Boston Breakers

When I came up with the idea of Tips From the Pros:  Injuries and Recoveries, I figured that I'd just integrate all the responses into the articles and that would be it.  But there were a couple of players who gave some incredibly long and detailed answers that were much too long to put every one into an article.

With that in mind, I decided to put together a couple of Q&As. 

Leslie Osborne played with FC Gold Pride for the inagural season in WPS but crossed coasts in the off-season when she joined the Boston Breakers.

Less than a year before the league was set to kick off, Osborne suffered a torn ACL.  But, unlike any of the other players that I talked to while working on this series, Osborne also was forced to have her ankle on the same leg reconstructed - for the second time.

She was able to prove the doubters wrong when she returned to full strength before FC Gold Pride began the season last year and has been a mainstay in the Breakers lineup when she's been healthy this season. 

An infected leg kept her off the field for much of June, but now, once again, she has persevered and is looking to help the Breakers make a run into the post-season. 

In this Q&A she discussed both her ACL injury and both ankle injuries, the realization of missing the Olympics for a second time and how she was able to stay positive during her recovery.

You had an ACL tear and also some ankle damage after college.  How did both of those injuries occur?

My senior year in college, my first ankle [injury] I just got taken out by a girl from California-Berkley.  I knew I had severely hurt it but I wasn’t going to stop playing during the middle of my senior season so basically what I did was I continued to play on it for the rest of the season.  And as I played on it, I ended up just tearing more and more stuff in my ankle. 

So I actually played in the Final Four when I was a senior with pretty much no ligaments in my ankle.  I remember not even being able to sprint, I was just jogging around because I had nothing in my ankle.  I knew I was going to have surgery afterwards to completely reconstruct it so my coach was great and let me play but I was definitely nowhere close to 100%. 

Right after the Final Four – the week after Final Four – I had my ankle completely reconstructed.  So that was back in December 2004.

Then you also had the ACL tear going into the 2008 Olympics, correct?

I had gotten cut from the 2004 Olympics so the 2008 Olympics were pretty special to me.  It was something I was really, really, really, really, really, looking forward to.  So right after the team was picked, I was just at practice and marking one of my former teammates, Heather Mitts, and yeah, I tore my ACL.  I heard the pop and I knew it was my ACL. 

It turns out the doctor said I tore my ACL because all the ligaments in my ankle were loose.  So I was compensating so much on my knee that that’s why I tore my ACL.  So I had two surgeries done on my left leg – I had a reconstructed ankle and an ACL reconstruction on my left leg. 

How hard was it for you to handle that you’d miss the Olympics, especially after 2004?

I think that everyone was really devastated for me.  Heather O’Reilly and Lindsay Tarpley, my two best friends, spent the night with me that night and I think I felt sorry for myself and was pretty depressed for about two days.  And after I found out for sure that it was torn, I decided to take a different outlook and perspective on it.  I can honestly say that I really, really, really tried to be positive and have a great perspective on it. 

I felt it was a little bit easier to go through it because Abby Wambach broke her leg maybe a month after I had my surgery so we lived in LA together, we went to rehab together.  I think it helped to be around her and have her support me.  We went through it together – which actually helped because we’d watch the games together, we’d hang out together and I think she really helped me. 

Just kind of going through it with somebody – I mean she’s one of the best players in the world and for her to miss the Olympics was devastating.  For me it was really tough but I think it just helped to be around her.  I would just like to say that my attitude was just really positive and just took as much as I could from my recovery. 

It was funny – I remember just a lot of people feeling sorry for me and being devastated for me and I appreciated it but I didn’t want to let that make me feel bad for myself.  That’s kind of how it happened.  I just worked my butt off in rehab and knew it was going to be a long 10 months of recovery and rehab but I knew that my goal was to come back and be a professional soccer player again.

How were you able to stay motivated during rehab?

It was tough for me.  I was on crutches and in a cast for my ankle and a knee brace for 2 months so I couldn’t work out which was very hard for me.  Funny story that I tell all the time:  I would literally go on the beach and crutch through the sand and go for walks on my crutches to try to work out as much as I could.  That for me was hard to not be active. 

As soon as I got off the cast and crutches and I started to be able to do rehab for my ankle, I was just so motivated to come back and beat the odds of people saying that I was pretty much having a new left leg put in.  I had to rebuild my calf, my quad, my hamstring, everything. 

My left leg had shrunk so I was just so determined to come back from these injuries and just be able to play the sport that I loved and be able to beat the odds of people saying how hard it would be for me to come back and be the player I was.  I don’t know, I guess I was just determined to come back, had a positive attitude and hoped that I could one day play soccer again.  I think I took it for granted before I got hurt that time.

What was the biggest challenge in coming back – was it physically or mentally?

That’s a good question.  I think mentally.  Physically it took a very long time for me to come back because of my ankle and my knee.  Rehab was longer than a normal ACL or a normal ankle reconstruction so I think physically, the amount of rehab I had to do to come back from an ACL and a new ankle was crazy.  I spent 3 hours or more (a day) doing therapy and rehab and stuff. 

But I think mentally it was challenging for me last year to step out on the field as a captain of the FC Gold Pride and step out on that field because I was so proud of myself to be able to come back and play in the league.  I was so proud of coming back from my injuries but I had so much pressure and expectation from everybody else, that for me that was very difficult. 

To come back and start the league off after coming back from such major injuries, I think that my expectation for myself was so high and I feel like everybody else had such a high expectation for me.  That was mentally draining and it took about 2 months of that season for me to mentally give myself a break and physically understand what my body had gone through and to give myself a little bit of a break. 

How difficult was it for you to stay patient during rehab?

I was actually pretty patient.   I had heard from a lot of people who had tore their ACLs to take their rehab very slowly because if you come back too early, you can re-tear it.  So I think that I was patient in the fact that I didn’t want to have to go through it again.  My surgery was five hours long and the amount of pain that I had gone through to go through that stuff was pretty large so I didn’t want to go through it again. 

