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, 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.

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.

Flash Win Opener 2-1 Over Breakers

The new kids in town served notice that they are going to be a tough bunch to deal with, even without their top gun. Western New York opened its history with a strong 2-1 victory over the Boston Breakers on Sunday evening in Cambridge.

In what was a fast-paced match from the outset, it was an impressive piece of soccer put on by the Flash. It's not even like Boston played a bad game, because they really didn't. It was just a night where the Flash had too much energy to overcome and all of this without Marta.

The first half of the contest was scoreless, but in spite of the lack of goals and scoring chances, it was certainly not without exciting action. Play seemed to go from end to end in the early going, with the match being fairly even.

Boston escaped a few close calls in the opening half, the first coming in the 5th minute. Christine Sinclair fed a beautiful pass to Caroline Seger, who tapped the ball past Breakers' keeper Alyssa Naeher. Stephanie Cox was able to clear the ball just inches off of the line.

Later, in the 31st minute, it was the Flash again nearly scoring. Becky Edwards sent an inswinging corner from the left side. Brittany Bock skied to head the ball from a seemingly impossible angle on the far side of the net. The header went off and through Naeher's hands toward the center of the goal where Alex Scott headed it off the line to save a goal.

Perhaps the best Boston opportunity of the half came very early with Kelly Smith sending Kelley O'Hara through with a nice pass, but O'Hara's shot from a steep angle only hit the outside of the net.

The halftime break did nothing to slow down the Flash as they came out attacking in the 2nd half. The Breakers dodged yet another bullet in the 56th minute as Naeher came well out of the box in an attempt to clear a Sinclair pass. Alex Morgan was able to touch it past Naeher and had the open net 25 yards in front of her, but her shot sailed well wide of the net.

Throughout the match, it appeared that Western New York was able to find a little more space behind the Breakers' midfield to set up their attack. It finally paid off in the 66th minute.

The Flash gained possession at the center circle and Whitney Engen sent a long ball forward. Alex Morgan was able to run onto it and outmuscle Rachel Buehler for the ball. Morgan drove deep into the right side of the penalty area and slipped a nice pass back to the center where Sinclair was cutting in front of Amy LePeilbet. Sinclair got a step around LePeilbet and slid a low shot into the lower left to make it 1-0.

Boston tried to press the attack for the equalizer, but for the most part, the Flash defense were sturdy in disrupting every attempt. The closest the Breakers came was in the 82nd minute, when O'Hara cut back to the inside on former Stanford teammate Ali Riley and ripped a shot from 15 yards out, but Candace Chapman headed the ball away before the ball reached Flash goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris.

The Flash stretched their lead to two as second half substitution Gemma Davison made a run from 40 yards out, raced straight past Breaker defender Ifeoma Dieke and struck a shot into the lower left corner of the net in the 90th minute.

Just when it appeared the game was over, Boston cut the lead in half. Nearly two minutes into stoppage, Lauren Cheney blasted a shot from the left edge of the box, which rattled off the bottom of the crossbar straight to Kelly Smith who head tapped it in from just inches in front of the goal.

Unfortunately for the Breakers, only seconds were remaining and they were not able to get the ball into the attacking half after that.

Boston falls to 1-1, while Western New York is 1-0. Boston travels to Florida to take on magicJack next Saturday. Western New York heads to Atlanta to take on the Beat next Sunday.

WPS Standings after Week 2
Western New York 1-0-0, 3 pts.
Boston 1-1-0, 3 pts.
Atlanta 1-1-0, 3 pts.
Philadelphia 0-0-1, 1 pt.
Sky Blue FC 0-1-1, 1 pt.
magicJack 0-0-0, 0 pts.

2011 Boston Breakers Preview

Boston Breakers
Coach: Tony DiCicco (3rd year)
2010 Record: 10-8-6 (2nd place)
Home Stadium: Harvard Stadium (Cambridge, Massachusetts)

Roster:
Goalkeepers (3): Kelsey Davis, Alyssa Naeher, Ashley Phillips.
Defenders (7): Liz Bogus, Rachel Buehler, Stephanie Cox, Ifeoma Dieke, Amy LePeilbet, Kasey Moore, Alex Scott.
Midfielders (8): Jordan Angeli, Leah Blayney, Niki Cross, Leslie Osborne, Elli Reed(R), Katie Schoepfer, Nikki Washington, Keelin Winters(R).
Forwards (5): Lauren Cheney, Taryn Hemmings, Kelley O’Hara, Kelly Smith, Claire Zimmeck.
(R) denotes true rookie; returning players in bold.
Probable World Cup players: Buehler, Cox, LePeilbet, Scott, Cheney, O’Hara, and Smith.

Boston returns 14 players from last season’s 2nd place finish (regular season) and that continuity should help them early on. The Breakers also picked up two highly regarded players from Gold Pride’s championship team, Rachel Buehler and Kelley O’Hara.

The Breakers finished very strong in 2010, 9-3-2 over their last 14 matches with two of the losses coming against FC Gold Pride. An overtime loss to Philadelphia meant that the season ended in disappointment, but the team made a lot of progress during the season and looks to be a contender for the title this season.

Goalkeepers: Alyssa Naeher is the number one keeper and she did a fine job over the final two thirds of the 2010 season. She posted a 1.17 goals against average and three shutouts. Heading into this season with a year’s experience under her belt, she should be even better.

There is an outside chance Naeher could be selected to the USWNT for the World Cup, although it looks as though Ashlyn Harris will get the third goalkeeper’s spot right now. Boston’s backup keepers are Ashley Phillips, who was the Breakers starter early last season and Kelsey Davis, who spent time with the Red Stars last season and has been a regular on national junior teams.

Defenders: This could be the best defense in WPS, although a couple of other sides could put up good arguments. The starters are national team players all, with Alex Scott and Stephanie Cox on the outside and Rachel Buehler and Amy LePeilbet on the inside. Buehler comes over from Gold Pride, a team that she helped make the best defensive unit last year. LePeilbet is a two-time defensive player of the year in WPS. Scott, a starter with the English National Team, is one the best offensive outside backs in soccer. Cox is a consistent performer, who rarely makes mistakes.

