France Advances to Semis on Penalty Kicks

France and England battled through 120 minutes of tough soccer, without settling a winner. And after all of the nailbiting anxiety of 120 minutes, the penalty kick faceoff offered even more drama. But in the end, France prevailed by a 5-4 margin on penalties and advanced to the semifinals for the first time in their history.

Elise Bussaglia became the French hero, scoring in the 88th minute to draw France even, when it looked like time would run out on them. Late substitute Eugenie LeSommer knocked home what proved to be the winning penalty kick as English captain Faye White would hit England's final kick off the crossbar, in a heartbreaking finish for the veteran English defender.

One would have to say that the better team won this match as France were certainly more dominant for much of the game. However, one had to feel for an English team that was only minutes from wrapping up the match in regulation and led on penalties 3-2 with only two kicks per team left.

By the time the overtime came around, Kelly Smith was barely able to walk, let alone run. Fara Williams was hobbled as well and Ellen White had run herself nearly into the ground. Karen Bardsley appeared to injure her shoulder, although it did not appear to affect the game in any way.

While France held an advantage in play throughout most of the game, it was England that had a chance just seconds into the match. Karen Carney played a perfect ball through to Smith, who dribbled around French keeper Celine Deville. But Smith's attempt from a bad angle was blocked by Laura Georges and France had averted early disaster.

In the 25th minute, Marie-Laure Delie sent the ball to Gaetane Thiney who struck a beautiful volley that was heading inside the right post, but Bardsley made a diving save to keep France off the board. Bardsley nearly got caught off her line in the 37th minute and Louisa Necib's free kick from 35 was headed on target. Bardsley had started forward and had to back up in quite a hurry to tip the ball over the bar.

France continued to create chance after chance, with Necib putting a shot over the bar, Sandrine Soubeyrand shooting wide, and Bardsley making a leaping catch of a corner kick at the back post. Camille Abily also had two attempts that missed their target in the first half.

Meanwhile, England rarely threatened after the chance in the opening seconds. The first half ended scoreless.

The second half continued the same pattern as France consistently pressured and outplayed the English. Delie had a chance from 14 yards on the right side and put it just high and wide of upper right corner of the net. Thiney sent one right at Bardsley just minutes later.

England finally came close in the 54th minute. Rachel Unitt sent a cross from the left wing and Jill Scott's header went just outside the left post. It may have been a sign of things to come for England.

In the 59th minute, Rachel Yankey sent the ball up the left side to Scott, who cut between French defenders Laure LePailleur and Sabrina Viguier to the middle. With open space in front of her, she dribbled to just outside the top of the box and seeing Deville off her line, drilled a shot over the keeper's head, giving England a 1-0 lead.

Play got a little contentious in the 64th minute as Sonia Bompastor took what quite frankly appeared to be a dive while fighting with Kelly Smith for the ball. Smith took exception to Bompastor's acting abilities and after conversing with one another with faces about two inches apart, Smith gave Bompastor a shove. Things settled down and soccer continued.

France continued to offer most of the offense in the match as Delie put one over the crossbar from 15 yards out on the right side. In the 69th minute, Elodie Thomis crossed one from the right wing and it appeared that Bompastor might be perfectly placed on her back post run, but Smith was able to touch the ball away at the last possible second. Bompastor later put her free kick from 22 yards off the wall and over the goal.

France nearly equalized in the 76th minute as a long ball was sent out of the French backfield to Thomis who had a step on the defense. She dribbled to within 12 yards at a steep angle, but Bardsley was able to push her shot away and England were able to block the rebound and clear the ball out of trouble.

Substitutions will certainly be one of the most talked about aspects of this match. Bruno Bini elected to replace Louisa Necib, who had perhaps been France's best player in the tournament, with Sandrine Bretigny in the 79th minute.

But Hope Powell's decision to replace both outside backs in the 81st minute will surely attract some scrutiny. Apparently she was concerned about the toll that French pressure had taken on the English defense and wanted to get fresh legs in to kill the final ten minutes. But she brought on two relatively inexperienced players to replace two solid veterans, bringing in Steph Houghton and Claire Rafferty for Alex Scott and Rachel Unitt. Later in the match, with Smith and Williams in pain and struggling to continue, I'm sure Powell would like to have had one of those subs back. Powell later made a very solid substitution, putting in Anita Asante for Rachel Yankey.

The substitutions nearly proved fatal in the 85th minute as Thomis got behind the left side of the English defense and in on Bardsley from the right side. Thomis attempted to go near post, but Bardsley punched the ball wide. England had temporarily dodged a bullet.

But just when it appeared that England might survive, Sonia Bompastor hit a serve into the English penalty area. The ball landed at about the penalty spot with Delie and two English defenders fighting for the ball. Delie was just able to push the ball back to Elise Bussaglia who teed up a shot from 22 yards. She could not have hit it more perfectly, as her solid strike hit the high off the inside of the left post and behind Bardsley, who had no chance on the shot. France had drawn level with just a few minutes remaining in regulation time.

It appeared that it would take a miracle for England to make it through the overtime with Smith barely able to walk, Williams limping, and Ellen White nearly gassed from continual running over 90 minutes. Bardsley and Faye White also were injured, but somehow continued on as England tried to hang on for all they were worth.

But in spite of all that, England had the best scoring opportunity of the first overtime. Smith flicked a ball onto Ellen White who was through on the right side, but her shot sailed just wide of the net.

France then dominated the second overtime, sending shot after shot at Bardsley, but somehow couldn't score. Eugenie LeSommer, who subbed in to start the second overtime period, was particularly dangerous in the final 15 minutes, sending a shot over the crossbar in the 116th minute. But LeSommer's time had not quite come yet.

England managed to make it through the 2nd overtime and forced the game to penalty kicks, where their rapidly tiring team had a better chance.

France opened the penalties, sending Camille Abily to shoot first. Her shot was hit to the left side, but did not have great pace. Bardsley guessed right and made the save. The next five attempts were converted, with Smith, Carney, and Stoney scoring for England and Bussaglia and Thiney converting for France. In the 4th round, Sonia Bompastor placed hers perfectly into the left side drawing France even 3-3, but with England having a shot in hand.

Second half substitute Claire Rafferty stepped up to take the fourth try for England and put her low shot wide of the right post. Things were now even with one kick left for each side.

LeSommer was up next for the French and placed her shot lower right, easily beating Bardsley who had guessed wrong. Next up for England was England's captain Faye White. White hit a hard shot which caromed of the top of the crossbar and over. For France, it was a thrilling victory and a berth in the semifinals. For England, it was a heartbreaking defeat in a match that they were so closed to winning.

France will now play the winner of the Brazil-United States match on Wednesday. Except for their defeat by the Germans, the French have been dominant in their other matches and will certainly be a force to be reckoned with as the World Cup heads into its final week of action.

England 2, Japan 0

England did not tempt fate and decided to take care of business themselves, defeating Japan 2-0 in their final group stage match. England are through to the quarterfinals, placing first in Group B play. They will await the result of the Germany-France match, as will Japan who finished second in Group B.

While England could have played conservative, as a tie would have been good enough going in, they played attacking soccer and looked better than they had in their two previous matches. Hope Powell inserted four different players into the starting lineup...Ellen White, Anita Asante, Sophie Bradley, and Jess Clarke.

