Flash...Marta Lands in Western New York

Well, the mystery that has lasted most of the winter has now been solved and we have a winner. Marta, the best player in the world five years running, will play the 2011 season for the Western New York Flash. The Flash have picked up the third and final year of Marta's contract from FC Gold Pride.

Marta will join six of her Gold Pride teammates from the 2010 WPS champions, including another prolific scorer in her own right, Christine Sinclair. The Flash will most definitely not look like a typical expansion team this season.

Marta has won the FIFA Player of the Year five consecutive years. She was originally selected in the international draft by the Los Angeles Sol. In 2009, she led the Sol to the WPS regular season championship before falling to Sky Blue in the WPS Finals. After Los Angeles folded, she was taken in the dispersal draft by FC Gold Pride, which won both the regular season and playoff championship last season. The entire league has waited with much anticipation as to where she would sign since Gold Pride folded last fall.

She is the WPS all-time leading goal scorer with 29 regular season goals and has the led the league in that category both seasons. She also scored a playoff goal in last year's championship match against Philadelphia.

Marta is expected to miss at least part of the upcoming season while competing with the Brazilian National Team at the World Cup.

WPS Survives, Gold Pride Doesn't

Women's Professional Soccer has announced that it will continue into 2011 with at least six teams. The league will include Boston, Sky Blue FC, Philadelphia, Washington, Atlanta, and the new Western New York (Buffalo/Rochester) franchise. FC Gold Pride, however, became the third of the original seven to fold. The Chicago Red Stars remain a question mark for the 2011 season, as additional investment is sought with a deadline of December 15 being set.

If we were using Queen songs to describe Gold Pride's last three months, they have gone from "We Are the Champions" to "Another One Bites the Dust" in a remarkably short period of time. The current owners, the NeSmith family, have been seeking additional investors/owners for some time, but could not attract enough interest to keep the franchise alive for 2011 in spite of all efforts.

FC Gold Pride won both the regular season title and the playoff championship last season. It marks the second straight year that the regular season champions have not returned the following year. The Los Angeles Sol won the 2009 regular season title before folding in January, 2010. A third original team, Saint Louis Athletica, folded in May, 2010 during the middle of the season.

So at this point, the league's three western-most franchises have folded, with the next farthest west, Chicago, in limbo. Both Red Star and league officials are optimistic that additional investors can be found to save the Chicago franchise for 2011. Should they not survive, WPS would be confined to the eastern time zone.

All Gold Pride players will become free agents, with the free agent period starting tomorrow. Judging from the expansion draft protected list released in October, FC Gold Pride had 11 players under contract for the 2011 season. They include FIFA Player of the Year Marta and WPS Rookie of the Year Ali Riley. Additionally, Kiki Bosio, Carrie Dew, Becky Edwards, Kristen Graczyk, Tiffeny Milbrett, Kandace Wilson, Brittany Cameron, Rosie Tantillo, and Kimberly Yokers appear to have been under contract at that time.

More information is expected tomorrow.

Gold Pride Wins WPS Championship 4-0

FC Gold Pride left no doubts as to who the better team was on Sunday, easily defeating the Philadelphia Independence 4-0. The championship game proved almost anticlimactic given the suspense and intensity of the first two playoff matches. A very weary looking Independence team proved no match for the regular season champions from the Bay Area.

Gold Pride got on the board first in the 16th minute. In what appeared to be pinball more than soccer, Independence goalkeeper Val Henderson made two point blank saves on Marta, followed by another save on Tiffeny Milbrett, only to have the following rebound go to Camille Abily who touched to Sinclair who tapped it in from inside the six.

One of the few chances of the first half for Philadelphia came in the 25th minute. Nikki Krzysik placed a free kick to 18 which was headed forward by Caroline Seger. Lianne Sanderson went up for the header, but Nicole Barnhart was able to outjump her for the save. Frida Magnusdottir was later able to get off a shot from distance which was easily saved by Barnhart, but the chances were few and far between for the Independence.

Gold Pride made it 2-0 in the 29th minute. Marta pushed the ball ahead to Kandace Wilson who was able to outfight Allison Falk to win the ball. She was able to finish from the right side of the box past Henderson to double the lead.

Gold Pride dominated possession as well as the scoreboard in the first half. Philadelphia offered very little defensive pressure to Gold Pride's back line, seemingly content to let Gold Pride gain the midfield uncontested, perhaps in an effort to conserve energy. Indeed, the Independence looked to be a very tired group on both the second and third goals surrendered, the result of playing 240 minutes of soccer in the past seven days and with only two days of rest between Thursday's late semifinal and Sunday morning's final.

Trailing 2-0 at halftime, Philadelphia attempted to press forward more in the 2nd half, but to no avail. Gold Pride had two chances in the first five minutes of the second half. A Shannon Boxx shot was saved by Henderson and a Camille Abily effort went just wide right.