I got some good advice from my former teammates as Shannon Boxx really helped me – she had torn her ACL and Heather Mitts giving me so much feedback and stuff that I knew I didn’t want to go through it again.  I really had good support from my two physical therapists who helped me build the ladder to coming back and I think the support and encouragement and advice I had from them gave me the patience to know that in the long run it would be worth it. 

If it takes the extra two months for me to be completely sure that I’m strong enough and healthy enough [it’s fine].  I knew that that was going to be the best thing for me.  The longer and stronger and healthier I’ll be.  So I actually think I was pretty patient [for those reasons].

What advice do you have for young players who are coming back from an injury, particularly one like yours with such awful timing in just missing the Olympics?

Things do happen for a reason but I think that injuries – especially at times like that – will only make you stronger.  I believe that even if I am never able to play in the Olympics again, it made me stronger as a person and for me that’s extremely important. 

If I can get through something like that and have a positive outlook and perspective on that, then I can get through a lot of things in my life.  So if anything, I think that times like that make you a stronger person.  And in the long run, it will help you become mentally stronger on and off the soccer field. 

So just keep a positive attitude and a positive outlook – it’s only going to hold you back if you’re negative and feel sorry for yourself. 

ALLSTON, Mass., July 21, 2010—Soccer matches turn on moments, brief bursts of play when scoring chances arrive and are either slammed home or left hanging in the mist of what might have been.

Wednesday night at Harvard Stadium, FC Gold Pride, the best team in WPS, hammered home its scoring opportunities. The Boston Breakers, a surging side and now a playoff contender, couldn't.

The result was a 2-1 Gold Pride victory that featured a stunning goal by the world's best player and groan-inducing miss by Boston that would have been an equalizer had the Breakers converted.

For Breakers fans, the miss will be the enduring memory of an entertaining game in which Boston continued its run of excellent play but couldn't manage to topple the league leader. It happened in the 73rd minute with the Breakers down 2-1.

Kristine Lilly sent a near perfect cross from the right wing to the far post of Nicole Barnhart's goal. Tiffany Weimer, who had replaced Jordan Angeli just five minutes before, raced to meet Lilly's cross and managed to get a head on it.

The ball seemed destined for the back of the net but instead hit the post, caromed off and bounced freely in front of goal. A couple of players in a crowd of bodies took swipes at it, but it eventually ended up into the hands of Barnhart.

"I saw somebody put their foot up on the other team," Weimer, the diminutive Boston forward, said, "[I was] trying to avoid the foot, trying to get the ball, and I think it hit off the post and came back out. I’m not really known for my heading so it was a big moment for me, but I kind of wish it went in the back of the net."

Alas, it didn't, and the Breakers failed over the next 17-plus minutes to create another chance as golden as that one. It wasn't the only chance that Boston missed, though. Down 2-1 at the break after having scored first, the Breakers came out firing in the second half.

In the 55th minute, Lilly had a clear shot on goal after a lovely run but booted the ball right into Barnhart's hands. Five minutes later, Boston forward Lindsay Tarpley saw her ambitious shot from the right wing saved by Barnhart. And in the 80th minute, Breakers substitute Lauren Cheney couldn't quite get on the end of a cross from Kelly Smith.

"We’re getting good opportunities, and I think we’re going to put them away," Boston goal scorer Jordan Angeli said. "It’s only a matter of time until some of them start going in like habit. We reacted pretty well [to Gold Pride taking the lead]; we just couldn't get one in the back of the net."

Angeli was the only Breaker who did find the back of the net. She opened the scoring in the 30th minute with her third strike in as many games. It was defender Alex Scott who really did the work for the goal, though.

Scott cut a nifty slalom down the right wing through several defenders before picking out Angeli, who, unmarked and standing in front of goal, only had to nail the ball underneath Barnhart—which she did with supreme confidence.

"I was like, 'I’ve just got to be in the right spot.' I was there," Angeli said. "I had a great cross, and I just didn’t even think about it. I put it away."

The Breakers, winners of three games in a row coming into Wednesday night's match, saw their lead last all of five minutes. It was a mistake that led to Gold Pride's equalizer.

An errant back pass from Boston defender Amy LePeilbet to goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher drew Naeher well off her line and out beyond her right-hand post. Gold Pride defender Ali Riley charged down the ball and, after Naeher stumbled, slotted a pass to Christine Sinclair, who fired into an empty net.

"[Naeher] kind of fell and just played it right to me," an exuberant Riley said. "I didn’t know if I was out of bounds, so I thought, 'What the heck, I’ll just slot it across.' I think I almost fainted after that I was so tired, but it felt really good to put us back in the game."

Sinclair said that the goal was no accident. The Bay Area side had talked before the match about pressuring Naeher and managed to do so successfully.

"We decided before the game if we can press their goalkeeper when the ball’s coming back to her, we’ll do it," Sinclair, who tallied her eighth goal of the season, said. " Ali did that and did a tremendous job."

For Boston coach Tony DiCicco, though, the goal was inexcusable. Boston's less-experienced players let the side down, he said.

"We gifted a goal, and you can’t do that against the best team in the league," DiCicco said. " Some of the mistakes that we’re making, some of our young players really hurt us."

If the first Gold Pride goal, though, was the result of a forced error, the second was a stroke of pure genius. Just before the end of first-half extra time, Marta unleashed a strike for the ages. The Brazilian superstar, widely recognized as the world's best player, fired a shot that left Naeher sprawling and the Boston crowd in stunned silence. It was her 11th goal of the season.

"The keeper came out on the left hand side, and [I] tried to finish on the right hand side. [I] was lucky," the modest Brazilian said through an interpreter. 

She was nothing of the sort. Marta picked up the ball from a flick by Sinclair and raced down the right wing before firing a laser that traveled across the face of goal, over a helpless Naeher and into the corner of the net behind the far post.

