A crowd of 5065 saw the host Sky Blue side fall to Western New York by a 4-1 margin. The victory boosts Western New York into a tie for first place, while Sky Blue falls into a third place tie with magicJack.
The Flash tried to get on the board quickly as Christine Sinclair nearly scored in the opening minute, but her shot hit the post.
Sky Blue took the lead midway through the first half. Therese Sjogran fed Spanish striker Adriana and she slid her shot past Flash goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris for a 1-0 lead.
However, Western New York came back with a vengeance, scoring three goals in less than ten minutes. McCall Zerboni tied the score in the 29th minute as she was able to sneak a hard shot past Sky Blue keeper Jen Branam. Just six minutes later, Yael Averbuch set up Marta to give the Flash the lead. Three minutes later, the Flash scored off of a Candace Chapman free kick as Sinclair headed it home to make it 3-1.
The score stayed that way until the waning moments of the match as Alex Morgan scored in stoppage time on an assist by Beverly Goebel.
Western New York outshot Sky Blue by a 21-8 margin and held the edge in shots on goal as well with a 10-4 advantage.
The Flash improve their record to 9-2-3 and they are now tied with Philadelphia for 1st place with a game in hand. The Independence play Atlanta on Sunday. Sky Blue falls to 5-6-4, but still have a share of third place.
Western New York hosts Boston on Wednesday night. Sky Blue travels to Florida to meet magicJack in a battle for third place, also on Wednesday evening.
Jen Branam announced before the match that she would be retiring at the end of the season. Branam has been a member of Sky Blue since the beginning and helped lead them to the 2009 WPS championship. Sky Blue plans to retire her number 23 jersey.
Showing posts with label McCall Zerboni. Show all posts
Showing posts with label McCall Zerboni. Show all posts
July 30, 2011
July 20, 2011
Flash Sink magicJack in World Cup Homecoming
0
comments
Labels: 2011 WPS, Abby Wambach, Becky Edwards, Christine Sinclair, Ella Masar, Jill Loyden, Marta, McCall Zerboni, Nikki Washington, Western New York Flash
Labels: 2011 WPS, Abby Wambach, Becky Edwards, Christine Sinclair, Ella Masar, Jill Loyden, Marta, McCall Zerboni, Nikki Washington, Western New York Flash
On a night when World Cup players from six different countries were honored before 15,404 fans, the Western New York Flash defeated magicJack 3-1 at Sahlen Stadium in Rochester, New York. Canadian National Team star Christine Sinclair scored two goals and assisted on the third to lead the Flash to victory. It was the largest single-game crowd in WPS history.
While all of the players that participated in the World Cup were honored, magicJack striker Abby Wambach clearly took center stage. The Rochester native received the key to the city and it was proclaimed Abby Wambach Day. Wambach was dressed in her magicJack uniform, but did not play in the game, still nursing an Achilles heel injury which has plagued her for much of the year.
The visitors from Florida nearly broke on top in the sixth minute. Christen Press had an open shot from 10 yards, but she put her shot too close to Ashlyn Harris and the save was made by the Flash keeper.
Western New York got the first goal of the match. Candace Chapman sent a long free kick forward from just outside her penalty area. Becky Edwards flicked the ball forward with a header and Sinclair timed her run perfectly getting behind the defense. Sinclair dribbled around magicJack goalkeeper Jill Loyden and rolled the ball into the net for a 1-0 lead.
MagicJack was able to draw even just before the intermission. In the 40th minute, Nikki Washington sent a long cross toward the box. With Flash defender Candace Chapman in front of her, Ella Masar elected to one-time it. She hit a left-footed shot over her shoulder, over Chapman, and finally over Harris to tie the match.
The Flash tried to regain the lead to start the second half. Marta's shot was blocked by defender Tina Ellertson, but Beverly Goebel was on the rebound and only a point-blank save by Loyden kept the score tied at one.
But magicJack wasn't so fortunate five minutes later. Marta sent the ball into space for Christine Sinclair, but Tina Ellertson was able to get there first. As the two battled for the ball, Ellertson fell down and Sinclair dribbled in alone on Loyden, shooting just inside the left post as a diving Loyden was only able to get a glove on it, but not stop it. It was Sinclair's eighth goal of the season, tying her with Tasha Kai for the league lead, and the Flash led 2-1.
