magicJack Advances to Semifinals

In a very strong performance, magicJack defeated the Boston Breakers 3-1 on Wednesday evening to advance to the WPS semifinal on Saturday. magicJack will meet the Philadelphia Independence in Chester, Pennsylvania.

There were no surprises in the magicJack lineup for the match. Tony DiCicco elected to start Taryn Hemmings instead of Stephanie Cox on the back line, with Amy LePeilbet playing left back.

magicJack came out of the blocks fast, putting pressure on the Breakers' net from the opening whistle. Sophie Schmidt's shot from 25 yards sailed over the crossbar in just the second minute of action.

magicJack broke on top just a few minutes later. Sarah Huffman hit a cross from the far right side. The ball curved away from Boston goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, eluding her and finding a wide open Abby Wambach just eight yards out on the back post. She easily finished into the open net and magicJack was up 1-0 in just the sixth minute.

magicJack continued to pressure the Breakers' defense. Shannon Boxx put one just over the crossbar from 20 yards in the 8th minute. Later, Christen Press' shot from 18 yards was deflected wide by Naeher.

Boston's first good chance came in the 29th minute as Amy LePeilbet's pass found Lauren Cheney cutting across the box, but her shot went just wide of the left post.

Both teams suffered injuries in the first half. Meghan Klingenberg took an awkward fall landing on her arm in the 15th minute. She came off with what appeared to be an arm or wrist injury and was replaced by Elli Reed. Tina Ellertson suffered a hamstring injury later in the half. It was while Ellertson was off the field that Boston evened the score.

LePeilbet took a free kick from 40 yards out, sending it to the center of the penalty area. magicJack managed to head the ball clear but not out. Leslie Osborne nodded the ball back to the center where Keelin Winters volleyed it one-time inside the right post from nine yards out to tie the score. Ellertson was quickly subbed out for Lydia Vandenbergh after the goal.

magicJack nearly retook the lead in the 37th minute as Megan Rapinoe's shot from the left side beat Naeher, but struck the left post and was cleared by Boston. Just a minute later, Rapinoe had another chance as Huffman sent a pass to Press who headed it to Rapinoe, but her shot rolled just wide of the right post.

Boston had a good opportunity right before intermission, with another LePeilbet free kick into the penalty area. But Winters couldn't quite get into position to head the ball on goal and her attempt sailed well wide of the net. The match was tied at the half.

magicJack started the second half right where they left off as Rapinoe sent Press through the Boston defense, but her shot hooked just wide of the right post. But in the 56th minute, things began to fall apart for the Breakers.

Huffman received the ball just to the right edge of the penalty area and made a one-on-one move against Hemmings. Hemmings reached out her right foot and tripped the magicJack midfielder. A penalty was awarded and Abby Wambach scored her second goal of the match, with Naeher guessing wrong, to make it 2-1 for the home team.

Press had another chance just a minute later, but she skied a shot over the bar on a good opportunity from 18 yards out. Rapinoe set up Huffman just minutes later, but her shot also went well over the bar.

magicJack put the game away in the 61st minute as Press was making a run into the right side of the penalty area. She cut back on Hemmings and with Naeher bearing down on her, she hit a beautiful cross that caught Rapinoe in stride and USWNT midfielder headed the ball into the net from six yards to make it 3-1.

With their backs against the wall, the Breakers attempted to insert some offense into the match. Hobbled Kelly Smith came in for Hemmings in the 69th minute. Nikki Marshall subbed in for Aya Sameshima in the 79th minute. For awhile after Smith came in, Boston appeared to be dangerous and Smith definitely gave them a temporary spark, but the English striker is not nearly 100% healthy and her abilities were limited.