It was as fine a goal as any player anywhere has scored, and teammates and opponents alike expressed their admiration of it. 

"Rachel [Buehler] played me the ball in the air, just a little flick and Marta’s going to outrun every person in this league, so she got on the end of it," Sinclair said.

"It’s so great to have someone who can counter attack like that against the run of play," Riley said of Marta. "She just fired it off I don’t know what surface of her foot, but what a great goal."

"Marta scored a great goal," said Lilly, the most-capped player in the history of soccer. "I think we were in OK position on the second goal. It was just a great finish and a great goal."

After Marta's sublime strike, the scoring was done, but the action continued. Boston's misses in the second half would define the game from the Breakers' perspective, but their failure to score wasn't for lack of trying.

All three of DiCicco's substitutions (Weimer, Cheney and Laura Del Rio) were forwards who replaced defenders or midfielders. By the 68th minute, when Weimer entered the match, Boston had no fewer than five attacking players on the pitch, with forwards Weimer, Del Rio and Cheney on along with attacking midfielders Lilly and Smith. 

"They went to a three-back [formation], and we matched it with a three back," DiCicco explained. "When we started getting close [to scoring], they went back to a four back. It's a little bit of Russian roulette. [On a] narrow field, you can get away with it."

The Breakers did get away with it. Despite leaving some considerable holes at the back, they didn't concede again, thanks in large part to the industrious hustle of defender Ifeoma Dieke.

As much as the Breakers' wasted chances defined the match for them, Gold Pride showed resilience in not only coming from behind to win on the road but also in staving off attack after Boston attack in the second half.

"It was nice to be able to shut down a very dangerous team in that second half where it seemed like they had eight forwards playing," Sinclair said.

"It was very important to keep our composure," Marta added.

It didn't hurt, of course, that Gold Pride got a wonder goal from the best player in the world. With Marta on the pitch, opponents have to drive home every chance they get. The Breakers couldn't, and their punishment is a loss that dents their playoff chances and makes Sunday's game in Chicago a clash with immense playoff implications.

"We had the chances," Lilly, Boston's captain, said. "The chances you have, you've got to finish, and we didn't tonight."

Leslie Osborne was born in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Growing up, she played many sports, but at the age of 10, she was forced to pick one sport to focus on. Her dad made her put all the sports she played in a hat and pull one out. The one she picked was soccer. So ever since then, it's been all about soccer for her.

When she was 11, she met her current teammate, Lindsay Tarpley, at a Regional Camp. Then they found themselves playing together in youth national teams, on the US Women's National Team, and are even teammates now playing in the same WPS club, the Boston Breakers.

Osborne was twice named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Wisconsin, in 2000 and 2001. She had a great career at Santa Clara, earning top honors every year she was there, including the prestigious Honda Award for the nation's best athlete in her sport as a senior, ending her career with 44 goals and 34 assists as a forward.

She has now worked her way to a defensive midfielder role. She may look like the girl next door off the soccer field, often doing modeling gigs and photo shoots for Puma, but you do not want to get slide tackled by her because she will take you out.

Standing at 5'8", she will most likely win any header and can play well both on offense and defense, which makes her one of the most dangerous players out there. She sure is a handful for opposing teams. But even if she is injured and watching her team struggle to get wins, she will keep a positive attitude and help her team through it.

Always upbeat, Leslie was happy to take the time to answer a few questions about herself. Enjoy!

What is your favorite memory of Santa Clara soccer?

I have so many memories. It’s hard to pick my favorite. I have a special memory my freshman year and my senior year especially. My freshman year, I got to play with some of the best players I have ever played with (Danielle Slaton, Devyn Hawkins, Aly Wagner, and Anna Kraus). I came in as a freshman and played center forward, it was awesome to win a national championship that year.

My senior year was special too because of how much adversity our team had to deal with. Personally, I had just gotten cut from the 2004 Olympic team and had to find the passion for game again. We ended up making it to the NCAA Final Four. I played most of season with torn ligaments in my ankle and received the Honda Player of the Year award. I had a very special career at Santa Clara and some of the best memories.

What about your favorite college experience off the field?

Santa Clara was my second home. I love the campus, people, professors, and everything about it. I have this feeling there that I have never had before. So many special places, people, and memories. I loved my college experience.

We all know you love cheese, but what is your all-time favorite?

I love all cheese. My favorite is Pecorino Romano, which is Italian cheese. My grandma gave it to me when I was a baby. I don't think there is a cheese I don't like.

What do you think your job would be right now if you weren’t a professional soccer player?

Well my dream job would be helping Puma design my own fashion line. I am trying to work on that. Realistically, I would be coaching college soccer or broadcasting, which I have done both already and hope to do more of.

You have known Lindsay Tarpley for many years. What were your first impressions of her when you first met her?

We have known each other since we were 11. She is my sister and best friend. We have gone through more together and spent more time together than any of my friends. I met her at Regional Camp when we were 11. 

Then she was shy, sweet, and such a hard worker. We got along right away, and everyone laughed because we were opposites. I was so outgoing, talkative, and social. We hit it off right away and have been through a lot with each other.

What’s it like playing together for the youth national teams, the full national team, and now playing together as professionals?

Playing for the youth national team was a blessing. I got to play against the best players in the country at such a young age. I got to travel the world and experience so many different cultures.

I had to balance and prioritize my life. I got to meet so many great teammates, friends, and have great coaches at such a young age. I got to represent my country at a young age, nothing compares to that. Tarp and I have gone through every step of the process together (state, regional, youth national, full national, and now WPS).

We have gone through championships, losses, weddings, injuries, traveling, and everyday activities. I can't tell you how special it is to play with her professionally; we didn't think it would happen.

What was the most trouble you got into as a kid?

Oh no...I got in a little bit of trouble in my days. I got caught sneaking out of the house a few times, toilet papering, and skipping school.  My parents forgave me. I was a good kid most of the time.

