Klingenberg Helps Breakers To 2-1 Victory

There are few better feelings in sports than to get an opportunity to help beat a team that just traded you. Meghan Klingenberg did just that on Sunday evening. Klingenberg who was traded by magicJack to Boston last week, scored the game's second goal and it proved to be the difference as the Breakers defeated magicJack by a 2-1 margin.

With many national team players in New Jersey for today's USWNT match against Mexico, the starting lineups for both teams were quite different. Both principals in the recent trade, Klingenberg and magicJack's Nikki Washington, were in the starting lineup against their old teams.

Boston opened the scoring in just the 8th minute. After a nice buildup, Klingenberg sent a nice cross to the middle, but it appeared to be cleared out of trouble by magicJack's defense. However, Katie Schoepfer collected the ball just outside the eighteen and she hit a high lob of a shot that couldn't have been placed more perfectly, going just under the crossbar, just inside the right post, and just out of reach of leaping magicJack keeper Brett Maron.

The Breakers made it 2-0 in the 19th minute as Liz Bogus hit a right-footed cross from the left sideline to Klingenberg who was making a run down the center of the field. Klingenberg volleyed a one-timer from 10 yards into the left side of the net on what was one of the better goals of the season.

Boston had several chances in the final seconds of the first half as magicJack struggled to clear the ball after a cross was sent all the way through the penalty area.

Tina Ellertson was asked to mark English striker Kelly Smith and the two battled throughout the match, with Ellertson holding Smith in check for much of the time. Meanwhile, Ella Masar was once again very active on the offensive end and sent at least one shot just over the crossbar. magicJack outshot Boston in the first half, but many of their shots were from distance and harmless.

The score remained at 2-0 until the 67th minute, as Sarah Huffman sent a long ball over the top of the Boston defense. There appeared to be a lack of communication between Alyssa Naeher and her defense, and the Boston keeper got caught in no-man's land. Christen Press got just behind the defense and cut in front of Naeher intercepting the ball and finished into an empty net.

While magicJack did have chances in the closing minutes, they were unable to draw even. Their record falls to 4-2-0. They remain in 2nd place with 11 points. Boston raises their record to 3-5-1 and 10 points, good for 3rd place.

MagicJack now travels to Atlanta for a match next Saturday against the Beat. Boston must travel to New Jersey to face Sky Blue next Sunday.

WPS Standings:
(1) Western New York 6-0-2, 20 pts; (2) magicJack 4-2-0, 11 pts; (3) Boston 3-5-1, 10 pts; (4) Philadelphia 2-2-3, 9 pts; (5) Sky Blue FC 2-3-2, 8 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-6-2, 5 pts.

Last Second Goal by Ellertson Gains Tie for Beat

Tina Ellertson scored in the waning moments of stoppage time to give the Atlanta Beat a 2-2 draw against Philadelphia on Wednesday evening. Ellertson scored on a header off of an Aya Miyama cross as seconds ticked down.

Atlanta jumped on top early in the contest on a Mami Yamaguchi goal, but Philadelphia drew even before halftime, with Amy Rodriguez getting the equalizer for the Independence.

Barely into the 2nd half, Stacy Bishop scored an own goal after Joanna Lohman had crossed the ball for Philadelphia. That gave the Independence a 2-1 lead, which held until Ellertson's heroics in the closing seconds. It was the second straight game that Ellertson has gotten the key goal of the match. Last weekend, she scored the game winner against Chicago.

Atlanta now has a 10 day break until after the All-Star game which will be played in their home stadium. They will host FC Gold Pride on July 3. Philadelphia returns home to face the Washington Freedom on Saturday night.

WPS Midweek - Philadelphia Independence at Atlanta Beat

The two expansion teams take center stage in the first WPS midweek match of 2010. Both are coming off of successful weekends.

