Last Second Goal Lifts Philly over Shorthanded Sky Blue

Lianne Sanderson scored in stoppage time to give Philadelphia a 2-1 victory over Sky Blue FC on Sunday. It was the third goal of the season for the English striker, who came into the match as a substitute in the 77th minute of action. The victory brings the Independence level with Western New York, but the Flash still have the inside track for first place with two games remaining to Philly's one.

Sky Blue played a player down for almost the entire second half as Carrie Dew picked up a second yellow card for taking down Danesha Adams early in the second half. She had picked up her first in the opening minutes of the first half.

Philadelphia came out buzzing and put good pressure on the Sky Blue goal in the opening minutes of the match. Veronica Boquete's free kick from 24 yards was heading just under the crossbar, but Jen Branam managed to tip the ball over the net in the 2nd minute. On the ensuing corner kick, Boquete started back in the center circle and found herself wide open as she charged toward the penalty area unmarked. But her shot from just outside the box went over the crossbar.

The Independence broke on top in the 17th minute. Leigh Ann Robinson sent a beautiful long ball up the center of the field for Tasha Kai. The ball had spin on it and took a hop to the right. Kai took time to measure it and then placed a beautiful shot in the upper left side over Branam to make it 1-0.

Sky Blue tried to pull even just three minutes later, but Eni Aluko's shot from a tough angle was saved by Nicole Barnhart. However, four minutes later, Tobin Heath made a run up the center of the field. Drawing the defense toward her, she pushed a nice little through pass to Aluko, who finished with her right foot past Barnhart and into the right side of the net to tie the score.

Branam made a nice save on Boquete a few minutes later as Kai's header hit the Spanish striker in stride. Boquete's blast from 20 yards was saved by the agile Branam. In the 41st minute, Adams laid the ball off for Tina DiMartino, whose shot from 22 yards was also saved by Branam.

Sky Blue nearly took the lead just before intermission. A Heather O'Reilly cross went over the head of several players to bounce right to Brittany Taylor. She flicked a header just wide of the left post.

Dew picked up her second yellow card of the match as she slid late into Adams who was dribbling up the center of the field. It did appear that Dew attempted to put on the brakes, but it was too late and Adams went tumbling over the Sky Blue defender and referee Ted Unkel pulled out the yellow and dismissed Dew from the match.

Sky Blue caught a bit of a break in the 67th minute, as Amy Rodriguez chipped a shot over a diving Branam into the right post. With Branam laying on the ground, the ball bounced right back into her lap.

Philadelphia continued to pressure as the half wore on. Laura del Rio hit a hard shot from 15 yards, but Kendall Fletcher headed it clear. In the 77th minute, Branam made a nice save on Rodriguez' shot inside the near post. Branam later made two big saves in one-on-one situations with del Rio to keep the game level at one.

But just when it appeared that Sky Blue might hang on for the tie, one that would have clinched a playoff berth for them, Philadelphia got the game winner. Amy Rodriguez nodded a header forward from the edge of the eighteen. The ball appeared to deflect slightly off of Tobin Heath's head to the front of the goal where three Philly players were waiting against one defender and Branam. Joanna Lohman was able to touch the ball past Branam to Sanderson who finished just before a lunging Kendall Fletcher could get there and the Independence had scored the winner.

For Sky Blue and especially for Jen Branam, it was a harsh result. They needed just a tie to clinch a playoff berth, but were denied in the closing moments. Branam certainly made several great saves to keep her team even until that last second goal. They now face a one game do-or-die contest in Boston next week, still needing only a tie to advance to the playoffs.

Philadelphia's record goes to 11-3-3, good for 36 points and tied with Western New York. They have clinched second place and still have an outside shot at the top position, but the Flash have the inside track with an additional match remaining. The Independence close the season next Sunday in Boca Raton against third place magicJack.

Note: Philadelphia is a perfect 9-0-0 with Veronica Boquete in the starting lineup.

Correction: It was Danielle Johnson, not Kendall Fletcher, who was the last defender trying to block the shot on the game winning goal.

WPS Standings
(1) Western New York 11-2-3, 36 pts; (1) Philadelphia 11-3-3, 36 pts; (3) magicJack 8-6-2, 25 pts; (4) Sky Blue FC 5-8-4, 19 pts; (5) Boston 4-9-4, 16 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-12-4, 7 pts.

