WPS Championship 2011

WPS Championship – Philadelphia at Western New York (4 pm eastern, Saturday)
Sahlen Stadium, Rochester, New York.

Western New York Flash (13-2-3)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Possible Starting Lineup:
Goalkeeper: Ashlyn Harris (18 games, 18 GS, 1.00 GAA, 5 shutouts)
Defender: Rebecca Moros (17 games, 11 GS)
Defender: Candace Chapman (12 games, 12 GS, 1 assist)
Defender: Whitney Engen (17 games, 17 GS)
Defender: Ali Riley (15 games, 15 GS, 1 assist)
Midfielder: Becky Edwards (18 games, 18 GS, 3 goals, 1 assist)
Midfielder: Caroline Seger (12 games, 10 GS, 5 goals, 1 assist)
Midfielder: Brittany Bock (18 games, 17 GS, 1 goal, 1 assist)
Midfielder: McCall Zerboni (14 games, 11 GS, 4 goals, 3 assists)
Forward: Christine Sinclair (15 games, 14 GS, 10 goals, 8 assists)
Forward: Marta (14 games, 13 GS, 10 goals, 5 assists)

Note: If Coach Aaran Lines elects to start three forwards, Morgan will likely start instead of Zerboni.

Bench Roster:
FW-Alex Morgan (13 games, 6 GS, 4 goals, 3 assists)
MF-Yael Averbuch (13 games, 8 GS, 2 assists)
DF-Kandace Wilson (13 games, 9 GS)
FW-Gemma Davison (12 games, 5 GS, 1 goal, 2 assists)
MF-Beverly Goebel (14 games, 3 GS, 1 goal, 1 assist)
DF-Gina Lewandowski (8 games, 6 GS)
GK-Brittany Cameron

Not rostered: Ashleigh Bowers, Kim Brandao, Kaley Fountain, Maurine, Alex Sahlen.

Philadelphia Independence (12-4-3)
Coach: Paul Riley
Possible Starting Lineup:
Goalkeeper: Nicole Barnhart (9 games, 9 GS, 1.11 GAA, 3 shutouts)

Defender: Estelle Johnson (15 games, 13 GS, 1 goal, 1 assist)
Defender: Kia McNeill (17 games, 17 GS, 1 goal)
Defender: Nikki Krzysik (18 games, 18 GS, WPS Sportswoman of the Year)
Defender: Leigh Ann Robinson (17 games, 17 GS, 2 assists)
Midfielder: Jen Buczkowski (18 games, 18 GS)
Midfielder: Tina DiMartino (18 games, 18 GS, 2 goals, 1 assist)
Midfielder: Sinead Farrelly (14 games, 13 GS, 1 goal, 2 assists)
Midfielder: Veronica Boquete (11 games, 10 GS, 5 goals, 4 assists, WPS Player of the Year)
Forward: Tasha Kai (17 games, 16 GS, 9 goals, 1 assist)
Forward: Amy Rodriguez (10 games, 6 GS, 2 goals)

Bench Roster:
MF-Danesha Adams (13 games, 8 GS, 3 goals, 1 assist)
MF-Joanna Lohman (9 games, 6 GS, 2 assists)
FW-Lianne Sanderson (17 games, 8 GS, 3 goals, 3 assists)
FW-Laura del Rio (15 games, 3 GS, 2 goals, 3 assists)
MF-Lori Lindsey (9 games, 1 GS)
GK-Val Henderson (9 games, 9 GS, 0.89 GAA, 4 shutouts)
MF-Gina DiMartino

Not rostered: Lauren Barnes, Allison Falk, Lauren Fowlkes, Robyn Jones.

Previous Meetings in 2011:
5/29 at Phi – Western New York 2, Philadelphia 1
6/12 at WNY – Philadelphia 1, Western New York 0
7/9 at Phi – Philadelphia 2, Western New York 1

Top Performers in Series:
Western New York – Harris (3 games, 1.33 GAA), Edwards (1 goal), Marta (1 goal-pk), Sinclair (1 goal-pk), Zerboni (1 assist).
Philadelphia – Barnhart (1 game, 2.00 GAA), Henderson (2 games, 0.50 GAA), Adams (1 goal), Kai (1 goal), Farrelly (1 goal), Sanderson (2 assists), T. DiMartino (1 assist).

For the first time, the two top teams from the regular season will meet in the WPS Championship. Western New York finished in 1st place with a 13-2-3 record and will host this match. Their only two losses this season came at the hands of Philadelphia. Philadelphia finished the regular season in 2nd place with a 11-4-3 record and then defeated magicJack in the semifinals.

17 of the 22 starters from last year’s championship game will be here for this match, although Allison Falk is not rostered and Val Henderson will likely serve as the backup goalkeeper to Nicole Barnhart. But there will be a lot of players with playoff experience on the field on Saturday.

Philadelphia won the season series, taking two of the three matches. The Independence split their two home matches against the Flash and defeated them 1-0 in the only match played in Rochester. Western New York scored three goals in those three matches against Philadelphia, but two of the three were penalty kicks. The Independence were the only team to hold the Flash to less than two goals and they did it twice.

Goalkeepers
Ashlyn Harris was the WPS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2011. She led the league in goals against with a 1.00 average and posted five shutouts, but three of those five came against Atlanta. Harris has established herself as one of the league’s top keepers in her second year. She has very good reflexes and is one of the quickest goalkeepers in WPS. Harris is one of six players in WPS to play every minute for her team. Brittany Cameron will serve as Harris’ backup.

Nicole Barnhart started only nine regular season matches due to her USWNT duty, but she did post a 1.11 goals against average with three shutouts. She was in goal for only one of the three matches against WNY and Philly lost that match. Barnhart is smart, experienced, and has good size. She also has great command of her penalty area. She posted a shutout in last year’s championship match. Val Henderson will probably be the backup, but could step in without the Independence losing much at that position.

Harris and Barnhart are very close in comparison. Barnhart has the stronger leg, better size, and more experience, while Harris is the quicker of the two.

Advantage: Very slightly to Philadelphia

Defenders
Western New York will likely start Rebecca Moros and Ali Riley on the outside, with Candace Chapman and Whitney Engen as their central defenders. Engen was the WPS Defender of the Year, an award she certainly deserved. She is a rock on the back line and has very good soccer sense as well. Engen rarely makes mistakes. Chapman gives the Flash a good speedy defender in the middle, something they will definitely need with the likes of Tasha Kai, Amy Rodriguez, and Veronica Boquete running at them.

Ali Riley is one of the best attacking backs in the league, a great two-way player to be sure. Although she only contributed one assist this season, she has great speed and will give any defense fits with her overlapping runs and accurate crosses. Rebecca Moros was picked up midseason after magicJack released her. She has proven to be a steady defender on the right side, taking over for Kandace Wilson.

The Flash have perhaps the deepest back line in WPS, with Kandace Wilson and Gina Lewandowski coming off the bench. Wilson has great speed and like teammate Riley, loves to get into the attack. Lewandowski is a veteran of the Frauen Bundesliga.

Philadelphia has no national team players to boast about on their back line. Estelle Johnson is the only one of the four that was drafted by the Independence, with the other three being picked up from other teams. Nikki Krzysik and Kia McNeill are tough, physical players that won’t back down from anyone in the center of the defense. Johnson is joined on the outside by Leigh Ann Robinson.

What these four defenders do, however, is play very well together as a unit. They have played together a lot and it shows. Krzysik played every minute for Philadelphia this season. McNeill missed only the time when she was red carded. Robinson missed only one match. Johnson started 11 of the last 12 matches. The one thing that could cause them problems is speed, because the Flash have a lot of that with Marta, Morgan, and company.

Western New York and Philadelphia tied for giving up the fewest goals this year, each giving up only one goal per game. Both have strong physical players, especially in the middle. Strangely enough, although Western New York’s defense is considered the more offensive group, they combined for no goals and only three assists for the season. Philly’s back line contributed two goals and three assists to the Independence attack.

Advantage: Slightly to Western New York

Midfielders
This match features two of the best defensive midfielders in the league with Jen Buczkowski for Philadelphia and Becky Edwards for Western New York. It also has two of the highest scoring midfielders, Veronica Boquete for the Independence and Caroline Seger for the Flash, although Boquete practically operates as a third forward.

Three likely starters for the Flash will be Edwards, Seger, and Brittany Bock. If Aaran Lines decides to go with four midfielders instead of three forwards, the other midfielder would probably be McCall Zerboni.
Seger is having a great season, with five goals and an assist in only 12 matches. She is one of the best all-around midfielders in the world. She helped lead Philadelphia on their great playoff run last season.

In only her second season in WPS, Becky Edwards is already being considered as one of the best in the league and a possible future USWNT player. Known for outstanding defense, she has showed the ability to score this season as well, with three goals and an assist. Brittany Bock is a steady, versatile player that can play nearly every position on the field. She is very physical and scored a goal and an assist this season.

McCall Zerboni has been one of the pleasant surprises of the WPS season. After spending most of 2009 on the bench with the Sol and then playing for the struggling Atlanta Beat in 2010, she has taken advantage of the opportunity to play for the Flash. She has four goals and three assists for the season. She had a great game against Boston early in the year, scoring twice and assisting on the third goal in a 3-2 victory. Again, the Flash have great depth in the midfield with Yael Averbuch and Beverly Goebel.

Philadelphia has a great midfield as well, with Buczkowski, Boquete, Tina DiMartino, and Sinead Farrelly. Buczkowski has been one of the keys to the season that the Independence are having. She will likely draw a tough defensive assignment on Saturday, marking one of the Flashes’ top players.

Rookie Sinead Farrelly was a candidate for rookie of the year and had a solid season for the Independence. She had a goal and two assists in 2011, with her goal coming against the Flash. Farrelly is a very good all-around player who is strong defensively. Tina DiMartino has very good ball skills and her distribution might well be a key factor in Saturday’s match. She will look for shooting opportunities, but will primarily focus on setting up her teammates.

Veronica Boquete was WPS Player of the Year. She scored five goals and added four assists for Philadelphia in just a little over half a season of action. When she’s in the lineup, Philadelphia plays very well with a 10-1 record. She is extremely fast and has the ability to get behind opposing defenses.

Like the Flash, Philadelphia has great depth in the midfield with USWNT player Lori Lindsey and veteran Joanna Lohman. Danesha Adams has a habit of scoring big goals in big games and can play either midfielder or forward. A second DiMartino sister, Gina, adds depth to the midfield.

Both teams have very, very good midfields. Both are good defensively as well as offensively. But it seems to me that Western New York has more all-around good players while Philly has more role players. Buczkowski is a defensive specialist, while DiMartino and Boquete are primarily offensive players.

Advantage: Call it even.