The problem is that they are so good, they will all be in Germany in June and July, meaning the Breakers lose their entire back line for a good part of the season. Ifeoma Dieke can certainly step right in. She is a member of the Scottish National Team and has excellent speed. Kasey Moore is a two-year veteran of the Breakers, so she is familiar with their system. Liz Bogus is listed as a defender, although her natural position is either attacking mid or forward, so the back line will be rather new to her.

Boston will have to move some of their listed midfielders to play back line. The most likely candidates are Niki Cross, Elli Reed, or Jordan Angeli, all of whom have extensive experience at playing back line. Reed was excellent at outside back for Portland while in college and is one of two rookies to make the squad.

Midfielders: Probably the area that has seen the most changes for Boston is in the midfield. With the retirement of Kristine Lilly, Leslie Osborne will be the experienced leadership in this group. Osborne is a top notch defensive player, and like teammate Rachel Buehler, can be one of the toughest tacklers in the league.

Jordan Angeli is another returnee and was one of the pleasant surprises of the 2010 season. After becoming a starter a third of the way into the season, she scored seven goals, second most on the team. She is a solid defender as well. Nikki Washington is another midfielder that can score. An excellent attacking player from the wing, the former UNC star has been slowed by injuries since 2009.

Another Portland alum, Keelin Winters, will also compete for a starting role at midfield. Winters is a hard worker and has great soccer intelligence. Leah Blayney has played club soccer both in the US and in her native Australia.

Forwards: The forward tandem of Kelly Smith and Lauren Cheney should give opponents all sorts of problems. Smith, who might possibly be the best women’s player in the world not named Marta, is a tough, talented veteran who always seems to make good decisions. She has scored 17 goals over two seasons in WPS while playing through injuries.

Cheney is a strong, young USWNT player. She is at her best receiving the ball with her back to the goal and is always a threat to turn a defender and get off a lethal shot. She can also get a shot off in traffic, a skill not many players have. In addition, Boston picked up Kelley O’Hara, also a member of the USWNT. O’Hara has very good speed and can find the gaps in opposing defenses.

Again, the problem is that many of the forwards will be headed to the World Cup. The other forwards all have limited WPS experience. Taryn Hemmings, Claire Zimmeck, and Katie Schoepfer have seen some WPS action and will be counted on heavily during the other’s absences. Washington might also be a candidate to move up to forward.

Outlook: The only two things standing in the way of this team and a championship are the 2011 World Cup and the other top teams in WPS. Boston will be hit hard by World Cup losses, which could force them down the standings a bit. Other teams will be going through the same thing, but no other team stands to lose both its entire back line and its top three forwards. Really, only Western New York comes close to losing that much talent.

But in any case, Boston should be a playoff team and then it’s just a matter if they can beat the other top teams in the league in a pressure situation. The added speed that O’Hara and Washington will give to this team will help. Certainly, continuity is a plus for the Breakers, having the same coach, the same system, and the same core group of players. If the midfield can come into its own and if Naeher can continue to improve in goal, the sky’s the limit for this team.

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.

WPS Super Semifinal - Boston vs. Philadelphia

Philadelphia Independence (10-10-4) at Boston Breakers (10-8-6)
Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium, Cambridge, MA – September 23 (8 pm ET)

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

Boston: GK-Alyssa Naeher, Ashley Phillips; D-Amy LePeilbet, Ifeoma Dieke, Alex Scott, Stephanie Cox, Kasey Moore, Taryn Hemmings; MF-Kristine Lilly, Jordan Angeli, Lindsay Tarpley, Liz Bogus, Chioma Igwe; F-Kelly Smith, Lauren Cheney, Laura del Rio, Fabiana.

Previous Meetings (2010)
April 18 – Philadelphia 1 @ Boston 1
July 4 – Boston 2 @ Philadelphia 1
August 8 – Boston 2 @ Philadelphia 2
August 29 – Boston 2 @ Philadelphia 1

Boston is 5-6-1 at home with a 21-17 edge in goals.
Philadelphia is 3-8-2 on the road being outscored 13-20.

Top Performers in Series
Philadelphia: Magnusdottir (2 goals), Rodriguez (1 goal), Falk (1 goal), Lohman (1 goal), Sanderson (1 assist), Lindsey (1 assist), Seger (1 assist), LeBlanc (4 games, 1.75 goals against).

Boston: Smith (3 goals, 2 assists), Cheney (2 goals), Cox (1 goal, 1 assist), Lilly (1 goal, 1 assist), Naeher (3 games, 1.33 goals against), Phillips (1 game, 1.00 goals against).

Matchups:
Goalkeepers
Val Henderson (or Karina LeBlanc) vs. Alyssa Naeher

Coach Paul Riley surprised me a little by going with the lesser experienced Henderson over LeBlanc in the playoff opener and it paid off with Henderson earning the shutout. To be fair, she wasn’t tested all that much, but any shutout under the pressure of playoff competition is praise worthy. Interestingly, LeBlanc started all four of the meetings against the Breakers this season, so if Henderson gets the start, it will be her first action against Boston.

Alyssa Naeher has been Boston’s starting keeper for the last two-thirds of the season and she was in goal for the two Breaker wins over the Independence. Naeher posted three shutouts in her last eight starts of the season, so she has been coming on as the season progressed.

There have been no shutouts in the matches between these two teams. In the battle of the two young keepers, I see it as being pretty even.

Defenders
Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, Frida Magnusdottir, and Estelle Johnson (or Heather Mitts or Sara Larsson) vs. Amy LePeilbet, Ifeoma Dieke, Alex Scott, and Stephanie Cox.

