Pacific Palisades, Calif. (Thursday, July 3, 2008) – The Pali Blues Soccer Club (9-0-0) enter the final month of their inaugural W-League season when they host the Seattle Sounders (1-2-4) at the Stadium by the Sea this Saturday at 5:00 p.m. If the Blues are able to take the win and the ensuing three points, they will win the Western Conference regular season title with two games remaining on the schedule.
"Saturday’s match will be another challenge, and Seattle is a very organized and talented team,” Blues head coach Charlie Naimo stated. “They were hard to crack when we played them on the road, but luckily we got out with a result and had a look at how they might try to play us this time around. We will prepare for it and hopefully be more versatile in our attack."
The last time the two sides faced one another, the Blues saw their closest call thus far this season. In what was a highly-contested affair, striker Danesha Adams put up the lone score of the evening when she scored a penalty kick in the 75th minute to secure the 1-0 decision over the Sounders at the Starfire Sports Complex.
Adams currently leads the Blues with 15 points on six goals and three assists. Teammate Katy Cross has tallied five scores while 11 different players on the expansion side have found the back of the net this season. Goalkeeper Val Henderson tops the Blues with six wins and five shutouts, and she has yielded only one goal in those six contests (0.166 Goals Against Average). Karen Bardsley has also played well in net, recording three wins and a shutout.
Heading into the final stretch of the inaugural season, Naimo stresses the importance of staying focused on each opponent.
"As the season winds down, we will continue to preach about how critical the game at hand is in regards to the team’s goals and getting everyone focused,” Naimo commented. “We respect Seattle and look forward to having a shot at them in our home stadium. I am sure it will be a fantastic match, as it was up there."
Five players on the Seattle roster have registered goals this season, and the Sounders have used three different goalkeepers to backstop the team, led by Katie Hulton with a pair of shutouts. The club is led by head coach Teddy Mitalas.
Tickets for all home match-ups for the Blues are only $10 for adults ($8 with student ID) and $5 for kids under the age of 12. Tickets can be purchased at the gate on the day of the game.
Stay tuned to the team website at www.bluessoccerclub.com for all updates regarding the Blues.