Forwards:
Even if the Flash start only two forwards, they are two of the best in the world. Marta and Christine Sinclair tied for the WPS lead in scoring with 10 goals apiece. If you add Alex Morgan as the third forward, it presents the opposing defense with a mind-boggling array of problems. Morgan started only five matches this season and Lines, like Pia Sundhage, seems to like bringing Morgan in off the bench. Morgan tied for the league lead in goals scored off the bench with three. Gemma Davison is another option off the bench for the Flash.

What can be said about Marta that hasn’t already been said? She is five time FIFA Player of the Year and has won the WPS Golden Boot in all three seasons. Her speed should cause Philadelphia some problems and she finishes as well as any player in the league. After returning from the World Cup, she scored seven goals and two assists in just seven matches. She’s scored five goals in her last three matches. Interestingly, only two of her ten goals came at home this season.

Christine Sinclair is just a consummate professional. She works hard, she plays strong, and her runs are precision in action. One might have thought that after the letdown of the Canadian World Cup effort, that she might be a bit down for the second half of the season. However, she returned as soon as possible and scored five goals and three assists upon her return from Germany. Sinclair tied for the lead in goals with 10 and led the league in assists with eight.

Tasha Kai was just one goal behind Marta and Sinclair in regular season scoring with nine. She added another in last week’s playoff match against magicJack, in what was one of the prettiest goals of the WPS season. She has great speed and determination, plus she has a championship ring. But of her 10 goals (counting the playoffs), only one has come on the road this season.

After having a very good season in 2010, Amy Rodriguez has been pretty quiet in 2011. She missed a good portion of the season with the USWNT, scoring just two WPS goals. But one of her goals came in the final regular season match and she scored another in the playoff match against magicJack, so maybe she is heating up at the right time. She needs to be able to use her speed to take defenders with her, thus opening up space for Kai and Boquete.

Depthwise, Philadelphia is very strong at the forward position. Besides the previously mentioned Adams, Philly has Lianne Sanderson and Laura del Rio. Sanderson has been kind of the unsung hero for Philadelphia this season. She lost her starting job to Boquete, but has continued to contribute to the team, scoring three goals with two of those coming off the bench. She also added three assists for the season. Del Rio is another good player coming off the bench. She scored two goals and assisted on three in 2011.

Both teams have great speed up front. Western New York’s top four forwards combined for 25 goals and 18 assists. Philadelphia’s forwards are very good, but the Flash have two of the world’s best.

Advantage: Western New York

Bench
Both teams have strong benches, although Philadelphia is a little thin at defender. You could take the 14 bench players for this match and have one heck of a soccer team.

Advantage: Even.

Coaching
Paul Riley has been WPS Coach of the Year two seasons running, but Aaran Lines would probably be considered to be a close second in this category. Riley seems to get the most out of his players and his substitutions have been timely this year.

Advantage: Slight advantage to Philadelphia

Intangibles
Western New York will be well rested and playing at home. The Flash were 7-1-1 at home this season, while Philadelphia was just 4-3-2 on the road. The Independence are the only team to defeat the Flash at Sahlen Stadium. Both teams have several players that have been in the title match before.

Advantage: Western New York because of the home field.

Prediction
Last week I had a strong feeling that magicJack might win and that proved totally wrong. Philadelphia came out and played a solid and somewhat dominating match.

Philadelphia isn’t likely to beat the Flash if this turns in to a 3-2 or 4-3 game. In spite of having a very good offense, they usually win with their defense. Containing Sinclair, Marta, Seger, and possibly Morgan for 90 minutes is not going to be easy. The Independence back line can’t match up well in speed. But they did manage to hold De Vanna and Press in check last weekend, plus McNeill did a great job in containing Wambach.

Western New York can beat you in a variety of ways. They have great finishers in Marta and Sinclair and dangerous speed all over the field. They also very strong up the center of the field, with Chapman and Engen on defense and Edwards and Seger in the midfield. Of the two matches Philadelphia defeated the Flash, Marta was gone for one match and Sinclair was gone for the other.

Beware of the trio of Adams, Sanderson, and del Rio coming off the bench. All three have contributed late goals to win games for Philadelphia. Look for Western New York to attack more from the wings, while Philadelphia tends to a more direct attacking style.

I think it will be a close match most of the way, with Western New York taking the lead in the final 15 minutes or so and then adding a goal as the Independence try to push forward late in the match.

My Prediction: Western New York 3, Philadelphia 1

WPS Award Winners

Last week, WPS announced their annual award winners. There were several good candidates in each category and no clear cut choice in any. However, the winning candidate was certainly deserving in each case.

Michelle Akers Player of the Year - Veronica Boquete, Philadelphia Independence

Boquete scored five goals and four assists after joining the Independence in June. She scored the only goal in three 1-0 victories over a four game stretch in late July. The Independence had a 9-1 regular season record with her in the starting lineup. Boquete was definitely a major factor on Philly's strong challenge for first place.

My choice would have Boquete as well, but with Christine Sinclair almost even with her.

WPS Defender of the Year - Whitney Engen, Western New York Flash

Engen played the full 90 minutes in 17 of the Flashes' 18 matches. She was able to shut down many of the league's top forwards and helped Western New York to becoming the best defensive team in the league with a 1.00 goals against average.

My choice would have been Engen, but there were several good candidates including Engen's teammate Ali Riley and Nikki Krzysik from Philadelphia. I thought that Jen Buczkowski was overlooked in the nominating process and should have been given top consideration as well.

US Coast Guard Goalkeeper of the Year - Ashlyn Harris, Western New York Flash

Harris led the league in goals against average with 1.00 average per match. She also tied for the league lead in shutouts with five, while playing every minute of every match for the Flash. Her quick reflexes enabled her to make many great saves during the season.

My choice would probably have been Jen Branam. While her goals against was quite a bit higher than Harris', her defense was often a patchwork with players being injured or away with national team duty. However, I can't really argue with Harris, who was a deserving choice.

US Soccer Federation Rookie of the Year - Christen Press, magicJack

Press scored eight goals in her rookie season, the fifth best total in WPS. The Stanford alum is one of only four players ever to score a hat trick in league play, doing so in 4-0 victory over Boston on July 30. She uses her great speed to get behind defenses and is becoming more adept at timing her runs to greatest advantage.

Press would have been my choice as well. Keelin Winters, Sinead Farrelly, and Alex Morgan all had great rookie seasons, but to me, Press had the biggest impact on her team's performance.

WPS Coach of the Year - Paul Riley, Philadelphia Independence

Riley wins the award for the second consecutive year and deservedly so. He is one of the game's best strategists and gets the most out of his roster, one that has far fewer national team players than either Western New York or magicJack.

Riley was definitely my choice, but consideration must also go to Aaran Lines who did a fine job with the expansion Flash.

Citi Sportswoman of the Year - Nikki Krzysik, Philadelphia Independence

On the field, Krzysik was as solid as a rock, playing all 1620 minutes of the regular season in helping the Independence to finish second in WPS. Off the field, Krzysik has helped lead international philanthropic efforts that took her overseas with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes where she led clinics and shared her experience and love of the game with the participants of the women’s soccer league in Honduras. She has proven to be a leader both on and off the field.

This award was voted on by players and coaches only. But even though we could not vote on this award, I believe Krzysik was an outstanding choice.

PUMA Golden Boot Award - Marta, Western New York Flash

Marta wins this award for the third consecutive year. She scored 10 goals for the season, with seven coming in the last six matches, when the Flash were battling the Independence for first place. She edged out teammate Christine Sinclair, who played in one more match than Marta did. Interestingly, although Sinclair played in one more match, Marta actually saw one more minute of action than Sinclair.

Cheney Leads Boston to Playoffs

Boston Breakers 2, Sky Blue FC 0

Lauren Cheney scored just 14 seconds into the match and then added another to lead the Boston Breakers to a 2-0 victory over Sky Blue. The victory moved Boston into a fourth place tie with Sky Blue, with the Breakers winning the final playoff berth by tiebreaker. The Breakers won the head-to-head matchup with Sky Blue for the season.

Cheney, who had just one goal entering the contest, wasted no time in putting Boston in the lead. Keelin Winters sent a cross to Cheney, who volleyed it one-time past Jen Branam and the Breakers led 1-0.

Cheney scored her second of the match in the 18th minute. Meghan Klingenberg sent a cross into the penalty area with Cheney getting a piece of it to redirect it into the goal for a 2-0 lead.

Sky Blue attempted to get back in the match by making early substitutions for offense. Coach Jim Gabarra brought Casey Nogueira in for defender Petra Hogewoning late in the first half, going to a three back formation. Later, Adriana subbed in for Danielle Johnson with Sky Blue going to a two back formation. But in spite of all efforts, they had dug themselves too big of a hole.

Alyssa Naeher picked up the shutout for Boston. It was her fifth of the season tying her with Jen Branam and Ashlyn Harris for the league best.

Boston ended a four game losing streak with this victory. They finish the regular season with a 5-9-4 record. It is the worst record of any team ever to make the WPS playoffs. Only two other teams with a losing record have made the playoffs. The 2010 Washington Freedom finished at 8-9-7 and were eliminated in the first round. The 2009 Sky Blue team finished 7-8-5, but went on to win three straight in the playoffs to capture the championship.

Sky Blue finishes the season with an identical 5-9-4 record, after coming within a couple minutes of clinching a playoff berth last weekend against Philadelphia.

Boston will now travel to Boca Raton to face magicJack in the first round of the playoffs on Wednesday at 7:30 pm eastern time. The game will be televised on Fox Soccer.

magicJack 2, Philadelphia Independence 1

The duo of Lisa De Vanna and Ella Masar hooked up for two goals and magicJack was able to hold on for a 2-1 win over Philadelphia. The loss ended Philly's quest for first place in WPS.

Both teams rested several regulars for the match. Karina LeBlanc got her first start in goal for the season after being a mainstay in the league the past two seasons. She rewarded coach Abby Wambach with a victory.

De Vanna was making only her third start of the season as coach Abby Wambach elected to not start herself. She opened the scoring ten minutes into the match on an assist by Masar. De Vanna added another goal in the second half, once again from Masar, to make it 2-0.

Philadelphia cut the lead to 2-1, as Amy Rodriguez scored in the 79th minute, assisted by Laura del Rio. It was Rodriguez' second of the year.

MagicJack finishes the season at 9-7-2, making the playoffs for the third time in franchise history. They made the playoffs the previous two years as the Washington Freedom, but were eliminated in the first round on each occasion. Philadelphia drops to 11-4-3 and finishes in second place.

MagicJack will now host the first round playoff match against the Boston Breakers on Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm eastern. Philadelphia will host the winner of that match next Saturday in the semifinal match.

Western New York Flash 2, Atlanta Beat 0

Western New York clinched the regular season title and then went on to defeat Atlanta 2-0 on Sunday evening in Rochester. About a third of the way through the match, the Flash knew that Philly had lost to magicJack, thus giving the Flash the regular season title.

