Weekly Review - October 9

Two coaching decisions were made, the USWNT struggled to a tie in its last friendly before CONCACAF qualifying, the WPS Best XI were named, and the new WPS CEO gave us hints at what the league might look like next season.

United States Ties China in Last Warmup Match

A young squad from China pushed the USWNT to the limit in a 1-1 tie on Wednesday night in Chester, Pennsylvania. It took an Alex Morgan goal in the 83rd minute to prevent the US from losing on its home soil for the first time in six years.

While the US may have had the better of play for most of the match, their execution was very sloppy at times. The Chinese side continually frustrated the US, drawing several offsides calls, forcing several turnovers in the middle of the field, and limiting the US chances to a few headers through the first 75 minutes of the match. The Americans outshot the Chinese 16-8 and outcornered them 9-4, but few of the chances were particularly dangerous until late in the contest.

Ma Jun opened the scoring for China in the 37th minute with a beautiful volley off of a Zhou Gaoping cross. Several US players had gotten caught upfield which converted into a 4-on-3 situation for the Chinese and they were able to capitalize.

The USWNT were unable to solve the Chinese defense until less than 10 minutes remaining. With time growing short, Heather Mitts drove a long ball toward the Chinese goal. Abby Wambach was able to flick a header to Alex Morgan, who finished strongly to tie the match. It was Morgan's first goal for the senior National Team.

The US now heads into CONCACAF qualifying with a lot of unanswered questions after the tie with a Chinese side that didn't qualify for next year's World Cup. The USWNT will open against Haiti on October 28, followed by matches against Guatemala on October 30 and Costa Rica on November 1. While most think that their qualification for next year's World Cup is a foregone conclusion, it would only take a loss in the semis, presumably with their opponent being Canada or Mexico, to force them into playing a European team in a playoff for a World Cup berth.

Gabarra Takes Over at Sky Blue

Former Freedom head coach, Jim Gabarra, has been named the new head coach for Sky Blue FC. He was also named the team's Technical Director.

Gabarra had led the Washington Freedom to the playoffs in both seasons there with an overall regular season record of 16-16-12. The Freedom finished third in 2009 and fourth in 2010, but lost the playoff opener both times. Gabarra had resigned recently from his post with the Freedom.

For Sky Blue, this will be their sixth head coach in just over two seasons. Sky Blue won the 2009 WPS Championship under Christie Rampone, who finished that season as player/coach.

Galanis Named to Coach 2011 Beat

James Galanis, who took over as interim coach of the Atlanta Beat in August, has been named as their head coach for 2011. Galanis took over as Beat coach on August 17 following the dismissal of Gareth O'Sullivan.

The Beat finished in last place with a 5-13-6 mark in 2010. They were 1-3-1 in the five games with Galanis as head coach. The Beat got off to a very slow start, partially because of injuries to key personnel. An influx of talent from the folded Saint Louis Athletica squad helped Atlanta surge briefly in the middle of the season, only to see them fade again August.

The Beat will have a number of offseason decisions to make regarding personnel and one would guess that they might have to trim their payroll somewhat after picking up several large free agent contracts.

WPS Names Best XI

The WPS Best XI has been chosen by the media and the results were released last week. Five members of the champion FC Gold Pride squad were among the eleven chosen. Goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart, defender Rachel Buehler, defender Ali Riley, forward Marta, and forward Christine Sinclair were all named from FCGP.

Boston had the next highest representation with three selections including Defender of the Year Amy LePeilbet, rookie midfielder Jordan Angeli, and midfielder Kelly Smith. Midfielder Lori Lindsey and forward Amy Rodriguez were named for Philadelphia. Freedom forward Abby Wambach rounds out the eleven.

Riley and Angeli were the only two rookies selected to the squad. No players were named from the bottom three teams in the league, Sky Blue, Chicago, or Atlanta.

WPS CEO Gives Hints about 2011

New WPS CEO, Anne-Marie Eileraas, gave fans a few hints about the 2011 season in an interview with http://www.womensprosoccer.com/. Among the highlights, the 2011 season will likely be shorter in length due to the 2011 World Cup and will likely end earlier. There will be some sort of break for the World Cup, although the length of that break is yet to be determined. It also appears that there will not be an All-Star game next season, with players having so many commitments elsewhere.

Eileraas also stated that she "loved" the championship match and that the playoff format will be reviewed as it was after last season, but it was uncertain if there would be any changes to that format for 2011. She also spoke about positive developments regardings sponsorships and opportunities regarding fan base.

