The Philadelphia Independence moved into second place and wrote their name to the record books as well, taking a 6-0 decision over magicJack. Danesha Adams scored twice and Tasha Kai, Lianne Sanderson, Veronica Boquete, and Frida Magnusdottir each added a goal.
The six goals ties a record set by FC Gold Pride in 2010, who scored six times against the Atlanta Beat on August 28. The six goal margin breaks the old record of five, also set in the same match by Gold Pride.
The Independence struck for two goals in the opening half and held that lead into the 70th minute. Then they scored four times in the final 20 minutes. magicJack goalkeeper Brett Maron was redcarded late in the contest and they finished playing ten.
Val Henderson posted her third shutout of the season for Philadelphia and the Independence has now held their opponents scoreless for 337 consecutive minutes.
Philadelphia improves their record to 4-2-3, reaching the midway point in their schedule with 15 points. It moves them one point ahead of magicJack, who is now 5-3-0, good for 14 points after subtracting their penalty. The two teams will meet again next Saturday in a makeup for the match postponed because of weather back in April.
Showing posts with label Holmfridur Magnusdottir. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holmfridur Magnusdottir. Show all posts
June 19, 2011
August 8, 2010
Weekend Wrap - Gold Pride in Playoffs
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Labels: 2010 WPS, Atlanta Beat, Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, FC Gold Pride, Holmfridur Magnusdottir, Philadelphia Independence, Sky Blue FC
Labels: 2010 WPS, Atlanta Beat, Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, FC Gold Pride, Holmfridur Magnusdottir, Philadelphia Independence, Sky Blue FC
FC Gold Pride 0, Chicago Red Stars 0
FC Gold Pride made it definite, capturing a playoff berth with a 0-0 tie against the visiting Chicago Red Stars on Saturday evening. It is the first playoff berth for Gold Pride who missed out on the opportunity to clinch a home playoff game with a victory.
In a game with very few good scoring chances, Jill Loyden did come up with a big save late in the 1st half on a Kelley O'Hara header. A 2nd half goal by Gold Pride was negated because of a foul. Loyden picked up her fifth shutout of the season. Nicole Barnhart earned her sixth shutout for Gold Pride, a total that leads WPS. Chicago outshot Gold Pride by an 8-7 margin.
Chicago stays in a 4th place tie, now with Sky Blue. The Red Stars will host 2nd place Philadelphia on Wednesday. Gold Pride maintains their 11 point lead and will host Washington next Saturday.
Sky Blue FC 2, Atlanta Beat 1
For the second time this season, Sky Blue slipped past Atlanta on an own goal to defeat the Beat 2-1. With some apparent confusion on the part of the Atlanta defense, Tina Ellertson deflected a ball past Hope Solo. Sky Blue had won in their first trip to Atlanta by 1-0, also on an own goal.
The goal and the victory came against the run of play. Atlanta outshot Sky Blue by a huge 22-6 margin. Eniola Aluko had tied the game in the 62nd minute and it appeared that Atlanta had the momentum.
Sky Blue opened the scoring late in the first half on a goal by Laura Kalmari, assisted by Heather O'Reilly. It was Kalmari's fifth goal of the season. She leads Sky Blue in scoring.
Jen Branam got the victory for Sky Blue in net. The win boosted them into a 4th place tie with Chicago and they have two games in hand against the Red Stars. Sky Blue hosts Washington on Wednesday night. Atlanta remains in last place, but are still only four points out of 4th place. They will travel to Philadelphia next weekend.
Philadelphia Independence 2, Boston Breakers 2
In a very exciting match, Philadelphia and Boston played to a 2-2 tie. In a tough battle for 2nd place, things stayed status quo with the Independence maintaining their two point cushion over the Breakers.
Lauren Cheney opened the scoring for the Breakers in the 25th minute. She received the ball just outside the 18 and turned to get off a shot off her right foot that went upper right, just out of reach of the outstretched arms of Karina LeBlanc.
Philadelphia answered quickly in the 28th minute. The Independence received a free kick from 30 yards and Frida Magnusdottir beat Alyssa Naeher lower right to tie the score.