Schedule:
Wednesday, August 10
Western New York at magicJack

Sunday, August 14
Philadelphia at magicJack
Sky Blue FC at Boston
Atlanta at Western New York

Playoff Scenarios:
Sky Blue needs a tie or win against Boston to clinch 4th place. Boston needs to win in order to clinch 4th place.

Philadelphia and Western New York are tied for 1st place, with Philadelphia owning the tiebreaker at this point. Western New York has a game in hand.

magicJack has clinched 3rd place and will host the first round of the playoffs.

Lopsided Win for Independence

The Philadelphia Independence moved into second place and wrote their name to the record books as well, taking a 6-0 decision over magicJack. Danesha Adams scored twice and Tasha Kai, Lianne Sanderson, Veronica Boquete, and Frida Magnusdottir each added a goal.

The six goals ties a record set by FC Gold Pride in 2010, who scored six times against the Atlanta Beat on August 28. The six goal margin breaks the old record of five, also set in the same match by Gold Pride.

The Independence struck for two goals in the opening half and held that lead into the 70th minute. Then they scored four times in the final 20 minutes. magicJack goalkeeper Brett Maron was redcarded late in the contest and they finished playing ten.

Val Henderson posted her third shutout of the season for Philadelphia and the Independence has now held their opponents scoreless for 337 consecutive minutes.

Philadelphia improves their record to 4-2-3, reaching the midway point in their schedule with 15 points. It moves them one point ahead of magicJack, who is now 5-3-0, good for 14 points after subtracting their penalty. The two teams will meet again next Saturday in a makeup for the match postponed because of weather back in April.

Adams Goal Lifts Independence over Flash

Danesha Adams' goal in the 90th minute gave the Philadelphia Independence a 1-0 victory over a shocked Western New York Flash.

It looked for all the world that this match was destined to end in a scoreless tie, but Lianne Sanderson hit a well-placed cross from the left wing to an inexplicably wide open Adams, who calmly headed the ball into the right side of the goal past Flash keeper Ashlyn Harris. The Flash seemingly fell asleep as they had several defenders back, but nobody marked Adams on the play.

Adams, who had seen only 40 minutes of action for Philadelphia this season, came on in the 64th minute of the contest for a hobbled Tasha Kai. It was Adams who got the winning goal in last year's WPS semifinal match against Boston, but she has seen less action this season after Philly acquired Kai and Laura del Rio.

With several players missing for both sides, not many scoring chances were created during the match. Neither side were able to make the final pass or hit a proper shot to score. Only seven shots were placed on frame for the entire match.

Philadelphia had an early scare when Val Henderson missed a back pass from Nikki Krzysik, but it only cost the Independence a corner kick. In the 20th minute, Marta placed a nice pass into the penalty area for Yael Averbuch, but her shot rolled just wide.

The Independence had very few opportunities in the opening half. Late in the half, an Estelle Johnson cross hit the top of the crossbar, but Harris appeared to have it covered in any case.

Kia McNeill drew the unenviable task of marking Marta for most of the match and was able to keep the Brazilian striker in check, as the two had a rather spirited battle for most of the evening. McNeill was able to limit Marta's chances and when she did gain opportunities, McNeill usually was able to force her to her less-lethal right foot.

Marta's best chance came in the 56th minute as she was able to cut to the right side of the box just past McNeill, but Henderson came out to grab the ball before she could get a shot off.

Tasha Kai came up lame after a collision for a head ball in the 57th minute and appeared to hurt her right ankle. She continued on for five minutes, before leaving the match.

A little later, Frida Magnusdottir took advantage of a Flash turnover and let go of a hard shot from the right side of the box. Her attempt went just wide, with Harris grabbing the shot as it was already past the end line.

With the game apparently heading for a tie, Philadelphia was able to force a turnover in the midfield and it was time for Adams' heroics.

Val Henderson earned her second shutout in three starts for Philadelphia.

Western New York suffered their first loss of the season, falling to 6-1-2, but still in possession of first place. They are now on a four week hiatus while the World Cup is being played.

Philadelphia improves to 3-2-3 and leapfrogs Boston into third place. They now trail second place magicJack by three points, a team they will now face twice in a row. They host magicJack in a regularly scheduled match next Saturday and then make up the April 16th match that was postponed on June 25.

