Cheney Leads Boston to Playoffs

Boston Breakers 2, Sky Blue FC 0

Lauren Cheney scored just 14 seconds into the match and then added another to lead the Boston Breakers to a 2-0 victory over Sky Blue. The victory moved Boston into a fourth place tie with Sky Blue, with the Breakers winning the final playoff berth by tiebreaker. The Breakers won the head-to-head matchup with Sky Blue for the season.

Cheney, who had just one goal entering the contest, wasted no time in putting Boston in the lead. Keelin Winters sent a cross to Cheney, who volleyed it one-time past Jen Branam and the Breakers led 1-0.

Cheney scored her second of the match in the 18th minute. Meghan Klingenberg sent a cross into the penalty area with Cheney getting a piece of it to redirect it into the goal for a 2-0 lead.

Sky Blue attempted to get back in the match by making early substitutions for offense. Coach Jim Gabarra brought Casey Nogueira in for defender Petra Hogewoning late in the first half, going to a three back formation. Later, Adriana subbed in for Danielle Johnson with Sky Blue going to a two back formation. But in spite of all efforts, they had dug themselves too big of a hole.

Alyssa Naeher picked up the shutout for Boston. It was her fifth of the season tying her with Jen Branam and Ashlyn Harris for the league best.

Boston ended a four game losing streak with this victory. They finish the regular season with a 5-9-4 record. It is the worst record of any team ever to make the WPS playoffs. Only two other teams with a losing record have made the playoffs. The 2010 Washington Freedom finished at 8-9-7 and were eliminated in the first round. The 2009 Sky Blue team finished 7-8-5, but went on to win three straight in the playoffs to capture the championship.

Sky Blue finishes the season with an identical 5-9-4 record, after coming within a couple minutes of clinching a playoff berth last weekend against Philadelphia.

Boston will now travel to Boca Raton to face magicJack in the first round of the playoffs on Wednesday at 7:30 pm eastern time. The game will be televised on Fox Soccer.

magicJack 2, Philadelphia Independence 1

The duo of Lisa De Vanna and Ella Masar hooked up for two goals and magicJack was able to hold on for a 2-1 win over Philadelphia. The loss ended Philly's quest for first place in WPS.

Both teams rested several regulars for the match. Karina LeBlanc got her first start in goal for the season after being a mainstay in the league the past two seasons. She rewarded coach Abby Wambach with a victory.

De Vanna was making only her third start of the season as coach Abby Wambach elected to not start herself. She opened the scoring ten minutes into the match on an assist by Masar. De Vanna added another goal in the second half, once again from Masar, to make it 2-0.

Philadelphia cut the lead to 2-1, as Amy Rodriguez scored in the 79th minute, assisted by Laura del Rio. It was Rodriguez' second of the year.

MagicJack finishes the season at 9-7-2, making the playoffs for the third time in franchise history. They made the playoffs the previous two years as the Washington Freedom, but were eliminated in the first round on each occasion. Philadelphia drops to 11-4-3 and finishes in second place.

MagicJack will now host the first round playoff match against the Boston Breakers on Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm eastern. Philadelphia will host the winner of that match next Saturday in the semifinal match.

Western New York Flash 2, Atlanta Beat 0

Western New York clinched the regular season title and then went on to defeat Atlanta 2-0 on Sunday evening in Rochester. About a third of the way through the match, the Flash knew that Philly had lost to magicJack, thus giving the Flash the regular season title.

After Atlanta had played very well early on, Western New York took the lead in the 37th minute as Caroline Seger volleyed in a Alex Morgan cross to give the Flash the lead before the intermission.

While Atlanta had played tough for most of the first half, the second was literally dominated by the Flash who created chance after chance. Only a few offsides calls and some dicey finishing kept Atlanta in the match.

The Flash finally put the game away in the 75th minute as Christine Sinclair sent a through-ball to Marta who raced onto it and touched it past Allison Whitworth. For Marta, it was her 10th goal of the season, drawing her even with Sinclair for the league lead in that category.

The Flash finish with a 13-2-3 record and will now host the WPS Championship match on August 27. Ashlyn Harris picks up her fifth shutout of the season, tying her for the WPS lead in that category. The Flash became the first WPS team to average more than two goals per game, scoring 40 times in just 18 matches.

Atlanta finishes the season with 1-13-4 record, not having scored in the last 757 minutes of the season. Their last goal was in a June 11 game against magicJack and they failed to score a goal on the road during the season.

Final WPS Regular Season Standings
(1) Western New York 13-2-3, 42 pts; (2) Philadelphia 11-4-3, 36 pts; (3) magicJack 9-7-2, 28 pts; (4) Boston 5-9-4, 19 pts; (5) Sky Blue FC 5-9-4, 19 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-13-4, 7 pts.

magicJack was penalized a point during the season.

Boston won the tiebreaker over Sky Blue based on head-to-head points.

WPS Weekend Preview: August 14

We enter the final weekend of WPS regular season play with some issues yet to be decided. Western New York needs just a single point at home to wrap up first place and home field advantage for the WPS Final, with Philadelphia still having a faint hope of moving up. The real drama will be in Cambridge where the 5th place Breakers will host 4th place Sky Blue, with Boston needing a victory to overtake the team from New Jersey.

Sky Blue FC at Boston Breakers (4 pm eastern, Sunday)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Boston Breakers (4-9-4)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Naeher, A. Phillips.
Defenders: R. Buehler, A. LePeilbet, A. Scott, T. Hemmings, I. Dieke, E. Reed.
Midfielders: L. Osborne, K. Winters, M. Klingenberg, A. Sameshima, K. Schoepfer.
Forwards: L. Cheney (probable), K. O'Hara (probable), K. Smith (questionable), N. Marshall, C. Zimmeck.
Not active: J. Angeli (injured), L. Blayney, L. Bogus, S. Cox, N. Cross, K. Davis (injured), K. Moore (injured), K. J. Spisak.

Sky Blue FC (5-8-4)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Bardsley.
Defenders: A. Asante (probable), K. Fletcher, B. Taylor, D. Johnson, M. Wenino, P. Hogewoning.
Midfielders: C. Blank, T. Heath, A. Long, H. O'Reilly, T. Sjogran.
Forwards: E. Aluko, Adriana, C. Nogueira.
Not active: K. Arnold, J. Clark, C. Dew (suspended), S. Gray (injured), E. Guthrie, L. Johnson (injured), L. Kalmari, A. Kerr, A. Mautz.

Previous Meetings in 2011:
5/1/11 at Bos - Boston 1, Sky Blue 0
5/28/11 at SB - Sky Blue 2, Boston 1
6/12/11 at SB - Sky Blue 0, Boston 0

With a 4-9-4 record, the Breakers have to consider themselves lucky to be in contention for anything at this point. A combination of injuries, World Cup absences, and lackluster play has led to a disappointing season from Boston. Had it not been for a last minute goal by Philadelphia last weekend, they would be out of it. Instead, a victory against Sky Blue in this match and they will start the second season with a clean slate.

The Breakers enter this match with a four-game losing streak, one they would love to end on Sunday. They've only scored one goal in the last four matches, that one by Keelin Winters coming in a 2-1 loss to Western New York. But just as glaring is the fact that they have given up eight goals over the past three matches. It's time to start seeing some results from all of those national team players.

The forwards have been pretty dinged up. Kelly Smith is still listed as questionable for this match and Lauren Cheney has been nursing an injury since the World Cup. Those two have combined for just two goals this season after scoring 16 between them last year. Kelley O'Hara has been the biggest offensive threat for Boston with four goals, followed by rookie Keelin Winters with three.

Boston has rarely had their defense intact this year, but that isn't the only problem here. They haven't stopped anybody since posting three consecutive shutouts during the World Cup.

Like the Breakers, Sky Blue has been struggling as of late, losing their last three matches. The toughest of all came last weekend as a late goal by Lianne Sanderson dealt Sky Blue a 2-1 loss with the playoffs in their sights.

One player that has been hot lately is Eniola Aluko, who has scored three goals in the last two matches. The English striker has refound her form and has led Sky Blue in their last few contests. Casey Nogueira was having a fine season, but has been a bit quiet as of late. Her five goals leads New Jersey in goal scoring. Tobin Heath seems to be more involved in the offense since returning from Germany.

Defensively, Sky Blue has to be disappointed to lose their last two games on late goals by their opponent. They will face this week without Carrie Dew, who will be serving her red card suspension. Anita Asante should be back from the injury that has sidelined her. Jen Branam, as always, will be one of the keys for Sky Blue in this match. She leads WPS with five shutouts and one here would put Sky Blue in the playoffs.

Sky Blue needs just a tie to secure fourth place and the final playoff berth. If it comes to a decision, the loser will be through for the season and the winner will be headed to Boca Raton for a first round playoff match against magicJack.

Philadelphia at magicJack (4 pm eastern, Sunday)
FAU Soccer Field, Boca Raton, Florida.

magicJack (8-7-2)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, K. LeBlanc.
Defenders: T. Ellertson, C. Rampone, B. Sauerbrunn, M. Dalmy, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Boxx, M. Rapinoe, S. Huffman, S. Schmidt, N. Washington, O. Davis.
Forwards: A. Wambach, C. Press, E. Masar, L. De Vanna.
Not active: H. Solo (injured), L. Tarpley (injured).

Philadelphia Independence (11-3-3)
Coach: Paul Riley
Roster:
Goalkeepers: N. Barnhart, V. Henderson.
Defenders: K. McNeill, N. Krzysik, L. Robinson, E. Johnson.
Midfielders: J. Buczkowski, L. Lindsey, C. DiMartino, J. Lohman, D. Adams.
Forwards: T. Kai, V. Boquete, A. Rodriguez, L. Sanderson, L. del Rio.
Not active: L. Barnes, G. DiMartino, A. Falk, S. Farrelly, L. Fowlkes, R. Jones.

