Last Second Goal Lifts Philly over Shorthanded Sky Blue

Lianne Sanderson scored in stoppage time to give Philadelphia a 2-1 victory over Sky Blue FC on Sunday. It was the third goal of the season for the English striker, who came into the match as a substitute in the 77th minute of action. The victory brings the Independence level with Western New York, but the Flash still have the inside track for first place with two games remaining to Philly's one.

Sky Blue played a player down for almost the entire second half as Carrie Dew picked up a second yellow card for taking down Danesha Adams early in the second half. She had picked up her first in the opening minutes of the first half.

Philadelphia came out buzzing and put good pressure on the Sky Blue goal in the opening minutes of the match. Veronica Boquete's free kick from 24 yards was heading just under the crossbar, but Jen Branam managed to tip the ball over the net in the 2nd minute. On the ensuing corner kick, Boquete started back in the center circle and found herself wide open as she charged toward the penalty area unmarked. But her shot from just outside the box went over the crossbar.

The Independence broke on top in the 17th minute. Leigh Ann Robinson sent a beautiful long ball up the center of the field for Tasha Kai. The ball had spin on it and took a hop to the right. Kai took time to measure it and then placed a beautiful shot in the upper left side over Branam to make it 1-0.

Sky Blue tried to pull even just three minutes later, but Eni Aluko's shot from a tough angle was saved by Nicole Barnhart. However, four minutes later, Tobin Heath made a run up the center of the field. Drawing the defense toward her, she pushed a nice little through pass to Aluko, who finished with her right foot past Barnhart and into the right side of the net to tie the score.

Branam made a nice save on Boquete a few minutes later as Kai's header hit the Spanish striker in stride. Boquete's blast from 20 yards was saved by the agile Branam. In the 41st minute, Adams laid the ball off for Tina DiMartino, whose shot from 22 yards was also saved by Branam.

Sky Blue nearly took the lead just before intermission. A Heather O'Reilly cross went over the head of several players to bounce right to Brittany Taylor. She flicked a header just wide of the left post.

Dew picked up her second yellow card of the match as she slid late into Adams who was dribbling up the center of the field. It did appear that Dew attempted to put on the brakes, but it was too late and Adams went tumbling over the Sky Blue defender and referee Ted Unkel pulled out the yellow and dismissed Dew from the match.

Sky Blue caught a bit of a break in the 67th minute, as Amy Rodriguez chipped a shot over a diving Branam into the right post. With Branam laying on the ground, the ball bounced right back into her lap.

Philadelphia continued to pressure as the half wore on. Laura del Rio hit a hard shot from 15 yards, but Kendall Fletcher headed it clear. In the 77th minute, Branam made a nice save on Rodriguez' shot inside the near post. Branam later made two big saves in one-on-one situations with del Rio to keep the game level at one.

But just when it appeared that Sky Blue might hang on for the tie, one that would have clinched a playoff berth for them, Philadelphia got the game winner. Amy Rodriguez nodded a header forward from the edge of the eighteen. The ball appeared to deflect slightly off of Tobin Heath's head to the front of the goal where three Philly players were waiting against one defender and Branam. Joanna Lohman was able to touch the ball past Branam to Sanderson who finished just before a lunging Kendall Fletcher could get there and the Independence had scored the winner.

For Sky Blue and especially for Jen Branam, it was a harsh result. They needed just a tie to clinch a playoff berth, but were denied in the closing moments. Branam certainly made several great saves to keep her team even until that last second goal. They now face a one game do-or-die contest in Boston next week, still needing only a tie to advance to the playoffs.

Philadelphia's record goes to 11-3-3, good for 36 points and tied with Western New York. They have clinched second place and still have an outside shot at the top position, but the Flash have the inside track with an additional match remaining. The Independence close the season next Sunday in Boca Raton against third place magicJack.

Note: Philadelphia is a perfect 9-0-0 with Veronica Boquete in the starting lineup.

Correction: It was Danielle Johnson, not Kendall Fletcher, who was the last defender trying to block the shot on the game winning goal.

WPS Standings
(1) Western New York 11-2-3, 36 pts; (1) Philadelphia 11-3-3, 36 pts; (3) magicJack 8-6-2, 25 pts; (4) Sky Blue FC 5-8-4, 19 pts; (5) Boston 4-9-4, 16 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-12-4, 7 pts.

Schedule:
Wednesday, August 10
Western New York at magicJack

Sunday, August 14
Philadelphia at magicJack
Sky Blue FC at Boston
Atlanta at Western New York

Playoff Scenarios:
Sky Blue needs a tie or win against Boston to clinch 4th place. Boston needs to win in order to clinch 4th place.

Philadelphia and Western New York are tied for 1st place, with Philadelphia owning the tiebreaker at this point. Western New York has a game in hand.

magicJack has clinched 3rd place and will host the first round of the playoffs.

Capacity Crowd Sees Sky Blue Fall to Flash

A crowd of 5065 saw the host Sky Blue side fall to Western New York by a 4-1 margin. The victory boosts Western New York into a tie for first place, while Sky Blue falls into a third place tie with magicJack.

The Flash tried to get on the board quickly as Christine Sinclair nearly scored in the opening minute, but her shot hit the post.

Sky Blue took the lead midway through the first half. Therese Sjogran fed Spanish striker Adriana and she slid her shot past Flash goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris for a 1-0 lead.

However, Western New York came back with a vengeance, scoring three goals in less than ten minutes. McCall Zerboni tied the score in the 29th minute as she was able to sneak a hard shot past Sky Blue keeper Jen Branam. Just six minutes later, Yael Averbuch set up Marta to give the Flash the lead. Three minutes later, the Flash scored off of a Candace Chapman free kick as Sinclair headed it home to make it 3-1.

The score stayed that way until the waning moments of the match as Alex Morgan scored in stoppage time on an assist by Beverly Goebel.

Western New York outshot Sky Blue by a 21-8 margin and held the edge in shots on goal as well with a 10-4 advantage.

The Flash improve their record to 9-2-3 and they are now tied with Philadelphia for 1st place with a game in hand. The Independence play Atlanta on Sunday. Sky Blue falls to 5-6-4, but still have a share of third place.

Western New York hosts Boston on Wednesday night. Sky Blue travels to Florida to meet magicJack in a battle for third place, also on Wednesday evening.

Jen Branam announced before the match that she would be retiring at the end of the season. Branam has been a member of Sky Blue since the beginning and helped lead them to the 2009 WPS championship. Sky Blue plans to retire her number 23 jersey.

Philadelphia Takes Over First; Sky Blue Moves into Third

Philadelphia Independence 1, Boston Breakers 0

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sky Blue FC 2, magicJack 0

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sky Blue Stops Independence Streak at Six

Philadelphia's six-game winning streak came to end on Saturday evening as Sky Blue defeated the Independence 2-0 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Casey Nogueira scored both goals for the victorious hosts.

As has been the case of most recent matches, several players returning from World Cup action did not start this match. Amy Rodriguez and Lori Lindsey started the match on the bench for Philly, as did Tobin Heath for Sky Blue. Philadelphia coach Paul Riley elected to go with the hot goalkeeper and started Val Henderson over Nicole Barnhart. Meanwhile, USWNT midfielder Heather O'Reilly was in the starting lineup for New Jersey.

After a scoreless first half, Adriana nearly put Sky Blue on top in the 61st minute, but her free kick struck the post.

But it was Nogueira, who came on at halftime for Eni Aluko, that provided the scoring. She scored her first goal of the match on a feed from Adriana in the 71th minute to put Sky Blue on top 1-0. She completed the brace just 10 minutes later, with Therese Sjogran getting the assist. For Nogueira, it was her 4th and 5th goals of the season.

Jen Branam picked up the shutout for Sky Blue, while Henderson suffered her first loss of the year in goal.

The loss means that Philadelphia could fall out of first place, pending the outcome of the Western New York-Boston match on Sunday. The Independence have a slim one-point lead heading into that action. Sky Blue improves their record to 4-5-4 and moves into a tie for third place with magicJack.

With just four games remaining on their schedule, the Independence will travel to Boston to meat the Breakers in a Wednesday night match. Sky Blue heads to Florida where they will play a crucial Wednesday night game againt magicJack in a battle for third place.

Sky Blue Shuts Out Beat

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

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

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

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

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

magicJack Obtains Rapinoe

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

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

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

magicJack meets the Philadelphia Independence this Saturday.

Sky Blue and Breakers Play to Scoreless Draw

Ninety minutes of soccer didn't settle anything between Boston and Sky Blue as the match ended in a scoreless draw. It was the third meeting this season between the Breakers and SBFC, but the first to end in a tie.

Jen Branam for Sky Blue and Alyssa Naeher for Boston earned shutouts for their respective teams. There were plenty of shots for both teams. Sky Blue outshot the Breakers by a 24-17 margin, with 13 of those being on frame. Boston managed five shots on goal for the match.

Japanese national team player Aya Sameshima saw her first WPS action as a halftime substitution for the Breakers.

The Breakers are now 3-5-2 on the season. They travel to Atlanta next Sunday for their last match before the World Cup break. Sky Blue moves to 2-3-3. After taking next weekend off, they will host the Beat on the first midweek match of the season on June 22.

Blank's Late Goal Lifts Sky Blue

Carolyn Blank scored her second career goal in the 88th minute to break a 1-1 tie and give Sky Blue a win over the Boston Breakers.

The game, which was delayed at the start by storms, was a back-and-forth affair with both teams creating chances. Boston's Kelly Smith hit the crossbar twice in the opening minutes of the match, but neither team was able to score in the first half.

The Breakers did open the scoring early in the 2nd half. Sky Blue keeper Jen Branam was able to make a diving stop on Smith, but Kelley O'Hara knocked home the rebound to give Boston a temporary advantage in the 50th minute.

Sky Blue struck back just eight minutes later and it was two substitutions that did the work. Swedish international Therese Sjögran, who reported in at the intermission, set up Eniola Aluko, who was able to finish past Breakers goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher to tie the score at one each. Aluko had entered the game midway through the first half after Adriana had suffered an injury.

O'Hara nearly got her second of the evening, as she had Branam in a one-on-one situation, but the Sky Blue keeper made an excellent save to keep the match tied.

