Has this type of conflict happened in other leagues? And should the league be meddling in other foreign federations?
As usual, it will come down to $. I blame UEFA here, not F.F.F.. They should have gotten together with the WUSA and ironed this out beforehand. Paul
By the way, the latest Soccer America mag has a feature cum photo of Marinette. I can't believe that if the Charge make it all the way to the final they won't have Marinette. What a public relations disaster for the league, and an extreme disappointment for Philadelphia.
People. People. People. Don't blame anyone. The French league will start its play August 31. One game and the rest on September 1st. The English season starts on the 25th. Also the second leg window is larger I would say largely on the basis of the English who have a bank holiday during that period. Not that matters but there is a reason that you try to get the playoffs between a window with the least of problems to all of the leagues. Now a good exception to that would be Iceland since I believe all of their players play there. But they are not going to change the window because of Iceland. Should be noted that in the Icelandic first division that only one of the possible 4 matches are played on the 24th. The top three teams play their matches on the 27th. 3 of the four matches in the Danish top division will be played on the 22nd and the other on the 21st. The season is now just two matches old. So you all see how the problems of one player in a league with at the most two other players in the playoffs(Smith, Karvelsson), don't amount to a hill of beans in this world. Also last year you had Anne Nielsen and Ólafsdóttir. Next year will be a problem with the World Cup but I can tell you now that considering its location there is no better time for it. 1) Southern China is not pleasant to play in June or July(In which case you all would complain anyway), 2) I think they thought about the timing of this and the WUSA before hand as well. 3) Most of the European seasons are just started or just ending and the WUSA season will already be over. 4) Moving it back to December or the Spring would be worse for all the leagues involved not too mention harder on air travel there especially for us in the Northern hemisphere. You trying leaving from Frankfurt in December and heading to China going west. Does frostbite ring a bell? Not too mention the trouble for the pilots in such weather. Not that it's terribly easy to fly from here either. Finally, I wish you all would remember that these things happen and that while I disagree with some people's viewpoints that this would not happen with the men's game, I do not disagree with all that it's a public embarrasment. UEFA had to decide on a weekend. It could have picked the weekend before but there would have been problems with that. They picked the best weekend for the majority of people. Not to mention that they didn't know who was going to be in the playoffs. It could have been Iceland, Denmark, Faroe Islands and Norway. All of whom are in league play at that time. Not likely but still your complaining. We have depth. We will win without her. As much as we need her, France,needs her inspiration! She has more goals than Henry, Papin, Fontaine and even Platini! We still have Clemens, Martin, Koleski, Liu, Zhao, Erica's head, Benny and Heather's passes, Lorrie's corners, and Tullock's creativity. We will win!
Pichon has scored in 9 out of the last 12 matches for France. Of the other matches, one was a shutout to Norway.
I take that back. I forgot that the Faroes could only have qualified for the Euro Championships. I meant Finland who are still playing their top division now.
If WUSA were seven or eight years old now, I would not feel as bad missing Pichon. (However, I would still feel REALLY bad.) But a league trying to establish itself needs all the attention-getters it can muster. I still say it will be bad for the league to have a final without Marinette. Of course my greatest hope right now is that we in fact do make the final. First things first. And I'm not saying that we couldn't win without her; this team has amazing resiliency.
"...I am tired of this league being so media and pr concerned. Just play." Quoting myself. Bad for the league but worse for France. Also once again. She is one player out of the more than 40 who will be starting in a game between August 22-25 for a chance to go to the World Cup. We will make the final. We have the team for it. We don't need to establish ourselves among the other footballing nations. We have the best players and unless our economy and people start to not want to come here, we will continue to have a league that people want to play in. Why did you all think that top players went to play in Japan? For the money, yes. But also for the opportunity to be taken seriously.
"...I am tired of this league being so media and pr concerned. Just play." Quoting myself. Bad for the league but worse for France. Also once again. She is one player out of the more than 40 who will be starting in a game between August 22-25 for a chance to go to the World Cup. We will make the final. We have the team for it. We don't need to establish ourselves among the other footballing nations. We have the best players and unless our economy and people start to not want to come here, we will continue to have a league that people want to play in. Why did you all think that top players went to play in Japan? For the money, yes. But also for the opportunity to be taken seriously. I am reminded of the fiasco that Arsenal put on the French men's national team last year when they wanted to play a game against the best national team that was available, Australia. So they had to fly there. It was in November. Hardly a time for worrying about a club's place in the Premiership. Of course, a lack of top players at that time was also due to the Gunners' horrible discipline record which was shameful for a team with such good players. Arsenal later should have apologized to the FFF when they won the league championship. But I tangentize.