After Atlanta had played very well early on, Western New York took the lead in the 37th minute as Caroline Seger volleyed in a Alex Morgan cross to give the Flash the lead before the intermission.

While Atlanta had played tough for most of the first half, the second was literally dominated by the Flash who created chance after chance. Only a few offsides calls and some dicey finishing kept Atlanta in the match.

The Flash finally put the game away in the 75th minute as Christine Sinclair sent a through-ball to Marta who raced onto it and touched it past Allison Whitworth. For Marta, it was her 10th goal of the season, drawing her even with Sinclair for the league lead in that category.

The Flash finish with a 13-2-3 record and will now host the WPS Championship match on August 27. Ashlyn Harris picks up her fifth shutout of the season, tying her for the WPS lead in that category. The Flash became the first WPS team to average more than two goals per game, scoring 40 times in just 18 matches.

Atlanta finishes the season with 1-13-4 record, not having scored in the last 757 minutes of the season. Their last goal was in a June 11 game against magicJack and they failed to score a goal on the road during the season.

Final WPS Regular Season Standings
(1) Western New York 13-2-3, 42 pts; (2) Philadelphia 11-4-3, 36 pts; (3) magicJack 9-7-2, 28 pts; (4) Boston 5-9-4, 19 pts; (5) Sky Blue FC 5-9-4, 19 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-13-4, 7 pts.

magicJack was penalized a point during the season.

Boston won the tiebreaker over Sky Blue based on head-to-head points.

WPS Weekend Preview: August 14

We enter the final weekend of WPS regular season play with some issues yet to be decided. Western New York needs just a single point at home to wrap up first place and home field advantage for the WPS Final, with Philadelphia still having a faint hope of moving up. The real drama will be in Cambridge where the 5th place Breakers will host 4th place Sky Blue, with Boston needing a victory to overtake the team from New Jersey.

Sky Blue FC at Boston Breakers (4 pm eastern, Sunday)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Boston Breakers (4-9-4)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Naeher, A. Phillips.
Defenders: R. Buehler, A. LePeilbet, A. Scott, T. Hemmings, I. Dieke, E. Reed.
Midfielders: L. Osborne, K. Winters, M. Klingenberg, A. Sameshima, K. Schoepfer.
Forwards: L. Cheney (probable), K. O'Hara (probable), K. Smith (questionable), N. Marshall, C. Zimmeck.
Not active: J. Angeli (injured), L. Blayney, L. Bogus, S. Cox, N. Cross, K. Davis (injured), K. Moore (injured), K. J. Spisak.

Sky Blue FC (5-8-4)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Bardsley.
Defenders: A. Asante (probable), K. Fletcher, B. Taylor, D. Johnson, M. Wenino, P. Hogewoning.
Midfielders: C. Blank, T. Heath, A. Long, H. O'Reilly, T. Sjogran.
Forwards: E. Aluko, Adriana, C. Nogueira.
Not active: K. Arnold, J. Clark, C. Dew (suspended), S. Gray (injured), E. Guthrie, L. Johnson (injured), L. Kalmari, A. Kerr, A. Mautz.

Previous Meetings in 2011:
5/1/11 at Bos - Boston 1, Sky Blue 0
5/28/11 at SB - Sky Blue 2, Boston 1
6/12/11 at SB - Sky Blue 0, Boston 0

With a 4-9-4 record, the Breakers have to consider themselves lucky to be in contention for anything at this point. A combination of injuries, World Cup absences, and lackluster play has led to a disappointing season from Boston. Had it not been for a last minute goal by Philadelphia last weekend, they would be out of it. Instead, a victory against Sky Blue in this match and they will start the second season with a clean slate.

The Breakers enter this match with a four-game losing streak, one they would love to end on Sunday. They've only scored one goal in the last four matches, that one by Keelin Winters coming in a 2-1 loss to Western New York. But just as glaring is the fact that they have given up eight goals over the past three matches. It's time to start seeing some results from all of those national team players.

The forwards have been pretty dinged up. Kelly Smith is still listed as questionable for this match and Lauren Cheney has been nursing an injury since the World Cup. Those two have combined for just two goals this season after scoring 16 between them last year. Kelley O'Hara has been the biggest offensive threat for Boston with four goals, followed by rookie Keelin Winters with three.

Boston has rarely had their defense intact this year, but that isn't the only problem here. They haven't stopped anybody since posting three consecutive shutouts during the World Cup.

Like the Breakers, Sky Blue has been struggling as of late, losing their last three matches. The toughest of all came last weekend as a late goal by Lianne Sanderson dealt Sky Blue a 2-1 loss with the playoffs in their sights.

One player that has been hot lately is Eniola Aluko, who has scored three goals in the last two matches. The English striker has refound her form and has led Sky Blue in their last few contests. Casey Nogueira was having a fine season, but has been a bit quiet as of late. Her five goals leads New Jersey in goal scoring. Tobin Heath seems to be more involved in the offense since returning from Germany.

Defensively, Sky Blue has to be disappointed to lose their last two games on late goals by their opponent. They will face this week without Carrie Dew, who will be serving her red card suspension. Anita Asante should be back from the injury that has sidelined her. Jen Branam, as always, will be one of the keys for Sky Blue in this match. She leads WPS with five shutouts and one here would put Sky Blue in the playoffs.

Sky Blue needs just a tie to secure fourth place and the final playoff berth. If it comes to a decision, the loser will be through for the season and the winner will be headed to Boca Raton for a first round playoff match against magicJack.

Philadelphia at magicJack (4 pm eastern, Sunday)
FAU Soccer Field, Boca Raton, Florida.

magicJack (8-7-2)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, K. LeBlanc.
Defenders: T. Ellertson, C. Rampone, B. Sauerbrunn, M. Dalmy, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Boxx, M. Rapinoe, S. Huffman, S. Schmidt, N. Washington, O. Davis.
Forwards: A. Wambach, C. Press, E. Masar, L. De Vanna.
Not active: H. Solo (injured), L. Tarpley (injured).

Philadelphia Independence (11-3-3)
Coach: Paul Riley
Roster:
Goalkeepers: N. Barnhart, V. Henderson.
Defenders: K. McNeill, N. Krzysik, L. Robinson, E. Johnson.
Midfielders: J. Buczkowski, L. Lindsey, C. DiMartino, J. Lohman, D. Adams.
Forwards: T. Kai, V. Boquete, A. Rodriguez, L. Sanderson, L. del Rio.
Not active: L. Barnes, G. DiMartino, A. Falk, S. Farrelly, L. Fowlkes, R. Jones.

Previous Meetings in 2011:
5/1/11 at mJ - magicJack 2, Philadelphia 1
6/18/11 at Phi - Philadelphia 6, magicJack 0
6/25/11 at Phi - Philadelphia 3, magicJack 1

Philadelphia enters this match with an outside chance to win the regular season title, but they will need help from Atlanta to accomplish that. MagicJack comes in with third place secure, but with maybe a few lingering memories of a couple of losses to Philly in June.

One has to be at least a little impressed that magicJack earned their way into a playoff berth rather than relying on other teams losing. They won three straight matches, earning nine points against their closest rivals, Sky Blue and Boston. Their streak was snapped by Wednesday's loss to Western New York.

As has been her tradition the past couple of years, Abby Wambach has gotten the scoring touch down the stretch. This year, she's netted five goals in her last four matches. She now has nine on the year, with many coming via her favorite weapon, the header. Rookie Christen Press perhaps has the inside track for Rookie of the Year with eight goals, including a hat trick against Boston. Ella Masar and Lisa De Vanna give magicJack excellent depth up front.

Sophie Schmidt scored her first WPS goal on Wednesday. Megan Rapinoe has been a fine addition to magicJack. She has been a very big part of their offense since returning from Germany. Shannon Boxx is the veteran of the group.

MagicJack seems to have finally gotten things sorted out on the defensive end, with a change in formation being a big part of the solution. Another plus was the return of veteran Christie Rampone. Jill Loyden has been magicJack's goalkeeper since her return from the World Cup.

There have been lots of good stories on this Philadelphia team and the Independence has had outstanding contributions from much of their roster. However, the addition of Vero Boquete seems to be what makes them a championship contender. Philadelphia is a perfect nine for nine with her in the starting lineup. She has five goals and four assists since her arrival. Tasha Kai is also having a great season with nine goals, just one behind the league lead in that category.

But the Independence have gotten contributions from a lot of players. Last weekend's hero was Lianne Sanderson, who scored the game winner in stoppage. Danesha Adams has also scored three goals and Laura del Rio has added two. And all of this is in addition to last year's leading scorer, Amy Rodriguez.

The defense has been the surprise for Philadelphia. They have given up less than a goal a game, all without the benefit of a national team player on their back line. The goalkeeping has very strong with Nicole Barnhart and Val Henderson.

To be realistic, this game means very little to either team. Philadelphia's chances at the regular season title are very slim. Still, there has to be some pride on the line here. MagicJack took a couple of big losses to Philly earlier in the season, including a 6-0 shellacking. I'm sure they would like some measure of payback for that loss and to send Philadelphia a message in what could be a semifinal matchup between the two teams next week.

Atlanta at Western New York (6 pm eastern, Sunday)
Sahlen Stadium, Rochester, New York.

Western New York Flash (12-2-3)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron.
Defenders: C. Chapman, W. Engen, A. Riley, R. Moros, G. Lewandowski, K. Wilson.
Midfielders: Y. Averbuch, B. Edwards, C. Seger, B. Bock, M. Zerboni, B. Goebel.
Forwards: Marta, C. Sinclair, A. Morgan, G. Davison.
Not active: A. Bowers, K. Brandao, K. Fountain, Maurine, A. Sahlen.

Atlanta Beat (1-12-4)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, K. Reynolds, A. Marquez, H. Mitts, C. Flanagan.
Midfielders: C. Lloyd, M. Jesolva, K. White, K. Wright, A. Salem.
Forwards: L. Chalupny, K. Parker, L. Sesselmann.
Not active: B. D'Agostino, K. Dowling (injured), K. Fraine, M. Lenczyk, J. Sitch, I. Trotter.

Previous Meetings in 2011:
4/24/11 at Atl - Atlanta 2, Western New York 2
5/1/11 at WNY - Western New York 3, Atlanta 0
8/6/11 at Atl - Western New York 2, Atlanta 0

Western New York needs just a tie in this match to clinch the regular season title. That should not prove too difficult given that Atlanta has not scored on the road all season and haven't hit the net in their last 667 minutes.

Christine Sinclair still leads WPS with ten goals, but Marta has scored four goals in the last two games, putting her at nine for the season. Rookie Alex Morgan, Caroline Seger, and McCall Zerboni have all scored four this season. Becky Edwards is having a very good season in the midfield, scoring three goals and playing very well defensively.

Defensively, the addition of Rebecca Moros at midseason has given the Flash even more depth on their back line. Whitney Engen and Ali Riley are both candidates for Defender of the Year. Ashlyn Harris easily leads the league in goals against average.

