WPS Expansion Draft-Let the Speculation Begin

On Tuesday, the powers that be in the WPS will meet via conference call for the WPS Expansion Draft. The league's two new teams, the Philadelphia Independence and the Atlanta Beat, will be allowed to pick up to 9 players each from current WPS rosters. It will be the beginning of teambuilding for the two new entries into the league and may give us an idea as to their philosophies as well.

What do we know about the expansion draft? Well actually, not a whole lot. We know the rules. Each current team may protect 10 players, but must leave at least 6 unprotected. Every team must have at least one player chosen from their roster before a 2nd player can be chosen from any team and likewise for a 3rd player. Every team will lose either 2 or 3 players. After one player is chosen from a roster, that team may protect 2 more players. After a 2nd player is chosen from a roster, that team may protect one more player. Internationals are subject to this draft, although it will affect the International Draft which will be held the following week. Developmental players are supposedly not subject to this draft, because they are technically free agents. The draft order has Atlanta choosing 1st and 4th, Philadelphia 2nd and 3rd, and then alternating picks thereafter.

But beyond the rules, we know very little. The WPS has decided to keep a closed-mouth approach to the expansion draft, which means any info that we know in advance would be either leaked or speculation. One of the nation's top soccer writers, Steven Goff of the Washington Post, has apparently obtained the Washington Freedom's list. The surprise on that list is that Lori Lindsey was not protected. But that's pretty much the only one I've seen anywhere, so for now, we're pretty much in the dark.

For current owners, gm's and coaches, this becomes quite the chess match. Who can they risk? Which players are likely to be chosen and which passed over? What players may be more valuable to the team's future? Will the expansion teams go after international players, considering there will be an international draft the following week? All of these are important questions to ask.

For players and fans, it becomes a waiting game, a guessing game, although not really a game at all. So like everyone else, I will speculate and note that it is just that...speculation. I do not have any inside info. Note that this assumes that all are under contract, which is a pretty big assumption since WPS contracts are also not made public.

Sky Blue FC
Who I Think They'll Protect-Anita Asante, Yael Averbuch, Jen Branam, Keeley Dowling, Natasha Kai, Heather O'Reilly, Christie Rampone, Rosana, Meghan Schnur, and Kacey White.
Biggest Question-This was one of the easiest 10 to select, but that doesn't mean there couldn't be a surprise, especially with so many midfielders. There are four midfielders that I could see making a case to be protected, including Jen Buczkowski, Kelly Parker, Collette McCallum, and Francielle. That makes some pretty talented midfielders available, but the only one that isn't an international is Buczkowski.
Who That Leaves-Karen Bardsley, Jen Buczkowski, Francielle, Kerri Hanks, Noelle Keselica, Collette McCallum, Kelly Parker, Julianne Sitch.
Most Likely Players Taken-It could be any of the 8, but I do think Sky Blue will be one of the teams that loses 3 players.

Los Angeles Sol
Who I Think They'll Protect-Camille Abily, Brittany Bock, Shannon Boxx, Stephanie Cox, Allison Falk, Martina Franko, Karina LeBlanc, Marta, Aya Miyama, and Aly Wagner.
Biggest Question-To me, the first 9 are pretty easy, but the 10th comes down to Martina Franko, Manya Makoski, and possibly McCall Zerboni or Katie Larkin. There seemed to be some disappointment in Han Duan's play and Los Angeles has the negotiating rights to Laura Del Rio of Spain, so I don't think they'll protect Han.
Who That Leaves-Liz Bogus, Johanna Frisk, Han Duan, Val Henderson, Katie Larkin, Manya Makoski, Sharolta Nonen, Keri Sanchez, Christie Shaner, McCall Zerboni.
Most Likely Players Taken-Henderson, Larkin, Makoski, or Zerboni.

Saint Louis Athletica
Who I Think They'll Protect-Eniola Aluko, Lori Chalupny, Amanda Cinalli, Daniela, Tina Ellertson, Kendall Fletcher, Kia McNeill, Hope Solo, Sarah Walsh, and Angie Woznuk.
Biggest Question-Too many to include here. Will they really protect 5 midfielders (Chalupny, Cinalli, Daniela, Fletcher, and Woznuk)? Out of several young defenders (Stephanie Logterman, Elise Weber, and McNeill), who will they protect, if any? Will they leave versatile Niki Cross unprotected? How about veterans Melissa Tancredi, Sara Larsson, and Christie Welsh?
What That Leaves-Niki Cross, Sara Larsson, Stephanie Logterman, Jillian Loyden, Lisa Stoia, Melissa Tancredi, Elise Weber, Christie Welsh.
Most Likely Players Taken-Loyden, Cross, Logterman, or Weber.

Washington Freedom
Who I Think They'll Protect-Sonia Bompastor, Lisa DeVanna, Sarah Huffman, Ali Krieger, Allie Long, Erin McLeod, Becky Sauerbrunn, Homare Sawa, Abby Wambach, and Cat Whitehill (per Steven Goff's list).
Biggest Question-Why did they leave Lindsey unprotected?
What That Leaves-Parrissa Eyorokon, Jill Gilbeau, Emily Janss, Lori Lindsey, Rebecca Moros, Briana Scurry, Sarah Senty, Alex Singer, Kati Jo Spisak.
Most Likely Players Taken-Lindsey, Singer, Moros, or Gilbeau.

Boston Breakers
Who I Think They'll Protect-Fabiana, Angela Hucles, Amy LePeilbet, Kristine Lilly, Allison Lipsher, Heather Mitts, Amy Rodriguez, Alex Scott, Kelly Smith, and Sue Weber.
Biggest Question-Will they protect A-Rod? High expectations also make for big disappointments and the speedy forward didn't and probably couldn't possibly have met the expectations that greeted her in Boston. By the end of the season, the relationship between her and Coach Tony DiCicco appeared to be downright icy on the surface. I still can't believe they would give up on her this quickly though.
What That Leaves-Candace Chapman, Nancy Goffi, Christine Latham, Kristin Luckenbill, Kasey Moore, Jennifer Nobis, Kelly Schmedes, Maggie Tomecka.
Most Likely Players Taken-Nobis, Schmedes, Tomecka, Latham, or possibly Goffi by Atlanta.

Chicago Red Stars
Who I Think They'll Protect-Karen Carney, Cristiane, Marian Dalmy, Ifeoma Dieke, Caroline Jonsson, Brittany Klein, Carli Lloyd, Kate Markgraf, Megan Rapinoe, and Lindsay Tarpley.
Biggest Question-Would they leave Carli Lloyd unprotected? The hero of the 2008 Olympic final was by most accounts, a disappointment last year with the Red Stars. But was she a big enough disappointment to leave unprotected? The Red Stars would hate to lose Ella Masar and they could protect her over someone, but whom?
What That Leaves-Rumor has it that Frida Ostberg may be retiring. If that's true, it would leave Danesha Adams, Heather Garriock, Chioma Igwe, Nikki Krzysik, Ella Masar, Jill Oakes, Natalie Spilger, and Lydia Williams.
Most Likely Players Taken-Masar would be the most likely if left unprotected, but any of the others could be taken beyond that. Lydia Williams would be a tempting choice, but she did not see a minute of action last year and there will be several keepers available in this draft.

FC Gold Pride
Who I Think They'll Protect-I'd like to just answer this "I haven't got a clue", but I guess I'll take a stab at it. There are rumors swirling around that they may only protect one of their internationals, Christine Sinclair. My guess for the first 8 is Nicole Barnhart, Rachel Buehler, Carrie Dew, Tina DiMartino, Tiffeny Milbrett, Leslie Osborne, Christine Sinclair, and Kandace Wilson. Beyond that it gets increasingly dicey. If rumors about the internationals are true, Kristen Graczyk and Leigh Ann Robinson are possibilities.
Biggest Question-Pretty much everything once you get past a hand full of players. How many of the internationals will be back and how many of them want to be back? Eriko Arakawa and Formiga were part of the foundation of the team last year, while young Brazilians Adriane and Erika are loaded with potential, but didn't contribute a lot due to injuries. From the outside, it's very tough to judge what's going on here, but Gold Pride was showing improvement toward the end of the season.
What That Leaves-In addition to the internationals, Marisa Abegg, Brandi Chastain, Tiffany Weimer, Allison Whitworth, and Kimberly Yokers. But who knows?
Most Likely Players Taken-I would think Weimer would be chosen and possibly Whitworth.

The other thing to keep in mind about this draft is that every time one player is selected in the first 7 picks, it takes three players out of play...the one selected plus two more protected by their team. And it takes all players from that team out of play until someone has been chosen from each team.

The expansion draft will be held at 2:00 eastern time on Tuesday. The WPS has stated that they will release the results of the draft later in the day on Tuesday. Good luck to all involved!

Note: The correct time of the draft is 1:00 eastern, noon central, 10:00 pacific. Sorry for the error.

WPS Defeats Umeå IK 4-2 in All-Star Matchup

The WPS All-Stars defeated Umeå IK 4-2 in the first WPS All-Star match. For one half, Umeå gave the WPS All-Stars all they could handle, but they couldn't withstand constant pressure from the All-Stars as the game wore on. The game was played at Soccer Park in St. Louis before 4115 enthusiastic fans, who saw a very entertaining match.

Both teams were playing without several players. Several Umeå players are with their national side competing in the Euros which are being played in Finland. Additionally, talented young Ramona Bachman was missing for the Swedish club, reportedly because of illness. For the WPS team, Sonia Bompastor, Camille Abily, Eniola Aluko, Kelly Smith, and Alex Scott are also competing in Europe and missed the match. The match also saw WPS players Johanna Frisk and Frida Östberg switch their allegiance for one night to play for their former club, Umeå.

With all of the talent on the WPS side and many of their top players missing, one might have thought that Umeå would be outmatched. However, they came out playing very well and took it to the All-Stars in the opening minutes of the match. They quickly jumped on top with a beautiful pass from former Florida State star Mami Yamaguchi that found Madelaine Edlund behind the WPS defense and she finished for a 1-0 lead before the match was 3 minutes old.

A few minutes later Emmelie Konradson fired a shot that Karina LeBlanc saved, but Sofia Jakobsson fired home the rebound to make it 2-0. Just a minute before, LeBlanc had made a diving save on Mami Yamaguchi's shot from 20 yards.

However, as the match continued in the 1st half, the WPS team grew stronger. In the 24th minute, Marta made a long run up the left side. Her first crossing attempt to Cristiane was well defended by Umeå, but when the ball came back to Marta she placed a perfect ball to a charging Kristine Lilly. Lilly hit the inside of the post with the ball coming about a foot out across the goal mouth before spinning into the net on the other side.