Japan took the first shot of the day, but Kozue Ando's shot from distance was right at Karen Bardsley and the English keeper had no problem with it.

England struck in the 15th minute as Karen Carney struck a long ball up the middle from just on the English side of center. The ball split two Japanese defenders, Saki Kumagai and Aya Sameshima, as did Ellen White. White ran onto the bouncer and chipped a lob over Ayumi Kaihori, who got caught off her line. The ball went into the upper right corner of the net, as Kaihori was unable to do anything about it. England 1, Japan 0.

In the 35th minute, Japan was awarded a free kick. Japan caught England napping, with Miyama taking a quick short ball out to Yukari Kinga on the right wing. She hit a dangerous cross into the box, but Alex Scott just barely beat Ando to the header and English defender Sophie Bradley cleared the ball out of trouble just in the nick of time.

Two minutes later, Jill Scott stole the ball from Sameshima, but could only take a weak shot right at Kaihori. Then in the 38th minute, Jess Clarke's cross from the left side found Ellen White in the center of the box. White's bicycle kick nearly looped over Kaihori, but the Japanese goalkeeper made a great recovery, tipping the ball over the net at the last possible moment.

Japan came right back in the 40th minute. Karen Bardsley came out to punch the ball away from the goal on a Japanese cross, but the ball went right to Kinga. With Bardsley on the ground, Kinga had a golden opportunity, but her drive from 15 yards went well over the crossbar. It may have been Japan's best opportunity of the day and the game went into halftime with England leading 1-0.

England subbed in Rachel Yankey for Jess Clarke at the half and that move turned out to be fortuitious for England.

However, as the half started, Japan appeared to take over the initiative. Aya Miyama's free kick in the 49th minute was placed beautifully over the English defense, but Yuki Nagasato's sliding effort went wide of the post. In the 61st minute, Miyama's corner found Kinga 22 yards out in front of the goal, but her blast was blocked by Rachel Unitt. It appeared that it was only a matter of time before Japan might draw even.

But England would be the team to get the next goal. Unitt crossed the ball from the left side, with Rachel Yankey cutting in front to deflect the ball to the left side of the six yard box. Kaihori attempted to come out to block, but Yankey beat her to the ball and hit a clean shot over Kaihori to put England up 2-0.

In the 79th minute, Karen Bardsley twice came up big, punching out Japanese crosses on consecutive plays within seconds of each other. Bardsley was heading for her first shutout in World Cup play.

Japan would have two more opportunities in the closing moments. Azusa Iwashimizu's shot went wide of the right post in the 89th minute and then Nahomi Kawasumi's effort from 10 yards went over the crossbar in stoppage.

England had gotten the job done on this day. Hope Powell seemed to be pushing all the right buttons today and her decision to start White and sub in Yankey both proved to be excellent moves. England was able to shake off two rather average efforts to play a good match when they needed to. Alex Scott had a very strong match and the English defense as a whole quieted some of their detractors with a solid effort.

As for Japan, they played well, but throughout the match, they seemed to want to make the extra pass, often losing possession before getting a shot off. Their defense showed a few holes as well, which will cause them problems against either Germany or France, whichever turns out to be their quarterfinal foe.

England wins the group with seven points, with Japan finishing second with six points. Both England and Japan will play their quarterfinal matches on Saturday with their opponents to be determined later today.

England 2, New Zealand 1

England came from behind to edge a game New Zealand team by a 2-1 margin. It was the first come-from-behind victory of the 2011 World Cup and it put England in control of their own destiny as far as advancing to the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, it erased any possibility of New Zealand making the quarters.

England got the first good chance of the match in the 12th minute. Ellen White stole the ball from Rebecca Smith and dribbled toward the goal, but Abby Erceg was able to block White's shot. A minute later, a 30-yard effort from Fara Williams was saved by Bindon.

But it was New Zealand that would draw first blood in the 18th minute. Ali Riley sent the ball into space deep on the left side and Amber Hearn was the first to track it down. Hearn crossed the ball from the left side, just shy of the end line. Sarah Gregorius was able to work her way between Casey Stoney and Rachel Unitt to somehow get her foot on the ball and put it by English keeper Karen Bardsley. A stunned English team had watched the Ferns take a one nil lead.

New Zealand probably should have been up by two in the 38th minute. A beautiful was sent through to Gregorius, who had a four yard lead on the nearest defender. Unfortunately, she made a bit of a mess of the dribble, allowing Rachel Unitt to catch up to her and defend her just before she could release a good shot.

In the 44th minute, England threatened but Kelly Smith's shot was deflected by a defender and Bindon easily covered on the play.

New Zealand came close again to start the 2nd half. Gregorius crossed the ball from the right side to Hearn whose header went mere inches over the bar and landed on top of the netting. England had to feel quite lucky not to be down by two or three goals at that point.

England starting to gain mementum after the 60th minute. Finally, Alex Scott's cross from the right side was perfect for Jill Scott, who easily skied over the defender and headed the ball into the upper left corner of the net. England had drawn even and New Zealand had to be kicking themselves for the missed opportunities.

England continued to pressure in next few minutes. Another Alex Scott cross led to another Jill Scott header. Ferns' goalkeeper Jenny Bindon made the saved, bobbled the ball a bit, but was able to secure it just ahead of Ellen White who was making a run at the goal. A minute later, a Kelly Smith shot was deflected just wide right of the goal.

New Zealand regained the momentum as the game moved into the final 20 minutes. Ali Riley's cross was just behind Rosie White, who had perhaps gotten in too close to the goal. White couldn't quite get her foot solidly on the ball and another chance slipped away.

England seemed determined to get the winner in the 80th minute, but Bindon made a diving save on Ellen White's shot from 12 yards to keep her team even.

However, in the 81st minute, Rachel Unitt sent a long ball into the box. Bindon came out to attempt to punch the ball away, but didn't get enough to clear it out of trouble. The ball came to Jill Scott, who touched the ball across to second half substitute Jess Clarke and she made no mistake on her finish. For the first time of the day, England held the advantage.

Bindon kept her team close with a fantastic kick save on Fara Williams in the 88th minute. Williams' low shot from 18 yards out appeared to be headed just inside the right post, but Bindon kicked her left leg out just in time to deflect the ball away from the net. England was able to waste away the final minutes and hold on for the victory.

For England, it was a great comeback win when it looked like they were in deep trouble in this match. They now have the inside track on the second position out of Group B and could win it if they are victorious over Japan on Tuesday.

Sadly, New Zealand has been eliminated from any chance of the quarterfinals. They have put forth two solid efforts against very good teams and came away empty. They can somewhat play the role of spoiler against Mexico, who still is in the running for the quarterfinals.

England 1, Mexico 1

England and Mexico battled for 90 minutes to a hard-fought draw in Wolfsburg. The match was well contested throughout, with both sides having several good chances to score, but the match ended in a 1-1 tie.

This is a much improved side we are seeing from Mexico these days and they stayed with the tough English team blow for blow in this match. They nearly went on top in the opening minutes as Maribel Dominguez was given a nice through-ball that put her temporarily behind the English defense, but veteran defender Faye White made a nice recovery and Dominguez was unable to get a shot off.