Finally in the 53rd minute, Marta made her way up the left side to the endline and crossed to Sinclair, who finished into an open net to make it 3-0. For Sinclair, it was her second goal of the game and her sixth of the season against Philadelphia. From that point forward it was just a matter of playing out the match.

Val Henderson, in spite of the four goals surrendered, played a strong match. In addition to her saves in the 1st half, she took a ball right off the foot of Marta that looked to be a sure goal. She later took a shot off her face from close in. Later she made a diving save on Tiffeny Milbrett's hard shot.

Philadelphia threatened a few times in the latter stages of the match. Danesha Adams once again provided a 2nd half spark for the Independence. She had Philly's best scoring opportunity getting a 1-on-1 chance against Barnhart from eight yards only to slice it wide right.

With the game well in hand and in stoppage, Marta added to the margin by finishing on a Kandace Wilson cross to make the final tally 4-0.

FC Gold Pride put the finishing touches on its worst to first story in resounding fashion. They have not lost a match since June. Christine Sinclair was named Player of the Game by the Fox broadcast team for her two goals, but Marta was named the game's MVP. Nicole Barnhart got the shutout in goal. Albertin Montoya had his team ready to play and they spread Philadelphia very effectively throughout the early stages of the match.

Perhaps it was a little much to ask Philadelphia to play 120 minutes late on Thursday night, fly cross country and then play what was basically a Sunday morning match for the championship. Still, it was a great effort for the Independence to make it that far and a fine season for an expansion team under coach Paul Riley.

WPS Championship - FC Gold Pride vs. Philadelphia

Philadelphia Independence (10-10-4) at FC Gold Pride (16-3-5)
Pioneer Stadium, Hayward, CA – September 26 (2:30 pm ET, 1:30 pm CT, 11:30 am PT)

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

FC Gold Pride: GK-Nicole Barnhart, Brittany Cameron; D-Rachel Buehler, Candace Chapman, Ali Riley, Kandace Wilson, Kristen Graczyk, Niki Cross; MF-Shannon Boxx, Becky Edwards, Camille Abily, Carrie Dew, Kimberly Yokers; F-Marta, Christine Sinclair, Kelley O’Hara, Tiffeny Milbrett, Kiki Bosio.

Previous Meetings (2010)
June13 – FC Gold Pride 3 @ Philadelphia 1
July 17 – Philadelphia 0 @ FC Gold Pride 2
September 11 – Philadelphia 1 @ FC Gold Pride 4

FC Gold Pride is 8-1-3 at home with a 20-8 edge in goals.
Philadelphia is 3-8-2 on the road being outscored 13-20 in the regular season, 1-0 on the road in the playoffs.

Top Performers in Series
Philadelphia: DiMartino (1 goal), Sanderson ( 1 goal), Lindsey (1 assist), Patterson (1 assist), Henderson (2 games, 3.00 goals against, LeBlanc (1 game, 3.00 goal against).

FC Gold Pride: Marta (3 goals, 4 assists), Sinclair (4 goals, 1assist), O’Hara (2 goals, 1 assist), Boxx (1 assist), Abily (1 assist), Gulbrandsen (1 assist), Barnhart (2 games, 1.06 goals against), Cameron (1 game, 1 shutout, 0.00 goals against).

Matchups:
Goalkeepers
Val Henderson vs. Nicole Barnhart

You can’t argue much with the results that Henderson has given Philadelphia, just one goal allowed in 240 minutes of playoff soccer. She wasn't tested much in game one and at times, she looked a little unsure in the match against Boston, but overall she has been solid. She is likely to be tested a great deal more by Gold Pride. Henderson faced them twice during the season, giving up two goals in the first and then four in the final match of the regular season. I guess there is still an outside chance that Riley might go with LeBlanc, who is more experienced and started last year’s championship match, but that’s not likely given Henderson’s record so far in the playoffs.

Barnhart, was the WPS Goalkeeper of the Year, with a sparkling 0.77 goals against average and eight shutouts to her credit. She also has USWNT experience, which could help in a match of this importance. She gave up a goal in each of her two starts against the Independence this year. Strangely enough, it was Brittany Cameron who earned the only shutout for FCGP against Philly this season.

Barnhart is experienced and had a great season. Give credit to Henderson for what she’s accomplished so far, but the edge goes to Gold Pride here.

Defenders
Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, Frida Magnusdottir, and Estelle Johnson (or Heather Mitts) vs. Rachel Buehler, Candace Chapman, Ali Riley, and Kandace Wilson.

The Independence defense has done the job so far, but they have had loads of trouble stopping Gold Pride’s attack this season. The most disturbing thing about Thursday’s match was how easily Fabiana was able to get around the Philadelphia defense on several occasions. They can’t have those kind of lapses in this match. Frida Magnusdottir, perhaps Philly’s most versatile weapon, must be careful not to get caught upfield lest the back line gets exposed by the Gold Pride counterattack. Overall, Falk and Krzysik have been solid and the rookie Estelle Johnson has been surprisingly strong, but in this match, they will have to rise to a whole new level to stop the best offense in the league.