Marta scored the next goal herself, with a dipping left-footed shot that managed to beat Umeå keeper Carola Soberg just before halftime. The game went to the break at a 2-2 tie.

The advantage that the Umeå side had was the fact that they were used to playing together. The WPS advantage was the fact that they could bring in a fresh team in the 2nd half that was just as talented as their starters. Any side that can have the likes of Abby Wambach, Kristine Sinclair, Heather O'Reilly and Hope Solo coming off of their bench is a very talented group.

It didn't take long for WPS side to take the lead as Marta, yet again, made a run up the left side crossing perfectly to a cutting Christine Sinclair who made no mistake on the finish putting the All-Stars up for the first time, 3-2. Less than two minutes later, Brittany Klein hit a brilliant pass from the midfield to Sinclair who once again beat the defense and Soberg to put the WPS up 4-2 (pictured above). For her part, Sinclair put on a 2nd half clinic on forward runs. Besides her two goals, she hit the post once and only a terrific save from Soberg stopped her on another.

For the most part, the 2nd half turned into a barrage of WPS shots with Marta, Sinclair, Wambach, O'Reilly, and Tiffeny Milbrett putting constant pressure on Soberg and the Umeå defense. Soberg made several nice saves, including kick saves on shots from Wambach, O'Reilly, and Sinclair, to keep her team in the match. Meanwhile, WPS 2nd half keeper Hope Solo was tested seriously only once, but what a save it was. A shot appeared to be hooking just inside the post, before a sprawling dive and catch by Solo snatched it out of the air just before the goal line.

The match ended up with WPS winning 4-2. Marta played a brilliant match and Sinclair menaced the Umeå defense throughout the 2nd half. The WPS All-Stars outshot their opponent by a margin of 28-11 for the match. For their part, Umeå made a fine account of themselves, especially missing so many talented players. It was an enjoyable afternoon of soccer for all who attended the match.

Sky Blue Wins WPS Championship on Goal by O'Reilly

Sky Blue FC completed their Cinderella run to the title by defeating the Los Angeles Sol 1-0 at the Home Depot Center on Saturday. The only goal of the match was scored by Heather O'Reilly in the 16th minute. Jen Branam posted her second consecutive shutout in the playoffs to seal the win.

It's been an improbable run for New Jersey, who entered the playoffs with a losing record at 7-8-5. They had never beaten any of their three playoff opponents previously and hadn't scored a goal against Los Angeles until today.

Christie Rampone made two changes in her starting 11 for today. She started Francielle in the midfield instead of either of the veterans Collette McCallum or Kelly Parker. And more importantly, for the first time in 3 matches, she decided to start Natasha Kai rather than save her for the end of the match. Both teams were missing key players for the match, Camille Abily for Los Angeles and Anita Asante for Sky Blue.

The goal sequence started on a throw-in deep in LA territory. Keeley Dowling threw the ball in to Kacey White who touched it back to Dowling. Dowling sent a long high cross to about 12 yards out in the middle of the penalty area. Natasha Kai flicked a header to Heather O'Reilly who had slipped behind Manya Makoski. O'Reilly drilled the shot from about 8 yards out before Makoski or Allison Falk could reach her. Karina LeBlanc was able to get her foot on the ball, but the shot deflected just inside the post to put New Jersey up 1-0.

Down 1-0 and with no flow to their offense, things got a whole lot worse for Los Angeles 10 minutes later. Natasha Kai was making a run up the left side and then cut toward the middle at about 30 yards out. Allison Falk, who was running behind Kai, clipped her as she made her cut and was red carded for the play. The Sol were forced to play one down for the last 63 minutes of the match. It definitely changed the complexion of the game and almost immediately afterwards, LA coach Abner Rogers used his first substitution to add another defender to take Falk's place on the back line in sending Sharolta Nonen in for McCall Zerboni.

Los Angeles came close to equalizing in the 72nd minute. Marta got the ball to Shannon Boxx about 20 yards in front of the goal. Boxx turned and hit a low shot to the left corner that appeared to catch Branam off guard. Branam just barely got her hand on the ball and it rolled harmlessly over the endline for a corner.

In the 76th minute, O'Reilly nearly got in behind the Los Angeles defense, but Makoski made a great recovery to knock the ball away from her at the last second. In the 84th minute, a free kick nearly found Boxx inside the 6 yard box, but Branam was able to deflect that away. On the ensuing corner kick, Boxx hit a volley from about 18 yards at a bad angle. The shot had good pace, but was right at Branam.

The Sol's last opportunity came just into stoppage on a free kick from about 30 yards out. But Marta's shot went easily over the goal and any chance of tying the match went with it.

Heather O'Reilly was named the MVP of the championship game. Jen Branam had a spectacular run in the playoffs giving up just one goal in three matches. And Christie Rampone, who has now coached one more playoff game than regular season games, is the head coach of the WPS champions.

WPS Championship Preview-Sky Blue FC at Los Angeles Sol

Sky Blue FC (9-8-5) at Los Angeles Sol (12-3-5)
Saturday, August 22nd, 1pm PT, 4pm ET
Home Depot Center, Carson, California

Season Series: Los Angeles won the season series with two wins and a tie against Sky Blue.
4/5/09-Los Angeles 2, Sky Blue 0 (TD Bank Park)
5/15/09-Los Angeles 1, Sky Blue 0 (Home Depot Center)
6/13/09-Los Angeles 0, Sky Blue 0 (Yurcak Field)

Top Performers in the Series:
Los Angeles-Marta (3 goals); Camille Abily (1 assist); Han Duan (1 assist); Karina LeBlanc (3 shutouts).
Sky Blue FC-Jenni Branam (1.00 GA, 1 shutout).

Possible Starting Lineups:
Los Angeles Sol (Coach-Abner Rogers)
G-Karina LeBlanc (0.53 GA, 12 shutouts)
D-Keri Sanchez
D-Allison Falk (1 goal)
D-Brittany Bock (2 goals)
D-Stephanie Cox
M-Shannon Boxx (3 goals, 3 assists)
M-Manya Makoski
M-Aly Wagner (4 assists)
M-Aya Miyama (6 assist)
F-Marta (10 goals, 3 assists)
F-Han Duan (3 goals, 2 assists)
Unavailable Due to Euros: Camille Abily (8 goals, 1 assist)
Top Subs: McCall Zerboni, Katie Larkin, Sharolta Nonen, Liz Bogus, Lisa Sari, Val Henderson

Sky Blue FC (Coach-Christie Rampone)
G-Jenni Branam (1.03 GA, 7 shutouts)
D-Keeley Dowling (1 goal, 3 assists)
D-Jen Buczkowski
D-Christie Rampone
D-Meghan Schnur (2 assists)
M-Yael Averbuch (2 assists)
M-Collette McCallum (3 assists)
M-Heather O'Reilly (2 goals, 3 assists)
M-Kacey White (3 goals, 1 assist)
F-Natasha Kai (7 goals, 1 assist) or Kerri Hanks (2 goals, 1 assist)
F-Rosana (5 goals, 1 assist)
Unavailable Due to Euros: Anita Asante (starting defender); Karen Bardsley (backup keeper)
Top Subs: Kelly Parker, Francielle, Julianne Sitch, Katie Hooker, Noelle Keselica, Cori Alexander.
Note: Stats include playoff games for Sky Blue.

Game Preview:
It's the team of destiny, Sky Blue FC, against the regular season champions, the Los Angeles Sol, at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Sky Blue are on a playoff roll, winning two in a row, both over teams they had never won against. On Saturday, they will face yet another team that they have never beaten in Los Angeles. Los Angeles won two of the regular season matches, with the third ending in a scoreless tie. In fact, Sky Blue has yet to score a goal against the Sol in 270 minutes of soccer, but SBFC has been a giant killer in the playoffs. Now only one team stands between them and the title.

Los Angeles had a very impressive regular season up until the final month when they lost two games and tied Gold Pride, before coming from behind to beat Boston in their final regular season match. But one major reason for their success will be missing on Saturday, that being Camille Abily who has joined her French teammates for the Euros in Finland. The Sol only had 6 different players score goals for them and Abily had 8 of the 27. Sky Blue will still be missing defender Anita Asante, but their defense has played well without her, giving up just one goal in two playoff games.

You can't say enough about Jen Branam's playoff performance, shaking off injuries in both games and earning a shutout against Saint Louis in the semifinals. She is one of the quickest keepers in the league and also the most daring. She will roam well out of the penalty area to clear the ball out which could be disastrous, but so far she has managed to beat the attacking player in each case. In front of her will be Keeley Dowling, Jen Buczkowski, player-coach Christie Rampone, and Meghan Schnur. Dowling got her first goal of the year in the semis with a perfectly placed shot that beat Hope Solo. Buczkowski has filled in ably for Asante and Schnur is as steady as they come. Rampone is the leader on that back line.

After spending much of the early season on the bench, Yael Averbuch has been a force lately. She has her only two assists of the season in the playoffs, assisting on the game winner in each match. Her nifty dribbling move against Athletica got her free to nudge a pass toward a wide open Dowling for Sky Blue's only goal against Saint Louis. Collette McCallum has 3 assists this season and Kelly Parker will probably see action at midfield as well. Heather O'Reilly can be a dominating midfielder and may well be a key in this match. Kacey White, who really plays a 3rd forward, is Sky Blue's 3rd leading scorer.

For the first two playoff matches, Christie Rampone chose to start Kerri Hanks and save Natasha Kai for the end of the match. It's worked so far, so she may try it again Saturday. In spite of not scoring, Hanks had one of her most active matches in the semis and only a great diving save kept her from hitting the back of the net. The other forward will be Rosana, who has scored 5 goals this season, and with Kai, form perhaps the speediest forward duo in the league.

Los Angeles will start Karina LeBlanc in goal and she has 12 shutouts for the season, including 3 against this Sky Blue team. Her 0.53 goals against is the lowest of any starting keeper in the WPS. Her starting back line will probably consist of veteran Keri Sanchez, versatile Brittany Bock, Allison Falk, and Stephanie Cox. Both Falk and Cox have had great seasons, with Falk being nominated for Defender of the Year. For some reason, Cox never seems to get the recognition she deserves, perhaps because she does her job so efficiently.

Even with the loss of Camille Abily and her 8 goals, the Sol have a talented midfield. Start with Shannon Boxx, a WPS All-Star and mainstay on the US National Team. Add Manya Makoski, a defensive specialist who plays defender and midfielder equally well. Then there's Aly Wagner, who managed 4 assists, in spite of missing several matches due to injuries. And last, but not least, there is Aya Miyama, a playmaker extraordinaire with 6 assists.