I don't know what else can be said about Atlanta. The effort is there, but there are just too many young players and not enough overall talent. The Beat tried to add more experience midway through the season with Kacey White and Kelly Parker, but it just hasn't been enough. White's goal for Atlanta, the last one they have scored, is now a distant memory.

Goalkeeper Allison Whitworth has kept her team in several games and her defense is improving, but there is just too much to overcome here. The Beat have a lot of work ahead of them in the offseason.

Western New York will be looking to clinch an automatic berth to the finals, while Atlanta will be looking for a goal, something to salvage what remains of the 2011 campaign.

Wednesday Result: Western New York 2, magicJack 1

Western New York moved to the verge of clinching the regular season title with a 2-1 victory over magicJack on Wednesday. Marta scored both goals for the Flash, while Sophie Schmidt netted her first for magicJack.

magicJack Clinches Playoff Berth

magicJack 2, Boston Breakers 0

For the third straight season, magicJack has clinched a playoff berth. They defeated the Boston Breakers 2-0 on Saturday evening on the strength of two goals by player/coach Abby Wambach. The franchise made the playoffs in 2009 and 2010 when known as the Washington Freedom.

The match was played before 7188 fans in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the second largest home crowd in Boston history.

The two teams battled without a goal for almost the entire first half. Not surprisingly, both of Wambach's goals came via the header, one in the 44th minute on a cross from Megan Rapinoe and the other in the 55th minute off a Sarah Huffman corner kick. The goals were the 8th and 9th of the season for Wambach, putting her in second in WPS behind Christine Sinclair.

Boston had a chance to cut the lead to one in the final ten minutes, but Lauren Cheney's penalty kick was stopped by Jill Loyden and magicJack was able to preserve the shutout.

The win moves magicJack's record to 8-6-2 for the season, good for 25 points (after the one point penalty deduction). They host the league's two top teams this week, Western New York on Wednesday and Philadelphia next Sunday.

Right now, they have a six point advantage on Sky Blue with both teams having two matches left. Sky Blue plays Philadelphia today. Either a magicjack tie or win, or a Sky Blue tie or loss, means that magicJack would clinch third place and host the first round playoff match. Sky Blue holds the tiebreaker edge based on head-to-head goals this season.

Boston drops to 4-9-4. The Breakers' playoff hopes are still alive, but just barely. They need Philadelphia to defeat Sky Blue today and then need to beat Sky Blue themselves when the two meet next Sunday.

Western New York Flash 2, Atlanta Beat 0

The Flash took over sole possession of first place as they defeated the Atlanta Beat 2-0 in Kennesaw, Georgia. Both Flash goals were scored by Marta. The match was played before 7,112 fans at KSU Soccer Stadium.

It didn't take long for the visitors to jump on top. The Flash scored in just the 9th minute of the match as Yael Averbuch sent a low cross to the feet of Marta who finished into the right side netting.

Western New York doubled their lead in the 41st minute. This time it was Christine Sinclair setting up Marta to make it 2-0. It was Marta's 7th goal of the season.

The Flash defense managed to hold Atlanta without a shot on goal for the entire match. Ashlyn Harris earned the shutout for WNY. The Beat suffered their seventh straight shutout and have now gone scoreless for 667 consecutive minutes. Their record falls to 1-12-4.

The Flash improved their record to 11-2-3. Western New York is now three points ahead of Philadelphia, pending the outcome of Philly's match with Sky Blue this afternoon. They travel to Florida to play magicJack on Wedensday and then finish the season at home against Atlanta.

Weekend Preview: August 6-7

All three matches for this weekend have playoff implications and we're down to the final two or three matches for all teams. Two matches will directly affect the final two playoff berths. At this point, magicJack has the inside track, with Sky Blue and Boston both in control of their own destiny.

Western New York at Atlanta (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, Georgia.

Atlanta Beat (1-11-4)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, A. Marquez, H. Mitts, K. Reynolds, C. Flanagan.
Midfielders: L. Chalupny, C. Lloyd, K. Wright, M. Jesolva, K. White, B. D'Agostino, A. Salem, I. Trotter.
Forwards: K. Parker, M. Lenczyk, L. Sesselmann.
Not active: K. Dowling (injured), K. Fraine, J. Sitch.

Western New York Flash (10-2-3)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron.
Defenders: W. Engen, G. Lewandowski, A. Riley, R. Moros.
Midfielders: B. Edwards, Y. Averbuch, C. Seger, M. Zerboni, B. Bock, B. Goebel.
Forwards: C. Sinclair, Marta, A. Morgan, G. Davison.
Not active: A. Bowers, K. Brandao, C. Chapman, K. Fountain, Maurine, A. Sahlen, K. Wilson.

Previous Meetings in 2011:
4/24 at Atl - Atlanta 2, Western New York 2
5/1 at WNY - Western New York 3, Atlanta 0

Once upon a time, a long time ago, these two teams played to a tie in their first meeting ever. However, that was once upon a time and not much has gone wrong for the Flash since that April match and not a whole lot has gone right for the Beat.

The Beat play their final home match of the season, sporting a 1-11-4 record and they have long since been eliminated from playoff contention. All that's left to play for is pride and possibly for a 2012 spot on the roster.

You can't really blame Allison Whitworth for where Atlanta is. While she may not exactly be Hope Solo, she has kept her team in games that they have had no business being in. Last weekend, she faced several one-on-one situations against talented Philadelphia forwards and she held her own, giving up just one goal. Her task doesn't get any easier here, facing the likes of Christine Sinclair, Alex Morgan, and Marta.

Defensively, Atlanta has improved over the course of the season, but all too many times, the opponent has found seams in the back line to exploit. The Beat needs to tighten things up a bit. Veterans Heather Mitts and Cat Whitehill lead the defense, accompanied by Analisa Marquez and Kat Reynolds.

With Carli Lloyd returning to the lineup, the Beat at least have an additional offensive threat out there. Last week, it often appeared to be Lori Chalupny vs. the world, as the Beat captain often faced 1 v. 3 and 1 v. 4 situations. Veterans Kacey White and Kelly Parker hope to put some heat on the Flash. Ironically, Parker's only assist of the season came while playing for the Flash against Atlanta.

Rookies Megan Jesolva, Kylie Wright, Bianca D'Agostino, and Meghan Lenczyk all have shown promise at times, but this team has been just too inexperienced when playing the other sides in this league.

The Flash, on the other hand, have their sights set on winning the regular season title for home field advantage and an automatic berth to the finals. Christine Sinclair is having a great season, leading the league in both goals and assists. Atlanta has been a particularly favorite opponent of hers as she has scored three goals and added an assist in the two previous meetings.

While Marta may not have the eye-popping stats she usually has at this point in the season, her five goals and five assists show her all-around solid play. She also has a goal and an assist in the two previous matches against Atlanta. Alex Morgan is having a fine rookie season, in spite of being somewhat in the shadow of her more experienced strike mates.

Western New York's midfield appears to be getting stronger as the season wears on. Becky Edwards was known primarily for her defense when she was drafted in 2010, but she has shown the ability on the other end of the field as well, scoring three goals this season. Caroline Seger is back close to being healthy again and her presence is always a welcome sight for Flash fans.

According to the roster report, the Flash will be a bit shorthanded on the back line this weekend. It is showing both Candace Chapman and Kandace Wilson as being not active, leaving a defense of Whitney Engen, Gina Lewandowski, Ali Riley, and Rebecca Moros. Ashlyn Harris leads WPS with a 1.13 goals against average.

Atlanta has been competitive on their home turf this year, so they could certainly make things tough on the visiting Flash. But with first place within reach, Western New York should be ready.

magicJack at Boston (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Boston Breakers (4-8-4)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Naeher, A. Phillips.
Defenders: S. Cox, R. Buehler, T. Hemmings, A. LePeilbet, A. Scott, I. Dieke, E. Reed.
Midfielders: L. Osborne, M. Klingenberg, K. O'Hara (probable), A. Sameshima, K. Schoepfer.
Forwards: L. Cheney (questionable), K. Smith (questionable), N. Marshall, C. Zimmeck.
Not active: J. Angeli (injured), L. Blayney, L. Bogus, N. Cross, K. Davis (injured), K. Moore (injured), K. J. Spisak.

magicJack (7-6-2)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, K. LeBlanc.
Defenders: T. Ellertson, C. Rampone, B. Sauerbrunn, M. Dalmy, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Boxx, S. Huffman, S. Schmidt, M. Rapinoe, N. Washington.
Forwards: A. Wambach, C. Press, E. Masar, L. De Vanna.
Not active: O. Davis, H. Solo (injured), L. Tarpley (injured).

Previous Meetings in 2011:
4/23 at MJ - magicJack 1, Boston 0
6/5 at Bos - Boston 2, magicJack 1
7/30 at MJ - magicJack 4, Boston 0

MagicJack enters this match needing just one point to assure themselves of a playoff berth and maybe not even that, depending on the various tiebreakers and how it plays out over the weekend. Boston could be eliminated this weekend, but they do control their own destiny and wins in their two remaining matches could put them in the playoffs.

It has been a tough season for Tony DiCicco and the Boston Breakers. Almost from the first minute of the season, they have been without key members of their team and it seems as though every player on the roster has been injured at one time or another. Now with their backs against the wall, they need to put together a couple of strong efforts in order to make the playoffs.

Alyssa Naeher has been fine in goal for the most part. She is among the league leaders in goals against average and shutouts. She has also made 85 saves on the season, far and away the best of any goalkeeper. Her defense need to be at their best and their battle with magicJack's forwards could be the most intriguing of this match. It will be interesting to see which defender marks Abby Wambach in this all important contest. Taryn Hemmings has done good work since switching to the back line for Boston.

The Breaker midfield has shown steady improvement, anchored by veteran Leslie Osborne. Keelin Winters scored her third goal of the season in Wednesday's loss to Western New York. Kelley O'Hara, whether playing wing or forward, has been Boston's most dangerous threat on offense since returning from Germany. Both Lauren Cheney and Kelly Smith saw action in Wednesday's match, in spite of trying to recover from injuries suffered during World Cup action.

MagicJack has a multi-pronged attack up front, with Christen Press, Ella Masar, Lisa De Vanna, and Wambach. Press leads the team with eight goals, while Wambach has seven. Press has scored half of her eight goals against the Breakers. MagicJack's forwards have scored 20 of the team's 24 goals this season. However, wing midfielder Megan Rapinoe has added two goals since coming over from Philadelphia and her presence has definitely improved magicJack's offense.

Shannon Boxx, Sophie Schmidt, and Sarah Huffman give magicJack the element of toughness in their midfield. Schmidt picked up an assist in Wednesday's match against Sky Blue. And with all of the players from the World Cup back (save for Hope Solo), magicJack now has depth it was lacking through the middle of the season.