WPS Award Winners Announced

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

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

MedImmune Defender of the Year - Amy LePeilbet, Boston Breakers

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

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

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

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

PUMA Golden Boot - Marta, FC Gold Pride

Congratulations to all of the awardees!

WPS Awards - Who I Voted For and Why.....Part 1

The WPS Year-End Awards will be announced soon, so I thought I would do a two-part series on who I voted for and why. Every category had a number of good candidates and a couple of the awards were exceedingly hard to decide. So, without further ado, this is who I voted for in each category:

WPS Coach of the Year - Paul Riley, Philadelphia Indpendence

Nothing against Jim Gabarra, but to me, this came down to Riley, Tony DiCicco, and Albertin Montoya. I thought that both DiCicco and Montoya had more talent to work with than Riley. I also think that heading into the season, both Boston and Gold Pride had superstars in Kelly Smith and Marta, where Philadelphia really did not.

I was very impressed with how Riley brought together a group of spare parts (no offense to the Independence players intended) and had them playing competitive soccer from day one, something that is difficult with an expansion team. Players seemed to reach their potential for Philadelphia and I believe Riley needs to be given credit for a lot of that. I know critics are going to cite the four consecutive losses at the end of the season, but the expansion Independence still finished in 3rd place, just a scant two points behind established Boston.

Tony DiCicco did an admirable job in turning around a Breakers team that appeared to be headed nowhere in May. The Breakers made some acquisitions and DiCicco tweaked his lineup and things turned around in a hurry. But Boston entered the season with a strong veteran lineup and didn't have to deal with the handicap of expansion that Riley did.

One comment that I've heard far too much is that any team that has Marta should win, thus discounting Montoya's efforts with Gold Pride. Marta is a big difference maker to be sure, but it shouldn't detract from the job Montoya did, starting three rookies and leading FCGP from last place in 2009 to first this season.

Jim Gabarra has to be given credit for the Freedom's surge at the end of the season, picking up 14 points in the final 7 matches. But the Freedom had a dismal two months in June and July, so it was hard to see picking him over Riley.

MedImmune Defender of the Year - Rachel Buehler, FC Gold Pride

This is always a tough category to vote on. Defense is much more of a team effort than individual effort. There are no statistics to easily quantify a defender's performance and one really needs to watch them over a full schedule to appreciate what they do for a team, game in and game out. All four of the nominees are team leaders and solid defenders, but on my vote, I had Rachel Buehler edging out Amy LePeilbet.

Rachel Buehler is an exceptional defender and is known for her hard tackles. She captained a defense that went from 2nd worst to best in just one year. Of Gold Pride's regular starting back line, only Kandace Wilson had played with Buehler at all last year and then for only part of the season. I think Buehler has to be given a lot of credit for the group's cohesiveness given the small amount of time they had played together. I also rarely saw Buehler make a mistake.

Amy LePeilbet is often called the best defender in the league and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if she won this award. She is talented, consistent, and always gives top effort. It was a very hard decision, but I gave Buehler the nod over LePeilbet by the slightest of margins.

Both Allison Falk and Tina Ellertson are excellent defenders. Both are good in the air, keeping their respective teams out of trouble on set pieces. Falk is a threat at both ends of the field on headers. Ellertson makes many tackles that most defenders wouldn't even attempt and has perhaps the best closing speed of any defender in WPS. I thought both were hurt by the fact that their teams could be very inconsistent defensively. I would love to have them on my team, but I just couldn't vote for either over Buehler for 2010.

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

Nicole Barnhart, often overshadowed by her USWNT teammate Hope Solo, had a great season in goal for FC Gold Pride. She led the league in shutouts with eight and in goals against average at 0.77 per game. She only gave up as many as two goals three times this season. I thought her consistency from start to finish of the 2010 season lifted her above the other candidates.

Karen Bardsley, stepping in for the injured Jen Branam, did a phenomenol job early in the season. She earned five shutouts before the All-Star break. Unfortunately, she suffered a season-ending injury in training for that game and missed the rest of the season. In spite of the great half season she had and my very high respect for her accomplishments, I couldn't choose her over Barnhart's season-long excellence.

I still regard Hope Solo as the beat keeper in the league, but again, it was hard to choose her over Barnhart in 2010. Controversy aside, there is no other goalkeeper that I would want in goal for a penalty kick or a breakaway and she kept the Beat in many a game that they had no business being in. But she suffered from Atlanta's inconsistent defensive efforts and there were just too many multi-goal games.