When it comes to offense, Los Angeles has the most potent weapon in the league in Marta. She led the league with 10 goals and added 3 assists to that. Simply put, she is the fastest, most talented forward in the league and she will attract a lot of attention from Sky Blue's defensive back. Han Duan will be at the other forward position.

Los Angeles Sol Keys:
1) Clog up the midfield passing lanes-Sky Blue dominated the first 30 minutes of the semis with precision passing and quite frankly, Saint Louis didn't put a lot of pressure on their midfield. LA needs to pressure their midfield into mistakes and not let Sky Blue set up their chances.
2) Counterattack, counterattack, counterattack-There is no better team in the league at gaining possession and getting quickly into an attacking mode than the Sol. By counterattacking in this manner, Sky Blue will be less likely to risk bringing outside defenders Dowling and Schnur or midfielder Averbuch forward into the attack.
3) Beat the offsides trap-Los Angeles did just that in the second meeting between these two teams, with Marta timing her run perfectly and then she deftly dribbled around Branam and finished for the only goal of that match.

Sky Blue FC Keys:
1) Take it slow and be patient-Sky Blue isn't going to win an end to end shootout. Take your time, make good passes, keep possession, and wait for your chances. Another side benefit is that this strategy will likely frustrate Marta into coming back farther to gain possession, thus taking her farther away from the goal.
2) Make the safe play-This goes for the whole team. The defense must get the ball out of trouble with the first touch. There were a couple of instances on Wednesday when a loose ball lingered way too long in the penalty area. And how many more times will Branam wander 30 yards out and get away with it. I'll give her high marks for courage and daring, but eventually it's going to cost her.
3) Use team speed up the flanks-Several times in the semifinals, a Sky Blue attacker was able to beat Athletica's outside defenders and get a clean cross into the box. Kacey White and Heather O'Reilly are experts in this area. Use this strength to create chances, especially up the left side.

Game Analysis:
Unlike Athletica, who showed virtually no offense in the first 30 minutes on Wednesday, Los Angeles will likely be pressuring from the opening whistle. I don't think the Sol will play the 1st half in a "feeling out" mode. Sky Blue does have some talented offensive players of their own, but it's going to be hard for them to get numbers forward, especially from the back line as Keeley Dowling did in the semifinal. If they do get caught forward, they will be vulnerable to LA's lethal counterattack.

LeBlanc has been a top keeper all season, but Branam might be the hottest keeper in the league right now. She managed to get through the semi virtually untested by any formidable shots, but she will have to be on top of her game on Saturday. Sky Blue's defense and midfield are very good, but the Sol's are probably better and the flawless passing game we saw in the 1st half on Wednesday might not be so easy to duplicate in the final.

If Sky Blue is going to win this match, they cannot afford to make any mistakes. The longer the game stays even, the better for Sky Blue. Los Angeles proved they were the best team in the regular season, but we started to see some vulnerability toward the end of the season. Still, you have to believe they will be prepared for this match. The team from Jersey plays with a lot of heart, but I'm not sure that will be enough against the Sol. And you just have the feeling that if a goal is needed late, that Marta will be able to do it just by sheer will.

Sky Blue Advances to Final with 1-0 Victory over Athletica

Perhaps, with everything that has gone on this year with Sky Blue, they have become the team of destiny. Tonight, they went into Saint Louis and came away with a 1-0 victory and will meet the Los Angeles Sol on Saturday afternoon for the WPS championship. Keeley Dowling scored the only goal of the match in the 31st minute, her first goal of the season.

Sky Blue dominated the early part of the game. Except for a couple of harmless corner kicks, Athletica mounted very little offense for the first 30 minutes of the game. Meanwhile, Sky Blue had several excellent opportunities, with only Athletica keeper Hope Solo keeping the score from being worse than it was. Solo's first big save came in the opening minutes as a Heather O'Reilly cross found Kerri Hanks alone in the 6 yard box. Hanks' shot from point blank range looked to be a sure goal, but Solo dove to her left to make an unbelievable save.

In the 14th minute, Kacey White got loose for a wide open shot from 12 yards, with Solo again making a diving save to deflect the ball wide of the net. Athletica had not played for 10 days and they appeared very flat in the early going. Meanwhile, Sky Blue was clicking, making excellent passes, nice build up, and producing quality chances.

The orange clad Sky Blue team finally broke through in the 31st minute. Yael Averbuch managed to dribble free of three Athletica defenders and nudge the ball to Keeley Dowling who had a wide open shot from 15 yards. Her shot went just inside the left post and a shot that Hope Solo had no chance on to put the Sky Blue up 1-0.

Sky Blue got the first good chance of the 2nd half as well. Rosana got free from 15 yards, but Solo came out to cut off the angle and easily blocked what could have been a dangerous shot on goal.

Athletica started pushing forward and earned a few chances as the 2nd half wore on. A Niki Cross free kick found Melissa Tancredi who's header went just wide. In the 75th minute, Lori Chalupny received a pass on the left side of the box, but shot well wide from about 12 yards. A couple of minutes later, an Athletica free kick set up Niki Cross from 25 yards. Cross had Branam beat with her low shot, but it went inches wide of the left post. Right after that, Sarah Walsh got the ball about 10 yards out with Branam charging out, but Walsh's shot went over the crossbar. A cross from Amanda Cinalli just missed finding Ashlee Pistorius' head just a couple minutes later.

Probably the best opportunity came just into stoppage as Dowling got called for tripping Chalupny just outside the penalty area, setting up a free kick from 20 yards out. Niki Cross put it just a foot over the bar. From that point on, it was just a matter of Sky Blue killing off the clock.

The shots ended up even at 13, with Sky Blue getting far better opportunities in the 1st half and Athletica getting most of the chances in the 2nd half. Both teams were playing without quality players. Athletica was missing their leading scorer, Eniola Aluko, as well as starting defender Sara Larsson. Sky Blue was without one of their top defenders, Anita Asante, and their backup keeper, Karen Bardsley.

Sky Blue, who qualified for the playoffs only after Boston lost their final match, will now go on to the championship in Carson, California. They will meet the Los Angeles Sol, the regular season champs, at 4 pm ET on Saturday.

Sky Blue Defeats Washington 2-1

Sky Blue FC defeated the Washington Freedom 2-1 on Saturday afternoon and the winning goal came from one of the most unlikeliest of sources. Francielle, obtained in a midseason trade from Saint Louis, drilled the winning goal in the 84th minute. She had played all of 28 minutes in just one game for Sky Blue coming into this match. At 19 years old, she is the youngest player in the WPS.

Both teams played conservatively in the 1st half, which turned out to be mostly a feeling out process. Sky Blue did get more shots, but neither team came all that close to scoring. Washington made the first substitution of the game at halftime, bringing in Alex Singer for Jill Gilbeau, who had started the game at midfield. The Freedom decided to move Ali Krieger to midfield in an attempt to get more speed forward.

Coach Christie Rampone elected to start Kerri Hanks for Natasha Kai, thus saving her speedy star forward for later in the game. Kai entered the game in the 54th minute and quickly made her presence felt. The ball was crossed to Kacey White who was just outside the penalty area and she popped the ball up into the penalty area. While Cat Whitehill appeared to wait for the ball to settle down, Kai broke between her and Becky Sauerbrunn, bodied the ball down to her foot and tipped the ball past Freedom goalkeeper Erin McLeod, who barely got her arm on it, to put the Sky Blue up 1-0 in the 55th minute.

By the 73rd minute, both teams had used up their substitutions. Sky Blue brought in Francielle and Kelly Parker to replace Collette McCallum and Kacey White. Washington brought in Sarah Huffman and Allie Long to replace Lori Lindsey and Rebecca Moros. For Huffman, who has been injured since preseason, it was her first action of the regular season.

The Freedom picked up their intensity and started to have chances. Ali Krieger hit the cross bar with a blistering shot in the 68th minute. Then, in the 78th minute, Homare Sawa chipped one toward the penalty area. Sky Blue keeper Jen Branam came rushing out to punch the ball out. She did but collided hard with onrushing Abby Wambach as she did. Branam went down and the ball went directly to Lisa DeVanna. DeVanna made no mistake in blasting the ball into the net from about 18 yards as two Sky Blue defenders were unable to do anything but watch at the goal line. Branam appeared to be injured on the play, but with no substitutions left, she toughed out the rest of the match sporting a substantial limp. She did not take any of the goal kicks or free kicks for the remainder of the match.

With the score tied 1-1 and less than 10 minutes of regulation remaining, the game looked to be heading to overtime. But then came Francielle with her late game heroics. Heather O'Reilly received the ball on the right sideline and reversed the ball to Yael Averbuch. Averbuch hit a square pass to Francielle, who was about 35 yards from the goal and nothing but space in front of her. She dribbled around Alex Singer to the top of the penalty circle and hit a shot to the lower right corner of the goal that just beat McLeod. It was her first goal of the season.

Sky Blue was able to hold on for the final 6 minutes and stoppage for the victory. Sky Blue outshot Washington 24-12 for the match. They will now go on to meet Athletica in the Super Semifinal next Wednesday in St. Louis.

WPS Playoffs-Sky Blue FC at Washington Freedom

Sky Blue FC (7-8-5) at Washington (8-7-5)
Saturday, August 15th, 4 pm ET
Maryland SoccerPlex
Televised on Fox Sports Net and Comcast Sports Net.

