magicJack Advances to Semifinals

In a very strong performance, magicJack defeated the Boston Breakers 3-1 on Wednesday evening to advance to the WPS semifinal on Saturday. magicJack will meet the Philadelphia Independence in Chester, Pennsylvania.

There were no surprises in the magicJack lineup for the match. Tony DiCicco elected to start Taryn Hemmings instead of Stephanie Cox on the back line, with Amy LePeilbet playing left back.

magicJack came out of the blocks fast, putting pressure on the Breakers' net from the opening whistle. Sophie Schmidt's shot from 25 yards sailed over the crossbar in just the second minute of action.

magicJack broke on top just a few minutes later. Sarah Huffman hit a cross from the far right side. The ball curved away from Boston goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, eluding her and finding a wide open Abby Wambach just eight yards out on the back post. She easily finished into the open net and magicJack was up 1-0 in just the sixth minute.

magicJack continued to pressure the Breakers' defense. Shannon Boxx put one just over the crossbar from 20 yards in the 8th minute. Later, Christen Press' shot from 18 yards was deflected wide by Naeher.

Boston's first good chance came in the 29th minute as Amy LePeilbet's pass found Lauren Cheney cutting across the box, but her shot went just wide of the left post.

Both teams suffered injuries in the first half. Meghan Klingenberg took an awkward fall landing on her arm in the 15th minute. She came off with what appeared to be an arm or wrist injury and was replaced by Elli Reed. Tina Ellertson suffered a hamstring injury later in the half. It was while Ellertson was off the field that Boston evened the score.

LePeilbet took a free kick from 40 yards out, sending it to the center of the penalty area. magicJack managed to head the ball clear but not out. Leslie Osborne nodded the ball back to the center where Keelin Winters volleyed it one-time inside the right post from nine yards out to tie the score. Ellertson was quickly subbed out for Lydia Vandenbergh after the goal.

magicJack nearly retook the lead in the 37th minute as Megan Rapinoe's shot from the left side beat Naeher, but struck the left post and was cleared by Boston. Just a minute later, Rapinoe had another chance as Huffman sent a pass to Press who headed it to Rapinoe, but her shot rolled just wide of the right post.

Boston had a good opportunity right before intermission, with another LePeilbet free kick into the penalty area. But Winters couldn't quite get into position to head the ball on goal and her attempt sailed well wide of the net. The match was tied at the half.

magicJack started the second half right where they left off as Rapinoe sent Press through the Boston defense, but her shot hooked just wide of the right post. But in the 56th minute, things began to fall apart for the Breakers.

Huffman received the ball just to the right edge of the penalty area and made a one-on-one move against Hemmings. Hemmings reached out her right foot and tripped the magicJack midfielder. A penalty was awarded and Abby Wambach scored her second goal of the match, with Naeher guessing wrong, to make it 2-1 for the home team.

Press had another chance just a minute later, but she skied a shot over the bar on a good opportunity from 18 yards out. Rapinoe set up Huffman just minutes later, but her shot also went well over the bar.

magicJack put the game away in the 61st minute as Press was making a run into the right side of the penalty area. She cut back on Hemmings and with Naeher bearing down on her, she hit a beautiful cross that caught Rapinoe in stride and USWNT midfielder headed the ball into the net from six yards to make it 3-1.

With their backs against the wall, the Breakers attempted to insert some offense into the match. Hobbled Kelly Smith came in for Hemmings in the 69th minute. Nikki Marshall subbed in for Aya Sameshima in the 79th minute. For awhile after Smith came in, Boston appeared to be dangerous and Smith definitely gave them a temporary spark, but the English striker is not nearly 100% healthy and her abilities were limited.

In 75th minute, Kelley O'Hara's shot from 22 yards was on frame, but easily handled by Jill Loyden. After that, Boston looked exhausted and really offered no significant threat.

magicJack outshot Boston 17-8 and led in shots on goal by an 8-2 margin. It was fairly dominating performance by the women from south Florida, who had been one of the toughest home teams in the league during the regular season.

magicJack will now travel to Philadelphia where they will meet the second place Independence at PPL Park in Chester at 4 pm on Saturday.

magicJack 3, Boston Breakers 1

mJ-Abby Wambach (Sarah Huffman) 6'
Bos-Keelin Winters (Leslie Osborne) 31'
mJ-Abby Wambach pk 57'
mJ-Megan Rapinoe (Christen Press) 61'

magicJack-Jill Loyden, Marian Dalmy, Christie Rampone, Tina Ellertson (Lydia Vandenbergh 33), Becky Sauerbrunn, Shannon Boxx, Sophie Schmidt (Omolyn Davis 86), Megan Rapinoe, Sarah Huffman (Nikki Washington 86), Abby Wambach, Christen Press.

Boston-Alyssa Naeher, Alex Scott, Rachel Buehler, Taryn Hemmings (Kelly Smith 69), Amy LePeilbet, Leslie Osborne, Keelin Winters, Meghan Klingenberg (Elli Reed 16), Aya Sameshima (Nikki Marshall 79), Lauren Cheney, Kelley O'Hara.

YC-Buehler (Bos) 17, Hemmings (Bos) 35, Winters (Bos) 81.
Shots-magicJack 17, Boston 8.
SOG-magicJack 8, Boston 2.

