Boston Breakers

WPS Week 18

The Los Angeles Sol became the first team to clinch their position in the WPS Playoffs in WPS Week 18 with a scoreless draw against FC Gold Pride Thursday that gave the Sol the WPS Regular Season title and top seed in the WPS Playoffs.  Entering the week, only Saint Louis had a mathematical chance of overtaking the Sol.  As champions of the regular season, Los Angeles earns the right to host the WPS Championship on August 22 at 4pm ET/1pm PT at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA.

In other Week 18 action, a loss by the Chicago Red Stars to Washington and a tie by FC Gold Pride against the Saint Louis Athletica officially eliminated both Chicago and FC Gold Pride from any chances at postseason play.

The Washington Freedom moved into the thick of the playoff hunt with their victory and faces a pivotal game against Boston on Wednesday.  A victory by Boston guarantees the Breakers a playoff berth.  Likewise, a victory Saturday for Saint Louis will clinch the Athletica a playoff berth and guarantee them a home game in the playoffs.

Boston Breakers 0, Sky Blue FC 0

The Boston Breakers ended their Sky Blue FC hex, but continued their scoring struggles against their northeast rival in a scoreless draw at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, MA.  Boston has now scored just twice in four games against Sky Blue FC, but earned a point for the first time after losing three previous times to the New Jersey-side this season.

Washington Freedom 3, Chicago Red Stars 2

Three weeks ago, Chicago became the first team in WPS to come back from a goal down to win a game when they came back from down 1-0 to defeat the Washington Freedom, 2-1.  On Sunday, the Freedom turned the tables on Chicago becoming the second WPS team to earn a come-from-behind victory with a 3-2 victory at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL.

After being down early to Chicago, following an early goal by Megan Rapinoe, the Freedom rallied and won it on a superb individual effort by Allie Long late in the game to earn a pivotal three points and knock Chicago out of the playoffs.

Saint Louis Athletica 1, FC Gold Pride 1

FC Gold Pride fought until the end, including a goal by Christine Sinclair in the last five minutes—her sixth this season—but a 1-1 tie against the Athletica at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Fenton, MO, was not enough to keep the FC Gold Pride in playoff contention, as their winless streak moved to 10 games dating to mid-May.

The Athletica were just minutes away from wrapping up a playoff berth before Sinclair’s strike tied the game for the Pride.  The Athletica can clinch a playoff berth and a homefield playoff game with a victory on Saturday against Boston.  FC Gold Pride has not scored more than one goal in a game since the first month of the season back on April 26.

Line Up Notables

Boston Breakers: Sky Blue FC continued to trouble the Breakers last weekend and Boston had to settle for a 0-0 tie—their only point earned against New Jersey in four games this season.  Allison Lipsher secured her third straight shutout, a season high for the team, boosting her season total to five.  Amy Rodriguez was inserted into the game in the 62nd minute and then pulled in the 77th minute for Christine Latham.  The top pick in the 2009 WPS Draft has not been put on the traveling roster for Boston’s two road games this week.

Chicago Red Stars: The Red Stars’ loss to the Washington Freedom on Sunday officially eliminated the Chicago club from the playoff hunt.  Although the Red Stars fell shy of a playoff position, goalkeeper Caroline Jönsson posted 11 saves, while Megan Rapinoe and Karen Carney tallied a goal each to bring their individual season goal totals up to two.

FC Gold Pride: While FC Gold Pride playoff hopes ended Sunday in a tie against the Saint Louis Athletica, the 1-1 match stalled their opponent’s playoff berth as well.  Christine Sinclair scored the equalizer in the 87th minute, raising her season goal total to six—a number tying her with Chicago Red Star Cristiane for the third-most goals scored by a WPS player this season.

Los Angeles Sol: The Sol clinched the 2009 WPS Regular Season title in a 0-0 draw against FC Gold Pride last Thursday.  Since losing two defenders this season—first Martina Franko, and then Christie Shaner—the Sol placed Sharolta Nonen into the backline last Wednesday.  Nonen is a veteran of the WUSA’s Atlanta Beat and played on the 1999 and 2003 World Cup teams for Canada.

