WPS Award Winners

Last week, WPS announced their annual award winners. There were several good candidates in each category and no clear cut choice in any. However, the winning candidate was certainly deserving in each case.

Michelle Akers Player of the Year - Veronica Boquete, Philadelphia Independence

Boquete scored five goals and four assists after joining the Independence in June. She scored the only goal in three 1-0 victories over a four game stretch in late July. The Independence had a 9-1 regular season record with her in the starting lineup. Boquete was definitely a major factor on Philly's strong challenge for first place.

My choice would have Boquete as well, but with Christine Sinclair almost even with her.

WPS Defender of the Year - Whitney Engen, Western New York Flash

Engen played the full 90 minutes in 17 of the Flashes' 18 matches. She was able to shut down many of the league's top forwards and helped Western New York to becoming the best defensive team in the league with a 1.00 goals against average.

My choice would have been Engen, but there were several good candidates including Engen's teammate Ali Riley and Nikki Krzysik from Philadelphia. I thought that Jen Buczkowski was overlooked in the nominating process and should have been given top consideration as well.

US Coast Guard Goalkeeper of the Year - Ashlyn Harris, Western New York Flash

Harris led the league in goals against average with 1.00 average per match. She also tied for the league lead in shutouts with five, while playing every minute of every match for the Flash. Her quick reflexes enabled her to make many great saves during the season.

My choice would probably have been Jen Branam. While her goals against was quite a bit higher than Harris', her defense was often a patchwork with players being injured or away with national team duty. However, I can't really argue with Harris, who was a deserving choice.

US Soccer Federation Rookie of the Year - Christen Press, magicJack

Press scored eight goals in her rookie season, the fifth best total in WPS. The Stanford alum is one of only four players ever to score a hat trick in league play, doing so in 4-0 victory over Boston on July 30. She uses her great speed to get behind defenses and is becoming more adept at timing her runs to greatest advantage.

Press would have been my choice as well. Keelin Winters, Sinead Farrelly, and Alex Morgan all had great rookie seasons, but to me, Press had the biggest impact on her team's performance.

WPS Coach of the Year - Paul Riley, Philadelphia Independence

Riley wins the award for the second consecutive year and deservedly so. He is one of the game's best strategists and gets the most out of his roster, one that has far fewer national team players than either Western New York or magicJack.

Riley was definitely my choice, but consideration must also go to Aaran Lines who did a fine job with the expansion Flash.

Citi Sportswoman of the Year - Nikki Krzysik, Philadelphia Independence

On the field, Krzysik was as solid as a rock, playing all 1620 minutes of the regular season in helping the Independence to finish second in WPS. Off the field, Krzysik has helped lead international philanthropic efforts that took her overseas with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes where she led clinics and shared her experience and love of the game with the participants of the women’s soccer league in Honduras. She has proven to be a leader both on and off the field.

This award was voted on by players and coaches only. But even though we could not vote on this award, I believe Krzysik was an outstanding choice.

PUMA Golden Boot Award - Marta, Western New York Flash

Marta wins this award for the third consecutive year. She scored 10 goals for the season, with seven coming in the last six matches, when the Flash were battling the Independence for first place. She edged out teammate Christine Sinclair, who played in one more match than Marta did. Interestingly, although Sinclair played in one more match, Marta actually saw one more minute of action than Sinclair.

Flash and magicJack Post Victories

magicJack 3, Sky Blue FC 2

MagicJack took over sole possession of third place by defeating Sky Blue 3-2 tonight in Boca Raton. Abby Wambach scored twice and Megan Rapinoe got the game winner for magicJack.

Wambach opened the scoring in the 5th minute, assisted by Marian Dalmy. The hosts went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

The floodgates opened in the second half, as both teams scored twice. Eni Aluko scored her second goal of the season, assisted by Heather O'Reilly in the 56th minute to tie the match for Sky Blue.

Wambach again gave magicJack the lead in the 77th minute, with the assist this time coming from Canadian National Team midfielder Sophie Schmidt. It was Wambach's 7th goal of the season.

Once again, Aluko was able to draw Sky Blue even as she scored in the 84th minute to tie the match at two, with Adriana assisting.

But midseason acquisition Megan Rapinoe scored the game winner in the 86th minute on an assist from Matilda's star Lisa De Vanna.

Jill Loyden got the victory in goal for magicJack, while Karen Bardsley took the loss for Sky Blue.

MagicJack improves to 7-6-2, good for 22 points after their point deduction suffered earlier in the campaign. They need just one more point to secure a playoff position. They will face the Breakers in Boston on Saturday evening.

Sky Blue falls to 5-7-4 and 19 points to their credit. They are still clinging to the fourth and final playoff berth, just three points ahead of Boston. Sky Blue travels to Philadelphia to play the Independence on Sunday, before facing the Breakers in their final regular season match in what could be a do or die game.

Western New York Flash 2, Boston Breakers 1

The Flash were able to pull even with league leading Philadelphia on Wednesday night, by defeating the Boston Breakers 2-1 at Sahlen Stadium. Christine Sinclair and Becky Edwards were able to net first half goals and then the Flash were able to withstand a Boston comeback to hold on for the victory.