What are some words that people from Wisconsin use that people from anywhere else don’t? (I heard bubbler is water fountain)

Bubbler is a good one. Pop is for soda.  I think it’s more my accent; the way I say bag and all of my A's. People think I talk like the mom from Bobby’s World.

What is your favorite thing about Boston as a city?

There is so much to do. I love the fans here. It is such a sports city.  I love going to all the sporting events. Bruins, Celtics, and Red Sox games are my favorite. I attend a lot of the Revs games as well. There is great shopping, parks, tours, and so many great restaurants. I also love all the nice little East Coast getaway vacations to Cape Cod and New Hampshire, which has been great.

What is your favorite thing about the Boston Breakers?

The organization as a whole has blown me away. I love this team, I appreciate everyone involved here. They continue to impress me. I am extremely lucky for many reasons. Plus I love wearing that royal blue.

What is/are your favorite movies(s)?

I don't have one, but I do like inspirational movies like Miracle and Hoosiers .

Who is the best player you've ever had on your team (in college, pro, or national team)?

The best players I have had on my team have to be Kristine Lilly and Shannon Boxx. I got to play with the 2004 U.S. Women’s National Team with Brandi (Chastain), Mia (Hamm), (Julie) Foudy, etc. but didn't get to play with them for a long period of time.

Lil (Kristine Lilly) and Boxxy (Shannon Boxx) show up every day and they continue to inspire me. Internationally Formiga, Christine Sinclair, and Kelly Smith are my three favorite players, so happy when they are on my team.

Who is the best player you have played against?

The best player I have ever played against is Kelly Smith. I am so happy she is on my team. I marked her on the U.S. National Team a few times and it was very difficult.

What is your go-to karaoke song?

I don't do karaoke.  I am tone deaf, but I try to sing a lot though. I would say Deana Carter...“Strawberry Wine.”

Lastly, do you like your full name (Leslie Marie Osborne)?

Yes I love my name...but I like “Les” the best.

ALLSTON, Mass., June 25, 2010 — The good news is that the Boston Breakers scored. The bad news is that they lost...again.

The Chicago Red Stars won at Harvard Stadium for the second time this season on Friday night, beating the Breakers 2-1 and continuing Boston's nearly season-long tailspin.

The loss extended Boston's winless streak to nine games—the Breakers haven't won since the opening match of the season in Washington—and also stretched the team's number of home losses to four in a row.

Chicago bossed the Breakers in the first half, dominating possession and ripping apart a Boston backline that leaked like a BP oil rig.

In the first minute of the match, Chicago forward Ella Masar gave a preview of things to come, just failing to get on the end of a cross in front of goal and narrowly missing out on tallying for the first time this season.

Eight minutes later, energetic Chicago midfielder Karen Carney lashed a shot from the right wing, only to see debutante Boston goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher push her effort over the bar.

"I think that during the first half we were second to the ball," Breakers forward Kelly Smith said. "We were trying to press, but it just did not work. We just came out flat. I don’t know why. It was very frustrating for myself and all the other players."

Chicago's breakthrough was always coming, and in the 12th minute Masar opened her account for the 2010 Red Stars.

She latched on to a ball at the edge of the Boston penalty area and, all alone with no Breakers defender near her, chipped a shot over Naeher and into the back of the net.

"I think the ball got lucky and got through," a modest Masar said.

Chicago had an immense amount of space to work with in the first half, something Carney attributed to the Red Stars' ball movement.

"We moved the ball really quickly, so we created a lot of space," Carney said.

For Chicago, it didn't hurt that Boston's defense was particularly dire in the first half. Breakers center backs Amy LePeilbet and Chioma Igwe were unable to hold their line and were constantly vulnerable to runs down the center of the pitch by strikers Masar and Christiane, as well as to crosses from Chicago's wingers.

Boston coach Tony DiCicco expressed frustration with his central defense. Of the first Chicago goal, he said: "LePelbet went up to challenge in the air one of their best headers, Christiane. And our other center back, Igwe, needs to drop in. The goalkeeper cannot handle this space, and if she has to handle this space, that’s what happens."

At the half-time whistle, the Breakers looked disinterested in the match at best and a total wreck at worst. But shortly after the restart, Fabiana gave the home team a glimmer of hope.

In a fantastic individual effort, the Brazilian forward notched her first-ever WPS goal, streaking in on goal to meet a left-wing cross from Laura Del Rio and poking the ball past Chicago goalkeeper Jillian Loyden.

It was Boston's only real moment of brilliance; the Breakers managed just four shots and two shots on goal for the match.

The Breakers looked more energetic in the second half but failed to find a go-ahead goal. (The team has now scored just seven goals in 10 games this season and three goals in their last seven games.) The match was a bit chippy throughout, with referee Jennifer Bennett doling out three yellow cards to each side.

Any hope Boston had of scoring a first home win in 2010 disappeared with Masar's second goal of the night, which she racked up in the 79th minute. With Naeher well off her line and Boston's backline once again in total disarray, Masar lobbed a long-range shot into the back of an empty net.

The 3,647 fans gathered at Harvard Stadium fell into silent disbelief, and their team failed to rouse them in the last 10 minutes of the match.

"We are hemorrhaging bad goals," DiCicco said. "We were just making it easy for them to score. We’ve got to stop giving away easy goals."

As for Chicago, coach Omid Namazi, hired in June to replace Emma Hayes, expressed satisfaction with his team's effort.

"I think it was one of our best efforts since I have become  coach," Namazi said. "We came out with a lot of energy and put a lot of pressure on them. I give our girls a lot of credit because at the end Boston put a lot of pressure on us and they were trying to get that tying goal, but we were able to get numbers behind the ball and defend."

The Breakers, though, could very well find themselves in last place in the WPS table . Atlanta is one point behind Boston with a match in hand.

