Sky Blue FC got 2nd half goals from Rosana and Natasha Kai to give them a 2-0 home victory over FC Gold Pride. Sky Blue outshot Gold Pride by 22-6 for the match. Christie Rampone got her first victory as head coach and did double duty by playing the full 90 on defense. The win moves Sky Blue into a tie for 3rd place with the Washington Freedom at 26 points. Boston is one point behind at 25 points, in 5th place. All three teams have one match left and all three teams have their fate in their own hands. On Saturday, Sky Blue FC will travel to Washington to meet the Freedom. On Sunday, Boston will host Los Angeles.
Washington will clinch 3rd place with a win and a playoff spot with a tie against Sky Blue. Sky Blue will clinch 3rd place with a win over the Freedom. Boston will clinch a playoff berth with a win over Los Angeles. Sky Blue has the tiebreaker edge over Boston and Boston has the tiebreaker edge over Washington.
So here are the details of the possible outcomes:
If Washington beats Sky Blue and Boston beats Los Angeles, then Washington will finish 3rd and Boston 4th.
If Washington beats Sky Blue and Boston ties or loses to Los Angeles, then Washington will finish 3rd and Sky Blue will finish 4th.
If Washington and Sky Blue tie and Boston wins, Boston would finish 3rd and Washington 4th based on their tiebreaker edge over Sky Blue.
If Washington and Sky Blue tie and Boston ties or loses, Washington would finish 3rd and Sky Blue 4th.
If Sky Blue defeats Washington and Boston beats LA, Sky Blue would finish 3rd and Boston 4th.
If Sky Blue defeats Washington and Boston ties LA, Sky Blue would finish 3rd and Boston would finish 4th based on their tiebreaker edge on Washington.
If Sky Blue defeats Washington and Boston loses, then Sky Blue is 3rd and Washington 4th.
Saint Louis Athletica 2, Chicago Red Stars 0
Christie Welsh, starting her first match since June, scored a goal in each half to lead Athletica to a 2-0 victory over the visiting Red Stars.
Saint Louis played quite a few reserves in the match after clinching 2nd place on Saturday. Athletica rested Eniola Aluko, Amanda Cinalli, Sara Larsson, and Angie Woznuk, while Chicago was missing injured starters Ifeoma Dieke and Lindsay Tarpley. Lori Chalupny only played the 1st half for Saint Louis.
The first 10 minutes of the match were without flow with neither side taking control. However, Chicago started gaining some momentum and grabbed the edge in play over the next 20 minutes. In the 21st minute, a Megan Rapinoe cross was headed wide by Ella Masar. Shortly afterward, Marian Dalmy made a nice run up the right side and crossed again to Masar who shot just wide.
It was Athletica that struck first in the 32nd minute as Sarah Walsh hit a cross from the right side. Nikki Krzysik was barely able to get a glancing header in an attempt to clear, but the ball went right to Christie Welsh who was closing in from the back side and Welsh finished with a low shot perfectly placed in the corner of the net. It was Welsh's first goal of the season, but she wasn't through yet.
In the 63rd minute, Kendall Fletcher dispossessed a Chicago player in Athletica's penalty area and started a counterattack. The ball came to Welsh, who passed to Sarah Walsh. Walsh hit a pass to the corner with Melissa Tancredi running on to it perfectly and she hit a cross. It eluded defenders once again to a charging Welsh who again placed a perfect low shot past Caroline Jonsson.
The Red Stars had a couple of late chances, but were unable to break through. A Carli Lloyd free kick from about 27 yards went just wide in the 80th minute. A Danesha Adams cross seemed dangerous a minute later, but the Red Stars were unable to get a shot out of it. In the 84th minute, Ella Masar hit a shot from about 12 yards out, but right at Hope Solo.
The victory completed a nice homestand for Saint Louis in which they tallied three victories and a tie. It was the 8th shutout of the season for Hope Solo. It also marked the first time Athletica had scored 2 goals at home. In addition to Welsh, who did a nice job of finishing on both goals, Athletica got very good play out Erin Walter and Lisa Stoia, two players that are not normally in the starting lineup. Sarah Walsh got her first start for Saint Louis and although she didn't have any dangerous shots, her speed and passing up front made a big impact. Kendall Fletcher played very well as did the Athletica back line. For Chicago, it was a nice effort but they seemed just a little out of sync. Ostberg, Klein, Rapinoe, and Masar all played well, but to no avail.