Playoff Preview - Boston Breakers at magicJack

WPS First Round Playoffs
Boston Breakers at magicJack (7:30 pm eastern, Wednesday)
FAU Soccer Field, Boca Raton, Florida.

magicJack (9-7-2)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: Jill Loyden (1.13 ga, 4 shutouts); Karina LeBlanc (1.00 ga)
Defenders: Tina Ellertson, Christie Rampone (1 ast), Becky Sauerbrunn, Marian Dalmy (3 ast), Lydia Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: Shannon Boxx, Sophie Schmidt (1 goal, 1 ast), Sarah Huffman (1 goal, 2 ast), Megan Rapinoe (2 goals, 2 ast), Nikki Washington (7 ast), Omolyn Davis (1 goal).
Forwards: Abby Wambach (9 goals, 2 ast), Christen Press (8 goals), Lisa De Vanna (3 goals, 1 ast), Ella Masar (4 goals, 2 ast).
Not active: Hope Solo (injured), Lindsay Tarpley (injured).

Boston Breakers (5-9-4)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: Alyssa Naeher (1.33 ga, 5 shutouts), Ashley Phillips.
Defenders: Alex Scott, Rachel Buehler (1 goal), Amy LePeilbet, Stephanie Cox, Taryn Hemmings, Elli Reed.
Midfielders: Leslie Osborne, Keelin Winters (3 goals, 2 ast), Meghan Klingenberg (1 goal, 2 ast), Aya Sameshima, Katie Schoepfer (2 goals, 2 ast).
Forwards: Lauren Cheney (3 goals), Kelley O'Hara (4 goals, 1 ast), Kelly Smith (1 goal, 4 ast), Nikki Marshall, C. Zimmeck (1 ast).
Not active: Jordan Angeli (injured), Leah Blayney, Liz Bogus, Niki Cross, Kelsey Davis (injured), Ifeoma Dieke, Kasey Moore (injured), Katie Jo Spisak.
Injury notes: Kelley O'Hara (probable), Kelly Smith (questionable).

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
8/6 at Bos - magicJack 2, Boston 0

The first round of the WPS playoffs will be played on Wednesday evening, with the fourth place Boston Breakers traveling to Boca Raton to play third place magicJack. The two teams met four times during the regular season with magicJack winning three, all by shutout. Boston's lone victory in the series came on June 5 in a 2-1 victory.

The Breakers have a new-found life after getting into the playoffs on the last day of the season in what has otherwise been a pretty lackluster campaign. The Breakers suffered seven shutouts, most of those in the second half of the season. They did have a five game unbeaten streak in the middle of the year, when they earned nine of their 19 points for the season.

It was an injury plagued season for the Breakers, starting from the first game when Jordan Angeli suffered a season-ending injury just moments after scoring Boston's first goal of the season. The Breakers defeated Sky Blue in the final game of the regular season to edge into the playoffs, after getting a little help from Philadelphia the previous week.

magicJack started out of the gate very well, then floundered through the middle of their schedule, before finishing very strong by winning four of their last five matches. Abby Wambach has been the driving force down the stretch. The return of their national team players has helped and the key acquisitions of Megan Rapinoe and Nikki Washington have paid big dividends for magicJack.

magicJack have been very strong at home, going 7-2, while the Breakers are only 1-6-2 on the road, with the only road victory coming in the season opener against Atlanta. Boston has been shut out in five of their nine road games, while magicJack has posted shutouts in five of their nine home games. magicJack has averaged scoring over two goals per game at home.

Goalkeepers

Alyssa Naeher has played every minute of the season in goal for the Breakers. She was consistently among the league leaders in goals against average for most of the year, until suffering a three-game stretch when she gave up eight goals toward the end of the season. Her five shutouts is tied for the best in WPS. Naeher led WPS in saves in 2011. Note though that her five shutouts came against only two teams, Sky Blue and Atlanta.

Jill Loyden played in the season opener for magicJack, getting a shutout over Boston and then didn't play again until July 20. After she returned from the World Cup, she took over the starting job with Hope Solo being injured. She posted four shutouts in just eight matches, but she also gave up two or more goals in four matches. Three of Loyden's four shutouts came against Boston. Keep in mind that Karina LeBlanc is an outside possibility to play in this match.

Naeher is probably the more agile of the two, with Loyden having the advantage in size and experience. Naeher lost her only start in the playoffs in 2010. Loyden has never played in a playoff match, but she seems to have Boston's number this year. This matchup is very, very close.

Advantage: Even

Defenders

Boston's back line are national teamers all, but at times, they haven't performed as such. The Breakers gave up 24 goals this season, quite a lot with the world's best guarding your goal. Part of that can be explained away by World Cup fatigue, but not all of it. In the 11 matches when Boston's starting defense was intact (or nearly so), the Breakers went 2-8-1, giving up 17 goals. The low point was a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of magicJack on July 30.

The Breakers do have a lot of talent defensively. Amy LePeilbet has been two-time Defender of the Year. Alex Scott is one of the best attacking outside backs in the world. Rachel Buehler is regarded as one of the toughest tackling defenders in soccer. Stephanie Cox is a very steady performer at outside back. Taryn Hemmings filled in nicely when several of the national teamers were away. Elli Reed got in some quality minutes in her rookie season.

After an adjustment in formation, magicJack seems to have steadied what was an early season roller coaster ride on defense. Like Boston, they have plenty of national team experience on their back line. But magicJack's defense has been the antithesis of the Breakers. For instance, in games in which Christie Rampone started, magicJack has a sparkling 8-2-1 record. All six shutouts posted by magicJack came with Rampone and Becky Sauerbrunn in the lineup.

