Jim Gabarra Resigns from Freedom

Washington Freedom head coach Jim Gabarra, the only coach to take his team to the playoffs in both WPS seasons, has resigned his position. Gabarra has long been involved in Washington area women's soccer, previously coaching both the WUSA Freedom and the W-League Freedom, before becoming the first head coach of the WPS Freedom franchise.

The WPS Washington Freedom were 16-16-12 in Gabarra's tenure as head coach. After making the playoffs, they were eliminated in the first round in both seasons, by eventual champion Sky Blue in 2009 and by 2010 runner-up Philadelphia.

Gabarra's departure means that only two of the original seven WPS coaches are still with their team, Albertin Montoya with FC Gold Pride and Tony DiCicco with the Boston Breakers. Washington will immediately begin their search for a replacement.

Gold Pride Wins WPS Championship 4-0

FC Gold Pride left no doubts as to who the better team was on Sunday, easily defeating the Philadelphia Independence 4-0. The championship game proved almost anticlimactic given the suspense and intensity of the first two playoff matches. A very weary looking Independence team proved no match for the regular season champions from the Bay Area.

Gold Pride got on the board first in the 16th minute. In what appeared to be pinball more than soccer, Independence goalkeeper Val Henderson made two point blank saves on Marta, followed by another save on Tiffeny Milbrett, only to have the following rebound go to Camille Abily who touched to Sinclair who tapped it in from inside the six.

One of the few chances of the first half for Philadelphia came in the 25th minute. Nikki Krzysik placed a free kick to 18 which was headed forward by Caroline Seger. Lianne Sanderson went up for the header, but Nicole Barnhart was able to outjump her for the save. Frida Magnusdottir was later able to get off a shot from distance which was easily saved by Barnhart, but the chances were few and far between for the Independence.

Gold Pride made it 2-0 in the 29th minute. Marta pushed the ball ahead to Kandace Wilson who was able to outfight Allison Falk to win the ball. She was able to finish from the right side of the box past Henderson to double the lead.

Gold Pride dominated possession as well as the scoreboard in the first half. Philadelphia offered very little defensive pressure to Gold Pride's back line, seemingly content to let Gold Pride gain the midfield uncontested, perhaps in an effort to conserve energy. Indeed, the Independence looked to be a very tired group on both the second and third goals surrendered, the result of playing 240 minutes of soccer in the past seven days and with only two days of rest between Thursday's late semifinal and Sunday morning's final.

Trailing 2-0 at halftime, Philadelphia attempted to press forward more in the 2nd half, but to no avail. Gold Pride had two chances in the first five minutes of the second half. A Shannon Boxx shot was saved by Henderson and a Camille Abily effort went just wide right.

Finally in the 53rd minute, Marta made her way up the left side to the endline and crossed to Sinclair, who finished into an open net to make it 3-0. For Sinclair, it was her second goal of the game and her sixth of the season against Philadelphia. From that point forward it was just a matter of playing out the match.

Val Henderson, in spite of the four goals surrendered, played a strong match. In addition to her saves in the 1st half, she took a ball right off the foot of Marta that looked to be a sure goal. She later took a shot off her face from close in. Later she made a diving save on Tiffeny Milbrett's hard shot.

Philadelphia threatened a few times in the latter stages of the match. Danesha Adams once again provided a 2nd half spark for the Independence. She had Philly's best scoring opportunity getting a 1-on-1 chance against Barnhart from eight yards only to slice it wide right.

With the game well in hand and in stoppage, Marta added to the margin by finishing on a Kandace Wilson cross to make the final tally 4-0.

FC Gold Pride put the finishing touches on its worst to first story in resounding fashion. They have not lost a match since June. Christine Sinclair was named Player of the Game by the Fox broadcast team for her two goals, but Marta was named the game's MVP. Nicole Barnhart got the shutout in goal. Albertin Montoya had his team ready to play and they spread Philadelphia very effectively throughout the early stages of the match.

Perhaps it was a little much to ask Philadelphia to play 120 minutes late on Thursday night, fly cross country and then play what was basically a Sunday morning match for the championship. Still, it was a great effort for the Independence to make it that far and a fine season for an expansion team under coach Paul Riley.

WPS Championship - FC Gold Pride vs. Philadelphia

Philadelphia Independence (10-10-4) at FC Gold Pride (16-3-5)
Pioneer Stadium, Hayward, CA – September 26 (2:30 pm ET, 1:30 pm CT, 11:30 am PT)

Probable Rosters:
Philadelphia: GK-Val Henderson, Karina LeBlanc; D-Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, Heather Mitts, Holmfridur Magnusdottir, Sara Larsson, Estelle Johnson, Sarah Senty; MF-Lori Lindsey, Caroline Seger, Tina DiMartino, Jen Buczkowski, Kelly Henderson; F-Amy Rodriguez, Lianne Sanderson, Danesha Adams, Lyndsey Patterson.

FC Gold Pride: GK-Nicole Barnhart, Brittany Cameron; D-Rachel Buehler, Candace Chapman, Ali Riley, Kandace Wilson, Kristen Graczyk, Niki Cross; MF-Shannon Boxx, Becky Edwards, Camille Abily, Carrie Dew, Kimberly Yokers; F-Marta, Christine Sinclair, Kelley O’Hara, Tiffeny Milbrett, Kiki Bosio.

Previous Meetings (2010)
June13 – FC Gold Pride 3 @ Philadelphia 1
July 17 – Philadelphia 0 @ FC Gold Pride 2
September 11 – Philadelphia 1 @ FC Gold Pride 4

FC Gold Pride is 8-1-3 at home with a 20-8 edge in goals.
Philadelphia is 3-8-2 on the road being outscored 13-20 in the regular season, 1-0 on the road in the playoffs.

Top Performers in Series
Philadelphia: DiMartino (1 goal), Sanderson ( 1 goal), Lindsey (1 assist), Patterson (1 assist), Henderson (2 games, 3.00 goals against, LeBlanc (1 game, 3.00 goal against).

FC Gold Pride: Marta (3 goals, 4 assists), Sinclair (4 goals, 1assist), O’Hara (2 goals, 1 assist), Boxx (1 assist), Abily (1 assist), Gulbrandsen (1 assist), Barnhart (2 games, 1.06 goals against), Cameron (1 game, 1 shutout, 0.00 goals against).

Matchups:
Goalkeepers
Val Henderson vs. Nicole Barnhart

You can’t argue much with the results that Henderson has given Philadelphia, just one goal allowed in 240 minutes of playoff soccer. She wasn't tested much in game one and at times, she looked a little unsure in the match against Boston, but overall she has been solid. She is likely to be tested a great deal more by Gold Pride. Henderson faced them twice during the season, giving up two goals in the first and then four in the final match of the regular season. I guess there is still an outside chance that Riley might go with LeBlanc, who is more experienced and started last year’s championship match, but that’s not likely given Henderson’s record so far in the playoffs.

Barnhart, was the WPS Goalkeeper of the Year, with a sparkling 0.77 goals against average and eight shutouts to her credit. She also has USWNT experience, which could help in a match of this importance. She gave up a goal in each of her two starts against the Independence this year. Strangely enough, it was Brittany Cameron who earned the only shutout for FCGP against Philly this season.

Barnhart is experienced and had a great season. Give credit to Henderson for what she’s accomplished so far, but the edge goes to Gold Pride here.

Defenders
Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, Frida Magnusdottir, and Estelle Johnson (or Heather Mitts) vs. Rachel Buehler, Candace Chapman, Ali Riley, and Kandace Wilson.

The Independence defense has done the job so far, but they have had loads of trouble stopping Gold Pride’s attack this season. The most disturbing thing about Thursday’s match was how easily Fabiana was able to get around the Philadelphia defense on several occasions. They can’t have those kind of lapses in this match. Frida Magnusdottir, perhaps Philly’s most versatile weapon, must be careful not to get caught upfield lest the back line gets exposed by the Gold Pride counterattack. Overall, Falk and Krzysik have been solid and the rookie Estelle Johnson has been surprisingly strong, but in this match, they will have to rise to a whole new level to stop the best offense in the league.

Rachel Buehler had an outstanding season in 2010. She leads a Gold Pride back line that has greatly improved over the course of the season. Chapman was a key free agent signee and helped to solidify the defense. Riley and Wilson give Gold Pride two of the most dangerous and perhaps the two fastest outside backs in the league. The Independence midfielders will have to watch flank runs by those two, which could open up the middle for Boxx and Abily.

Again, Philadelphia has done an admirable job to this point. But they haven’t stopped Gold Pride all season and they can’t match their speed. I have to give the edge to Buehler and FCGP.

Midfielders
Lori Lindsey, Caroline Seger, Tina DiMartino, and Jen Buczkowski vs.
Shannon Boxx, Camille Abily, Becky Edwards.

