Veronica Boquete scored her fifth goal of the season and it proved to be the game winner as the Philadelphia Independence defeated the Atlanta Beat 1-0 in Chester on Sunday. A crowd of 4162 saw the Independence regain sole possession of first place with a three point lead on Western New York.
In the first half of action, Atlanta appeared to be the more dangerous club. In the 25th minute, Lori Chalupny got around Kia McNeill to go in one-on-one against Nicole Barnhart from the left side of the box. Barnhart did a great job of cutting down the angle and then deflected Chalupny's shot wide.
But if the Beat held their own in the first half, the second half was all Philadelphia. Just a couple of minutes into the half, Nikki Krzysik sent Tina DiMartino in alone on a breakaway, but with Atlanta keeper Allison Whitworth coming out, she place her shot just wide of the left post. In the 56th minute, an Amy Rodriguez cross found the head of Tasha Kai, but Whitworth made a diving save on the shot headed just inside the left post.
Boquete finally put Philly up 1-0 on a great individual effort. Rodriguez nodded a header forward to Boquete, who cut toward the right side of the penalty area with Kat Reynolds on her shoulder. Whitworth made a very good save on Boquete's first effort, but the Spanish striker was able to outfight Reynolds for the rebound and put it in the back of the net.
Whitworth was able to keep the game close in spite of the Independence having several 1 v. 1 opportunities against her in the second half. She stopped Boquete with a big save in the 74th minute.
Atlanta had few chances in the second half, but Lori Chalupny's one-timer from 18 yards forced Barnhart to dive near post to block the ball away in the 76th minute.
Philadelphia followed with several more chances in the last 10 minutes. Whitworth stopped one-on-one chances from Kai, Lianne Sanderson, and Boquete in the closing minutes of the match.
Veronica Boquete once again proved to be the difference maker for Philadelphia. The Independence raised their league-leading record to 10-3-3, now three points ahead of Western New York. However, they have just two games remaining, while the Flash have four. Philly hosts Sky Blue next Sunday.
In spite of strong games from Allison Whitworth and Lori Chalupny, the Beat suffered their sixth straight shutout and are now winless in their last 14 matches. Their record stands at 1-11-4 and their two remaining matches are against Western New York.
WPS Standings
(1) Philadelphia 10-3-3, 33 pts; (2) Western New York 9-2-3, 30 pts; (3) Sky Blue FC 5-6-4, 19 pts; (4) magicJack 6-6-2, 19 pts; (5) Boston 4-7-4, 16 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-11-4, 7 pts.
Showing posts with label Lori Chalupny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lori Chalupny. Show all posts
July 31, 2011
May 15, 2011
Short-Handed Independence Defeats Beat
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Labels: 2011 WPS, Atlanta Beat, Estelle Johnson, Laura Del Rio, Lori Chalupny, Meghan Lenczyk, Philadelphia Independence
Labels: 2011 WPS, Atlanta Beat, Estelle Johnson, Laura Del Rio, Lori Chalupny, Meghan Lenczyk, Philadelphia Independence
Down a player and a goal heading into the second half, the Philadelphia Independence managed to come from behind to defeat the Atlanta Beat 2-1. The victory vaults Philadelphia into third place behind Western New York and magicJack.
The game did not start off well for Philadelphia. In the 13th minute, Atlanta striker Meghan Lenczyk got a half step on Independence defender Kia McNeill while trying to run onto the ball. McNeill grabbed Lenczyk's left arm to slow her just outside the Philly penalty area and with nothing between Lenczyk and the goal except keeper Val Henderson, referee Ted Unkel pulled out the red card on McNeill.
Atlanta nearly struck in the 28th minute, with Keeley Dowling and Lenczyk executing a nice give-and-go play. Dowling came charging right down the middle and struck a shot that was kept out of the net only by Val Henderson's save.
The Beat did strike in first half stoppage. The play started with Lenczyk heading the ball out to the right wing to Megan Jesolva. Jesolva passed the ball into the box to Lenczyk, who turned and centered the ball perfectly for Lori Chalupny. Chalupny's strike from 10 yards was true and into the right side of the net past Henderson to put Atlanta up 1-0.
While things looked bleak for the Independence, it didn't take them long to even the score. India Trotter was whistled for a foul on Tasha Kai just outside the Beat penalty area. Lianne Sanderson's free kick from 25 yards was a low shot that deflected slightly off the wall, forcing Beat goalkeeper Alli Lipsher to dive for the ball. She stopped the ball fairly comfortably, but was unable to control it and Estelle Johnson came in from the left side to knock it home and tie the match at one.
Philadelphia grabbed the lead in the 73rd minute. Tina DiMartino sent a nicely weighted ball through for Kai. Kai crossed the ball to the left side of the penalty area for Joanna Lohman. Lohman found herself well marked and smartly touched the ball back to the center where Laura del Rio found herself all alone. del Rio's left-footed shot found the left side of the net to put the Independence on top 2-1.
Philadelphia lifts their record to 2-1-1, while Atlanta falls to 1-4-1. It was a tough loss for the Beat who now face three road matches in a row starting with a visit to New Jersey to face Sky Blue next Saturday. The Independence travel to Boston to face the Breakers next Sunday.
The game did not start off well for Philadelphia. In the 13th minute, Atlanta striker Meghan Lenczyk got a half step on Independence defender Kia McNeill while trying to run onto the ball. McNeill grabbed Lenczyk's left arm to slow her just outside the Philly penalty area and with nothing between Lenczyk and the goal except keeper Val Henderson, referee Ted Unkel pulled out the red card on McNeill.
Atlanta nearly struck in the 28th minute, with Keeley Dowling and Lenczyk executing a nice give-and-go play. Dowling came charging right down the middle and struck a shot that was kept out of the net only by Val Henderson's save.
The Beat did strike in first half stoppage. The play started with Lenczyk heading the ball out to the right wing to Megan Jesolva. Jesolva passed the ball into the box to Lenczyk, who turned and centered the ball perfectly for Lori Chalupny. Chalupny's strike from 10 yards was true and into the right side of the net past Henderson to put Atlanta up 1-0.
While things looked bleak for the Independence, it didn't take them long to even the score. India Trotter was whistled for a foul on Tasha Kai just outside the Beat penalty area. Lianne Sanderson's free kick from 25 yards was a low shot that deflected slightly off the wall, forcing Beat goalkeeper Alli Lipsher to dive for the ball. She stopped the ball fairly comfortably, but was unable to control it and Estelle Johnson came in from the left side to knock it home and tie the match at one.
Philadelphia grabbed the lead in the 73rd minute. Tina DiMartino sent a nicely weighted ball through for Kai. Kai crossed the ball to the left side of the penalty area for Joanna Lohman. Lohman found herself well marked and smartly touched the ball back to the center where Laura del Rio found herself all alone. del Rio's left-footed shot found the left side of the net to put the Independence on top 2-1.
Philadelphia lifts their record to 2-1-1, while Atlanta falls to 1-4-1. It was a tough loss for the Beat who now face three road matches in a row starting with a visit to New Jersey to face Sky Blue next Saturday. The Independence travel to Boston to face the Breakers next Sunday.
April 24, 2011
Beat and Flash Play to a 2-2 Draw
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Labels: 2011 WPS, Allison Lipsher, Ashlyn Harris, Atlanta Beat, Carli Lloyd, Christine Sinclair, Lori Chalupny, Marta, Western New York Flash
Labels: 2011 WPS, Allison Lipsher, Ashlyn Harris, Atlanta Beat, Carli Lloyd, Christine Sinclair, Lori Chalupny, Marta, Western New York Flash
In the battle for the early lead in WPS, the Atlanta Beat and Western New York Flash played to a 2-2 draw at FSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia. The game featured a scintillating 2nd half after a slow and fairly uneventful first half.
Western New York drew first blood and it didn't take long. Brittany Bock was able to force a turnover in the Atlanta midfield and passed it to Christine Sinclair. Sinclair unleashed a shot from 22 yards out that beat Beat keeper Ali Lipsher lower left to make it 1-0 before the match was two minutes old.
Atlanta nearly forced a penalty in the 5th minute. On a set piece from 30 yards, Cat Whitehill tried to thread a low pass through to Keeley Dowling. Dowling went down in the box, but no call was made and it was inconclusive just how much contact had been made.
The rest of the half saw little action, with the Flash getting the majority of possession and scoring opportunities, but unable to crack the Beat's defense. Atlanta was unable to mount any attack of substance and seemed content to keep the Flash from increasing their lead with strong team defense. Both Carli Lloyd and Lauren Sesselmann earned yellow cards late in the half.
Halftime substitutions brought Marta into the match in place of Gemma Davison. She was seeing her first action of the WPS season. Atlanta sent India Trotter in for Sesselmann.
The game continued at much the same pace for the first ten minutes of the 2nd half, but a hard-working Lori Chalupny started challenging the right side of the Flash back line and her hard work paid off in the 57th minute.
Cat Whitehill sent a ball from the center circle to the left side to Chalupny. Chalupny cut back to the middle of the field, beating defender Kandace Wilson. From 25 yards, Chalupny struck a perfectly placed, slicing shot that grazed the inside of the right post and into the net.
That goal seemed to ignite both teams and the pace picked up considerably thereafter. In fact, the final 35 minutes of this match were among the most exciting played in WPS.
Western New York nearly answered in the 60th minute as a high corner got loose in the box, with Ali Lipsher making a save from close range on Sinclair.
However, in the 66th minute, Marta made her presence felt and Lipsher was unable to stop that one. Christine Sinclair sent a beautiful cross from the left side to the near post. Marta was able to get inside Keeley Dowling on a run to the net and headed the ball past Lipsher with a stunning flick to put the Flash back on top 2-1.
Just when Western New York appeared to be in control again, Atlanta answered quickly in the 68th minute. Off of a throw in, Lloyd got the ball to Chalupny who in turn sent it back to Lloyd. Lloyd dribbled to within 25 yards without defenders challenging and blasted a shot just under the crossbar and out of the reach of a leaping Ashlyn Harris. The game was once again tied.
Both goalkeepers made big saves in the closing minutes of the contest. Two Atlanta 2nd half substitutions, Analisa Marquez and Kristina Larsen, nearly connected for a goal in the 78th minute. Marquez crossed the ball to Larsen at the 18. Larsen turned in heavy traffic and shot to the top center of the net with Harris making a brilliant save tipping the ball over the net.
It was Lipsher's turn to make a game-saving stop in the 87th minute as Caroline Seger shot from 12 yards appeared to be heading just under the crossbar, but the Beat goalkeeper was able to tip it over the net. Just two minutes later, a Sinclair blast was deflected either by an Atlanta defender or Lipsher and rattled off the top of the post and over.
The game ended 2-2 after a furious tempo over the final third of the match that had to exhaust all involved.
So both teams end the evening where they started it, tied atop the WPS table. Western New York is now 1-0-1 with four points. Atlanta is 1-1-1 with four points. The two teams will meet in a rematch next Sunday in Rochester.
WPS Standings after three weeks:
Western New York Flash 1-0-1, 4 pts.
Atlanta Beat 1-1-1, 4 pts.
magicJack 1-0-0, 3 pts.
Boston Breakers 1-2-0, 3 pts.
Philadelphia Independence 0-0-1, 1 pt.
Sky Blue FC 0-1-1, 1 pt.