Besides national teamers Rampone and Sauerbrunn, magicJack has two former USWNT players on their back line in Tina Ellertson and Marian Dalmy. Ellertson has consistently been ranked as one of the league's best defenders. Dalmy is very good at getting into the attack and assisted on three goals this season, although it should be mentioned she played a lot of midfield this year. Lydia Vandenbergh provides depth for magicJack.

Based on names, I would give Boston the edge, but based on performance, magicJack has an obvious advantage. The Breakers finally came through with a shutout in the last game of the season, with everything on the line. Again, it's almost too close to call.

Advantage: Slightly to magicJack

Midfielders

Outside of Naeher, the only two players that played in all eighteen matches for Boston were Leslie Osborne and Keelin Winters. Osborne is a very well respected player, a tough-tackling, strong-defending veteran who has played many WPS and USWNT matches. She was one of the keys to Boston's turnaround in 2010. Winters has had an exceptional season in her first season, good enough to be nominated for Rookie of the Year honors. She has contributed three goals and two assists to Boston this year.

The other two Boston midfielders weren't even with the team at the start of the season. Aya Sameshima was signed in June and only saw 45 minutes of action before leaving for the World Cup to play for the champion Japanese team. Coach Tony DiCicco has moved Sameshima from her outside defender role she plays for Japan to the midfield. So far, Sameshima seems to be adopting her new position rather well.

Meghan Klingenberg was obtained from playoff opponent magicJack in early June and scored a goal and two assists after her arrival. She has proven to be a very good player from the wing. Katie Schoepfer can fill in at either midfielder or striker. She had her best WPS season with two goals and two assists. One of her two goals came against magicJack, as did Klingenberg's goal. In fact, they are only two Boston players to score against magicJack this season.

Three of magicJack's four midfield starters are national teamers, led by veteran Shannon Boxx. Boxx played on regular season champion LA Sol in 2009 and the WPS champion FC Gold Pride side last season. She knows how to win and although she isn't as dominating as she once was, she is still a very strong player.

Midseason acquisition Megan Rapinoe has been key to magicJack's success down the stretch. In just four starts, she scored a goal and assisted on two others for magicJack. She helped add a new energy to this mostly veteran magicJack team. Another national team player, Sophie Schmidt, is having a fine rookie season after missing the first half of it with Canada. She had a goal and an assist in the last four matches.

Sarah Huffman is another veteran player. She has been with this franchise back before it's WPS inception with the W-League Freedom. She is a steady performer, who defends well and can provide offense if needed. Another midseason acquisition, Nikki Washington, has provided a lot of offense from her wing position. With the national teamers back, she may be used more in a substitute role, but expect to see her in the match at some point.

Once again, this is a pretty close call. magicJack's midfield is probably more offensively inclined, while Boston is more defensively inclined.

Advantage: magicJack

Forwards

Kelley O'Hara has been Boston's leading scorer in 2011 with four goals. She really plays almost a hybrid attacking midfielder/forward position, but with Kelly Smith sidelined by injury, the inclination is to call her a forward. No doubt about O'Hara, she has speed to burn. Out of all of the USWNT players, she missed the fewest WPS matches and scored twice in her first game back against the Flash.

Injuries at the World Cup has hobbled two of Boston's star performers. Lauren Cheney hurt her ankle in the final against Japan and is just now getting back to full health. She scored only three goals this season, but two of those came in the season finale against Sky Blue. She is one of the best players in the league with her back to the goal, using her body to turn on a defender and get off a quick shot.

The other injured forward is Kelly Smith, who has played only 45 minutes since returning for Germany where she aggravated an injury in the quarterfinal match against France. Smith has a goal and four assists, but until this season, she was perennially among the leaders in scoring. She is listed as questionable for this match and one wonders if Boston can get at least some minutes out of this great veteran. Boston's depth at forward includes Nikki Marshall, also acquired from magicJack, and Claire Zimmeck.

If it is the end of the season, it must be Abby Wambach time. She scored five goals in three key victories down the stretch to lead magicJack into the playoffs. Three of those goals came against the Breakers. As has often been said, Wambach is simply the most dangerous weapon in the air in women's soccer. Not that she can't score with her feet, but she is absolutely deadly with headers.

If Wambach likes playing Boston, Christen Press absolutely loves it. She score four of her eight goals against the Breakers, including a hat trick in the 4-0 victory in late July. Press is the odds-on-favorite for Rookie of the Year and among the league leaders in goals. The rookie out of Stanford is very fast and is fast developing into one of the best forwards in the league.

magicJack certainly has quality depth at the forward position. Ella Masar and Lisa De Vanna have been starters before and both have shown the ability to score. Masar was Chicago's leading scorer a year ago and she put four in the net for magicJack this season, as well as assisting on two goals in the final match of the season. De Vanna is one of the fastest, most determined forwards in the world. She showed off her skills for the Australian national team, before returning to the states to score two goals in magicJack's season finale.

magicJack has gotten 24 goals out of their four forwards for the season, five more than Boston's entire team scored. If Smith were fully healthy, it might be a different story, but it would be hard to not give magicJack an edge here.