The Flash closed the door on magicJack in the 69th minute. Goebel sent the ball ahead to Sinclair, who chased the ball down just to the left of the penalty area. She cut back to the inside, beating magicJack defender Nikki Marshall, and then sent a cross to the right edge of the six. McCall Zerboni was waiting there unmarked and she placed her header behind Loyden, who was rushing across to cut off the angle.
MagicJack again struggled with a three-back formation as the Flash found open lanes to play the ball in behind their defense. Ali Riley got in behind the defense later in the match and only another good save by Loyden kept the game reasonably close. Later, Loyden made a diving save on Alex Morgan's drive from just outside the eighteen. The final score was 3-1 for Western New York.
The Flash move to within one point of first place Philadelphia. They now sport a 8-2-2 record and they will now travel to Boston to meet the Breakers on Sunday. MagicJack falls to 5-5-1 and are in a fierce battle for the final two playoff berths. They will now head to Atlanta to play the Beat on Saturday evening.
While all of the players that participated in the World Cup were honored, magicJack striker Abby Wambach clearly took center stage. The Rochester native received the key to the city and it was proclaimed Abby Wambach Day. Wambach was dressed in her magicJack uniform, but did not play in the game, still nursing an Achilles heel injury which has plagued her for much of the year.
The visitors from Florida nearly broke on top in the sixth minute. Christen Press had an open shot from 10 yards, but she put her shot too close to Ashlyn Harris and the save was made by the Flash keeper.
Western New York got the first goal of the match. Candace Chapman sent a long free kick forward from just outside her penalty area. Becky Edwards flicked the ball forward with a header and Sinclair timed her run perfectly getting behind the defense. Sinclair dribbled around magicJack goalkeeper Jill Loyden and rolled the ball into the net for a 1-0 lead.
MagicJack was able to draw even just before the intermission. In the 40th minute, Nikki Washington sent a long cross toward the box. With Flash defender Candace Chapman in front of her, Ella Masar elected to one-time it. She hit a left-footed shot over her shoulder, over Chapman, and finally over Harris to tie the match.
The Flash tried to regain the lead to start the second half. Marta's shot was blocked by defender Tina Ellertson, but Beverly Goebel was on the rebound and only a point-blank save by Loyden kept the score tied at one.
But magicJack wasn't so fortunate five minutes later. Marta sent the ball into space for Christine Sinclair, but Tina Ellertson was able to get there first. As the two battled for the ball, Ellertson fell down and Sinclair dribbled in alone on Loyden, shooting just inside the left post as a diving Loyden was only able to get a glove on it, but not stop it. It was Sinclair's eighth goal of the season, tying her with Tasha Kai for the league lead, and the Flash led 2-1.
The Flash closed the door on magicJack in the 69th minute. Goebel sent the ball ahead to Sinclair, who chased the ball down just to the left of the penalty area. She cut back to the inside, beating magicJack defender Nikki Marshall, and then sent a cross to the right edge of the six. McCall Zerboni was waiting there unmarked and she placed her header behind Loyden, who was rushing across to cut off the angle.
MagicJack again struggled with a three-back formation as the Flash found open lanes to play the ball in behind their defense. Ali Riley got in behind the defense later in the match and only another good save by Loyden kept the game reasonably close. Later, Loyden made a diving save on Alex Morgan's drive from just outside the eighteen. The final score was 3-1 for Western New York.
The Flash move to within one point of first place Philadelphia. They now sport a 8-2-2 record and they will now travel to Boston to meet the Breakers on Sunday. MagicJack falls to 5-5-1 and are in a fierce battle for the final two playoff berths. They will now head to Atlanta to play the Beat on Saturday evening.
May 29, 2011
Flash Edges Independence
0
comments
Labels: 2011 WPS, Ali Riley, Ashlyn Harris, Becky Edwards, Marta, McCall Zerboni, Megan Rapinoe, Nicole Barnhart, Philadelphia Independence, Tasha Kai., Western New York Flash
Labels: 2011 WPS, Ali Riley, Ashlyn Harris, Becky Edwards, Marta, McCall Zerboni, Megan Rapinoe, Nicole Barnhart, Philadelphia Independence, Tasha Kai., Western New York Flash
The Western New York Flash remained unbeaten by defeating the Philadelphia Independence 2-1 in Chester, Pennsylvania.
The Flash maintained their eight point lead over magicJack and now have a 11 point advantage over Philadelphia in the standings.