Saint Louis Athletica: In an effort to score more goals, Head Coach Jorge Barcellos moved defender Niki Cross into the frontline a few weeks back.  It did not take long for Cross to adjust to her new position as she scored her first goal of the year in a draw against the Bay Area Sunday.

Kendall Fletcher, a player who saw little time with the Los Angeles Sol, continues to have a tremendous impact on the Athletica and tallied the assist on Nonen’s goal, her third this season.  English forward, Eniola Aluko, scored the game-winner against Sky Blue FC Wednesday, increasing her season goal total to five.

Sky Blue FC: Sky Blue goalkeeper, Jenni Branam, had an outstanding match against the Breakers Saturday and tallied her sixth shutout this season—a number tying her with Hope Solo for the second best total in WPS.

Washington Freedom: In a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Red Stars on Sunday, Abby Wambach joined Marta as the only two players in WPS to record two multi-goal games this season.  Wambach posted two goals against the Red Stars, lifting her team to a 2-2 tie in the second-half.  Allie Long’s 16 minutes in Sunday’s game proved to be enough time as she was able to net the game-winner in the 89th minute.

League Standings

Team                         GP    W L T        GF  GA  Points
Los Angeles Sol          18    11-2-5       24     6     38
Saint Louis Athletica   17     8-6-3        15    14    27
Boston Breakers         17     7-6-4        17    16    25
Washington Freedom  17     6-6-5        26    28    23
Sky Blue FC               18     6-7-5        16    17    23
Chicago Red Stars      18     4-9-5        15    22    17
FC Gold Pride             17     3-9-5        13    23    14

Game Results

Wednesday, July 22
Saint Louis Athletica 1, Sky Blue FC 0

Thursday, July 23
FC Gold Pride 0, Los Angeles Sol 0

Saturday, July 25
Boston Breakers 0, Sky Blue FC 0

Sunday, July 26
Washington Freedom 3, Chicago Red Stars 2
Saint Louis Athletica 1, FC Gold Pride 1

Quotables from Notables
A few words from players and coaches…

“We are delighted to win the WPS Regular Season title,” said Los Angeles Sol Head Coach Abner Rogers. “We have had a great a great five months and are very happy to have won for the city of Los Angeles and our great fans.”

“I think everybody knows it was a must win game for both teams,” said Chicago Red Stars Head Coach Emma Hayes.  “I think we started out relatively okay, but after the first goal we were very flat.  We looked quite tired and the heat seemed to drain us quite a bit.  We struggled to retain the ball and equally struggled to try to position when we lost it.  Credit to Washington, I thought they should have scored more than one goal in the first half.”

“I was proud the way the team played in the second half especially,” said Washington Freedom Head Coach Jim Gabarra.  “There was a lot of fatigue out there.  Chicago was in a desperate situation and threw everything at us.”

“We would have loved to get a win there,” said Athletica midfielder Lori Chalupny.  “Knowing the implications this game had for us, a win would have taken some of the weight off our shoulders.  Giving up a goal that late in the game was a stinger for us, we just have got to be able to put the game away at that point.”

“We had a lot of chances, especially in the second half. We need more composure,” said Saint Louis Athletica Head Coach Jorge Barcellos.  “A counter attack on a one-on-one is not a chance you should lose on.  Something that is simple has become hard for us.  I don’t know why.”

"Jenni Branam made some great saves,” said Boston Breakers Head Coach Tony DiCicco.  “But our quality in front of the goal just isn’t good enough and it’s kind of plagued us all season long."

“Unbelievable.  Thank goodness for Branam,” said Sky Blue FC Head Coach Kelly Lindsey.  “I think that’s the theme of the night for us. She definitely saved us—our team knows it, Boston knows it, Branam was the hero today by far.”

WPS Player of the Week: Week 18

Washington forward Abby Wambach has been selected WPS's Player of the Week for Week 18 after scoring two goals to lead the visiting Freedom to a 3-2 victory the Chicago Red Stars and into a tie with Sky Blue FC for fourth place.

Wambach, who netted her fourth and fifth goals of the season to prod Washington (6-6-5) ahead early in the second half, is the second player honored twice as Women's Professional Soccer's Player of the Week, joining Los Angeles Sol star Marta.  Wambach also was WPS's top player in Week 5.