WPS Standings
(1) Western New York 6-1-2, 20 pts; (2) magicJack 5-2-0, 14 pts; (3) Philadelphia 3-2-3, 12 pts; (4) Boston 3-5-2, 11 pts; (5) Sky Blue FC 2-3-3, 9 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-7-2, 5 pts.

magicJack Remains Unbeaten; Philly Defeats Breakers

magicJack 2, Atlanta Beat 0

Rookie Christen Press scored her first WPS goal and Ella Masar added another as magicJack won their third straight by a 2-0 margin over Atlanta in Boca Raton.

Press, who led all scorers in college with 26 goals in 2010, scored her first professional goal with magicJack. Her goal came in the 64th minute, after Ella Masar had opened the scoring in the 24th minute. The Stanford alum was the number four overall selection in the January draft. Masar's goal was her second of the season.

Hope Solo earned the shutout for magicJack, who outshot Atlanta by a 12-2 margin. This was the second shutout of the season for magicJack.

magicJack has a bye week before heading to Rochester to play the league's other unbeaten team, Western New York, on May 22 in what should be an interesting matchup. Atlanta, whose record fell to 1-3-1, will return home to face Philadelphia next Sunday.

Philadelphia Independence 2, Boston Breakers 0

The Independence played an all-round solid match in defeating the Breakers 2-0 tonight in Chester, Pennsylvania. It was the first home match and the first victory of the season for Philadelphia.

Both goalkeepers were sharp early on. In the 17th minute, Tina DiMartino found Tasha Kai alone on the left side, but Breakers' keeper Alyssa Naeher slid out to stop Kai's shot.

Later in the half, Kelly Smith was able to control a loose ball at the 18 and after a quick touch to the left, unleashed a wicked shot in tight space that Nicole Barnhart was just barely able to tip over the crossbar. Later, Smith nearly sent Alex Scott through, but a sliding Barnhart was able to thwart that effort.

Philadelphia finally broke through in the 41st minute on a great effort by Tasha Kai. Leigh Ann Robinson sent a long ball out of the back to start the play. Kai was able to fend off Boston defender Ifeoma Dieke to get her shot off past Naeher. The ball hit the right post, rebounding in front of the net. Kai hustled to the ball and finished with a diving header, just ahead of Dieke, to put the Independence up 1-0.

Philadelphia continued to pressure into the second half. Tina DiMartino made a long run from the right sideline to the top of the box, before finding Amy Rodriguez on the left side. Rodriguez struck a low shot that Naeher made a terrific save on, only to have Lianne Sanderson find the rebound and knock it home from an extreme angle on the far side of the net.

From that point forward, the Independence controlled the match. Boston's players looked more and more weary as the match wore on, perhaps a by product of having several USWNT players on their team who had just concluded a vigorous training camp in Florida.

For her part, Naeher tried to keep her team in the match, making several nice saves in the second half. She twice disappointed Laura del Rio with nice saves and stopped Sinead Farrelly on yet another. Naeher dodged a bullet in the 81st minute as Lori Lindsey's blast from 22 yards sailed over the net.

Philadelphia's defense was strong throughout the match and were able to keep the Boston attack in check. Their midfield did an excellent job of controlling the field and linking with forwards Kai, Rodriguez, and del Rio.

The Independence earned a well-deserved victory for their performance and evened their record at 1-1-1. They are now tied for 4th place with four points. Boston dropped to 2-3-0 and sit in 3rd place for the moment.

Philadelphia travels to Atlanta to meet the Beat next Sunday. Boston travels to Rochester to face league leading Western New York on Friday night.

WPS Standings
(1)Western New York (3-0-1, 10 pts); (2)magicJack (3-0-0, 9 pts); (3)Boston (2-3-0, 6 pts); (4)Philadelphia (1-1-1, 4 pts); (5)Atlanta (1-3-1, 4 pts); (6)Sky Blue FC (0-3-1, 1 pt).

Philly and Sky Blue Play to a 2-2 Draw

Tina DiMartino's goal in stoppage helped the Philadelphia Independence overcome an early deficit and tie Sky Blue 2-2 in a match played at Yurcak Field in Piscataway.

Early on, it was all Sky Blue as the home side put together a solid first half and dominated possession. Philadelphia did have the first scoring chance of the match 13 minutes in. Lianne Sanderson crossed the ball from the right side with Kai closing fast on the back post. Kai, was able to get her foot on it, but the pass was a bit to hot to get solid control and Kai's touch went over the net from the six.