For the first time this season, however, the Flash fell behind in a match. Philadelphia took the lead in the 9th minute on what appeared to be a harmless looking shot. The Independence moved the ball across the field to Megan Rapinoe on the right side of the field. She struck a shot on a tough angle from the right wing, which went over Ashlyn Harris' head and under the crossbar inside the back post. It was a perfectly placed shot and a stunned Harris was unable to move on the play.
So for the first time this season, the Flash trailed, but it was only for all of five minutes as they quickly responded. Ali Riley hit a well-placed cross from the left wing and McCall Zerboni challenged for the ball as Nicole Barnhart went up to punch the ball out. The ball rebounded to a wide open Becky Edwards who headed into the now empty net.
The Flash took the lead just a few minutes later, as Marta took a corner kick from the left side. The corner went short to Zerboni and as she attempted to dribble toward the net, she was tripped up by Independence defender Nikki Krzysik and a penalty was awarded. Marta put the penalty lower right as Barnhart guessed wrong and the Flash led 2-1 at the 21 minute mark.
That was the only scoring of the first half and as it turned out, the game. Nicole Barnhart made several good saves later in the match. But Philadelphia came close to tying the match in the 65th minute as Tina DiMartino sent a cross in from the right side and it found the head of Tasha Kai. Kai headed the ball down with the ball bouncing high and toward the goal, but Harris was able to time her leap and tip the ball over the bar.
Play got a little physical later in the match and a little chippy at times, but nothing of much consequence. Flash defender Ali Riley came up limping a couple of times during the match, but finished the match. Gina Lewandowski got a rare start as Candace Chapman was out with an injury.
The Flash improved to 6-0-1, good for 19 points and first place. Philadelphia fell to 2-2-2, still in 3rd place with 8 points. The Flash will head home to face Sky Blue on Friday in Rochester. Philadelphia plays at home on Saturday against Atlanta.
WPS Standings (as of May 29, 2011)
(1) Western New York 6-0-1, 19 pts; (2) magicJack 4-1-0, 11 pts; (3) Philadelphia 2-2-2, 8 pts; (4) Sky Blue FC 2-3-1, 7 pts; (5) Boston 2-5-1, 7 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-6-1, 4 pts.
The Flash maintained their eight point lead over magicJack and now have a 11 point advantage over Philadelphia in the standings.
For the first time this season, however, the Flash fell behind in a match. Philadelphia took the lead in the 9th minute on what appeared to be a harmless looking shot. The Independence moved the ball across the field to Megan Rapinoe on the right side of the field. She struck a shot on a tough angle from the right wing, which went over Ashlyn Harris' head and under the crossbar inside the back post. It was a perfectly placed shot and a stunned Harris was unable to move on the play.
So for the first time this season, the Flash trailed, but it was only for all of five minutes as they quickly responded. Ali Riley hit a well-placed cross from the left wing and McCall Zerboni challenged for the ball as Nicole Barnhart went up to punch the ball out. The ball rebounded to a wide open Becky Edwards who headed into the now empty net.
The Flash took the lead just a few minutes later, as Marta took a corner kick from the left side. The corner went short to Zerboni and as she attempted to dribble toward the net, she was tripped up by Independence defender Nikki Krzysik and a penalty was awarded. Marta put the penalty lower right as Barnhart guessed wrong and the Flash led 2-1 at the 21 minute mark.
That was the only scoring of the first half and as it turned out, the game. Nicole Barnhart made several good saves later in the match. But Philadelphia came close to tying the match in the 65th minute as Tina DiMartino sent a cross in from the right side and it found the head of Tasha Kai. Kai headed the ball down with the ball bouncing high and toward the goal, but Harris was able to time her leap and tip the ball over the bar.
Play got a little physical later in the match and a little chippy at times, but nothing of much consequence. Flash defender Ali Riley came up limping a couple of times during the match, but finished the match. Gina Lewandowski got a rare start as Candace Chapman was out with an injury.
The Flash improved to 6-0-1, good for 19 points and first place. Philadelphia fell to 2-2-2, still in 3rd place with 8 points. The Flash will head home to face Sky Blue on Friday in Rochester. Philadelphia plays at home on Saturday against Atlanta.
WPS Standings (as of May 29, 2011)
(1) Western New York 6-0-1, 19 pts; (2) magicJack 4-1-0, 11 pts; (3) Philadelphia 2-2-2, 8 pts; (4) Sky Blue FC 2-3-1, 7 pts; (5) Boston 2-5-1, 7 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-6-1, 4 pts.