There’s only one player that can say that she’s played every minute of every playoff game ever played in WPS. That’s Jen Buczkowski, who is hoping to be on her second championship team in a row. The Independence midfield has been tough as nails in the playoffs. Lindsey and Seger form the veteran core of perhaps the best midfield in WPS. Tina DiMartino has been impressive, both during the regular season and the postseason. She assisted on both game winners in the playoffs. DiMartino was literally all over the field on Thursday night.

The Gold Pride midfield is strong as well, starting with the great veteran leadership of Shannon Boxx. There is probably not a more respected player in the league and rightfully so. At her best, she can control the pace and flow of the game from her midfield position. She’s a strong defender and gets into the attack very well when opportunities arise. Boxx and Abily combined for 11 assists, although not quite as many as the Lindsey/Seger duo, still quite impressive. Becky Edwards turned in an impressive rookie season, in spite of being overshadowed in a strong rookie class. I think her performance has often been unfairly overlooked this season.

We’ll find out just how much stamina the Independence have in this match. Coming off 240 minutes of soccer in less than a week, they will have to cover a quicker Gold Pride team that has the weapons to spread the field very effectively. I absolutely love Philly’s midfield, but it would be hard to understate the importance of Boxx in this match. I would say that the midfields are as even as they can get, with maybe an infinitesimal edge to the Independence.

Forwards
Amy Rodriguez and Lianne Sanderson vs. Marta, Christine Sinclair, and Kelley O’Hara (or Tiffeny Milbrett).

In spite of not scoring, I thought Rodriguez had a heck of a game against Boston. On Philly’s first goal, she ran down a ball in the midfield, quickly got the ball to DiMartino and then had great vision to find Seger alone on the right side, earning an assist. On another play she worked against the defense until she saw an opening, sending a nice ball through to Seger, whose first touch was a little heavy. Throughout the match, she was dangerous. But she has not had much success against Gold Pride this season. She missed one match while on the USWNT and in the other two, she did not figure in the scoring.

Sanderson needs to be more dangerous in this match than she was against Boston. It appeared that she was playing kind of a half midfielder/half forward position on Thursday. Since the Independence midfield will have to hang back farther to defend against Gold Pride’s many weapons, Sanderson may become Rodriguez’s primary support in this match. Controversy or not, Danesha Adam’s play on the winning goal was still exceptional. Look for her to be a factor late in this match as well, especially if the Independence can stay close.

Meanwhile, Gold Pride’s forwards have simply destroyed Philadelphia this season. Marta, Sinclair, and O’Hara have combined for nine goals and six assists in just three matches. Not much more can be said about Marta that hasn’t already been said. She is the best player in the world, perhaps the fastest player in the world, and certainly as determined as they come. She has figured in seven of the nine goals that Gold Pride has scored against the Independence in 2010. I honestly don’t think Philly’s back line has enough speed to stay with her for an entire match.

And if Marta wasn’t enough to deal with, then there’s Sinclair who scored four goals against Philly, including at least one in each game. There’s O’Hara, one of the most exciting young forwards in the league with two goals to her credit against Sunday’s opponent. And on top of that, there’s the crafty veteran, Tiffeny Milbrett, to cause opposing defenses even more problems. Add to that Kiki Bosio and her flip throws and you have the best offense in WPS.

Rodriguez has truly become a top notch forward this season. But Gold Pride’s forwards are fast, talented, and there are just too many weapons there to stop. The edge has to go to Gold Pride here.

Coaching
Paul Riley vs. Albertin Montoya

I think Riley has done a magnificent job coaching his team to two overtime victories. After a sluggish finish to the regular season, his team has come out and played two strong matches.

Many have discounted Montoya’s coaching performance, saying that any team that has Marta should win. While there is some truth to the fact that Marta has had a great effect on Gold Pride’s success, Montoya has had a lot to do with it as well. This will be his first playoff match, so it will be interesting to see how he matches up against Riley in a tactical chess match.

Call it dead even.

Intangibles
Gold Pride has been aces at home, going 8-1-3 over the course of the season. The only negative is that they were inexplicably blanked three times at home, all of those in Pioneer Stadium. Philadelphia has not been a good road team, but they beat the odds on Thursday night in Boston. In the two contests they played in northern California this year, they were beaten twice and neither game was really that close.

As far as playing three games in a week, I think that works both ways. It will certainly hurt that Philadelphia has had to play 240 minutes of soccer to get here. But there is something to be said for having two games of playoff experience under your belt. The two week layoff may also hurt a Gold Pride team that was clicking quite nicely at the end of the season. All you have to do is look at 2009 and the Sky Blue/LA Sol matchup.

Slight edge to Gold Pride for the home field advantage and in light of Philly’s game and travel fatigue.

My Prediction
It’s hard to see Gold Pride losing this match, but the same was said about the Los Angeles Sol last season. Surely though, Marta and Boxx remember last year’s game and will make sure that it doesn’t happen again. In the three regular season matches, there was no scoring in the first 39 minutes of any of the games. Gold Pride scored at the end of the first half in each of those matches. Philadelphia cannot afford a lapse in concentration toward the end of the half.

I think the first goal in this match will be critical. Having played so much soccer, it will be much harder for the Independence to come from behind in this one. They need to follow Sky Blue’s blueprint in last year’s championship. After the early goal and Falk’s subsequent red card, the Sol seemed almost in a daze for nearly 25 minutes before reality and urgency settled in. Gold Pride is a highly confident bunch and feeling the sting of an early goal, especially against a team that they handled so easily in three previous meetings, might throw a shock into them.

But putting one on the board before Marta and company do the same is easier said than done. Gold Pride has throttled Rodriguez, while their speedy forwards have ripped the Independence defense. Unless Paul Riley has a few more tricks up his sleeve, I see it…
FC Gold Pride 3, Philadelphia Independence 1.

WPS Awards Franchise to Western New York

Womens Professional Soccer has announced that Western New York will be added as the eighth WPS team for the 2011 season. The team will be based in Elma, New York, a suburb of Buffalo and will split the schedule playing part of their home schedule in the Buffalo area and part in Rochester. The team will be owned by Joe Sahlen, who has owned and operated the Buffalo Flash of the W-League. The Flash won the W-League championship in 2010.

The two home fields for the Western New York franchise will be Rochester Rhinos Stadium and Niagara Field on the campus of the University of Niagara in Lewiston, New York.

The team name and logo are expected to be unveiled in October and an expansion draft from current WPS teams will also be held in October.

Adams OT Goal Nets Win for Independence

It didn't quite take 120 minutes for the winning goal as in Sunday's match, but Danesha Adams overtime goal gave Philadelphia a 2-1 Super Semifinal victory over the Boston Breakers, sending the Independence to the west coast for a final's date with FC Gold Pride. The goal, which came in the 103rd minute, was somewhat controversial and left the Breakers complaining about the lack of a call on the play.

With the end of the 1st overtime approaching, Tina DiMartino dribbled from the right wing toward the box and crossed the ball to the far post. Danesha Adams gained some separation from Amy LePeilbet and rose for a header just at the left post and maybe two yards off the line. The ball went off Adams downward, inside the post, and just over the line. There was some question as to whether the ball had touched Adam's hand or not, but veteran referee Kari Seitz did not wave off the goal. Several replays were inconclusive as to whether the ball hit Adams hand or whether it went off her head. For their part, the Breakers signalled almost immediately for a hand ball, but to no avail.

The first half of the game was played at a fast pace, leaving one wondering whether either team would have the energy for an overtime. The Independence got the first good chance of the match as Frida Magnusdottir took a free kick from 30 yards out. Magnusdottir struck a bullet which was bending away from Breaker goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and toward the left corner of the net. Naeher completely layed out to catch the ball cleanly with a great save.

Boston then seemed to control possession for awhile, gaining two chances, with a Fabiana shot over the bar and a Kristine Lilly volley that Val Henderson was barely able to get her hand on to deflect wide.

The Breakers were the first to strike. Lianne Sanderson lost possession to Jordan Angeli at midfield in what appeared to be heavy contact. Kristine Lilly then sent a long ball up to Lauren Cheney. Cheney caught Henderson well off her line and chipped it perfectly from 22 yards, with the ball grazing the bottom of the crossbar and going into the net.

Boston's lead lasted all of seven minutes as the Independence quickly drew even. Amy Rodriguez hustled to gain possession inside Boston's half and passed the ball to Tina DiMartino. DiMartino sent it back to Rodriguez who found an open Caroline Seger charging in from the right side. Seger's low shot to the far post beat Naeher to tie the score. It appeared that Naeher had to hesitate, wary of DiMartino who was making a run at the near post.

After the break, Rodriguez had two chances at an open net, putting both wide. In the first, she caught Naeher out of the box, but her diving shot rolled just wide of the goal. On the second, she touched the ball past Naeher, but was unable to get her shot on frame from a bad angle.