Jill Loyden is a solid young keeper who will only improve as she gains confidence and experience. Like Solo, she posted six shutouts. But again, it was hard to see choosing her over Barnhart in this particular season.

Tomorrow, part two of WPS Awards - Who I Voted For and Why.

WPS Playoff Schedule and Final Standings

The WPS Playoff Schedule has been announced. Gold Pride clinched the first seed and home field advantage in the final early on. Boston edged out Philadelphia for 2nd place. Washington earned the 4th playoff berth on the final day of the season.

The first round match will be played at Philadelphia's home field, John A. Ferrell Stadium in West Chester, Pennsylvania. It has been announced that the SuperSemifinal, to be hosted by the Boston Breakers, will be played at the brand new soccer specific stadium at Harvard, Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium. The final will be played at Pioneer Stadium in Hayward, California, home of FC Gold Pride.

Final Regular Season Standings:
1) FC Gold Pride (16-3-5, 53 pts); 2) Boston (10-8-6, 36 pts); 3) Philadelphia (10-10-4, 34 pts); 4) Washington (8-9-7, 31 pts); 5) Sky Blue FC (7-10-7, 28 pts); 6) Chicago (7-11-6, 27 pts); 7) Atlanta (5-13-6, 21 pts).
Playoff qualifiers in red.

2010 WPS Playoffs presented by MedImmune:
WPS First Round
Sunday, September 19 - Washington Freedom at Philadelphia Independence (2:30 pm eastern)

WPS Super-Semifinal
Thursday, September 23 - Winner of First Round Match at Boston Breakers (8 pm eastern)

WPS Championship presented by Citi
Sunday, September 26 - Winner of Super Semifinal at FC Gold Pride (2:30 pm eastern).

Freedom Make Playoffs

The Washington Freedom defeated the Atlanta Beat 1-0 to earn the fourth and final WPS playoff berth. Abby Wambach scored in the 88th minute to lift the Freedom to victory.

Washington controlled most of the first half of the match, but Atlanta came on toward the end of the half. Still, the Freedom had a healthy edge in shots at the intermission.

In the second half, two goals were disallowed, one by each team. In the 60th minute, Atlanta had a free kick from about 40 yards out which was sent into the box by Aya Miyama. The ball eluded Lauren Sesselmann and two Freedom defenders, then bounced over Ashlyn Harris' head into the net. The goal was apparently called back on a foul by Sesselmann, although there was no official explanation at the time.

Shortly thereafter, Lauren Sesselmann picked up her second yellow card of the match for taking down Anita Asante, putting Atlanta down a player for the remainder of the match.

Later, the Freedom scored what appeared to be the go ahead goal by Christie Welsh, only to have it called back on an offside call.

Finally, in the 88th minute Wambach ran onto a long ball over the Atlanta defense and chipped the ball over the onrushing Hope Solo for the only goal of the match.

As it turned out, Sky Blue playing to a scoreless tie against Boston meant that Washington was in the playoffs anyhow, but the victory in a key game gives them some momentum heading into the playoffs. The Freedom are the only team to make the WPS playoffs in both years, last year finishing third before falling in the first round match against Sky Blue. Washington will travel to either Boston or Philadelphia to play next Sunday.

Sky Blue FC 0, Boston Breakers 0

Sky Blue and Boston played to a scoreless tie at Yurcak Field, ending Sky Blue's quest for a playoff berth.

With both their game and the Freedom/Beat game being played at the same time and both being scoreless into the 88th minute, there was a great deal of tension entering the final moments of both matches. As it turned out, the Sky Blue game was just finishing up about the time Abby Wambach was scoring her game winning goal for the Freedom.

Alyssa Naeher got the shutout for the Breakers, while Meghann Burke earned the shutout for Sky Blue.

Sky Blue's loss means that there will be a different WPS champion this year. At the moment, it appears that Boston will hold on to 2nd place in spite of the tie and will host the Super Semi-Final

WPS Weekend Preview - September 11

Boston Breakers (10-8-5, 35 pts) at Sky Blue FC (7-10-6, 27 pts)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ – September 11 (7 pm ET)

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

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

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

Playoff Outlook:
Boston will clinch 2nd place with a victory or a Philadelphia loss or tie.
Sky Blue can clinch a playoff berth with a victory and a Washington loss or tie.

What To Look For: Both teams will have something to play for in this match. In a series that had been dominated by Sky Blue, Boston destroyed SBFC by a 4-0 margin the last time the two teams met. Although they will be playing at Yurcak Field, Sky Blue would not appear to have much of a home field advantage given that they are 2-4-4 at home, while the Breakers are 5-2-4 on the road.

