Sky Blue Wins WPS Championship on Goal by O'Reilly

Sky Blue FC completed their Cinderella run to the title by defeating the Los Angeles Sol 1-0 at the Home Depot Center on Saturday. The only goal of the match was scored by Heather O'Reilly in the 16th minute. Jen Branam posted her second consecutive shutout in the playoffs to seal the win.

It's been an improbable run for New Jersey, who entered the playoffs with a losing record at 7-8-5. They had never beaten any of their three playoff opponents previously and hadn't scored a goal against Los Angeles until today.

Christie Rampone made two changes in her starting 11 for today. She started Francielle in the midfield instead of either of the veterans Collette McCallum or Kelly Parker. And more importantly, for the first time in 3 matches, she decided to start Natasha Kai rather than save her for the end of the match. Both teams were missing key players for the match, Camille Abily for Los Angeles and Anita Asante for Sky Blue.

The goal sequence started on a throw-in deep in LA territory. Keeley Dowling threw the ball in to Kacey White who touched it back to Dowling. Dowling sent a long high cross to about 12 yards out in the middle of the penalty area. Natasha Kai flicked a header to Heather O'Reilly who had slipped behind Manya Makoski. O'Reilly drilled the shot from about 8 yards out before Makoski or Allison Falk could reach her. Karina LeBlanc was able to get her foot on the ball, but the shot deflected just inside the post to put New Jersey up 1-0.

Down 1-0 and with no flow to their offense, things got a whole lot worse for Los Angeles 10 minutes later. Natasha Kai was making a run up the left side and then cut toward the middle at about 30 yards out. Allison Falk, who was running behind Kai, clipped her as she made her cut and was red carded for the play. The Sol were forced to play one down for the last 63 minutes of the match. It definitely changed the complexion of the game and almost immediately afterwards, LA coach Abner Rogers used his first substitution to add another defender to take Falk's place on the back line in sending Sharolta Nonen in for McCall Zerboni.

Los Angeles came close to equalizing in the 72nd minute. Marta got the ball to Shannon Boxx about 20 yards in front of the goal. Boxx turned and hit a low shot to the left corner that appeared to catch Branam off guard. Branam just barely got her hand on the ball and it rolled harmlessly over the endline for a corner.

In the 76th minute, O'Reilly nearly got in behind the Los Angeles defense, but Makoski made a great recovery to knock the ball away from her at the last second. In the 84th minute, a free kick nearly found Boxx inside the 6 yard box, but Branam was able to deflect that away. On the ensuing corner kick, Boxx hit a volley from about 18 yards at a bad angle. The shot had good pace, but was right at Branam.

The Sol's last opportunity came just into stoppage on a free kick from about 30 yards out. But Marta's shot went easily over the goal and any chance of tying the match went with it.

Heather O'Reilly was named the MVP of the championship game. Jen Branam had a spectacular run in the playoffs giving up just one goal in three matches. And Christie Rampone, who has now coached one more playoff game than regular season games, is the head coach of the WPS champions.

WPS Championship Preview-Sky Blue FC at Los Angeles Sol

Sky Blue FC (9-8-5) at Los Angeles Sol (12-3-5)
Saturday, August 22nd, 1pm PT, 4pm ET
Home Depot Center, Carson, California

Season Series: Los Angeles won the season series with two wins and a tie against Sky Blue.
4/5/09-Los Angeles 2, Sky Blue 0 (TD Bank Park)
5/15/09-Los Angeles 1, Sky Blue 0 (Home Depot Center)
6/13/09-Los Angeles 0, Sky Blue 0 (Yurcak Field)

Top Performers in the Series:
Los Angeles-Marta (3 goals); Camille Abily (1 assist); Han Duan (1 assist); Karina LeBlanc (3 shutouts).
Sky Blue FC-Jenni Branam (1.00 GA, 1 shutout).

Possible Starting Lineups:
Los Angeles Sol (Coach-Abner Rogers)
G-Karina LeBlanc (0.53 GA, 12 shutouts)
D-Keri Sanchez
D-Allison Falk (1 goal)
D-Brittany Bock (2 goals)
D-Stephanie Cox
M-Shannon Boxx (3 goals, 3 assists)
M-Manya Makoski
M-Aly Wagner (4 assists)
M-Aya Miyama (6 assist)
F-Marta (10 goals, 3 assists)
F-Han Duan (3 goals, 2 assists)
Unavailable Due to Euros: Camille Abily (8 goals, 1 assist)
Top Subs: McCall Zerboni, Katie Larkin, Sharolta Nonen, Liz Bogus, Lisa Sari, Val Henderson