The Independence defense hadn’t posted many shutouts this season, but they played a strong match and got one when they needed it against the Freedom. However, they were facing a Freedom offense that is often heavily dependent on one player. Boston presents a whole different problem with two strong forwards and several offensive-minded midfielders. Stopping both Kelly Smith and Lauren Cheney might prove a tougher task. I expect a fairly physical confrontation between Philly’s tough back line and Boston’s forwards.

Boston’s back line couldn’t offer much more in experience. LePeilbet is the two-time WPS Defender of the Year and a mainstay on the USWNT. Cox has extensive USWNT experience as well. Scott is regarded as one of the best outside defenders in Europe and Dieke plays for the Scottish National Team. This might be the top back line in WPS.

Magnusdottir gave Boston fits in one of their matches, but even with the Independence defense coming off of a strong game against Washington, you have to give the Breakers the edge here. The experience is mind-boggling and with LePeilbet in the middle, they will be a tough team to beat.

Midfielders
Lori Lindsey, Caroline Seger, Tina DiMartino, and Jen Buczkowski vs.
Kristine Lilly, Jordan Angeli, and Lindsay Tarpley.

When it comes to attacking midfielders and forwards for the Boston Breakers, the line is pretty much blurred. Smith, Tarpley, Lilly, and Fabiana can be considered either when it comes to positioning. The “defensive” midfielder of the group is Angeli, but she finished as the Breakers’ second leading goal scorer for the season with seven goals. Tarpley has had a strong season coming off of a serious injury and her arrival from St. Louis along with the insertion of Angeli into the lineup sparked Boston’s turnaround. Whether considered a forward or midfielder, Lilly usually does most of her damage from the wing, where she is adept at pinpoint crosses. Boston does miss Leslie Osborne who suffered a season-ending injury toward the latter part of the campaign.

The Independence has to consider their midfield as their strength. The absence of Lohman will hurt, but Philadelphia is still loaded with Lindsey, Seger, and DiMartino. Buczkowski is a rugged defensive mid and Seger isn’t afraid to mix it up as well. But also note that Buczkowski has received three yellows against Boston, ending in one ejection. Both Lindsey and Seger are in the WPS top six in assists for 2010. This midfield helped stymie Washington in the 2nd half of their playoff match and if they could control this match anywhere as well, they just might be headed to California this weekend.

This is a really tough call on advantage. Lindsey, Seger, and DiMartino have a combined 7 goals and 13 assists, not counting DiMartino’s assist in the first round. Lilly, Tarpley, and Angeli have a combined 14 goals and 9 assists. Again, I have to call this virtually even.

Forwards
Amy Rodriguez and Lianne Sanderson vs. Kelly Smith, Lauren Cheney, and Fabiana (or Laura del Rio).

It’s the speed of Rodriguez and Sanderson against the power of Smith and Cheney. Early in the season, the talk would have been about the return of Rodriguez to Boston, the team that traded her away. But she scored 12 goals this season and has come into her own as one of the league’s premier forwards, so I think it would be a disservice to her to make much of that now.

Smith and Cheney have both had success against the Independence this season. Smith scored three goals (including a penalty) and added two assists in her four appearances against Philadelphia. Cheney notched two goals of her own. It’s much harder stopping a team with multiple weapons and Philadelphia has had trouble with such teams this year, going 0-5-2 against the Breakers and Gold Pride combined. Smith is one of the most skilled players in the world and one of the toughest as well. Cheney is one of the best young forwards in the world and has very few peers with her back to the goal.

The Independence forwards have been limited to just one goal (Rodriguez) and one assist (Sanderson) on the same goal when the teams met in July. They must make a difference in this match if Philadelphia is to win. Games like Sunday’s against the Freedom would have frustrated Rodriguez a year ago. It speaks to her maturity as a soccer player that she didn’t let a few near misses get her down and her tenacity paid off in the 120th minute of that match. Sanderson has been both a starter and a key sub for Philly. Lohman’s injury pushed her into the starting lineup against Washington, but it almost seemed like she was less of a factor in that role. I still like the speed and excitement she can bring to the team.

Both teams have other players that could make a difference. Danesha Adams could see late action for the Independence, while del Rio and Fabiana could very well be factors for the Breakers.

I have to give the edge to Smith and the Breakers at forward. Smith has a world of experience and Boston’s forwards have had a lot of success against Philadelphia. Still, it would not surprise me to see Rodriguez or Sanderson get behind Boston’s defense a couple of times in this match, which could test Naeher. The Breaker defense, while very good, is not invincible.

Coaching
Paul Riley vs. Tony DiCicco

It’s hard to argue with the success of either coach this season. Riley took an expansion team and instantly made them into playoff contenders. DiCicco took a team that looked dead in May and coached them to 2nd place in the turnaround of the season.

It’s hard to pick one over the other, so I’ll call it even.

Intangibles
The Breakers didn’t exactly have a convincing home record at 5-6-1, but they were 5-2 over their last seven home games, so you can probably throw the season’s record out the window. This will be a different field for them, however, so the advantages of knowing the playing surface from playing on it for several months is not one that the Breakers will enjoy in this match.

The Independence had a lot of problems on the road this season and lost their final three road matches of the regular season, scoring only three goals in their final six road matches. Their three road victories were all over non-playoff teams, although they did manage a tie in their only trip to Boston this year. And Philly does have a playoff game under their belt, while Thursday night’s contest will be the first ever for Boston.

Much will be made of the short rest for Philadelphia after playing on Sunday afternoon. However, this didn’t seem to faze the Independence in the least during the regular season. They played seven matches on four days of rest or less and managed an impressive 4-1-2 record in those matches. Two of the wins and the loss were on occasions where they had short rest, while their opponent had a full week or more. But none of those matches were after a long season and after a 120 minute pressure-packed match. Paul Riley will have to use his substitutions wisely.

The victory over Washington should give the Independence some momentum, but Boston has been on a long hot streak, going 10-3-2 over their last 15 matches. However, it should also be noted that the Breakers were shut out in their final two matches. I would give a slight edge in intangibles to the Breakers based on the home field, not having to travel, and longer rest. But remember Sky Blue in 2009…

My Prediction
I missed the playoff opener, not thinking it would turn into a defensive struggle and not thinking that the Indpendence could win such a game. My mistake, but I just think there are too many little things going against them here. I like Smith’s experience and Boston’s back line.
Boston Breakers 2, Philadelphia Independence 1.