There will be a lot of key players missing in this one. Boston’s leading scorer Kelly Smith and defender Alex Scott will be away on national team duty. Sky Blue will be missing Patrizia Panico and Kelly Parker for the same reason. Carli Lloyd is suspended for this match due to yellow card accumulation. She has received yellow cards in three consecutive matches, the first of which was back in April before her injury.

This is a must win for Sky Blue. Jen Branam is not listed on the roster report as being injured, so it will be interesting to see who Sky Blue will start in goal. Lack of scoring has been a problem all season for Sky Blue and they may very well have to shut out the Breakers to defeat them. Tasha Kai has been the bright spot on offense as of late, with two goals in her last three games.

The Breakers would like to wrap up second place without the help of Gold Pride later in the evening. They will miss Smith, but they have a lot of scoring alternatives this year and that could make the difference in this match.

There will be no backing into the playoffs this year for Sky Blue. They either win this match or there's no chance that they will be playing next week. The Breakers will definitely be hosting a playoff match, but a win here would make their route to the championship a shorter one.

Atlanta Beat (5-12-6, 21 pts) at Washington Freedom (7-9-7, 28 pts)
Maryland SoccerPlex, Boyds, MD – September 11 (7 pm ET)

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

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

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

Playoff Outlook:
Washington will clinch 4th place with a victory or a Sky Blue loss or tie.

What To Look For: The Freedom probably couldn’t ask for a much better set of circumstances in a big game situation. They face a depleted, last-place Atlanta Beat squad that has nothing to play for and they play them at home where they have posted a 6-2-3 record this season (with one of those games being at RFK). Atlanta will be without their two leading scorers in Eniola Aluko and Johanna Rasmussen.

A victory clinches a playoff berth for Washington. They could accomplish the same with a Sky Blue loss or tie, but would rather it not come to that with the teams playing simultaneously on Saturday. The Freedom will also be without several key players including Sonia Bompastor, Sarah Huffman, and Lene Mykjåland.

Abby Wambach has scored 12 goals this season, with two of those coming against the Beat. She has also scored 9 goals at the SoccerPlex. The Freedom defense has been much stronger lately, led by rookie goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris and rookie defender Nikki Marshall.

Without Aluko and Rasmussen, Monica Ocampo is Atlanta’s top scorer with just three goals this season. The Beat have been quite inconsistent defensively, but will need to be in top form here.

Basically, Washington just needs to take care of business. They have won their last three home games, giving up just one goal in those matches. With another win here, the Freedom will be traveling north for a first round playoff match.

Philadelphia Independence (10-9-4, 34 pts) at FC Gold Pride (15-3-5, 50 pts)
Pioneer Stadium, Hayward, CA – September 11 (8:30 pm ET, 5:30 pm PT)

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

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

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

Playoff Outlook:
Gold Pride has clinched first place and home field advantage in the final.
Philadelphia can clinch 2nd place with a victory and a Boston loss or tie.

What To Look For: Philadelphia is assured of a home playoff game, but a victory could vault them into 2nd place. By halftime, the Independence will know if there is still a chance for that to happen. Gold Pride would like to continue their long unbeaten streak.

Gold Pride has given up just eight goals in their current twelve match unbeaten streak. Bay Area has been tough all season, but is especially strong at home where their record is 7-1-3. They have twice defeated the Independence this season. The damage has been done by Christine Sinclair with three goals against Philly and Marta with two.

Philadelphia is in a scoring drought and their current three game losing streak is their longest of the season. The Independence will be missing several key players including Caroline Seger, Frida Magnusdottir, Sara Larsson, and Karina LeBlanc. Tina DiMartino has scored the lone goal for the Independence against Gold Pride.

The Independence would hate to go into the playoffs on a four match losing streak, whether they finish second or third. This game may mean more for their confidence than it does for their placing.

WPS Weekend Preview - September 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WPS Midweek Preview - September 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WPS Weekend Preview - August 28 and 29

Two head-to-head clashes will likely have a big impact on the final standings in WPS. Second place Philadelphia hosts 3rd place Boston on Sunday, with both teams close to clinching a playoff berth. On Saturday, Washington and Sky Blue battle for fourth place in Maryland in what should be an interesting matchup. And the Atlanta Beat attempt to keep their playoff hopes alive facing regular season champion FC Gold Pride in Kennesaw, Georgia.