Previous Meetings in 2011:
5/1/11 at mJ - magicJack 2, Philadelphia 1
6/18/11 at Phi - Philadelphia 6, magicJack 0
6/25/11 at Phi - Philadelphia 3, magicJack 1

Philadelphia enters this match with an outside chance to win the regular season title, but they will need help from Atlanta to accomplish that. MagicJack comes in with third place secure, but with maybe a few lingering memories of a couple of losses to Philly in June.

One has to be at least a little impressed that magicJack earned their way into a playoff berth rather than relying on other teams losing. They won three straight matches, earning nine points against their closest rivals, Sky Blue and Boston. Their streak was snapped by Wednesday's loss to Western New York.

As has been her tradition the past couple of years, Abby Wambach has gotten the scoring touch down the stretch. This year, she's netted five goals in her last four matches. She now has nine on the year, with many coming via her favorite weapon, the header. Rookie Christen Press perhaps has the inside track for Rookie of the Year with eight goals, including a hat trick against Boston. Ella Masar and Lisa De Vanna give magicJack excellent depth up front.

Sophie Schmidt scored her first WPS goal on Wednesday. Megan Rapinoe has been a fine addition to magicJack. She has been a very big part of their offense since returning from Germany. Shannon Boxx is the veteran of the group.

MagicJack seems to have finally gotten things sorted out on the defensive end, with a change in formation being a big part of the solution. Another plus was the return of veteran Christie Rampone. Jill Loyden has been magicJack's goalkeeper since her return from the World Cup.

There have been lots of good stories on this Philadelphia team and the Independence has had outstanding contributions from much of their roster. However, the addition of Vero Boquete seems to be what makes them a championship contender. Philadelphia is a perfect nine for nine with her in the starting lineup. She has five goals and four assists since her arrival. Tasha Kai is also having a great season with nine goals, just one behind the league lead in that category.

But the Independence have gotten contributions from a lot of players. Last weekend's hero was Lianne Sanderson, who scored the game winner in stoppage. Danesha Adams has also scored three goals and Laura del Rio has added two. And all of this is in addition to last year's leading scorer, Amy Rodriguez.

The defense has been the surprise for Philadelphia. They have given up less than a goal a game, all without the benefit of a national team player on their back line. The goalkeeping has very strong with Nicole Barnhart and Val Henderson.

To be realistic, this game means very little to either team. Philadelphia's chances at the regular season title are very slim. Still, there has to be some pride on the line here. MagicJack took a couple of big losses to Philly earlier in the season, including a 6-0 shellacking. I'm sure they would like some measure of payback for that loss and to send Philadelphia a message in what could be a semifinal matchup between the two teams next week.

Atlanta at Western New York (6 pm eastern, Sunday)
Sahlen Stadium, Rochester, New York.

Western New York Flash (12-2-3)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron.
Defenders: C. Chapman, W. Engen, A. Riley, R. Moros, G. Lewandowski, K. Wilson.
Midfielders: Y. Averbuch, B. Edwards, C. Seger, B. Bock, M. Zerboni, B. Goebel.
Forwards: Marta, C. Sinclair, A. Morgan, G. Davison.
Not active: A. Bowers, K. Brandao, K. Fountain, Maurine, A. Sahlen.

Atlanta Beat (1-12-4)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, K. Reynolds, A. Marquez, H. Mitts, C. Flanagan.
Midfielders: C. Lloyd, M. Jesolva, K. White, K. Wright, A. Salem.
Forwards: L. Chalupny, K. Parker, L. Sesselmann.
Not active: B. D'Agostino, K. Dowling (injured), K. Fraine, M. Lenczyk, J. Sitch, I. Trotter.

Previous Meetings in 2011:
4/24/11 at Atl - Atlanta 2, Western New York 2
5/1/11 at WNY - Western New York 3, Atlanta 0
8/6/11 at Atl - Western New York 2, Atlanta 0

Western New York needs just a tie in this match to clinch the regular season title. That should not prove too difficult given that Atlanta has not scored on the road all season and haven't hit the net in their last 667 minutes.

Christine Sinclair still leads WPS with ten goals, but Marta has scored four goals in the last two games, putting her at nine for the season. Rookie Alex Morgan, Caroline Seger, and McCall Zerboni have all scored four this season. Becky Edwards is having a very good season in the midfield, scoring three goals and playing very well defensively.

Defensively, the addition of Rebecca Moros at midseason has given the Flash even more depth on their back line. Whitney Engen and Ali Riley are both candidates for Defender of the Year. Ashlyn Harris easily leads the league in goals against average.

I don't know what else can be said about Atlanta. The effort is there, but there are just too many young players and not enough overall talent. The Beat tried to add more experience midway through the season with Kacey White and Kelly Parker, but it just hasn't been enough. White's goal for Atlanta, the last one they have scored, is now a distant memory.

Goalkeeper Allison Whitworth has kept her team in several games and her defense is improving, but there is just too much to overcome here. The Beat have a lot of work ahead of them in the offseason.

Western New York will be looking to clinch an automatic berth to the finals, while Atlanta will be looking for a goal, something to salvage what remains of the 2011 campaign.

Wednesday Result: Western New York 2, magicJack 1

Western New York moved to the verge of clinching the regular season title with a 2-1 victory over magicJack on Wednesday. Marta scored both goals for the Flash, while Sophie Schmidt netted her first for magicJack.

magicJack Clinches Playoff Berth

magicJack 2, Boston Breakers 0

For the third straight season, magicJack has clinched a playoff berth. They defeated the Boston Breakers 2-0 on Saturday evening on the strength of two goals by player/coach Abby Wambach. The franchise made the playoffs in 2009 and 2010 when known as the Washington Freedom.

The match was played before 7188 fans in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the second largest home crowd in Boston history.

The two teams battled without a goal for almost the entire first half. Not surprisingly, both of Wambach's goals came via the header, one in the 44th minute on a cross from Megan Rapinoe and the other in the 55th minute off a Sarah Huffman corner kick. The goals were the 8th and 9th of the season for Wambach, putting her in second in WPS behind Christine Sinclair.

Boston had a chance to cut the lead to one in the final ten minutes, but Lauren Cheney's penalty kick was stopped by Jill Loyden and magicJack was able to preserve the shutout.

The win moves magicJack's record to 8-6-2 for the season, good for 25 points (after the one point penalty deduction). They host the league's two top teams this week, Western New York on Wednesday and Philadelphia next Sunday.

Right now, they have a six point advantage on Sky Blue with both teams having two matches left. Sky Blue plays Philadelphia today. Either a magicjack tie or win, or a Sky Blue tie or loss, means that magicJack would clinch third place and host the first round playoff match. Sky Blue holds the tiebreaker edge based on head-to-head goals this season.

Boston drops to 4-9-4. The Breakers' playoff hopes are still alive, but just barely. They need Philadelphia to defeat Sky Blue today and then need to beat Sky Blue themselves when the two meet next Sunday.

Western New York Flash 2, Atlanta Beat 0

The Flash took over sole possession of first place as they defeated the Atlanta Beat 2-0 in Kennesaw, Georgia. Both Flash goals were scored by Marta. The match was played before 7,112 fans at KSU Soccer Stadium.

It didn't take long for the visitors to jump on top. The Flash scored in just the 9th minute of the match as Yael Averbuch sent a low cross to the feet of Marta who finished into the right side netting.

Western New York doubled their lead in the 41st minute. This time it was Christine Sinclair setting up Marta to make it 2-0. It was Marta's 7th goal of the season.

The Flash defense managed to hold Atlanta without a shot on goal for the entire match. Ashlyn Harris earned the shutout for WNY. The Beat suffered their seventh straight shutout and have now gone scoreless for 667 consecutive minutes. Their record falls to 1-12-4.

The Flash improved their record to 11-2-3. Western New York is now three points ahead of Philadelphia, pending the outcome of Philly's match with Sky Blue this afternoon. They travel to Florida to play magicJack on Wedensday and then finish the season at home against Atlanta.

Weekend Preview: August 6-7

All three matches for this weekend have playoff implications and we're down to the final two or three matches for all teams. Two matches will directly affect the final two playoff berths. At this point, magicJack has the inside track, with Sky Blue and Boston both in control of their own destiny.

Western New York at Atlanta (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, Georgia.

Atlanta Beat (1-11-4)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, A. Marquez, H. Mitts, K. Reynolds, C. Flanagan.
Midfielders: L. Chalupny, C. Lloyd, K. Wright, M. Jesolva, K. White, B. D'Agostino, A. Salem, I. Trotter.
Forwards: K. Parker, M. Lenczyk, L. Sesselmann.
Not active: K. Dowling (injured), K. Fraine, J. Sitch.

Western New York Flash (10-2-3)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron.
Defenders: W. Engen, G. Lewandowski, A. Riley, R. Moros.
Midfielders: B. Edwards, Y. Averbuch, C. Seger, M. Zerboni, B. Bock, B. Goebel.
Forwards: C. Sinclair, Marta, A. Morgan, G. Davison.
Not active: A. Bowers, K. Brandao, C. Chapman, K. Fountain, Maurine, A. Sahlen, K. Wilson.

Previous Meetings in 2011:
4/24 at Atl - Atlanta 2, Western New York 2
5/1 at WNY - Western New York 3, Atlanta 0

Once upon a time, a long time ago, these two teams played to a tie in their first meeting ever. However, that was once upon a time and not much has gone wrong for the Flash since that April match and not a whole lot has gone right for the Beat.

The Beat play their final home match of the season, sporting a 1-11-4 record and they have long since been eliminated from playoff contention. All that's left to play for is pride and possibly for a 2012 spot on the roster.

You can't really blame Allison Whitworth for where Atlanta is. While she may not exactly be Hope Solo, she has kept her team in games that they have had no business being in. Last weekend, she faced several one-on-one situations against talented Philadelphia forwards and she held her own, giving up just one goal. Her task doesn't get any easier here, facing the likes of Christine Sinclair, Alex Morgan, and Marta.