Advantage: magicJack

Coaching

Tony DiCicco is a former national team coach and is the only person ever to coach the WPS Breakers. He has more experience than probably any other coach in this league. Abby Wambach, on the other hand, is a novice at coaching. A great player to be sure, but she'll need a bit more coaching experience before I can compare her to DiCicco.

Advantage: Boston

Intangibles

magicJack has the home field advantage and they are 7-2 at home. The Breakers have not been a good road team at all. They did not score a goal in their two matches at FAU. magicJack closed the season very strong, winning four of their last five, while Boston suffered a four game losing streak, before defeating Sky Blue to squeak into the playoffs.

Neither team has ever won a playoff match. The Washington Freedom (magicJack's previous incarnation) lost in the first round both in 2009 and 2010. The Breakers lost in the semifinals to Philadelphia last year in their only playoff action.

Advantage: magicJack

Things to Look for:

1) The First 25 Minutes - In three of their five victories, the Breakers scored a goal in the first seven minutes of the match. In a fourth, they scored in the 18th minute. The only exception to this was a 1-0 victory over Sky Blue where they scored the game's only goal in the 2nd half. Meanwhile, Boston was 0-8-1 when giving up the first goal of the match.

magicJack is 8-0-1 when scoring the first goal. They have outscored their opponents 15-12 in the opening stanza, while being outscored in the 2nd half overall. Of their nine wins, they scored a goal in the first 26 minutes of the match in eight of them. They scored a first half goal in every match they won or tied, except a scoreless draw against Atlanta. magicJack did come from behind to win one match against Philadelphia, back in April.

Obviously, coming out of the gate strong is very important to both teams.

2) Set Pieces - When the most dominant player in the air is on the field, set pieces become a big factor in the match. Abby Wambach is exceptional at putting her head on the ball and finding the back of the net. Boston must limit the number of set pieces they give up, plain and simple.

3) Speed - magicJack is loaded with speed up front with Christen Press and Lisa De Vanna. Boston's defense cannot afford to be caught flat-footed by these forwards. De Vanna can be especially dangerous, coming on late when defenders are tiring. Press already has had success against Boston and her confidence has to be brimming entering this match.

4) Goalkeeping - If the match is close, it could come down to a goalkeeping mistake to decide the match. Both goalkeepers, Alyssa Naeher and Jill Loyden, are fairly inexperienced in playoff action. Both have been prone, at times, to making the occasional mistake. Neither can afford to do so in this match.

5) The Midfield Battle - magicJack has the edge in my opinion, but if Boston can hold their own, it could turn the tide of the match. It will be interesting to see how the inexperienced Boston midfield with two rookies and young Aya Sameshima will hold up under playoff pressure. Leslie Osborne has to be the leader here.

Meanwhile, magicJack's midfield is very experienced. While Sophie Schmidt is a rookie in name, she is hardly that with a long list of caps for the Canadian National Team. Boxx has been in this position before, with the Sol in '09 and Gold Pride in '10.

6) Backs Getting Forward - It will also be interesting to see which team can get their outside backs involved in the offense. Alex Scott is one of the best for Boston. Coach DiCicco even tried her out up front this season. Marian Dalmy is also strong in this regard for magicJack. Whichever team can get the backs forward on overlapping runs might have the advantage.

My Prediction:
magicJack is the hot team and are playing at home. With Smith still iffy because of her injury, Boston's attack may be severely limited. The Breakers absolutely need to keep this game low-scoring and close. magicJack just has too much experience and too many weapons overall.

magicJack 2, Boston Breakers 0

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.

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 Midweek Preview: August 3

We are down to the final two weeks of WPS regular season action and both of Wednesday's matches have huge playoff implications. One is a battle for third place between magicJack and Sky Blue FC. The other is a matchup between 2nd place Western New York and 5th place Boston, with the Breakers fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Sky Blue FC at magicJack (7 pm eastern, Wednesday)
FAU Soccer Field, Boca Raton, Florida.

magicJack (6-6-2, 19 pts)
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, N. Washington, M. Rapinoe, S. Schmidt, O. Davis.
Forwards: A. Wambach, C. Press, E. Masar, L. De Vanna.
Not active: H. Solo (injured), L. Tarpley (injured).

Sky Blue FC (5-6-4, 19 pts)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Bardsley.
Defenders: B. Taylor, K. Fletcher, A. Asante (questionable), C. Dew.
Midfielders: C. Blank, H. O'Reilly, A. Long, T. Sjogran, T. Heath, A. Kerr.
Forwards: Adriana, E. Aluko, C. Nogueira, L. Kalmari.
Not active: K. Arnold, J. Clark, S. Gray (injured), E. Guthrie, P. Hogewoning, D. Johnson, L. Johnson (injured), A. Mautz, M. Wenino.

Prior Meetings in 2011:
7/9 at SB - Sky Blue 2, magicJack 2
7/27 at mJ - Sky Blue 2, magicJack 0

Both teams enter the match with 19 points. Sky Blue has only three matches left, while magicJack has four. Sky Blue has the edge in the season series with a win and a tie. The winner of this match will be in the driver's seat for third place. The loser will try to fend off Boston for fourth place. This should have the feel and intensity of a playoff match.

MagicJack's victory over Boston on Saturday was their first win in nearly two months and it came just in time as it looked like they could miss the playoffs. Now they are in control of their own destiny and look to move into sole possession of third place.