Rachel Buehler had an outstanding season in 2010. She leads a Gold Pride back line that has greatly improved over the course of the season. Chapman was a key free agent signee and helped to solidify the defense. Riley and Wilson give Gold Pride two of the most dangerous and perhaps the two fastest outside backs in the league. The Independence midfielders will have to watch flank runs by those two, which could open up the middle for Boxx and Abily.

Again, Philadelphia has done an admirable job to this point. But they haven’t stopped Gold Pride all season and they can’t match their speed. I have to give the edge to Buehler and FCGP.

Midfielders
Lori Lindsey, Caroline Seger, Tina DiMartino, and Jen Buczkowski vs.
Shannon Boxx, Camille Abily, Becky Edwards.

There’s only one player that can say that she’s played every minute of every playoff game ever played in WPS. That’s Jen Buczkowski, who is hoping to be on her second championship team in a row. The Independence midfield has been tough as nails in the playoffs. Lindsey and Seger form the veteran core of perhaps the best midfield in WPS. Tina DiMartino has been impressive, both during the regular season and the postseason. She assisted on both game winners in the playoffs. DiMartino was literally all over the field on Thursday night.

The Gold Pride midfield is strong as well, starting with the great veteran leadership of Shannon Boxx. There is probably not a more respected player in the league and rightfully so. At her best, she can control the pace and flow of the game from her midfield position. She’s a strong defender and gets into the attack very well when opportunities arise. Boxx and Abily combined for 11 assists, although not quite as many as the Lindsey/Seger duo, still quite impressive. Becky Edwards turned in an impressive rookie season, in spite of being overshadowed in a strong rookie class. I think her performance has often been unfairly overlooked this season.

We’ll find out just how much stamina the Independence have in this match. Coming off 240 minutes of soccer in less than a week, they will have to cover a quicker Gold Pride team that has the weapons to spread the field very effectively. I absolutely love Philly’s midfield, but it would be hard to understate the importance of Boxx in this match. I would say that the midfields are as even as they can get, with maybe an infinitesimal edge to the Independence.

Forwards
Amy Rodriguez and Lianne Sanderson vs. Marta, Christine Sinclair, and Kelley O’Hara (or Tiffeny Milbrett).

In spite of not scoring, I thought Rodriguez had a heck of a game against Boston. On Philly’s first goal, she ran down a ball in the midfield, quickly got the ball to DiMartino and then had great vision to find Seger alone on the right side, earning an assist. On another play she worked against the defense until she saw an opening, sending a nice ball through to Seger, whose first touch was a little heavy. Throughout the match, she was dangerous. But she has not had much success against Gold Pride this season. She missed one match while on the USWNT and in the other two, she did not figure in the scoring.

Sanderson needs to be more dangerous in this match than she was against Boston. It appeared that she was playing kind of a half midfielder/half forward position on Thursday. Since the Independence midfield will have to hang back farther to defend against Gold Pride’s many weapons, Sanderson may become Rodriguez’s primary support in this match. Controversy or not, Danesha Adam’s play on the winning goal was still exceptional. Look for her to be a factor late in this match as well, especially if the Independence can stay close.

Meanwhile, Gold Pride’s forwards have simply destroyed Philadelphia this season. Marta, Sinclair, and O’Hara have combined for nine goals and six assists in just three matches. Not much more can be said about Marta that hasn’t already been said. She is the best player in the world, perhaps the fastest player in the world, and certainly as determined as they come. She has figured in seven of the nine goals that Gold Pride has scored against the Independence in 2010. I honestly don’t think Philly’s back line has enough speed to stay with her for an entire match.

And if Marta wasn’t enough to deal with, then there’s Sinclair who scored four goals against Philly, including at least one in each game. There’s O’Hara, one of the most exciting young forwards in the league with two goals to her credit against Sunday’s opponent. And on top of that, there’s the crafty veteran, Tiffeny Milbrett, to cause opposing defenses even more problems. Add to that Kiki Bosio and her flip throws and you have the best offense in WPS.

Rodriguez has truly become a top notch forward this season. But Gold Pride’s forwards are fast, talented, and there are just too many weapons there to stop. The edge has to go to Gold Pride here.

Coaching
Paul Riley vs. Albertin Montoya

I think Riley has done a magnificent job coaching his team to two overtime victories. After a sluggish finish to the regular season, his team has come out and played two strong matches.

Many have discounted Montoya’s coaching performance, saying that any team that has Marta should win. While there is some truth to the fact that Marta has had a great effect on Gold Pride’s success, Montoya has had a lot to do with it as well. This will be his first playoff match, so it will be interesting to see how he matches up against Riley in a tactical chess match.

Call it dead even.

Intangibles
Gold Pride has been aces at home, going 8-1-3 over the course of the season. The only negative is that they were inexplicably blanked three times at home, all of those in Pioneer Stadium. Philadelphia has not been a good road team, but they beat the odds on Thursday night in Boston. In the two contests they played in northern California this year, they were beaten twice and neither game was really that close.

