The Atlanta Silverbacks coasted to a 6-1 victory over the Ottawa Fury to win the 2011 W-League championship on Sunday evening. The Silverbacks got two goals each from Megan Tomlinson and Susannah Dennis to notch the win.
Both Tomlinson and Dennis scored first half goals to give Atlanta a 2-0 lead. Then the Silverbacks were awarded a penalty and the Fury's Courtney Wetzel was sent off late in the half. Alexa Newfield converted the penalty to make it 3-0 at the half.
Mallory Outerbridge managed to cut the lead to 3-1 for the shorthanded Fury in the second half, but Atlanta followed with goals by Dennis, Tomlinson, and Sarah Bennett to put the match away.
The Vancouver Whitecaps defeated the Seattle Sounders 2-1 in the 3rd place match.
July 31, 2011
Orange County Takes WPSL Crown with Overtime Victory
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Labels: Brittany Klein, Chicago Red Stars, Julie Ewing, Kiki Bosio, Michele Weissenhofer, Orange County Waves, Tanya Taylor, WPSL
Labels: Brittany Klein, Chicago Red Stars, Julie Ewing, Kiki Bosio, Michele Weissenhofer, Orange County Waves, Tanya Taylor, WPSL
The Orange County Waves are the 2011 WPSL champions as they defeated the Chicago Red Stars 2-1 in overtime earlier this afternoon. Tanya Taylor scored the game winner in the 101st minute.
Former FC Gold Pride striker, Kiki Bosio, put the Waves on top in the first half, scoring in the 43rd minute.
The score remained 1-0 until the late stages of regulation time. Michele Weissenhofer sent a flip throw-in to the six and after a scramble in the box, Julie Ewing was able to get her foot on it and put it in the net to tie the score in the 88th minute.
Chicago appeared to have the momentum late in regulation and at the beginning of the overtime period, but in the 101st minute, Brittany Klein sent the ball through to Tanya Taylor who got behind the Red Stars' defense. She finished past Chicago goalkeeper Jamie Forbes to give the Waves a 2-1 lead.
Orange County was able to hold on to their lead to clinch the championship. The Waves are coached by former Los Angeles Sol coach Abner Rogers. It was their first WPSL championship.
Former FC Gold Pride striker, Kiki Bosio, put the Waves on top in the first half, scoring in the 43rd minute.
The score remained 1-0 until the late stages of regulation time. Michele Weissenhofer sent a flip throw-in to the six and after a scramble in the box, Julie Ewing was able to get her foot on it and put it in the net to tie the score in the 88th minute.
Chicago appeared to have the momentum late in regulation and at the beginning of the overtime period, but in the 101st minute, Brittany Klein sent the ball through to Tanya Taylor who got behind the Red Stars' defense. She finished past Chicago goalkeeper Jamie Forbes to give the Waves a 2-1 lead.
Orange County was able to hold on to their lead to clinch the championship. The Waves are coached by former Los Angeles Sol coach Abner Rogers. It was their first WPSL championship.
Independence Regain 1st Place with Victory over Beat
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Labels: 2011 WPS, Allison Whitworth, Amy Rodriguez, Atlanta Beat, Lori Chalupny, Nicole Barnhart, Philadelphia Independence, Tasha Kai, Veronica Boquete
Labels: 2011 WPS, Allison Whitworth, Amy Rodriguez, Atlanta Beat, Lori Chalupny, Nicole Barnhart, Philadelphia Independence, Tasha Kai, Veronica Boquete
Veronica Boquete scored her fifth goal of the season and it proved to be the game winner as the Philadelphia Independence defeated the Atlanta Beat 1-0 in Chester on Sunday. A crowd of 4162 saw the Independence regain sole possession of first place with a three point lead on Western New York.
In the first half of action, Atlanta appeared to be the more dangerous club. In the 25th minute, Lori Chalupny got around Kia McNeill to go in one-on-one against Nicole Barnhart from the left side of the box. Barnhart did a great job of cutting down the angle and then deflected Chalupny's shot wide.
But if the Beat held their own in the first half, the second half was all Philadelphia. Just a couple of minutes into the half, Nikki Krzysik sent Tina DiMartino in alone on a breakaway, but with Atlanta keeper Allison Whitworth coming out, she place her shot just wide of the left post. In the 56th minute, an Amy Rodriguez cross found the head of Tasha Kai, but Whitworth made a diving save on the shot headed just inside the left post.
Boquete finally put Philly up 1-0 on a great individual effort. Rodriguez nodded a header forward to Boquete, who cut toward the right side of the penalty area with Kat Reynolds on her shoulder. Whitworth made a very good save on Boquete's first effort, but the Spanish striker was able to outfight Reynolds for the rebound and put it in the back of the net.
Whitworth was able to keep the game close in spite of the Independence having several 1 v. 1 opportunities against her in the second half. She stopped Boquete with a big save in the 74th minute.
Atlanta had few chances in the second half, but Lori Chalupny's one-timer from 18 yards forced Barnhart to dive near post to block the ball away in the 76th minute.
Philadelphia followed with several more chances in the last 10 minutes. Whitworth stopped one-on-one chances from Kai, Lianne Sanderson, and Boquete in the closing minutes of the match.
Veronica Boquete once again proved to be the difference maker for Philadelphia. The Independence raised their league-leading record to 10-3-3, now three points ahead of Western New York. However, they have just two games remaining, while the Flash have four. Philly hosts Sky Blue next Sunday.
In spite of strong games from Allison Whitworth and Lori Chalupny, the Beat suffered their sixth straight shutout and are now winless in their last 14 matches. Their record stands at 1-11-4 and their two remaining matches are against Western New York.
WPS Standings
(1) Philadelphia 10-3-3, 33 pts; (2) Western New York 9-2-3, 30 pts; (3) Sky Blue FC 5-6-4, 19 pts; (4) magicJack 6-6-2, 19 pts; (5) Boston 4-7-4, 16 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-11-4, 7 pts.
In the first half of action, Atlanta appeared to be the more dangerous club. In the 25th minute, Lori Chalupny got around Kia McNeill to go in one-on-one against Nicole Barnhart from the left side of the box. Barnhart did a great job of cutting down the angle and then deflected Chalupny's shot wide.
But if the Beat held their own in the first half, the second half was all Philadelphia. Just a couple of minutes into the half, Nikki Krzysik sent Tina DiMartino in alone on a breakaway, but with Atlanta keeper Allison Whitworth coming out, she place her shot just wide of the left post. In the 56th minute, an Amy Rodriguez cross found the head of Tasha Kai, but Whitworth made a diving save on the shot headed just inside the left post.
Boquete finally put Philly up 1-0 on a great individual effort. Rodriguez nodded a header forward to Boquete, who cut toward the right side of the penalty area with Kat Reynolds on her shoulder. Whitworth made a very good save on Boquete's first effort, but the Spanish striker was able to outfight Reynolds for the rebound and put it in the back of the net.
Whitworth was able to keep the game close in spite of the Independence having several 1 v. 1 opportunities against her in the second half. She stopped Boquete with a big save in the 74th minute.
Atlanta had few chances in the second half, but Lori Chalupny's one-timer from 18 yards forced Barnhart to dive near post to block the ball away in the 76th minute.
Philadelphia followed with several more chances in the last 10 minutes. Whitworth stopped one-on-one chances from Kai, Lianne Sanderson, and Boquete in the closing minutes of the match.
Veronica Boquete once again proved to be the difference maker for Philadelphia. The Independence raised their league-leading record to 10-3-3, now three points ahead of Western New York. However, they have just two games remaining, while the Flash have four. Philly hosts Sky Blue next Sunday.
In spite of strong games from Allison Whitworth and Lori Chalupny, the Beat suffered their sixth straight shutout and are now winless in their last 14 matches. Their record stands at 1-11-4 and their two remaining matches are against Western New York.
WPS Standings
(1) Philadelphia 10-3-3, 33 pts; (2) Western New York 9-2-3, 30 pts; (3) Sky Blue FC 5-6-4, 19 pts; (4) magicJack 6-6-2, 19 pts; (5) Boston 4-7-4, 16 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-11-4, 7 pts.
July 30, 2011
Press Scores Hat Trick as magicJack Romps to Victory
Rookie Christen Press scored three times to lead magicJack to a 4-0 shutout over the Boston Breakers. The victory moves magicJack into a third place tie with Sky Blue. A good crowd of over 3000 saw the match in Boca Raton.
With both teams entering the contest in a tie for the fourth and final playoff berth, this was a key win for magicJack. The loss puts Boston in a desperate position, now three points behind both magicJack and Sky Blue.
Abby Wambach opened the scoring for the hosts. The magicJack player/coach scored her first goal since returning from the World Cup, assisted by fellow USWNT player Megan Rapinoe in the 16th minute.
From then on, it was the Christen Press show as she scored in the 36th, 76th, and 83rd minute, with Wambach, Marian Dalmy, and Nikki Washington assisting. It was the fourth hat trick in WPS history, the third of the 2011 season. Press now has eight goals, tied with Tasha Kai and just one behind league-leader Christine Sinclair.
Boston was credited with just one shot for the match, while magicJack attempted 16 shots. The Breakers were playing without two top forwards in Kelly Smith and Lauren Cheney, both of whom suffered injuries at the World Cup.
Jill Loyden earned the shutout for magicJack, who are now 6-6-2 and tied with Sky Blue at 19 points in third place. They will host Sky Blue for the second consecutive Wednesday night match in Boca Raton, in a game that will go a long way to deciding third place and home field advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
The Breakers fall to 4-7-4 for the season. Boston now has an uphill battle, trailing both Sky Blue and magicJack by three points in the standings, and having one less match remaining than magicJack. They face the unenviable task of traveling to Rochester to face Western New York on Wednesday evening.
With both teams entering the contest in a tie for the fourth and final playoff berth, this was a key win for magicJack. The loss puts Boston in a desperate position, now three points behind both magicJack and Sky Blue.
Abby Wambach opened the scoring for the hosts. The magicJack player/coach scored her first goal since returning from the World Cup, assisted by fellow USWNT player Megan Rapinoe in the 16th minute.
From then on, it was the Christen Press show as she scored in the 36th, 76th, and 83rd minute, with Wambach, Marian Dalmy, and Nikki Washington assisting. It was the fourth hat trick in WPS history, the third of the 2011 season. Press now has eight goals, tied with Tasha Kai and just one behind league-leader Christine Sinclair.
Boston was credited with just one shot for the match, while magicJack attempted 16 shots. The Breakers were playing without two top forwards in Kelly Smith and Lauren Cheney, both of whom suffered injuries at the World Cup.
Jill Loyden earned the shutout for magicJack, who are now 6-6-2 and tied with Sky Blue at 19 points in third place. They will host Sky Blue for the second consecutive Wednesday night match in Boca Raton, in a game that will go a long way to deciding third place and home field advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
The Breakers fall to 4-7-4 for the season. Boston now has an uphill battle, trailing both Sky Blue and magicJack by three points in the standings, and having one less match remaining than magicJack. They face the unenviable task of traveling to Rochester to face Western New York on Wednesday evening.
Capacity Crowd Sees Sky Blue Fall to Flash
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Labels: 2011 WPS, Adriana, Alex Morgan, Christine Sinclair, Jen Branam, Marta, McCall Zerboni, Sky Blue FC, Western New York Flash
Labels: 2011 WPS, Adriana, Alex Morgan, Christine Sinclair, Jen Branam, Marta, McCall Zerboni, Sky Blue FC, Western New York Flash
A crowd of 5065 saw the host Sky Blue side fall to Western New York by a 4-1 margin. The victory boosts Western New York into a tie for first place, while Sky Blue falls into a third place tie with magicJack.
The Flash tried to get on the board quickly as Christine Sinclair nearly scored in the opening minute, but her shot hit the post.
Sky Blue took the lead midway through the first half. Therese Sjogran fed Spanish striker Adriana and she slid her shot past Flash goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris for a 1-0 lead.
However, Western New York came back with a vengeance, scoring three goals in less than ten minutes. McCall Zerboni tied the score in the 29th minute as she was able to sneak a hard shot past Sky Blue keeper Jen Branam. Just six minutes later, Yael Averbuch set up Marta to give the Flash the lead. Three minutes later, the Flash scored off of a Candace Chapman free kick as Sinclair headed it home to make it 3-1.
The score stayed that way until the waning moments of the match as Alex Morgan scored in stoppage time on an assist by Beverly Goebel.
Western New York outshot Sky Blue by a 21-8 margin and held the edge in shots on goal as well with a 10-4 advantage.
The Flash improve their record to 9-2-3 and they are now tied with Philadelphia for 1st place with a game in hand. The Independence play Atlanta on Sunday. Sky Blue falls to 5-6-4, but still have a share of third place.
Western New York hosts Boston on Wednesday night. Sky Blue travels to Florida to meet magicJack in a battle for third place, also on Wednesday evening.
Jen Branam announced before the match that she would be retiring at the end of the season. Branam has been a member of Sky Blue since the beginning and helped lead them to the 2009 WPS championship. Sky Blue plans to retire her number 23 jersey.
The Flash tried to get on the board quickly as Christine Sinclair nearly scored in the opening minute, but her shot hit the post.
Sky Blue took the lead midway through the first half. Therese Sjogran fed Spanish striker Adriana and she slid her shot past Flash goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris for a 1-0 lead.
However, Western New York came back with a vengeance, scoring three goals in less than ten minutes. McCall Zerboni tied the score in the 29th minute as she was able to sneak a hard shot past Sky Blue keeper Jen Branam. Just six minutes later, Yael Averbuch set up Marta to give the Flash the lead. Three minutes later, the Flash scored off of a Candace Chapman free kick as Sinclair headed it home to make it 3-1.
The score stayed that way until the waning moments of the match as Alex Morgan scored in stoppage time on an assist by Beverly Goebel.
Western New York outshot Sky Blue by a 21-8 margin and held the edge in shots on goal as well with a 10-4 advantage.
The Flash improve their record to 9-2-3 and they are now tied with Philadelphia for 1st place with a game in hand. The Independence play Atlanta on Sunday. Sky Blue falls to 5-6-4, but still have a share of third place.
Western New York hosts Boston on Wednesday night. Sky Blue travels to Florida to meet magicJack in a battle for third place, also on Wednesday evening.
Jen Branam announced before the match that she would be retiring at the end of the season. Branam has been a member of Sky Blue since the beginning and helped lead them to the 2009 WPS championship. Sky Blue plans to retire her number 23 jersey.
July 29, 2011
WPS Weekend Preview: July 30-31
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Labels: 2011 WPS, Atlanta Beat, Boston Breakers, magicJack, Philadelphia Independence, Sky Blue FC, Western New York Flash
Labels: 2011 WPS, Atlanta Beat, Boston Breakers, magicJack, Philadelphia Independence, Sky Blue FC, Western New York Flash
Western New York at Sky Blue FC (7 pm, Saturday)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, New Jersey.
Sky Blue FC (5-5-4)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Bardsley.
Defenders: A. Asante, C. Dew, B. Taylor, K. Fletcher, P. Hogewoning.
Midfielders: C. Blank, H. O'Reilly, T. Sjogran, A. Long, T. Heath, A. Kerr, A. Mautz.
Forwards: Adriana, E. Aluko, C. Nogueira, L. Kalmari.
Not active: K. Arnold, J. Clark, S. Gray (injured), E. Guthrie, D. Johnson, L. Johnson (injured), M. Wenino.
Western New York Flash (8-2-3)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron.
Defenders: C. Chapman, W. Engen, A. Riley, R. Moros, K. Wilson.
Midfielders: B. Edwards, Y. Averbuch, C. Seger, M. Zerboni, B. Bock, B. Goebel.
Forwards: C. Sinclair, Marta, A. Morgan.
Not active: A. Bowers, K. Brandao, G. Davison, K. Fountain, G. Lewandowski, Maurine, A. Sahlen.
Prior Meetings in 2011:
5/6/11 at WNY - Western New York 3, Sky Blue 1
6/3/11 at WNY - Western New York 2, Sky Blue 2
7/17/11 at SB - Western New York 2, Sky Blue 0
Western New York finds themselves in 2nd place, but have five matches left to make up the three points they trail Philadelphia by in the standings. However, with the Independence facing Atlanta this weekend, the Flash will want to win this one to keep pace.
Sky Blue is now all alone in 3rd place entering this match, with Boston and magicJack not far behind. This will be Sky Blue's last regular season home match, so they need to take advantage of it. They enter this match on a two-game winning streak.
For the first time since the World Cup, the Flash are at full strength as midfielder Caroline Seger returns after missing the last few matches with an injury suffered in Germany. Her presence in the midfield make the Flash an even more formidable side. She already has two goals against the Sky Blue this season.
Western New York has absolutely lit up the scoreboard against Sky Blue, scoring seven goals in three matches. In addition to Seger, Alex Morgan, Christine Sinclair, Beverly Goebel, and Marta have all score goals against New Jersey this season. Sinclair is tied for the league's best with eight goals in 2011. The Flashes' speed has given Sky Blue lots of problems in back.
Sky Blue's Jen Branam will have something to say about the outcome of this match. She now leads WPS with five shutouts in just 12 starts and is third in goals against average, just three one-hundredths of a point behind Alyssa Naeher.
Sky Blue has been using Casey Nogueira as their supersub. Nogueira leads the team with five goals scored on the season, two ahead of midfielder Allie Long. Both have scored this season against Western New York, with Long's coming on a penalty.
Ashlyn Harris will be in goal for the Flash. She is second in goals against average and has posted three shutouts. WNY has a solid back line, with Candace Chapman and Whitney Engen in the center and Ali Riley and Rebecca Moros outside. Becky Edwards is a fine two-way player in the midfield.
Sky Blue will need to find a way to slow down the Flash in this match if they want to win this match. Their midfield will likely be key with Carolyn Blank being the defensive-minded one of the group. They will also need a good match out of Swedish veteran Therese Sjogran.
Boston at magicJack (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
FAU Soccer Field, Boca Raton, Florida.
magicJack (5-6-2)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, B. Maron.
Defenders: T. Ellertson, C. Rampone, B. Sauerbrunn, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Boxx, M. Dalmy, S. Huffman, S. Schmidt, M. Rapinoe, N. Washington.
Forwards: A. Wambach, E. Masar, C. Press, L. De Vanna, J. Rasmussen.
Not active: H. Solo (injured), L. Tarpley (injured).
Boston Breakers (4-6-4)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, A. Phillips.
Defenders: R. Buehler, A. LePeilbet, S. Cox, A. Scott, K. Moore (probable), T. Hemmings.
Midfielders: L. Osborne, A. Sameshima, K. Winters, M. Klingenberg, K. Schoepfer, L. Bogus.
Forwards: K. O'Hara (probable), K. Smith (questionable), K. Schoepfer, N. Marshall.
Not active: J. Angeli (injured), L. Blayney, L. Cheney (injured), N. Cross, K. Davis (injured), I. Dieke, E. Reed, K. J. Spisak, C. Zimmeck.
Prior Meetings in 2011:
4/23/11 at MJ - magicJack 1, Boston 0
6/5/11 at Bos - Boston 2, magicJack 1
These two teams enter the match tied for the fourth and final playoff berth. It is a crucial match for both sides, but especially for Boston since magicJack has a game in hand. They have split the previous two meetings, with the home team winning both matches.
Both teams will be missing key personnel due to injuries. Magicjack will be without USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo. Kelly Smith is still listed as questionable for the Breakers. She missed the match on Wednesday against Philadelphia and with the Breakers already without Lauren Cheney, Smith's presence is greatly needed by Boston.
In Smith's absence, Kelley O'Hara has been the focus of the offense. She has four goals on the season and leads the Breakers in that category. Katie Schoepfer is having a breakout season with two goals and two assists in 2011. Nikki Marshall adds speed to the Boston front, while Meghan Klingenberg is a threat from the wing. Aya Sameshima is a recent addition to the midfield group, after helping Japan win the World Cup in Germany.
Defensively, the Breakers are ranked second in the league behind Philadelphia. Alyssa Naeher ranks second in shutouts and is first in goals against average in WPS. She has the solid wall of Alex Scott, Rachel Buehler, Amy LePeilbet, and Stephanie Cox in front of her. Leslie Osborne is one of the league's best defensive players in the midfield.
Once battling for the top position in the league, this has been a tale of two seasons for magicJack in 2011. They started the year at 5-2, but have been 0-4-2 since. Their last three victories have come against the Atlanta Beat and they haven't beaten any other team since May 1.
Defense has been a problem for magicjack. They have given up two or more goals in seven of their last eight matches. Formation would appear to be part of the problem as they have used three in back for most of those matches. They have solid performers in Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Tina Ellertson on their back line. Jill Loyden starts in goal in Solo's absence.
The attack has been the strong point for magicJack for most of the season, but they have suffered two shutouts in a row. Christen Press leads with five goals, followed by Ella Masar and Abby Wambach with four each. Lisa De Vanna adds speed at forward. Nikki Washington has contributed an assist since coming over from Boston.
Look for a tough battle in the midfield throughout this match. Shannon Boxx and Sarah Huffman lead a veteran group for magicJack. Leslie Osborne and rookie Keelin Winters are strong, physical midfielders for Boston.
A win for magicJack puts them in the driver's seat as far a playoff spot goes. Boston almost must get at least a point out of this match, if not more. This all important battle for fourth place will be key to deciding the final playoff berth.
