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.

magicJack Signs LeBlanc

As has been reported elsewhere and has now been confirmed by WPS, magicJack has signed goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc of the Canadian National Team.

With Hope Solo injured, magicJack was looking for another experienced keeper and LeBlanc was the obvious choice. She had a stellar 2009 season with the Los Angeles Sol, posting a 0.53 goals against average and 12 shutouts.

After Los Angeles folded, she was signed by Philadelphia, where she shared time as the number one keeper for the Independence. Eventually, Val Henderson won the number one spot for the playoffs and LeBlanc was not signed for the 2011 season, concentrating her time on the Canadian National Team.

In addition to her experience in WPS, LeBlanc also played with the Boston Breakers in the WUSA from 2001-03. She joins Solo and Jill Loyden as magicJack's goalkeepers.

MagicJack also announced that they have terminated goalkeeper Brett Maron and mutually terminated forward/midfielder Johanna Rasmussen. Maron made four starts for magicJack during the World Cup. Rasmussen made eight appearances, three of which were starts, for magicJack scoring one goal.

Silverbacks Take W-League Crown

The Atlanta Silverbacks coasted to a 6-1 victory over the Ottawa Fury to win the 2011 W-League championship on Sunday evening. The Silverbacks got two goals each from Megan Tomlinson and Susannah Dennis to notch the win.

Both Tomlinson and Dennis scored first half goals to give Atlanta a 2-0 lead. Then the Silverbacks were awarded a penalty and the Fury's Courtney Wetzel was sent off late in the half. Alexa Newfield converted the penalty to make it 3-0 at the half.

Mallory Outerbridge managed to cut the lead to 3-1 for the shorthanded Fury in the second half, but Atlanta followed with goals by Dennis, Tomlinson, and Sarah Bennett to put the match away.

The Vancouver Whitecaps defeated the Seattle Sounders 2-1 in the 3rd place match.

Orange County Takes WPSL Crown with Overtime Victory

The Orange County Waves are the 2011 WPSL champions as they defeated the Chicago Red Stars 2-1 in overtime earlier this afternoon. Tanya Taylor scored the game winner in the 101st minute.

Former FC Gold Pride striker, Kiki Bosio, put the Waves on top in the first half, scoring in the 43rd minute.

The score remained 1-0 until the late stages of regulation time. Michele Weissenhofer sent a flip throw-in to the six and after a scramble in the box, Julie Ewing was able to get her foot on it and put it in the net to tie the score in the 88th minute.

Chicago appeared to have the momentum late in regulation and at the beginning of the overtime period, but in the 101st minute, Brittany Klein sent the ball through to Tanya Taylor who got behind the Red Stars' defense. She finished past Chicago goalkeeper Jamie Forbes to give the Waves a 2-1 lead.

Orange County was able to hold on to their lead to clinch the championship. The Waves are coached by former Los Angeles Sol coach Abner Rogers. It was their first WPSL championship.

Independence Regain 1st Place with Victory over Beat

Veronica Boquete scored her fifth goal of the season and it proved to be the game winner as the Philadelphia Independence defeated the Atlanta Beat 1-0 in Chester on Sunday. A crowd of 4162 saw the Independence regain sole possession of first place with a three point lead on Western New York.

In the first half of action, Atlanta appeared to be the more dangerous club. In the 25th minute, Lori Chalupny got around Kia McNeill to go in one-on-one against Nicole Barnhart from the left side of the box. Barnhart did a great job of cutting down the angle and then deflected Chalupny's shot wide.

But if the Beat held their own in the first half, the second half was all Philadelphia. Just a couple of minutes into the half, Nikki Krzysik sent Tina DiMartino in alone on a breakaway, but with Atlanta keeper Allison Whitworth coming out, she place her shot just wide of the left post. In the 56th minute, an Amy Rodriguez cross found the head of Tasha Kai, but Whitworth made a diving save on the shot headed just inside the left post.

Boquete finally put Philly up 1-0 on a great individual effort. Rodriguez nodded a header forward to Boquete, who cut toward the right side of the penalty area with Kat Reynolds on her shoulder. Whitworth made a very good save on Boquete's first effort, but the Spanish striker was able to outfight Reynolds for the rebound and put it in the back of the net.

Whitworth was able to keep the game close in spite of the Independence having several 1 v. 1 opportunities against her in the second half. She stopped Boquete with a big save in the 74th minute.

Atlanta had few chances in the second half, but Lori Chalupny's one-timer from 18 yards forced Barnhart to dive near post to block the ball away in the 76th minute.

