/25

London

- Lauterbach is back

Ottawa

- returnees: Outerbridge, Shufelt, Busque, Ramirez, Phillips, Bernier Larose

- add Lenczyk (WPS), Leblanc from UoO/Laval, Farrelly (#1 WPS pick in 2011), Ryan (Villanova)

- final four hosts in 2012

- May 15/16 v Winnipeg amateurs

- $12 adult / $5 youth, season $30/15

Quebec City

- regulars: Garneau, Bilodeau, Boucher, Gosselin, Paradis, Roy

- adds: Troudi, Mamay (likely youth)

- $9 adult / 5 youth, season $35/20 (2011)

Toronto

- tryouts were December 28

Vancouver

- returnees: Richardson, Setterlund, Sawicki, Adams, Boyd

- adds: Johnson, French, Jeffers (almost pensionable in the league at 24,26,27) and Stokes (ENG U20), and young Canadians Bernier, Clair

- $12 a head

Victoria

- add: Webster (UFV captain)

- had to change name to have funding to continue, are now "Peninsula Co-op Women's Team"

- wearing Co-op red & white

- $14 adult/ $7 youth / U12 free, season: $84/35

Kudos to the Highlanders on free entrance for under-12.

South of the border Naimo's sabbatical ends and he's back in Pali (looking to continue his back-to-back championships in 2008 and 2009) and Santa Clarita is turning up the latin flava, but it's a couple of soccer Dad's in Seattle that look to either add the sizzle to the steak or spoil the party, depending on your religion.

Pali has signed a half dozen quality players all with solid international or professional experience. If he adds another half-dozen and they get some gel they can steal anyone's bacon if the timings right. Santa Clarita has brought in a half-dozen Mexican and Portuguese internationals, as well as Edmonton's Taryne Boudreau. They'll be an interesting wildcard.

The tale of the tape and the herald this year is the Sounders though. They were bought by two high-tech soccer Dad's in November and they must have sat down over the holidays and sorted things out because from that point on the W landscape changed completely.

Jan 04 - sign new GM

Jan 09 - sign new coach

Feb 01 - open tryouts

Feb 14 - sign Solo and Leroux

Feb 27 - sign Morgan

Mar 08 - sign Winters (WPS rookie of the year)

Mar 14 - sign Manthey from Hjørring

Mar 22 - sign Rapinoe

Mar 27 - sign Perez (Mexico)

Mar 28 - sign Cox (Lopez)

They have handful of very high quality players and will overmatch everyone they meet. The spanner in the works is they'll lose most of them late in the season due to the Olympics. Which is great news for the other conferences and host, but makes the west pretty cagey. It's always the toughest conference and it means the runner-up will have to deliver against the mid-pack consistently to stay tight enough and hope the Sounders drop points after the marquis players all head to England. Otherwise it's a western representative cut-off at the knees, no doubt to the delight of the other two reps and host.

But before then, you don't bring a knife to a gunfight, and anyone who runs into the Sounders better batten down the hatches.

[Vic]

Every now and then the right thing happens. The Whitecaps offering such a great program for women is certainly one of those. They may not get the purple heart but they certainly get five gold stars and a lot of respect for what they provide.

This is in no way a knock against them.

The other right thing that happened last weekend was ironically at their expense. The Victoria Peninsula Co-op stunned the Caps 3-2. I'm not even sure stunned is the right word or if the English dictionary has a right word.

Good fan support obviously lit the fire in the home side and they delivered pretty fine payback to the sponsor who saved them from the recycle bin.

From all accounts the game itself was a barnburner with cards, pk's, great goalkeeping, lots of scoring, and late tension and drama. Throw in a win and what a steal for $5. Oh to be a season-ticket seller on commission at the gate on the way out.

No doubt players on both teams were deep in thought after the match, and probably none more than Liz Hansen and Mariel Solsberg. It must have been especially satisfying and redemptive for them.