Atlanta at Philadelphia (6 pm eastern, Sunday)
Leslie Quick Stadium, Chester, Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia Independence (9-3-3)
Coach: Paul Riley
Roster:
Goalkeepers: N. Barnhart, V. Henderson.
Defenders: N. Krzysik, K. McNeill, E. Johnson, L. Robinson.
Midfielders: J. Buczkowski, S. Farrelly, C. DiMartino, L. Sanderson, L. Lindsey, J. Lohman, G. DiMartino.
Forwards: T. Kai, A. Rodriguez, V. Boquete, L. del Rio, D. Adams.
Not active: L. Barnes, A. Falk, L. Fowlkes, R. Jones.
Atlanta Beat (1-10-4)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher, K. Fraine.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, K. Reynolds, H. Mitts, A. Marquez, C. Flanagan.
Midfielders: K. Wright, L. Chalupny, K. White, M. Jesolva, A. Salem, B. D'Agostino.
Forwards: K. Parker, L. Sesselmann.
Not active: K. Dowling (injured), M. Lenczyk, C. Lloyd (yellow card accumulation), J. Sitch, I. Trotter.
Prior Meetings in 2011:
5/15/11 at Atl - Philadelphia 2, Atlanta 1
6/4/11 at Phil - Philadelphia 0, Atlanta 0
7/16/11 at Atl - Philadelphia 1, Atlanta 0
You would think with the last place team traveling to the first place team, this game might be a mismatch. Atlanta has not won since their second match of the year and haven't scored a goal on the road yet. But one thing the Beat have done is play the Independence tough every single time they've met this season. There has been a tie and two one-goal Philadelphia wins in this series leading up to this match.
Not having scored on the road, Atlanta faces a tough task on Sunday. In Philadelphia, they will be facing the league's leading defensive side, giving up just one goal per game and they have already posted six shutouts this season. Meanwhile, Atlanta will be looking to stop their unfortunate record of 487 consecutive scoreless minutes dating back to June 11, when Kacey White scored in Atlanta's 3-2 loss to magicJack.
If Atlanta is to provide some offense in this match, it will be without the services of Carli Lloyd, who is suspended for the match due to yellow card accumulation (four in just eight matches). Canadian striker Kelly Parker and the midfield trio of Lori Chalupny, Megan Jesolva, and White will have to be the attacking force in this match.
Defense is one area that the Beat have shown improvement as the season has progressed. They have given up just four goals total in their last five matches and have two shutouts over that stretch. Allison Whitworth has played very well in goal over the past two months for the Beat. With Heather Mitts returning, it gives Atlanta two veteran defenders with center back Cat Whitehill.
While Atlanta has limited offense, the Independence has abundant options up front. Eleven different players have scored for Philadelphia this season. Tasha Kai leads WPS with eight goals and is having her best professional season ever.
Veronica Boquete has been one of the league's best players since coming over from Spain with four goals and four assists in just eight matches. USWNT striker Amy Rodriguez is now back from national team duty to add another dose of speed to Philly's arsenal. And the Independence doesn't lose anything when Laura del Rio and Danesha Adams enter the match.
Philadelphia has a talented midfield and one that is very strong defensively, starting with Jen Buczkowski and Sinead Farrelly. The Independence defense has been solid this season and that is without any national teamers on their back line. Philadelphia has been alternating at goalkeeper, with Nicole Barnhart starting most of the early matches until she left for Germany and Val Henderson getting the starts in Barnhart's absence. Both are very good.
Philadelphia has a three point lead on Western New York, but the Flash have two games in hand, meaning that a win is essential in this match. Atlanta has given the Independence problems this season, but they will need to find a way to score if they are to get any points out of this match.
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, New Jersey.
Sky Blue FC (5-5-4)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Bardsley.
Defenders: A. Asante, C. Dew, B. Taylor, K. Fletcher, P. Hogewoning.
Midfielders: C. Blank, H. O'Reilly, T. Sjogran, A. Long, T. Heath, A. Kerr, A. Mautz.
Forwards: Adriana, E. Aluko, C. Nogueira, L. Kalmari.
Not active: K. Arnold, J. Clark, S. Gray (injured), E. Guthrie, D. Johnson, L. Johnson (injured), M. Wenino.
Western New York Flash (8-2-3)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron.
Defenders: C. Chapman, W. Engen, A. Riley, R. Moros, K. Wilson.
Midfielders: B. Edwards, Y. Averbuch, C. Seger, M. Zerboni, B. Bock, B. Goebel.
Forwards: C. Sinclair, Marta, A. Morgan.
Not active: A. Bowers, K. Brandao, G. Davison, K. Fountain, G. Lewandowski, Maurine, A. Sahlen.
Prior Meetings in 2011:
5/6/11 at WNY - Western New York 3, Sky Blue 1
6/3/11 at WNY - Western New York 2, Sky Blue 2
7/17/11 at SB - Western New York 2, Sky Blue 0
Western New York finds themselves in 2nd place, but have five matches left to make up the three points they trail Philadelphia by in the standings. However, with the Independence facing Atlanta this weekend, the Flash will want to win this one to keep pace.
Sky Blue is now all alone in 3rd place entering this match, with Boston and magicJack not far behind. This will be Sky Blue's last regular season home match, so they need to take advantage of it. They enter this match on a two-game winning streak.
For the first time since the World Cup, the Flash are at full strength as midfielder Caroline Seger returns after missing the last few matches with an injury suffered in Germany. Her presence in the midfield make the Flash an even more formidable side. She already has two goals against the Sky Blue this season.
Western New York has absolutely lit up the scoreboard against Sky Blue, scoring seven goals in three matches. In addition to Seger, Alex Morgan, Christine Sinclair, Beverly Goebel, and Marta have all score goals against New Jersey this season. Sinclair is tied for the league's best with eight goals in 2011. The Flashes' speed has given Sky Blue lots of problems in back.
Sky Blue's Jen Branam will have something to say about the outcome of this match. She now leads WPS with five shutouts in just 12 starts and is third in goals against average, just three one-hundredths of a point behind Alyssa Naeher.
Sky Blue has been using Casey Nogueira as their supersub. Nogueira leads the team with five goals scored on the season, two ahead of midfielder Allie Long. Both have scored this season against Western New York, with Long's coming on a penalty.
Ashlyn Harris will be in goal for the Flash. She is second in goals against average and has posted three shutouts. WNY has a solid back line, with Candace Chapman and Whitney Engen in the center and Ali Riley and Rebecca Moros outside. Becky Edwards is a fine two-way player in the midfield.
Sky Blue will need to find a way to slow down the Flash in this match if they want to win this match. Their midfield will likely be key with Carolyn Blank being the defensive-minded one of the group. They will also need a good match out of Swedish veteran Therese Sjogran.
Boston at magicJack (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
FAU Soccer Field, Boca Raton, Florida.
magicJack (5-6-2)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, B. Maron.
Defenders: T. Ellertson, C. Rampone, B. Sauerbrunn, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Boxx, M. Dalmy, S. Huffman, S. Schmidt, M. Rapinoe, N. Washington.
Forwards: A. Wambach, E. Masar, C. Press, L. De Vanna, J. Rasmussen.
Not active: H. Solo (injured), L. Tarpley (injured).
Boston Breakers (4-6-4)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, A. Phillips.
Defenders: R. Buehler, A. LePeilbet, S. Cox, A. Scott, K. Moore (probable), T. Hemmings.
Midfielders: L. Osborne, A. Sameshima, K. Winters, M. Klingenberg, K. Schoepfer, L. Bogus.
Forwards: K. O'Hara (probable), K. Smith (questionable), K. Schoepfer, N. Marshall.
Not active: J. Angeli (injured), L. Blayney, L. Cheney (injured), N. Cross, K. Davis (injured), I. Dieke, E. Reed, K. J. Spisak, C. Zimmeck.
Prior Meetings in 2011:
4/23/11 at MJ - magicJack 1, Boston 0
6/5/11 at Bos - Boston 2, magicJack 1
These two teams enter the match tied for the fourth and final playoff berth. It is a crucial match for both sides, but especially for Boston since magicJack has a game in hand. They have split the previous two meetings, with the home team winning both matches.
Both teams will be missing key personnel due to injuries. Magicjack will be without USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo. Kelly Smith is still listed as questionable for the Breakers. She missed the match on Wednesday against Philadelphia and with the Breakers already without Lauren Cheney, Smith's presence is greatly needed by Boston.
In Smith's absence, Kelley O'Hara has been the focus of the offense. She has four goals on the season and leads the Breakers in that category. Katie Schoepfer is having a breakout season with two goals and two assists in 2011. Nikki Marshall adds speed to the Boston front, while Meghan Klingenberg is a threat from the wing. Aya Sameshima is a recent addition to the midfield group, after helping Japan win the World Cup in Germany.
Defensively, the Breakers are ranked second in the league behind Philadelphia. Alyssa Naeher ranks second in shutouts and is first in goals against average in WPS. She has the solid wall of Alex Scott, Rachel Buehler, Amy LePeilbet, and Stephanie Cox in front of her. Leslie Osborne is one of the league's best defensive players in the midfield.
Once battling for the top position in the league, this has been a tale of two seasons for magicJack in 2011. They started the year at 5-2, but have been 0-4-2 since. Their last three victories have come against the Atlanta Beat and they haven't beaten any other team since May 1.
Defense has been a problem for magicjack. They have given up two or more goals in seven of their last eight matches. Formation would appear to be part of the problem as they have used three in back for most of those matches. They have solid performers in Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Tina Ellertson on their back line. Jill Loyden starts in goal in Solo's absence.
The attack has been the strong point for magicJack for most of the season, but they have suffered two shutouts in a row. Christen Press leads with five goals, followed by Ella Masar and Abby Wambach with four each. Lisa De Vanna adds speed at forward. Nikki Washington has contributed an assist since coming over from Boston.
Look for a tough battle in the midfield throughout this match. Shannon Boxx and Sarah Huffman lead a veteran group for magicJack. Leslie Osborne and rookie Keelin Winters are strong, physical midfielders for Boston.
A win for magicJack puts them in the driver's seat as far a playoff spot goes. Boston almost must get at least a point out of this match, if not more. This all important battle for fourth place will be key to deciding the final playoff berth.
Atlanta at Philadelphia (6 pm eastern, Sunday)
Leslie Quick Stadium, Chester, Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia Independence (9-3-3)
Coach: Paul Riley
Roster:
Goalkeepers: N. Barnhart, V. Henderson.
Defenders: N. Krzysik, K. McNeill, E. Johnson, L. Robinson.
Midfielders: J. Buczkowski, S. Farrelly, C. DiMartino, L. Sanderson, L. Lindsey, J. Lohman, G. DiMartino.
Forwards: T. Kai, A. Rodriguez, V. Boquete, L. del Rio, D. Adams.
Not active: L. Barnes, A. Falk, L. Fowlkes, R. Jones.
Atlanta Beat (1-10-4)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher, K. Fraine.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, K. Reynolds, H. Mitts, A. Marquez, C. Flanagan.
Midfielders: K. Wright, L. Chalupny, K. White, M. Jesolva, A. Salem, B. D'Agostino.
Forwards: K. Parker, L. Sesselmann.
Not active: K. Dowling (injured), M. Lenczyk, C. Lloyd (yellow card accumulation), J. Sitch, I. Trotter.
Prior Meetings in 2011:
5/15/11 at Atl - Philadelphia 2, Atlanta 1
6/4/11 at Phil - Philadelphia 0, Atlanta 0
7/16/11 at Atl - Philadelphia 1, Atlanta 0
You would think with the last place team traveling to the first place team, this game might be a mismatch. Atlanta has not won since their second match of the year and haven't scored a goal on the road yet. But one thing the Beat have done is play the Independence tough every single time they've met this season. There has been a tie and two one-goal Philadelphia wins in this series leading up to this match.
Not having scored on the road, Atlanta faces a tough task on Sunday. In Philadelphia, they will be facing the league's leading defensive side, giving up just one goal per game and they have already posted six shutouts this season. Meanwhile, Atlanta will be looking to stop their unfortunate record of 487 consecutive scoreless minutes dating back to June 11, when Kacey White scored in Atlanta's 3-2 loss to magicJack.
If Atlanta is to provide some offense in this match, it will be without the services of Carli Lloyd, who is suspended for the match due to yellow card accumulation (four in just eight matches). Canadian striker Kelly Parker and the midfield trio of Lori Chalupny, Megan Jesolva, and White will have to be the attacking force in this match.
Defense is one area that the Beat have shown improvement as the season has progressed. They have given up just four goals total in their last five matches and have two shutouts over that stretch. Allison Whitworth has played very well in goal over the past two months for the Beat. With Heather Mitts returning, it gives Atlanta two veteran defenders with center back Cat Whitehill.
While Atlanta has limited offense, the Independence has abundant options up front. Eleven different players have scored for Philadelphia this season. Tasha Kai leads WPS with eight goals and is having her best professional season ever.
Veronica Boquete has been one of the league's best players since coming over from Spain with four goals and four assists in just eight matches. USWNT striker Amy Rodriguez is now back from national team duty to add another dose of speed to Philly's arsenal. And the Independence doesn't lose anything when Laura del Rio and Danesha Adams enter the match.
Philadelphia has a talented midfield and one that is very strong defensively, starting with Jen Buczkowski and Sinead Farrelly. The Independence defense has been solid this season and that is without any national teamers on their back line. Philadelphia has been alternating at goalkeeper, with Nicole Barnhart starting most of the early matches until she left for Germany and Val Henderson getting the starts in Barnhart's absence. Both are very good.
Philadelphia has a three point lead on Western New York, but the Flash have two games in hand, meaning that a win is essential in this match. Atlanta has given the Independence problems this season, but they will need to find a way to score if they are to get any points out of this match.
July 27, 2011
Philadelphia Takes Over First; Sky Blue Moves into Third
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Labels: 2011 WPS, Allie Long, Boston Breakers, Jen Branam, Laura Del Rio, Nicole Barnhart, Philadelphia Independence, Therese Sjogran, Veronica Boquete
Labels: 2011 WPS, Allie Long, Boston Breakers, Jen Branam, Laura Del Rio, Nicole Barnhart, Philadelphia Independence, Therese Sjogran, Veronica Boquete
Philadelphia Independence 1, Boston Breakers 0
Veronica Boquete's goal in the 83rd minute broke a scoreless tie and sent Philadelphia to a 1-0 victory over the Boston Breakers in Cambridge. The win moves the Independence into first place in WPS.
The goal was Boquete's fourth of the season. Laura del Rio, who had just come in as a late substitution, assisted on Boquete's goal.
Several national team players were getting their first start since returning from Germany. Amy LePeilbet, Rachel Buehler, and Stephanie Cox all saw their first action since the 2011 World Cup concluded. Aya Sameshima of the World Cup champion Japanese team made her first ever start for Boston as a midfielder.
For Philadelphia, Nicole Barnhart and Amy Rodriguez were in the starting lineup. Paul Riley decided to start Barnhart over Val Henderson and it paid off with a shutout for his team.
Philadelphia raises their record to 9-3-3, good for 30 points and a three point cushion over second place Western New York. However, the Independence have just three games remaining, while the Flash have five. Philadelphia will return to action on Sunday, at home against the Atlanta Beat.
Boston falls to 4-6-4 and are now tied for fourth place with magicJack. The Breakers presently have the edge in goal differential if it comes down to a tiebreaker. Next up for the Breakers is a Saturday clash against magicJack in Boca Raton.
Sky Blue FC 2, magicJack 0
Sky Blue took over sole possession of third place with a 2-0 victory over magicJack on Wednesday night. Midfielder Allie Long scored a first half goal to put Sky Blue in the lead and the New Jersey eleven used an own goal by Abby Wambach to seal the victory. It was the first road victory for Sky Blue this season and the first home loss for magicJack.
The first goal was set up by Therese Sjogran corner kick, with Long finishing in the 15th minute. It was Long's third goal of the season, with the first two came via penalty kick.
Sky Blue's second goal was also from a corner kick, this time in the second half. It was Casey Nogueira sending the ball into the penalty area, with Wambach's attempted clearance going into her own net.
MagicJack outshot Sky Blue by an overwhelming 27-6 margin, but the New Jersey team was able to secure the victory. Jen Branam recorded 13 saves in the shutout, her fifth of the season.
As in the night's other contest, a few national team players were seeing their first action since the World Cup. Shannon Boxx made her first start for magicJack since returning from Germany, while Megan Rapinoe was a second half substitution.
Sky Blue improves to 5-5-4 overall. They now have 19 points and are three points clear of both magicJack and the Boston Breakers for third place. They return home to play their last regular season home match on Saturday evening against the Western New York Flash.
MagicJack drops to 5-6-2. They are now winless in their last six outings. With the one point penalty assessed earlier in the season, they have just 16 points and are now tied for the fourth and final playoff spot with the Boston Breakers, a team they will face in a Saturday showdown at Florida Atlantic University.
Veronica Boquete's goal in the 83rd minute broke a scoreless tie and sent Philadelphia to a 1-0 victory over the Boston Breakers in Cambridge. The win moves the Independence into first place in WPS.
The goal was Boquete's fourth of the season. Laura del Rio, who had just come in as a late substitution, assisted on Boquete's goal.
Several national team players were getting their first start since returning from Germany. Amy LePeilbet, Rachel Buehler, and Stephanie Cox all saw their first action since the 2011 World Cup concluded. Aya Sameshima of the World Cup champion Japanese team made her first ever start for Boston as a midfielder.
For Philadelphia, Nicole Barnhart and Amy Rodriguez were in the starting lineup. Paul Riley decided to start Barnhart over Val Henderson and it paid off with a shutout for his team.
Philadelphia raises their record to 9-3-3, good for 30 points and a three point cushion over second place Western New York. However, the Independence have just three games remaining, while the Flash have five. Philadelphia will return to action on Sunday, at home against the Atlanta Beat.
Boston falls to 4-6-4 and are now tied for fourth place with magicJack. The Breakers presently have the edge in goal differential if it comes down to a tiebreaker. Next up for the Breakers is a Saturday clash against magicJack in Boca Raton.
Sky Blue FC 2, magicJack 0
Sky Blue took over sole possession of third place with a 2-0 victory over magicJack on Wednesday night. Midfielder Allie Long scored a first half goal to put Sky Blue in the lead and the New Jersey eleven used an own goal by Abby Wambach to seal the victory. It was the first road victory for Sky Blue this season and the first home loss for magicJack.
The first goal was set up by Therese Sjogran corner kick, with Long finishing in the 15th minute. It was Long's third goal of the season, with the first two came via penalty kick.
Sky Blue's second goal was also from a corner kick, this time in the second half. It was Casey Nogueira sending the ball into the penalty area, with Wambach's attempted clearance going into her own net.
MagicJack outshot Sky Blue by an overwhelming 27-6 margin, but the New Jersey team was able to secure the victory. Jen Branam recorded 13 saves in the shutout, her fifth of the season.
As in the night's other contest, a few national team players were seeing their first action since the World Cup. Shannon Boxx made her first start for magicJack since returning from Germany, while Megan Rapinoe was a second half substitution.
Sky Blue improves to 5-5-4 overall. They now have 19 points and are three points clear of both magicJack and the Boston Breakers for third place. They return home to play their last regular season home match on Saturday evening against the Western New York Flash.
MagicJack drops to 5-6-2. They are now winless in their last six outings. With the one point penalty assessed earlier in the season, they have just 16 points and are now tied for the fourth and final playoff spot with the Boston Breakers, a team they will face in a Saturday showdown at Florida Atlantic University.
July 26, 2011
WPS Midweek Preview - July 27
Wednesday night's WPS action features two matches having huge playoff implications. Boston, presently in a three-way battle for third place, will host Philadelphia, who is tied with Western New York for the top spot in WPS. Meanwhile, magicJack returns home where they will play five of their last six regular season matches, starting with Sky Blue FC on Wednesday evening.
Philadelphia at Boston (7 pm eastern, Wednesday)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Boston Breakers (4-5-4)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Naeher, A. Phillips.
Defenders: A. Scott, R. Buehler, A. LePeilbet, S. Cox, A. Sameshima, K. Moore (probable).
Midfielders: L. Osborne, M. Klingenberg, K. Winters, K. Schoepfer.
Forwards: K. O'Hara (probable), K. Smith (questionable), N. Marshall, T. Hemmings, L. Bogus, C. Zimmeck.
Not active: L. Cheney (injured), I. Dieke, E. Reed, N. Cross, L. Blayney, K. J. Spisak, J. Angeli (injured), K. Davis (injured).
Philadelphia Independence (8-3-3)
Coach: Paul Riley
Roster:
Goalkeepers: V. Henderson, N. Barnhart.
Defenders: E. Johnson, K. McNeill, N. Krzysik, L. Robinson.
Midfielders: J. Buczkowski, L. Lindsey, C. DiMartino, S. Farrelly.
Forwards: T. Kai, A. Rodriguez, L. del Rio, L. Sanderson, D. Adams, V. Boquete.
Not active: R. Jones, L. Barnes, A. Falk, L. Fowlkes, J. Lohman, G. DiMartino.
Prior Meetings in 2011:
5/8 at Phi - Philadelphia 2, Boston 0
5/22 at Bos - Boston 1, Philadelphia 1
With just five games remaining, Boston is in a real fight for one of the last two playoff berths. They enter the match with a battered front line, but with their defense restored to full strength. Lauren Cheney, who scored the Breakers' only goal against Philadelphia this season, is out with the ankle injury she sustained at the World Cup. Kelly Smith is listed as being available, but questionable for this match.