Freedom players have been selected on four occasions, with Sonia Bompastor winning in Week 6 and Erin McLeod in Week 13.  Wambach is among six U.S. national team standouts chosen; the others were Los Angeles Sol midfielders Aly Wagner (Week 4) and Shannon Boxx (Week 10), Saint Louis Athletica midfielder Lori Chalupny (Week 7), Chicago Red Stars forward Lindsay Tarpley (Week 15), and Sky Blue FC forward Natasha Kai (Week 17).

WPS's Player of the Week award is selected by a panel of writers with the North American Soccer Reporters.

WPS Players of the Week
Week 1: Aya Miyama (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 2: Marta (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 3: Kelly Smith (Boston Breakers)
Week 4: Aly Wagner (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 5: Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)
Week 6: Sonia Bompastor (Washington Freedom)
Week 7: Lori Chalupny (Saint Louis Athletica)
Week 8: Christine Sinclair (FC Gold Pride)
Week 9: Jillian Loyden (Saint Louis Athletica)
Week 10: Shannon Boxx (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 11: Camille Abily (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 12: Eniola Aluko (Saint Louis Athletica)
Week 13: Erin McLeod (Washington Freedom)
Week 14: Marta (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 15: Lindsay Tarpley (Chicago Red Stars)
Week 16: Cristiane (Chicago Red Stars)
Week 17: Natasha Kai (Sky Blue FC)
Week 18: Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)

Note: Weeks 1-2 selected by The Soccer Magazine; weeks 3-9 selected by North American Soccer Reporters panel.

Goals by the Numbers

Top Scorers—Los Angeles Sol’s Marta (9), Los Angeles Sol’s Camille Abily (8),  Chicago Red Star’s Cristiane (6), FC Gold Pride’s Christine Sinclair (6)

Goals by Team—Los Angeles Sol (24), Washington Freedom (26), Boston Breakers (17), Sky Blue FC (16), Chicago Red Stars (15), Saint Louis Athletica (15), FC Gold Pride (13)

Total Goals—126 goals scored since WPS Inaugural Match on March 29, 2009 with an average of 2.07 goals per game.

Quickest Goal in League Play: 2nd minute of play, Eniola Aluko—Saint Louis Athletica vs. Sky Blue FC (6/28/09), Kelly Smith—Boston Breakers vs. Los Angeles Sol (5/2/09)

Quickest back-to-back goals by one team: 2 goals in 3 minutes—42 minute, 45 minute— from Marta in Los Angeles Sol vs. Sky Blue FC match (4/5/09)

Quickest back-to-back goals by both teams: 2 goals in 58 seconds—46 minute, 47 minute—from Kacey White and Lisa De Vanna in Sky Blue FC vs. Washington Freedom match (7/15/09)

Most Goals in One Game by one team: 4, Los Angeles Sol 4-0 Chicago Red Stars (6/27/09), Washington Freedom 4-3 FC Gold Pride (4/26/09), Chicago Red Stars 4-0 Boston Breakers (4/25/09), and Sky Blue FC 4-4 Washington Freedom (7/15/09)

Most Goals in One Game by both teams: 8, Sky Blue FC 4-4 Washington Freedom (7/15/09)

Most Goals in a Game by a player: 3, Cristiane (Chicago Red Stars vs. FC Gold Pride—(7/12/09)

Penalty Kick Rates: 60% success rate, 6 out of 10 attempted

Longest Scoring Drought: 451 minutes, Chicago Red Stars

Note to All Media

Please note the proper spelling and nomenclature for two WPS teams.  Please refer to Sky Blue FC by its full and proper name “Sky Blue FC” and not “SkyBlue” or just “Sky Blue.” Also please note that Saint Louis Athletica spell out the word “Saint” in their official team name.

WPS Media Info Section

The WPS Media Info Section is now up and running including specialty stats, team media guides, contacts lists and other media information. It will become more comprehensive in the coming weeks and months in preparation for 2010.
http://www.womensprosoccer.com/news/media-info
Username: WPSinfo
Password:  mediaWPS

Media Credentials 

WPS Playoffs, WPS Championship and WPS All-Star Game
Media and photos credentials for the WPS Playoffs, WPS Championship and WPS All-Star Game will be handled by the local WPS team.  Please direct media inquiries about any postseason games to the host team no later than 48 hours in advance of the game.