FC Gold Pride (13-3-4, 43 pts) at Atlanta Beat (5-10-5, 20 pts)
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, GA – August 28 (7 pm ET, 4 pm PT)

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

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

Previous Meetings (2010):
Atlanta 1 @ Gold Pride 2
Gold Pride 4 @ Atlanta 0
Gold Pride 0 @ Atlanta 0

What To Look For: With their regular season mission accomplished, Gold Pride can look forward to the playoffs. Meanwhile, Atlanta clings to a thin shred of hope for a playoff spot. The Beat are in nearly a must win situation as they head into Saturday’s match.

FCGP’s offense woke from a nearly monthlong slumber to score three goals against Chicago last weekend. When they are hitting on all cylinders, they arguably have the best offense in the league. Marta has now scored 15 goals and is looking at another golden boot trophy. Christine Sinclair has scored eight and, with Marta, forms the best 1-2 punch in the league. But this team has been inexplicably shut out six different times, including once by this Atlanta team.

The Beat defense will need a better match against Gold Pride than we have been seeing lately. They have given up nine goals in the past four matches and while the two goals last week were pretty well after the match was decided, it’s still a bit worrisome.

Eniola Aluko, fresh off of her Player of the Week performance, leads the Beat offense into this match. She has eight goals this season, four of them for the Beat. Known more for her defense, Lori Chalupny has scored in two consecutive games and appears to be 100% after fighting both headaches and back problems early in the season. Aya Miyama scored her first WPS goal last weekend.

While Gold Pride’s offense has been inconsistent, their defense has been rock solid most of the season. Nicole Barnhart has been mostly overshadowed by Gold Pride’s flashy offense, but her seven shutouts are not a mirage. Rachel Buehler headed home a goal last week, but it is her efforts on the back line that help FCGP week after week. And with speed to burn, Ali Riley might be one of the most dangerous outside backs in the league as she showed last week with a nice assist on Marta’s first goal.

While Gold Pride has accomplished pretty much all they can for the regular season, the trick is now to stay mentally and physically sharp for a championship match that is still nearly a month away. Facing an Atlanta team that must play with a certain level of desperation, this could be an interesting match for Gold Pride.

Sky Blue FC (7-9-4, 25 pts) at Washington Freedom (6-8-7, 25 pts)
Maryland SoccerPlex, Boyds, MD – August 28 (7 pm ET)

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

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

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

What To Look For: Perhaps, it would be more fitting if these two teams had met on the final weekend of the season with everything on the line, but this late August matchup should do quite nicely for excitement and suspense. This battle will be for 4th place and with so few games remaining, it may ultimately decide the final playoff berth. The teams have played draws in the two previous meetings in 2010.

As if there weren’t enough to grab your attention in this WPS clash, Sky Blue activated former Freedom (WUSA) star Jen Grubb, who will return to the Washington area for this match. The former all-star was the very definition of ironwoman in her three seasons with the 2001-03 Freedom.

Sky Blue has a history of winning when they need to and last week was no exception as a Yael Averbuch blast sent them over the Independence 1-0. This is what Sky Blue is known for, defensive battles played with grit and toughness. One thing Sky Blue could use a little more of is some offense from their forwards. Laura Kalmari has been their best player offensively and she is likely to miss this match with an injury suffered to her shin last weekend.

Defensively, Jen Branam earned her first shutout since returning from injury and looks to repeat this weekend. Including playoffs, Sky Blue has won nine 1-0 matches in their history, but last week’s effort against Philly was the first such effort since early May. Sky Blue must stick to this formula, because if they are to win games, it will most likely be with their defense.

Abby Wambach and the Freedom hope to have something to say about that in Saturday’s matchup. Wambach has 10 goals and 8 assists so far this season and could become the first player to record double-digit totals in both in the same season. Next highest on the team is Lene Mykjåland who has four. Sonia Bompastor returns from national team duty to lead the midfield.

Ashlyn Harris has been the goalkeeper of the month with three shutouts in four matches for the Freedom after spending the early part of the season as a backup, first to Hope Solo in Saint Louis and then to Erin McLeod in Washington. Another shutout here would be welcome, but this match will have a lot of pressure attached to it. Defender Nikki Marshall has been a key to the Freedom’s success since returning to the back line.

The Freedom should be well rested, having last played nine days ago. They probably need this match more than Sky Blue because SBFC has a game in hand, although admittedly, the Freedom have the easier schedule. There will be much on the line when these two teams meet on Saturday evening.