Sinclair scored the game's first goal on an assist from Marta in the 21st minute. The tally pushes Sinclair's league-leading total to 10 goals.

The Flash made it 2-0 just seven minutes later. Becky Edwards headed in an Ali Riley cross and Western New York appeared to be on their way to victory.

Boston had other ideas, however, as they cut the lead in half in the opening minutes of the second half. Rookie Keelin Winters scored her third goal of the season, assisted by Kelley O'Hara to put the Breakers right back in the match.

Kelly Smith nearly tied the match in the 54th minute, but her shot from 30 yards hit the crossbar with Flash keeper Ashlyn Harris barely getting her hand on it. From then on, Western New York was able to hold on to capture three points.

The match saw two key Breakers players return to action. The aforementioned Smith came on at halftime, seeing her first action since the World Cup quarterfinals in Germany. Lauren Cheney made her first start since her ankle injury in the World Cup final for the United States.

Western New York is now in prime position to win the WPS regular season crown. They are tied with Philadelphia at 33 points and have a game in hand. They will face cellar dwelling Atlanta on Saturday at KSU Stadium.

Boston's situation is desperate at 4-8-4, but they do still control their own destiny. They will face magicJack in Cambridge on Saturday, before finishing the season at home against Sky Blue FC.

WPS STANDINGS
(1) Western New York 10-2-3, 33 pts; (1) Philadelphia 10-3-3, 33 pts; (3) magicJack 7-6-2, 22 pts; (4) Sky Blue FC 5-7-4, 19 pts; (5) Boston 4-8-4, 16 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-11-4, 7 pts.

WPS Weekend Wrap

Philadelphia Edges Atlanta 1-0

The Independence were able to improve their record to 8-2-3 by shutting out the Atlanta Beat 1-0 at KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia. Veronica Boquete scored the lone goal of the contest in the 71st minute on an assist from Sinead Farrelly. It was Boquete's third goal of the season.

Philadelphia outshot Atlanta by a 15-8 margin for the match. The Independence put seven of those shots on frame.

Val Henderson earned her fourth shutout of the season, tying her with Alyssa Naeher for the league lead in that category.

With the victory, Philadelphia has now won six matches in a row, which is a WPS record. Their unbeaten streak is now at seven, but is a long way from Gold Pride's record of 13 regular season matches in 2010.

Philadelphia travels to New Jersey to face Sky Blue next Saturday. Atlanta will host magicJack next Saturday.

Western New York 2, Sky Blue FC 0

After a scoreless first half, the Flash took advantage of a Sky Blue own goal to give them the lead and they went on to defeat Sky Blue 2-0 in Piscataway, New Jersey.

The Flash had a good scoring opportunity in the 11th minute as a through ball found Christine Sinclair in alone on Branam, but she came out and made a great save.

Casey Nogueira sent a through ball to Adriana in the 37th minute. She came in alone on Ashlyn Harris who made a great diving save to keep the game scoreless.

The game remained scoreless until the 81st minute. Kandace Wilson attempted a cross from the right side. The ball went to the middle of the penalty area, where Sky Blue defender Carrie Dew attempted to clear. Instead, she deflected the ball over Jen Branam and into the net for an own goal in a tough bit of luck.

Western New York put the game away in the 86th minute. A cross from the left side went through to Sinclair on the right side of the box. She chipped it back to the middle where Beverly Goebel was making a run. Goebel one-timed it into the net from eight yards to make it 2-0.

Ashlyn Harris earned the shutout for Western New York, who are now 7-2-2. They return home to play magicJack on Wednesday. Sky Blue falls to 3-5-4 and remain in 5th place. They will host Philadelphia next Saturday.

WPS Standings
(1) Philadelphia 8-2-3, 27 pts; (2) Western New York 7-2-2, 23 pts; (3) magicJack 5-4-1, 15 pts; (3) Boston 4-5-3, 15 pts; (5) Sky Blue FC 3-5-4, 13 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-10-3, 6 pts.

Adams Goal Lifts Independence over Flash

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Late Goal Gives Sky Blue Tie Against WNY

Casey Nogueira scored in the 88th minute of the match, as Sky Blue forced Western New York to a 2-2 draw at Sahlen Stadium on Sunday evening. It was only the second time all season that the Flash had not come away with a victory.

The first quarter of the match saw no goals and few opportunities. Both sides were missing players to national team duty, Whitney Engen and Alex Morgan for WNY and Heather O'Reilly and Tobin Heath for Sky Blue. In addition, Flash defender Candace Chapman was out with an injury.

Western New York struck first in the 39th minute. A Gemma Davison cross found the head of Christine Sinclair and the Canadian striker made no mistake in finishing her fifth goal of the season.

Just five minutes later, it was Sinclair setting up Caroline Seger, who had broken free from her mark and Seger made it 2-0 just before halftime.

Sky Blue nearly drew even in the 60th minute, but Flash goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris was able to make consecutive saves on Nogueira and Therese Sjögran to keep Sky Blue off the scoreboard.

The Flash maintained their lead until the 65th minute, when they were whistled for a hand ball in the box and Sky Blue was awarded a shot from the penalty spot. Sky Blue's Allie Long converted the penalty to put Sky Blue within one.