The 2009 WPS All-Stadium credential will get you into the stadium for the postseason, but does not guarantee a spot in the press room unless you have contacted the local team in advance to request a spot.  To obtain a credential application for the inaugural WPS Championship, please email your full name and media affiliation to: WPSChampionship@leaderenterprises.com.

WPS Partners with MedImmune and FluMist®

On Tuesday, Women’s Professional Soccer announced its newest league sponsor, FluMist (Influenza Vaccine Live, Intranasal).  FluMist is a nasal spray flu vaccine for eligible individuals 2-49 years of age manufactured by MedImmune.  The partnership includes in-stadium exposure and online and local market visibility.

MedImmune will also be the presenting sponsor of the 2009 WPS Championship—officially called the “2009 WPS Championship presented by MedImmune”—and will present the “Defender of the Year” award at the 2009 WPS All-Star Game.

As part of the partnership, WPS will join the sponsor’s national health education campaign called “Don’t Play with the Flu”™.  The campaign aims to increase seasonal flu vaccination rates among eligible kids and families across the country, and to educate families that vaccination can start as soon as doses are available this summer.

“We are excited to have MedImmune and FluMist as an official sponsor of Women’s Professional Soccer and for their ‘Don’t Play with the Flu’ activation and promotion in the coming months,” said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci.  “There’s a great synergy between our core audience bases and we look forward to a successful partnership.”
 
The Los Angeles Sol clinched the WPS Regular Season this past week and the “2009 WPS Championship presented by MedImmune” will take place August 22 at The Home Depot Center.

Important Safety and Eligibility information for FluMist: Who may be eligible for FluMist®  (Influenza Vaccine Live, Intranasal)?  FluMist is a vaccine approved for the prevention of certain types of influenza disease in children, adolescents and adults 2-49 years of age. FluMist may not protect everyone who gets it. FluMist is for intranasal administration only.

Who may not be able to get FluMist?  FluMist is not right for everyone.  FluMist must not be given to: people with history of hypersensitivity to eggs, egg proteins, gentamicin, gelatin or arginine; people with life-threatening reactions to previous influenza vaccinations; and children and adolescents receiving aspirin or aspirin-containing therapy.  Children less than 24 months of age are not eligible for FluMist.

The following people may not be able to get FluMist or may be able to get it only in certain situations: people with asthma or active wheezing, or children less than 5 years of age with recurrent wheezing; people with a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome; people with a weakened immune system; people with long-term medical conditions including heart disease, kidney disease, and metabolic diseases, such as diabetes; and pregnant women.

If your child falls into one of these groups, be sure to tell your healthcare provider. They will decide if FluMist is right for your child.

What are the most common side effects of FluMist? Most common side effects included runny nose or nasal congestion, sore throat, and fever. For a full list of side effects, please see section 6.1 in the following product information.

Please see the complete product information.
For more information, please visit www.FluMist.com.

The Weekly Forecast

Wednesday, July 29

Washington Freedom vs. Boston Breakers (8 pm ET—CSN)
Maryland SoccerPlex, Germantown, MD
Both teams come into this pivotal late season match-up without a loss in three consecutive games.  Boston has followed two wins with a tie this past Saturday, while the Washington Freedom have put themselves right back in the hunt with a pair of wins following a tie in their latest three-game unbeaten stretch.

Boston owns the tiebreaker between these two teams thanks to two victories and one draw—but a victory by Washington would put the Freedom in the driver’s seat for a home playoff game as they face last-place FC Gold Pride and Sky Blue FC to close the season.

Boston, meanwhile, has to travel to second-place Saint Louis and host WPS Regular Season champions Los Angeles on the last day of the regular season.  This is the first of a two-game road trip for Boston with a pair of wins this week ensuring the Breakers a home playoff game—so expect Tony DiCicco’s side to come out fast from the gates.