Season Series: Washington took the season series with 2 wins and a tie.
5/23/09-Washington 2, Sky Blue 1 (RFK Stadium)
7/15/09-Washington 4, Sky Blue 4 (Yurcak Field)
8/8/09-Washington 3, Sky Blue 1 (Maryland SoccerPlex)

Top Performers in the Series:
Washington-Lisa DeVanna (4 goals, 1 assist), Abby Wambach (2 goals, 2 assists), Cat Whitehill (2 goals), Sonia Bompastor (1 goal, 2 assists), Rebecca Moros (1 assist), Ali Krieger (1 assist), Erin McLeod (2.00 GA)
Sky Blue-Natasha Kai (2 goals, 1 assist), Rosana (2 goals, 1 assist), Kacey White (2 goals), Heather O'Reilly (1 assist), Keeley Dowling (1 assist), Jenni Branam (3.00 GA)

Possible Starting Lineups:
Washington Freedom (Coach-Jim Gabarra)
G-Erin McLeod (1.43 GA, 3 shutouts)
D-Sarah Senty
D-Cat Whitehill (3 goals, 2 assists)
D-Becky Sauerbrunn (1 goal)
D-Ali Krieger (1 assist)
M-Homare Sawa (3 goals)
M-Lori Lindsey (2 goals, 1 assist)
M-Allie Long (2 goals)
M-Rebecca Moros (2 goals, 1 assist)
F-Abby Wambach (8 goals, 5 assists)
F-Lisa DeVanna (6 goals, 5 assists)
Unavailable due to Euros-Sonia Bompastor (4 goals, 6 assists)
Top Subs-Jill Gilbeau, Joanna Lohman, Alex Singer, Kristen DeDycker, Emily Janss

Sky Blue FC (Coach Christie Rampone)
G-Jenni Branam (1.09 GA, 6 shutouts)
D-Keeley Dowling (3 assists)
D-Jen Buczkowski
D-Christie Rampone
D-Meghan Schnur (2 assists)
M-Yael Averbuch
M-Collette McCallum (3 assists)
M-Heather O'Reilly (2 goals, 3 assists)
M-Rosana (5 goals, 1 assist)
F-Natasha Kai (6 goals, 1 assist)
F-Kacey White (3 goals)
Unavailable due to Euros-Anita Asante (starting defender)
Top Subs-Kelly Parker, Julianne Sitch, Kerri Hanks, Noelle Keselica, Katie Hooker

Game Analysis
To this point, Washington has controlled the series and scored pretty much at will against Sky Blue. Sky Blue lost both contests on the Freedom's home turf and will be on the road again in this contest. It's expected to be a warm sunny day, so fatigue and substitutions could be a key in this match as well. Washington is the top offensive club in the WPS with 32 goals scored, while Sky Blue is one of the better defensive teams. Washington is the hotter team coming into this game, winning 4 of their last 5, while Sky Blue is 2-2-1 in their last 5 matches.

Both teams will be dealing with the loss of key players to the Euros. Washington will be without Sonia Bompastor, who has played all over the field and is usually the engine that makes the Freedom run. Sky Blue will be without perhaps their top defender in Anita Asante.

The Freedom will start Erin McLeod in goal. After early season problems for the Freedom, McLeod stabilized the keeper situation and has performed well in spite of her 1.43 goals against average. On defense, Cat Whitehill and Becky Sauerbrunn will be two of the starters. Whitehill is probably the best offensive center back in the league and is a weapon on long free kicks. Sauerbrunn is one of two Freedom players to play every minute this season, the other being Homare Sawa. The outside backs will probably be determined by how Jim Gabarra wishes to deal with Sonia Bompastor's absence. Last week, he started Sarah Senty and Ali Krieger. However, Gabarra could move Krieger up to midfield to replace Bompastor and start either Jill Gilbeau or Alex Singer at outside back.

In the midfield, Homare Sawa and Lori Lindsey are constants. Both are solid, but Sawa suddenly came to life offensively late in the year with 3 goals in the last 5 games. Rebecca Moros plays kind of a hybrid midfielder/forward position and loves to pressure the opposing back line. The other midfielder could be Allie Long, who battled a toe injury for the latter part of the season, veteran Joanna Lohman, or they could move up the speedy Krieger. There is no doubt at the two forward positions and they may be the best tandem in the league. Abby Wambach is the power with 8 goals and Lisa DeVanna is the speed with 6 goals. Sky Blue hasn't really been able to contain either one.

Sky Blue will have Jenni Branam in goal. She is smallish, but very quick and very active in the penalty area. She will surely miss having Anita Asante in front of her. On the back line, three of the starters are certain. Christie Rampone will be one center back, while Meghan Schnur will be one outside back. Rampone, in spite of her age, is still one of the best defenders in the WPS. Keeley Dowling has played mostly outside this year, but she has played inside also and with Wambach being a primary concern, Dowling might start inside because of her great leaping ability. If Dowling plays outside, then Jen Buczkowski will probably be the other center back. If Dowling plays center, then Rampone might use Katie Hooker or Julianne Sitch outside.

At midfield, Sky Blue will almost have to start Yael Averbuch to combat Wambach's size and strength. Rosana and Heather O'Reilly are both scoring threats from the midfield and should give Washington problems, especially since Bompastor will be gone. In spite of not breaking out offensively, O'Reilly is a constant threat and she can dominate when she is in top form. The other starting midfielder will probably be either Aussie Collette McCallum or Canadian Kelly Parker. They split time in last week's match against the Freedom. Up front, Natasha Kai has speed to burn and is one of the most dangerous forwards in the WPS. She will need to capitalize on her opportunities on Saturday. Kacey White, who is an underrated and solid performer at the other forward spot, rounds out the starters for SBFC.

On any ball in the air toward the penalty area, you can bet that Abby Wambach will be in the middle wreaking havoc with the Branam and her defenders. Looking through the tapes and highlight reels, I estimated that an astounding 28 of the 32 goals scored by the Freedom were from within 12 yards of the goal. In fact, nearly half were from the 6 yard box in. Only 3 were scored from outside the penalty area, one early in the season by Lori Lindsey, one off of a set piece play by Cat Whitehill, and one by Homare Sawa late in the season against FC Gold Pride on a rebound. By contrast, the Freedom gave up several goals from the edge of the penalty area and beyond, including one from Sky Blue's Rosana last weekend.

Sky Blue hasn't had all that much of a problem scoring on Washington either. Their speed at forward and midfield can cause a lot of problems to the middle of the Freedom defense, which isn't particularly fast. Kai, O'Reilly, White, and Rosana should keep the Freedom defense on their toes.

Washington Freedom Keys:
1) Get the ball in the air toward the goal. Not only is Washington strong in the air, but they are going against one of the shortest keepers in the league in Jen Branam. If they loft high crosses into the box, Abby Wambach can easily outjump Branam to the point Jen will have trouble punching the ball out, let alone grabbing it. The Freedom will be missing their best server in Bompastor, but Whitehill can be just as dangerous.
2) Time your runs. Lisa DeVanna scored four goals against Sky Blue this year, but she has a habit of going offsides. DeVanna is 2nd only to Eni Aluko in being called offside this season. Sky Blue is one of the best teams in the WPS at the offsides trap, but they can be burned. If she can time her runs, there is no one on the Sky Blue defense that is going to catch her and she should be able to get behind their back line for at least one or two good scoring opportunities.
3) Get defensive help from the midfield. With offensive threats like Kai, O'Reilly, and Rosana facing them, the Freedom midfield is going to have to get back to help their back line defend. Sky Blue managed to score 6 goals against Washington in 3 matches.

Sky Blue Keys:
1) Keep the Freedom's set pieces to a minimum. Washington has scored 7 times on set pieces and 10 goals on headers. Even with Bompastor gone, this is one of their strengths. Sky Blue's clearances must be strong and they can't allow rebounds.
2) Control the midfield. This is one area where I believe Sky Blue should have the advantage, especially with Bompastor out. If Sky Blue can control the midfield and keep the Freedom bottled up in their own end for much of the game, they have a chance. O'Reilly, Parker, McCallum, and Rosana can put a lot of offensive pressure on the Freedom back line. And I'm still waiting for Yael Averbuch to get one of those strong-legged bombs in the back of the net.
3) Contain DeVanna and Wambach. Well that's easy for me to say, not so easy to do. DeVanna has scored 4 goals against Sky Blue this year and Wambach has scored two. Sky Blue's back line cannot allow these two to run amuck. They will probably need to assign either Yael Averbuch because she can matchup in size, or Keeley Dowling because she has great leaping ability, to shadow Wambach. Abby has scored 5 goals in her last 4 matches.

Prediction
Even though Sonia Bompastor is one of the best all round players in the WPS, the loss of Anita Asante may be a bigger loss to Sky Blue. SBFC has had enough trouble stopping Washington and the loss of a top defender will complicate matters worse. The three matches between these two teams have seen a lot of scoring, but playoff matches tend to be conservatively played and lower scoring. Sky Blue may have come farther from the start of the season than any other team, but they have a lot going against them in this game. They're on the road against a team they haven't beaten and they haven't shown that they can stop them. There have been several matches where the Freedom have found a way to win late in the game and I just can't see Sky Blue containing both Wambach and DeVanna the entire match. My prediction is that Washington will defeat Sky Blue 2-1.

WPS Midweek Notes-Playoff Edition

After roughly four and a half months of soccer, the playoffs are here. Sky Blue FC will head back to Washington to play the Freedom in the playoff opener on Saturday. The winner will play Saint Louis in the Super Semifinal next Wednesday and the winner of that match will play Los Angeles at the Home Depot Center on August 22nd.

The toughest road to the championship is obviously Sky Blue's. First, they would have to beat three quality opponents, all on the road. Second, their record against those three teams is a combined 0-7-2. Third, their road record for the season is just 2-6-2.

The hottest two teams heading into the playoffs are Washington, 4-1 over their last 5 matches, and Saint Louis, 3-0-2 in their last five. Los Angeles and Sky Blue are both 2-2-1 in their last five matches.

Players Expected To Miss the Playoffs Due to the Euros:

Los Angeles-Camille Abily (8 goals, 1 assist)
Saint Louis-Eniola Aluko (6 goals, 4 assists), Sara Larsson (starting defender)
Washington-Sonia Bompastor (4 goals, 6 assists)
Sky Blue FC-Anita Asante (starting defender)

Sky Blue FC Notes

-Both Natasha Kai and Kacey White had their only two goal games of the year against Washington.
-Sky Blue has given up two or more goals in just 5 games this season. Three of those games were against the Freedom, one against Los Angeles, and one against Saint Louis.
-Rosana and Natasha Kai are getting hot at the right time. Rosana has scored in each of her last two games, while Kai has scored 4 goals in the last 6 matches she has played.
-Anita Asante, who will miss the playoffs because of the Euros, also missed 4 of the last 6 regular season games because of a call up for the English national team and suspension for yellow card accumulation. Sky Blue was 2-1-1 in those 4 matches.
-In six matches against Los Angeles and Saint Louis, Sky Blue scored a total of one goal. That goal was scored by Julianne Sitch in Sky Blue's home match against Athletica.
-Sky Blue is 4-0-1 when scoring two or more goals.
-Sky Blue's longest winning streak of the year was just two games and they did that only once. They did have a four game unbeaten streak which includes those two victories.

Washington Freedom Notes

-Washington has won the season series over both Sky Blue and Saint Louis with a total record of 4-0-2 against those two opponents.
-Sonia Bompastor has scored against all three of the other playoff teams, but she will be missing for the playoffs due to the Euros. In fact, Bompastor scored all four of her goals against those three teams.
-The first round matchup will feature Lisa DeVanna who has just eaten up Sky Blue's defense, scoring 4 goals with an assist against New Jersey.
-Washington scored 9 of the 20 goals scored against Sky Blue this year in just 3 games.
-Washington won their last three home games heading into the playoffs.
-Abby Wambach has scored 5 goals in her last four matches, all of which came after her return from scoring her 100th goal for the USWNT.
-Wambach is the only player in the WPS to have scored two goals in three different matches.

