Orange County Takes WPSL Crown with Overtime Victory

The Orange County Waves are the 2011 WPSL champions as they defeated the Chicago Red Stars 2-1 in overtime earlier this afternoon. Tanya Taylor scored the game winner in the 101st minute.

Former FC Gold Pride striker, Kiki Bosio, put the Waves on top in the first half, scoring in the 43rd minute.

The score remained 1-0 until the late stages of regulation time. Michele Weissenhofer sent a flip throw-in to the six and after a scramble in the box, Julie Ewing was able to get her foot on it and put it in the net to tie the score in the 88th minute.

Chicago appeared to have the momentum late in regulation and at the beginning of the overtime period, but in the 101st minute, Brittany Klein sent the ball through to Tanya Taylor who got behind the Red Stars' defense. She finished past Chicago goalkeeper Jamie Forbes to give the Waves a 2-1 lead.

Orange County was able to hold on to their lead to clinch the championship. The Waves are coached by former Los Angeles Sol coach Abner Rogers. It was their first WPSL championship.

Red Stars Out...Hope for 2012 Return

The Chicago Red Stars have announced that they will not be part of WPS for the 2011 season. The team's owners were not able to attract the additional investors needed to compete in the coming season. Unlike other WPS teams that have folded, the Red Stars plan on keeping the organization running in hopes of fielding a team in 2012.

WPS will move forward with a six team league in 2011. For all intents and purposes, the league will become an east coast league, in location if not in talent. All six teams are in the eastern time zone and Atlanta will now be both the farthest west and farthest south franchise in WPS.

Red Stars' players will become free agents immediately.

WPS Survives, Gold Pride Doesn't

Women's Professional Soccer has announced that it will continue into 2011 with at least six teams. The league will include Boston, Sky Blue FC, Philadelphia, Washington, Atlanta, and the new Western New York (Buffalo/Rochester) franchise. FC Gold Pride, however, became the third of the original seven to fold. The Chicago Red Stars remain a question mark for the 2011 season, as additional investment is sought with a deadline of December 15 being set.

If we were using Queen songs to describe Gold Pride's last three months, they have gone from "We Are the Champions" to "Another One Bites the Dust" in a remarkably short period of time. The current owners, the NeSmith family, have been seeking additional investors/owners for some time, but could not attract enough interest to keep the franchise alive for 2011 in spite of all efforts.

FC Gold Pride won both the regular season title and the playoff championship last season. It marks the second straight year that the regular season champions have not returned the following year. The Los Angeles Sol won the 2009 regular season title before folding in January, 2010. A third original team, Saint Louis Athletica, folded in May, 2010 during the middle of the season.

So at this point, the league's three western-most franchises have folded, with the next farthest west, Chicago, in limbo. Both Red Star and league officials are optimistic that additional investors can be found to save the Chicago franchise for 2011. Should they not survive, WPS would be confined to the eastern time zone.

All Gold Pride players will become free agents, with the free agent period starting tomorrow. Judging from the expansion draft protected list released in October, FC Gold Pride had 11 players under contract for the 2011 season. They include FIFA Player of the Year Marta and WPS Rookie of the Year Ali Riley. Additionally, Kiki Bosio, Carrie Dew, Becky Edwards, Kristen Graczyk, Tiffeny Milbrett, Kandace Wilson, Brittany Cameron, Rosie Tantillo, and Kimberly Yokers appear to have been under contract at that time.

More information is expected tomorrow.

LeBlanc to Red Stars for Draft Selections

The Philadelphia Independence have traded goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc to the Chicago Red Stars for two picks in the 2011 draft. The Independence will get the 3rd overall selection in the 2011 draft, plus Chicago's third round pick.

LeBlanc started 14 regular season matches for the Independence, but played backup to Val Henderson in the WPS playoffs. She finished the season with two shutouts and a 1.50 goals against average. It was a stark contrast to her 2009 campaign when she posted 12 shutouts and had a microscopic goals against of 0.53 with Los Angeles.

Philadelphia had acquired LeBlanc in the Los Angeles Sol dispersal draft. She was their starter for much of the early part of the season, but coach Paul Riley turned to Henderson with increasing regularity as the season progressed. Henderson got the starting call for the last two regular season matches and for all three playoff games.

The Independence now have two first round selections, a second round selection, and two third round selections in the 2011 draft. Chicago still has the second overall selection from a trade they made with Atlanta.

This trade will likely lead to a lot of speculation regarding Jill Loyden. Will Chicago protect both Loyden and LeBlanc in the expansion draft? Will they battle for the number one goalkeeper spot next season? Could Loyden be used in a trade, much as Athletica traded her to Chicago last season for Lindsay Tarpley? Only time will tell.

WPS Award Winners Announced

WPS has announced the winners of their year-end awards. Five of the awards are voted on by media, fans, players, and coaches. The Golden Boot goes to the leading goal scorer. Finally, the Citi Sportswoman of the Year is voted on by only players and coaches. Here are the winners of those awards:

Michelle Akers Player of the Year - Marta, FC Gold Pride

MedImmune Defender of the Year - Amy LePeilbet, Boston Breakers

Coast Guard Goalkeeper of the Year - Nicole Barnhart, FC Gold Pride

WPS Rookie of the Year - Ali Riley, FC Gold Pride

WPS Coach of the Year - Paul Riley, Philadelphia Independence.

Citi Sportswoman of the Year - Natalie Spilger, Chicago Red Stars

PUMA Golden Boot - Marta, FC Gold Pride

Congratulations to all of the awardees!

WPS Midweek Notes - Scurry Retires

Briana Scurry, long time goalkeeper of the US Women's National Team and member of the WPS Washington Freedom has retired from professional soccer.

Scurry was the number one keeper for the US for well over a decade. She is best remembered for her penalty shot save in the 1999 Women's World Cup in the championship match against China. In addition to that championship, she also earned gold medals in the 1996 and 2004 Olympic Games. She capped 173 times for the USWNT with the United States winning nearly 85% of those matches.

The University of Massachusetts grad was one of the most athletic goalkeepers of her era. Scurry was a member of the Atlanta Beat of the WUSA and the Washington Freedom of WPS. She started in the Freedom's first match against the Los Angeles Sol in March, 2009. However, injuries have plagued her over the past two seasons and she saw very little playing time for the Freedom. She played only 45 minutes for the Freedom this season.

Scurry is also known for her considerable work with various charitable organizations. She will go down in history as one of the best goalkeepers ever in the women's game. Best wishes on all future endeavors to Briana!

Kelly Smith - Player of the Month

Boston Breaker striker Kelly Smith has won Player of the Month honors for the month of August. Smith scored four goals and added one assist in August, while leading the Breakers to a 3-1-1 record. She scored the game winning goals in victories over Atlanta and Philadelphia, plus a game-tying goal in another match with the Independence.

It is the second consecutive month that a Breakers has won the award. Jordan Angeli won the award in July.

Boquete Earns Player of the Week

In her first week of WPS action, Veronica Boquete has won the WPS Player of the Week award. The Red Star forward scored a goal just minutes into her first match against Philadelphia, helping Chicago to a 2-0 win last Wednesday. Then she assisted on both goals in Chicago's 2-1 victory over the Freedom on Sunday.

Boquete had helped the Buffalo Flash win the W-League championship just a few weeks earlier, after which she signed with Chicago, only to have her eligibility held up for visa problems. "Vero", as she is known, is a member of the Spanish Women's National Team.

Around the League

Atlanta Beat - Eniola Aluko could end up leading two different teams in goals this season. She leads the Beat with five goals and led the now defunct Saint Louis Athletica with four.....Only Leigh Ann Robinson has played in all 23 games for Atlanta this season.....The Beat have scored more than one goal only four times this season, but they also gave up more than one goal in each of those games, with a 2-1-1 record.

Boston Breakers -During their 13 game scoring streak, ten different players scored goals for the Breakers.....Kelly Smith is the only two-time winner of the Player of the Month award. She also won in April, 2009.....The Breakers are 0-4 against Gold Pride and 10-4-5 against the rest of the league.

Chicago Red Stars - Sunday's 2-1 victory over Washington marked the first time that the Red Stars had ever scored in three consecutive matches.....Marian Dalmy completed the 2010 season having played every minute. The Red Star defender scored a goal and four assists for the year.....Formiga currently leads WPS in fouls committed with 42, seven more than Jen Buczkowski.

FC Gold Pride - Camille Abily has apparently transitioned from one the league's best goal scorers to one of the best passers. Last year, she scored 8 goals and had one assist for the Sol. This season, she has only one goal, but has added six assists for Gold Pride.....Marta has not missed a minute of action since April 25, 2009 when she was with the Brazilian National Team in Europe.....Gold Pride holds 8-0-4 record in their 12 game unbeaten streak, which is a WPS record.

Philadelphia Independence - Amy Rodriguez is second in WPS in shots on goal with 35 and third in shots with 63.....In addition to Rodriguez's three braces, Frida Magnusdottir and Tina DiMartino have one each for the Independence.....Philadelphia has scored just one goal in their last three matches, all losses.

Sky Blue FC - Rookie Brittany Taylor is Sky Blue's ironwoman having played all 2070 minutes for the team this season.....Tasha Kai and Laura Kalmari are currently tied for the team best in goals with five each.....Sky Blue has had four different starting goalkeepers this season.

Washington Freedom - Becky Sauerbrunn's consecutive minutes streak continues at 3870 minutes in regular season matches. Rookie Nikki Marshall has also not missed a minute for the Freedom this season.....Abby Wambach has scored nine of her 12 goals at the Maryland SoccerPlex and has scored in seven of the eleven games played there this season. The Freedom host Atlanta at the SoccerPlex this weekend with a chance at a playoff berth.....The Freedom have won their last three home games and are 6-2-3 for the season at home.

Correction: Abby Wambach has actually scored in seven of the ten games played at the Maryland SoccerPlex this season. The eleventh home game to be played there will be this weekend's match against Atlanta. One other home game was played at RFK Stadium.

WPS Weekend Wrap - The Plot Thickens

The WPS season could have gone into the last weekend of the season with virtually everything decided as far as playoffs berths go, but instead things stayed interesting. So we will head into the final weekend of the season with second, third, and fourth places all up for grabs.

Chicago Red Stars 2, Washington Freedom 1

The Red Stars played one of their best matches of the season, defeating the Washington Freedom 2-1. The Freedom missed an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot, losing for the first time in six matches.

Chicago played a fairly dominating first half, controlling the tempo of the game and keeping the Freedom back on their heels. But in spite of their solid play and a nice edge in shots, the Red Stars went into halftime scoreless.