Western New York drew first blood and it didn't take long. Brittany Bock was able to force a turnover in the Atlanta midfield and passed it to Christine Sinclair. Sinclair unleashed a shot from 22 yards out that beat Beat keeper Ali Lipsher lower left to make it 1-0 before the match was two minutes old.
Atlanta nearly forced a penalty in the 5th minute. On a set piece from 30 yards, Cat Whitehill tried to thread a low pass through to Keeley Dowling. Dowling went down in the box, but no call was made and it was inconclusive just how much contact had been made.
The rest of the half saw little action, with the Flash getting the majority of possession and scoring opportunities, but unable to crack the Beat's defense. Atlanta was unable to mount any attack of substance and seemed content to keep the Flash from increasing their lead with strong team defense. Both Carli Lloyd and Lauren Sesselmann earned yellow cards late in the half.
Halftime substitutions brought Marta into the match in place of Gemma Davison. She was seeing her first action of the WPS season. Atlanta sent India Trotter in for Sesselmann.
The game continued at much the same pace for the first ten minutes of the 2nd half, but a hard-working Lori Chalupny started challenging the right side of the Flash back line and her hard work paid off in the 57th minute.
Cat Whitehill sent a ball from the center circle to the left side to Chalupny. Chalupny cut back to the middle of the field, beating defender Kandace Wilson. From 25 yards, Chalupny struck a perfectly placed, slicing shot that grazed the inside of the right post and into the net.
That goal seemed to ignite both teams and the pace picked up considerably thereafter. In fact, the final 35 minutes of this match were among the most exciting played in WPS.
Western New York nearly answered in the 60th minute as a high corner got loose in the box, with Ali Lipsher making a save from close range on Sinclair.
However, in the 66th minute, Marta made her presence felt and Lipsher was unable to stop that one. Christine Sinclair sent a beautiful cross from the left side to the near post. Marta was able to get inside Keeley Dowling on a run to the net and headed the ball past Lipsher with a stunning flick to put the Flash back on top 2-1.
Just when Western New York appeared to be in control again, Atlanta answered quickly in the 68th minute. Off of a throw in, Lloyd got the ball to Chalupny who in turn sent it back to Lloyd. Lloyd dribbled to within 25 yards without defenders challenging and blasted a shot just under the crossbar and out of the reach of a leaping Ashlyn Harris. The game was once again tied.
Both goalkeepers made big saves in the closing minutes of the contest. Two Atlanta 2nd half substitutions, Analisa Marquez and Kristina Larsen, nearly connected for a goal in the 78th minute. Marquez crossed the ball to Larsen at the 18. Larsen turned in heavy traffic and shot to the top center of the net with Harris making a brilliant save tipping the ball over the net.
It was Lipsher's turn to make a game-saving stop in the 87th minute as Caroline Seger shot from 12 yards appeared to be heading just under the crossbar, but the Beat goalkeeper was able to tip it over the net. Just two minutes later, a Sinclair blast was deflected either by an Atlanta defender or Lipsher and rattled off the top of the post and over.
The game ended 2-2 after a furious tempo over the final third of the match that had to exhaust all involved.
So both teams end the evening where they started it, tied atop the WPS table. Western New York is now 1-0-1 with four points. Atlanta is 1-1-1 with four points. The two teams will meet in a rematch next Sunday in Rochester.
WPS Standings after three weeks:
Western New York Flash 1-0-1, 4 pts.
Atlanta Beat 1-1-1, 4 pts.
magicJack 1-0-0, 3 pts.
Boston Breakers 1-2-0, 3 pts.
Philadelphia Independence 0-0-1, 1 pt.
Sky Blue FC 0-1-1, 1 pt.
April 3, 2011
2011 Atlanta Beat Preview
Atlanta Beat
Coach: James Galanis (2nd year)
2010 Record: 5-13-6 (7th place)
Home Stadium: KSU Soccer Stadium (Kennesaw, Georgia)
Roster:
Goalkeepers (4): Keri Butler (R), Katie Fraine(R), Allison Lipsher, Allison Whitworth.
Defenders (6): Keeley Dowling, Colleen Flanagan(R), Analisa Marquez, Heather Mitts, Kat Reynolds, Cat Whitehill.
Midfielders (8): Lori Chalupny, Bianca D’Agostino(R), Megan Jesolva(R), Carli Lloyd, Angela Salem, Vendula Strnadova(R), India Trotter, Kylie Wright(R).
Forwards (4): Katie Bethke(R), Kristina Larsen, Meghan Lenczyk(R), Lauren Sesselmann.
(R) denotes true rookie; returning players in bold.
Probable World Cup players: Mitts and Lloyd.
The Beat enter the season hoping to make improvements on last year’s 7th place finish. Almost the entire roster has changed since last September. Gone is the complete international cast. What’s left is a combination of rookies and older USWNT players, both current and former.
The roster is very heavy on young players, with no fewer than nine of the players being right out of college and several more with very limited WPS experience. That’s going to place a heavy burden on the veteran players such as Lori Chalupny, Cat Whitehill, Heather Mitts, and Carli Lloyd.
Goalkeepers: As of last word, the two Allisons, Lipsher and Whitworth, were vying for the number one keeper’s spot. Lipsher has 10 career WPS starts, but none last year. Whitworth has eight career starts over two seasons. Both have showed positive signs in their WPS experience. Lipsher posted an 0.58 goals against average in 2009 for Boston. Whitworth has three career shutouts.
Atlanta kept four goalkeepers, at least for the time being. The other two are rookies Katie Fraine (Florida) and Keri Butler (West Virginia).
Defenders: Atlanta doesn’t have a lot of veterans on the team, but one position they do have experience is on defense. Heather Mitts and Cat Whitehill have combined for nearly 250 national team caps. Keeley Dowling was a two-year starter for Sky Blue FC.
With Mitts beset with injuries, coach James Galanis has experimented with Analisa Marquez at right back, moving Dowling inside. Kat Reynolds could start at the left back position. Rookie Colleen Flanagan is listed as a defender, but can also play midfielder. Lauren Sesselman, who played a lot of outside back for Atlanta last season, is another option although Galanis seems to prefer her at midfield or forward.
Midfielders: The midfield starts with captain Lori Chalupny. Chalupny is usually right in the middle of the action, as her fouls suffered totals over the first two WPS seasons would attest. Always a top defensive player, she is getting more of a chance to show off her offensive skills these days. She will be joined by USWNT starter Carli Lloyd, owner of one of the hardest shots in women’s soccer. However, in her first two WPS seasons, that shot has been highly inaccurate. That’s something that will need to improve if Atlanta is going to make any noise this year.
India Trotter is the only other experienced midfielder, having played both in WPS and abroad. Only second year player Angela Salem has limited experience among the rest. Rookie Kylie Wright out of UCLA is a defensive specialist that could develop into a solid WPS player. Both Megan Jesolva (California) and Vendula Strnadova (Memphis) have had good preseason camps. Bianca D’Agostino (Wake Forest) is another option in the midfield. Lauren Sesselmann has also seen action at midfield in the preseason.
Forwards: There is not another team even close to being this inexperienced at forward. Meghan Lenczyk, Katie Bethke, Lauren Sesselmann, and Kristina Larsen have a total of 10 WPS games played, with four starts and no goals among them. And those are all Sesselmann. Lenczyk and Bethke are rookies and Larsen might as well be as she suffered a season-ending injury in the 2010 preseason with Athletica.
Larsen and Lenczyk have showed potential in preseason, but again, it’s just preseason. Larsen, like her teammate Carli Lloyd, has a powerful shot. Galanis really likes what he sees in Lenczyk, but says she needs to get physically stronger. Bethke scored 26 career goals at the University of Minnesota.
Outlook: I just can’t see this team scoring many goals. Lloyd is probably their most dangerous offensive player and she will miss a good part of the season with national team duties. Chalupny, Larsen, and Lenczyk have score quite a few goals in preseason, but that’s against college competition. And their defense, while experienced, is not the fastest group in WPS by a long shot.
This team is very young and very inexperienced and we’ve all seen how hard it is for rookies to score a lot of goals. There does seem to be a positive attitude surrounding the team, probably in large part due to the amount of young players, but that will carry the team only so far.
This team is going to have to win a lot of 1-0 and 2-1 games and scratch and claw for every point they can get. They will lose fewer players to the World Cup than every other team in the league, but even with World Cup losses, the other five teams will still be more experienced. I wish I could be more positive about this team’s chances, and I could certainly be wrong, but it’s hard to see this team showing improvement over last year’s record.
Coach: James Galanis (2nd year)
2010 Record: 5-13-6 (7th place)
Home Stadium: KSU Soccer Stadium (Kennesaw, Georgia)
Roster:
Goalkeepers (4): Keri Butler (R), Katie Fraine(R), Allison Lipsher, Allison Whitworth.
Defenders (6): Keeley Dowling, Colleen Flanagan(R), Analisa Marquez, Heather Mitts, Kat Reynolds, Cat Whitehill.
Midfielders (8): Lori Chalupny, Bianca D’Agostino(R), Megan Jesolva(R), Carli Lloyd, Angela Salem, Vendula Strnadova(R), India Trotter, Kylie Wright(R).
Forwards (4): Katie Bethke(R), Kristina Larsen, Meghan Lenczyk(R), Lauren Sesselmann.
(R) denotes true rookie; returning players in bold.
Probable World Cup players: Mitts and Lloyd.
The Beat enter the season hoping to make improvements on last year’s 7th place finish. Almost the entire roster has changed since last September. Gone is the complete international cast. What’s left is a combination of rookies and older USWNT players, both current and former.
The roster is very heavy on young players, with no fewer than nine of the players being right out of college and several more with very limited WPS experience. That’s going to place a heavy burden on the veteran players such as Lori Chalupny, Cat Whitehill, Heather Mitts, and Carli Lloyd.
Goalkeepers: As of last word, the two Allisons, Lipsher and Whitworth, were vying for the number one keeper’s spot. Lipsher has 10 career WPS starts, but none last year. Whitworth has eight career starts over two seasons. Both have showed positive signs in their WPS experience. Lipsher posted an 0.58 goals against average in 2009 for Boston. Whitworth has three career shutouts.
Atlanta kept four goalkeepers, at least for the time being. The other two are rookies Katie Fraine (Florida) and Keri Butler (West Virginia).
Defenders: Atlanta doesn’t have a lot of veterans on the team, but one position they do have experience is on defense. Heather Mitts and Cat Whitehill have combined for nearly 250 national team caps. Keeley Dowling was a two-year starter for Sky Blue FC.
With Mitts beset with injuries, coach James Galanis has experimented with Analisa Marquez at right back, moving Dowling inside. Kat Reynolds could start at the left back position. Rookie Colleen Flanagan is listed as a defender, but can also play midfielder. Lauren Sesselman, who played a lot of outside back for Atlanta last season, is another option although Galanis seems to prefer her at midfield or forward.
Midfielders: The midfield starts with captain Lori Chalupny. Chalupny is usually right in the middle of the action, as her fouls suffered totals over the first two WPS seasons would attest. Always a top defensive player, she is getting more of a chance to show off her offensive skills these days. She will be joined by USWNT starter Carli Lloyd, owner of one of the hardest shots in women’s soccer. However, in her first two WPS seasons, that shot has been highly inaccurate. That’s something that will need to improve if Atlanta is going to make any noise this year.