Sjögran notched her second assist of the match as she sent the ball to Blank, who was waiting at the top of the box and the former West Virginia star put it in the net to give Sky Blue their first lead in the 88th minute.

Sky Blue remains unbeaten at home and improves to 2-3-1. They are now tied with the Breakers for fourth place, with two matches in hand. Boston falls to 2-5-1.

Next weekend, Sky Blue travels to Rochester to face Western New York for the second time this season. The Flash won the first match by a 3-1 margin. Boston hosts magicJack next Sunday, a team they lost to in their only meeting in Boca Raton.

Sky Blue Shuts Out Beat 3-0

Sky Blue finally got their first win of the season and they did it in convincing fashion by shutting out the Atlanta Beat 3-0. SBFC lifts their record to 1-3-1, while Atlanta falls to 1-5-1. Most of the national team players for both teams were rested in the first half, due to a very heavy schedule during the past week.

Laura Kalmari scored a first half goal off of a Casey Nogueira corner kick. Allie Long converted a penalty after being pulled down in the box to give Sky Blue a 2-0 lead. Heather O'Reilly completed the scoring on a goal assisted by Eni Aluko.

Jen Branam earned the shutout for Sky Blue, who will host the Boston Breakers next Saturday evening. For Atlanta, the road doesn't get any easier as they travel to Boca Raton to face magicJack next Saturday.

2011 Sky Blue FC Preview

Sky Blue FC
Coach: Jim Gabarra (1st year at Sky Blue, 3rd year in WPS)
2010 Record: 7-10-7 (5th place)
Home Stadium: Yurcak Field (Piscataway, NJ)

Roster:
Goalkeepers (4): Kristin Arnold(R), Karen Bardsley, Jenni Branam, Erin Guthrie.
Defenders (8): Anita Asante, Kiersten Dallstream, Carrie Dew, Kendall Fletcher, Danielle Johnson, Lindsey Johnson(R), Brittany Taylor, Michelle Wenino.
Midfielders (7): Carolyn Blank, Tobin Heath, Angie Kerr, Allie Long, Alyssa Mautz(R), Heather O’Reilly, Therese Sjögran.
Forwards (4): Eniola Aluko, Laura Kalmari, Andrea Martin Santamaria, Casey Nogueira.
(R) denotes true rookie; returning players in bold.
Probable World Cup players: Bardsley, Asante, Heath, O’Reilly, Sjögran, Aluko.

High expectations often lead to disappointment and that’s what happened last season with Sky Blue. The defending champions failed to make the playoffs, falling to 5th place. To be sure, injuries had a lot to do with their lackluster season. Perhaps because of last year’s finish, Sky Blue had a substantial turnover on their roster in the offseason. Only eight players return from 2010 and only two players from the midfield forward.

One problem Sky Blue has had for both seasons was scoring goals. They hope to have rectified this offensive shortage with a blockbuster trade and several free agent signings. The trade that brought Eni Aluko, Tobin Heath, and Angie Kerr from Atlanta should pay dividends for a team that scored just 20 goals in 24 matches during the 2010 season, tied for the lowest total in WPS.

Jim Gabarra comes over from Washington for his third year as a WPS coach. He has a lot of talent on this Sky Blue team. The trick will be getting them to play as a cohesive unit, especially early in the season. The preseason tournament in Turkey should help in that regard.

Goalkeepers: Sky Blue had a rash of injuries last season and no position was harder hit than goalkeeper. SBFC lost not one, but two starters to injury. Both Karen Bardsley and Jen Branam are back for a third season with Sky Blue.

Bardsley’s stock continues to rise, both because of her brilliant start in 2010 and her more frequent starts with the English National Team. She was the keeper of choice when Hope Powell’s Lions faced the US in a recent friendly. Bardsley recorded five shutouts before she was injured while training for the WPS All-Star match last June. She has a huge advantage over Branam in height and now, in international experience.

Branam, on the other hand, led Sky Blue to the 2009 championship. While she is one of the shortest keepers in the league, she is also one of the most aggressive, often fearless while traveling well out of the penalty area to thwart potential threats. She will certainly see a lot of action when Bardsley travels to Germany with her English teammates. Rookie Kristin Arnold and Erin Guthrie, who spent 2010 as Gold Pride’s third goalkeeper, will battle for the third spot on Sky Blue.

Defenders: Gone are starters Meghan Schnur, Christie Rampone, Daphne Koster, and Keeley Dowling, losses that would cripple most teams. Still, Sky Blue returns four defenders from 2010, plus Anita Asante who returns to New Jersey after making three stops in between. Her experience should pay off on what is otherwise a fairly youthful back line.

Probably the most prominent among the returning players is Brittany Taylor, who had a strong rookie season in 2010. Taylor showed an ability to defend one-on-one against some of the best strikers the league had to offer. Kendall Fletcher, Danielle Johnson, and Kiersten Dallstream also return. Fletcher can also play defensive mid, a position she looked very good at while in Saint Louis. Dallstream has great speed and can also play striker.

Rounding out the defensive group are Carrie Dew, picked up from Gold Pride, Lindsey Johnson, and Michelle Wenino. The question is can this squad can stand up to the pressure they are likely to face against the best attacking teams in this league.

Midfielders: Only Heather O’Reilly returns in the midfield for Sky Blue. Still only 26 years old, it seems as though O’Reilly has been on the national scene forever, earning 141 caps for the USWNT. She has scored three goals and eight assists over two WPS campaigns.

While the rest of the midfield has changed, it is certainly not lacking in talent. Sky Blue was able to secure a loan agreement for Therese Sjögran, a veteran of the Damallsvenskan and the Swedish National Team. Her all around play, leadership, and experience may well be what this team needs. She will be joined in the middle by the number one overall pick in the 2010 draft, Tobin Heath. Heath missed most of 2010 with injuries, but 2011 seems to be starting out on the right foot with her making several national team appearances.

Another key addition to Sky Blue is former Freedom attacking mid Allie Long. Long has four career WPS goals and has matured as a player a great deal from the 21-year old that took the field for the Freedom in 2009. Two refugees from the Beat, Carolyn Blank and Angie Kerr, also join SBFC. Blank showed potential at defensive mid last season. Kerr, once a national team player, generally plays outside and passes the ball with great accuracy. Rookie Alyssa Mautz out of Texas A & M also joins the team and has a great deal of offensive potential.

Forwards: It’s not surprising, given Sky Blue’s difficulty in putting the ball in the net, that the team decided to go in another direction for 2011. The only returning forward is Laura Kalmari, who tied for the team lead in goals with five. One of the things I like best about Kalmari is that she always seems to put herself in good position to receive passes and score goals, which is sometimes one of the hardest things for a forward to learn. She already appears to be in midseason form, scoring a hat track against Rutgers in a recent exhibition game.

The biggest addition at forward is English striker Eniola Aluko. Aluko was virtually gifted to Sky Blue by Atlanta, the team with whom she finished 2010. Aluko has an impressive track record, 15 goals in two WPS seasons and 11 goals for England. She is very fast, sometimes too fast for AR’s in my opinion. She will lead the WPS in offside calls, but she is one of the league’s most exciting players.

The other two additions to Sky Blue have international experience as well. Spanish striker Adriana joins SBFC, coming off of an excellent run in UEFA World Cup qualifying. She scored 16 goals in just eight qualifying matches, including one against England last June. The other forward is Casey Nogueira, who spent her rookie season with Chicago. There has never been much doubt about Nogueira’s talent, only her consistency. She had a knack for scoring big goals on the college level and added a spark for the Red Stars a few times last season.

Outlook: One of the things that has to improve this season is scoring. Twenty goals in 24 matches, with two being penalties and another being an own goal, is just not enough. Sky Blue brought in the players to correct that problem. With Sjögran and Heath controlling the middle and more attacking options available, this team should score some goals. Aluko has great speed and her presence alone, should occupy opposing defenses.

The other problem for Sky Blue is protecting their own goal. While Bardsley and Branam are both capable keepers, they will not survive the onslaught of shots that Sky Blue faced last season for very long. Game in, game out for a good part of the 2010 season, Sky Blue was outshot two to one, often worse. With the defensive turnover that this team is facing, one wonders if they can protect Bardsley and Branam enough to give the offense a chance to win games.

Sky Blue is a team that must control possession and the midfield in order to be successful, which of course is true of most teams. The tendency with a speed burner like Aluko is to play kick and run long ball tactics, but I think Gabarra will keep his team from falling into that trap. The key will be how quickly Sky Blue can become familiar with one another before we see a sharp, crisp passing game that they need, especially since the team will lose much of its midfield to the World Cup.

Sky Blue 2010 - Defending Champs Have Depth and Talent

Coach: Paula Miettinen
2009 Record: 7-8-5 (4th place)
Postseason: Defeated Washington 2-1, Saint Louis 1-0, and Los Angeles 1-0 for the WPS Championship.

Returnees (11): Anita Asante, Yael Averbuch, Karen Bardsley, Jenni Branam, Keeley Dowling, Natasha Kai, Heather O’Reilly, Christie Rampone, Rosana, Meghan Schnur, Kacey White.
Draft Choices (4): Brittany Taylor, Danielle Johnson, Katie Schoepfer, Meagan Snell
LA Dispersal Draft (1): Kiersten Dallstream
International Signings ( 3): Laura Kalmari, Daphne Koster, Jessica Landström
Free Agents (3): Carli Lloyd, Ashley Thompson, Angela Salem.

For Sky Blue FC, the 2009 season was a tumultuous one. They got out to a terribly slow start, went through two coaching changes, and were in last place as late as early July. They made the playoffs on the last day of the season by the skin of their teeth and then put together a great playoff run to win the championship.

The orange clad team from Jersey start the 2010 season with yet another new coach, Paula Miettinen of Finland. But unlike early 2009, there is a confident mood surrounding the Sky Blue organization. Sky Blue has as many returning starters as any team in the league and they have added four big name free agents to the fold. Domestically, they plucked Carli Lloyd away from Chicago and then on the international front, they looked toward Europe to add a trio of talented players in Laura Kalmari, Daphne Koster, and Jessica Landström. Indeed, Miettinen appears to have the deepest squad in the league.