It was Magnusdottir again in the 30th minute. She launched a curling shot from the left wing that bent around Naeher, hitting the post and then ricocheting off Naeher into the net. They were Magnusdottir's 2nd and 3rd goals of the season.
Boston drew even as Kelly Smith squeezed a shot between defenders and past LeBlanc in the 52nd minute. Both teams had chances, but neither was able to get a game winner in the remaining time.
Philadelphia remains in 2nd place, 11 points behind Gold Pride. They travel to Chicago on Wednesday and then return home to play Atlanta next Sunday. Boston, who are 6-1-1 over their last eight matches, host Sky Blue next Sunday.
Standings:
1) FC Gold Pride (12-3-3, 39 pts); 2) Philadelphia (8-6-4, 28 pts); 3) Boston (7-6-5, 26 pts); 4) Sky Blue FC (6-8-3, 21 pts); 4) Chicago (5-8-6, 21 pts); 6) Washington (5-8-5, 20 pts); 7) Atlanta (4-9-5, 17 pts).
FC Gold Pride made it definite, capturing a playoff berth with a 0-0 tie against the visiting Chicago Red Stars on Saturday evening. It is the first playoff berth for Gold Pride who missed out on the opportunity to clinch a home playoff game with a victory.
In a game with very few good scoring chances, Jill Loyden did come up with a big save late in the 1st half on a Kelley O'Hara header. A 2nd half goal by Gold Pride was negated because of a foul. Loyden picked up her fifth shutout of the season. Nicole Barnhart earned her sixth shutout for Gold Pride, a total that leads WPS. Chicago outshot Gold Pride by an 8-7 margin.
Chicago stays in a 4th place tie, now with Sky Blue. The Red Stars will host 2nd place Philadelphia on Wednesday. Gold Pride maintains their 11 point lead and will host Washington next Saturday.
Sky Blue FC 2, Atlanta Beat 1
For the second time this season, Sky Blue slipped past Atlanta on an own goal to defeat the Beat 2-1. With some apparent confusion on the part of the Atlanta defense, Tina Ellertson deflected a ball past Hope Solo. Sky Blue had won in their first trip to Atlanta by 1-0, also on an own goal.
The goal and the victory came against the run of play. Atlanta outshot Sky Blue by a huge 22-6 margin. Eniola Aluko had tied the game in the 62nd minute and it appeared that Atlanta had the momentum.
Sky Blue opened the scoring late in the first half on a goal by Laura Kalmari, assisted by Heather O'Reilly. It was Kalmari's fifth goal of the season. She leads Sky Blue in scoring.
Jen Branam got the victory for Sky Blue in net. The win boosted them into a 4th place tie with Chicago and they have two games in hand against the Red Stars. Sky Blue hosts Washington on Wednesday night. Atlanta remains in last place, but are still only four points out of 4th place. They will travel to Philadelphia next weekend.
Philadelphia Independence 2, Boston Breakers 2
In a very exciting match, Philadelphia and Boston played to a 2-2 tie. In a tough battle for 2nd place, things stayed status quo with the Independence maintaining their two point cushion over the Breakers.
Lauren Cheney opened the scoring for the Breakers in the 25th minute. She received the ball just outside the 18 and turned to get off a shot off her right foot that went upper right, just out of reach of the outstretched arms of Karina LeBlanc.
Philadelphia answered quickly in the 28th minute. The Independence received a free kick from 30 yards and Frida Magnusdottir beat Alyssa Naeher lower right to tie the score.
It was Magnusdottir again in the 30th minute. She launched a curling shot from the left wing that bent around Naeher, hitting the post and then ricocheting off Naeher into the net. They were Magnusdottir's 2nd and 3rd goals of the season.
Boston drew even as Kelly Smith squeezed a shot between defenders and past LeBlanc in the 52nd minute. Both teams had chances, but neither was able to get a game winner in the remaining time.
Philadelphia remains in 2nd place, 11 points behind Gold Pride. They travel to Chicago on Wednesday and then return home to play Atlanta next Sunday. Boston, who are 6-1-1 over their last eight matches, host Sky Blue next Sunday.