Jen Buczkowski picked up her fourth yellow card of the year against Boston for taking down Kelly Smith in the 68th minute. Both teams seem to tire toward the end of the 2nd half.

The Breakers were to come close twice in the closing minutes of the 2nd half. First, Cheney was able to get off a shot from the side of the box, which Henderson parried safely away. In the 89th minute, LePeilbet sent a long ball forward to Kelly Smith. Smith made a brilliant first touch to bring the ball to her left foot, but her blast from 20 yards went just over the crossbar and the score remained 1-1 after regulation time.

The Independence seem to gain a second wind with the start of the overtime. They nearly scored in the 102nd minute, with DiMartino crossing the ball to Adams whose shot from eight yards went over the crossbar. But it was only a minute later that the two paired up for what would be the game winning goal. Adams had been a second half substitution by Paul Riley.

The Breakers did not go quietly. Midway through the 2nd overtime, a scramble in front of the net was temporarily cleared by Philadelphia, but Kasey Moore was able to win possession for Boston. She saw Henderson a bit off her line and launched a shot from 30 yards that hit the crossbar. The ball rebounded to Alex Scott, who was all alone in the box, about 12 yards out with only Henderson between her and the goal. A bouncing ball and tired legs did Scott in as she nearly fanned on her shot and the Independence were able to recover in time to clear the ball out of trouble. It would be the last good opportunity that the Breakers would have.

Philadelphia was able to kill the remaining time to put away the 2-1 victory. Several players on both teams had excellent games. Although she missed some opportunities to score, Amy Rodriguez worked tirelessly throughout the match and her hustle led to the first goal. Tina DiMartino seemed to be everywhere, among several great efforts from the Independence midfielders. Alyssa Naeher's great save early on was the best of the match. Veteran Kristine Lilly had a strong match as well.

The shots ended up nearly even with the Independence having the slight edge at 18-17. The Breakers had a heavy advantage in corners at 8-2 and a slight one in shots on goal at 8-6.

Philadelphia will now travel to Pioneer Stadium in Hayward, California to face FC Gold Pride. The 2010 WPS Championship presented by Citi will be played at 2:30 Eastern, 11:30 Pacific on Sunday, September 26. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Net.

WPS Super Semifinal - Boston vs. Philadelphia

Philadelphia Independence (10-10-4) at Boston Breakers (10-8-6)
Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium, Cambridge, MA – September 23 (8 pm ET)

Probable Rosters:
Philadelphia: GK-Val Henderson, Karina LeBlanc; D-Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, Holmfridur Magnusdottir, Estelle Johnson, Heather Mitts, Sara Larsson Sarah Senty; MF-Lori Lindsey, Caroline Seger, Tina DiMartino, Jen Buczkowski, Kelly Henderson; F-Amy Rodriguez, Lianne Sanderson, Danesha Adams, Lyndsey Patterson.

Boston: GK-Alyssa Naeher, Ashley Phillips; D-Amy LePeilbet, Ifeoma Dieke, Alex Scott, Stephanie Cox, Kasey Moore, Taryn Hemmings; MF-Kristine Lilly, Jordan Angeli, Lindsay Tarpley, Liz Bogus, Chioma Igwe; F-Kelly Smith, Lauren Cheney, Laura del Rio, Fabiana.

Previous Meetings (2010)
April 18 – Philadelphia 1 @ Boston 1
July 4 – Boston 2 @ Philadelphia 1
August 8 – Boston 2 @ Philadelphia 2
August 29 – Boston 2 @ Philadelphia 1

Boston is 5-6-1 at home with a 21-17 edge in goals.
Philadelphia is 3-8-2 on the road being outscored 13-20.

Top Performers in Series
Philadelphia: Magnusdottir (2 goals), Rodriguez (1 goal), Falk (1 goal), Lohman (1 goal), Sanderson (1 assist), Lindsey (1 assist), Seger (1 assist), LeBlanc (4 games, 1.75 goals against).

Boston: Smith (3 goals, 2 assists), Cheney (2 goals), Cox (1 goal, 1 assist), Lilly (1 goal, 1 assist), Naeher (3 games, 1.33 goals against), Phillips (1 game, 1.00 goals against).

Matchups:
Goalkeepers
Val Henderson (or Karina LeBlanc) vs. Alyssa Naeher

Coach Paul Riley surprised me a little by going with the lesser experienced Henderson over LeBlanc in the playoff opener and it paid off with Henderson earning the shutout. To be fair, she wasn’t tested all that much, but any shutout under the pressure of playoff competition is praise worthy. Interestingly, LeBlanc started all four of the meetings against the Breakers this season, so if Henderson gets the start, it will be her first action against Boston.

Alyssa Naeher has been Boston’s starting keeper for the last two-thirds of the season and she was in goal for the two Breaker wins over the Independence. Naeher posted three shutouts in her last eight starts of the season, so she has been coming on as the season progressed.

There have been no shutouts in the matches between these two teams. In the battle of the two young keepers, I see it as being pretty even.

Defenders
Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, Frida Magnusdottir, and Estelle Johnson (or Heather Mitts or Sara Larsson) vs. Amy LePeilbet, Ifeoma Dieke, Alex Scott, and Stephanie Cox.

The Independence defense hadn’t posted many shutouts this season, but they played a strong match and got one when they needed it against the Freedom. However, they were facing a Freedom offense that is often heavily dependent on one player. Boston presents a whole different problem with two strong forwards and several offensive-minded midfielders. Stopping both Kelly Smith and Lauren Cheney might prove a tougher task. I expect a fairly physical confrontation between Philly’s tough back line and Boston’s forwards.

Boston’s back line couldn’t offer much more in experience. LePeilbet is the two-time WPS Defender of the Year and a mainstay on the USWNT. Cox has extensive USWNT experience as well. Scott is regarded as one of the best outside defenders in Europe and Dieke plays for the Scottish National Team. This might be the top back line in WPS.

Magnusdottir gave Boston fits in one of their matches, but even with the Independence defense coming off of a strong game against Washington, you have to give the Breakers the edge here. The experience is mind-boggling and with LePeilbet in the middle, they will be a tough team to beat.

Midfielders
Lori Lindsey, Caroline Seger, Tina DiMartino, and Jen Buczkowski vs.
Kristine Lilly, Jordan Angeli, and Lindsay Tarpley.

When it comes to attacking midfielders and forwards for the Boston Breakers, the line is pretty much blurred. Smith, Tarpley, Lilly, and Fabiana can be considered either when it comes to positioning. The “defensive” midfielder of the group is Angeli, but she finished as the Breakers’ second leading goal scorer for the season with seven goals. Tarpley has had a strong season coming off of a serious injury and her arrival from St. Louis along with the insertion of Angeli into the lineup sparked Boston’s turnaround. Whether considered a forward or midfielder, Lilly usually does most of her damage from the wing, where she is adept at pinpoint crosses. Boston does miss Leslie Osborne who suffered a season-ending injury toward the latter part of the campaign.

The Independence has to consider their midfield as their strength. The absence of Lohman will hurt, but Philadelphia is still loaded with Lindsey, Seger, and DiMartino. Buczkowski is a rugged defensive mid and Seger isn’t afraid to mix it up as well. But also note that Buczkowski has received three yellows against Boston, ending in one ejection. Both Lindsey and Seger are in the WPS top six in assists for 2010. This midfield helped stymie Washington in the 2nd half of their playoff match and if they could control this match anywhere as well, they just might be headed to California this weekend.

This is a really tough call on advantage. Lindsey, Seger, and DiMartino have a combined 7 goals and 13 assists, not counting DiMartino’s assist in the first round. Lilly, Tarpley, and Angeli have a combined 14 goals and 9 assists. Again, I have to call this virtually even.

Forwards
Amy Rodriguez and Lianne Sanderson vs. Kelly Smith, Lauren Cheney, and Fabiana (or Laura del Rio).

It’s the speed of Rodriguez and Sanderson against the power of Smith and Cheney. Early in the season, the talk would have been about the return of Rodriguez to Boston, the team that traded her away. But she scored 12 goals this season and has come into her own as one of the league’s premier forwards, so I think it would be a disservice to her to make much of that now.

Smith and Cheney have both had success against the Independence this season. Smith scored three goals (including a penalty) and added two assists in her four appearances against Philadelphia. Cheney notched two goals of her own. It’s much harder stopping a team with multiple weapons and Philadelphia has had trouble with such teams this year, going 0-5-2 against the Breakers and Gold Pride combined. Smith is one of the most skilled players in the world and one of the toughest as well. Cheney is one of the best young forwards in the world and has very few peers with her back to the goal.