India Trotter is the only other experienced midfielder, having played both in WPS and abroad. Only second year player Angela Salem has limited experience among the rest. Rookie Kylie Wright out of UCLA is a defensive specialist that could develop into a solid WPS player. Both Megan Jesolva (California) and Vendula Strnadova (Memphis) have had good preseason camps. Bianca D’Agostino (Wake Forest) is another option in the midfield. Lauren Sesselmann has also seen action at midfield in the preseason.
Forwards: There is not another team even close to being this inexperienced at forward. Meghan Lenczyk, Katie Bethke, Lauren Sesselmann, and Kristina Larsen have a total of 10 WPS games played, with four starts and no goals among them. And those are all Sesselmann. Lenczyk and Bethke are rookies and Larsen might as well be as she suffered a season-ending injury in the 2010 preseason with Athletica.
Larsen and Lenczyk have showed potential in preseason, but again, it’s just preseason. Larsen, like her teammate Carli Lloyd, has a powerful shot. Galanis really likes what he sees in Lenczyk, but says she needs to get physically stronger. Bethke scored 26 career goals at the University of Minnesota.
Outlook: I just can’t see this team scoring many goals. Lloyd is probably their most dangerous offensive player and she will miss a good part of the season with national team duties. Chalupny, Larsen, and Lenczyk have score quite a few goals in preseason, but that’s against college competition. And their defense, while experienced, is not the fastest group in WPS by a long shot.
This team is very young and very inexperienced and we’ve all seen how hard it is for rookies to score a lot of goals. There does seem to be a positive attitude surrounding the team, probably in large part due to the amount of young players, but that will carry the team only so far.
This team is going to have to win a lot of 1-0 and 2-1 games and scratch and claw for every point they can get. They will lose fewer players to the World Cup than every other team in the league, but even with World Cup losses, the other five teams will still be more experienced. I wish I could be more positive about this team’s chances, and I could certainly be wrong, but it’s hard to see this team showing improvement over last year’s record.
August 21, 2010
Beat Defeat Breakers To Keep Playoff Hopes Alive
The Atlanta Beat built up a three goal lead and then held on to defeat the Boston Breakers by a 3-2 margin in a game played in New Britain, Connecticut before over 4000 fans. Lori Chalupny scored the opener in the first half and second half substitution Eniola Aluko scored twice to lead the Beat.
Boston made a late charge with goals from Lindsay Tarpley and Kristine Lilly in the closing minutes, but it was too little too late for the Breakers.
Atlanta moves to 5-10-5 and 20 points. They are now five points out of the fourth and final playoff berth. They will face Gold Pride at home next weekend. Despite the loss, the Breakers scored in their 11th consecutive game, just one short of a WPS record. They fall to 8-7-5, but remain in 3rd place. The Breakers, who will play their last four matches on the road, will travel to Philadelphia next week in a battle for playoff position.
Boston made a late charge with goals from Lindsay Tarpley and Kristine Lilly in the closing minutes, but it was too little too late for the Breakers.
Atlanta moves to 5-10-5 and 20 points. They are now five points out of the fourth and final playoff berth. They will face Gold Pride at home next weekend. Despite the loss, the Breakers scored in their 11th consecutive game, just one short of a WPS record. They fall to 8-7-5, but remain in 3rd place. The Breakers, who will play their last four matches on the road, will travel to Philadelphia next week in a battle for playoff position.
June 2, 2010
Chalupny to Beat, Harris to Freedom, Schedule Revised
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Labels: 2010 WPS, Ashlyn Harris, Atlanta Beat, Lori Chalupny, Saint Louis Athletica, Washington Freedom
Labels: 2010 WPS, Ashlyn Harris, Atlanta Beat, Lori Chalupny, Saint Louis Athletica, Washington Freedom
Two more former Saint Louis Athletica players have signed contracts. Athletica's captain, Lori Chalupny, has followed many of her teammates down to Atlanta. Chalupny had played midfielder for the majority of her time with Athletica, but she plays outside defender with the USWNT. She has a goal and an assist this season.
Ashlyn Harris has signed with the Washington Freedom. Harris had yet to see any action as backup to Hope Solo. Last fall, she helped lead North Carolina to the NCAA Championship.
WPS has also released its revised schedule, which was reconfigured after the demise of Athletica. Because Athletica had played 4 home games and only 2 road games, one team was forced to give up a home game and it turns out to be Sky Blue FC.
Ashlyn Harris has signed with the Washington Freedom. Harris had yet to see any action as backup to Hope Solo. Last fall, she helped lead North Carolina to the NCAA Championship.
WPS has also released its revised schedule, which was reconfigured after the demise of Athletica. Because Athletica had played 4 home games and only 2 road games, one team was forced to give up a home game and it turns out to be Sky Blue FC.
April 11, 2010
Boxx and Aluko Combine To Defeat Gold Pride in Opener
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Labels: Eniola Aluko, FC Gold Pride, Jorge Barcellos, Lori Chalupny, Marta, Saint Louis Athletica, Shannon Boxx
Labels: Eniola Aluko, FC Gold Pride, Jorge Barcellos, Lori Chalupny, Marta, Saint Louis Athletica, Shannon Boxx
Eniola Aluko is happy to have Shannon Boxx as a teammate. Aluko scored two goals, both assisted by her new teammate Boxx, to give Saint Louis Athletica a 2-0 victory over FC Gold Pride in their home opener. Aluko's brace, one on each side of the break, marked the first time she has scored two goals in a WPS game.
The lineups were Solo, Wagenfuhr, Fletcher, Ellertson, Weber, Blank, Chalupny, Boxx, DiMartino, Miyama, and Aluko for Saint Louis, playing a 4-5-1. For Gold Pride, the lineup was Barnhart, Riley, Chapman, Buehler, Fountain, Abily, Gulbrandsen, Marta, O'Hara, Milbrett, and Sinclair in a 4-3-3.
The opening 30 minutes were mainly played in the middle of the field with neither team offering more than a mild threat at a goal. Two substitutions were made early on, Niki Cross for an injured Sarah Wagenfuhr for Saint Louis and Kandace Wilson for Kaley Fountain for Gold Pride. The first good chance of the match came in the 31st minute as Lori Chalupny sent one barely over the crossbar. In the 35th minute, Christine Sinclair placed a short cross into Camille Abily at the 6 yard box with her back to the goal, but the defender held her ground and Abily was unable to turn to get a shot.
Saint Louis started to exert more pressure at that point and Athletica finally broke through in the 39th minute. Shannon Boxx sent a perfect ball through to Eniola Aluko and she was able to beat Nicole Barnhart one-on-one lower right. Saint Louis went into the break with a 1-0 lead.
The second half started with Gold Pride putting sustained pressure on for the first 3 minutes, but not getting a good shot off. From there, Athletica started to control the midfield and put forth some chances. Lori Chalupny was able to split two defenders and feed the ball to Aluko, who nearly had another goal, but the shot sailed wide.
In the 62nd minute, Athletica earned a corner. Aya Miyama sent a perfect ball into to Boxx who headed the ball down from about 8 yards out. Aluko, not taking any chances, finished it neatly past Barnhart to give Athletica a 2-0 lead. Aluko gave much credit to Boxx for both goals. "Two great assists from (Boxx), so I have a lot to thank her for my goals today."
The 2nd goal seem to deflate the Gold Pride side. They brought Becky Edwards in for Gulbrandsen a few minutes later, while Athletica relieved Tina Ellertson who was hobbled a bit with India Trotter, moving Blank to defender and Boxx back to defensive mid.
Gold Pride's best chance may have come a few minutes later. Tiffeny Milbrett got free to take a hard shot from the 18, but Hope Solo was able to leap and parry the ball, which she quickly gathered in before any Gold Pride players could get there. In the 82nd minute, Marta burst into the right side of the box, but was forced to a bad angle and was only able to earn a corner out of the opportunity. From that point on, it was only a matter of running out the clock for Athletica.
Coach Jorge Barcellos has put Shannon Boxx in more of an attacking role for Athletica, rather than her normal defensive midfield position, and she responded with two assists and a very strong performance. Boxx talked about the team's mindset for the match. "Lori Chalupny said it great right before the game. Let's show everyone what Athletica's about, and that we're strong, we're hard, we're going to come into every tackle, scratch, fight...whatever it takes to come out with a win and I think we did a great job of that today."
Of Boxx, Aluko had nothing but praise. "She brings everything you would expect, experience, she's played in big games all her life, and she's a great communicator and a great midfielder all around."
Athletica did a nice job of controlling the midfield as the game wore on and their defense was up to the task, keeping the talented offensive unit of Gold Pride off the board. Gold Pride seemed to have numbers going forward a few times, but were unable to make good use of it in the final third.
Coach Jorge Barcellos was very happy with his team's play. "All the team played very good today." He was especially proud of his midfield, who he gave much praise for keeping the pressure off of his defenders. He also sees two of his newest additions to the midfield helping out Aluko a lot. "I think (with) the support of Boxx and Miyama that Eniola will make a lot of goals with us this year."
Next week, Saint Louis travel to Chicago to meet the Red Stars in a Saturday match. FC Gold Pride returns to the bay area where they will meet defending champions Sky Blue FC in Gold Pride's home opener.
April 4, 2010
Saint Louis Athletica 2010 - Can They Take the Next Step?
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Labels: 2010 WPS, Aya Miyama, Eniola Aluko, Hope Solo, Lori Chalupny, Madelaine Edlund, Saint Louis Athletica, Shannon Boxx, Tina Ellertson
Labels: 2010 WPS, Aya Miyama, Eniola Aluko, Hope Solo, Lori Chalupny, Madelaine Edlund, Saint Louis Athletica, Shannon Boxx, Tina Ellertson
Coach: Jorge Barcellos
2009 Record: 10-6-4 (2nd place)
Postseason: Lost to Sky Blue 1-0 in the semifinal.
Returnees (9): Eniola Aluko, Lori Chalupny, Niki Cross, Daniela, Tina Ellertson, Kendall Fletcher, Hope Solo, Erin Walter, Elise Weber.
Draft Choices (5): Kristina Larsen (IR), Ashlyn Harris, Veronica Perez, Carolyn Blank, Sarah Teegarden.
LA Dispersal Draft (3): Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama, Tina DiMartino.
International Signings ( 2): Madelaine Edlund, Elaine.
Free Agents (3): Kati Jo Spisak, India Trotter, Sarah Wagenfuhr.
Trades (1): Lindsay Tarpley
The 2009 season got off to a devastating start for Athletica. They opened with an 0-2-2 record, culminating in the loss of one of their best players, Daniela. But Athletica made some trades, came together as a team and had the league’s best record over the final 16 games. The question is, can they take the next step and win it all in 2010.
One might think that the 2nd place team would make only a few changes, but that wasn’t the case with Athletica. They did a nearly complete makeover of their international cast, signing Madelaine Edlund and Elaine away from Umeå IK. On draft day, they traded backup keeper Jill Loyden for USWNT player Lindsay Tarpley. Then they traded Angie Kerr and Kia McNeill to move up in the dispersal draft, where they selected Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama, and Tina DiMartino. Athletica now has 7 players with USWNT caps and another 6 that have caps internationally for other countries. The real concern right now is the team’s health. Lori Chalupny has been battling problems from concussions and Daniela and Tarpley are coming off serious leg injuries. Toward the end of training camp, Kristina Larsen suffered a stress fracture in her foot and will be out 12 weeks. Does Athletica have the depth to overcome injuries?
