WPS Midweek Preview - September 1

FC Gold Pride (14-3-4, 43 pts) at Sky Blue FC (7-10-4, 25 pts)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ – September 1 (7 pm ET, 4 pm PT)

Rosters:
Gold Pride: GK-N. Barnhart, B. Cameron; D-R. Buehler, C. Chapman, A. Riley, K. Wilson, C. Dew; MF-S. Boxx, B. Edwards, C. Abily, K. Graczyk; F-Marta, C. Sinclair, T. Milbrett, K. O’Hara.
Not Active: K. Bosio, N. Cross, K. Yokers, R. Tantillo, E. Guthrie.

Sky Blue: GK-M. Burke, S. Myers; D-C. Rampone, D. Koster, M. Schnur, K. Dowling, J. Grubb, K. Fletcher; MF-H. O’Reilly, Y. Averbuch, B. Taylor, K. White, K. Parker, I. Trotter; F-Rosana, T. Kai, P. Panico.
Not Active: L. Kalmari (shin), J. Branam (knee), C. Lloyd (ankle), D. Johnson, A. Salem.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Sky Blue 1 @ Gold Pride 3
Gold Pride 1 @ Sky Blue 0
Sky Blue 2 @ Gold Pride 0
Gold Pride leads the all-time series at 3-2-1.

Playoff Outlook:
Gold Pride has clinched the first playoff berth.
Sky Blue would move into a tie for 4th place with a victory. Since Washington holds the tiebreaker between the two, a loss would be devastating.

What To Look For: Sky Blue has everything to play for in this match, while Gold Pride has very little to play for. Sky Blue is one of only two active teams to have defeated Gold Pride this season, but have lost two of the three meetings. In fact, Gold Pride’s last loss was to Sky Blue, with Tasha Kai and Rosana scoring the goals in the 2-0 shutout. Gold Pride is unbeaten in their last ten matches, just one shy of a record set by Los Angeles in 2009.

With Jen Branam listed as out, Meghann Burke could well get the start in goal for Sky Blue. New Jersey fans have to hope that Gold Pride wore themselves out while scoring six goals against Atlanta on Saturday. Kai scored her first goal in two months against Washington over the weekend.

Marta leads WPS in goals scored with 17. Five different players scored in the match against Atlanta on Saturday. A goal by Christine Sinclair would give Gold Pride the first pair of double-digit goal scorers in WPS history. It will be interesting to see if Albertin Montoya chooses to start Brittany Cameron and rests Nicole Barnhart for a second straight game.

This will be the last road match of the year for Gold Pride, who have already clinched home field advantage for the final. Could they be looking past this match? Can Sky Blue regain the magic that got them into the 2009 playoffs?

Boston Breakers (9-7-5, 32 pts) at Atlanta Beat (5-11-5, 25 pts)
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, GA – September 1 (7:30 pm ET)

Rosters:
Boston: GK-A. Naeher, A. Phillips; D-A. LePeilbet, A. Scott, I. Dieke, S. Cox, K. Moore, T. Hemmings; MF-L. Tarpley, K. Lilly, J. Angeli, Fabiana, L. Bogus; F-K. Smith, L. Cheney, L. Del Rio.
Not Active: S. Walsh (knee), C. Igwe, A. Lipsher, A. Marquez.

Atlanta: GK-H. Solo, B. Maron; D-T. Ellertson, K. McNeill, L. Robinson, S. Bishop, K. Fountain; MF-A. Miyama, M. Yamaguchi, L. Chalupny, J. Rasmussen, A. Kerr, C. Blank, M. Zerboni, R. Nolin; F-M. Ocampo, E. Aluko, A. Cinalli.
Not Active: R. Bachmann (back), M. Lofton-Malachi, L. Sesselmann.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Atlanta 1 @ Boston 3
Atlanta 0 @ Boston 2
Atlanta 3 @ Boston 2

Playoff Outlook:
Boston can clinch a playoff berth with a victory or a Sky Blue loss. The Breakers control their own destiny for 2nd place and will capture that berth if they win their remaining three matches.
Atlanta must win out to have any chance at a playoff berth and will be eliminated if they tie or lose this one.

What To Look For: Boston has won two of the three in the series this year with the loss coming when they were without Kelly Smith. In that match, the Beat built a 3-0 lead and hung on for the 3-2 victory. That is Boston’s only loss in their last seven matches. The Breakers could break the record for most consecutive games scoring a goal. They are presently tied at 12 with Philadelphia who set the record earlier this season. Atlanta will be attempting to recover from a terrible 6-1 loss at home to Gold Pride. This is the first trip for the Breakers to Atlanta.

Atlanta will be looking to score in their fifth consecutive match, which would be their best streak, but they haven’t come close to stopping their opponents lately. They’ve given up 15 goals in their last five matches and one loses count of the number of uncontested breakaways they have given up. Eniola Aluko has eight goals this season (for the second consecutive week she was given credit for a goal, only to have it awarded to another player based on review).

Boston took advantage of a penalty to improve their chances for 2nd place against Philadelphia. Seven different players have scored in the last three matches for the Breakers, including Smith, Cox, Lilly, del Rio, Angeli, Cheney, and Tarpley (who has scored two over that time). Smith leads the Breakers with 11 goals.

Atlanta must be better organized than they were in Saturday’s debacle if they are to win here. Boston is certainly one of the hottest teams in the league at this point. The Breakers would like to seal a playoff berth on Wednesday.

Philadelphia Independence (10-8-4, 34 pts) at Chicago Red Stars (5-11-6, 21 pts)
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL – September 1 (8 pm ET, 7 pm CT)

Rosters:
Philadelphia: GK-K. LeBlanc, V. Henderson; D-A. Falk, N. Krzysik, H. Magnusdottir, S. Larsson, E. Johnson, K. Henderson; MF-L. Lindsey, C. Seger, T. DiMartino, J. Lohman, J.Buczkowski; F-A. Rodriguez, L. Sanderson, D. Adams.
Not Active: H. Mitts (concussion), L. Patterson, K. Reynolds, S. Senty, G. DiMartino, R. Jones.

Chicago: GK-J. Loyden, A. Whitworth; D-K. Markgraf, W. Engen, M. Dalmy, N. Spilger, L. Vandenbergh, C. Shaner; MF-K. Carney, K. Chapman, Formiga, M. Rapinoe, N. Washington, S. Reiser; F-Cristiane, E. Masar, C. Nogueira, V. Boquete.
Not Active: J. McDonald (knee), E. Weber (hip).

Previous Meetings (2010):
Philadelphia 1 @ Chicago 0
Chicago 0 @ Philadelphia 3
Philadelphia 2 @ Chicago 1

Playoff Outlook:
Philadelphia needs a point to clinch a playoff berth and home field advantage for at least one match in the playoffs. They no longer control their own destiny for the 2nd position.
Chicago has been eliminated from playoff contention.

What To Look For: Philadelphia has won the three previous meetings in this series and has outscored the Red Stars 6-1 in the process. Chicago has lost three straight games five different times in their history, but have never lost four in a row and hope to avoid doing that on Wednesday.

The Independence has been playing a lot of close games, with their last four being decided by one goal. Amy Rodriguez remains the league’s second leading scorer with 12 goals. Philadelphia is tied for the fewest number of shutouts over their opponents, so they usually win with offense.

Chicago is playing for pride, now that there is no chance for a playoff berth. However, it is an important time for the club to make evaluations about offseason personnel decisions. Ella Masar has had a stellar season for the Red Stars with 8 goals and Whitney Engen has proven a fine rookie defender.

These two teams lead the league in fouls committed and the next team isn’t even close, so one would expect a fairly physical match here. The Independence do not want to go into their final match at FC Gold Pride needing points to make the playoffs.

Breakers Edge Philly on Penalty Kick

Kelly Smith buried a penalty kick in the 60th minute giving Boston a 2-1 victory over Philadelphia in WPS action on Sunday. The victory moves the Breakers to within two points of the second place Independence.

Philadelphia got on the board first as an Amy Rodriguez shot hit the left post, but Joanna Lohman was there to knock in the rebound to put the Independence up 1-0 in the 17th minute. It was Lohman's fifth goal of the season.

Boston equalized late in the first half. Kristine Lilly played a short corner out to Stephanie Cox who was at the edge of the penalty area. Cox was able to chip the ball over Philly keeper Karina LeBlanc who was off of her line. It was the first WPS goal for Cox.

The game remained tied until Lauren Cheney and Estelle Johnson were chasing a ball into the penalty area, when Johnson took down Cheney while the two were battling for the ball. Smith placed her penalty lower right, with LeBlanc guessing the wrong way. The goal put the Breakers in the lead to stay.

The Breakers nearly made it 3-1 off of another short corner, but Cheney's goal was disallowed for offsides. Later, Caroline Seger appeared to have tied the game for Philadelphia off of Magnusdottir free kick, but the goal was disallowed on what appeared to be a questionable offside call.

Boston moves to 9-7-5 and 32 points. They will travel to Atlanta to play the Beat on Wednesday evening with a chance to sew up a playoff berth. Philadelphia lost their second in a row to drop to 10-8-4 and are still a point short of clinching a playoff spot. The Independence also return to action on Wednesday when they travel to Chicago to face the Red Stars.

Standings
1) FC Gold Pride (14-3-4, 46 pts); 2) Philadelphia (10-8-4, 34 pts); 3) Boston (9-7-5, 32 pts); 4) Washington (7-8-7, 28 pts); 5) Sky Blue FC (7-10-4, 25 pts); 6) Chicago (5-11-6, 21 pts); 7) Atlanta (5-11-5, 20 pts).

Freedom Defeat Sky Blue 2-1

Abby Wambach scored twice in the final 15 minutes as the Washington Freedom came from behind to defeat Sky Blue FC 2-1. The victory moves the Freedom into sole possession of 4th place at 28 points.

Natasha Kai, scoring for the first time since June 27, put New Jersey on top in the 1st half and for a long time, it looked like the goal might hold up. Kai was the first opposing player to score on Freedom keeper Ashlyn Harris in five matches.