For England, early on, it was shots from distance that seemed to be the order of the day. Kelly Smith's near miss just past the right post was the first of many that England would try in the first half. Apparently, the English were trying to test 16-year old Mexican keeper Cecilia Santiago early and often.

With no score in the 21st minute, England gained a corner kick on the right side. Karen Carney took the kick with the ball going high to the right side of the box, about 15 yards away. English midfielder Fara Williams was able to get height over the Mexican defender and headed the ball into the upper right corner of the net, while Santiago watched helplessly. England led 1-0.

Santiago appeared unfazed just a few minutes later as she was able to make a diving stop on Williams' attempt from 22 yards and smother it without rebound.

Then, what appeared to be a very innocuous play from Mexico resulted in a goal. The Mexicans gained possession in the midfield and after a couple of passes the ball came to Monica Ocampo, a good 35 yards away from the goal.

Ocampo touched the ball to the center of the field and then ripped a shot that curled under the bar and beyond a very stunned Karen Bardsley to tie the match at one. Bardsley appeared to be deceived by both the pace and spin on the shot and attempted to catch it two-handed instead of punching the ball away. As it turned out, it was just out of her reach and the match went into intermission tied at one.

Although they didn't score, the two great strikers in this match, Kelly Smith and Maribel Dominguez did not disappoint anyone with their play. Dominguez seemed to be perpetually on the run and menacing the English back line. Smith, as usual, controlled the center of the field, distributing well to teammates and taking a shot or two herself when the opportunity presented itself. Dominguez eventual developed a cramp late in the contest and was substituted out, but not before she threw a few scares into the English team.

While England had the better of chances and possession in the first half, Mexico gained confidence after Ocampo's goal. They nearly took the lead in the 49th minute as Dominguez struck her free kick from 22 yards just wide of the left post.

England took their turn just five minutes later as Rachel Yankey's cross to the back post was headed to the middle by Karen Carney, but Eni Aluko's swing at the ball from directly in front of the net produced nothing.

The English might have been a tad lucky in the 60th minute as Rachel Unitt's late challenge on Alina Garciamendez in the penalty area did not result in a call and the English defense were able to clear.

In the closing minutes of the game, both teams were presented with golden chances on free kicks. Smith's attempt from 25 yards went over the bar, while Ocampo's try from similar distance was even closer, just inches over the crossbar.

It appeared that Mexico had plenty of energy in the last few minutes, while England appeared to be worn out. Two minutes into stoppage, Mexico pressured inside England's penalty area, but Stephany Mayor's blast was blocked by Ellen White just yards in front of the goal to avert disaster.

While the result was a tie, the young Mexican squad had to be very happy with their performance and should gain confidence for the road ahead. They were able to strike back within minutes of falling behind in the match and showed more energy and greater possession as the match wore on.

Perhaps, a disappointing result for England, but their task against a very tough Mexican team was not that easy. England next faces New Zealand, a team that tied them in the Peace Cup last fall. Mexico will now face Group B leaders Japan. A victory against the Japanese would put Mexico in very good shape to advance to the quarterfinals.

Group B Preview: England

England (#10)
Region: UEFA
Coach: Hope Powell
How They Qualified: Won UEFA Group Stage, then defeated Switzerland in playoff.
Prior Cups:
2007: Lost in Quarterfinals
2003: DNQ
1999: DNQ
1995: Lost in Quarterfinals
1991: DNQ
Returnees from 2007 WWC: (13) Brown, A. Scott, Stoney, F. White, Williams, Aluko, K. Smith, Yankey, Asante, J. Scott, Chamberlain, Carney, Unitt.

Roster (Average Age: 26.56)

Name	Pos	Club	Age	Caps/Goals
Karen Bardsley	GK	Sky Blue FC	26	13/0
Rachel Brown	GK	Everton	30	73/0
Siobhan Chamberlain	GK	Bristol Academy	27	18/0
Sophie Bradley	DF	Lincoln Ladies	21	5/0
Claire Rafferty	DF	Chelsea	22	4/0
Alex Scott	DF	Boston Breakers	26	77/12
Casey Stoney	DF	Lincoln Ladies	29	74/4
Dunia Susi	DF	Birmingham City	23	13/0
Rachel Unitt	DF	Everton	29	89/7
Faye White	DF	Arsenal	33	99/13
Anite Asante	MF	Sky Blue FC	26	49/1
Laura Bassett	MF	Birmingham City	27	19/0
Stephanie Houghton	MF	Arsenal	23	16/1
Jill Scott	MF	Everton	24	45/6
Fara Williams	MF	Everton	27	92/34
Eniola Aluko	FW	Sky Blue FC	24	55/11
Karen Carney	FW	Birmingham City	23	60/11
Jessica Clarke	FW	Lincoln Ladies	22	25/6
Kelly Smith	FW	Boston Breakers	32	104/43
Ellen White	FW	Arsenal	22	14/5
Rachel Yankey	FW	Arsenal	31	109/14

Recent Matches:

Date	Opponent	Competition	Result
5/17/11	Sweden	Friendly	W 2-0
4/2/11	USA	Friendly	W 2-1
3/9/11	Korea Republic	Cyprus	W 2-0
3/7/11	Canada	Cyprus	L 0-2
3/4/11	Scotland	Cyprus	L 0-2
3/2/11	Italy	Cyprus	W 2-0
10/21/10	New Zealand	Peace Cup	T 0-0
10/19/10	Korea Republic	Peace Cup	T 0-0
9/16/10	Switzerland	UEFA Playoff	W 3-2
9/12/10	Switzerland	UEFA Playoff	W 2-0
8/21/10	Austria	UEFA WC Qualifier	W 4-0
7/29/10	Turkey	UEFA WC Qualifier	W 3-0
6/19/10	Spain	UEFA WC Qualifier	T 2-2
5/20/10	Malta	UEFA WC Qualifier	W 6-0
4/1/10	Spain	UEFA WC Qualifier	W 1-0

Hope Powell’s squad may have the best chance ever for England to advance far into the tournament. They have twice reached the quarterfinals, including 2007, when they were beaten by the US 3-0. They are a very experienced, with 13 players returning from that team.

But which team will show up in Germany, the team that just defeated Sweden and the United States in back-to-back friendlies or the team that played two scoreless ties at the Peace Cup and lost to Canada and Scotland at the Cyprus Cup?

One of the players from the 2007 team, Fara Williams, did not get a chance to play in that quarterfinal match. She received two yellow cards and was forced to sit and watch from the side. Williams is a true organizer for the English team, excellent at possession and pin point on free kicks. She will surely be hungry for this World Cup.

The English have a multitude of scoring options. Kelly Smith, a perennial Player of the Year candidate, is their main target. She just recently passed the 100 cap milestone in her career and has scored 43 goals. She is tough and healthy after suffering through some injuries in 2009 and early 2010.

As for who will be her striking partner, that’s anybody’s guess. Eni Aluko looked to be the odds on favorite after the 2009 Euros in which she played brilliantly. However, she has scored just twice in her last 11 appearances for England. Karen Carney usually plays more of a wing and has been injured for the early part of 2011. Rachel Yankey is the experienced veteran and scored against the US in that recent friendly. Then there are young talents like Ellen White and Jess Clarke to be considered.