MagicJack added veteran Canadian keeper Karina LeBlanc to their roster to help make up for the loss of Hope Solo. It will be interesting to see whether they stay with Jill Loyden in goal or turn to LeBlanc.

MagicJack exploded for four goals in their last match, three of them by rookie of the year candidate Christen Press. Abby Wambach scored the other, her first since returning from Germany. Ella Masar and Lisa De Vanna give magicJack a wealth of options up front.

Two of the most recent additions, Nikki Washington and Megan Rapinoe, give magicJack a couple of dangerous attacking weapons out of the midfield to go with veterans Shannon Boxx and Sarah Huffman.

Defensively, magicjack has one of the most veteran back lines in WPS, no matter if they play three or four in back. Christie Rampone, Tina Ellertson, and Becky Sauerbrunn all have USWNT experience. Marian Dalmy, who has played a lot of midfield for magicJack, returns to her more natural position on the back line in the four back set.

Sky Blue has veteran Jen Branam in goal. She has five shutouts on the season, leading WPS in that category. English National Team starter Karen Bardsley backs up Branam.

Defensively, Sky Blue has been vulnerable at times this season. Several of their defenders have had injury problems and Anita Asante is listed as questionable for this match. Brittany Taylor could be the key to the Sky Blue defense.

Sky Blue must get some offense out of their midfield, especially the trio of Heather O'Reilly, Therese Sjogran, and Allie Long. Coach Jim Gabarra has tried many different combinations up front, using Eniola Aluko, Adriana, Laura Kalmari, and Casey Nogueira with varying degrees of success. Gabarra prefers to bring Nogueira and midfielder Tobin Heath off the bench.

These teams are fighting for third place and the possibility of a home playoff match. With one less game remaining, Sky Blue is a little more under the gun at this point. They have played reasonably well against magicJack this season. Abby Wambach would just as soon forget that she put one in her own goal the last time these two teams met, just a week ago.

Boston at Western New York (7:30 pm eastern, Wednesday)
Sahlen Stadium, Rochester, New York.

Western New York Flash (9-2-3, 30 pts)
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, M. Zerboni, B. Bock, B. Goebel.
Forwards: Marta, C. Sinclair, A. Morgan, G. Davison.
Not active: A. Bowers, K. Brandao, K. Fountain, Maurine, A. Sahlen.

Boston Breakers (4-7-4, 16 pts)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Naeher, K. J. Spisak.
Defenders: R. Buehler, A. LePeilbet, S. Cox, A. Scott, I. Dieke.
Midfielders: L. Osborne, K. Winters, M. Klingenberg, A. Sameshima, K. Schoepfer, L. Blayney.
Forwards: K. O'Hara (probable), T. Hemmings, N. Marshall, L. Cheney (questionable), K. Smith (questionable).
Not active: J. Angeli (injured), L. Bogus, N. Cross, K. Davis (injured), K. Moore (injured), A. Phillips, E. Reed, C. Zimmeck.

Prior Meetings in 2011:
4/17 at Bos - Western New York 2, Boston 1
5/13 at WNY - Western New York 3, Boston 2
7/24 at Bos - Boston 2, Western New York 2

The 4-0 loss to magicJack put Boston in a situation where there is now no margin for error. Western New York is now in good position to win the WPS regular season title, in spite of being three points down to Philadelphia. They have two more games remaining than Philly and have two matches left with last place Atlanta.

One thing that must be said is that Boston has given the Flash a lot of problems this season in spite of having only one tie to show for their efforts. The Breakers have scored five times against Western New York, with Kelley O'Hara getting two in their last match against the Flash.

Lauren Cheney and Kelly Smith are both listed as questionable for the match and without them, Boston is severely limited in scoring options. In fact, if Cheney and Smith are not able to play, the Breakers are missing their top five scorers from the 2010 season. Jordan Angeli was injured in the first game of the season, while Kristine Lilly retired and Lindsay Tarpley signed with magicJack.

So where then does the scoring come from for Boston? O'Hara is obviously the first option. She leads the Breakers with four goals. Katie Schoepfer is having a very good season with the Breakers and has two goals to her credit. Keelin Winters also has two goals for Boston, as does Kasey Moore, but she is out with an injury as well. Boston does have a couple of offensive weapons in former magicJack players Meghan Klingenberg and Nikki Marshall.

Defensively, the Breakers must improve against Western New York, which is no easy task. They have given up seven goals in just three games, which is about the league average against the Flash. Boston boasts a strong, veteran back line, but they need to be especially sturdy in this match. Alex Scott is the best offensive threat out of the back. Alyssa Naeher is second in WPS in both goals against average and shutouts.

Christine Sinclair leads the league in both goals and assists heading into the final two weeks of the season and must be considered one of the frontrunners for league MVP. Marta is having a "quiet season", but by her standards only. She has five goals and four assists. Alex Morgan has four goals and two assists for WNY in very limited action.

With Caroline Seger back in the midfield, the Flash machine has returned to full strength. They easily defeated a strong Sky Blue team 4-1 over the weekend and are starting to once again look like the second coming of FC Gold Pride. McCall Zerboni has scored twice against the Breakers this season.

The Flash rank second in the league in defense, with Ashlyn Harris playing every minute of the season in goal. She has a great center back tandem of Whitney Engen and Candace Chapman in front of her. Ali Riley, like Scott for Boston, is one of the best outside backs in the world and always a threat on the offensive end as well.