Defensively, Christie Rampone and Tina Ellertson give magicJack speed on the back line, while Becky Sauerbrunn's all-around solid play gives the consistency that the team was searching for. Jill Loyden has been the choice in goal in Solo's absence. Karina LeBlanc was signed on to give magicJack depth at that position.

The home team has won all three matches this year. Boston has been solid at home, posting a 3-2-2 record at Harvard. MagicJack has been pretty miserable on the road, with just a 1-5-2 record away from from their home turf. Boston will be trying to keep their hopes alive, while magicJack will be looking to clinch a playoff berth.

Sky Blue FC at Philadelphia (6 pm eastern, Sunday)
Leslie Quick Stadium, Chester, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Independence (10-3-3)
Coach: Paul Riley
Roster:
Goalkeepers: N. Barnhart, V. Henderson.
Defenders: N. Krzysik, K. McNeill, E. Johnson, L. Robinson.
Midfielders: J. Buczkowski, S. Farrelly, C. DiMartino, L. Lindsey, J. Lohman, G. DiMartino.
Forwards: T. Kai, A. Rodriguez, V. Boquete, L. del Rio, D. Adams, L. Sanderson.
Not active: L. Barnes, A. Falk, L. Fowlkes, R. Jones.

Sky Blue FC (5-7-4)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Bardsley.
Defenders: C. Dew, B. Taylor, K. Fletcher, A. Asante (questionable), D. Johnson, P. Hogewoning.
Midfielders: C. Blank, H. O'Reilly, T. Sjogran, A. Long, T. Heath.
Forwards: E. Aluko, Adriana, C. Nogueira, L. Kalmari.
Not active: K. Arnold, J. Clark, S. Gray (injured), E. Guthrie, L. Johnson (injured), A. Kerr, A. Mautz, M. Wenino.

Previous Meetings in 2011:
4/10 at SB - Sky Blue 2, Philadelphia 2
7/6 at Phil - Philadelphia 4, Sky Blue 3
7/23 at SB - Sky Blue 2, Philadelphia 0

Sky Blue enters the game with the possibility of being able to clinch a playoff berth. They need to better whatever Boston's result is on Saturday. If the Breakers tie, Sky Blue needs to win to clinch a playoff spot. If the Breakers lose, Sky Blue would just need a tie to clinch. Meanwhile, Philadelphia comes into this match still with hopes of winning the regular season title.

There have been a lot of fireworks in the matches between these two teams. Thirteen goals have been scored in the previous three matches, with each team winning a game apiece and the third ending in a draw.

For a team with such a high-powered offense that creates a myriad of chances, Philadelphia has been winning a lot of matches with defense this year. They have won four 1-0 results, three of which came in the last half of July. Nicole Barnhart and Val Henderson have seven shutouts between them and the Independence has given up less than a goal per game.

The back line has been very stingy, with Nikki Krzysik and Kia McNeill in the middle, combined with outside help from Leigh Ann Robinson and Estelle Johnson. Jen Buczkowski is a rugged defender as well in the midfield. In fact, Philly's midfield in general is an underrated group with Sinead Farrelly and Tina DiMartino doing a lot of the hard work in setting up chances for their talented forwards. Lori Lindsey's return from Germany is added plus here.

Veronica Boquete has become one of the leading candidates for league MVP with her play over the last two months. She has five goals and four assists in just nine matches and has scored four game winning goals, including the only tally in each of Philly's three 1-0 victories in July. Philadelphia is 8-0-1 in matches in which she has played and perfect in the eight matches she has started.

Boquete is not the only top offensive player on this team, however. Tasha Kai leads the team with eight goals, with Danesha Adams adding three, Laura del Rio and Lianne Sanderson two each, while last year's leading scorer Amy Rodriguez has just one. Kai netted a hat trick against Sky Blue earlier this year. That is why this team is so tough. You cannot key on just one player. They also have one of the fastest groups of forwards in WPS, rivaled only by Western New York.

With a playoff berth on the line, we will now see what Sky Blue is made of. Will they be more like the 2009 version that scrapped to make the playoffs and then won it all with three gritty performances in their playoff run or will they be like the 2010 version that missed the playoffs altogether?

Interestingly, Coach Jim Gabarra opted to go with Karen Bardsley in goal on Wednesday after starting Jen Branam for most of the season. Sky Blue fell by a 3-2 margin in that match against magicJack. Defensively, Sky Blue just has to be more consistent. They have posted five shutouts, but they have also given up three or more goals on four occasions, including their last two matches. Brittany Taylor has been one of Sky Blue's best defenders.

Carolyn Blank is having a fairly solid season at defensive midfielder for Sky Blue. The midfield trio of Heather O'Reilly, Therese Sjogran, and Allie Long have combined for four goals and eight assists on the season. Sjogran is tied for the league lead with six assists.

In spite of Wednesday's loss, it was good to see Eni Aluko return to form with two goals. Sky Blue could use a late season splurge from the talented and speedy English striker. Casey Nogueira has five goals on the season, with three of them coming against Philadelphia. Spanish striker Adriana has provided an additional threat since her arrival and Laura Kalmari has been a steady finisher for Sky Blue over the past two seasons.

Both teams have a lot on the line here, but certainly Sky Blue has the more desperate situation. If they fail to clinch a playoff berth this weekend, it could come down to a one-game winner-take-all match against Boston on the final weekend of the season.

Flash and magicJack Post Victories

magicJack 3, Sky Blue FC 2

MagicJack took over sole possession of third place by defeating Sky Blue 3-2 tonight in Boca Raton. Abby Wambach scored twice and Megan Rapinoe got the game winner for magicJack.

Wambach opened the scoring in the 5th minute, assisted by Marian Dalmy. The hosts went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

The floodgates opened in the second half, as both teams scored twice. Eni Aluko scored her second goal of the season, assisted by Heather O'Reilly in the 56th minute to tie the match for Sky Blue.

Wambach again gave magicJack the lead in the 77th minute, with the assist this time coming from Canadian National Team midfielder Sophie Schmidt. It was Wambach's 7th goal of the season.

Once again, Aluko was able to draw Sky Blue even as she scored in the 84th minute to tie the match at two, with Adriana assisting.

But midseason acquisition Megan Rapinoe scored the game winner in the 86th minute on an assist from Matilda's star Lisa De Vanna.

Jill Loyden got the victory in goal for magicJack, while Karen Bardsley took the loss for Sky Blue.

MagicJack improves to 7-6-2, good for 22 points after their point deduction suffered earlier in the campaign. They need just one more point to secure a playoff position. They will face the Breakers in Boston on Saturday evening.

Sky Blue falls to 5-7-4 and 19 points to their credit. They are still clinging to the fourth and final playoff berth, just three points ahead of Boston. Sky Blue travels to Philadelphia to play the Independence on Sunday, before facing the Breakers in their final regular season match in what could be a do or die game.

Western New York Flash 2, Boston Breakers 1

The Flash were able to pull even with league leading Philadelphia on Wednesday night, by defeating the Boston Breakers 2-1 at Sahlen Stadium. Christine Sinclair and Becky Edwards were able to net first half goals and then the Flash were able to withstand a Boston comeback to hold on for the victory.

Sinclair scored the game's first goal on an assist from Marta in the 21st minute. The tally pushes Sinclair's league-leading total to 10 goals.

The Flash made it 2-0 just seven minutes later. Becky Edwards headed in an Ali Riley cross and Western New York appeared to be on their way to victory.

Boston had other ideas, however, as they cut the lead in half in the opening minutes of the second half. Rookie Keelin Winters scored her third goal of the season, assisted by Kelley O'Hara to put the Breakers right back in the match.

Kelly Smith nearly tied the match in the 54th minute, but her shot from 30 yards hit the crossbar with Flash keeper Ashlyn Harris barely getting her hand on it. From then on, Western New York was able to hold on to capture three points.

The match saw two key Breakers players return to action. The aforementioned Smith came on at halftime, seeing her first action since the World Cup quarterfinals in Germany. Lauren Cheney made her first start since her ankle injury in the World Cup final for the United States.

Western New York is now in prime position to win the WPS regular season crown. They are tied with Philadelphia at 33 points and have a game in hand. They will face cellar dwelling Atlanta on Saturday at KSU Stadium.

Boston's situation is desperate at 4-8-4, but they do still control their own destiny. They will face magicJack in Cambridge on Saturday, before finishing the season at home against Sky Blue FC.

WPS STANDINGS
(1) Western New York 10-2-3, 33 pts; (1) Philadelphia 10-3-3, 33 pts; (3) magicJack 7-6-2, 22 pts; (4) Sky Blue FC 5-7-4, 19 pts; (5) Boston 4-8-4, 16 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-11-4, 7 pts.

WPS Midweek Preview: August 3

We are down to the final two weeks of WPS regular season action and both of Wednesday's matches have huge playoff implications. One is a battle for third place between magicJack and Sky Blue FC. The other is a matchup between 2nd place Western New York and 5th place Boston, with the Breakers fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Sky Blue FC at magicJack (7 pm eastern, Wednesday)
FAU Soccer Field, Boca Raton, Florida.

magicJack (6-6-2, 19 pts)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, K. LeBlanc.
Defenders: T. Ellertson, C. Rampone, B. Sauerbrunn, M. Dalmy, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Boxx, S. Huffman, N. Washington, M. Rapinoe, S. Schmidt, O. Davis.
Forwards: A. Wambach, C. Press, E. Masar, L. De Vanna.
Not active: H. Solo (injured), L. Tarpley (injured).

Sky Blue FC (5-6-4, 19 pts)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Bardsley.
Defenders: B. Taylor, K. Fletcher, A. Asante (questionable), C. Dew.
Midfielders: C. Blank, H. O'Reilly, A. Long, T. Sjogran, T. Heath, A. Kerr.
Forwards: Adriana, E. Aluko, C. Nogueira, L. Kalmari.
Not active: K. Arnold, J. Clark, S. Gray (injured), E. Guthrie, P. Hogewoning, D. Johnson, L. Johnson (injured), A. Mautz, M. Wenino.

Prior Meetings in 2011:
7/9 at SB - Sky Blue 2, magicJack 2
7/27 at mJ - Sky Blue 2, magicJack 0

Both teams enter the match with 19 points. Sky Blue has only three matches left, while magicJack has four. Sky Blue has the edge in the season series with a win and a tie. The winner of this match will be in the driver's seat for third place. The loser will try to fend off Boston for fourth place. This should have the feel and intensity of a playoff match.

MagicJack's victory over Boston on Saturday was their first win in nearly two months and it came just in time as it looked like they could miss the playoffs. Now they are in control of their own destiny and look to move into sole possession of third place.

MagicJack added veteran Canadian keeper Karina LeBlanc to their roster to help make up for the loss of Hope Solo. It will be interesting to see whether they stay with Jill Loyden in goal or turn to LeBlanc.