An American-based goalkeeper, Karen Bardsley, now appears to be their number one keeper. She has started six of their last seven matches, while Rachel Brown had received the lion’s share of the starts before that.

Perhaps the most suspect part of their lineup might be their back line, where Faye White has also been nursing an injury as of late. The English defense is experienced with Alex Scott, Rachel Unitt, and Casey Stoney. While their defense has been better lately, they did give up 14 goals in six games at their last major competition, the 2009 Euros. Goal differential could be very important in this tournament and their defense had better be more defiant than that.

England did appear to get a favorable draw and should be the odds on favorite to advance and possibly win the group. Japan will likely be their stiffest competition and they did not look sharp in a pair of recent matches against the United States. Mexico is relatively inexperienced team and New Zealand, while improving, should not be a problem for England if they play well. However, it must be said that New Zealand played a well-earned tie against England last fall.

If this team plays well and puts it all together, they could make a run deep into this tournament, perhaps all the way to the finals. This might be their best chance yet to place among the top teams in the world.

Note: Some information in this article was obtained from www.fifa.com and www.thefa.com.

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.

England 2, United States 1

For the third time in the last five months, the United States tasted defeat as England executed a dominating first half performance to a 2-1 victory. Jess Clarke and Rachel Yankey scored for England.

For the first 35 minutes of the match, England thoroughly controlled possession and scoring chances, as the United States rarely threatened. The middle three of England's 4-3-3 formation, Kelly Smith, Jill Scott, and Fara Williams clearly outplayed their counterparts during the opening half.

England struck first just eight minutes into the match. Rachel Yankey outfought Ali Krieger for a ball on the left side of the box and crossed to the middle where Jess Clarke finished past Nicole Barnhart, with a bit of an assist from Kelly Smith who did a nice job of screening Amy LePeilbet away from the ball. England was up 1-0 and the game had just barely begun.

England made it 2-0 before the half hour. On a counterattack, Kelly Smith found wide open spaces between the US midfield and back line. She dribbled for a long stretch to the top of the box, where three defenders converged on her. She deftly passed the ball outside left to a wide open Rachel Yankey. Yankey hit a beautiful finish, high and inside the right side netting.

England had other golden opportunities and barely missed on a couple of free kick opportunities, with Fara Williams hitting the crossbar on one and Kelly Smith bending another just inches wide. The US were quite fortunate to only be down by two goals at the 35 minute mark.

But against the run of play in the 39th minute, Megan Rapinoe received the ball toward the left side just past center, dribbled to the middle unchallenged and let go a low shot from 22 yards that beat English keeper Karen Bardsley just inside the left post.

Pia Sundhage made two substitutions at the half, sending Stephanie Cox in for Amy LePeilbet, who was making an uncharacteristic start at left back and looked none too comfortable doing so. The other sub was Hope Solo, seeing her first action in eight months, in for Barnhart. Solo did make a nice sliding save early in the 2nd half, but was relatively unchallenged otherwise.

The early part of the 2nd half was a bit more evenly played than the first, but the US was still unable to manufacture any scoring chances. Three more substitutions followed, with Lauren Cheney coming on for Abby Wambach in the 62nd minute, Alex Morgan subbing for Amy Rodriguez in the 70th, and Tobin Heath in for Megan Rapinoe also in the 70th. Wambach still did not look 100% with a heel injury that's been bothering her for several months.

The substitutions seem to breathe life into the US side and the chances started coming, even though the goals did not. The best chance may have been in the 71st minute when Rachel Unitt just handed the ball to Heather O'Reilly who had clean breakaway only to send the ball wide of the left post as an onrushing Bardsley forced the shot.

England had one of her best chances just a minute later as Kelly Smith got behind the American defense. Smith, who played a very strong match, hit an unusually weak shot that rolled wide, much to the relief of the US team.

Hope Powell made two second half substitutions, Sophie Bradley for Faye White, who appeared injured as she came off, and Karen Carney for Yankey.

Alex Morgan, who has been the US spark as of late, had as many as four chances in the last 20 minutes, but just couldn't find the net. In the 76th, Carli Lloyd hit a hard shot that was saved by Bardsley with the rebound falling to Morgan, but she just couldn't get a good shot off. In the 80th minute, she received a brilliant long pass from O'Reilly, chested the ball down, but her shot sailed just wide of English goal.

In another instance, the ball rolled just past Bardsley at the top of the box in traffic, but Morgan was knocked off balance as she went by and was unable to take advantage. It was Morgan again in the 86th minute sending a hard shot wide left of the goal.

The final chance for the US came in stoppage as a hard Carli Lloyd shot was blocked by Unitt. The United States had finally run out of time and the final score stood at England 2, United States 1.

For England, Kelly Smith had her usual strong match, as did Rachel Yankey and Fara Williams. In fact, the entire English midfield played very well and their forwards were active for the first three quarters of the match. Yankey and young Ellen White kept the US defense back on their heels for much of the match. The English back line made strong flank runs early, especially Alex Scott, and were just good enough defensively to preserve the win. Bardsley was solid in goal.

For the US, Heath, Cheney and Morgan gave the team energy and Heather O'Reilly played a strong second half. Megan Rapinoe was also very active early on. The US defense looked uncomfortable and a bit overmatched at times, before settling down as the 2nd half wore on. They often faced superior numbers as England was able to exploit the huge gaps between the US midfield and back line.

The United States will train in Scotland for a few days before returning home. Their next action will be a pair of matches against Japan in May.

Captain Marta Scores Twice and Wins All-Star Game MVP

Marta scored two early goals to lead the Marta XI to a 5-2 All-Star Game victory over the Abby XI. The game was played at KSU Stadium, home of the Atlanta Beat before 4610 fans.

Marta got her team on the board just 7 minutes in with what amounted to be a breakaway, hitting it lower left to beat goalkeeper Hope Solo. Just a minute later, she went one-on-one against Amy LePeilbet on the left side the box, getting free for a left footed shot that beat Solo inside the post to make the margin 2-0.

Christine Sinclair made it 3-0 on a rebound after Solo had made a diving save on Allison Falk's shot from about 10 yards out. Sinclair had scored two goals in the 2009 All-Star Game.

The Abby XI finally scored late in the 1st half, with the goal once again coming on a rebound. Abby Wambach drove a hard header that Erin McLeod was able to block, but Eniola Aluko was on the rebound and was able to slot it just inside the post to cut the lead to two goals before halftime.

The score stayed that way until the 74th minute when Aya Miyama made it 4-1 for the Marta XI. Miyama, who has not scored a regular season or playoff goal, got one in front of her home crowd in Atlanta.

On what was perhaps the prettiest goal of the night, Heather O'Reilly crossed the ball from the left flank and Lauren Cheney timed her run perfectly with a beautiful header past Nicole Barnhart to once again cut the lead to two. However, Amy Rodriguez finished the scoring just minutes later to put the Marta XI ahead 5-2.

Marta was name the MVP of the All-Star Game presented by U. S. Coast Guard Reserve.

Bardsley Out Indefinitely

Sky Blue goalkeeper Karen Bardsley was injured while training for the All-Star Game. She suffered what was described as a clavicle injury while participating in a 7-on-7 scrimmage in training on Tuesday.