Goalkeeping-Sky Blue is one of the few teams in WPS to return their top two keepers from ’09. Leading the way is Jen Branam, who had a stellar run to finish the season. Short in stature, Branam relies on guts, quickness, and mobility. And after watching her venture 40 yards out during SBFC’s playoff run, it’s safe to say she may be the league’s most aggressive goalkeeper. Karen Bardsley gives Sky Blue a quality backup. A member of the English National Team, Bardsley shared starting duties with Branam early last year. Ashley Thompson, who played for Hudson Valley of the W-League in 2009, will be Sky Blue’s developmental keeper.

Defenders-Sky Blue returns all four starters from last season's back line and they are a strong group. It starts in the middle with Christie Rampone and Anita Asante. Rampone has been a mainstay on the USWNT for years and the team's captain. Asante is a member of the English National Team and has over 40 caps. Keeley Dowling returns at outside right back. Dowling had a very good season in 2009, capping it off with a game winning goal against Saint Louis in the playoffs. Not to mention, she also has one the biggest vertical leaps in WPS. Meghan Schnur had a solid 2009 season at outside left and now has international experience of her own.

However, defense became an area of concern with Christie Rampone's pregnancy and Anita Asante injured, leaving SBFC looking woefully thin on the back line. In addition, they lost versatile role players Jen Buczkowski and Julianne Sitch. But Sky Blue quickly moved to fix that problem by adding Daphne Koster, captain of the Dutch National Team, and top college prospect Brittany Taylor out of Connecticut. Koster is one of the best defenders in Europe and she brings over 90 caps of international experience to Sky Blue. Taylor just got her first cap with the USWNT and she played last year with Sky Blue’s Hudson Valley affiliate. In addition to Taylor, Sky Blue drafted Danielle Johnson out of Ole Miss. When Rampone and Asante return, the problem will be finding playing time for everyone. Once everyone is back, this could be the best defense in WPS.

Midfielders-It will be interesting to see how Miettinen uses her many talented midfielders in the formation. Yael Averbuch finished strong in 2009 after seeing little playing time early on and has played her way onto the USWNT. She was especially effective in the postseason, assisting on 2 of SBFC’s 4 playoff goals. Heather O’Reilly, Kacey White, and Rosana gives Sky Blue a trio of talented attacking midfielders. They combined for 10 goals and four assists in 2009.

Perhaps the biggest question here will be how much the addition of Carli Lloyd will help. After her Olympic heroics in 2008, she had a fairly disappointing season for the Red Stars in ’09. However, her play at the Algarve Cup was praised by national team coach, Pia Sundhage, and she has already proven to be a big offensive contributor in the preseason.

Forwards-After managing to score 6 goals in an injury filled 2009 season, Natasha Kai returns with a clean bill of health and ready to menace opposing defenses. Sky Blue has added Jessica Landström, who scored 12 goals last year with Linköpings in Sweden, and Laura Kalmari, Finland’s all-time leading scorer. At nearly 6 feet tall, Landström gives Sky Blue one of the tallest strikers in the league. For depth, SBFC drafted Katie Schoepfer (Penn St.) and Meagan Snell (Santa Clara). In a pinch, Sky Blue could always move Rosana or White forward.

Summary-There is a lot to like about this Sky Blue team. They now have the deepest team in the league. They've brought back as good a nucleus from last year as any other team and they made some nice international signings which should fill in areas that could have been weaknesses. They also have a lot of size and speed on this team. And they return one of the league’s top goalkeepers as of the end of the season. The wait for Rampone and Asante to join the team could lead to a little anxiety, but Sky Blue’s depth should provide them with suitable alternatives in the interim.

The one thing I can’t get out of my head, though, is that this team came within an eyelash of being a 5th place also ran last season. If Kerri Hanks doesn’t score in stoppage against Chicago or if Boston holds on to its 1-0 lead over LA on the final day of the season, we would be talking about a team that missed the playoffs in 2009. Sky Blue made the playoffs and the rest is history. But which team are they, the one that started painfully slow last season and finished with a losing record in the regular season or the team that swept through the playoffs with amazing efficiency to the championship? Only time will tell.

Sky Blue FC - The Offseason So Far

When Last We Left Them...

Sky Blue finished 4th in the WPS regular season with 26 points. A very slow start left them in last place with a 2-5-3 record by midseason. At that point, they had scored only 6 goals and already had a coaching change behind them. Under new coach Kelly Lindsey, SBFC made a strong move going 3-0-1 to start July. Just when things were going well, Lindsey resigned and defender Christie Rampone was named as Sky Blue's 3rd coach. A loss to Washington in their last regular season match put them in the precarious position of needing help from Los Angeles, which they received as Boston dropped a 2-1 decision, putting Sky Blue in the playoffs.

So let's see, two coaching changes, a losing record in the regular season, a terrible record against the other three playoff teams (0-7-2) and what does that mean. Well, in Sky Blue's case, it means a WPS Championship. They put together a memorable playoff run of 3 one-goal victories, defeating Los Angeles 1-0 in the final. So what changed?

For one thing, Jen Branam became the league's hottest keeper in the playoffs, in spite of her 40 yard adventures into the midfield. After spending most of the early season on the bench, Yael Averbuch finally got a chance to start and became a big part of their playoff run. After missing the first 3 games of the season, Rosana became a consistent force in the offensive end. Natasha Kai's ailing shoulders held together just long enough and two seldom used subs, acquired in late June from Saint Louis, both got key game winning goals. Kerri Hanks scored in stoppage to defeat Chicago in mid-July and Francielle scored the game winner in the 1st round playoff match against Washington.

And then there was Rampone, whose leadership on and off the field enabled Sky Blue to weather a lot of storms, overcome adversity, and win a championship.

Roster Moves

It wouldn't be Sky Blue if we didn't start off this section by mentioning that they have hired their 4th head coach, Paula Miettinen of Finland. The 2010 version of Sky Blue will have a decidedly more European flavor to it on the field as well.

Back will be 12 players from their championship roster, including their top 4 goal scorers, Rosana, Natasha Kai, Heather O'Reilly, and Kacey White. They will also return their entire back line with Rampone, Anita Asante, Keeley Dowling, and Meghan Schnur.

Sky Blue did lose Jen Buczkowski and Noelle Keselica in the expansion draft. Buczkowski was a key factor in New Jersey's playoff run. She held down Asante's back line position in the playoffs and did a great job. She started 8 regular season games and all 3 playoff matches, seeing action at defensive mid and center back. Keselica played in 5 regular season contests at forward. Sky Blue also lost Julianne Sitch, who was signed by Chicago. Sitch played in 16 and started 11 games for Sky Blue, scoring one goal.

Sky Blue's first acquisition was to sign free agent midfielder Carli Lloyd. Lloyd is coming off of a disappointing season in Chicago, where she scored 2 goals and an assist for the Red Stars. She has a powerful shot, but will need to focus on better accuracy. Only 7 of her 40 shots last year were on goal.

Then Sky Blue turned its attention to the international market. Gone from last year's international group are Kelly Parker, Francielle, and Collette McCallum. SBFC signed Dutch defender Daphne Koster in October. Koster will be 29 when the 2010 season opens and she has nearly 100 caps for the Dutch National Team. Next, Sky Blue signed two Scandanavian strikers, Jessica Landström of Sweden and Laura Kalmari of Finland. In two seasons at Linköping, Landström scored 23 goals. The 25-year old has been on the Swedish National Team since 2007 and has earned 30 caps, while scoring 9 goals. Kalmari has 119 caps and 36 goals in her career with the Finnish National Team and is their all-time leading goal scorer.

Current Roster

Goalkeepers (2)- Karen Bardsley, Jen Branam.
Defenders (6)- Anita Asante, Keeley Dowling, Ashleigh Gunning, Daphne Koster, Christie Rampone, Meghan Schnur.
Midfielders (5)- Yael Averbuch, Carli Lloyd, Heather O'Reilly, Rosana, Kacey White.
Forwards (4)- Kerri Hanks, Natasha Kai, Laura Kalmari, Jessica Landström.

Additions- Gunning, Kalmari, Koster, Landström, and Lloyd.
Subtractions- Jen Buczkowski (drafted by Philadelphia), Noelle Keselica (drafted by Atlanta), Julianne Sitch (signed by Chicago), Collette McCallum (waived), Kelly Parker (waived), Francielle (waived).

Other Free Agents from 2009 roster- Cori Alexander, Mele French, Katie Hooker, and Lauren Sesselmann.
Internationals-Asante, Kalmari, Koster, Landström, and Rosana.
Draft Choices (in first 3 rounds)- Nos. 6, 26, and 29.

Needs To Address

Quite frankly, there aren't many because Sky Blue has already addressed their most pressing needs. On defense, there is certainly some doubt as to when Rampone would be ready after coming back from her pregnancy, but Sky Blue signed Koster, so that problem is solved. With McCallum, Parker, and Francielle gone out of the midfield, there might have been a need there, but SBFC signed Carli Lloyd. There also had to be concern about Natasha Kai's shoulder surgery and their lack of scoring in 2009, but Sky Blue has added Kalmari and Landström. In fact, Sky Blue already has 17 players under contract for 2010, so there aren't many openings.

In light of this, Sky Blue should be able to use the 6th overall pick to choose the proverbial "best player available." Or it could mean that they could take more of a chance on a player with a lot of raw ability that still needs to develop. In either case, it's an enviable position to be in.

One thing that Sky Blue will miss is the solid play they got out of role players like Buczkowski and Sitch. These are the type of players that aren't big headliners, but that every championship team needs, the ultimate team players if you will. Who will take on that role for Sky Blue in 2010?

Sky Blue Wins WPS Championship on Goal by O'Reilly

Sky Blue FC completed their Cinderella run to the title by defeating the Los Angeles Sol 1-0 at the Home Depot Center on Saturday. The only goal of the match was scored by Heather O'Reilly in the 16th minute. Jen Branam posted her second consecutive shutout in the playoffs to seal the win.

It's been an improbable run for New Jersey, who entered the playoffs with a losing record at 7-8-5. They had never beaten any of their three playoff opponents previously and hadn't scored a goal against Los Angeles until today.