In 75th minute, Kelley O'Hara's shot from 22 yards was on frame, but easily handled by Jill Loyden. After that, Boston looked exhausted and really offered no significant threat.

magicJack outshot Boston 17-8 and led in shots on goal by an 8-2 margin. It was fairly dominating performance by the women from south Florida, who had been one of the toughest home teams in the league during the regular season.

magicJack will now travel to Philadelphia where they will meet the second place Independence at PPL Park in Chester at 4 pm on Saturday.

magicJack 3, Boston Breakers 1

mJ-Abby Wambach (Sarah Huffman) 6'
Bos-Keelin Winters (Leslie Osborne) 31'
mJ-Abby Wambach pk 57'
mJ-Megan Rapinoe (Christen Press) 61'

magicJack-Jill Loyden, Marian Dalmy, Christie Rampone, Tina Ellertson (Lydia Vandenbergh 33), Becky Sauerbrunn, Shannon Boxx, Sophie Schmidt (Omolyn Davis 86), Megan Rapinoe, Sarah Huffman (Nikki Washington 86), Abby Wambach, Christen Press.

Boston-Alyssa Naeher, Alex Scott, Rachel Buehler, Taryn Hemmings (Kelly Smith 69), Amy LePeilbet, Leslie Osborne, Keelin Winters, Meghan Klingenberg (Elli Reed 16), Aya Sameshima (Nikki Marshall 79), Lauren Cheney, Kelley O'Hara.

YC-Buehler (Bos) 17, Hemmings (Bos) 35, Winters (Bos) 81.
Shots-magicJack 17, Boston 8.
SOG-magicJack 8, Boston 2.

Wambach's Hat Trick Leads magicJack

Abby Wambach scored three goals and Sarah Huffman added another as magicJack easily defeated Atlanta 4-0 on Saturday evening. It was Wambach's first ever WPS hat trick.

The victory keeps magicJack in second place in WPS. Going into today's action, they trail Western New York by five points and have a three point advantage on third place Philadelphia.

Wambach opened the scoring in just the 8th minute of action as she caught Beat goalkeeper Alli Lipsher off her line and chipped over her head and into the net. Huffman's goal followed just a few minutes later and Atlanta was never in the match afterwards.

Wambach added goals in the 67th and 89th minute to make the final tally 4-0. Hope Solo recorded the shutout in goal for magicJack.

MagicJack ups their record to 4-1-0, good for 11 points (after subtracting the point they were penalized earlier in the season). Atlanta suffered their fifth loss in a row, scoring just one goal in those five matches. They are now 1-6-1.

Both teams return to action next weekend. The Beat must travel to Philadelphia for the final game in their current road stretch. MagicJack will also be on the road, at Boston, on Sunday.

Note: The point total which was originally listed by the author as 12 points and record which was originally listed as 4-0-1 for magicJack should read 11 points and 4-1-0. It has been corrected. This new math is killing me.

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

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

WPS Rookie of the Year - Jordan Angeli, Boston Breakers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

One Unofficial Award

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

Comeback Player of the Year - Lindsay Tarpley, Boston Breakers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Washington Freedom 2010 - Are They Defensive Enough?

Coach: Jim Gabarra
2009 Record: 8-7-5 (3rd place)
Postseason: Lost to Sky Blue 2-1 in the 1st round.

Returnees (13): Sonia Bompastor, Lisa De Vanna, Jill Gilbeau, Sarah Huffman, Allie Long, Erin McLeod, Rebecca Moros, Becky Sauerbrunn, Homare Sawa, Briana Scurry, Alex Singer, Abby Wambach, Cat Whitehill.
Draft Choices (4): Nikki Marshall, Beverly Goebel, Kristi Eveland, Caitlin Miskel.
LA Dispersal Draft (1): Brittany Bock.
International Signings ( 1): Lene Mykjåland.
Free Agents (3): Marisa Abegg, Meagan McCray, Christie Welsh.

If there were a soccer equivalent to standing pat, the Washington Freedom would fit that description better than any team in the league. They retained 13 players from last year’s 3rd place squad, brought back all four international players from last year, and primarily used the draft for improvement. The only real high impact free agent that the Freedom signed was Norwegian striker, Lene Mykjåland. They only picked up one player in the LA dispersal draft, although a very high quality selection in Brittany Bock.

The 2009 version of the Freedom could score, and score often. Washington scored 3 or more goals in 6 matches and led WPS with 32 goals. Unfortunately, they also gave up 32 goals and one would have to think that they need to shore up their defense if they want to compete for the title. The situation did improve after the arrival of Erin McLeod, but there were all too many high-scoring shootouts.