WPS Awards - Who I Voted For and Why.....Part 2

In Part 2, I'll look at the final two awards, plus one that wasn't voted on, but I feel deserves mention.

WPS Rookie of the Year - Jordan Angeli, Boston Breakers

This award was just flat out hard to vote on. Not only were the four players on the ballot all worthy choices, but there were about a half dozen more that could have and perhaps, should have been on the ballot.

Brittany Taylor, Ali Riley, and Lauren Cheney all had solid seasons from beginning to end. Meanwhile, Jordan Angeli only played 26 minutes in Boston's first four games and didn't become a regular starter until the 8th game of the season. But it was the definition of the award that put Angeli ahead of the others on my ballot.

Description: Awarded to the rookie – one year removed from playing in college – judged to have had the greatest impact on her team’s performance during the WPS regular season.

At the point Angeli was inserted into the starting lineup, the Breakers were floundering in 6th place. From that point on, Angeli had seven goals and three assists over the last 17 matches. In early July, she scored the game-tying goal against Atlanta, followed by the game-winning goal against Washington. She tallied both a goal and an assist in a late July game against the Freedom and again in mid-August against Sky Blue. In both cases, they were the first two goals of those games. Angeli had been expected to be a defender at the start of the season, but stepped right into the midfielder's role when needed. Her impact on the Breakers cannot be understated and for that reason, she was my choice for this award.

Ali Riley had a very strong season for FC Gold Pride. The speedy outside defender is dangerous on the attack as well as being a solid defender. She earned a respectable three assists from her back line position and was one of the reasons for the strong improvement of Gold Pride's defense compared with 2009.

Brittany Taylor was one of the few constants in the Sky Blue lineup this year. She started and finished every single game for New Jersey and played well throughout. And like Angeli, she showed the versatility to play midfield as well as defender. Taylor finished the season with two goals.

In my mind, Lauren Cheney is the heir apparent to Abby Wambach. She's a big strong forward with a lot of talent and is a constant threat to score. She is one of the most dangerous players in the league with her back to the goal, turning on her opponents with quick precision to get off that blast of a shot. Her arrival took some pressure off of Kelly Smith as well. I just felt her Breaker teammate, Angeli, had more of an impact in this season.

I feel that the mention of a few more worthy names that didn't make the ballot is called for here. The Freedom's Nikki Marshall showed unbelievable versatility, playing solidly at both forward and defender. She started on the back line, but then scored three goals in a brief stint as a forward, before being moved back to defender. Her return to the back line coincided with Washington's August resurgence, giving the Freedom the speed on defense that they had been lacking.

The Red Stars' Whitney Engen lacked just four minutes of duplicating Taylor's feat of playing every minute. She was solid and often overlooked on Chicago's back line, at least partly because of the Red Stars being out of contention most of the season. She helped lead a Chicago team that was second only to Gold Pride defensively.

Four other players worthy of strong praise were Ashlyn Harris, Alyssa Naeher, Becky Edwards, and Kelley O'Hara. Once Harris got her feet wet, she had a phenomenal month of August, giving up just two goals, one of which was an own goal. Naeher was the Breaker's starting keeper for the final two thirds of the season and did a solid job for them. Edwards is perhaps one of the most underrated and overlooked young players in the league for Gold Pride. O'Hara had outstanding rookie totals with six goals and four assists for Gold Pride. It will be hard for future rookie classes to match this one in shear talent and depth.

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

For many people, choosing Marta as the winner of this award was cut and dry. She far surpassed everyone else with her 19 goals over 24 games. She didn't miss a minute for FC Gold Pride this year. She helped 2009's last place team become 2010's champion. Quite simply, she was the best player on the best team in WPS and her impact on Gold Pride's performance was immense.

For me, however, this was a lot tougher decision than it appeared, considering that Gold Pride was going to be a very good club, even without Marta. They certainly wouldn't have been 16-3-5 without her, but they still might have won the regular season. So I decided to look deeper, before making a final decision.

First, I wanted to look at high impact goals, goals that either tied the game or put a team in front. I did this before the final two weekends of the season, right before I submitted my ballot. At that point, between the four players on the ballot, it was very, very close overall:

Marta - 17 goals, 7 game-leading goals (2 PK's included), and one game-tying goal.
Rodriguez - 12 goals, 4 game-leading goals, and 3 game-tying goals.
Wambach - 12 goals, 5 game-leading goals, and 2 game-tying goals (1 PK included).
Smith - 11 goals, 6 game-leading goals (1 PK included), and 2 game-tying goals.

So at that point, Marta had 8 high-impact goals (two of which were penalty kicks), Smith had 8 high-impact goals (one of which was a penalty kick), Rodriguez had 7 high-impact goals (no penalties), and Wambach had 7 high-impact goals (one of which was a penalty kick). The other three candidates had as many high-impact goals as Marta did, which was somewhat of a surprise given how many games Gold Pride won. Both Marta and Wambach later added one game-leading goal apiece.

I also looked at assists. At the time I voted, Wambach had eight assists, Rodriguez had six, Smith five, and Marta just two. Marta did add three assists in Gold Pride's final game of the season, more than doubling her assist total in just one swoop.

Then I looked at each players impact on their respective teams and in all cases, it was tremendous. There is no doubt that Gold Pride became a good team because of overall excellence, but became a great team because of Marta. She helps others score because she draws defenders away from her teammates. She's the most talented player, one of the fastest, and has the best instincts of any player in the world.

But the other three candidates had a huge impact as well. Where would Philadelphia be without Rodriguez? She scored 12 goals for Philadelphia, while no one else on the team had more than five. Defenses could key on her, since the Independence didn't have a lot offensive threats.