The Red Stars nearly got on the board in the opening minute of the 2nd half. A couple of bad passes by the Freedom back line gave Veronica Boquete an opportunity inside the 18. Ashlyn Harris made a great save on Boquete's blistering shot, parrying it over the net.

However, Harris could not save the Freedom in the 50th minute. From the center line, Megan Rapinoe sent a long pass to Casey Nogueira, who touched the ball to Boquete. Boquete then sent a nice through ball to Nogueira, who beat the defender and hit a low shot off the inside of the left post and into the net. Just seconds later, Boquete hit a low, hard shot that was saved by Harris.

The game was a physical affair. Abby Wambach received a shot or two from Chicago midfielder Formiga, not to mention taking one ball to the face and another to the abdomen. Formiga finally received a yellow in the latter stages of the match. Sarah Huffman received a yellow early in the 2nd half for a challenge against Rapinoe and later picked up a second yellow in the 87th minute and was sent off. Brittany Bock also received a yellow for Washington.

Chicago missed a chance to go up two in the 89th minute. Boquete again made a nice move at the six, touching a pass across to Cristiane, with first Harris then Beverly Goebel saving the Freedom from going down two. It was only for a short time, however, as Megan Rapinoe scored her first goal of the 2010 season, with the assist again going to Boquete.

Washington tried to make a comeback in the closing seconds as Beverly Goebel quickly brought it to 2-1 with her first WPS goal. But there just wasn't enough time left for the Freedom to get the equalizer in this one.

For the Red Stars, it was the first time they have put together consecutive wins since July, 2009. They move to within a point of the 4th place Freedom, but they are out of games. Washington remains in 4th place, just one point ahead of Sky Blue FC. The Freedom control their own destiny and will meet Atlanta at home next Saturday.

Sky Blue FC 0, Atlanta Beat 0

Sky Blue missed an opportunity to move in front of the Freedom into 4th place, settling for a scoreless tie against the Atlanta Beat.

Sky Blue outshot Atlanta 9-8, but Atlanta held an edge in shots on goal 5-2. Hope Solo for Atlanta and Meghann Burke for Sky Blue notched the shutouts for their teams. Carli Lloyd received a yellow card in her second consecutive match after returning from an injury that kept her sidelined for much of the season.

Atlanta moves to 5-12-6 and 21 points. Sky Blue now has 27 points, one shy of Washington with both teams having one remaining game. They will host Boston next Saturday. Sky Blue must win that game and hope from help from the Atlanta Beat to make the playoffs.

FC Gold Pride 2, Boston Breakers 0

For the fourth time this year, Gold Pride defeated the Boston Breakers, this time by a 2-0 margin. Marta and Tiffeny Milbrett scored goals early in the 2nd half to give FCGP the victory. Nicole Barnhart earned the shutout, her eighth of the season.

FC Gold Pride broke a record by stretching their unbeaten streak to 12 games. They have not lost a match since late June.

Boston missed a chance to clinch second place. They will travel to New Jersey to take on Sky Blue next Saturday. A victory will still clinch second place. If they tie or lose, it will depend on the outcome of Philadelphia's match with Gold Pride as to who finishes second and third.

Standings
1) FC Gold Pride (15-3-5, 50 pts); 2) Boston (10-8-5, 35 pts); 3) Philadelphia (10-9-4, 34 pts); 4) Washington (7-9-7, 28 pts); 5) Sky Blue FC (7-10-6, 27 pts); 5) Chicago (7-11-6, 27 pts); 7) Atlanta (5-12-6, 21 pts).

Playoff Update
FC Gold Pride has clinched 1st place and will host the final.
Boston has clinched at least 3rd place and will clinch 2nd place with a victory or a Philadelphia loss or tie.
Philadelphia has clinched at least 3rd place and can finish second with a victory and a Boston tie or loss.
Washington can clinch 4th place with a victory or a Sky Blue tie or loss.
Sky Blue FC can clinch 4th place with a victory and a Washington tie or loss.

WPS Weekend Preview - September 5

Washington Freedom (7-8-7, 28 pts) at Chicago Red Stars (6-11-6, 24 pts)
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL – September 5 (6 pm ET, 5 pm CT)

Rosters:
Washington: GK-A. Harris, M. McCray; D-C. Whitehill, B. Sauerbrunn, N. Marshall, R. Moros, K. Eveland, B. Bock, A. Asante; MF-S. Bompastor, H. Sawa, A. Long, S. Huffman, B. Goebel, J. Gilbeau; F-A. Wambach, C. Welsh.
Not Active: L. Mykjåland, B. Klein, M. Abegg, C. Miskel.

Chicago: GK-J. Loyden, A. Whitworth; D-K. Markgraf, W. Engen, M. Dalmy, N. Spilger, L. Vandenbergh, C. Shaner; MF-K. Carney, K. Chapman, Formiga, M. Rapinoe, S. Reiser; F-Cristiane, E. Masar, C. Nogueira, V. Boquete.
Not Active: J. McDonald (knee), E. Weber (hip), N. Washington (knee), E. Masar (septum).

Previous Meetings (2010):
Chicago 2 @ Washington 2
Chicago 0 @ Washington 0
Chicago 0 @ Washington 2
Washington leads the all-time series at 2-1-4.

Playoff Outlook:
Washington can clinch a playoff berth with a win combined with a Sky Blue loss or tie. They can also clinch with a tie combined with a Sky Blue loss. They can still finish in 3rd place by winning their final two matches combined with a Philadelphia loss.
Chicago has been eliminated from playoff contention.

What To Look For: This is a big match for the Freedom, who could clinch a playoff spot depending on what Sky Blue does. With only a match against Atlanta remaining, the Freedom have the inside track on the fourth and final playoff berth. Chicago has nothing to play for except pride, but they showed quite a bit in their Wednesday night victory over the Independence.

While the Freedom are playing well as a team right now, three players have stood out over the past month of play. One is the obvious choice, Abby Wambach, who has scored six goals in Washington’s last six matches. In addition to her scoring, she is also tied for the league lead in assists with eight.

The other key players are rookies Nikki Marshall and Ashlyn Harris. Marshall scored three goals in her brief tenure at forward, but it was her return to the back line which has helped spur the Freedom’s recent success. The rookie out of Colorado has shown great versatility and ability in her first WPS season. After Erin McLeod went down with injury, Harris stepped in and had a stellar month of August, giving up just two goals in five starts, one of which was an own goal.

Meanwhile, Veronica Boquete made an instant impact for the Red Stars, playing in her first match on Wednesday after finally getting her visa situation cleared up. She scored just minutes into the game and came close on another, while giving the Red Star offense a spark that they have been missing for much of the season. Good thing, too, since leading scorer Ella Masar will miss this game after surgery to her septum.

Marian Dalmy has been one of the best offensive back line players in WPS this season and she scored her first goal against Philadelphia. In what has been an up and down season for goalkeeper Jill Loyden, she is now second in WPS with six shutouts.

Washington would like to clinch a playoff berth this weekend, but would need help. Anything less than victory could put their playoff hopes in jeopardy.

Sky Blue FC (7-10-5, 26 pts) at Atlanta Beat (5-12-5, 20 pts)
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, GA – September 5 (6 pm ET)

Rosters:
Sky Blue: GK-M. Burke, S. Myers; D-C. Rampone, D. Koster, M. Schnur, K. Dowling, J. Grubb, K. Fletcher; MF-H. O’Reilly, L. Kalmari, Y. Averbuch, B. Taylor, K. White, C. Lloyd; F-Rosana, T. Kai.
Not Active: P. Panico (national team), J. Branam (knee), K.Parker, D. Johnson, A. Salem, I. Trotter.

Atlanta: GK-H. Solo, B. Maron; D-T. Ellertson, K. McNeill, L. Robinson, S. Bishop, K. Fountain; MF-A. Miyama, M. Yamaguchi, L. Chalupny, J. Rasmussen, A. Kerr, C. Blank, M. Zerboni, R. Nolin; F-M. Ocampo, R. Bachmann, A. Cinalli.
Not Active: E. Aluko (hamstring), M. Lofton-Malachi, L. Sesselmann.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Sky Blue 1 @ Atlanta 0
Atlanta 1 @ Sky Blue 0
Sky Blue 2 @ Atlanta 1

Playoff Outlook:
Sky Blue still has a chance at the fourth playoff spot, but a loss or tie could eliminate them depending on the outcome of the Washington match. Atlanta has been eliminated from playoff contention.

What To Look For: Sky Blue needs to keep winning and hope for help from someone against Washington. A Gold Pride goal in stoppage time was a blow to SBFC’s playoff hopes. Atlanta has been blown out in their last two starts, but hopes to rebound in their final home game of the season.

Sky Blue has scored more than one goal in only one of their last 11 matches. The bright side is that Tasha Kai has scored in the last two games, including a beautiful effort on Wednesday night. Patrizia Panico will be away on national team duty, but Laura Kalmari could be back from injury to give the Sky Blue offense a boost. Meghann Burke has taken over goalkeeping duties for Sky Blue following injuries to both Bardsley and Branam. Brittany Taylor, who is up for rookie of the year honors, is having a fine season.

Atlanta will be without Eniola Aluko, who has a hamstring injury. The Beat haven’t done a very good job in stopping their opponents lately, giving up 18 goals in their last six matches. With Aluko being their only consistent offensive threat, the Beat aren’t likely to outscore anyone in her absence.

The Beat have to feel a bit snakebitten in this series. In their two losses to Sky Blue, the winning goals were own goals. This is nearly a must win game for Sky Blue if they are to have a chance for a repeat of their 2009 season.

Boston Breakers (10-7-5, 35 pts) at FC Gold Pride (14-3-5, 47 pts)
Pioneer Stadium, Hayward, CA – September 5 (9 pm ET, 6 pm PT)

Rosters:
Boston: GK-A. Naeher, A. Phillips; D-A. LePeilbet, A. Scott, I. Dieke, S. Cox, K. Moore, T. Hemmings; MF-L. Tarpley, K. Lilly, J. Angeli, Fabiana, L. Bogus; F-K. Smith, L. Cheney, L. del Rio.
Not Active: S. Walsh (knee), C. Igwe, A. Lipsher, A. Marquez.