Christie Rampone made two changes in her starting 11 for today. She started Francielle in the midfield instead of either of the veterans Collette McCallum or Kelly Parker. And more importantly, for the first time in 3 matches, she decided to start Natasha Kai rather than save her for the end of the match. Both teams were missing key players for the match, Camille Abily for Los Angeles and Anita Asante for Sky Blue.

The goal sequence started on a throw-in deep in LA territory. Keeley Dowling threw the ball in to Kacey White who touched it back to Dowling. Dowling sent a long high cross to about 12 yards out in the middle of the penalty area. Natasha Kai flicked a header to Heather O'Reilly who had slipped behind Manya Makoski. O'Reilly drilled the shot from about 8 yards out before Makoski or Allison Falk could reach her. Karina LeBlanc was able to get her foot on the ball, but the shot deflected just inside the post to put New Jersey up 1-0.

Down 1-0 and with no flow to their offense, things got a whole lot worse for Los Angeles 10 minutes later. Natasha Kai was making a run up the left side and then cut toward the middle at about 30 yards out. Allison Falk, who was running behind Kai, clipped her as she made her cut and was red carded for the play. The Sol were forced to play one down for the last 63 minutes of the match. It definitely changed the complexion of the game and almost immediately afterwards, LA coach Abner Rogers used his first substitution to add another defender to take Falk's place on the back line in sending Sharolta Nonen in for McCall Zerboni.

Los Angeles came close to equalizing in the 72nd minute. Marta got the ball to Shannon Boxx about 20 yards in front of the goal. Boxx turned and hit a low shot to the left corner that appeared to catch Branam off guard. Branam just barely got her hand on the ball and it rolled harmlessly over the endline for a corner.

In the 76th minute, O'Reilly nearly got in behind the Los Angeles defense, but Makoski made a great recovery to knock the ball away from her at the last second. In the 84th minute, a free kick nearly found Boxx inside the 6 yard box, but Branam was able to deflect that away. On the ensuing corner kick, Boxx hit a volley from about 18 yards at a bad angle. The shot had good pace, but was right at Branam.

The Sol's last opportunity came just into stoppage on a free kick from about 30 yards out. But Marta's shot went easily over the goal and any chance of tying the match went with it.

Heather O'Reilly was named the MVP of the championship game. Jen Branam had a spectacular run in the playoffs giving up just one goal in three matches. And Christie Rampone, who has now coached one more playoff game than regular season games, is the head coach of the WPS champions.

WPS Championship Preview-Sky Blue FC at Los Angeles Sol

Sky Blue FC (9-8-5) at Los Angeles Sol (12-3-5)
Saturday, August 22nd, 1pm PT, 4pm ET
Home Depot Center, Carson, California

Season Series: Los Angeles won the season series with two wins and a tie against Sky Blue.
4/5/09-Los Angeles 2, Sky Blue 0 (TD Bank Park)
5/15/09-Los Angeles 1, Sky Blue 0 (Home Depot Center)
6/13/09-Los Angeles 0, Sky Blue 0 (Yurcak Field)

Top Performers in the Series:
Los Angeles-Marta (3 goals); Camille Abily (1 assist); Han Duan (1 assist); Karina LeBlanc (3 shutouts).
Sky Blue FC-Jenni Branam (1.00 GA, 1 shutout).

Possible Starting Lineups:
Los Angeles Sol (Coach-Abner Rogers)
G-Karina LeBlanc (0.53 GA, 12 shutouts)
D-Keri Sanchez
D-Allison Falk (1 goal)
D-Brittany Bock (2 goals)
D-Stephanie Cox
M-Shannon Boxx (3 goals, 3 assists)
M-Manya Makoski
M-Aly Wagner (4 assists)
M-Aya Miyama (6 assist)
F-Marta (10 goals, 3 assists)
F-Han Duan (3 goals, 2 assists)
Unavailable Due to Euros: Camille Abily (8 goals, 1 assist)
Top Subs: McCall Zerboni, Katie Larkin, Sharolta Nonen, Liz Bogus, Lisa Sari, Val Henderson

Sky Blue FC (Coach-Christie Rampone)
G-Jenni Branam (1.03 GA, 7 shutouts)
D-Keeley Dowling (1 goal, 3 assists)
D-Jen Buczkowski
D-Christie Rampone
D-Meghan Schnur (2 assists)
M-Yael Averbuch (2 assists)
M-Collette McCallum (3 assists)
M-Heather O'Reilly (2 goals, 3 assists)
M-Kacey White (3 goals, 1 assist)
F-Natasha Kai (7 goals, 1 assist) or Kerri Hanks (2 goals, 1 assist)
F-Rosana (5 goals, 1 assist)
Unavailable Due to Euros: Anita Asante (starting defender); Karen Bardsley (backup keeper)
Top Subs: Kelly Parker, Francielle, Julianne Sitch, Katie Hooker, Noelle Keselica, Cori Alexander.
Note: Stats include playoff games for Sky Blue.

Game Preview:
It's the team of destiny, Sky Blue FC, against the regular season champions, the Los Angeles Sol, at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Sky Blue are on a playoff roll, winning two in a row, both over teams they had never won against. On Saturday, they will face yet another team that they have never beaten in Los Angeles. Los Angeles won two of the regular season matches, with the third ending in a scoreless tie. In fact, Sky Blue has yet to score a goal against the Sol in 270 minutes of soccer, but SBFC has been a giant killer in the playoffs. Now only one team stands between them and the title.

Los Angeles had a very impressive regular season up until the final month when they lost two games and tied Gold Pride, before coming from behind to beat Boston in their final regular season match. But one major reason for their success will be missing on Saturday, that being Camille Abily who has joined her French teammates for the Euros in Finland. The Sol only had 6 different players score goals for them and Abily had 8 of the 27. Sky Blue will still be missing defender Anita Asante, but their defense has played well without her, giving up just one goal in two playoff games.

You can't say enough about Jen Branam's playoff performance, shaking off injuries in both games and earning a shutout against Saint Louis in the semifinals. She is one of the quickest keepers in the league and also the most daring. She will roam well out of the penalty area to clear the ball out which could be disastrous, but so far she has managed to beat the attacking player in each case. In front of her will be Keeley Dowling, Jen Buczkowski, player-coach Christie Rampone, and Meghan Schnur. Dowling got her first goal of the year in the semis with a perfectly placed shot that beat Hope Solo. Buczkowski has filled in ably for Asante and Schnur is as steady as they come. Rampone is the leader on that back line.

After spending much of the early season on the bench, Yael Averbuch has been a force lately. She has her only two assists of the season in the playoffs, assisting on the game winner in each match. Her nifty dribbling move against Athletica got her free to nudge a pass toward a wide open Dowling for Sky Blue's only goal against Saint Louis. Collette McCallum has 3 assists this season and Kelly Parker will probably see action at midfield as well. Heather O'Reilly can be a dominating midfielder and may well be a key in this match. Kacey White, who really plays a 3rd forward, is Sky Blue's 3rd leading scorer.

For the first two playoff matches, Christie Rampone chose to start Kerri Hanks and save Natasha Kai for the end of the match. It's worked so far, so she may try it again Saturday. In spite of not scoring, Hanks had one of her most active matches in the semis and only a great diving save kept her from hitting the back of the net. The other forward will be Rosana, who has scored 5 goals this season, and with Kai, form perhaps the speediest forward duo in the league.

Los Angeles will start Karina LeBlanc in goal and she has 12 shutouts for the season, including 3 against this Sky Blue team. Her 0.53 goals against is the lowest of any starting keeper in the WPS. Her starting back line will probably consist of veteran Keri Sanchez, versatile Brittany Bock, Allison Falk, and Stephanie Cox. Both Falk and Cox have had great seasons, with Falk being nominated for Defender of the Year. For some reason, Cox never seems to get the recognition she deserves, perhaps because she does her job so efficiently.

Even with the loss of Camille Abily and her 8 goals, the Sol have a talented midfield. Start with Shannon Boxx, a WPS All-Star and mainstay on the US National Team. Add Manya Makoski, a defensive specialist who plays defender and midfielder equally well. Then there's Aly Wagner, who managed 4 assists, in spite of missing several matches due to injuries. And last, but not least, there is Aya Miyama, a playmaker extraordinaire with 6 assists.

When it comes to offense, Los Angeles has the most potent weapon in the league in Marta. She led the league with 10 goals and added 3 assists to that. Simply put, she is the fastest, most talented forward in the league and she will attract a lot of attention from Sky Blue's defensive back. Han Duan will be at the other forward position.

Los Angeles Sol Keys:
1) Clog up the midfield passing lanes-Sky Blue dominated the first 30 minutes of the semis with precision passing and quite frankly, Saint Louis didn't put a lot of pressure on their midfield. LA needs to pressure their midfield into mistakes and not let Sky Blue set up their chances.
2) Counterattack, counterattack, counterattack-There is no better team in the league at gaining possession and getting quickly into an attacking mode than the Sol. By counterattacking in this manner, Sky Blue will be less likely to risk bringing outside defenders Dowling and Schnur or midfielder Averbuch forward into the attack.
3) Beat the offsides trap-Los Angeles did just that in the second meeting between these two teams, with Marta timing her run perfectly and then she deftly dribbled around Branam and finished for the only goal of that match.

Sky Blue FC Keys:
1) Take it slow and be patient-Sky Blue isn't going to win an end to end shootout. Take your time, make good passes, keep possession, and wait for your chances. Another side benefit is that this strategy will likely frustrate Marta into coming back farther to gain possession, thus taking her farther away from the goal.
2) Make the safe play-This goes for the whole team. The defense must get the ball out of trouble with the first touch. There were a couple of instances on Wednesday when a loose ball lingered way too long in the penalty area. And how many more times will Branam wander 30 yards out and get away with it. I'll give her high marks for courage and daring, but eventually it's going to cost her.
3) Use team speed up the flanks-Several times in the semifinals, a Sky Blue attacker was able to beat Athletica's outside defenders and get a clean cross into the box. Kacey White and Heather O'Reilly are experts in this area. Use this strength to create chances, especially up the left side.