Saturday, August 1

FC Gold Pride vs. Washington Freedom (6 pm ET)
Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
Washington will make the cross-country trip to Buck Shaw Stadium to face FC Gold Pride on just two days rest following their midweek match-up with Boston.  While FC Gold Pride have been eliminated from the playoff hunt they will find plenty of motivation when looking across the midfield towards the Freedom at kickoff.  It was Washington that defeated FC Gold Pride, 4-3, at Buck Shaw Stadium in one of the most exciting games of the WPS season as Abby Wambach scored a stoppage-time header for Washington’s first win back on April 26.

No one would have predicted then, but that was the last time FC Gold Pride scored more than one goal in a game, including a 3-1 loss to Washington at the Maryland SoccerPlex in late May.  Despite dropping out of playoff contention, FC Gold Pride have been rejuvenated by a two-game unbeaten streak coming against the top two teams in the league in Los Angeles and Saint Louis.

Saint Louis Athletica vs. Boston Breakers (8 pm ET—KPLR & WEB)
Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park, Fenton, MO
The importance of this match has not been lost on Saint Louis.  After giving up a game-tying goal against FC Gold Pride in the 87th minute that prevented the Athletica from clinching a playoff berth last Sunday, Jorge Barcellos's side has been looking to this game all week to prove that they indeed have the killer instinct which has lacked at times this season for the talented club.  For the Athletica, it’s simple: a win and they are in the playoffs and guaranteed of at least one home playoff game.

Boston, meanwhile, will be looking to wrap up a playoff spot as well and the outcome in this game could very well determine which team gets a first round bye into the WPS Super Semifinal to host the winner of the WPS First Round.  To end the season, Boston plays host to Los Angeles, while Saint Louis travels to the Bay Area to face FC Gold Pride for the second time in two weeks on the final day of the 2009 regular season.

Sunday, August 2

Chicago Red Stars vs. Los Angeles Sol (6 pm ET – FSC)
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL
A meaningless game in the standings will, in fact, be quite meaningful to the teams themselves.  Los Angeles has scored just one goal in its past three games, going 1-1-1 during that stretch, and will be looking to return to playing the kind of soccer that put the Sol on a 10-game unbeaten streak from May 15-July 8.  During that stretch, Los Angeles trounced Chicago, 4-0, in their most recent head-to-head, in what was one of the low-points of a tough season for the Chicago Red Stars.

The Red Stars season has been one of missed opportunities—none more than a near-victory against Los Angeles on June 3, when Chicago took a 1-0 lead late in the game at The Home Depot Center only to see Camille Abily tie it up two minutes later in stoppage time.  This will be Los Angeles’s and Marta’s first visit to Toyota Park, the last team in the league to have played an away game at every other team in the league.

On TV

The match between the Washington Freedom and Boston Breakers on Wednesday, July 29 at 8 pm ET will air on the Comcast Sports Network.

The match between the Saint Louis Athletica and Boston Breakers on Saturday, August 1 will air on KPLR 11 (St. Louis) at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

The WPS Sunday on FSC match between the Chicago Red Stars and Los Angeles Sol will air on the Fox Soccer Channel on Sunday, August 2 at 6 pm ET.

WPS Weekly is published each week by the Women's Professional Soccer League public relations office and is excerpted by What's News of the Bleacher Report.  What's News is the alternate profile of Todd Civin and is used to post press releases of the WPS, the AHL and the Eastern Baseball league.

Todd Civin is a freelance writer for the Bleacher Report. Todd can be contacted for comment or hire at toddcivin1@aim.com. His stories can be reprinted only with permission by writing to Todd at this address.  Todd is also a supporter of A Glove of Their Own—the award winning children's story that is capturing the heart of the nation.  Visit www.agloveoftheirown.com for details.

The Boston Breakers had a chance to clinch a playoff spot with two weeks remaining with a win tonight and help on Sunday, but had to settle for a 0-0 draw despite a dominating first half against Sky Blue FC in Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) action Saturday night at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Mass.

A win tonight and a Washington Freedom loss on Sunday would have been enough for the Breakers (7-6-4, 25 points) to secure a playoff berth, but they'll will have to wait.

Boston peppered the Sky Blue FC goal with 16 shots throughout the match and had several strong scoring opportunities in the first half, but goalkeeper Jenni Branam (eight saves) was up to the task for the visitors.