A solution all could live with. France moves it's match from Friday to Thursday. WUSA moves Founder Cup from Saturday to Sunday. I know this won't happen, but each compromising is the only fair solution. What will happen, Pichon plays in France, gets on the earliest flight and enters the match in minute 75, scores the game wining goal in minute 88, and all are happy.
Adam...I like how you think. I agree, no matter when the France game is played, Pichon is getting to Atlanta and playing in Founders Cup(provided the Charge make it there). Can't wait until the home playoff game on the 17th.
I think it speaks volumes about Pichon, no matter the politics or levels of incompetence, she will battle all. I've searched for the quickest way to get from Paris to Atlanta, but I can't find any which gets you to Atlanta by 3 pm, then the trip from the airport needs to be considered. All this assumes business is taken care of on August 17. I don't think there's any way in the world any person can play 90 minutes of hard soccer on consecutive days. But 90 followed by 15, even with the travel, she can do. And if OT, whatever her best is, because you'd want her for PK's What I'd really like to see, is a helicopter ride from the airport to stadium. Every minute counts..
I had already worked it out. Match ends at 9:00. Leaves Lens at 9:30. Gets to De Gaulle at Mdinight. Always late flights to North America. Say leaves at 1:00 or 2:00. Flight takes 7 or 8 hours. Gets to Atlanta at around 4 or 5 AM. No problem. Then sleeps. Put her in the second half.
why doesnt she not play the full 90? i have an idea. why doesn't Pichon not play the full 90 in her France match. Then she can get an earlier plane to Atlanta for the Founder's Cup. Then, she can play maybe a half in the Cup. It's a compromise...I'm not sure it will work, but if it comes down to it...it may. Kara
Re: why doesnt she not play the full 90? Unfortunately this is a compromise that I am sure France would not be willing to make. Even if France is ahead at the half, they would probably still want Pichon to play the full 90 minutes since I believe this is a home and away series that will be decided by the aggregate score.
Lynn Morgan Comments About Pichon Situation While WUSA President/CEO Lynn Morgan was on the San Diego radio show "Inside Soccer" this past Saturday I had the opportunity to call in and ask her a couple of questions. Here is the response she gave me when I asked her to comment about the situation of Marinette Pichon potentially missing the Founders Cup Final because of France's WC Qualifying playoff match vs. Denmark: "If we can get her back, quickly on a flight and the timing works out...we're doing everything we can to ensure that we get her back for the game, but obviously with that kind of travel you would probably expect that she'll be somewhat jetlagged and perhaps a bit tired, but maybe the adrenalin will kick in and help her out a little bit there. That is unfortunate and we are working to try to make sure that if Philly is in the Founders Cup that we get Pichon there as well."
from todays inquirer: Posted on Wed, Aug. 07, 2002 Charge hoping to take momentum into playoffs By Marc Narducci Inquirer Staff Writer Notes. Charge general manager Tim Murphy said yesterday that Marinette Pichon, who has a team-high 14 goals, will be able to compete in the postseason, despite some scheduling difficulties. Pichon is a member of the French national team, which plays a World Cup qualifier Aug. 23 against visiting Denmark. from today's inquirer: France plays an exhibition game a week earlier, but Pichon has been excused from that game to play for the Charge in their Aug. 17 playoff semifinal at Villanova Stadium. "We have been in touch with the French national team and they said she can miss the [exhibition game]," Murphy said. "They want her back for the qualifier." If the Charge win their first-round game, they will play in the WUSA championship. "Marinette said she would play for France and then fly to Atlanta if we reach the final," Murphy said. "There will be enough time for her to do it and she wants to do it." we all know, if anybody can do it, frenchie can!
If the match is 20:30 French time, 2:30 pm edt, it is over 22:30, which means when is the next FLIGHT to Atlanta. You have to get to Paris, then get to Atlanta, and you're at the mercy of weather too. Hope everyones karma is good.
Let's take up a collection to rent a helicopter to get Pichon to Paris and then a seat on the Concorde. Anyone else with me?
OK, I volunteer one weeks pay, but that won't get you anywhere near a CONCORDE. The helicopter is needed on the Atlanta end too. But before we get too cocky, August 17 is needed.
Good point...getting to the 24th should be the focus of the Charge right now. After they beat the crap out of whoever their opponent is on the 17th, then we start the "Pichon Flight Fund". They could have buckets at the stadium and people could donate on their way out of the stadium.