MagicJack exploded for four goals in their last match, three of them by rookie of the year candidate Christen Press. Abby Wambach scored the other, her first since returning from Germany. Ella Masar and Lisa De Vanna give magicJack a wealth of options up front.

Two of the most recent additions, Nikki Washington and Megan Rapinoe, give magicJack a couple of dangerous attacking weapons out of the midfield to go with veterans Shannon Boxx and Sarah Huffman.

Defensively, magicjack has one of the most veteran back lines in WPS, no matter if they play three or four in back. Christie Rampone, Tina Ellertson, and Becky Sauerbrunn all have USWNT experience. Marian Dalmy, who has played a lot of midfield for magicJack, returns to her more natural position on the back line in the four back set.

Sky Blue has veteran Jen Branam in goal. She has five shutouts on the season, leading WPS in that category. English National Team starter Karen Bardsley backs up Branam.

Defensively, Sky Blue has been vulnerable at times this season. Several of their defenders have had injury problems and Anita Asante is listed as questionable for this match. Brittany Taylor could be the key to the Sky Blue defense.

Sky Blue must get some offense out of their midfield, especially the trio of Heather O'Reilly, Therese Sjogran, and Allie Long. Coach Jim Gabarra has tried many different combinations up front, using Eniola Aluko, Adriana, Laura Kalmari, and Casey Nogueira with varying degrees of success. Gabarra prefers to bring Nogueira and midfielder Tobin Heath off the bench.

These teams are fighting for third place and the possibility of a home playoff match. With one less game remaining, Sky Blue is a little more under the gun at this point. They have played reasonably well against magicJack this season. Abby Wambach would just as soon forget that she put one in her own goal the last time these two teams met, just a week ago.

Boston at Western New York (7:30 pm eastern, Wednesday)
Sahlen Stadium, Rochester, New York.

Western New York Flash (9-2-3, 30 pts)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron.
Defenders: C. Chapman, W. Engen, A. Riley, R. Moros, G. Lewandowski, K. Wilson.
Midfielders: Y. Averbuch, B. Edwards, C. Seger, M. Zerboni, B. Bock, B. Goebel.
Forwards: Marta, C. Sinclair, A. Morgan, G. Davison.
Not active: A. Bowers, K. Brandao, K. Fountain, Maurine, A. Sahlen.

Boston Breakers (4-7-4, 16 pts)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Naeher, K. J. Spisak.
Defenders: R. Buehler, A. LePeilbet, S. Cox, A. Scott, I. Dieke.
Midfielders: L. Osborne, K. Winters, M. Klingenberg, A. Sameshima, K. Schoepfer, L. Blayney.
Forwards: K. O'Hara (probable), T. Hemmings, N. Marshall, L. Cheney (questionable), K. Smith (questionable).
Not active: J. Angeli (injured), L. Bogus, N. Cross, K. Davis (injured), K. Moore (injured), A. Phillips, E. Reed, C. Zimmeck.

Prior Meetings in 2011:
4/17 at Bos - Western New York 2, Boston 1
5/13 at WNY - Western New York 3, Boston 2
7/24 at Bos - Boston 2, Western New York 2

The 4-0 loss to magicJack put Boston in a situation where there is now no margin for error. Western New York is now in good position to win the WPS regular season title, in spite of being three points down to Philadelphia. They have two more games remaining than Philly and have two matches left with last place Atlanta.

One thing that must be said is that Boston has given the Flash a lot of problems this season in spite of having only one tie to show for their efforts. The Breakers have scored five times against Western New York, with Kelley O'Hara getting two in their last match against the Flash.

Lauren Cheney and Kelly Smith are both listed as questionable for the match and without them, Boston is severely limited in scoring options. In fact, if Cheney and Smith are not able to play, the Breakers are missing their top five scorers from the 2010 season. Jordan Angeli was injured in the first game of the season, while Kristine Lilly retired and Lindsay Tarpley signed with magicJack.

So where then does the scoring come from for Boston? O'Hara is obviously the first option. She leads the Breakers with four goals. Katie Schoepfer is having a very good season with the Breakers and has two goals to her credit. Keelin Winters also has two goals for Boston, as does Kasey Moore, but she is out with an injury as well. Boston does have a couple of offensive weapons in former magicJack players Meghan Klingenberg and Nikki Marshall.

Defensively, the Breakers must improve against Western New York, which is no easy task. They have given up seven goals in just three games, which is about the league average against the Flash. Boston boasts a strong, veteran back line, but they need to be especially sturdy in this match. Alex Scott is the best offensive threat out of the back. Alyssa Naeher is second in WPS in both goals against average and shutouts.

Christine Sinclair leads the league in both goals and assists heading into the final two weeks of the season and must be considered one of the frontrunners for league MVP. Marta is having a "quiet season", but by her standards only. She has five goals and four assists. Alex Morgan has four goals and two assists for WNY in very limited action.

With Caroline Seger back in the midfield, the Flash machine has returned to full strength. They easily defeated a strong Sky Blue team 4-1 over the weekend and are starting to once again look like the second coming of FC Gold Pride. McCall Zerboni has scored twice against the Breakers this season.

The Flash rank second in the league in defense, with Ashlyn Harris playing every minute of the season in goal. She has a great center back tandem of Whitney Engen and Candace Chapman in front of her. Ali Riley, like Scott for Boston, is one of the best outside backs in the world and always a threat on the offensive end as well.

While a loss would not eliminate the Breakers from playoff contention, it would certainly make things very, very hard for them. Luckily, their two remaining games after this one are against the two teams they are chasing in the standings, magicJack and Sky Blue.

A victory for Western New York would pull them even with Philadelphia with a game in hand, putting them in the driver's seat for the WPS regular season championship.

Capacity Crowd Sees Sky Blue Fall to Flash

A crowd of 5065 saw the host Sky Blue side fall to Western New York by a 4-1 margin. The victory boosts Western New York into a tie for first place, while Sky Blue falls into a third place tie with magicJack.

The Flash tried to get on the board quickly as Christine Sinclair nearly scored in the opening minute, but her shot hit the post.

Sky Blue took the lead midway through the first half. Therese Sjogran fed Spanish striker Adriana and she slid her shot past Flash goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris for a 1-0 lead.

However, Western New York came back with a vengeance, scoring three goals in less than ten minutes. McCall Zerboni tied the score in the 29th minute as she was able to sneak a hard shot past Sky Blue keeper Jen Branam. Just six minutes later, Yael Averbuch set up Marta to give the Flash the lead. Three minutes later, the Flash scored off of a Candace Chapman free kick as Sinclair headed it home to make it 3-1.

The score stayed that way until the waning moments of the match as Alex Morgan scored in stoppage time on an assist by Beverly Goebel.

Western New York outshot Sky Blue by a 21-8 margin and held the edge in shots on goal as well with a 10-4 advantage.

The Flash improve their record to 9-2-3 and they are now tied with Philadelphia for 1st place with a game in hand. The Independence play Atlanta on Sunday. Sky Blue falls to 5-6-4, but still have a share of third place.

Western New York hosts Boston on Wednesday night. Sky Blue travels to Florida to meet magicJack in a battle for third place, also on Wednesday evening.

Jen Branam announced before the match that she would be retiring at the end of the season. Branam has been a member of Sky Blue since the beginning and helped lead them to the 2009 WPS championship. Sky Blue plans to retire her number 23 jersey.

WPS Weekend Preview: July 30-31

Western New York at Sky Blue FC (7 pm, Saturday)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, New Jersey.

Sky Blue FC (5-5-4)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Bardsley.
Defenders: A. Asante, C. Dew, B. Taylor, K. Fletcher, P. Hogewoning.
Midfielders: C. Blank, H. O'Reilly, T. Sjogran, A. Long, T. Heath, A. Kerr, A. Mautz.
Forwards: Adriana, E. Aluko, C. Nogueira, L. Kalmari.
Not active: K. Arnold, J. Clark, S. Gray (injured), E. Guthrie, D. Johnson, L. Johnson (injured), M. Wenino.

Western New York Flash (8-2-3)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron.
Defenders: C. Chapman, W. Engen, A. Riley, R. Moros, K. Wilson.
Midfielders: B. Edwards, Y. Averbuch, C. Seger, M. Zerboni, B. Bock, B. Goebel.
Forwards: C. Sinclair, Marta, A. Morgan.
Not active: A. Bowers, K. Brandao, G. Davison, K. Fountain, G. Lewandowski, Maurine, A. Sahlen.

Prior Meetings in 2011:
5/6/11 at WNY - Western New York 3, Sky Blue 1
6/3/11 at WNY - Western New York 2, Sky Blue 2
7/17/11 at SB - Western New York 2, Sky Blue 0

Western New York finds themselves in 2nd place, but have five matches left to make up the three points they trail Philadelphia by in the standings. However, with the Independence facing Atlanta this weekend, the Flash will want to win this one to keep pace.

Sky Blue is now all alone in 3rd place entering this match, with Boston and magicJack not far behind. This will be Sky Blue's last regular season home match, so they need to take advantage of it. They enter this match on a two-game winning streak.

For the first time since the World Cup, the Flash are at full strength as midfielder Caroline Seger returns after missing the last few matches with an injury suffered in Germany. Her presence in the midfield make the Flash an even more formidable side. She already has two goals against the Sky Blue this season.

Western New York has absolutely lit up the scoreboard against Sky Blue, scoring seven goals in three matches. In addition to Seger, Alex Morgan, Christine Sinclair, Beverly Goebel, and Marta have all score goals against New Jersey this season. Sinclair is tied for the league's best with eight goals in 2011. The Flashes' speed has given Sky Blue lots of problems in back.

Sky Blue's Jen Branam will have something to say about the outcome of this match. She now leads WPS with five shutouts in just 12 starts and is third in goals against average, just three one-hundredths of a point behind Alyssa Naeher.

Sky Blue has been using Casey Nogueira as their supersub. Nogueira leads the team with five goals scored on the season, two ahead of midfielder Allie Long. Both have scored this season against Western New York, with Long's coming on a penalty.

Ashlyn Harris will be in goal for the Flash. She is second in goals against average and has posted three shutouts. WNY has a solid back line, with Candace Chapman and Whitney Engen in the center and Ali Riley and Rebecca Moros outside. Becky Edwards is a fine two-way player in the midfield.

Sky Blue will need to find a way to slow down the Flash in this match if they want to win this match. Their midfield will likely be key with Carolyn Blank being the defensive-minded one of the group. They will also need a good match out of Swedish veteran Therese Sjogran.

Boston at magicJack (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
FAU Soccer Field, Boca Raton, Florida.

magicJack (5-6-2)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, B. Maron.
Defenders: T. Ellertson, C. Rampone, B. Sauerbrunn, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Boxx, M. Dalmy, S. Huffman, S. Schmidt, M. Rapinoe, N. Washington.
Forwards: A. Wambach, E. Masar, C. Press, L. De Vanna, J. Rasmussen.
Not active: H. Solo (injured), L. Tarpley (injured).