"I thought that we played pretty well today," said Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco. "Late in the game I think we just ran ourselves out trying to get a goal, so they had a couple of chances, but I thought we played pretty well. If we go out with that sort of endeavor, we should be fine.”

The Breakers are now one point behind second-place Saint Louis Athletica and remain two points clear of Sky Blue FC (6-7-5, 23 points), which remains in fourth place for the moment.

The New Jersey club is three points ahead of the fifth-place Freedom, but Washington has two games in hand. Tonight’s game also ends the season series between the two teams in which Sky Blue FC finished ahead, 3-0-1.

Tonight’s shutout is the third straight for goalkeeper Alli Lipsher and the Boston defense, which has now gone a team season-high 323 minutes without conceding a goal. The Breakers had a strong first-half effort and came close to clinching the win numerous times. However, they were unable to find the back of the goal.

Several shots were sent right to Branam. In the 11th minute, Maggie Tomecka had perhaps the best chance of the match when she got on the end of a bouncing ball in front of the net, but hit it to the center where Branam was positioned to make the diving save.

In the 17th minute, Kristine Lilly sent Jennie Nobis on a breakaway with a long ball, but with just Branam standing in her way of a goal, Nobis was unable to find the corner.

Sky Blue FC had just three shots to the Breakers 12 in the opening half, but in the 26th minute, Heather O’Reilly hit a shot that went right over the middle of the cross bar. Then in the 39th, O’Reilly again got the ball and took it down the right side before crossing it across the goal line, but Lipsher picked it up before one of O’Reilly’s teammates got a foot on it.

In the second half, neither team had the momentum needed to come away with a win, only tallying four shots each. Breaker’s Lilly had a chance in the 54th minute when she shot the ball to the left side of the goal, but Branam flew through the air to make the catch.

"Jenni Branam made some great saves,” said DiCicco. “But our quality in front of the goal just isn’t good enough and it’s kind of plagued us all season long."

Both teams put in substitutes in hopes that fresh legs could produce a goal, but that didn’t prove to be a solution either.

In the 75th minute, Alex Scott went on a breakaway with Sky Blue FC defender Jen Buczowski on her back with pressure, but Branam ran out to grab it before Scott could take her shot.

Sky Blue FC gave one last push in the first minute of stoppage time when Kelly Parker hit a shot to the left corner, but Breakers defender Heather Mitts got in front of it to deflect it from the goal.

The Breakers next game is Wednesday at the Washington Freedom at 8 p.m.  Boston will then travel to Saint Louis to take on Athletica, Saturday at 8 p.m. (ET).

Box Score
July 25, 2009
Harvard Stadium – Cambridge, Mass.

GOALS    1  2  – Total
Boston        0  0    0
Sky Blue FC    0  0    0

Scoring Summary
First Half:
None
Second Half:
None

Stats
Total Shots: SBFC 7 BOS 16; Shots on Goal: SBFC 1 BOS 8; Saves: Jenni Branam (SBFC) 8, Alli Lipsher (BOS) 1; Corners: SBFC 6 BOS 1; Fouls: SBFC 6 BOS 5; Offsides: SBFC 4 BOS 2.

Lineups
BOSTON: Alli Lipsher; Heather Mitts, Amy LePeilbet, Nancy Augustyniak-Goffi, Alex Scott; Maggie Tomecka, Kristine Lilly, Angela Hucles, Kelly Schmedes; Fabiana (Abby Crumpton, 58th minute), Jennie Nobis (Amy Rodriquez, 62nd minute, Christine Latham, 77th minute).

SKY BLUE FC: Jenni Branam; Keeley Dowling, Anita Asante, Jen Buczkowski, Meghan Schnur; Heather O’Reilly, Kelly Parker, Collette McCallum; Rosana (Noelle Keselica, 58th minute), Kacey White, Kerri Hanks (Julianne Stitch, 64th minute).

Misconduct Summary                                                                                              
Cautions:
Sky Blue FC: Anita Asante, 84th minute.
Boston: None

Ejections: None.

Attendance: 4,125
Weather: 81, Sunny
Officials: R: Daniel Fitzgerald; A1: Danielle Magourik; A2: Michael Rugnetta; FO: Russell Wolf

Photo Credit: David Silverman | DSPics.com

The above article utilized information from a press release by the Boston Breakers PR department.