As in the previous week, it was late game heroics for Sky Blue. Laura Kalmari sent a cross to the middle and Casey Nogueira was able to collect, flick the ball over the head of McCall Zerboni and finish with a volley to tie the match at two. And that is how the match ended.

Sky Blue's record goes to 2-3-2 and they have collected seven points in their last three outings. Western New York, still unbeaten, suffered only the second blemish to their schedule for the season and stand at 6-0-2, still nine points clear of second place magicJack who plays in Boston on Sunday.

Excerpts for this story were taken from WPS press releases.

Flash Edges Independence

The Western New York Flash remained unbeaten by defeating the Philadelphia Independence 2-1 in Chester, Pennsylvania.

The Flash maintained their eight point lead over magicJack and now have a 11 point advantage over Philadelphia in the standings.

For the first time this season, however, the Flash fell behind in a match. Philadelphia took the lead in the 9th minute on what appeared to be a harmless looking shot. The Independence moved the ball across the field to Megan Rapinoe on the right side of the field. She struck a shot on a tough angle from the right wing, which went over Ashlyn Harris' head and under the crossbar inside the back post. It was a perfectly placed shot and a stunned Harris was unable to move on the play.

So for the first time this season, the Flash trailed, but it was only for all of five minutes as they quickly responded. Ali Riley hit a well-placed cross from the left wing and McCall Zerboni challenged for the ball as Nicole Barnhart went up to punch the ball out. The ball rebounded to a wide open Becky Edwards who headed into the now empty net.

The Flash took the lead just a few minutes later, as Marta took a corner kick from the left side. The corner went short to Zerboni and as she attempted to dribble toward the net, she was tripped up by Independence defender Nikki Krzysik and a penalty was awarded. Marta put the penalty lower right as Barnhart guessed wrong and the Flash led 2-1 at the 21 minute mark.

That was the only scoring of the first half and as it turned out, the game. Nicole Barnhart made several good saves later in the match. But Philadelphia came close to tying the match in the 65th minute as Tina DiMartino sent a cross in from the right side and it found the head of Tasha Kai. Kai headed the ball down with the ball bouncing high and toward the goal, but Harris was able to time her leap and tip the ball over the bar.

Play got a little physical later in the match and a little chippy at times, but nothing of much consequence. Flash defender Ali Riley came up limping a couple of times during the match, but finished the match. Gina Lewandowski got a rare start as Candace Chapman was out with an injury.

The Flash improved to 6-0-1, good for 19 points and first place. Philadelphia fell to 2-2-2, still in 3rd place with 8 points. The Flash will head home to face Sky Blue on Friday in Rochester. Philadelphia plays at home on Saturday against Atlanta.

WPS Standings (as of May 29, 2011)
(1) Western New York 6-0-1, 19 pts; (2) magicJack 4-1-0, 11 pts; (3) Philadelphia 2-2-2, 8 pts; (4) Sky Blue FC 2-3-1, 7 pts; (5) Boston 2-5-1, 7 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-6-1, 4 pts.

Western New York Shuts Out magicJack

The Western New York Flash have solidified their hold on first place, defeating magicJack by a 3-0 score. The Flash got goals from Becky Edwards and Caroline Seger, plus Seger later converted a penalty to account for the final score.

The first half was played at a frenetic pace, with scoring chances seemingly coming by the minute. MagicJack's decision to go with a three-back defense appeared to be a mistake, as Western New York owned the first 20 minutes of the match. The Flash put an onslaught on the magicJack goal with only great goalkeeping by Hope Solo keeping her team in the match.

The Flash got on the board just over one minute into the match. Kandace Wilson sent a beautiful pass through to Marta who dribbled in on goal. Solo came out to make a stop on Marta 10 yards from the goal. The rebound went to Christine Sinclair who drilled one off the crossbar, followed by another rebound by Becky Edwards that deflected off a magicJack defender and into the net.

In the 17th minute, Solo stopped Alex Morgan from point blank range. Just a minute later, Solo dove to save a Christine Sinclair shot, only to have the ball deflected off the crossbar by her own defender. She then scrambled to grab the ball before anymore damage could be done. And then it was Solo again stopping Morgan twice from inside 10 yards in the 19th minute. The Flash could have easily held a three or four goal advantage at that point, but it was still 1-0.

It was about that time that the momentum changed and magicJack started to put pressure on. In the 21st minute, Shannon Boxx blistered a shot off the crossbar, followed by a Meghan Schnur shot that sailed just over the bar.

In the 28th minute, Ashlyn Harris made a great diving punch save on Ella Masar. A few minutes later, it was Harris robbing Masar yet again on a lunging save on Masar's shot from 12 yards. Although she did not score, Masar would be a thorn in the Flashes' side all night long.

With magicJack knocking on the door and coming on strong, Caroline Seger scored against the run of play to make it 2-0 very late in the first half. Dribbling inside the box toward the right side and with everyone expecting her to pass, she suddenly turned and hit a low shot through Megan Schnur's legs that Hope Solo probably never saw and into the left side of the net. Western New York weathered a late push to keep the score at 2-0 in their favor at the half.