Bardsley, who plays for the English National Team, had been chosen as a starter for the All-Star Game. She has already posted five shutouts this season and is the WPS leader in goals against average at 0.90 goals per game. In spite of the injury, she attended the All-Star Game with her arm in a sling, cheering for her teammates.

Bardsley will be out indefinitely which will surely deal a blow to Sky Blue's playoff hopes. The defending champions had lost last year's starter, Jen Branam, to an injury before the season started. In the only 2010 Sky Blue game not started by Bardsley, Kristin Luckenbill had surrendered four goals to Philadelphia just a couple of weeks ago.

Rodriguez Is Player of the Week

With all of the All-Star Game festivities, it was almost easy to overlook the Player of the Week award which went to Amy Rodriguez. Rodriguez scored two goals in Philadelphia's 3-2 victory over the Washington Freedom last weekend. She now has six goals for the season which is tied with Marta for the WPS lead in that category. The victory pushed the Independence to within one point of 1st place FC Gold Pride.

To celebrate the award, Rodriguez scored yet another goal in Wednesday's All-Star Game. The offseason trade with Boston that brought her to the Independence was questioned by many at the time, but she is proving the critics wrong with a spectacular season so far in 2010.

Boston Signs Dieke

The Boston Breakers have announced the signing of defender Ifeoma Dieke. Dieke is a member of the Scottish National Team and is a WPS veteran. Dieke played the entire 2009 season for the Chicago Red Stars, where she was a starter on their back line. After starting five matches in 2010, she was waived by the Red Stars. The Breakers, who appear to be shaking up their roster, signed the 29 year old defender to help shore up their defense. Dieke played her college soccer at Florida International.

WPS Weekend Wrap - Philadlephia and Sky Blue Post Wins

Philadelphia 3, Washington 2

The Independence staged a dramatic come-from-behind victory to defeat the Washington Freedom 3-2 in West Chester. Lianne Sanderson scored the game winner in stoppage for the home team.

The Freedom built up an early 2-0 lead and looked to be on their way to a victory. Lene Mykjåland opened the scoring just 3 minutes in, as she scored on a rebound. Abby Wambach converted a penalty to put Washington ahead by two before the match was a quarter hour old.

Philadelphia pulled even in the 2nd half with two Amy Rodriguez goals, her fifth and sixth of the season, in a 10 minute span. That set the stage for Sanderson's heroics.

Rodriguez is now tied for the WPS lead in goal scoring with Marta. The Independence moved to within a point of league leading Gold Pride. They stand at 21 points with a 6-3-3 record. Washington's loss combined with Sky Blue's victory drops the Freedom into 4th place at 4-3-3.

Sky Blue FC 2, FC Gold Pride 0

Sky Blue handed Gold Pride their first home loss since last July with a 2-0 victory. New Jersey was coming off the worst loss in their history, a 4-1 loss to Philadelphia last weekend.

After a scoreless 1st half, Sky Blue struck in the 58th minute. Heather O'Reilly crossed the ball to the back post and Rosana was able to slide between defenders for a diving header which she placed past Nicole Barnhart. The goal came as Rosana was about to be subbed out in favor of Tasha Kai.

Gold Pride turned up the pressure, creating several chances to tie, but were unable to convert. A Tiffeny Milbrett drive from 20 yards hit the crossbar. Karen Bardsley tipped a Kelley O'Hara shot over the bar. Later, a Christine Sinclair goal was correctly disallowed on an offsides call.

Just when it seemed Gold Pride might pull even, Sky Blue struck on a counterattack. After the ball was cleared by the Sky Blue defense, Jessica Landström was able to get through two Gold Pride players in the midfield and then push a pass forward to Kai. Kai was able to get a shot off from 22 yards, just before an onrushing Ali Riley was able to cut her off and it beat Barnhart just inside the right post.

Karen Bardsley picked up her 5th shutout for Sky Blue this year. Gold Pride gave up two goals for the first time since the season opener.

The win moves Sky Blue into 3rd place with a 5-4-2 record and 17 points. Gold Pride maintains their hold on 1st place, but their lead is down to one point with a 7-3-1 record and 22 points.

Standings:
(1) FC Gold Pride (7-3-1, 22 pts); (2) Philadelphia (6-3-3, 21 pts); (3) Sky Blue FC (5-4-2, 17 pts); (4) Washington (4-3-3, 15 pts); (5) Chicago (3-5-3, 12 pts); (6) Boston (1-5-4, 7 pts); (7) Atlanta (1-5-3, 6 pts).

Bardsley Named Player of the Month

Karen Bardsley of Sky Blue FC has been named WPS Player of the Month for May. Bardsley posted two shutouts and an 0.75 goals against average for May while facing the most shots of any WPS goalkeeper. She has earned four shutouts this season, in spite of facing 59 shots on goal, 22 more than the nearest competitor.

Bardsley, a Cal State-Fullerton grad, competes with the English National Team. She has spent her entire WPS career with Sky Blue and played the backup role to Jen Branam for much of last season.

Namazi Named Red Stars Coach

Omid Namazi has been named as the new head coach of the Chicago Red Stars. Marcia McDermott had served as interim coach for a week following the dismissal of Emma Hayes.

Namazi formerly coached the WUSA San Diego Spirits in 2003. Since then, he has primarily coached men's indoor soccer. The Red Stars are coming off of an upset win over 1st place FC Gold Pride. They presently sit in a tie for 5th place with 7 points.

More Signings of Athletica Players

Veteran forward/midfielder Lindsay Tarpley has signed with the Boston Breakers. Tarpley is coming off of a severe knee injury and had just taken over as a starting striker for the now defunct Athletica. She had one goal to her credit this season after scoring four for the Chicago Red Stars in 2009. Tarpley is also a member of the USWNT.

Athletica defender Elise Weber has signed with the Chicago Red Stars as a developmental player. Weber started all 6 games for Athletica this season, after starting 14 matches last season. She will be returning to her native Chicago where she played high school soccer in the suburb of Elk Grove. Weber played college soccer at Notre Dame.

Nikki Washington has also signed with the Red Stars. Saint Louis had obtained Washington's rights in the Anita Asante/India Trotter deal in May. Washington had not signed with Saint Louis. She was drafted by Los Angeles with the 5th overall pick in January's draft, then obtained by Sky Blue in the dispersal draft.

It has also been reported that Athletica developmental player Erin Walter has signed to play with the W-League Colorado Force, although I have not seen confirmation of that yet. Walter played both the 2009 & 2010 WPS seasons in St. Louis.

It is also being reported that former Athletica midfielder, Daniela, has signed to play with the W-League Hampton Roads Piranhas. Daniela was injured in Athletica's 4th match last season and has been recovering since. She had re-signed with Saint Louis for 2010, but was later released when Anita Asante was obtained in a trade.

WPS Midweek Notes - May 12

Bardsley Is WPS Player of the Week

Sky Blue goalkeeper, Karen Bardsley, has been named WPS Player of the Week. Bardsley posted her 3rd shutout of the season against the Atlanta Beat in Sky Blue’s 1-0 victory. Bardsley made 13 saves in the match, while keeping the Beat off the scoreboard. Bardsley currently leads WPS in saves, shots faced, shutouts, and goals against average, among those that have played enough to qualify. She became the 2nd Sky Blue goalkeeper to win the award. Jen Branam was named Player of the Week at the end of last season.