The Red Stars are third from last themselves and have played one more match than Boston, but they have a five-point lead on the Breakers and are encroaching on mid-table clubs Sky Blue FC and Washington Freedom. 

Carney, who struggled through a rough 2009 season with Chicago, felt some sympathy for her team's opponent.

"I know exactly how [the Breakers] feel," Carney said. "We couldn't buy a win last season. They need to pick themselves up."

The Breakers will get a chance to do just that on July 4 at Philadelphia. Boston will play its next home match on July 11 at 6 p.m., against Atlanta.

Steven Apostolov and Lee Pender are co-authors of the Boston Breakers Report blog.

By Steven Apostolov and Lee Pender

Allston, Mass. -- The best women's soccer player in the world came to Boston Friday night and showed exactly why she's the best. Marta, the Brazilian star and four-time, reigning FIFA World Player of the Year, dazzled at Harvard Stadium and sunk the Boston Breakers with a magnificent brace of goals in a 2-1 win for FC Gold Pride.

With only one goal all season coming into this match, Marta had been in what was, by her standards, a scoring slump. Not anymore. The feisty forward's two first-half goals tripled her scoring total for the season and boosted her team into a comfortable first-place position in the Women's Professional Soccer table.

In front of a crowd of 5283, many of whom abandoned the home team to cheer for Marta, the Brazilian scored her goals 22 minutes apart. Her first came just 15 minutes into the match, when she took a ball from Tiffeny Milbrett, sliced down the right wing and slotted home into the far corner of the net, beating Boston goalkeeper Ashley Phillips. 

After Boston struck back through a Kelly Smith goal in the 23rd minute, Marta netted the winner. In the 37th minute, Gold Pride midfielder Solveig Gulbrandsen drove through the center of the Breakers' defense and tapped a ball to her right, where Marta was waiting. Positioned just to the left-hand side of Phillips, Marta once again slotted across the face of goal and into the corner of the net.

Marta's second strike would be the final goal of the match, as the second half produced little action of interest. The Breakers, now winless since their first match of the season, didn't play badly but just couldn't contain the Brazilian star, Boston Coach Tony DiCicco said.

"It's hard to neutralize Marta; she's like the [Lionel] Messi of the women’s game," DiCicco said. "We said we’ve got to be careful of her sneaking in behind, and we needed to double team her at the flanks. Unfortunately she got in behind twice and scored both times. For most of the game, we did contain her. But she is the type of player that gets a couple of chances, and unfortunately she put them both away today."

Gold Pride Coach Albertin Montoya heaped praise upon his star forward: "Marta was very impressive," he said. "She had only scored one goal this season, but she’s been creating so many chances for us. She got unmarked behind their defense several times and could have scored a couple of more. She is a wonderful player to have on the team."

As for the Breakers, they are now winless in their last five games after a season-opening win at Washington. The loss to Gold Pride was their second consecutive defeat at home and their second loss in three games. Boston forward Kelly Smith said the team simply needs to score more goals.

"We are disappointed to lose a game at home," Smith said. "We’re creating chances; we’re just not putting the ball at the back of the net. And we have to do that to win games. We’re OK; we are not panicking, but we need to start winning games."

DiCicco agreed, noting that his team creates chances but isn't finishing them: "I am frustrated because we are not scoring, even though we are playing some good attacking soccer," he said. "We only scored one goal in three games. You are not going to get points with one goal in three games. So we need to do a better job."

Steven Apostolov and Lee Pender are co-authors of Boston Breakers Report.

Nine years ago, English international Kelly Smith began her WUSA career, fresh out of a star-studded collegiate career at Seton Hall University, as a relative unknown. She quickly, though, became a fan favorite in Philadelphia with her attacking flair and ability to change a game in an instant.

But a torn ACL in 2002 kept her off the field for much of the season and a second knee injury sidelined her for most of the 2003 season.

The league suspended operations following the 2003 season, leaving Smith and countless others questioning where they would play next. Smith chose to stay in the United States and played in the W-League for the NJ Wildcats.

Halfway through the season, a slide tackle from behind left her with a broken leg and she was forced to watch her team’s run to the final, where they fell to the Vancouver Whitecaps on penalty kicks.

Her confidence shaken, the Watford native flew back to England, where she rehabbed her leg and signed with the Arsenal Ladies, where she played from 2005 to 2008. She was comfortable, she was taken care of and she was finally healthy.

So when the call came from Boston Breakers General Manager Joe Cummings, Smith was hesitant about returning to the USA to play.

“I thought my time in America was over,” she confessed. “I didn’t think it would come back while I was playing. It seemed less and less likely as the years went by. But Tony DiCicco and Joe Cummings called and asked if I wanted to come back.”

And initially her response was a "no."

At Arsenal she was at home; she was playing for the Arsenal Ladies and she also had a position in the academy.

“I had it all in England,” she said.

But the Breakers weren’t giving up there.

They told her how good the league was going to be.

How anyone who wants to play with and against the best players in the world should play in WPS.

Slowly, they began to persuade the English star. 

Such a decision would not be made lightly though, especially given her previous injury-riddled stay in America.

She talked with friends and family, and made a list, weighing the pros and cons. After looking at the list, she saw the pros outweighed the cons, meaning only one thing: 

She was moving back across the pond to play with the best in the world.

So far, the biggest difference that Smith has noticed between her old WUSA days and the days of WPS are the smaller budgets.

“With The Charge, we spent preseason in California, spent a month in a hotel and trained in the warm weather," Smith said.  "With WPS we stayed in Boston, except for a week in Florida.

"Travel is also a lot cheaper,” said Smith.

She's convinced the product on the field is the same, “if not better” than it was during the WUSA. Players have become better technically and are more tactically aware.

Simply put, the game has evolved.

Perhaps one difference for Smith was that she did not miss significant time due to injury.