Sky Blue goalkeeper Jen Branam was injured in the 1st half and had to leave the match. She was replaced by Meghann Burke, who was seeing her first WPS action.

In the 79th minute, Burke was whistled for a foul in the box and Wambach converted the penalty to tie the score at 1-1. Just five minutes later, Allie Long sent Wambach through and she finished to put the Freedom on top, 2-1.

Washington has just two games remaining, traveling to Chicago next weekend before hosting Atlanta on Saturday, September 11. Sky Blue still has a game in hand, which will be their match at home against Gold Pride on Wednesday. The Freedom victory eliminates Chicago from playoff contention.

FC Gold Pride 6, Atlanta Beat 1

In what is the most lopsided WPS contest ever, Gold Pride destroyed Atlanta by a 6-1 score on Saturday evening. Marta scored twice, her 16th and 17th of the season, and was joined by Tiffeny Milbrett, Camille Abily, Kelley O'Hara, and Christine Sinclair in the scoring column. No team had previously scored more than four goals in one WPS game.

The game was scoreless for the first 40 minutes. Milbrett opened the scoring just before the break to put the regular season champs up 1-0 at halftime.

Abily scored her first goal of the 2010 season early in the 2nd half to make it 2-0. But Eniola Aluko, scoring her 9th goal of the season, temporarily got the Beat back in the game in the 65th minute. Gold Pride then scored three goals in rapid succession to up the lead to 5-1 by the 72nd minute. Sinclair added a late goal in the 88th minute.

The loss virtually eliminates Atlanta from playoff contention. They are now eight points out of 4th place with just three games remaining. They would need to win all three and get help elsewhere to have a chance. Gold Pride moves to 14-3-4 and 46 points.

Damallsvenskan 2010, round 16

Three Swedish ex-WPS players (Madelaine Edlund, Johanna Frisk, and Elaine) had themselves a pretty good weekend in Damallsvenskan, with their team Tyresö FF.

28 august
Hammarby IF v. Djurgården IF 0 - 2 (half - half)
Goals: 20' Rebecca Johnson (passning Klara Lindberg) 0-1; 74' Ahkeela Darcel Mollon (passning Rebecca Johnson) 0-2
Warnings: Team Name x'
Sources: damfotboll matchreport, on Bengtsson, and svenskfotboll,

Djurgården came out looking more alert, and Johnson's goal came as no surprise, as she was well-placed and Djurgården had the run of play. Hammarby came back to threaten somewhat in the last fifteen minutes, but Djurgården keeper Gudbjörg Gunnarsdottir (exhausted from illness and travel to and from World Cup qualifiers) was never too worried. She singled out the fine play of defenders Elin Cederroos and Onome Ebi.

Last year I went to the Hammarby-Djurgården fixture, which was touted as Kicki Bengtsson's last game... this year, that same game saw her home-field comeback as she played in her 398th game for the league. The team celebrated its 40th birthday both before and after the game, although celebrations must have been somewhat muted by the realization that it's going to take some hard work and luck if they are to stay in Damallsvenskan; Hammarby is tied with AIK at the bottom of the table, and both teams face relegation to the second division next year unless some team above them stumbles badly.


28 august
AIK v. Kopparbergs/Göteborg 0 - 4 (0 - 2)
Goals: 28' Linnea Liljegärd (passning Johanna Almgren) 0-1; 43' Lisa Dahlkvist (passning Linnea Liljegärd) 0-2; 79' Marlene Sjöberg (*note that the match report credits Dahlqvist*); 83' Linnea Liljegärd (passning Sara Lindén) 0-4
Sources: svenskfotboll, damfotboll

A convincing win for K/G, which assistant coach Christian Andersson credited in part to AIK's poor clearances; he praised AIK goalkeeper Maja Åström for several saves, and the "young and brave" AIK team. Liljegärd opened the scoring, but the best goal of the day was Dahlqvist's smoker from 30m out. She added a third goal with ten minutes to go, a goal that has been officially credited to Sjöberg, but "...Lisa says herself that she was the last to touch it," said Andersson. The final goal came through the unselfish play of Lindén to Liljegärd, thereby making the two teammates tied again for league-leading scorers, at 14 goals each.


29 august
Umeå IK v. Kristianstads DFF 2 - 1 (1 - 0)
Goals: 36' Sofia Jakobsson (passning Maija Saari) 0-1; 53' Anna Westerlund (passning Maija Saari) 2-0; 54' Margret Lara Vidarsdottir 2-1
Warnings: UIK Rita Chikwelu 59'; UIK Anna Westerlund 82'
Source: svenskfotboll, damfotboll

"The three points were very important for us to regain a little self-confidence," said UIK coach Joakim Blomkvist. "We fought well," said KDFF coach Elisabet Gunnarsdottir, "not enough for the whole game but we are on our way back." She named UIK's Rita Chikwelu as 'extremely useeful' and the important difference between the two teams in this game.


29 august
Tyresö FF v. Sunnanå SK 6 - 1 (4 - 0)
Goals: 14' Madelaine Edlund (passning Azra Durakovic) 1-0; 31' Sofie Persson (passning Kirsten van de Ven) 2-0; 35' Madelaine Edlund (passning Katrin Schmidt) 3-0; 44' Kirsten van de Ven (passning Azra Durakovic)4-0; 47' Azra Durakovic 5-0; 52' Azra Durakovic 6-0; 70' Josefin Johansson (passning Perpetua Nkwocha) 6-1
Warnings: SSK Magdalena Esseryd 59'; TFF Johanna Frisk 78'
Source: svenskfotboll, damfotboll

It only took 14 minutes for "Madde" Edlund (last seen playing for St. Louis Atheltica in the WPS) to score a goal with her new team; around 1000 people saw a real goal-fest at Tyresövallen, with the scoring and assisting spread neatly around. "Clearly our best home game," said TFF spokesperson Hans Löfgren. "The team raised its level for the whole game." He further named Johanna Frisk and Elaine as key players in the convincing win. TFF now is in 5th place, just one point behind Jitex.


29 august
Linköpings FC v. LdB FC Malmö 2 - 1 (2 - 0)
Goals: 5' Manon Melis (passning Frida Nordin) 0-1; 37' Linda Forsberg (passning Frida Nordin) 0-2; 57' Josefine Öqvist 2-1
Warnings: LFC Josefine Öqvist 25'; LdB Amanda Ilestedt 85'
Sources: damfotboll, my own eyes

Last year's champions Linköping had been the only team to take points away from league-leading LdB FC, a 0-0 draw back in spring. LdB played a nice calm possession game; they looked quite competent and in control. LFC also played very well, but simply not as precisely as LdB; the importance of Faith Ikidi to LFC's backline cannot be overstated. LdB frankly looks unbeatable by any other Damallsvenskan team, and if they can hold on to these players in this form, I feel pretty good about their chances in the Champions League next year. Here's a longer summary of the game.


29 august
KIF Örebro IF v. Jitex BK 1 - 1 (0 - 0)
Goals: 72' Kristin Carlsson 0-1; 87' Sanna Talonen (passning Maria Nordbrant) 1-1
Source: svenskfotboll, damfotboll

A physically tough match, but a fair one, with lots of close combat, agreed the two coaches. Jitex still lies in 4th place in the league, with fellow newcomers Tyresö in 5th place, only one point behind.

WPS Weekend Preview - August 28 and 29

Two head-to-head clashes will likely have a big impact on the final standings in WPS. Second place Philadelphia hosts 3rd place Boston on Sunday, with both teams close to clinching a playoff berth. On Saturday, Washington and Sky Blue battle for fourth place in Maryland in what should be an interesting matchup. And the Atlanta Beat attempt to keep their playoff hopes alive facing regular season champion FC Gold Pride in Kennesaw, Georgia.

FC Gold Pride (13-3-4, 43 pts) at Atlanta Beat (5-10-5, 20 pts)
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, GA – August 28 (7 pm ET, 4 pm PT)

Rosters:
Gold Pride: GK-N. Barnhart, B. Cameron; D-R. Buehler, C. Chapman, A. Riley, K. Wilson, C. Dew; MF-S. Boxx, C. Abily, B. Edwards, T. Milbrett, K. Graczyk; F-Marta, C. Sinclair, K. O’Hara, K. Bosio.
Not Active: N. Cross, K. Yokers, R. Tantillo, E. Guthrie.

Atlanta: GK-H. Solo, B. Maron; D-T. Ellertson, K. McNeill, L. Robinson, S. Bishop, K. Fountain, L. Sesselmann; MF-A. Miyama, M. Yamaguchi, L. Chalupny, J. Rasmussen, A. Kerr, C. Blank, M. Zerboni, R. Nolin; F-M. Ocampo, E. Aluko, A. Cinalli.
Not Active: R. Bachmann (back), M. Lofton-Malachi.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Atlanta 1 @ Gold Pride 2
Gold Pride 4 @ Atlanta 0
Gold Pride 0 @ Atlanta 0

What To Look For: With their regular season mission accomplished, Gold Pride can look forward to the playoffs. Meanwhile, Atlanta clings to a thin shred of hope for a playoff spot. The Beat are in nearly a must win situation as they head into Saturday’s match.

FCGP’s offense woke from a nearly monthlong slumber to score three goals against Chicago last weekend. When they are hitting on all cylinders, they arguably have the best offense in the league. Marta has now scored 15 goals and is looking at another golden boot trophy. Christine Sinclair has scored eight and, with Marta, forms the best 1-2 punch in the league. But this team has been inexplicably shut out six different times, including once by this Atlanta team.

The Beat defense will need a better match against Gold Pride than we have been seeing lately. They have given up nine goals in the past four matches and while the two goals last week were pretty well after the match was decided, it’s still a bit worrisome.

Eniola Aluko, fresh off of her Player of the Week performance, leads the Beat offense into this match. She has eight goals this season, four of them for the Beat. Known more for her defense, Lori Chalupny has scored in two consecutive games and appears to be 100% after fighting both headaches and back problems early in the season. Aya Miyama scored her first WPS goal last weekend.