Where would the Freedom have been without Wambach? Washington scored 33 goals and she had a part in 21 goals, nearly two-thirds of the Freedom's offensive output. She always draws multiple defenders, no matter which team she is playing.

Where would the Breakers have been without Smith? She is their leading scorer, leading assist getter, and along with Kristine Lilly, gives Boston veteran leadership that helped bring them back from near the basement to a legitimate contender for the title.

With all of the above factors in mind, it was nearly too close to call among the four. All had great seasons. All are extremely talented players. All had a tremendous impact on their team's performance. All are also leaders for their teams. In the end, I went with Marta. It all came back to her being the best player on the best team and having a large impact in making that team into a champion.

One Unofficial Award

There was one award that I don't think WPS awards and that we certainly did not vote on, but I think merits mention.

Comeback Player of the Year - Lindsay Tarpley, Boston Breakers

Had this been one of the categories we had voted on, it too would have been a tough decison. Several players come to mind, but I will mention five that stand out. Lindsay Tarpley, Sarah Huffman, and Kandace Wilson all came back from horrific injuries to make a huge impact on their teams this season. Kate Markgraf missed the entire 2009 season on maternity leave, but came back to lead the Red Stars' defense in a solid 2010 season. Joanna Lohman came back from virtual retirement to become Philly's second leading goal scorer. Each of these players are wonderful stories in perseverance and achievement.

Lindsay Tarpley's injury came at the very end of the 2009 WPS season in August. One had to wonder how much impact she could have in 2010, given the long recovery time of most ACL injuries. She scored one goal for Saint Louis, before signing with Boston and having a major impact on their season turnaround. She ended up with four goals and three assists, helping the Breakers to 2nd place.

Sarah Huffman missed nearly the entire 2009 season, save for a brief appearance in the Freedom's one playoff match. Her solid play helped the Freedom overcome the loss of Lori Lindsey in the expansion draft. Huffman's play was strong enough to impress Pia Sundhage, who named her to the preliminary USWNT roster for the next round of friendlies in October.

Kandace Wilson suffered a severe hip injury nearly midway through the 2009 campaign, but was back in Gold Pride's lineup for 2010, helping the most-improved defensive team in the league. Not to mention, her speed and ability on forward runs always presents a threat to opposing defenses.

Not many 33-year old players could take off a full year, have a child, and return the following year to have an excellent season on the field (only Kristine Lilly comes to mind immediately). But Kate Markgraf came back to captain and lead Chicago's defense through the 2010 season. It was great to see her back on the field.

Finally, Joanna Lohman showed that hard work does eventually pay off. Lohman was originally drafted by Saint Louis in the fall of 2008, then traded to Washington. Last year, she ended up playing a total of 248 minutes with the Freedom and there was talk about her retiring from professional soccer. However, she returned to the field with Philadelphia and had a great season in their midfield with five goals. She is being given a shot at USWNT camp for the upcoming October friendlies, this being several years since her last appearance with the team.

There are certainly other players worthy of mention including Anita Asante and Jen Branam. All of these players should be given huge praise for their accomplishments and they each have my admiration. I hope the league will establish an award for Comeback Player of the Year in the future.

WPS Midweek Notes - Scurry Retires

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

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

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

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

Kelly Smith - Player of the Month

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

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

Boquete Earns Player of the Week

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

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

Around the League

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Breakers Edge Philly on Penalty Kick

Kelly Smith buried a penalty kick in the 60th minute giving Boston a 2-1 victory over Philadelphia in WPS action on Sunday. The victory moves the Breakers to within two points of the second place Independence.

Philadelphia got on the board first as an Amy Rodriguez shot hit the left post, but Joanna Lohman was there to knock in the rebound to put the Independence up 1-0 in the 17th minute. It was Lohman's fifth goal of the season.

Boston equalized late in the first half. Kristine Lilly played a short corner out to Stephanie Cox who was at the edge of the penalty area. Cox was able to chip the ball over Philly keeper Karina LeBlanc who was off of her line. It was the first WPS goal for Cox.

The game remained tied until Lauren Cheney and Estelle Johnson were chasing a ball into the penalty area, when Johnson took down Cheney while the two were battling for the ball. Smith placed her penalty lower right, with LeBlanc guessing the wrong way. The goal put the Breakers in the lead to stay.

The Breakers nearly made it 3-1 off of another short corner, but Cheney's goal was disallowed for offsides. Later, Caroline Seger appeared to have tied the game for Philadelphia off of Magnusdottir free kick, but the goal was disallowed on what appeared to be a questionable offside call.

Boston moves to 9-7-5 and 32 points. They will travel to Atlanta to play the Beat on Wednesday evening with a chance to sew up a playoff berth. Philadelphia lost their second in a row to drop to 10-8-4 and are still a point short of clinching a playoff spot. The Independence also return to action on Wednesday when they travel to Chicago to face the Red Stars.

Standings
1) FC Gold Pride (14-3-4, 46 pts); 2) Philadelphia (10-8-4, 34 pts); 3) Boston (9-7-5, 32 pts); 4) Washington (7-8-7, 28 pts); 5) Sky Blue FC (7-10-4, 25 pts); 6) Chicago (5-11-6, 21 pts); 7) Atlanta (5-11-5, 20 pts).

Breakers and Freedom Post 2-0 Victories

Breakers Make It Six of Seven on Smith's Brace

Kelly Smith scored twice and Alyssa Naeher got her first WPS shutout to lead the Boston Breakers to a 2-0 win over the Atlanta Beat at Harvard Stadium.

Smith's first goal came just 40 seconds into the match, assisted by Lindsay Tarpley. She followed that up with a 2nd half goal to clinch it for the Breakers. They were the 8th and 9th goals of the season for Smith.

Boston has now won six of their last seven matches. At 7-6-4, the Breakers are over .500 for the first time since the first match of the season. The victory moves them to within two points of 2nd place Philadelphia. Atlanta fell to 4-8-5 and are in 7th place. However, they are still only three points out of 4th place.