Standings:
1) FC Gold Pride (12-3-3, 39 pts); 2) Philadelphia (8-6-4, 28 pts); 3) Boston (7-6-5, 26 pts); 4) Sky Blue FC (6-8-3, 21 pts); 4) Chicago (5-8-6, 21 pts); 6) Washington (5-8-5, 20 pts); 7) Atlanta (4-9-5, 17 pts).
April 8, 2010
Philadelphia Independence 2010 - Women's Soccer Equivalent of Rocky
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Labels: 2010 WPS, Allison Falk, Amy Rodriguez, Caroline Seger, Heather Mitts, Holmfridur Magnusdottir, Karina LeBlanc, Lianne Sanderson, Lori Lindsey, Philadelphia Independence
Labels: 2010 WPS, Allison Falk, Amy Rodriguez, Caroline Seger, Heather Mitts, Holmfridur Magnusdottir, Karina LeBlanc, Lianne Sanderson, Lori Lindsey, Philadelphia Independence
Coach: Paul Riley
2009 Record: 2010 Expansion Team
Expansion Draft (5): Lori Lindsey, Nikki Krzysik, Jen Buczkowski, Danesha Adams, Sarah Senty.
Draft Picks (1): Carrie Patterson (traded then re-signed).
LA Dispersal Draft (2): Karina LeBlanc, Estelle Johnson.
International Signings ( 4): Holmfridur Magnusdottir, Karina Maruyama, Lianne Sanderson, Caroline Seger.
Free Agents (7): Sara Larsson, Joanna Lohman, Heather Mitts, Lyndsey Patterson, Gina DiMartino, Robyn Jones, Kat Reynolds.
Trades (3): Amy Rodriguez, Val Henderson, Allison Falk.
Yes, the Philadelphia Independence will enter their inaugural 2010 campaign as the underdog. But sometimes that brings out the best in players and maybe this women's version of Rocky will manage to battle their way up the WPS table.
Philadelphia took a gamble early on, by trading several of their top draft picks for players they thought could help their team immediately. That left them with only one selection in the first 3 rounds, where they selected Malorie Rutledge out of LSU, who didn’t make the team. Whether that gamble pays off or not depends largely on Amy Rodriguez and Allison Falk.
Unlike their expansion counterpart, Atlanta, the Independence signed several veterans to help lead this team including Heather Mitts, Sara Larsson, and Joanna Lohman. Philly did a nice job filling out their defense and midfield with quality players in the expansion draft, especially Lori Lindsey who has been playing very well for the USWNT. Whether Coach Paul Riley can blend this mixture of youth and veterans into a playoff contender remains to be seen.
Goalkeeping-Take both goalkeepers off of the top defensive team in WPS last year and their 13 shutouts, move them 3000 miles east and you have the goalkeeping tandem for the 2010 Independence. Karina LeBlanc, the league’s top goalkeeper, brings her 0.53 GAA to Philadelphia. LeBlanc, who has a sparkling personality off the field, is tough as nails on the field. Val Henderson was acquired in a trade early on, and will once again serve the role of backup to LeBlanc. She shut out Gold Pride in her only 2009 match after starring for UCLA in college. Robyn Jones, who spent 2009 with the New Jersey Wildcats of the W-League, will be the third goalkeeper.
Defenders-Coach Paul Riley and the Independence seemed to put special emphasis on their defensive unit early on. First they grabbed Nikki Krzysik (Red Stars) and Sarah Senty (Freedom) in the expansion draft. Then they signed veteran free agent defenders Heather Mitts and Sara Larsson. Then they traded for Sol center back Allison Falk. Finally, they took Kansas defender Estelle Johnson in the dispersal draft. As a group, they combined for 62 WPS starts last season.
At 6 foot tall, Falk can be a threat at either end of the field on set pieces. She garnered some support as a potential all-star selection last season. Mitts and Larsson should give veteran leadership to the Philly back line. Krzysik is a hard-nosed defender who racked up 5 cautions last season. Senty saw action with the Freedom after missing the first half of the season while completing her college classes. Late addition Kat Reynold, out of Santa Clara, will provide further depth at outside back. With a strong goaltending tandem behind them, this group should ensure that the Independence are in every match.