Goalkeeping-Any conversation about Athletica has to start with defense and any conversation about their defense has to start with Hope Solo. Arguably the best goalkeeper in the women’s game, Solo makes acrobatic saves on a regular basis. She earned 8 shutouts last season with a 0.82 GAA. She distributes the ball as well as any keeper and even assisted on a goal late last season. After trading Jill Loyden to Chicago, Athletica chose Ashlyn Harris out of North Carolina in the college draft. Harris posted a microscopic 0.42 GAA for NCAA champs UNC. Athletica also brought in former Freedom keeper Kati Jo Spisak, a St. Louis native, to add depth at goalkeeper.
Defenders-Only two starters return from last year’s defense. Gone are Stephanie Logtermann (retired), Kia McNeill (traded to Atlanta), and Sara Larsson (Philadelphia). The good news is that one of the returnees is Tina Ellertson, who had an all-star season in 2009. Ellertson has better closing speed than any other back in the league and she gives Athletica a calming presence in the center. Young Elise Weber performed well last season and if she can improve her passing out of the back, she could be a very good outside defender.
The addition of Shannon Boxx gives Coach Jorge Barcellos the luxury of moving Kendall Fletcher to the back line. Fletcher, who played defensive mid last season, was often given responsibility for marking the opponent’s best player. Another player who might move from midfield to defense is Elaine from Brazil. Athletica also added Carolyn Blank out of West Virginia through the draft, signed free agent Sarah Wagenfuhr (formerly Florida State and Chicago Red Stars), and picked up Niki Cross at the roster deadline. Cross spent the ’09 season with Athletica and has the versatility to play defender or forward. The major concern here is depth. Tina Ellertson may be the least replaceable player on the team outside of Hope Solo.
Midfielders-There is no team in the league with as deep and talented of a midfield as Saint Louis. Consider that former Gold Pride starter Tina DiMartino could be the team’s 6th or 7th best midfielder, once everybody is healthy. But there lies the concern. Lindsey Tarpley is recovering from ACL surgery and may not be ready for the start of the season. And with all the depth at midfield, she may play forward for Jorge Barcellos. Lori Chalupny has been plagued by symptoms from concussions and may also be a question mark. Add to those concerns, Brazilian midfielder Daniela is still recovering from her injuries suffered in 4th game of the 2009 season. It appeared that she was just coming into form, scoring the first two goals for Athletica in that game.
But thanks to the LA Sol dispersal draft, Saint Louis has depth to spare. In part due to a trade with Atlanta, Saint Louis was able to pick up both Shannon Boxx and Aya Miyama. Merry Christmas, Jorge! A great veteran player, Boxx has long been one of the top defensive midfielders in the world. She scored 3 goals and 3 assists for the 2009 Sol. Miyama, who has magician-like skills in the midfield, led the league in assists in ‘09 with 6. One of the areas in which Miyama is most proficient is on set pieces, a sore point for Athletica last season. The aforementioned Tina DiMartino is good with the ball at her feet and gives Saint Louis another weapon in their midfield arsenal. Developmental players Sarah Teegarden and Erin Walter provide further depth. If everyone is healthy, this group may have no peers.
Forwards-Saint Louis has one of the league’s best young forwards in Eniola Aluko. At the start of the ’09 season, many people in this country didn’t know her name, but they certainly know now. Aluko had 6 goals, 4 assists, and caused an own goal, meaning she had part in 11 of Athletica’s 19 goals. The problem last year was finding her a running mate upfront. The team addressed that problem by signing Madelaine Edlund, who has scored 28 goals over the past two seasons with Umeå. Edlund scored a goal in the 2009 WPS All-Star game. The team also signed India Trotter, formerly of Florida State, who they had drafted way back in the fall of 2008. Then there is the possibility of Tarpley, Kristina Larsen, or young Veronica Perez playing forward. Perez has capped for the Mexican National Team. If the team can find another scorer, it should open up space for the speedy Aluko.
Summary-Athletica now has 5 players that played for the WPS in last year’s All-Star game and another that was selected, but couldn’t compete. They have a great goalkeeper, a great midfield, one of the league’s best defenders, and one of the most exciting attacking players in WPS. The one thing that stopped them last season was lack of scoring. There were all too many 1-0 nailbiters. Without Aluko, Athletica was unable to score against Sky Blue in the semifinal.
The main concerns for this team have to be scoring, depth on defense, but most of all, team health. If this team can get healthy and get off to a better start than last season, they should challenge for 1st place.
2009 Record: 10-6-4 (2nd place)
Postseason: Lost to Sky Blue 1-0 in the semifinal.
Returnees (9): Eniola Aluko, Lori Chalupny, Niki Cross, Daniela, Tina Ellertson, Kendall Fletcher, Hope Solo, Erin Walter, Elise Weber.
Draft Choices (5): Kristina Larsen (IR), Ashlyn Harris, Veronica Perez, Carolyn Blank, Sarah Teegarden.
LA Dispersal Draft (3): Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama, Tina DiMartino.
International Signings ( 2): Madelaine Edlund, Elaine.
Free Agents (3): Kati Jo Spisak, India Trotter, Sarah Wagenfuhr.
Trades (1): Lindsay Tarpley
The 2009 season got off to a devastating start for Athletica. They opened with an 0-2-2 record, culminating in the loss of one of their best players, Daniela. But Athletica made some trades, came together as a team and had the league’s best record over the final 16 games. The question is, can they take the next step and win it all in 2010.
One might think that the 2nd place team would make only a few changes, but that wasn’t the case with Athletica. They did a nearly complete makeover of their international cast, signing Madelaine Edlund and Elaine away from Umeå IK. On draft day, they traded backup keeper Jill Loyden for USWNT player Lindsay Tarpley. Then they traded Angie Kerr and Kia McNeill to move up in the dispersal draft, where they selected Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama, and Tina DiMartino. Athletica now has 7 players with USWNT caps and another 6 that have caps internationally for other countries. The real concern right now is the team’s health. Lori Chalupny has been battling problems from concussions and Daniela and Tarpley are coming off serious leg injuries. Toward the end of training camp, Kristina Larsen suffered a stress fracture in her foot and will be out 12 weeks. Does Athletica have the depth to overcome injuries?
Goalkeeping-Any conversation about Athletica has to start with defense and any conversation about their defense has to start with Hope Solo. Arguably the best goalkeeper in the women’s game, Solo makes acrobatic saves on a regular basis. She earned 8 shutouts last season with a 0.82 GAA. She distributes the ball as well as any keeper and even assisted on a goal late last season. After trading Jill Loyden to Chicago, Athletica chose Ashlyn Harris out of North Carolina in the college draft. Harris posted a microscopic 0.42 GAA for NCAA champs UNC. Athletica also brought in former Freedom keeper Kati Jo Spisak, a St. Louis native, to add depth at goalkeeper.
Defenders-Only two starters return from last year’s defense. Gone are Stephanie Logtermann (retired), Kia McNeill (traded to Atlanta), and Sara Larsson (Philadelphia). The good news is that one of the returnees is Tina Ellertson, who had an all-star season in 2009. Ellertson has better closing speed than any other back in the league and she gives Athletica a calming presence in the center. Young Elise Weber performed well last season and if she can improve her passing out of the back, she could be a very good outside defender.
The addition of Shannon Boxx gives Coach Jorge Barcellos the luxury of moving Kendall Fletcher to the back line. Fletcher, who played defensive mid last season, was often given responsibility for marking the opponent’s best player. Another player who might move from midfield to defense is Elaine from Brazil. Athletica also added Carolyn Blank out of West Virginia through the draft, signed free agent Sarah Wagenfuhr (formerly Florida State and Chicago Red Stars), and picked up Niki Cross at the roster deadline. Cross spent the ’09 season with Athletica and has the versatility to play defender or forward. The major concern here is depth. Tina Ellertson may be the least replaceable player on the team outside of Hope Solo.
Midfielders-There is no team in the league with as deep and talented of a midfield as Saint Louis. Consider that former Gold Pride starter Tina DiMartino could be the team’s 6th or 7th best midfielder, once everybody is healthy. But there lies the concern. Lindsey Tarpley is recovering from ACL surgery and may not be ready for the start of the season. And with all the depth at midfield, she may play forward for Jorge Barcellos. Lori Chalupny has been plagued by symptoms from concussions and may also be a question mark. Add to those concerns, Brazilian midfielder Daniela is still recovering from her injuries suffered in 4th game of the 2009 season. It appeared that she was just coming into form, scoring the first two goals for Athletica in that game.
But thanks to the LA Sol dispersal draft, Saint Louis has depth to spare. In part due to a trade with Atlanta, Saint Louis was able to pick up both Shannon Boxx and Aya Miyama. Merry Christmas, Jorge! A great veteran player, Boxx has long been one of the top defensive midfielders in the world. She scored 3 goals and 3 assists for the 2009 Sol. Miyama, who has magician-like skills in the midfield, led the league in assists in ‘09 with 6. One of the areas in which Miyama is most proficient is on set pieces, a sore point for Athletica last season. The aforementioned Tina DiMartino is good with the ball at her feet and gives Saint Louis another weapon in their midfield arsenal. Developmental players Sarah Teegarden and Erin Walter provide further depth. If everyone is healthy, this group may have no peers.
Forwards-Saint Louis has one of the league’s best young forwards in Eniola Aluko. At the start of the ’09 season, many people in this country didn’t know her name, but they certainly know now. Aluko had 6 goals, 4 assists, and caused an own goal, meaning she had part in 11 of Athletica’s 19 goals. The problem last year was finding her a running mate upfront. The team addressed that problem by signing Madelaine Edlund, who has scored 28 goals over the past two seasons with Umeå. Edlund scored a goal in the 2009 WPS All-Star game. The team also signed India Trotter, formerly of Florida State, who they had drafted way back in the fall of 2008. Then there is the possibility of Tarpley, Kristina Larsen, or young Veronica Perez playing forward. Perez has capped for the Mexican National Team. If the team can find another scorer, it should open up space for the speedy Aluko.
Summary-Athletica now has 5 players that played for the WPS in last year’s All-Star game and another that was selected, but couldn’t compete. They have a great goalkeeper, a great midfield, one of the league’s best defenders, and one of the most exciting attacking players in WPS. The one thing that stopped them last season was lack of scoring. There were all too many 1-0 nailbiters. Without Aluko, Athletica was unable to score against Sky Blue in the semifinal.
The main concerns for this team have to be scoring, depth on defense, but most of all, team health. If this team can get healthy and get off to a better start than last season, they should challenge for 1st place.
February 11, 2010
US Algarve Cup Team Announced; Chalupny Out Indefinitely
Pia Sundhage has named a 19 player roster for the upcoming Algarve Cup to be played in Portugal. The roster includes a nice mixture of young players and veterans. Three recent draftees made the roster, Tobin Heath, Lauren Cheney, and Casey Nogueira. It also includes two players looking for their first cap, goalkeeper Jill Loyden and defender/midfielder Meghan Schnur. Those two players, along with Lori Lindsey and Yael Averbuch, had solid WPS seasons last year which probably influenced Sundhage to give them a look for the national team.