While Gold Pride’s offense has been inconsistent, their defense has been rock solid most of the season. Nicole Barnhart has been mostly overshadowed by Gold Pride’s flashy offense, but her seven shutouts are not a mirage. Rachel Buehler headed home a goal last week, but it is her efforts on the back line that help FCGP week after week. And with speed to burn, Ali Riley might be one of the most dangerous outside backs in the league as she showed last week with a nice assist on Marta’s first goal.

While Gold Pride has accomplished pretty much all they can for the regular season, the trick is now to stay mentally and physically sharp for a championship match that is still nearly a month away. Facing an Atlanta team that must play with a certain level of desperation, this could be an interesting match for Gold Pride.

Sky Blue FC (7-9-4, 25 pts) at Washington Freedom (6-8-7, 25 pts)
Maryland SoccerPlex, Boyds, MD – August 28 (7 pm ET)

Rosters:
Sky Blue: GK-J. Branam, M. Burke; D-C. Rampone, D. Koster, M. Schnur, K. Dowling, J. Grubb, K. Fletcher; MF-H. O’Reilly, Y. Averbuch, B. Taylor, K. White, K. Parker; F-Rosana, T. Kai, P. Panico.
Not Active: L. Kalmari (shin), C. Lloyd (ankle), D. Johnson, I. Trotter, S. Myers, A. Salem.

Washington: GK-A. Harris, M. McCray; D-C. Whitehill, B. Sauerbrunn, N. Marshall, R. Moros, K. Eveland, B. Bock, A. Asante; MF-S. Bompastor, H. Sawa, A. Long, S. Huffman, B. Goebel, J. Gilbeau; F-A. Wambach, L. Mykjåland, C. Welsh.
Not Active: B. Klein, M. Abegg, C. Miskel.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Washington 0 @ Sky Blue 0
Washington 1 @ Sky Blue 1
Washington leads the all-time series at 2-1-3 (including playoffs).

What To Look For: Perhaps, it would be more fitting if these two teams had met on the final weekend of the season with everything on the line, but this late August matchup should do quite nicely for excitement and suspense. This battle will be for 4th place and with so few games remaining, it may ultimately decide the final playoff berth. The teams have played draws in the two previous meetings in 2010.

As if there weren’t enough to grab your attention in this WPS clash, Sky Blue activated former Freedom (WUSA) star Jen Grubb, who will return to the Washington area for this match. The former all-star was the very definition of ironwoman in her three seasons with the 2001-03 Freedom.

Sky Blue has a history of winning when they need to and last week was no exception as a Yael Averbuch blast sent them over the Independence 1-0. This is what Sky Blue is known for, defensive battles played with grit and toughness. One thing Sky Blue could use a little more of is some offense from their forwards. Laura Kalmari has been their best player offensively and she is likely to miss this match with an injury suffered to her shin last weekend.

Defensively, Jen Branam earned her first shutout since returning from injury and looks to repeat this weekend. Including playoffs, Sky Blue has won nine 1-0 matches in their history, but last week’s effort against Philly was the first such effort since early May. Sky Blue must stick to this formula, because if they are to win games, it will most likely be with their defense.

Abby Wambach and the Freedom hope to have something to say about that in Saturday’s matchup. Wambach has 10 goals and 8 assists so far this season and could become the first player to record double-digit totals in both in the same season. Next highest on the team is Lene Mykjåland who has four. Sonia Bompastor returns from national team duty to lead the midfield.

Ashlyn Harris has been the goalkeeper of the month with three shutouts in four matches for the Freedom after spending the early part of the season as a backup, first to Hope Solo in Saint Louis and then to Erin McLeod in Washington. Another shutout here would be welcome, but this match will have a lot of pressure attached to it. Defender Nikki Marshall has been a key to the Freedom’s success since returning to the back line.

The Freedom should be well rested, having last played nine days ago. They probably need this match more than Sky Blue because SBFC has a game in hand, although admittedly, the Freedom have the easier schedule. There will be much on the line when these two teams meet on Saturday evening.

Boston Breakers (8-7-5, 29 pts) at Philadelphia Independence (10-7-4, 34 pts)
John A. Ferrell Stadium, West Chester, PA – August 29 (6 pm ET)

Rosters:
Boston: GK-A. Naeher, A. Phillips; D-A. LePeilbet, A. Scott, I. Dieke, S. Cox, K. Moore, T. Hemmings; MF-L. Tarpley, K. Lilly, J. Angeli, Fabiana, L. Bogus; F-K. Smith, L. Cheney, L. Del Rio.
Not Active: S. Walsh (knee), C. Igwe, A. Lipsher, A. Marquez.

Philadelphia: GK-K. LeBlanc, V. Henderson; D-A. Falk, N. Krzysik, H. Magnusdottir, S. Larsson, E. Johnson, S. Senty; MF-L. Lindsey, C. Seger, T. DiMartino, J. Lohman, J.Buczkowski; F-A. Rodriguez, L. Sanderson, L. Patterson, D. Adams.
Not Active: H. Mitts (concussion), G. DiMartino, R. Jones.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Philadelphia 1 @ Boston 1
Boston 2 @ Philadelphia 1
Boston 2 @ Philadelphia 2

What To Look For: This match will be a battle between the 2nd and 3rd place teams, Boston and Philadelphia. So far, the matches between the two have been closely contested with two ties and Boston winning the third game by one goal. Philadelphia is looking to seal a playoff berth, needing just one point to do so, and a victory would nearly clinch 2nd place for them. Boston is looking to make up ground on the Independence, who sit five points in front of them.

One thing for sure, Kelly Smith has been a key player in the three games between the two. She has two goals and two assists in those meetings and Boston will once again look to her veteran leadership in this match. Lauren Cheney has also scored in each of the last two meetings in Philadelphia. The Breakers are looking to tie a league record by scoring in 12 consecutive matches, a record that is held by the Independence.

Karina LeBlanc will probably be in goal for Philadelphia, but the shutouts that she recorded on a regular basis last year in Los Angeles have been few and far between this year. This would be a key match for her to notch one. Defender Heather Mitts is listed as out for this match with a concussion and that will hurt the Independence. No matter where she is playing on the field, Frida Magnusdottir is an offensive threat and she scored both Independence goals the last time these teams met.

The Philly front line is led by Amy Rodriguez who has 12 goals this season. Her ability to get behind opposing defenses is second only to Marta. Lianne Sanderson has four goals for Philadelphia in 2010. The Independence get a lot of offense out of their talented midfield group of Lindsey, Seger, DiMartino, and Lohman.

Rookie Alyssa Naeher will be in goal for the Breakers. She has two shutouts to her credit since taking over as the Boston starter. Although they have been winning a lot of games by lighting up the scoreboard, the Boston defense is a sturdy group and completely intact, now that all of their players have returned from national team duty. They do, however, miss the talents of Leslie Osborne in the midfield.

By the time they take the field on Sunday, Philadelphia may well have clinched a playoff spot (depending on the outcome of the Sky Blue/Washington match). A win pretty much assures them of the second playoff berth. Boston is looking to make up ground against Philly…and distance themselves from both Sky Blue and Washington. With only road matches remaining, the Breakers would feel a lot more secure with a victory here.

WPS Midweek Notes - August 25

Aluko Wins Player of the Week

Atlanta forward Eniola Aluko has won the WPS Player of the Week for the second time this year and the third time in her career. Aluko scored the third goal in Atlanta’s 3-2 victory over the Boston Breakers. Aluko’s goal was her eighth of the season. She had earlier been credited with the second goal of the game, but after review it was awarded to Aya Miyama.

Aluko became the second player of the Atlanta Beat to win the honor. Hope Solo was Player of the Week in Week 16. Aluko also became the third player to win the honor more than once in 2010. Both Amy Rodriguez and Marta have won three times each during the season.

Playoff Update

Now that FC Gold Pride has secured the first seed in the approaching WPS playoffs, the battle continues for the other three berths.

Philadelphia has the inside track for the second seed. They are presently five points clear of the 3rd place Boston Breakers, who they will host on Sunday. A victory over the Breakers would come close to locking up second place, but a loss means they will no longer control their own destiny as far as that position goes. The Independence are still lacking a point of clinching a playoff berth.

Boston’s margin over Washington and Sky Blue shrunk to four points last weekend. A loss this weekend to Philly and they will likely have one of those two teams breathing down their necks as the Freedom and SBFC face one another this week as well.

The Sky Blue/Washington match in Maryland will probably go a long way in deciding the fourth and final playoff berth. Sky Blue has a game in hand, so a victory would put them in a very strong position.

Chicago would need a near miracle to make the playoffs. Only a Washington/Sky Blue tie would keep them alive. Atlanta, with four games remaining still clings to some hope. They have matches left against both Washington and Sky Blue, two matches that they must win to have a chance. The Beat’s remaining schedule is challenging, so gaining a playoff position will not be easy.

Around the League

Atlanta Beat – Eniola Aluko and Johanna Rasmussen are now tied for the team lead in goals with four apiece…..Playing in her 38th career match, Aya Miyama scored her first career WPS goal on Saturday against Boston…..Former Athletica players have now scored exactly half of the Beat’s goals for 2010.

Boston Breakers – Kelly Smith is one of only four players to have scored ten goals in a WPS season…..Lindsay Tarpley has scored goals with three different franchises…..Boston has now scored in 11 consecutive games, just one shy of the record set earlier this season by Philadelphia. The Breakers will attempt to tie the record against the Independence on Sunday.

Chicago Red Stars – With her two goals on Sunday, Ella Masar broke the Red Stars’ single season scoring mark with eight goals. Cristiane scored seven in the 2009 season…..With just two matches remaining, Chicago defender Marian Dalmy has played every minute of the 2010 season. Caroline Jönsson played every minute of the 2009 season for the Red Stars…..Sunday marked only the second time in team history that Chicago had scored two or more goals and lost. The other time was last August against Washington.

FC Gold Pride – Marta now has 25 career goals in WPS, seven more than the Abby Wambach who has the next highest total…..Nicole Barnhart’s seven shutouts lead WPS in that category…..With a 13-3-4 record and 43 points, Gold Pride eclipsed the Los Angeles Sol’s 20-game total of 41 points in the 2009 season.