Athletica to Wear Special Uniforms to Support Breast Cancer Research

Saint Louis Athletica will wear special uniforms in their May 16 match against Sky Blue FC. To commemorate their support for the Susan G. Komen St. Louis Race for the Cure®, each Athletica uniform will bear the name of a person who has battled the disease on the front of the jersey, honoring 22 individuals who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

“It was quite an honor to be chosen as the honorary Race co-chairs,” stated Athletica Captain Lori Chalupny. “Wearing the names of these women who have battled breast cancer on our jersey is just a small way we can honor them and everyone who has ever been diagnosed with the disease. We feel like we are bringing them onto the field with us by doing this, and I think it will be inspiring to pull those jerseys on before the game on Sunday.”

The 22 names include local breast cancer survivors, and relatives or friends of Athletica players who have battled breast cancer. The uniform will be an all white kit with pink lettering and numbering. PUMA, the WPS uniform provider, has also designed a specific pink game ball that will be used exclusively for the match.

Around the League

Atlanta Beat – Ramona Bachmann managed to get off 8 shots in the match against Sky Blue, with 5 of them being on goal…..Only Stacy Bishop, Leigh Ann Robinson, and Mami Yamaguchi have played every minute of all 5 matches…..The Beat drew 7248 fans to the home opener in their new stadium. It’s the 2nd largest WPS crowd of the year to the game that Washington played Saint Louis at RFK Stadium.

Boston Breakers – Ashley Phillips earned her first career shutout against Washington last Saturday…..Kelly Smith continues to be the most fouled player with 15 fouls suffered. Last season she tied Lori Chalupny for the lead with 46…..The Breakers have only scored more than one goal once in their last 14 matches.

Chicago Red Stars – Although allowing two goals for the first time in her career, Jill Loyden stopped a penalty shot in Saturday’s match against Gold Pride…..There have been 6 players red carded in league history. Ifeoma Dieke became the 3rd Red Star to be red carded following Frida Östberg and Karen Carney last year…..Chicago is the only team that has yet to play at least one of the two expansion teams, but they will meet Philadephia at home this weekend.

FC Gold Pride – Kelley O’Hara became the first player from the January, 2010 draft to record a goal and an assist this season…..Gold Pride has attempted the only two penalty kicks this season in WPS, both unsuccessful…..With their victory over Chicago, Gold Pride became the 2nd team ever to win 4 consecutive regular season matches, the other being Los Angeles. Gold Pride will seek to break the record on Friday against the Breakers.

Philadelphia Independence – Amy Rodriguez leads the league in shots on goal with 15, 5 ahead of 2nd place Marta…..For the first time, Lori Lindsey did not figure in the scoring of an Independence goal, but her long pass from Philly’s side of the half line sent Rodriguez in alone, before Lyndsey Patterson banged home the rebound…..Japanese forward Karina Maruyama got her first start of the year against Saint Louis last Saturday.

Saint Louis Athletica – Lindsay Tarpley started her first match since coming back from an ACL injury and scored her 1st goal for Saint Louis…..Shannon Boxx picked up her 3rd caution of the season, meaning she will have to go 4 matches without a card to avoid suspension…..Athletica has a 7 game regular season home unbeaten streak with a 5-0-2 record over that stretch.

Sky Blue FC – In spite of missing the last two games with an injury, Tasha Kai has scored half of Sky Blue’s 4 goals, with another being an own goal. Laura Kalmari is the only other SBFC player to have scored…..Including the playoffs, Sky Blue’s last 5 wins have come by 1-0 margins…..Sky Blue has been outshot by an astounding 92-43 margin this season.

Washington Freedom – Erin McLeod earned her first shutout of the season against Boston on Saturday…..Becky Sauerbrunn is now the only player to have played in every minute of both the 2009 and 2010 seasons…..The game against the Breakers marked the first time the Freedom have been shutout since their 1-0 loss to the Los Angeles Sol on July 5, 2009.

Trivia Question - Behind Becky Sauerbrunn, which current WPS player now has the 2nd longest active streak for consecutive minutes played in the regular season?

WPS Weekend Wrap

It was a unusual weekend in WPS, which included one red card, two own goals, 4 shutouts, a goal by the 2nd oldest player in the league, and another veteran player ending a streak of 2240 consecutive minutes on the field.

Boston 0, Washington 0
Battling wind gusts, the Breakers and Freedom played to a scoreless tie before 4198 fans at the Maryland SoccerPlex on Saturday. The Breakers outshot the Freedom by a 9-6 margin. Erin McLeod and Ashley Phillips both earned shutouts. It was only the 2nd scoreless tie in Freedom history, the last being at RFK Stadium to the Chicago Red Stars on June 13, 2009.

The game matched up the league's two remaining ironwomen, Kristine Lilly and Becky Sauerbrunn. Neither had missed a minute of action since league play started last March. Lilly, who is also the oldest player in WPS, came off at the 80 minute mark in favor of Laura Del Rio, ending her consecutive minutes streak at 2240 minutes, while Sauerbrunn's streak continues at 2250 (2340 if you count playoff matches).

FC Gold Pride 2, Chicago 0
Donning red jerseys, FC Gold Pride increased their 1st place margin to 3 points by defeating the Chicago Red Stars 2-0 at home on Saturday night. Nicole Barnhart earned her 2nd consecutive shutout. Ifeoma Dieke of the Red Stars was redcarded about midway through the 1st half for contact against Kelley O'Hara in the penalty area. Jill Loyden was able to stop Tiffeny Milbrett's ensuing penalty kick to keep the score tied at 0-0 into the break.

It was Milbrett who finally broke through in the opening minute of the 2nd half, recovering her own rebound after nailing the crossbar and knocking a sidewinding shot past Loyden. Kelley O'Hara added an insurance goal later in the half. Gold Pride outshot the shorthanded Red Stars by a 19-4 margin for the match.

Sky Blue FC 1, Atlanta 0
The women from Jersey spoiled Atlanta's stadium opening with a 1-0 victory on Sunday night before 7248 fans. It was the 3rd time this season that Sky Blue had won by that margin. It was a game in which Atlanta's Ramona Bachmann did everything but score and Sky Blue's Karen Bardsley stopped everything that came her way.

After a scoreless 1st half, Sky Blue scored in the 51st minute. Heather O'Reilly sent a dangerous cross into the penalty area. With Laura Kalmari on her heals, Leigh Ann Robinson attempted to head the ball out of trouble, but instead headed just past goalkeeper Brett Maron for an own goal.

Bachmann created chance after chance, but she either shot just wide or was thwarted by Bardsley who had a spectacular match. Bardsley had previously robbed McCall Zerboni of a goal in the 1st half of the match. Sky Blue was outshot by a 25-9 margin, which has been a fairly consistent theme in their matches this season.

Saint Louis Athletica 2, Philadelphia Independence 1
Saint Louis gets an own goal and Lindsey Tarpley scores in her first start of the season to give Athletica a 2-1 victory. Lyndsey Patterson brought the Independence to within one with a goal in the 75th minute, but Philadelphia was unable to equalize. It was game that saw Tarpley and Eniola Aluko create dangerous chances throughout the match.