Sky Blue FC (Coach-Christie Rampone)
G-Jenni Branam (1.03 GA, 7 shutouts)
D-Keeley Dowling (1 goal, 3 assists)
D-Jen Buczkowski
D-Christie Rampone
D-Meghan Schnur (2 assists)
M-Yael Averbuch (2 assists)
M-Collette McCallum (3 assists)
M-Heather O'Reilly (2 goals, 3 assists)
M-Kacey White (3 goals, 1 assist)
F-Natasha Kai (7 goals, 1 assist) or Kerri Hanks (2 goals, 1 assist)
F-Rosana (5 goals, 1 assist)
Unavailable Due to Euros: Anita Asante (starting defender); Karen Bardsley (backup keeper)
Top Subs: Kelly Parker, Francielle, Julianne Sitch, Katie Hooker, Noelle Keselica, Cori Alexander.
Note: Stats include playoff games for Sky Blue.

Game Preview:
It's the team of destiny, Sky Blue FC, against the regular season champions, the Los Angeles Sol, at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Sky Blue are on a playoff roll, winning two in a row, both over teams they had never won against. On Saturday, they will face yet another team that they have never beaten in Los Angeles. Los Angeles won two of the regular season matches, with the third ending in a scoreless tie. In fact, Sky Blue has yet to score a goal against the Sol in 270 minutes of soccer, but SBFC has been a giant killer in the playoffs. Now only one team stands between them and the title.

Los Angeles had a very impressive regular season up until the final month when they lost two games and tied Gold Pride, before coming from behind to beat Boston in their final regular season match. But one major reason for their success will be missing on Saturday, that being Camille Abily who has joined her French teammates for the Euros in Finland. The Sol only had 6 different players score goals for them and Abily had 8 of the 27. Sky Blue will still be missing defender Anita Asante, but their defense has played well without her, giving up just one goal in two playoff games.

You can't say enough about Jen Branam's playoff performance, shaking off injuries in both games and earning a shutout against Saint Louis in the semifinals. She is one of the quickest keepers in the league and also the most daring. She will roam well out of the penalty area to clear the ball out which could be disastrous, but so far she has managed to beat the attacking player in each case. In front of her will be Keeley Dowling, Jen Buczkowski, player-coach Christie Rampone, and Meghan Schnur. Dowling got her first goal of the year in the semis with a perfectly placed shot that beat Hope Solo. Buczkowski has filled in ably for Asante and Schnur is as steady as they come. Rampone is the leader on that back line.

After spending much of the early season on the bench, Yael Averbuch has been a force lately. She has her only two assists of the season in the playoffs, assisting on the game winner in each match. Her nifty dribbling move against Athletica got her free to nudge a pass toward a wide open Dowling for Sky Blue's only goal against Saint Louis. Collette McCallum has 3 assists this season and Kelly Parker will probably see action at midfield as well. Heather O'Reilly can be a dominating midfielder and may well be a key in this match. Kacey White, who really plays a 3rd forward, is Sky Blue's 3rd leading scorer.

For the first two playoff matches, Christie Rampone chose to start Kerri Hanks and save Natasha Kai for the end of the match. It's worked so far, so she may try it again Saturday. In spite of not scoring, Hanks had one of her most active matches in the semis and only a great diving save kept her from hitting the back of the net. The other forward will be Rosana, who has scored 5 goals this season, and with Kai, form perhaps the speediest forward duo in the league.

Los Angeles will start Karina LeBlanc in goal and she has 12 shutouts for the season, including 3 against this Sky Blue team. Her 0.53 goals against is the lowest of any starting keeper in the WPS. Her starting back line will probably consist of veteran Keri Sanchez, versatile Brittany Bock, Allison Falk, and Stephanie Cox. Both Falk and Cox have had great seasons, with Falk being nominated for Defender of the Year. For some reason, Cox never seems to get the recognition she deserves, perhaps because she does her job so efficiently.

Even with the loss of Camille Abily and her 8 goals, the Sol have a talented midfield. Start with Shannon Boxx, a WPS All-Star and mainstay on the US National Team. Add Manya Makoski, a defensive specialist who plays defender and midfielder equally well. Then there's Aly Wagner, who managed 4 assists, in spite of missing several matches due to injuries. And last, but not least, there is Aya Miyama, a playmaker extraordinaire with 6 assists.

When it comes to offense, Los Angeles has the most potent weapon in the league in Marta. She led the league with 10 goals and added 3 assists to that. Simply put, she is the fastest, most talented forward in the league and she will attract a lot of attention from Sky Blue's defensive back. Han Duan will be at the other forward position.