She did pick up a knee injury against Sky Blue FC on May 29 and was forced to play hurt for the remainder of the season, but it didn’t keep her off the field for significant minutes. She played in 15 of the team’s 20 games and was also named to the 2009 All-Star ballot but was unavailable due to the European Championships.

Smith came into the 2010 preseason fresh, and more importantly, healthy and looking to get through the season fit. She started this season off with a bang, scoring two goals in the Breakers' first two games of the season.

Playing in WPS has allowed Smith to continue to develop her game. Training everyday has allowed her to become more comfortable on the ball and has built the once shaken confidence back up. 

But beyond the benefits to her as an individual player, the league has definitely made an impact on the top players in England.

This year, seven English internationals are suiting up in WPS, tying them with Brazil for the most players in WPS.

The competitive environment is the biggest difference, says Smith.

“In England it’s not as competitive. You can let up. It’s so competitive in WPS, you can’t do that.”

For Smith, the decision to give America a second try has definitely worked out well. She's back on the field—healthy—and is enjoying every minute.

By Steven Apostolov and Lee Pender, BostonBreakersReport.com

Allston, Mass.—In the 73^rd minute of tonight’s match against the Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars Head Coach Emma Hayes made an unusual substitution: She pulled midfielder Karen Carney and sent in forward Ella Masar.

While it’s not rare to see a manager make an offensive substitution in an effort to make up a deficit, Hayes’s move was notable because when she made it, Chicago already held a 2-0 lead away from home. The manager’s decision, though, was an appropriate metaphor for what Chicago did to Boston in a vicious second half that could have ended worse for the Breakers than it did.  

“Why not?” Hayes (pictured with this article) responded when asked about her go-for-the-jugular tactics. “We knew we had them on the back foot. We could have had three or four [goals].”

As it turned out, the Red Stars scored twice, which was more than enough to sink a disorganized Breakers side that had trouble holding possession and managed very few serious scoring chances. The 2-0 victory was Chicago’s first win of the season and Boston’s first loss.

In their first three games, the Red Stars had managed only two losses and a draw. After tonight’s win, they have four points in the table, just one fewer than the Breakers. For their part, the Breakers have now won one match, tied two and lost one—and have failed to win at home in their first two attempts. Most fans in the raucous crowd of 5180 left Harvard Stadium disappointed.

The match could have gone quite differently had Chicago goalkeeper Jillian Loyden not quite literally used her head to make the save of the match in first-half extra time. Boston forward Lauren Cheney got on the end of a Fabiana cross and sent in a blistering ball that hit Loyden in the face. Loyden’s “save,” such as it was, served to keep the game at 0-0 and close out a mostly uneventful first half.

“It hit [Loyden] in the face, and it was a game-changing moment,” Hayes said. It was at halftime that the Red Stars players made it known to Hayes that they could have the better of Boston. “They said, ‘They’re frightened of us; we’re going after them,” Hayes said. “I said, ‘I have nothing to say to you.’”

From that point on, the Red Stars did their talking on the pitch. Gradually, they managed to put together a cohesive attack, building on Boston’s inability to control the ball at midfield. Finally, in the 62^nd minute, the dam broke. Chicago forward Casey Nogueira took a cross directly in front of goal and sliced it across the body of Boston goalie Ashley Phillips—from Phillips’s left-hand side to her right—and into the corner of the net.

“I think Karen Carney put it across,” Nogueira said of the ball that led to the goal. “I just sprinted and shot it across the goal line. The goal gave us confidence and put Boston on their heels.”

Indeed, the goal transformed the Red Stars, who had been feeling pressure to get their first victory of the season. Seven minutes later, in the 69^th minute, Brazilian forward Cristiane streaked up the left wing to a ball that had floated into space, controlled it, and slammed a tight-angle shot past a prone Phillips. The ball again traveled from Phillips’s left-hand side to her right and into the net.

Hayes’s attacking substation followed, and while it didn’t lead to another goal, it sent a message that the Red Stars were confident that a good offense could be their best defense. The last 20 minutes of the match brought more chances for Chicago than for Boston—Cristiane bonked a ball off of Phillips’s left-hand post in the 76^th minute after running onto a fine ball from Nogueira. The Breakers produced a few scoring chanced but never looked close to equalizing in the last 15 minutes.

Boston suffered its first shutout of the season and mostly folded in the second half after a solid but unspectacular first period. The Breakers also struggled to keep possession of the ball, particularly after halftime, and their attack was disorganized and out of sync for most of the evening.  

Recognizing his club’s shortfalls, Breakers Head Coach Tony DiCicco nevertheless rued the team’s missed chances: “We kept on giving the ball away, and they took advantage of it,” DiCicco said. “They worked really hard, and they made us make mistakes. If we took advantage of our chances [during the first half], it would have been a different game. They took advantage of their chances, so give them credit.”

Potent Boston striker Lauren Cheney, held in check tonight, said that possession is a problem that the Breakers will have to overcome: “We had a little issue in the midfield today,” Cheney said. “Timing was not good, and we had big gaps. We did not find ways to close those. I know we’ll change. Once we play with each other a little bit more, this will no longer be an issue.”

But the main factor in tonight’s game might have simply been motivation; Chicago, desperate to win, took the game in the second half to a Boston team that couldn’t match its opponent’s desire for victory.

“We looked a little dead out there,” Boston captain Kristine Lilly said. “We did not have the heart. That’s something we need to look at. You have to give Chicago credit. They came to win this game, and they played like it.”

Steven Apostolov and Lee Pender are co-authors of Boston Breakers Report.  

With the 2^nd pick in round 1…Boston Breakers select…Lauren Cheney!  Lauren Cheney from UCLA!”

Lauren Cheney’s life leading up to the draft was, in her words, “a little bit hectic.”  UCLA’s run to the NCAA title game ended in the Final Four as the Bruins fell to the Stanford Cardinal 2-1 in overtime.  Cheney finished her finals while at the Final Four and flew out to take part in the National camp that went from December 5th to December 15th. 