After such an action-packed first half, it was almost predictable that the second half couldn't keep up that pace and both teams seemed to settle into the game after the intermission.

The first really good chance of the second half came in the 59th minute as Sinclair hit a volley from just outside the penalty area, with Solo again coming up with the big save on a dive to her right.

Yael Averbuch entered the game in the 2nd half, seeing her first action since the opener for Western New York.

MagicJack nearly cut the lead in half in the 83rd minute as Ella Masar's shot from six yards went just over the bar and the unlucky Masar was again denied a goal.

Western New York finished the scoring in the 84th minute. Marta and Tina Ellertson, who had been battling all night, fought for a ball going into the box, both running at full speed. Ellertson reached out her arm in an attempt to slow Marta and shield her from the ball with the Flash striker going down and a penalty was awarded. Caroline Seger converted the penalty, as the ball went just beyond the fingertips of Solo, as the magicJack keeper had guessed correctly.

There were a few anxious moments among the Flash faithful and soccer fans in general, as Marta appeared to turn an ankle and was walking quite gingerly after she was able to get up. However, she stayed on and appeared to be running without discomfort later in the match.

Ashlyn Harris got the shutout in goal for the Flash. They raise their record to 5-0-1, with 16 points. They are now eight points clear of second place magicJack, who fell to 3-1-0, with 8 points. Western New York travels to Philadelphia next weekend, while magicJack returns home to host Atlanta.

It was announced by WPS that magicJack owner Dan Borislow has been fined $10,000 and has been suspended from serving in any technical capacity for magicJack for two games, effective immediately, for "public statements that are derogatory and not in the best interests of the league."

Beat and Flash Play to a 2-2 Draw

In the battle for the early lead in WPS, the Atlanta Beat and Western New York Flash played to a 2-2 draw at FSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia. The game featured a scintillating 2nd half after a slow and fairly uneventful first half.

Western New York drew first blood and it didn't take long. Brittany Bock was able to force a turnover in the Atlanta midfield and passed it to Christine Sinclair. Sinclair unleashed a shot from 22 yards out that beat Beat keeper Ali Lipsher lower left to make it 1-0 before the match was two minutes old.

Atlanta nearly forced a penalty in the 5th minute. On a set piece from 30 yards, Cat Whitehill tried to thread a low pass through to Keeley Dowling. Dowling went down in the box, but no call was made and it was inconclusive just how much contact had been made.

The rest of the half saw little action, with the Flash getting the majority of possession and scoring opportunities, but unable to crack the Beat's defense. Atlanta was unable to mount any attack of substance and seemed content to keep the Flash from increasing their lead with strong team defense. Both Carli Lloyd and Lauren Sesselmann earned yellow cards late in the half.

Halftime substitutions brought Marta into the match in place of Gemma Davison. She was seeing her first action of the WPS season. Atlanta sent India Trotter in for Sesselmann.

The game continued at much the same pace for the first ten minutes of the 2nd half, but a hard-working Lori Chalupny started challenging the right side of the Flash back line and her hard work paid off in the 57th minute.

Cat Whitehill sent a ball from the center circle to the left side to Chalupny. Chalupny cut back to the middle of the field, beating defender Kandace Wilson. From 25 yards, Chalupny struck a perfectly placed, slicing shot that grazed the inside of the right post and into the net.

That goal seemed to ignite both teams and the pace picked up considerably thereafter. In fact, the final 35 minutes of this match were among the most exciting played in WPS.

Western New York nearly answered in the 60th minute as a high corner got loose in the box, with Ali Lipsher making a save from close range on Sinclair.

However, in the 66th minute, Marta made her presence felt and Lipsher was unable to stop that one. Christine Sinclair sent a beautiful cross from the left side to the near post. Marta was able to get inside Keeley Dowling on a run to the net and headed the ball past Lipsher with a stunning flick to put the Flash back on top 2-1.

Just when Western New York appeared to be in control again, Atlanta answered quickly in the 68th minute. Off of a throw in, Lloyd got the ball to Chalupny who in turn sent it back to Lloyd. Lloyd dribbled to within 25 yards without defenders challenging and blasted a shot just under the crossbar and out of the reach of a leaping Ashlyn Harris. The game was once again tied.

Both goalkeepers made big saves in the closing minutes of the contest. Two Atlanta 2nd half substitutions, Analisa Marquez and Kristina Larsen, nearly connected for a goal in the 78th minute. Marquez crossed the ball to Larsen at the 18. Larsen turned in heavy traffic and shot to the top center of the net with Harris making a brilliant save tipping the ball over the net.

It was Lipsher's turn to make a game-saving stop in the 87th minute as Caroline Seger shot from 12 yards appeared to be heading just under the crossbar, but the Beat goalkeeper was able to tip it over the net. Just two minutes later, a Sinclair blast was deflected either by an Atlanta defender or Lipsher and rattled off the top of the post and over.

The game ended 2-2 after a furious tempo over the final third of the match that had to exhaust all involved.

So both teams end the evening where they started it, tied atop the WPS table. Western New York is now 1-0-1 with four points. Atlanta is 1-1-1 with four points. The two teams will meet in a rematch next Sunday in Rochester.