Defensively, Atlanta has improved over the course of the season, but all too many times, the opponent has found seams in the back line to exploit. The Beat needs to tighten things up a bit. Veterans Heather Mitts and Cat Whitehill lead the defense, accompanied by Analisa Marquez and Kat Reynolds.

With Carli Lloyd returning to the lineup, the Beat at least have an additional offensive threat out there. Last week, it often appeared to be Lori Chalupny vs. the world, as the Beat captain often faced 1 v. 3 and 1 v. 4 situations. Veterans Kacey White and Kelly Parker hope to put some heat on the Flash. Ironically, Parker's only assist of the season came while playing for the Flash against Atlanta.

Rookies Megan Jesolva, Kylie Wright, Bianca D'Agostino, and Meghan Lenczyk all have shown promise at times, but this team has been just too inexperienced when playing the other sides in this league.

The Flash, on the other hand, have their sights set on winning the regular season title for home field advantage and an automatic berth to the finals. Christine Sinclair is having a great season, leading the league in both goals and assists. Atlanta has been a particularly favorite opponent of hers as she has scored three goals and added an assist in the two previous meetings.

While Marta may not have the eye-popping stats she usually has at this point in the season, her five goals and five assists show her all-around solid play. She also has a goal and an assist in the two previous matches against Atlanta. Alex Morgan is having a fine rookie season, in spite of being somewhat in the shadow of her more experienced strike mates.

Western New York's midfield appears to be getting stronger as the season wears on. Becky Edwards was known primarily for her defense when she was drafted in 2010, but she has shown the ability on the other end of the field as well, scoring three goals this season. Caroline Seger is back close to being healthy again and her presence is always a welcome sight for Flash fans.

According to the roster report, the Flash will be a bit shorthanded on the back line this weekend. It is showing both Candace Chapman and Kandace Wilson as being not active, leaving a defense of Whitney Engen, Gina Lewandowski, Ali Riley, and Rebecca Moros. Ashlyn Harris leads WPS with a 1.13 goals against average.

Atlanta has been competitive on their home turf this year, so they could certainly make things tough on the visiting Flash. But with first place within reach, Western New York should be ready.

magicJack at Boston (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Boston Breakers (4-8-4)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Naeher, A. Phillips.
Defenders: S. Cox, R. Buehler, T. Hemmings, A. LePeilbet, A. Scott, I. Dieke, E. Reed.
Midfielders: L. Osborne, M. Klingenberg, K. O'Hara (probable), A. Sameshima, K. Schoepfer.
Forwards: L. Cheney (questionable), K. Smith (questionable), N. Marshall, C. Zimmeck.
Not active: J. Angeli (injured), L. Blayney, L. Bogus, N. Cross, K. Davis (injured), K. Moore (injured), K. J. Spisak.

magicJack (7-6-2)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, K. LeBlanc.
Defenders: T. Ellertson, C. Rampone, B. Sauerbrunn, M. Dalmy, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Boxx, S. Huffman, S. Schmidt, M. Rapinoe, N. Washington.
Forwards: A. Wambach, C. Press, E. Masar, L. De Vanna.
Not active: O. Davis, H. Solo (injured), L. Tarpley (injured).

Previous Meetings in 2011:
4/23 at MJ - magicJack 1, Boston 0
6/5 at Bos - Boston 2, magicJack 1
7/30 at MJ - magicJack 4, Boston 0

MagicJack enters this match needing just one point to assure themselves of a playoff berth and maybe not even that, depending on the various tiebreakers and how it plays out over the weekend. Boston could be eliminated this weekend, but they do control their own destiny and wins in their two remaining matches could put them in the playoffs.

It has been a tough season for Tony DiCicco and the Boston Breakers. Almost from the first minute of the season, they have been without key members of their team and it seems as though every player on the roster has been injured at one time or another. Now with their backs against the wall, they need to put together a couple of strong efforts in order to make the playoffs.

Alyssa Naeher has been fine in goal for the most part. She is among the league leaders in goals against average and shutouts. She has also made 85 saves on the season, far and away the best of any goalkeeper. Her defense need to be at their best and their battle with magicJack's forwards could be the most intriguing of this match. It will be interesting to see which defender marks Abby Wambach in this all important contest. Taryn Hemmings has done good work since switching to the back line for Boston.

The Breaker midfield has shown steady improvement, anchored by veteran Leslie Osborne. Keelin Winters scored her third goal of the season in Wednesday's loss to Western New York. Kelley O'Hara, whether playing wing or forward, has been Boston's most dangerous threat on offense since returning from Germany. Both Lauren Cheney and Kelly Smith saw action in Wednesday's match, in spite of trying to recover from injuries suffered during World Cup action.

MagicJack has a multi-pronged attack up front, with Christen Press, Ella Masar, Lisa De Vanna, and Wambach. Press leads the team with eight goals, while Wambach has seven. Press has scored half of her eight goals against the Breakers. MagicJack's forwards have scored 20 of the team's 24 goals this season. However, wing midfielder Megan Rapinoe has added two goals since coming over from Philadelphia and her presence has definitely improved magicJack's offense.

Shannon Boxx, Sophie Schmidt, and Sarah Huffman give magicJack the element of toughness in their midfield. Schmidt picked up an assist in Wednesday's match against Sky Blue. And with all of the players from the World Cup back (save for Hope Solo), magicJack now has depth it was lacking through the middle of the season.

Defensively, Christie Rampone and Tina Ellertson give magicJack speed on the back line, while Becky Sauerbrunn's all-around solid play gives the consistency that the team was searching for. Jill Loyden has been the choice in goal in Solo's absence. Karina LeBlanc was signed on to give magicJack depth at that position.

The home team has won all three matches this year. Boston has been solid at home, posting a 3-2-2 record at Harvard. MagicJack has been pretty miserable on the road, with just a 1-5-2 record away from from their home turf. Boston will be trying to keep their hopes alive, while magicJack will be looking to clinch a playoff berth.

Sky Blue FC at Philadelphia (6 pm eastern, Sunday)
Leslie Quick Stadium, Chester, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Independence (10-3-3)
Coach: Paul Riley
Roster:
Goalkeepers: N. Barnhart, V. Henderson.
Defenders: N. Krzysik, K. McNeill, E. Johnson, L. Robinson.
Midfielders: J. Buczkowski, S. Farrelly, C. DiMartino, L. Lindsey, J. Lohman, G. DiMartino.
Forwards: T. Kai, A. Rodriguez, V. Boquete, L. del Rio, D. Adams, L. Sanderson.
Not active: L. Barnes, A. Falk, L. Fowlkes, R. Jones.

Sky Blue FC (5-7-4)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Bardsley.
Defenders: C. Dew, B. Taylor, K. Fletcher, A. Asante (questionable), D. Johnson, P. Hogewoning.
Midfielders: C. Blank, H. O'Reilly, T. Sjogran, A. Long, T. Heath.
Forwards: E. Aluko, Adriana, C. Nogueira, L. Kalmari.
Not active: K. Arnold, J. Clark, S. Gray (injured), E. Guthrie, L. Johnson (injured), A. Kerr, A. Mautz, M. Wenino.

Previous Meetings in 2011:
4/10 at SB - Sky Blue 2, Philadelphia 2
7/6 at Phil - Philadelphia 4, Sky Blue 3
7/23 at SB - Sky Blue 2, Philadelphia 0

Sky Blue enters the game with the possibility of being able to clinch a playoff berth. They need to better whatever Boston's result is on Saturday. If the Breakers tie, Sky Blue needs to win to clinch a playoff spot. If the Breakers lose, Sky Blue would just need a tie to clinch. Meanwhile, Philadelphia comes into this match still with hopes of winning the regular season title.

There have been a lot of fireworks in the matches between these two teams. Thirteen goals have been scored in the previous three matches, with each team winning a game apiece and the third ending in a draw.

For a team with such a high-powered offense that creates a myriad of chances, Philadelphia has been winning a lot of matches with defense this year. They have won four 1-0 results, three of which came in the last half of July. Nicole Barnhart and Val Henderson have seven shutouts between them and the Independence has given up less than a goal per game.

The back line has been very stingy, with Nikki Krzysik and Kia McNeill in the middle, combined with outside help from Leigh Ann Robinson and Estelle Johnson. Jen Buczkowski is a rugged defender as well in the midfield. In fact, Philly's midfield in general is an underrated group with Sinead Farrelly and Tina DiMartino doing a lot of the hard work in setting up chances for their talented forwards. Lori Lindsey's return from Germany is added plus here.

Veronica Boquete has become one of the leading candidates for league MVP with her play over the last two months. She has five goals and four assists in just nine matches and has scored four game winning goals, including the only tally in each of Philly's three 1-0 victories in July. Philadelphia is 8-0-1 in matches in which she has played and perfect in the eight matches she has started.

Boquete is not the only top offensive player on this team, however. Tasha Kai leads the team with eight goals, with Danesha Adams adding three, Laura del Rio and Lianne Sanderson two each, while last year's leading scorer Amy Rodriguez has just one. Kai netted a hat trick against Sky Blue earlier this year. That is why this team is so tough. You cannot key on just one player. They also have one of the fastest groups of forwards in WPS, rivaled only by Western New York.

With a playoff berth on the line, we will now see what Sky Blue is made of. Will they be more like the 2009 version that scrapped to make the playoffs and then won it all with three gritty performances in their playoff run or will they be like the 2010 version that missed the playoffs altogether?

Interestingly, Coach Jim Gabarra opted to go with Karen Bardsley in goal on Wednesday after starting Jen Branam for most of the season. Sky Blue fell by a 3-2 margin in that match against magicJack. Defensively, Sky Blue just has to be more consistent. They have posted five shutouts, but they have also given up three or more goals on four occasions, including their last two matches. Brittany Taylor has been one of Sky Blue's best defenders.