Los Angeles Sol Keys:
1) Clog up the midfield passing lanes-Sky Blue dominated the first 30 minutes of the semis with precision passing and quite frankly, Saint Louis didn't put a lot of pressure on their midfield. LA needs to pressure their midfield into mistakes and not let Sky Blue set up their chances.
2) Counterattack, counterattack, counterattack-There is no better team in the league at gaining possession and getting quickly into an attacking mode than the Sol. By counterattacking in this manner, Sky Blue will be less likely to risk bringing outside defenders Dowling and Schnur or midfielder Averbuch forward into the attack.
3) Beat the offsides trap-Los Angeles did just that in the second meeting between these two teams, with Marta timing her run perfectly and then she deftly dribbled around Branam and finished for the only goal of that match.

Sky Blue FC Keys:
1) Take it slow and be patient-Sky Blue isn't going to win an end to end shootout. Take your time, make good passes, keep possession, and wait for your chances. Another side benefit is that this strategy will likely frustrate Marta into coming back farther to gain possession, thus taking her farther away from the goal.
2) Make the safe play-This goes for the whole team. The defense must get the ball out of trouble with the first touch. There were a couple of instances on Wednesday when a loose ball lingered way too long in the penalty area. And how many more times will Branam wander 30 yards out and get away with it. I'll give her high marks for courage and daring, but eventually it's going to cost her.
3) Use team speed up the flanks-Several times in the semifinals, a Sky Blue attacker was able to beat Athletica's outside defenders and get a clean cross into the box. Kacey White and Heather O'Reilly are experts in this area. Use this strength to create chances, especially up the left side.

Game Analysis:
Unlike Athletica, who showed virtually no offense in the first 30 minutes on Wednesday, Los Angeles will likely be pressuring from the opening whistle. I don't think the Sol will play the 1st half in a "feeling out" mode. Sky Blue does have some talented offensive players of their own, but it's going to be hard for them to get numbers forward, especially from the back line as Keeley Dowling did in the semifinal. If they do get caught forward, they will be vulnerable to LA's lethal counterattack.

LeBlanc has been a top keeper all season, but Branam might be the hottest keeper in the league right now. She managed to get through the semi virtually untested by any formidable shots, but she will have to be on top of her game on Saturday. Sky Blue's defense and midfield are very good, but the Sol's are probably better and the flawless passing game we saw in the 1st half on Wednesday might not be so easy to duplicate in the final.

If Sky Blue is going to win this match, they cannot afford to make any mistakes. The longer the game stays even, the better for Sky Blue. Los Angeles proved they were the best team in the regular season, but we started to see some vulnerability toward the end of the season. Still, you have to believe they will be prepared for this match. The team from Jersey plays with a lot of heart, but I'm not sure that will be enough against the Sol. And you just have the feeling that if a goal is needed late, that Marta will be able to do it just by sheer will.

Sky Blue Defeats Washington 2-1

Sky Blue FC defeated the Washington Freedom 2-1 on Saturday afternoon and the winning goal came from one of the most unlikeliest of sources. Francielle, obtained in a midseason trade from Saint Louis, drilled the winning goal in the 84th minute. She had played all of 28 minutes in just one game for Sky Blue coming into this match. At 19 years old, she is the youngest player in the WPS.

Both teams played conservatively in the 1st half, which turned out to be mostly a feeling out process. Sky Blue did get more shots, but neither team came all that close to scoring. Washington made the first substitution of the game at halftime, bringing in Alex Singer for Jill Gilbeau, who had started the game at midfield. The Freedom decided to move Ali Krieger to midfield in an attempt to get more speed forward.

Coach Christie Rampone elected to start Kerri Hanks for Natasha Kai, thus saving her speedy star forward for later in the game. Kai entered the game in the 54th minute and quickly made her presence felt. The ball was crossed to Kacey White who was just outside the penalty area and she popped the ball up into the penalty area. While Cat Whitehill appeared to wait for the ball to settle down, Kai broke between her and Becky Sauerbrunn, bodied the ball down to her foot and tipped the ball past Freedom goalkeeper Erin McLeod, who barely got her arm on it, to put the Sky Blue up 1-0 in the 55th minute.

By the 73rd minute, both teams had used up their substitutions. Sky Blue brought in Francielle and Kelly Parker to replace Collette McCallum and Kacey White. Washington brought in Sarah Huffman and Allie Long to replace Lori Lindsey and Rebecca Moros. For Huffman, who has been injured since preseason, it was her first action of the regular season.