Game Analysis:
Unlike Athletica, who showed virtually no offense in the first 30 minutes on Wednesday, Los Angeles will likely be pressuring from the opening whistle. I don't think the Sol will play the 1st half in a "feeling out" mode. Sky Blue does have some talented offensive players of their own, but it's going to be hard for them to get numbers forward, especially from the back line as Keeley Dowling did in the semifinal. If they do get caught forward, they will be vulnerable to LA's lethal counterattack.

LeBlanc has been a top keeper all season, but Branam might be the hottest keeper in the league right now. She managed to get through the semi virtually untested by any formidable shots, but she will have to be on top of her game on Saturday. Sky Blue's defense and midfield are very good, but the Sol's are probably better and the flawless passing game we saw in the 1st half on Wednesday might not be so easy to duplicate in the final.

If Sky Blue is going to win this match, they cannot afford to make any mistakes. The longer the game stays even, the better for Sky Blue. Los Angeles proved they were the best team in the regular season, but we started to see some vulnerability toward the end of the season. Still, you have to believe they will be prepared for this match. The team from Jersey plays with a lot of heart, but I'm not sure that will be enough against the Sol. And you just have the feeling that if a goal is needed late, that Marta will be able to do it just by sheer will.

WPS Super Semifinal-Sky Blue FC at Saint Louis Athletica

Sky Blue FC (8-8-5) at Saint Louis (8-7-5)
Wednesday, August 19th, 6 pm CT
AB Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri

Season Series: Saint Louis took all 3 matches in the season series between the two teams.
6/7/09-Saint Louis 1, Sky Blue FC 0 (Soccer Park)
6/28/09-Saint Louis 2, Sky Blue FC 1 (Yurcak Field)
7/22/09-Saint Louis 1, Sky Blue FC 0 (Soccer Park)

Top Performers in the Series:
Saint Louis-Eniola Aluko (2 goals, 1 assist), Amanda Cinalli (1 goal), Elise Weber (1 goal), Kendall Fletcher (1 assist), Melissa Tancredi (1 assist), Hope Solo (1 shutout), Jillian Loyden (1 shutout).
Sky Blue FC-Julianne Sitch (1 goal), Jenni Branam (2 games, 1.50 goals against)

Possible Starting Lineups:
Saint Louis Athletica (Coach-Jorge Barcellos)
G-Hope Solo (0.82 GA, 8 shutouts)
D-Melissa Tancredi (2 assists)
D-Kia McNeill
D-Tina Ellertson
D-Elise Weber (1 goal)
M-Kendall Fletcher (3 assists)
M-Lori Chalupny (2 goals, 1 assist)
M-Angie Woznuk
M-Amanda Cinalli (2 goals, 1 assist)
F-Sarah Walsh (1 goal, 2 assists)
F-Christie Welsh (3 goals)
Unavailable due to Euros-Eniola Aluko (6 goals, 4 assists), Sara Larsson (starting defender)
Top Subs-Daniela, Niki Cross, Stephanie Logterman, Lisa Stoia, Erin Walter, Jillian Loyden

Sky Blue FC (Coach-Christie Rampone)
G-Jenni Branam (1.09 GA, 6 shutouts)
D-Keeley Dowling (3 assists)
D-Jen Buczkowski
D-Christie Rampone
D-Meghan Schnur (2 assists)
M-Yael Averbuch (1 assist)
M-Collette McCallum (3 assists)
M-Heather O'Reilly (2 goals, 3 assists)
M-Rosana (5 goals, 1 assist)
F-Natasha Kai (7 goals, 1 assist) or Kerri Hanks (2 goals, 1 assist)
F-Kacey White (3 goals, 1 assist)
Unavailable due to Euros: Anita Asante (starting defender), Karen Bardsley (backup keeper)
Top Subs-Kelly Parker, Julianne Sitch, Francielle, Noelle Keselica, Katie Hooker, Cori Alexander

Note: Statistics include playoff matches.

Game Analysis:
If you looked at the record between these two teams, you would get the mistaken idea that this series has been one sided. Maybe the results have been all for Athletica, but the play on the field has been about as even as possible. In all three of the previous meetings, Athletica has jumped on top, twice early in the match and once early in the 2nd half. That has been a pattern followed by Athletica most of the year when successful. Sky Blue did come back to tie their home match, only to see it slip away on an unlikely high lob shot from a bad angle by Elise Weber.

This match has a little extra drama to it, because of the trade between the two teams. Sky Blue sent Sarah Walsh to Athletica for Kerri Hanks and Francielle in a big midseason trade. Hanks scored the game winning goal in a regular season match against Chicago and Francielle was the hero over the weekend against the Freedom. Walsh has yet to hit the net for Athletica, but she has come close and does have an assist to her credit. All three players could influence the outcome of Wednesday's match. Also, this match will be greatly affected by who's missing, notably Athletica's leading scorer, Eniola Aluko, and Sky Blue's top defender, Anita Asante.

If you had to personify Sky Blue, you would say that they are the Rodney Dangerfield of the WPS. They don't get a lot of respect, but they sure know how to fight. Take round one of the playoffs for instance. After breaking on top 1-0, Washington tied the score in the 78th minute and on top of that, Jen Branam was so banged up, she didn't take free kicks for the remainder of the game. Branam hung tough and then seldom used midfielder, Francielle, hit the shot of the day from outside the penalty area to send SBFC into the Super Semifinal.

The big question for Christie Rampone is whether or not she will repeat her strategy from Saturday in which she started Hanks for Natasha Kai, in an effort to preserve her star striker for the end of the contest. Kai ended up scoring less than a minute after entering the game in the 2nd half. In an interview with Tom Timmerman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Rampone said, "it will be a tactical decision closer to game time." If Kai doesn't start, Hanks will repeat her role and start beside Kacey White, who assisted on Kai's goal.

Both teams have excellent midfields and both are led by old North Carolina teammates, Heather O'Reilly and Lori Chalupny. Along side O'Reilly is one of Sky Blue's top scoring threats, Rosana. Yael Averbuch will handle the holding midfielder position. The other midfielder will be either Collette McCallum or Kelly Parker, both of whom will likely see a lot of action, no matter which one starts. Francielle has suddenly become a top option at midfield off the bench.

Defensively, it's Keeley Dowling, Christie Rampone, and Meghan Schnur, all of whom are solid players. Jen Buczkowski will start in place of Anita Asante. Jenni Branam is tough and quick in goal. She has posted 6 shutouts for the season and it appears she will be ready to go for Wednesday night's match, in spite of getting pretty banged up on Saturday.

For Athletica, it always starts with defense. Hope Solo has posted 8 shutouts and has given up just two goals in her last 6 matches. The back line is led by Tina Ellertson, with Kia McNeill joining her in the center and Melissa Tancredi and Elise Weber on the outside. It is also likely that Stephanie Logterman will see playing time at defender in this match.

There is no doubt the trade for Kendall Fletcher was very instrumental in Athletica being where they are today. Fletcher has 3 assists, but more importantly, she has done a fine job in shutting down some of the top offensive players in the WPS. Athletica's captain, Lori Chalupny is a world class midfielder and definitely the heart of this team. Amanda Cinalli has given Athletica another offensive weapon from the midfield and Angie Woznuk rounds out that unit. Sarah Walsh will be one starter up front and Athletica is still waiting for her to break through for her first goal. She will probably team with Christie Welsh, who went on a mini scoring run, netting three in her last two matches. Niki Cross will likely be her 2nd half replacement and has scored one herself.

Sky Blue Keys:
1) Keep Athletica off the board early. Saint Louis has outscored their opponents by a margin of 13-3 in the 1st half and has a record of 8-0-3 when scoring in the 1st half. Athletica usually comes out with a lot of energy at the start of the game.
2) Get numbers forward in the attack. Sky Blue are at their best when they get a lot of players forward and pressure opposing defenses. Unlike Athletica, Sky Blue has many scoring options with Kai, White, O'Reilly, and Rosana. Saint Louis has a strong defense, but they can occasionally be forced into making mistakes.
3) Keep the pressure off of Branam. Jen Branam is tough, but it's not certain if she's 100% after Saturday's contest. The Sky Blue defense needs to make it as easy on her as possible. Twice in that match, she had to come 30 yards out of the goal to clear the ball away from an onrushing attacker. I don't know if she will be capable of doing that again this match.

Saint Louis Athletica Keys:
1) Don't gamble too much on defense. Athletica has a very good defense, but they do sometimes gamble at the midfield. Facing a team with a lot of speed, like Sky Blue, they need to make sure that attackers don't get behind them, because of all the Athletica defenders, only Tina Ellertson has the speed to make up ground once she's beat.
2) Shoot high. Jen Branam is a terrific keeper, but she is also one of the shortest keepers in the WPS. The winning goal by Elise Weber at Yurcak Field was not an impressive shot, but it was high and out of the reach of Branam. In addition, Branam is more apt to charge out of her net than any other keeper in the league, leaving her vulnerable to a chip shot. If Athletica aims for the upper corners, they could get a goal there.
3) Finish the game off. While Athletica has played very well in the 1st half, they have all too often let games slip away late. They have given up 9 of the 15 goals against them after the 70th minute. NINE! There have been too many times when Athletica has gone into a defensive shell late in a match and had it backfire on them. It's playoff time now. There are no 2nd chances.

Summary
Both teams tend to play low scoring matches and both have strong defenses and top notch goalkeepers. These are also two of the strongest midfields in the league. Sky Blue does get more offense out of their midfield than Saint Louis. Athletica is missing their top offensive player in Eniola Aluko and one has to wonder if she can be replaced. Sky Blue has been a bit unlucky in the three times these two teams have met. Athletica has had problems at times in closing games out. The wild card could be Daniela, if she is healthy enough to see some minutes late in the match. She has a strong shot and could provide a winner if needed.

I look for another low scoring match, possibly going to overtime or penalties. If it does go to penalties, one would expect Solo and Athletica to have the advantage. But remember, in penalty kicks, it's usually on the shooter and not so much on the keeper. If that's the case, Sky Blue would appear to have far better options for their five shooters than Athletica. The loser of the match will have had a fine season and the winner has a date with the Los Angeles Sol on Saturday for the championship.