Gold Pride: GK-N. Barnhart, B. Cameron; D-R. Buehler, C. Chapman, A. Riley, K. Wilson, C. Dew, N. Cross; MF-S. Boxx, B. Edwards, K. Graczyk, K. Yokers, R. Tantillo; F-Marta, C. Sinclair, T. Milbrett, K. O’Hara, K. Bosio.
Not Active: C. Abily (national team), E. Guthrie.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Gold Pride 2 @ Boston 1
Boston 0 @ Gold Pride 1
Gold Pride 2 @ Boston 1
Gold Pride leads the all-time series at 4-1-1.

Playoff Outlook:
Gold Pride has clinched first place and home field advantage in the final.
Boston has clinched at least 3rd place and could clinch 2nd place with a victory here.

What To Look For: This will be a matchup that could be a preview of the WPS Final. Gold Pride has won all three matches this year, all by one goal margins. It is also a matchup of two of the world’s best players in Kelly Smith and Marta.

Smith leads the Breaker offense with 11 goals and 5 assists, but unlike 2009, she has a lot of help. Jordan Angeli has seven goals and Lauren Cheney has five. Add to that USWNT veterans Lindsay Tarpley and Kristine Lilly and Boston has gone from a team that had trouble scoring any goals to one of the most formidable offenses in WPS. The Breakers have now scored in 13 consecutive games. Alyssa Naeher has been reliable in goal since taking over at midseason.

Gold Pride has offense of their own starting with Marta and her 17 goals. Christine Sinclair not only has nine goals of her own, but she's become one of WPS’s best setup players with eight assists. Becky Edwards’ stoppage time goal earned a tie against Sky Blue. Rachel Buehler is having a standout season in the back and Candace Chapman has proven to be one of the better free agents signees of the past winter.

This game won’t have the intensity that a potential final between these two teams would, but it should be an interesting matchup nonetheless.

Breakers, Independence Clinch Playoff Berths

Boston Breakers 3, Atlanta Beat 1

The Breakers continued their hot streak by easily defeating Atlanta 3-1. Goals by Lindsay Tarpley, Jordan Angeli, and Kristine Lilly enabled Boston to build a 3-0 lead by early in the second half. Eniola Aluko got one back in the 64th minute, but it wasn't enough. Alyssa Naeher got the victory in goal for the Breakers.

The Breakers broke a record by scoring in their 13th consecutive game, which was previously held by Philadelphia. Boston is 9-2-1 over their last 12 games, after finishing June with just seven points total.

The victory clinched a playoff berth and at least one home game for the Breakers who now have 35 points. It also moved them into 2nd place, one point ahead of Philadelphia. They will travel to the west coast to face Gold Pride on Sunday. Atlanta will host Sky Blue in their final home game on Sunday.

Chicago Red Stars 2, Philadelphia Independence 0

Veronica Boquete made an instant impact in her first start for the Red Stars, scoring in the 4th minute to help lead Chicago to a 2-0 shutout over the Independence. Boquete had signed with the Red Stars after helping the Buffalo Flash to a W-League championship, but visa issues had kept her from playing for the Red Stars until tonight.

Marian Dalmy added a second half goal on a laser from over 25 yards out to cement the victory. Jill Loyden earned the shutout for Chicago.

Philadelphia still managed to clinch a playoff berth by virtue of Sky Blue's tie against Gold Pride, but they fell out of 2nd place. Philly still needs one point to clinch a home playoff match. This marks the first time that the expansion Independence have lost three in a row. They take the weekend off before finishing their season on the road against Gold Pride on September 11.

Sky Blue FC 1, FC Gold Pride 1

Sky Blue was just minutes away from taking this game, but a late goal by Becky Edwards scored for Gold Pride in the 90th minute forced a 1-1 draw. The goal was set up by a Camille Abily free kick.

Edwards' goal countered an absolutely beautiful effort and goal by Tasha Kai in the 72nd minute. Kai received a long ball from Heather O'Reilly into the penalty area and deftly touched the ball past a defender to give her space for a shot, which she buried from 10 yards out.

With Jen Branam out with an injury, Meghann Burke got her first start in goal for Sky Blue. Burke played a strong game and looked to be headed for the shutout before it was spoiled in the closing moments.

It was devastating blow to Sky Blue's playoff chances. They now stand two points behind the Freedom for the fourth and final playoff spot. Both teams have two games left, but Washington holds the tiebreaker. Sky Blue travels to Atlanta on Sunday, while Washington plays at Chicago.

Standings:
1) FC Gold Pride (14-3-5, 47 pts); 2) Boston (10-7-5, 35 pts); 3) Philadelphia (10-9-4, 34 pts); 4) Washington (7-8-7, 28 pts); 5) Sky Blue FC (7-10-5, 26 pts); 6) Chicago (6-11-6, 24 pts); 7) Atlanta (5-12-5, 20 pts).

FC Gold Pride has clinched the top seed.
Boston and Philadelphia have clinched playoff berths.
Atlanta and Chicago have been eliminated from playoff contention.

WPS Midweek Preview - September 1

FC Gold Pride (14-3-4, 43 pts) at Sky Blue FC (7-10-4, 25 pts)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ – September 1 (7 pm ET, 4 pm PT)

Rosters:
Gold Pride: GK-N. Barnhart, B. Cameron; D-R. Buehler, C. Chapman, A. Riley, K. Wilson, C. Dew; MF-S. Boxx, B. Edwards, C. Abily, K. Graczyk; F-Marta, C. Sinclair, T. Milbrett, K. O’Hara.
Not Active: K. Bosio, N. Cross, K. Yokers, R. Tantillo, E. Guthrie.

Sky Blue: GK-M. Burke, S. Myers; D-C. Rampone, D. Koster, M. Schnur, K. Dowling, J. Grubb, K. Fletcher; MF-H. O’Reilly, Y. Averbuch, B. Taylor, K. White, K. Parker, I. Trotter; F-Rosana, T. Kai, P. Panico.
Not Active: L. Kalmari (shin), J. Branam (knee), C. Lloyd (ankle), D. Johnson, A. Salem.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Sky Blue 1 @ Gold Pride 3
Gold Pride 1 @ Sky Blue 0
Sky Blue 2 @ Gold Pride 0
Gold Pride leads the all-time series at 3-2-1.

Playoff Outlook:
Gold Pride has clinched the first playoff berth.
Sky Blue would move into a tie for 4th place with a victory. Since Washington holds the tiebreaker between the two, a loss would be devastating.

What To Look For: Sky Blue has everything to play for in this match, while Gold Pride has very little to play for. Sky Blue is one of only two active teams to have defeated Gold Pride this season, but have lost two of the three meetings. In fact, Gold Pride’s last loss was to Sky Blue, with Tasha Kai and Rosana scoring the goals in the 2-0 shutout. Gold Pride is unbeaten in their last ten matches, just one shy of a record set by Los Angeles in 2009.

With Jen Branam listed as out, Meghann Burke could well get the start in goal for Sky Blue. New Jersey fans have to hope that Gold Pride wore themselves out while scoring six goals against Atlanta on Saturday. Kai scored her first goal in two months against Washington over the weekend.

Marta leads WPS in goals scored with 17. Five different players scored in the match against Atlanta on Saturday. A goal by Christine Sinclair would give Gold Pride the first pair of double-digit goal scorers in WPS history. It will be interesting to see if Albertin Montoya chooses to start Brittany Cameron and rests Nicole Barnhart for a second straight game.

This will be the last road match of the year for Gold Pride, who have already clinched home field advantage for the final. Could they be looking past this match? Can Sky Blue regain the magic that got them into the 2009 playoffs?

Boston Breakers (9-7-5, 32 pts) at Atlanta Beat (5-11-5, 25 pts)
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, GA – September 1 (7:30 pm ET)

Rosters:
Boston: GK-A. Naeher, A. Phillips; D-A. LePeilbet, A. Scott, I. Dieke, S. Cox, K. Moore, T. Hemmings; MF-L. Tarpley, K. Lilly, J. Angeli, Fabiana, L. Bogus; F-K. Smith, L. Cheney, L. Del Rio.
Not Active: S. Walsh (knee), C. Igwe, A. Lipsher, A. Marquez.

Atlanta: GK-H. Solo, B. Maron; D-T. Ellertson, K. McNeill, L. Robinson, S. Bishop, K. Fountain; MF-A. Miyama, M. Yamaguchi, L. Chalupny, J. Rasmussen, A. Kerr, C. Blank, M. Zerboni, R. Nolin; F-M. Ocampo, E. Aluko, A. Cinalli.
Not Active: R. Bachmann (back), M. Lofton-Malachi, L. Sesselmann.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Atlanta 1 @ Boston 3
Atlanta 0 @ Boston 2
Atlanta 3 @ Boston 2

Playoff Outlook:
Boston can clinch a playoff berth with a victory or a Sky Blue loss. The Breakers control their own destiny for 2nd place and will capture that berth if they win their remaining three matches.
Atlanta must win out to have any chance at a playoff berth and will be eliminated if they tie or lose this one.

What To Look For: Boston has won two of the three in the series this year with the loss coming when they were without Kelly Smith. In that match, the Beat built a 3-0 lead and hung on for the 3-2 victory. That is Boston’s only loss in their last seven matches. The Breakers could break the record for most consecutive games scoring a goal. They are presently tied at 12 with Philadelphia who set the record earlier this season. Atlanta will be attempting to recover from a terrible 6-1 loss at home to Gold Pride. This is the first trip for the Breakers to Atlanta.

Atlanta will be looking to score in their fifth consecutive match, which would be their best streak, but they haven’t come close to stopping their opponents lately. They’ve given up 15 goals in their last five matches and one loses count of the number of uncontested breakaways they have given up. Eniola Aluko has eight goals this season (for the second consecutive week she was given credit for a goal, only to have it awarded to another player based on review).

Boston took advantage of a penalty to improve their chances for 2nd place against Philadelphia. Seven different players have scored in the last three matches for the Breakers, including Smith, Cox, Lilly, del Rio, Angeli, Cheney, and Tarpley (who has scored two over that time). Smith leads the Breakers with 11 goals.

Atlanta must be better organized than they were in Saturday’s debacle if they are to win here. Boston is certainly one of the hottest teams in the league at this point. The Breakers would like to seal a playoff berth on Wednesday.

Philadelphia Independence (10-8-4, 34 pts) at Chicago Red Stars (5-11-6, 21 pts)
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL – September 1 (8 pm ET, 7 pm CT)

Rosters:
Philadelphia: GK-K. LeBlanc, V. Henderson; D-A. Falk, N. Krzysik, H. Magnusdottir, S. Larsson, E. Johnson, K. Henderson; MF-L. Lindsey, C. Seger, T. DiMartino, J. Lohman, J.Buczkowski; F-A. Rodriguez, L. Sanderson, D. Adams.
Not Active: H. Mitts (concussion), L. Patterson, K. Reynolds, S. Senty, G. DiMartino, R. Jones.