This is what Dad was referring to when he used the "drummer expression."

On the field, Nobis has been in step with the rest of her teammates, however, and has already netted two goals on the season. Despite playing in only eight of the team's 16 games, she ranks fifth in shots (16) and shots on goal (9).

Nobis was selected with the with the 29th pick by the Breakers in the 2009 WPS Draft, after playing in Sweden's top league (Damallsvenskan) for Umeå Södra FF in 2008. She scored three goals and three assists in 18 matches for USFF.

Jennifer also played for Danmarks IF (Sweden) and Charlton Athletic (England) and spent two seasons with River Cities FC (2006-07), where she was named the 2006 WPSL Player of the Year. She led the (WPSL) in scoring and total points in 2006.

Nobis played her college soccer for the Missouri Tigers, where she set a Mizzou school record with 14 assists as a senior in 2005. Her 0.78 assists per game in 2005 ranks fourth all-time in the Big 12.

For her college career she ranks second all-time in career goals with 32 and third in both points (93) and assists (28).  She was selected to All-Big 12 Second Team as a junior in 2004 and was a Soccer Buzz Third-team All-Central Region.

The highlight of her junior year was a four-game goal streak to open the season from Aug. 26-Sept. 5, including a game-winning goal against rival Iowa on Sept. 5. She also scored two goals in MU's 6-1 win over Oral Roberts during the spring season.

As a sophomore, Nobis played the role of play-maker as opposed to scorer when she dished out three assists against No. 4 Texas A & M.

She led the team in assists recording eight overall, including game-winning assists against Iowa, Texas A&M and Nebraska.

She was the team leader in shots on net percentage as a sophomore, hitting the net on 32 of her 50 shots (64 percent) and was named to the Nike Tiger Invitational all-tournament team . She also earned academic All-Big 12 second team honors. 

As a freshman, Nobis was named a Soccer Buzz All-Central Region freshman team honoree and was named a member of the 2002 Big 12 Conference All-Freshman Team.

She was third on team with 19 points and eight goals including a five point game against Iowa State by scoring two goals and one assist in Mizzou's 3-0 victory. That game earned her Big 12 Player of the Week honors.

Her high school/youth club highlights included:

• Led Quincy High School (Ill. ) to third place in the state as a freshman
• A three-time Western Big Six All-Conference selection
• All-State and Chicago Tribune All-State selection in 2001 and 2002
• Quincy all-time leading scorer with 107 career goals and assists leader with 50 career assists
• Played for four Missouri club state champions (Wolfpack - 1998 and Busch - 2000-02)
• Led Busch to a Region II title in 2002 and a trip to nationals.

And to think, she accomplished all of this with painted nails, big, straight white teeth and having dinner with Benjamin Franklin, God, Beyonce and Lil' Wayne, while making sure her underwear is packed in her suitcase.

Dad calls it marching to a different beat. Nobis calls it CRAZY.

The above story was part of Todd Civin's Meet The Breakers series. Civin is a free lance writer for the Bleacher Report. He can be reached at toddcivin1@aim.com for hire or comment. He is a supporter of A Glove of Their Own which teaches children to pay it forward through sports.

Visit AGOTO at www.agloveoftheirown.com and purchase under today's donor code GSB 133 Good Sports Boston. $3.00 from each of today's sales of the book will go to GSB. 

Photo Credit: David Silverman

Get Your Heather Mitts Bobblehead on July 25 Saturday's Breakers home game against Sky Blue FC is Heather Mitts Bobblehead Night! The first 1,000 fans in the stadium will receive a free limited edition Heather Mitts bobblehead. Gates at Harvard Stadium open at 6 p.m. and kickoff is at 7 p.m. for this key late-season matchup.