Carolyn Blank is having a fairly solid season at defensive midfielder for Sky Blue. The midfield trio of Heather O'Reilly, Therese Sjogran, and Allie Long have combined for four goals and eight assists on the season. Sjogran is tied for the league lead with six assists.

In spite of Wednesday's loss, it was good to see Eni Aluko return to form with two goals. Sky Blue could use a late season splurge from the talented and speedy English striker. Casey Nogueira has five goals on the season, with three of them coming against Philadelphia. Spanish striker Adriana has provided an additional threat since her arrival and Laura Kalmari has been a steady finisher for Sky Blue over the past two seasons.

Both teams have a lot on the line here, but certainly Sky Blue has the more desperate situation. If they fail to clinch a playoff berth this weekend, it could come down to a one-game winner-take-all match against Boston on the final weekend of the season.

Independence Regain 1st Place with Victory over Beat

Veronica Boquete scored her fifth goal of the season and it proved to be the game winner as the Philadelphia Independence defeated the Atlanta Beat 1-0 in Chester on Sunday. A crowd of 4162 saw the Independence regain sole possession of first place with a three point lead on Western New York.

In the first half of action, Atlanta appeared to be the more dangerous club. In the 25th minute, Lori Chalupny got around Kia McNeill to go in one-on-one against Nicole Barnhart from the left side of the box. Barnhart did a great job of cutting down the angle and then deflected Chalupny's shot wide.

But if the Beat held their own in the first half, the second half was all Philadelphia. Just a couple of minutes into the half, Nikki Krzysik sent Tina DiMartino in alone on a breakaway, but with Atlanta keeper Allison Whitworth coming out, she place her shot just wide of the left post. In the 56th minute, an Amy Rodriguez cross found the head of Tasha Kai, but Whitworth made a diving save on the shot headed just inside the left post.

Boquete finally put Philly up 1-0 on a great individual effort. Rodriguez nodded a header forward to Boquete, who cut toward the right side of the penalty area with Kat Reynolds on her shoulder. Whitworth made a very good save on Boquete's first effort, but the Spanish striker was able to outfight Reynolds for the rebound and put it in the back of the net.

Whitworth was able to keep the game close in spite of the Independence having several 1 v. 1 opportunities against her in the second half. She stopped Boquete with a big save in the 74th minute.

Atlanta had few chances in the second half, but Lori Chalupny's one-timer from 18 yards forced Barnhart to dive near post to block the ball away in the 76th minute.

Philadelphia followed with several more chances in the last 10 minutes. Whitworth stopped one-on-one chances from Kai, Lianne Sanderson, and Boquete in the closing minutes of the match.

Veronica Boquete once again proved to be the difference maker for Philadelphia. The Independence raised their league-leading record to 10-3-3, now three points ahead of Western New York. However, they have just two games remaining, while the Flash have four. Philly hosts Sky Blue next Sunday.

In spite of strong games from Allison Whitworth and Lori Chalupny, the Beat suffered their sixth straight shutout and are now winless in their last 14 matches. Their record stands at 1-11-4 and their two remaining matches are against Western New York.

WPS Standings
(1) Philadelphia 10-3-3, 33 pts; (2) Western New York 9-2-3, 30 pts; (3) Sky Blue FC 5-6-4, 19 pts; (4) magicJack 6-6-2, 19 pts; (5) Boston 4-7-4, 16 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-11-4, 7 pts.

WPS Weekend Preview: July 30-31

Western New York at Sky Blue FC (7 pm, Saturday)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, New Jersey.

Sky Blue FC (5-5-4)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Bardsley.
Defenders: A. Asante, C. Dew, B. Taylor, K. Fletcher, P. Hogewoning.
Midfielders: C. Blank, H. O'Reilly, T. Sjogran, A. Long, T. Heath, A. Kerr, A. Mautz.
Forwards: Adriana, E. Aluko, C. Nogueira, L. Kalmari.
Not active: K. Arnold, J. Clark, S. Gray (injured), E. Guthrie, D. Johnson, L. Johnson (injured), M. Wenino.

Western New York Flash (8-2-3)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron.
Defenders: C. Chapman, W. Engen, A. Riley, R. Moros, K. Wilson.
Midfielders: B. Edwards, Y. Averbuch, C. Seger, M. Zerboni, B. Bock, B. Goebel.
Forwards: C. Sinclair, Marta, A. Morgan.
Not active: A. Bowers, K. Brandao, G. Davison, K. Fountain, G. Lewandowski, Maurine, A. Sahlen.

Prior Meetings in 2011:
5/6/11 at WNY - Western New York 3, Sky Blue 1
6/3/11 at WNY - Western New York 2, Sky Blue 2
7/17/11 at SB - Western New York 2, Sky Blue 0

Western New York finds themselves in 2nd place, but have five matches left to make up the three points they trail Philadelphia by in the standings. However, with the Independence facing Atlanta this weekend, the Flash will want to win this one to keep pace.

Sky Blue is now all alone in 3rd place entering this match, with Boston and magicJack not far behind. This will be Sky Blue's last regular season home match, so they need to take advantage of it. They enter this match on a two-game winning streak.

For the first time since the World Cup, the Flash are at full strength as midfielder Caroline Seger returns after missing the last few matches with an injury suffered in Germany. Her presence in the midfield make the Flash an even more formidable side. She already has two goals against the Sky Blue this season.

Western New York has absolutely lit up the scoreboard against Sky Blue, scoring seven goals in three matches. In addition to Seger, Alex Morgan, Christine Sinclair, Beverly Goebel, and Marta have all score goals against New Jersey this season. Sinclair is tied for the league's best with eight goals in 2011. The Flashes' speed has given Sky Blue lots of problems in back.

Sky Blue's Jen Branam will have something to say about the outcome of this match. She now leads WPS with five shutouts in just 12 starts and is third in goals against average, just three one-hundredths of a point behind Alyssa Naeher.

Sky Blue has been using Casey Nogueira as their supersub. Nogueira leads the team with five goals scored on the season, two ahead of midfielder Allie Long. Both have scored this season against Western New York, with Long's coming on a penalty.

Ashlyn Harris will be in goal for the Flash. She is second in goals against average and has posted three shutouts. WNY has a solid back line, with Candace Chapman and Whitney Engen in the center and Ali Riley and Rebecca Moros outside. Becky Edwards is a fine two-way player in the midfield.

Sky Blue will need to find a way to slow down the Flash in this match if they want to win this match. Their midfield will likely be key with Carolyn Blank being the defensive-minded one of the group. They will also need a good match out of Swedish veteran Therese Sjogran.

Boston at magicJack (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
FAU Soccer Field, Boca Raton, Florida.

magicJack (5-6-2)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, B. Maron.
Defenders: T. Ellertson, C. Rampone, B. Sauerbrunn, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Boxx, M. Dalmy, S. Huffman, S. Schmidt, M. Rapinoe, N. Washington.
Forwards: A. Wambach, E. Masar, C. Press, L. De Vanna, J. Rasmussen.
Not active: H. Solo (injured), L. Tarpley (injured).

Boston Breakers (4-6-4)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, A. Phillips.
Defenders: R. Buehler, A. LePeilbet, S. Cox, A. Scott, K. Moore (probable), T. Hemmings.
Midfielders: L. Osborne, A. Sameshima, K. Winters, M. Klingenberg, K. Schoepfer, L. Bogus.
Forwards: K. O'Hara (probable), K. Smith (questionable), K. Schoepfer, N. Marshall.
Not active: J. Angeli (injured), L. Blayney, L. Cheney (injured), N. Cross, K. Davis (injured), I. Dieke, E. Reed, K. J. Spisak, C. Zimmeck.

Prior Meetings in 2011:
4/23/11 at MJ - magicJack 1, Boston 0
6/5/11 at Bos - Boston 2, magicJack 1

These two teams enter the match tied for the fourth and final playoff berth. It is a crucial match for both sides, but especially for Boston since magicJack has a game in hand. They have split the previous two meetings, with the home team winning both matches.

Both teams will be missing key personnel due to injuries. Magicjack will be without USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo. Kelly Smith is still listed as questionable for the Breakers. She missed the match on Wednesday against Philadelphia and with the Breakers already without Lauren Cheney, Smith's presence is greatly needed by Boston.

In Smith's absence, Kelley O'Hara has been the focus of the offense. She has four goals on the season and leads the Breakers in that category. Katie Schoepfer is having a breakout season with two goals and two assists in 2011. Nikki Marshall adds speed to the Boston front, while Meghan Klingenberg is a threat from the wing. Aya Sameshima is a recent addition to the midfield group, after helping Japan win the World Cup in Germany.

Defensively, the Breakers are ranked second in the league behind Philadelphia. Alyssa Naeher ranks second in shutouts and is first in goals against average in WPS. She has the solid wall of Alex Scott, Rachel Buehler, Amy LePeilbet, and Stephanie Cox in front of her. Leslie Osborne is one of the league's best defensive players in the midfield.

Once battling for the top position in the league, this has been a tale of two seasons for magicJack in 2011. They started the year at 5-2, but have been 0-4-2 since. Their last three victories have come against the Atlanta Beat and they haven't beaten any other team since May 1.

Defense has been a problem for magicjack. They have given up two or more goals in seven of their last eight matches. Formation would appear to be part of the problem as they have used three in back for most of those matches. They have solid performers in Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Tina Ellertson on their back line. Jill Loyden starts in goal in Solo's absence.

The attack has been the strong point for magicJack for most of the season, but they have suffered two shutouts in a row. Christen Press leads with five goals, followed by Ella Masar and Abby Wambach with four each. Lisa De Vanna adds speed at forward. Nikki Washington has contributed an assist since coming over from Boston.

Look for a tough battle in the midfield throughout this match. Shannon Boxx and Sarah Huffman lead a veteran group for magicJack. Leslie Osborne and rookie Keelin Winters are strong, physical midfielders for Boston.