Boston Breakers (8-7-5, 29 pts) at Philadelphia Independence (10-7-4, 34 pts)
John A. Ferrell Stadium, West Chester, PA – August 29 (6 pm ET)

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

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

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

What To Look For: This match will be a battle between the 2nd and 3rd place teams, Boston and Philadelphia. So far, the matches between the two have been closely contested with two ties and Boston winning the third game by one goal. Philadelphia is looking to seal a playoff berth, needing just one point to do so, and a victory would nearly clinch 2nd place for them. Boston is looking to make up ground on the Independence, who sit five points in front of them.

One thing for sure, Kelly Smith has been a key player in the three games between the two. She has two goals and two assists in those meetings and Boston will once again look to her veteran leadership in this match. Lauren Cheney has also scored in each of the last two meetings in Philadelphia. The Breakers are looking to tie a league record by scoring in 12 consecutive matches, a record that is held by the Independence.

Karina LeBlanc will probably be in goal for Philadelphia, but the shutouts that she recorded on a regular basis last year in Los Angeles have been few and far between this year. This would be a key match for her to notch one. Defender Heather Mitts is listed as out for this match with a concussion and that will hurt the Independence. No matter where she is playing on the field, Frida Magnusdottir is an offensive threat and she scored both Independence goals the last time these teams met.

The Philly front line is led by Amy Rodriguez who has 12 goals this season. Her ability to get behind opposing defenses is second only to Marta. Lianne Sanderson has four goals for Philadelphia in 2010. The Independence get a lot of offense out of their talented midfield group of Lindsey, Seger, DiMartino, and Lohman.

Rookie Alyssa Naeher will be in goal for the Breakers. She has two shutouts to her credit since taking over as the Boston starter. Although they have been winning a lot of games by lighting up the scoreboard, the Boston defense is a sturdy group and completely intact, now that all of their players have returned from national team duty. They do, however, miss the talents of Leslie Osborne in the midfield.

By the time they take the field on Sunday, Philadelphia may well have clinched a playoff spot (depending on the outcome of the Sky Blue/Washington match). A win pretty much assures them of the second playoff berth. Boston is looking to make up ground against Philly…and distance themselves from both Sky Blue and Washington. With only road matches remaining, the Breakers would feel a lot more secure with a victory here.

WPS Weekend Preview - August 21 and 22

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wambach and Whitehill Help Washington Get W

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

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

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

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

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

Chicago at Washington - WPS Thursday Night

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The WPS Playoff Picture

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WPS Weekend Wrap - August 15

Boston Breakers 4, Sky Blue FC 0

The Breakers dominated in this one to take their first victory in seven tries against Sky Blue with a 4-0 victory.

Boston got on the board early. In the 9th minute, an Amy LePeilbet free kick found Jordan Angeli on the right side of the box. She head the ball across to Lauren Cheney, who flicked a header into the lower left corner of the net.

Cheney nearly got her second in the 15th minute, but Jen Branam was able to parry Cheney's shot from 18 yards. Boston continued to have the better of play for most of the 1st half.

Boston finally got their second late in the half. A long ball from Stephanie Cox was sent to the top of the box. Lauren Cheney shielded a defender off of the ball, with it finding Jordan Angeli. She hit a half volley in the upper left corner to make it 2-0.

In the 49th minute, the Breakers scored off yet another set piece starting with a Kristine Lilly corner kick. Amy LePeilbet headed the ball to Jordan Angeli who headed the ball on frame, only to have Jen Branam make the save. But Lindsay Tarpley was there to bury the rebound.

Boston made it 4-0 on a great strike from Laura del Rio. Del Rio hit a blast from the right side of the box into the upper left corner.

Boston moved to 29 points and now has a comfortable seven point cushion on the two 4th place teams, Sky Blue and Washington. Boston will host Atlanta next weekend. Sky Blue stays tied for 4th place and will host Philadelphia next weekend.

Philadelphia Independence 3, Atlanta Beat 2

Atlanta scored early, but Philadelphia scored more often as the Independence took a 3-2 win over the Beat. The victory kept Philadelphia safely in 2nd place.

Atlanta struck first on early goals by Johanna Rasmussen and Lori Chalupny. It was Chalupny's first goal since joining the Beat.

Philadelphia drew to within one on a goal by Tina DiMartino before the break. DiMartino made it a brace with her score in the 60th minute. That set the stage for Joanna Lohman's game winner in the 81st minute.

Philadelphia clinched at least a tie for a playoff spot with the victory and moved to within six points of league leading Gold Pride. Philadelphia travels to New Jersey next weekend. The loss was a blow to Atlanta's playoff hopes. They remain in last place with just 17 points, five out of 4th place. They travel to Boston for the third time next weekend.