May 14, 2011
Zerboni Leads Flash Past Breakers
McCall Zerboni scored two goals and assisted on a third as the Western New York Flash remained unbeaten with a 3-2 victory over the Boston Breakers on Friday evening.
For the former UCLA Bruin, it was her first two WPS goals. Zerboni played for the Los Angeles Sol in 2009 and Atlanta Beat last year.
Both teams were playing without several starters because of national team duty. The Flash struck first on a goal by Brittany Bock in the 10th minute and Zerboni increased the lead to 2-0 in the 25th. Liz Bogus cut the lead in half before the intermission.
Zerboni scored her second of the night in the 69th minute. Kasey Moore finished the scoring, converting a penalty in the 80th minute. Despite several late chances, the Breakers were unable to break through for a draw.
Western New York continues to lead WPS with a 4-0-1 record, five points ahead of 2nd place magicJack. Boston slips to 2-4-0 at the one-third point in their season, barely maintaining hold of third place.
Boston returns home to face Philadelphia next Sunday. In a much anticipated match, Western New York hosts second place magicJack next Sunday.
magicJack Penalized Point by WPS
Per the weekly press release from WPS Communications, magicJack has been penalized a point in the standings "for repeated non-compliance with league standards."
According to the release:
"As an escalated penalty for continuing non-compliance with league standards in Week 5, magicJack has lost one (1) point in the 2011 WPS Standings and the team’s right to its third round draft pick in the 2012 WPS Draft.
As an escalated penalty for continuing non-compliance with league standards in Week 4, magicJack has lost the team’s right to its final (fourth) round draft pick in the 2012 WPS Draft."
magicJack's record remains at 3-0-0, but they will only have eight points, instead of nine.
For excellent in-depth coverage of the story, check out Jeff Kassouf's story at The Equalizer and Jenna Pel's coverage at All White Kit.
For the former UCLA Bruin, it was her first two WPS goals. Zerboni played for the Los Angeles Sol in 2009 and Atlanta Beat last year.
Both teams were playing without several starters because of national team duty. The Flash struck first on a goal by Brittany Bock in the 10th minute and Zerboni increased the lead to 2-0 in the 25th. Liz Bogus cut the lead in half before the intermission.
Zerboni scored her second of the night in the 69th minute. Kasey Moore finished the scoring, converting a penalty in the 80th minute. Despite several late chances, the Breakers were unable to break through for a draw.
Western New York continues to lead WPS with a 4-0-1 record, five points ahead of 2nd place magicJack. Boston slips to 2-4-0 at the one-third point in their season, barely maintaining hold of third place.
Boston returns home to face Philadelphia next Sunday. In a much anticipated match, Western New York hosts second place magicJack next Sunday.
magicJack Penalized Point by WPS
Per the weekly press release from WPS Communications, magicJack has been penalized a point in the standings "for repeated non-compliance with league standards."
According to the release:
"As an escalated penalty for continuing non-compliance with league standards in Week 5, magicJack has lost one (1) point in the 2011 WPS Standings and the team’s right to its third round draft pick in the 2012 WPS Draft.
As an escalated penalty for continuing non-compliance with league standards in Week 4, magicJack has lost the team’s right to its final (fourth) round draft pick in the 2012 WPS Draft."
magicJack's record remains at 3-0-0, but they will only have eight points, instead of nine.
For excellent in-depth coverage of the story, check out Jeff Kassouf's story at The Equalizer and Jenna Pel's coverage at All White Kit.
December 14, 2010
Western New York Building Fast with Signings
Although there has been some bad news for WPS lately, it's full steam ahead for the league's newest entry, the Western New York Flash. The Flash announced three more signings today, after adding four players last week. Midfielder McCall Zerboni, defender Candace Chapman, and goalkeeper Brittany Cameron are the newest members of the expansion Flash.
Zerboni, a 2009 draft choice of the Los Angeles Sol, has three career assists. After spending the 2009 season as primarily a reserve for the Sol, she moved into the starters role for the Atlanta Beat in 2010. Zerboni played her college soccer at UCLA.
Chapman, a defender for the Canadian National Team, spent 2009 with the Boston Breakers, before moving to FC Gold Pride as a starting defender in 2010. She started 21 matches for the 2010 WPS champions.
Cameron was selected by Los Angeles out of the University of San Diego and spent 2009 as a developmental goalkeeper. She moved up to the role of backup for FC Gold Pride in 2010, starting three matches for them, winning all three and earning one shutout.