Missing from the team will be Lori Chalupny, who had been the team's captain and co-captain during 2009. Chalupny is suffering concussion symptoms and will be out indefinitely.
The US is in Group B with Norway, Iceland, and Sweden. Norway defeated the US in the group stage of the 2008 Olympics, but US defeated them at the 2009 Algarve Cup. Sweden defeated the US in the 2009 Algarve Championship Game.
GOALKEEPERS (3): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Jill Loyden (Chicago Red Stars), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica)
DEFENDERS (6): Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Philadelphia Independence), Meghan Schnur (Sky Blue FC), Cat Whitehill (Washington Freedom)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Yael Averbuch (Sky Blue FC), Shannon Boxx (St. Louis Athletica), Tobin Heath (Atlanta Beat), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC)
FORWARDS (4): Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Casey Nogueira (Chicago Red Stars), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)
Missing from the team will be Lori Chalupny, who had been the team's captain and co-captain during 2009. Chalupny is suffering concussion symptoms and will be out indefinitely.
The US is in Group B with Norway, Iceland, and Sweden. Norway defeated the US in the group stage of the 2008 Olympics, but US defeated them at the 2009 Algarve Cup. Sweden defeated the US in the 2009 Algarve Championship Game.
GOALKEEPERS (3): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Jill Loyden (Chicago Red Stars), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica)
DEFENDERS (6): Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Philadelphia Independence), Meghan Schnur (Sky Blue FC), Cat Whitehill (Washington Freedom)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Yael Averbuch (Sky Blue FC), Shannon Boxx (St. Louis Athletica), Tobin Heath (Atlanta Beat), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC)
FORWARDS (4): Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Casey Nogueira (Chicago Red Stars), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)
January 10, 2010
Athletica Holds Open House
Pictured from left Laura, Johnny, Elizabeth (all of Laclede's Army), Athletica players Angie Woznuk, Hope Solo, Lori Chalupny, and Austin, and Keith (also of Laclede's Army). Laclede's Army is a supporter group for Saint Louis Athletica.
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Saint Louis Athletica held an open house for their fans on Sunday. Season ticket holders were allowed to choose their seat for the 2010 season. Additionally, there were attendance prizes, drawings, discounted merchandise, and a silent auction. The proceeds will go to benefit SPENSA, a soccer program for kids with special needs.
Athletica team members Lori Chalupny, Hope Solo, and Angie Woznuk were at the event and talked to fans, signed autographs, and posed for pictures. The event was very well attended.
December 26, 2009
Saint Louis Athletica - The Offseason So Far
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Labels: Elaine, Eniola Aluko, Hope Sole, Lori Chalupny, Madelaine Edlund, Saint Louis Athletica
Labels: Elaine, Eniola Aluko, Hope Sole, Lori Chalupny, Madelaine Edlund, Saint Louis Athletica
Madelaine Edlund and Lori Chalupny battle in the WPS All-Star Game. The two will be teammates with Saint Louis Athletica in 2010.
When Last We Left Them...
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Saint Louis Athletica finished in 2nd place with a 10-6-4 record and 34 points. After a very slow start which saw them go scoreless for the first 277 minutes of the season, they showed strong improvement as the season wore on. An early season injury to Daniela left Athletica without one of their more talented players. But they went 6-1-2 over their last 9 games, the best record in the league over that time. Saint Louis was eliminated by Sky Blue in a tough 1-0 match in the semifinals, as they played without leading scorer Eniola Aluko.
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Chances are, if you attended an Athletica match in 2009, you saw a shutout. Saint Louis, behind brilliant goalkeeping from Hope Solo and Jill Loyden, posted 10 shutouts. Athletica was also shut out 6 times in addition to their playoff game. Aluko was their only consistent scorer. After Aluko, only midseason acquisition Christie Welsh scored as many as 3, all coming in the last two games of the season. Saint Louis was led in the midfield by Lori Chalupny and Kendall Fletcher, and defensively by Tina Ellertson.
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Roster Moves
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Saint Louis retained only 10 players from their 2009 squad, leaving them a strong nucleus but a lot of holes to fill. They waived their option on two of their international players, Daniela and Sarah Walsh, and granted free agency to a 3rd, Melissa Tancredi.
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Surprisingly, at least to me, Athletica left attacking midfielder Amanda Cinalli unprotected in the expansion draft and she was selected by the Atlanta Beat. Outside of Aluko and Welsh, Cinalli was probably their most productive offensive player. She scored 2 goals and an assist after missing the first 7 games due to a leg injury. Atlanta also selected veteran defender Sara Larsson from Saint Louis, a starter of 12 games for Athletica. She eventually signed with the Philadelphia Independence after Atlanta did not pick up her option. Additionally, free agent Niki Cross, who scored a late season goal for Saint Louis, was signed by FC Gold Pride.
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The big news for Saint Louis was the signing of two veteran international players in late November. Athletica addressed some of their scoring needs by signing 24 year old Swedish forward Madelaine Edlund. Edlund has played the last three seasons with Umeå IK of the Swedish Damallsvenskan. She has scored 28 goals over the past two seasons with Umeå. Edlund should provide Saint Louis with a forward complement to Eni Aluko.
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The other signing was that of Brazilian midfielder Elaine Moura, another player that spent 2009 with Umeå IK. Elaine was a member of the 2007 Brazilian team that finished 2nd in the World Cup. The 27 year old strengthens Athletica's midfield and will give them added experience.
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Current Roster
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Goalkeepers (2)-Jillian Loyden, Hope Solo.
Defenders (4)-Tina Ellertson, Stephanie Logterman, Kia McNeill, Elise Weber.
Midfielders (4)-Lori Chalupny, Elaine, Kendall Fletcher, Angie Woznuk.
Forwards (2)-Eniola Aluko, Madelaine Edlund.
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Additions-Edlund and Elaine.
Subtractions-Amanda Cinalli (drafted by Atlanta), Sara Larsson (drafted by Atlanta), Niki Cross (signed by Gold Pride.
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Other Free Agents from 2009 roster-Daniela, Sheree Gray, Erin Kane, Ashlee Pistorius, Lisa Stoia, Melissa Tancredi, Sarah Walsh, Erin Walter, Christie Welsh.
Internationals-Aluko, Edlund, and Elaine with 2 slots open.
Draft Choices (in first 3 rounds)-Nos. 17, 19, and 28.
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Needs to Address
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Considering that Saint Louis scored only 19 goals last season and that only 3 players that scored are still on their roster, it's fairly obvious that scoring has to be a priority. With the loss of Cinalli, Athletica really needs a scorer out of the midfield. Last season, Saint Louis got only 6 goals out of their midfield, two each from Chalupny, Cinalli, and Daniela. Angie Woznuk was unable to add a goal or an assist in 2009 and Chalupny took quite a beating, suffering 46 fouls, tied with Kelly Smith for tops in the league. Without a top draft choice, Saint Louis may have to turn to the international market to find an attacking mid.
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Additionally, Athletica could use another forward. Right now, they have only Aluko and Edlund. Ashlee Pistorius could still be in the picture for 2010, but another forward is needed. It will be interesting to see who is left when Athletica drafts at number 17.
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Defensively, Saint Louis was strong with Tina Ellertson leading the way, surrounded by young talent like McNeill, Logterman, and Weber. But an experienced back line player would be welcome. Athletica looked particularly vulnerable in the first 30 minutes of the playoff match against Sky Blue.
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Saint Louis was the surprise team to many last season. They didn't boast a lot of big name stars outside of Chalupny and Solo. Aluko turned out to be one of the league's most exciting young players and Ellertson's experience on the back line was a key factor as Athletica clawed their way up to 2nd place by the end of 2009. While they have a nice group of veterans to build around and have added two very good players, there are still many holes to be filled in the next three months. Without any high choices, it will be tough to do this through the draft. They will have to make the most of their two remaining international openings if they are to challenge for the title in 2010.
August 18, 2009
WPS Super Semifinal-Sky Blue FC at Saint Louis Athletica
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Labels: Heather O'Reilly, Hope Solo, Jen Branam, Lori Chalupny, Natasha Kai, Saint Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC
Labels: Heather O'Reilly, Hope Solo, Jen Branam, Lori Chalupny, Natasha Kai, Saint Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC
Sky Blue FC (8-8-5) at Saint Louis (8-7-5)
Wednesday, August 19th, 6 pm CT
AB Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri
Season Series: Saint Louis took all 3 matches in the season series between the two teams.
6/7/09-Saint Louis 1, Sky Blue FC 0 (Soccer Park)
6/28/09-Saint Louis 2, Sky Blue FC 1 (Yurcak Field)
7/22/09-Saint Louis 1, Sky Blue FC 0 (Soccer Park)
Top Performers in the Series:
Saint Louis-Eniola Aluko (2 goals, 1 assist), Amanda Cinalli (1 goal), Elise Weber (1 goal), Kendall Fletcher (1 assist), Melissa Tancredi (1 assist), Hope Solo (1 shutout), Jillian Loyden (1 shutout).
Sky Blue FC-Julianne Sitch (1 goal), Jenni Branam (2 games, 1.50 goals against)
Possible Starting Lineups:
Saint Louis Athletica (Coach-Jorge Barcellos)
G-Hope Solo (0.82 GA, 8 shutouts)
D-Melissa Tancredi (2 assists)
D-Kia McNeill
D-Tina Ellertson
D-Elise Weber (1 goal)
M-Kendall Fletcher (3 assists)
M-Lori Chalupny (2 goals, 1 assist)
M-Angie Woznuk
M-Amanda Cinalli (2 goals, 1 assist)
F-Sarah Walsh (1 goal, 2 assists)
F-Christie Welsh (3 goals)
Unavailable due to Euros-Eniola Aluko (6 goals, 4 assists), Sara Larsson (starting defender)
Top Subs-Daniela, Niki Cross, Stephanie Logterman, Lisa Stoia, Erin Walter, Jillian Loyden
Sky Blue FC (Coach-Christie Rampone)
G-Jenni Branam (1.09 GA, 6 shutouts)
D-Keeley Dowling (3 assists)
D-Jen Buczkowski
D-Christie Rampone
D-Meghan Schnur (2 assists)
M-Yael Averbuch (1 assist)
M-Collette McCallum (3 assists)
M-Heather O'Reilly (2 goals, 3 assists)
M-Rosana (5 goals, 1 assist)
F-Natasha Kai (7 goals, 1 assist) or Kerri Hanks (2 goals, 1 assist)
F-Kacey White (3 goals, 1 assist)
Unavailable due to Euros: Anita Asante (starting defender), Karen Bardsley (backup keeper)
Top Subs-Kelly Parker, Julianne Sitch, Francielle, Noelle Keselica, Katie Hooker, Cori Alexander
Note: Statistics include playoff matches.
Game Analysis:
If you looked at the record between these two teams, you would get the mistaken idea that this series has been one sided. Maybe the results have been all for Athletica, but the play on the field has been about as even as possible. In all three of the previous meetings, Athletica has jumped on top, twice early in the match and once early in the 2nd half. That has been a pattern followed by Athletica most of the year when successful. Sky Blue did come back to tie their home match, only to see it slip away on an unlikely high lob shot from a bad angle by Elise Weber.