Sky Blue Defeats Washington 2-1

Sky Blue FC defeated the Washington Freedom 2-1 on Saturday afternoon and the winning goal came from one of the most unlikeliest of sources. Francielle, obtained in a midseason trade from Saint Louis, drilled the winning goal in the 84th minute. She had played all of 28 minutes in just one game for Sky Blue coming into this match. At 19 years old, she is the youngest player in the WPS.

Both teams played conservatively in the 1st half, which turned out to be mostly a feeling out process. Sky Blue did get more shots, but neither team came all that close to scoring. Washington made the first substitution of the game at halftime, bringing in Alex Singer for Jill Gilbeau, who had started the game at midfield. The Freedom decided to move Ali Krieger to midfield in an attempt to get more speed forward.

Coach Christie Rampone elected to start Kerri Hanks for Natasha Kai, thus saving her speedy star forward for later in the game. Kai entered the game in the 54th minute and quickly made her presence felt. The ball was crossed to Kacey White who was just outside the penalty area and she popped the ball up into the penalty area. While Cat Whitehill appeared to wait for the ball to settle down, Kai broke between her and Becky Sauerbrunn, bodied the ball down to her foot and tipped the ball past Freedom goalkeeper Erin McLeod, who barely got her arm on it, to put the Sky Blue up 1-0 in the 55th minute.

By the 73rd minute, both teams had used up their substitutions. Sky Blue brought in Francielle and Kelly Parker to replace Collette McCallum and Kacey White. Washington brought in Sarah Huffman and Allie Long to replace Lori Lindsey and Rebecca Moros. For Huffman, who has been injured since preseason, it was her first action of the regular season.

The Freedom picked up their intensity and started to have chances. Ali Krieger hit the cross bar with a blistering shot in the 68th minute. Then, in the 78th minute, Homare Sawa chipped one toward the penalty area. Sky Blue keeper Jen Branam came rushing out to punch the ball out. She did but collided hard with onrushing Abby Wambach as she did. Branam went down and the ball went directly to Lisa DeVanna. DeVanna made no mistake in blasting the ball into the net from about 18 yards as two Sky Blue defenders were unable to do anything but watch at the goal line. Branam appeared to be injured on the play, but with no substitutions left, she toughed out the rest of the match sporting a substantial limp. She did not take any of the goal kicks or free kicks for the remainder of the match.

With the score tied 1-1 and less than 10 minutes of regulation remaining, the game looked to be heading to overtime. But then came Francielle with her late game heroics. Heather O'Reilly received the ball on the right sideline and reversed the ball to Yael Averbuch. Averbuch hit a square pass to Francielle, who was about 35 yards from the goal and nothing but space in front of her. She dribbled around Alex Singer to the top of the penalty circle and hit a shot to the lower right corner of the goal that just beat McLeod. It was her first goal of the season.

Sky Blue was able to hold on for the final 6 minutes and stoppage for the victory. Sky Blue outshot Washington 24-12 for the match. They will now go on to meet Athletica in the Super Semifinal next Wednesday in St. Louis.

WPS Playoffs-Sky Blue FC at Washington Freedom

Sky Blue FC (7-8-5) at Washington (8-7-5)
Saturday, August 15th, 4 pm ET
Maryland SoccerPlex
Televised on Fox Sports Net and Comcast Sports Net.

Season Series: Washington took the season series with 2 wins and a tie.
5/23/09-Washington 2, Sky Blue 1 (RFK Stadium)
7/15/09-Washington 4, Sky Blue 4 (Yurcak Field)
8/8/09-Washington 3, Sky Blue 1 (Maryland SoccerPlex)

Top Performers in the Series:
Washington-Lisa DeVanna (4 goals, 1 assist), Abby Wambach (2 goals, 2 assists), Cat Whitehill (2 goals), Sonia Bompastor (1 goal, 2 assists), Rebecca Moros (1 assist), Ali Krieger (1 assist), Erin McLeod (2.00 GA)
Sky Blue-Natasha Kai (2 goals, 1 assist), Rosana (2 goals, 1 assist), Kacey White (2 goals), Heather O'Reilly (1 assist), Keeley Dowling (1 assist), Jenni Branam (3.00 GA)

Possible Starting Lineups:
Washington Freedom (Coach-Jim Gabarra)
G-Erin McLeod (1.43 GA, 3 shutouts)
D-Sarah Senty
D-Cat Whitehill (3 goals, 2 assists)
D-Becky Sauerbrunn (1 goal)
D-Ali Krieger (1 assist)
M-Homare Sawa (3 goals)
M-Lori Lindsey (2 goals, 1 assist)
M-Allie Long (2 goals)
M-Rebecca Moros (2 goals, 1 assist)
F-Abby Wambach (8 goals, 5 assists)
F-Lisa DeVanna (6 goals, 5 assists)
Unavailable due to Euros-Sonia Bompastor (4 goals, 6 assists)
Top Subs-Jill Gilbeau, Joanna Lohman, Alex Singer, Kristen DeDycker, Emily Janss

Sky Blue FC (Coach Christie Rampone)
G-Jenni Branam (1.09 GA, 6 shutouts)
D-Keeley Dowling (3 assists)
D-Jen Buczkowski
D-Christie Rampone
D-Meghan Schnur (2 assists)
M-Yael Averbuch
M-Collette McCallum (3 assists)
M-Heather O'Reilly (2 goals, 3 assists)
M-Rosana (5 goals, 1 assist)
F-Natasha Kai (6 goals, 1 assist)
F-Kacey White (3 goals)
Unavailable due to Euros-Anita Asante (starting defender)
Top Subs-Kelly Parker, Julianne Sitch, Kerri Hanks, Noelle Keselica, Katie Hooker

Game Analysis
To this point, Washington has controlled the series and scored pretty much at will against Sky Blue. Sky Blue lost both contests on the Freedom's home turf and will be on the road again in this contest. It's expected to be a warm sunny day, so fatigue and substitutions could be a key in this match as well. Washington is the top offensive club in the WPS with 32 goals scored, while Sky Blue is one of the better defensive teams. Washington is the hotter team coming into this game, winning 4 of their last 5, while Sky Blue is 2-2-1 in their last 5 matches.

Both teams will be dealing with the loss of key players to the Euros. Washington will be without Sonia Bompastor, who has played all over the field and is usually the engine that makes the Freedom run. Sky Blue will be without perhaps their top defender in Anita Asante.

The Freedom will start Erin McLeod in goal. After early season problems for the Freedom, McLeod stabilized the keeper situation and has performed well in spite of her 1.43 goals against average. On defense, Cat Whitehill and Becky Sauerbrunn will be two of the starters. Whitehill is probably the best offensive center back in the league and is a weapon on long free kicks. Sauerbrunn is one of two Freedom players to play every minute this season, the other being Homare Sawa. The outside backs will probably be determined by how Jim Gabarra wishes to deal with Sonia Bompastor's absence. Last week, he started Sarah Senty and Ali Krieger. However, Gabarra could move Krieger up to midfield to replace Bompastor and start either Jill Gilbeau or Alex Singer at outside back.

In the midfield, Homare Sawa and Lori Lindsey are constants. Both are solid, but Sawa suddenly came to life offensively late in the year with 3 goals in the last 5 games. Rebecca Moros plays kind of a hybrid midfielder/forward position and loves to pressure the opposing back line. The other midfielder could be Allie Long, who battled a toe injury for the latter part of the season, veteran Joanna Lohman, or they could move up the speedy Krieger. There is no doubt at the two forward positions and they may be the best tandem in the league. Abby Wambach is the power with 8 goals and Lisa DeVanna is the speed with 6 goals. Sky Blue hasn't really been able to contain either one.

Sky Blue will have Jenni Branam in goal. She is smallish, but very quick and very active in the penalty area. She will surely miss having Anita Asante in front of her. On the back line, three of the starters are certain. Christie Rampone will be one center back, while Meghan Schnur will be one outside back. Rampone, in spite of her age, is still one of the best defenders in the WPS. Keeley Dowling has played mostly outside this year, but she has played inside also and with Wambach being a primary concern, Dowling might start inside because of her great leaping ability. If Dowling plays outside, then Jen Buczkowski will probably be the other center back. If Dowling plays center, then Rampone might use Katie Hooker or Julianne Sitch outside.

At midfield, Sky Blue will almost have to start Yael Averbuch to combat Wambach's size and strength. Rosana and Heather O'Reilly are both scoring threats from the midfield and should give Washington problems, especially since Bompastor will be gone. In spite of not breaking out offensively, O'Reilly is a constant threat and she can dominate when she is in top form. The other starting midfielder will probably be either Aussie Collette McCallum or Canadian Kelly Parker. They split time in last week's match against the Freedom. Up front, Natasha Kai has speed to burn and is one of the most dangerous forwards in the WPS. She will need to capitalize on her opportunities on Saturday. Kacey White, who is an underrated and solid performer at the other forward spot, rounds out the starters for SBFC.

On any ball in the air toward the penalty area, you can bet that Abby Wambach will be in the middle wreaking havoc with the Branam and her defenders. Looking through the tapes and highlight reels, I estimated that an astounding 28 of the 32 goals scored by the Freedom were from within 12 yards of the goal. In fact, nearly half were from the 6 yard box in. Only 3 were scored from outside the penalty area, one early in the season by Lori Lindsey, one off of a set piece play by Cat Whitehill, and one by Homare Sawa late in the season against FC Gold Pride on a rebound. By contrast, the Freedom gave up several goals from the edge of the penalty area and beyond, including one from Sky Blue's Rosana last weekend.

Sky Blue hasn't had all that much of a problem scoring on Washington either. Their speed at forward and midfield can cause a lot of problems to the middle of the Freedom defense, which isn't particularly fast. Kai, O'Reilly, White, and Rosana should keep the Freedom defense on their toes.