Saint Louis Athletica Notes

-Of the three potential opponents for LA in the final, Saint Louis has the best record against the Sol going 1-2-1 in four contests.
-Saint Louis swept the season series, winning all three from Sky Blue, but went winless at 0-2-1 against the Freedom.
-Saint Louis is the only team to have shut out Los Angeles twice this season.
-Athletica has a total of 9 goals and 7 assists against the other 3 playoff teams, but most of that scoring will be missing. Eniola Aluko (3 goals, 4 assists) will be in Europe, Kerri Hanks (1 goal, 1 assist) is now with Sky Blue, and Daniela (2 goals) is injured and will probably play very little, if at all, in the playoffs.
-After not playing for five consecutive games, Christie Welsh scored 3 goals in the final two matches of the year.
-15 of Athletica's 20 regular season games ended in a shutout for one team or both.

Los Angeles Sol Notes

-By scoring against Boston in the final game of the regular season, Marta became the only WPS player to score a goal against each of the six other teams in the league.
-Los Angeles shut out Sky Blue all three matches they played, going 2-0-1.
-Karina LeBlanc, who has 12 shutouts, has been noticeably under more pressure late in the season. After giving up an average of 3.67 shots on goal over the first 12 matches, the Sol have given up an average of 6.13 shots on goal in their last 8 matches.
-Aya Miyama, who tied for the most assists in the WPS with 6, was the only Los Angeles player to play every minute of every match for them.
-Los Angeles gave up more than one goal only twice this season and lost both matches.
-The Sol played 4 scoreless ties this season, the most by any team.
-Two players, Marta and Camille Abily, combined for 18 of the Sol's 27 goals, 66.7% of their total offense.

Later in the week, I'll preview the Washington Freedom-Sky Blue FC playoff match.

Boston Falls to Los Angeles; Sky Blue Takes 4th Place

The Los Angeles Sol came from behind to defeat Boston 2-1 and eliminate the Breakers from playoff contention. Boston, who came into the game needing a win to grab 4th place away from Sky Blue, took an early 1-0 lead on a goal from Kelly Smith and assisted on a well placed long pass from Kristine Lilly. The 1st half ended with Boston in front 1-0.

Marta scored her 10th goal of the season in the 61st minute to equalize. Boston desperately tried to score in the closing minutes and came close a few times, most notably on a free kick from Kelly Smith that appeared to graze the top of the crossbar. But a couple minutes into stoppage, Alex Scott was called for a foul in the penalty area against Marta. The call was hotly disputed by several Boston players, but to no avail. Shannon Boxx converted on a perfect shot in the upper right hand corner. The game ended with Los Angeles on top, 2-1.

For the Breakers, it was a disappointing finish to a promising season. With just three weeks to go in the season, they were in 2nd place, but they lost their last three matches to fall to a 7-9-4 record. Meanwhile, Los Angeles earned their first victory in their last four matches and they finish in 1st place, ending the season with a 12-3-5 record. The Sol will host the WPS Final in two weeks.

The Sol's victory means that Sky Blue FC finishes in 4th place and will travel to Washington to face the Freedom in a rematch of both teams' final regular season match which was won 3-1 by the Freedom.

FC Gold Pride 1, Saint Louis Athletica 1

In other action, FC Gold Pride and Saint Louis tied 1-1 in a match that had no bearing on the playoffs. Christie Welsh scored her 3rd goal in 2 matches for Athletica in the 1st half, but Rachel Buehler scored her first goal of the year to tie the score a few minutes later. Gold Pride outshot Athletica by a substantial margin of 17-6.

Probably the most notable thing that happened was that Hope Solo became the first goalkeeper in league history to pick up an assist. Solo's long punt set up Welsh for her goal.

Gold Pride finishes the season at 4-10-6 with 18 points and in 7th place. Athletica completes the regular season at 10-6-4 and 34 points. They will meet the winner of the Freedom-Sky Blue matchup in the Super Semifinal in St. Louis on August 19th.

Freedom Clinch 3rd Place with Victory over Sky Blue

Abby Wambach scored twice and Lisa DeVanna added a goal to lead the Washington Freedom to a 3-1 victory over Sky Blue FC. The win lifts the Freedom to 29 points and clinches 3rd place for them. They will host the first round of the playoffs next weekend.

The Freedom led 1-0 at the half on Wambach's first goal and quickly extended the lead to 2-0 early in the 2nd half on her second goal. Sky Blue responded with a goal from Rosana to cut the lead to 2-1, before Lisa DeVanna put the game away with a goal in the 57th minute. Sky Blue outshot the Freedom 28-13 for the match.

Sky Blue must now wait until tomorrow night to know their fate. They are still in 4th place, just one point ahead of Boston. They hold the tiebreaker on Boston, based on going 3-0-1 in the regular season against the Breakers. Boston hosts Los Angeles tomorrow and must win to make the playoffs. If the Breakers win, they will play at Washington next week. If they tie or lose, Sky Blue will play at Washington again next week in the playoff opener.

WPS Weekend Matches-August 8th & 9th

It comes down to the last weekend of the regular season to decide the final two playoff berths. Washington and Sky Blue FC are tied for 3rd place with 26 points. Boston sits just one point behind in 5th place. Any of the three will clinch a playoff spot with a victory.

Sky Blue FC at Washington Freedom

One game could make or break the season for these two teams. The winner will host the first round playoff match next weekend. The loser must sweat out the Boston-LA match on Sunday evening. In the event of a tie, Washington would own the tiebreaker and Sky Blue would be the team on the bubble.

On Wednesday night, Sky Blue defeated FC Gold Pride to put themselves in position to earn a playoff spot. Now they will look to seal the deal on Saturday. Christie Rampone was a winner in her first game as head coach and a second win will put Sky Blue in the playoffs. SBFC is coming off of a strong performance in a 2-0 win over Gold Pride. Natasha Kai and Rosana provided the goal scoring in that match. All-Star selection Heather O'Reilly leads a strong group in the midfield.

The last match between these two teams ended in a wild 4-4 tie. Since then, the Sky Blue defense has had an impressive run, giving up just one goal in their last four matches. Goalkeeper Jenni Branam is a big part of that. Joining Rampone on the back line are Keeley Dowling and Meghan Schnur. Anita Asante will be returning from her one game suspension for yellow card accumulation to round out the defense.

Washington would have had a playoff berth clinched had they won last weekend against Gold Pride. But that didn't happen, so they will get a second chance this weekend at home. It seems like you never know which Freedom team will show up these days, the one that plays tight defense and wins 1-0 games or the team that scores bunches of goals. Abby Wambach has scored three goals in her last 3 games and six for the season. Lisa DeVanna has added four.

Assists leader Sonia Bompastor will probably start at one of the midfield spots and she will be a major factor in this match. Goalkeeper Erin McLeod and defender Cat Whitehill will lead the Freedom defense. The good news is that Washington's defense has been very stingy at home lately, giving up just one goal in their last four home games.

It will be interesting to see the approach of the two coaches in this match. Jim Gabarra knows his team only needs a tie to clinch a playoff berth, so the natural tendency would be to go defensive. Meanwhile, Christie Rampone knows that a tie may not be good enough, which could force her into a tough decision at the end of the game. Does she go all out for the win, not knowing what Boston will do the following evening? This match is, for all intents and purposes, a playoff game.

Los Angeles Sol at Boston Breakers

The Breakers host the Sol on Sunday night in Boston, knowing that a victory puts them in the playoffs. Los Angeles will be looking to win their first game in over a month. This match will be televised nationally on FSC.

Boston heads into this match as the only team with the series advantage over LA with a win and a tie. But it's been a long time since these two teams played back to back matches in early May. Back then, it appeared Boston would be a potential challenger for the top spot in the WPS. Now they are playing for their playoff lives. They will start Sunday evening in 5th place and by that time, they will know exactly what they have to do.

The Breakers have not scored a goal in 347 minutes and have only scored 4 goals in their last 8 matches. A major reason for that has been Kelly Smith's injured knee. Smith missed four matches and started her first match last weekend since July 4th. Amy Rodriguez has barely seen the field lately. Given Boston's scoring woes, one wonders if Tony DiCicco might insert his speedy forward into the lineup. There hasn't been any problems with Boston's tough defense. They have allowed just two goals in their last 5 outings. Allison Lipsher has been excellent in goal, but she is listed as "questionable" on the roster report. I've got to believe she will be in the lineup if she's able.

Something no one thought they would be saying a month ago is that Los Angeles is limping into the playoffs. They do have the luxury of only needing to win one playoff game to be champions, but I'm sure Abner Rogers would like to see a solid 90 minutes out of his 11 in this match. The Sol have only a tie to show for their last three matches. They've scored just twice in their last 4 matches. Marta has scored in the last 4 Sol victories, so it's logical that she may need to be the one to ignite the LA offense. Allison Falk is back in the lineup after missing 3 games due to an injury and she will team with Stephanie Cox to lead the Los Angeles defense. Karina LeBlanc, the All-Star starter, will probably be in goal with 12 shutouts to her credit.

Coach Tony DiCicco will have the advantage of knowing if his team needs a tie or a win to make the playoffs and will be able to adjust his strategy accordingly. Can the Sol turn it on after a month of meaningless games? Will Boston be the last team to claim a playoff spot?

Saint Louis Athletica at FC Gold Pride

In the only match of the weekend with no playoff implications, Saint Louis travels west to face FC Gold Pride in the final match of the WPS regular season. Athletica comes into this match with a 6-1-1 record over their last 8 matches. FC Gold Pride would like a victory to tie Chicago for 6th place and finish the season on a positive note.

Saint Louis will probably rest some of their injured players for this match and their roster report has eight players listed as being injured, including starting midfielder Angie Woznuk and defender Sara Larsson, neither of whom will probably make the trip. Coach Jorge Barcellos started several reserves on Wednesday, but is expected to use the lineup he will start for the playoffs in this match outside of those injured. One reserve that made a big impression on Wednesday was Christie Welsh. After not playing for 6 matches, Welsh scored two goals against the Red Stars and made her case for starting the upcoming playoff semifinal. Sarah Walsh started her first match for Athletica on Wednesday and played 72 minutes. Lori Chalupny, who has been playing with a broken hand, played only a half in her last match and it wouldn't surprise me if Barcellos limits her minutes in this match as well.