Chicago: GK-J. Loyden, A. Whitworth; D-K. Markgraf, W. Engen, M. Dalmy, N. Spilger, L. Vandenbergh, C. Shaner; MF-K. Carney, K. Chapman, Formiga, M. Rapinoe, N. Washington, S. Reiser; F-Cristiane, E. Masar, C. Nogueira, V. Boquete.
Not Active: J. McDonald (knee), E. Weber (hip).

Previous Meetings (2010):
Philadelphia 1 @ Chicago 0
Chicago 0 @ Philadelphia 3
Philadelphia 2 @ Chicago 1

Playoff Outlook:
Philadelphia needs a point to clinch a playoff berth and home field advantage for at least one match in the playoffs. They no longer control their own destiny for the 2nd position.
Chicago has been eliminated from playoff contention.

What To Look For: Philadelphia has won the three previous meetings in this series and has outscored the Red Stars 6-1 in the process. Chicago has lost three straight games five different times in their history, but have never lost four in a row and hope to avoid doing that on Wednesday.

The Independence has been playing a lot of close games, with their last four being decided by one goal. Amy Rodriguez remains the league’s second leading scorer with 12 goals. Philadelphia is tied for the fewest number of shutouts over their opponents, so they usually win with offense.

Chicago is playing for pride, now that there is no chance for a playoff berth. However, it is an important time for the club to make evaluations about offseason personnel decisions. Ella Masar has had a stellar season for the Red Stars with 8 goals and Whitney Engen has proven a fine rookie defender.

These two teams lead the league in fouls committed and the next team isn’t even close, so one would expect a fairly physical match here. The Independence do not want to go into their final match at FC Gold Pride needing points to make the playoffs.

WPS Midweek Notes - August 25

Aluko Wins Player of the Week

Atlanta forward Eniola Aluko has won the WPS Player of the Week for the second time this year and the third time in her career. Aluko scored the third goal in Atlanta’s 3-2 victory over the Boston Breakers. Aluko’s goal was her eighth of the season. She had earlier been credited with the second goal of the game, but after review it was awarded to Aya Miyama.

Aluko became the second player of the Atlanta Beat to win the honor. Hope Solo was Player of the Week in Week 16. Aluko also became the third player to win the honor more than once in 2010. Both Amy Rodriguez and Marta have won three times each during the season.

Playoff Update

Now that FC Gold Pride has secured the first seed in the approaching WPS playoffs, the battle continues for the other three berths.

Philadelphia has the inside track for the second seed. They are presently five points clear of the 3rd place Boston Breakers, who they will host on Sunday. A victory over the Breakers would come close to locking up second place, but a loss means they will no longer control their own destiny as far as that position goes. The Independence are still lacking a point of clinching a playoff berth.

Boston’s margin over Washington and Sky Blue shrunk to four points last weekend. A loss this weekend to Philly and they will likely have one of those two teams breathing down their necks as the Freedom and SBFC face one another this week as well.

The Sky Blue/Washington match in Maryland will probably go a long way in deciding the fourth and final playoff berth. Sky Blue has a game in hand, so a victory would put them in a very strong position.

Chicago would need a near miracle to make the playoffs. Only a Washington/Sky Blue tie would keep them alive. Atlanta, with four games remaining still clings to some hope. They have matches left against both Washington and Sky Blue, two matches that they must win to have a chance. The Beat’s remaining schedule is challenging, so gaining a playoff position will not be easy.

Around the League

Atlanta Beat – Eniola Aluko and Johanna Rasmussen are now tied for the team lead in goals with four apiece…..Playing in her 38th career match, Aya Miyama scored her first career WPS goal on Saturday against Boston…..Former Athletica players have now scored exactly half of the Beat’s goals for 2010.

Boston Breakers – Kelly Smith is one of only four players to have scored ten goals in a WPS season…..Lindsay Tarpley has scored goals with three different franchises…..Boston has now scored in 11 consecutive games, just one shy of the record set earlier this season by Philadelphia. The Breakers will attempt to tie the record against the Independence on Sunday.

Chicago Red Stars – With her two goals on Sunday, Ella Masar broke the Red Stars’ single season scoring mark with eight goals. Cristiane scored seven in the 2009 season…..With just two matches remaining, Chicago defender Marian Dalmy has played every minute of the 2010 season. Caroline Jönsson played every minute of the 2009 season for the Red Stars…..Sunday marked only the second time in team history that Chicago had scored two or more goals and lost. The other time was last August against Washington.

FC Gold Pride – Marta now has 25 career goals in WPS, seven more than the Abby Wambach who has the next highest total…..Nicole Barnhart’s seven shutouts lead WPS in that category…..With a 13-3-4 record and 43 points, Gold Pride eclipsed the Los Angeles Sol’s 20-game total of 41 points in the 2009 season.

Philadelphia Independence – Joanna Lohman is the only Independence player to have appeared in all 21 matches for the Independence…..Philadelphia has three players with five or more assists, Lori Lindsey, Amy Rodriguez, and Caroline Seger…..Three of the six players to have received red cards this season are Independence players.

Sky Blue FC – Yael Averbuch’s blistering volley, certainly one of the best strikes of the season, proved to be her first WPS goal on Sunday…..Jen Branam’s shutout against Philadelphia was her first since the 2009 WPS Championship Game…..Sky Blue became only the second team to defeat both Gold Pride and Philadelphia this season. The now defunct Saint Louis Athletica accomplished that feat in early May.

Washington Freedom – With just three games left in the 2010 regular season, Abby Wambach is just two assists shy of becoming the first player to record double digit goals and assists in the same WPS season…..In her past four matches, goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris has surrendered just one goal, that being an own goal…..After a five game losing streak and a 10-game winless streak, Washington is now unbeaten in their last four matches.

FC Gold Pride Clinches Regular Season Title

Marta battles Katie Chapman and Lydia Vandenbergh for the ball in 1st half action. Marta scored two goals, including the game winner on a penalty kick, giving her 15 goals on the season. The match was played before over 6,000 fans at Toyota Park.

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It didn't come easy, but FC Gold Pride sewed up the WPS regular season title with a 3-2 win over the Chicago Red Stars. The victory completes a worst to first story for Gold Pride, who will now host the WPS Championship presented by Citi on September 26.

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The match was very competitive from the onset, with Gold Pride striking first. In the 8th minute, Rachel Buehler sent a long ball up the left side that speedy Ali Riley was able to run onto. Riley then dribbled straight at goalkeeper Jill Loyden, before touching a centering pass to a charging Marta who knocked it home. It was Gold Pride's first goal in four matches.

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Chicago equalized in the 18th minute. Formiga sent a ball to the left wing to Casey Nogueira, who crossed the ball into the six yard box. On what was a 50-50 ball, FCGP keeper Nicole Barnhart and Red Star striker Ella Masar collided with Masar knocking the ball just behind Barnhart and barely over the line for a goal.

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Gold Pride answered before the break on a corner kick. Tiffeny Milbrett's corner from the left side found Buehler in the box, who flicked a header between Loyden and a Chicago defender and into the goal to make it 2-1. It was Buehler's first goal of the season.

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Ella Masar brought the game even again in the 2nd half on a play that started with a fine effort by Formiga. The Brazilian midfielder stepped in front of a clearing pass and played the ball through to Marian Dalmy on the right side of the box. Dalmy was able to cross it perfectly to Masar, who was unmarked in front of the net. For Masar, it was her 8th goal this season.

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Just seconds afterward, Christine Sinclair broke in one-on-one against Loyden. Sinclair was able to dribble past Loyden, but defender Lydia Vandenbergh hustled back to block Sinclair's shot and save a goal.

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Fate would not be kind to the Red Stars on this day, however, as a penalty was called in the 78th minute. Rachel Buehler sent a free kick into the box for Gold Pride, with both Carrie Dew and Natalie Spilger going up to head the ball. Both missed the header, but the ball hit Spilger's outstretched arm after it passed over their heads at the very edge of the box. Marta easily buried the penalty, which turned out to be the winning goal.

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The combination of Gold Pride's victory and Philadelphia's loss gives FCGP a nine point lead and since Gold Pride has clinched the tiebreaker over the Independence, it means Gold Pride has won the regular season title. They are now 13-3-4 with 43 points. They will travel to Atlanta next week to play the Beat.

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Meanwhile, the loss has all but eliminated the Red Stars from playoff contention. The Red Stars now trail Washington and New Jersey by four points with just two games remaining. Sky Blue and the Freedom will play each other next weekend, meaning at least one if not both, will get additional points. Chicago is now 5-11-6 with 21 points.

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Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the class and hospitality that the Red Star organization has shown yours truly in my three trips to Toyota Park this season. My thanks to the Red Star organization and their fans for all they have done.

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Sky Blue FC 1, Philadelphia 0

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For the first time this year, Sky Blue was able to solve the Independence, winning a crucial match 1-0. The victory enabled Sky Blue to keep pace with the Washington Freedom in the battle for 4th place. Philadelphia was unable to take advantage of the opportunity to secure a playoff berth and must wait one more week.

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After a scoreless first half, which was temporarily halted by a rather lengthy rain delay, Sky Blue was able to get the game's only goal in the 68th minute. Yael Averbuch buried a Heather O'Reilly pass for her first goal of the season. Jen Branam recorded the shutout for Sky Blue.

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The victory puts Sky Blue at 7-9-4, tied with the Freedom at 25 points. The two teams will meet in Maryland next Saturday. Philadelphia dropped to 10-7-4, good for 34 points, still good for 2nd place. They will host Boston next Sunday.

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Standings:

1) FC Gold Pride (13-3-4, 43 pts); 2) Philadelphia (10-7-4, 34 pts); 3) Boston (8-7-5, 29 pts); 4) Sky Blue FC (7-9-4, 25 pts); 4) Washington (6-8-7, 25 pts); 6) Chicago (5-11-6, 21 pts); 7) Atlanta (5-10-5, 20 pts).

WPS Weekend Preview - August 21 and 22

Atlanta Beat (4-10-5, 17 pts) at Boston Breakers (8-6-5, 29 pts)
Veteran Memorial Stadium, New Britain, CT – August 21 (5 pm ET)

Rosters:
Atlanta: GK-H. Solo, B. Maron; D-T. Ellertson, K. McNeill, L. Robinson, S. Bishop, K. Fountain; MF-A. Miyama, M. Yamaguchi, L. Chalupny, A. Kerr, C. Blank, M. Zerboni; F-M. Ocampo, E. Aluko, R. Bachmann.
Not Active: J. Rasmussen (national team), A. Cinalli, R. Nolin, L. Sesselmann, M. Lofton-Malachi.