Washington Freedom Keys:
1) Get the ball in the air toward the goal. Not only is Washington strong in the air, but they are going against one of the shortest keepers in the league in Jen Branam. If they loft high crosses into the box, Abby Wambach can easily outjump Branam to the point Jen will have trouble punching the ball out, let alone grabbing it. The Freedom will be missing their best server in Bompastor, but Whitehill can be just as dangerous.
2) Time your runs. Lisa DeVanna scored four goals against Sky Blue this year, but she has a habit of going offsides. DeVanna is 2nd only to Eni Aluko in being called offside this season. Sky Blue is one of the best teams in the WPS at the offsides trap, but they can be burned. If she can time her runs, there is no one on the Sky Blue defense that is going to catch her and she should be able to get behind their back line for at least one or two good scoring opportunities.
3) Get defensive help from the midfield. With offensive threats like Kai, O'Reilly, and Rosana facing them, the Freedom midfield is going to have to get back to help their back line defend. Sky Blue managed to score 6 goals against Washington in 3 matches.

Sky Blue Keys:
1) Keep the Freedom's set pieces to a minimum. Washington has scored 7 times on set pieces and 10 goals on headers. Even with Bompastor gone, this is one of their strengths. Sky Blue's clearances must be strong and they can't allow rebounds.
2) Control the midfield. This is one area where I believe Sky Blue should have the advantage, especially with Bompastor out. If Sky Blue can control the midfield and keep the Freedom bottled up in their own end for much of the game, they have a chance. O'Reilly, Parker, McCallum, and Rosana can put a lot of offensive pressure on the Freedom back line. And I'm still waiting for Yael Averbuch to get one of those strong-legged bombs in the back of the net.
3) Contain DeVanna and Wambach. Well that's easy for me to say, not so easy to do. DeVanna has scored 4 goals against Sky Blue this year and Wambach has scored two. Sky Blue's back line cannot allow these two to run amuck. They will probably need to assign either Yael Averbuch because she can matchup in size, or Keeley Dowling because she has great leaping ability, to shadow Wambach. Abby has scored 5 goals in her last 4 matches.

Prediction
Even though Sonia Bompastor is one of the best all round players in the WPS, the loss of Anita Asante may be a bigger loss to Sky Blue. SBFC has had enough trouble stopping Washington and the loss of a top defender will complicate matters worse. The three matches between these two teams have seen a lot of scoring, but playoff matches tend to be conservatively played and lower scoring. Sky Blue may have come farther from the start of the season than any other team, but they have a lot going against them in this game. They're on the road against a team they haven't beaten and they haven't shown that they can stop them. There have been several matches where the Freedom have found a way to win late in the game and I just can't see Sky Blue containing both Wambach and DeVanna the entire match. My prediction is that Washington will defeat Sky Blue 2-1.

Match Report-Saint Louis 1, Sky Blue FC 0

Eniola Aluko picked a defender's pocket at the top of the box, then dribbled around Sky Blue keeper Jen Branam and sent the ball into the net giving Athletica a 1-0 lead in the 48th minute, which is how the game would end. Jillian Loyden made a heartstopping save grabbing the ball off of Kacey White's foot in stoppage time to preserve the victory for Saint Louis. The victory puts Athletica back into 2nd place, just 2 points ahead of Boston.

For Saint Louis, it moved them one step closer to a playoff berth. A victory on Sunday against FC Gold Pride, combined with a Sky Blue tie or loss to Boston or a Washington loss to Chicago would put them in the playoffs. Sky Blue still has their destiny in their own hands, but they must fend off 5th place Washington.

Loyden, making just her 3rd start for Saint Louis, was brilliant in goal, save for one very nearly embarrassing and disastrous play. She earned her 2nd shutout, making seven saves in the process. For her part, Jen Branam was equally brilliant for most of the evening, making 4 saves.

Early in the match, Athletica dominated possession and chances. Branam made some fairly easy saves early on, but was tested more severely in the 18th minute when Aluko hit a low shot from inside the penalty area to Branam's left. Branam dove to make the save.

Loyden's otherwise strong performance nearly hit a speed bump in the 22nd minute. She moved to her left post to catch a seemingly harmless shot. Just as she was ready to reach for the ball, her feet slid out from under her and she barely got a hand on it to send the ball just wide of the goal. On the ensuing corner kick, the ball came loose in front of the Athletica goal, with Elise Weber clearing it from about two yards from the line.

Athletica continued to pressure the Sky Blue goal, but Branam was up to the task. Niki Cross hit a low shot from about 22 yards out that Branam dove and covered nicely. A minute later, Lori Chalupny sent in a nice cross from the left, that Amanda Cinalli's sliding attempt just missed connecting on. Just a few minutes later, it was Cinalli again, as she received a pass from Aluko and found herself with a chance from about 12 yards, but she sent it just over the bar.

In the 36th minute, Keeley Dowling attempted a bicycle kick, but she didn't get much on it and Loyden made the easy save. The best chance for Sky Blue, however, came in the closing minutes of the 1st half. Natasha Kai got a step on the defender and dribbled into the penalty area. Loyden came out to cut off the angle and Kai sent a shot just over the crossbar. The half ended in a scoreless tie.

Unlike Saturday's game against the Freedom, Athletica forwards pressed Sky Blue's defenders throughout the game. It finally paid off in the opening minutes of the 2nd half, as Aluko stole the ball from a Sky Blue defender and calmly dribbled around Branam to give Athletica the lead. For Aluko, it was her 5th goal of the season.

The teams traded good chances throughout the 2nd half and there were quite a few of them. Sky Blue came close to equalizing several times. In the 58th minute, Yael Averbuch unleased a long shot from the left side, that either glanced off the post or Loyden barely got her hand on. About 10 minutes later, Natasha Kai was running onto a ball in the Athletica penalty area, that Loyden just dove out and grabbed off Kai's foot.

The momentum then swung back to Saint Louis. In the 72nd minute, Lori Chalupny made a nice turn on a defender to get herself clear for a shot from about 14 yards out. Branam came out, cut down the angle, and blocked the shot, robbing Chalupny and Athletica of a 2nd goal. In the 77th minute, Chalupny struck a corner that Angie Woznuk hit a glancing header toward the far post. A charging Sara Larsson was just late getting to the ball and it rolled just wide. Three minutes later, Aluko hit a nice shot from the left side that had Branam beat high to the far post, but it just missed by inches.

Sky Blue wasn't through yet. In the 88th minute, there was a scrum in front of the Athletica net, but Loyden was able to grab the ball out of the air for the save. But the biggest save for Loyden came in stoppage. A Sky Blue attacking player was coming in alone on Loyden. I originally had thought it was Noelle Keselica from my viewpoint over 100 yards away, however I was later corrected that it was Kacey White. White appeared to be nearly around Loyden, but at the last second Loyden reached out with a hand and grabbed the ball away from White's feet to save the day and the game for Athletica.

For the match, Sky Blue outshot Athletica 14-11, although the chances were fairly even overall. Sky Blue was playing without several players for this game. Heather O'Reilly (USA) and Kelly Parker (Canada) were playing in the US-Canada friendly in South Carolina. Anita Asante was in England facing off against Denmark in a friendly for her country. Christie Rampone had emergency surgery just a few days ago. For Athletica, Lori Chalupny was scheduled to be playing in the US-Canada match, but returned to Saint Louis because of the death of her grandfather, whose funeral was today.

Both teams played extremely well and both Loyden and Branam were exceptional in the nets. Aluko was dangerous throughout the match. Kendall Fletcher kept up her fine defensive work as she blanketed Rosana for much of the match. Chalupny's presence and play was clearly a difference maker for Saint Louis. Athletica's defense was solid for much of the match, except for that last anxious moment when Sky Blue nearly tied the game.

For Sky Blue, Natasha Kai and Kacey White both did a nice job of putting the pressure on Saint Louis. Yael Averbuch played very well in the midfield. There is no doubt that SBFC missed having Rampone and Asante in the middle of their defense.

Sky Blue returns to action on Saturday as they travel to Boston to play the Breakers in another match with major playoff implications. Saint Louis hosts FC Gold Pride on Sunday evening, with a potential chance to clinch a playoff berth with a victory and other events falling their way.

WPS Midweek Game & Notes-July 8th

Saint Louis Athletica at Los Angeles Sol

Saint Louis travels to Los Angeles to meet the Sol in an unusual midweek matinee at noon pacific time on Wednesday. A Los Angeles victory means they clinch 1st place and home field advantage for the championship match in late August. Saint Louis is looking to widen their margin over 3rd place Boston, which now stands at just two points.

Athletica is led by striker Eniola Aluko and midfielder Lori Chalupny, who scored the game winner on Sunday against FC Gold Pride. Outside of the injured Daniela, they are the only two Saint Louis players to have scored at least two goals. Finishing was a problem the last time these two teams met as Saint Louis badly outshot the Sol, only to lose by a 2-1 margin. Who will provide additional offense for Athletica? Three possibilities are veteran Christie Welsh, defender/attacker Melissa Tancredi, and attacking midfielder Amanda Cinalli, who scored in her first game with the team.

Defensively, Saint Louis had some anxious moments against Gold Pride, but Hope Solo saved them several times for her 5th shutout of the season. Tina Ellertson leads the group in front of Solo, which has generally been solid, but somewhat inconsistent. Athletica has only won one game in which their opponents have scored a goal. Kendall Fletcher will likely get the honor of trying to shadow Marta, something she did pretty well at in their last meeting.

It has been a foregone conclusion for over a month that Los Angeles was going to finish in first place, it was just a matter of when they would clinch. Well, when could come on Wednesday afternoon. Marta scored the game winner in stoppage against Washington on Sunday, her 9th of the year which leads the league. The Sol also have the league's second leading scorer, Camille Abily. And if that isn't enough, add Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama, and Han Duan to that mix. It was Han who scored the go ahead goal against Athletica just two weeks ago.

On defense, Los Angeles beat the Freedom with a fairly makeshift lineup with Allison Falk and Martina Franko out. Brittany Bock and Katie Larkin were moved to the back line, joining newly acquired Christie Shaner and USWNT defender Stephanie Cox. Shaner's first game with the Sol will likely be her last of the season as she was badly injured in a collision with Abby Wambach.

As good as Solo has been in goal for Saint Louis, Karina LeBlanc has been better for Los Angeles. The Sol have surrendered just 5 goals for the season and only one in their last five games, that one being against Saint Louis. Unfortunately for Athletica, that goal was scored by Kerri Hanks who is now a member of Sky Blue.