Chicago finishes the season with 5-10-5 record good for 20 points and 6th place at the moment. Saint Louis finishes its regular season at FC Gold Pride on Sunday. Their record stands at 10-6-3, good for 33 points and 2nd place.
Showing posts with label Christie Welsh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christie Welsh. Show all posts
August 5, 2009
June 7, 2009
Match Report-Athletica 1, Sky Blue FC 0
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Labels: 2009 WPS, Amanda Cinalli, Christie Welsh, Daniela, Eniola Aluko, Karen Bardsley, Saint Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC, Stephanie Logterman
Labels: 2009 WPS, Amanda Cinalli, Christie Welsh, Daniela, Eniola Aluko, Karen Bardsley, Saint Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC, Stephanie Logterman
Change was in the air as Saint Louis Athletica downed Sky Blue FC 1-0 before over 3100 at Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri. It was the first game at Athletica's new home and with that new home came quite a few changes in Jorge Barcellos' lineup.
Barcellos, looking to bolster his scoring punch, started Christie Welsh for Kerri Hanks up front. He also inserted Amanda Cinalli and Stephanie Logterman into the lineup. Neither had seen a minute of action before this game. Cinalli has been recovering from an injury, while Logterman was finishing up her studies at the University of Texas. For Sky Blue, Kelly Lindsey sent Karen Bardsley out to play goal for the first time in 6 matches.
Saint Louis started with Solo in goal, Logterman, McNeill, Ellertson, and Weber on defense, Woznuk, Fletcher, Cinalli, and Chalupny at midfield, and Aluko and Welsh up top. Sky Blue had Bardsley in the nets, Sitch, Rampone, Schnur, and Asante on the back line, McCallum, O'Reilly, Averbuch, and Rosana at midfield, and Kai and White at forward.
Early in the game, Athletica held the advantage. They worked their passing game well and controlled possession for a majority of the first 20 minutes. The first scoring chance came when Elise Weber's cross was headed just wide of the goal by Christie Welsh.
It didn't take long for Cinalli to make an impact. In the 15th minute, Eniola Aluko received a pass and dribbled into the box to the goal line at Bardsley's left. Aluko sent a nice ball to the middle that eluded Sky Blue defenders right to Cinalli who found herself one-on-one against Bardsley. Cinalli settled the ball and buried it into the net from about 9 yards out, giving Athletica a 1-0 lead.
After the midpoint of the 1st half, Sky Blue's play improved. A Natasha Kai shot from straight out was tipped over the bar by Hope Solo. Several other Sky Blue chances followed. Yael Averbuch sent one well over the bar, Heather O'Reilly shot one just wide and then later hit one right at Solo.
The momentum swung back to Athletica near the end of the half. Aluko attempted a bicycle kick that hit a Sky Blue defender in the face and was cleared. Later, Christie Welsh dribbled in from the right side and nearly caught Bardsley off her line, chipping a ball that just barely cleared the bar. Later, Angie Woznuk hit one over the bar as well.
The 2nd half was mostly Sky Blue. About midway through the 2nd half, Kacey White sent a serve in front of the net that O'Reilly was just able to get a piece of, but the ball popped into the air and went over the crossbar. There was about a 15 minute stretch where Sky Blue seemed to be constantly at Solo's door step.
The best chance for Sky Blue came with about 15 minutes to go. Collette McCallum got the ball about 8 yards out, directly in front of Solo and unmarked. McCallum seemed to slip the slightest bit and she mishit the shot that appeared to come off the side of her foot and rolled harmlessly away. That's one I'm sure McCallum will be replaying over and over. Although the Jersey team continued to put pressure on, that was the last good scoring opportunity they would have.
Christie Welsh had one more good chance for Saint Louis, as she received a pass on the right side and dribbled to the box where she let go of a lot hard shot that Bardsley made an outstanding save on to keep Sky Blue in the game. But SBFC was unable to put another shot on net and the game ended with Athletica on top 1-0.