Boston: GK-A. Naeher, A. Phillips, A. Lipsher; D-A. LePeilbet, S. Cox, K. Moore, C. Igwe, T. Hemmings; MF-L. Tarpley, K. Lilly, J. Angeli, Fabiana, L. Bogus, A. Marquez; F-L. Cheney, L. Del Rio, S. Walsh.
Not Active: I. Dieke (national team), A. Scott (national team), K. Smith (national team), L. Osborne (season-ending injury).

Previous Meetings (2010):
Atlanta 1 @ Boston 3
Atlanta 0 @ Boston 2

What To Look For: Hopefully when these two teams meet on Saturday, all of the news will be restricted to the field of play, unlike the match earlier in the month. Boston could take a huge step toward clinching a playoff berth with a victory, while Atlanta is in nearly a must win situation to keep their hopes alive.

This will be the third consecutive time Atlanta travels to Boston, although the venue will be different this time. The Breakers’ final regular season home match is being played in New Britain, Connecticut and the Beat are hoping that the change in scenery will change the final results. Atlanta had lost the previous two meetings at Harvard Stadium, both by two goal margins.

As with all WPS matches this weekend, several players will be missing on national team duty. For Atlanta, midfielder Johanna Rasmussen will be playing for Denmark. Boston will be missing three key starters in Kelly Smith, Alex Scott, and Ifeoma Dieke. Additionally, Leslie Osborne suffered a season ending injury in her last match, making four starters missing for the Breakers.

The Beat have given up seven goals in their past three matches and that simply has to change if they are going to make any progress toward the playoffs. They gave a first minute goal in their last meeting with Boston, followed by an own goal in their next match, and finally, inexcusably blowing a two goal lead against the Independence. Hope Solo and the Atlanta defense must play like there is no tomorrow.

The biggest thing Atlanta has going for them is the absence of Smith, who has scored three of the Breakers’ five goals against the Beat. That will mean a forward pairing of Lauren Cheney, who has scored in three of her last four matches, and Laura del Rio, who got her first of the season last weekend against Sky Blue. Boston’s midfield can provide offense as well with Jordan Angeli (six goals), Lindsey Tarpley, and Kristine Lilly.

Defensively, the Breakers will miss Dieke, Scott, and Osborne. They lose quite a bit of speed and experience without that trio. In spite of their spectacular run over the past ten matches, Boston has only four shutouts this season, although goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher does have two in her last three matches.

Interestingly, there is a conflict of information regarding Eniola Aluko’s availability for Saturday night’s match. The Atlanta press release has her as a starter and WPS does not list her as inactive on their roster report. She had supposedly been called up by England for today's match. However, she isn't listed in their lineup, so perhaps she will be in New Britain today.

With four road matches left, Boston can move to within an eyelash of clinching a playoff spot on Saturday. Atlanta is looking to stay alive in what should be a hotly contested contest, even considering the missing players.

Philadelphia Independence (10-6-4, 34 pts) at Sky Blue FC (6-9-4, 22 pts)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ – August 22 (4 pm ET)

Rosters:
Philadelphia: GK-K. LeBlanc, V. Henderson; D-A. Falk, N. Krzysik, H. Mitts, E. Johnson, S. Senty; MF-L. Lindsey, T. DiMartino, J. Lohman, J.Buczkowski; F-A. Rodriguez, L. Sanderson, L. Patterson, D. Adams.
Not Active: S. Larsson (national team), H. Magnusdottir (national team), C. Seger (national team), G. DiMartino, R. Jones.

Sky Blue: GK-J. Branam, M. Burke; D-C. Rampone, M. Schnur, K. Dowling, K. Fletcher, D. Johnson; MF-H. O’Reilly, Y. Averbuch, L. Kalmari, B. Taylor, K. White, K. Parker, I. Trotter, A. Salem; F-Rosana, T. Kai, P. Panico.
Not Active: D. Koster (national team), C. Lloyd (ankle), S. Myers, K. Schoepfer.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Sky Blue FC 1 @ Philadelphia 2
Philadelphia 4 @ Sky Blue FC 1
Sky Blue FC 1 @ Philadelphia 4

What To Look For: Sky Blue have taken quite the beating in the series between these two teams, losing all three by a composite 10-3 score. They will have to do better on Sunday if they are to keep pace with the Washington Freedom in the standings. Meanwhile, Philadelphia will clinch a playoff berth with at least a tie, among other potential scenarios.

The visiting Independence will be missing several key players for this match including Caroline Seger, Frida Magnusdottir, and Sara Larsson. They will certainly miss Seger’s control in the midfield and Magnusdottir’s fierce competitiveness and speed. However, Philly will be facing one of the weaker offensive teams in the league.

Sky Blue have scored just five goals in their last eight matches. Of those five goals, two were scored by Brittany Taylor, one by Laura Kalmari, and two by the opposing team. The forward trio of Kai, Rosana, and Panico, plus USWNT midfield mainstay Heather O'Reilly, don’t have a goal since June. It will be interesting to see if Coach Rick Stainton might insert Kelly Parker into the match to shake things up a bit.

Christie Rampone and the Sky Blue back line must show the tenacious fortitude that we saw in the 2009 campaign if the woman from New Jersey are to win this one. This isn’t your 2009 Sky Blue team, one that made a habit of gutting out low scoring matches to fight their way to the championship.

In spite of generally solid goalkeeping from Bardsley, Branam, and Luckenbill, New Jersey has been shreaded repeatedly for multiple goals. Eight times in 2010, Sky Blue has given up two or more goals. It happened just five times in 23 matches last season, including the playoffs.

Amy Rodriguez has simply terrorized SBFC with four goals and two assists in the three matches. Joanna Lohman has done well against Sky Blue with two goals. Even without Seger, Philadelphia’s speed and firepower should give Sky Blue plenty of trouble. One wonders whether the experienced, but not particularly fast, Sky Blue back line can stop them.

Sunday could be a day of celebration for the Independence, clinching a playoff berth in their inaugural season. Sky Blue needs a victory to bring themselves back level with the Washington Freedom, who they will meet in a 4th place showdown next Saturday.

FC Gold Pride (12-3-4, 40 pts) at Chicago Red Stars (5-10-6, 21 pts)
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL – August 22 (6 pm ET, 5 pm CT, 3 pm PT)

Rosters:
Gold Pride: GK-N. Barnhart, B. Cameron; D-R. Buehler, C. Chapman, A. Riley, K. Wilson, C. Dew; MF-S. Boxx, B. Edwards, T. Milbrett, K. Graczyk; F-Marta, C. Sinclair, K. O’Hara, K. Bosio.
Not Active: C. Abily (national team), N. Cross, K. Yokers, R. Tantillo, E. Guthrie.

Chicago: GK-J. Loyden, A. Whitworth; D-W. Engen, M. Dalmy, N. Spilger, L. Vandenbergh, C. Shaner; MF-Formiga, M. Rapinoe, N. Washington, S. Reiser; F-Cristiane, E. Masar, C. Nogueira, J. McDonald.
Not Active: K. Markgraf (concussion), K. Carney (national team), K. Chapman (national team), V. Boquete, E. Weber.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Chicago 0 @ FC Gold Pride 2
FC Gold Pride 0 @ Chicago 1
Chicago 0 @ FC Gold Pride 0
The all-time series is even at 2-2-2.

What To Look For: You might think this would be a one-sided series, given that FC Gold Pride is in 1st place and Chicago is in 6th place, not to mention the 19 point spread between the two. However, this matchup has been highly competitive, with Chicago earning four points against Gold Pride, more than any other FCGP opponent.

Due to injuries and call ups, both teams will be shorthanded. Gold Pride will be missing French midfielder Camille Abily, away on national team duty. The Red Stars are missing Kate Markgraf due to a concussion and Julianne Sitch, who suffered a season-ending injury, as well Karen Carney and Katie Chapman who are with the English National Team.

So what happened to all of Gold Pride’s scoring? After averaging three goals a game in a five-game stretch in July, they have been held to scoreless ties three times in a row and not exactly by the league’s most vaunted defensive units. With the playoffs rapidly approaching, it’s time for Marta, Sinclair, O’Hara, and company to show some spark. Marta still leads the league in scoring, but Amy Rodriguez has moved right behind her.

Chicago goes into this game without its captain in Kate Markgraf. While they played tough through one half against the Freedom on Thursday night, they eventually fell 2-0 in a game they needed desperately. Now, with their backs against the wall, they face potentially the most dangerous offense in WPS. One thing they have going for them is the knowledge that they’ve shut out Gold Pride twice earlier in the season.

Offensively, Chicago just continues to struggle. They have now been blanked 22 times in 41 matches over their history. Ella Masar has been the star of this Red Star offense with six goals, but there has been very little from other sources.

Gold Pride has been sharp defensively, with three consecutive shutouts. Nicole Barnhart leads the league in that category and she has a sturdy group in front of her. A couple of rookies, Ali Riley and Becky Edwards, have improved this unit greatly from the 2009 version. With returning defender Rachel Buehler, the return of Kandace Wilson from her 2009 injury, the free agent signing of Candace Chapman, and the addition of Shannon Boxx, they might possibly be the best defense in WPS.

Gold Pride is looking to clinch home field advantage in the final and to regain their offensive form of earlier in the season. In all probability, Chicago will need to win their last three matches to have a chance at the playoffs. Given the fact that they have never even scored in three consecutive games (ever!!!), that could prove to be quite a monumental task.

Wambach and Whitehill Help Washington Get W

Abby Wambach and Cat Whitehill scored second half goals to lead the Washington Freedom to a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Red Stars. The win pushes the Freedom into 4th place, three points ahead of Sky Blue FC.

After a scoreless first half in which Freedom goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris made some nice saves, Wambach broke the ice in the 49th minute on a shot from the top of the box which beat Chicago keeper Jill Loyden. The goal was Wambach's tenth of the season.

Washington scored their second goal just minutes later as Whitehill headed home a goal off from a corner kick. Ashlyn Harris posted the shutout for the Freedom, her third in four matches.

Chicago was playing without three starters, Kate Markgraf who is injured, and Karen Carney and Katie Chapman who are with the English National Team. In addition, Jessica McDonald went down early in this match with an injury. Washington was without Sonia Bompastor who is away with the French National Team.