Boston Breakers (4-6-4)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, A. Phillips.
Defenders: R. Buehler, A. LePeilbet, S. Cox, A. Scott, K. Moore (probable), T. Hemmings.
Midfielders: L. Osborne, A. Sameshima, K. Winters, M. Klingenberg, K. Schoepfer, L. Bogus.
Forwards: K. O'Hara (probable), K. Smith (questionable), K. Schoepfer, N. Marshall.
Not active: J. Angeli (injured), L. Blayney, L. Cheney (injured), N. Cross, K. Davis (injured), I. Dieke, E. Reed, K. J. Spisak, C. Zimmeck.

Prior Meetings in 2011:
4/23/11 at MJ - magicJack 1, Boston 0
6/5/11 at Bos - Boston 2, magicJack 1

These two teams enter the match tied for the fourth and final playoff berth. It is a crucial match for both sides, but especially for Boston since magicJack has a game in hand. They have split the previous two meetings, with the home team winning both matches.

Both teams will be missing key personnel due to injuries. Magicjack will be without USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo. Kelly Smith is still listed as questionable for the Breakers. She missed the match on Wednesday against Philadelphia and with the Breakers already without Lauren Cheney, Smith's presence is greatly needed by Boston.

In Smith's absence, Kelley O'Hara has been the focus of the offense. She has four goals on the season and leads the Breakers in that category. Katie Schoepfer is having a breakout season with two goals and two assists in 2011. Nikki Marshall adds speed to the Boston front, while Meghan Klingenberg is a threat from the wing. Aya Sameshima is a recent addition to the midfield group, after helping Japan win the World Cup in Germany.

Defensively, the Breakers are ranked second in the league behind Philadelphia. Alyssa Naeher ranks second in shutouts and is first in goals against average in WPS. She has the solid wall of Alex Scott, Rachel Buehler, Amy LePeilbet, and Stephanie Cox in front of her. Leslie Osborne is one of the league's best defensive players in the midfield.

Once battling for the top position in the league, this has been a tale of two seasons for magicJack in 2011. They started the year at 5-2, but have been 0-4-2 since. Their last three victories have come against the Atlanta Beat and they haven't beaten any other team since May 1.

Defense has been a problem for magicjack. They have given up two or more goals in seven of their last eight matches. Formation would appear to be part of the problem as they have used three in back for most of those matches. They have solid performers in Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Tina Ellertson on their back line. Jill Loyden starts in goal in Solo's absence.

The attack has been the strong point for magicJack for most of the season, but they have suffered two shutouts in a row. Christen Press leads with five goals, followed by Ella Masar and Abby Wambach with four each. Lisa De Vanna adds speed at forward. Nikki Washington has contributed an assist since coming over from Boston.

Look for a tough battle in the midfield throughout this match. Shannon Boxx and Sarah Huffman lead a veteran group for magicJack. Leslie Osborne and rookie Keelin Winters are strong, physical midfielders for Boston.

A win for magicJack puts them in the driver's seat as far a playoff spot goes. Boston almost must get at least a point out of this match, if not more. This all important battle for fourth place will be key to deciding the final playoff berth.

Atlanta at Philadelphia (6 pm eastern, Sunday)
Leslie Quick Stadium, Chester, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Independence (9-3-3)
Coach: Paul Riley
Roster:
Goalkeepers: N. Barnhart, V. Henderson.
Defenders: N. Krzysik, K. McNeill, E. Johnson, L. Robinson.
Midfielders: J. Buczkowski, S. Farrelly, C. DiMartino, L. Sanderson, L. Lindsey, J. Lohman, G. DiMartino.
Forwards: T. Kai, A. Rodriguez, V. Boquete, L. del Rio, D. Adams.
Not active: L. Barnes, A. Falk, L. Fowlkes, R. Jones.

Atlanta Beat (1-10-4)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher, K. Fraine.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, K. Reynolds, H. Mitts, A. Marquez, C. Flanagan.
Midfielders: K. Wright, L. Chalupny, K. White, M. Jesolva, A. Salem, B. D'Agostino.
Forwards: K. Parker, L. Sesselmann.
Not active: K. Dowling (injured), M. Lenczyk, C. Lloyd (yellow card accumulation), J. Sitch, I. Trotter.

Prior Meetings in 2011:
5/15/11 at Atl - Philadelphia 2, Atlanta 1
6/4/11 at Phil - Philadelphia 0, Atlanta 0
7/16/11 at Atl - Philadelphia 1, Atlanta 0

You would think with the last place team traveling to the first place team, this game might be a mismatch. Atlanta has not won since their second match of the year and haven't scored a goal on the road yet. But one thing the Beat have done is play the Independence tough every single time they've met this season. There has been a tie and two one-goal Philadelphia wins in this series leading up to this match.

Not having scored on the road, Atlanta faces a tough task on Sunday. In Philadelphia, they will be facing the league's leading defensive side, giving up just one goal per game and they have already posted six shutouts this season. Meanwhile, Atlanta will be looking to stop their unfortunate record of 487 consecutive scoreless minutes dating back to June 11, when Kacey White scored in Atlanta's 3-2 loss to magicJack.

If Atlanta is to provide some offense in this match, it will be without the services of Carli Lloyd, who is suspended for the match due to yellow card accumulation (four in just eight matches). Canadian striker Kelly Parker and the midfield trio of Lori Chalupny, Megan Jesolva, and White will have to be the attacking force in this match.

Defense is one area that the Beat have shown improvement as the season has progressed. They have given up just four goals total in their last five matches and have two shutouts over that stretch. Allison Whitworth has played very well in goal over the past two months for the Beat. With Heather Mitts returning, it gives Atlanta two veteran defenders with center back Cat Whitehill.

While Atlanta has limited offense, the Independence has abundant options up front. Eleven different players have scored for Philadelphia this season. Tasha Kai leads WPS with eight goals and is having her best professional season ever.

Veronica Boquete has been one of the league's best players since coming over from Spain with four goals and four assists in just eight matches. USWNT striker Amy Rodriguez is now back from national team duty to add another dose of speed to Philly's arsenal. And the Independence doesn't lose anything when Laura del Rio and Danesha Adams enter the match.

Philadelphia has a talented midfield and one that is very strong defensively, starting with Jen Buczkowski and Sinead Farrelly. The Independence defense has been solid this season and that is without any national teamers on their back line. Philadelphia has been alternating at goalkeeper, with Nicole Barnhart starting most of the early matches until she left for Germany and Val Henderson getting the starts in Barnhart's absence. Both are very good.

Philadelphia has a three point lead on Western New York, but the Flash have two games in hand, meaning that a win is essential in this match. Atlanta has given the Independence problems this season, but they will need to find a way to score if they are to get any points out of this match.

Breakers and Flash Battle to 2-2 Tie

In one of the most exciting matches thus far in the WPS season, the Boston Breakers and Western New York Flash played to a 2-2 draw in Cambridge. Both teams scored in the last 10 minutes and it was a match that national team players contributed heavily, as did players off the bench.

Kelley O'Hara scored a brace and it looked to be enough when she gave Boston a 2-1 lead with just over six minutes remaining, but Alex Morgan tied it just three minutes later with a brilliant goal.

Western New York held the edge in possession and territory early on, but it was Boston who created the better chances. In the 10th minute, Katie Schoepfer played the ball ahead on the right side for Alex Scott. She crossed the ball into the penalty area, but it led Liz Bogus just a little too much and she was unable to redirect it toward the net.

Boston did get the first goal just 10 minutes later. It was again Schoepfer starting the play as she sent a diagonal ball to Kelley O'Hara. The ball just barely got by a diving Whitney Engen and O'Hara had inside position on Ali Riley. O'Hara steered a rolling shot back across to the right. Flash goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris appeared to be wrong-footed on the play and the ball got by her, into the right corner of the net to make it 1-0.

Western New York continued to pressure and nearly broke through in the 36th minute. Riley sent a beautiful cross to McCall Zerboni at the six, but the Flash midfielder put her header wide of the goal.

The Flash tied the match in the 38th minute with Becky Edwards sending the ball ahead to Marta who was heading to the left side of the penalty area. Marta was able to settle the ball, and gain some space from defender Scott in the process. She set up her left-footed shot and drilled it low past Alyssa Naeher and into the right side netting to tie the match.

USWNT forward Alex Morgan subbed in to start the second half for Western New York and she made her presence known. In the 59th minute, she drove a 25-yard shot right at Naeher. Somehow, the ball got through the Breakers' keeper and rolled toward the goal line, but Naeher was able to dive back just in time before the ball crossed. Later, Yael Averbuch put her shot from inside the 18 just wide of the right post.

Boston took the lead in the 84th minute in a beautiful display of passing. Alex Scott crossed the ball from 35 yards out to Nikki Marshall who was cutting diagonally across the penalty area from left to right. With a defender on her, Marshall was unable to control the ball immediately, but ran it down on the right side of the penalty area.

With the ball rolling toward the endline, she was able to turn her body and direct her cross back to O'Hara. O'Hara passed it to 2nd half substitute Claire Zimmeck who touched it right back to O'Hara on a give-and-go. O'Hara's finish was perfectly inside the left post to give Boston a late 2-1 lead.

But just when it looked like the Breakers might secure three points, it was Alex Morgan who drew the Flash even. Marta sent a 40-yard free kick into the box. Christine Sinclair tried to head it across the box, but the Breakers temporarily cleared it, but not far enough. Another 2nd half substitute, Beverly Goebel, headed the ball back into the box toward Alex Morgan who was waiting near the penalty spot. Morgan hit a beautiful half volley with the outside of her left foot that hit the bottom of crossbar and went into the net. The score was now tied at two.

Western New York threatened again in the last few minutes. Morgan appeared to be behind the defense on a breakaway, but it was called back on a very close offsides. In the 90th minute, Boston defender Elli Reed saved the Breakers by blocking not one, but two Flash shots. First, she blocked Goebel's shot from right in front of Naeher and then the rebound went to Sinclair, who had an open net in front of her, but Reed slid over to block her shot as well.

Both teams gained very valuable point in the standings. Western New York is now 8-2-3 and tied with Philadelphia for first place with 27 points. The Flash have a game in hand on the Independence as well. Boston's record goes to 4-5-4 and they are now in a three-way tie for third place with Sky Blue and magicJack.

Boston hosts Philadelphia in a very important match for both teams on Wednesday night. Western New York's next match is at Sky Blue next Saturday, also crucial to both teams.

WPS Standings
(1) Western New York 8-2-3, 27 pts; (1) Philadelphia 8-3-3, 27 pts; (3) magicJack 5-5-2, 16 pts; (3) Boston 4-5-4, 16 pts; (3) Sky Blue FC 4-5-4, 16 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-10-4, 7 pts.