Correction: In the original game story, I had reported that Aluko had sent a pass across to Tarpley when Falk connected with the ball for the own goal. In fact, it occured on the return pass from Tarpley and not vice versa. My apologies for the error.

Standings: (1) FC Gold Pride 4-1-0, 12 pts; (2) Sky Blue FC 3-2-0, 9 pts; (3) Philadelphia 2-1-2, 8 pts; (4) Saint Louis 2-1-2, 8 pts; (5) Washington 2-2-1, 7 pts; (6) Boston 1-1-3, 6 pts; (7) Chicago 1-3-1, 4 pts; (8) Atlanta 0-4-1, 1 pt.

WPS Midweek Notes - April 14

Head over Heals

It takes a lot of different skills to play soccer. Speed, agility, endurance, concentration, and sometimes, a little gymnastical skill. Kiki Bosio of FC Gold Pride demonstrated her cartwheeling ability using the flip throw several times in Sunday’s match against Saint Louis Athletica. While it is somewhat of a novelty to fans who don’t see it very often, it can also be an effective offensive weapon. Bosio was able to throw the ball deep into Athletica’s penalty area every time and although Gold Pride was unable to convert any of the throws into goals, it did present some dangerous opportunities.

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Player of the Week

Eniola Aluko of Saint Louis Athletica was named WPS Player of the Week for the weekend of April 10-11. Aluko scored two goals to lead Athletica to a 2-0 win over FC Gold Pride. Aluko had won Player of the Week honors once previously in 2009. Aluko scored a goal in each half of Sunday’s match. It was the first two goal game in her WPS career.

Rookies

Out of the 65 players taken in the January draft, 22 are now full-roster players in the WPS and another 16 made WPS teams as developmental players. Out of those, 17 players made their debut in the opening weekend of WPS. Ten of those players started and there was at least one of the rookies in the starting lineup for each team. FC Gold Pride had three starters from their draft selections back in January.

The 10 starters were Lauren Cheney (Boston), Nikki Marshall (Washington), Carolyn Blank (Saint Louis), Tobin Heath (Atlanta), Whitney Engen (Chicago), Estelle Johnson (Philadelphia), Brittany Taylor (Sky Blue FC), and Kelley O’Hara, Kaley Fountain, and Ali Riley (all FC Gold Pride). Not only did Gold Pride start three of their rookies, 5 of their draft selections saw action in Sunday’s match.

Lauren Cheney was the only 2010 draft choice to score a goal last weekend, but she will have the distinction of being the first player to score a 2010 regular season goal.

Long Waits

Ashley Phillips spent the entire 2009 season on the Boston Breakers roster as a developmental player. She did not play a minute for the entire season. Such is the life of a developmental keeper in WPS. After a year of waiting, Phillips finally got her chance on Saturday and earned the victory in goal for the Breakers in their 2-1 win over the Washington Freedom. Phillips was credited with 7 saves for the match.

Sarah Wagenfuhr started last year as a developmental player for Chicago, but was released after their second game, having not played. On Sunday, she started at outside back for Athletica and played 23 minutes before coming off with an injury.

Lauren Sesselman got into one game for one minute in 2009 for Sky Blue FC. She started and played the full 90 in Atlanta’s opener on Sunday. On the other side of the field Philadelphia’s Lyndsey Patterson had appeared in only one game for 12 minutes for the Los Angeles Sol in 2009. She started and played 57 minutes for the Independence.

Midweek Notes:

Atlanta - Ramona Bachmann did not make the trip to Philadelphia because of illness after scoring a goal and an assist in Atlanta’s final exhibition game in Tulsa…..Allison Whitworth picked up her 2nd career shutout in WPS. Her previous shutout against the Los Angeles Sol in 2009 also ended in a scoreless tie…..The number one overall pick in the 2010 draft, Tobin Heath, played 89 minutes in Sunday’s game.

Boston – Last season, Kelly Smith scored a goal in each of the first 4 games in which she appeared for the Breakers and she started 2010 out in the same fashion with a goal against the Freedom…..The Breakers became only the 2nd team in WPS history to start a developmental keeper in goal with Ashley Phillips on Saturday. Washington had started Kati Jo Spisak three times in 2009…..Lauren Cheney scored her first career WPS goal just 6 minutes into Saturday’s contest.

Chicago – Cristiane was credited with taking 9 shots in the Red Stars loss to Sky Blue, a total which easily leads the league…..In the continuation of a disturbing trend, Chicago has now been shut out 12 times in 21 matches over two seasons…..Kate Markgraf played the full 90 minutes after missing the 2009 season on maternity leave.

FC Gold Pride – Five of Gold Pride’s draft selections saw action on Sunday. Kelley O’Hara, Kaley Fountain, and Ali Riley started, while Becky Edwards and Kiki Bosio subbed in…..Kandace Wilson came off the bench, seeing her first regular season action since she was injured in a May 24th match against Los Angeles in 2009…..Four of Gold Pride’s 5 international players were not with the team in 2009. Camille Abily and Marta were with Los Angeles, Candace Chapman was with Boston, and Solveig Gulbrandsen did not play in WPS last season.

Philadelphia – Karina LeBlanc earned her 13th career shutout on Sunday against Atlanta…..Philadelphia had the largest attendance of the WPS opening weekend with 6,028…..Amy Rodriguez was credited with 6 shots for the Independence against Atlanta, more than in any of her appearances for the Breakers last season.

Saint Louis – Eniola Aluko became the 3rd Athletica player to score two goals in one game. The other two were Daniela and Christie Welsh…..Shannon Boxx became the first Athletica player to record two assists in one game…..Carolyn Blank was the lowest draft choice to start for a WPS team last weekend. Blank was Athletica’s 5th round selection, the 46th overall pick in the draft.

Sky Blue FC – Heather O’Reilly, who tied for SBFC’s lead in assists last season with 3, picked up her first assist on Sunday…..Karen Bardsley picked up the 2nd shutout of her career. Her first came against FC Gold Pride on August 5, 2009, when she was a last second replacement for an injured Jen Branam…..Sky Blue has now shutout the Chicago Red Stars all 5 times they have played them. They have a 4-0-1 record against the Red Stars with a 5-0 goal differential.

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Washington Freedom – Allie Long was the only non-national team player to score a goal this past weekend…..While Abby Wambach is primarily known for her goal scoring ability, she now has 6 career WPS assists, which ties her for 1st place in that category…..The Freedom have now given up multiple goals in 11 of their 22 matches in 2009-10 including the playoff game.

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Opening Week Trivia: Of the 6 returning WPS teams, only two started the same goalkeeper as they did in last year's opener. Name the goalkeepers and the teams. (Answer in the weekend preview later this week).

WPS Weekend Wrap Up

A number of universities are well represented in WPS, including UNC, Notre Dame, Portland, UCLA, Stanford, and Santa Clara. One university that has been developing a number of WPS players as of late is Florida State. Sunday's game between Saint Louis and FC Gold Pride included 3 ex-FSU stars and a former FSU assistant coach. Shown here (from left) India Trotter of Athletica, Assistant Coach Paul Rogers (Athletica's goalkeeper coach), Becky Edwards of FC Gold Pride, and Sarah Wagenfuhr of Athletica. All three players played in the match.