From national team camp, it was back to being at home for some “[much] needed time at home with my family before returning to school and training again to get ready for the season.”

As the lead up to the draft began, the top picks were under careful scrutiny.  There were guessing games amongst the fans and media alike as to who would be selected and by whom.  Cheney, like O’Hara, Engen, and Washington, wasn’t immune to the whispers of predictions.

“I don’t think I really had a choice.  So many people were like ‘oh I heard you’re going here, I heard you’re going here.’  And you know, like Tobin said [after being selected], you don’t know until you’re up there.”  Cheney said.  “And obviously I’m so close to the other 4 [or] 5 girls here, and we’re a special class so I’m just excited for everyone.”

Coming into the season as the second overall pick, expectations were high for the former Bruin star.  The Indianapolis, Indiana native is no stranger to the pressure or expectations having competed at the Olympic Games in 2008 and having been to four Final Fours with the Bruins. 

But for Cheney, pressure isn’t an issue.

“I definitely think pressure is in your control.  I don’t feel any pressure, I’m gonna go in and I’m gonna play soccer like I always have.  I’m so honored and so blessed to be able to play professionally that I don’t feel any pressure.”

As for the expectations from the fans and media? Well, she doesn’t really believe in expectations.

“The game of soccer doesn’t change just because I am at a different level.  I love to play and as long as I am enjoying it, I don’t think expectation will be an issue” Cheney stated matter-of-factly.

So far, Cheney seems to be living up to the expectations others have for her, even if she doesn’t believe in them.  She scored a goal on opening day versus the Freedom and had several other close opportunities.  Beyond the expectations and the goals, Cheney hopes to bring one thing to the 2010 Boston Breakers team.

“I want to bring fun.  I absolutely love playing the game and I want to bring that every practice and game”

Photo courtsey of Charlotte Mace

Note: This entry also runs on Boston Breakers Report .

By Lee Pender

Baseball great and noted wordsmith Yogi Berra might have described today's St. Louis Athletica vs. Boston Breakers clash with one of his most famous quotes: "It's deja vu all over again."

Once again, the rain came. Once again, Boston opened the scoring. And once again, the Breakers were undone by a goal that originated from a free kick. Boston did, however, manage to nab a point away from home.

On what looked on Fox Soccer Channel like a wet, windy afternoon in St. Louis, the Boston Breakers drew with St. Louis Athletica , 1-1, in a match that eerily resembled the 1-1 draw in Boston's home opener versus Philadelphia. The Breakers drew first blood only to have their opponent equalize just six minutes later—exactly as it happened against the Independence.

This time, Kasey Moore recorded her first goal as a Breaker, a strike that originated from a corner by Kristine Lilly. Lilly's corner, which came from the left-hand side of St. Louis goalkeeper Hope Solo, trickled into the penalty area, and potent Boston striker Kelly Smith trotted to meet it. Smith, though, playing the decoy, chose to let the ball sneak by her, and Moore slammed it home with a fierce shot across goal and into the corner of Solo's net.

Again, though, the Breakers' lead was short-lived.

In the 27th minute, Athletica's Aya Miyama won a free kick just outside the penalty area to the right-hand side of Boston goalkeeper Ashley Phillips. Miyama sent her kick across the penalty area, and then chaos ensued in Boston's back line. Tina Ellertson of St. Louis headed the ball from Phillips' left-hand side directly to the face of the goal. From there, the ball pinballed and ended up on the head of Carolyn Blank, who nodded it home.

The goal and the general set-piece confusion in Boston's defense strongly resembled last week's equalizer by the Independence. Clearly, the Breakers will be working this week in training on defending free kicks.

The rest of the match took place without much significant action, and two teams that were battling for first place fell into a tie for second in the league table. Boston now finds itself level on points (five) with its last two opponents, Philadelphia and St. Louis, while FC Gold Pride and Sky Blue FC top the table with six points each.

Again this week, inclement weather dampened the attacks for both teams. As predicted , Boston did run with three strikers—Smith, Fabiana, and Lauren Cheney—up front. But it was midfielder Liz Bogus—not Chioma Igwe, as the team had suggested on Friday—who took a seat for this match and didn't see the pitch.

Nevertheless, Boston's attacking strategy melted in the rain at Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri, as did much of the play in this waterlogged game contested in front of what appeared to be a small—if dedicated—St. Louis crowd.

The Breakers will return to action on Saturday, May 1, at home to the Chicago Red Stars. Game time will be 6 p.m. at Harvard Stadium.

Lee Pender and Steven Apostolov are co-authors of Boston Breakers Report.  

T-100 minutes to kickoff: It's a clash at Soldiers Field today as the Philadelphia Independence takes on the Boston Breakers today in this P-B-P on Bleacher Report, the View from Victoria Street and on the WPS Fan Corner blog.

T-90: In other results from the weekend's set of matches, the Chicago Red Stars and St. Louis Athletica both drew 1-1 and FC Gold Pride notches their first victory of the season with a 3-1 smashing of Sky Blue FC.

T-85: So there will be movement in this week's Power Rankings, but where will be? Stay tuned Monday...

T-80: Back to the match at Harvard Stadium. The Indies, managed by Paul Riley, are coming off a scoreless draw with the Atlanta Beat. Tony DiCicco's Breakers are coming off a 2-1 victory over the Washington Freedom. Both Atlanta and Washington are also facing each other today at Germantown's world-famous Maryland SoccerPlex.

T-75: Here are the lineups.

T-60: Out here in Long Beach, the Toyota Grand Prix is going on right now and Ryan Hunter-Reay is at the front. Come on Dario, says yours truly.

T-50: And the Lakers took game one of their first-round series with the Thunder, 87-79. Man, I'm keeping it local in this part of the country, while scouting the action on that part of the country.