As far as playing three games in a week, I think that works both ways. It will certainly hurt that Philadelphia has had to play 240 minutes of soccer to get here. But there is something to be said for having two games of playoff experience under your belt. The two week layoff may also hurt a Gold Pride team that was clicking quite nicely at the end of the season. All you have to do is look at 2009 and the Sky Blue/LA Sol matchup.

Slight edge to Gold Pride for the home field advantage and in light of Philly’s game and travel fatigue.

My Prediction
It’s hard to see Gold Pride losing this match, but the same was said about the Los Angeles Sol last season. Surely though, Marta and Boxx remember last year’s game and will make sure that it doesn’t happen again. In the three regular season matches, there was no scoring in the first 39 minutes of any of the games. Gold Pride scored at the end of the first half in each of those matches. Philadelphia cannot afford a lapse in concentration toward the end of the half.

I think the first goal in this match will be critical. Having played so much soccer, it will be much harder for the Independence to come from behind in this one. They need to follow Sky Blue’s blueprint in last year’s championship. After the early goal and Falk’s subsequent red card, the Sol seemed almost in a daze for nearly 25 minutes before reality and urgency settled in. Gold Pride is a highly confident bunch and feeling the sting of an early goal, especially against a team that they handled so easily in three previous meetings, might throw a shock into them.

But putting one on the board before Marta and company do the same is easier said than done. Gold Pride has throttled Rodriguez, while their speedy forwards have ripped the Independence defense. Unless Paul Riley has a few more tricks up his sleeve, I see it…
FC Gold Pride 3, Philadelphia Independence 1.

WPS Award Winners Announced

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

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

MedImmune Defender of the Year - Amy LePeilbet, Boston Breakers

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

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

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

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

PUMA Golden Boot - Marta, FC Gold Pride

Congratulations to all of the awardees!

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

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

WPS Coach of the Year - Paul Riley, Philadelphia Indpendence

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WPS Commissioner Antonucci To Step Down

WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci has announced that she will be stepping down at the conclusion of the 2010 season. Antonucci has been the guiding force behind the launching and development of the league since inception. She has led the league from its very beginnings, through the first season, and expansion. She helped secure sponsorships with PUMA and Citi and negotiated a deal with Fox Soccer Channel. Over the course of the past couple of years, the league has seen strong growth in sponsorships and partnerships under her leadership. She has also helped the league navigate through the demise of two franchises.

WPS General Counsel Anne-Marie Eileraas will take the title of CEO, Women's Professional Soccer. She will work with the WPS board, heading up the business and organizational aspects of WPS, while the board will deal more with the strategic direction of the league.

"Commissioner Antonucci's contributions to this league and to women's soccer on the whole are too numerous to list," said T. Fitz Johnson, Chairman of the WPS Board of Governors. "No other person did more to bring this league from idea to fruition over the past six years than she did. WPS would not be here without Tonya Antonucci and without her tireless work and unending passion for launching this league."

"The Board is incredibly excited that Anne-Marie Eileraas has accepted our offer to take over from the Commissioner as the CEO of Women's Professional Soccer."

Best wishes on future endeavors to Commissioner Antonucci. Congratulations and good luck to Ms. Eileraas in her new position.

FC Gold Pride Presented with Regular Season Championship Trophy

Commissioner Tonya Antonucci presented FC Gold Pride with the regular season championship trophy before Saturday's match at Pioneer Stadium. It was presented to club owners Nancy and Brian NeSmith of FC Gold Pride.

The trophy was passed to general manager Ilisa Kessler, head coach Albertin Montoya, and captain Rachel Buehler before the the entire team was photographed with it.

FC Gold Pride finished with a 16-3-5 record and 53 points, 17 points ahead of 2nd place Boston. They will host the WPS Championship presented by Citi on September 26.

Solo Fined and Suspended for Twitter Remarks

Atlanta Beat goalkeeper Hope Solo has been fined and suspended by the WPS Disciplinary Committee for Twitter remarks following the Beat's 1-0 loss to the Washington Freedom on Saturday. She has been suspended for one game and fined $2500. Additionally, she will be required to do 8 hours of community service. She was deemed to have made "prejudicial statements and public criticism" which is covered by Section 13.1.3 of the League Operations Manual.

Solo openly criticized officials during several tweets after the Beat/Freedom match and appeared to question the objectivity of both the officials and the league. She will have seven days to appeal the suspension and community service and 30 days to appeal the fine.

WPS Playoff Schedule and Final Standings

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gold Pride Mauls Independence 4-1

Gold Pride finished off their regular season on a 13-game unbeaten streak, easily defeating Philadelphia 4-1 on Saturday evening. Leading the way for Gold Pride was Kelley O'Hara with two goals plus an assist and Marta with a goal and three assists.

The game was scoreless for nearly 40 minutes, but Gold Pride put together back-to-back goals by O'Hara and Marta before the end of the half to put FCGP up by two at the intermission. O'Hara received a pass from Marta to the far left side and chipped it over Val Henderson just inside the post from an extremely bad angle.