The Independence forwards have been limited to just one goal (Rodriguez) and one assist (Sanderson) on the same goal when the teams met in July. They must make a difference in this match if Philadelphia is to win. Games like Sunday’s against the Freedom would have frustrated Rodriguez a year ago. It speaks to her maturity as a soccer player that she didn’t let a few near misses get her down and her tenacity paid off in the 120th minute of that match. Sanderson has been both a starter and a key sub for Philly. Lohman’s injury pushed her into the starting lineup against Washington, but it almost seemed like she was less of a factor in that role. I still like the speed and excitement she can bring to the team.

Both teams have other players that could make a difference. Danesha Adams could see late action for the Independence, while del Rio and Fabiana could very well be factors for the Breakers.

I have to give the edge to Smith and the Breakers at forward. Smith has a world of experience and Boston’s forwards have had a lot of success against Philadelphia. Still, it would not surprise me to see Rodriguez or Sanderson get behind Boston’s defense a couple of times in this match, which could test Naeher. The Breaker defense, while very good, is not invincible.

Coaching
Paul Riley vs. Tony DiCicco

It’s hard to argue with the success of either coach this season. Riley took an expansion team and instantly made them into playoff contenders. DiCicco took a team that looked dead in May and coached them to 2nd place in the turnaround of the season.

It’s hard to pick one over the other, so I’ll call it even.

Intangibles
The Breakers didn’t exactly have a convincing home record at 5-6-1, but they were 5-2 over their last seven home games, so you can probably throw the season’s record out the window. This will be a different field for them, however, so the advantages of knowing the playing surface from playing on it for several months is not one that the Breakers will enjoy in this match.

The Independence had a lot of problems on the road this season and lost their final three road matches of the regular season, scoring only three goals in their final six road matches. Their three road victories were all over non-playoff teams, although they did manage a tie in their only trip to Boston this year. And Philly does have a playoff game under their belt, while Thursday night’s contest will be the first ever for Boston.

Much will be made of the short rest for Philadelphia after playing on Sunday afternoon. However, this didn’t seem to faze the Independence in the least during the regular season. They played seven matches on four days of rest or less and managed an impressive 4-1-2 record in those matches. Two of the wins and the loss were on occasions where they had short rest, while their opponent had a full week or more. But none of those matches were after a long season and after a 120 minute pressure-packed match. Paul Riley will have to use his substitutions wisely.

The victory over Washington should give the Independence some momentum, but Boston has been on a long hot streak, going 10-3-2 over their last 15 matches. However, it should also be noted that the Breakers were shut out in their final two matches. I would give a slight edge in intangibles to the Breakers based on the home field, not having to travel, and longer rest. But remember Sky Blue in 2009…

My Prediction
I missed the playoff opener, not thinking it would turn into a defensive struggle and not thinking that the Indpendence could win such a game. My mistake, but I just think there are too many little things going against them here. I like Smith’s experience and Boston’s back line.
Boston Breakers 2, Philadelphia Independence 1.

Damallsvenskan 2010, round 19

18 september
Kopparbergs/Göteborg v. LdB FC Malmö 1 - 1 (1 - 1)
Goals: 32' Nilla Fischer (passning Frida Nordin) 0-1; 37' Anna Ahlstrand (passning Sara Lindén) 1-1
Warnings: LdB FC Sarah Storck 35'; LdB FC Nera Smajic 88'
Source: damfotboll match report and LdB celebrates
More pictures

19 september
Sunnanå SK v. Jitex BK 0 - 4 (0 - 2)
Goals: 2' Elin Sandgren 0-1; 38' Linda Sällström; 36' Kristin Carlsson (passning Annica Sjölund) 0-2; 51' Sofia Karlsson 0-3; 61' Annica Sjölund (passning Sofia Skog) 0-4
Source: damfotboll

Kristianstads DFF v. Djurgårdens IF DFF 1 - 1 (0 - 0)
Goals: 57' Margret Lara Vidarsdottir (passning Sofie Andersson) 1-0; 86' Matilda Rosqvist 1-1
Warnings: DIF Natalia Rickne 47'
Source: damfotboll

AIK v. Umeå IK 2 - 2 (1 - 1)
Goals: 15' Rita Chikwelu 0-1; 22' Tiffany Weimer 1-1; 88' Malin Diaz (passning Fiona O Sullivan) 1-2; 90' Therese Kapstad 2-2
Warnings: AIK Emilia Appelqvist 37'; AIK Hanna Folkesson 71';
Source: damfotboll

Linköpings FC v. KIF Örebro 3 - 2 (1 - 1)
Goals: 19' Sanna Talonen (passning Maria Nordbrant) 0-1; 38' Linda Sällström; 53' Elin Magnusson (passning Olina Vidarsdottir) 1-2; 63' Louise Fors (passning Kosovare Asllani) 2-2; 82' Josefine Öqvist (passning Charlotte Rohlin) 3-2
Source: damfotboll

Hammarby IF DFF v. Tyresö FF 1 - 2 (1 - 2)
Goals: 13' Sofie Persson 0-1; 25' Matilda Agné (passning Therese Brogårde) 1-1; 32' Kirsten van de Ven (passning Madelaine Edlund) 1-2
Warnings: HIF Hodan Siid-Ahmed 22'; TFF Karin Lissel 50'; TFF Lisa Klinga 90'
Source: damfotboll

Philly Advances on Overtime Goal by Rodriguez

It took all of 120 minutes and then some, but the Philadelphia Independence defeated the Washington Freedom 1-0 to advance to the WPS Super-Semifinal. Amy Rodriguez scored in stoppage time of the second overtime period, with the match being within seconds of heading to penalty kicks.

The Independence will travel to Boston to meet the Breakers on Thursday evening at Harvard's Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium. The winner of that match will face FC Gold Pride in the final next Sunday.

The first half of the match was fairly evenly played, with Philadelphia having a slight edge in chances. However, the Independence created chance after chance in the 2nd half and came close to scoring several times.

The best opportunity came very late in regulation as Rodriguez hit the post with her shot and the rebound by Lori Lindsey was cleared. Freedom goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris was able to stop all other threats, as she did an excellent job of keeping the game scoreless through regulation. Meanwhile, in spite of a few Washington opportunities, Val Henderson was rarely tested at the other end. The Freedom were credited with no shots on goal for the match.

After a scoreless first overtime and with just seconds left in the second overtime, Tina DiMartino sent a pass to Rodriguez at the 18. She was able to get clear for a shot and put it in the left side of the net, just past Harris, for the winner.

Philadelphia outshot Washington by a 24-6 margin and held the edge in shots on goal by 9-0. In this, the fifth meeting between the two teams, the home team has won every match. For the second year in a row, Washington lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Freedom are the only team to have made the playoffs in both WPS seasons.

Philadelphia will now take on a red hot Boston Breakers club that has held the advantage over the Independence in 2010. Boston won two of the four meetings with the remaining two matches ending in ties.

Playoff Preview - Washington Freedom at Philadelphia Independence

Washington Freedom (8-9-7) at Philadelphia Independence (10-10-4)
John A. Ferrell Stadium, West Chester, PA – September 19 (2:30 pm ET)

Probable Rosters:
Washington: GK-Ashlyn Harris, Meghan McCray; D-Cat Whitehill, Nikki Marshall, Becky Sauerbrunn, Rebecca Moros, Brittany Bock, Kristi Eveland; MF-Sonia Bompastor, Sarah Huffman, Homare Sawa, Allie Long, Anita Asante, Beverly Goebel, Jill Gilbeau; F-Abby Wambach, Lene Mykjåland, Christie Welsh.

Philadelphia: GK-Karina LeBlanc, Val Henderson; D-Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, Heather Mitts, Holmfridur Magnusdottir, Sara Larsson, Estelle Johnson, Sarah Senty; MF-Lori Lindsey, Caroline Seger, Joanna Lohman, Tina DiMartino, Jen Buczkowski; F-Amy Rodriguez, Lianne Sanderson, Danesha Adams, Lyndsey Patterson.

Previous Meetings (2010)
April 25 – Washington 1 @ Philadelphia 3
May 30 – Philadelphia 1 @ Washington 2
June 26 – Washington 2 @ Philadelphia 3
August 4 – Philadelphia 0 @ Washington 2

Philadelphia is 7-3-2 at home with a 24-16 edge in goals.
Washington is 1-7-4 on the road being outscored 14-21.

Top Performers in Series
Washington: Wambach (4 goals, 1 assist); Mykjåland (1 goal); Moros (1 goal); De Vanna (1 goal); Bompastor (1 assist); Whitehill (1 assist); Welsh (1 assist); Harris (1 game, 1 shutout, 0.00 GAA); McLeod (2 games, 2.00 GAA)

Philadelphia: Rodriguez (3 goals); Sanderson (3 goals); Falk (1 goal); Lindsey (3 assists); Seger (1 assist); Buczkowski (1 assist); V. Henderson (3 games, 1.67 GAA); LeBlanc (1 game, 2.00 GAA).