WPS Standings after three weeks:
Western New York Flash 1-0-1, 4 pts.
Atlanta Beat 1-1-1, 4 pts.
magicJack 1-0-0, 3 pts.
Boston Breakers 1-2-0, 3 pts.
Philadelphia Independence 0-0-1, 1 pt.
Sky Blue FC 0-1-1, 1 pt.

2011 Western New York Flash Preview

Western New York Flash
Coach: Aaran Lines (1st year)
2010 Record: Expansion Team
Home Stadium: Sahlen Stadium (Rochester, NY)

Roster:
Goalkeepers (3): Ashleigh Bowers(R), Brittany Cameron, Ashlyn Harris.
Defenders (8): Kim Brandão, Candace Chapman, Whitney Engen, Gina Lewandowski, Ali Riley, Alexandra Sahlen, Julianne Sitch, Kandace Wilson.
Midfielders (6): Yael Averbuch, Brittany Bock, Becky Edwards, Beverly Goebel, Caroline Seger, McCall Zerboni.
Forwards (6): Gemma Davison, Kaley Fountain, Marta, Alex Morgan(R), Kelly Parker, Christine Sinclair.
(R) denotes true rookie.
Probable World Cup players: Harris, Chapman, Riley, Averbuch, Seger, Marta, Morgan, Sinclair.

The new kids in the league are likely to make a lot of noise. Considering they have seven players off of the 2010 champion Gold Pride team, plus four others from the 2010 W-League champion Buffalo Flash, it won’t be much of a surprise if this team is playing for a championship come August.

It doesn’t hurt that the Flash signed Marta, the world’s best player five years running, Christine Sinclair, Canada’s all-time leading scorer, and on top of that, drafted Alex Morgan, one of USWNT’s rising stars. This team shouldn’t have any problem scoring goals, except possibly during World Cup time. In fact, the only positions which might be short on depth are goalkeeper and midfield.

Goalkeepers: Ashlyn Harris started 2010 in Saint Louis as the backup to Hope Solo. She finished the season as the Washington Freedom’s starter, earning four shutouts on her way to 1.11 goals against average. Two of those shutouts down the stretch came against two of the most explosive offenses in WPS, Gold Pride and Philadelphia. Harris, who is vying for the third goalkeeper’s spot on the USWNT, is finally gaining some recognition as a top goalkeeper.

Backing up Harris will be Brittany Cameron, who started three games last season for Gold Pride, and Ashleigh Bowers, a rookie out of Niagara. Cameron is certainly a capable goalkeeper who just hasn’t gotten much action because she has had quality keepers in front of her. Bowers posted a 0.63 goals against average during her senior year, giving up more than one goal on only two occasions.

Defenders: The Flash have three quarters of Gold Pride’s starting back line, including rookie of the year Ali Riley. Riley is an excellent two-way player, solid at defending and a threat with her speed on overlapping runs. Kandace Wilson is another speedster at the right back position. There isn’t likely to be a more dangerous duo at outside back anywhere in this league. The third former Gold Pride defender is Candace Chapman, a starter for the Canadian National Team.

Western New York also signed Whitney Engen, who was one of the league’s best young defenders with Chicago last season. They added Kim Brandão, a member of the Portuguese National Team and of the W-League Flash. And they brought in center back Gina Lewandowski, a four-year veteran of the Frauen Bundesliga for FFC Frankfurt. Adding depth is the Alexandra Sahlen, who also happens to be the team president, and Julianne Sitch a veteran of both the W-League and WPS, who played for the 2009 champion Sky Blue FC.

Midfielders: For midfielders, it appears almost as though the Flash grabbed a player from each of the other teams in the league. They got Yael Averbuch from Sky Blue, Caroline Seger from Philadelphia, McCall Zerboni from Atlanta, Becky Edwards from Gold Pride, and Beverly Goebel and Brittany Bock from the Freedom.

Seger, captain of the Swedish National Team, is the team’s most experienced and accomplished midfielder. She had a strong season with Philadelphia in 2010, scoring one goal and adding five assists. Joining her is Averbuch, a defensive midfielder who has a cannon of a shot. Averbuch was a first round draft pick in 2009 and spent the last two seasons with Sky Blue.

Becky Edwards is another solid defensive midfielder, whose strong rookie season was overshadowed by her more well known teammates in 2010. After a promising rookie season in 2009, Brittany Bock struggled through an injury-filled season last year. She can play multiple positions which will add versatility to the Flash. Rounding out the midfield cast is Beverly Goebel, who scored one goal in 16 appearances for the Freedom in 2010, and McCall Zerboni, who was a starter for the Beat last year.

Forwards: With three world class forwards on this team and plenty of depth, this should be the strongest offense in the league. There isn’t much more that can be said about Marta that hasn’t already been said. She has been the best female player in the world for a long time now and she is still just 25 years old. She is fast, talented, and determined, nearly impossible to stop one-on-one.

The scary thing is defenses can’t just concentrate on Marta. Not when the Flash also have Christine Sinclair and Alex Morgan. Sinclair has over 100 international goals for Canada and 16 career WPS goals. She is very intelligent about both the timing and shape of her runs. Morgan has come into the spotlight over the past year, becoming one of the USWNT’s best forwards and clutch goal scorers. She also has excellent speed.