This match has a little extra drama to it, because of the trade between the two teams. Sky Blue sent Sarah Walsh to Athletica for Kerri Hanks and Francielle in a big midseason trade. Hanks scored the game winning goal in a regular season match against Chicago and Francielle was the hero over the weekend against the Freedom. Walsh has yet to hit the net for Athletica, but she has come close and does have an assist to her credit. All three players could influence the outcome of Wednesday's match. Also, this match will be greatly affected by who's missing, notably Athletica's leading scorer, Eniola Aluko, and Sky Blue's top defender, Anita Asante.
If you had to personify Sky Blue, you would say that they are the Rodney Dangerfield of the WPS. They don't get a lot of respect, but they sure know how to fight. Take round one of the playoffs for instance. After breaking on top 1-0, Washington tied the score in the 78th minute and on top of that, Jen Branam was so banged up, she didn't take free kicks for the remainder of the game. Branam hung tough and then seldom used midfielder, Francielle, hit the shot of the day from outside the penalty area to send SBFC into the Super Semifinal.
The big question for Christie Rampone is whether or not she will repeat her strategy from Saturday in which she started Hanks for Natasha Kai, in an effort to preserve her star striker for the end of the contest. Kai ended up scoring less than a minute after entering the game in the 2nd half. In an interview with Tom Timmerman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Rampone said, "it will be a tactical decision closer to game time." If Kai doesn't start, Hanks will repeat her role and start beside Kacey White, who assisted on Kai's goal.
Both teams have excellent midfields and both are led by old North Carolina teammates, Heather O'Reilly and Lori Chalupny. Along side O'Reilly is one of Sky Blue's top scoring threats, Rosana. Yael Averbuch will handle the holding midfielder position. The other midfielder will be either Collette McCallum or Kelly Parker, both of whom will likely see a lot of action, no matter which one starts. Francielle has suddenly become a top option at midfield off the bench.
Defensively, it's Keeley Dowling, Christie Rampone, and Meghan Schnur, all of whom are solid players. Jen Buczkowski will start in place of Anita Asante. Jenni Branam is tough and quick in goal. She has posted 6 shutouts for the season and it appears she will be ready to go for Wednesday night's match, in spite of getting pretty banged up on Saturday.
For Athletica, it always starts with defense. Hope Solo has posted 8 shutouts and has given up just two goals in her last 6 matches. The back line is led by Tina Ellertson, with Kia McNeill joining her in the center and Melissa Tancredi and Elise Weber on the outside. It is also likely that Stephanie Logterman will see playing time at defender in this match.
There is no doubt the trade for Kendall Fletcher was very instrumental in Athletica being where they are today. Fletcher has 3 assists, but more importantly, she has done a fine job in shutting down some of the top offensive players in the WPS. Athletica's captain, Lori Chalupny is a world class midfielder and definitely the heart of this team. Amanda Cinalli has given Athletica another offensive weapon from the midfield and Angie Woznuk rounds out that unit. Sarah Walsh will be one starter up front and Athletica is still waiting for her to break through for her first goal. She will probably team with Christie Welsh, who went on a mini scoring run, netting three in her last two matches. Niki Cross will likely be her 2nd half replacement and has scored one herself.
Sky Blue Keys:
1) Keep Athletica off the board early. Saint Louis has outscored their opponents by a margin of 13-3 in the 1st half and has a record of 8-0-3 when scoring in the 1st half. Athletica usually comes out with a lot of energy at the start of the game.
2) Get numbers forward in the attack. Sky Blue are at their best when they get a lot of players forward and pressure opposing defenses. Unlike Athletica, Sky Blue has many scoring options with Kai, White, O'Reilly, and Rosana. Saint Louis has a strong defense, but they can occasionally be forced into making mistakes.
3) Keep the pressure off of Branam. Jen Branam is tough, but it's not certain if she's 100% after Saturday's contest. The Sky Blue defense needs to make it as easy on her as possible. Twice in that match, she had to come 30 yards out of the goal to clear the ball away from an onrushing attacker. I don't know if she will be capable of doing that again this match.
Saint Louis Athletica Keys:
1) Don't gamble too much on defense. Athletica has a very good defense, but they do sometimes gamble at the midfield. Facing a team with a lot of speed, like Sky Blue, they need to make sure that attackers don't get behind them, because of all the Athletica defenders, only Tina Ellertson has the speed to make up ground once she's beat.
2) Shoot high. Jen Branam is a terrific keeper, but she is also one of the shortest keepers in the WPS. The winning goal by Elise Weber at Yurcak Field was not an impressive shot, but it was high and out of the reach of Branam. In addition, Branam is more apt to charge out of her net than any other keeper in the league, leaving her vulnerable to a chip shot. If Athletica aims for the upper corners, they could get a goal there.
3) Finish the game off. While Athletica has played very well in the 1st half, they have all too often let games slip away late. They have given up 9 of the 15 goals against them after the 70th minute. NINE! There have been too many times when Athletica has gone into a defensive shell late in a match and had it backfire on them. It's playoff time now. There are no 2nd chances.
Summary
Both teams tend to play low scoring matches and both have strong defenses and top notch goalkeepers. These are also two of the strongest midfields in the league. Sky Blue does get more offense out of their midfield than Saint Louis. Athletica is missing their top offensive player in Eniola Aluko and one has to wonder if she can be replaced. Sky Blue has been a bit unlucky in the three times these two teams have met. Athletica has had problems at times in closing games out. The wild card could be Daniela, if she is healthy enough to see some minutes late in the match. She has a strong shot and could provide a winner if needed.
I look for another low scoring match, possibly going to overtime or penalties. If it does go to penalties, one would expect Solo and Athletica to have the advantage. But remember, in penalty kicks, it's usually on the shooter and not so much on the keeper. If that's the case, Sky Blue would appear to have far better options for their five shooters than Athletica. The loser of the match will have had a fine season and the winner has a date with the Los Angeles Sol on Saturday for the championship.
Wednesday, August 19th, 6 pm CT
AB Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri
Season Series: Saint Louis took all 3 matches in the season series between the two teams.
6/7/09-Saint Louis 1, Sky Blue FC 0 (Soccer Park)
6/28/09-Saint Louis 2, Sky Blue FC 1 (Yurcak Field)
7/22/09-Saint Louis 1, Sky Blue FC 0 (Soccer Park)
Top Performers in the Series:
Saint Louis-Eniola Aluko (2 goals, 1 assist), Amanda Cinalli (1 goal), Elise Weber (1 goal), Kendall Fletcher (1 assist), Melissa Tancredi (1 assist), Hope Solo (1 shutout), Jillian Loyden (1 shutout).
Sky Blue FC-Julianne Sitch (1 goal), Jenni Branam (2 games, 1.50 goals against)
Possible Starting Lineups:
Saint Louis Athletica (Coach-Jorge Barcellos)
G-Hope Solo (0.82 GA, 8 shutouts)
D-Melissa Tancredi (2 assists)
D-Kia McNeill
D-Tina Ellertson
D-Elise Weber (1 goal)
M-Kendall Fletcher (3 assists)
M-Lori Chalupny (2 goals, 1 assist)
M-Angie Woznuk
M-Amanda Cinalli (2 goals, 1 assist)
F-Sarah Walsh (1 goal, 2 assists)
F-Christie Welsh (3 goals)
Unavailable due to Euros-Eniola Aluko (6 goals, 4 assists), Sara Larsson (starting defender)
Top Subs-Daniela, Niki Cross, Stephanie Logterman, Lisa Stoia, Erin Walter, Jillian Loyden
Sky Blue FC (Coach-Christie Rampone)
G-Jenni Branam (1.09 GA, 6 shutouts)
D-Keeley Dowling (3 assists)
D-Jen Buczkowski
D-Christie Rampone
D-Meghan Schnur (2 assists)
M-Yael Averbuch (1 assist)
M-Collette McCallum (3 assists)
M-Heather O'Reilly (2 goals, 3 assists)
M-Rosana (5 goals, 1 assist)
F-Natasha Kai (7 goals, 1 assist) or Kerri Hanks (2 goals, 1 assist)
F-Kacey White (3 goals, 1 assist)
Unavailable due to Euros: Anita Asante (starting defender), Karen Bardsley (backup keeper)
Top Subs-Kelly Parker, Julianne Sitch, Francielle, Noelle Keselica, Katie Hooker, Cori Alexander
Note: Statistics include playoff matches.
Game Analysis:
If you looked at the record between these two teams, you would get the mistaken idea that this series has been one sided. Maybe the results have been all for Athletica, but the play on the field has been about as even as possible. In all three of the previous meetings, Athletica has jumped on top, twice early in the match and once early in the 2nd half. That has been a pattern followed by Athletica most of the year when successful. Sky Blue did come back to tie their home match, only to see it slip away on an unlikely high lob shot from a bad angle by Elise Weber.
This match has a little extra drama to it, because of the trade between the two teams. Sky Blue sent Sarah Walsh to Athletica for Kerri Hanks and Francielle in a big midseason trade. Hanks scored the game winning goal in a regular season match against Chicago and Francielle was the hero over the weekend against the Freedom. Walsh has yet to hit the net for Athletica, but she has come close and does have an assist to her credit. All three players could influence the outcome of Wednesday's match. Also, this match will be greatly affected by who's missing, notably Athletica's leading scorer, Eniola Aluko, and Sky Blue's top defender, Anita Asante.
If you had to personify Sky Blue, you would say that they are the Rodney Dangerfield of the WPS. They don't get a lot of respect, but they sure know how to fight. Take round one of the playoffs for instance. After breaking on top 1-0, Washington tied the score in the 78th minute and on top of that, Jen Branam was so banged up, she didn't take free kicks for the remainder of the game. Branam hung tough and then seldom used midfielder, Francielle, hit the shot of the day from outside the penalty area to send SBFC into the Super Semifinal.
The big question for Christie Rampone is whether or not she will repeat her strategy from Saturday in which she started Hanks for Natasha Kai, in an effort to preserve her star striker for the end of the contest. Kai ended up scoring less than a minute after entering the game in the 2nd half. In an interview with Tom Timmerman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Rampone said, "it will be a tactical decision closer to game time." If Kai doesn't start, Hanks will repeat her role and start beside Kacey White, who assisted on Kai's goal.
Both teams have excellent midfields and both are led by old North Carolina teammates, Heather O'Reilly and Lori Chalupny. Along side O'Reilly is one of Sky Blue's top scoring threats, Rosana. Yael Averbuch will handle the holding midfielder position. The other midfielder will be either Collette McCallum or Kelly Parker, both of whom will likely see a lot of action, no matter which one starts. Francielle has suddenly become a top option at midfield off the bench.
Defensively, it's Keeley Dowling, Christie Rampone, and Meghan Schnur, all of whom are solid players. Jen Buczkowski will start in place of Anita Asante. Jenni Branam is tough and quick in goal. She has posted 6 shutouts for the season and it appears she will be ready to go for Wednesday night's match, in spite of getting pretty banged up on Saturday.
For Athletica, it always starts with defense. Hope Solo has posted 8 shutouts and has given up just two goals in her last 6 matches. The back line is led by Tina Ellertson, with Kia McNeill joining her in the center and Melissa Tancredi and Elise Weber on the outside. It is also likely that Stephanie Logterman will see playing time at defender in this match.