Philadelphia Independence (5-3-2, 17 pts) at Atlanta Beat (1-5-2, 5 pts)
KSU Stadium, Kennesaw, GA - June 23 (6:30 ET)

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

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

Previous Meetings (2010):
Atlanta 0 @ Philadelphia 0
Atlanta 0 @ Philadelphia 1

What to Look For: Philadelphia enters the match coming off a big win over Sky Blue, in 2nd place with a chance to close within two points of Gold Pride. There are plenty of things to like about the Independence attack these days. The have plenty of speed, led by Rodriguez, who is having a solid season with 3 goals and 3 assists. Adams had a great game last weekend with a goal and two assists. Sanderson and Patterson have played well, too. Lindsey directs the show in the midfield with 2 goals and 5 assists. DiMartino has scored in consecutive games since coming over from St. Louis. Although they have yielded more goals as of late, Philly still boasts a solid defense led by Falk in the middle and LeBlanc in goal. The Independence will still be missing three European starters for this match in Seger, Larsson, and Magnusdottir.

Atlanta has scored less goals this season than the Independence did last weekend and scoring is still a problem for this young club. But the situation isn't as dire as it appeared three weeks ago and a victory would lift the Beat out of last place for the first time this year. Aluko returns to give them a scoring punch and she will team with Ocampo up front. The midfield group is now one of the best in the league with Miyama, Yamaguchi, Chalupny, and Kerr. Solo is expected back for this match and she and Maron have shut out their last two opponents. The addition of Ellertson, who scored Atlanta's goal over the weekend, has helped solidify the defense. Bachmann and Rasmussen will miss this game on national team duty.

These two teams played two low scoring match earlier this year, but it could be very interesting this time around. Atlanta now has a midfield which can control possession and create chances. In her first match with the Beat, her teammates had trouble connecting with Aluko. If they can in this match, her speed should give the Indepedence problems. But Philadelphia has speed of their own to counter with. Ellertson has given Atlanta the speed and experience it was lacking on their back line. I expect another close match, but we may see a lot of scoring chances in this one.

Storylines: It is the third meeting between the two expansion teams with the only goal being scored so far by Philadelphia's Lindsey. For 2010, in the previous meeting between last year's two top keepers, Solo came out on top over LeBlanc in a 2-1 win. After not scoring in her first 24 WPS matches, T. DiMartino has scored in consecutive matches. Philadelphia has a 9 match scoring streak, only two short of a record set by St. Louis earlier in the season. Can Adams repeat her success of a few days ago? Can Atlanta climb out of last place?

Weekend Wrap Up - June 19-20

Independence Demolishes Sky Blue

For the second time in three weeks, Philadelphia defeated Sky Blue FC. But this was in a more convincing fashion, a 4-1 victory in New Jersey, no less.

The Independence struck early and often, with Danesha Adams leading the way. Adams, who was making just her first start of the year, made the most of it with a goal and two assists. She put Philadelphia in the lead just five minutes into the match, assisted by Amy Rodriguez. Later in the half, Adams assisted on a goal by Rodriguez to put Philly up 2-0.

Sky Blue got one back on a penalty with Rosana doing the honors for the second week in a row. Last week, she converted a penalty in stoppage for the game winner against Boston. The score stood at 2-1 in favor of the Independence at half.

Adams earned her second assist on a Joanna Lohman goal early in the 2nd half and the game was never in doubt after that. Free agent signee Tina DiMartino scored her second goal in as many weeks since coming over from Saint Louis to make the final score 4-1. Karina LeBlanc got the win in goal for the Independence.

The Independence, who leapfrogged Washington into 2nd place, have now scored in 9 consecutive matches, just two shy of the regular season record held by Athletica. Philadelphia doesn't have long to rest as they travel to Atlanta for a midweek clash with the Beat on Wednesday. Sky Blue travels to the bay area to meet first place FC Gold Pride next weekend.

The Beat Get First Victory

It took eight matches, but the Atlanta Beat finally get their first win, a 1-0 shutout victory at home against Chicago.

Tina Ellertson headed home a Monica Ocampo cross in the 42nd minute to give the Beat their first WPS home goal. The goal ended a 467 minute scoring drought for Atlanta, which surpassed a record previously held by the Red Stars. For Ellertson, it was her first WPS goal.

Brett Maron got the shutout for the Beat. Atlanta outshot Chicago 17-4 for the match and held the edge in corners as well, 10-5. The victory puts Atlanta at 5 points, now just two behind 6th place Boston. They host Philadelphia on Wednesday night. Chicago remains in 5th place with 9 points and will travel to Boston to meet the Breakers in a Friday night contest.

Gold Pride Edges Boston To Solidify Hold on 1st Place

Kelley O'Hara scored late in the 1st half to give FC Gold Pride a 1-0 win over the visiting Boston Breakers. For O'Hara, it was her second goal of the season, this one assisted by Christine Sinclair.