Philadelphia Independence – Joanna Lohman is the only Independence player to have appeared in all 21 matches for the Independence…..Philadelphia has three players with five or more assists, Lori Lindsey, Amy Rodriguez, and Caroline Seger…..Three of the six players to have received red cards this season are Independence players.

Sky Blue FC – Yael Averbuch’s blistering volley, certainly one of the best strikes of the season, proved to be her first WPS goal on Sunday…..Jen Branam’s shutout against Philadelphia was her first since the 2009 WPS Championship Game…..Sky Blue became only the second team to defeat both Gold Pride and Philadelphia this season. The now defunct Saint Louis Athletica accomplished that feat in early May.

Washington Freedom – With just three games left in the 2010 regular season, Abby Wambach is just two assists shy of becoming the first player to record double digit goals and assists in the same WPS season…..In her past four matches, goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris has surrendered just one goal, that being an own goal…..After a five game losing streak and a 10-game winless streak, Washington is now unbeaten in their last four matches.

FC Gold Pride Clinches Regular Season Title

Marta battles Katie Chapman and Lydia Vandenbergh for the ball in 1st half action. Marta scored two goals, including the game winner on a penalty kick, giving her 15 goals on the season. The match was played before over 6,000 fans at Toyota Park.

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It didn't come easy, but FC Gold Pride sewed up the WPS regular season title with a 3-2 win over the Chicago Red Stars. The victory completes a worst to first story for Gold Pride, who will now host the WPS Championship presented by Citi on September 26.

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The match was very competitive from the onset, with Gold Pride striking first. In the 8th minute, Rachel Buehler sent a long ball up the left side that speedy Ali Riley was able to run onto. Riley then dribbled straight at goalkeeper Jill Loyden, before touching a centering pass to a charging Marta who knocked it home. It was Gold Pride's first goal in four matches.

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Chicago equalized in the 18th minute. Formiga sent a ball to the left wing to Casey Nogueira, who crossed the ball into the six yard box. On what was a 50-50 ball, FCGP keeper Nicole Barnhart and Red Star striker Ella Masar collided with Masar knocking the ball just behind Barnhart and barely over the line for a goal.

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Gold Pride answered before the break on a corner kick. Tiffeny Milbrett's corner from the left side found Buehler in the box, who flicked a header between Loyden and a Chicago defender and into the goal to make it 2-1. It was Buehler's first goal of the season.

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Ella Masar brought the game even again in the 2nd half on a play that started with a fine effort by Formiga. The Brazilian midfielder stepped in front of a clearing pass and played the ball through to Marian Dalmy on the right side of the box. Dalmy was able to cross it perfectly to Masar, who was unmarked in front of the net. For Masar, it was her 8th goal this season.

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Just seconds afterward, Christine Sinclair broke in one-on-one against Loyden. Sinclair was able to dribble past Loyden, but defender Lydia Vandenbergh hustled back to block Sinclair's shot and save a goal.

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Fate would not be kind to the Red Stars on this day, however, as a penalty was called in the 78th minute. Rachel Buehler sent a free kick into the box for Gold Pride, with both Carrie Dew and Natalie Spilger going up to head the ball. Both missed the header, but the ball hit Spilger's outstretched arm after it passed over their heads at the very edge of the box. Marta easily buried the penalty, which turned out to be the winning goal.

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The combination of Gold Pride's victory and Philadelphia's loss gives FCGP a nine point lead and since Gold Pride has clinched the tiebreaker over the Independence, it means Gold Pride has won the regular season title. They are now 13-3-4 with 43 points. They will travel to Atlanta next week to play the Beat.

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Meanwhile, the loss has all but eliminated the Red Stars from playoff contention. The Red Stars now trail Washington and New Jersey by four points with just two games remaining. Sky Blue and the Freedom will play each other next weekend, meaning at least one if not both, will get additional points. Chicago is now 5-11-6 with 21 points.

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Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the class and hospitality that the Red Star organization has shown yours truly in my three trips to Toyota Park this season. My thanks to the Red Star organization and their fans for all they have done.

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Sky Blue FC 1, Philadelphia 0

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For the first time this year, Sky Blue was able to solve the Independence, winning a crucial match 1-0. The victory enabled Sky Blue to keep pace with the Washington Freedom in the battle for 4th place. Philadelphia was unable to take advantage of the opportunity to secure a playoff berth and must wait one more week.

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After a scoreless first half, which was temporarily halted by a rather lengthy rain delay, Sky Blue was able to get the game's only goal in the 68th minute. Yael Averbuch buried a Heather O'Reilly pass for her first goal of the season. Jen Branam recorded the shutout for Sky Blue.

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The victory puts Sky Blue at 7-9-4, tied with the Freedom at 25 points. The two teams will meet in Maryland next Saturday. Philadelphia dropped to 10-7-4, good for 34 points, still good for 2nd place. They will host Boston next Sunday.

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Standings:

1) FC Gold Pride (13-3-4, 43 pts); 2) Philadelphia (10-7-4, 34 pts); 3) Boston (8-7-5, 29 pts); 4) Sky Blue FC (7-9-4, 25 pts); 4) Washington (6-8-7, 25 pts); 6) Chicago (5-11-6, 21 pts); 7) Atlanta (5-10-5, 20 pts).

Beat Defeat Breakers To Keep Playoff Hopes Alive

The Atlanta Beat built up a three goal lead and then held on to defeat the Boston Breakers by a 3-2 margin in a game played in New Britain, Connecticut before over 4000 fans. Lori Chalupny scored the opener in the first half and second half substitution Eniola Aluko scored twice to lead the Beat.

Boston made a late charge with goals from Lindsay Tarpley and Kristine Lilly in the closing minutes, but it was too little too late for the Breakers.

Atlanta moves to 5-10-5 and 20 points. They are now five points out of the fourth and final playoff berth. They will face Gold Pride at home next weekend. Despite the loss, the Breakers scored in their 11th consecutive game, just one short of a WPS record. They fall to 8-7-5, but remain in 3rd place. The Breakers, who will play their last four matches on the road, will travel to Philadelphia next week in a battle for playoff position.

WPS Weekend Preview - August 21 and 22

Atlanta Beat (4-10-5, 17 pts) at Boston Breakers (8-6-5, 29 pts)
Veteran Memorial Stadium, New Britain, CT – August 21 (5 pm ET)

Rosters:
Atlanta: GK-H. Solo, B. Maron; D-T. Ellertson, K. McNeill, L. Robinson, S. Bishop, K. Fountain; MF-A. Miyama, M. Yamaguchi, L. Chalupny, A. Kerr, C. Blank, M. Zerboni; F-M. Ocampo, E. Aluko, R. Bachmann.
Not Active: J. Rasmussen (national team), A. Cinalli, R. Nolin, L. Sesselmann, M. Lofton-Malachi.

Boston: GK-A. Naeher, A. Phillips, A. Lipsher; D-A. LePeilbet, S. Cox, K. Moore, C. Igwe, T. Hemmings; MF-L. Tarpley, K. Lilly, J. Angeli, Fabiana, L. Bogus, A. Marquez; F-L. Cheney, L. Del Rio, S. Walsh.
Not Active: I. Dieke (national team), A. Scott (national team), K. Smith (national team), L. Osborne (season-ending injury).

Previous Meetings (2010):
Atlanta 1 @ Boston 3
Atlanta 0 @ Boston 2

What To Look For: Hopefully when these two teams meet on Saturday, all of the news will be restricted to the field of play, unlike the match earlier in the month. Boston could take a huge step toward clinching a playoff berth with a victory, while Atlanta is in nearly a must win situation to keep their hopes alive.

This will be the third consecutive time Atlanta travels to Boston, although the venue will be different this time. The Breakers’ final regular season home match is being played in New Britain, Connecticut and the Beat are hoping that the change in scenery will change the final results. Atlanta had lost the previous two meetings at Harvard Stadium, both by two goal margins.

As with all WPS matches this weekend, several players will be missing on national team duty. For Atlanta, midfielder Johanna Rasmussen will be playing for Denmark. Boston will be missing three key starters in Kelly Smith, Alex Scott, and Ifeoma Dieke. Additionally, Leslie Osborne suffered a season ending injury in her last match, making four starters missing for the Breakers.

The Beat have given up seven goals in their past three matches and that simply has to change if they are going to make any progress toward the playoffs. They gave a first minute goal in their last meeting with Boston, followed by an own goal in their next match, and finally, inexcusably blowing a two goal lead against the Independence. Hope Solo and the Atlanta defense must play like there is no tomorrow.

The biggest thing Atlanta has going for them is the absence of Smith, who has scored three of the Breakers’ five goals against the Beat. That will mean a forward pairing of Lauren Cheney, who has scored in three of her last four matches, and Laura del Rio, who got her first of the season last weekend against Sky Blue. Boston’s midfield can provide offense as well with Jordan Angeli (six goals), Lindsey Tarpley, and Kristine Lilly.

Defensively, the Breakers will miss Dieke, Scott, and Osborne. They lose quite a bit of speed and experience without that trio. In spite of their spectacular run over the past ten matches, Boston has only four shutouts this season, although goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher does have two in her last three matches.

Interestingly, there is a conflict of information regarding Eniola Aluko’s availability for Saturday night’s match. The Atlanta press release has her as a starter and WPS does not list her as inactive on their roster report. She had supposedly been called up by England for today's match. However, she isn't listed in their lineup, so perhaps she will be in New Britain today.

With four road matches left, Boston can move to within an eyelash of clinching a playoff spot on Saturday. Atlanta is looking to stay alive in what should be a hotly contested contest, even considering the missing players.

Philadelphia Independence (10-6-4, 34 pts) at Sky Blue FC (6-9-4, 22 pts)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ – August 22 (4 pm ET)

Rosters:
Philadelphia: GK-K. LeBlanc, V. Henderson; D-A. Falk, N. Krzysik, H. Mitts, E. Johnson, S. Senty; MF-L. Lindsey, T. DiMartino, J. Lohman, J.Buczkowski; F-A. Rodriguez, L. Sanderson, L. Patterson, D. Adams.
Not Active: S. Larsson (national team), H. Magnusdottir (national team), C. Seger (national team), G. DiMartino, R. Jones.