Athletica defender/midfielder Elaine wasn't able to play in Sunday's game because there was a delay in getting her international clearance. But that didn't stop the Brazilian National Team player from participating in another way. She joined Laclede's Army, a supporters group for Saint Louis Athletica, in their cheering section. She got into the spirit of the match by spray painting her hair green, sitting in with the group's drummers and doing her part in supporting her team from the stands. She is hoping to join her teammates on the field soon.

Boston 2, Washington 1-The Breakers got goals from Lauren Cheney and Kelly Smith to defeat the Freedom. Ashley Phillips got the victory in goal in her first WPS action. Allie Long scored the Freedom's loan goal.

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Saint Louis 2, FC Gold Pride 0-Eniola Aluko scored both goals as the Athletica won their home opener. Shannon Boxx had an excellent match, assisting on both goals. The Marta-led Gold Pride were unable to get their offense untracked. Hope Solo earned the shutout in goal.

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Sky Blue FC 1, Chicago 0-The defending champions won their home opener. Natasha Kai scored early on an assist from Heather O'Reilly and SBFC was able to hold on for the win. Karen Bardsley earned the shutout in goal. Jill Loyden gave up just the one goal in her first start for the Red Stars.

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Philadelphia 0, Atlanta 0-The Independence drew over 6000 fans for their home opener which ended in a scoreless tie. Karina LeBlanc (Philadelphia) and Allison Whitworth (Atlanta) earned shutouts. Several key players were missing from the match including Allison Falk (red card in '09 championship game) and Heather Mitts (injury) for Philly and Ramona Bachmann (illness) and Monica Ocampo (illness) for Atlanta.

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.

Match Report-Athletica 1, Sky Blue FC 0

Change was in the air as Saint Louis Athletica downed Sky Blue FC 1-0 before over 3100 at Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri. It was the first game at Athletica's new home and with that new home came quite a few changes in Jorge Barcellos' lineup.

Barcellos, looking to bolster his scoring punch, started Christie Welsh for Kerri Hanks up front. He also inserted Amanda Cinalli and Stephanie Logterman into the lineup. Neither had seen a minute of action before this game. Cinalli has been recovering from an injury, while Logterman was finishing up her studies at the University of Texas. For Sky Blue, Kelly Lindsey sent Karen Bardsley out to play goal for the first time in 6 matches.

Saint Louis started with Solo in goal, Logterman, McNeill, Ellertson, and Weber on defense, Woznuk, Fletcher, Cinalli, and Chalupny at midfield, and Aluko and Welsh up top. Sky Blue had Bardsley in the nets, Sitch, Rampone, Schnur, and Asante on the back line, McCallum, O'Reilly, Averbuch, and Rosana at midfield, and Kai and White at forward.

Early in the game, Athletica held the advantage. They worked their passing game well and controlled possession for a majority of the first 20 minutes. The first scoring chance came when Elise Weber's cross was headed just wide of the goal by Christie Welsh.

It didn't take long for Cinalli to make an impact. In the 15th minute, Eniola Aluko received a pass and dribbled into the box to the goal line at Bardsley's left. Aluko sent a nice ball to the middle that eluded Sky Blue defenders right to Cinalli who found herself one-on-one against Bardsley. Cinalli settled the ball and buried it into the net from about 9 yards out, giving Athletica a 1-0 lead.

After the midpoint of the 1st half, Sky Blue's play improved. A Natasha Kai shot from straight out was tipped over the bar by Hope Solo. Several other Sky Blue chances followed. Yael Averbuch sent one well over the bar, Heather O'Reilly shot one just wide and then later hit one right at Solo.

The momentum swung back to Athletica near the end of the half. Aluko attempted a bicycle kick that hit a Sky Blue defender in the face and was cleared. Later, Christie Welsh dribbled in from the right side and nearly caught Bardsley off her line, chipping a ball that just barely cleared the bar. Later, Angie Woznuk hit one over the bar as well.

The 2nd half was mostly Sky Blue. About midway through the 2nd half, Kacey White sent a serve in front of the net that O'Reilly was just able to get a piece of, but the ball popped into the air and went over the crossbar. There was about a 15 minute stretch where Sky Blue seemed to be constantly at Solo's door step.

The best chance for Sky Blue came with about 15 minutes to go. Collette McCallum got the ball about 8 yards out, directly in front of Solo and unmarked. McCallum seemed to slip the slightest bit and she mishit the shot that appeared to come off the side of her foot and rolled harmlessly away. That's one I'm sure McCallum will be replaying over and over. Although the Jersey team continued to put pressure on, that was the last good scoring opportunity they would have.

Christie Welsh had one more good chance for Saint Louis, as she received a pass on the right side and dribbled to the box where she let go of a lot hard shot that Bardsley made an outstanding save on to keep Sky Blue in the game. But SBFC was unable to put another shot on net and the game ended with Athletica on top 1-0.

The victory places Saint Louis in a 3-way tie with Boston and Gold Pride for 3rd place at 11 points. They have two games in hand to Gold Pride. Sky Blue sits at the bottom of the table in spite of recent improved play with 8 points.

Cinalli and Welsh definitely added a bit of a spark to Athletica's offense. Logterman played generally well in her first action and looked good going forward a few times. Lori Chalupny played her usual strong game, but the team didn't need to rely on her to do everything as they did early in the season. Hope Solo was very good in goal, making a couple of tough saves and gaining the shutout. Although the defense made a few mistakes and maybe were a bit lucky that Sky Blue didn't capitalize on their chances, they played pretty well as a unit.

For Sky Blue, Heather O'Reilly was simply all over the field and had a very strong game. Karen Bardsley did well in goal and really had no chance on the goal that Athletica scored. Natasha Kai was dangerous at times and forced Solo to make a couple of leaping saves. Surprisingly, Keeley Dowling did not play for Sky Blue.

Saint Louis came out of the game a little banged up. Eni Aluko apparently tweaked a hamstring and was subbed out in the 2nd half. After the game she was limping fairly substantially. Kia McNeill also came out, but that appears to be because of cramps and she should be okay for next week's game. Melissa Tancredi is still bothered by an injury she sustained three weeks ago against Gold Pride and she did not play.

Looking ahead, Athletica travels to Boston next week where they will take on the Breakers on the FSC match of the week on Sunday. Sky Blue returns home where they will host the 1st place Los Angeles Sol on Saturday evening at Yurcak Field in Piscataway.

Game Notes

Saint Louis played in special kits in honor of Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness. Athletica players wore white socks, pink shorts and white jerseys with a pink ribbon. Puma created limited edition pink soccer balls for the occasion, which were used in the match. Several of the players' jerseys were among the items in a silent auction to raise money for this worthy cause.

Angie Woznuk remains the only Saint Louis player to have played every minute of every match for the season. For Sky Blue, only Anita Asante and Meghan Schnur have played every minute.

There have been very few goals scored in Athletica's home games. They have beaten Sky Blue and Gold Pride each 1-0, tied Los Angeles 0-0, and lost to Chicago 1-0, for a total of two goals for and one against over four games.

Daniela was walking around very stiffly, but without crutches, after the game. Athletica hopes she can return to action before the end of the season.