The Freedom picked up their intensity and started to have chances. Ali Krieger hit the cross bar with a blistering shot in the 68th minute. Then, in the 78th minute, Homare Sawa chipped one toward the penalty area. Sky Blue keeper Jen Branam came rushing out to punch the ball out. She did but collided hard with onrushing Abby Wambach as she did. Branam went down and the ball went directly to Lisa DeVanna. DeVanna made no mistake in blasting the ball into the net from about 18 yards as two Sky Blue defenders were unable to do anything but watch at the goal line. Branam appeared to be injured on the play, but with no substitutions left, she toughed out the rest of the match sporting a substantial limp. She did not take any of the goal kicks or free kicks for the remainder of the match.

With the score tied 1-1 and less than 10 minutes of regulation remaining, the game looked to be heading to overtime. But then came Francielle with her late game heroics. Heather O'Reilly received the ball on the right sideline and reversed the ball to Yael Averbuch. Averbuch hit a square pass to Francielle, who was about 35 yards from the goal and nothing but space in front of her. She dribbled around Alex Singer to the top of the penalty circle and hit a shot to the lower right corner of the goal that just beat McLeod. It was her first goal of the season.

Sky Blue was able to hold on for the final 6 minutes and stoppage for the victory. Sky Blue outshot Washington 24-12 for the match. They will now go on to meet Athletica in the Super Semifinal next Wednesday in St. Louis.

WPS Playoffs-Sky Blue FC at Washington Freedom

Sky Blue FC (7-8-5) at Washington (8-7-5)
Saturday, August 15th, 4 pm ET
Maryland SoccerPlex
Televised on Fox Sports Net and Comcast Sports Net.

Season Series: Washington took the season series with 2 wins and a tie.
5/23/09-Washington 2, Sky Blue 1 (RFK Stadium)
7/15/09-Washington 4, Sky Blue 4 (Yurcak Field)
8/8/09-Washington 3, Sky Blue 1 (Maryland SoccerPlex)

Top Performers in the Series:
Washington-Lisa DeVanna (4 goals, 1 assist), Abby Wambach (2 goals, 2 assists), Cat Whitehill (2 goals), Sonia Bompastor (1 goal, 2 assists), Rebecca Moros (1 assist), Ali Krieger (1 assist), Erin McLeod (2.00 GA)
Sky Blue-Natasha Kai (2 goals, 1 assist), Rosana (2 goals, 1 assist), Kacey White (2 goals), Heather O'Reilly (1 assist), Keeley Dowling (1 assist), Jenni Branam (3.00 GA)

Possible Starting Lineups:
Washington Freedom (Coach-Jim Gabarra)
G-Erin McLeod (1.43 GA, 3 shutouts)
D-Sarah Senty
D-Cat Whitehill (3 goals, 2 assists)
D-Becky Sauerbrunn (1 goal)
D-Ali Krieger (1 assist)
M-Homare Sawa (3 goals)
M-Lori Lindsey (2 goals, 1 assist)
M-Allie Long (2 goals)
M-Rebecca Moros (2 goals, 1 assist)
F-Abby Wambach (8 goals, 5 assists)
F-Lisa DeVanna (6 goals, 5 assists)
Unavailable due to Euros-Sonia Bompastor (4 goals, 6 assists)
Top Subs-Jill Gilbeau, Joanna Lohman, Alex Singer, Kristen DeDycker, Emily Janss

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
M-Collette McCallum (3 assists)
M-Heather O'Reilly (2 goals, 3 assists)
M-Rosana (5 goals, 1 assist)
F-Natasha Kai (6 goals, 1 assist)
F-Kacey White (3 goals)
Unavailable due to Euros-Anita Asante (starting defender)
Top Subs-Kelly Parker, Julianne Sitch, Kerri Hanks, Noelle Keselica, Katie Hooker

Game Analysis
To this point, Washington has controlled the series and scored pretty much at will against Sky Blue. Sky Blue lost both contests on the Freedom's home turf and will be on the road again in this contest. It's expected to be a warm sunny day, so fatigue and substitutions could be a key in this match as well. Washington is the top offensive club in the WPS with 32 goals scored, while Sky Blue is one of the better defensive teams. Washington is the hotter team coming into this game, winning 4 of their last 5, while Sky Blue is 2-2-1 in their last 5 matches.

Both teams will be dealing with the loss of key players to the Euros. Washington will be without Sonia Bompastor, who has played all over the field and is usually the engine that makes the Freedom run. Sky Blue will be without perhaps their top defender in Anita Asante.