Sky Blue: GK-J. Branam, M. Burke; D-C. Rampone, M. Schnur, K. Dowling, K. Fletcher, D. Johnson; MF-H. O’Reilly, Y. Averbuch, L. Kalmari, B. Taylor, K. White, K. Parker, I. Trotter, A. Salem; F-Rosana, T. Kai, P. Panico.
Not Active: D. Koster (national team), C. Lloyd (ankle), S. Myers, K. Schoepfer.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Sky Blue FC 1 @ Philadelphia 2
Philadelphia 4 @ Sky Blue FC 1
Sky Blue FC 1 @ Philadelphia 4

What To Look For: Sky Blue have taken quite the beating in the series between these two teams, losing all three by a composite 10-3 score. They will have to do better on Sunday if they are to keep pace with the Washington Freedom in the standings. Meanwhile, Philadelphia will clinch a playoff berth with at least a tie, among other potential scenarios.

The visiting Independence will be missing several key players for this match including Caroline Seger, Frida Magnusdottir, and Sara Larsson. They will certainly miss Seger’s control in the midfield and Magnusdottir’s fierce competitiveness and speed. However, Philly will be facing one of the weaker offensive teams in the league.

Sky Blue have scored just five goals in their last eight matches. Of those five goals, two were scored by Brittany Taylor, one by Laura Kalmari, and two by the opposing team. The forward trio of Kai, Rosana, and Panico, plus USWNT midfield mainstay Heather O'Reilly, don’t have a goal since June. It will be interesting to see if Coach Rick Stainton might insert Kelly Parker into the match to shake things up a bit.

Christie Rampone and the Sky Blue back line must show the tenacious fortitude that we saw in the 2009 campaign if the woman from New Jersey are to win this one. This isn’t your 2009 Sky Blue team, one that made a habit of gutting out low scoring matches to fight their way to the championship.

In spite of generally solid goalkeeping from Bardsley, Branam, and Luckenbill, New Jersey has been shreaded repeatedly for multiple goals. Eight times in 2010, Sky Blue has given up two or more goals. It happened just five times in 23 matches last season, including the playoffs.

Amy Rodriguez has simply terrorized SBFC with four goals and two assists in the three matches. Joanna Lohman has done well against Sky Blue with two goals. Even without Seger, Philadelphia’s speed and firepower should give Sky Blue plenty of trouble. One wonders whether the experienced, but not particularly fast, Sky Blue back line can stop them.

Sunday could be a day of celebration for the Independence, clinching a playoff berth in their inaugural season. Sky Blue needs a victory to bring themselves back level with the Washington Freedom, who they will meet in a 4th place showdown next Saturday.

FC Gold Pride (12-3-4, 40 pts) at Chicago Red Stars (5-10-6, 21 pts)
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL – August 22 (6 pm ET, 5 pm CT, 3 pm PT)

Rosters:
Gold Pride: GK-N. Barnhart, B. Cameron; D-R. Buehler, C. Chapman, A. Riley, K. Wilson, C. Dew; MF-S. Boxx, B. Edwards, T. Milbrett, K. Graczyk; F-Marta, C. Sinclair, K. O’Hara, K. Bosio.
Not Active: C. Abily (national team), N. Cross, K. Yokers, R. Tantillo, E. Guthrie.

Chicago: GK-J. Loyden, A. Whitworth; D-W. Engen, M. Dalmy, N. Spilger, L. Vandenbergh, C. Shaner; MF-Formiga, M. Rapinoe, N. Washington, S. Reiser; F-Cristiane, E. Masar, C. Nogueira, J. McDonald.
Not Active: K. Markgraf (concussion), K. Carney (national team), K. Chapman (national team), V. Boquete, E. Weber.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Chicago 0 @ FC Gold Pride 2
FC Gold Pride 0 @ Chicago 1
Chicago 0 @ FC Gold Pride 0
The all-time series is even at 2-2-2.

What To Look For: You might think this would be a one-sided series, given that FC Gold Pride is in 1st place and Chicago is in 6th place, not to mention the 19 point spread between the two. However, this matchup has been highly competitive, with Chicago earning four points against Gold Pride, more than any other FCGP opponent.

Due to injuries and call ups, both teams will be shorthanded. Gold Pride will be missing French midfielder Camille Abily, away on national team duty. The Red Stars are missing Kate Markgraf due to a concussion and Julianne Sitch, who suffered a season-ending injury, as well Karen Carney and Katie Chapman who are with the English National Team.

So what happened to all of Gold Pride’s scoring? After averaging three goals a game in a five-game stretch in July, they have been held to scoreless ties three times in a row and not exactly by the league’s most vaunted defensive units. With the playoffs rapidly approaching, it’s time for Marta, Sinclair, O’Hara, and company to show some spark. Marta still leads the league in scoring, but Amy Rodriguez has moved right behind her.

Chicago goes into this game without its captain in Kate Markgraf. While they played tough through one half against the Freedom on Thursday night, they eventually fell 2-0 in a game they needed desperately. Now, with their backs against the wall, they face potentially the most dangerous offense in WPS. One thing they have going for them is the knowledge that they’ve shut out Gold Pride twice earlier in the season.

Offensively, Chicago just continues to struggle. They have now been blanked 22 times in 41 matches over their history. Ella Masar has been the star of this Red Star offense with six goals, but there has been very little from other sources.

Gold Pride has been sharp defensively, with three consecutive shutouts. Nicole Barnhart leads the league in that category and she has a sturdy group in front of her. A couple of rookies, Ali Riley and Becky Edwards, have improved this unit greatly from the 2009 version. With returning defender Rachel Buehler, the return of Kandace Wilson from her 2009 injury, the free agent signing of Candace Chapman, and the addition of Shannon Boxx, they might possibly be the best defense in WPS.

Gold Pride is looking to clinch home field advantage in the final and to regain their offensive form of earlier in the season. In all probability, Chicago will need to win their last three matches to have a chance at the playoffs. Given the fact that they have never even scored in three consecutive games (ever!!!), that could prove to be quite a monumental task.

Wambach and Whitehill Help Washington Get W

Abby Wambach and Cat Whitehill scored second half goals to lead the Washington Freedom to a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Red Stars. The win pushes the Freedom into 4th place, three points ahead of Sky Blue FC.

After a scoreless first half in which Freedom goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris made some nice saves, Wambach broke the ice in the 49th minute on a shot from the top of the box which beat Chicago keeper Jill Loyden. The goal was Wambach's tenth of the season.

Washington scored their second goal just minutes later as Whitehill headed home a goal off from a corner kick. Ashlyn Harris posted the shutout for the Freedom, her third in four matches.

Chicago was playing without three starters, Kate Markgraf who is injured, and Karen Carney and Katie Chapman who are with the English National Team. In addition, Jessica McDonald went down early in this match with an injury. Washington was without Sonia Bompastor who is away with the French National Team.

Both teams are now down to three games left, two less than most other teams in the league. Chicago, now in dire need to win out, will host FC Gold Pride on Sunday. Washington is idle this weekend and will return to action the following weekend against Sky Blue in what will be a battle for 4th place.

Chicago at Washington - WPS Thursday Night

Chicago Red Stars (5-9-6, 21 pts) at Washington Freedom (5-8-7, 22 pts)
Maryland SoccerPlex, Boyds, MD – August 19 (7:30 pm ET, 6:30 pm CT)

Rosters:
Chicago: GK-J. Loyden, A. Whitworth; D-W. Engen, M. Dalmy, N. Spilger, L. Vandenbergh, C. Shaner; MF-Formiga, M. Rapinoe, N. Washington, S. Reiser; F-Cristiane, E. Masar, C. Nogueira, V. Boquete, J. McDonald.
Not Active: K. Markgraf (concussion), K. Carney (National team), K. Chapman (National Team), J. Sitch (season-ending injury), E. Weber.

Washington: GK-A. Harris, M. McCray; D-C. Whitehill, B. Sauerbrunn, N. Marshall, R. Moros, K. Eveland, B. Bock, A. Asante; MF-H. Sawa, A. Long, S. Huffman, B. Goebel, B. Klein, J. Gilbeau; F-A. Wambach, L. Mykjåland, C. Welsh.
Not Active: S. Bompastor (National team), M. Abegg, C. Miskel.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Chicago 2 @ Washington 2
Chicago 0 @ Washington 0
The all-time series is even at 1-1-4.

What To Look For: Due to a quirk in the schedule caused by Athletica’s demise, Chicago is traveling to Washington for the third time this season, while the Red Stars have yet to host the Freedom. This series is as close as one can get. Over two years, each team has won once and there have been four ties. The composite goals scored are even at 7-7. In the only two meetings this season, the games ended in a draw. And as of this moment, only one point separates the two in the standings. With so few games left, both teams need this game badly.

The Red Stars head to the SoccerPlex heavily short-handed. Kate Markgraf is suffering from a concussion and will most likely not be active. Half of their starting midfield, Karen Carney and Katie Chapman, are away on national team duty. With Julianne Sitch and Elise Weber out as well, the Red Stars brought in defender Christie Shaner as a developmental player to shore up their depleted defensive corps.

For Chicago to win, Jill Loyden will have to have a solid game in goal and Whitney Engen becomes the key to the Red Star defense in Markgraf’s absence. Loyden has five shutouts for the season, but hasn’t been nearly as strong in the second half of the season. The Red Stars will have to find a way to stop Abby Wambach, who has scored four of the Freedom’s seven goals against Chicago in the six times they’ve met.

Wambach is the key to the Freedom’s offense. In their five wins, she has five goals and five assists. That means she has played a part in 10 of Washington’s 12 goals scored in their victories. The Freedom will not be missing as many players as the Red Stars, but one player they will miss dearly is Sonia Bompastor, who will be away on national team duty. However, Homare Sawa has proven that she can score from the middle when an opportunity presents itself.

Defensively, the Freedom have been playing much better recently. The improvement seems to have coincided with Nikki Marshall’s return to the back line. Marshall has proven to be a valuable player for the Freedom, scoring three goals in her brief stint as a forward and playing well on defense. Another player that has been coming on as of late is goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, who is just an own goal away from having three consecutive shutouts.