There is no doubt the trade for Kendall Fletcher was very instrumental in Athletica being where they are today. Fletcher has 3 assists, but more importantly, she has done a fine job in shutting down some of the top offensive players in the WPS. Athletica's captain, Lori Chalupny is a world class midfielder and definitely the heart of this team. Amanda Cinalli has given Athletica another offensive weapon from the midfield and Angie Woznuk rounds out that unit. Sarah Walsh will be one starter up front and Athletica is still waiting for her to break through for her first goal. She will probably team with Christie Welsh, who went on a mini scoring run, netting three in her last two matches. Niki Cross will likely be her 2nd half replacement and has scored one herself.
Sky Blue Keys:
1) Keep Athletica off the board early. Saint Louis has outscored their opponents by a margin of 13-3 in the 1st half and has a record of 8-0-3 when scoring in the 1st half. Athletica usually comes out with a lot of energy at the start of the game.
2) Get numbers forward in the attack. Sky Blue are at their best when they get a lot of players forward and pressure opposing defenses. Unlike Athletica, Sky Blue has many scoring options with Kai, White, O'Reilly, and Rosana. Saint Louis has a strong defense, but they can occasionally be forced into making mistakes.
3) Keep the pressure off of Branam. Jen Branam is tough, but it's not certain if she's 100% after Saturday's contest. The Sky Blue defense needs to make it as easy on her as possible. Twice in that match, she had to come 30 yards out of the goal to clear the ball away from an onrushing attacker. I don't know if she will be capable of doing that again this match.
Saint Louis Athletica Keys:
1) Don't gamble too much on defense. Athletica has a very good defense, but they do sometimes gamble at the midfield. Facing a team with a lot of speed, like Sky Blue, they need to make sure that attackers don't get behind them, because of all the Athletica defenders, only Tina Ellertson has the speed to make up ground once she's beat.
2) Shoot high. Jen Branam is a terrific keeper, but she is also one of the shortest keepers in the WPS. The winning goal by Elise Weber at Yurcak Field was not an impressive shot, but it was high and out of the reach of Branam. In addition, Branam is more apt to charge out of her net than any other keeper in the league, leaving her vulnerable to a chip shot. If Athletica aims for the upper corners, they could get a goal there.
3) Finish the game off. While Athletica has played very well in the 1st half, they have all too often let games slip away late. They have given up 9 of the 15 goals against them after the 70th minute. NINE! There have been too many times when Athletica has gone into a defensive shell late in a match and had it backfire on them. It's playoff time now. There are no 2nd chances.
Summary
Both teams tend to play low scoring matches and both have strong defenses and top notch goalkeepers. These are also two of the strongest midfields in the league. Sky Blue does get more offense out of their midfield than Saint Louis. Athletica is missing their top offensive player in Eniola Aluko and one has to wonder if she can be replaced. Sky Blue has been a bit unlucky in the three times these two teams have met. Athletica has had problems at times in closing games out. The wild card could be Daniela, if she is healthy enough to see some minutes late in the match. She has a strong shot and could provide a winner if needed.
I look for another low scoring match, possibly going to overtime or penalties. If it does go to penalties, one would expect Solo and Athletica to have the advantage. But remember, in penalty kicks, it's usually on the shooter and not so much on the keeper. If that's the case, Sky Blue would appear to have far better options for their five shooters than Athletica. The loser of the match will have had a fine season and the winner has a date with the Los Angeles Sol on Saturday for the championship.
July 22, 2009
Match Report-Saint Louis 1, Sky Blue FC 0
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Labels: Eniola Aluko, Jen Branam, Jillian Loyden, Kacey White, Lori Chalupny, Natasha Kai, Saint Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC
Labels: Eniola Aluko, Jen Branam, Jillian Loyden, Kacey White, Lori Chalupny, Natasha Kai, Saint Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC
Eniola Aluko picked a defender's pocket at the top of the box, then dribbled around Sky Blue keeper Jen Branam and sent the ball into the net giving Athletica a 1-0 lead in the 48th minute, which is how the game would end. Jillian Loyden made a heartstopping save grabbing the ball off of Kacey White's foot in stoppage time to preserve the victory for Saint Louis. The victory puts Athletica back into 2nd place, just 2 points ahead of Boston.
For Saint Louis, it moved them one step closer to a playoff berth. A victory on Sunday against FC Gold Pride, combined with a Sky Blue tie or loss to Boston or a Washington loss to Chicago would put them in the playoffs. Sky Blue still has their destiny in their own hands, but they must fend off 5th place Washington.
Loyden, making just her 3rd start for Saint Louis, was brilliant in goal, save for one very nearly embarrassing and disastrous play. She earned her 2nd shutout, making seven saves in the process. For her part, Jen Branam was equally brilliant for most of the evening, making 4 saves.
Early in the match, Athletica dominated possession and chances. Branam made some fairly easy saves early on, but was tested more severely in the 18th minute when Aluko hit a low shot from inside the penalty area to Branam's left. Branam dove to make the save.
Loyden's otherwise strong performance nearly hit a speed bump in the 22nd minute. She moved to her left post to catch a seemingly harmless shot. Just as she was ready to reach for the ball, her feet slid out from under her and she barely got a hand on it to send the ball just wide of the goal. On the ensuing corner kick, the ball came loose in front of the Athletica goal, with Elise Weber clearing it from about two yards from the line.
Athletica continued to pressure the Sky Blue goal, but Branam was up to the task. Niki Cross hit a low shot from about 22 yards out that Branam dove and covered nicely. A minute later, Lori Chalupny sent in a nice cross from the left, that Amanda Cinalli's sliding attempt just missed connecting on. Just a few minutes later, it was Cinalli again, as she received a pass from Aluko and found herself with a chance from about 12 yards, but she sent it just over the bar.
In the 36th minute, Keeley Dowling attempted a bicycle kick, but she didn't get much on it and Loyden made the easy save. The best chance for Sky Blue, however, came in the closing minutes of the 1st half. Natasha Kai got a step on the defender and dribbled into the penalty area. Loyden came out to cut off the angle and Kai sent a shot just over the crossbar. The half ended in a scoreless tie.
Unlike Saturday's game against the Freedom, Athletica forwards pressed Sky Blue's defenders throughout the game. It finally paid off in the opening minutes of the 2nd half, as Aluko stole the ball from a Sky Blue defender and calmly dribbled around Branam to give Athletica the lead. For Aluko, it was her 5th goal of the season.
The teams traded good chances throughout the 2nd half and there were quite a few of them. Sky Blue came close to equalizing several times. In the 58th minute, Yael Averbuch unleased a long shot from the left side, that either glanced off the post or Loyden barely got her hand on. About 10 minutes later, Natasha Kai was running onto a ball in the Athletica penalty area, that Loyden just dove out and grabbed off Kai's foot.
The momentum then swung back to Saint Louis. In the 72nd minute, Lori Chalupny made a nice turn on a defender to get herself clear for a shot from about 14 yards out. Branam came out, cut down the angle, and blocked the shot, robbing Chalupny and Athletica of a 2nd goal. In the 77th minute, Chalupny struck a corner that Angie Woznuk hit a glancing header toward the far post. A charging Sara Larsson was just late getting to the ball and it rolled just wide. Three minutes later, Aluko hit a nice shot from the left side that had Branam beat high to the far post, but it just missed by inches.
Sky Blue wasn't through yet. In the 88th minute, there was a scrum in front of the Athletica net, but Loyden was able to grab the ball out of the air for the save. But the biggest save for Loyden came in stoppage. A Sky Blue attacking player was coming in alone on Loyden. I originally had thought it was Noelle Keselica from my viewpoint over 100 yards away, however I was later corrected that it was Kacey White. White appeared to be nearly around Loyden, but at the last second Loyden reached out with a hand and grabbed the ball away from White's feet to save the day and the game for Athletica.
For the match, Sky Blue outshot Athletica 14-11, although the chances were fairly even overall. Sky Blue was playing without several players for this game. Heather O'Reilly (USA) and Kelly Parker (Canada) were playing in the US-Canada friendly in South Carolina. Anita Asante was in England facing off against Denmark in a friendly for her country. Christie Rampone had emergency surgery just a few days ago. For Athletica, Lori Chalupny was scheduled to be playing in the US-Canada match, but returned to Saint Louis because of the death of her grandfather, whose funeral was today.
Both teams played extremely well and both Loyden and Branam were exceptional in the nets. Aluko was dangerous throughout the match. Kendall Fletcher kept up her fine defensive work as she blanketed Rosana for much of the match. Chalupny's presence and play was clearly a difference maker for Saint Louis. Athletica's defense was solid for much of the match, except for that last anxious moment when Sky Blue nearly tied the game.
For Sky Blue, Natasha Kai and Kacey White both did a nice job of putting the pressure on Saint Louis. Yael Averbuch played very well in the midfield. There is no doubt that SBFC missed having Rampone and Asante in the middle of their defense.
Sky Blue returns to action on Saturday as they travel to Boston to play the Breakers in another match with major playoff implications. Saint Louis hosts FC Gold Pride on Sunday evening, with a potential chance to clinch a playoff berth with a victory and other events falling their way.
For Saint Louis, it moved them one step closer to a playoff berth. A victory on Sunday against FC Gold Pride, combined with a Sky Blue tie or loss to Boston or a Washington loss to Chicago would put them in the playoffs. Sky Blue still has their destiny in their own hands, but they must fend off 5th place Washington.
Loyden, making just her 3rd start for Saint Louis, was brilliant in goal, save for one very nearly embarrassing and disastrous play. She earned her 2nd shutout, making seven saves in the process. For her part, Jen Branam was equally brilliant for most of the evening, making 4 saves.
Early in the match, Athletica dominated possession and chances. Branam made some fairly easy saves early on, but was tested more severely in the 18th minute when Aluko hit a low shot from inside the penalty area to Branam's left. Branam dove to make the save.
Loyden's otherwise strong performance nearly hit a speed bump in the 22nd minute. She moved to her left post to catch a seemingly harmless shot. Just as she was ready to reach for the ball, her feet slid out from under her and she barely got a hand on it to send the ball just wide of the goal. On the ensuing corner kick, the ball came loose in front of the Athletica goal, with Elise Weber clearing it from about two yards from the line.
Athletica continued to pressure the Sky Blue goal, but Branam was up to the task. Niki Cross hit a low shot from about 22 yards out that Branam dove and covered nicely. A minute later, Lori Chalupny sent in a nice cross from the left, that Amanda Cinalli's sliding attempt just missed connecting on. Just a few minutes later, it was Cinalli again, as she received a pass from Aluko and found herself with a chance from about 12 yards, but she sent it just over the bar.
In the 36th minute, Keeley Dowling attempted a bicycle kick, but she didn't get much on it and Loyden made the easy save. The best chance for Sky Blue, however, came in the closing minutes of the 1st half. Natasha Kai got a step on the defender and dribbled into the penalty area. Loyden came out to cut off the angle and Kai sent a shot just over the crossbar. The half ended in a scoreless tie.
Unlike Saturday's game against the Freedom, Athletica forwards pressed Sky Blue's defenders throughout the game. It finally paid off in the opening minutes of the 2nd half, as Aluko stole the ball from a Sky Blue defender and calmly dribbled around Branam to give Athletica the lead. For Aluko, it was her 5th goal of the season.
The teams traded good chances throughout the 2nd half and there were quite a few of them. Sky Blue came close to equalizing several times. In the 58th minute, Yael Averbuch unleased a long shot from the left side, that either glanced off the post or Loyden barely got her hand on. About 10 minutes later, Natasha Kai was running onto a ball in the Athletica penalty area, that Loyden just dove out and grabbed off Kai's foot.