Matchups:
Goalkeepers
Ashlyn Harris vs. Karina LeBlanc or Val Henderson

A little over a month ago, I would have given Philadelphia a heavy edge here, but Harris, the rookie out of UNC, had a spectacular month of August and has a 0.57 GAA over her last seven matches. She has posted four shutouts including one over Philadelphia, the only shutout in the series between the two teams.

My guess would be that LeBlanc would start this match, but Henderson started three of the four matches against the Freedom during the season. LeBlanc had the edge in starts this season with 14, but both keepers have identical 1.50 goals against averages. LeBlanc has the edge in experience over both Harris and Henderson, given her time with the Canadian National Team and a season with the Sol. Not to mention, she is the only one of the three that has played in a WPS playoff game before.

Harris has been the hotter goalkeeper, but LeBlanc has the experience, making it a tough call on the advantage. So I’ll call it even.

Defenders
Cat Whitehill, Nikki Marshall, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Rebecca Moros vs. Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, Heather Mitts, and Holmfridur Magnusdottir (or Sara Larsson).

There is some question here about how Paul Riley will configure his defense. He could move Magnusdottir to midfield and have Larsson in the starting lineup.

Whitehill might be the veteran leader and Sauerbrunn might be the steady performer, but Nikki Marshall has been the difference maker here. She has been solid over the latter half of the season and gives the Freedom something they didn’t really have on their back line…speed. After getting torched for 15 goals over a five game span in midseason, this group came together as Marshall returned to the back line, taking what appeared to be the team’s biggest weakness and making it a strong point.

Early in the season, Philadelphia looked like a team that was going to win a lot of low scoring matches. Nearly overnight, they appeared to transform into a high-powered offensive team that would win just by outscoring their opponents. Lately, they haven’t been winning period. The Independence posted only four shutouts during the season and only one after mid-May. This is also a defense that has had trouble containing Abby Wambach.

It's a given that Whitehill is one of the best in the league on long-range free kicks, but ultimately, I think Philly has the better back line when it comes to offense. Falk can be very dangerous on set pieces and if Magnusdottir starts as an outside defender, she can give opponents fits with her flank runs. But overall, a defense’s first job is defense and I think the Freedom have the edge there.

Midfielders
Sonia Bompastor, Sarah Huffman, Allie Long, and Anita Asante or Homare Sawa vs. Lori Lindsey, Caroline Seger, Joanna Lohman, Tina DiMartino, and Jen Buczkowski

This will be one heck of a battle between two very talented midfields. Washington has several veteran steady performers with Huffman, Asante (who may also play defender, her natural position), and Sawa. Bompastor is the quarterback and the engine that makes this team run. Maybe her stats aren’t as gaudy as her 2009 numbers, but make no mistake on her importance to the Freedom. Meanwhile, Allie Long sometimes performs under the radar and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her get a goal or make a big play in a match like this. Brittany Bock gives the Freedom depth at both midfield and defense.

Philadelphia’s midfield definitely has the statistical edge over their Freedom counterparts. Lindsey has two goals and eight assists, Seger has a goal and five assists, Lohman has five goals and DiMartino four goals. That’s a lot of offense out of a midfield. Lindsey and Seger are the heart of this midfield. Both are heavy in international experience and have excellent skills. Lohman has been one the pleasant surprises for the Independence and no one will outwork her on the pitch. DiMartino is one of the more underrated midfielders in the league. Buczkowski is primarily a defensive specialist, who had an excellent playoff run last season with Sky Blue.

I have to give Philadelphia the edge here, because of their offensive arsenal. However, don’t sell Bompastor and company short. The Freedom unit is a veteran group that does the little things to get the job done. Another area where Philadelphia needs to be wary is their tendency to take bad and unnecessary fouls. Seger, Buczkowski, and Magnusdottir have all been red carded this year and Philly was second only to Chicago in fouls committed. They cannot afford to go a player down in this match nor can they afford to give up a lot of set pieces to a Freedom team that is very adept at exploiting such opportunities. Edge to Philadelphia, but not by a lot.

Forwards
Abby Wambach and Lene Mykjåland vs. Amy Rodriguez and Lianne Sanderson.

Philadelphia often goes with a lone forward to start the match, inserting Sanderson at halftime or early in 2nd half to provide additional offense.

In both cases, the star performers for each team have stood out in this series. Rodriguez has three goals against the Freedom, while Wambach has four goals and an assist against the Independence, albeit two goals coming on penalties. What we have here are two highly skilled forwards, with totally different skill sets and games, that are often paired together on the USWNT and almost perfectly complement one another. But on this weekend, they will be on opposite sides.

Rodriguez game is speed and precision. She is one of the fastest forwards in the league and this season, she improved her runs greatly, both in timing and in the angle of the run. Wambach's game is more power, often fighting off defenders to get a shot off. And there is simply not a better player in the world when the ball is in the air. Not only are her headers normally on frame, they have more power behind them than some players can shoot with their feet. That’s not to take anything away from Wambach’s skill, because she is enormously talented, but the power game is when she is at her best.

Mykjåland has scored four goals for the Freedom this year and you can’t discount her experience internationally. The wildcard in this matchup may be young Lianne Sanderson. She scored five goals this season, but three of them were against the Freedom. Sanderson will often come off the bench, fresh and full of energy, and exploit tired defenders in the 2nd half of games. Of her three goals against the Freedom, one was in the 67th minute and the other two came in stoppage time after she had come off the bench as a 2nd half sub.

I have to give an edge to the Freedom here. Wambach has been through the wars with over 10 years of international experience. Big games are the norm for her. Washington is likely to get a number of set pieces in this match and Wambach will have opportunities. Rodriguez came into her own this year, but she has scored only one goal in her last eight matches and none in her last five. Edge to the Freedom, but beware of Sanderson late.

Coaching
Jim Gabarra vs. Paul Riley

Paul Riley was WPS Coach of the Year and has to be given a lot of credit for preparing his team and building them into a competitive side very early on. But he hasn’t been able to find the answers lately as the Independence are on a four game losing streak, being outscored 9-2 over that stretch. In his defense, Philadelphia was probably hurt more by international call ups than most teams, losing players such as Seger, Larsson, and Magnusdottir for quite a few matches.

Jim Gabarra has a lot of experience and is a capable coach. He went through a similar bad stretch in June and July, with a 0-6-4 record over a ten game winless streak. However, he has managed to right the ship just in time, with the Freedom making a nice run down the stretch to edge out Sky Blue for the final playoff berth. Give him a lot of credit for the decision to move Marshall back to defense where the need was far greater than at forward.

I’d say it’s a virtual wash here, with neither side having much of an advantage.

Intangibles
The Independence have the home field advantage in this one and in the four meetings between these two teams, the home team has won on each occasion. Philly was a stronger team at home, with one of their losses coming against regular season champs Gold Pride and the other two losses were one goal decisions against Boston. Washington has a terrible road record, with their only road victory coming in May against Atlanta.

The Freedom have one thing going for them, though, and that’s momentum. They played a lot of meaningful games down the stretch, finishing the season off at a 4-1-2 clip. They are a confident squad right now, while the Independence have been a bit listless as of late. Both teams are pretty experienced, with the one area of question possibly being young Ashlyn Harris in goal, but she has performed admirably in a number of big games during the past month.

Again, this is pretty much a wash, with Philadelphia having an edge with the home field advantage and Washington having the edge in momentum and confidence.

My Prediction
My feeling is that the Independence have had trouble scoring lately, while Washington has been in big game mode for quite some time, given their battle for the final playoff spot. Playoff games often come down to one play at the right time and with set pieces being a strong suit for the Freedom and Abby Wambach, that tilts the scales their way.
Washington Freedom 2, Philadelphia Independence 1

WPS Award Winners Announced

WPS has announced the winners of their year-end awards. Five of the awards are voted on by media, fans, players, and coaches. The Golden Boot goes to the leading goal scorer. Finally, the Citi Sportswoman of the Year is voted on by only players and coaches. Here are the winners of those awards:

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

MedImmune Defender of the Year - Amy LePeilbet, Boston Breakers

Coast Guard Goalkeeper of the Year - Nicole Barnhart, FC Gold Pride

WPS Rookie of the Year - Ali Riley, FC Gold Pride

WPS Coach of the Year - Paul Riley, Philadelphia Independence.

Citi Sportswoman of the Year - Natalie Spilger, Chicago Red Stars

PUMA Golden Boot - Marta, FC Gold Pride

Congratulations to all of the awardees!

Norway, France , Sweden and England ready for World Cup

Norway and France qualified for World Cup yesterday, and today Sweden and England qualified for 2011 FIFA Women`s World Cup after two legs playoff matches.

Sweden won playoffs after scoring in extra time against Denmark. England won 3-2 away against Switzerland.