Boston travels to Philadelphia for a 2nd place showdown with the Independence on Sunday. Atlanta returns home to host Sky Blue in a game that both teams desperately need to stay in playoff contention.

Wambach's Double Header Leads Freedom to First Victory in Two Months

Abby Wambach's two headers sparked the Washington Freedom to a 2-0 victory over the Philadelphia Independence. They were her 8th and 9th goals of the season. Ashlyn Harris claimed her first WPS shutout for the Freedom.

Earlier in the contest, Independence keeper Val Henderson had stopped Wambach's penalty kick. The game was delayed nearly an hour at the 31 minute mark because of lightning.

Both goals came off of set pieces. Wambach's first goal came off of a Sonia Bompastor corner kick in the 39th minute. The second came off of a Cat Whitehill free kick in the 41st minute.

It was Washington's first win since defeating Philadelphia on May 30. They improved to 5-8-5 for 20 points and tie for 4th place with the Chicago Red Stars. The Freedom return to action next Wednesday at Sky Blue.

Philadlephia fell to 8-6-3, still at 27 points and holding on to 2nd place. They will battle third place Boston this weekend in West Chester.

Gold Pride Clinches Playoff Spot???

If my calculations are correct, I believe FC Gold Pride has clinched a playoff spot. This is not official from the league, but I cannot come up with a scenario where four other teams can all reach 38 points.

WPS Midweek Preview - August 4

Atlanta Beat (4-7-5, 17 pts) at Boston Breakers (6-6-4, 22 pts)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, MA – August 4 (7 pm ET)

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

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

Previous Meetings (2010):
Atlanta 1 @ Boston 3.

What To Look For: Save for FC Gold Pride, these are the two hottest teams in WPS. Boston has won five of their last six and Atlanta is unbeaten in their last four matches. In the only previous meeting between the two teams, Atlanta saw a 1-0 lead slip away when Boston scored three 2nd half goals in quick succession to earn the 3-1 win. This is the first of three meetings between the two over the next month.

Hope Solo was not in goal for that match, but she will be for this one. She has shut out three of her last four opponents, including Gold Pride on Sunday. Solo has two shutouts in four career matches against Boston. In front of her, Gareth O’Sullivan may utilize the three back defense that seemed to work pretty well against Gold Pride. Tina Ellertson spearheads that back line.

Going against that defense will be a Breaker offense that has been scoring plenty of goals lately. They are led by Kelly Smith (7 goals), Lauren Cheney (3 goals), and Jordan Angeli (5 goals). Veterans Kristine Lilly and Lindsay Tarpley help set those three up with opportunities.

Defensively, Boston is playing well, although shutouts have been hard to come by. Alyssa Naeher has a 5-2 record since becoming the starting keeper, but her GAA is 1.23. With a defensive group that includes Stephanie Cox, Alex Scott, and Amy LePeilbet, Boston would like to see less goals surrendered.

Atlanta has scored more than one goal just twice this season and several promising chances amounted to nothing on Sunday. In the low scoring contests they tend to play, they must finish when the opportunities arise. With Eniola Aluko, Monica Ocampo, Johanna Rasmussen, and Ramona Bachmann, they have the talent to score more than they have. They get excellent support from Aya Miyama and Lori Chalupny.

At the end of June, both of these teams looked to be out of the playoffs. Both have made nice runs and Boston now occupies 3rd place, while Atlanta has a playoff spot within reach. With each team having three of their remaining eight games against one another, both will have a lot to say about the other's playoff chances, as well as their own.

Philadelphia Independence (8-5-3, 27 pts) at Washington Freedom (4-8-5, 17 pts)
Maryland SoccerPlex, Boyds, MD – August 4 (7:30 pm ET)

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

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

Previous Meetings (2010):
Washington 1 @ Philadelphia 3
Philadelphia 1 @ Washington 2
Washington 2 @ Philadelphia 3

What To Look For: This will be the fourth meeting between these two this season, with the home team taking the previous three. And not surprisingly, there have not been any shutouts in the series.

Stopping their opponent from scoring has become a major problem for Washington and one that remains unsolved. The Freedom have given up an average of three goals a game in their last five matches and you’re not going to win a lot of games with defense like that. Making matters worse, Erin McLeod has officially been put on the season-ending injury list.

Coach Jim Gabarra has used a different back line combination in each of the last three matches and is still searching for one that works. Moving talented Sonia Bompastor back hasn’t seemed to help. The only constant on the back line has been iron woman Becky Sauerbrunn. Even veteran Cat Whitehill started a game on the bench.

Making matters worse for the Freedom, they will be facing one of the most high powered offenses in WPS. That offense is led by Amy Rodriguez who has scored 11 goals this season, three of those against Washington. Lianne Sanderson likes to face the Freedom as well. The English forward has scored a goal in each of her three games against Washington, which also happen to be her only three goals of the season. They get superior midfield support from Lori Lindsey, Caroline Seger, and Joanna Lohman.

Philadelphia coach Paul Riley has gone back and forth with his keepers, but seems to have settled on Val Henderson for the moment. She has a GAA of 1.00. Allison Falk and Nikki Krzysik defend in front of Henderson. Holmfridur Magnusdottir will miss this game because of her red card suspension, but the Independence might have Heather Mitts back from injury.

Last season, the Freedom scored three or more goals in six different games. This year, it’s only happened twice, both early on. Abby Wambach leads Washington with 7 goals and 8 assists. Lene Mykjåland has four goals and Nikki Marshall has three since moving to forward.

The Freedom will be glad to be back home, having played just one of their last six matches there. They have a very respectable 3-2-3 record at home, but the last time they won a game was against this Philadelphia team over two months ago. Meanwhile, the Independence have put themselves in great position. A couple more victories should clinch a playoff spot.

Breakers Win Again Over Freedom

With goals from Kelly Smith, Jordan Angeli, and Lauren Cheney, Boston defeated Washington 3-1. It was the fifth victory in six games for the Breakers, who now have a solid hold on 3rd place. The Breakers moved to .500 for the first time since very early in the season at 6-6-4.