Goalkeeping-The Freedom return last year’s starter and Canadian National Team veteran, Erin McLeod. McLeod earned three shutouts and posted a 1.43 GAA in 14 starts for Washington. The Freedom were allowing nearly 3 goals per game before McLeod’s arrival in May and there’s no doubt that her presence improved their defense. Veteran Briana Scurry returns as the backup after an injury filled 2009. Meghan McCray won the battle for developmental keeper after spending '09 with FC Gold Pride.

Defenders-I’m sure giving up a league high 32 goals was not what Coach Jim Gabarra had in mind for the 2009 Freedom. They return four of their starters intact from last year’s group and have added 3 players that should help out. Out of the 3, Brittany Bock could have the most impact. Bock may have had the best season of any of the new college grads in 2009 and is among the league’s most versatile players, spending time at several positions. The Freedom added Nikki Marshall and Kristi Eveland through the college draft. Marshall spent the latter part of her college career as a forward for Colorado, but was a mainstay at center back for 2008 U-20 WC champs. Eveland played outside right in UNC’s 3 back defense.

The returnees include Cat Whitehill and Becky Sauerbrunn in the middle. Whitehill, a member of the USWNT team, is particularly dangerous on long free kicks which she almost unerringly sends dangerously into the penalty area. Sauerbrunn also proved her offensive prowess scoring Washington’s 1st goal ever on a header. On the outside, Alex Singer and Jill Gilbeau return. Singer is probably the better of the two defensively, while Gilbeau has ability going into the attack and she can play wing/midfielder or forward, as well. Marisa Abegg adds depth to this unit.

Midfielders-Sonia Bompastor is the engine that makes this team run. One of the world’s best all round players, Bompastor scored 4 goals last season and tied for the WPS lead in assists with 6. She is also versatile and can play anywhere on the field. From an offensive point of view, Washington appeared much stronger with Bompastor playing midfield and the loss of Lori Lindsey almost ensures she will spend most of 2010 in that position. The Freedom also return holding midfielder Homare Sawa, a 3 goal scorer from ’09. Sawa had a solid season and she gives Washington good support at the defensive end.

Washington does get a boost in the return of Sarah Huffman. Huffman missed the entire '09 season, save for a 17 minute appearance in the playoffs. For attacking midfielders, the Freedom have Allie Long and Rebecca Moros, both of whom played quality minutes in 2009. Long scored two goals and showed great improvement as the year progressed. Moros also had two goals with an assist and she relentlessly pressures opposing backs into mistakes. Another midfielder, Beverly Goebel out of Miami, is a 3rd round selection. The main question for this group is whether or not Huffman will be able to give the Freedom what Lindsey did in 2009.

Forwards-Washington already had the best forward combination of power and speed with Abby Wambach and Lisa De Vanna, and now they have added Norwegian striker Lene Mykjåland to the mix. Just 23 years old, Mykjåland has spent the last 5 seasons with Roå. She has 25 caps and 5 goals for Norway, a team with a long, successful history in women’s soccer. The addition of Mykjåland certainly gives Gabarra more options upfront.

Abby Wambach is perhaps one of the most feared forwards in the world and she’s now back fully fit from the leg injury that kept her out of the 2008 Olympics. Wambach started slowly in ’09, but put on a late surge scoring 5 goals in the last four regular season games, giving her 8 for the year. There is no player better in the air near the goal. Meanwhile, De Vanna is motion personified. Very few defenders can match her stride for stride and she scored 6 goals and 5 assists for the Freedom last season. The Freedom did add veteran Christie Welsh, who scored 3 goals late in the season for Saint Louis for depth. Virginia alum and Freedom W-League player Caitlin Miskel is a developmental forward.

Summary-The loss of Lindsey left a hole in the midfield, but the return of Huffman, and additions of Mykjåland, Bock, and Marshall should improve the team. The question is how much. There’s no doubt that this team will score goals, but they aren’t going to be able to just rely on outscoring every team. The defense is going to have to win some matches for Washington to compete for the top spot. Having McLeod for an entire season will help, as will the presence of Marshall and Bock. If they can hold opponents somewhere near a goal a game, we will see this team in the playoffs in September.