Philadelphia followed with several more chances in the last 10 minutes. Whitworth stopped one-on-one chances from Kai, Lianne Sanderson, and Boquete in the closing minutes of the match.

Veronica Boquete once again proved to be the difference maker for Philadelphia. The Independence raised their league-leading record to 10-3-3, now three points ahead of Western New York. However, they have just two games remaining, while the Flash have four. Philly hosts Sky Blue next Sunday.

In spite of strong games from Allison Whitworth and Lori Chalupny, the Beat suffered their sixth straight shutout and are now winless in their last 14 matches. Their record stands at 1-11-4 and their two remaining matches are against Western New York.

WPS Standings
(1) Philadelphia 10-3-3, 33 pts; (2) Western New York 9-2-3, 30 pts; (3) Sky Blue FC 5-6-4, 19 pts; (4) magicJack 6-6-2, 19 pts; (5) Boston 4-7-4, 16 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-11-4, 7 pts.

Press Scores Hat Trick as magicJack Romps to Victory

Rookie Christen Press scored three times to lead magicJack to a 4-0 shutout over the Boston Breakers. The victory moves magicJack into a third place tie with Sky Blue. A good crowd of over 3000 saw the match in Boca Raton.

With both teams entering the contest in a tie for the fourth and final playoff berth, this was a key win for magicJack. The loss puts Boston in a desperate position, now three points behind both magicJack and Sky Blue.

Abby Wambach opened the scoring for the hosts. The magicJack player/coach scored her first goal since returning from the World Cup, assisted by fellow USWNT player Megan Rapinoe in the 16th minute.

From then on, it was the Christen Press show as she scored in the 36th, 76th, and 83rd minute, with Wambach, Marian Dalmy, and Nikki Washington assisting. It was the fourth hat trick in WPS history, the third of the 2011 season. Press now has eight goals, tied with Tasha Kai and just one behind league-leader Christine Sinclair.

Boston was credited with just one shot for the match, while magicJack attempted 16 shots. The Breakers were playing without two top forwards in Kelly Smith and Lauren Cheney, both of whom suffered injuries at the World Cup.

Jill Loyden earned the shutout for magicJack, who are now 6-6-2 and tied with Sky Blue at 19 points in third place. They will host Sky Blue for the second consecutive Wednesday night match in Boca Raton, in a game that will go a long way to deciding third place and home field advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

The Breakers fall to 4-7-4 for the season. Boston now has an uphill battle, trailing both Sky Blue and magicJack by three points in the standings, and having one less match remaining than magicJack. They face the unenviable task of traveling to Rochester to face Western New York on Wednesday evening.

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.

Philadelphia Takes Over First; Sky Blue Moves into Third

Philadelphia Independence 1, Boston Breakers 0

Veronica Boquete's goal in the 83rd minute broke a scoreless tie and sent Philadelphia to a 1-0 victory over the Boston Breakers in Cambridge. The win moves the Independence into first place in WPS.

The goal was Boquete's fourth of the season. Laura del Rio, who had just come in as a late substitution, assisted on Boquete's goal.

Several national team players were getting their first start since returning from Germany. Amy LePeilbet, Rachel Buehler, and Stephanie Cox all saw their first action since the 2011 World Cup concluded. Aya Sameshima of the World Cup champion Japanese team made her first ever start for Boston as a midfielder.

For Philadelphia, Nicole Barnhart and Amy Rodriguez were in the starting lineup. Paul Riley decided to start Barnhart over Val Henderson and it paid off with a shutout for his team.

Philadelphia raises their record to 9-3-3, good for 30 points and a three point cushion over second place Western New York. However, the Independence have just three games remaining, while the Flash have five. Philadelphia will return to action on Sunday, at home against the Atlanta Beat.

Boston falls to 4-6-4 and are now tied for fourth place with magicJack. The Breakers presently have the edge in goal differential if it comes down to a tiebreaker. Next up for the Breakers is a Saturday clash against magicJack in Boca Raton.

Sky Blue FC 2, magicJack 0

Sky Blue took over sole possession of third place with a 2-0 victory over magicJack on Wednesday night. Midfielder Allie Long scored a first half goal to put Sky Blue in the lead and the New Jersey eleven used an own goal by Abby Wambach to seal the victory. It was the first road victory for Sky Blue this season and the first home loss for magicJack.

The first goal was set up by Therese Sjogran corner kick, with Long finishing in the 15th minute. It was Long's third goal of the season, with the first two came via penalty kick.