WPS Weekend Preview: July 23-24

As we head down the stretch in the WPS regular season, there is a full schedule this weekend. Western New York is in a tight battle with Philadelphia for first place. Boston, Sky Blue, and magicJack are battling for the two remaining playoffs spots and Atlanta is trying to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

Philadephia at Sky Blue (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, New Jersey.

Sky Blue FC (3-5-4)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Arnold, K. Bardsley (questionable).
Defenders: C. Dew, A. Asante, B. Taylor, K. Fletcher, D. Johnson.
Midfielders: H. O'Reilly, T. Heath, A. Long, T. Sjogran, C. Blank, A. Kerr, A. Mautz.
Forwards: Adriana, C. Nogueira, E. Aluko, L. Kalmari.
Not active: E. Guthrie, L. Johnson (injured), M. Wenino, J. Clark, S. Gray, P. Hogewoning.

Philadelphia Independence (8-2-3)
Coach: Paul Riley
Roster:
Goalkeepers: N. Barnhart, V. Henderson.
Defenders: N. Krzysik, K. McNeill, L. Robinson, E. Johnson.
Midfielders: J. Buczkowski, C. DiMartino, S. Farrelly, L. Lindsey, J. Lohman.
Forwards: T. Kai, A. Rodriguez, L. Sanderson, D. Adams, L. del Rio.
Not active: R. Jones, L. Barnes, A. Falk, L. Fowlkes, V. Boquete, G. DiMartino, H. Magnusdottir.

The Philadelphia Independence need to win this game to keep their hold on first place, while Sky Blue is in a very close battle with magicJack and Boston for playoff berths.

While most of the World Cup players will be back for this game, some of them may not play a full 90 minutes or start for that matter. The biggest surprise was that Veronica Boquete, who has played so well over the last month, is not listed as being active for Philadelphia per the roster report (which has been known to be incorrect from time to time).

Coach Paul Riley surely has a pleasant problem at goalkeeper. USWNT keeper Nicole Barnhart has returned and is available, but backup Val Henderson has played very well while Barnhart was gone. In fact, Henderson has posted four shutouts in just eight starts and the Independence have a 7-0-1 record with her in goal.

Defensively, Philly has a strong, physical back line, led by center backs Nikki Krzysik and Kia McNeill. Midfielder Jen Buczkowski is also a strong defensive player. While midfielder Lori Lindsey has barely played this season because of national team duty, Tina DiMartino and Sinead Farrelly are having strong seasons with a combined three goals and three assists between them.

Tasha Kai is now tied for the league lead with eight goals. She has plenty of support in the attacking end with Amy Rodriguez, Lianne Sanderson, Laura del Rio, Danesha Adams, and Boquete.

It seems as though Sky Blue is in this position every year. They head into the final third of the season with the playoffs in doubt. In 2009, they barely made the playoffs, then marched through three teams to win it all. In 2010, they fell just short of a playoff berth and here we are again in 2011.

Jen Branam has been in goal for 10 of the 12 Sky Blue matches this season. She is quick, agile, fearless, and adventuresome. The defense for SBFC this season can best be described as inconsistent. At times they look solid, but there have been some bumps in the road. Anita Asante's return from the World Cup should help steady the situation.

Sky Blue has always featured a very good midfield. With returning USWNT players Heather O'Reilly and Tobin Heath, along with Swedish international Therese Sjogran, we should see some improvement in their midfield play for the final six matches. Meanwhile, Carolyn Blank has provided solid defense in the midfield and has a goal to her credit.

Scoring has been a problem for Sky Blue. Again, there is a lack of consistency. No Sky Blue player has scored more than three and they have scored just 16 times on the season, with two being penalty kicks and one being an own goal by their opponent. Casey Nogueira has been the most productive forward with three goals and two assists. Spanish import Adriana has two goals and an assist to her credit.

Philadelphia will be looking to extend their WPS record six-game winning streak. This should be a very spirited battle between two teams that are separated by less than 100 miles and with playoff implications riding on this match.

magicJack at Atlanta (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, Georgia.

Atlanta Beat (1-10-3)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, K. Reynolds, H. Mitts, A. Marquez, L. Sesselmann, C. Flanagan.
Midfielders: L. Chalupny, C. Lloyd, K. Wright, K. White, M. Jesolva, I. Trotter, A. Salem, B. D'Agostino.
Forwards: M. Lenczyk, K. Parker.
Not active: K. Fraine, K. Dowling (injured), J. Sitch.

magicJack (5-5-1)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, B. Maron.
Defenders: T. Ellertson, C. Rampone, B. Sauerbrunn, M. Dalmy, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Huffman, N. Washington, S. Schmidt, O. Davis.
Forwards: A. Wambach, L. De Vanna, E. Masar, C. Press, J. Rasmussen.
Not active: H. Solo, A. Gunning, S. Boxx, M. Rapinoe, L. Tarpley (injured).

With several of their national team players nursing injuries or fatigued, magicJack faces the prospect of playing seven matches in the next 22 days to finish the regular season. Atlanta needs to win this match if they are to have even a remote chance at the playoffs.

Supposedly, USWNT star Abby Wambach will coach the team this week and for the foreseeable future. But having her back on the field is probably the most important thing. She is still hobbled by the Achilles injury and obviously had to be worn out by 600 minutes of soccer at the World Cup. Just her presence could be the shot in the arm that magicJack needs to make a final run at a playoff berth.

MagicJack does have a lot of good options at forward. In addition to Wambach, there is Australian speedster Lisa De Vanna, rookie of the year candidate Christen Press, WPS veteran Ella Masar, and Danish international Johanna Rasmussen. Press leads the team in scoring with five goals, good for third best in the league. Wambach and Masar are right behind with four goals apiece.

One problem for magicJack is that they are very thin in the midfield. With Lindsay Tarpley out for the season and Shannon Boxx and Megan Rapinoe sidelined after a tough World Cup schedule, magicJack basically has four true midfielders active for this match. Sarah Huffman, Sophie Schmidt, and Nikki Washington give them good quality in the midfield, with Marian Dalmy moving up from defense to help out at times.

Defensively, magicJack's three back defense has not proven to be the answer, at least not on the wider fields that they face on the road. MagicJack does have excellent defenders on the back line with Tina Ellertson, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Christie Rampone, but they are often overmatched by superiors numbers from the opposing team.

MagicJack will definitely miss Hope Solo and her status for the rest of this season is unknown. She revealed last night on "Lopez Tonight" that her wrist may be severely injured which would be a huge blow to magicJack. USWNT keeper Jill Loyden will step in for Solo.

Atlanta has been a better home team and far more competitive at FSU Stadium than on the road. The return of one of their most dangerous offensive weapons in Carli Lloyd should boost a Beat team that has scored just seven goals this season. The only other players with two goals are midfielder Lori Chalupny and forward Meghan Lenczyk. The Beat have gone 397 minutes without a goal and could break the record of 451 minutes set by the 2009 Chicago Red Stars.

The Beat will need contributions from their recent acquisitions, Kelly Parker and Kacey White, if they are to improve their offensive punch. Megan Jesolva is having a fine rookie season, but has been nursing an injury the past couple of weeks. Defensively, the return of Heather Mitts could help a team that has given up nearly two goals per game. Allison Whitworth has been the Beat's keeper as of late.

With only four games remaining, Atlanta must almost win out to have a decent chance at the playoffs. Even then, it would be an uphill climb. But they would like to give a good performance for their home crowd. MagicJack has more matches left than any other team and they must take advantage of that by picking up as many points as possible, starting with this match on Saturday evening.

Western New York at Boston (6 pm eastern, Sunday)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Boston Breakers (4-5-3)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Naeher, A. Phillips.
Defenders: A. Scott, S. Cox, I. Dieke, K. Moore (probable), E. Reed, N. Marshall.
Midfielders: L. Osborne, M. Klingenberg, K. Winters, K. Schoepfer, L. Blayney, N. Cross, L. Bogus.
Forwards: K. O'Hara, T. Hemmings, C. Zimmeck.
Not active: K. Davis (injured), K. J. Spisak, R. Buehler, A. LePeilbet, A. Sameshima, J. Angeli (injured), L. Cheney (injured), K. Smith (injured).

Western New York Flash (8-2-2)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron.
Defenders: C. Chapman, W. Engen, A. Riley, R. Moros, K. Wilson, G. Lewandowski.
Midfielders: Y. Averbuch, B. Edwards, B. Bock, M. Zerboni, B. Goebel.
Forwards: C. Sinclair, Marta, A. Morgan.
Not active: A. Bowers, K. Brandao, A. Sahlen, C. Seger (injured), Maurine, G. Davison, K. Fountain.

The Flash have now moved back into position where they can challenge Philadelphia for first place. With the exception of midfielder Caroline Seger, they are reasonably healthy heading into their final six matches.

Boston has been beset by injuries throughout the season. Add to the list Lauren Cheney, who suffered a sprained ankle in the World Cup final against Japan and English striker Kelly Smith. In addition, several of their national team players will be sitting out this match after a grueling World Cup schedule, including Aya Sameshima, a member of the champion Japanese team.

The goalkeeper matchup in this one should be good. Boston's Alyssa Naeher and WNY's Ashlyn Harris are currently in a battle for the lowest WPS goals against average (among those players that qualify). In addition, Naeher is tied for the league lead in shutouts with four.

Defensively, Boston will still be missing Rachel Buehler, Amy LePeilbet, and Aya Sameshima according to the roster report. While defense is one of the deepest areas for the Breakers, that is still a lot of talent out of the lineup. It will be interesting to see if coach Tony DiCicco uses newly acquired Nikki Marshall on defense or as a striker.

In the Breaker midfield, Leslie Osborne has been steady, as has rookie Keelin Winters. The acquisition of Meghan Klingenberg gives Boston a strong threat from the wing. With Smith and Cheney out, Boston's scoring punch has been severely reduced. USWNT reserve Kelley O'Hara is probably their biggest threat.

With their high-powered scoring triumvirate of Christine Sinclair, Marta, and Alex Morgan, the Flash look to be a very tough team to defend against as the season approaches the home stretch. Sinclair scored twice on Wednesday to bring her total to eight goals and she added an assist as well. Marta and Alex Morgan bring lightning speed to the front line. Marta has scored only four goals to this point, but look for her to close the season strong.

The Flash midfield will miss Seger, who was injured at the World Cup. McCall Zerboni is having a very good season, as is Becky Edwards. Yael Averbuch has added a strong dimension to the central midfield after missing much of the early season while trying to make the USWNT.

Defensively, the Flash are very good as well. Candace Chapman and Whitney Engen give WNY a strong central defense. Ali Riley is one of the best attackers at left back. Rebecca Moros has played outside back since being picked up in midseason.

In spite of being a point down, the Flash have a game in hand on Philadelphia and look to be the team to beat. Boston is locked in a threeway battle for the two remaining playoff spots. Look for a good game on Sunday.