The victory places Saint Louis in a 3-way tie with Boston and Gold Pride for 3rd place at 11 points. They have two games in hand to Gold Pride. Sky Blue sits at the bottom of the table in spite of recent improved play with 8 points.
Cinalli and Welsh definitely added a bit of a spark to Athletica's offense. Logterman played generally well in her first action and looked good going forward a few times. Lori Chalupny played her usual strong game, but the team didn't need to rely on her to do everything as they did early in the season. Hope Solo was very good in goal, making a couple of tough saves and gaining the shutout. Although the defense made a few mistakes and maybe were a bit lucky that Sky Blue didn't capitalize on their chances, they played pretty well as a unit.
For Sky Blue, Heather O'Reilly was simply all over the field and had a very strong game. Karen Bardsley did well in goal and really had no chance on the goal that Athletica scored. Natasha Kai was dangerous at times and forced Solo to make a couple of leaping saves. Surprisingly, Keeley Dowling did not play for Sky Blue.
Saint Louis came out of the game a little banged up. Eni Aluko apparently tweaked a hamstring and was subbed out in the 2nd half. After the game she was limping fairly substantially. Kia McNeill also came out, but that appears to be because of cramps and she should be okay for next week's game. Melissa Tancredi is still bothered by an injury she sustained three weeks ago against Gold Pride and she did not play.
Looking ahead, Athletica travels to Boston next week where they will take on the Breakers on the FSC match of the week on Sunday. Sky Blue returns home where they will host the 1st place Los Angeles Sol on Saturday evening at Yurcak Field in Piscataway.
Game Notes
Saint Louis played in special kits in honor of Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness. Athletica players wore white socks, pink shorts and white jerseys with a pink ribbon. Puma created limited edition pink soccer balls for the occasion, which were used in the match. Several of the players' jerseys were among the items in a silent auction to raise money for this worthy cause.
Angie Woznuk remains the only Saint Louis player to have played every minute of every match for the season. For Sky Blue, only Anita Asante and Meghan Schnur have played every minute.
There have been very few goals scored in Athletica's home games. They have beaten Sky Blue and Gold Pride each 1-0, tied Los Angeles 0-0, and lost to Chicago 1-0, for a total of two goals for and one against over four games.
Daniela was walking around very stiffly, but without crutches, after the game. Athletica hopes she can return to action before the end of the season.
Barcellos, looking to bolster his scoring punch, started Christie Welsh for Kerri Hanks up front. He also inserted Amanda Cinalli and Stephanie Logterman into the lineup. Neither had seen a minute of action before this game. Cinalli has been recovering from an injury, while Logterman was finishing up her studies at the University of Texas. For Sky Blue, Kelly Lindsey sent Karen Bardsley out to play goal for the first time in 6 matches.
Saint Louis started with Solo in goal, Logterman, McNeill, Ellertson, and Weber on defense, Woznuk, Fletcher, Cinalli, and Chalupny at midfield, and Aluko and Welsh up top. Sky Blue had Bardsley in the nets, Sitch, Rampone, Schnur, and Asante on the back line, McCallum, O'Reilly, Averbuch, and Rosana at midfield, and Kai and White at forward.
Early in the game, Athletica held the advantage. They worked their passing game well and controlled possession for a majority of the first 20 minutes. The first scoring chance came when Elise Weber's cross was headed just wide of the goal by Christie Welsh.
It didn't take long for Cinalli to make an impact. In the 15th minute, Eniola Aluko received a pass and dribbled into the box to the goal line at Bardsley's left. Aluko sent a nice ball to the middle that eluded Sky Blue defenders right to Cinalli who found herself one-on-one against Bardsley. Cinalli settled the ball and buried it into the net from about 9 yards out, giving Athletica a 1-0 lead.
After the midpoint of the 1st half, Sky Blue's play improved. A Natasha Kai shot from straight out was tipped over the bar by Hope Solo. Several other Sky Blue chances followed. Yael Averbuch sent one well over the bar, Heather O'Reilly shot one just wide and then later hit one right at Solo.