Sky Blue's second goal was also from a corner kick, this time in the second half. It was Casey Nogueira sending the ball into the penalty area, with Wambach's attempted clearance going into her own net.

MagicJack outshot Sky Blue by an overwhelming 27-6 margin, but the New Jersey team was able to secure the victory. Jen Branam recorded 13 saves in the shutout, her fifth of the season.

As in the night's other contest, a few national team players were seeing their first action since the World Cup. Shannon Boxx made her first start for magicJack since returning from Germany, while Megan Rapinoe was a second half substitution.

Sky Blue improves to 5-5-4 overall. They now have 19 points and are three points clear of both magicJack and the Boston Breakers for third place. They return home to play their last regular season home match on Saturday evening against the Western New York Flash.

MagicJack drops to 5-6-2. They are now winless in their last six outings. With the one point penalty assessed earlier in the season, they have just 16 points and are now tied for the fourth and final playoff spot with the Boston Breakers, a team they will face in a Saturday showdown at Florida Atlantic University.

WPS Midweek Preview - July 27

Wednesday night's WPS action features two matches having huge playoff implications. Boston, presently in a three-way battle for third place, will host Philadelphia, who is tied with Western New York for the top spot in WPS. Meanwhile, magicJack returns home where they will play five of their last six regular season matches, starting with Sky Blue FC on Wednesday evening.

Philadelphia at Boston (7 pm eastern, Wednesday)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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

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

Prior Meetings in 2011:
5/8 at Phi - Philadelphia 2, Boston 0
5/22 at Bos - Boston 1, Philadelphia 1

With just five games remaining, Boston is in a real fight for one of the last two playoff berths. They enter the match with a battered front line, but with their defense restored to full strength. Lauren Cheney, who scored the Breakers' only goal against Philadelphia this season, is out with the ankle injury she sustained at the World Cup. Kelly Smith is listed as being available, but questionable for this match.

Kelley O'Hara scored two goals in the Sunday match against the Flash and she leads the team with four for the season. The addition of Nikki Marshall gives the Breakers more speed up front. The key question is will Smith be able to play and if so, how effectively. Katie Schoepfer has been very good lately and she will likely see action in this match, either as a starter or off the bench. Meghan Klingenberg has looked very promising since coming over from magicJack.

Boston has experience in the middle with Leslie Osborne, one of the league's toughest defenders in the midfield. Keelin Winters is having a fine rookie season for the Breakers and has started all but one match for Boston. There is a possibility that coach Tony DiCicco might move Japanese defender Aya Sameshima to midfield as well.

Defensively, Boston will be at full strength for the first time in ages. Amy LePeilbet, Rachel Buehler, and Stephanie Cox all return to join Alex Scott on the back line for the stretch run. Alyssa Naeher is having a steady year in goal for the Breakers and will need to be on her game against the high-powered Independence offense.

Philadelphia made one roster change this week, mutually terminating the contract of Holmfridur Magnusdottir, a versatile player that has been a member of the Independence since their inception.

The Independence may have the deepest set of forwards in the league. Tasha Kai is having her best WPS season yet with eight goals. Kai has scored twice against Boston already this season. She is joined by USWNT forward Amy Rodriguez, who might see her first start since returning from Germany.

Then there are the Spanish duo of Veronica Boquete and Laura del Rio. Boquete was Player of the Week a couple of weeks ago, but was not active for Philly's last match. Another striker, Danesha Adams, has a knack for scoring big goals in big games.

The midfield group for Philadelphia is very good overall and strong defensively. Jen Buczkowski is a rugged defensive midfielder. Lori Lindsey is the veteran of the group and a member of the USWNT. She is excellent at distribution and controlling the tempo in the midfield. Tina DiMartino is one of the best with the ball at her feet and good at setting up teammates as well. Sinead Farrelly, like her opponent Winters, is having a very solid rookie season.

The back line is a rugged group, especially in the middle with Nikki Krzysik and Kia McNeill. Lee Ann Robinson can attack from her outside position. Estelle Johnson has played well in her second year with the Independence. Paul Riley went with Val Henderson in goal for the last match, instead of the returning Nicole Barnhart. It will be interesting to see if he goes back to Barnhart in this one.

Philadelphia has a lot of speed on the offensive end and could give Boston's stellar defense some problems in this match. Boston is very good at attacking from the wings, especially with Klingenberg and O'Hara. Boston has a five-match unbeaten streak on the line and have been very tough at home this season. Philadelphia's six-match winning streak was stopped by Sky Blue their last time out. This should be a very good match.