In addition to scoring a goal, Angeli and Cheney also picked up an assist each. It's been quite a month for Angeli, who has scored four goals and two assists during July.

Washington's only goal was scored by Abby Wambach. The Freedom's winless streak extends to 10 games, tying a record set by FC Gold Pride during the 2009 season, and their fifth straight loss ties a record set by the Atlanta Beat earlier this season.

Boston will host Atlanta on Wednesday night, while Washington goes home to face 2nd place Philadelphia, also on Wednesday evening.

WPS Weekend Wrap - Offense Rules the Day

It was a goal scorers weekend in WPS as four different players scored two goals apiece led by some familiar names, Marta and Amy Rodriguez. Gold Pride moved even closer to clinching the regular season title, the Independence solidified their hold on 2nd place, and Boston regained their momentum to seize 3rd place.

FC Gold Pride 4, Washington Freedom 1

Gold Pride broke open a close game late for their fifth consecutive win, a 4-1 triumph over the Freedom at Boyds, Maryland. The victory tied Gold Pride’s own record of five straight and it was also the fifth straight game they have scored two or more goals, also a record. Marta and Tiffeny Milbrett each scored two, while Christine Sinclair was credited with three assists in the match.

The match was still in doubt until the 84th minute with Gold Pride clinging to a slim 2-1 lead when Marta got in alone on Freedom keeper Erin McLeod. Marta scored to make it 3-1 and McLeod was injured on the play. This left Cat Whitehill to take over in goal, since the Freedom were out of substitutions, and Milbrett was able to add a late tally for the 4-1 final.

Marta now leads WPS with 13 goals this season. Abby Wambach scored the lone goal for the Freedom who are now winless in their last eight matches.

Philadelphia Independence 4, Sky Blue FC 1

The Independence continued their dominance over nearby rival Sky Blue, winning their third straight in the border war series by a 4-1 margin. Amy Rodriguez scored twice, increasing her season’s total to 9. Joanna Lohman and Holmfridur Magnusdottir added one goal each. Caroline Seger assisted on three of the four goals. Rookie Brittany Taylor scored the only Sky Blue goal, her first ever in WPS.

Philadelphia was able to get two goals in the first 10 minutes and led 3-0 at the break. They have now defeated Sky Blue all three times they have met by an aggregate 10-3 goal margin.

Val Henderson got the victory in goal for the Independence. The win stretches Philly’s hold on 2nd place giving them a five point lead on 3rd place Boston.

Boston Breakers 3, Chicago Red Stars 1

The Breakers scored three goals in lightning quick fashion in the first half and coasted to a 3-1 victory over the Red Stars. Kelly Smith got a brace, with ex-Red Star Ifeoma Dieke adding the third Boston goal. It was good day for former Chicago players as Lindsay Tarpley earned an assist on the second goal by Smith. The Breakers scored in the 9th, 12th, and 14th minute to put the game away early.

Chicago got their only goal late from Kosovare Asllani. Every Red Star goal this season, save for an own goal, has been scored by a forward.

On the bright side, Nikki Washington saw her first WPS action for the Red Stars in the 2nd half. The former UNC star was injured last fall and has been out of action ever since. After being drafted first by Los Angeles, then by Sky Blue in the LA dispersal draft, she was traded to Saint Louis only to see them fold as well. Chicago then signed her, making it her fourth team without ever playing a minute until Sunday.

Boston moves into sole possession of 3rd place with the victory. They have won four of their last five matches. Chicago finds themselves out of a playoff spot for the moment, just a single point behind 4th place Sky Blue.

Standings:
1) FC Gold Pride (12-3-1, 37 pts); 2) Philadelphia (7-5-3, 24 pts); 3) Boston (5-6-4, 19 pts); 4) Sky Blue FC (5-7-3, 18 pts); 5) Washington (4-6-5, 17 pts); 5) Chicago (4-7-5, 17 pts); 7) Atlanta (3-7-4, 13 pts)

Marta - Quiet No More in Gold Pride Win

In the preview I did for tonight's match, I mentioned that Marta had been "relatively quiet" so far this season. Well, not anymore. Tonight, Marta scored two 1st half goals leading Gold Pride to a 2-1 win over the Boston Breakers at Cambridge, Massachusetts. The victory was a record 5th in a row for Bay Area. Marta's former team, the LA Sol, had previously held the record at 4 consecutive wins. Kelly Smith scored the Breakers' only goal. Smith also picked up a yellow card, as did Christine Sinclair and Leslie Osborne. Boston's winless streak now stretches to 5. The match was played before a very good crowd of 5283 at Harvard Stadium.

WPS Friday Night - FC Gold Pride at Boston

This is a rare WPS Friday night contest, matching up 1st place FC Gold Pride with the Boston Breakers at Harvard Stadium. Rosters are tentative.

FC Gold Pride at Boston Breakers – May 14 (7:30 pm ET, 4:30 pm PT)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, MA.

Rosters:
FC Gold Pride: GK-N. Barnhart, B. Cameron; D-R. Buehler, A. Riley, K. Wilson, C. Chapman (questionable-shoulder), K. Graczyk, K. Fountain; MF-Marta, B. Edwards, S. Gulbrandsen (questionable-quad), C. Dew, K. Yokers; F-C. Sinclair, T. Milbrett, K. Bosio.
Not Active: K. O’Hara (heel), C. Abily (ankle), E. Guthrie, R. Tantillo, A. Bowyer.

Boston: GK-A. Phillips, A. Naeher, A. Lipsher; D-A. LePeilbet, K. Moore, A. Scott, S. Cox, J. Angeli; MF-L. Osborne, K. Lilly, Fabiana (probable-quad), C. Igwe, L. Bogus; F-K. Smith, L. Cheney, L. Del Rio, T. Weimer, T. Hemmings.
Not Active: S. Walsh (knee), M. Enyeart (knee), M. Tomecka (ankle), C. Zimmeck (foot), A. Marquez.