Kelley O'Hara scored two goals in the Sunday match against the Flash and she leads the team with four for the season. The addition of Nikki Marshall gives the Breakers more speed up front. The key question is will Smith be able to play and if so, how effectively. Katie Schoepfer has been very good lately and she will likely see action in this match, either as a starter or off the bench. Meghan Klingenberg has looked very promising since coming over from magicJack.
Boston has experience in the middle with Leslie Osborne, one of the league's toughest defenders in the midfield. Keelin Winters is having a fine rookie season for the Breakers and has started all but one match for Boston. There is a possibility that coach Tony DiCicco might move Japanese defender Aya Sameshima to midfield as well.
Defensively, Boston will be at full strength for the first time in ages. Amy LePeilbet, Rachel Buehler, and Stephanie Cox all return to join Alex Scott on the back line for the stretch run. Alyssa Naeher is having a steady year in goal for the Breakers and will need to be on her game against the high-powered Independence offense.
Philadelphia made one roster change this week, mutually terminating the contract of Holmfridur Magnusdottir, a versatile player that has been a member of the Independence since their inception.
The Independence may have the deepest set of forwards in the league. Tasha Kai is having her best WPS season yet with eight goals. Kai has scored twice against Boston already this season. She is joined by USWNT forward Amy Rodriguez, who might see her first start since returning from Germany.
Then there are the Spanish duo of Veronica Boquete and Laura del Rio. Boquete was Player of the Week a couple of weeks ago, but was not active for Philly's last match. Another striker, Danesha Adams, has a knack for scoring big goals in big games.
The midfield group for Philadelphia is very good overall and strong defensively. Jen Buczkowski is a rugged defensive midfielder. Lori Lindsey is the veteran of the group and a member of the USWNT. She is excellent at distribution and controlling the tempo in the midfield. Tina DiMartino is one of the best with the ball at her feet and good at setting up teammates as well. Sinead Farrelly, like her opponent Winters, is having a very solid rookie season.
The back line is a rugged group, especially in the middle with Nikki Krzysik and Kia McNeill. Lee Ann Robinson can attack from her outside position. Estelle Johnson has played well in her second year with the Independence. Paul Riley went with Val Henderson in goal for the last match, instead of the returning Nicole Barnhart. It will be interesting to see if he goes back to Barnhart in this one.
Philadelphia has a lot of speed on the offensive end and could give Boston's stellar defense some problems in this match. Boston is very good at attacking from the wings, especially with Klingenberg and O'Hara. Boston has a five-match unbeaten streak on the line and have been very tough at home this season. Philadelphia's six-match winning streak was stopped by Sky Blue their last time out. This should be a very good match.
Sky Blue FC at magicJack (7 pm eastern, Wednesday)
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Florida.
magicJack (5-5-2)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, B. Maron.
Defenders: T. Ellertson, C. Rampone, B. Sauerbrunn, M. Dalmy, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Boxx, M. Rapinoe, S. Huffman, S. Schmidt, N. Washington, O. Davis.
Forwards: A. Wambach, E. Masar, C. Press, L. De Vanna, J. Rasmussen.
Not active: H. Solo, A. Gunning, L. Tarpley (injured).
Sky Blue FC (4-5-4)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Bardsley.
Defenders: B. Taylor, K. Fletcher, C. Dew, A. Asante.
Midfielders: H. O'Reilly, A. Long, T. Heath, T. Sjogran, C. Blank, A. Kerr.
Forwards: C. Nogueira, Adriana, E. Aluko, L. Kalmari.
Not active: L. Johnson (injured), S. Gray (injured), K. Arnold, E. Guthrie, D. Johnson, M. Wenino, J. Clark, P. Hogewoning, A. Mautz.
Prior Meetings in 2011:
7/9 at SBFC - Sky Blue FC 2, magicJack 2
It comes down to three teams for the final two playoff berths over the last three weeks of the season. MagicJack's next four matches will be against the two teams they are battling with, Boston and Sky Blue. This will be their first home match in nearly two months.
It is interesting that magicJack's remaining schedule can work both ways for them. They have the advantage of having one more game remaining than either Sky Blue or Boston and the advantage of playing five of their last six at home. But they also have the disadvantage of playing six games in 19 days, quite a brutal stretch and five of those matches will be played in the heat and humidity of southern Florida.
With Abby Wambach at the helm, magicJack heads down the stretch with high hopes for third place. They have most of their team back and intact, with the exception of Hope Solo, who is bothered by shoulder and wrist injuries, and Lindsey Tarpley, who was lost to the team with a torn ACL.
The injury to Solo means Jill Loyden will be front and center in the next few matches. She played very well subbing in for Solo two years ago for Athletica. Last year, she had an uneven season with the Red Stars. Now, with everything on the line, it's her turn to show what she can do in tense playoff-like matches.
Defensively, magicJack switched to a four-in-back formation against Atlanta their last time out. They did shut out the Beat, but didn't score any themselves. Now, back on the narrow confines of FAU Stadium, will they go back to the three defender formation? They have strong veterans on the back line with USWNT defenders Christie Rampone and Becky Sauerbrunn, and former USWNT backliners Tina Ellertson and Marian Dalmy.
With Shannon Boxx returning to the lineup and newly acquired Megan Rapinoe joining the midfield, we should marked improvement in this area. Veteran Sarah Huffman, Canadian National Team midfielder Sophie Schmidt, and former Breaker Nikki Washington round out a very strong midfield group.
Now that they have their full attacking arsenal back, magicJack's offense should be tough to stop. Abby Wambach leads the way and the team certainly missed her while she was in Germany. She gives magicJack the added dimension of a good attack through the air and on set pieces. Ella Masar has been one of the league's top scorers over the past two seasons and rookie Christen Press leads the team with five goals. Add speedy striker Lisa De Vanna to Sky Blue's problems that will challenge their back line in this match.
One of Sky Blue's biggest problems this season has been scoring, but forward Casey Nogueira took it upon herself to solve that problem in her last match against Philadelphia, scoring twice to lead Sky Blue to victory. Spanish striker Adriana has been a welcome addition to Sky Blue's front line. England's Eni Aluko is still looking to get untracked. Laura Kalmari is always a threat when she gets on the field.
The midfield is always Sky Blue's strength and with their three national team players, Heather O'Reilly, Therese Sjogran, and Tobin Heath, going against magicJack's three national teamers in Boxx, Rapinoe, and Schmidt, this should truly be one of the most interesting aspects of this match. Carolyn Blank is having a solid year as a defensive midfielder. Allie Long can be a dangerous attacking player out of the midfield.
Defensively, the return of Anita Asante certainly settles this group. Alongside are Carrie Dew, Kendall Fletcher, and Brittany Taylor. Jen Branam is tied atop the WPS leaders with four shutouts.
With these teams be so close in the standings and battling for one of the final two berths, this match should have the feel of a playoff match. Hopefully, the field will be plenty wide enough so as not to detract from two very good teams fighting it out for a playoff spot.
Philadelphia at Boston (7 pm eastern, Wednesday)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Boston Breakers (4-5-4)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Naeher, A. Phillips.
Defenders: A. Scott, R. Buehler, A. LePeilbet, S. Cox, A. Sameshima, K. Moore (probable).
Midfielders: L. Osborne, M. Klingenberg, K. Winters, K. Schoepfer.
Forwards: K. O'Hara (probable), K. Smith (questionable), N. Marshall, T. Hemmings, L. Bogus, C. Zimmeck.
Not active: L. Cheney (injured), I. Dieke, E. Reed, N. Cross, L. Blayney, K. J. Spisak, J. Angeli (injured), K. Davis (injured).
Philadelphia Independence (8-3-3)
Coach: Paul Riley
Roster:
Goalkeepers: V. Henderson, N. Barnhart.
Defenders: E. Johnson, K. McNeill, N. Krzysik, L. Robinson.
Midfielders: J. Buczkowski, L. Lindsey, C. DiMartino, S. Farrelly.
Forwards: T. Kai, A. Rodriguez, L. del Rio, L. Sanderson, D. Adams, V. Boquete.
Not active: R. Jones, L. Barnes, A. Falk, L. Fowlkes, J. Lohman, G. DiMartino.
Prior Meetings in 2011:
5/8 at Phi - Philadelphia 2, Boston 0
5/22 at Bos - Boston 1, Philadelphia 1
With just five games remaining, Boston is in a real fight for one of the last two playoff berths. They enter the match with a battered front line, but with their defense restored to full strength. Lauren Cheney, who scored the Breakers' only goal against Philadelphia this season, is out with the ankle injury she sustained at the World Cup. Kelly Smith is listed as being available, but questionable for this match.
Kelley O'Hara scored two goals in the Sunday match against the Flash and she leads the team with four for the season. The addition of Nikki Marshall gives the Breakers more speed up front. The key question is will Smith be able to play and if so, how effectively. Katie Schoepfer has been very good lately and she will likely see action in this match, either as a starter or off the bench. Meghan Klingenberg has looked very promising since coming over from magicJack.
Boston has experience in the middle with Leslie Osborne, one of the league's toughest defenders in the midfield. Keelin Winters is having a fine rookie season for the Breakers and has started all but one match for Boston. There is a possibility that coach Tony DiCicco might move Japanese defender Aya Sameshima to midfield as well.
Defensively, Boston will be at full strength for the first time in ages. Amy LePeilbet, Rachel Buehler, and Stephanie Cox all return to join Alex Scott on the back line for the stretch run. Alyssa Naeher is having a steady year in goal for the Breakers and will need to be on her game against the high-powered Independence offense.
Philadelphia made one roster change this week, mutually terminating the contract of Holmfridur Magnusdottir, a versatile player that has been a member of the Independence since their inception.
The Independence may have the deepest set of forwards in the league. Tasha Kai is having her best WPS season yet with eight goals. Kai has scored twice against Boston already this season. She is joined by USWNT forward Amy Rodriguez, who might see her first start since returning from Germany.
Then there are the Spanish duo of Veronica Boquete and Laura del Rio. Boquete was Player of the Week a couple of weeks ago, but was not active for Philly's last match. Another striker, Danesha Adams, has a knack for scoring big goals in big games.
The midfield group for Philadelphia is very good overall and strong defensively. Jen Buczkowski is a rugged defensive midfielder. Lori Lindsey is the veteran of the group and a member of the USWNT. She is excellent at distribution and controlling the tempo in the midfield. Tina DiMartino is one of the best with the ball at her feet and good at setting up teammates as well. Sinead Farrelly, like her opponent Winters, is having a very solid rookie season.
The back line is a rugged group, especially in the middle with Nikki Krzysik and Kia McNeill. Lee Ann Robinson can attack from her outside position. Estelle Johnson has played well in her second year with the Independence. Paul Riley went with Val Henderson in goal for the last match, instead of the returning Nicole Barnhart. It will be interesting to see if he goes back to Barnhart in this one.
Philadelphia has a lot of speed on the offensive end and could give Boston's stellar defense some problems in this match. Boston is very good at attacking from the wings, especially with Klingenberg and O'Hara. Boston has a five-match unbeaten streak on the line and have been very tough at home this season. Philadelphia's six-match winning streak was stopped by Sky Blue their last time out. This should be a very good match.
Sky Blue FC at magicJack (7 pm eastern, Wednesday)
FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Florida.
magicJack (5-5-2)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, B. Maron.
Defenders: T. Ellertson, C. Rampone, B. Sauerbrunn, M. Dalmy, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Boxx, M. Rapinoe, S. Huffman, S. Schmidt, N. Washington, O. Davis.
Forwards: A. Wambach, E. Masar, C. Press, L. De Vanna, J. Rasmussen.
Not active: H. Solo, A. Gunning, L. Tarpley (injured).
Sky Blue FC (4-5-4)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Bardsley.
Defenders: B. Taylor, K. Fletcher, C. Dew, A. Asante.
Midfielders: H. O'Reilly, A. Long, T. Heath, T. Sjogran, C. Blank, A. Kerr.
Forwards: C. Nogueira, Adriana, E. Aluko, L. Kalmari.
Not active: L. Johnson (injured), S. Gray (injured), K. Arnold, E. Guthrie, D. Johnson, M. Wenino, J. Clark, P. Hogewoning, A. Mautz.
Prior Meetings in 2011:
7/9 at SBFC - Sky Blue FC 2, magicJack 2
It comes down to three teams for the final two playoff berths over the last three weeks of the season. MagicJack's next four matches will be against the two teams they are battling with, Boston and Sky Blue. This will be their first home match in nearly two months.
It is interesting that magicJack's remaining schedule can work both ways for them. They have the advantage of having one more game remaining than either Sky Blue or Boston and the advantage of playing five of their last six at home. But they also have the disadvantage of playing six games in 19 days, quite a brutal stretch and five of those matches will be played in the heat and humidity of southern Florida.
With Abby Wambach at the helm, magicJack heads down the stretch with high hopes for third place. They have most of their team back and intact, with the exception of Hope Solo, who is bothered by shoulder and wrist injuries, and Lindsey Tarpley, who was lost to the team with a torn ACL.
The injury to Solo means Jill Loyden will be front and center in the next few matches. She played very well subbing in for Solo two years ago for Athletica. Last year, she had an uneven season with the Red Stars. Now, with everything on the line, it's her turn to show what she can do in tense playoff-like matches.
Defensively, magicJack switched to a four-in-back formation against Atlanta their last time out. They did shut out the Beat, but didn't score any themselves. Now, back on the narrow confines of FAU Stadium, will they go back to the three defender formation? They have strong veterans on the back line with USWNT defenders Christie Rampone and Becky Sauerbrunn, and former USWNT backliners Tina Ellertson and Marian Dalmy.
With Shannon Boxx returning to the lineup and newly acquired Megan Rapinoe joining the midfield, we should marked improvement in this area. Veteran Sarah Huffman, Canadian National Team midfielder Sophie Schmidt, and former Breaker Nikki Washington round out a very strong midfield group.
Now that they have their full attacking arsenal back, magicJack's offense should be tough to stop. Abby Wambach leads the way and the team certainly missed her while she was in Germany. She gives magicJack the added dimension of a good attack through the air and on set pieces. Ella Masar has been one of the league's top scorers over the past two seasons and rookie Christen Press leads the team with five goals. Add speedy striker Lisa De Vanna to Sky Blue's problems that will challenge their back line in this match.
One of Sky Blue's biggest problems this season has been scoring, but forward Casey Nogueira took it upon herself to solve that problem in her last match against Philadelphia, scoring twice to lead Sky Blue to victory. Spanish striker Adriana has been a welcome addition to Sky Blue's front line. England's Eni Aluko is still looking to get untracked. Laura Kalmari is always a threat when she gets on the field.
The midfield is always Sky Blue's strength and with their three national team players, Heather O'Reilly, Therese Sjogran, and Tobin Heath, going against magicJack's three national teamers in Boxx, Rapinoe, and Schmidt, this should truly be one of the most interesting aspects of this match. Carolyn Blank is having a solid year as a defensive midfielder. Allie Long can be a dangerous attacking player out of the midfield.
Defensively, the return of Anita Asante certainly settles this group. Alongside are Carrie Dew, Kendall Fletcher, and Brittany Taylor. Jen Branam is tied atop the WPS leaders with four shutouts.
With these teams be so close in the standings and battling for one of the final two berths, this match should have the feel of a playoff match. Hopefully, the field will be plenty wide enough so as not to detract from two very good teams fighting it out for a playoff spot.
July 24, 2011
Breakers and Flash Battle to 2-2 Tie
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Labels: 2011 WPS, Alex Morgan, Becky Edwards, Beverly Goebel, Boston Breakers, Claire Zimmeck, Elli Reed, Katie Schoepfer, Kelley O'Hara, Marta, Nikki Marshall, Western New York Flash
Labels: 2011 WPS, Alex Morgan, Becky Edwards, Beverly Goebel, Boston Breakers, Claire Zimmeck, Elli Reed, Katie Schoepfer, Kelley O'Hara, Marta, Nikki Marshall, Western New York Flash
In one of the most exciting matches thus far in the WPS season, the Boston Breakers and Western New York Flash played to a 2-2 draw in Cambridge. Both teams scored in the last 10 minutes and it was a match that national team players contributed heavily, as did players off the bench.
Kelley O'Hara scored a brace and it looked to be enough when she gave Boston a 2-1 lead with just over six minutes remaining, but Alex Morgan tied it just three minutes later with a brilliant goal.
Western New York held the edge in possession and territory early on, but it was Boston who created the better chances. In the 10th minute, Katie Schoepfer played the ball ahead on the right side for Alex Scott. She crossed the ball into the penalty area, but it led Liz Bogus just a little too much and she was unable to redirect it toward the net.
Boston did get the first goal just 10 minutes later. It was again Schoepfer starting the play as she sent a diagonal ball to Kelley O'Hara. The ball just barely got by a diving Whitney Engen and O'Hara had inside position on Ali Riley. O'Hara steered a rolling shot back across to the right. Flash goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris appeared to be wrong-footed on the play and the ball got by her, into the right corner of the net to make it 1-0.
Western New York continued to pressure and nearly broke through in the 36th minute. Riley sent a beautiful cross to McCall Zerboni at the six, but the Flash midfielder put her header wide of the goal.
The Flash tied the match in the 38th minute with Becky Edwards sending the ball ahead to Marta who was heading to the left side of the penalty area. Marta was able to settle the ball, and gain some space from defender Scott in the process. She set up her left-footed shot and drilled it low past Alyssa Naeher and into the right side netting to tie the match.
USWNT forward Alex Morgan subbed in to start the second half for Western New York and she made her presence known. In the 59th minute, she drove a 25-yard shot right at Naeher. Somehow, the ball got through the Breakers' keeper and rolled toward the goal line, but Naeher was able to dive back just in time before the ball crossed. Later, Yael Averbuch put her shot from inside the 18 just wide of the right post.
Boston took the lead in the 84th minute in a beautiful display of passing. Alex Scott crossed the ball from 35 yards out to Nikki Marshall who was cutting diagonally across the penalty area from left to right. With a defender on her, Marshall was unable to control the ball immediately, but ran it down on the right side of the penalty area.
With the ball rolling toward the endline, she was able to turn her body and direct her cross back to O'Hara. O'Hara passed it to 2nd half substitute Claire Zimmeck who touched it right back to O'Hara on a give-and-go. O'Hara's finish was perfectly inside the left post to give Boston a late 2-1 lead.
But just when it looked like the Breakers might secure three points, it was Alex Morgan who drew the Flash even. Marta sent a 40-yard free kick into the box. Christine Sinclair tried to head it across the box, but the Breakers temporarily cleared it, but not far enough. Another 2nd half substitute, Beverly Goebel, headed the ball back into the box toward Alex Morgan who was waiting near the penalty spot. Morgan hit a beautiful half volley with the outside of her left foot that hit the bottom of crossbar and went into the net. The score was now tied at two.
Western New York threatened again in the last few minutes. Morgan appeared to be behind the defense on a breakaway, but it was called back on a very close offsides. In the 90th minute, Boston defender Elli Reed saved the Breakers by blocking not one, but two Flash shots. First, she blocked Goebel's shot from right in front of Naeher and then the rebound went to Sinclair, who had an open net in front of her, but Reed slid over to block her shot as well.
Both teams gained very valuable point in the standings. Western New York is now 8-2-3 and tied with Philadelphia for first place with 27 points. The Flash have a game in hand on the Independence as well. Boston's record goes to 4-5-4 and they are now in a three-way tie for third place with Sky Blue and magicJack.
Boston hosts Philadelphia in a very important match for both teams on Wednesday night. Western New York's next match is at Sky Blue next Saturday, also crucial to both teams.
WPS Standings
(1) Western New York 8-2-3, 27 pts; (1) Philadelphia 8-3-3, 27 pts; (3) magicJack 5-5-2, 16 pts; (3) Boston 4-5-4, 16 pts; (3) Sky Blue FC 4-5-4, 16 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-10-4, 7 pts.
Kelley O'Hara scored a brace and it looked to be enough when she gave Boston a 2-1 lead with just over six minutes remaining, but Alex Morgan tied it just three minutes later with a brilliant goal.
Western New York held the edge in possession and territory early on, but it was Boston who created the better chances. In the 10th minute, Katie Schoepfer played the ball ahead on the right side for Alex Scott. She crossed the ball into the penalty area, but it led Liz Bogus just a little too much and she was unable to redirect it toward the net.
Boston did get the first goal just 10 minutes later. It was again Schoepfer starting the play as she sent a diagonal ball to Kelley O'Hara. The ball just barely got by a diving Whitney Engen and O'Hara had inside position on Ali Riley. O'Hara steered a rolling shot back across to the right. Flash goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris appeared to be wrong-footed on the play and the ball got by her, into the right corner of the net to make it 1-0.
Western New York continued to pressure and nearly broke through in the 36th minute. Riley sent a beautiful cross to McCall Zerboni at the six, but the Flash midfielder put her header wide of the goal.
The Flash tied the match in the 38th minute with Becky Edwards sending the ball ahead to Marta who was heading to the left side of the penalty area. Marta was able to settle the ball, and gain some space from defender Scott in the process. She set up her left-footed shot and drilled it low past Alyssa Naeher and into the right side netting to tie the match.
USWNT forward Alex Morgan subbed in to start the second half for Western New York and she made her presence known. In the 59th minute, she drove a 25-yard shot right at Naeher. Somehow, the ball got through the Breakers' keeper and rolled toward the goal line, but Naeher was able to dive back just in time before the ball crossed. Later, Yael Averbuch put her shot from inside the 18 just wide of the right post.