Midfielders-One of the first signings that the Independence announced was that of Caroline Seger. Seger now has over 30 senior national team caps for Sweden, in addition to a wealth of junior team experience. She is also a veteran of 5 seasons with Linköpings in the Damallsvenskan. Seger will give the expansion team a strong presence in the midfield. The second piece of the midfield puzzle is Lori Lindsey. How Lindsey managed to slip into Philadelphia’s hands through an expansion draft, I can’t figure out, but it certainly had to make Philly fans smile. Lindsey has received praise from Pia Sundhage for her play with the USWNT earlier this year. Seger and Lindsey give this expansion team a nice start to a solid midfield.
Jen Buczkowski, another selection in the expansion draft, split time between midfield and defense for Sky Blue in 2009. But it was her solid play, stepping in for Anita Asante in the playoffs, that was the climax of a good season. Another former Freedom midfielder, Joanna Lohman, signed with the Independence as a free agent. Another talented European player, Holmfridur Magnusdottir of Iceland, can play either attacking mid or forward. She has nearly 50 national team caps and scored 5 goals for Swedish club Kristianstads in 2009. This has the makings of a talented midfield group, but is there enough depth here?
Forwards-While the Independence have a lot of experience from the midfield back, the group of forwards they have are largely an unknown quantity. Three of those forwards, Amy Rodriguez, Lyndsey Patterson, and Danesha Adams, played in WPS last season. Rodriguez scored 1 goal in 17 appearances in what was a very frustrating season in Boston. The new start in Philadelphia should do her good and hopefully, she will be able to use her blazing speed to get behind opposing defenses. Adams, a former star at UCLA, played in 12 matches for the Red Stars without scoring. Patterson saw only 12 minutes of action for the Sol last season.
Philadelphia did sign two international forwards that should help here. Karina Maruyama has Olympic experience and is primarily known as a player who can come off the bench and make a difference for the Japanese National Team. She comes over to the US after a successful run with Japanese club TEPCO Mareeze. Lianne Sanderson is a young forward from the English National Team. At just 22 years of age, she has managed 29 caps and 8 goals on a team loaded with offensive talent like Kelly Smith, Eniola Aluko, Fara Williams, and Karen Carney. Gina DiMartino (formerly Boston College) was a late training camp pickup at forward.
Summary-Leadership shouldn’t be a problem on this team as they have several veterans who have played internationally. Philadelphia appears to be strong at goalkeeper and solid enough at defense and midfield. This should make them a competitive team, but I question if this team will be able to score enough goals to win. Their first match against fellow expansion team, the Atlanta Beat, ought to be an interesting battle between what could be a very good defensive team, Philadelphia, against a dangerous offensive team in Atlanta.
2009 Record: 2010 Expansion Team
Expansion Draft (5): Lori Lindsey, Nikki Krzysik, Jen Buczkowski, Danesha Adams, Sarah Senty.
Draft Picks (1): Carrie Patterson (traded then re-signed).
LA Dispersal Draft (2): Karina LeBlanc, Estelle Johnson.
International Signings ( 4): Holmfridur Magnusdottir, Karina Maruyama, Lianne Sanderson, Caroline Seger.
Free Agents (7): Sara Larsson, Joanna Lohman, Heather Mitts, Lyndsey Patterson, Gina DiMartino, Robyn Jones, Kat Reynolds.
Trades (3): Amy Rodriguez, Val Henderson, Allison Falk.
Yes, the Philadelphia Independence will enter their inaugural 2010 campaign as the underdog. But sometimes that brings out the best in players and maybe this women's version of Rocky will manage to battle their way up the WPS table.
Philadelphia took a gamble early on, by trading several of their top draft picks for players they thought could help their team immediately. That left them with only one selection in the first 3 rounds, where they selected Malorie Rutledge out of LSU, who didn’t make the team. Whether that gamble pays off or not depends largely on Amy Rodriguez and Allison Falk.
Unlike their expansion counterpart, Atlanta, the Independence signed several veterans to help lead this team including Heather Mitts, Sara Larsson, and Joanna Lohman. Philly did a nice job filling out their defense and midfield with quality players in the expansion draft, especially Lori Lindsey who has been playing very well for the USWNT. Whether Coach Paul Riley can blend this mixture of youth and veterans into a playoff contender remains to be seen.