T-40: Can Boston get one past Karina LeBlanc? They had their problems with her last year. I would like to see Magnusdottir score one for Iceland. Her homeland, as you know, is in some trouble with one of the volcanoes spewing enough ask to cover the

T-30: Bryan Roslund is our match official. Jan Halaska and Amy Willing are the assistants, with Daniel Hristov on fourth official duty today.

T-25: Are we in a delay here? We are getting highlights of some of the goals from the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League. I'm putting my money on Barcelona to finish the job.

FIRST HALF START: 3:22 P.M.

1' - Let's roll! The first half is underway. Philly is pressing early for the first goal of this match.

2' - The drummers are pounding the skins as Kacey Moore stops Holmfridur Magnusdottir.

6' - A foul inside the box by Mitts after a corner results in a penalty opportunity for Boston.

7' - And now Roslund is changing the call. Unbelievable.

8' - Man, I have seen incompetent officiating, but this takes the cake.

12' - This is Liz Bogus's first cap for Boston. A shot for Cheney goes wide.

14' - High shot wide goes out for a corner. Buczkowski's volley well over the crossbar.

15' - Magnusdottir didn't have enough power from distance.

19' - Great defending by Amy LePeilbet off that Magnusdottir opportunity.

21' - High ball from Kelly Smith.

24' - So now we are 24 minutes into the contest, with the only highlight being indecisive officiating in Philadelphia's own third.

25' - Lindsey's shot...too high.

27' - There's the Dock, the Breakers supporter. Small bunch, that.

30' - Right now Philadelphia is conceding six fouls. That's a criminal amount.

31' - A great save by Karina LeBlanc on Kelly Smith. That's what her ability can do.

33' - Free kick by Kacey Moore just misses the top left corner. The Indies are walking a thin line here in Cambridge.

36' - Philadelphia is playing like it's their second season rather than their first. This is good for them.

37' - Here's Cheney, resetting in their attacking half for Boston. I love the pace of this Breaker side, but I also commend the Indies for not succumbing to the open space they give up.

41' - This has all the makings of a scoreless first half right now.

42' - Shot goes just wide left for Lianne Sanderson.

43' - In other news, Ryan Hunter-Reay wins the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. He was leading that thing wire to wire and I just had a gut feeling that he would clinch it.

44' - Another diving save for Karina LeBlanc. Corner for the Breakers.

45' - No stoppage time here. After another attempt by Bogus, it's scoreless at the half. Boston needs to do something about the finishing. Stay tuned.

SECOND HALF START 4:28 P.M.

46' - The second half is underway.

Substitution Philadelphia Independence

IN 17 Joanna Lohman

OUT 2 Heather Mitts

Amy Rodgriguez presses the issue for the Indies early this half.

48' - Free kick for Boston...

48' - GOAL! Boston Breakers 10 Kelly Smith

And it's a goal! The trajectory of that corner could not have been any better. LeBlanc was not going to reach that shot. It's Smith's second of the season.

49' - Time now for the Indies to recover from that FIFA 10-replicable play.

52' - Whoa. That was almost two goals in twice as many minutes. LeBlanc nearly paid the price for not making as strong an effort to scoop up the ball on that scramble.

54'- GOAL! Philadelphia Independence 3 Allison Falk Assist 6 Lori Lindsey

The first goal of the Indies history, and it's scored by the same person that gave the first goal in the history of the Los Angeles Sol. Another solid set piece delivery translated to expert timing by Falk, to make her a piece of WPS trivia: name the player who scored the first goal for two WPS clubs and name those teams.

55' - We have ourselves a match, with a goal apiece. The pace quickens.

58' - Side netting for Cheney on that chance.

60' - LePeilbet in stopper mode once again. She marks her players as if it's old hat, because it is. Gotta love her ability.

61' - Another shot for Cheney goes wide left. She will need to exhibit a truck load of patience for the time being, the No. 8 for the Breakers.

63' - Here's Boston again, but there's Nikki Krzysik to dispossess.

Yellow card: 9 Caroline Seger

Philadephia Independence

69' - A shot by Stephanie Cox from 35 yards out misses.

72' - It's a stalemate so far between both sides. in the center third of the pitch.

74' - Substitution Boston Breakers

IN - 16 Laura Del Rio

OUT - 7 Liz Bogus

76' - Yellow Card 4 Jen Buczkowski

Philadelphia Independence

78' - First corner of the half for Philadelphia after LePeilbet makes another stop.

79' - Phillips pushes that one away for another corner. And she scoops up another one. Boy, has Ashley Phillips done some work.

83' - The drums continue to bang into the night at Harvard Stadium.

84' - Kelly Smith is not amused by Holmfridur Magnusdottir's tackle, and rightfully so.

85' - Red Card 4 Jen Buczkowski

Philadelphia Independence

That is a big loss for Philly. Bad tackle. Inexcusable.

86' - Wide shot for Kristine Lilly.

87' - Another good save for Phillips.

89' - Substitution Boston Breakers

IN 88 Tiffany weimer

OUT 10 Kelly Smith

90' + 1' - Stoppage time right now, and this could be a 1-1 draw.

Substitution Philadelphia Independence
IN 24 Estelle Johnson
OUT 6 Lori Lindsey

90' + 3' - And Lauren Cheney will be rueing that chance.

90' + 4' - A final volley from Boston to steal three points is saved by Karina LeBlanc. That's a wrap.

TEAM STATS:

	BOS	PHI
Shots	15	9
Shots on Goal	7	4
Fouls	7	17
Offsides	0	1
Corner Kicks	6	4
Saves	3	5

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
PHI: Caroline Seger (Caution) 63'
PHI: Jen Buczkowski (Caution) 76'
PHI: Jen Buczkowski (Ejection) 86'

Referee: Bryan Roslund
Referee Assistants: Jan Halaska, Amy Willing
4th Official: Daniel Hristov
Attendance: 5286 

 

(Stats courtesy of Women's Professional Soccer)