For the remainder of the 1st half, Sky Blue did a nice job of controlling the tempo of the game, stringing together several passes at a time. In the 18th minute, Allie Long found Brittany Taylor alone on the right side. Taylor took one touch to control and then hit a low cross with pace as Laura Kalmari got inside the defender and finished lower right from inside the six. It was an excellent sequence from the 2009 champions.

Sky Blue made it 2-0 in the 37th minute. Casey Nogueira curled a free kick from 25 yards just over the head over Nicole Barnhart and into the upper left corner of the net. The half ended with Sky Blue apparently in full control and a 2-0 lead.

Coach Paul Riley inserted Amy Rodriguez into the lineup to start the second half and Philly seemed to pick up the pace as the match wore on.

It was Rodriguez who cut the Sky Blue lead in half at the 56 minute mark. Lianne Sanderson did a nice job of keeping possession at the half line and sent a beautiful ball up the right sideline to Tasha Kai. Kai quickly released a pass to the middle to Rodriguez who had beaten the defense and calmly dribbled into the box and touched the ball into the lower left side of the net as an onrushing Jen Branam was unable to do anything to stop it.

More substitutions followed with Lori Lindsey entering the game for the Independence and Danielle Johnson and Tobin Heath entering the match for Sky Blue.

Casey Nogueira nearly increased the lead back to two, as she ripped a shot from the top of the box, but Barnhart made the save of the match, diving to push the ball wide of the goal.

Both teams made one final substitution with a hobbled Kendall Fletcher coming off in favor of Angie Kerr and Laura del Rio entered the match for Estelle Johnson. As it turned out, del Rio would play a part in the tying goal.

The sequence started with a free kick from the left sideline for Philadelphia, as Amy Rodriguez was able to draw a foul. The free kick taken by Lindsey was nearly headed in by Kai, as Allie Long was able to stop the ball just a yard short of the goal. Sky Blue was able to clear the ball out of bounds.

However, on the ensuing throw in, Sinead Farrelly gained possession in the box and tried to dribble toward the middle. Farrelly was taken down, with no call being made, but the ball deflected right to del Rio who touched it back to DiMartino. DiMartino hit it solidly from 12 yards and the ball deflected off Anita Asante's foot, over a diving Jen Branam, and into the net.

Sky Blue had a late chance on a corner kick, but in spite of Philadelphia struggling briefly to clear, SBFC was unable to score.

Philadelphia hosts magicJack next Saturday, while Sky Blue travels to Atlanta.

Gold Pride Mauls Independence 4-1

Gold Pride finished off their regular season on a 13-game unbeaten streak, easily defeating Philadelphia 4-1 on Saturday evening. Leading the way for Gold Pride was Kelley O'Hara with two goals plus an assist and Marta with a goal and three assists.

The game was scoreless for nearly 40 minutes, but Gold Pride put together back-to-back goals by O'Hara and Marta before the end of the half to put FCGP up by two at the intermission. O'Hara received a pass from Marta to the far left side and chipped it over Val Henderson just inside the post from an extremely bad angle.

O'Hara returned the favor just a minute later, sending a perfect through ball to Marta who touched the ball around Henderson and finished from the right side of the box. It was Marta's 19th goal of the season.

In the 50th minute, Gold Pride made it 3-0 as Marta took a free kick from just outside the box on the right side. Her placement was perfect and O'Hara headed it home.

Philadelphia showed some life, however, as Lianne Sanderson scored on an excellent ball over the top from Lori Lindsey. That cut the lead to 3-1.

Gold Pride put the game out of reach in the 64th minute. Marta beat two defenders and ran onto the ball on the left wing and sent a ball back across the box. Christine Sinclair cut across and finished inside the left post to make it 4-1. It was Sinclair's 10th goal of the season, making her only the fifth WPS player to reach that plateau.

While Gold Pride was playing without Camille Abily, the Independence were missing several starters including Frida Magnusdottir, Caroline Seger, Karina LeBlanc, and Sara Larsson.

Philadelphia finishes in 3rd place and will host Washington in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday, September 19, tentatively scheduled at 2:30 eastern time. Gold Pride pushed their record to 16-3-5 and will host the final on Sunday, September 26.

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 Weekend Wrap - Philadlephia and Sky Blue Post Wins

Philadelphia 3, Washington 2

The Independence staged a dramatic come-from-behind victory to defeat the Washington Freedom 3-2 in West Chester. Lianne Sanderson scored the game winner in stoppage for the home team.