England’s Gemma Davison and Canadian Kelly Parker move right from the W-League Flash to the WPS team. Davison has played club soccer in both the US and in England. She also has one cap for the English National Team and played at the junior level for England. Parker is a veteran of the Canadian National Team and played midfield for the 2009 Sky Blue championship team. She has good speed and is always a player to watch on the attack. Former Wake Forest star Kaley Fountain adds depth and can also play outside back.

Outlook: This team appears to have everything…talent, experience, and speed. They should score goals in bunches with the best group of forwards in the league and two excellent outside backs that can attack. The defense should be equally solid and has a lot of depth. The midfield does not have a lot of offensive-minded players. Averbuch and Edwards are primarily defensive mids and while Seger is skilled at setting up others with her strong passing game, she isn’t likely to score a lot herself.

My biggest worries for this team is depth in the midfield and how much they will be affected by the World Cup. They could very well lose eight starters to national team duties for a good part of the season. Obviously, this is a problem for most of the teams, but I think more for the Flash.

Making the playoffs should almost be a given for this team. Winning it all could be a bit tougher in what should be a fiercely competitive league, but this team could certainly do so.

Philly Advances on Overtime Goal by Rodriguez

It took all of 120 minutes and then some, but the Philadelphia Independence defeated the Washington Freedom 1-0 to advance to the WPS Super-Semifinal. Amy Rodriguez scored in stoppage time of the second overtime period, with the match being within seconds of heading to penalty kicks.

The Independence will travel to Boston to meet the Breakers on Thursday evening at Harvard's Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium. The winner of that match will face FC Gold Pride in the final next Sunday.

The first half of the match was fairly evenly played, with Philadelphia having a slight edge in chances. However, the Independence created chance after chance in the 2nd half and came close to scoring several times.

The best opportunity came very late in regulation as Rodriguez hit the post with her shot and the rebound by Lori Lindsey was cleared. Freedom goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris was able to stop all other threats, as she did an excellent job of keeping the game scoreless through regulation. Meanwhile, in spite of a few Washington opportunities, Val Henderson was rarely tested at the other end. The Freedom were credited with no shots on goal for the match.

After a scoreless first overtime and with just seconds left in the second overtime, Tina DiMartino sent a pass to Rodriguez at the 18. She was able to get clear for a shot and put it in the left side of the net, just past Harris, for the winner.

Philadelphia outshot Washington by a 24-6 margin and held the edge in shots on goal by 9-0. In this, the fifth meeting between the two teams, the home team has won every match. For the second year in a row, Washington lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Freedom are the only team to have made the playoffs in both WPS seasons.

Philadelphia will now take on a red hot Boston Breakers club that has held the advantage over the Independence in 2010. Boston won two of the four meetings with the remaining two matches ending in ties.

Playoff Preview - Washington Freedom at Philadelphia Independence

Washington Freedom (8-9-7) at Philadelphia Independence (10-10-4)
John A. Ferrell Stadium, West Chester, PA – September 19 (2:30 pm ET)

Probable Rosters:
Washington: GK-Ashlyn Harris, Meghan McCray; D-Cat Whitehill, Nikki Marshall, Becky Sauerbrunn, Rebecca Moros, Brittany Bock, Kristi Eveland; MF-Sonia Bompastor, Sarah Huffman, Homare Sawa, Allie Long, Anita Asante, Beverly Goebel, Jill Gilbeau; F-Abby Wambach, Lene Mykjåland, Christie Welsh.

Philadelphia: GK-Karina LeBlanc, Val Henderson; D-Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, Heather Mitts, Holmfridur Magnusdottir, Sara Larsson, Estelle Johnson, Sarah Senty; MF-Lori Lindsey, Caroline Seger, Joanna Lohman, Tina DiMartino, Jen Buczkowski; F-Amy Rodriguez, Lianne Sanderson, Danesha Adams, Lyndsey Patterson.

Previous Meetings (2010)
April 25 – Washington 1 @ Philadelphia 3
May 30 – Philadelphia 1 @ Washington 2
June 26 – Washington 2 @ Philadelphia 3
August 4 – Philadelphia 0 @ Washington 2

Philadelphia is 7-3-2 at home with a 24-16 edge in goals.
Washington is 1-7-4 on the road being outscored 14-21.

Top Performers in Series
Washington: Wambach (4 goals, 1 assist); Mykjåland (1 goal); Moros (1 goal); De Vanna (1 goal); Bompastor (1 assist); Whitehill (1 assist); Welsh (1 assist); Harris (1 game, 1 shutout, 0.00 GAA); McLeod (2 games, 2.00 GAA)

Philadelphia: Rodriguez (3 goals); Sanderson (3 goals); Falk (1 goal); Lindsey (3 assists); Seger (1 assist); Buczkowski (1 assist); V. Henderson (3 games, 1.67 GAA); LeBlanc (1 game, 2.00 GAA).

Matchups:
Goalkeepers
Ashlyn Harris vs. Karina LeBlanc or Val Henderson

A little over a month ago, I would have given Philadelphia a heavy edge here, but Harris, the rookie out of UNC, had a spectacular month of August and has a 0.57 GAA over her last seven matches. She has posted four shutouts including one over Philadelphia, the only shutout in the series between the two teams.

