Boston and Philly Battle to a 1-1 Tie

The Philadelphia Independence and Boston Breakers fought to a 1-1 tie on Sunday afternoon. Philadelphia holds on to third place in WPS.

The game went scoreless for nearly all of the first half, until Tasha Kai scored for Philadelphia in the 44th minute, her second goal of the season.

After the break, it didn't take long for the Breakers to pull even. Keelin Winters put the initial header on frame with Nicole Barnhart barely keeping it out of the goal, but Lauren Cheney was there to finish off the rebound with a header of her own to tie the score.

On the injury front, Nikki Washington was forced to leave the game early in the first half. We will update her status as information becomes available.

Philadelphia's record goes to 2-1-2. They host league leading Western New York next Sunday. Boston is now 2-4-1 and they travel to New Jersey to face Sky Blue next Saturday in a battle for 4th place.

All-time great Kristine Lilly was honored at halftime, retiring her number 13 for the Breakers, a first in WPS.

Soccer Legend Kristine Lilly Announces Her Retirement

Kristine Lilly, a legend who has played for the USWNT in four different decades, has announced her retirement from soccer. She has taken the field 352 times for the red, white, and blue in her illustrious career dating back to 1987, when she earned her first cap just a few days past her 16th birthday.

Lilly has been a member of the USWNT for most of its history. She played her first match on August 3, 1987 against China, when the National Team was still in its nascent stages. Just 10 days later, she scored her first goal for the team, the youngest ever to do so and a record that remains to this day.

She scored her 130th and final career goal in the USWNT's 4-0 rout over Germany on May 22, 2010, which coincidentally is also the record for the oldest player to score for the team. Lilly is second only to Mia Hamm in both career goals and assists. She has two Olympic gold medals and has been on two World Cup championship teams. Perhaps the most telling stat is that she has played in every single World Cup game that the US has ever played.

At just 5 feet 4 inches, she may have been short in stature, but she had the heart of a lion when she stepped onto the pitch. She regularly outperformed younger players, some almost half her age, in fitness and endurance tests. And on the field, she was equally adept at scoring or setting up others to score.

In college, Lilly helped lead North Carolina to four NCAA titles from 1989-92. She scored 78 goals for the Tar Heels over that four year stretch, winning the M.A.C. Hermann Award as the college player of the year in 1991.

In the professional ranks, Lilly played for the Boston Breakers in both the WUSA and WPS leagues. She scored three goals in each of her two seasons with the WPS Breakers. Additionally, she played professionally in Sweden.

“The thing that has been so great for me in making this decision is that I’m in such a good place with my life and soccer,” said Lilly. “When I look back at everything I’ve been a part of, it’s been great. There are no regrets. The opportunities I’ve had to play with so many great players and be a part of so many great moments has been amazing. There are so many people who have supported me through my journey and I really want to thank the U.S. Soccer Federation for their support of women’s soccer, the Boston Breakers, the sponsors and the fans for giving me the opportunity to live out my dreams for the past twenty-four years.”

So when the USWNT takes the field on June 28 against Korea DPR in Dresden, Germany for their 2011 World Cup opener, something will be missing. The heart, the soul, and the one constant of the USWNT almost from the team's inception, Kristine Lilly graced the pitch with her abilities and determination for 24 years. Best wishes on all future endeavors to a legend of the sport!

(Information for this story was obtained from WPS (www.womensprosoccer.com), the US Soccer Federation (www.ussoccer.com), and the University of North Carolina.)

Adams OT Goal Nets Win for Independence

It didn't quite take 120 minutes for the winning goal as in Sunday's match, but Danesha Adams overtime goal gave Philadelphia a 2-1 Super Semifinal victory over the Boston Breakers, sending the Independence to the west coast for a final's date with FC Gold Pride. The goal, which came in the 103rd minute, was somewhat controversial and left the Breakers complaining about the lack of a call on the play.

With the end of the 1st overtime approaching, Tina DiMartino dribbled from the right wing toward the box and crossed the ball to the far post. Danesha Adams gained some separation from Amy LePeilbet and rose for a header just at the left post and maybe two yards off the line. The ball went off Adams downward, inside the post, and just over the line. There was some question as to whether the ball had touched Adam's hand or not, but veteran referee Kari Seitz did not wave off the goal. Several replays were inconclusive as to whether the ball hit Adams hand or whether it went off her head. For their part, the Breakers signalled almost immediately for a hand ball, but to no avail.

The first half of the game was played at a fast pace, leaving one wondering whether either team would have the energy for an overtime. The Independence got the first good chance of the match as Frida Magnusdottir took a free kick from 30 yards out. Magnusdottir struck a bullet which was bending away from Breaker goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and toward the left corner of the net. Naeher completely layed out to catch the ball cleanly with a great save.

Boston then seemed to control possession for awhile, gaining two chances, with a Fabiana shot over the bar and a Kristine Lilly volley that Val Henderson was barely able to get her hand on to deflect wide.

The Breakers were the first to strike. Lianne Sanderson lost possession to Jordan Angeli at midfield in what appeared to be heavy contact. Kristine Lilly then sent a long ball up to Lauren Cheney. Cheney caught Henderson well off her line and chipped it perfectly from 22 yards, with the ball grazing the bottom of the crossbar and going into the net.