Boston took the lead in the 84th minute in a beautiful display of passing. Alex Scott crossed the ball from 35 yards out to Nikki Marshall who was cutting diagonally across the penalty area from left to right. With a defender on her, Marshall was unable to control the ball immediately, but ran it down on the right side of the penalty area.
With the ball rolling toward the endline, she was able to turn her body and direct her cross back to O'Hara. O'Hara passed it to 2nd half substitute Claire Zimmeck who touched it right back to O'Hara on a give-and-go. O'Hara's finish was perfectly inside the left post to give Boston a late 2-1 lead.
But just when it looked like the Breakers might secure three points, it was Alex Morgan who drew the Flash even. Marta sent a 40-yard free kick into the box. Christine Sinclair tried to head it across the box, but the Breakers temporarily cleared it, but not far enough. Another 2nd half substitute, Beverly Goebel, headed the ball back into the box toward Alex Morgan who was waiting near the penalty spot. Morgan hit a beautiful half volley with the outside of her left foot that hit the bottom of crossbar and went into the net. The score was now tied at two.
Western New York threatened again in the last few minutes. Morgan appeared to be behind the defense on a breakaway, but it was called back on a very close offsides. In the 90th minute, Boston defender Elli Reed saved the Breakers by blocking not one, but two Flash shots. First, she blocked Goebel's shot from right in front of Naeher and then the rebound went to Sinclair, who had an open net in front of her, but Reed slid over to block her shot as well.
Both teams gained very valuable point in the standings. Western New York is now 8-2-3 and tied with Philadelphia for first place with 27 points. The Flash have a game in hand on the Independence as well. Boston's record goes to 4-5-4 and they are now in a three-way tie for third place with Sky Blue and magicJack.
Boston hosts Philadelphia in a very important match for both teams on Wednesday night. Western New York's next match is at Sky Blue next Saturday, also crucial to both teams.
WPS Standings
(1) Western New York 8-2-3, 27 pts; (1) Philadelphia 8-3-3, 27 pts; (3) magicJack 5-5-2, 16 pts; (3) Boston 4-5-4, 16 pts; (3) Sky Blue FC 4-5-4, 16 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-10-4, 7 pts.
Atlanta and magicJack Play Scoreless Draw
The Atlanta Beat and magicJack played through 90 minutes of scoreless soccer on Saturday evening before a sellout crowd of 9,345 at KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia.
It was a welcome home match for several World Cup players. Atlanta Beat players Carli Lloyd and Heather Mitts were members of the United States team that took second place at the World Cup. MagicJack had several members of their team that had played in the World Cup, including player/coach Abby Wambach.
MagicJack outshot Atlanta by a 14-9 margin for the match. Allison Whitworth for Atlanta and Jill Loyden for magicJack each earned shutouts. Atlanta was shut out for the fifth consecutive time and surpassed the record for consecutive minutes without a goal, which now stands at 487 minutes.
The tie eliminates Atlanta from playoff contention. They return to action next Sunday in Philadelphia. MagicJack's record is now 5-5-2 and they are tied for third place with Sky Blue, who they will face on Wednesday night in Boca Raton.
It was a welcome home match for several World Cup players. Atlanta Beat players Carli Lloyd and Heather Mitts were members of the United States team that took second place at the World Cup. MagicJack had several members of their team that had played in the World Cup, including player/coach Abby Wambach.
MagicJack outshot Atlanta by a 14-9 margin for the match. Allison Whitworth for Atlanta and Jill Loyden for magicJack each earned shutouts. Atlanta was shut out for the fifth consecutive time and surpassed the record for consecutive minutes without a goal, which now stands at 487 minutes.
The tie eliminates Atlanta from playoff contention. They return to action next Sunday in Philadelphia. MagicJack's record is now 5-5-2 and they are tied for third place with Sky Blue, who they will face on Wednesday night in Boca Raton.
Sky Blue Stops Independence Streak at Six
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Labels: 2011 WPS, Adriana, Casey Nogueira, Jen Branam, Philadelphia Independence, Sky Blue FC, Therese Sjogran
Labels: 2011 WPS, Adriana, Casey Nogueira, Jen Branam, Philadelphia Independence, Sky Blue FC, Therese Sjogran
Philadelphia's six-game winning streak came to end on Saturday evening as Sky Blue defeated the Independence 2-0 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Casey Nogueira scored both goals for the victorious hosts.
As has been the case of most recent matches, several players returning from World Cup action did not start this match. Amy Rodriguez and Lori Lindsey started the match on the bench for Philly, as did Tobin Heath for Sky Blue. Philadelphia coach Paul Riley elected to go with the hot goalkeeper and started Val Henderson over Nicole Barnhart. Meanwhile, USWNT midfielder Heather O'Reilly was in the starting lineup for New Jersey.
After a scoreless first half, Adriana nearly put Sky Blue on top in the 61st minute, but her free kick struck the post.
But it was Nogueira, who came on at halftime for Eni Aluko, that provided the scoring. She scored her first goal of the match on a feed from Adriana in the 71th minute to put Sky Blue on top 1-0. She completed the brace just 10 minutes later, with Therese Sjogran getting the assist. For Nogueira, it was her 4th and 5th goals of the season.
Jen Branam picked up the shutout for Sky Blue, while Henderson suffered her first loss of the year in goal.
The loss means that Philadelphia could fall out of first place, pending the outcome of the Western New York-Boston match on Sunday. The Independence have a slim one-point lead heading into that action. Sky Blue improves their record to 4-5-4 and moves into a tie for third place with magicJack.
With just four games remaining on their schedule, the Independence will travel to Boston to meat the Breakers in a Wednesday night match. Sky Blue heads to Florida where they will play a crucial Wednesday night game againt magicJack in a battle for third place.
As has been the case of most recent matches, several players returning from World Cup action did not start this match. Amy Rodriguez and Lori Lindsey started the match on the bench for Philly, as did Tobin Heath for Sky Blue. Philadelphia coach Paul Riley elected to go with the hot goalkeeper and started Val Henderson over Nicole Barnhart. Meanwhile, USWNT midfielder Heather O'Reilly was in the starting lineup for New Jersey.
After a scoreless first half, Adriana nearly put Sky Blue on top in the 61st minute, but her free kick struck the post.
But it was Nogueira, who came on at halftime for Eni Aluko, that provided the scoring. She scored her first goal of the match on a feed from Adriana in the 71th minute to put Sky Blue on top 1-0. She completed the brace just 10 minutes later, with Therese Sjogran getting the assist. For Nogueira, it was her 4th and 5th goals of the season.
Jen Branam picked up the shutout for Sky Blue, while Henderson suffered her first loss of the year in goal.
The loss means that Philadelphia could fall out of first place, pending the outcome of the Western New York-Boston match on Sunday. The Independence have a slim one-point lead heading into that action. Sky Blue improves their record to 4-5-4 and moves into a tie for third place with magicJack.
With just four games remaining on their schedule, the Independence will travel to Boston to meat the Breakers in a Wednesday night match. Sky Blue heads to Florida where they will play a crucial Wednesday night game againt magicJack in a battle for third place.
July 22, 2011
WPS Weekend Preview: July 23-24
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Labels: 2011 WPS, Atlanta Beat, Boston Breakers, magicJack, Philadelphia Independence, Sky Blue FC, Western New York Flash
Labels: 2011 WPS, Atlanta Beat, Boston Breakers, magicJack, Philadelphia Independence, Sky Blue FC, Western New York Flash
As we head down the stretch in the WPS regular season, there is a full schedule this weekend. Western New York is in a tight battle with Philadelphia for first place. Boston, Sky Blue, and magicJack are battling for the two remaining playoffs spots and Atlanta is trying to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
Philadephia at Sky Blue (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, New Jersey.
Sky Blue FC (3-5-4)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Arnold, K. Bardsley (questionable).
Defenders: C. Dew, A. Asante, B. Taylor, K. Fletcher, D. Johnson.
Midfielders: H. O'Reilly, T. Heath, A. Long, T. Sjogran, C. Blank, A. Kerr, A. Mautz.
Forwards: Adriana, C. Nogueira, E. Aluko, L. Kalmari.
Not active: E. Guthrie, L. Johnson (injured), M. Wenino, J. Clark, S. Gray, P. Hogewoning.
Philadelphia Independence (8-2-3)
Coach: Paul Riley
Roster:
Goalkeepers: N. Barnhart, V. Henderson.
Defenders: N. Krzysik, K. McNeill, L. Robinson, E. Johnson.
Midfielders: J. Buczkowski, C. DiMartino, S. Farrelly, L. Lindsey, J. Lohman.
Forwards: T. Kai, A. Rodriguez, L. Sanderson, D. Adams, L. del Rio.
Not active: R. Jones, L. Barnes, A. Falk, L. Fowlkes, V. Boquete, G. DiMartino, H. Magnusdottir.
The Philadelphia Independence need to win this game to keep their hold on first place, while Sky Blue is in a very close battle with magicJack and Boston for playoff berths.
While most of the World Cup players will be back for this game, some of them may not play a full 90 minutes or start for that matter. The biggest surprise was that Veronica Boquete, who has played so well over the last month, is not listed as being active for Philadelphia per the roster report (which has been known to be incorrect from time to time).
Coach Paul Riley surely has a pleasant problem at goalkeeper. USWNT keeper Nicole Barnhart has returned and is available, but backup Val Henderson has played very well while Barnhart was gone. In fact, Henderson has posted four shutouts in just eight starts and the Independence have a 7-0-1 record with her in goal.
Defensively, Philly has a strong, physical back line, led by center backs Nikki Krzysik and Kia McNeill. Midfielder Jen Buczkowski is also a strong defensive player. While midfielder Lori Lindsey has barely played this season because of national team duty, Tina DiMartino and Sinead Farrelly are having strong seasons with a combined three goals and three assists between them.
Tasha Kai is now tied for the league lead with eight goals. She has plenty of support in the attacking end with Amy Rodriguez, Lianne Sanderson, Laura del Rio, Danesha Adams, and Boquete.
It seems as though Sky Blue is in this position every year. They head into the final third of the season with the playoffs in doubt. In 2009, they barely made the playoffs, then marched through three teams to win it all. In 2010, they fell just short of a playoff berth and here we are again in 2011.
Jen Branam has been in goal for 10 of the 12 Sky Blue matches this season. She is quick, agile, fearless, and adventuresome. The defense for SBFC this season can best be described as inconsistent. At times they look solid, but there have been some bumps in the road. Anita Asante's return from the World Cup should help steady the situation.
Sky Blue has always featured a very good midfield. With returning USWNT players Heather O'Reilly and Tobin Heath, along with Swedish international Therese Sjogran, we should see some improvement in their midfield play for the final six matches. Meanwhile, Carolyn Blank has provided solid defense in the midfield and has a goal to her credit.
Scoring has been a problem for Sky Blue. Again, there is a lack of consistency. No Sky Blue player has scored more than three and they have scored just 16 times on the season, with two being penalty kicks and one being an own goal by their opponent. Casey Nogueira has been the most productive forward with three goals and two assists. Spanish import Adriana has two goals and an assist to her credit.
Philadelphia will be looking to extend their WPS record six-game winning streak. This should be a very spirited battle between two teams that are separated by less than 100 miles and with playoff implications riding on this match.
magicJack at Atlanta (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, Georgia.
Atlanta Beat (1-10-3)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, K. Reynolds, H. Mitts, A. Marquez, L. Sesselmann, C. Flanagan.
Midfielders: L. Chalupny, C. Lloyd, K. Wright, K. White, M. Jesolva, I. Trotter, A. Salem, B. D'Agostino.
Forwards: M. Lenczyk, K. Parker.
Not active: K. Fraine, K. Dowling (injured), J. Sitch.
magicJack (5-5-1)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, B. Maron.
Defenders: T. Ellertson, C. Rampone, B. Sauerbrunn, M. Dalmy, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Huffman, N. Washington, S. Schmidt, O. Davis.
Forwards: A. Wambach, L. De Vanna, E. Masar, C. Press, J. Rasmussen.
Not active: H. Solo, A. Gunning, S. Boxx, M. Rapinoe, L. Tarpley (injured).
With several of their national team players nursing injuries or fatigued, magicJack faces the prospect of playing seven matches in the next 22 days to finish the regular season. Atlanta needs to win this match if they are to have even a remote chance at the playoffs.
Supposedly, USWNT star Abby Wambach will coach the team this week and for the foreseeable future. But having her back on the field is probably the most important thing. She is still hobbled by the Achilles injury and obviously had to be worn out by 600 minutes of soccer at the World Cup. Just her presence could be the shot in the arm that magicJack needs to make a final run at a playoff berth.
MagicJack does have a lot of good options at forward. In addition to Wambach, there is Australian speedster Lisa De Vanna, rookie of the year candidate Christen Press, WPS veteran Ella Masar, and Danish international Johanna Rasmussen. Press leads the team in scoring with five goals, good for third best in the league. Wambach and Masar are right behind with four goals apiece.
One problem for magicJack is that they are very thin in the midfield. With Lindsay Tarpley out for the season and Shannon Boxx and Megan Rapinoe sidelined after a tough World Cup schedule, magicJack basically has four true midfielders active for this match. Sarah Huffman, Sophie Schmidt, and Nikki Washington give them good quality in the midfield, with Marian Dalmy moving up from defense to help out at times.
Defensively, magicJack's three back defense has not proven to be the answer, at least not on the wider fields that they face on the road. MagicJack does have excellent defenders on the back line with Tina Ellertson, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Christie Rampone, but they are often overmatched by superiors numbers from the opposing team.
MagicJack will definitely miss Hope Solo and her status for the rest of this season is unknown. She revealed last night on "Lopez Tonight" that her wrist may be severely injured which would be a huge blow to magicJack. USWNT keeper Jill Loyden will step in for Solo.
Atlanta has been a better home team and far more competitive at FSU Stadium than on the road. The return of one of their most dangerous offensive weapons in Carli Lloyd should boost a Beat team that has scored just seven goals this season. The only other players with two goals are midfielder Lori Chalupny and forward Meghan Lenczyk. The Beat have gone 397 minutes without a goal and could break the record of 451 minutes set by the 2009 Chicago Red Stars.
The Beat will need contributions from their recent acquisitions, Kelly Parker and Kacey White, if they are to improve their offensive punch. Megan Jesolva is having a fine rookie season, but has been nursing an injury the past couple of weeks. Defensively, the return of Heather Mitts could help a team that has given up nearly two goals per game. Allison Whitworth has been the Beat's keeper as of late.
With only four games remaining, Atlanta must almost win out to have a decent chance at the playoffs. Even then, it would be an uphill climb. But they would like to give a good performance for their home crowd. MagicJack has more matches left than any other team and they must take advantage of that by picking up as many points as possible, starting with this match on Saturday evening.
Western New York at Boston (6 pm eastern, Sunday)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Boston Breakers (4-5-3)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Naeher, A. Phillips.
Defenders: A. Scott, S. Cox, I. Dieke, K. Moore (probable), E. Reed, N. Marshall.
Midfielders: L. Osborne, M. Klingenberg, K. Winters, K. Schoepfer, L. Blayney, N. Cross, L. Bogus.
Forwards: K. O'Hara, T. Hemmings, C. Zimmeck.
Not active: K. Davis (injured), K. J. Spisak, R. Buehler, A. LePeilbet, A. Sameshima, J. Angeli (injured), L. Cheney (injured), K. Smith (injured).
Western New York Flash (8-2-2)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron.
Defenders: C. Chapman, W. Engen, A. Riley, R. Moros, K. Wilson, G. Lewandowski.
Midfielders: Y. Averbuch, B. Edwards, B. Bock, M. Zerboni, B. Goebel.
Forwards: C. Sinclair, Marta, A. Morgan.
Not active: A. Bowers, K. Brandao, A. Sahlen, C. Seger (injured), Maurine, G. Davison, K. Fountain.
The Flash have now moved back into position where they can challenge Philadelphia for first place. With the exception of midfielder Caroline Seger, they are reasonably healthy heading into their final six matches.
Boston has been beset by injuries throughout the season. Add to the list Lauren Cheney, who suffered a sprained ankle in the World Cup final against Japan and English striker Kelly Smith. In addition, several of their national team players will be sitting out this match after a grueling World Cup schedule, including Aya Sameshima, a member of the champion Japanese team.
The goalkeeper matchup in this one should be good. Boston's Alyssa Naeher and WNY's Ashlyn Harris are currently in a battle for the lowest WPS goals against average (among those players that qualify). In addition, Naeher is tied for the league lead in shutouts with four.
Defensively, Boston will still be missing Rachel Buehler, Amy LePeilbet, and Aya Sameshima according to the roster report. While defense is one of the deepest areas for the Breakers, that is still a lot of talent out of the lineup. It will be interesting to see if coach Tony DiCicco uses newly acquired Nikki Marshall on defense or as a striker.
In the Breaker midfield, Leslie Osborne has been steady, as has rookie Keelin Winters. The acquisition of Meghan Klingenberg gives Boston a strong threat from the wing. With Smith and Cheney out, Boston's scoring punch has been severely reduced. USWNT reserve Kelley O'Hara is probably their biggest threat.
With their high-powered scoring triumvirate of Christine Sinclair, Marta, and Alex Morgan, the Flash look to be a very tough team to defend against as the season approaches the home stretch. Sinclair scored twice on Wednesday to bring her total to eight goals and she added an assist as well. Marta and Alex Morgan bring lightning speed to the front line. Marta has scored only four goals to this point, but look for her to close the season strong.
The Flash midfield will miss Seger, who was injured at the World Cup. McCall Zerboni is having a very good season, as is Becky Edwards. Yael Averbuch has added a strong dimension to the central midfield after missing much of the early season while trying to make the USWNT.
Defensively, the Flash are very good as well. Candace Chapman and Whitney Engen give WNY a strong central defense. Ali Riley is one of the best attackers at left back. Rebecca Moros has played outside back since being picked up in midseason.
In spite of being a point down, the Flash have a game in hand on Philadelphia and look to be the team to beat. Boston is locked in a threeway battle for the two remaining playoff spots. Look for a good game on Sunday.
Philadephia at Sky Blue (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, New Jersey.
Sky Blue FC (3-5-4)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Arnold, K. Bardsley (questionable).
Defenders: C. Dew, A. Asante, B. Taylor, K. Fletcher, D. Johnson.
Midfielders: H. O'Reilly, T. Heath, A. Long, T. Sjogran, C. Blank, A. Kerr, A. Mautz.
Forwards: Adriana, C. Nogueira, E. Aluko, L. Kalmari.
Not active: E. Guthrie, L. Johnson (injured), M. Wenino, J. Clark, S. Gray, P. Hogewoning.
Philadelphia Independence (8-2-3)
Coach: Paul Riley
Roster:
Goalkeepers: N. Barnhart, V. Henderson.
Defenders: N. Krzysik, K. McNeill, L. Robinson, E. Johnson.
Midfielders: J. Buczkowski, C. DiMartino, S. Farrelly, L. Lindsey, J. Lohman.
Forwards: T. Kai, A. Rodriguez, L. Sanderson, D. Adams, L. del Rio.
Not active: R. Jones, L. Barnes, A. Falk, L. Fowlkes, V. Boquete, G. DiMartino, H. Magnusdottir.
The Philadelphia Independence need to win this game to keep their hold on first place, while Sky Blue is in a very close battle with magicJack and Boston for playoff berths.
While most of the World Cup players will be back for this game, some of them may not play a full 90 minutes or start for that matter. The biggest surprise was that Veronica Boquete, who has played so well over the last month, is not listed as being active for Philadelphia per the roster report (which has been known to be incorrect from time to time).
Coach Paul Riley surely has a pleasant problem at goalkeeper. USWNT keeper Nicole Barnhart has returned and is available, but backup Val Henderson has played very well while Barnhart was gone. In fact, Henderson has posted four shutouts in just eight starts and the Independence have a 7-0-1 record with her in goal.
Defensively, Philly has a strong, physical back line, led by center backs Nikki Krzysik and Kia McNeill. Midfielder Jen Buczkowski is also a strong defensive player. While midfielder Lori Lindsey has barely played this season because of national team duty, Tina DiMartino and Sinead Farrelly are having strong seasons with a combined three goals and three assists between them.
Tasha Kai is now tied for the league lead with eight goals. She has plenty of support in the attacking end with Amy Rodriguez, Lianne Sanderson, Laura del Rio, Danesha Adams, and Boquete.
It seems as though Sky Blue is in this position every year. They head into the final third of the season with the playoffs in doubt. In 2009, they barely made the playoffs, then marched through three teams to win it all. In 2010, they fell just short of a playoff berth and here we are again in 2011.
Jen Branam has been in goal for 10 of the 12 Sky Blue matches this season. She is quick, agile, fearless, and adventuresome. The defense for SBFC this season can best be described as inconsistent. At times they look solid, but there have been some bumps in the road. Anita Asante's return from the World Cup should help steady the situation.
Sky Blue has always featured a very good midfield. With returning USWNT players Heather O'Reilly and Tobin Heath, along with Swedish international Therese Sjogran, we should see some improvement in their midfield play for the final six matches. Meanwhile, Carolyn Blank has provided solid defense in the midfield and has a goal to her credit.
Scoring has been a problem for Sky Blue. Again, there is a lack of consistency. No Sky Blue player has scored more than three and they have scored just 16 times on the season, with two being penalty kicks and one being an own goal by their opponent. Casey Nogueira has been the most productive forward with three goals and two assists. Spanish import Adriana has two goals and an assist to her credit.