Chicago has been offense by committee this season, with four forwards bearing most of the scoring load. Ella Masar leads the Red Stars with six goals, but Cristiane has had the most success against the Freedom scoring three times over six matches. With Carney out, the Red Stars will have to rely heavily on Megan Rapinoe to attack from the midfield. Rapinoe has been limited to no goals and two assists this season. Marian Dalmy provides an offensive threat from the back line.

To be honest, neither team can afford a loss here. Sky Blue will have two games in hand against both teams following this match. The clock is ticking on both the Red Stars and the Freedom. The winner’s chance at a playoff spot will be greatly improved, while the loser will have quite the uphill battle.

Damallsvenskan 2010, round 15

Two oldies but goodies made the headlines this week— Hanna Marklund by scoring a goal, and Kicki Bengtsson by merely taking the field. Saturday 14 was a beastly hot day in southern Sweden, as these things go, with temperatures at least in the 80s F and unusually high humidity.


14 aug
Djurgården IF v. Jitex BK 1 - 3 (0 - 2)
Goals: 24' Kajsa Tornfalk 0-1; 44' Frida Höglund (passning Sofia Karlsson) 2-0; 50' Annica Sjölund (penalty) 0-3; 85' Klara Lindberg (passning Matilda Rosqvist) 1-3
Warnings: JBK Sofia Karlsson 14'
Source: damfotboll, Jitex BK

DIF was coming off a victory against Hammarby IF in the Cup, but was not in good enough to overcome the year's overachievers JBK. Down by two goals in the first half, DIF was then whistled for a penalty early in the second when JBK's Kristin Carlsson was pushed in the box, and victory for JBK seemed assured, despite some last minute heroics from DIF's Lindberg.

JBK dominated physically, despite the heat. "It seemed more like a 6-0 game than a 3-1 game," crowed JBK coach Hans Prytz, who pointed to the good play of the goal scorers and also Sofia Skoog. Frida Höglund was awarded player of the match, in the presence of her mother, and the JBK reporter hopes that Mamma Höglund can make it to the next match, away in Örebro, presumably for luck. "The Purples" from Mölndal have now beaten every Stockholm team at least once (as long as you don't count Tyresö), and Djurgåren twice.


14 aug
Kopparbergs/Göteborg v. Hammarby IF DFF 2 - 1 (0 - 0)
Goals: 58' Lisa Dahlkvist (penalty) 1-0; 85' Linnea Liljegärd (passning Caroline Näfver) 2-0; 87' Nazanin Vaseghpanah (penalty) 2-1
Warnings: K/G Jenny Hallstenson 37'
Source: damfotboll, K/G

Kopparbergs/Göteborg's coach Torbjörn Nilsson described the first half as static, with few goal chances; starting defender Marlene Sjöberg (who feeling poorly) was replaced by forward Linnea Liljegärd (who herself has not been well since the trip to the US in July) at the half. The second half started badly for K/G, with some "pinball" action allowing HIF some counter attacks. K/G's Sara Lindén earned K/G's penalty kick, and otherwise menaced, but HIF's goalkeeper Minna Meriluoto had a brilliant day and it was not until late in the game that the combination play of Johanna Almgren and Näfver opened the way for Liljegärd's volley. Keeping in mind their earlier Cup victory over K/G, HIF pushed hard and fought valiantly in the last few minutes, and was awarded a penalty, leaving K/G coach Nilsson nervous until the very end.

Taking the pitch at left midfield for HIF in the 65th minute was national team veteran Kicki Bengstsson, who has promised to help HIF for the rest of the season; HIF has important matches yet to come against fellow relegation contenders Djurgården and AIK.

14 aug
Sunnanå SK v. AIK 2 - 0 (1 - 0)
Goals: 3' Hanna Marklund (passning Elin Johansson) 1-0; 88' Perpetua Nkwocha 2-0
Warnings: 58' AIK Emelie Ölander; 86' SSK Elin Johansson
Source: damfotboll

Already by the second minute SSK's Linda Fransson had missed a penalty kick, but then in the third, national team veteran "The Eternal" Marklund had scored a header from a corner kick. SSK continued to have several chances at goal, not least through the efforts of Nkwocha. The second half was similarly played, and Nkwocha's goal was well-deserved by that point, according to SSK coach Krister Lundgren.

AIK's coach Patric Jildefalk described his team's effort as "passive" and thought it typical of them to go down a goal so early, but he gave high marks to goalkeeper Johanna Baecklund, who got the start instead of Maja Åström on account of the latter's illness.

15 aug
Kristianstads DFF v. Tyresö FF 0 - 3 (0 - 2)
Goals: 12' Katrin Schmidt (passning Kirsten van de Ven) 0-1; 32' Kirsten van de Ven (passning Line Roddik/Hansen) 0-2; 90+3' Kirsten van de Ven (passning Lisa Klinga) 0-3
Warnings: KDFF Kirsty Yallop 55'; KDFF Mia Carlsson 87'
Source: damfotboll

It has been a turbulent month for KDFF, with questions arising about the team's economic situation; their trainer Elisabet Gunnarsdottir mentioned that these issues made it hard to properly motivate and concentrate the players. KDFF's best chances came early in the second half with two corner kicks in quick succession.

TFF seems to have obviously been the better team on the day, which coach Tino Katsolulakis attributed to his players' strong play and good ball control. Van de Ven had a particularly good day, with two goals and an assist.

16 aug
KIF Örebro DFF v. LdB FC Malmö 1 - 3 (1 - 1)
Goals: 27' Emma Wilhelmsson 0-1; 28' Elin Magnusson (passning Marie Hammarström) 1-1; 79' Pavlina Scasna (passning Manon Melis) 1-2; 82' Therese Sjögran
Warnings: LdB Pavlina Scasna 44'; KIF Sanna Valkonen 76'
Source: damfotboll

KIF goaltender Kristin Hammarström made the match interesting with her many good saves, especially one against LdB striker Melis inside the first five minutes. On the LdB end of the field, Tine Cederkvist returned to start in goal after Icelandic national goalkeeper Thora Helgadottir was injured during the warm-ups. LdB dominated especially in the second half, although they did not score again until late, through Scasna (who used to play for KIF) and then a bit of artistry from Sjögran.

17 aug
Linköpings FC v. Umeå FC 5 - 0 (2 - 0)
Goals: 23' Josefine Öqvist (passning Louise Fors) 1-0; 40' Kosovare Asllani (passning Tilda Heimersson) 2-0; 59' Kosovare Asllani (passning Petra Larsson) 3-0; 90+1 Linda Sällström 4-0; 90+3 Linda Sällström (passning Maja Krantz)5-0
Source: damfotboll, svenskfotboll, and my own eyes (longer wrap-up)

Asllani, last seen playing for the Chicago Red Stars in WPS, made two goals and looked quite sharp in her re-debut for LFC. Fors (also recently returned, from Spanish side Espanyol) and Öqvist also had good days, and Sällström, who replaced Asllani in the 66th minute, had two goals in stoppage time.

LFC looked dominant throughout, with UIK taking few shots, and its defense looking generally shaky. UIK is simply not what is has been, notes svenskfotboll; they believe they shall make it back to the top, although it will take time, notes Roland Arnqvist, the man who saw them through their better years, and who has recently returned to UIK.

O'Sullivan Relieved as Coach of the Beat

Gareth O'Sullivan has been relieved as head coach of the Atlanta Beat. Assistant Coach Robbie Nicholson was also let go. James Galanis will act as interim coach for the Beat.

Under O'Sullivan, the Beat struggled early on, earning only one point in their first six matches. Atlanta lost two key players early on, which contributed to a slow start. The first overall pick of the 2010 draft, Tobin Heath, was lost after the season had barely started and former Sol midfielder/defender Manya Makoski has missed the entire season due to injury.

Atlanta had fought their way back into the playoff picture with a 4-2-3 record in June and July. But three consecutive losses have cost them dearly. They are now 4-10-5 with 17 points. Atlanta travels to New Britain, Connecticut to face the Boston Breakers on Saturday.

The WPS Playoff Picture

We're coming down to the wire for the WPS regular season and while Gold Pride has clinched a berth and Philadelphia is nearly there, there is much to be decided before the season is finished. Right now, I'm thinking it will take 29 or 30 points to make the playoffs (4th place). Here is a summary of the 2010 WPS playoff picture.

FC Gold Pride
Record: 12-3-4, 40 points.
Remaining Schedule: 8/22 at CRS; 8/28 at Atl; 9/1 at SBFC; 9/5 vs. BOS; 9/11 vs. PHI.

Outlook: They should be able to clinch home field in the final soon, although Philadelphia continues to keep the pressure on. They have a six point cushion over the 2nd place Independence and a game in hand. Six points in their last five matches would be enough to clinch it. However, if Philly is able to close the gap, these two teams will play in the final regular season game.

Certainly, there is some cause for concern in three consecutive scoreless ties. With all the travel they have had to do, are they starting to wear down? They have remaining trips to Chicago, Atlanta, and New Jersey, which should give us a better idea. I still like them as the odds on favorite to win it all.

Philadelphia Independence
Record: 10-6-4, 34 points.
Remaining Schedule: 8/22 at SBFC; 8/29 vs. BOS; 9/1 at CRS; 9/11 at FCGP.

Outlook: A playoff berth is all but sealed and they still have an outside shot at the first seed. However, they have to worry about a red hot Boston team and three of their remaining four games are on the road. Their lone remaining home match is against the Breakers, which could be the key.

Philadelphia has been extremely consistent, losing two in a row only once during the season. They have dominated two of their remaining opponents, Chicago and Sky Blue, going a perfect 6-0 against the two (and outscoring them by an aggregate 16-4). I still think they should be able to hold on for the second seed, but Boston has a game in hand, so the head-to-head battle between the two on August 29 could decide 2nd place.

Boston Breakers
Record: 8-6-5, 29 points.
Remaining Schedule: 8/21 vs. ATL; 8/29 at Phi; 9/1 at Atl; 9/5 at FCGP; 9/11 at SBFC.