Boston's lead lasted all of seven minutes as the Independence quickly drew even. Amy Rodriguez hustled to gain possession inside Boston's half and passed the ball to Tina DiMartino. DiMartino sent it back to Rodriguez who found an open Caroline Seger charging in from the right side. Seger's low shot to the far post beat Naeher to tie the score. It appeared that Naeher had to hesitate, wary of DiMartino who was making a run at the near post.

After the break, Rodriguez had two chances at an open net, putting both wide. In the first, she caught Naeher out of the box, but her diving shot rolled just wide of the goal. On the second, she touched the ball past Naeher, but was unable to get her shot on frame from a bad angle.

Jen Buczkowski picked up her fourth yellow card of the year against Boston for taking down Kelly Smith in the 68th minute. Both teams seem to tire toward the end of the 2nd half.

The Breakers were to come close twice in the closing minutes of the 2nd half. First, Cheney was able to get off a shot from the side of the box, which Henderson parried safely away. In the 89th minute, LePeilbet sent a long ball forward to Kelly Smith. Smith made a brilliant first touch to bring the ball to her left foot, but her blast from 20 yards went just over the crossbar and the score remained 1-1 after regulation time.

The Independence seem to gain a second wind with the start of the overtime. They nearly scored in the 102nd minute, with DiMartino crossing the ball to Adams whose shot from eight yards went over the crossbar. But it was only a minute later that the two paired up for what would be the game winning goal. Adams had been a second half substitution by Paul Riley.

The Breakers did not go quietly. Midway through the 2nd overtime, a scramble in front of the net was temporarily cleared by Philadelphia, but Kasey Moore was able to win possession for Boston. She saw Henderson a bit off her line and launched a shot from 30 yards that hit the crossbar. The ball rebounded to Alex Scott, who was all alone in the box, about 12 yards out with only Henderson between her and the goal. A bouncing ball and tired legs did Scott in as she nearly fanned on her shot and the Independence were able to recover in time to clear the ball out of trouble. It would be the last good opportunity that the Breakers would have.

Philadelphia was able to kill the remaining time to put away the 2-1 victory. Several players on both teams had excellent games. Although she missed some opportunities to score, Amy Rodriguez worked tirelessly throughout the match and her hustle led to the first goal. Tina DiMartino seemed to be everywhere, among several great efforts from the Independence midfielders. Alyssa Naeher's great save early on was the best of the match. Veteran Kristine Lilly had a strong match as well.

The shots ended up nearly even with the Independence having the slight edge at 18-17. The Breakers had a heavy advantage in corners at 8-2 and a slight one in shots on goal at 8-6.

Philadelphia will now travel to Pioneer Stadium in Hayward, California to face FC Gold Pride. The 2010 WPS Championship presented by Citi will be played at 2:30 Eastern, 11:30 Pacific on Sunday, September 26. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Net.

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.

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.

Boston Breakers 2010 - Improvement Everywhere

Coach: Tony DiCicco
2009 Record: 7-9-4 (5th place)
Postseason: Out of the playoffs.

Returnees (9): Fabiana, Amy LePeilbet, Kristine Lilly, Allison Lipsher, Kasey Moore, Ashley Phillips, Alex Scott, Kelly Smith, Maggie Tomecka.
Draft Choices (4): Lauren Cheney, Alyssa Naeher, Jordan Angeli, Taryn Hemmings.
LA Dispersal Draft (1): Stephanie Cox.
International Signings ( 2): Laura Del Rio, Sarah Walsh.
Free Agents (6): Liz Bogus, Leslie Osborne, Tiffany Weimer, Chioma Igwe, Analisa Marquez, Claire Zimmeck.

If you’re a Boston fan, you certainly can’t accuse Breakers’ management of standing still. After a disappointing 5th place finish and missing the playoffs on the final day of the regular season, the Breakers made a lot of moves designed to make this team a playoff contender. They started by trading Amy Rodriguez to Philadelphia to move up in the draft. With the two picks they got from Philly, they selected Lauren Cheney and Alyssa Naeher. They were aggressive in the domestic market, signing several free agents including Leslie Osborne (Gold Pride), Tiffany Weimer (Gold Pride), Chioma Igwe (Chicago), and Liz Bogus (Los Angeles). They also added two international forwards in Laura Del Rio and Sarah Walsh.

But maybe the most fortuitous move happened as a result of the LA dispersal draft. Just when it looked like the Breakers might be a little thin on defense, they were able to obtain Stephanie Cox. Indeed, the Breakers may have improved themselves across the board more than any other team in WPS.

Goalkeeping-Boston returns starting goalkeeper, Allison Lipsher, from their 2009 team. Lipsher took over starting duties midway through the season and posted 5 shutouts over the last 11 matches of the season. She is certainly capable of handling the starting duties, but Boston drafted insurance in the person of Alyssa Naeher of Penn State. Less than two years ago, Naeher led the US U-20 team to the world championship in Chile, giving up just one goal in 5 starts. Now, at just 21 years old, she will challenge Lipsher for the starting position. It gives Breakers’ coach Tony DiCicco a pleasant problem. Ashley Phillips returns as the developmental keeper.