Goalkeeping-Take both goalkeepers off of the top defensive team in WPS last year and their 13 shutouts, move them 3000 miles east and you have the goalkeeping tandem for the 2010 Independence. Karina LeBlanc, the league’s top goalkeeper, brings her 0.53 GAA to Philadelphia. LeBlanc, who has a sparkling personality off the field, is tough as nails on the field. Val Henderson was acquired in a trade early on, and will once again serve the role of backup to LeBlanc. She shut out Gold Pride in her only 2009 match after starring for UCLA in college. Robyn Jones, who spent 2009 with the New Jersey Wildcats of the W-League, will be the third goalkeeper.
Defenders-Coach Paul Riley and the Independence seemed to put special emphasis on their defensive unit early on. First they grabbed Nikki Krzysik (Red Stars) and Sarah Senty (Freedom) in the expansion draft. Then they signed veteran free agent defenders Heather Mitts and Sara Larsson. Then they traded for Sol center back Allison Falk. Finally, they took Kansas defender Estelle Johnson in the dispersal draft. As a group, they combined for 62 WPS starts last season.
At 6 foot tall, Falk can be a threat at either end of the field on set pieces. She garnered some support as a potential all-star selection last season. Mitts and Larsson should give veteran leadership to the Philly back line. Krzysik is a hard-nosed defender who racked up 5 cautions last season. Senty saw action with the Freedom after missing the first half of the season while completing her college classes. Late addition Kat Reynold, out of Santa Clara, will provide further depth at outside back. With a strong goaltending tandem behind them, this group should ensure that the Independence are in every match.
Midfielders-One of the first signings that the Independence announced was that of Caroline Seger. Seger now has over 30 senior national team caps for Sweden, in addition to a wealth of junior team experience. She is also a veteran of 5 seasons with Linköpings in the Damallsvenskan. Seger will give the expansion team a strong presence in the midfield. The second piece of the midfield puzzle is Lori Lindsey. How Lindsey managed to slip into Philadelphia’s hands through an expansion draft, I can’t figure out, but it certainly had to make Philly fans smile. Lindsey has received praise from Pia Sundhage for her play with the USWNT earlier this year. Seger and Lindsey give this expansion team a nice start to a solid midfield.
Jen Buczkowski, another selection in the expansion draft, split time between midfield and defense for Sky Blue in 2009. But it was her solid play, stepping in for Anita Asante in the playoffs, that was the climax of a good season. Another former Freedom midfielder, Joanna Lohman, signed with the Independence as a free agent. Another talented European player, Holmfridur Magnusdottir of Iceland, can play either attacking mid or forward. She has nearly 50 national team caps and scored 5 goals for Swedish club Kristianstads in 2009. This has the makings of a talented midfield group, but is there enough depth here?
Forwards-While the Independence have a lot of experience from the midfield back, the group of forwards they have are largely an unknown quantity. Three of those forwards, Amy Rodriguez, Lyndsey Patterson, and Danesha Adams, played in WPS last season. Rodriguez scored 1 goal in 17 appearances in what was a very frustrating season in Boston. The new start in Philadelphia should do her good and hopefully, she will be able to use her blazing speed to get behind opposing defenses. Adams, a former star at UCLA, played in 12 matches for the Red Stars without scoring. Patterson saw only 12 minutes of action for the Sol last season.
Philadelphia did sign two international forwards that should help here. Karina Maruyama has Olympic experience and is primarily known as a player who can come off the bench and make a difference for the Japanese National Team. She comes over to the US after a successful run with Japanese club TEPCO Mareeze. Lianne Sanderson is a young forward from the English National Team. At just 22 years of age, she has managed 29 caps and 8 goals on a team loaded with offensive talent like Kelly Smith, Eniola Aluko, Fara Williams, and Karen Carney. Gina DiMartino (formerly Boston College) was a late training camp pickup at forward.
Summary-Leadership shouldn’t be a problem on this team as they have several veterans who have played internationally. Philadelphia appears to be strong at goalkeeper and solid enough at defense and midfield. This should make them a competitive team, but I question if this team will be able to score enough goals to win. Their first match against fellow expansion team, the Atlanta Beat, ought to be an interesting battle between what could be a very good defensive team, Philadelphia, against a dangerous offensive team in Atlanta.
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