Philadelphia will be looking to extend their WPS record six-game winning streak. This should be a very spirited battle between two teams that are separated by less than 100 miles and with playoff implications riding on this match.
magicJack at Atlanta (7 pm eastern, Saturday)
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, Georgia.
Atlanta Beat (1-10-3)
Coach: James Galanis
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Whitworth, A. Lipsher.
Defenders: C. Whitehill, K. Reynolds, H. Mitts, A. Marquez, L. Sesselmann, C. Flanagan.
Midfielders: L. Chalupny, C. Lloyd, K. Wright, K. White, M. Jesolva, I. Trotter, A. Salem, B. D'Agostino.
Forwards: M. Lenczyk, K. Parker.
Not active: K. Fraine, K. Dowling (injured), J. Sitch.
magicJack (5-5-1)
Coach: Abby Wambach
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, B. Maron.
Defenders: T. Ellertson, C. Rampone, B. Sauerbrunn, M. Dalmy, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Huffman, N. Washington, S. Schmidt, O. Davis.
Forwards: A. Wambach, L. De Vanna, E. Masar, C. Press, J. Rasmussen.
Not active: H. Solo, A. Gunning, S. Boxx, M. Rapinoe, L. Tarpley (injured).
With several of their national team players nursing injuries or fatigued, magicJack faces the prospect of playing seven matches in the next 22 days to finish the regular season. Atlanta needs to win this match if they are to have even a remote chance at the playoffs.
Supposedly, USWNT star Abby Wambach will coach the team this week and for the foreseeable future. But having her back on the field is probably the most important thing. She is still hobbled by the Achilles injury and obviously had to be worn out by 600 minutes of soccer at the World Cup. Just her presence could be the shot in the arm that magicJack needs to make a final run at a playoff berth.
MagicJack does have a lot of good options at forward. In addition to Wambach, there is Australian speedster Lisa De Vanna, rookie of the year candidate Christen Press, WPS veteran Ella Masar, and Danish international Johanna Rasmussen. Press leads the team in scoring with five goals, good for third best in the league. Wambach and Masar are right behind with four goals apiece.
One problem for magicJack is that they are very thin in the midfield. With Lindsay Tarpley out for the season and Shannon Boxx and Megan Rapinoe sidelined after a tough World Cup schedule, magicJack basically has four true midfielders active for this match. Sarah Huffman, Sophie Schmidt, and Nikki Washington give them good quality in the midfield, with Marian Dalmy moving up from defense to help out at times.
Defensively, magicJack's three back defense has not proven to be the answer, at least not on the wider fields that they face on the road. MagicJack does have excellent defenders on the back line with Tina Ellertson, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Christie Rampone, but they are often overmatched by superiors numbers from the opposing team.
MagicJack will definitely miss Hope Solo and her status for the rest of this season is unknown. She revealed last night on "Lopez Tonight" that her wrist may be severely injured which would be a huge blow to magicJack. USWNT keeper Jill Loyden will step in for Solo.
Atlanta has been a better home team and far more competitive at FSU Stadium than on the road. The return of one of their most dangerous offensive weapons in Carli Lloyd should boost a Beat team that has scored just seven goals this season. The only other players with two goals are midfielder Lori Chalupny and forward Meghan Lenczyk. The Beat have gone 397 minutes without a goal and could break the record of 451 minutes set by the 2009 Chicago Red Stars.
The Beat will need contributions from their recent acquisitions, Kelly Parker and Kacey White, if they are to improve their offensive punch. Megan Jesolva is having a fine rookie season, but has been nursing an injury the past couple of weeks. Defensively, the return of Heather Mitts could help a team that has given up nearly two goals per game. Allison Whitworth has been the Beat's keeper as of late.
With only four games remaining, Atlanta must almost win out to have a decent chance at the playoffs. Even then, it would be an uphill climb. But they would like to give a good performance for their home crowd. MagicJack has more matches left than any other team and they must take advantage of that by picking up as many points as possible, starting with this match on Saturday evening.
Western New York at Boston (6 pm eastern, Sunday)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Boston Breakers (4-5-3)
Coach: Tony DiCicco
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Naeher, A. Phillips.
Defenders: A. Scott, S. Cox, I. Dieke, K. Moore (probable), E. Reed, N. Marshall.
Midfielders: L. Osborne, M. Klingenberg, K. Winters, K. Schoepfer, L. Blayney, N. Cross, L. Bogus.
Forwards: K. O'Hara, T. Hemmings, C. Zimmeck.
Not active: K. Davis (injured), K. J. Spisak, R. Buehler, A. LePeilbet, A. Sameshima, J. Angeli (injured), L. Cheney (injured), K. Smith (injured).
Western New York Flash (8-2-2)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron.
Defenders: C. Chapman, W. Engen, A. Riley, R. Moros, K. Wilson, G. Lewandowski.
Midfielders: Y. Averbuch, B. Edwards, B. Bock, M. Zerboni, B. Goebel.
Forwards: C. Sinclair, Marta, A. Morgan.
Not active: A. Bowers, K. Brandao, A. Sahlen, C. Seger (injured), Maurine, G. Davison, K. Fountain.
The Flash have now moved back into position where they can challenge Philadelphia for first place. With the exception of midfielder Caroline Seger, they are reasonably healthy heading into their final six matches.
Boston has been beset by injuries throughout the season. Add to the list Lauren Cheney, who suffered a sprained ankle in the World Cup final against Japan and English striker Kelly Smith. In addition, several of their national team players will be sitting out this match after a grueling World Cup schedule, including Aya Sameshima, a member of the champion Japanese team.
The goalkeeper matchup in this one should be good. Boston's Alyssa Naeher and WNY's Ashlyn Harris are currently in a battle for the lowest WPS goals against average (among those players that qualify). In addition, Naeher is tied for the league lead in shutouts with four.
Defensively, Boston will still be missing Rachel Buehler, Amy LePeilbet, and Aya Sameshima according to the roster report. While defense is one of the deepest areas for the Breakers, that is still a lot of talent out of the lineup. It will be interesting to see if coach Tony DiCicco uses newly acquired Nikki Marshall on defense or as a striker.
In the Breaker midfield, Leslie Osborne has been steady, as has rookie Keelin Winters. The acquisition of Meghan Klingenberg gives Boston a strong threat from the wing. With Smith and Cheney out, Boston's scoring punch has been severely reduced. USWNT reserve Kelley O'Hara is probably their biggest threat.
With their high-powered scoring triumvirate of Christine Sinclair, Marta, and Alex Morgan, the Flash look to be a very tough team to defend against as the season approaches the home stretch. Sinclair scored twice on Wednesday to bring her total to eight goals and she added an assist as well. Marta and Alex Morgan bring lightning speed to the front line. Marta has scored only four goals to this point, but look for her to close the season strong.
The Flash midfield will miss Seger, who was injured at the World Cup. McCall Zerboni is having a very good season, as is Becky Edwards. Yael Averbuch has added a strong dimension to the central midfield after missing much of the early season while trying to make the USWNT.
Defensively, the Flash are very good as well. Candace Chapman and Whitney Engen give WNY a strong central defense. Ali Riley is one of the best attackers at left back. Rebecca Moros has played outside back since being picked up in midseason.
In spite of being a point down, the Flash have a game in hand on Philadelphia and look to be the team to beat. Boston is locked in a threeway battle for the two remaining playoff spots. Look for a good game on Sunday.
July 20, 2011
Flash Sink magicJack in World Cup Homecoming
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Labels: 2011 WPS, Abby Wambach, Becky Edwards, Christine Sinclair, Ella Masar, Jill Loyden, Marta, McCall Zerboni, Nikki Washington, Western New York Flash
Labels: 2011 WPS, Abby Wambach, Becky Edwards, Christine Sinclair, Ella Masar, Jill Loyden, Marta, McCall Zerboni, Nikki Washington, Western New York Flash
On a night when World Cup players from six different countries were honored before 15,404 fans, the Western New York Flash defeated magicJack 3-1 at Sahlen Stadium in Rochester, New York. Canadian National Team star Christine Sinclair scored two goals and assisted on the third to lead the Flash to victory. It was the largest single-game crowd in WPS history.
While all of the players that participated in the World Cup were honored, magicJack striker Abby Wambach clearly took center stage. The Rochester native received the key to the city and it was proclaimed Abby Wambach Day. Wambach was dressed in her magicJack uniform, but did not play in the game, still nursing an Achilles heel injury which has plagued her for much of the year.
The visitors from Florida nearly broke on top in the sixth minute. Christen Press had an open shot from 10 yards, but she put her shot too close to Ashlyn Harris and the save was made by the Flash keeper.
Western New York got the first goal of the match. Candace Chapman sent a long free kick forward from just outside her penalty area. Becky Edwards flicked the ball forward with a header and Sinclair timed her run perfectly getting behind the defense. Sinclair dribbled around magicJack goalkeeper Jill Loyden and rolled the ball into the net for a 1-0 lead.
MagicJack was able to draw even just before the intermission. In the 40th minute, Nikki Washington sent a long cross toward the box. With Flash defender Candace Chapman in front of her, Ella Masar elected to one-time it. She hit a left-footed shot over her shoulder, over Chapman, and finally over Harris to tie the match.
The Flash tried to regain the lead to start the second half. Marta's shot was blocked by defender Tina Ellertson, but Beverly Goebel was on the rebound and only a point-blank save by Loyden kept the score tied at one.
But magicJack wasn't so fortunate five minutes later. Marta sent the ball into space for Christine Sinclair, but Tina Ellertson was able to get there first. As the two battled for the ball, Ellertson fell down and Sinclair dribbled in alone on Loyden, shooting just inside the left post as a diving Loyden was only able to get a glove on it, but not stop it. It was Sinclair's eighth goal of the season, tying her with Tasha Kai for the league lead, and the Flash led 2-1.
The Flash closed the door on magicJack in the 69th minute. Goebel sent the ball ahead to Sinclair, who chased the ball down just to the left of the penalty area. She cut back to the inside, beating magicJack defender Nikki Marshall, and then sent a cross to the right edge of the six. McCall Zerboni was waiting there unmarked and she placed her header behind Loyden, who was rushing across to cut off the angle.
MagicJack again struggled with a three-back formation as the Flash found open lanes to play the ball in behind their defense. Ali Riley got in behind the defense later in the match and only another good save by Loyden kept the game reasonably close. Later, Loyden made a diving save on Alex Morgan's drive from just outside the eighteen. The final score was 3-1 for Western New York.
The Flash move to within one point of first place Philadelphia. They now sport a 8-2-2 record and they will now travel to Boston to meet the Breakers on Sunday. MagicJack falls to 5-5-1 and are in a fierce battle for the final two playoff berths. They will now head to Atlanta to play the Beat on Saturday evening.
While all of the players that participated in the World Cup were honored, magicJack striker Abby Wambach clearly took center stage. The Rochester native received the key to the city and it was proclaimed Abby Wambach Day. Wambach was dressed in her magicJack uniform, but did not play in the game, still nursing an Achilles heel injury which has plagued her for much of the year.
The visitors from Florida nearly broke on top in the sixth minute. Christen Press had an open shot from 10 yards, but she put her shot too close to Ashlyn Harris and the save was made by the Flash keeper.
Western New York got the first goal of the match. Candace Chapman sent a long free kick forward from just outside her penalty area. Becky Edwards flicked the ball forward with a header and Sinclair timed her run perfectly getting behind the defense. Sinclair dribbled around magicJack goalkeeper Jill Loyden and rolled the ball into the net for a 1-0 lead.
MagicJack was able to draw even just before the intermission. In the 40th minute, Nikki Washington sent a long cross toward the box. With Flash defender Candace Chapman in front of her, Ella Masar elected to one-time it. She hit a left-footed shot over her shoulder, over Chapman, and finally over Harris to tie the match.
The Flash tried to regain the lead to start the second half. Marta's shot was blocked by defender Tina Ellertson, but Beverly Goebel was on the rebound and only a point-blank save by Loyden kept the score tied at one.
But magicJack wasn't so fortunate five minutes later. Marta sent the ball into space for Christine Sinclair, but Tina Ellertson was able to get there first. As the two battled for the ball, Ellertson fell down and Sinclair dribbled in alone on Loyden, shooting just inside the left post as a diving Loyden was only able to get a glove on it, but not stop it. It was Sinclair's eighth goal of the season, tying her with Tasha Kai for the league lead, and the Flash led 2-1.
The Flash closed the door on magicJack in the 69th minute. Goebel sent the ball ahead to Sinclair, who chased the ball down just to the left of the penalty area. She cut back to the inside, beating magicJack defender Nikki Marshall, and then sent a cross to the right edge of the six. McCall Zerboni was waiting there unmarked and she placed her header behind Loyden, who was rushing across to cut off the angle.
MagicJack again struggled with a three-back formation as the Flash found open lanes to play the ball in behind their defense. Ali Riley got in behind the defense later in the match and only another good save by Loyden kept the game reasonably close. Later, Loyden made a diving save on Alex Morgan's drive from just outside the eighteen. The final score was 3-1 for Western New York.
The Flash move to within one point of first place Philadelphia. They now sport a 8-2-2 record and they will now travel to Boston to meet the Breakers on Sunday. MagicJack falls to 5-5-1 and are in a fierce battle for the final two playoff berths. They will now head to Atlanta to play the Beat on Saturday evening.
July 19, 2011
WPS Preview: magicJack at Western New York
magicJack at Western New York Flash (7:30 pm eastern, Wednesday)
Sahlen Stadium, Rochester, New York.
Western New York Flash (7-2-2)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron.
Defenders: W. Engen, C. Chapman, A. Riley, K. Wilson, R. Moros, G. Lewandowski.
Midfielders: Y. Averbuch, B. Bock, M. Zerboni, B. Edwards, B. Goebel.
Forwards: Marta, C. Sinclair, A. Morgan, G. Davison, K. Fountain.
Not active: C. Seger (injured); A. Bowers, K. Brandao, Maurine, A. Sahlen.
magicJack (5-4-1)
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, B. Maron.
Defenders: B. Sauerbrunn, T. Ellertson, M. Dalmy, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Schmidt, M. Rapinoe, S. Boxx (questionable), S. Huffman, N. Washington.
Forwards: A. Wambach, L. De Vanna, E. Masar, C. Press, J. Rasmussen.
Not active: H. Solo, C. Rampone, L. Tarpley (injured), O. Davis, A. Gunning.
It's a homecoming game of sorts and they are expecting a sellout crowd at Sahlen Stadium in Rochester. It should be a special night with many of the USWNT players seeing their first WPS action since the World Cup. It will also be a homecoming for Abby Wambach.
This will be an important match for both teams. Western New York hopes to climb within a point of league leading Philadelphia. MagicJack is in a three-way battle for third place right now.
The guess would be that the USWNT players will make appearances of varying lengths in this match. According to the roster report, Hope Solo and Christie Rampone aren't expected to play at all for magicJack. Caroline Seger is injured for Western New York.
Jill Loyden should get the start in goal for magicJack. Ashlyn Harris, who is presently in a close battle with Alyssa Naeher for lowest goals against average, will be in goal for the Flash.
The Flash look to have their entire arsenal of forwards back. Christine Sinclair is second in WPS in goal scoring with six and she leads the league in assists. Marta has three goals and three assists for the Flash. Alex Morgan will be fresh off scoring two goals at the World Cup.
The Flash will miss Seger in the middle, but McCall Zerboni has done well this year with two goals and two assists. Though more defensive-minded, Becky Edwards has scored two goals as well. Defensively, the Flash should have their entire back line available for this match.
Abby Wambach will lead magicJack, although one has to wonder how many minutes she will play in this match, given that she started and finished all six World Cup matches. She will get support from Lisa De Vanna, Ella Masar, and Christen Press up front.
Shannon Boxx is listed as questionable for this match, but magicJack should have newly acquired Megan Rapinoe, with the same possible restrictions in minutes as Wambach. Canadian midfielder Sophie Schmidt should give magicJack a lift as well.
Defensively, it will be interesting to see how magicJack's three back formation will work against Western New York. The first time around back in May, it didn't work very well. Tina Ellertson and Becky Sauerbrunn are keys to their defense.
The match has been picked up by Fox Soccer Channel and will be televised.
Sahlen Stadium, Rochester, New York.
Western New York Flash (7-2-2)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron.
Defenders: W. Engen, C. Chapman, A. Riley, K. Wilson, R. Moros, G. Lewandowski.
Midfielders: Y. Averbuch, B. Bock, M. Zerboni, B. Edwards, B. Goebel.
Forwards: Marta, C. Sinclair, A. Morgan, G. Davison, K. Fountain.
Not active: C. Seger (injured); A. Bowers, K. Brandao, Maurine, A. Sahlen.
magicJack (5-4-1)
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Loyden, B. Maron.
Defenders: B. Sauerbrunn, T. Ellertson, M. Dalmy, L. Vandenbergh.
Midfielders: S. Schmidt, M. Rapinoe, S. Boxx (questionable), S. Huffman, N. Washington.
Forwards: A. Wambach, L. De Vanna, E. Masar, C. Press, J. Rasmussen.
Not active: H. Solo, C. Rampone, L. Tarpley (injured), O. Davis, A. Gunning.
It's a homecoming game of sorts and they are expecting a sellout crowd at Sahlen Stadium in Rochester. It should be a special night with many of the USWNT players seeing their first WPS action since the World Cup. It will also be a homecoming for Abby Wambach.
This will be an important match for both teams. Western New York hopes to climb within a point of league leading Philadelphia. MagicJack is in a three-way battle for third place right now.
The guess would be that the USWNT players will make appearances of varying lengths in this match. According to the roster report, Hope Solo and Christie Rampone aren't expected to play at all for magicJack. Caroline Seger is injured for Western New York.
Jill Loyden should get the start in goal for magicJack. Ashlyn Harris, who is presently in a close battle with Alyssa Naeher for lowest goals against average, will be in goal for the Flash.
The Flash look to have their entire arsenal of forwards back. Christine Sinclair is second in WPS in goal scoring with six and she leads the league in assists. Marta has three goals and three assists for the Flash. Alex Morgan will be fresh off scoring two goals at the World Cup.
The Flash will miss Seger in the middle, but McCall Zerboni has done well this year with two goals and two assists. Though more defensive-minded, Becky Edwards has scored two goals as well. Defensively, the Flash should have their entire back line available for this match.
Abby Wambach will lead magicJack, although one has to wonder how many minutes she will play in this match, given that she started and finished all six World Cup matches. She will get support from Lisa De Vanna, Ella Masar, and Christen Press up front.
Shannon Boxx is listed as questionable for this match, but magicJack should have newly acquired Megan Rapinoe, with the same possible restrictions in minutes as Wambach. Canadian midfielder Sophie Schmidt should give magicJack a lift as well.
Defensively, it will be interesting to see how magicJack's three back formation will work against Western New York. The first time around back in May, it didn't work very well. Tina Ellertson and Becky Sauerbrunn are keys to their defense.
The match has been picked up by Fox Soccer Channel and will be televised.
To Criticize or Not To Criticize
The World Cup has been over for two days now. Japan won the 2011 World Cup, defeating the US in the finals. It was a thrilling final that saw the Nadeshiko come from behind, not just once, but twice to force penalty kicks.
Now that it's over, the focus here in the States has been on the US team and how they managed lose a game that they dominated for all but just a handful of minutes. The discussion has caused a bit of disagreement within the media. More specifically, the question being debated is whether or not the USWNT should be criticized, and if so, to what extent.
One question I have heard asked several times in the past 48 hours is did Japan win it or did the United States lose it? My answer to that question is "yes." The United States had several opportunities to put the game away early and build a lead that would have made it impossible for Japan to come back as they did. The US, plain and simple, did not close the game out.
That's not to take anything away from Japan, who did everything they needed to in order to win the title. They had a tough road on their way to the World Cup, defeating the 2nd, 5th, and 1st ranked teams in the world consecutively in the knockout stage. They won it without the benefit of any screwy calls and they won it with class. What it came down to in the end was that one team did what it needed to win the title and one team didn't do quite enough.
But getting back to the subject at hand, my personal feeling is that this is a team of professionals and they have earned that respect. Any male team in the same position in any sport would be subject to criticism. To pat this team on the back and say "nice try" would be patronizing at best. To me, the fact that their play is being analyzed and criticized shows that people are taking this team seriously, which is a good thing. It means people were watching and that they care about it.
Over the Top Criticism
First off, let me say that I don't think this team could have given any better effort than they did. I have no doubt in my mind that they left it all out there on the field. If anybody says differently, they better produce some convincing evidence to the contrary. The US played through five tough games on the road to the final, losing only one and defeating Brazil in penalty kicks after playing one down for nearly an hour.
Then there are a few loud, shrieking people using the word "choke." How the heck do you even measure something like that? This isn't basketball where a player might have two free throws late in the game in which he gets to shoot uncontested and misses both. This is soccer. The other team has a lot to say about what you can and can't do. Even on penalty kicks, there is a goalkeeper between the shooter and the goal. It's not like there is nothing in the way and all you have to do is kick the ball straight ahead.
Choke has become a word used all too often for any team that doesn't achieve the expected result in a major sporting event. I don't want to hear it in any discussion of what happened on Sunday.
Then there are those that say the USWNT just aren't tough enough and Japan was. Well then how do explain the game against Brazil? Even Japan didn't have those kind of odds against them, down a goal and a player for nearly the last 30 minutes, before tying it in closing seconds. Sunday's game was not about who was tougher, it was about taking advantage of opportunities and after that, any time it goes to penalties, it's a crapshoot at best.
