There are few better feelings in sports than to get an opportunity to help beat a team that just traded you. Meghan Klingenberg did just that on Sunday evening. Klingenberg who was traded by magicJack to Boston last week, scored the game's second goal and it proved to be the difference as the Breakers defeated magicJack by a 2-1 margin.
With many national team players in New Jersey for today's USWNT match against Mexico, the starting lineups for both teams were quite different. Both principals in the recent trade, Klingenberg and magicJack's Nikki Washington, were in the starting lineup against their old teams.
Boston opened the scoring in just the 8th minute. After a nice buildup, Klingenberg sent a nice cross to the middle, but it appeared to be cleared out of trouble by magicJack's defense. However, Katie Schoepfer collected the ball just outside the eighteen and she hit a high lob of a shot that couldn't have been placed more perfectly, going just under the crossbar, just inside the right post, and just out of reach of leaping magicJack keeper Brett Maron.
The Breakers made it 2-0 in the 19th minute as Liz Bogus hit a right-footed cross from the left sideline to Klingenberg who was making a run down the center of the field. Klingenberg volleyed a one-timer from 10 yards into the left side of the net on what was one of the better goals of the season.
Boston had several chances in the final seconds of the first half as magicJack struggled to clear the ball after a cross was sent all the way through the penalty area.
Tina Ellertson was asked to mark English striker Kelly Smith and the two battled throughout the match, with Ellertson holding Smith in check for much of the time. Meanwhile, Ella Masar was once again very active on the offensive end and sent at least one shot just over the crossbar. magicJack outshot Boston in the first half, but many of their shots were from distance and harmless.
The score remained at 2-0 until the 67th minute, as Sarah Huffman sent a long ball over the top of the Boston defense. There appeared to be a lack of communication between Alyssa Naeher and her defense, and the Boston keeper got caught in no-man's land. Christen Press got just behind the defense and cut in front of Naeher intercepting the ball and finished into an empty net.
While magicJack did have chances in the closing minutes, they were unable to draw even. Their record falls to 4-2-0. They remain in 2nd place with 11 points. Boston raises their record to 3-5-1 and 10 points, good for 3rd place.
MagicJack now travels to Atlanta for a match next Saturday against the Beat. Boston must travel to New Jersey to face Sky Blue next Sunday.
WPS Standings:
(1) Western New York 6-0-2, 20 pts; (2) magicJack 4-2-0, 11 pts; (3) Boston 3-5-1, 10 pts; (4) Philadelphia 2-2-3, 9 pts; (5) Sky Blue FC 2-3-2, 8 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-6-2, 5 pts.
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