The Freedom will start Erin McLeod in goal. After early season problems for the Freedom, McLeod stabilized the keeper situation and has performed well in spite of her 1.43 goals against average. On defense, Cat Whitehill and Becky Sauerbrunn will be two of the starters. Whitehill is probably the best offensive center back in the league and is a weapon on long free kicks. Sauerbrunn is one of two Freedom players to play every minute this season, the other being Homare Sawa. The outside backs will probably be determined by how Jim Gabarra wishes to deal with Sonia Bompastor's absence. Last week, he started Sarah Senty and Ali Krieger. However, Gabarra could move Krieger up to midfield to replace Bompastor and start either Jill Gilbeau or Alex Singer at outside back.

In the midfield, Homare Sawa and Lori Lindsey are constants. Both are solid, but Sawa suddenly came to life offensively late in the year with 3 goals in the last 5 games. Rebecca Moros plays kind of a hybrid midfielder/forward position and loves to pressure the opposing back line. The other midfielder could be Allie Long, who battled a toe injury for the latter part of the season, veteran Joanna Lohman, or they could move up the speedy Krieger. There is no doubt at the two forward positions and they may be the best tandem in the league. Abby Wambach is the power with 8 goals and Lisa DeVanna is the speed with 6 goals. Sky Blue hasn't really been able to contain either one.

Sky Blue will have Jenni Branam in goal. She is smallish, but very quick and very active in the penalty area. She will surely miss having Anita Asante in front of her. On the back line, three of the starters are certain. Christie Rampone will be one center back, while Meghan Schnur will be one outside back. Rampone, in spite of her age, is still one of the best defenders in the WPS. Keeley Dowling has played mostly outside this year, but she has played inside also and with Wambach being a primary concern, Dowling might start inside because of her great leaping ability. If Dowling plays outside, then Jen Buczkowski will probably be the other center back. If Dowling plays center, then Rampone might use Katie Hooker or Julianne Sitch outside.

At midfield, Sky Blue will almost have to start Yael Averbuch to combat Wambach's size and strength. Rosana and Heather O'Reilly are both scoring threats from the midfield and should give Washington problems, especially since Bompastor will be gone. In spite of not breaking out offensively, O'Reilly is a constant threat and she can dominate when she is in top form. The other starting midfielder will probably be either Aussie Collette McCallum or Canadian Kelly Parker. They split time in last week's match against the Freedom. Up front, Natasha Kai has speed to burn and is one of the most dangerous forwards in the WPS. She will need to capitalize on her opportunities on Saturday. Kacey White, who is an underrated and solid performer at the other forward spot, rounds out the starters for SBFC.

On any ball in the air toward the penalty area, you can bet that Abby Wambach will be in the middle wreaking havoc with the Branam and her defenders. Looking through the tapes and highlight reels, I estimated that an astounding 28 of the 32 goals scored by the Freedom were from within 12 yards of the goal. In fact, nearly half were from the 6 yard box in. Only 3 were scored from outside the penalty area, one early in the season by Lori Lindsey, one off of a set piece play by Cat Whitehill, and one by Homare Sawa late in the season against FC Gold Pride on a rebound. By contrast, the Freedom gave up several goals from the edge of the penalty area and beyond, including one from Sky Blue's Rosana last weekend.

Sky Blue hasn't had all that much of a problem scoring on Washington either. Their speed at forward and midfield can cause a lot of problems to the middle of the Freedom defense, which isn't particularly fast. Kai, O'Reilly, White, and Rosana should keep the Freedom defense on their toes.

Washington Freedom Keys:
1) Get the ball in the air toward the goal. Not only is Washington strong in the air, but they are going against one of the shortest keepers in the league in Jen Branam. If they loft high crosses into the box, Abby Wambach can easily outjump Branam to the point Jen will have trouble punching the ball out, let alone grabbing it. The Freedom will be missing their best server in Bompastor, but Whitehill can be just as dangerous.
2) Time your runs. Lisa DeVanna scored four goals against Sky Blue this year, but she has a habit of going offsides. DeVanna is 2nd only to Eni Aluko in being called offside this season. Sky Blue is one of the best teams in the WPS at the offsides trap, but they can be burned. If she can time her runs, there is no one on the Sky Blue defense that is going to catch her and she should be able to get behind their back line for at least one or two good scoring opportunities.
3) Get defensive help from the midfield. With offensive threats like Kai, O'Reilly, and Rosana facing them, the Freedom midfield is going to have to get back to help their back line defend. Sky Blue managed to score 6 goals against Washington in 3 matches.