There were those that thought we would win a penalty shootout because we have the best keeper. Well, we do probably have the best keeper, but there's a lot more to it than that. The shootout against Brazil was a bit of an aberration. Andreia, the Brazilian goalkeeper, guessed right four out of five times and the US still converted all five, which is truly amazing. They were THAT perfect. By contrast, in the 2009 Algarve Cup final, the United States made only three of seven attempts and lost to Sweden.
Valid Criticism
I do believe there are valid criticisms to be made about the United States' performance in the final. These, of course, are my opinion.
The game's most glaring statistics to me were shots and shots on goal. The United States attempted 27 shots in the match, but only five were on goal. Japan, on the other hand, attempted only 14 shots for the match, but six of their shots were on frame. That's right, in spite the United States dominating much of the match and creating far more chances, Japan actually put more shots on goal.
That had a lot to do with the outcome. There's the obvious, you can't score on a shot that isn't on goal. It also takes some of the pressure off the opposing keeper, when they don't have to dive to make saves, don't have to worry about rebounds, don't have to worry about opposing players running into to them all the time, all of which can be physically and mentally taxing.
What else did it do? Well, it also gave Japan's beleaguered defense a chance to catch their breath. In the first 18 minutes of the match, Japan took eight goal kicks. Between the time the ball went out of play to the time Kaihori put the ball back in play was a total of over 3 1/2 minutes for those eight goal kicks. That's a lot of time to rest over an 18 minute stretch of a soccer match, especially when the United States was pressuring almost the entire time.
Another criticism has to be defending in, and clearing from, the penalty area. Japan only had the ball in their possession in the US penalty area twice with any real chance to score in the first 79 minutes of the match. One ended in a weak shot right at Solo, the other was a shot over the crossbar which wasn't the least bit dangerous.
But on the first Japanese goal, the United States could not clear what was a fairly routine cross. From then on, every time the ball got into the penalty area, it became an adventure. Kinga seemed to be running free and open every time she came forward from her right back position.
Which leads us to another criticism, holding leads and finishing off games. The United States gave up seven goals over the last four matches, something they've done only twice since 2001. But the disturbing thing is that they gave up the lead four times after the 54th minute in their final three matches. That just cannot be allowed to happen.
The United States gave up a 1-0 lead against Brazil, a 1-0 lead against France, and two different leads against Japan, both times when within 10 minutes of winning the match. To their credit, they fought back and won the first two matches, but it finally caught with them against Japan.
There are certainly other facets I haven't touched on, including coaching decisions which will always come into question no matter what the sport. It's just the nature of the beast, but that's a conversation best left for another day.
Hopefully, the United States will learn from the loss and the next time they are in this position, they will finish it off. In any event, they gave us three weeks of exciting soccer and their best effort. The country was watching and took notice. And that is a good thing.
Now that it's over, the focus here in the States has been on the US team and how they managed lose a game that they dominated for all but just a handful of minutes. The discussion has caused a bit of disagreement within the media. More specifically, the question being debated is whether or not the USWNT should be criticized, and if so, to what extent.
One question I have heard asked several times in the past 48 hours is did Japan win it or did the United States lose it? My answer to that question is "yes." The United States had several opportunities to put the game away early and build a lead that would have made it impossible for Japan to come back as they did. The US, plain and simple, did not close the game out.
That's not to take anything away from Japan, who did everything they needed to in order to win the title. They had a tough road on their way to the World Cup, defeating the 2nd, 5th, and 1st ranked teams in the world consecutively in the knockout stage. They won it without the benefit of any screwy calls and they won it with class. What it came down to in the end was that one team did what it needed to win the title and one team didn't do quite enough.
But getting back to the subject at hand, my personal feeling is that this is a team of professionals and they have earned that respect. Any male team in the same position in any sport would be subject to criticism. To pat this team on the back and say "nice try" would be patronizing at best. To me, the fact that their play is being analyzed and criticized shows that people are taking this team seriously, which is a good thing. It means people were watching and that they care about it.
Over the Top Criticism
First off, let me say that I don't think this team could have given any better effort than they did. I have no doubt in my mind that they left it all out there on the field. If anybody says differently, they better produce some convincing evidence to the contrary. The US played through five tough games on the road to the final, losing only one and defeating Brazil in penalty kicks after playing one down for nearly an hour.
Then there are a few loud, shrieking people using the word "choke." How the heck do you even measure something like that? This isn't basketball where a player might have two free throws late in the game in which he gets to shoot uncontested and misses both. This is soccer. The other team has a lot to say about what you can and can't do. Even on penalty kicks, there is a goalkeeper between the shooter and the goal. It's not like there is nothing in the way and all you have to do is kick the ball straight ahead.
Choke has become a word used all too often for any team that doesn't achieve the expected result in a major sporting event. I don't want to hear it in any discussion of what happened on Sunday.
Then there are those that say the USWNT just aren't tough enough and Japan was. Well then how do explain the game against Brazil? Even Japan didn't have those kind of odds against them, down a goal and a player for nearly the last 30 minutes, before tying it in closing seconds. Sunday's game was not about who was tougher, it was about taking advantage of opportunities and after that, any time it goes to penalties, it's a crapshoot at best.
There were those that thought we would win a penalty shootout because we have the best keeper. Well, we do probably have the best keeper, but there's a lot more to it than that. The shootout against Brazil was a bit of an aberration. Andreia, the Brazilian goalkeeper, guessed right four out of five times and the US still converted all five, which is truly amazing. They were THAT perfect. By contrast, in the 2009 Algarve Cup final, the United States made only three of seven attempts and lost to Sweden.
Valid Criticism
I do believe there are valid criticisms to be made about the United States' performance in the final. These, of course, are my opinion.
The game's most glaring statistics to me were shots and shots on goal. The United States attempted 27 shots in the match, but only five were on goal. Japan, on the other hand, attempted only 14 shots for the match, but six of their shots were on frame. That's right, in spite the United States dominating much of the match and creating far more chances, Japan actually put more shots on goal.
That had a lot to do with the outcome. There's the obvious, you can't score on a shot that isn't on goal. It also takes some of the pressure off the opposing keeper, when they don't have to dive to make saves, don't have to worry about rebounds, don't have to worry about opposing players running into to them all the time, all of which can be physically and mentally taxing.
What else did it do? Well, it also gave Japan's beleaguered defense a chance to catch their breath. In the first 18 minutes of the match, Japan took eight goal kicks. Between the time the ball went out of play to the time Kaihori put the ball back in play was a total of over 3 1/2 minutes for those eight goal kicks. That's a lot of time to rest over an 18 minute stretch of a soccer match, especially when the United States was pressuring almost the entire time.
Another criticism has to be defending in, and clearing from, the penalty area. Japan only had the ball in their possession in the US penalty area twice with any real chance to score in the first 79 minutes of the match. One ended in a weak shot right at Solo, the other was a shot over the crossbar which wasn't the least bit dangerous.
But on the first Japanese goal, the United States could not clear what was a fairly routine cross. From then on, every time the ball got into the penalty area, it became an adventure. Kinga seemed to be running free and open every time she came forward from her right back position.
Which leads us to another criticism, holding leads and finishing off games. The United States gave up seven goals over the last four matches, something they've done only twice since 2001. But the disturbing thing is that they gave up the lead four times after the 54th minute in their final three matches. That just cannot be allowed to happen.
The United States gave up a 1-0 lead against Brazil, a 1-0 lead against France, and two different leads against Japan, both times when within 10 minutes of winning the match. To their credit, they fought back and won the first two matches, but it finally caught with them against Japan.
There are certainly other facets I haven't touched on, including coaching decisions which will always come into question no matter what the sport. It's just the nature of the beast, but that's a conversation best left for another day.
Hopefully, the United States will learn from the loss and the next time they are in this position, they will finish it off. In any event, they gave us three weeks of exciting soccer and their best effort. The country was watching and took notice. And that is a good thing.
July 17, 2011
WPS Weekend Wrap
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Labels: 2011 WPS, Ashlyn Harris, Atlanta Beat, Beverly Goebel, Christine Sinclair, Philadelphia Independence, Sky Blue FC, Val Henderson, Veronica Boquete, Western New York Flash
Labels: 2011 WPS, Ashlyn Harris, Atlanta Beat, Beverly Goebel, Christine Sinclair, Philadelphia Independence, Sky Blue FC, Val Henderson, Veronica Boquete, Western New York Flash
Philadelphia Edges Atlanta 1-0
The Independence were able to improve their record to 8-2-3 by shutting out the Atlanta Beat 1-0 at KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia. Veronica Boquete scored the lone goal of the contest in the 71st minute on an assist from Sinead Farrelly. It was Boquete's third goal of the season.
Philadelphia outshot Atlanta by a 15-8 margin for the match. The Independence put seven of those shots on frame.
Val Henderson earned her fourth shutout of the season, tying her with Alyssa Naeher for the league lead in that category.
With the victory, Philadelphia has now won six matches in a row, which is a WPS record. Their unbeaten streak is now at seven, but is a long way from Gold Pride's record of 13 regular season matches in 2010.
Philadelphia travels to New Jersey to face Sky Blue next Saturday. Atlanta will host magicJack next Saturday.
Western New York 2, Sky Blue FC 0
After a scoreless first half, the Flash took advantage of a Sky Blue own goal to give them the lead and they went on to defeat Sky Blue 2-0 in Piscataway, New Jersey.
The Flash had a good scoring opportunity in the 11th minute as a through ball found Christine Sinclair in alone on Branam, but she came out and made a great save.
Casey Nogueira sent a through ball to Adriana in the 37th minute. She came in alone on Ashlyn Harris who made a great diving save to keep the game scoreless.
The game remained scoreless until the 81st minute. Kandace Wilson attempted a cross from the right side. The ball went to the middle of the penalty area, where Sky Blue defender Carrie Dew attempted to clear. Instead, she deflected the ball over Jen Branam and into the net for an own goal in a tough bit of luck.
Western New York put the game away in the 86th minute. A cross from the left side went through to Sinclair on the right side of the box. She chipped it back to the middle where Beverly Goebel was making a run. Goebel one-timed it into the net from eight yards to make it 2-0.
Ashlyn Harris earned the shutout for Western New York, who are now 7-2-2. They return home to play magicJack on Wednesday. Sky Blue falls to 3-5-4 and remain in 5th place. They will host Philadelphia next Saturday.
WPS Standings
(1) Philadelphia 8-2-3, 27 pts; (2) Western New York 7-2-2, 23 pts; (3) magicJack 5-4-1, 15 pts; (3) Boston 4-5-3, 15 pts; (5) Sky Blue FC 3-5-4, 13 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-10-3, 6 pts.
The Independence were able to improve their record to 8-2-3 by shutting out the Atlanta Beat 1-0 at KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia. Veronica Boquete scored the lone goal of the contest in the 71st minute on an assist from Sinead Farrelly. It was Boquete's third goal of the season.
Philadelphia outshot Atlanta by a 15-8 margin for the match. The Independence put seven of those shots on frame.
Val Henderson earned her fourth shutout of the season, tying her with Alyssa Naeher for the league lead in that category.
With the victory, Philadelphia has now won six matches in a row, which is a WPS record. Their unbeaten streak is now at seven, but is a long way from Gold Pride's record of 13 regular season matches in 2010.
Philadelphia travels to New Jersey to face Sky Blue next Saturday. Atlanta will host magicJack next Saturday.
Western New York 2, Sky Blue FC 0
After a scoreless first half, the Flash took advantage of a Sky Blue own goal to give them the lead and they went on to defeat Sky Blue 2-0 in Piscataway, New Jersey.
The Flash had a good scoring opportunity in the 11th minute as a through ball found Christine Sinclair in alone on Branam, but she came out and made a great save.
Casey Nogueira sent a through ball to Adriana in the 37th minute. She came in alone on Ashlyn Harris who made a great diving save to keep the game scoreless.
The game remained scoreless until the 81st minute. Kandace Wilson attempted a cross from the right side. The ball went to the middle of the penalty area, where Sky Blue defender Carrie Dew attempted to clear. Instead, she deflected the ball over Jen Branam and into the net for an own goal in a tough bit of luck.
Western New York put the game away in the 86th minute. A cross from the left side went through to Sinclair on the right side of the box. She chipped it back to the middle where Beverly Goebel was making a run. Goebel one-timed it into the net from eight yards to make it 2-0.
Ashlyn Harris earned the shutout for Western New York, who are now 7-2-2. They return home to play magicJack on Wednesday. Sky Blue falls to 3-5-4 and remain in 5th place. They will host Philadelphia next Saturday.
WPS Standings
(1) Philadelphia 8-2-3, 27 pts; (2) Western New York 7-2-2, 23 pts; (3) magicJack 5-4-1, 15 pts; (3) Boston 4-5-3, 15 pts; (5) Sky Blue FC 3-5-4, 13 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-10-3, 6 pts.
Japan Wins World Cup
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Labels: 2011 World Cup, Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, Aya Miyama, Ayumi Kaihori, Homare Sawa, Hope Solo, Japan, USWNT
Labels: 2011 World Cup, Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, Aya Miyama, Ayumi Kaihori, Homare Sawa, Hope Solo, Japan, USWNT
Japan finished off an unlikely fairy tale, twice coming back from a goal down to defeat the United States in World Cup Final by penalty kicks. The US twice squandered leads, once late in regulation and again late in overtime.
For a nation that has had what could only be called a tragic year, this was indeed a bright and shiny moment of hope. The Japanese team entered this tournament as longshots, but came out standing alone as champions.
As for the United States, one statistic told the story. They attempted 27 shots on the day, nearly one every four minutes, but only five of those shots were on frame. They absolutely dominated the first 70 minutes of this match, but they let Japanese keeper Ayumi Kaihori off the hook time and time again by not forcing her to make saves.
The United States got their first chance in the eighth minute. A Megan Rapinoe cross found Lauren Cheney at the near post, but she redirected it wide from inside the six. Seconds later, Abby Wambach put a 25 yard shot over the crossbar. Just two minutes after that, Carli Lloyd's uncontested shot from 16 yards also went just over the bar. A minute after that, Lauren Cheney beat the Japanese defense on the right side and crossed to Rapinoe whose shot from eight yards went wide of the right post. Four golden scoring opportunities in the first 12 minutes and not one found the net.
For the entire half, Japan rarely had possession anywhere near the US penalty area. Japan's first shot of the match was an effort from Shinobu Ohno that went well wide of the goal from over 30 yards in the 22nd minute.
The United States very nearly struck in the 28th minute. Abby Wambach drove a hard shot from the 18 that had Kaihori beaten, but hit the bottom of the crossbar and bounced away.
Japan created their best chance of the half when Ohno pushed a nice ball through to the left side of the US penalty area with Kozue Ando running onto it. Ando's shot from 10 yards was at a tough angle and it rolled right to Hope Solo.
In the 35th minute, Lauren Cheney had an uncontested header from the penalty spot with Kaihori off her line and put that over the crossbar. By halftime, it's not an exaggeration to say that the United States could easily have had three or four goals, while Japan was yet to truly have one dangerous attempt.
Pia Sundhage made her first substitution at the half, but it was forced by injury. Lauren Cheney had injured herself in the opening half and Alex Morgan was sent into the match.
It didn't take long for Morgan to get into the action. In the 49th minute, a Heather O'Reilly cross from the right side found Morgan making a run at the near post. Morgan was inside the six when she pushed the ball off the post, then the ball rebounded off Kaihori and landed one yard from the goal line, before Japan was finally able to clear. Just four minutes later, Wambach had Kaihori off her line, but skied the ball over the goal from 25 yards.
Japan's first real chance of the second half came in the 61st minute as Yukari Kinga broke into the box on the right side, but her looping shot went well over the net.
A couple of minutes later, Kaihori made her first big save of the match. O'Reilly sent the ball into the penalty area and Wambach's header appeared to be heading into the net just under the crossbar, but Kaihori was able to tip it over.
Japan's first two substitutions were Karina Maruyama and Yuki Nagasato for Ohno and Ando in the 66th minute.
The United States finally broke through in the 69th minute. Megan Rapinoe sent a long ball from well inside her own half, up the middle of the field. Alex Morgan beat the defender gathered the ball just outside the penalty area, and touched it just once to set up her shot. She drilled the ball into the lower right corner of the net and the US was on top 1-0. And one began to think that maybe, just maybe, with the US ahead by one and in control of the match, that they might be heading for their third title.
Japan, however, had other ideas. For the first time all day, they started to create some chances. Homare Sawa was able to get off a shot from 25 yards, straight at Solo, but it was a sign that Japan wasn't going to let this go easily. Japan started to find gaps on the right side and it resulted in some challenging foot races for American defenders.
In the 81st minute, United States made a turnover in their own end and it handed Japan the opportunity they had been waiting for. Nahomi Kawasumi intercepted a pass and sent the ball forward to Nagasato into the right corner. Nagasato cut back against Amy LePeilbet and crossed the ball into the penalty area. The United States made a mess of the clearance with the ball falling right to Aya Miyama's feet and she touched it in from just five yards out to tie the match.
Japan had one late chance to take the lead, but Mizuho Sakaguchi's shot from 18 yards went well wide of the net. At the other end, O'Reilly put one over the crossbar from 20 yards in stoppage time.
Morgan had the first scoring opportunity of the overtime, but fighting off two Japanese defenders, her shot went wide of the left post in the 95th minute.
Just before the end of the first overtime, the United States once again took the lead. After Japan had blocked a couple of shots, Morgan gained possession and drove to the endline. Then she chipped it perfectly to the six, where Wambach easily put her header in the back of the net. It was 2-1 for the United States heading into the second overtime period.
In the 108th minute, Japan crossed the ball in and once again the United States made a mess of the clearance, but in this instance, they finally managed to clear after a weak Japanese shot. In the 112th minute, the United States made yet another adventure of it as Aya Miyama crossed the ball into the area, with the ball deflected past a diving Solo. The US once again escaped as the ball was finally cleared and further danger averted.
The United States made their second substitution in the 114th minute, putting in Tobin Heath for Megan Rapinoe. Rapinoe had played a very strong match for the US.
The US escaped yet again in the 115th minute as Yukari Kinga once again got behind the left side of the American defense alone. Solo came out to cut of the angle, but Kinga chipped it over her with the ball heading right at the left post. Christie Rampone took no chances and cleared the ball away. But when you play with fire too often, you finally get burned.
After Solo was treated for an injury on that play, Aya Miyama took the corner from the left side. Her inswinging kick found Sawa at the six, actually running away from the goal. She reached up with her right foot and deflected it toward the goal. The ball may have touched a US player on its way in, but it zipped past Solo to tie the match. The United States had given Japan just one too many opportunities and the Nadeshiko had taken advantage.
The US had two chances left in them. O'Reilly crossed the ball from the right side in the 120th minute, but Wambach's sliding attempt went over the bar from the six. Then Alex Morgan was taken down just outside the penalty area, with Azusa Iwashimizu getting a red card for the play. The US attempted to play the ball into the six and had two players there, but the ball deflected away and Heath's shot was blocked.
After such excitement, the penalty shoot out was almost anticlimactic. The United States failed on their first three attempts. Kaihori stopped both Shannon Boxx and Tobin Heath and Carli Lloyd missed her attempt badly over the bar. Clearly, Kaihori's play in the last three matches made a big difference for Japan.
Meanwhile, Aya Miyama put Japan in the lead converting the first Japanese attempt, before Solo was able to stop the second by Yuki Nagasato. Solo was able to get her hand on Mizuho Sakaguchi's attempt, but it deflected into the net to give Japan a nearly insurmountable 2-0 lead with just two kicks to go.
Abby Wambach made her penalty to keep the United States alive, but only temporarily. Defender Saki Kumagai placed the ball into the upper left corner to give Japan a 3-1 victory in penalty kicks. Japan were the 2011 World Cup champions.
It had been an amazing road for the Nadeshiko. They squeaked by New Zealand 2-1, before a dominating performance in a 4-0 victory over Mexico in the group stage. They then had a very lackluster effort in losing the final group stage match to England, forcing them to play Germany in the quarterfinals.
But they slew three giants in the knockout rounds, first with an overtime victory over Germany, then another dominating performance over Sweden, and finally a come-from-behind victory over the United States. Homare Sawa scored five goals in the World Cup and she captured both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball trophies as the leading scorer and best player of the tournament. She had climbed the mountain in her fifth World Cup.
As for the United States, they may have played their best and most dominating match of the tournament in the final. But in the end, they didn't take advantage of their many chances and Japan did. The United States has now finished in the top three in all six Women's World Cups. This was the first time that they had ever lost their final match of the World Cup.
Hope Solo was received the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper and the Bronze Ball for the third best player in the tournament. Abby Wambach received the Silver Ball for being the runner-up to Sawa as the best player in the tournament.
Congratulations to the Nadeshiko!
For a nation that has had what could only be called a tragic year, this was indeed a bright and shiny moment of hope. The Japanese team entered this tournament as longshots, but came out standing alone as champions.
As for the United States, one statistic told the story. They attempted 27 shots on the day, nearly one every four minutes, but only five of those shots were on frame. They absolutely dominated the first 70 minutes of this match, but they let Japanese keeper Ayumi Kaihori off the hook time and time again by not forcing her to make saves.