While a loss would not eliminate the Breakers from playoff contention, it would certainly make things very, very hard for them. Luckily, their two remaining games after this one are against the two teams they are chasing in the standings, magicJack and Sky Blue.

A victory for Western New York would pull them even with Philadelphia with a game in hand, putting them in the driver's seat for the WPS regular season championship.

Press Scores Hat Trick as magicJack Romps to Victory

Rookie Christen Press scored three times to lead magicJack to a 4-0 shutout over the Boston Breakers. The victory moves magicJack into a third place tie with Sky Blue. A good crowd of over 3000 saw the match in Boca Raton.

With both teams entering the contest in a tie for the fourth and final playoff berth, this was a key win for magicJack. The loss puts Boston in a desperate position, now three points behind both magicJack and Sky Blue.

Abby Wambach opened the scoring for the hosts. The magicJack player/coach scored her first goal since returning from the World Cup, assisted by fellow USWNT player Megan Rapinoe in the 16th minute.

From then on, it was the Christen Press show as she scored in the 36th, 76th, and 83rd minute, with Wambach, Marian Dalmy, and Nikki Washington assisting. It was the fourth hat trick in WPS history, the third of the 2011 season. Press now has eight goals, tied with Tasha Kai and just one behind league-leader Christine Sinclair.

Boston was credited with just one shot for the match, while magicJack attempted 16 shots. The Breakers were playing without two top forwards in Kelly Smith and Lauren Cheney, both of whom suffered injuries at the World Cup.

Jill Loyden earned the shutout for magicJack, who are now 6-6-2 and tied with Sky Blue at 19 points in third place. They will host Sky Blue for the second consecutive Wednesday night match in Boca Raton, in a game that will go a long way to deciding third place and home field advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

The Breakers fall to 4-7-4 for the season. Boston now has an uphill battle, trailing both Sky Blue and magicJack by three points in the standings, and having one less match remaining than magicJack. They face the unenviable task of traveling to Rochester to face Western New York on Wednesday evening.

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.

Philadelphia Takes Over First; Sky Blue Moves into Third

Philadelphia Independence 1, Boston Breakers 0

Veronica Boquete's goal in the 83rd minute broke a scoreless tie and sent Philadelphia to a 1-0 victory over the Boston Breakers in Cambridge. The win moves the Independence into first place in WPS.

The goal was Boquete's fourth of the season. Laura del Rio, who had just come in as a late substitution, assisted on Boquete's goal.

Several national team players were getting their first start since returning from Germany. Amy LePeilbet, Rachel Buehler, and Stephanie Cox all saw their first action since the 2011 World Cup concluded. Aya Sameshima of the World Cup champion Japanese team made her first ever start for Boston as a midfielder.

For Philadelphia, Nicole Barnhart and Amy Rodriguez were in the starting lineup. Paul Riley decided to start Barnhart over Val Henderson and it paid off with a shutout for his team.

Philadelphia raises their record to 9-3-3, good for 30 points and a three point cushion over second place Western New York. However, the Independence have just three games remaining, while the Flash have five. Philadelphia will return to action on Sunday, at home against the Atlanta Beat.

Boston falls to 4-6-4 and are now tied for fourth place with magicJack. The Breakers presently have the edge in goal differential if it comes down to a tiebreaker. Next up for the Breakers is a Saturday clash against magicJack in Boca Raton.

Sky Blue FC 2, magicJack 0

Sky Blue took over sole possession of third place with a 2-0 victory over magicJack on Wednesday night. Midfielder Allie Long scored a first half goal to put Sky Blue in the lead and the New Jersey eleven used an own goal by Abby Wambach to seal the victory. It was the first road victory for Sky Blue this season and the first home loss for magicJack.

The first goal was set up by Therese Sjogran corner kick, with Long finishing in the 15th minute. It was Long's third goal of the season, with the first two came via penalty kick.

Sky Blue's second goal was also from a corner kick, this time in the second half. It was Casey Nogueira sending the ball into the penalty area, with Wambach's attempted clearance going into her own net.

MagicJack outshot Sky Blue by an overwhelming 27-6 margin, but the New Jersey team was able to secure the victory. Jen Branam recorded 13 saves in the shutout, her fifth of the season.

As in the night's other contest, a few national team players were seeing their first action since the World Cup. Shannon Boxx made her first start for magicJack since returning from Germany, while Megan Rapinoe was a second half substitution.

Sky Blue improves to 5-5-4 overall. They now have 19 points and are three points clear of both magicJack and the Boston Breakers for third place. They return home to play their last regular season home match on Saturday evening against the Western New York Flash.

MagicJack drops to 5-6-2. They are now winless in their last six outings. With the one point penalty assessed earlier in the season, they have just 16 points and are now tied for the fourth and final playoff spot with the Boston Breakers, a team they will face in a Saturday showdown at Florida Atlantic University.

WPS Midweek Preview - July 27

Wednesday night's WPS action features two matches having huge playoff implications. Boston, presently in a three-way battle for third place, will host Philadelphia, who is tied with Western New York for the top spot in WPS. Meanwhile, magicJack returns home where they will play five of their last six regular season matches, starting with Sky Blue FC on Wednesday evening.