Defenders-Boston held opponents to only a goal a game last season and the Breakers have two of the top back line players in WPS in English international Alex Scott and USWNT defender Amy LePeilbet. Scott proved to be one of the top offensive backs in the league in 2009 and LePeilbet’s center back play is as solid as it comes. Boston did lose three key players from last year in Heather Mitts, Sue Weber, and Candace Chapman. But what looked like a problem was largely solved as the Breakers were able to obtain USWNT defender Stephanie Cox in the dispersal draft. Cox is one of the most underrated backs in WPS. She quietly and efficiently gets the job done and can play inside or outside.

Boston will probably move Kasey Moore to the back line after she spent much of last year playing defensive midfielder. The Breakers also added Santa Clara defender, Jordan Angeli, with a 2nd round selection in January. Likely Moore and Angeli will compete for the 4th spot on the back line. With 3 of their 4 backs having extensive international experience, it’s a safe bet that this will be one of the top defensive units in the league.

Midfielders-The Breakers have a couple of soccer legends in the midfield with Kelly Smith and Kristine Lilly. The only question on Smith is whether Coach Tony DiCicco will position her as a forward or midfielder. In the end, it probably doesn’t matter because Smith is one of the world’s most dangerous offensive players, no matter what position she plays. Even battling persistent knee problems, she still managed to rack up 6 goals and 2 assists in 2009. Meanwhile, Lilly has just added to her mind-boggling USWNT cap total. Now in her 4th decade with the US National Team, she shows no signs of slowing down. Last year, she scored 3 goals and added 3 assists for the Breakers.

The loss of USWNT midfielder Angela Hucles to retirement was certainly a blow to Boston. The big addition for the Breakers at midfield is Leslie Osborne, obtained as a free agent from Gold Pride. A tough defender, Osborne should solidify the Breakers’ middle. Additionally, Boston returns Maggie Tomecka, who made last year’s team as a free agent and came on strong at the end of the year. Young Brazilian attacking mid, Fabiana, was a consistent starter down the stretch, but had no points to show for her efforts. The Breakers signed former Red Star Chioma Igwe for depth at both midfielder and defender. Indeed, depth may be the only concern with this group…that and a recurrence of Smith’s knee problems.

Forwards-The Breakers scored only four goals in their last 8 games in 2009. As a result, they did a complete overhaul of their front. Moving up in the draft enabled Boston to draft Lauren Cheney. Cheney led UCLA to the NCAA semifinals last fall, but more notably, she has already scored 5 goals for the USWNT in 2010. Cheney is excellent at making a turn with a defender on her back. And unlike some goal scorers, Cheney also does a good job of setting up teammates.

The second major addition was that of Laura Del Rio, a striker from the Spanish National Team. Last year, she scored 18 goals in just 11 games for FC Indiana of the W-League. Del Rio gives Boston a nice 1-2 punch. A second international, Sarah Walsh, scored just one goal in WPS last season while splitting time between Sky Blue and Saint Louis. However, leg injuries slowed her and she appeared to be rounding into form by the time she hit the Aussie W-League in the fall. Another free agent signing, Tiffany Weimer, has great ball skills and is one of the more creative players in the league. Further depth includes veteran Liz Bogus, draft pick Taryn Hemmings, and former Freedom striker Claire Zimmeck.

Summary-In spite of being shut out 3 straight games, Boston held the 4th playoff spot with just 30 minutes to go in the 2009 season. The fact that it slipped away from them means that the first order of business is rebuilding the Breakers’ confidence. A healthy Kelly Smith and the addition of several talented players should go a long way in doing that.

The Breakers have improved themselves in every area, from goalkeeper to forward. The additions of Naeher, Cox, Osborne, Del Rio, Weimer, and most especially, Lauren Cheney, leads me to believe that this team could compete for the title. My main concern is depth at defense and midfield. If the Breakers can escape the hangover of last year’s finish and stay relatively healthy, they should be able to challenge any team in WPS.

USWNT Squad Announced for Friendlies vs. Mexico

Pia Sundhage has announced her 24 player squad for a pair of friendlies to be played later this month against Mexico. And once again, there are a lot of new faces, as well as the return of one very familiar face.

New additions to the team include defenders Whitney Engen (UNC, Chicago Red Stars), Brittany Taylor (Connecticut, Sky Blue FC), and forwards Kelley O'Hara (Stanford, FC Gold Pride) and Alex Morgan (California). Morgan is the only non-WPS player on the team. Additionally, Jill Loyden who was on the Algarve squad, but hasn't gotten her first cap yet, was named as one of three keepers for the matches against Mexico.

Fans will also welcome the return of veteran Kristine Lilly to the USWNT. Lilly is the most capped player in history with 342 and returns to the team for the first time since late 2008.

The US will play Mexico on March 28 at Torero Stadium at the University of San Diego and on March 31 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. The last time the US played in San Diego was the match immediately preceding the 2008 Olympics when Abby Wambach broke her leg in a friendly against Brazil.