Playoff Preview: Down Home Blues (6-4-2) vs. Wildcards (12-1-1)

2010 Regular Season: Week 2: Blues 6 @ Wildcards 9

Week 10: Wildcards 12 @ Blues 4

Playoff history: The Wildcards defeated the Blues last year in a consolation game following their semi-final defeats to, respectively, the Warriors and eventual champions, the Bears.

Down Home Blues notes: P Craig Corbie, following a 12-4 week 10 loss to the Wildcards, vowed that the results would be different should his wish be fulfilled and the teams meet in the playoffs. He’s gotten his wish.

The Blues have managed to qualify for a playoff spot despite missing several key players down the stretch. Their week 10 loss to the Wildcards was with a depleted lineup due to injury. Going into the playoffs, the team claims they are 100% healthy and they will have “all hands on deck”. Though they lost to the ‘Cards with a full lineup, they held them to just 9 runs, by far their worst offensive output all season. If they can do that while putting up numbers that they’re capable of, the Wildcards could be in trouble.

The Blues have been playing life-or-death all year, never managing a record two games above .500. With playoff-aspirations in jeopardy and an ever-changing lineup, the Blues overcame all of that to qualify for the fourth and final playoff spot. They are arguably the more battle-tested and primed of the two teams.

Wildcards notes: Despite a final regular season loss to the Warriors, the Wildcards secured a third President’s Trophy on their mantle and cruised into the postseason with not only the best record, but by far the widest run differential margin in the WSL. With the Bears missing the playoffs for the first time in four seasons, the Wildcards draw a different semi-final opponent for the first time in three.

Nobody on the team has said anything, probably because it doesn’t need to be said: the time is now for the Wildcards. Many have questioned their ability to win important games, evidenced by their three consecutive first-round exits despite winning seasons.

The Wildcards have, arguably, played stress-free since the beginning of the season. This is both a testiment to their abilities and a curse. Sure, they’ve fallen behind in some games, but most of their “distress” have come when their lead drops below five runs. Some say the lack of stress is a sign of a veteran team; the ability to temper crisis with confidence. Others note the lack of stress has fostered a team that, while strong in mind, may show cracks in spirit if they were to fall behind.

The question remains: if the going gets tough, will the Wildcards bend or break?

Contenders or Pretenders?

After securing their straight President's Trophy, are the Wildcard due for a third straight playoff disappointment?

Before their loss to the Warriors on the final game of the 2010 season, the last time the Wildcards felt the agony of defeat was when it mattered most - in the playoffs.

In 2008, following a 14-0 shutout victory over the Bears, virtually unheard of in the WSL, the Wildcards entered the playoffs brimming with confidence. They had just won their first President's Trophy, and had defeated all comers in the final stretch of the season. And then when the pressure was on, suddenly, the Wildcards were not. Simple plays were bobbled, offensive weapons were stowed away. Meanwhile, their opponents stepped up and left the Wildcards defeated, disappointed, and confused. Last year, same scenario and same result; another first-round playoff exit at the hands of the eventual champions, the Bears.

This year looks like it may be following the same template. The Wildcards head into the post-season full of confidence, having completed an entire regular season with only a single loss. Teams around the league suspect the Wildcards may fall under a sense of complacency. The Wildcards themselves disagree.

"No I don't think we've become complacent." said Al "Hollywood" Fernando. "We still play hard each and every game. And now with the playoffs, I'm sure we'll play even harder - much harder."

Despite all of their regular season successes and accolades over the past four seasons, the Wildcards have surprisingly never won a playoff game (excluding all consolation games following losses). They have managed to win all consolation games to bring home B cups and D cups, but so far have failed to advance to the second and final round each and every season.

So the question must be asked: what are the Wildcards made of? Are they the team they were a few seasons ago - jittery, slightly unsure of themselves, and ready to break under pressure? Or are they truly the veteran, relaxed team that has come together, and has battled their way out of adversity this season?

"I find that at times our nerves tend to get the best of us, but we still bounce back and play hard." noted Jeanette "Bubba" Nisperos. "And still I think we have a solid team this year, we'll be fine."

Playoff Preview: The Scorpions (8-4-1) vs. TD Waterhouse Warriors (9-2-3)

Playoff History: None.

2010 Regular Season: Week 1: Scorpions 12 @ Warriors 15
Week 8: Warriors 6 @ Scorpions 12

Scorpions Notes: For the first time since the WSL adopted an eight-team format six years ago, the Scorpions have qualified for the playoffs. Their road to eventual playoff qualification is not unlike that taken by the Wildcards, whom they shared residence with in the WSL basement five years ago. They have not undergone dramatic changes or made knee-jerk reactions when things didn’t go as planned. Instead, they built from within, developing their young core whilst slowly adding small pieces to the puzzle along the way.

The entire team is ecstatic, and yet, according to SS Brent Graham, they want more.

“We’re happy to be here, it’s new territory for all of us so there’s that level of excitement. But we’re not satisfied. We’ve hung tough against the toughest teams in the league, and we feel we belong here. If we can play like we know we can, winning it all isn’t out of the question.”

TD Waterhouse Warriors Notes: Three years since their last championship victory, the Warriors enter the postseason full of confidence. Fresh off a convincing victory over the first-place Wildcards, the Warriors square off against the Scorpions whom they split the season series with.

Team captain Kim Ploplovlich says her team is ready to show that the Scorpions’ first win was a fluke.

“Not to take anything away from them, but we weren’t all there that night. They were on their A-game, we were having our worst game of the season. After last week (beating the Wildcards), , we’re all feeling good about ourselves and we know that we can win it all this year.”