Nicole Barnhart earned her third shutout of the season for FCGP. Alyssa Naeher, making her first start for the Breakers, was injured in the 1st half and had to be replaced by Ashley Phillips.

The victory came before a crowd of 3588 at Gold Pride's new home, Pioneer Stadium in Haywood, California. They have stretched their home unbeaten streak to eight games.

Gold Pride, with 22 points, now has a five point cushion over 2nd place Philadelphia. They will host Sky Blue next Sunday. Meanwhile, Boston sits in 6th place, just two points out of the basement. Boston has not won a match since the season opener and has scored just two goals total in their last six matches. They will host Chicago on Friday night.

Standings: (1) FC Gold Pride (7-2-1, 22 pts); (2) Philadelphia (5-3-2, 17 pts); (3) Washington (4-2-3, 15 pts); (4) Sky Blue FC (4-4-2, 14 pts); (5) Chicago (2-5-3, 9 pts); (6) Boston (1-4-4, 7 pts); (7) Atlanta (1-5-2, 5 pts).

Atlanta Beat Signs Solo, Ellertson, & Aluko

The Atlanta Beat have announced the signing of former Athletica players Hope Solo, Tina Ellertson, and Eniola Aluko.

Solo, considered by many to be the best goalkeeper in women's soccer, has a 1.33 goals against average this season, having posted one shutout. She is the starter on the USWNT and recently had a stellar game in the United States' match against Germany, which ended a 4-0 US victory.

Ellertson was a starting central defender for Athletica, although she had been a forward earlier in her career. Known for her speed and strong play on the back line, she will instantly give the Beat a presence in the middle of defense. She joins former teammate Kia McNeill on Atlanta's defense.

Eniola Aluko is currently the WPS' leading scorer with 4 goals. Last season, she tallied 6 goals and 4 assists. She has been Athletica's leading scorer both years. Aluko is one of the fastest and most exciting young players in WPS.

To make room on the roster, Tobin Heath was put on season-ending injured reserve. Heath had suffered an ankle injury earlier in the season. Lauren Sesselmann and Marisha Schumacher-Hodge have been released by Atlanta.

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.

Saint Louis Athletica 2010 - Can They Take the Next Step?

Coach: Jorge Barcellos
2009 Record: 10-6-4 (2nd place)
Postseason: Lost to Sky Blue 1-0 in the semifinal.

Returnees (9): Eniola Aluko, Lori Chalupny, Niki Cross, Daniela, Tina Ellertson, Kendall Fletcher, Hope Solo, Erin Walter, Elise Weber.
Draft Choices (5): Kristina Larsen (IR), Ashlyn Harris, Veronica Perez, Carolyn Blank, Sarah Teegarden.
LA Dispersal Draft (3): Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama, Tina DiMartino.
International Signings ( 2): Madelaine Edlund, Elaine.
Free Agents (3): Kati Jo Spisak, India Trotter, Sarah Wagenfuhr.
Trades (1): Lindsay Tarpley

The 2009 season got off to a devastating start for Athletica. They opened with an 0-2-2 record, culminating in the loss of one of their best players, Daniela. But Athletica made some trades, came together as a team and had the league’s best record over the final 16 games. The question is, can they take the next step and win it all in 2010.

One might think that the 2nd place team would make only a few changes, but that wasn’t the case with Athletica. They did a nearly complete makeover of their international cast, signing Madelaine Edlund and Elaine away from Umeå IK. On draft day, they traded backup keeper Jill Loyden for USWNT player Lindsay Tarpley. Then they traded Angie Kerr and Kia McNeill to move up in the dispersal draft, where they selected Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama, and Tina DiMartino. Athletica now has 7 players with USWNT caps and another 6 that have caps internationally for other countries. The real concern right now is the team’s health. Lori Chalupny has been battling problems from concussions and Daniela and Tarpley are coming off serious leg injuries. Toward the end of training camp, Kristina Larsen suffered a stress fracture in her foot and will be out 12 weeks. Does Athletica have the depth to overcome injuries?