The Freedom built up an early 2-0 lead and looked to be on their way to a victory. Lene Mykjåland opened the scoring just 3 minutes in, as she scored on a rebound. Abby Wambach converted a penalty to put Washington ahead by two before the match was a quarter hour old.

Philadelphia pulled even in the 2nd half with two Amy Rodriguez goals, her fifth and sixth of the season, in a 10 minute span. That set the stage for Sanderson's heroics.

Rodriguez is now tied for the WPS lead in goal scoring with Marta. The Independence moved to within a point of league leading Gold Pride. They stand at 21 points with a 6-3-3 record. Washington's loss combined with Sky Blue's victory drops the Freedom into 4th place at 4-3-3.

Sky Blue FC 2, FC Gold Pride 0

Sky Blue handed Gold Pride their first home loss since last July with a 2-0 victory. New Jersey was coming off the worst loss in their history, a 4-1 loss to Philadelphia last weekend.

After a scoreless 1st half, Sky Blue struck in the 58th minute. Heather O'Reilly crossed the ball to the back post and Rosana was able to slide between defenders for a diving header which she placed past Nicole Barnhart. The goal came as Rosana was about to be subbed out in favor of Tasha Kai.

Gold Pride turned up the pressure, creating several chances to tie, but were unable to convert. A Tiffeny Milbrett drive from 20 yards hit the crossbar. Karen Bardsley tipped a Kelley O'Hara shot over the bar. Later, a Christine Sinclair goal was correctly disallowed on an offsides call.

Just when it seemed Gold Pride might pull even, Sky Blue struck on a counterattack. After the ball was cleared by the Sky Blue defense, Jessica Landström was able to get through two Gold Pride players in the midfield and then push a pass forward to Kai. Kai was able to get a shot off from 22 yards, just before an onrushing Ali Riley was able to cut her off and it beat Barnhart just inside the right post.

Karen Bardsley picked up her 5th shutout for Sky Blue this year. Gold Pride gave up two goals for the first time since the season opener.

The win moves Sky Blue into 3rd place with a 5-4-2 record and 17 points. Gold Pride maintains their hold on 1st place, but their lead is down to one point with a 7-3-1 record and 22 points.

Standings:
(1) FC Gold Pride (7-3-1, 22 pts); (2) Philadelphia (6-3-3, 21 pts); (3) Sky Blue FC (5-4-2, 17 pts); (4) Washington (4-3-3, 15 pts); (5) Chicago (3-5-3, 12 pts); (6) Boston (1-5-4, 7 pts); (7) Atlanta (1-5-3, 6 pts).

Athletica and Breakers Slosh to 1-1 Draw

It what might charitably be called challenging field conditions, Saint Louis and Boston battled to a 1-1 tie at a soggy Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri. With all of the offensive talent on the field, the two goals came from unlikely sources in Kasey Moore for the Breakers and Carolyn Blank for Athletica.

The weather played a huge part in the game and led to some great early chances for the Breakers. In the 14th minute, Kendall Fletcher hit a fairly normal pass back to Hope Solo, but the ball stopped dead in a puddle half way between the two. Lauren Cheney, who appeared to be as shocked as everyone else, gained possession and attempted to chip the ball over Solo's head but the ball went harmlessly to the side.

Just a few minutes later, Solo attempted a drop kick but didn't get all of the ball which Kelly Smith picked up about 30 yards out. Smith attempted the quick shot, but a diving Solo was able to steer the ball wide. "I went to bounce it on the drop kick and it didn't bounce back up," said Solo. "After that, I tried to punt and I haven't punted since I was probably in high school."

Boston finally did get on the board in the 22nd minute. Kristine Lilly hit a low corner kick to the edge of the box which appeared to be headed for Kelly Smith. Smith dummied it and a charging Kasey Moore brilliantly struck a low shot with pace that beat Solo to the lower left side of the goal. It was Moore's first WPS goal.

Boston's lead didn't last long. In the 27th, Aya Miyama took a free kick from about 28 yards and sent it to the far side of the box, where Tina Ellertson headed back across the goal mouth. Carolyn Blank was waiting and chested the ball between Alex Scott and goalkeeper Ashley Phillips for tying goal. "Honestly, right place, right time," said Blank. "Tina just put a great ball back in." For the rookie from West Virginia, it was her first WPS goal and well-earned for the solid match she played.