The United States got their first chance in the eighth minute. A Megan Rapinoe cross found Lauren Cheney at the near post, but she redirected it wide from inside the six. Seconds later, Abby Wambach put a 25 yard shot over the crossbar. Just two minutes after that, Carli Lloyd's uncontested shot from 16 yards also went just over the bar. A minute after that, Lauren Cheney beat the Japanese defense on the right side and crossed to Rapinoe whose shot from eight yards went wide of the right post. Four golden scoring opportunities in the first 12 minutes and not one found the net.
For the entire half, Japan rarely had possession anywhere near the US penalty area. Japan's first shot of the match was an effort from Shinobu Ohno that went well wide of the goal from over 30 yards in the 22nd minute.
The United States very nearly struck in the 28th minute. Abby Wambach drove a hard shot from the 18 that had Kaihori beaten, but hit the bottom of the crossbar and bounced away.
Japan created their best chance of the half when Ohno pushed a nice ball through to the left side of the US penalty area with Kozue Ando running onto it. Ando's shot from 10 yards was at a tough angle and it rolled right to Hope Solo.
In the 35th minute, Lauren Cheney had an uncontested header from the penalty spot with Kaihori off her line and put that over the crossbar. By halftime, it's not an exaggeration to say that the United States could easily have had three or four goals, while Japan was yet to truly have one dangerous attempt.
Pia Sundhage made her first substitution at the half, but it was forced by injury. Lauren Cheney had injured herself in the opening half and Alex Morgan was sent into the match.
It didn't take long for Morgan to get into the action. In the 49th minute, a Heather O'Reilly cross from the right side found Morgan making a run at the near post. Morgan was inside the six when she pushed the ball off the post, then the ball rebounded off Kaihori and landed one yard from the goal line, before Japan was finally able to clear. Just four minutes later, Wambach had Kaihori off her line, but skied the ball over the goal from 25 yards.
Japan's first real chance of the second half came in the 61st minute as Yukari Kinga broke into the box on the right side, but her looping shot went well over the net.
A couple of minutes later, Kaihori made her first big save of the match. O'Reilly sent the ball into the penalty area and Wambach's header appeared to be heading into the net just under the crossbar, but Kaihori was able to tip it over.
Japan's first two substitutions were Karina Maruyama and Yuki Nagasato for Ohno and Ando in the 66th minute.
The United States finally broke through in the 69th minute. Megan Rapinoe sent a long ball from well inside her own half, up the middle of the field. Alex Morgan beat the defender gathered the ball just outside the penalty area, and touched it just once to set up her shot. She drilled the ball into the lower right corner of the net and the US was on top 1-0. And one began to think that maybe, just maybe, with the US ahead by one and in control of the match, that they might be heading for their third title.
Japan, however, had other ideas. For the first time all day, they started to create some chances. Homare Sawa was able to get off a shot from 25 yards, straight at Solo, but it was a sign that Japan wasn't going to let this go easily. Japan started to find gaps on the right side and it resulted in some challenging foot races for American defenders.
In the 81st minute, United States made a turnover in their own end and it handed Japan the opportunity they had been waiting for. Nahomi Kawasumi intercepted a pass and sent the ball forward to Nagasato into the right corner. Nagasato cut back against Amy LePeilbet and crossed the ball into the penalty area. The United States made a mess of the clearance with the ball falling right to Aya Miyama's feet and she touched it in from just five yards out to tie the match.
Japan had one late chance to take the lead, but Mizuho Sakaguchi's shot from 18 yards went well wide of the net. At the other end, O'Reilly put one over the crossbar from 20 yards in stoppage time.
Morgan had the first scoring opportunity of the overtime, but fighting off two Japanese defenders, her shot went wide of the left post in the 95th minute.
Just before the end of the first overtime, the United States once again took the lead. After Japan had blocked a couple of shots, Morgan gained possession and drove to the endline. Then she chipped it perfectly to the six, where Wambach easily put her header in the back of the net. It was 2-1 for the United States heading into the second overtime period.
In the 108th minute, Japan crossed the ball in and once again the United States made a mess of the clearance, but in this instance, they finally managed to clear after a weak Japanese shot. In the 112th minute, the United States made yet another adventure of it as Aya Miyama crossed the ball into the area, with the ball deflected past a diving Solo. The US once again escaped as the ball was finally cleared and further danger averted.
The United States made their second substitution in the 114th minute, putting in Tobin Heath for Megan Rapinoe. Rapinoe had played a very strong match for the US.
The US escaped yet again in the 115th minute as Yukari Kinga once again got behind the left side of the American defense alone. Solo came out to cut of the angle, but Kinga chipped it over her with the ball heading right at the left post. Christie Rampone took no chances and cleared the ball away. But when you play with fire too often, you finally get burned.
After Solo was treated for an injury on that play, Aya Miyama took the corner from the left side. Her inswinging kick found Sawa at the six, actually running away from the goal. She reached up with her right foot and deflected it toward the goal. The ball may have touched a US player on its way in, but it zipped past Solo to tie the match. The United States had given Japan just one too many opportunities and the Nadeshiko had taken advantage.
The US had two chances left in them. O'Reilly crossed the ball from the right side in the 120th minute, but Wambach's sliding attempt went over the bar from the six. Then Alex Morgan was taken down just outside the penalty area, with Azusa Iwashimizu getting a red card for the play. The US attempted to play the ball into the six and had two players there, but the ball deflected away and Heath's shot was blocked.
After such excitement, the penalty shoot out was almost anticlimactic. The United States failed on their first three attempts. Kaihori stopped both Shannon Boxx and Tobin Heath and Carli Lloyd missed her attempt badly over the bar. Clearly, Kaihori's play in the last three matches made a big difference for Japan.
Meanwhile, Aya Miyama put Japan in the lead converting the first Japanese attempt, before Solo was able to stop the second by Yuki Nagasato. Solo was able to get her hand on Mizuho Sakaguchi's attempt, but it deflected into the net to give Japan a nearly insurmountable 2-0 lead with just two kicks to go.
Abby Wambach made her penalty to keep the United States alive, but only temporarily. Defender Saki Kumagai placed the ball into the upper left corner to give Japan a 3-1 victory in penalty kicks. Japan were the 2011 World Cup champions.
It had been an amazing road for the Nadeshiko. They squeaked by New Zealand 2-1, before a dominating performance in a 4-0 victory over Mexico in the group stage. They then had a very lackluster effort in losing the final group stage match to England, forcing them to play Germany in the quarterfinals.
But they slew three giants in the knockout rounds, first with an overtime victory over Germany, then another dominating performance over Sweden, and finally a come-from-behind victory over the United States. Homare Sawa scored five goals in the World Cup and she captured both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball trophies as the leading scorer and best player of the tournament. She had climbed the mountain in her fifth World Cup.
As for the United States, they may have played their best and most dominating match of the tournament in the final. But in the end, they didn't take advantage of their many chances and Japan did. The United States has now finished in the top three in all six Women's World Cups. This was the first time that they had ever lost their final match of the World Cup.
Hope Solo was received the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper and the Bronze Ball for the third best player in the tournament. Abby Wambach received the Silver Ball for being the runner-up to Sawa as the best player in the tournament.
Congratulations to the Nadeshiko!
Sundhage Makes Lineup Change for Final
Suprisingly, Pia Sundhage has elected to start Megan Rapinoe on the wing, moving Lauren Cheney to a more central position and has elected to start Amy Rodriguez on the bench. Rodriguez had started every previous match for the US in this World Cup.
Defensively, Sundhage has put Rachel Buehler back in her starter's role, after using Becky Sauerbrunn against France while Buehler was suspended.
Norio Sasaki has decided to stay with Nahomi Kawasumi in his starting lineup and keep Yuki Nagasato on the bench at the start. Other than that, Japan's lineup remains unchanged.
Defensively, Sundhage has put Rachel Buehler back in her starter's role, after using Becky Sauerbrunn against France while Buehler was suspended.
Norio Sasaki has decided to stay with Nahomi Kawasumi in his starting lineup and keep Yuki Nagasato on the bench at the start. Other than that, Japan's lineup remains unchanged.
WPS Preview: Western New York at Sky Blue
Western New York Flash at Sky Blue FC (6 pm eastern, Sunday)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, New Jersey.
Western New York Flash (6-2-2)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron
Defenders: A. Riley, W. Engen, C. Chapman, K. Wilson, G. Lewandowski.
Midfielders: Y. Averbuch, B. Edwards, B. Bock, M. Zerboni, R. Moros, B. Goebel, Maurine (questionable).
Forwards: C. Sinclair, Marta (questionable), G. Davison, K. Fountain.
Not active: C. Seger. A. Morgan, A. Bowers, K. Brandao, A. Sahlen.
Sky Blue FC (3-4-4)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Bardsley (questionable), K. Arnold.
Defenders: K. Fletcher, C. Dew, A. Asante, B. Taylor, P. Hogewoning, M. Wenino, D. Johnson, S. Gray.
Midfielders: C. Blank, A. Long, A. Kerr, A. Mautz.
Forwards: Adriana, C. Nogueira, L. Kalmari, E. Aluko.
Not active: T. Heath, H. O'Reilly, T. Sjogran, E. Guthrie, L. Johnson (injury).
Once thought to be safely in first place, Western New York now finds themselves seven points behind the Philadelphia Independence. They do have three games in hand right now and they must make the most of them starting this evening in New Jersey. Sky Blue is battling for one of the final two playoff positions with Boston and magicJack.
One of the questions heading into tonight's match is whether Marta and Maurine play. Both were listed as questionable in the WPS roster report for this weekend and are coming off of a tough quarterfinal battle with the US at the World Cup.
Sky Blue has only lost one of their last six matches, but have gained only one point in their last two matches. They have a tough schedule remaining with two games each against Western New York, Philadelphia, and magicJack, with one against Boston. Two of their three wins have come against Atlanta, who they don't play for the remainder of the schedule.
If Marta is back, the Flash will be even more dangerous on the attack with Christine Sinclair and Gemma Davison. And for the first time in nearly a month, their defense is intact with Ali Riley, Kandace Wilson, Candace Chapman, and Whitney Engen. Ashlyn Harris will be in goal for the Flash.
The bad news for Western New York is they still don't have Alex Morgan or Caroline Seger. There have to be some worries among the WNY camp about Seger, who had to miss the final two matches for Sweden with an injury.
One would think that Sky Blue might have to score a couple of goals to come away with any points here. They are still missing three midfielders, Tobin Heath, Heather O'Reilly, and Therese Sjogran. The offense will fall to the foursome of Eni Aluko, Adriana, Laura Kalmari, and Casey Nogueira. Allie Long provides attacking skills from the midfield.
Jen Branam will be the Sky Blue keeper, with an able group in front of her including Kendall Fletcher, Anita Asante, and Brittany Taylor.
This match will be televised on Fox Soccer Channel.
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, New Jersey.
Western New York Flash (6-2-2)
Coach: Aaran Lines
Roster:
Goalkeepers: A. Harris, B. Cameron
Defenders: A. Riley, W. Engen, C. Chapman, K. Wilson, G. Lewandowski.
Midfielders: Y. Averbuch, B. Edwards, B. Bock, M. Zerboni, R. Moros, B. Goebel, Maurine (questionable).
Forwards: C. Sinclair, Marta (questionable), G. Davison, K. Fountain.
Not active: C. Seger. A. Morgan, A. Bowers, K. Brandao, A. Sahlen.
Sky Blue FC (3-4-4)
Coach: Jim Gabarra
Roster:
Goalkeepers: J. Branam, K. Bardsley (questionable), K. Arnold.
Defenders: K. Fletcher, C. Dew, A. Asante, B. Taylor, P. Hogewoning, M. Wenino, D. Johnson, S. Gray.
Midfielders: C. Blank, A. Long, A. Kerr, A. Mautz.
Forwards: Adriana, C. Nogueira, L. Kalmari, E. Aluko.
Not active: T. Heath, H. O'Reilly, T. Sjogran, E. Guthrie, L. Johnson (injury).
Once thought to be safely in first place, Western New York now finds themselves seven points behind the Philadelphia Independence. They do have three games in hand right now and they must make the most of them starting this evening in New Jersey. Sky Blue is battling for one of the final two playoff positions with Boston and magicJack.
One of the questions heading into tonight's match is whether Marta and Maurine play. Both were listed as questionable in the WPS roster report for this weekend and are coming off of a tough quarterfinal battle with the US at the World Cup.
Sky Blue has only lost one of their last six matches, but have gained only one point in their last two matches. They have a tough schedule remaining with two games each against Western New York, Philadelphia, and magicJack, with one against Boston. Two of their three wins have come against Atlanta, who they don't play for the remainder of the schedule.
If Marta is back, the Flash will be even more dangerous on the attack with Christine Sinclair and Gemma Davison. And for the first time in nearly a month, their defense is intact with Ali Riley, Kandace Wilson, Candace Chapman, and Whitney Engen. Ashlyn Harris will be in goal for the Flash.
The bad news for Western New York is they still don't have Alex Morgan or Caroline Seger. There have to be some worries among the WNY camp about Seger, who had to miss the final two matches for Sweden with an injury.
One would think that Sky Blue might have to score a couple of goals to come away with any points here. They are still missing three midfielders, Tobin Heath, Heather O'Reilly, and Therese Sjogran. The offense will fall to the foursome of Eni Aluko, Adriana, Laura Kalmari, and Casey Nogueira. Allie Long provides attacking skills from the midfield.
Jen Branam will be the Sky Blue keeper, with an able group in front of her including Kendall Fletcher, Anita Asante, and Brittany Taylor.
This match will be televised on Fox Soccer Channel.
July 16, 2011
Preview: THE FINAL- USA vs. JAPAN
United States (#1) vs. Japan (#4)
Frankfurt, Germany (2:45 pm eastern)
Last Meeting: United States 2, Japan 0 (May 18, 2011)
United States
Coach: Pia Sundhage
WC Matches: Defeated Korea DPR 2-0; Defeated Colombia 3-0, Lost to Sweden 1-2; Defeated Brazil 2-2 (5-3 PK); Defeated France 3-1.
Lineup (unofficial):
Goalkeeper: Hope Solo (5 gms, 0.94 gaa, 2 shutouts)
Defender: Ali Krieger (5 gms, 480 minutes)
Defender: Rachel Buehler (4 gms, 1 goal, 335 minutes) or Becky Sauerbrunn (1 gm, 90 minutes)
Defender: Christie Rampone (5 gms, 480 minutes)
Defender: Amy LePeilbet (5 gms, 415 minutes)
Midfielder: Heather O'Reilly (4 gms, 1 goal, 1 assist, 336 minutes)
Midfielder: Shannon Boxx (4 gms, 390 minutes)
Midfielder: Carli Lloyd (5 gms, 455 minutes)
Midfielder: Lauren Cheney (5 gms, 2 goals, 3 assists, 415 minutes)
Forward: Abby Wambach (5 gms, 3 goals, 1 assist, 480 minutes)
Forward: Amy Rodriguez (5 gms, 293 minutes)
Bench:
Goalkeepers: Nicole Barnhart, Jill Loyden.
Defenders: Stephanie Cox (2 gms, 1 assist, 65 minutes); Heather Mitts.
Midfielders: Megan Rapinoe (5 gms, 1 goal, 2 assists, 219 minutes); Lori Lindsey (1 gm, 90 minutes); Tobin Heath (3 gms, 43 minutes); Kelley O'Hara (1 gm, 17 minutes).
Forwards: Alex Morgan (4 gms, 1 goal, 142 minutes).
Japan
Coach: Norio Sasaki
WC Matches: Defeated New Zealand 2-1; Defeated Mexico 4-0; Lost to England 0-2; Defeated Germany 1-0 (ot); Defeated Sweden 3-1.
Lineup (unofficial):
Goalkeeper: Ayumi Kaihori (5 gms, 0.75 gaa, 2 shutouts)
Defender: Yukari Kinga (5 gms, 1 assist, 480 minutes)
Defender: Azusa Iwashimizu (5 gms, 480 minutes)
Defender: Saki Kumagai (5 gms, 480 minutes)
Defender: Aya Sameshima (5 gms, 480 minutes)
Midfielder: Shinobu Ohno (5 gms, 1 goal, 1 assist, 358 minutes)
Midfielder: Mizuho Sakaguchi (5 gms, 465 minutes)
Midfielder: Homare Sawa (5 gms, 4 goals, 1 assist, 473 minutes)
Midfielder: Aya Miyama (5 gms, 1 goal, 3 assists, 479 minutes)
Forward: Kozue Ando (5 gms, 424 minutes)
Forward: Nahomi Kawasumi (3 gms, 2 goals, 103 minutes) or Yuki Nagasato (5 gms, 1 goal, 1 assist, 317 minutes)
Bench:
Goalkeepers: Nozomi Yamago, Miho Fukumoto.
Defenders: Kyoko Yano.
Midfielders: Rumi Utsugi (2 gms, 11 minutes); Megumi Kamionobe (1 gm, 1 minute); Asuna Tanaka (1 gm, 1 minute)
Forwards: Karina Maruyama (3 gms, 1 goal, 123 minutes); Mana Iwabuchi (4 gms, 121 minutes); Megumi Takase (1 gm, 4 minutes).
It comes down to the two teams of destiny, but only one can win. If you had told me two months ago that this would be the World Cup final, I would have said that the chances were slim and none. But here we are, the underdogs from Japan against the never-give-up team from the United States.
The United States and Japan have already met three times this year. The United States has won all three, a 2-1 decision at the Algarve Cup in March, and a pair of 2-0 victories in May friendlies. In fact, the United States has never lost to Japan. Coming into the World Cup, Japan's only three losses this year were to the United States. They have since lost to England in the group stage.
But this is not the same Japanese team that looked listless in May, in matches played just after the tragic events of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Japan now has confidence and it has increased with each match. They are playing for a nation.
These two teams are the third and fourth teams to not win their group stage and yet make it to the final. And this is the first time a final is played between two teams that did not win their group. The only other teams to make it to the final without winning their group was Norway in 1991 and Sweden in 2003. Both lost in the final.
The United States is making their third appearance in the final, having won in 1991 and 1999. Japan had never made it past the quarterfinals so win or lose, this will be their best finish ever.
The magic number in this final could well be two. Two is the number of goals scored by four of the five previous winners, with the exception of the 1999 US team that played to a scoreless draw against China, winning on penalty kicks. One might also note that the last four US losses have come by a 2-1 margin. They lost to Sweden in the group stage, to England in a friendly in April, to Sweden at the Four Nations in January, and last November to Mexico, all by that same 2-1 margin.
It will be game of contrasting styles, but between two teams that took nearly identical paths to get here. Both won their first two group games, only to lose their final group match to a European team. Both had very tough quarterfinal matches which went into overtime against a top three ranked team. Both won by 3-1 margins in the semifinals, again both over European teams.
Goalkeepers
If you just looked at the statistics of this World Cup, you would see that Hope Solo has given up five goals and you might think she wasn't having all that good of a tournament. But when you consider that two were penalties and a third was deflected free kick, you would have to revise that opinion.
Solo can win a game for you and keep you in games that you have no business being close in. She has saved two penalties, although one was called back because a teammate may have stepped into the box too quickly. She will not likely be beaten on a long shot, except if there is traffic in front of her as there was on Sonia Bompastor's goal in the semis.
Heading into this world cup, Ayumi Kaihori was considered to be a weak link on the Japanese team. However, I think 120 minutes of shutout soccer against Germany earns you some measure of respect. She has given up just four goals in the tournament and has performed very well in the last two matches. Sweden tried all types of distractions including placing several tall players in front of her on corner kicks so that she couldn't see. She is very quick, but can still be susceptible to the high ball.
Advantage: United States.
Defenders
This is one area that both teams were maligned coming into this tournament. The United States defense was said to be slow and not particularly good at man-marking their opponents. But except for a fairly dismal match against Sweden, they have proven to be quite sturdy. Japan's problem on the back line was said to be its size and that problem has surfaced on occasion over the past three weeks, but not as much as most people would have thought.
The big question for Pia Sundhage is who to start at center back, Rachel Buehler or Becky Sauerbrunn. Buehler's suspension for the semifinal forced Sauerbrunn into the lineup and she responded with a very strong game. She also gives the US more height on the back line. Buehler is one of the best tacklers in the world. In the past it would have been unthinkable for her not to be in the lineup, but now?
Christie Rampone is a veteran among veterans. Surprisingly, at age 36, she is still among the fastest American players on the field. Sundhage's subtle move of switching Rampone to the left side to help make up for Amy LePeilbet's lack of pace was very smart indeed. LePeilbet had a nightmare game against Sweden, but has played better since that match. She is a two-time WPS Defender of the Year, but that was at her natural position of center back.
Ali Krieger has had a very good tournament and is the one US defender that is a threat to attack out of the back. Her experience in the Frauen Bundesliga has greatly improved her play over the past few years. Look for her on overlapping runs up the right side.
Likewise, Yukari Kinga is Japan's attacker from the back and she is also at right back. Kinga can be very dangerous when she gets forward and has the passing and technical skills of a midfielder. She can, however, occasionally get caught upfield making her vulnerable to a counterattack.
For the most part, Saki Kumagai and Azusa Iwashimizu have been very solid in the middle. Kumagai may well be the most important defender in this match, because she is the only one above 5-4 and Japan's defense will have to deal with some very tall players, most notably Abby Wambach.
Aya Sameshima is probably considered the most vulnerable of the four, but she has played through five matches and that vulnerability has not been that evident. She can appear almost lacksadaisical at the left back position. If anybody can take advantage of that, it would Heather O'Reilly who is a very tenacious midfielder. Still, this back line has made very few mistakes so far and they have all played every minute of every match. Meanwhile, the United States has given up two penalty kicks.