Standings:
1) FC Gold Pride (12-3-4, 40 pts); 2) Philadelphia (10-6-4, 34 pts); 3) Boston (8-6-5, 29 pts); 4) Sky Blue FC (6-9-4, 22 pts); 4) Washington (5-8-7, 22 pts); 6) Chicago (5-9-6, 21 pts); 7) Atlanta (4-10-5, 17 pts).

Scoreless Again - Gold Pride 0, Washington 0

For the third straight match, FC Gold Pride played to a scoreless draw, this time at home against the Washington Freedom. It was the first time that any WPS team has played to three consecutive scoreless draws.

Nicole Barnhart for Gold Pride and Ashlyn Harris for the Freedom earned the shutouts. It was Barnhart's seventh of the season, dropping her league leading goals against average to 0.71. Harris has now posted shutouts in two of her last three outings with the only goal in the third being an own goal. Gold Pride outshot Washington 13 to 7 for the match.

For a team that averaged three goals a game in the month of July, the offensive powerhouse that was FC Gold Pride has been slowed by the heat of August. While Gold Pride appears to be cruising to a WPS regular season title, they have now been shut out six times this season. They will take the field next at Toyota Park against the Red Stars, a side that blanked them the last two times the teams have met.

Gold Pride's record goes to 12-3-4, good for 40 points and a nine point lead on the Independence, pending the outcome of Philly's match today against Atlanta. Washington moves to 5-8-7 and 22 points, which puts them in a 4th place tie with Sky Blue, but SBFC has two games in hand. The Freedom will host Chicago on Thursday.

WPS Weekend Preview - August 14 and 15

It’s an interesting weekend of WPS soccer. The top three teams each host one of the teams battling for 4th place. One would figure that if either Atlanta, Sky Blue, or Washington could manage a tie or win on the road, they might well pick up points on the others. The other big news is that Philadelphia might be able to clinch a playoff spot on Sunday if things go their way.

Washington Freedom (5-8-6, 21 pts) at FC Gold Pride (12-3-3, 39 pts)
Pioneer Stadium, Hayward, CA – August 14 (10 pm ET, 7 pm PT)

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

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

Previous Meetings (2010):
Washington 1 @ Gold Pride 1
Washington 2 @ Gold Pride 3
Gold Pride 4 @ Washington 1
Gold Pride leads the all-time series at 3-2-1.

What To Look For: There has never been a shutout in the six previous matches between Washington and Gold Pride. Except for the one tie game, the winner has scored three or more goals each time. So I think we can probably expect some scoring in this one.

One positive for the Freedom is that the only goal scored against them in the last two matches was an own goal. Perhaps, with Nikki Marshall back on defense, Washington has found a formula to keep their opponent off the board. Young keeper Ashlyn Harris is improving, but she will face a stiff challenge in this match. Only a freak goal as Cat Whitehill attempted to clear from inside the penalty area kept Harris from gaining her second shutout in a row.

Gold Pride is coming off two scoreless ties, not necessarily alarming, but a little cause for concern given what happened to the LA Sol at the end of last season. They still have the most dangerous duo in the league at forward with Marta and Christine Sinclair. Marta has scored six goals in her last four games against the Freedom and has scored the goal that put her team on top for good in three of those games.

Defensively, Gold Pride has given up just two goals in their last five matches. They’ve given up more than one goal just three times this season, which accounted for two of their three losses. Nicole Barnhart is having a fine year in goal and FCGP’s back line has played well. Rachel Buehler captains the defense for Gold Pride.

Washington has scored at least one goal in each of their last seven matches, but they haven’t been lighting up the scoreboard as they had in the past. At 9 goals and 8 assists, Abby Wambach has had a part in nearly two thirds of the Freedom’s goals. They need to find another consistent finisher with Lene Mykjåland and Allie Long being the most likely candidates to fill that role. Sonia Bompastor scored her second goal of the season on Wednesday.

Trailing Sky Blue by a point and with one less game to play, the Freedom really need to come away from this match with some points. Gold Pride is looking for home field advantage and a berth in the final. While they have very little pressure on them at this point, they would like to see some of the offense that has been missing in their last two matches.

Sky Blue FC (6-8-4, 22 pts) at Boston Breakers (7-6-5, 26 pts)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, MA – August 15 (6 pm ET)

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

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

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

What To Look For: To say that Boston has not had much success against New Jersey would be an understatement. In six matches against Sky Blue, the Breakers have managed just two ties and have scored just three goals. Now four points ahead of Sky Blue in the battle for 3rd place and playing at home, one might think that Boston would come into this game with something to prove.