Philadelphia at Boston (7 pm eastern, Wednesday)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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

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

Prior Meetings in 2011:
5/8 at Phi - Philadelphia 2, Boston 0
5/22 at Bos - Boston 1, Philadelphia 1

With just five games remaining, Boston is in a real fight for one of the last two playoff berths. They enter the match with a battered front line, but with their defense restored to full strength. Lauren Cheney, who scored the Breakers' only goal against Philadelphia this season, is out with the ankle injury she sustained at the World Cup. Kelly Smith is listed as being available, but questionable for this match.

Kelley O'Hara scored two goals in the Sunday match against the Flash and she leads the team with four for the season. The addition of Nikki Marshall gives the Breakers more speed up front. The key question is will Smith be able to play and if so, how effectively. Katie Schoepfer has been very good lately and she will likely see action in this match, either as a starter or off the bench. Meghan Klingenberg has looked very promising since coming over from magicJack.

Boston has experience in the middle with Leslie Osborne, one of the league's toughest defenders in the midfield. Keelin Winters is having a fine rookie season for the Breakers and has started all but one match for Boston. There is a possibility that coach Tony DiCicco might move Japanese defender Aya Sameshima to midfield as well.

Defensively, Boston will be at full strength for the first time in ages. Amy LePeilbet, Rachel Buehler, and Stephanie Cox all return to join Alex Scott on the back line for the stretch run. Alyssa Naeher is having a steady year in goal for the Breakers and will need to be on her game against the high-powered Independence offense.

Philadelphia made one roster change this week, mutually terminating the contract of Holmfridur Magnusdottir, a versatile player that has been a member of the Independence since their inception.

The Independence may have the deepest set of forwards in the league. Tasha Kai is having her best WPS season yet with eight goals. Kai has scored twice against Boston already this season. She is joined by USWNT forward Amy Rodriguez, who might see her first start since returning from Germany.

Then there are the Spanish duo of Veronica Boquete and Laura del Rio. Boquete was Player of the Week a couple of weeks ago, but was not active for Philly's last match. Another striker, Danesha Adams, has a knack for scoring big goals in big games.

The midfield group for Philadelphia is very good overall and strong defensively. Jen Buczkowski is a rugged defensive midfielder. Lori Lindsey is the veteran of the group and a member of the USWNT. She is excellent at distribution and controlling the tempo in the midfield. Tina DiMartino is one of the best with the ball at her feet and good at setting up teammates as well. Sinead Farrelly, like her opponent Winters, is having a very solid rookie season.

The back line is a rugged group, especially in the middle with Nikki Krzysik and Kia McNeill. Lee Ann Robinson can attack from her outside position. Estelle Johnson has played well in her second year with the Independence. Paul Riley went with Val Henderson in goal for the last match, instead of the returning Nicole Barnhart. It will be interesting to see if he goes back to Barnhart in this one.

Philadelphia has a lot of speed on the offensive end and could give Boston's stellar defense some problems in this match. Boston is very good at attacking from the wings, especially with Klingenberg and O'Hara. Boston has a five-match unbeaten streak on the line and have been very tough at home this season. Philadelphia's six-match winning streak was stopped by Sky Blue their last time out. This should be a very good match.

Sky Blue FC at magicJack (7 pm eastern, Wednesday)
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Florida.

magicJack (5-5-2)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, B. Maron.
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, E. Masar, C. Press, L. De Vanna, J. Rasmussen.
Not active: H. Solo, A. Gunning, L. Tarpley (injured).

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

Prior Meetings in 2011:
7/9 at SBFC - Sky Blue FC 2, magicJack 2

It comes down to three teams for the final two playoff berths over the last three weeks of the season. MagicJack's next four matches will be against the two teams they are battling with, Boston and Sky Blue. This will be their first home match in nearly two months.

It is interesting that magicJack's remaining schedule can work both ways for them. They have the advantage of having one more game remaining than either Sky Blue or Boston and the advantage of playing five of their last six at home. But they also have the disadvantage of playing six games in 19 days, quite a brutal stretch and five of those matches will be played in the heat and humidity of southern Florida.

With Abby Wambach at the helm, magicJack heads down the stretch with high hopes for third place. They have most of their team back and intact, with the exception of Hope Solo, who is bothered by shoulder and wrist injuries, and Lindsey Tarpley, who was lost to the team with a torn ACL.

The injury to Solo means Jill Loyden will be front and center in the next few matches. She played very well subbing in for Solo two years ago for Athletica. Last year, she had an uneven season with the Red Stars. Now, with everything on the line, it's her turn to show what she can do in tense playoff-like matches.

Defensively, magicJack switched to a four-in-back formation against Atlanta their last time out. They did shut out the Beat, but didn't score any themselves. Now, back on the narrow confines of FAU Stadium, will they go back to the three defender formation? They have strong veterans on the back line with USWNT defenders Christie Rampone and Becky Sauerbrunn, and former USWNT backliners Tina Ellertson and Marian Dalmy.

With Shannon Boxx returning to the lineup and newly acquired Megan Rapinoe joining the midfield, we should marked improvement in this area. Veteran Sarah Huffman, Canadian National Team midfielder Sophie Schmidt, and former Breaker Nikki Washington round out a very strong midfield group.

Now that they have their full attacking arsenal back, magicJack's offense should be tough to stop. Abby Wambach leads the way and the team certainly missed her while she was in Germany. She gives magicJack the added dimension of a good attack through the air and on set pieces. Ella Masar has been one of the league's top scorers over the past two seasons and rookie Christen Press leads the team with five goals. Add speedy striker Lisa De Vanna to Sky Blue's problems that will challenge their back line in this match.