Western New York had already signed three other Gold Pride players in Christine Sinclair, Ali Riley, and Kandace Wilson. Wilson and Riley were the starting outside backs for the 2010 champions, while Sinclair was their second leading scorer with 10 goals. Riley, a member of the New Zealand National Team, was WPS 2010 Rookie of the Year. Sinclair is Canada's all-time leading scorer.
Other signings include multi-dimensional Brittany Bock, who has spent time with both Los Angeles and Washington, and Ashlyn Harris, who was drafted by Saint Louis and then signed by Washington in 2010. Harris started 9 games for Washington after Erin McLeod went down with injury and she posted a 1.11 goals against average with four shutouts.
The Flash chose two players, Beverly Goebel and Kaley Fountain, in the expansion draft. Goebel was a 2010 draft choice for Washington and scored one goal while playing 16 games for the Freedom and starting 9. Fountain was drafted by Gold Pride, later signing as a free agent for the Atlanta Beat.
Zerboni, a 2009 draft choice of the Los Angeles Sol, has three career assists. After spending the 2009 season as primarily a reserve for the Sol, she moved into the starters role for the Atlanta Beat in 2010. Zerboni played her college soccer at UCLA.
Chapman, a defender for the Canadian National Team, spent 2009 with the Boston Breakers, before moving to FC Gold Pride as a starting defender in 2010. She started 21 matches for the 2010 WPS champions.
Cameron was selected by Los Angeles out of the University of San Diego and spent 2009 as a developmental goalkeeper. She moved up to the role of backup for FC Gold Pride in 2010, starting three matches for them, winning all three and earning one shutout.
Western New York had already signed three other Gold Pride players in Christine Sinclair, Ali Riley, and Kandace Wilson. Wilson and Riley were the starting outside backs for the 2010 champions, while Sinclair was their second leading scorer with 10 goals. Riley, a member of the New Zealand National Team, was WPS 2010 Rookie of the Year. Sinclair is Canada's all-time leading scorer.
Other signings include multi-dimensional Brittany Bock, who has spent time with both Los Angeles and Washington, and Ashlyn Harris, who was drafted by Saint Louis and then signed by Washington in 2010. Harris started 9 games for Washington after Erin McLeod went down with injury and she posted a 1.11 goals against average with four shutouts.
The Flash chose two players, Beverly Goebel and Kaley Fountain, in the expansion draft. Goebel was a 2010 draft choice for Washington and scored one goal while playing 16 games for the Freedom and starting 9. Fountain was drafted by Gold Pride, later signing as a free agent for the Atlanta Beat.
May 19, 2010
WPS Midweek Notes - May 19
0
comments
Labels: 2010 WPS, Atlanta Beat, Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, FC Gold Pride, Marta, McCall Zerboni, Philadelphia Independence, Saint Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC, USWNT, Washington Freedom
Labels: 2010 WPS, Atlanta Beat, Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, FC Gold Pride, Marta, McCall Zerboni, Philadelphia Independence, Saint Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC, USWNT, Washington Freedom
Marta Wins WPS Player of the Week
Brazilian forward Marta has been named WPS Player of the Week. Marta scored two 1st half goals in FC Gold Pride's 2-1 victory over the Boston Breakers on Friday night. It is the 3rd time she has received the honor.
The two goals give her three for the 2010 season and 13 for her WPS career. She is the all-time leader in goals for Women's Professional Soccer. Marta and her Gold Pride teammates have raced out to a 5-1 record, good for 15 points and 1st place in the standings. Marta was also named as Goal.com's Player of the Week.
USWNT vs Germany on May 22
The US Women's National Team will meet Germany on Saturday afternoon at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The match is scheduled to be televised on ESPN2 at 6pm eastern time.
In the last meeting between the two teams, the US edged Germany 3-2 at the Algarve Cup Championship in March. Germany has not played the US on American soil since 2003.
Surprisingly, US Coach Pia Sundhage went heavily for defenders when naming her squad for the match. In all, 10 defenders were named to the US side. Only two non-WPS players were named to the squad, Ali Krieger who is currently playing in Germany and Alex Morgan of the University of California. Here are the rosters for the two teams:
United States:
Goalkeepers (3)-Hope Solo, Nicole Barnhart, Jillian Loyden.
Defenders (10)-Rachel Buehler, Stephanie Cox, Marian Dalmy, Ali Krieger, Amy LePeilbet, Kate Markgraf, Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone, Brittany Taylor, Cat Whitehill.