A win for magicJack puts them in the driver's seat as far a playoff spot goes. Boston almost must get at least a point out of this match, if not more. This all important battle for fourth place will be key to deciding the final playoff berth.

Atlanta at Philadelphia (6 pm eastern, Sunday)
Leslie Quick Stadium, Chester, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Independence (9-3-3)
Coach: Paul Riley
Roster:
Goalkeepers: N. Barnhart, V. Henderson.
Defenders: N. Krzysik, K. McNeill, E. Johnson, L. Robinson.
Midfielders: J. Buczkowski, S. Farrelly, C. DiMartino, L. Sanderson, L. Lindsey, J. Lohman, G. DiMartino.
Forwards: T. Kai, A. Rodriguez, V. Boquete, L. del Rio, D. Adams.
Not active: L. Barnes, A. Falk, L. Fowlkes, R. Jones.

Atlanta Beat (1-10-4)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher, K. Fraine.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, K. Reynolds, H. Mitts, A. Marquez, C. Flanagan.
Midfielders: K. Wright, L. Chalupny, K. White, M. Jesolva, A. Salem, B. D'Agostino.
Forwards: K. Parker, L. Sesselmann.
Not active: K. Dowling (injured), M. Lenczyk, C. Lloyd (yellow card accumulation), J. Sitch, I. Trotter.

Prior Meetings in 2011:
5/15/11 at Atl - Philadelphia 2, Atlanta 1
6/4/11 at Phil - Philadelphia 0, Atlanta 0
7/16/11 at Atl - Philadelphia 1, Atlanta 0

You would think with the last place team traveling to the first place team, this game might be a mismatch. Atlanta has not won since their second match of the year and haven't scored a goal on the road yet. But one thing the Beat have done is play the Independence tough every single time they've met this season. There has been a tie and two one-goal Philadelphia wins in this series leading up to this match.

Not having scored on the road, Atlanta faces a tough task on Sunday. In Philadelphia, they will be facing the league's leading defensive side, giving up just one goal per game and they have already posted six shutouts this season. Meanwhile, Atlanta will be looking to stop their unfortunate record of 487 consecutive scoreless minutes dating back to June 11, when Kacey White scored in Atlanta's 3-2 loss to magicJack.

If Atlanta is to provide some offense in this match, it will be without the services of Carli Lloyd, who is suspended for the match due to yellow card accumulation (four in just eight matches). Canadian striker Kelly Parker and the midfield trio of Lori Chalupny, Megan Jesolva, and White will have to be the attacking force in this match.

Defense is one area that the Beat have shown improvement as the season has progressed. They have given up just four goals total in their last five matches and have two shutouts over that stretch. Allison Whitworth has played very well in goal over the past two months for the Beat. With Heather Mitts returning, it gives Atlanta two veteran defenders with center back Cat Whitehill.

While Atlanta has limited offense, the Independence has abundant options up front. Eleven different players have scored for Philadelphia this season. Tasha Kai leads WPS with eight goals and is having her best professional season ever.

Veronica Boquete has been one of the league's best players since coming over from Spain with four goals and four assists in just eight matches. USWNT striker Amy Rodriguez is now back from national team duty to add another dose of speed to Philly's arsenal. And the Independence doesn't lose anything when Laura del Rio and Danesha Adams enter the match.

Philadelphia has a talented midfield and one that is very strong defensively, starting with Jen Buczkowski and Sinead Farrelly. The Independence defense has been solid this season and that is without any national teamers on their back line. Philadelphia has been alternating at goalkeeper, with Nicole Barnhart starting most of the early matches until she left for Germany and Val Henderson getting the starts in Barnhart's absence. Both are very good.

Philadelphia has a three point lead on Western New York, but the Flash have two games in hand, meaning that a win is essential in this match. Atlanta has given the Independence problems this season, but they will need to find a way to score if they are to get any points out of this match.

Atlanta and magicJack Play Scoreless Draw

The Atlanta Beat and magicJack played through 90 minutes of scoreless soccer on Saturday evening before a sellout crowd of 9,345 at KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia.

It was a welcome home match for several World Cup players. Atlanta Beat players Carli Lloyd and Heather Mitts were members of the United States team that took second place at the World Cup. MagicJack had several members of their team that had played in the World Cup, including player/coach Abby Wambach.

MagicJack outshot Atlanta by a 14-9 margin for the match. Allison Whitworth for Atlanta and Jill Loyden for magicJack each earned shutouts. Atlanta was shut out for the fifth consecutive time and surpassed the record for consecutive minutes without a goal, which now stands at 487 minutes.

The tie eliminates Atlanta from playoff contention. They return to action next Sunday in Philadelphia. MagicJack's record is now 5-5-2 and they are tied for third place with Sky Blue, who they will face on Wednesday night in Boca Raton.

WPS Weekend Preview: July 23-24

As we head down the stretch in the WPS regular season, there is a full schedule this weekend. Western New York is in a tight battle with Philadelphia for first place. Boston, Sky Blue, and magicJack are battling for the two remaining playoffs spots and Atlanta is trying to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

Philadephia at Sky Blue (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, New Jersey.

Sky Blue FC (3-5-4)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Arnold, K. Bardsley (questionable).
Defenders: C. Dew, A. Asante, B. Taylor, K. Fletcher, D. Johnson.
Midfielders: H. O'Reilly, T. Heath, A. Long, T. Sjogran, C. Blank, A. Kerr, A. Mautz.
Forwards: Adriana, C. Nogueira, E. Aluko, L. Kalmari.
Not active: E. Guthrie, L. Johnson (injured), M. Wenino, J. Clark, S. Gray, P. Hogewoning.

Philadelphia Independence (8-2-3)
Coach: Paul Riley
Roster:
Goalkeepers: N. Barnhart, V. Henderson.
Defenders: N. Krzysik, K. McNeill, L. Robinson, E. Johnson.
Midfielders: J. Buczkowski, C. DiMartino, S. Farrelly, L. Lindsey, J. Lohman.
Forwards: T. Kai, A. Rodriguez, L. Sanderson, D. Adams, L. del Rio.
Not active: R. Jones, L. Barnes, A. Falk, L. Fowlkes, V. Boquete, G. DiMartino, H. Magnusdottir.

The Philadelphia Independence need to win this game to keep their hold on first place, while Sky Blue is in a very close battle with magicJack and Boston for playoff berths.

While most of the World Cup players will be back for this game, some of them may not play a full 90 minutes or start for that matter. The biggest surprise was that Veronica Boquete, who has played so well over the last month, is not listed as being active for Philadelphia per the roster report (which has been known to be incorrect from time to time).

Coach Paul Riley surely has a pleasant problem at goalkeeper. USWNT keeper Nicole Barnhart has returned and is available, but backup Val Henderson has played very well while Barnhart was gone. In fact, Henderson has posted four shutouts in just eight starts and the Independence have a 7-0-1 record with her in goal.

Defensively, Philly has a strong, physical back line, led by center backs Nikki Krzysik and Kia McNeill. Midfielder Jen Buczkowski is also a strong defensive player. While midfielder Lori Lindsey has barely played this season because of national team duty, Tina DiMartino and Sinead Farrelly are having strong seasons with a combined three goals and three assists between them.

Tasha Kai is now tied for the league lead with eight goals. She has plenty of support in the attacking end with Amy Rodriguez, Lianne Sanderson, Laura del Rio, Danesha Adams, and Boquete.

It seems as though Sky Blue is in this position every year. They head into the final third of the season with the playoffs in doubt. In 2009, they barely made the playoffs, then marched through three teams to win it all. In 2010, they fell just short of a playoff berth and here we are again in 2011.

Jen Branam has been in goal for 10 of the 12 Sky Blue matches this season. She is quick, agile, fearless, and adventuresome. The defense for SBFC this season can best be described as inconsistent. At times they look solid, but there have been some bumps in the road. Anita Asante's return from the World Cup should help steady the situation.

Sky Blue has always featured a very good midfield. With returning USWNT players Heather O'Reilly and Tobin Heath, along with Swedish international Therese Sjogran, we should see some improvement in their midfield play for the final six matches. Meanwhile, Carolyn Blank has provided solid defense in the midfield and has a goal to her credit.

Scoring has been a problem for Sky Blue. Again, there is a lack of consistency. No Sky Blue player has scored more than three and they have scored just 16 times on the season, with two being penalty kicks and one being an own goal by their opponent. Casey Nogueira has been the most productive forward with three goals and two assists. Spanish import Adriana has two goals and an assist to her credit.

Philadelphia will be looking to extend their WPS record six-game winning streak. This should be a very spirited battle between two teams that are separated by less than 100 miles and with playoff implications riding on this match.

magicJack at Atlanta (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, Georgia.

Atlanta Beat (1-10-3)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, K. Reynolds, H. Mitts, A. Marquez, L. Sesselmann, C. Flanagan.
Midfielders: L. Chalupny, C. Lloyd, K. Wright, K. White, M. Jesolva, I. Trotter, A. Salem, B. D'Agostino.
Forwards: M. Lenczyk, K. Parker.
Not active: K. Fraine, K. Dowling (injured), J. Sitch.

magicJack (5-5-1)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, B. Maron.
Defenders: T. Ellertson, C. Rampone, B. Sauerbrunn, M. Dalmy, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Huffman, N. Washington, S. Schmidt, O. Davis.
Forwards: A. Wambach, L. De Vanna, E. Masar, C. Press, J. Rasmussen.
Not active: H. Solo, A. Gunning, S. Boxx, M. Rapinoe, L. Tarpley (injured).

With several of their national team players nursing injuries or fatigued, magicJack faces the prospect of playing seven matches in the next 22 days to finish the regular season. Atlanta needs to win this match if they are to have even a remote chance at the playoffs.

Supposedly, USWNT star Abby Wambach will coach the team this week and for the foreseeable future. But having her back on the field is probably the most important thing. She is still hobbled by the Achilles injury and obviously had to be worn out by 600 minutes of soccer at the World Cup. Just her presence could be the shot in the arm that magicJack needs to make a final run at a playoff berth.