O'Hara returned the favor just a minute later, sending a perfect through ball to Marta who touched the ball around Henderson and finished from the right side of the box. It was Marta's 19th goal of the season.

In the 50th minute, Gold Pride made it 3-0 as Marta took a free kick from just outside the box on the right side. Her placement was perfect and O'Hara headed it home.

Philadelphia showed some life, however, as Lianne Sanderson scored on an excellent ball over the top from Lori Lindsey. That cut the lead to 3-1.

Gold Pride put the game out of reach in the 64th minute. Marta beat two defenders and ran onto the ball on the left wing and sent a ball back across the box. Christine Sinclair cut across and finished inside the left post to make it 4-1. It was Sinclair's 10th goal of the season, making her only the fifth WPS player to reach that plateau.

While Gold Pride was playing without Camille Abily, the Independence were missing several starters including Frida Magnusdottir, Caroline Seger, Karina LeBlanc, and Sara Larsson.

Philadelphia finishes in 3rd place and will host Washington in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday, September 19, tentatively scheduled at 2:30 eastern time. Gold Pride pushed their record to 16-3-5 and will host the final on Sunday, September 26.

WPS Weekend Preview - September 11

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WPS Midweek Notes - Scurry Retires

Briana Scurry, long time goalkeeper of the US Women's National Team and member of the WPS Washington Freedom has retired from professional soccer.

Scurry was the number one keeper for the US for well over a decade. She is best remembered for her penalty shot save in the 1999 Women's World Cup in the championship match against China. In addition to that championship, she also earned gold medals in the 1996 and 2004 Olympic Games. She capped 173 times for the USWNT with the United States winning nearly 85% of those matches.

The University of Massachusetts grad was one of the most athletic goalkeepers of her era. Scurry was a member of the Atlanta Beat of the WUSA and the Washington Freedom of WPS. She started in the Freedom's first match against the Los Angeles Sol in March, 2009. However, injuries have plagued her over the past two seasons and she saw very little playing time for the Freedom. She played only 45 minutes for the Freedom this season.

Scurry is also known for her considerable work with various charitable organizations. She will go down in history as one of the best goalkeepers ever in the women's game. Best wishes on all future endeavors to Briana!

Kelly Smith - Player of the Month

Boston Breaker striker Kelly Smith has won Player of the Month honors for the month of August. Smith scored four goals and added one assist in August, while leading the Breakers to a 3-1-1 record. She scored the game winning goals in victories over Atlanta and Philadelphia, plus a game-tying goal in another match with the Independence.

It is the second consecutive month that a Breakers has won the award. Jordan Angeli won the award in July.

Boquete Earns Player of the Week

In her first week of WPS action, Veronica Boquete has won the WPS Player of the Week award. The Red Star forward scored a goal just minutes into her first match against Philadelphia, helping Chicago to a 2-0 win last Wednesday. Then she assisted on both goals in Chicago's 2-1 victory over the Freedom on Sunday.

Boquete had helped the Buffalo Flash win the W-League championship just a few weeks earlier, after which she signed with Chicago, only to have her eligibility held up for visa problems. "Vero", as she is known, is a member of the Spanish Women's National Team.

Around the League

Atlanta Beat - Eniola Aluko could end up leading two different teams in goals this season. She leads the Beat with five goals and led the now defunct Saint Louis Athletica with four.....Only Leigh Ann Robinson has played in all 23 games for Atlanta this season.....The Beat have scored more than one goal only four times this season, but they also gave up more than one goal in each of those games, with a 2-1-1 record.

Boston Breakers -During their 13 game scoring streak, ten different players scored goals for the Breakers.....Kelly Smith is the only two-time winner of the Player of the Month award. She also won in April, 2009.....The Breakers are 0-4 against Gold Pride and 10-4-5 against the rest of the league.

Chicago Red Stars - Sunday's 2-1 victory over Washington marked the first time that the Red Stars had ever scored in three consecutive matches.....Marian Dalmy completed the 2010 season having played every minute. The Red Star defender scored a goal and four assists for the year.....Formiga currently leads WPS in fouls committed with 42, seven more than Jen Buczkowski.

FC Gold Pride - Camille Abily has apparently transitioned from one the league's best goal scorers to one of the best passers. Last year, she scored 8 goals and had one assist for the Sol. This season, she has only one goal, but has added six assists for Gold Pride.....Marta has not missed a minute of action since April 25, 2009 when she was with the Brazilian National Team in Europe.....Gold Pride holds 8-0-4 record in their 12 game unbeaten streak, which is a WPS record.

Philadelphia Independence - Amy Rodriguez is second in WPS in shots on goal with 35 and third in shots with 63.....In addition to Rodriguez's three braces, Frida Magnusdottir and Tina DiMartino have one each for the Independence.....Philadelphia has scored just one goal in their last three matches, all losses.