My guess would be that LeBlanc would start this match, but Henderson started three of the four matches against the Freedom during the season. LeBlanc had the edge in starts this season with 14, but both keepers have identical 1.50 goals against averages. LeBlanc has the edge in experience over both Harris and Henderson, given her time with the Canadian National Team and a season with the Sol. Not to mention, she is the only one of the three that has played in a WPS playoff game before.

Harris has been the hotter goalkeeper, but LeBlanc has the experience, making it a tough call on the advantage. So I’ll call it even.

Defenders
Cat Whitehill, Nikki Marshall, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Rebecca Moros vs. Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, Heather Mitts, and Holmfridur Magnusdottir (or Sara Larsson).

There is some question here about how Paul Riley will configure his defense. He could move Magnusdottir to midfield and have Larsson in the starting lineup.

Whitehill might be the veteran leader and Sauerbrunn might be the steady performer, but Nikki Marshall has been the difference maker here. She has been solid over the latter half of the season and gives the Freedom something they didn’t really have on their back line…speed. After getting torched for 15 goals over a five game span in midseason, this group came together as Marshall returned to the back line, taking what appeared to be the team’s biggest weakness and making it a strong point.

Early in the season, Philadelphia looked like a team that was going to win a lot of low scoring matches. Nearly overnight, they appeared to transform into a high-powered offensive team that would win just by outscoring their opponents. Lately, they haven’t been winning period. The Independence posted only four shutouts during the season and only one after mid-May. This is also a defense that has had trouble containing Abby Wambach.

It's a given that Whitehill is one of the best in the league on long-range free kicks, but ultimately, I think Philly has the better back line when it comes to offense. Falk can be very dangerous on set pieces and if Magnusdottir starts as an outside defender, she can give opponents fits with her flank runs. But overall, a defense’s first job is defense and I think the Freedom have the edge there.

Midfielders
Sonia Bompastor, Sarah Huffman, Allie Long, and Anita Asante or Homare Sawa vs. Lori Lindsey, Caroline Seger, Joanna Lohman, Tina DiMartino, and Jen Buczkowski

This will be one heck of a battle between two very talented midfields. Washington has several veteran steady performers with Huffman, Asante (who may also play defender, her natural position), and Sawa. Bompastor is the quarterback and the engine that makes this team run. Maybe her stats aren’t as gaudy as her 2009 numbers, but make no mistake on her importance to the Freedom. Meanwhile, Allie Long sometimes performs under the radar and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her get a goal or make a big play in a match like this. Brittany Bock gives the Freedom depth at both midfield and defense.

Philadelphia’s midfield definitely has the statistical edge over their Freedom counterparts. Lindsey has two goals and eight assists, Seger has a goal and five assists, Lohman has five goals and DiMartino four goals. That’s a lot of offense out of a midfield. Lindsey and Seger are the heart of this midfield. Both are heavy in international experience and have excellent skills. Lohman has been one the pleasant surprises for the Independence and no one will outwork her on the pitch. DiMartino is one of the more underrated midfielders in the league. Buczkowski is primarily a defensive specialist, who had an excellent playoff run last season with Sky Blue.

I have to give Philadelphia the edge here, because of their offensive arsenal. However, don’t sell Bompastor and company short. The Freedom unit is a veteran group that does the little things to get the job done. Another area where Philadelphia needs to be wary is their tendency to take bad and unnecessary fouls. Seger, Buczkowski, and Magnusdottir have all been red carded this year and Philly was second only to Chicago in fouls committed. They cannot afford to go a player down in this match nor can they afford to give up a lot of set pieces to a Freedom team that is very adept at exploiting such opportunities. Edge to Philadelphia, but not by a lot.

Forwards
Abby Wambach and Lene Mykjåland vs. Amy Rodriguez and Lianne Sanderson.

Philadelphia often goes with a lone forward to start the match, inserting Sanderson at halftime or early in 2nd half to provide additional offense.

In both cases, the star performers for each team have stood out in this series. Rodriguez has three goals against the Freedom, while Wambach has four goals and an assist against the Independence, albeit two goals coming on penalties. What we have here are two highly skilled forwards, with totally different skill sets and games, that are often paired together on the USWNT and almost perfectly complement one another. But on this weekend, they will be on opposite sides.

Rodriguez game is speed and precision. She is one of the fastest forwards in the league and this season, she improved her runs greatly, both in timing and in the angle of the run. Wambach's game is more power, often fighting off defenders to get a shot off. And there is simply not a better player in the world when the ball is in the air. Not only are her headers normally on frame, they have more power behind them than some players can shoot with their feet. That’s not to take anything away from Wambach’s skill, because she is enormously talented, but the power game is when she is at her best.

Mykjåland has scored four goals for the Freedom this year and you can’t discount her experience internationally. The wildcard in this matchup may be young Lianne Sanderson. She scored five goals this season, but three of them were against the Freedom. Sanderson will often come off the bench, fresh and full of energy, and exploit tired defenders in the 2nd half of games. Of her three goals against the Freedom, one was in the 67th minute and the other two came in stoppage time after she had come off the bench as a 2nd half sub.