MagicJack does have a lot of good options at forward. In addition to Wambach, there is Australian speedster Lisa De Vanna, rookie of the year candidate Christen Press, WPS veteran Ella Masar, and Danish international Johanna Rasmussen. Press leads the team in scoring with five goals, good for third best in the league. Wambach and Masar are right behind with four goals apiece.

One problem for magicJack is that they are very thin in the midfield. With Lindsay Tarpley out for the season and Shannon Boxx and Megan Rapinoe sidelined after a tough World Cup schedule, magicJack basically has four true midfielders active for this match. Sarah Huffman, Sophie Schmidt, and Nikki Washington give them good quality in the midfield, with Marian Dalmy moving up from defense to help out at times.

Defensively, magicJack's three back defense has not proven to be the answer, at least not on the wider fields that they face on the road. MagicJack does have excellent defenders on the back line with Tina Ellertson, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Christie Rampone, but they are often overmatched by superiors numbers from the opposing team.

MagicJack will definitely miss Hope Solo and her status for the rest of this season is unknown. She revealed last night on "Lopez Tonight" that her wrist may be severely injured which would be a huge blow to magicJack. USWNT keeper Jill Loyden will step in for Solo.

Atlanta has been a better home team and far more competitive at FSU Stadium than on the road. The return of one of their most dangerous offensive weapons in Carli Lloyd should boost a Beat team that has scored just seven goals this season. The only other players with two goals are midfielder Lori Chalupny and forward Meghan Lenczyk. The Beat have gone 397 minutes without a goal and could break the record of 451 minutes set by the 2009 Chicago Red Stars.

The Beat will need contributions from their recent acquisitions, Kelly Parker and Kacey White, if they are to improve their offensive punch. Megan Jesolva is having a fine rookie season, but has been nursing an injury the past couple of weeks. Defensively, the return of Heather Mitts could help a team that has given up nearly two goals per game. Allison Whitworth has been the Beat's keeper as of late.

With only four games remaining, Atlanta must almost win out to have a decent chance at the playoffs. Even then, it would be an uphill climb. But they would like to give a good performance for their home crowd. MagicJack has more matches left than any other team and they must take advantage of that by picking up as many points as possible, starting with this match on Saturday evening.

Western New York at Boston (6 pm eastern, Sunday)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Boston Breakers (4-5-3)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Naeher, A. Phillips.
Defenders: A. Scott, S. Cox, I. Dieke, K. Moore (probable), E. Reed, N. Marshall.
Midfielders: L. Osborne, M. Klingenberg, K. Winters, K. Schoepfer, L. Blayney, N. Cross, L. Bogus.
Forwards: K. O'Hara, T. Hemmings, C. Zimmeck.
Not active: K. Davis (injured), K. J. Spisak, R. Buehler, A. LePeilbet, A. Sameshima, J. Angeli (injured), L. Cheney (injured), K. Smith (injured).

Western New York Flash (8-2-2)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron.
Defenders: C. Chapman, W. Engen, A. Riley, R. Moros, K. Wilson, G. Lewandowski.
Midfielders: Y. Averbuch, B. Edwards, B. Bock, M. Zerboni, B. Goebel.
Forwards: C. Sinclair, Marta, A. Morgan.
Not active: A. Bowers, K. Brandao, A. Sahlen, C. Seger (injured), Maurine, G. Davison, K. Fountain.

The Flash have now moved back into position where they can challenge Philadelphia for first place. With the exception of midfielder Caroline Seger, they are reasonably healthy heading into their final six matches.

Boston has been beset by injuries throughout the season. Add to the list Lauren Cheney, who suffered a sprained ankle in the World Cup final against Japan and English striker Kelly Smith. In addition, several of their national team players will be sitting out this match after a grueling World Cup schedule, including Aya Sameshima, a member of the champion Japanese team.

The goalkeeper matchup in this one should be good. Boston's Alyssa Naeher and WNY's Ashlyn Harris are currently in a battle for the lowest WPS goals against average (among those players that qualify). In addition, Naeher is tied for the league lead in shutouts with four.

Defensively, Boston will still be missing Rachel Buehler, Amy LePeilbet, and Aya Sameshima according to the roster report. While defense is one of the deepest areas for the Breakers, that is still a lot of talent out of the lineup. It will be interesting to see if coach Tony DiCicco uses newly acquired Nikki Marshall on defense or as a striker.

In the Breaker midfield, Leslie Osborne has been steady, as has rookie Keelin Winters. The acquisition of Meghan Klingenberg gives Boston a strong threat from the wing. With Smith and Cheney out, Boston's scoring punch has been severely reduced. USWNT reserve Kelley O'Hara is probably their biggest threat.

With their high-powered scoring triumvirate of Christine Sinclair, Marta, and Alex Morgan, the Flash look to be a very tough team to defend against as the season approaches the home stretch. Sinclair scored twice on Wednesday to bring her total to eight goals and she added an assist as well. Marta and Alex Morgan bring lightning speed to the front line. Marta has scored only four goals to this point, but look for her to close the season strong.

The Flash midfield will miss Seger, who was injured at the World Cup. McCall Zerboni is having a very good season, as is Becky Edwards. Yael Averbuch has added a strong dimension to the central midfield after missing much of the early season while trying to make the USWNT.

Defensively, the Flash are very good as well. Candace Chapman and Whitney Engen give WNY a strong central defense. Ali Riley is one of the best attackers at left back. Rebecca Moros has played outside back since being picked up in midseason.

In spite of being a point down, the Flash have a game in hand on Philadelphia and look to be the team to beat. Boston is locked in a threeway battle for the two remaining playoff spots. Look for a good game on Sunday.

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.

WPS Saturday: Philadelphia at Atlanta

Philadelphia Independence at Atlanta Beat (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, Georgia.

Atlanta Beat (1-9-3)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher, K. Fraine.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, K. Reynolds, A. Marquez, L. Sesselmann, J. Sitch, C. Flanagan.
Midfielders: L. Chalupny, K. White, K. Wright, I. Trotter, M. Jesolva, B. D'Agostino, A. Salem.
Forwards: M. Lenczyk, K. Parker.
Not active: C. Lloyd, H. Mitts, K. Dowling (injury).

Philadelphia Independence (7-2-3)
Coach: Paul Riley
Roster:
Goalkeepers: V. Henderson, R. Jones.
Defenders: K. McNeill, N. Krzysik, L. Robinson, E. Johnson.
Midfielders: J. Buczkowski, T. DiMartino, S. Farrelly, J. Lohman, H. Magnusdottir.
Forwards: T. Kai, V. Boquete, L. Sanderson, D. Adams, L. del Rio.
Not active: N. Barnhart, L. Lindsey, A. Rodriguez, L. Barnes, A. Falk, L. Fowlkes, G. DiMartino.

This match features the first place Philadelphia Independence against the last place Atlanta Beat. Philadelphia will be trying to maintain their hold on first place, while Atlanta will be trying to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

Philadelphia has been on fire as of late, winning their last five matches and sporting a six game unbeaten streak. If I am not mistaken, they are currently tied for the longest winning streak in WPS history. Gold Pride twice had five game winning streaks in 2010 and Western New York did so earlier this season. The last team to gain as much as a tie against the Independence? The Atlanta Beat tied them back on June 4.

Philadelphia has scored 15 goals over their past four games. No one in WPS is hotter than Tasha Kai is right now. Coming off of a four-goal week, she leads WPS in scoring with 8 goals. With Veronica Boquete, Lianne Sanderson, Danesha Adams, and Laura del Rio, the Independence have been a scoring machine. Rookie Sinead Farrelly scored her first WPS goal last weekend.

Val Henderson is just one behind the league lead in shutouts with three, pretty good when you consider she is a backup. She has two sturdy central defenders in front of her in Nikki Krzysik and Kia McNeill.

While Atlanta wouldn't be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention with a loss, there are very few scenarios that would see them slipping into fourth place. Therefore, they truly need a win in this match.

Two key Beat players have been nursing injuries, Lori Chalupny and Megan Jesolva. Chalupny was a late scratch last weekend with a knee injury. Both are listed as being active for this match, but both were considered to be questionable in the Atlanta midweek report.

We have seen brief flashes that this team is coming around, but they have been too few and far between. Their lack of experience shows when it comes to finishing in the offensive third and when it comes to knowing how to win close matches. They have missed one of their offensive leaders, Carli Lloyd. Rookie Meghan Lenczyk is tied for the team lead with two goals.

Atlanta will be playing at home for this match and they have been very competitive at home with a 1-3-2 record, with two of the three losses coming by a single goal.

Breakers Down Atlanta

The Boston Breakers moved into a tie for third place with a 2-0 shutout over the Atlanta Beat on Sunday night.

It didn't take long for the Breakers to score, just under four minutes in. Katie Schoepfer placed her corner kick to the back post with Kasey Moore heading it back toward the middle. Rookie Keelin Winters was unmarked inside the six and placed her header into the net for an early Boston lead.

Atlanta actually might have had the better of play in the first half, as they were able to pressure Boston, but they just couldn't create any dangerous chances in the final third.

Boston turned up the pressure in the 2nd half. In the 54th minute, Elli Reed cut back against the defense and sent a beautiful cross into the box for Leah Blayney who headed the ball off the post from 12 yards out. A minute later, Liz Bogus sent a hard shot just wide of the right post.

Atlanta nearly drew even in the 71st minute. Kacey White sent Meghan Lenczyk in alone on goal, but Alyssa Naeher came out to cut of the angle, forcing Lenczyk to shoot wide of the left post.

In the 81st minute, Boston put the match away. Meghan Klingenberg sent the ball up the right side with Schoepfer running on to it. She released a shot from the elbow of the penalty area, just before defender Analisa Marquez was able to get there. With Allison Whitworth tending toward the near post, Schoepfer placed it beautifully just inside the left post to make it 2-0.