The momentum swung back to Athletica near the end of the half. Aluko attempted a bicycle kick that hit a Sky Blue defender in the face and was cleared. Later, Christie Welsh dribbled in from the right side and nearly caught Bardsley off her line, chipping a ball that just barely cleared the bar. Later, Angie Woznuk hit one over the bar as well.
The 2nd half was mostly Sky Blue. About midway through the 2nd half, Kacey White sent a serve in front of the net that O'Reilly was just able to get a piece of, but the ball popped into the air and went over the crossbar. There was about a 15 minute stretch where Sky Blue seemed to be constantly at Solo's door step.
The best chance for Sky Blue came with about 15 minutes to go. Collette McCallum got the ball about 8 yards out, directly in front of Solo and unmarked. McCallum seemed to slip the slightest bit and she mishit the shot that appeared to come off the side of her foot and rolled harmlessly away. That's one I'm sure McCallum will be replaying over and over. Although the Jersey team continued to put pressure on, that was the last good scoring opportunity they would have.
Christie Welsh had one more good chance for Saint Louis, as she received a pass on the right side and dribbled to the box where she let go of a lot hard shot that Bardsley made an outstanding save on to keep Sky Blue in the game. But SBFC was unable to put another shot on net and the game ended with Athletica on top 1-0.
The victory places Saint Louis in a 3-way tie with Boston and Gold Pride for 3rd place at 11 points. They have two games in hand to Gold Pride. Sky Blue sits at the bottom of the table in spite of recent improved play with 8 points.
Cinalli and Welsh definitely added a bit of a spark to Athletica's offense. Logterman played generally well in her first action and looked good going forward a few times. Lori Chalupny played her usual strong game, but the team didn't need to rely on her to do everything as they did early in the season. Hope Solo was very good in goal, making a couple of tough saves and gaining the shutout. Although the defense made a few mistakes and maybe were a bit lucky that Sky Blue didn't capitalize on their chances, they played pretty well as a unit.
For Sky Blue, Heather O'Reilly was simply all over the field and had a very strong game. Karen Bardsley did well in goal and really had no chance on the goal that Athletica scored. Natasha Kai was dangerous at times and forced Solo to make a couple of leaping saves. Surprisingly, Keeley Dowling did not play for Sky Blue.
Saint Louis came out of the game a little banged up. Eni Aluko apparently tweaked a hamstring and was subbed out in the 2nd half. After the game she was limping fairly substantially. Kia McNeill also came out, but that appears to be because of cramps and she should be okay for next week's game. Melissa Tancredi is still bothered by an injury she sustained three weeks ago against Gold Pride and she did not play.
Looking ahead, Athletica travels to Boston next week where they will take on the Breakers on the FSC match of the week on Sunday. Sky Blue returns home where they will host the 1st place Los Angeles Sol on Saturday evening at Yurcak Field in Piscataway.
Game Notes
Saint Louis played in special kits in honor of Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness. Athletica players wore white socks, pink shorts and white jerseys with a pink ribbon. Puma created limited edition pink soccer balls for the occasion, which were used in the match. Several of the players' jerseys were among the items in a silent auction to raise money for this worthy cause.
Angie Woznuk remains the only Saint Louis player to have played every minute of every match for the season. For Sky Blue, only Anita Asante and Meghan Schnur have played every minute.
There have been very few goals scored in Athletica's home games. They have beaten Sky Blue and Gold Pride each 1-0, tied Los Angeles 0-0, and lost to Chicago 1-0, for a total of two goals for and one against over four games.
Daniela was walking around very stiffly, but without crutches, after the game. Athletica hopes she can return to action before the end of the season.
May 8, 2009
WPS-Suspensions and Trades
1 comments
Labels: Abby Wambach, Christie Welsh, Kendall Fletcher, Kia McNeill, Saint Louis Athletica, Washington Freedom
Labels: Abby Wambach, Christie Welsh, Kendall Fletcher, Kia McNeill, Saint Louis Athletica, Washington Freedom
Abby Wambach and Kia McNeill Suspended
WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci has decided to suspend both the Freedom's Abby Wambach and Athletica's Kia McNeill for one game for incidents in last week's game between the two teams. The press release is contained in this link. Antonucci evidently felt that she had to do something to curb the overly rough play in the league, thus the suspensions. The decision isn't likely to make fans of either side happy. Freedom fans thought that Athletica had roughed up Wambach throughout the game, while Athletica fans felt that Wambach's challenge of Daniela was reckless and uncalled for.
