| Cobras
Extinguish Inferno Hooper shows her strength lies on the field. David Bailey, Staff Writer |
| The Toronto
Inferno's inaugural season in the United Soccer League's
W-League came to an end with an extinguishing performance
by the undefeated league powerhouse Chicago Cobras.
When the referees final whistle mercifully sounded, the
score favoured the visitors by a score of 7-1. Approximately 200 were present at Birchmount Stadium for the homecoming of Canadian superstar Charmaine Hooper. The subject of criticism during and after the recent Women's World Cup due to her penchant for speaking directly from the heart, on the field she reminded one of Italian superstar Giorgio Chinaglia during his years with the NASL's New York Cosmos. Seemingly playing a quiet game with effort required to find her on the field, almost without notice and in an almost effortless fashion, she finished the match with a very impressive hat trick. Hooper lead the way with goals in the 18th, 54th and 73rd minutes with other Cobras goals scored by Becca Myers in the 25th and 58th, Lindsay Hoelter in the 13th and Courtney Linex in the 66th minutes. Toronto's consolation goal was probably the best of the afternoon. Former and probably future Canadian international Tina Blaskovic, cut by Neil Turnbull just prior to the World Cup, fired a 30 yard direct free kick off the right goal post and past the Cobras keeper. Blaskovic was herself the subject of controversy after an outspoken appearance on TSN's Off The Record with Michael Landsberg that looked at the subject of diving and getting an unfair advantage over your opponent in the sport of soccer. On that occasion, her frankness and openness was a welcome change from the holier than thou attitude which permeates much of sports PR. At the conclusion of the match, as young girls ran onto the field to get the autographs of their new soccer heroes, the expansion Inferno could be inspired by the astounding success of the fourth year Cobras. Chicago finished the season with a perfect 14 wins - 0 losses record; 54 goals for - 4 against; 10 bonus points (out of a possible 14) and placed first overall in the league. The Inferno can take heart in the fact that they finished ahead of three established W-League sides. Rochester (1996), Jackson (1997) and Delaware (1997) finished the 1999 season with 10, 5 and 4 points respectively and while fellow Canadian expansion team Laval Dynamite defeated the Inferno twice in head to head contests and finished the year with 24 points compared with the Inferno's 15, Toronto actually scored more goals and finished with the same number of bonus points. While there is no post-season play for Toronto, fans of Canadian women's soccer can be cheered by the presence of Charmaine Hooper as she leads the Chicago Cobras on to bigger and better things and proves the bandwagon jumping doubters that abandoned her after Canada's disappointing World Cup, embarassingly wrong. |
.
.