I have to give an edge to the Freedom here. Wambach has been through the wars with over 10 years of international experience. Big games are the norm for her. Washington is likely to get a number of set pieces in this match and Wambach will have opportunities. Rodriguez came into her own this year, but she has scored only one goal in her last eight matches and none in her last five. Edge to the Freedom, but beware of Sanderson late.

Coaching
Jim Gabarra vs. Paul Riley

Paul Riley was WPS Coach of the Year and has to be given a lot of credit for preparing his team and building them into a competitive side very early on. But he hasn’t been able to find the answers lately as the Independence are on a four game losing streak, being outscored 9-2 over that stretch. In his defense, Philadelphia was probably hurt more by international call ups than most teams, losing players such as Seger, Larsson, and Magnusdottir for quite a few matches.

Jim Gabarra has a lot of experience and is a capable coach. He went through a similar bad stretch in June and July, with a 0-6-4 record over a ten game winless streak. However, he has managed to right the ship just in time, with the Freedom making a nice run down the stretch to edge out Sky Blue for the final playoff berth. Give him a lot of credit for the decision to move Marshall back to defense where the need was far greater than at forward.

I’d say it’s a virtual wash here, with neither side having much of an advantage.

Intangibles
The Independence have the home field advantage in this one and in the four meetings between these two teams, the home team has won on each occasion. Philly was a stronger team at home, with one of their losses coming against regular season champs Gold Pride and the other two losses were one goal decisions against Boston. Washington has a terrible road record, with their only road victory coming in May against Atlanta.

The Freedom have one thing going for them, though, and that’s momentum. They played a lot of meaningful games down the stretch, finishing the season off at a 4-1-2 clip. They are a confident squad right now, while the Independence have been a bit listless as of late. Both teams are pretty experienced, with the one area of question possibly being young Ashlyn Harris in goal, but she has performed admirably in a number of big games during the past month.

Again, this is pretty much a wash, with Philadelphia having an edge with the home field advantage and Washington having the edge in momentum and confidence.

My Prediction
My feeling is that the Independence have had trouble scoring lately, while Washington has been in big game mode for quite some time, given their battle for the final playoff spot. Playoff games often come down to one play at the right time and with set pieces being a strong suit for the Freedom and Abby Wambach, that tilts the scales their way.
Washington Freedom 2, Philadelphia Independence 1

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.

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.

Breakers and Freedom Post 2-0 Victories

Breakers Make It Six of Seven on Smith's Brace

Kelly Smith scored twice and Alyssa Naeher got her first WPS shutout to lead the Boston Breakers to a 2-0 win over the Atlanta Beat at Harvard Stadium.

Smith's first goal came just 40 seconds into the match, assisted by Lindsay Tarpley. She followed that up with a 2nd half goal to clinch it for the Breakers. They were the 8th and 9th goals of the season for Smith.

Boston has now won six of their last seven matches. At 7-6-4, the Breakers are over .500 for the first time since the first match of the season. The victory moves them to within two points of 2nd place Philadelphia. Atlanta fell to 4-8-5 and are in 7th place. However, they are still only three points out of 4th place.

Boston travels to Philadelphia for a 2nd place showdown with the Independence on Sunday. Atlanta returns home to host Sky Blue in a game that both teams desperately need to stay in playoff contention.

Wambach's Double Header Leads Freedom to First Victory in Two Months

Abby Wambach's two headers sparked the Washington Freedom to a 2-0 victory over the Philadelphia Independence. They were her 8th and 9th goals of the season. Ashlyn Harris claimed her first WPS shutout for the Freedom.

Earlier in the contest, Independence keeper Val Henderson had stopped Wambach's penalty kick. The game was delayed nearly an hour at the 31 minute mark because of lightning.

Both goals came off of set pieces. Wambach's first goal came off of a Sonia Bompastor corner kick in the 39th minute. The second came off of a Cat Whitehill free kick in the 41st minute.

It was Washington's first win since defeating Philadelphia on May 30. They improved to 5-8-5 for 20 points and tie for 4th place with the Chicago Red Stars. The Freedom return to action next Wednesday at Sky Blue.

Philadlephia fell to 8-6-3, still at 27 points and holding on to 2nd place. They will battle third place Boston this weekend in West Chester.

Gold Pride Clinches Playoff Spot???

If my calculations are correct, I believe FC Gold Pride has clinched a playoff spot. This is not official from the league, but I cannot come up with a scenario where four other teams can all reach 38 points.

Chalupny to Beat, Harris to Freedom, Schedule Revised

Two more former Saint Louis Athletica players have signed contracts. Athletica's captain, Lori Chalupny, has followed many of her teammates down to Atlanta. Chalupny had played midfielder for the majority of her time with Athletica, but she plays outside defender with the USWNT. She has a goal and an assist this season.

Ashlyn Harris has signed with the Washington Freedom. Harris had yet to see any action as backup to Hope Solo. Last fall, she helped lead North Carolina to the NCAA Championship.

WPS has also released its revised schedule, which was reconfigured after the demise of Athletica. Because Athletica had played 4 home games and only 2 road games, one team was forced to give up a home game and it turns out to be Sky Blue FC.