Both teams are now down to three games left, two less than most other teams in the league. Chicago, now in dire need to win out, will host FC Gold Pride on Sunday. Washington is idle this weekend and will return to action the following weekend against Sky Blue in what will be a battle for 4th place.

Chicago at Washington - WPS Thursday Night

Chicago Red Stars (5-9-6, 21 pts) at Washington Freedom (5-8-7, 22 pts)
Maryland SoccerPlex, Boyds, MD – August 19 (7:30 pm ET, 6:30 pm CT)

Rosters:
Chicago: GK-J. Loyden, A. Whitworth; D-W. Engen, M. Dalmy, N. Spilger, L. Vandenbergh, C. Shaner; MF-Formiga, M. Rapinoe, N. Washington, S. Reiser; F-Cristiane, E. Masar, C. Nogueira, V. Boquete, J. McDonald.
Not Active: K. Markgraf (concussion), K. Carney (National team), K. Chapman (National Team), J. Sitch (season-ending injury), E. Weber.

Washington: GK-A. Harris, M. McCray; D-C. Whitehill, B. Sauerbrunn, N. Marshall, R. Moros, K. Eveland, B. Bock, A. Asante; MF-H. Sawa, A. Long, S. Huffman, B. Goebel, B. Klein, J. Gilbeau; F-A. Wambach, L. Mykjåland, C. Welsh.
Not Active: S. Bompastor (National team), M. Abegg, C. Miskel.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Chicago 2 @ Washington 2
Chicago 0 @ Washington 0
The all-time series is even at 1-1-4.

What To Look For: Due to a quirk in the schedule caused by Athletica’s demise, Chicago is traveling to Washington for the third time this season, while the Red Stars have yet to host the Freedom. This series is as close as one can get. Over two years, each team has won once and there have been four ties. The composite goals scored are even at 7-7. In the only two meetings this season, the games ended in a draw. And as of this moment, only one point separates the two in the standings. With so few games left, both teams need this game badly.

The Red Stars head to the SoccerPlex heavily short-handed. Kate Markgraf is suffering from a concussion and will most likely not be active. Half of their starting midfield, Karen Carney and Katie Chapman, are away on national team duty. With Julianne Sitch and Elise Weber out as well, the Red Stars brought in defender Christie Shaner as a developmental player to shore up their depleted defensive corps.

For Chicago to win, Jill Loyden will have to have a solid game in goal and Whitney Engen becomes the key to the Red Star defense in Markgraf’s absence. Loyden has five shutouts for the season, but hasn’t been nearly as strong in the second half of the season. The Red Stars will have to find a way to stop Abby Wambach, who has scored four of the Freedom’s seven goals against Chicago in the six times they’ve met.

Wambach is the key to the Freedom’s offense. In their five wins, she has five goals and five assists. That means she has played a part in 10 of Washington’s 12 goals scored in their victories. The Freedom will not be missing as many players as the Red Stars, but one player they will miss dearly is Sonia Bompastor, who will be away on national team duty. However, Homare Sawa has proven that she can score from the middle when an opportunity presents itself.

Defensively, the Freedom have been playing much better recently. The improvement seems to have coincided with Nikki Marshall’s return to the back line. Marshall has proven to be a valuable player for the Freedom, scoring three goals in her brief stint as a forward and playing well on defense. Another player that has been coming on as of late is goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, who is just an own goal away from having three consecutive shutouts.

Chicago has been offense by committee this season, with four forwards bearing most of the scoring load. Ella Masar leads the Red Stars with six goals, but Cristiane has had the most success against the Freedom scoring three times over six matches. With Carney out, the Red Stars will have to rely heavily on Megan Rapinoe to attack from the midfield. Rapinoe has been limited to no goals and two assists this season. Marian Dalmy provides an offensive threat from the back line.

To be honest, neither team can afford a loss here. Sky Blue will have two games in hand against both teams following this match. The clock is ticking on both the Red Stars and the Freedom. The winner’s chance at a playoff spot will be greatly improved, while the loser will have quite the uphill battle.

The WPS Playoff Picture

We're coming down to the wire for the WPS regular season and while Gold Pride has clinched a berth and Philadelphia is nearly there, there is much to be decided before the season is finished. Right now, I'm thinking it will take 29 or 30 points to make the playoffs (4th place). Here is a summary of the 2010 WPS playoff picture.

FC Gold Pride
Record: 12-3-4, 40 points.
Remaining Schedule: 8/22 at CRS; 8/28 at Atl; 9/1 at SBFC; 9/5 vs. BOS; 9/11 vs. PHI.

Outlook: They should be able to clinch home field in the final soon, although Philadelphia continues to keep the pressure on. They have a six point cushion over the 2nd place Independence and a game in hand. Six points in their last five matches would be enough to clinch it. However, if Philly is able to close the gap, these two teams will play in the final regular season game.

Certainly, there is some cause for concern in three consecutive scoreless ties. With all the travel they have had to do, are they starting to wear down? They have remaining trips to Chicago, Atlanta, and New Jersey, which should give us a better idea. I still like them as the odds on favorite to win it all.

Philadelphia Independence
Record: 10-6-4, 34 points.
Remaining Schedule: 8/22 at SBFC; 8/29 vs. BOS; 9/1 at CRS; 9/11 at FCGP.

Outlook: A playoff berth is all but sealed and they still have an outside shot at the first seed. However, they have to worry about a red hot Boston team and three of their remaining four games are on the road. Their lone remaining home match is against the Breakers, which could be the key.

Philadelphia has been extremely consistent, losing two in a row only once during the season. They have dominated two of their remaining opponents, Chicago and Sky Blue, going a perfect 6-0 against the two (and outscoring them by an aggregate 16-4). I still think they should be able to hold on for the second seed, but Boston has a game in hand, so the head-to-head battle between the two on August 29 could decide 2nd place.

Boston Breakers
Record: 8-6-5, 29 points.
Remaining Schedule: 8/21 vs. ATL; 8/29 at Phi; 9/1 at Atl; 9/5 at FCGP; 9/11 at SBFC.

Outlook: They've now put some distance between themselves and the bottom four teams, and could clinch a playoff spot this weekeed if things fall right. However, the rest of their schedule is away from Harvard Stadium, with the only home match being played at New Britain, Connecticut.

With a 7-1-1 record over their last nine matches, they are the league's hottest team, bar none. They remind me very much of the Athletica team that came out of nowhere last season to finish second, except the Breakers have a better offense. But that Athletica team fell flat in their playoff match and the season-ending injury to Leslie Osborne, a very important factor in the Breakers' resurgence, was a harsh blow. I see them finishing third, but I think their remaining schedule with four road games to finish will prevent them from moving into 2nd place.

Sky Blue FC
Record: 6-9-4, 22 points.
Remaining Schedule: 8/22 vs PHI; 8/28 at Was; 9/1 vs. FCGP; 9/5 at Atl; 9/11 vs. BOS.

Outlook: In spite of their injuries and their lackluster play (1-5-1 over their last seven), Sky Blue is in position to squeeze into the playoffs much as they did last season. They are in a 4th place tie with the Freedom and have a game in hand. They also have three of their remaining five at home, but those three are tough matches against the teams ahead of them in the standings.

Sky Blue is a team that seems to do what it needs to do. Judging from last season, one has to think that they will find a way to make the playoffs. The addition of Kelly Parker might provide them with a spark. But Washington has the easier schedule of the two, so mark this one on your calendars, Sky Blue at Washington on August 28. It may ultimately decide the fourth and final playoff berth.

Washington Freedom
Record: 5-8-7, 22 points.
Remaining Schedule: 8/19 vs. CRS; 8/28 vs. SBFC; 9/5 at CRS; 9/11 vs. ATL.

Outlook: They are giving a game in hand to Sky Blue, but they have a much easier schedule, with all four games against teams even or below them on the table. Three of the remaining four are at home and momentum has swung their way over the past two weeks with a win and two tough road draws.

After floundering for two months (0-6-4 in June and July), they are still in reasonably good position to capture 4th place, but they have to take care of business. The Sky Blue match is a big one, but they can't overlook Chicago either. The Freedom/Red Stars series is dead even over two years with each team winning once and four ties. Right now, I think I might give the Freedom a slight edge over Sky Blue because of their schedule, but the head-to-head between the two may very well decide it.

Chicago Red Stars
Record: 5-9-6, 21 points.
Remaining Schedule: 8/19 at Was; 8/22 vs. FCGP; 9/1 vs. PHI; 9/5 vs. WAS.

Outlook: They are just one point behind Sky Blue and Washington, but have one less game to play than Sky Blue and a tougher schedule than the Freedom. However, a victory over Washington on the road could give them momentum and their final three are at home, albeit against tough opponents.

Every time I think that the Red Stars have righted their ship, they spring a new leak. After defeating Sky Blue two weeks ago and then earning a hard fought road tie at FCGP, they lost to Philadelphia at home. The time is now for the Red Stars. They play two of their remaining four matches this week, which will give them lots of time to rest and watch everyone else down the wire. I just can't see them making it at this point.

Atlanta Beat
Record: 4-10-5, 17 points.
Remaining Schedule: 8/21 at Bos; 8/28 vs. FCGP; 9/1 vs. BOS; 9/5 vs. SBFC; 9/11 at Was.

Outlook: They played themselves into contention in July, but now have all but played themselves out of contention in August. The last two matches were killers, losing on an own goal and then blowing a two goal lead against Philadelphia. Three of their remaining five are at home, but the schedule is extremely tough. I'm guessing they would need to win four of their last five to even have a chance and I just don't see that happening.

Philadelphia Moves Closer to a Playoff Spot

Philadelphia Independence 2, Chicago Red Stars 1

The Philadelphia Independence moved closer to clinching a playoff spot with a 2-1 road victory at Toyota Park. A Lianne Sanderson free kick from 22 yards slipped past Jill Loyden into the lower right corner of the net in the 78th minute to give the Independence the victory.

After a scoreless first half, Amy Rodriguez gave the Independence the lead in the 53rd minute, but Ella Masar answered 10 minutes later, heading in a cross by Casey Nogueira. Karina LeBlanc gained the victory in goal.

The game saw four different Red Stars earning yellow cards...Formiga, Megan Rapinoe, Natalie Spilger, and Katie Chapman. Chicago outshot Philadelphia by a 9 to 5 margin.

Both Julianne Sitch and Kate Markgraf had to leave the game because of injuries. The seriousness of those injuries is not known at this time.