The Breakers nearly regained the lead in the 39th minute. Lilly hit a blistering low shot that short-hopped Solo, bouncing off her for a rebound. Kelly Smith connected with the rebound from point blank range, but Solo used her body to block the shot and the defense was able to clear the ball out of trouble.

Play in the 2nd half was much crisper, with Athletica having the better of the play in the last 45 minutes. Their best opportunity came in the 63rd minute when Blank sent a ball through to Aluko, who one-timed it from 15 yards, but Phillips was able to make the diving save. Later in the half, Aluko and Lilly traded chances, but were unable to get the ball on frame.

Athletica had one last good chance to win it in the 83rd, when Aluko appeared to have a clear cut header from about 9 yards, but mishit it wide of the goal. Late substitutions Lindsay Tarpley and India Trotter for Athletica, and Laura Del Rio and Tiffany Weimer for Boston had their moments, but were unable to change the score.

Athletica captain Lori Chalupny saw improvement in the 2nd half over the 1st. "We really had some good looks in the 2nd half. I thought the 2nd half was very exciting, back and forth. It was just a good battle between two good teams."

The game marked the first time that Athletica had come from behind to tie a game over two seasons. "Coming from behind was huge for us", added defender Tina Ellertson.

The two teams remained tied, both at 1 win and 2 ties for 5 points. They sit one point behind FC Gold Pride and Sky Blue FC, who each have 6 points. Boston returns home where they will play the Chicago Red Stars next Saturday. Saint Louis travels to Washington where they will play the Freedom at RFK Stadium.

In other action on Sunday evening:

Sky Blue FC 1, Chicago Red Stars 0

Sky Blue blanked Chicago for the 6th consecutive time in a match played at Toyota Park in Chicago. Tasha Kai scored in the 53rd minute on an assist from Kacey White. Karen Bardsley added the shutout for Sky Blue, who sit atop the table with 2 wins, 1 loss and 6 points. Chicago has only a lone point to show for 3 matches.

Philadelphia Independence 3, Washington Freedom 1

The expansion Independence won their first game on their home field by scoring three 2nd half goals. After Lisa De Vanna had put the Freedom ahead in the 51st minute with her first goal of the year, Amy Rodriguez answered in the 54th minute with a goal of her own to tie the score at one. Minutes later, the Lori Lindsey to Allison Falk connection worked for the second week in a row, with Falk finishing again with a header to give Philly the lead. English international Lianne Sanderson added an insurance goal in the 67th minute, again assisted by Lindsey, who was facing off against her old team. For Sanderson, it was her first WPS goal. Philadelphia was able to close it out for the 3-1 victory.

Lindsey has now assisted on 3 of the Independence's 4 goals for the season. Abby Wambach assisted on De Vanna's goal, giving her an assist in each of her last 4 regular season contests dating back to last season. Philadelphia is tied with Saint Louis and Boston with 5 points, just a single point behind the league leaders. Washington fell to 1-2 with 3 points.

Philadelphia Independence 2010 - Women's Soccer Equivalent of Rocky

Coach: Paul Riley
2009 Record: 2010 Expansion Team

Expansion Draft (5): Lori Lindsey, Nikki Krzysik, Jen Buczkowski, Danesha Adams, Sarah Senty.
Draft Picks (1): Carrie Patterson (traded then re-signed).
LA Dispersal Draft (2): Karina LeBlanc, Estelle Johnson.
International Signings ( 4): Holmfridur Magnusdottir, Karina Maruyama, Lianne Sanderson, Caroline Seger.
Free Agents (7): Sara Larsson, Joanna Lohman, Heather Mitts, Lyndsey Patterson, Gina DiMartino, Robyn Jones, Kat Reynolds.
Trades (3): Amy Rodriguez, Val Henderson, Allison Falk.

Yes, the Philadelphia Independence will enter their inaugural 2010 campaign as the underdog. But sometimes that brings out the best in players and maybe this women's version of Rocky will manage to battle their way up the WPS table.

Philadelphia took a gamble early on, by trading several of their top draft picks for players they thought could help their team immediately. That left them with only one selection in the first 3 rounds, where they selected Malorie Rutledge out of LSU, who didn’t make the team. Whether that gamble pays off or not depends largely on Amy Rodriguez and Allison Falk.

Unlike their expansion counterpart, Atlanta, the Independence signed several veterans to help lead this team including Heather Mitts, Sara Larsson, and Joanna Lohman. Philly did a nice job filling out their defense and midfield with quality players in the expansion draft, especially Lori Lindsey who has been playing very well for the USWNT. Whether Coach Paul Riley can blend this mixture of youth and veterans into a playoff contender remains to be seen.