Outlook: They've now put some distance between themselves and the bottom four teams, and could clinch a playoff spot this weekeed if things fall right. However, the rest of their schedule is away from Harvard Stadium, with the only home match being played at New Britain, Connecticut.

With a 7-1-1 record over their last nine matches, they are the league's hottest team, bar none. They remind me very much of the Athletica team that came out of nowhere last season to finish second, except the Breakers have a better offense. But that Athletica team fell flat in their playoff match and the season-ending injury to Leslie Osborne, a very important factor in the Breakers' resurgence, was a harsh blow. I see them finishing third, but I think their remaining schedule with four road games to finish will prevent them from moving into 2nd place.

Sky Blue FC
Record: 6-9-4, 22 points.
Remaining Schedule: 8/22 vs PHI; 8/28 at Was; 9/1 vs. FCGP; 9/5 at Atl; 9/11 vs. BOS.

Outlook: In spite of their injuries and their lackluster play (1-5-1 over their last seven), Sky Blue is in position to squeeze into the playoffs much as they did last season. They are in a 4th place tie with the Freedom and have a game in hand. They also have three of their remaining five at home, but those three are tough matches against the teams ahead of them in the standings.

Sky Blue is a team that seems to do what it needs to do. Judging from last season, one has to think that they will find a way to make the playoffs. The addition of Kelly Parker might provide them with a spark. But Washington has the easier schedule of the two, so mark this one on your calendars, Sky Blue at Washington on August 28. It may ultimately decide the fourth and final playoff berth.

Washington Freedom
Record: 5-8-7, 22 points.
Remaining Schedule: 8/19 vs. CRS; 8/28 vs. SBFC; 9/5 at CRS; 9/11 vs. ATL.

Outlook: They are giving a game in hand to Sky Blue, but they have a much easier schedule, with all four games against teams even or below them on the table. Three of the remaining four are at home and momentum has swung their way over the past two weeks with a win and two tough road draws.

After floundering for two months (0-6-4 in June and July), they are still in reasonably good position to capture 4th place, but they have to take care of business. The Sky Blue match is a big one, but they can't overlook Chicago either. The Freedom/Red Stars series is dead even over two years with each team winning once and four ties. Right now, I think I might give the Freedom a slight edge over Sky Blue because of their schedule, but the head-to-head between the two may very well decide it.

Chicago Red Stars
Record: 5-9-6, 21 points.
Remaining Schedule: 8/19 at Was; 8/22 vs. FCGP; 9/1 vs. PHI; 9/5 vs. WAS.

Outlook: They are just one point behind Sky Blue and Washington, but have one less game to play than Sky Blue and a tougher schedule than the Freedom. However, a victory over Washington on the road could give them momentum and their final three are at home, albeit against tough opponents.

Every time I think that the Red Stars have righted their ship, they spring a new leak. After defeating Sky Blue two weeks ago and then earning a hard fought road tie at FCGP, they lost to Philadelphia at home. The time is now for the Red Stars. They play two of their remaining four matches this week, which will give them lots of time to rest and watch everyone else down the wire. I just can't see them making it at this point.

Atlanta Beat
Record: 4-10-5, 17 points.
Remaining Schedule: 8/21 at Bos; 8/28 vs. FCGP; 9/1 vs. BOS; 9/5 vs. SBFC; 9/11 at Was.

Outlook: They played themselves into contention in July, but now have all but played themselves out of contention in August. The last two matches were killers, losing on an own goal and then blowing a two goal lead against Philadelphia. Three of their remaining five are at home, but the schedule is extremely tough. I'm guessing they would need to win four of their last five to even have a chance and I just don't see that happening.

WPS Weekend Wrap - August 15

Boston Breakers 4, Sky Blue FC 0

The Breakers dominated in this one to take their first victory in seven tries against Sky Blue with a 4-0 victory.

Boston got on the board early. In the 9th minute, an Amy LePeilbet free kick found Jordan Angeli on the right side of the box. She head the ball across to Lauren Cheney, who flicked a header into the lower left corner of the net.

Cheney nearly got her second in the 15th minute, but Jen Branam was able to parry Cheney's shot from 18 yards. Boston continued to have the better of play for most of the 1st half.

Boston finally got their second late in the half. A long ball from Stephanie Cox was sent to the top of the box. Lauren Cheney shielded a defender off of the ball, with it finding Jordan Angeli. She hit a half volley in the upper left corner to make it 2-0.

In the 49th minute, the Breakers scored off yet another set piece starting with a Kristine Lilly corner kick. Amy LePeilbet headed the ball to Jordan Angeli who headed the ball on frame, only to have Jen Branam make the save. But Lindsay Tarpley was there to bury the rebound.

Boston made it 4-0 on a great strike from Laura del Rio. Del Rio hit a blast from the right side of the box into the upper left corner.

Boston moved to 29 points and now has a comfortable seven point cushion on the two 4th place teams, Sky Blue and Washington. Boston will host Atlanta next weekend. Sky Blue stays tied for 4th place and will host Philadelphia next weekend.

Philadelphia Independence 3, Atlanta Beat 2

Atlanta scored early, but Philadelphia scored more often as the Independence took a 3-2 win over the Beat. The victory kept Philadelphia safely in 2nd place.

Atlanta struck first on early goals by Johanna Rasmussen and Lori Chalupny. It was Chalupny's first goal since joining the Beat.

Philadelphia drew to within one on a goal by Tina DiMartino before the break. DiMartino made it a brace with her score in the 60th minute. That set the stage for Joanna Lohman's game winner in the 81st minute.

Philadelphia clinched at least a tie for a playoff spot with the victory and moved to within six points of league leading Gold Pride. Philadelphia travels to New Jersey next weekend. The loss was a blow to Atlanta's playoff hopes. They remain in last place with just 17 points, five out of 4th place. They travel to Boston for the third time next weekend.

Standings:
1) FC Gold Pride (12-3-4, 40 pts); 2) Philadelphia (10-6-4, 34 pts); 3) Boston (8-6-5, 29 pts); 4) Sky Blue FC (6-9-4, 22 pts); 4) Washington (5-8-7, 22 pts); 6) Chicago (5-9-6, 21 pts); 7) Atlanta (4-10-5, 17 pts).

Scoreless Again - Gold Pride 0, Washington 0

For the third straight match, FC Gold Pride played to a scoreless draw, this time at home against the Washington Freedom. It was the first time that any WPS team has played to three consecutive scoreless draws.

Nicole Barnhart for Gold Pride and Ashlyn Harris for the Freedom earned the shutouts. It was Barnhart's seventh of the season, dropping her league leading goals against average to 0.71. Harris has now posted shutouts in two of her last three outings with the only goal in the third being an own goal. Gold Pride outshot Washington 13 to 7 for the match.

For a team that averaged three goals a game in the month of July, the offensive powerhouse that was FC Gold Pride has been slowed by the heat of August. While Gold Pride appears to be cruising to a WPS regular season title, they have now been shut out six times this season. They will take the field next at Toyota Park against the Red Stars, a side that blanked them the last two times the teams have met.

Gold Pride's record goes to 12-3-4, good for 40 points and a nine point lead on the Independence, pending the outcome of Philly's match today against Atlanta. Washington moves to 5-8-7 and 22 points, which puts them in a 4th place tie with Sky Blue, but SBFC has two games in hand. The Freedom will host Chicago on Thursday.

Catching up with Damallsvenskan 2010

Damallsvenskan resumes the 2010 season this weekend, with round 15 of 22. The top teams have spread out somewhat, with LdB FC Malmö rather firmly in first place, Kopparbergs/Göteborg somewhat less securely in second, and Linköpings FC (last year's champions) and Jitex BK (newly promoted) rounding out the top four. Shockingly, the bottom three places are held by the Stockholm teams Djurgårdens IF, AIK, and Hammarby IF, with the last two teams currently tied on points below the relegation line. Round 16 will not be played until the last weekend of August, as Sweden has World Cup qualifiers on August 21 (against the Czech Republic) and 25 (against Wales).

Sorry to miss on details of the rounds immediately before the summer break, but for reference, the scores for rounds 10 through 14 are reported below.

Round 10
Hammarby IF DFF v. Umeå IK 0 - 1
LdB FC Malmö v. Tyresö FF 4 - 1
Jitex BK v. AIK 1 - 0
Djurgården v. Kopparbergs/Göteborg 0 - 1
KIF Örebro DFF v. Sunnanå SK 0 - 0
Linköpings FC v. Kristianstads DFF 3 - 0

Round 11
Kristianstads DFF v. Hammarby IF DFF 0 - 1
Tyresö FF v. Jitex BK 3 - 2
AIK v. Djurgården 0 - 0
Umeå IK v. LdB FC Malmö 0 - 4
Sunnanå SK v. Linköpings FC 0 - 4
Kopparbergs/Göteborg v. KIF Örebro DFF 1 - 1

Round 12
Kopparbergs/Göteborg v. Linköpings FC 1 - 1
AIK v. KIF Örebro DFF 0 - 4
Umeå IK v. Jitex BK 1 - 2
Sunnanå SK v. Kristianstads DFF 1 - 1
LdB FC Malmö v. Hammarby IF DFF 4 - 0
Tyresö FF v. Djurgården 1 - 2

Round 13
Jitex BK v. LdB FC Malmö 1 - 2
Kristianstads DFF v. Kopparbergs/Göteborg 1 - 1
Djurgården v. Umeå IK 2 - 0
Hammarby IF DFF v. Sunnanå SK 2 - 0
KIF Örebro DFF v. Tyresö FF 1 - 2
Linköpings FC v. AIK 1 - 0

Round 14
Tyresö FF v. Linköpings FC 1 - 1
Kopparbergs/Göteborg v. Sunnanå SK 5 - 0
AIK v. Kristianstads DFF 3 - 1
Umeå IK v. KIF Örebro DFF 1 - 0
LdB FC Malmö v. Djurgården 6 - 3
Jitex BK v. Hammarby IF DFF 3 - 1

WPS Weekend Preview - August 14 and 15

It’s an interesting weekend of WPS soccer. The top three teams each host one of the teams battling for 4th place. One would figure that if either Atlanta, Sky Blue, or Washington could manage a tie or win on the road, they might well pick up points on the others. The other big news is that Philadelphia might be able to clinch a playoff spot on Sunday if things go their way.