Philadelphia moved to 31 points in 2nd place, five points clear of 3rd place Boston. They will entertain the Atlanta Beat at John A. Ferrell Stadium on Sunday. A victory over Atlanta combined with a Washington Freedom loss at Gold Pride would put Philadelphia in the playoffs.

Chicago remains at 21 points and now tied for 5th place with the Washington Freedom. They return to action next Thursday against the Freedom on the road.

Sky Blue FC 1, Washington Freedom 1

Late pressure and a Freedom own goal enabled Sky Blue to tie Washington 1-1 in a match played at Yurcak Field. The tie moved the New Jersey side into sole possession of 4th place. Washington remains a point behind Sky Blue.

The Freedom opened the scoring in the 65th minute on a goal by Sonia Bompastor. However, a Sky Blue offensive opportunity turned into an own goal when Freedom defender Cat Whitehill misdirected a ball past keeper Ashlyn Harris to tie the match. Sky Blue continued to pressure the Freedom, but were unable to break the tie in the closing minutes. Sky Blue outshot Washington by 13-7.

Washington travels to the opposite coast to take on league leading Gold Pride on Saturday. Sky Blue will play the Breakers at Harvard Stadium on Sunday.

Standings:
1) FC Gold Pride (12-3-3, 39 pts); 2) Philadelphia (9-6-4, 31 pts); 3) Boston (7-6-5, 26 pts); 4) Sky Blue FC (6-8-4, 22 pts); 5) Washington (5-8-6, 21 pts); 5) Chicago (5-9-6, 21 pts); 7) Atlanta (4-9-5, 17 pts).

WPS Midweek Preview - August 11

Three of the four teams battling for the fourth and final playoff berth will be in action on Wednesday. There’s only a month left in the season and every point counts.

Washington Freedom (5-8-5, 20 pts) at Sky Blue FC (6-8-3, 21 pts)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ – August 11 (7 pm ET)

Rosters:
Washington: GK-A. Harris, M. McCray; D-C. Whitehill, B. Sauerbrunn, R. Moros, N. Marshall, K. Eveland; MF-S. Bompastor, H. Sawa, A. Long, S. Huffman, B. Goebel, J. Gilbeau; F-A. Wambach, L. Mykjåland, C. Welsh.
Not Active: B. Bock (illness), M. Abegg, J. Gilbeau, C. Miskel, B. Klein.

Sky Blue: GK-J. Branam, S. Myers; D-C. Rampone, D. Koster, M. Schnur, K. Dowling, K. Fletcher, D. Johnson; MF-H. O’Reilly, Y. Averbuch, L. Kalmari, B. Taylor, K. White, I. Trotter, A. Salem; F-Rosana, T. Kai, P. Panico.
Not Active: K. Dallstream (ankle), C. Lloyd (ankle), M. Burke, K. Schoepfer.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Washington 0 @ Sky Blue 0
Washington leads the all-time series 2-1-2 (including 2009 playoff game).

What To Look For: A year ago, nearly to the day, Washington defeated Sky Blue 3-1 in the final 2009 regular season game for both teams. At the time, it put Sky Blue’s playoff hopes in jeopardy. However, Boston lost the next evening, putting Sky Blue in the playoffs and the rest is history.

This match will likely have serious playoff implications, but the difference is that it is highly unlikely that both teams will make the playoffs in 2010. More likely, it will be one or the other or perhaps even neither, if Chicago or Atlanta can get hot. So there is much on the line when these teams take the field on Wednesday evening.

Amazingly enough, both are in position to make the playoffs in spite of themselves. Sky Blue won for the first time in six tries on Saturday and Washington won for the first time since May last Wednesday.

After the injury to Karen Bardsley, things looked pretty bleak for New Jersey, but Jen Branam’s return in goal has given Sky Blue a much needed boost. Defensively, Sky Blue has six shutouts this season, but most those were early on. They generally get outshot and by a good margin. How they’ve managed to survive the barrage of shots game after game and still remain in playoff contention is quite extraordinary.

Laura Kalmari’s goal put Sky Blue up at halftime in the last match, but it took an own goal by the Beat to win it for SBFC. Sky Blue must find a way to score more goals. In 17 matches, they have scored only 16 goals, with two being own goals by the other team and another two being on penalties. Kalmari has been the only consistent scorer with five to her credit.

On the other hand, the Freedom have had trouble stopping their opponents from scoring. However, a shutout victory over the Independence may signal a turnaround. At the very least, it had to give young Ashlyn Harris some confidence in goal. Nikki Marshall scored three goals as a forward, but she was probably more needed on the back line and has been shifted back there.

It seemed like old times for the Freedom against Philly last week. They scored on two set pieces, one a corner by Sonia Bompastor, one a free kick by Cat Whitehill. Both resulted in goals by Abby Wambach via headers. This was the formula for their success last season and it was nice to see the Freedom utilize set piece opportunities to score.

This match, and the return match at the end of August, could hold the key to these teams’ playoff hopes.

Philadelphia Independence (8-6-4, 28 pts) at Chicago Red Stars (5-8-6, 21 pts)
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL – August 11 (8:30 pm ET, 7:30 pm CT)

Rosters:
Philadelphia: GK-K. LeBlanc, V. Henderson; D-N. Krzysik, H. Mitts, H. Magnusdottir, S.Larsson, E. Johnson, S. Senty; MF-L. Lindsey, C. Seger, T. DiMartino, J. Lohman, J.Buczkowski; F-A. Rodriguez, L. Sanderson, L. Patterson, K. Maruyama, D. Adams.
Not Active: A. Falk (knee), G. DiMartino, R. Jones, K. Henderson.

Chicago: GK-J. Loyden, A. Whitworth; D-K. Markgraf, W. Engen, M. Dalmy, N. Spilger, L. Vandenbergh; MF-Formiga, K. Carney, K. Chapman, M. Rapinoe, J. Sitch, N. Washington; F-Cristiane, E. Masar, C. Nogueira, V. Boquete, J. McDonald.
Not Active: E. Weber, S. Reiser.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Philadelphia 1 @ Chicago 0
Chicago 0 @ Philadelphia 3

What To Look For: The Red Stars haven’t had any success against Philadelphia. They have been shut out twice by the expansion Independence, the last match by a lopsided 3-0 score. Though in second place, Philadelphia can’t seem to get any momentum. Now with Boston breathing down their necks, they need a strong finish in order to hold onto their position in the standings.

After a bit of a rough stretch, Jill Loyden posted her fifth shutout against Gold Pride on Saturday. Since they don’t score a lot of goals, defense is how Chicago must win games. But if the defense is to win this one, Kate Markgraf, Whitney Engen, and company will have to mark a very speedy group of attackers for Philadelphia, starting with Amy Rodriguez.

Offensively, the Red Stars have been anemic for most of the season. Aside from Ella Masar and occasional flashes from Cristiane and Casey Nogueira, their finishing has been pretty lackluster. Chicago has added Veronica Boquete, the recent hero of the W-League championship game and a forward with a lot of speed.

Philadelphia has gone back and forth on their goalkeepers. Last game, it was Karina LeBlanc in goal against Boston. While Boston were held in check for much of that match, the Breakers did expose some holes in the Independence defense a few times too many. And with Allison Falk listed as being out for this match, Chicago may be able to find some opportunities as well.

One player you would have a hard time not noticing is Holmfridur Magnusdottir. She’s skilled, fast, exciting, and very physical. Her two goals gave Philadelphia the tie against Boston, but she once again proved that she is not afraid to mix it up, earning a yellow card on the heels of her recent red card suspension.

One thing that Chicago does not have this year that it had last year is a strong physical presence. They must be careful not to get outmuscled in this one and it is imperative that they not give up a lot of set pieces to a team as strong in the air as the Independence.

It comes down to this for the Red Stars. They are running out of games quickly and must squeeze every single point out of the remainder of their schedule as possible. Philadelphia has a reasonable schedule remaining, but they can’t afford to get complacent now.

Weekend Wrap - Gold Pride in Playoffs

FC Gold Pride 0, Chicago Red Stars 0

FC Gold Pride made it definite, capturing a playoff berth with a 0-0 tie against the visiting Chicago Red Stars on Saturday evening. It is the first playoff berth for Gold Pride who missed out on the opportunity to clinch a home playoff game with a victory.

In a game with very few good scoring chances, Jill Loyden did come up with a big save late in the 1st half on a Kelley O'Hara header. A 2nd half goal by Gold Pride was negated because of a foul. Loyden picked up her fifth shutout of the season. Nicole Barnhart earned her sixth shutout for Gold Pride, a total that leads WPS. Chicago outshot Gold Pride by an 8-7 margin.

Chicago stays in a 4th place tie, now with Sky Blue. The Red Stars will host 2nd place Philadelphia on Wednesday. Gold Pride maintains their 11 point lead and will host Washington next Saturday.

Sky Blue FC 2, Atlanta Beat 1

For the second time this season, Sky Blue slipped past Atlanta on an own goal to defeat the Beat 2-1. With some apparent confusion on the part of the Atlanta defense, Tina Ellertson deflected a ball past Hope Solo. Sky Blue had won in their first trip to Atlanta by 1-0, also on an own goal.

The goal and the victory came against the run of play. Atlanta outshot Sky Blue by a huge 22-6 margin. Eniola Aluko had tied the game in the 62nd minute and it appeared that Atlanta had the momentum.

Sky Blue opened the scoring late in the first half on a goal by Laura Kalmari, assisted by Heather O'Reilly. It was Kalmari's fifth goal of the season. She leads Sky Blue in scoring.

Jen Branam got the victory for Sky Blue in net. The win boosted them into a 4th place tie with Chicago and they have two games in hand against the Red Stars. Sky Blue hosts Washington on Wednesday night. Atlanta remains in last place, but are still only four points out of 4th place. They will travel to Philadelphia next weekend.

Philadelphia Independence 2, Boston Breakers 2

In a very exciting match, Philadelphia and Boston played to a 2-2 tie. In a tough battle for 2nd place, things stayed status quo with the Independence maintaining their two point cushion over the Breakers.

Lauren Cheney opened the scoring for the Breakers in the 25th minute. She received the ball just outside the 18 and turned to get off a shot off her right foot that went upper right, just out of reach of the outstretched arms of Karina LeBlanc.

Philadelphia answered quickly in the 28th minute. The Independence received a free kick from 30 yards and Frida Magnusdottir beat Alyssa Naeher lower right to tie the score.

It was Magnusdottir again in the 30th minute. She launched a curling shot from the left wing that bent around Naeher, hitting the post and then ricocheting off Naeher into the net. They were Magnusdottir's 2nd and 3rd goals of the season.