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

magicJack (5-5-2)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, B. Maron.
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, E. Masar, C. Press, L. De Vanna, J. Rasmussen.
Not active: H. Solo, A. Gunning, L. Tarpley (injured).

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

Prior Meetings in 2011:
7/9 at SBFC - Sky Blue FC 2, magicJack 2

It comes down to three teams for the final two playoff berths over the last three weeks of the season. MagicJack's next four matches will be against the two teams they are battling with, Boston and Sky Blue. This will be their first home match in nearly two months.

It is interesting that magicJack's remaining schedule can work both ways for them. They have the advantage of having one more game remaining than either Sky Blue or Boston and the advantage of playing five of their last six at home. But they also have the disadvantage of playing six games in 19 days, quite a brutal stretch and five of those matches will be played in the heat and humidity of southern Florida.

With Abby Wambach at the helm, magicJack heads down the stretch with high hopes for third place. They have most of their team back and intact, with the exception of Hope Solo, who is bothered by shoulder and wrist injuries, and Lindsey Tarpley, who was lost to the team with a torn ACL.

The injury to Solo means Jill Loyden will be front and center in the next few matches. She played very well subbing in for Solo two years ago for Athletica. Last year, she had an uneven season with the Red Stars. Now, with everything on the line, it's her turn to show what she can do in tense playoff-like matches.

Defensively, magicJack switched to a four-in-back formation against Atlanta their last time out. They did shut out the Beat, but didn't score any themselves. Now, back on the narrow confines of FAU Stadium, will they go back to the three defender formation? They have strong veterans on the back line with USWNT defenders Christie Rampone and Becky Sauerbrunn, and former USWNT backliners Tina Ellertson and Marian Dalmy.

With Shannon Boxx returning to the lineup and newly acquired Megan Rapinoe joining the midfield, we should marked improvement in this area. Veteran Sarah Huffman, Canadian National Team midfielder Sophie Schmidt, and former Breaker Nikki Washington round out a very strong midfield group.

Now that they have their full attacking arsenal back, magicJack's offense should be tough to stop. Abby Wambach leads the way and the team certainly missed her while she was in Germany. She gives magicJack the added dimension of a good attack through the air and on set pieces. Ella Masar has been one of the league's top scorers over the past two seasons and rookie Christen Press leads the team with five goals. Add speedy striker Lisa De Vanna to Sky Blue's problems that will challenge their back line in this match.

One of Sky Blue's biggest problems this season has been scoring, but forward Casey Nogueira took it upon herself to solve that problem in her last match against Philadelphia, scoring twice to lead Sky Blue to victory. Spanish striker Adriana has been a welcome addition to Sky Blue's front line. England's Eni Aluko is still looking to get untracked. Laura Kalmari is always a threat when she gets on the field.

The midfield is always Sky Blue's strength and with their three national team players, Heather O'Reilly, Therese Sjogran, and Tobin Heath, going against magicJack's three national teamers in Boxx, Rapinoe, and Schmidt, this should truly be one of the most interesting aspects of this match. Carolyn Blank is having a solid year as a defensive midfielder. Allie Long can be a dangerous attacking player out of the midfield.

Defensively, the return of Anita Asante certainly settles this group. Alongside are Carrie Dew, Kendall Fletcher, and Brittany Taylor. Jen Branam is tied atop the WPS leaders with four shutouts.

With these teams be so close in the standings and battling for one of the final two berths, this match should have the feel of a playoff match. Hopefully, the field will be plenty wide enough so as not to detract from two very good teams fighting it out for a playoff spot.

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.

Atlanta and magicJack Play Scoreless Draw

The Atlanta Beat and magicJack played through 90 minutes of scoreless soccer on Saturday evening before a sellout crowd of 9,345 at KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia.

It was a welcome home match for several World Cup players. Atlanta Beat players Carli Lloyd and Heather Mitts were members of the United States team that took second place at the World Cup. MagicJack had several members of their team that had played in the World Cup, including player/coach Abby Wambach.

MagicJack outshot Atlanta by a 14-9 margin for the match. Allison Whitworth for Atlanta and Jill Loyden for magicJack each earned shutouts. Atlanta was shut out for the fifth consecutive time and surpassed the record for consecutive minutes without a goal, which now stands at 487 minutes.

The tie eliminates Atlanta from playoff contention. They return to action next Sunday in Philadelphia. MagicJack's record is now 5-5-2 and they are tied for third place with Sky Blue, who they will face on Wednesday night in Boca Raton.