Goalkeeping-Any conversation about Athletica has to start with defense and any conversation about their defense has to start with Hope Solo. Arguably the best goalkeeper in the women’s game, Solo makes acrobatic saves on a regular basis. She earned 8 shutouts last season with a 0.82 GAA. She distributes the ball as well as any keeper and even assisted on a goal late last season. After trading Jill Loyden to Chicago, Athletica chose Ashlyn Harris out of North Carolina in the college draft. Harris posted a microscopic 0.42 GAA for NCAA champs UNC. Athletica also brought in former Freedom keeper Kati Jo Spisak, a St. Louis native, to add depth at goalkeeper.

Defenders-Only two starters return from last year’s defense. Gone are Stephanie Logtermann (retired), Kia McNeill (traded to Atlanta), and Sara Larsson (Philadelphia). The good news is that one of the returnees is Tina Ellertson, who had an all-star season in 2009. Ellertson has better closing speed than any other back in the league and she gives Athletica a calming presence in the center. Young Elise Weber performed well last season and if she can improve her passing out of the back, she could be a very good outside defender.

The addition of Shannon Boxx gives Coach Jorge Barcellos the luxury of moving Kendall Fletcher to the back line. Fletcher, who played defensive mid last season, was often given responsibility for marking the opponent’s best player. Another player who might move from midfield to defense is Elaine from Brazil. Athletica also added Carolyn Blank out of West Virginia through the draft, signed free agent Sarah Wagenfuhr (formerly Florida State and Chicago Red Stars), and picked up Niki Cross at the roster deadline. Cross spent the ’09 season with Athletica and has the versatility to play defender or forward. The major concern here is depth. Tina Ellertson may be the least replaceable player on the team outside of Hope Solo.

Midfielders-There is no team in the league with as deep and talented of a midfield as Saint Louis. Consider that former Gold Pride starter Tina DiMartino could be the team’s 6th or 7th best midfielder, once everybody is healthy. But there lies the concern. Lindsey Tarpley is recovering from ACL surgery and may not be ready for the start of the season. And with all the depth at midfield, she may play forward for Jorge Barcellos. Lori Chalupny has been plagued by symptoms from concussions and may also be a question mark. Add to those concerns, Brazilian midfielder Daniela is still recovering from her injuries suffered in 4th game of the 2009 season. It appeared that she was just coming into form, scoring the first two goals for Athletica in that game.

But thanks to the LA Sol dispersal draft, Saint Louis has depth to spare. In part due to a trade with Atlanta, Saint Louis was able to pick up both Shannon Boxx and Aya Miyama. Merry Christmas, Jorge! A great veteran player, Boxx has long been one of the top defensive midfielders in the world. She scored 3 goals and 3 assists for the 2009 Sol. Miyama, who has magician-like skills in the midfield, led the league in assists in ‘09 with 6. One of the areas in which Miyama is most proficient is on set pieces, a sore point for Athletica last season. The aforementioned Tina DiMartino is good with the ball at her feet and gives Saint Louis another weapon in their midfield arsenal. Developmental players Sarah Teegarden and Erin Walter provide further depth. If everyone is healthy, this group may have no peers.

Forwards-Saint Louis has one of the league’s best young forwards in Eniola Aluko. At the start of the ’09 season, many people in this country didn’t know her name, but they certainly know now. Aluko had 6 goals, 4 assists, and caused an own goal, meaning she had part in 11 of Athletica’s 19 goals. The problem last year was finding her a running mate upfront. The team addressed that problem by signing Madelaine Edlund, who has scored 28 goals over the past two seasons with Umeå. Edlund scored a goal in the 2009 WPS All-Star game. The team also signed India Trotter, formerly of Florida State, who they had drafted way back in the fall of 2008. Then there is the possibility of Tarpley, Kristina Larsen, or young Veronica Perez playing forward. Perez has capped for the Mexican National Team. If the team can find another scorer, it should open up space for the speedy Aluko.

Summary-Athletica now has 5 players that played for the WPS in last year’s All-Star game and another that was selected, but couldn’t compete. They have a great goalkeeper, a great midfield, one of the league’s best defenders, and one of the most exciting attacking players in WPS. The one thing that stopped them last season was lack of scoring. There were all too many 1-0 nailbiters. Without Aluko, Athletica was unable to score against Sky Blue in the semifinal.

The main concerns for this team have to be scoring, depth on defense, but most of all, team health. If this team can get healthy and get off to a better start than last season, they should challenge for 1st place.