Midfielders (6)-Yael Averbuch, Shannon Boxx, Kristine Lilly, Lori Lindsey, Heather O'Reilly, Megan Rapinoe.
Forwards (3)-Alex Morgan, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach.
Germany:
Goalkeepers (2)-Nadine Angerer, Ursula Holl.
Defenders (7)-Saskia Bartusiak, Linda Bresonik, Sonja Fuss, Ariane Hingst, Annike Krahn, Navina Omilade, Bianca Rech.
Midfielders (5)-Melanie Behringer, Kerstin Garefrekes, Kim Kulig, Simone Landehr, Alexandra Popp.
Forwards (4)-Inka Grings, Martina Müller, Celia Okoyino da Mbabi, Birgit Prinz.
Alternates (3)-Isabell Bachor, Conny Pohlers, Lisa Weiβ.
Statement Regarding McCall Zerboni
Earlier in the week, General Manager Shawn McGee of the Atlanta Beat released the following statement with regards to McCall Zerboni and the injuries she suffered during Sunday's match against the Washington Freedom:
"McCall was involved in horrendous head-to-head collision with Sonia Bompastor as they were both going for a ball in the air. Both players were down for an extended period of time. Bompastor received 8 stitches to a gash on her forehead. McCall was taken off the field on a stretcher, and we sent her to the hospital for a cat scan and observation. She has a concussion, and her return will be a day to day decision."
For her part, McCall is back tweeting and she posted a picture of herself complete with bump and swollen eye on facebook today. Best wishes on a speedy recovery to McCall and hope to see her back on the pitch soon.
Around the League
Atlanta Beat - The Beat have outshot their last two opponents by a margin of 46-19 and held the edge in corners by a 23-6 margin in those two matches.....Mami Yamaguchi has joined the Japanese National Team for the Asian Cup, which will serve as qualifiers for next year's World Cup. Japan's first group stage opponent is Myanmar on May 20.....Atlanta has now gone 335 minutes without a goal. The all-time WPS record is held by the Chicago Red Stars at 451 minutes in June of 2009.
Boston Breakers - Nine of Boston's 11 starters have been the same for every match. Seven of those players have played every minute so far.....For the 2nd straight year, Kelly Smith leads the Breakers in goal scoring. She has 3 so far this season.....The Breakers' winless streak has reached 5 matches, with a 0-2-3 record over that time, and being outscored 6-3. Last year, Boston's longest winless streak was 5 matches from May 10 to June 17. They had an 0-2-3 record in that streak, being outscored by a 5-3 margin, before defeating Chicago on June 21.
Chicago Red Stars - Red Star attendance has exceeded 5,000 in 2 of their 3 home matches this season.....The Red Stars lead WPS in shots attempted with 82, but are 7th in shots on goal with just 31, a low 38% on goal percentage.....The Red Stars have now been shut out 15 times in 26 matches. They have only won one match in which they scored 1 goal and that was the 2009 opener against Saint Louis.
FC Gold Pride - Marta's brace on Friday night marked the 3rd time she has scored two goals in a WPS match.....Gold Pride's offense is much improved from 2009. Last year, they scored 2 or more goals in only three matches out of 20. This year, they have done it four times in 6 matches.....All five goals surrendered by Gold Pride this season have been to internationals (Aluko 2, Kalmari, Ocampo, and Smith).
Philadelphia Independence - Karina LeBlanc pushed her WPS career shutout total to 14 on Saturday night against the Red Stars. As teammates, LeBlanc and Val Henderson have shutouts in 16 of their 26 matches together.....Only Nikki Krzysik and Sara Larsson have played every minute so far for the Independence.....Philadelphia leads the league with 54 fouls committed.
Saint Louis Athletica - Eniola Aluko now leads WPS with 4 goals scored and also in offsides with 16, six more than the nearest player. Last year, she led the league with 33 offsides calls.....Shannon Boxx became the first player to convert a penalty this season when she scored against Sky Blue in Athletica's 2-2 draw.....Athletica set a record for scoring in 11 consecutive regular season matches on Sunday. They are the only team that has not been shut out in 2010. However, they did suffer a shutout at the hands of Sky Blue in the 2009 WPS playoffs.