Sky Blue Keys:
1) Keep the Freedom's set pieces to a minimum. Washington has scored 7 times on set pieces and 10 goals on headers. Even with Bompastor gone, this is one of their strengths. Sky Blue's clearances must be strong and they can't allow rebounds.
2) Control the midfield. This is one area where I believe Sky Blue should have the advantage, especially with Bompastor out. If Sky Blue can control the midfield and keep the Freedom bottled up in their own end for much of the game, they have a chance. O'Reilly, Parker, McCallum, and Rosana can put a lot of offensive pressure on the Freedom back line. And I'm still waiting for Yael Averbuch to get one of those strong-legged bombs in the back of the net.
3) Contain DeVanna and Wambach. Well that's easy for me to say, not so easy to do. DeVanna has scored 4 goals against Sky Blue this year and Wambach has scored two. Sky Blue's back line cannot allow these two to run amuck. They will probably need to assign either Yael Averbuch because she can matchup in size, or Keeley Dowling because she has great leaping ability, to shadow Wambach. Abby has scored 5 goals in her last 4 matches.

Prediction
Even though Sonia Bompastor is one of the best all round players in the WPS, the loss of Anita Asante may be a bigger loss to Sky Blue. SBFC has had enough trouble stopping Washington and the loss of a top defender will complicate matters worse. The three matches between these two teams have seen a lot of scoring, but playoff matches tend to be conservatively played and lower scoring. Sky Blue may have come farther from the start of the season than any other team, but they have a lot going against them in this game. They're on the road against a team they haven't beaten and they haven't shown that they can stop them. There have been several matches where the Freedom have found a way to win late in the game and I just can't see Sky Blue containing both Wambach and DeVanna the entire match. My prediction is that Washington will defeat Sky Blue 2-1.

WPS Midweek Notes-Playoff Edition

After roughly four and a half months of soccer, the playoffs are here. Sky Blue FC will head back to Washington to play the Freedom in the playoff opener on Saturday. The winner will play Saint Louis in the Super Semifinal next Wednesday and the winner of that match will play Los Angeles at the Home Depot Center on August 22nd.

The toughest road to the championship is obviously Sky Blue's. First, they would have to beat three quality opponents, all on the road. Second, their record against those three teams is a combined 0-7-2. Third, their road record for the season is just 2-6-2.

The hottest two teams heading into the playoffs are Washington, 4-1 over their last 5 matches, and Saint Louis, 3-0-2 in their last five. Los Angeles and Sky Blue are both 2-2-1 in their last five matches.

Players Expected To Miss the Playoffs Due to the Euros:

Los Angeles-Camille Abily (8 goals, 1 assist)
Saint Louis-Eniola Aluko (6 goals, 4 assists), Sara Larsson (starting defender)
Washington-Sonia Bompastor (4 goals, 6 assists)
Sky Blue FC-Anita Asante (starting defender)

Sky Blue FC Notes

-Both Natasha Kai and Kacey White had their only two goal games of the year against Washington.
-Sky Blue has given up two or more goals in just 5 games this season. Three of those games were against the Freedom, one against Los Angeles, and one against Saint Louis.
-Rosana and Natasha Kai are getting hot at the right time. Rosana has scored in each of her last two games, while Kai has scored 4 goals in the last 6 matches she has played.
-Anita Asante, who will miss the playoffs because of the Euros, also missed 4 of the last 6 regular season games because of a call up for the English national team and suspension for yellow card accumulation. Sky Blue was 2-1-1 in those 4 matches.
-In six matches against Los Angeles and Saint Louis, Sky Blue scored a total of one goal. That goal was scored by Julianne Sitch in Sky Blue's home match against Athletica.
-Sky Blue is 4-0-1 when scoring two or more goals.
-Sky Blue's longest winning streak of the year was just two games and they did that only once. They did have a four game unbeaten streak which includes those two victories.

Washington Freedom Notes

-Washington has won the season series over both Sky Blue and Saint Louis with a total record of 4-0-2 against those two opponents.
-Sonia Bompastor has scored against all three of the other playoff teams, but she will be missing for the playoffs due to the Euros. In fact, Bompastor scored all four of her goals against those three teams.
-The first round matchup will feature Lisa DeVanna who has just eaten up Sky Blue's defense, scoring 4 goals with an assist against New Jersey.
-Washington scored 9 of the 20 goals scored against Sky Blue this year in just 3 games.
-Washington won their last three home games heading into the playoffs.
-Abby Wambach has scored 5 goals in her last four matches, all of which came after her return from scoring her 100th goal for the USWNT.
-Wambach is the only player in the WPS to have scored two goals in three different matches.