FC Gold Pride is playing for just that...pride. They will enter this match with a 4-10-5 record and only one victory in their last 12 games. But that doesn't mean Bay Area hasn't been competitive and they came out of nowhere to defeat Washington last weekend. Gold Pride might be missing their talented midfielder, Formiga, for this match. Leading scorer Christine Sinclair will be ready to go. She scored a late goal in her last meeting with Athletica forcing a 1-1 tie. With the expansion draft looming, this will be the last chance for Albertin Montoya to assess his team to decide which players to protect.

Sky Blue Ties for 3rd Place, Defeats Gold Pride 2-0

Sky Blue FC got 2nd half goals from Rosana and Natasha Kai to give them a 2-0 home victory over FC Gold Pride. Sky Blue outshot Gold Pride by 22-6 for the match. Christie Rampone got her first victory as head coach and did double duty by playing the full 90 on defense. The win moves Sky Blue into a tie for 3rd place with the Washington Freedom at 26 points. Boston is one point behind at 25 points, in 5th place. All three teams have one match left and all three teams have their fate in their own hands. On Saturday, Sky Blue FC will travel to Washington to meet the Freedom. On Sunday, Boston will host Los Angeles.

Washington will clinch 3rd place with a win and a playoff spot with a tie against Sky Blue. Sky Blue will clinch 3rd place with a win over the Freedom. Boston will clinch a playoff berth with a win over Los Angeles. Sky Blue has the tiebreaker edge over Boston and Boston has the tiebreaker edge over Washington.

So here are the details of the possible outcomes:

If Washington beats Sky Blue and Boston beats Los Angeles, then Washington will finish 3rd and Boston 4th.
If Washington beats Sky Blue and Boston ties or loses to Los Angeles, then Washington will finish 3rd and Sky Blue will finish 4th.
If Washington and Sky Blue tie and Boston wins, Boston would finish 3rd and Washington 4th based on their tiebreaker edge over Sky Blue.
If Washington and Sky Blue tie and Boston ties or loses, Washington would finish 3rd and Sky Blue 4th.
If Sky Blue defeats Washington and Boston beats LA, Sky Blue would finish 3rd and Boston 4th.
If Sky Blue defeats Washington and Boston ties LA, Sky Blue would finish 3rd and Boston would finish 4th based on their tiebreaker edge on Washington.
If Sky Blue defeats Washington and Boston loses, then Sky Blue is 3rd and Washington 4th.

Saint Louis Athletica 2, Chicago Red Stars 0

Christie Welsh, starting her first match since June, scored a goal in each half to lead Athletica to a 2-0 victory over the visiting Red Stars.

Saint Louis played quite a few reserves in the match after clinching 2nd place on Saturday. Athletica rested Eniola Aluko, Amanda Cinalli, Sara Larsson, and Angie Woznuk, while Chicago was missing injured starters Ifeoma Dieke and Lindsay Tarpley. Lori Chalupny only played the 1st half for Saint Louis.

The first 10 minutes of the match were without flow with neither side taking control. However, Chicago started gaining some momentum and grabbed the edge in play over the next 20 minutes. In the 21st minute, a Megan Rapinoe cross was headed wide by Ella Masar. Shortly afterward, Marian Dalmy made a nice run up the right side and crossed again to Masar who shot just wide.

It was Athletica that struck first in the 32nd minute as Sarah Walsh hit a cross from the right side. Nikki Krzysik was barely able to get a glancing header in an attempt to clear, but the ball went right to Christie Welsh who was closing in from the back side and Welsh finished with a low shot perfectly placed in the corner of the net. It was Welsh's first goal of the season, but she wasn't through yet.

In the 63rd minute, Kendall Fletcher dispossessed a Chicago player in Athletica's penalty area and started a counterattack. The ball came to Welsh, who passed to Sarah Walsh. Walsh hit a pass to the corner with Melissa Tancredi running on to it perfectly and she hit a cross. It eluded defenders once again to a charging Welsh who again placed a perfect low shot past Caroline Jonsson.

The Red Stars had a couple of late chances, but were unable to break through. A Carli Lloyd free kick from about 27 yards went just wide in the 80th minute. A Danesha Adams cross seemed dangerous a minute later, but the Red Stars were unable to get a shot out of it. In the 84th minute, Ella Masar hit a shot from about 12 yards out, but right at Hope Solo.

The victory completed a nice homestand for Saint Louis in which they tallied three victories and a tie. It was the 8th shutout of the season for Hope Solo. It also marked the first time Athletica had scored 2 goals at home. In addition to Welsh, who did a nice job of finishing on both goals, Athletica got very good play out Erin Walter and Lisa Stoia, two players that are not normally in the starting lineup. Sarah Walsh got her first start for Saint Louis and although she didn't have any dangerous shots, her speed and passing up front made a big impact. Kendall Fletcher played very well as did the Athletica back line. For Chicago, it was a nice effort but they seemed just a little out of sync. Ostberg, Klein, Rapinoe, and Masar all played well, but to no avail.

Chicago finishes the season with 5-10-5 record good for 20 points and 6th place at the moment. Saint Louis finishes its regular season at FC Gold Pride on Sunday. Their record stands at 10-6-3, good for 33 points and 2nd place.

WPS Midweek Matches & Notes-August 5th

Two of the four playoff teams have been decided, which leaves three teams competing for the two remaining spots. Here is where they stand right now:

Washington 26 points (vs. Sky Blue on Saturday)
Boston 25 points (vs Los Angeles on Sunday)
Sky Blue FC 23 points (vs FC Gold Pride on Wednesday, at Washington on Saturday)

At this point, all three teams control their destiny. Sky Blue has the tiebreaker over Boston and Boston has won the tiebreaker over Washington. Washington currently leads the tiebreaker over Sky Blue with a win and a tie, but that could change on Saturday. Here are the scenarios we know for sure:

Washington clinches 3rd place with a victory over Sky Blue. They would clinch a playoff spot with a win or a tie against Sky Blue, or a Boston loss to Los Angeles.

Boston clinches a playoff berth with a win over Los Angeles. They also clinch a playoff berth if Sky Blue gets only one point or less in their last two matches.

Sky Blue clinches 3rd place with two wins. They also clinch a playoff spot with a win and a Boston loss, or with a win and a tie combined with a Boston tie or loss.

There is a remote possibility that the teams could end in a 3-way tie if Sky Blue loses to FC Gold Pride and defeats Washington, while Boston ties Los Angeles. That would send the situation into tiebreakers and not all of the tiebreakers have been decided yet. As things stand now, any of the three teams can finish in any of the three positions 3rd through 5th. It should be an interesting week of soccer.

FC Gold Pride at Sky Blue FC

Although Sky Blue wouldn't be eliminated with a loss in this match, it would certainly make things easier if they won. A victory would keep them in control of their own destiny, plus it would put them in 4th place ahead of Boston. Meanwhile, FC Gold Pride has been eliminated from playoff contention, but they seem to have found a second wind, with a win and two ties in their last 3 games.

Sky Blue FC is not just dealing with the battle for a playoff position. For the second time this year, they must regroup after a coaching change. Kelly Lindsey has resigned and defender Christie Rampone will handle the coaching duties for the rest of the season. Another problem for Sky Blue has been injuries. Both Christie Rampone (surgery) and Natasha Kai (shoulder) have been out of the lineup, but both are listed as "probable" for this match. Kai is Sky Blue's leading scorer with 5 goals. They do have other offensive options with Rosana and Kacey White, as well as newcomer Kerri Hanks. National team starter Heather O'Reilly also attacks well from the midfield. It appeared that their offense was beginning to gel, but they have now been shut out their last two matches.

On defense, Sky Blue has to deal with the loss of Anita Asante, who is suspended for yellow card accumulation. If Rampone starts, she will join Keeley Dowling and Meghan Schnur on the back line. Asante's spot will likely be filled by Jen Buczkowski, with Katie Hooker or Julianne Sitch being other possibilities. Jen Branam, who has 6 shutouts including 2 in her last 3 games, will be in goal.

FC Gold Pride has been playing good soccer lately and it coincides with the insertion of Brandi Chastain into the starting lineup. The 41 year old Chastain seems to have added energy to Bay Area's play. Scoring has been a problem for FCGP most of the season, but not in their last contest against the Freedom when both Kimberly Yokers and Adriane scored their first goals of the season. Canadian national Christine Sinclair leads the Pride with 6 goals and veteran Tiffeny Milbrett has four. Eriko Arakawa and Tina DiMartino patrol the midfield, but Formiga will be out for this match with a knee injury. Defensively, Albertin Montoya made two changes in their last match, putting Lindsay Massengale at defender instead of Leigh Ann Robinson and starting Allison Whitworth for Nicole Barnhart in goal.

Sky Blue has their work cut out for them. They face an important match against a team with no pressure on them that has been playing well. Rampone has been thrust into a tough situation as a player/coach. Gold Pride would love to finish the season on a positive note, with this match and a Sunday night match against Saint Louis remaining. Whatever happens in this match, the playoff picture should clear up somewhat by Wednesday evening. Or at least there will be less possibilities to figure out.

Chicago Red Stars at Saint Louis Athletica

Athletica's victory over Boston gave them 2nd place and the opportunity to face their final two matches with no pressure. Coach Jorge Barcellos now has two tasks to accomplish. First, he will try to rest some of his injured and tired players. More importantly, he must find a way to replace Eniola Aluko. Aluko will be leaving the team shortly to play for England in the Euros. She has been responsible, either by goal or assist, for nearly two thirds of Athletica's offense.

The player likely to step in for Aluko will be Sarah Walsh. The Aussie striker is coming off of an injury and has averaged 27 minutes over her last 4 matches. She will need to stretch that to about 60 minutes with Aluko gone. Niki Cross has made an impact as the other starting forward, with a goal against Gold Pride. Saint Louis' midfield is mostly set with Kendall Fletcher, Amanda Cinalli, and captain Lori Chalupny. However, Angie Woznuk is listed as "unavailable" with a hamstring injury for this match. Cinalli picked up an assist on Aluko's game winner against the Breakers. Tina Ellertson leads a strong defense that also includes Kia McNeill and Elise Weber. Goalkeeper Hope Solo picked up her 7th shutout against Boston, but Barcellos may decide to use backup Jillian Loyden who has two shutouts of her own.

Chicago had to be encouraged by their strong performance in defeating Los Angeles 3-1. This will be their final match of the season and they will want to finish with a victory. The Red Stars' midfield which had been dormant for much of the season, has come back to life lately. Carli Lloyd scored one against the Sol and Brittany Klein picked up an assist. Megan Rapinoe and Karen Carney both scored in the previous match. Forward Cristiane scored her 7th of the year against LA, while Lindsay Tarpley added her 4th goal of the season, to go along with 4 assists. Caroline Jönsson has had a generally solid season in spite of the fact that the Red Stars have given up more shots on goal than any other team.