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

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

WPS Rookie of the Year - Jordan Angeli, Boston Breakers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

One Unofficial Award

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

Comeback Player of the Year - Lindsay Tarpley, Boston Breakers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WPS Awards - Who I Voted For and Why.....Part 1

The WPS Year-End Awards will be announced soon, so I thought I would do a two-part series on who I voted for and why. Every category had a number of good candidates and a couple of the awards were exceedingly hard to decide. So, without further ado, this is who I voted for in each category:

WPS Coach of the Year - Paul Riley, Philadelphia Indpendence

Nothing against Jim Gabarra, but to me, this came down to Riley, Tony DiCicco, and Albertin Montoya. I thought that both DiCicco and Montoya had more talent to work with than Riley. I also think that heading into the season, both Boston and Gold Pride had superstars in Kelly Smith and Marta, where Philadelphia really did not.

I was very impressed with how Riley brought together a group of spare parts (no offense to the Independence players intended) and had them playing competitive soccer from day one, something that is difficult with an expansion team. Players seemed to reach their potential for Philadelphia and I believe Riley needs to be given credit for a lot of that. I know critics are going to cite the four consecutive losses at the end of the season, but the expansion Independence still finished in 3rd place, just a scant two points behind established Boston.

Tony DiCicco did an admirable job in turning around a Breakers team that appeared to be headed nowhere in May. The Breakers made some acquisitions and DiCicco tweaked his lineup and things turned around in a hurry. But Boston entered the season with a strong veteran lineup and didn't have to deal with the handicap of expansion that Riley did.

One comment that I've heard far too much is that any team that has Marta should win, thus discounting Montoya's efforts with Gold Pride. Marta is a big difference maker to be sure, but it shouldn't detract from the job Montoya did, starting three rookies and leading FCGP from last place in 2009 to first this season.

Jim Gabarra has to be given credit for the Freedom's surge at the end of the season, picking up 14 points in the final 7 matches. But the Freedom had a dismal two months in June and July, so it was hard to see picking him over Riley.

MedImmune Defender of the Year - Rachel Buehler, FC Gold Pride

This is always a tough category to vote on. Defense is much more of a team effort than individual effort. There are no statistics to easily quantify a defender's performance and one really needs to watch them over a full schedule to appreciate what they do for a team, game in and game out. All four of the nominees are team leaders and solid defenders, but on my vote, I had Rachel Buehler edging out Amy LePeilbet.

Rachel Buehler is an exceptional defender and is known for her hard tackles. She captained a defense that went from 2nd worst to best in just one year. Of Gold Pride's regular starting back line, only Kandace Wilson had played with Buehler at all last year and then for only part of the season. I think Buehler has to be given a lot of credit for the group's cohesiveness given the small amount of time they had played together. I also rarely saw Buehler make a mistake.

Amy LePeilbet is often called the best defender in the league and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if she won this award. She is talented, consistent, and always gives top effort. It was a very hard decision, but I gave Buehler the nod over LePeilbet by the slightest of margins.

Both Allison Falk and Tina Ellertson are excellent defenders. Both are good in the air, keeping their respective teams out of trouble on set pieces. Falk is a threat at both ends of the field on headers. Ellertson makes many tackles that most defenders wouldn't even attempt and has perhaps the best closing speed of any defender in WPS. I thought both were hurt by the fact that their teams could be very inconsistent defensively. I would love to have them on my team, but I just couldn't vote for either over Buehler for 2010.

Coast Guard Goalkeeper of the Year - Nicole Barnhart, FC Gold Pride

Nicole Barnhart, often overshadowed by her USWNT teammate Hope Solo, had a great season in goal for FC Gold Pride. She led the league in shutouts with eight and in goals against average at 0.77 per game. She only gave up as many as two goals three times this season. I thought her consistency from start to finish of the 2010 season lifted her above the other candidates.

Karen Bardsley, stepping in for the injured Jen Branam, did a phenomenol job early in the season. She earned five shutouts before the All-Star break. Unfortunately, she suffered a season-ending injury in training for that game and missed the rest of the season. In spite of the great half season she had and my very high respect for her accomplishments, I couldn't choose her over Barnhart's season-long excellence.

I still regard Hope Solo as the beat keeper in the league, but again, it was hard to choose her over Barnhart in 2010. Controversy aside, there is no other goalkeeper that I would want in goal for a penalty kick or a breakaway and she kept the Beat in many a game that they had no business being in. But she suffered from Atlanta's inconsistent defensive efforts and there were just too many multi-goal games.

Jill Loyden is a solid young keeper who will only improve as she gains confidence and experience. Like Solo, she posted six shutouts. But again, it was hard to see choosing her over Barnhart in this particular season.

Tomorrow, part two of WPS Awards - Who I Voted For and Why.

WPS Commissioner Antonucci To Step Down

WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci has announced that she will be stepping down at the conclusion of the 2010 season. Antonucci has been the guiding force behind the launching and development of the league since inception. She has led the league from its very beginnings, through the first season, and expansion. She helped secure sponsorships with PUMA and Citi and negotiated a deal with Fox Soccer Channel. Over the course of the past couple of years, the league has seen strong growth in sponsorships and partnerships under her leadership. She has also helped the league navigate through the demise of two franchises.

WPS General Counsel Anne-Marie Eileraas will take the title of CEO, Women's Professional Soccer. She will work with the WPS board, heading up the business and organizational aspects of WPS, while the board will deal more with the strategic direction of the league.

"Commissioner Antonucci's contributions to this league and to women's soccer on the whole are too numerous to list," said T. Fitz Johnson, Chairman of the WPS Board of Governors. "No other person did more to bring this league from idea to fruition over the past six years than she did. WPS would not be here without Tonya Antonucci and without her tireless work and unending passion for launching this league."

"The Board is incredibly excited that Anne-Marie Eileraas has accepted our offer to take over from the Commissioner as the CEO of Women's Professional Soccer."

Best wishes on future endeavors to Commissioner Antonucci. Congratulations and good luck to Ms. Eileraas in her new position.

FC Gold Pride Presented with Regular Season Championship Trophy

Commissioner Tonya Antonucci presented FC Gold Pride with the regular season championship trophy before Saturday's match at Pioneer Stadium. It was presented to club owners Nancy and Brian NeSmith of FC Gold Pride.

The trophy was passed to general manager Ilisa Kessler, head coach Albertin Montoya, and captain Rachel Buehler before the the entire team was photographed with it.

FC Gold Pride finished with a 16-3-5 record and 53 points, 17 points ahead of 2nd place Boston. They will host the WPS Championship presented by Citi on September 26.

Solo Fined and Suspended for Twitter Remarks

Atlanta Beat goalkeeper Hope Solo has been fined and suspended by the WPS Disciplinary Committee for Twitter remarks following the Beat's 1-0 loss to the Washington Freedom on Saturday. She has been suspended for one game and fined $2500. Additionally, she will be required to do 8 hours of community service. She was deemed to have made "prejudicial statements and public criticism" which is covered by Section 13.1.3 of the League Operations Manual.

Solo openly criticized officials during several tweets after the Beat/Freedom match and appeared to question the objectivity of both the officials and the league. She will have seven days to appeal the suspension and community service and 30 days to appeal the fine.

Damallsvenskan 2010, round 18

Foul-wise, it was unusually clean week in Damallsvenskan, featuring only three yellow cards in two games. Injury-wise, there was one somewhat horrifying injury as Sunnanå's Kicki Viklund smacked her head into a metal post off the side of the field, and was stretchered off bleeding profusely from her forehead and wearing a neck-brace. Score-wise, it was an uneven week, with two seven-goal games, two three-goal games, and also one incredibly boring 0-0 draw. Guess which game I went to.

4 september
Umeå IK v. Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC 1 - 2 (1 - 0)
Goals: 45' Sofia Jakobsson (passning Emmelie Konradsson) (1-0); 47' Lisa Dahlkvist (passning Johanna Almgren) 1-1; 53' Linnea Liljegärd (passning Johanna Almgren) 1-2
Source: damfotboll

Good combination play between UIK's young players Konradsson and Jakobsson put the visitors ahead just before the half, but apparently K/G coach Torbjörn Nilsson gave his team some sort of fiery speech in the locker room, as they came out for the second half and scored almost immediately. Only five minutes later Almgren had her second assist, sending a ball to Liljegärd who left one defender behind and also outran the one ahead of her to score the winning goal. The game slowed down after that, although UIK pressed hard in the final minutes. K/G is now almost assured of second place in the league—their highest finish ever— and a Champions League berth next year.


5 september
Kristianstads DFF v. Jitex BK 3 - 4 (1 - 4)
Goals: 7' Malin Fors (passning Kristin Carlsson) 0-1; 12' Annica Sjölund 0-2; 33' Kristin Carlsson 0-3; 35' Kirsty Yallop (passning Susanne Moberg) 1-3; 41' Malin Fors 1-4; 54' Susanne Moberg 2-4; 57' Mia Carlsson (passning Therese Björck) 3-4
Warnings: KDFF Emelie Johnsson 46'
Source: damfotboll, Jitex
Pictures of the game

KDFF refused to give up, despite being three goals behind at halftime— "Jitex had some cheap goals," according to KDFF coach Elisabet Gunnarsdottir, "it was if our defense had never played together before"— but her team made a good game of it with two in the second half. The hunt for third place continues for Jitex, who are only one point behind Linköping.