Advantage: Even.
Midfielders
When playing Japan, it is best to just admit to yourself that they are going to have the majority of the possession and go from there. Sweden was obviously frustrated in the semifinal match, watching Japan put ten, twelve, or even fifteen passes together, while they had to chase and then giving the ball right back to the Japanese after they had finally gained possession. The United States must avoid falling into that trap and getting frustrated.
Japan probably has no peer when it comes to technical skills and passing ability in their midfield. The US were able to defeat France, who would probably be one of the few teams to come close. Homare Sawa and Aya Miyama are simply magicians with a soccer ball.
In her fifth World Cup, Sawa is having her best ever with four goals to her credit. Strangely enough, three of those have come on headers. This could be the crowning achievement of a great career.
Miyama is simply one of the most dangerous set piece takers in the world. She can drive the ball into the penalty area with pinpoint accuracy and can score on anything within 30 yards of the goal. She has already put one in the net, a game winner against New Zealand. Miyama has three assists as well.
Japan's other two midfielders are Shinobu Ohno and Mizuho Sakaguchi. Sakaguchi is quietly having an effective tournament. She is probably the least spectacular of the four midfielders, but very steady. Ohno is a forward by trade and very dangerous in the attack. She often switches off with Kozue Ando, who has been starting at forward. Those two work very well together. Ohno has another commodity that makes her very dangerous, she is extremely fast. She has a goal and an assist to her credit so far.
The United States' two veteran central midfielders, Carli Lloyd and Shannon Boxx, have nearly 300 caps between them. Boxx can be a strong defender, who is also very good at winning balls in the air. She set up the first goal against Brazil in the quarterfinals. But she doesn't have the stamina she once had and one might keep tabs on her late in the contest.
Lloyd has one of the hardest shots in the business, but her play can be inconsistent. Almost unheard of since Pia Sundhage took over as head coach, Lloyd was subbed out of the last match. However, she is also known for being at her best in important matches. She is also celebrating a birthday on Saturday and the World Cup would be quite a gift.
At outside backs, the United States have Lauren Cheney and Heather O'Reilly. O'Reilly excels at beating defenders with her pace up the sideline and then sending crosses into the middle for her teammates. Her target in this match will be Sameshima and this matchup could determine the outcome of the match. Lauren Cheney is having a surprisingly strong tournament, especially considering she normally plays more central instead of outside on the wing. She has two goals and three assists so far.
The United States probably has the stronger bench in the midfield. Megan Rapinoe sent a perfect cross into Abby Wambach to tie the game against Brazil and will probably be one of the first substitutes to enter this match.
Edge: Japan.
Forwards
Coach Norio Sasaki made the only change to his starting lineup in the last match against Sweden, putting Nahomi Kawasumi in for Yuki Nagasato. Kawasumi responded with two goals for her team and it sent them into the finals. Kozue Ando, who can also play midfielder, has yet to get a goal at this World Cup, but she has 17 to her credit in her career. Nagasato, the player that Kawasumi replaced in the starting lineup, has over 30 career goals, one of them in this tournament.
The thing is about Japan's starting forwards is that nothing particularly sticks out about them. Nothing except that like the rest of their team, they are exceptionally gifted technicians and are very crafty about making moves to give themselves space for a shot.
In fact, it has been two Japanese substitute forwards that have gained the most attention. Mana Iwabuchi, in spite of not having scored yet, looks to be potentially their most gifted forward and dangerous any time the ball is at her feet. Karina Maruyama may have scored the biggest goal in Japanese women's history with her strike in overtime against Germany. She has a lot of experience and must not be given room near the goal.
The United States has one of the biggest weapons in women's soccer in Abby Wambach. She almost seems to be on a mission in this tournament. Like Maruyama for Japan, she may have scored one of the biggest goals in her team's history with her header in the 122nd minute against Brazil. There is probably only one other player in the world that can come close to her ability in the air, that being Kerstin Garefrekes of Germany. If this match is won on pure determination, I wouldn't bet against Wambach.
The other starting forward for the United States is Amy Rodriguez, who is a having a very quiet tournament so far, something that you really don't want to have said about you as a forward. Sundhage likes to have Rodriguez in the lineup, because her great speed appears to be a perfect match for Wambach's size and strength. It is necessary for her to be at least be a threat in this match in order to free up space for her teammates.
The third US forward is supersub Alex Morgan. She finally got her first World Cup goal in the semifinal to seal the victory over France. She has great pace and always seems to lift the energy level of the team when she enters the game.
Advantage: United States.
Coaching
Both coaches have a calming influence over their team, but they do it in different fashion. Norio Sasaki never seems to get overly excited, no matter what the situation. His patience and quiet confidence in his team shows on the field and is perfect for the precision-minded, methodical play of Japan.
Meanwhile, Pia Sundhage often uses humor to calm her team and keep them loose. She rarely looks at the negative and is always preaching the positive. She is as loyal to the players as they are to her.
Neither coach is prone to making big changes. Sasaki has only made one change to his starting lineup for this World Cup. Sundhage has made a few more, mostly to deal with Buehler's red card and to keep Shannon Boxx fresh as the US advanced further into the tournament.
Advantage: Even.
Summary
This should definitely be a game of contrasting styles. Japan will be patient and employ their tactical and technical superiority in keeping possession. The United States are more of a quick strike team, but they can strike from several different directions. The United States will have to guard against frustration and stay with their game.
Japan will try to exploit space in the midfield, certainly that can occasionally be a problem for the United States. Miyama and Sawa will be the center of attention. The United States cannot afford to give Miyama time and space to make crosses into the box to set up her teammates.
The United States will likely try to play a lot of high crosses into the penalty area, where they can take advantage of Wambach and their height advantage. They should be able to put a lot of pressure on the Japanese back line by getting bodies forward and into the penalty area.
Both sides will want to avoid giving up free kicks and corners at the defensive end of the field. Miyama is deadly with her placement and Japan has already scored off three set pieces in this tournament. For the US, Wambach and Boxx are especially good in the air and will be a problem for Kaihori and her defense.
We should see a lot of attacks up the right side for both teams. Kinga and Ohno will likely try to use their speed to beat LePeilbet on the US left. O'Reilly and Krieger will be doing the same against the supposedly vulnerable Sameshima on the Japanese left.
Japan will try to find players making runs at the US back line to get in one-on-one against Solo, using their speed. Neither keeper can afford to make a mistake, as both teams can be opportunistic.
The United States will have to show patience in the central midfield, hold the ball as long as possible, and dismiss any notion of trying hopeless 35 yard shots, unless they can catch Kaihori off her line.
It is a shame that one of these teams has to lose as both have played so hard and overcome such odds to get to this point. I wouldn't be surprised if either team won, but if I had to make a prediction...
My Prediction: United States 2, Japan 1.
Frankfurt, Germany (2:45 pm eastern)
Last Meeting: United States 2, Japan 0 (May 18, 2011)
United States
Coach: Pia Sundhage
WC Matches: Defeated Korea DPR 2-0; Defeated Colombia 3-0, Lost to Sweden 1-2; Defeated Brazil 2-2 (5-3 PK); Defeated France 3-1.
Lineup (unofficial):
Goalkeeper: Hope Solo (5 gms, 0.94 gaa, 2 shutouts)
Defender: Ali Krieger (5 gms, 480 minutes)
Defender: Rachel Buehler (4 gms, 1 goal, 335 minutes) or Becky Sauerbrunn (1 gm, 90 minutes)
Defender: Christie Rampone (5 gms, 480 minutes)
Defender: Amy LePeilbet (5 gms, 415 minutes)
Midfielder: Heather O'Reilly (4 gms, 1 goal, 1 assist, 336 minutes)
Midfielder: Shannon Boxx (4 gms, 390 minutes)
Midfielder: Carli Lloyd (5 gms, 455 minutes)
Midfielder: Lauren Cheney (5 gms, 2 goals, 3 assists, 415 minutes)
Forward: Abby Wambach (5 gms, 3 goals, 1 assist, 480 minutes)
Forward: Amy Rodriguez (5 gms, 293 minutes)
Bench:
Goalkeepers: Nicole Barnhart, Jill Loyden.
Defenders: Stephanie Cox (2 gms, 1 assist, 65 minutes); Heather Mitts.
Midfielders: Megan Rapinoe (5 gms, 1 goal, 2 assists, 219 minutes); Lori Lindsey (1 gm, 90 minutes); Tobin Heath (3 gms, 43 minutes); Kelley O'Hara (1 gm, 17 minutes).
Forwards: Alex Morgan (4 gms, 1 goal, 142 minutes).
Japan
Coach: Norio Sasaki
WC Matches: Defeated New Zealand 2-1; Defeated Mexico 4-0; Lost to England 0-2; Defeated Germany 1-0 (ot); Defeated Sweden 3-1.
Lineup (unofficial):
Goalkeeper: Ayumi Kaihori (5 gms, 0.75 gaa, 2 shutouts)
Defender: Yukari Kinga (5 gms, 1 assist, 480 minutes)
Defender: Azusa Iwashimizu (5 gms, 480 minutes)
Defender: Saki Kumagai (5 gms, 480 minutes)
Defender: Aya Sameshima (5 gms, 480 minutes)
Midfielder: Shinobu Ohno (5 gms, 1 goal, 1 assist, 358 minutes)
Midfielder: Mizuho Sakaguchi (5 gms, 465 minutes)
Midfielder: Homare Sawa (5 gms, 4 goals, 1 assist, 473 minutes)
Midfielder: Aya Miyama (5 gms, 1 goal, 3 assists, 479 minutes)
Forward: Kozue Ando (5 gms, 424 minutes)
Forward: Nahomi Kawasumi (3 gms, 2 goals, 103 minutes) or Yuki Nagasato (5 gms, 1 goal, 1 assist, 317 minutes)
Bench:
Goalkeepers: Nozomi Yamago, Miho Fukumoto.
Defenders: Kyoko Yano.
Midfielders: Rumi Utsugi (2 gms, 11 minutes); Megumi Kamionobe (1 gm, 1 minute); Asuna Tanaka (1 gm, 1 minute)
Forwards: Karina Maruyama (3 gms, 1 goal, 123 minutes); Mana Iwabuchi (4 gms, 121 minutes); Megumi Takase (1 gm, 4 minutes).
It comes down to the two teams of destiny, but only one can win. If you had told me two months ago that this would be the World Cup final, I would have said that the chances were slim and none. But here we are, the underdogs from Japan against the never-give-up team from the United States.
The United States and Japan have already met three times this year. The United States has won all three, a 2-1 decision at the Algarve Cup in March, and a pair of 2-0 victories in May friendlies. In fact, the United States has never lost to Japan. Coming into the World Cup, Japan's only three losses this year were to the United States. They have since lost to England in the group stage.
But this is not the same Japanese team that looked listless in May, in matches played just after the tragic events of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Japan now has confidence and it has increased with each match. They are playing for a nation.
These two teams are the third and fourth teams to not win their group stage and yet make it to the final. And this is the first time a final is played between two teams that did not win their group. The only other teams to make it to the final without winning their group was Norway in 1991 and Sweden in 2003. Both lost in the final.
The United States is making their third appearance in the final, having won in 1991 and 1999. Japan had never made it past the quarterfinals so win or lose, this will be their best finish ever.
The magic number in this final could well be two. Two is the number of goals scored by four of the five previous winners, with the exception of the 1999 US team that played to a scoreless draw against China, winning on penalty kicks. One might also note that the last four US losses have come by a 2-1 margin. They lost to Sweden in the group stage, to England in a friendly in April, to Sweden at the Four Nations in January, and last November to Mexico, all by that same 2-1 margin.
It will be game of contrasting styles, but between two teams that took nearly identical paths to get here. Both won their first two group games, only to lose their final group match to a European team. Both had very tough quarterfinal matches which went into overtime against a top three ranked team. Both won by 3-1 margins in the semifinals, again both over European teams.
Goalkeepers
If you just looked at the statistics of this World Cup, you would see that Hope Solo has given up five goals and you might think she wasn't having all that good of a tournament. But when you consider that two were penalties and a third was deflected free kick, you would have to revise that opinion.
Solo can win a game for you and keep you in games that you have no business being close in. She has saved two penalties, although one was called back because a teammate may have stepped into the box too quickly. She will not likely be beaten on a long shot, except if there is traffic in front of her as there was on Sonia Bompastor's goal in the semis.
Heading into this world cup, Ayumi Kaihori was considered to be a weak link on the Japanese team. However, I think 120 minutes of shutout soccer against Germany earns you some measure of respect. She has given up just four goals in the tournament and has performed very well in the last two matches. Sweden tried all types of distractions including placing several tall players in front of her on corner kicks so that she couldn't see. She is very quick, but can still be susceptible to the high ball.
Advantage: United States.
Defenders
This is one area that both teams were maligned coming into this tournament. The United States defense was said to be slow and not particularly good at man-marking their opponents. But except for a fairly dismal match against Sweden, they have proven to be quite sturdy. Japan's problem on the back line was said to be its size and that problem has surfaced on occasion over the past three weeks, but not as much as most people would have thought.
The big question for Pia Sundhage is who to start at center back, Rachel Buehler or Becky Sauerbrunn. Buehler's suspension for the semifinal forced Sauerbrunn into the lineup and she responded with a very strong game. She also gives the US more height on the back line. Buehler is one of the best tacklers in the world. In the past it would have been unthinkable for her not to be in the lineup, but now?
Christie Rampone is a veteran among veterans. Surprisingly, at age 36, she is still among the fastest American players on the field. Sundhage's subtle move of switching Rampone to the left side to help make up for Amy LePeilbet's lack of pace was very smart indeed. LePeilbet had a nightmare game against Sweden, but has played better since that match. She is a two-time WPS Defender of the Year, but that was at her natural position of center back.
Ali Krieger has had a very good tournament and is the one US defender that is a threat to attack out of the back. Her experience in the Frauen Bundesliga has greatly improved her play over the past few years. Look for her on overlapping runs up the right side.
Likewise, Yukari Kinga is Japan's attacker from the back and she is also at right back. Kinga can be very dangerous when she gets forward and has the passing and technical skills of a midfielder. She can, however, occasionally get caught upfield making her vulnerable to a counterattack.
For the most part, Saki Kumagai and Azusa Iwashimizu have been very solid in the middle. Kumagai may well be the most important defender in this match, because she is the only one above 5-4 and Japan's defense will have to deal with some very tall players, most notably Abby Wambach.
Aya Sameshima is probably considered the most vulnerable of the four, but she has played through five matches and that vulnerability has not been that evident. She can appear almost lacksadaisical at the left back position. If anybody can take advantage of that, it would Heather O'Reilly who is a very tenacious midfielder. Still, this back line has made very few mistakes so far and they have all played every minute of every match. Meanwhile, the United States has given up two penalty kicks.
Advantage: Even.
Midfielders
When playing Japan, it is best to just admit to yourself that they are going to have the majority of the possession and go from there. Sweden was obviously frustrated in the semifinal match, watching Japan put ten, twelve, or even fifteen passes together, while they had to chase and then giving the ball right back to the Japanese after they had finally gained possession. The United States must avoid falling into that trap and getting frustrated.
Japan probably has no peer when it comes to technical skills and passing ability in their midfield. The US were able to defeat France, who would probably be one of the few teams to come close. Homare Sawa and Aya Miyama are simply magicians with a soccer ball.
In her fifth World Cup, Sawa is having her best ever with four goals to her credit. Strangely enough, three of those have come on headers. This could be the crowning achievement of a great career.
Miyama is simply one of the most dangerous set piece takers in the world. She can drive the ball into the penalty area with pinpoint accuracy and can score on anything within 30 yards of the goal. She has already put one in the net, a game winner against New Zealand. Miyama has three assists as well.
Japan's other two midfielders are Shinobu Ohno and Mizuho Sakaguchi. Sakaguchi is quietly having an effective tournament. She is probably the least spectacular of the four midfielders, but very steady. Ohno is a forward by trade and very dangerous in the attack. She often switches off with Kozue Ando, who has been starting at forward. Those two work very well together. Ohno has another commodity that makes her very dangerous, she is extremely fast. She has a goal and an assist to her credit so far.
The United States' two veteran central midfielders, Carli Lloyd and Shannon Boxx, have nearly 300 caps between them. Boxx can be a strong defender, who is also very good at winning balls in the air. She set up the first goal against Brazil in the quarterfinals. But she doesn't have the stamina she once had and one might keep tabs on her late in the contest.
Lloyd has one of the hardest shots in the business, but her play can be inconsistent. Almost unheard of since Pia Sundhage took over as head coach, Lloyd was subbed out of the last match. However, she is also known for being at her best in important matches. She is also celebrating a birthday on Saturday and the World Cup would be quite a gift.
At outside backs, the United States have Lauren Cheney and Heather O'Reilly. O'Reilly excels at beating defenders with her pace up the sideline and then sending crosses into the middle for her teammates. Her target in this match will be Sameshima and this matchup could determine the outcome of the match. Lauren Cheney is having a surprisingly strong tournament, especially considering she normally plays more central instead of outside on the wing. She has two goals and three assists so far.
The United States probably has the stronger bench in the midfield. Megan Rapinoe sent a perfect cross into Abby Wambach to tie the game against Brazil and will probably be one of the first substitutes to enter this match.
Edge: Japan.
Forwards
Coach Norio Sasaki made the only change to his starting lineup in the last match against Sweden, putting Nahomi Kawasumi in for Yuki Nagasato. Kawasumi responded with two goals for her team and it sent them into the finals. Kozue Ando, who can also play midfielder, has yet to get a goal at this World Cup, but she has 17 to her credit in her career. Nagasato, the player that Kawasumi replaced in the starting lineup, has over 30 career goals, one of them in this tournament.
The thing is about Japan's starting forwards is that nothing particularly sticks out about them. Nothing except that like the rest of their team, they are exceptionally gifted technicians and are very crafty about making moves to give themselves space for a shot.
In fact, it has been two Japanese substitute forwards that have gained the most attention. Mana Iwabuchi, in spite of not having scored yet, looks to be potentially their most gifted forward and dangerous any time the ball is at her feet. Karina Maruyama may have scored the biggest goal in Japanese women's history with her strike in overtime against Germany. She has a lot of experience and must not be given room near the goal.
The United States has one of the biggest weapons in women's soccer in Abby Wambach. She almost seems to be on a mission in this tournament. Like Maruyama for Japan, she may have scored one of the biggest goals in her team's history with her header in the 122nd minute against Brazil. There is probably only one other player in the world that can come close to her ability in the air, that being Kerstin Garefrekes of Germany. If this match is won on pure determination, I wouldn't bet against Wambach.
The other starting forward for the United States is Amy Rodriguez, who is a having a very quiet tournament so far, something that you really don't want to have said about you as a forward. Sundhage likes to have Rodriguez in the lineup, because her great speed appears to be a perfect match for Wambach's size and strength. It is necessary for her to be at least be a threat in this match in order to free up space for her teammates.
The third US forward is supersub Alex Morgan. She finally got her first World Cup goal in the semifinal to seal the victory over France. She has great pace and always seems to lift the energy level of the team when she enters the game.
Advantage: United States.
Coaching
Both coaches have a calming influence over their team, but they do it in different fashion. Norio Sasaki never seems to get overly excited, no matter what the situation. His patience and quiet confidence in his team shows on the field and is perfect for the precision-minded, methodical play of Japan.
Meanwhile, Pia Sundhage often uses humor to calm her team and keep them loose. She rarely looks at the negative and is always preaching the positive. She is as loyal to the players as they are to her.
Neither coach is prone to making big changes. Sasaki has only made one change to his starting lineup for this World Cup. Sundhage has made a few more, mostly to deal with Buehler's red card and to keep Shannon Boxx fresh as the US advanced further into the tournament.
Advantage: Even.
Summary
This should definitely be a game of contrasting styles. Japan will be patient and employ their tactical and technical superiority in keeping possession. The United States are more of a quick strike team, but they can strike from several different directions. The United States will have to guard against frustration and stay with their game.
Japan will try to exploit space in the midfield, certainly that can occasionally be a problem for the United States. Miyama and Sawa will be the center of attention. The United States cannot afford to give Miyama time and space to make crosses into the box to set up her teammates.
The United States will likely try to play a lot of high crosses into the penalty area, where they can take advantage of Wambach and their height advantage. They should be able to put a lot of pressure on the Japanese back line by getting bodies forward and into the penalty area.
Both sides will want to avoid giving up free kicks and corners at the defensive end of the field. Miyama is deadly with her placement and Japan has already scored off three set pieces in this tournament. For the US, Wambach and Boxx are especially good in the air and will be a problem for Kaihori and her defense.
We should see a lot of attacks up the right side for both teams. Kinga and Ohno will likely try to use their speed to beat LePeilbet on the US left. O'Reilly and Krieger will be doing the same against the supposedly vulnerable Sameshima on the Japanese left.
Japan will try to find players making runs at the US back line to get in one-on-one against Solo, using their speed. Neither keeper can afford to make a mistake, as both teams can be opportunistic.
The United States will have to show patience in the central midfield, hold the ball as long as possible, and dismiss any notion of trying hopeless 35 yard shots, unless they can catch Kaihori off her line.
It is a shame that one of these teams has to lose as both have played so hard and overcome such odds to get to this point. I wouldn't be surprised if either team won, but if I had to make a prediction...
My Prediction: United States 2, Japan 1.
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