Per a decision by the commissioner and in light of the timing of the decision, she is allowing Kia McNeill to participate in this week's game and serve her suspension the following week.
By making her decision to levy suspensions, Antonucci also sets a precedent. The league's disciplinary committee had met and decided not to overrule any of the field official's decisions from the game, based on a review of the plays involved and per the strict guidelines they must work under. The commissioner decided to use her powers to independently make a decision involving play that was detrimental to the game.
Athletica Acquires Kendall Fletcher and Christie Welsh from Los Angeles
With McNeill's suspension looming and injuries to Daniela, Sara Larsson, and Amanda Cinalli, Athletica completed a trade today that brings defender Kendall Fletcher and forward Christie Welsh to Saint Louis in exchange for future draft picks, a conditional pick in 2010 and a 1st round pick in 2011.
Fletcher has surprisingly received little playing time in Los Angeles. She has played just one half of soccer for the Sol this season. She is a member of the USWNT and appeared most recently for the team in the Algarve Cup in March. She is also a former teammate of Lori Chalupny at UNC. The Sol's defensive roster got even more crowded two weeks ago when they signed Martina Franko. This move apparently made Fletcher expendable.
Christie Welsh has made nearly 40 appearances for the USWNT and has scored 20 goals for them, last appearing in 2006. For the Sol, she has appeared in 3 games, starting 2 and has not scored. She was the 2001 Hermann Award winner and an All-American at Penn State. At 5-10, she makes an excellent target forward.
To make room on the roster for their acquisitions, Athletica released defender Sheree Gray, who had appeared in all four of their games. It is unknown whether either player will be available for tomorrow's game against FC Gold Pride.
WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci has decided to suspend both the Freedom's Abby Wambach and Athletica's Kia McNeill for one game for incidents in last week's game between the two teams. The press release is contained in this link. Antonucci evidently felt that she had to do something to curb the overly rough play in the league, thus the suspensions. The decision isn't likely to make fans of either side happy. Freedom fans thought that Athletica had roughed up Wambach throughout the game, while Athletica fans felt that Wambach's challenge of Daniela was reckless and uncalled for.
Per a decision by the commissioner and in light of the timing of the decision, she is allowing Kia McNeill to participate in this week's game and serve her suspension the following week.
By making her decision to levy suspensions, Antonucci also sets a precedent. The league's disciplinary committee had met and decided not to overrule any of the field official's decisions from the game, based on a review of the plays involved and per the strict guidelines they must work under. The commissioner decided to use her powers to independently make a decision involving play that was detrimental to the game.
Athletica Acquires Kendall Fletcher and Christie Welsh from Los Angeles
With McNeill's suspension looming and injuries to Daniela, Sara Larsson, and Amanda Cinalli, Athletica completed a trade today that brings defender Kendall Fletcher and forward Christie Welsh to Saint Louis in exchange for future draft picks, a conditional pick in 2010 and a 1st round pick in 2011.
Fletcher has surprisingly received little playing time in Los Angeles. She has played just one half of soccer for the Sol this season. She is a member of the USWNT and appeared most recently for the team in the Algarve Cup in March. She is also a former teammate of Lori Chalupny at UNC. The Sol's defensive roster got even more crowded two weeks ago when they signed Martina Franko. This move apparently made Fletcher expendable.
Christie Welsh has made nearly 40 appearances for the USWNT and has scored 20 goals for them, last appearing in 2006. For the Sol, she has appeared in 3 games, starting 2 and has not scored. She was the 2001 Hermann Award winner and an All-American at Penn State. At 5-10, she makes an excellent target forward.
To make room on the roster for their acquisitions, Athletica released defender Sheree Gray, who had appeared in all four of their games. It is unknown whether either player will be available for tomorrow's game against FC Gold Pride.
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