Sky Blue FC - Rookie Brittany Taylor is Sky Blue's ironwoman having played all 2070 minutes for the team this season.....Tasha Kai and Laura Kalmari are currently tied for the team best in goals with five each.....Sky Blue has had four different starting goalkeepers this season.

Washington Freedom - Becky Sauerbrunn's consecutive minutes streak continues at 3870 minutes in regular season matches. Rookie Nikki Marshall has also not missed a minute for the Freedom this season.....Abby Wambach has scored nine of her 12 goals at the Maryland SoccerPlex and has scored in seven of the eleven games played there this season. The Freedom host Atlanta at the SoccerPlex this weekend with a chance at a playoff berth.....The Freedom have won their last three home games and are 6-2-3 for the season at home.

Correction: Abby Wambach has actually scored in seven of the ten games played at the Maryland SoccerPlex this season. The eleventh home game to be played there will be this weekend's match against Atlanta. One other home game was played at RFK Stadium.

WPS Weekend Wrap - The Plot Thickens

The WPS season could have gone into the last weekend of the season with virtually everything decided as far as playoffs berths go, but instead things stayed interesting. So we will head into the final weekend of the season with second, third, and fourth places all up for grabs.

Chicago Red Stars 2, Washington Freedom 1

The Red Stars played one of their best matches of the season, defeating the Washington Freedom 2-1. The Freedom missed an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot, losing for the first time in six matches.

Chicago played a fairly dominating first half, controlling the tempo of the game and keeping the Freedom back on their heels. But in spite of their solid play and a nice edge in shots, the Red Stars went into halftime scoreless.

The Red Stars nearly got on the board in the opening minute of the 2nd half. A couple of bad passes by the Freedom back line gave Veronica Boquete an opportunity inside the 18. Ashlyn Harris made a great save on Boquete's blistering shot, parrying it over the net.

However, Harris could not save the Freedom in the 50th minute. From the center line, Megan Rapinoe sent a long pass to Casey Nogueira, who touched the ball to Boquete. Boquete then sent a nice through ball to Nogueira, who beat the defender and hit a low shot off the inside of the left post and into the net. Just seconds later, Boquete hit a low, hard shot that was saved by Harris.

The game was a physical affair. Abby Wambach received a shot or two from Chicago midfielder Formiga, not to mention taking one ball to the face and another to the abdomen. Formiga finally received a yellow in the latter stages of the match. Sarah Huffman received a yellow early in the 2nd half for a challenge against Rapinoe and later picked up a second yellow in the 87th minute and was sent off. Brittany Bock also received a yellow for Washington.

Chicago missed a chance to go up two in the 89th minute. Boquete again made a nice move at the six, touching a pass across to Cristiane, with first Harris then Beverly Goebel saving the Freedom from going down two. It was only for a short time, however, as Megan Rapinoe scored her first goal of the 2010 season, with the assist again going to Boquete.

Washington tried to make a comeback in the closing seconds as Beverly Goebel quickly brought it to 2-1 with her first WPS goal. But there just wasn't enough time left for the Freedom to get the equalizer in this one.

For the Red Stars, it was the first time they have put together consecutive wins since July, 2009. They move to within a point of the 4th place Freedom, but they are out of games. Washington remains in 4th place, just one point ahead of Sky Blue FC. The Freedom control their own destiny and will meet Atlanta at home next Saturday.

Sky Blue FC 0, Atlanta Beat 0

Sky Blue missed an opportunity to move in front of the Freedom into 4th place, settling for a scoreless tie against the Atlanta Beat.

Sky Blue outshot Atlanta 9-8, but Atlanta held an edge in shots on goal 5-2. Hope Solo for Atlanta and Meghann Burke for Sky Blue notched the shutouts for their teams. Carli Lloyd received a yellow card in her second consecutive match after returning from an injury that kept her sidelined for much of the season.

Atlanta moves to 5-12-6 and 21 points. Sky Blue now has 27 points, one shy of Washington with both teams having one remaining game. They will host Boston next Saturday. Sky Blue must win that game and hope from help from the Atlanta Beat to make the playoffs.

FC Gold Pride 2, Boston Breakers 0

For the fourth time this year, Gold Pride defeated the Boston Breakers, this time by a 2-0 margin. Marta and Tiffeny Milbrett scored goals early in the 2nd half to give FCGP the victory. Nicole Barnhart earned the shutout, her eighth of the season.

FC Gold Pride broke a record by stretching their unbeaten streak to 12 games. They have not lost a match since late June.

Boston missed a chance to clinch second place. They will travel to New Jersey to take on Sky Blue next Saturday. A victory will still clinch second place. If they tie or lose, it will depend on the outcome of Philadelphia's match with Gold Pride as to who finishes second and third.

Standings
1) FC Gold Pride (15-3-5, 50 pts); 2) Boston (10-8-5, 35 pts); 3) Philadelphia (10-9-4, 34 pts); 4) Washington (7-9-7, 28 pts); 5) Sky Blue FC (7-10-6, 27 pts); 5) Chicago (7-11-6, 27 pts); 7) Atlanta (5-12-6, 21 pts).

