USL News Release
Thursday, August 2, 2007
TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced Thursday the W-League Coach of the Year for the 2007 season as voted on by the teams, honoring head coach Elio Bello, whose San Diego Sunwaves would make history in the Western Conference.
Bello faced a difficult task in 2007, taking charge of an expansion team that due to stadium availability would play all six road matches in the first half of the season before setting foot on their home turf.
In response he built a club around top local talent as well as a handful of Mexican internationals such as goalkeeping star Sophia Perez and defender Lisa Gomez, who ended the season as a finalist for Defender of the Year. They proceeded to post a respectable 3-2-1 record on the road in those first six games, sweeping the trio of clubs in Colorado in the first three before falling in Seattle 2-0.
After suffering their first loss, the team rebounded on their trek north of the border and nearly handed the defending league champion Vancouver Whitecaps their first loss at home in 32 games. The Sunwaves, showing no fear, took a 2-0 lead in the match only to see road fatigue set in and US international Tiffeny Milbrett, fresh off her return from Sweden, blitz them for two goals in the final six minutes to earn a draw and stretch the streak to 32. They finished the five-day, three-game northwest swing with a second loss in Seattle, 1-0, two days later.
Less than a week later as strangers in their own home, the Sunwaves suffered their final loss of the regular season in a 1-0 decision to the Real Colorado Cougars before running off five straight victories to complete the season. Over those final five, San Diego scored at least three goals four times, avenging the draw in Vancouver with a convincing 4-1 win over the Whitecaps in which star Mexican international striker Maribel Dominguez made her return to W-League action.
A win over Fort Collins locked the defending champions out of the postseason while securing the Sunwaves a playoff berth and a 2-0 victory over the Sounders in the season finale gave the club an 8-3-1 record and the Western Conference regular season title - the first for any team other than the Whitecaps since Vancouver joined the league in 2002.
The Most Valuable Player honor will be announced at the W-League Championship banquet Saturday, August 4.
2007 W-League Championship
The W-League Championship tournament in Rochester, NY at PAETEC Park is August 3 and 5, featuring the Atlanta Silverbacks facing the Seattle Sounders in the first semifinal Friday night followed by the host Rochester Rhinos taking on the Washington Freedom. Both games will be available on USL Live. The consolation and championship games are Sunday. The W-League Championship match will be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel at 5:30 pm ET.