LdB FC Malmö v. Sunnanå SK 3 - 0 (2 - 0)
Goals: 31' Pavlina Scasna 1-0; 36' Pavlina Scasna 2-0; 68' Pavlina Scasna (passning Therese Sjögran) 3-0
Source: damfotboll match report, damfotboll follow-up on Kicki Viklund, damfotboll on the metal posts that hold the advertising signs

Scasna's hat trick performance was great, sure, but this game will be remembered also for the incident in which SSK's Kicki Viklund slid off the field and cut her forehead open on a metal post used to hold advertising. The profuse bleeding was bad, but it looked like it could have been even worse. The stadium operators claim that the posts are 3.05 meters away from the sidelines, just a little over the regulation 3 meters. Still, after this accident, I hope someone is either reconsidering the distance or reconsidering fixed metal posts.


Hammarby IF DFF v. KIF Örebro 0 - 1 (0 - 1)
Goals: 15' Marina Pettersson (passning Edda Gardarsdottir) 0-1
Source: damfotboll

An unhappy return to the every day for Hammarby, following their win last week against AIK. The back lines of both teams had the best play on the day, and therefore the audience did not see so many scoring opportunities. "We had more chances than Hammarby, but did not play well today. We met a physical and struggling Hammarby and defended ourselves well," said KIF coach Richard Holmlund, a little confusingly.

Hammarby, with 12 points, has to play its last four games against Tyresö (home), Linköping (away), Umeå (away) and Kristianstad (home); Sunnanå with 14 points is the team that they have to best chance of overtaking to avoid relegation. Sunnanå plays against Jitex (home), Djurgården (away), Örebro (home) and Linköping (away) and therefore perhaps has the every so slightly easier schedule. It's not looking good for Hammarby.


Djurgårdens IF v. Linköpings IF 0 - 0 (0 - 0)
Source: damfotboll, my own eyes

No goals, no warnings... a game in which not much happened at all. It figures, that this is the game that I went to this week. Djurgården celebrated mildly at the end, as a tie against last year's league winners must certainly be considered a positive achievement by them.


Tyresö FF v. AIK 5 - 2 (1 - 1)
Goals: 15' Katrin Schmidt (passning Elaine Moura) 1-0; 26' Fiona O Sullivan 1-1; 44' Jennifer Egelryd 2-1; 60' Kirsten van de Ven 2-1; 63' Madelaine Edlund (passning Elaine Moura) 3-1; 71' Azra Durakovic 4-1; 89' Elin Ekblom Bak 5-1; 90' Tiffany Weimer 5-2
Warnings: AIK Sofia Simonsson 1'; TFF Kirsten van de Ven 81'
Source: damfotboll

"If it had been 2-0 the match might have run our way, and it would have become a little vacuum. AIK has strengthened but not so much as to threaten us," said TFF manager Hans Löfgren. Schmidt, van de Ven, Edlund, and Elaine were the players who distinguished themselves the most, and in damfotboll's match report, Ekblom Bak looks especially pleased to have scored and won against her old team AIK. Ex-Nittany Lion Weimer added a consolation goal for AIK in stoppage time.

WPS Playoff Schedule and Final Standings

The WPS Playoff Schedule has been announced. Gold Pride clinched the first seed and home field advantage in the final early on. Boston edged out Philadelphia for 2nd place. Washington earned the 4th playoff berth on the final day of the season.

The first round match will be played at Philadelphia's home field, John A. Ferrell Stadium in West Chester, Pennsylvania. It has been announced that the SuperSemifinal, to be hosted by the Boston Breakers, will be played at the brand new soccer specific stadium at Harvard, Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium. The final will be played at Pioneer Stadium in Hayward, California, home of FC Gold Pride.

Final Regular Season Standings:
1) FC Gold Pride (16-3-5, 53 pts); 2) Boston (10-8-6, 36 pts); 3) Philadelphia (10-10-4, 34 pts); 4) Washington (8-9-7, 31 pts); 5) Sky Blue FC (7-10-7, 28 pts); 6) Chicago (7-11-6, 27 pts); 7) Atlanta (5-13-6, 21 pts).
Playoff qualifiers in red.

2010 WPS Playoffs presented by MedImmune:
WPS First Round
Sunday, September 19 - Washington Freedom at Philadelphia Independence (2:30 pm eastern)

WPS Super-Semifinal
Thursday, September 23 - Winner of First Round Match at Boston Breakers (8 pm eastern)

WPS Championship presented by Citi
Sunday, September 26 - Winner of Super Semifinal at FC Gold Pride (2:30 pm eastern).

Gold Pride Mauls Independence 4-1

Gold Pride finished off their regular season on a 13-game unbeaten streak, easily defeating Philadelphia 4-1 on Saturday evening. Leading the way for Gold Pride was Kelley O'Hara with two goals plus an assist and Marta with a goal and three assists.

The game was scoreless for nearly 40 minutes, but Gold Pride put together back-to-back goals by O'Hara and Marta before the end of the half to put FCGP up by two at the intermission. O'Hara received a pass from Marta to the far left side and chipped it over Val Henderson just inside the post from an extremely bad angle.

O'Hara returned the favor just a minute later, sending a perfect through ball to Marta who touched the ball around Henderson and finished from the right side of the box. It was Marta's 19th goal of the season.

In the 50th minute, Gold Pride made it 3-0 as Marta took a free kick from just outside the box on the right side. Her placement was perfect and O'Hara headed it home.

Philadelphia showed some life, however, as Lianne Sanderson scored on an excellent ball over the top from Lori Lindsey. That cut the lead to 3-1.

Gold Pride put the game out of reach in the 64th minute. Marta beat two defenders and ran onto the ball on the left wing and sent a ball back across the box. Christine Sinclair cut across and finished inside the left post to make it 4-1. It was Sinclair's 10th goal of the season, making her only the fifth WPS player to reach that plateau.

While Gold Pride was playing without Camille Abily, the Independence were missing several starters including Frida Magnusdottir, Caroline Seger, Karina LeBlanc, and Sara Larsson.

Philadelphia finishes in 3rd place and will host Washington in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday, September 19, tentatively scheduled at 2:30 eastern time. Gold Pride pushed their record to 16-3-5 and will host the final on Sunday, September 26.

Freedom Make Playoffs

The Washington Freedom defeated the Atlanta Beat 1-0 to earn the fourth and final WPS playoff berth. Abby Wambach scored in the 88th minute to lift the Freedom to victory.

Washington controlled most of the first half of the match, but Atlanta came on toward the end of the half. Still, the Freedom had a healthy edge in shots at the intermission.

In the second half, two goals were disallowed, one by each team. In the 60th minute, Atlanta had a free kick from about 40 yards out which was sent into the box by Aya Miyama. The ball eluded Lauren Sesselmann and two Freedom defenders, then bounced over Ashlyn Harris' head into the net. The goal was apparently called back on a foul by Sesselmann, although there was no official explanation at the time.

Shortly thereafter, Lauren Sesselmann picked up her second yellow card of the match for taking down Anita Asante, putting Atlanta down a player for the remainder of the match.

Later, the Freedom scored what appeared to be the go ahead goal by Christie Welsh, only to have it called back on an offside call.

Finally, in the 88th minute Wambach ran onto a long ball over the Atlanta defense and chipped the ball over the onrushing Hope Solo for the only goal of the match.

As it turned out, Sky Blue playing to a scoreless tie against Boston meant that Washington was in the playoffs anyhow, but the victory in a key game gives them some momentum heading into the playoffs. The Freedom are the only team to make the WPS playoffs in both years, last year finishing third before falling in the first round match against Sky Blue. Washington will travel to either Boston or Philadelphia to play next Sunday.

Sky Blue FC 0, Boston Breakers 0

Sky Blue and Boston played to a scoreless tie at Yurcak Field, ending Sky Blue's quest for a playoff berth.

With both their game and the Freedom/Beat game being played at the same time and both being scoreless into the 88th minute, there was a great deal of tension entering the final moments of both matches. As it turned out, the Sky Blue game was just finishing up about the time Abby Wambach was scoring her game winning goal for the Freedom.

Alyssa Naeher got the shutout for the Breakers, while Meghann Burke earned the shutout for Sky Blue.

Sky Blue's loss means that there will be a different WPS champion this year. At the moment, it appears that Boston will hold on to 2nd place in spite of the tie and will host the Super Semi-Final

WPS Weekend Preview - September 11

Boston Breakers (10-8-5, 35 pts) at Sky Blue FC (7-10-6, 27 pts)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ – September 11 (7 pm ET)

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

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

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

Playoff Outlook:
Boston will clinch 2nd place with a victory or a Philadelphia loss or tie.
Sky Blue can clinch a playoff berth with a victory and a Washington loss or tie.