Boston drew even as Kelly Smith squeezed a shot between defenders and past LeBlanc in the 52nd minute. Both teams had chances, but neither was able to get a game winner in the remaining time.

Philadelphia remains in 2nd place, 11 points behind Gold Pride. They travel to Chicago on Wednesday and then return home to play Atlanta next Sunday. Boston, who are 6-1-1 over their last eight matches, host Sky Blue next Sunday.

Standings:
1) FC Gold Pride (12-3-3, 39 pts); 2) Philadelphia (8-6-4, 28 pts); 3) Boston (7-6-5, 26 pts); 4) Sky Blue FC (6-8-3, 21 pts); 4) Chicago (5-8-6, 21 pts); 6) Washington (5-8-5, 20 pts); 7) Atlanta (4-9-5, 17 pts).

WPS Weekend Preview - August 7 and 8

Sky Blue FC (5-8-3, 18 pts) at Atlanta Beat (4-8-5, 17 pts)
KSU Stadium, Kennesaw, GA – August 7 (7 pm ET)

Rosters:
Sky Blue: GK-J. Branam, S. Myers; D-C. Rampone, D. Koster, B. Taylor, M. Schnur, K. Dowling, K. Fletcher; MF-H. O’Reilly, Y. Averbuch, L. Kalmari, K. White, I. Trotter; F-Rosana, T. Kai, P. Panico.
Not Active: K. Dallstream (ankle), C. Lloyd (ankle), D. Johnson, A. Salem, K. Schoepfer.

Atlanta: GK-H. Solo, B. Maron; D-T. Ellertson, K. McNeill, L. Robinson, S. Bishop, R. Nolin; MF-J. Rasmussen, A. Miyama, M. Yamaguchi, L. Chalupny, A. Kerr, M. Zerboni, C. Blank; F-M. Ocampo, E. Aluko, R. Bachmann, A. Cinalli.
Not Active: L. Sesselmann, M. Lofton-Malachi.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Sky Blue 1 @ Atlanta 0
Atlanta 1 @ Sky Blue 0

What To Look For: Atlanta and Sky Blue are fighting for every point possible to get into the playoffs. Right now, both are on the outside looking in, but a victory could move one of them into 4th place. These two teams have split their previous two meetings, with the road team winning each time. Sky Blue enters the match having lost four straight.

Jen Branam’s return in goal wasn’t enough to stop Sky Blue’s losing streak last weekend. She will try again on Saturday evening against the Beat. Sky Blue went with six starters known for their defense in that loss, but still gave up two goals. The back line has some solid veterans, but Sky Blue have had much trouble this season against teams with fast forwards.

The Beat have speed and talent up front, but the finishing hasn’t been there and they have been shut out two matches in a row. Eniola Aluko is the most dangerous of the forwards with six goals this season. It will be interesting to see if Atlanta goes with a three forward front for this match. If so, Bachmann and Ocampo could be Aluko’s likely mates. Johanna Rasmussen is having a very good season and will support in the midfield, if she’s not chosen as one of the forwards.

Hope Solo has a perfect 3-0 record against Sky Blue in regular season matches and could stymie any Sky Blue attack. The Beat have been using three on the back line, with Tina Ellertson, Kia McNeill, and Stacy Bishop, although we might see Leigh Ann Robinson as well.

Sky Blue has been limited to just two goals over their last five matches, both scored by defender-turned-midfielder Brittany Taylor. The last time a NJ forward has scored was in June. One would think that between Rosana, Natasha Kai, and Patrizia Panico, we might see some goals soon. Two of Sky Blue’s best offensive midfielders, Heather O’Reilly and Laura Kalmari, have been quiet lately as well.

Both of these teams have trouble scoring, so one goal may be enough, as it was in the two previous meetings. The only offensive goal scored in the series was by Aluko in the last meeting, with Sky Blue winning the first meeting on an own goal. This should be a close match, with the winner moving up and loser looking up at everyone else in the league.

Chicago Red Stars (5-8-5, 20 pts) at FC Gold Pride (12-3-2, 38 pts)
Pioneer Stadium, Hayward, CA – August 7 (10 pm ET, 9 pm CT, 7pm PT)

Rosters:
Chicago: GK-J. Loyden, A. Whitworth, M. Burke; D-K. Markgraf, W. Engen, M. Dalmy, N. Spilger, L. Vandenbergh, E. Weber; MF-Formiga, K. Carney (probable-ankle), K. Chapman, M. Rapinoe, J. Sitch; F-Cristiane, E. Masar, C. Nogueira.
Not Active: N. Washington (knee), J. McDonald (knee), S. Reiser.

Gold Pride: GK-N. Barnhart, B. Cameron; D-R. Buehler, C. Chapman, A. Riley (questionable-hip), K. Wilson, C. Dew; MF-S. Boxx, C. Abily, B. Edwards, K. Graczyk, K. Yokers, R. Tantillo; F-Marta, C. Sinclair, K. O’Hara (questionable-knee), T. Milbrett, K. Bosio.
Not Active: K. Fountain, E. Guthrie.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Chicago 0 @ Gold Pride 2
Gold Pride 0 @ Chicago 1
The all-time series is tied at 2-2-1.

What To Look For: Chicago has two problems to solve in this match. First, they have to score themselves, a task that has been difficult for them for most of the season. Second, they have to figure out a way to stop the high powered Gold Pride offense led by Marta and Christine Sinclair. Surprisingly, they have fared well against FCGP this season, losing the first match 2-0 after going a player down early in the match because of a red card and then winning the second.

After a pretty good start, Jill Loyden has not been as sharp in her past few games and she needs to be top notch for the Red Stars to have a chance in this one. Kate Markgraf leads the veteran defense, but one rookie is making a big impact on that back line. Whitney Engen has played solidly for Chicago this season.

The Red Stars will be trying to stop a Gold Pride team with multiple offensive threats, starting with the world’s best, Marta, and her 13 goals. Canadian Christine Sinclair has added eight goals and assisted on seven others. Then there’s veteran Tiffeny Milbrett (4 goals) and rookie Kelley O’Hara (3 goals). Shannon Boxx controls the midfield for Bay Area.

Nicole Barnhart guards the Gold Pride net and she has done so very well this season with a league leading 0.80 goals against average. Defensively, Gold Pride is sound up the middle with Rachel Buehler and Candace Chapman. However, outside defender Ali Riley received a hard knock causing a hip injury in her last match and we’ll have to see if she will be physically sound for this match. If not, Gold Pride will miss her speed and Chicago might have an opportunity to exploit a matchup here.

Chicago lost one of their speedy forwards this week, as Kosovare Asllani decided to return to Sweden. That leaves Ella Masar (5 goals), Cristiane (3 goals), and Casey Nogueira (2 goals) as their principal offensive threats. Masar has been the most consistent, while Cristiane is trying to find her range, and Nogueira has dropped off after playing extremely well early on. Karen Carney got her first goal of the season in the last match against Sky Blue and the Red Stars are hoping this is a good sign of things to come.

There is some question as to whether Gold Pride has already clinched a playoff spot or not, but in any case, a point on Saturday night would make it definite and will cause a well-deserved celebration by the bay. With a tough remaining schedule, Chicago must scratch and claw for every point they can manage between now and the end of the season.

Boston Breakers (7-6-4, 25 pts) at Philadelphia Independence (8-6-3, 27 pts)
John A. Ferrell Stadium, West Chester, PA – August 8 (7:30 pm ET)

Rosters:
Boston: GK-A. Naeher, A. Phillips; D-A. LePeilbet, I. Dieke, A. Scott, S. Cox, K. Moore; MF-L. Tarpley, L. Osborne, K. Lilly, J. Angeli; F-K. Smith, Fabiana, L. Cheney, L. Del Rio, T. Hemmings.
Not Active: L. Bogus (hamstring), N. Cross, A. Lipsher, C. Igwe, S. Walsh (knee).

Philadelphia: GK-K. LeBlanc, V. Henderson; D-A. Falk, N. Krzysik, H. Mitts, H. Magnusdottir, S.Larsson, E. Johnson, S. Senty; MF-L. Lindsey, C. Seger, T. DiMartino, J. Lohman, J.Buczkowski; F-A. Rodriguez, L. Sanderson, L. Patterson, K. Maruyama.
Not Active: D. Adams, G. DiMartino, R. Jones, K. Henderson.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Philadelphia 1 @ Boston 1
Boston 2 @ Philadelphia 1

What To Look For: This should be a very exciting match, featuring two teams that are battling for 2nd place in the standings. Boston may be the hottest team in WPS right now, but they will be meeting a Philadelphia team that will be intent on holding on to their position in the table.

Both teams score a lot of goals. Boston has now scored in eight consecutive games and are approaching a mark set by Philadelphia earlier in the season at 12 matches. Boston’s offense is led by English star Kelly Smith (9 goals) and WPS Player of the Month Jordan Angeli (5 goals). Another rookie, Lauren Cheney, has 3 goals.

Philadelphia’s defense has been spotty and they have given up two or more goals in 8 of their 17 matches. Val Henderson has been the starting keeper over the past few matches. Allison Falk starts at one center back. Heather Mitts is reliable at one of the outside positions and the Independence will be happy to have Frida Magnusdottir back after serving her red card suspension.

Offensively, Amy Rodriguez is having a sensational year. With 11 goals, she has given the Independence the kind of offensive threat that I thought might be lacking with this expansion team. Rodriguez is definitely the key as the scoring drops all the way off to Lianne Sanderson and Joanna Lohman with three, once you get past A-Rod.

Alyssa Naeher is coming off of her first career shutout, which should give her confidence. Of course, she has one of the league’s best center backs in front of her in Amy LePeilbet and international experience on the outside with Stephanie Cox and Alex Scott.

This match could come down to a battle of the midfields. It’s Philadelphia’s group of Lori Lindsey, Caroline Seger, Jen Buczkowski, and Lohman against a very talented Breakers’ group of Kristine Lilly, Lindsay Tarpley, Leslie Osborne, and Angeli. Seger and Lindsey have 10 assists between them. The acquisitions of Tarpley and Osborne have helped Boston immensely in the middle and Angeli has been outstanding over the past month.

The Breakers are on a roll and a victory here would push them one point past the Independence and into 2nd place. While there is a cushion between these two teams and the rest of the league, both have difficult schedules remaining with a lot of road matches, meaning that a playoff spot is not necessarily a sure thing yet. I expect this will be a physical, hotly contested match and could be the most interesting of all of the matches this weekend.