Goalkeeping-Take both goalkeepers off of the top defensive team in WPS last year and their 13 shutouts, move them 3000 miles east and you have the goalkeeping tandem for the 2010 Independence. Karina LeBlanc, the league’s top goalkeeper, brings her 0.53 GAA to Philadelphia. LeBlanc, who has a sparkling personality off the field, is tough as nails on the field. Val Henderson was acquired in a trade early on, and will once again serve the role of backup to LeBlanc. She shut out Gold Pride in her only 2009 match after starring for UCLA in college. Robyn Jones, who spent 2009 with the New Jersey Wildcats of the W-League, will be the third goalkeeper.

Defenders-Coach Paul Riley and the Independence seemed to put special emphasis on their defensive unit early on. First they grabbed Nikki Krzysik (Red Stars) and Sarah Senty (Freedom) in the expansion draft. Then they signed veteran free agent defenders Heather Mitts and Sara Larsson. Then they traded for Sol center back Allison Falk. Finally, they took Kansas defender Estelle Johnson in the dispersal draft. As a group, they combined for 62 WPS starts last season.

At 6 foot tall, Falk can be a threat at either end of the field on set pieces. She garnered some support as a potential all-star selection last season. Mitts and Larsson should give veteran leadership to the Philly back line. Krzysik is a hard-nosed defender who racked up 5 cautions last season. Senty saw action with the Freedom after missing the first half of the season while completing her college classes. Late addition Kat Reynold, out of Santa Clara, will provide further depth at outside back. With a strong goaltending tandem behind them, this group should ensure that the Independence are in every match.

Midfielders-One of the first signings that the Independence announced was that of Caroline Seger. Seger now has over 30 senior national team caps for Sweden, in addition to a wealth of junior team experience. She is also a veteran of 5 seasons with Linköpings in the Damallsvenskan. Seger will give the expansion team a strong presence in the midfield. The second piece of the midfield puzzle is Lori Lindsey. How Lindsey managed to slip into Philadelphia’s hands through an expansion draft, I can’t figure out, but it certainly had to make Philly fans smile. Lindsey has received praise from Pia Sundhage for her play with the USWNT earlier this year. Seger and Lindsey give this expansion team a nice start to a solid midfield.

Jen Buczkowski, another selection in the expansion draft, split time between midfield and defense for Sky Blue in 2009. But it was her solid play, stepping in for Anita Asante in the playoffs, that was the climax of a good season. Another former Freedom midfielder, Joanna Lohman, signed with the Independence as a free agent. Another talented European player, Holmfridur Magnusdottir of Iceland, can play either attacking mid or forward. She has nearly 50 national team caps and scored 5 goals for Swedish club Kristianstads in 2009. This has the makings of a talented midfield group, but is there enough depth here?

Forwards-While the Independence have a lot of experience from the midfield back, the group of forwards they have are largely an unknown quantity. Three of those forwards, Amy Rodriguez, Lyndsey Patterson, and Danesha Adams, played in WPS last season. Rodriguez scored 1 goal in 17 appearances in what was a very frustrating season in Boston. The new start in Philadelphia should do her good and hopefully, she will be able to use her blazing speed to get behind opposing defenses. Adams, a former star at UCLA, played in 12 matches for the Red Stars without scoring. Patterson saw only 12 minutes of action for the Sol last season.

Philadelphia did sign two international forwards that should help here. Karina Maruyama has Olympic experience and is primarily known as a player who can come off the bench and make a difference for the Japanese National Team. She comes over to the US after a successful run with Japanese club TEPCO Mareeze. Lianne Sanderson is a young forward from the English National Team. At just 22 years of age, she has managed 29 caps and 8 goals on a team loaded with offensive talent like Kelly Smith, Eniola Aluko, Fara Williams, and Karen Carney. Gina DiMartino (formerly Boston College) was a late training camp pickup at forward.

Summary-Leadership shouldn’t be a problem on this team as they have several veterans who have played internationally. Philadelphia appears to be strong at goalkeeper and solid enough at defense and midfield. This should make them a competitive team, but I question if this team will be able to score enough goals to win. Their first match against fellow expansion team, the Atlanta Beat, ought to be an interesting battle between what could be a very good defensive team, Philadelphia, against a dangerous offensive team in Atlanta.