The momentum then swung back to Saint Louis. In the 72nd minute, Lori Chalupny made a nice turn on a defender to get herself clear for a shot from about 14 yards out. Branam came out, cut down the angle, and blocked the shot, robbing Chalupny and Athletica of a 2nd goal. In the 77th minute, Chalupny struck a corner that Angie Woznuk hit a glancing header toward the far post. A charging Sara Larsson was just late getting to the ball and it rolled just wide. Three minutes later, Aluko hit a nice shot from the left side that had Branam beat high to the far post, but it just missed by inches.
Sky Blue wasn't through yet. In the 88th minute, there was a scrum in front of the Athletica net, but Loyden was able to grab the ball out of the air for the save. But the biggest save for Loyden came in stoppage. A Sky Blue attacking player was coming in alone on Loyden. I originally had thought it was Noelle Keselica from my viewpoint over 100 yards away, however I was later corrected that it was Kacey White. White appeared to be nearly around Loyden, but at the last second Loyden reached out with a hand and grabbed the ball away from White's feet to save the day and the game for Athletica.
For the match, Sky Blue outshot Athletica 14-11, although the chances were fairly even overall. Sky Blue was playing without several players for this game. Heather O'Reilly (USA) and Kelly Parker (Canada) were playing in the US-Canada friendly in South Carolina. Anita Asante was in England facing off against Denmark in a friendly for her country. Christie Rampone had emergency surgery just a few days ago. For Athletica, Lori Chalupny was scheduled to be playing in the US-Canada match, but returned to Saint Louis because of the death of her grandfather, whose funeral was today.
Both teams played extremely well and both Loyden and Branam were exceptional in the nets. Aluko was dangerous throughout the match. Kendall Fletcher kept up her fine defensive work as she blanketed Rosana for much of the match. Chalupny's presence and play was clearly a difference maker for Saint Louis. Athletica's defense was solid for much of the match, except for that last anxious moment when Sky Blue nearly tied the game.
For Sky Blue, Natasha Kai and Kacey White both did a nice job of putting the pressure on Saint Louis. Yael Averbuch played very well in the midfield. There is no doubt that SBFC missed having Rampone and Asante in the middle of their defense.
Sky Blue returns to action on Saturday as they travel to Boston to play the Breakers in another match with major playoff implications. Saint Louis hosts FC Gold Pride on Sunday evening, with a potential chance to clinch a playoff berth with a victory and other events falling their way.
May 10, 2009
Athletica Hangs On For First Victory
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Labels: 2009 WPS, FC Gold Pride, Hope Solo, Lori Chalupny, Nicole Barnhart, Saint Louis Athletica
Labels: 2009 WPS, FC Gold Pride, Hope Solo, Lori Chalupny, Nicole Barnhart, Saint Louis Athletica
It seemed a long time coming, but Saint Louis Athletica finally notched their first victory in team history as they defeated FC Gold Pride 1-0 before a crowd of over 3800 at Korte Stadium on the campus of SIU-Edwardsville.
The winning goal was scored early in the contest at approximately the 16 minute mark on a corner kick by Lori Chalupny. Chalupny's left-footed in-swinging corner to the far post eluded Nicole Barnhart and went cleanly into the net giving Athletica a 1-0 lead they would never relinquish. The goal seemed to catch both players and fans off guard as there was almost a delayed reaction to it.
The victory did not come without a few anxious moments for Saint Louis, most notably on a play just before stoppage in the 2nd half. Hope Solo came out to intercept a ball in heavy traffic, but she was unable to grab it cleanly. In the ensuing scramble, Christine Sinclair was able to get a shot off that Solo, who was trying to make her way back to the net, was able to snare out of the air to preserve the win.
The game was fairly evenly played in the 1st half, with Athletica having slightly more possession and a healthy edge in shots on goal and corners. Early on, Barnhart went down after a collision in front of her net for what we later found out was a fractured nose. In spite of that, Nicole was able to continue and played very well the rest of the match.
Saint Louis did have a few dangerous chances later in the half, but as has been too often the case this season, their shots were not well placed and Barnhart handled them without incident. Bay Area's best chance of the half came in the 34th minute as Sinclair got clear for a shot at the top of the box that went just wide to Solo's left. A minute later, it was Athletica's Eniola Aluko chipping a cross from the side of the box that went just high and wide of the Gold Pride net.
At half time, Coach Albertin Montoya subbed Tiffeny Milbrett in for Tiffany Weimer, who had an uncharacteristically quiet first half. The 2nd half started much as the first with Chalupny's shot in the 48th minute being easily saved by Barnhart.
It was at that point that Gold Pride started to assert themselves, as their skill players took charge. Over the next 25 minutes, they dominated play with Saint Louis rarely able to get it out of their own half of the field. In the 54th minute, Solo raced out and just beat a charging Sinclair to the ball in front of the Athletica net. A few minutes later, Leslie Osborne launched a shot from long range that was saved by Solo. At about the 75 minute mark, Gold Pride had three consecutive corner kicks that they weren't able to do anything with. This was followed by a hard shot from Eriko Arakawa that Solo made a nice stop on. A minute later, another Gold Pride effort, this one by DiMartino, sailed just over the net. Arakawa, Milbrett, and Formiga played exceptionally well over this stretch. However, Saint Louis was able to weather the storm and hang on for the victory.
Melissa Tancredi suffered a leg injury early in the 2nd half. The stretcher was brought out, but she got up and tried to walk it off, only to go to the ground again a few minutes later. At that point, Coach Jorge Barcellos replaced Tancredi with Niki Cross. The injury to Tancredi did not appear to be serious, but she did have a fairly pronounced limp after the game.
For his other two substitutions, Barcellos used his new acquisitions from LA, Kendall Fletcher and Christie Welsh. Welsh played very well in the closing minutes of the game, showing some nifty ball handling at times and was arguably Athletica's best offensive threat in the 2nd half. Fletcher subbed for Sara Larsson, who was playing her first game at defensive midfielder instead of her normal central defender role. This was Larsson's first game back after sitting out two games with an injury. Saint Louis' defense was solid throughout the match.
Coach Montoya's 2nd half substitution of Milbrett was instrumental in changing the momentum of the game in Gold Pride's favor, as they outshot Saint Louis 8-1 in the final 45 minutes. His other 2nd half substitutions were Erika and Leigh Ann Robinson, who had scored the game winner against Sky Blue a week ago. The Gold Pride defense also played well and they were able to keep Athletica's scoring chances to a minimum. Rachel Buehler was a standout in that capacity. Christina DiMartino was very active and played well for long stretches during both halves. Kandace Wilson made some nice runs from the back, but was unable to get any serious scoring chances. Montoya had to be happy with how well his team played in the 2nd half, even if there was disappointment in not being able to find the net.
Coach Barcellos was obviously both joyous and relieved as he came over to greet fans with hugs and handshakes following the victory. It has certainly been a tough year for Barcellos, who has had to juggle his lineup due to numerous injuries and whose team started the season playing well, but had little to show for it. Athletica's victory moves them into a tie for 5th place with Washington, just two points behind 4th place FC Gold Pride, who maintains their hold on the last playoff spot.
The winning goal was scored early in the contest at approximately the 16 minute mark on a corner kick by Lori Chalupny. Chalupny's left-footed in-swinging corner to the far post eluded Nicole Barnhart and went cleanly into the net giving Athletica a 1-0 lead they would never relinquish. The goal seemed to catch both players and fans off guard as there was almost a delayed reaction to it.
The victory did not come without a few anxious moments for Saint Louis, most notably on a play just before stoppage in the 2nd half. Hope Solo came out to intercept a ball in heavy traffic, but she was unable to grab it cleanly. In the ensuing scramble, Christine Sinclair was able to get a shot off that Solo, who was trying to make her way back to the net, was able to snare out of the air to preserve the win.
The game was fairly evenly played in the 1st half, with Athletica having slightly more possession and a healthy edge in shots on goal and corners. Early on, Barnhart went down after a collision in front of her net for what we later found out was a fractured nose. In spite of that, Nicole was able to continue and played very well the rest of the match.
Saint Louis did have a few dangerous chances later in the half, but as has been too often the case this season, their shots were not well placed and Barnhart handled them without incident. Bay Area's best chance of the half came in the 34th minute as Sinclair got clear for a shot at the top of the box that went just wide to Solo's left. A minute later, it was Athletica's Eniola Aluko chipping a cross from the side of the box that went just high and wide of the Gold Pride net.
At half time, Coach Albertin Montoya subbed Tiffeny Milbrett in for Tiffany Weimer, who had an uncharacteristically quiet first half. The 2nd half started much as the first with Chalupny's shot in the 48th minute being easily saved by Barnhart.
It was at that point that Gold Pride started to assert themselves, as their skill players took charge. Over the next 25 minutes, they dominated play with Saint Louis rarely able to get it out of their own half of the field. In the 54th minute, Solo raced out and just beat a charging Sinclair to the ball in front of the Athletica net. A few minutes later, Leslie Osborne launched a shot from long range that was saved by Solo. At about the 75 minute mark, Gold Pride had three consecutive corner kicks that they weren't able to do anything with. This was followed by a hard shot from Eriko Arakawa that Solo made a nice stop on. A minute later, another Gold Pride effort, this one by DiMartino, sailed just over the net. Arakawa, Milbrett, and Formiga played exceptionally well over this stretch. However, Saint Louis was able to weather the storm and hang on for the victory.
Melissa Tancredi suffered a leg injury early in the 2nd half. The stretcher was brought out, but she got up and tried to walk it off, only to go to the ground again a few minutes later. At that point, Coach Jorge Barcellos replaced Tancredi with Niki Cross. The injury to Tancredi did not appear to be serious, but she did have a fairly pronounced limp after the game.
For his other two substitutions, Barcellos used his new acquisitions from LA, Kendall Fletcher and Christie Welsh. Welsh played very well in the closing minutes of the game, showing some nifty ball handling at times and was arguably Athletica's best offensive threat in the 2nd half. Fletcher subbed for Sara Larsson, who was playing her first game at defensive midfielder instead of her normal central defender role. This was Larsson's first game back after sitting out two games with an injury. Saint Louis' defense was solid throughout the match.
Coach Montoya's 2nd half substitution of Milbrett was instrumental in changing the momentum of the game in Gold Pride's favor, as they outshot Saint Louis 8-1 in the final 45 minutes. His other 2nd half substitutions were Erika and Leigh Ann Robinson, who had scored the game winner against Sky Blue a week ago. The Gold Pride defense also played well and they were able to keep Athletica's scoring chances to a minimum. Rachel Buehler was a standout in that capacity. Christina DiMartino was very active and played well for long stretches during both halves. Kandace Wilson made some nice runs from the back, but was unable to get any serious scoring chances. Montoya had to be happy with how well his team played in the 2nd half, even if there was disappointment in not being able to find the net.
Coach Barcellos was obviously both joyous and relieved as he came over to greet fans with hugs and handshakes following the victory. It has certainly been a tough year for Barcellos, who has had to juggle his lineup due to numerous injuries and whose team started the season playing well, but had little to show for it. Athletica's victory moves them into a tie for 5th place with Washington, just two points behind 4th place FC Gold Pride, who maintains their hold on the last playoff spot.
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