Atlanta had one final chance on a free kick by Cat Whitehill. Her drive from distance was heading lower left, but Naeher made the save.

Boston raised their record to 4-5-3, good for 15 points. They are now unbeaten in their last four matches and have posted three consecutive shutouts. The Breakers have next weekend off before facing Western New York on July 24 in a crucial home match.

For Atlanta, Lori Chalupny was a late scratch from the starting lineup and did not play. The Beat drop to 1-9-3 and have yet to score a road goal. Atlanta returns home to host the Philadelphia Independence next Saturday.

WPS Standings
(1) Philadelphia 7-2-3, 24 pts; (2) Western New York 6-2-2, 20 pts; (3) magicJack 5-4-1, 15 pts; (3) Boston 4-5-3, 15 pts; (5) Sky Blue FC 3-4-4, 13 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-9-3, 6 pts.

WPS Preview: Atlanta at Boston

Atlanta Beat at Boston Breakers (6 pm eastern, Sunday)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Boston Breakers
Coach: Tony DiCicco (who will not be present because of his World Cup assignment)
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Naeher, A. Phillips, K. Spisak.
Defenders: L. Bogus, K. Moore (questionable), E. Reed, N. Cross.
Midfielders: L. Osborne, K. Winters, M. Klingenberg (probable), K. Schoepfer, L. Blayney.
Forwards: T. Hemmings, K. Dallstream, C. Zimmeck.
Not active: R. Buehler, S. Cox, A. LePeilbet, A. Scott, A. Sameshima, L. Cheney, K. O'Hara, K. Smith, I. Dieke (injury), K. Davis (injury), J. Angeli (injury).

Atlanta Beat
Coach: James Galanis.
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, A. Marquez, K. Reynolds, C. Flanagan.
Midfielders: L. Chalupny, K. White, K. Wright, I. Trotter, B. D'Agostino, A. Salem.
Forwards: M. Lenczyk, K. Parker, L. Sesselmann.
Not active: C. Lloyd, H. Mitts, K. Dowling (injury), K. Fraine, J. Sitch, M. Jesolva.

Boston will most likely add temporary players to their roster to fill it out in absence of all of their World Cup players. Atlanta will be shorthanded as well without Carli Lloyd and Heather Mitts. These two teams met right before the break with the match ending in a scoreless draw.

The Breakers are on a modest three game unbeaten streak. The last two of those matches have been scoreless ties, however, hardly something to get overly excited about. It points to the scoring woes Boston is having without their three top attacking players, Lauren Cheney, Kelly O'Hara, and Kelly Smith, although they did have Smith for the first of those two matches.

Atlanta is also having problems scoring. They have been shut out in seven of their last nine matches and are looking for their first win since April. They will look to forwards Meghan Lenczyk and Kelly Parker, as well as midfielders Lori Chalupny and Kacey White to help them break out of their slump.

Atlanta has had a lot of problems on the road. Their road record is a miserable 0-5-1 and they have yet to score a road goal, being outscored 13-0 in those six matches. They do not travel well.

Boston will look to a fairly talented midfield to win this match. Leslie Osborne is matched with two good young players in rookies Meghan Klingenberg and Keelin Winters. Both forwards Taryn Hemmings and Kiersten Dallstream have good speed and will test the Beat defense.

The goalkeeping matchup is intact, in spite of the World Cup, with Allison Whitworth for Atlanta and Alyssa Naeher for Boston.

Boston has slowly fought their way back into the playoff chase, but they must make the most of their remaining matches. Atlanta is looking to find some positives in what has been a lackluster season.

Sky Blue Shuts Out Beat

Casey Nogueira scored her third goal of the season, this one directly off of a corner kick, to give Sky Blue FC a 1-0 victory over the Atlanta Beat on Wednesday evening. The victory stretched Sky Blue's unbeaten streak to five games and moved them into a tie with the Boston Breakers for fourth place.

Sky Blue had several early opportunities to break out on top, but Beat goalkeeper Allison Whitworth made stops on Nogueira, Laura Kalmari, and Allie Long in the opening half.

Nogueira's goal came in the 26th minute as her corner kick attempt went directly into the net over Whitworth.

The Beat turned up the pressure in the second half and ended up outshooting Sky Blue by a 17-10 margin, but New Jersey keeper Jen Branam was up to the task and kept Atlanta off the board.

The victory boosts Sky Blue's record to 3-3-3, good for 12 points. Their next match is on July 6 at Philadelphia against the second place Independence. Atlanta drops to 1-8-3. The Beat travels to Boston to take on the Breakers on July 10.

magicJack Obtains Rapinoe

magicJack has traded for the rights to Megan Rapinoe from the Philadelphia Independence. The USWNT winger played in four matches this year, starting two. She had one goal.

Rapinoe was originally a first round draft choice of the Chicago Red Stars back in 2009.

magicJack also waived both Meghan Schnur and Rebecca Moros. Moros had been a member of the team since its inception as the Washington Freedom in 2009. Schnur was signed as a free agent in the offseason.

magicJack meets the Philadelphia Independence this Saturday.

Preview: Atlanta at Sky Blue

Atlanta Beat at Sky Blue FC (7 pm eastern, Wednesday)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, New Jersey.

Sky Blue FC (2-3-3)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, E. Guthrie, K. Arnold.
Defenders: K. Fletcher, B. Taylor, C. Dew, D. Johnson, M. Wenino, J. Clark.
Midfielders: C. Blank, A. Kerr, A. Long, A. Mautz.
Forwards: Adriana, L. Kalmari, C. Nogueira.
Not active: K. Bardsley, A. Asante, T. Heath, H. O'Reilly, T. Sjogran, E. Aluko, L. Johnson (injury).

Atlanta Beat (1-7-3)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher.
Defenders: K. Reynolds, A. Marquez, J. Sitch, L. Sesselmann.
Midfielders: L. Chalupny, K. White, B. D'Agostino, I. Trotter, K. Wright, A. Salem.
Forwards: M. Jesolva, M. Lenczyk, L. Patterson, K. Bethke.
Not active: C. Lloyd, K. Parker, H. Mitts, K. Dowling (injury), K. Fraine, C. Flanagan, C. Whitehill.

This game will mark the halfway point in Sky Blue's season and the two-thirds mark in Atlanta's season. A victory would move Sky Blue into a fourth place tie with Boston with two games in hand. Meanwhile, Atlanta attempts to gain momentum for a late season push.

Both teams will be very shorthanded for this match. Sky Blue will be missing six players on national team duty. Atlanta will be missing three, plus Cat Whitehill who will be covering the World Cup for ESPN. In addition, the Beat were dealt a harsh blow when defender Keeley Dowling went down with an injury on Sunday and will be out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.

That means Atlanta's defense is thin. The question is who will join Kat Reynolds and Analisa Marquez on the back line for this match? The most likely possibilities would be Lori Chalupny, who played defender for the USWNT and dropped back after Dowling suffered her injury, Julianne Sitch, or Lauren Sesselman, who played defense in her first season with the Beat. But most of these players are outside defenders, with little experience at center back. In goal, Allison Whitworth earned the shutout against Boston and will likely be in goal for the Sky Blue match.

Atlanta must find a way to drum up more offense. Their passing game was effective at times last week, but the organization in the final third was not good and all too often, the ball was surrendered without much of a challenge. The Beat will look to Megan Jesolva, Kacey White, Meghan Lenczyk, and possibly Bianca D'Agostino, who had some good moments last week, to provide offense.

While Atlanta is short on defense, Sky Blue will be missing several members of their midfield. However, they still have starters Carolyn Blank and Allie Long, along with top reserve Angie Kerr. In the absence of Eni Aluko, Laura Kalmari, Casey Nogueira, and Adriana will be the key offensive threats for Sky Blue.

Defensively, Sky Blue has been playing very well. Kendall Fletcher, Brittany Taylor, and Carrie Dew lead the defense. Jen Branam, who shut out Boston in her last outing, will be in goal.

Sky Blue is looking to build on a four game unbeaten streak. They have played fewer matches than every other team except magicJack, which should bode well for them making up ground on the rest of the league.

Atlanta and Boston Play Scoreless Draw

Neither team was able to push the ball into the goal as the Atlanta Beat tied the Boston Breakers 0-0 this evening in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Most of the first half of the match was played in the middle of the field, with neither team gaining much of an advantage nor scoring opportunities. The best chance was when the Beat's Lori Chalupny was able to beat a couple of defenders and center the ball to Angela Salem who shot just wide of the net, missing on a golden opportunity.

The second half saw more in the way of chances, but few were dangerous. Substitute Meghan Lenczyk had two chances, one was a hard shot inside the near post, but Alyssa Naeher was able to save that one. Another saw Lenczyk heading the ball just wide.

Allison Whitworth, who saved four shots, earned the shutout for Atlanta, while Naeher got the shutout for Boston. Atlanta's record stands at 1-7-3 and they remain in sixth place. The Breakers are now 3-5-3 and narrowly hold fourth place.

WPS Standings:
(1) Western New York 6-1-2, 20 pts; (2) Philadelphia 4-2-3, 15 pts; (3) magicJack 5-3-0, 14 pts; (4) Boston 3-5-3, 12 pts; (5) Sky Blue FC 2-3-3, 9 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-7-3, 6 pts.

Preview: Boston at Atlanta

Boston Breakers at Atlanta Beat (6 pm eastern, Sunday)
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, Georgia.

Atlanta Beat (1-7-2)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, K. Dowling, J. Sitch, K. Reynolds, A. Marquez.
Midfielders: L. Chalupny, K. White, M. Jesolva, K. Wright, I. Trotter, B. D'Agostino, A. Salem.
Forwards: M. Lenczyk, L. Patterson, K. Bethke, L. Sesselmann.
Not active: C. Lloyd, H. Mitts, K. Parker, K. Fraine, C. Flanagan.