Saint Louis Athletica Notes

-Of the three potential opponents for LA in the final, Saint Louis has the best record against the Sol going 1-2-1 in four contests.
-Saint Louis swept the season series, winning all three from Sky Blue, but went winless at 0-2-1 against the Freedom.
-Saint Louis is the only team to have shut out Los Angeles twice this season.
-Athletica has a total of 9 goals and 7 assists against the other 3 playoff teams, but most of that scoring will be missing. Eniola Aluko (3 goals, 4 assists) will be in Europe, Kerri Hanks (1 goal, 1 assist) is now with Sky Blue, and Daniela (2 goals) is injured and will probably play very little, if at all, in the playoffs.
-After not playing for five consecutive games, Christie Welsh scored 3 goals in the final two matches of the year.
-15 of Athletica's 20 regular season games ended in a shutout for one team or both.

Los Angeles Sol Notes

-By scoring against Boston in the final game of the regular season, Marta became the only WPS player to score a goal against each of the six other teams in the league.
-Los Angeles shut out Sky Blue all three matches they played, going 2-0-1.
-Karina LeBlanc, who has 12 shutouts, has been noticeably under more pressure late in the season. After giving up an average of 3.67 shots on goal over the first 12 matches, the Sol have given up an average of 6.13 shots on goal in their last 8 matches.
-Aya Miyama, who tied for the most assists in the WPS with 6, was the only Los Angeles player to play every minute of every match for them.
-Los Angeles gave up more than one goal only twice this season and lost both matches.
-The Sol played 4 scoreless ties this season, the most by any team.
-Two players, Marta and Camille Abily, combined for 18 of the Sol's 27 goals, 66.7% of their total offense.

Later in the week, I'll preview the Washington Freedom-Sky Blue FC playoff match.

Boston Falls to Los Angeles; Sky Blue Takes 4th Place

The Los Angeles Sol came from behind to defeat Boston 2-1 and eliminate the Breakers from playoff contention. Boston, who came into the game needing a win to grab 4th place away from Sky Blue, took an early 1-0 lead on a goal from Kelly Smith and assisted on a well placed long pass from Kristine Lilly. The 1st half ended with Boston in front 1-0.

Marta scored her 10th goal of the season in the 61st minute to equalize. Boston desperately tried to score in the closing minutes and came close a few times, most notably on a free kick from Kelly Smith that appeared to graze the top of the crossbar. But a couple minutes into stoppage, Alex Scott was called for a foul in the penalty area against Marta. The call was hotly disputed by several Boston players, but to no avail. Shannon Boxx converted on a perfect shot in the upper right hand corner. The game ended with Los Angeles on top, 2-1.

For the Breakers, it was a disappointing finish to a promising season. With just three weeks to go in the season, they were in 2nd place, but they lost their last three matches to fall to a 7-9-4 record. Meanwhile, Los Angeles earned their first victory in their last four matches and they finish in 1st place, ending the season with a 12-3-5 record. The Sol will host the WPS Final in two weeks.

The Sol's victory means that Sky Blue FC finishes in 4th place and will travel to Washington to face the Freedom in a rematch of both teams' final regular season match which was won 3-1 by the Freedom.

FC Gold Pride 1, Saint Louis Athletica 1

In other action, FC Gold Pride and Saint Louis tied 1-1 in a match that had no bearing on the playoffs. Christie Welsh scored her 3rd goal in 2 matches for Athletica in the 1st half, but Rachel Buehler scored her first goal of the year to tie the score a few minutes later. Gold Pride outshot Athletica by a substantial margin of 17-6.

Probably the most notable thing that happened was that Hope Solo became the first goalkeeper in league history to pick up an assist. Solo's long punt set up Welsh for her goal.

Gold Pride finishes the season at 4-10-6 with 18 points and in 7th place. Athletica completes the regular season at 10-6-4 and 34 points. They will meet the winner of the Freedom-Sky Blue matchup in the Super Semifinal in St. Louis on August 19th.

Freedom Clinch 3rd Place with Victory over Sky Blue

Abby Wambach scored twice and Lisa DeVanna added a goal to lead the Washington Freedom to a 3-1 victory over Sky Blue FC. The win lifts the Freedom to 29 points and clinches 3rd place for them. They will host the first round of the playoffs next weekend.

The Freedom led 1-0 at the half on Wambach's first goal and quickly extended the lead to 2-0 early in the 2nd half on her second goal. Sky Blue responded with a goal from Rosana to cut the lead to 2-1, before Lisa DeVanna put the game away with a goal in the 57th minute. Sky Blue outshot the Freedom 28-13 for the match.

Sky Blue must now wait until tomorrow night to know their fate. They are still in 4th place, just one point ahead of Boston. They hold the tiebreaker on Boston, based on going 3-0-1 in the regular season against the Breakers. Boston hosts Los Angeles tomorrow and must win to make the playoffs. If the Breakers win, they will play at Washington next week. If they tie or lose, Sky Blue will play at Washington again next week in the playoff opener.