What To Look For: Both teams will have something to play for in this match. In a series that had been dominated by Sky Blue, Boston destroyed SBFC by a 4-0 margin the last time the two teams met. Although they will be playing at Yurcak Field, Sky Blue would not appear to have much of a home field advantage given that they are 2-4-4 at home, while the Breakers are 5-2-4 on the road.

There will be a lot of key players missing in this one. Boston’s leading scorer Kelly Smith and defender Alex Scott will be away on national team duty. Sky Blue will be missing Patrizia Panico and Kelly Parker for the same reason. Carli Lloyd is suspended for this match due to yellow card accumulation. She has received yellow cards in three consecutive matches, the first of which was back in April before her injury.

This is a must win for Sky Blue. Jen Branam is not listed on the roster report as being injured, so it will be interesting to see who Sky Blue will start in goal. Lack of scoring has been a problem all season for Sky Blue and they may very well have to shut out the Breakers to defeat them. Tasha Kai has been the bright spot on offense as of late, with two goals in her last three games.

The Breakers would like to wrap up second place without the help of Gold Pride later in the evening. They will miss Smith, but they have a lot of scoring alternatives this year and that could make the difference in this match.

There will be no backing into the playoffs this year for Sky Blue. They either win this match or there's no chance that they will be playing next week. The Breakers will definitely be hosting a playoff match, but a win here would make their route to the championship a shorter one.

Atlanta Beat (5-12-6, 21 pts) at Washington Freedom (7-9-7, 28 pts)
Maryland SoccerPlex, Boyds, MD – September 11 (7 pm ET)

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

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

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

Playoff Outlook:
Washington will clinch 4th place with a victory or a Sky Blue loss or tie.

What To Look For: The Freedom probably couldn’t ask for a much better set of circumstances in a big game situation. They face a depleted, last-place Atlanta Beat squad that has nothing to play for and they play them at home where they have posted a 6-2-3 record this season (with one of those games being at RFK). Atlanta will be without their two leading scorers in Eniola Aluko and Johanna Rasmussen.

A victory clinches a playoff berth for Washington. They could accomplish the same with a Sky Blue loss or tie, but would rather it not come to that with the teams playing simultaneously on Saturday. The Freedom will also be without several key players including Sonia Bompastor, Sarah Huffman, and Lene Mykjåland.

Abby Wambach has scored 12 goals this season, with two of those coming against the Beat. She has also scored 9 goals at the SoccerPlex. The Freedom defense has been much stronger lately, led by rookie goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris and rookie defender Nikki Marshall.

Without Aluko and Rasmussen, Monica Ocampo is Atlanta’s top scorer with just three goals this season. The Beat have been quite inconsistent defensively, but will need to be in top form here.

Basically, Washington just needs to take care of business. They have won their last three home games, giving up just one goal in those matches. With another win here, the Freedom will be traveling north for a first round playoff match.

Philadelphia Independence (10-9-4, 34 pts) at FC Gold Pride (15-3-5, 50 pts)
Pioneer Stadium, Hayward, CA – September 11 (8:30 pm ET, 5:30 pm PT)

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

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

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

Playoff Outlook:
Gold Pride has clinched first place and home field advantage in the final.
Philadelphia can clinch 2nd place with a victory and a Boston loss or tie.

What To Look For: Philadelphia is assured of a home playoff game, but a victory could vault them into 2nd place. By halftime, the Independence will know if there is still a chance for that to happen. Gold Pride would like to continue their long unbeaten streak.

Gold Pride has given up just eight goals in their current twelve match unbeaten streak. Bay Area has been tough all season, but is especially strong at home where their record is 7-1-3. They have twice defeated the Independence this season. The damage has been done by Christine Sinclair with three goals against Philly and Marta with two.

Philadelphia is in a scoring drought and their current three game losing streak is their longest of the season. The Independence will be missing several key players including Caroline Seger, Frida Magnusdottir, Sara Larsson, and Karina LeBlanc. Tina DiMartino has scored the lone goal for the Independence against Gold Pride.

The Independence would hate to go into the playoffs on a four match losing streak, whether they finish second or third. This game may mean more for their confidence than it does for their placing.

WPS Midweek Notes - Scurry Retires

Briana Scurry, long time goalkeeper of the US Women's National Team and member of the WPS Washington Freedom has retired from professional soccer.

Scurry was the number one keeper for the US for well over a decade. She is best remembered for her penalty shot save in the 1999 Women's World Cup in the championship match against China. In addition to that championship, she also earned gold medals in the 1996 and 2004 Olympic Games. She capped 173 times for the USWNT with the United States winning nearly 85% of those matches.

The University of Massachusetts grad was one of the most athletic goalkeepers of her era. Scurry was a member of the Atlanta Beat of the WUSA and the Washington Freedom of WPS. She started in the Freedom's first match against the Los Angeles Sol in March, 2009. However, injuries have plagued her over the past two seasons and she saw very little playing time for the Freedom. She played only 45 minutes for the Freedom this season.

Scurry is also known for her considerable work with various charitable organizations. She will go down in history as one of the best goalkeepers ever in the women's game. Best wishes on all future endeavors to Briana!

Kelly Smith - Player of the Month

Boston Breaker striker Kelly Smith has won Player of the Month honors for the month of August. Smith scored four goals and added one assist in August, while leading the Breakers to a 3-1-1 record. She scored the game winning goals in victories over Atlanta and Philadelphia, plus a game-tying goal in another match with the Independence.

It is the second consecutive month that a Breakers has won the award. Jordan Angeli won the award in July.

Boquete Earns Player of the Week

In her first week of WPS action, Veronica Boquete has won the WPS Player of the Week award. The Red Star forward scored a goal just minutes into her first match against Philadelphia, helping Chicago to a 2-0 win last Wednesday. Then she assisted on both goals in Chicago's 2-1 victory over the Freedom on Sunday.

Boquete had helped the Buffalo Flash win the W-League championship just a few weeks earlier, after which she signed with Chicago, only to have her eligibility held up for visa problems. "Vero", as she is known, is a member of the Spanish Women's National Team.

Around the League

Atlanta Beat - Eniola Aluko could end up leading two different teams in goals this season. She leads the Beat with five goals and led the now defunct Saint Louis Athletica with four.....Only Leigh Ann Robinson has played in all 23 games for Atlanta this season.....The Beat have scored more than one goal only four times this season, but they also gave up more than one goal in each of those games, with a 2-1-1 record.

Boston Breakers -During their 13 game scoring streak, ten different players scored goals for the Breakers.....Kelly Smith is the only two-time winner of the Player of the Month award. She also won in April, 2009.....The Breakers are 0-4 against Gold Pride and 10-4-5 against the rest of the league.

Chicago Red Stars - Sunday's 2-1 victory over Washington marked the first time that the Red Stars had ever scored in three consecutive matches.....Marian Dalmy completed the 2010 season having played every minute. The Red Star defender scored a goal and four assists for the year.....Formiga currently leads WPS in fouls committed with 42, seven more than Jen Buczkowski.

FC Gold Pride - Camille Abily has apparently transitioned from one the league's best goal scorers to one of the best passers. Last year, she scored 8 goals and had one assist for the Sol. This season, she has only one goal, but has added six assists for Gold Pride.....Marta has not missed a minute of action since April 25, 2009 when she was with the Brazilian National Team in Europe.....Gold Pride holds 8-0-4 record in their 12 game unbeaten streak, which is a WPS record.

Philadelphia Independence - Amy Rodriguez is second in WPS in shots on goal with 35 and third in shots with 63.....In addition to Rodriguez's three braces, Frida Magnusdottir and Tina DiMartino have one each for the Independence.....Philadelphia has scored just one goal in their last three matches, all losses.

Sky Blue FC - Rookie Brittany Taylor is Sky Blue's ironwoman having played all 2070 minutes for the team this season.....Tasha Kai and Laura Kalmari are currently tied for the team best in goals with five each.....Sky Blue has had four different starting goalkeepers this season.

Washington Freedom - Becky Sauerbrunn's consecutive minutes streak continues at 3870 minutes in regular season matches. Rookie Nikki Marshall has also not missed a minute for the Freedom this season.....Abby Wambach has scored nine of her 12 goals at the Maryland SoccerPlex and has scored in seven of the eleven games played there this season. The Freedom host Atlanta at the SoccerPlex this weekend with a chance at a playoff berth.....The Freedom have won their last three home games and are 6-2-3 for the season at home.

Correction: Abby Wambach has actually scored in seven of the ten games played at the Maryland SoccerPlex this season. The eleventh home game to be played there will be this weekend's match against Atlanta. One other home game was played at RFK Stadium.