Playoff Update
FC Gold Pride has clinched 1st place and will host the final.
Boston has clinched at least 3rd place and will clinch 2nd place with a victory or a Philadelphia loss or tie.
Philadelphia has clinched at least 3rd place and can finish second with a victory and a Boston tie or loss.
Washington can clinch 4th place with a victory or a Sky Blue tie or loss.
Sky Blue FC can clinch 4th place with a victory and a Washington tie or loss.

WPS Weekend Preview - September 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Breakers, Independence Clinch Playoff Berths

Boston Breakers 3, Atlanta Beat 1

The Breakers continued their hot streak by easily defeating Atlanta 3-1. Goals by Lindsay Tarpley, Jordan Angeli, and Kristine Lilly enabled Boston to build a 3-0 lead by early in the second half. Eniola Aluko got one back in the 64th minute, but it wasn't enough. Alyssa Naeher got the victory in goal for the Breakers.

The Breakers broke a record by scoring in their 13th consecutive game, which was previously held by Philadelphia. Boston is 9-2-1 over their last 12 games, after finishing June with just seven points total.

The victory clinched a playoff berth and at least one home game for the Breakers who now have 35 points. It also moved them into 2nd place, one point ahead of Philadelphia. They will travel to the west coast to face Gold Pride on Sunday. Atlanta will host Sky Blue in their final home game on Sunday.

Chicago Red Stars 2, Philadelphia Independence 0

Veronica Boquete made an instant impact in her first start for the Red Stars, scoring in the 4th minute to help lead Chicago to a 2-0 shutout over the Independence. Boquete had signed with the Red Stars after helping the Buffalo Flash to a W-League championship, but visa issues had kept her from playing for the Red Stars until tonight.

Marian Dalmy added a second half goal on a laser from over 25 yards out to cement the victory. Jill Loyden earned the shutout for Chicago.

Philadelphia still managed to clinch a playoff berth by virtue of Sky Blue's tie against Gold Pride, but they fell out of 2nd place. Philly still needs one point to clinch a home playoff match. This marks the first time that the expansion Independence have lost three in a row. They take the weekend off before finishing their season on the road against Gold Pride on September 11.

Sky Blue FC 1, FC Gold Pride 1

Sky Blue was just minutes away from taking this game, but a late goal by Becky Edwards scored for Gold Pride in the 90th minute forced a 1-1 draw. The goal was set up by a Camille Abily free kick.

Edwards' goal countered an absolutely beautiful effort and goal by Tasha Kai in the 72nd minute. Kai received a long ball from Heather O'Reilly into the penalty area and deftly touched the ball past a defender to give her space for a shot, which she buried from 10 yards out.

With Jen Branam out with an injury, Meghann Burke got her first start in goal for Sky Blue. Burke played a strong game and looked to be headed for the shutout before it was spoiled in the closing moments.

It was devastating blow to Sky Blue's playoff chances. They now stand two points behind the Freedom for the fourth and final playoff spot. Both teams have two games left, but Washington holds the tiebreaker. Sky Blue travels to Atlanta on Sunday, while Washington plays at Chicago.

Standings:
1) FC Gold Pride (14-3-5, 47 pts); 2) Boston (10-7-5, 35 pts); 3) Philadelphia (10-9-4, 34 pts); 4) Washington (7-8-7, 28 pts); 5) Sky Blue FC (7-10-5, 26 pts); 6) Chicago (6-11-6, 24 pts); 7) Atlanta (5-12-5, 20 pts).

FC Gold Pride has clinched the top seed.
Boston and Philadelphia have clinched playoff berths.
Atlanta and Chicago have been eliminated from playoff contention.

WPS Midweek Preview - September 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom Defeat Sky Blue 2-1

Abby Wambach scored twice in the final 15 minutes as the Washington Freedom came from behind to defeat Sky Blue FC 2-1. The victory moves the Freedom into sole possession of 4th place at 28 points.

Natasha Kai, scoring for the first time since June 27, put New Jersey on top in the 1st half and for a long time, it looked like the goal might hold up. Kai was the first opposing player to score on Freedom keeper Ashlyn Harris in five matches.

Sky Blue goalkeeper Jen Branam was injured in the 1st half and had to leave the match. She was replaced by Meghann Burke, who was seeing her first WPS action.

In the 79th minute, Burke was whistled for a foul in the box and Wambach converted the penalty to tie the score at 1-1. Just five minutes later, Allie Long sent Wambach through and she finished to put the Freedom on top, 2-1.

Washington has just two games remaining, traveling to Chicago next weekend before hosting Atlanta on Saturday, September 11. Sky Blue still has a game in hand, which will be their match at home against Gold Pride on Wednesday. The Freedom victory eliminates Chicago from playoff contention.

FC Gold Pride 6, Atlanta Beat 1

In what is the most lopsided WPS contest ever, Gold Pride destroyed Atlanta by a 6-1 score on Saturday evening. Marta scored twice, her 16th and 17th of the season, and was joined by Tiffeny Milbrett, Camille Abily, Kelley O'Hara, and Christine Sinclair in the scoring column. No team had previously scored more than four goals in one WPS game.