WPS-The Homestretch

We're down to the last three weeks of the regular season and the race for 2nd through 4th places have tightened considerably. Most of the contending teams have four games left, except Saint Louis which has five. Let's look at the playoff chances for each team.

Los Angeles-They're going to finish first, no doubt about it. They need just one point or a tie or loss by Saint Louis and it's a done deal. In a nutshell...37 points, 3 games remaining (at FCGP, at Chicago, at Boston). They will clinch 1st by the end of this week.

Boston-The Breakers have moved into 2nd place on the strength of two 1-0 victories over the bottom two teams last week. The schedule gets a lot tougher from here on out. In fact, Boston may have the hardest schedule of all of the contenders. Their next game is at home against their nemesis, Sky Blue, next Saturday. Then the Breakers face two road contests against fellow contenders, Washington and Saint Louis. They finish up at home against Los Angeles. At 24 points, they have a 4 point cushion over 5th place, but their schedule is very difficult. They are the only one of the contending teams which still has to play the Sol. In a nutshell...24 points, 4 games remaining (SBFC, at Washington, at Saint Louis, Los Angeles). They have the inside track for 2nd place, but a tough schedule could make this a close call. I would put their chances at a playoff spot at about 85% right now.

Saint Louis-There's no way to sugarcoat this, they simply shot themselves in the foot with an uninspired effort on Saturday. They could have been playing Wednesday with a chance to clinch a playoff spot. Instead, they will be trying to fend off red hot Sky Blue. The one thing going in their favor is the schedule. They are the only one of the contenders that has 5 games left. They have two games against bottom dwelling Gold Pride and a home game against Chicago. But they would like to go into those games in a position of strength and not make them must win games. A victory over Sky Blue on Wednesday would put them on the verge of a playoff spot. In a nutshell...23 points, 5 games remaining (SBFC, FCGP, Boston, Chicago, at FCGP). More games and an easier schedule give them a pretty good chance, in spite of Saturday's effort. I'd put them at about 90%.

Sky Blue FC-They are the hottest team in the league with a 3-0-1 record over their last 4 games, but their schedule the rest of the way is not easy. They play each of the other three contenders and all of those are on the road. Their 2-4-1 road record doesn't exactly inspire confidence in them getting the job done. This week will make or break them. They travel to Saint Louis on Wednesday and then to Boston on Saturday. Two victories would put them in 2nd place. Two losses and they will be battling Washington and maybe others for 4th place. If tiebreakers come into play, they have won the season series over Boston, but lost the season series to Saint Louis. After this weekend, they get 10 days off before their final two games. In a nutshell...22 points, 4 games remaining (at Saint Louis, at Boston, FCGP, at Washington). They are going to have to be road warriors to do it. The game at Washington on the final weekend could be for a playoff spot. They are playing well, but I would put their chances at 60% given their schedule.

Washington-The victory over Saint Louis on Saturday got them right back in it. They have the advantage of playing two of the other contenders at home, Boston and Sky Blue. Their two road games are against Chicago and Gold Pride. Outside of Athletica, they have the most advantageous schedule, but they start in a hole, trailing Boston by 4, Saint Louis by 3, and Sky Blue by 2. One would think it will take 8 or 9 points out of their final four games for the Freedom to make the playoffs, especially since the three teams in front of them all play each other, meaning that someone is going to get points in each of those games. In a nutshell...20 points, 4 games remaining (at Chicago, Boston, at FCGP, SBFC). They start from behind, but their schedule works in their favor. As long as they stay close to Sky Blue, they can go into that last game with a chance. I would put them at just above 50-50 right now.

Chicago-It looked like they were going to make one final run at the playoffs, but the 1-0 loss to Sky Blue has almost finished them. They have just three games left and they have to win all three to have a chance and then pray for help elsewhere. Their schedule isn't very favorable either, with games against Washington, Saint Louis, and LA. In a nutshell...17 points, 3 games remaining (Washington, Los Angeles, at Saint Louis). It would take a miracle. I would put their chances at virtually nil, less than 1%.

FC Gold Pride-They still have 5 games left, but they have so much ground to make up, it will be nearly impossible for them to have a chance. They would have to win all 5 games and get help. Considering they haven't won a game since mid-May, I would say it's over. In a nutshell...12 points, 5 games remaining (Los Angeles, at Saint Louis, Washington, at SBFC, Saint Louis). They need an even bigger miracle than Chicago's. Too small of a chance to even measure.