On the player front, Sky Blue signed Canadian Kelly Parker this past week. Parker helped Sky Blue win the championship in 2009 and just got through leading the Buffalo Flash to a W-League title. Perhaps, she can put a jolt into Sky Blue’s anemic offense that is averaging less than a goal a game. Not to mention that SBFC’s last two goals have been scored for them by the other team. Laura Kalmari, Tasha Kai, and Rosana have been their biggest goal scorers to date. One positive sign is that Sky Blue outshot Washington in their last match, something that has been a rarity this season.

Boston has a reasonably solid defense with Amy LePeilbet and Ifeoma Dieke in the middle and Alex Scott and Stephanie Cox on the outside. Alyssa Naeher is now established as the Breakers’ starting keeper. Surprisingly, the Breakers have posted just three shutouts this season.

Boston is experiencing a surge in offense, having scored in their last nine matches and scoring two or more in 7 of their last eight. For the most part, the goals have come from Kelly Smith and two rookies, Jordan Angeli and Lauren Cheney. Lindsay Tarpley does a good job of distributing the ball upfront and Liz Bogus is listed as probable for this game after missing several due to a hamstring injury. Bogus was just starting to hit her stride, scoring twice right before her injury.

Sky Blue’s defense is led by Jen Branam in goal and veterans Christie Rampone and Daphne Koster on the back line. But New Jersey has not posted a shutout in their last six outings and with their lack of scoring punch, they might need a shutout to win this one.

Boston is playing like a different team than the one that last faced Sky Blue back in mid-June. Now they are legitimate title contenders, but a loss here would leave Sky Blue breathing down their necks. SBFC would love to win this one and move closer to a playoff berth. Will history repeat for Sky Blue or will Boston finally overcome New Jersey’s dominance in this series?

Atlanta Beat (4-9-5, 17 pts) at Philadelphia Independence (9-6-4, 31 pts)
John A. Ferrell Stadium, West Chester, PA – August 15 (6 pm ET)

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

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

Previous Meetings (2010):
Atlanta 0 @ Philadelphia 0
Atlanta 0 @ Philadelphia 1
Phladelphia 2 @ Atlanta 2

What To Look For: By the time the Independence take the field on Sunday, they may be only a victory away from clinching a playoff spot. A combination of a Washington loss and a Philadelphia victory would mean a berth for the Independence, quite an accomplishment for a team that no one gave much of a chance at the start of the year (including yours truly). Atlanta has to be in desperation mode. With just 17 points, it is likely that they would need to win four of their remaining six games to have a chance at a playoff berth.

On the home front, Philadelphia waived Japanese forward Karina Maruyama, leading one to believe that they will make some sort of a move for an international player before the trade deadline.

The last time these two teams met, it was a late goal by Tina Ellertson that gave the Beat a 2-2 tie. Ellertson is certainly one of the keys to the Atlanta defense, especially if they go with a three player back line. If Hope Solo is on top of her game and Atlanta is able to shut down the speedy offensive front of the Independence, they have a chance in this one.

The Independence does not win many 1-0 games, especially since early in the season. They have scored three or more goals in four of their last five victories. Amy Rodriguez leads Philly with 12 goals and 4 assists. Lianne Sanderson scored her fourth of the season on Wednesday, a game winner at that. They get a lot of offensive support from Caroline Seger, Lori Lindsey, Tina DiMartino, Joanna Lohman, and Frida Magnusdottir. Magnusdottir can be especially dangerous coming out of the back.

Defensively, Philadelphia is not going to shut out many teams. They have just four all season and only one in their last 13 matches. However, two of the four shutouts have come against Atlanta. Everybody is listed as being healthy for the Independence which means the return of Allison Falk, a key element of their back line. Karina LeBlanc has been in goal the last couple of games and appears to be the number one for now.

After clawing their way back into the playoff hunt, Atlanta’s has scored just one goal in their last three games. Of their four wins, three have been by 1-0 margins. They need to score more and with players like Eniola Aluko, Ramona Bachmann, Monica Ocampo, Mami Yamaguchi, Aya Miyama, and Johanna Rasmussen, there is simply no excuse for this team not to be scoring more goals.

Atlanta is just 1-5-3 on the road and Philadelphia has been an excellent home team at 6-2-2. Both teams have an enormous amount of incentive to win this game, Atlanta to stay in the playoff chase and Philadelphia to possibly clinch a playoff berth in front of their home fans. These two teams, with opposite fortunes to this point in the season, converge in Philadelphia on Sunday.