The game was scoreless for the first 40 minutes. Milbrett opened the scoring just before the break to put the regular season champs up 1-0 at halftime.

Abily scored her first goal of the 2010 season early in the 2nd half to make it 2-0. But Eniola Aluko, scoring her 9th goal of the season, temporarily got the Beat back in the game in the 65th minute. Gold Pride then scored three goals in rapid succession to up the lead to 5-1 by the 72nd minute. Sinclair added a late goal in the 88th minute.

The loss virtually eliminates Atlanta from playoff contention. They are now eight points out of 4th place with just three games remaining. They would need to win all three and get help elsewhere to have a chance. Gold Pride moves to 14-3-4 and 46 points.

WPS Weekend Preview - August 28 and 29

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WPS Midweek Notes - August 25

Aluko Wins Player of the Week

Atlanta forward Eniola Aluko has won the WPS Player of the Week for the second time this year and the third time in her career. Aluko scored the third goal in Atlanta’s 3-2 victory over the Boston Breakers. Aluko’s goal was her eighth of the season. She had earlier been credited with the second goal of the game, but after review it was awarded to Aya Miyama.

Aluko became the second player of the Atlanta Beat to win the honor. Hope Solo was Player of the Week in Week 16. Aluko also became the third player to win the honor more than once in 2010. Both Amy Rodriguez and Marta have won three times each during the season.

Playoff Update

Now that FC Gold Pride has secured the first seed in the approaching WPS playoffs, the battle continues for the other three berths.

Philadelphia has the inside track for the second seed. They are presently five points clear of the 3rd place Boston Breakers, who they will host on Sunday. A victory over the Breakers would come close to locking up second place, but a loss means they will no longer control their own destiny as far as that position goes. The Independence are still lacking a point of clinching a playoff berth.

Boston’s margin over Washington and Sky Blue shrunk to four points last weekend. A loss this weekend to Philly and they will likely have one of those two teams breathing down their necks as the Freedom and SBFC face one another this week as well.

The Sky Blue/Washington match in Maryland will probably go a long way in deciding the fourth and final playoff berth. Sky Blue has a game in hand, so a victory would put them in a very strong position.

Chicago would need a near miracle to make the playoffs. Only a Washington/Sky Blue tie would keep them alive. Atlanta, with four games remaining still clings to some hope. They have matches left against both Washington and Sky Blue, two matches that they must win to have a chance. The Beat’s remaining schedule is challenging, so gaining a playoff position will not be easy.

Around the League

Atlanta Beat – Eniola Aluko and Johanna Rasmussen are now tied for the team lead in goals with four apiece…..Playing in her 38th career match, Aya Miyama scored her first career WPS goal on Saturday against Boston…..Former Athletica players have now scored exactly half of the Beat’s goals for 2010.

Boston Breakers – Kelly Smith is one of only four players to have scored ten goals in a WPS season…..Lindsay Tarpley has scored goals with three different franchises…..Boston has now scored in 11 consecutive games, just one shy of the record set earlier this season by Philadelphia. The Breakers will attempt to tie the record against the Independence on Sunday.

Chicago Red Stars – With her two goals on Sunday, Ella Masar broke the Red Stars’ single season scoring mark with eight goals. Cristiane scored seven in the 2009 season…..With just two matches remaining, Chicago defender Marian Dalmy has played every minute of the 2010 season. Caroline Jönsson played every minute of the 2009 season for the Red Stars…..Sunday marked only the second time in team history that Chicago had scored two or more goals and lost. The other time was last August against Washington.

FC Gold Pride – Marta now has 25 career goals in WPS, seven more than the Abby Wambach who has the next highest total…..Nicole Barnhart’s seven shutouts lead WPS in that category…..With a 13-3-4 record and 43 points, Gold Pride eclipsed the Los Angeles Sol’s 20-game total of 41 points in the 2009 season.

Philadelphia Independence – Joanna Lohman is the only Independence player to have appeared in all 21 matches for the Independence…..Philadelphia has three players with five or more assists, Lori Lindsey, Amy Rodriguez, and Caroline Seger…..Three of the six players to have received red cards this season are Independence players.

Sky Blue FC – Yael Averbuch’s blistering volley, certainly one of the best strikes of the season, proved to be her first WPS goal on Sunday…..Jen Branam’s shutout against Philadelphia was her first since the 2009 WPS Championship Game…..Sky Blue became only the second team to defeat both Gold Pride and Philadelphia this season. The now defunct Saint Louis Athletica accomplished that feat in early May.

Washington Freedom – With just three games left in the 2010 regular season, Abby Wambach is just two assists shy of becoming the first player to record double digit goals and assists in the same WPS season…..In her past four matches, goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris has surrendered just one goal, that being an own goal…..After a five game losing streak and a 10-game winless streak, Washington is now unbeaten in their last four matches.