Sky Blue FC - Laura Kalmari became the 3rd Sky Blue player to score two goals in a match. The other two were Natasha Kai and Kacey White, both of whom accomplished the feat in the same match on July 15, 2009 against Washington.....Karen Bardsley has faced 49 shots on goal, 12 more than the nearest other goalkeeper.....Sky Blue surrendered a 2nd half lead for only the 2nd match in their history against Athletica on Sunday. They gave up two 2nd half leads in the aforementioned match against the Freedom last July.
Washington Freedom - The Freedom have had 7 different goal scorers this season, the most of any WPS team, but only two players have assists, Abby Wambach with 7 and Sonia Bompastor with 2. They are currently first and second among all-time WPS assists leaders with 12 and 8 respectively....Wambach has figured in 9 of the Freedom's 10 goals this season.....The month of May has been good to Washington. Over two seasons, their record in May is 4-0-3.
Trivia Question - In 2011, the World Cup will be held in Germany. Of the USWNT players who are active for Saturday's friendly against Germany, which two started both of the last two matches in which the US faced Germany in the World Cup in 1999 and 2003?
Brazilian forward Marta has been named WPS Player of the Week. Marta scored two 1st half goals in FC Gold Pride's 2-1 victory over the Boston Breakers on Friday night. It is the 3rd time she has received the honor.
The two goals give her three for the 2010 season and 13 for her WPS career. She is the all-time leader in goals for Women's Professional Soccer. Marta and her Gold Pride teammates have raced out to a 5-1 record, good for 15 points and 1st place in the standings. Marta was also named as Goal.com's Player of the Week.
USWNT vs Germany on May 22
The US Women's National Team will meet Germany on Saturday afternoon at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The match is scheduled to be televised on ESPN2 at 6pm eastern time.
In the last meeting between the two teams, the US edged Germany 3-2 at the Algarve Cup Championship in March. Germany has not played the US on American soil since 2003.
Surprisingly, US Coach Pia Sundhage went heavily for defenders when naming her squad for the match. In all, 10 defenders were named to the US side. Only two non-WPS players were named to the squad, Ali Krieger who is currently playing in Germany and Alex Morgan of the University of California. Here are the rosters for the two teams:
United States:
Goalkeepers (3)-Hope Solo, Nicole Barnhart, Jillian Loyden.
Defenders (10)-Rachel Buehler, Stephanie Cox, Marian Dalmy, Ali Krieger, Amy LePeilbet, Kate Markgraf, Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone, Brittany Taylor, Cat Whitehill.
Midfielders (6)-Yael Averbuch, Shannon Boxx, Kristine Lilly, Lori Lindsey, Heather O'Reilly, Megan Rapinoe.
Forwards (3)-Alex Morgan, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach.
Germany:
Goalkeepers (2)-Nadine Angerer, Ursula Holl.
Defenders (7)-Saskia Bartusiak, Linda Bresonik, Sonja Fuss, Ariane Hingst, Annike Krahn, Navina Omilade, Bianca Rech.
Midfielders (5)-Melanie Behringer, Kerstin Garefrekes, Kim Kulig, Simone Landehr, Alexandra Popp.
Forwards (4)-Inka Grings, Martina Müller, Celia Okoyino da Mbabi, Birgit Prinz.
Alternates (3)-Isabell Bachor, Conny Pohlers, Lisa Weiβ.
Statement Regarding McCall Zerboni
Earlier in the week, General Manager Shawn McGee of the Atlanta Beat released the following statement with regards to McCall Zerboni and the injuries she suffered during Sunday's match against the Washington Freedom:
"McCall was involved in horrendous head-to-head collision with Sonia Bompastor as they were both going for a ball in the air. Both players were down for an extended period of time. Bompastor received 8 stitches to a gash on her forehead. McCall was taken off the field on a stretcher, and we sent her to the hospital for a cat scan and observation. She has a concussion, and her return will be a day to day decision."
For her part, McCall is back tweeting and she posted a picture of herself complete with bump and swollen eye on facebook today. Best wishes on a speedy recovery to McCall and hope to see her back on the pitch soon.
Around the League
Atlanta Beat - The Beat have outshot their last two opponents by a margin of 46-19 and held the edge in corners by a 23-6 margin in those two matches.....Mami Yamaguchi has joined the Japanese National Team for the Asian Cup, which will serve as qualifiers for next year's World Cup. Japan's first group stage opponent is Myanmar on May 20.....Atlanta has now gone 335 minutes without a goal. The all-time WPS record is held by the Chicago Red Stars at 451 minutes in June of 2009.