Washington Freedom (5-8-6, 21 pts) at FC Gold Pride (12-3-3, 39 pts)
Pioneer Stadium, Hayward, CA – August 14 (10 pm ET, 7 pm PT)

Rosters:
Washington: GK-A. Harris, M. McCray; D-C. Whitehill, B. Sauerbrunn, N. Marshall, R. Moros, K. Eveland, B. Bock, A. Asante; MF-S. Bompastor, H. Sawa, A. Long, S. Huffman; F-A. Wambach, L. Mykjåland, C. Welsh.
Not Active: B. Goebel (illness), M. Abegg, J. Gilbeau, C. Miskel, B. Klein.

Gold Pride: GK-N. Barnhart, B. Cameron; D-R. Buehler, C. Chapman, A. Riley, K. Wilson, C. Dew, N. Cross; MF-S. Boxx, C. Abily, B. Edwards, K. Graczyk, K. Yokers; F-Marta, C. Sinclair, K. O’Hara, T. Milbrett, K. Bosio.
Not Active: R. Tantillo, E. Guthrie.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Washington 1 @ Gold Pride 1
Washington 2 @ Gold Pride 3
Gold Pride 4 @ Washington 1
Gold Pride leads the all-time series at 3-2-1.

What To Look For: There has never been a shutout in the six previous matches between Washington and Gold Pride. Except for the one tie game, the winner has scored three or more goals each time. So I think we can probably expect some scoring in this one.

One positive for the Freedom is that the only goal scored against them in the last two matches was an own goal. Perhaps, with Nikki Marshall back on defense, Washington has found a formula to keep their opponent off the board. Young keeper Ashlyn Harris is improving, but she will face a stiff challenge in this match. Only a freak goal as Cat Whitehill attempted to clear from inside the penalty area kept Harris from gaining her second shutout in a row.

Gold Pride is coming off two scoreless ties, not necessarily alarming, but a little cause for concern given what happened to the LA Sol at the end of last season. They still have the most dangerous duo in the league at forward with Marta and Christine Sinclair. Marta has scored six goals in her last four games against the Freedom and has scored the goal that put her team on top for good in three of those games.

Defensively, Gold Pride has given up just two goals in their last five matches. They’ve given up more than one goal just three times this season, which accounted for two of their three losses. Nicole Barnhart is having a fine year in goal and FCGP’s back line has played well. Rachel Buehler captains the defense for Gold Pride.

Washington has scored at least one goal in each of their last seven matches, but they haven’t been lighting up the scoreboard as they had in the past. At 9 goals and 8 assists, Abby Wambach has had a part in nearly two thirds of the Freedom’s goals. They need to find another consistent finisher with Lene Mykjåland and Allie Long being the most likely candidates to fill that role. Sonia Bompastor scored her second goal of the season on Wednesday.

Trailing Sky Blue by a point and with one less game to play, the Freedom really need to come away from this match with some points. Gold Pride is looking for home field advantage and a berth in the final. While they have very little pressure on them at this point, they would like to see some of the offense that has been missing in their last two matches.

Sky Blue FC (6-8-4, 22 pts) at Boston Breakers (7-6-5, 26 pts)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, MA – August 15 (6 pm ET)

Rosters:
Sky Blue: GK-J. Branam, S. Myers; D-C. Rampone, D. Koster, M. Schnur, K. Dowling, K. Fletcher; MF-H. O’Reilly, Y. Averbuch, L. Kalmari, B. Taylor, K. White, K. Parker; F-Rosana, T. Kai, P. Panico.
Not Active: K. Dallstream (season-ending ankle), C. Lloyd (ankle), I. Trotter, D. Johnson, A. Salem, M. Burke, K. Schoepfer.

Boston: GK-A. Naeher, A. Phillips; D-A. LePeilbet, I. Dieke, A. Scott, S. Cox, K. Moore; MF-L. Tarpley, L. Osborne, K. Lilly, J. Angeli, L. Bogus (probable-hamstring); F-K. Smith, Fabiana, L. Cheney, L. Del Rio, S. Walsh (probable-knee), T. Hemmings.
Not Active: A. Lipsher, C. Igwe.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Boston 0 @ Sky Blue 0
Sky Blue 2 @ Boston 1
Sky Blue leads the all-time series at 4-0-2.

What To Look For: To say that Boston has not had much success against New Jersey would be an understatement. In six matches against Sky Blue, the Breakers have managed just two ties and have scored just three goals. Now four points ahead of Sky Blue in the battle for 3rd place and playing at home, one might think that Boston would come into this game with something to prove.

On the player front, Sky Blue signed Canadian Kelly Parker this past week. Parker helped Sky Blue win the championship in 2009 and just got through leading the Buffalo Flash to a W-League title. Perhaps, she can put a jolt into Sky Blue’s anemic offense that is averaging less than a goal a game. Not to mention that SBFC’s last two goals have been scored for them by the other team. Laura Kalmari, Tasha Kai, and Rosana have been their biggest goal scorers to date. One positive sign is that Sky Blue outshot Washington in their last match, something that has been a rarity this season.

Boston has a reasonably solid defense with Amy LePeilbet and Ifeoma Dieke in the middle and Alex Scott and Stephanie Cox on the outside. Alyssa Naeher is now established as the Breakers’ starting keeper. Surprisingly, the Breakers have posted just three shutouts this season.

Boston is experiencing a surge in offense, having scored in their last nine matches and scoring two or more in 7 of their last eight. For the most part, the goals have come from Kelly Smith and two rookies, Jordan Angeli and Lauren Cheney. Lindsay Tarpley does a good job of distributing the ball upfront and Liz Bogus is listed as probable for this game after missing several due to a hamstring injury. Bogus was just starting to hit her stride, scoring twice right before her injury.

Sky Blue’s defense is led by Jen Branam in goal and veterans Christie Rampone and Daphne Koster on the back line. But New Jersey has not posted a shutout in their last six outings and with their lack of scoring punch, they might need a shutout to win this one.

Boston is playing like a different team than the one that last faced Sky Blue back in mid-June. Now they are legitimate title contenders, but a loss here would leave Sky Blue breathing down their necks. SBFC would love to win this one and move closer to a playoff berth. Will history repeat for Sky Blue or will Boston finally overcome New Jersey’s dominance in this series?

Atlanta Beat (4-9-5, 17 pts) at Philadelphia Independence (9-6-4, 31 pts)
John A. Ferrell Stadium, West Chester, PA – August 15 (6 pm ET)

Rosters:
Atlanta: GK-H. Solo, B. Maron; D-T. Ellertson, K. McNeill, L. Robinson, S. Bishop, K. Fountain; MF-J. Rasmussen, A. Miyama, M. Yamaguchi, L. Chalupny, A. Kerr, C. Blank; F-M. Ocampo, E. Aluko, R. Bachmann.
Not Active: A. Cinalli, R. Nolin, M. Zerboni, L. Sesselmann, M. Lofton-Malachi.

Philadelphia: GK-K. LeBlanc, V. Henderson; D-A. Falk, N. Krzysik, H. Mitts, H. Magnusdottir, S.Larsson, E. Johnson, S. Senty; MF-L. Lindsey, C. Seger, T. DiMartino, J. Lohman, J.Buczkowski; F-A. Rodriguez, L. Sanderson, L. Patterson, D. Adams.
Not Active: G. DiMartino, R. Jones, K. Henderson.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Atlanta 0 @ Philadelphia 0
Atlanta 0 @ Philadelphia 1
Phladelphia 2 @ Atlanta 2

What To Look For: By the time the Independence take the field on Sunday, they may be only a victory away from clinching a playoff spot. A combination of a Washington loss and a Philadelphia victory would mean a berth for the Independence, quite an accomplishment for a team that no one gave much of a chance at the start of the year (including yours truly). Atlanta has to be in desperation mode. With just 17 points, it is likely that they would need to win four of their remaining six games to have a chance at a playoff berth.

On the home front, Philadelphia waived Japanese forward Karina Maruyama, leading one to believe that they will make some sort of a move for an international player before the trade deadline.

The last time these two teams met, it was a late goal by Tina Ellertson that gave the Beat a 2-2 tie. Ellertson is certainly one of the keys to the Atlanta defense, especially if they go with a three player back line. If Hope Solo is on top of her game and Atlanta is able to shut down the speedy offensive front of the Independence, they have a chance in this one.

The Independence does not win many 1-0 games, especially since early in the season. They have scored three or more goals in four of their last five victories. Amy Rodriguez leads Philly with 12 goals and 4 assists. Lianne Sanderson scored her fourth of the season on Wednesday, a game winner at that. They get a lot of offensive support from Caroline Seger, Lori Lindsey, Tina DiMartino, Joanna Lohman, and Frida Magnusdottir. Magnusdottir can be especially dangerous coming out of the back.

Defensively, Philadelphia is not going to shut out many teams. They have just four all season and only one in their last 13 matches. However, two of the four shutouts have come against Atlanta. Everybody is listed as being healthy for the Independence which means the return of Allison Falk, a key element of their back line. Karina LeBlanc has been in goal the last couple of games and appears to be the number one for now.

After clawing their way back into the playoff hunt, Atlanta’s has scored just one goal in their last three games. Of their four wins, three have been by 1-0 margins. They need to score more and with players like Eniola Aluko, Ramona Bachmann, Monica Ocampo, Mami Yamaguchi, Aya Miyama, and Johanna Rasmussen, there is simply no excuse for this team not to be scoring more goals.

Atlanta is just 1-5-3 on the road and Philadelphia has been an excellent home team at 6-2-2. Both teams have an enormous amount of incentive to win this game, Atlanta to stay in the playoff chase and Philadelphia to possibly clinch a playoff berth in front of their home fans. These two teams, with opposite fortunes to this point in the season, converge in Philadelphia on Sunday.