One of Sky Blue's biggest problems this season has been scoring, but forward Casey Nogueira took it upon herself to solve that problem in her last match against Philadelphia, scoring twice to lead Sky Blue to victory. Spanish striker Adriana has been a welcome addition to Sky Blue's front line. England's Eni Aluko is still looking to get untracked. Laura Kalmari is always a threat when she gets on the field.

The midfield is always Sky Blue's strength and with their three national team players, Heather O'Reilly, Therese Sjogran, and Tobin Heath, going against magicJack's three national teamers in Boxx, Rapinoe, and Schmidt, this should truly be one of the most interesting aspects of this match. Carolyn Blank is having a solid year as a defensive midfielder. Allie Long can be a dangerous attacking player out of the midfield.

Defensively, the return of Anita Asante certainly settles this group. Alongside are Carrie Dew, Kendall Fletcher, and Brittany Taylor. Jen Branam is tied atop the WPS leaders with four shutouts.

With these teams be so close in the standings and battling for one of the final two berths, this match should have the feel of a playoff match. Hopefully, the field will be plenty wide enough so as not to detract from two very good teams fighting it out for a playoff spot.

Breakers and Flash Battle to 2-2 Tie

In one of the most exciting matches thus far in the WPS season, the Boston Breakers and Western New York Flash played to a 2-2 draw in Cambridge. Both teams scored in the last 10 minutes and it was a match that national team players contributed heavily, as did players off the bench.

Kelley O'Hara scored a brace and it looked to be enough when she gave Boston a 2-1 lead with just over six minutes remaining, but Alex Morgan tied it just three minutes later with a brilliant goal.

Western New York held the edge in possession and territory early on, but it was Boston who created the better chances. In the 10th minute, Katie Schoepfer played the ball ahead on the right side for Alex Scott. She crossed the ball into the penalty area, but it led Liz Bogus just a little too much and she was unable to redirect it toward the net.

Boston did get the first goal just 10 minutes later. It was again Schoepfer starting the play as she sent a diagonal ball to Kelley O'Hara. The ball just barely got by a diving Whitney Engen and O'Hara had inside position on Ali Riley. O'Hara steered a rolling shot back across to the right. Flash goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris appeared to be wrong-footed on the play and the ball got by her, into the right corner of the net to make it 1-0.

Western New York continued to pressure and nearly broke through in the 36th minute. Riley sent a beautiful cross to McCall Zerboni at the six, but the Flash midfielder put her header wide of the goal.

The Flash tied the match in the 38th minute with Becky Edwards sending the ball ahead to Marta who was heading to the left side of the penalty area. Marta was able to settle the ball, and gain some space from defender Scott in the process. She set up her left-footed shot and drilled it low past Alyssa Naeher and into the right side netting to tie the match.

USWNT forward Alex Morgan subbed in to start the second half for Western New York and she made her presence known. In the 59th minute, she drove a 25-yard shot right at Naeher. Somehow, the ball got through the Breakers' keeper and rolled toward the goal line, but Naeher was able to dive back just in time before the ball crossed. Later, Yael Averbuch put her shot from inside the 18 just wide of the right post.

Boston took the lead in the 84th minute in a beautiful display of passing. Alex Scott crossed the ball from 35 yards out to Nikki Marshall who was cutting diagonally across the penalty area from left to right. With a defender on her, Marshall was unable to control the ball immediately, but ran it down on the right side of the penalty area.

With the ball rolling toward the endline, she was able to turn her body and direct her cross back to O'Hara. O'Hara passed it to 2nd half substitute Claire Zimmeck who touched it right back to O'Hara on a give-and-go. O'Hara's finish was perfectly inside the left post to give Boston a late 2-1 lead.

But just when it looked like the Breakers might secure three points, it was Alex Morgan who drew the Flash even. Marta sent a 40-yard free kick into the box. Christine Sinclair tried to head it across the box, but the Breakers temporarily cleared it, but not far enough. Another 2nd half substitute, Beverly Goebel, headed the ball back into the box toward Alex Morgan who was waiting near the penalty spot. Morgan hit a beautiful half volley with the outside of her left foot that hit the bottom of crossbar and went into the net. The score was now tied at two.

Western New York threatened again in the last few minutes. Morgan appeared to be behind the defense on a breakaway, but it was called back on a very close offsides. In the 90th minute, Boston defender Elli Reed saved the Breakers by blocking not one, but two Flash shots. First, she blocked Goebel's shot from right in front of Naeher and then the rebound went to Sinclair, who had an open net in front of her, but Reed slid over to block her shot as well.

Both teams gained very valuable point in the standings. Western New York is now 8-2-3 and tied with Philadelphia for first place with 27 points. The Flash have a game in hand on the Independence as well. Boston's record goes to 4-5-4 and they are now in a three-way tie for third place with Sky Blue and magicJack.

Boston hosts Philadelphia in a very important match for both teams on Wednesday night. Western New York's next match is at Sky Blue next Saturday, also crucial to both teams.

WPS Standings
(1) Western New York 8-2-3, 27 pts; (1) Philadelphia 8-3-3, 27 pts; (3) magicJack 5-5-2, 16 pts; (3) Boston 4-5-4, 16 pts; (3) Sky Blue FC 4-5-4, 16 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-10-4, 7 pts.

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.