Boston Breakers (3-5-2)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Naeher, A. Phillips.
Defenders: K. Moore, I. Dieke, E. Reed, L. Bogus, N. Cross.
Midfielders: L. Osborne, M. Klingenberg, K. Winters, K. Schoepfer, L. Blayney.
Forwards: K. Dallstream, T. Hemmings, C. Zimmeck.
Not active: R. Buehler, S. Cox, A. LePeilbet, A. Scott, A. Sameshima, L. Cheney, K. O'Hara, K. Smith, J. Angeli (injury).

The Breakers will be missing eight players to national team duty for this contest, while Atlanta will be missing only three. Defensively is where the Breakers have been hit hardest, losing five defenders to the World Cup.

Atlanta enters this match badly needing a victory. They are in last place and nearly out of touch with the teams ahead of them. They showed definite improvement in last week's 3-2 loss, but time is running out on the 2011 season.

The Beat will be missing only a few key performers for this match, Carli Lloyd being the most notable. Last week, they got goals from Meghan Lenczyk and newly acquired Kacey White. White will give their offense a boost.

Midfielder and team leader Lori Chalupny is having a steady season and has scored two goals. Rookie Megan Jesolva is also having a fine season for the Beat. Cat Whitehill captains the defense for Atlanta and Allison Whitworth has been the starter in goal lately.

This is another key game for the Breakers. They are in fourth place, but have played more games than every team in front of them and Sky Blue who is lurking just behind them in the standings. They must get as many points as possible out of their eight remaining games to make the playoffs.

In absence of so many defenders, Ifeoma Dieke and Kasey Moore will be asked to hold together the middle of the Breaker defense. Alyssa Naeher has been Boston's number one keeper for the entire season and has a 1.30 goals against average with two shutouts.

The attack has improved with the addition of Meghan Klingenberg, but they will miss Smith, O'Hara, and Cheney. Backup forwards Kiersten Dallstream, Taryn Hemmings, and Claire Zimmeck will have to step in and do the job.

After this match, Boston will start their midseason break, while Atlanta will return to action on Wednesday against Sky Blue.

magicJack Gets First Road Win in Atlanta

MagicJack defeated the Atlanta Beat 3-2 on Saturday evening, earning their first road win of the season. The victory keeps magicJack in second place in WPS.

Ella Masar opened the scoring for magicJack, just three minutes into the contest, as Johanna Rasmussen set her up at the six yard box.

Meghan Lenczyk tied the match for the home side in the 20th minute. It was Atlanta's first goal in well over three and a half matches.

But just before intermission, Christen Press made it 2-1 for visiting magicJack on a cross from Nikki Washington.

Things got worse for Atlanta when Rasmussen scored a goal of her own just a couple minutes into the second half to make it 3-1.

Atlanta bounced right back on a goal by newly-acquired Kacey White in the 53rd minute, assisted by Megan Jesolva. In spite of the Beat's pressure, magicJack was able to hang on for the 3-2 victory.

Atlanta's record falls to 1-7-2. They will host Boston next Sunday. MagicJack raises their record to 6-2-0. They play the Independence next Saturday in Philadelphia.

Preview: magicJack at Atlanta

magicJack at Atlanta Beat (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, Georgia.

Atlanta Beat (1-6-2)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, K. Dowling, K. Reynolds, J. Sitch, A. Marquez.
Midfielders: L. Chalupny, M. Jesolva, I. Trotter, K. White, K. Wright, B. D'Agostino, A. Salem.
Forwards: M. Lenczyk, L. Patterson, K. Bethke, L. Sesselmann.
Not active: H. Mitts, C. Lloyd, K. Parker, K. Fraine, C. Flanagan.

magicJack (4-2-0)
Roster:
Goalkeepers: B. Maron, S. Myers.
Defenders: T. Ellertson, M. Schnur, N. Marshall, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Huffman, M. Dalmy, N. Washington, O. Davis, A. DaCosta
Forwards: E. Masar, C. Press, R. Moros, J. Rasmussen.
Not active: J. Loyden, H. Solo, C. Rampone, B. Sauerbrunn, S. Boxx, S. Schmidt, L. DeVanna, A. Wambach, L. Tarpley (injury).

Atlanta hopes to build on the momentum of their tie with Philadelphia last weekend. MagicJack has lost two of their last three and is looking to get back on track.

MagicJack won the last meeting between these two teams by a 4-0 margin in Boca Raton. However, they will be missing no fewer than eight players to national team duty this weekend. Their three back formation worked well for them on the narrow field at FAU, but it has been less effective on the road, where they have lost both matches.

As happened a week ago, magicJack completed a trade with the team they will be playing. They sent Kacey White to Atlanta for a 2012 draft selection. Last week, they got burned by their trade as Meghan Klingenberg won WPS Player of the Week honors leading Boston to victory over her ex-team.

Clearly, losing eight players is going to hurt magicJack for this contest. But they still have scoring potential in Ella Masar and Christen Press. Defensively, magicJack has had no trouble handling Atlanta's attack, shutting them out twice already this season. Tina Ellertson leads magicJack's back line.

Brett Maron will likely get her second consecutive start in goal. Last weekend, she gave up two quick goals to Boston, but then shut them out over the final 70 minutes of the match.

Atlanta has to get their offense untracked. They have now been shut out over their last three and a half matches. They are averaging just 0.56 goals per match, well under the all-time lowest scoring pace of 0.83 that they and Sky Blue set last season. And one of their five goals was a penalty kick. With Kelly Parker and Carli Lloyd not active for this match, it's not going to be easy.

Lori Chalupny leads this team, both as captain and presently as their leading scorer. The addition of her former UNC teammate Kacey White should help the offense. White was getting very little playing time with magicJack, but will be a welcome addition to the Beat.

Allison Whitworth got the start over Alli Lipsher against Philadelphia and had a very good game. She will be looking for her second straight shutout against magicJack.

MagicJack dominated the first two matches these teams played. It might be a bit different this time, given how many players they are missing. Atlanta desperately needs a win or they will risk losing touch with the other teams in the standings, not good considering they are now halfway through their schedule.

Independence and Beat Play To a Scoreless Draw

The Atlanta Beat were able to earn a point on the road, playing a scoreless draw with the Philadelphia Independence on Saturday night in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Allison Whitworth was the star for the Beat, making 10 saves in the match, plus stopping Lianne Sanderson's penalty attempt to end the first half. Whitworth was making just her second start of the season for the Beat.

For Philadelphia, it was a night of frustration as they were unable to cash in on several goal scoring opportunities. The Independence outshot the Beat by a 17-3 margin for the match and were whistled for eight offsides calls. Val Henderson got the shutout for the Independence.

Philadelphia remains in third place with a 2-2-3 record, pending today's magicJack-Boston matchup. Atlanta now stands at 1-6-2 with five points.

Atlanta at Philadelphia

Atlanta Beat at Philadelphia Independence (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
Widener University, Chester, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Independence (2-2-2)
Coach: Paul Riley
Roster:
Goalkeepers: V. Henderson, R. Jones.
Defenders: K. McNeill, N. Krzysik, L. Robinson, H. Magnusdottir, E. Johnson, L. Barnes.
Midfielders: S. Farrelly, C. DiMartino, J. Buczkowski, J. Lohman.
Forwards: T. Kai, L. Sanderson, L. del Rio, V. Boquete, D. Adams, G. DiMartino.
Not active: N. Barnhart, L. Lindsey, A. Rodriguez, M. Rapinoe, A. Falk, L. Fowlkes.

Atlanta Beat (1-6-1)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Lipsher, A. Whitworth.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, K. Dowling, K. Reynolds, J. Sitch, A. Marquez.
Midfielders: L. Chalupny, M. Jesolva, K. Wright, B. D'Agostino, A. Salem.
Forwards: M. Lenczyk, K. Parker, L. Patterson, L. Sesselmann.
Not active: C. Lloyd, H. Mitts, I. Trotter, K. Bethke, K. Fraine, C. Flanagan.

This is a match between two teams seemingly going in opposite directions. Atlanta has dropped five matches in a row. In spite of their narrow loss to Western New York a week ago, the Independence have been coming on and look to challenge for second place.

Both teams will be hit by national team absences, Philadelphia the worst of the two. Nicole Barnhart, Megan Rapinoe, Amy Rodriguez, and Lori Lindsey will be away for this match. For Atlanta, they will be missing Heather Mitts and Carli Lloyd. Mitts has been out of the lineup for several weeks because of injury.

While the Independence will be missing several players, they will also be welcoming the arrival of another player, Veronica Boquete, who has finally joined the team. She will join Tasha Kai, Laura del Rio, and Lianne Sanderson in the Independence attack.

In spite of losing Lindsey and Rapinoe for this match, Philly is still in good hands in the midfield with Joanna Lohman, a WPS veteran, stepping in. Val Henderson will be in goal in place of Barnhart.

Atlanta is still looking for ways to score. Last week, the official stat sheet showed them with zero shots on goal. The Beat have been outscored 14-1 over their five game losing streak. With one of their leading scorers, Carli Lloyd, gone for this match, it will not be easy for the Beat to turn things around. With two goals, Lori Chalupny has been one of the few offensive bright spots for Atlanta this season.

One ray of hope is that Kelly Parker and Julianne Sitch have had another week of practice to acclimate to their new teammates and that should help the chemistry a bit. The Beat will be looking for contributions from several of their rookies for this match, including forward Meghan Lenczyk and midfielder Megan Jesolva.

Alli Lipsher has been the Beat starter in goal for most of the season and she has veterans Cat Whitehill and Keeley Dowling in front of her.

The last time these teams met, Atlanta was able to take a 1-0 lead into halftime and had a player advantage, only to see the lead slip away in the second half. With this match marking the halfway point in the season for Atlanta, they will be looking to this match for a turnaround in their fortunes. Philadelphia wants to get a win at home to improve their positioning for the playoffs.