Given the likelihood of Athletica resting some of their players, this is a tough match to handicap. After a disappointing season, the Red Stars would like to finish with some momentum heading into next season. Saint Louis will be looking to prepare for the playoffs, which for them, starts in two weeks. The two teams have split their previous matches, with each winning on the other's home field.

Midweek Notes

Boston Breakers-The Breakers have allowed fewer shots on goal than any other team at 4.58 per game...Boston has now been outscored in the 1st half by a margin of 13-6...Amy Rodriguez has seen only 15 minutes of action over the Breakers' last four matches.

Chicago Red Stars-The Red Stars drew 7959 for their final home game which was their largest crowd of the season...Cristiane has scored at least one goal in each of Chicago's last three wins...Chicago has scored two or more goals in 4 of their last 6 contests.

FC Gold Pride-Tiffany Weimer still leads Gold Pride in assists with 3, in spite of not having recorded one since April...Bay Area's 3 goals against the Freedom marked the 2nd time they have scored three, with the first being a 4-3 loss to Washington early in the season...The 3-2 win over the Freedom was FCGP's first come from behind victory in their history.

Los Angeles Sol-The Sol have scored just two goals in their last four matches...Karina LeBlanc still leads the WPS with a 0.50 goals against average...The Sol allowed an average of only 3.67 shots on goal through their first 12 matches, but have allowed an average of 6.14 shots over their last 7 matches.

Saint Louis Athletica-Ten of Athletica's 18 matches have ended in a 1-0 score, with Saint Louis winning 7 of them...Saint Louis has now outscored their opponents by a margin of 11-2 in the 1st half and have a 7-0-2 record when scoring in the 1st half...Athletica has given up just 5 goals at home, second best to Los Angeles' total of 3.

Sky Blue FC-SBFC is the only team with an American player leading in both goals and assists. Natasha Kai leads in goals with 5, while Keeley Dowling leads in assists with 3...If Christie Rampone plays in one of the final two matches, she will become the first player/head coach in league history...Meghan Schnur is the only Sky Blue player to have started every match.

Washington Freedom-Abby Wambach leads all American players with 6 goals...Washington has shut out 3 of their last 4 opponents at home...The Freedom have scored the most goals (29) and given up the most goals (31) of any team in the WPS.

WPS Names Starting 11 for All-Star Game

The WPS has announced the first 11 for the first WPS All-Star game to be held in Saint Louis on August 30th.

Goalkeeper: Karina LeBlanc (Los Angeles)
Defenders: Tina Ellertson (Saint Louis), Amy LePeilbet (Boston), Alex Scott (Boston)
Midfielders: Camille Abily (Los Angeles), Sonia Bompastor (Washington), Shannon Boxx (Los Angeles), Lori Chalupny (Saint Louis), Kelly Smith (Boston)
Forwards: Eniola Aluko (Saint Louis), Marta (Los Angeles)

Scott, Abily, Bompastor, Smith, and Aluko will all be away at the Euros, so they will be replaced by the next highest players in the voting at their positions. The voting was comprised of 25% fans, 25% players, 25% coaches, and 25% media. Their replacements will be announced later this week.

In addition to the 5 players that will be added as replacements for the starters that were chosen, head coach Abner Rogers and Commissioner Tonya Antonucci will name 7 subs to the All-Star team. The WPS team will face Umea IK of Sweden.

Athletica Clinches 2nd Place

Eniola Aluko tallied her 6th goal of the season in the 36th minute to give Saint Louis Athletica a 1-0 win over the Boston Breakers on Saturday evening at Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri. The victory, combined with Washington's 3-2 loss to FC Gold Pride, clinched 2nd place for Saint Louis, plus an automatic berth in the super semifinal which they will host.

The match started with the Breakers controlling the tempo and possession for much of the first 20 minutes, but getting few chances. The most dangerous was a blast by Kristine Lilly that hit the outside of the net. As the match wore on, Athletica got stronger and finally broke through late in the 1st half. Elise Weber sent a low cross to the top of 18 yard box, which eluded Boston defenders. The ball reached Amanda Cinalli who managed to change the ball's direction with a nice flick which sent Aluko in alone on Breakers' goalkeeper Allison Lipsher. Aluko finished with a shot from the outside of her foot that found its way through a sliding Lipsher's legs and into the net.

Saint Louis came close to scoring again late in the first half on a free kick. Athletica decided to go with a soft touch sideways to Niki Cross who hit a low, blistering shot that went just wide of the post from over 25 yards out.

The Breakers almost broke through in the 65th minute. Kelly Smith turned on Kia McNeill in the penalty area and hit a hard shot from about 15 yards that Athletica keeper Hope Solo made a diving save on.

Sarah Walsh nearly made it 2-0 in the 87th minute. Her shot from the right side had Lipsher beat, but hit the far post ricocheting all the way back through box without crossing the line. Kristine Lilly had one last chance for Boston in stoppage, but her shot went a couple feet over the crossbar.

Hope Solo recorded her 7th shutout of the season, making just two saves including the critical stop on Smith. For Boston, it was the first even strength goal they have given up in 5 games. The Breakers were playing without defender Alex Scott who had received a red card in the match against Washington on Wednesday.

Athletica has two games remaining, at home against Chicago on Wednesday and then at FC Gold Pride next Sunday evening. Meanwhile, the Breakers will meet Los Angeles at home next Sunday for their final regular season match. Boston still has control over their own destiny, no matter what happens in other games this week. A victory over Los Angeles will definitely secure a playoff spot, although at this time, it's unsure whether it would be 3rd or 4th place.

FC Gold Pride 3, Washington Freedom 2

A resurgent FC Gold Pride side came from behind to defeat the Washington Freedom 3-2 in a seesaw contest at Buck Shaw Stadium. Adriane scored in the 83rd minute to give the victory to FCGP.

Kimberly Yokers opened the scoring for FC Gold Pride, giving them a 1-0 lead in the 6th minute for her first goal of the season. Homare Sawa of the Freedom scored twice before halftime to send the Freedom in front at the break. Tiffeny Milbrett of Gold Pride scored very early in the 2nd half to tie the match, before Adriane late goal gave FCGP the victory.

In spite of being eliminated from playoff contention last week, Gold Pride has managed a win and two ties over their last three matches and appear to be playing their best soccer since early in the season. It was a tough loss for Washington which had won three in a row heading into this match. The loss was damaging, but the Freedom could still clinch 3rd place with a victory over Sky Blue FC next Saturday.

WPS Weekend Matches-August 1st & 2nd

There are three matches on the schedule for this weekend, with two of them having playoff implications. The Breakers-Athletica match and the Freedom-FC Gold Pride match could reshuffle the deck as far as the playoffs go. Meanwhile, Los Angeles visits Chicago in a match that has no bearing on the playoffs.

The Playoff Picture

Heading into this weekend's action, Saint Louis is in 2nd place with 27 points and has 3 games left. Washington is in 3rd place with 26 points, Boston is in 4th place with 25 points, and Sky Blue FC is in 5th with 23 points. Washington, Boston, and Sky Blue each have two games left.

Saint Louis-Athletica clinches a playoff berth with a win over Boston and/or a Washington loss to FC Gold Pride. They would also clinch a playoff berth with a tie against Boston if Washington also ties Gold Pride. Athletica clinches 2nd place with a victory over Boston and a Washington loss to Gold Pride. They clinch 3rd place and a home playoff game with a victory over Boston combined with a Washington tie or win against Gold Pride.

Washington-The Freedom can clinch a playoff berth with a victory over FC Gold Pride and a Saint Louis victory over Boston.

Boston-The Breakers can clinch a playoff spot with a victory over Saint Louis and a Washington tie or loss against FC Gold Pride.

None of the four teams competing for the final playoff berths, including idle Sky Blue FC, can be eliminated this weekend.

Washington Freedom at FC Gold Pride

The Freedom continued their strong playoff push by defeating Boston 1-0 on Wednesday. Washington has now won three games in a row. They travel west to meet FC Gold Pride on Saturday afternoon. FC Gold Pride has shown improvement in their last couple of games, gaining ties against the top two teams, Los Angeles and Saint Louis.

Washington is getting hot at the right time, as is their big scorer, Abby Wambach. She has scored 3 goals in her last two matches. Lisa DeVanna, who has 5 goals and 4 assists herself, assisted on Wambach's goal against Boston. Sonia Bompastor, the 3rd of the Freedom's big three, started at midfield and I would expect that is where she will be starting Saturday. The Freedom started Cat Whitehill, Becky Sauerbrunn, Jill Gilbeau, and Ali Krieger on defense in their last match, but it will be interesting to see if Coach Jim Gabarra might opt for Alex Singer in this contest. Erin McLeod, who has a 1.33 goals against average, will handle the goalkeeping duties for the Freedom.

FC Gold Pride has shown a lot of character in their last two matches, holding the Sol to a scoreless tie and scoring in the 87th minute to tie Athletica. But they still haven't won a match since May 16th against Chicago. Formiga was limping heavily after last Sunday's match and my fears were confirmed when she was listed as "unavailable" for this contest on the WPS roster report. Christine Sinclair was once again the FCGP goal scorer against Saint Louis. She is now tied for 3rd in the league in scoring. Gold Pride is still trying to find someone to complement her up front. Gold Pride's defense has shown some resolve, giving up just two goals in their last 3 matches. They start Leigh Ann Robinson, Kristen Graczyk, Carrie Dew, and Rachel Buehler across the back line with Nicole Barnhart in goal.

Washington has won the two previous meetings between these teams, scoring 7 goals in the process. With only a single match with Sky Blue remaining after this one, the Freedom need to get as many points here as possible. Look for the Freedom to pressure from the start and try to get a quick lead.

Boston Breakers at Saint Louis Athletica

Boston suffered two losses on Wednesday night. First, they lost to the Freedom which dropped the Breakers to 4th place. Second, Alex Scott picked up a red card early in that match and will miss Saturday's contest with Saint Louis as well. In addition to Scott, coach Tony DiCicco is also suspended for this match for his postgame comments about the officiating in Wednesday's match. Saint Louis comes into this match with 4 wins and a tie in their last 6 matches, but they are still smarting from last Sunday's match when they were within minutes of clinching a playoff berth. They will get another shot at ensuring themselves a spot in the playoffs against the Breakers on Saturday evening.

Although this match is important for both teams, it is more critical for Boston. If Boston loses, they may no longer have control over their own destiny with respect to making the playoffs. Kelly Smith subbed in the 2nd half against the Freedom, but due to the importance of this match, I look for her to start this one. She leads the Breakers in goals with 5, followed by Kristine Lilly with 3. However, Boston has been getting scoring from other sources lately, including Jenny Nobis, Kelly Schmedes, and Angela Hucles.