Boston Breakers - Nine of Boston's 11 starters have been the same for every match. Seven of those players have played every minute so far.....For the 2nd straight year, Kelly Smith leads the Breakers in goal scoring. She has 3 so far this season.....The Breakers' winless streak has reached 5 matches, with a 0-2-3 record over that time, and being outscored 6-3. Last year, Boston's longest winless streak was 5 matches from May 10 to June 17. They had an 0-2-3 record in that streak, being outscored by a 5-3 margin, before defeating Chicago on June 21.
Chicago Red Stars - Red Star attendance has exceeded 5,000 in 2 of their 3 home matches this season.....The Red Stars lead WPS in shots attempted with 82, but are 7th in shots on goal with just 31, a low 38% on goal percentage.....The Red Stars have now been shut out 15 times in 26 matches. They have only won one match in which they scored 1 goal and that was the 2009 opener against Saint Louis.
FC Gold Pride - Marta's brace on Friday night marked the 3rd time she has scored two goals in a WPS match.....Gold Pride's offense is much improved from 2009. Last year, they scored 2 or more goals in only three matches out of 20. This year, they have done it four times in 6 matches.....All five goals surrendered by Gold Pride this season have been to internationals (Aluko 2, Kalmari, Ocampo, and Smith).
Philadelphia Independence - Karina LeBlanc pushed her WPS career shutout total to 14 on Saturday night against the Red Stars. As teammates, LeBlanc and Val Henderson have shutouts in 16 of their 26 matches together.....Only Nikki Krzysik and Sara Larsson have played every minute so far for the Independence.....Philadelphia leads the league with 54 fouls committed.
Saint Louis Athletica - Eniola Aluko now leads WPS with 4 goals scored and also in offsides with 16, six more than the nearest player. Last year, she led the league with 33 offsides calls.....Shannon Boxx became the first player to convert a penalty this season when she scored against Sky Blue in Athletica's 2-2 draw.....Athletica set a record for scoring in 11 consecutive regular season matches on Sunday. They are the only team that has not been shut out in 2010. However, they did suffer a shutout at the hands of Sky Blue in the 2009 WPS playoffs.
Sky Blue FC - Laura Kalmari became the 3rd Sky Blue player to score two goals in a match. The other two were Natasha Kai and Kacey White, both of whom accomplished the feat in the same match on July 15, 2009 against Washington.....Karen Bardsley has faced 49 shots on goal, 12 more than the nearest other goalkeeper.....Sky Blue surrendered a 2nd half lead for only the 2nd match in their history against Athletica on Sunday. They gave up two 2nd half leads in the aforementioned match against the Freedom last July.
Washington Freedom - The Freedom have had 7 different goal scorers this season, the most of any WPS team, but only two players have assists, Abby Wambach with 7 and Sonia Bompastor with 2. They are currently first and second among all-time WPS assists leaders with 12 and 8 respectively....Wambach has figured in 9 of the Freedom's 10 goals this season.....The month of May has been good to Washington. Over two seasons, their record in May is 4-0-3.
Trivia Question - In 2011, the World Cup will be held in Germany. Of the USWNT players who are active for Saturday's friendly against Germany, which two started both of the last two matches in which the US faced Germany in the World Cup in 1999 and 2003?
January 10, 2010
Free Agent Zerboni Signs with Atlanta Beat
In what has been an extremely busy week, the Atlanta Beat have now signed free agent midfielder McCall Zerboni. Zerboni played for the Los Angeles Sol in 2009. She played in 10 games, starting in four contests, and assisted on one goal.
Zerboni played her college soccer at UCLA, where she scored 13 goals and 9 assists. She was a 7th round draft selection (#47 overall) in the 2009 WPS draft.
Atlanta also signed Sharolta Nonen, an expansion draft selection, to a contract. Nonen also played for Los Angeles in 2009 and is a veteran on the Canadian National Team. She does not count against the Beat's international player total.
The Beat will continue to be busy next week at the WPS draft next Friday. They have the 1st overall choice in that draft.
Zerboni played her college soccer at UCLA, where she scored 13 goals and 9 assists. She was a 7th round draft selection (#47 overall) in the 2009 WPS draft.
Atlanta also signed Sharolta Nonen, an expansion draft selection, to a contract. Nonen also played for Los Angeles in 2009 and is a veteran on the Canadian National Team. She does not count against the Beat's international player total.
The Beat will continue to be busy next week at the WPS draft next Friday. They have the 1st overall choice in that draft.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Search
Welcome
