Welcome to the First ‘Must Win Sunday’

By: David | July 4th, 2009

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If the 1878 fans who bothered to show up for the Independence Day match featuring Boston at Sky Blue FC are any indication, no one is paying much attention to WPS over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, and they certainly aren’t reading this article. But I persevere.

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OK, it’s “Must Win Sunday” for the proud lady Lions. And next week, too … and pretty much every Sunday for the rest of the season … since they’re probably not going to win their one remaining Thursday night game (LA Sol, Thursday 7/23) …

After playing only two games over the last four weeks, the FC Gold Pride returns to regular weekly action this Sunday — and finds itself in a must-win game.

They were close to the bottom of the WPS Table before the long stretch, and everyone else has since passed them by. Today, they are in last place, with only 12 points after 12 games.

Essentially, FCGP needs to keep pace with SBFC, who beat Boston and now hold down fifth place with 15 points in 13 games. In other words, SBFC played their own “Must Win” game, and won.

The Chicago Red Stars are the idle WPS side this week, and stand in sixth place with 14 points in 14 games. And yes, they won their ‘Must Win” game last weekend, defeating the Washington Freedom last week, climbing out of the cellar while FCGP watched from their vacation. They even had to come from behind to do it.

An FCGP victory on Sunday against St. Louis Athletica would only guarantee them a one-week reprieve from the WPS cellar. The Pride plays in Chicago next weekend, in what both teams will see as another “Must Win” game, with the winner closing the cellar door on the loser.

See you next week, for another edition of … “Must Win Sunday!”