Boston's defense has been outstanding lately and they haven't given up an even strength goal in their last 4 games. However, with Scott suspended and Sue Weber injured, the Breakers are razor thin on defense. Look for the back line to be Nancy Goffi, Heather Mitts, Amy LePeilbet, and Candace Chapman for this match. Allison Lipsher has been one of the top keepers in the WPS since taking over as starter and she has posted 5 shutouts in roughly half a season.

Saint Louis can only kick themselves for letting one get away last weekend. Now they have to face a tough, desperate Boston squad with 2nd and possibly even 3rd place on the line. Athletica's defense has also been solid, giving up just two goals over their last 5 matches. Hope Solo, second only to Karina LeBlanc in shutouts and goals against, will start in goal for Athletica. The defense is led by Tina Ellertson and Kia McNeill. Lori Chalupny, who is one of the top defenders internationally, is one of the best midfielders in WPS. Eniola Aluko is Athletica's leading scorer, but Niki Cross netted her first of the season against Gold Pride last weekend. Amanda Cinalli adds offensive punch from her attacking mid position.

Saint Louis must pressure Boston's defense early on and try to get an early lead. Athletica has been woefully outscored late in matches, so they need to have a lead heading into the final minutes of the match. Boston must deal with the loss of Scott, who is not only a top defender, but a serious offensive threat going forward. If Smith is able to start, it should offset the loss of Scott somewhat. I expect a low scoring contest. There will probably not be many more important regular season matches than this.

Los Angeles Sol at Chicago Red Stars

The Los Angeles Sol would like to get some momentum heading into the playoffs. They have a loss and a tie in their last two outings. It's been quite awhile since they've gone two consecutive matches without a win. For Chicago, who is out of playoff contention, the 2010 season starts now. They must sort out where to go from here and what needs to be done in the off season to improve their team.

Los Angeles is in a holding pattern, waiting to see who they will face in the WPS Championship game 3 weeks from Saturday. They haven't looked particularly sharp lately and have only played one match in the last three weeks. But they do still have the top two scorers in the league, Marta and Camille Abily, the WPS assists leader, Aya Miyama, and the top goalkeeper in the league, Karina LeBlanc, so things are still looking pretty good. LeBlanc leads all starting keepers with a 0.35 goals against average. Their defense is also strong led by Stephanie Cox and Allison Falk, and they have added Sharolta Nonen to replace Martina Franko. The Sol's midfield just keeps getting stronger, especially since it appears that Aly Wagner is finally close to being 100% healthy.

It has been a frustrating season on many levels for the Red Stars. Early on, they appeared to be a top contender, someone that could challenge the Sol for 1st place. But injuries on defense, inconsistent midfield play (most notably by Carli Lloyd), two red cards, an additional suspension due to yellow card accumulation, and several long scoring droughts have made for a rough campaign. Chicago is just 2-9-3 over their last 14. Cristiane has been one of the bright spots, scoring 6 goals, good for third best in the WPS. Megan Rapinoe and Karen Carney both scored their 2nd goals in their last contest vs. Washington. Chicago's defense is led by Ifeoma Dieke and Marian Dalmy, with Caroline Jönsson in goal.

Los Angeles has a win and a tie in the two previous meetings against Chicago. Both teams have one match left after this one. The Red Stars finish at Saint Louis on Wednesday, while the Sol travel to Boston next Sunday. The Sol-Red Star contest will be played at Toyota Park on Sunday, a nationally televised match on FSC.

DiCicco Suspended

As mentioned above, Boston coach Tony DiCicco was suspended for comments about the officiating following Wednesday's match against the Washington Freedom. He will miss Saturday's match against Saint Louis Athletica.

DiCicco issued an apology for his actions stating that his comments were "wrong" and he agreed that referee Jose Rivero "was justified issuing the red card". In addition to his suspension, he has been fined $1000 and must perform 6 hours of community service to the sport of soccer.

WPS Midweek Match & Notes-July 29th

Boston Breakers at Washington Freedom

There is only one match scheduled for Wednesday, but it's one that will affect the playoff hopes of all four teams fighting for the last three playoff berths. The 3rd place Boston Breakers travel to Washington to meet the 4th place Freedom in an all important WPS contest. As it stands, Saint Louis is in 2nd place with 27 points, followed by Boston with 25, and Washington and Sky Blue with 23 each. Everybody has three games left with the exception of Sky Blue, which has only two games remaining. There are a couple more matches between contenders coming up. On Saturday, the Breakers will visit Saint Louis to take on Athletica. On the final weekend of the season, Washington will host Sky Blue FC.

The Breakers head into this match having posted 3 consecutive shutouts, all with Allison Lipsher in goal. They are 2-0-1 in those three games. On defense for Boston, it appears that Sue Weber will miss the remainder of the season due to a knee injury. That means that either Nancy Goffi or Candace Chapman will start at one of the center back spots along side of Amy LePeilbet, with Alex Scott and Heather Mitts handling the outside of the defense.

In the midfield, Angela Hucles and Kristine Lilly will be two of the starters. The big question is the status of Kelly Smith's gimpy knee. She's listed as "questionable", but with so much on the line for this match, you can bet she'll be playing if she's able. Maggie Tomecka, a starter at midfield in the Breakers' last game, is listed as "questionable" as well. As for attackers, Kelly Schmedes, Jennifer Nobis, and Fabiana were Tony DiCicco's choices last time out. However, Christine Latham is another option. First round draft pick Amy Rodriguez appears to have fallen out of favor. She subbed in during the 2nd half of Saturday's match against Sky Blue, only to be replaced after seeing only 15 minutes of action.

Washington also comes into this game with a 2-0-1 record over their last 3 matches. On Sunday, they managed a 3-2 come from behind victory over Chicago. Allie Long was the hero in that match, scoring the game winner in the 89th minute. Abby Wambach, who scored two goals against the Red Stars, will start at one forward spot, along with Lisa DeVanna. Both Wambach and DeVanna have 5 goals for the season. Rebecca Moros or Long will probably start as either a third forward or as an attacking midfielder.

Homare Sawa and Lori Lindsey have been steady and will be starting in their normal midfield capacities and Sonia Bompastor, who can play several positions, will likely be the other midfielder. On defense, the Freedom have Cat Whitehill and Becky Sauerbrunn at center backs. Neither Sauerbrunn nor Sawa has missed a minute of action all season. The outside starters will probably be Alex Singer and Ali Krieger if she's healthy, or possibly Jill Gilbeau. Erin McLeod, who has three shutouts to her credit, will be in goal for the Freedom.

Obviously, one of the keys to this match will be if, and how far, Kelly Smith can go. If she's able to play, Washington will be forced to spend a lot of defensive resources to keep her in check. The Breakers will be trying to extend an impressive streak of 323 minutes without giving up a goal, but they will have to do so against the powerful Freedom offense, with Wambach, DeVanna, and Bompastor. The Freedom can move up to 3rd place with a victory. The Breakers could finish the evening anywhere from 2nd to 4th place depending on the outcome. Considering what's at stake for these two teams, this could be one of the best matches of the year.

Midweek Notes

Washington's 3-2 victory over Chicago was the league's second ever come from behind victory. The Red Stars led 1-0 early in that contest. The first come from behind win also involved these two teams, but it was the Red Stars doing the honors to defeat the Freedom 2-1 back on July 1.

Several countries are represented among the top 9 goal scorers in the league. Only two Americans have cracked the list, Abby Wambach and Natasha Kai. Likewise, there are two Brazilians, Marta and Cristiane, and two Brits, Kelly Smith and Eniola Aluko. The other three players are Camille Abily (France), Christine Sinclair (Canada), and Lisa DeVanna (Australia). Sonia Bompastor of France and Aya Miyama of Japan are tied for the lead in assists with 6 each.

Allie Long, who scored her 2nd goal of the season against Chicago over the weekend, is the youngest player to have scored a goal in the WPS. She was 21 years, 256 days when she scored her first goal against FC Gold Pride. Long edges out Karen Carney, who was 21 years, 267 days when she scored that same weekend against Boston. The only other player to have scored a goal before she turned 22 is Elise Weber of Athletica, who turned 22 on Sunday.

Luke Thompson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Daniela participated in a 60 minute intersquad scrimmage yesterday. Daniela suffered severe knee and leg injuries in the May 3rd match at Washington. The talented Brazilian midfielder scored two goals in that match before being injured.

Boston Breakers-Goalkeeper Allison Lipsher has 5 shutouts in just 8 starts...The Breakers' last 6 goals have been scored by six different players-Kelly Schmedes, Angela Hucles, Jennifer Nobis, Christine Latham, Kristine Lilly, and Amy Rodriguez...The only team that has scored on the Breakers in their last 7 matches has been Sky Blue FC.

Chicago Red Stars-The Red Stars were officially eliminated from playoff contention with their loss to Washington on Sunday...Karen Carney and Megan Rapinoe both scored for the first time since April in that contest against the Freedom...Heather Garriock, who has seen action in just 4 matches due to injury, earned her first assist of the season against the Freedom.

FC Gold Pride-In spite of a solid effort against Athletica, Bay Area was eliminated from the playoff race over the weekend...Christine Sinclair scored the game tying goal against Saint Louis with Tina DiMartino earning her first assist of the season...Brandi Chastain, who just turned 41, started her second consecutive game for Gold Pride.

Los Angeles Sol-Marta (9 goals) and Camille Abily (8 goals) are probably the only two players in the league with a legitimate shot at scoring 10 goals for the season...The Sol have been shut out in their last two matches...Newly signed Sharolta Nonen started and played the full 90 minutes in the Sol's last match against FC Gold Pride.

Saint Louis Athletica-While Eniola Aluko has dominated scoring for Athletica, five different players have scored in their last 6 contests-Aluko, Amanda Cinalli, Elise Weber, Lori Chalupny, and Niki Cross...Kendall Fletcher now has 3 assists on the season, second only to Aluko who has 4...Athletica has been outscored 8-2 in the final 15 minutes of matches plus stoppage (a big thank you to my friend Austin for that statistic).

Sky Blue FC-Anita Asante picked up her 4th yellow card against Boston and will be suspended for SBFC's next match against FC Gold Pride on August 5th...Sky Blue has picked up 20 of their 23 total points against Boston and Chicago, earning only 3 ties against the rest of the league...Jen Branam picked up her 6th shutout of the season against the Breakers on Saturday.

Washington Freedom-The Freedom have scored 26 goals this season, more than any other team in the league...Abby Wambach joined Marta as being the only WPS players to have scored 2 goals in a game twice this season...Washington has only scored one goal total in their last three home games.