Previous Meetings (2009):
Boston 1 @ FC Gold Pride 2
FC Gold Pride 1 @ Boston 1
Boston 1 @ FC Gold Pride 0

What to Look For: FCGP rides a four game winning streak into this contest and will break a record if they can record a 5th. Gold Pride will be missing two key elements of their offense due to injuries, O’Hara and Abily. Barnhart has consecutive shutouts for the first time in her WPS career. While Sinclair and O’Hara have had good seasons so far, Marta has been relatively quiet with just 1 goal. Boston has been shutout in consecutive matches and needs to jumpstart their offense. They are winless since their opener, the only match in their last 14 in which they have scored more than one goal. Phillips earned her first career shutout last weekend and she has a solid defense in front of her with the quartet of LePeilbet, Scott, Cox, and Moore. Smith has two goals for Boston, exactly half of their season total. Last year's series between these two teams was very even.
Storylines: Gold Pride will be going after the record for consecutive wins. However, they have been outscored by an aggregate 2-1 in their two roads games and one has to wonder if the long road trips they must endure will have an effect on them. Boston’s home field advantage that we saw in early 2009 appears to have disappeared with only 2 points to show for their last 4 home games.

The previews for the other WPS weekend games will appear later in the week.

Athletica and Breakers Slosh to 1-1 Draw

It what might charitably be called challenging field conditions, Saint Louis and Boston battled to a 1-1 tie at a soggy Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri. With all of the offensive talent on the field, the two goals came from unlikely sources in Kasey Moore for the Breakers and Carolyn Blank for Athletica.

The weather played a huge part in the game and led to some great early chances for the Breakers. In the 14th minute, Kendall Fletcher hit a fairly normal pass back to Hope Solo, but the ball stopped dead in a puddle half way between the two. Lauren Cheney, who appeared to be as shocked as everyone else, gained possession and attempted to chip the ball over Solo's head but the ball went harmlessly to the side.

Just a few minutes later, Solo attempted a drop kick but didn't get all of the ball which Kelly Smith picked up about 30 yards out. Smith attempted the quick shot, but a diving Solo was able to steer the ball wide. "I went to bounce it on the drop kick and it didn't bounce back up," said Solo. "After that, I tried to punt and I haven't punted since I was probably in high school."

Boston finally did get on the board in the 22nd minute. Kristine Lilly hit a low corner kick to the edge of the box which appeared to be headed for Kelly Smith. Smith dummied it and a charging Kasey Moore brilliantly struck a low shot with pace that beat Solo to the lower left side of the goal. It was Moore's first WPS goal.

Boston's lead didn't last long. In the 27th, Aya Miyama took a free kick from about 28 yards and sent it to the far side of the box, where Tina Ellertson headed back across the goal mouth. Carolyn Blank was waiting and chested the ball between Alex Scott and goalkeeper Ashley Phillips for tying goal. "Honestly, right place, right time," said Blank. "Tina just put a great ball back in." For the rookie from West Virginia, it was her first WPS goal and well-earned for the solid match she played.

The Breakers nearly regained the lead in the 39th minute. Lilly hit a blistering low shot that short-hopped Solo, bouncing off her for a rebound. Kelly Smith connected with the rebound from point blank range, but Solo used her body to block the shot and the defense was able to clear the ball out of trouble.

Play in the 2nd half was much crisper, with Athletica having the better of the play in the last 45 minutes. Their best opportunity came in the 63rd minute when Blank sent a ball through to Aluko, who one-timed it from 15 yards, but Phillips was able to make the diving save. Later in the half, Aluko and Lilly traded chances, but were unable to get the ball on frame.

Athletica had one last good chance to win it in the 83rd, when Aluko appeared to have a clear cut header from about 9 yards, but mishit it wide of the goal. Late substitutions Lindsay Tarpley and India Trotter for Athletica, and Laura Del Rio and Tiffany Weimer for Boston had their moments, but were unable to change the score.

Athletica captain Lori Chalupny saw improvement in the 2nd half over the 1st. "We really had some good looks in the 2nd half. I thought the 2nd half was very exciting, back and forth. It was just a good battle between two good teams."

The game marked the first time that Athletica had come from behind to tie a game over two seasons. "Coming from behind was huge for us", added defender Tina Ellertson.

The two teams remained tied, both at 1 win and 2 ties for 5 points. They sit one point behind FC Gold Pride and Sky Blue FC, who each have 6 points. Boston returns home where they will play the Chicago Red Stars next Saturday. Saint Louis travels to Washington where they will play the Freedom at RFK Stadium.

In other action on Sunday evening:

Sky Blue FC 1, Chicago Red Stars 0

Sky Blue blanked Chicago for the 6th consecutive time in a match played at Toyota Park in Chicago. Tasha Kai scored in the 53rd minute on an assist from Kacey White. Karen Bardsley added the shutout for Sky Blue, who sit atop the table with 2 wins, 1 loss and 6 points. Chicago has only a lone point to show for 3 matches.

Philadelphia Independence 3, Washington Freedom 1

The expansion Independence won their first game on their home field by scoring three 2nd half goals. After Lisa De Vanna had put the Freedom ahead in the 51st minute with her first goal of the year, Amy Rodriguez answered in the 54th minute with a goal of her own to tie the score at one. Minutes later, the Lori Lindsey to Allison Falk connection worked for the second week in a row, with Falk finishing again with a header to give Philly the lead. English international Lianne Sanderson added an insurance goal in the 67th minute, again assisted by Lindsey, who was facing off against her old team. For Sanderson, it was her first WPS goal. Philadelphia was able to close it out for the 3-1 victory.

Lindsey has now assisted on 3 of the Independence's 4 goals for the season. Abby Wambach assisted on De Vanna's goal, giving her an assist in each of her last 4 regular season contests dating back to last season. Philadelphia is tied with Saint Louis and Boston with 5 points, just a single point behind the league leaders. Washington fell to 1-2 with 3 points.