Just about everything is going against Athletica in this one. The Sol haven't lost a home game all year. They have outscored their opponents 16-2 at the Home Depot Center. The last time the two teams played there, the Sol dominated the game and won 2-0. But Saint Louis does know they can play with the Sol now, having done so in their recent 2-1 loss. Even a tie in this match would be a huge point for Athletica. Meanwhile, the Sol would love to clinch in their final regular season home game of the year.

US Women's National Team Calls Up 21

Pia Sundhage has announced her roster for the upcoming friendlies against Canada on July 19th and 22nd. 18 of the 21 players are on WPS rosters.

Boston-Angela Hucles, Amy LePeilbet, Heather Mitts, Amy Rodriguez
Chicago-Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, Lindsay Tarpley
FC Gold Pride-Nicole Barnhart, Rachel Buehler, Leslie Osborne
Los Angeles-Shannon Box, Stephanie Cox
Saint Louis-Lori Chalupny, Hope Solo
Sky Blue FC-Heather O'Reilly, Christie Rampone
Washington-Abby Wambach, Cat Whitehill

The other three players on the US roster are collegians. They are Christine Nairn (Penn State), Tobin Heath (North Carolina), and Lauren Cheney (UCLA). Boxx, Rapinoe, Tarpley, and Cheney all scored in the US victory over Canada in May. Several other national teams will be having call ups, leaving WPS rosters fairly depleted for games that week. Gold Pride, Saint Louis, and Sky Blue all have two games that week, while the other four teams have one.

Midweek Notes

Heather O'Reilly scored directly off of a corner kick for the only goal in Sky Blue's 1-0 victory over Boston. It was the 2nd time this rare feat has happened this season. Lori Chalupny of Athletica scored by that method against Gold Pride back on May 9th.

Marta and Camille Abily are the top two scorers in the league with a combined 17 goals. That total is more than any other team in the league, except for Washington which has scored 18.

Boston has scored 10 of their 14 goals in the 2nd half. On the other hand, Saint Louis has scored 8 of their 12 goals in the 1st half. But their last two goals, both game winners, came after the 70th minute.

No Gold Pride player other than Christine Sinclair has scored since May 3rd. Sinclair is likely to be called up for the Canadian National Team and would miss two games if that is the case.

Lindsay Tarpley became the first Red Star player other than Cristiane to score since April. Tarpley scored the game winner against Washington after Cristiane had tied the game with her 3rd goal of the year. Tarpley also has three goals for the Red Stars, having scored in each of Chicago's first two games. It was the first come from behind victory in WPS history.

Sky Blue's Jen Branam earned her 4th shutout of the season against Boston on Saturday. Actually, Branam shared another shutout with Karen Bardsley against Chicago earlier in the season.

Washington has now lost three games in a row, scoring only one goal over that time. That ties Chicago for the longest losing streak of the year. Chicago has twice had three game losing streaks.

After 12 ties in the league's first 37 games, there have been no ties in the last 11 games. The last tie match was on June 17th when the Breakers and Gold Pride tied in Boston, 1-1.

WPS Draft Revisited-Sky Blue FC

This is the fourth installment on the 2009 WPS Draft, looking at Sky Blue FC.

Who They Drafted
1st round (#4)-Yael Averbuch, North Carolina; 2nd round (#11)-Meghan Schnur, Connecticut; 3rd round (#18)-Karen Bardsley, Cal State-Fullerton; 4th round (#25)-Christie Shaner, Notre Dame; 5th round (#32)-Julianne Sitch, DePaul; 6th round (#39)-Jen Buczkowski, Notre Dame; 7th round (#46)-Zhang Ouying, China; 8th round (#53)-Mary Therese McDonnell, Illinois; 9th round (#60)-Mele French, Oregon; 10th round (#67)-Fanta Cooper, UW-Milwaukee.

Strategy
With talented attacking players like Natasha Kai, Sarah Walsh, Rosana, Heather O'Reilly, Kelly Parker, and Kacey White already on their roster, Sky Blue concentrated on defenders and midfielders. They apparently weren't impressed much by younger players, as they took only one college senior, Yael Averbuch. They were the only WPS team to pick less than three college seniors. Sky Blue went heavily with players with American club experience, especially W-League veterans. Most of the players chosen played college and club soccer in the east and midwest, most notably the Chicago area. Maybe this is not so surprising, given that then assistant coach, now interim head coach, Kelly Lindsey went to Notre Dame.

Current WPS Status
For Sky Blue FC, 7 of their 10 draft picks are still on the roster, 3 were released.

Full time starters (3)-Averbuch, Schnur, Sitch
Part time starters and other full roster players (2)-Bardsley, Buczkowski
Developmental (2)-Shaner, French
Released (3)-Zhang, McDonnell, Cooper

Note McDonnell was later picked up by Chicago as a developmental player.

What They've Done (thru 10 games)
Averbuch-9 G, 5 GS, 504 Min, 9 shots, 3 SOG
Schnur-10 G, 10 GS, 900 Min, 2 assists, 2 points, 3 shots
Shaner-2 G, 40 Min
Sitch-9 G, 8 GS, 714 Min, 9 shots, 4 SOG
Buczkowski-6 G, 4 GS, 342 Min, 1 shot
French-1 G, 11 Min

Bardsley-3 G, 3 GS, 225 Min, 6 saves, 0.5 shutouts, 0.80 GA

Total Offensive Output-37 G, 27 GS, 2511 Min, 0 goals, 2 assists, 2 points, 22 shots, 7 SOG.
Total Goalkeeper Output-3 G, 3 GS, 225 Min, 6 saves, 0.5 shutouts, 0.80 GA.

G=Games; GS=Games Started; Min=Minutes; SOG=Shots on Goal; GA=Goals Against Average.

The Players

Yael Averbuch-It was no surprise that Sky Blue would take the New Jersey native with the 4th pick in the draft. But it had to be a little odd for the former UNC star to be spending most of the early season on the bench, given she started 105 consecutive games for the Tar Heels. The change in coaches seems to have made a lot of difference. Under Ian Sawyers, she was averaging just 33 minutes/game. Since Kelly Lindsey has taken over, Averbuch has played every minute of the last 4 games. Averbuch's height gives her a distinct advantage in the air. She distributes the ball well from her midfield position. She has a strong shot and is dangerous anywhere in the attacking third. Averbuch has extensive experience with the US Junior National teams, so she is used to international caliber play.

Meghan Schnur-Out of the 70 players taken in the January draft, she is the only one to have played every minute of every game for her team. Schnur is a poised defender, who holds her ground and is rarely out of position. From her outside left back position, she guards the flank well and has helped Sky Blue's defense become 2nd best in the league. She doesn't go forward as much as many outside backs in the league, but she can contribute offensively as she demonstrated with her two assists against Chicago. Schnur is one of the best defensive players to come out of the draft and should help Sky Blue for many years.

Karen Bardsley-The CS-Fullerton keeper has started three games for Sky Blue. She's given up just 2 goals in the two and a half games she has played. Bardsley played very well under intense pressure in the 1st half of Chicago game in April. She also made a great save against Athletica, keeping her team in the game late in that contest. When in traffic, Bardsley plays safety first, preferring to punch the ball out rather than risk grabbing it out of the air. She has nice height and anticipates well. For the moment, it appears she is backup to Jen Branam, but Sky Blue doesn't lose anything having her in goal.

Christie Shaner-Shaner has seen brief action in two games. The former Notre Dame and W-League star played center back against the Red Stars and also saw action against the Freedom. Shaner adds depth to the defense.

Julianne Sitch-This W-League veteran is a tough competitor. She started and played the full 90 minutes in Sky Blue's first 7 games, but has seen less playing time lately. She can play either outside defender or holding midfielder. She is an agressive tackler as her three yellow cards would attest. Sitch is not afraid to go forward from either the back or from midfield and chooses her opportunities well. From her midfield position, she does a nice job of supporting the back line. As a defender, she can be occasionally beaten by speed to the outside, but marks well for the most part and is steady on the back line. Sitch was a very solid pick in the 5th round.

Jen Buczkowski-The Notre Dame grad has seen action at midfield for Sky Blue, starting 4 games for the Jersey side. Like Sitch, Buczkowski is a W-League veteran, spending four seasons with the Chicago Gaels before being drafted by SBFC. She is a solid midfielder, who defends well. She drops back well to help the back line. She does not go forward very often in the offense. Buczkowski is not going to blow you way, but she quietly and effectively gets the job done.

Mele French-French is a story in perseverance. Her promising college career at Oregon was cuts short by a series of concussions. However, last year she re-emerged playing for W-League champions, Pali Blues. French has seen brief action in one game so far.

Later Additions-In addition to the players above, Sky Blue also signed Jen Branam and Lauren Sesselmann, both of whom were drafted by Chicago. Branam has been the starting keeper for much of the season for Sky Blue. She is the shortest starting keeper in the league, but is extremely quick and aggressive. Branam has an extremely powerful right leg and can easily kick the ball two thirds of the field. However, she will also occasionally mishit a punt into danger. She has made a lot of great saves, but made a glaring mistake against Boston, letting a low cross get through her for an easy goal. Other than that, her play has been sound.

Purdue grad Lauren Sesselmann was drafted by Chicago, then released, but was recently added to Sky Blue's roster as a developmental player. She has not seen any action yet.

Summary
Like Chicago, Sky Blue did well at the top of the draft, but not very good at the bottom. It was a bit puzzling that their 1st round pick, Averbuch, saw very little action early in the season, but lately she has been a key player in Sky Blue's resurgence over the last 4 or 5 games. Schnur is a solid defender and underrated as far as I'm concerned. Bardsley has done a fine job when in goal, although she hasn't played a lot. Sitch was a great pick in the 5th round. Buczkowski has contributed well for a 6th round pick. Veterans Shaner and French haven't played much to this point.

With the exception of Los Angeles, who is loaded with talent, Sky Blue has gotten less starts out of their draft than any other team. They also haven't gotten any scoring, save for Schnur's two assists, but that's largely because they drafted heavily on the defensive side. One problem I see is that because they didn't draft a lot of young players, I don't know how much improvement you are going to see out of most of their draft. There are certainly a lot of solid contributors in this group, but outside of possibly Averbuch and Schnur, I don't think any of the other players could develop into stars.