Vote Early, Vote Often for WPS All-Star Game Voting for the 2009 WPS All-Star Team began last Friday. Fans can vote up to twenty-five times using the online ballot on the Women's Professional Soccer website. The vote will end at 8pm ET on July 31. The 2009 WPS All-Star Game featuring the WPS All-Stars against Swedish league champions Umea IK is being played at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Fenton, MO, on Sunday, August 30th with kick-off scheduled for 5:30pm ET/4:30pm CT. The game will be televised live nationally on Fox Soccer Channel and regionally on select Fox Sports Net affiliates (check local listings) with coverage starting at 5:00 p.m. ET with a half-hour pre-game show prior to kick-off. A total of 18 WPS players will take part in the WPS All-Star Game with the Starting XI players selected through voting and the other seven chosen by the WPS Commissioner and the All-Star Game Head Coach. Players voted on to the Starting XI who are not available to play in the WPS All-Star Game will be replaced by the next-highest vote-getters at that position. The Starting XI will be made up of one goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders and two forwards.

Photo Credit: David Silverman | DSPics.com

The above article was excerpted from a press release by the Boston Breakers and utilized by What's News as part of an agreement between the WPS and the Bleacher Report.

What's News is the alternate profile of Todd Civin, a freelance writer. He can be reached at toddcivin1@aim.com for comment or hire.

Joe Cummings, president and general manager of the Boston Breakers franchise of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), has been named as the new CEO and executive director for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

Kelly Schmedes scored her first goal of the season to lead the Boston Breakers past FC Gold Pride, 1-0, in Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) action Sunday night at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

The win came despite the Breakers (7-6-3, 24 points) missing seven starters due to national team duty. The depleted lineup was able to record Boston’s second-straight shutout, and allows the Breakers to move back into second place in the standings. The team sits one point ahead of Saint Louis, and two ahead of Saturday’s opponent, Sky Blue FC, who were 1-0 winners earlier today over the Chicago Red Stars.

The Pride (3-9-3, 12 points), who were missing four starters to national team duty, lost for the fourth-consecutive match and remain winless in their last eight. They are now 10 points behind Sky Blue FC for the fourth and final playoff spot with five matches remaining.

Schmedes goal came in the 13th minute, beating the offsides trap from a pass by Mary-Frances Monroe before slotting the ball past Pride goalkeeper Allison Whitworth. The assist was Monroe’s first of the season.

The Breakers had the majority of play and chances in the first half, as Kristine Lilly and Fabiana were constantly dangerous in the attack. Boston held an 8-2 shot advantage in the first 45, including six shots on goal.

Things shifted in the second half as FC Gold Pride pressed for an equalizer. It nearly came in the 57th minute as Tina DiMartino hit a crossbar, followed by a shot from Formiga that hit the post. The Pride outshot Boston, 9-1 in the second half.

Due to the amount of players missing the match, the Breakers had signed two players just for the match. Erika Sutton started and played the full 90 minutes in defense, while former Boston midfielder Stacy Bishop returned and played 34 minutes in the second half.

The Breakers return home to face Sky Blue FC on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the fourth and final meeting between the two teams. Sky Blue FC has won all three previous meetings.

Box Score
July 19, 2009
Buck Shaw Stadium—Santa Clara, Calif.

GOALS  1  2  – Total
Boston  1  0     1
Pride     0  0     0

Scoring Summary
First Half:
1 – BOS: Schmedes 1 (Monroe 1), 13th minute

Second Half:
None

Stats
Total Shots: FCGP 11 BOS 9; Shots on Goal: FCGP 3 BOS 6; Saves: Allison Whitworth (FCGP) 5, Alli Lipsher (BOS) 3; Corners: FCGP 5 BOS 5; Fouls: FCGP 15 BOS 10; Offsides: FCGP 1 BOS 1.

Lineups
BOSTON: Alli Lipsher; Abby Crumpton, Kasey Moore, Nancy Augustyniak-Goffi, Erika Sutton, Maggie Tomecka, Kristine Lilly, Mary-Frances Monroe (Sophia Mundy,62nd minute), Kelly Schmedes, Fabiana (Stacy Bishop, 66th minute), Jennie Nobis (Christine Latham, 71st minute).

FC GOLD PRIDE: Allison Whitworth (GK), Carrie Dew, Kristen Graczyk, Tina DiMartino (Adriane, 85th minute), Leigh Ann Robinson, Greet Barnes, Formiga, Tiffeny Milbrett, Tiffany Weimer (Kimberly Yokers, 46th minute), Erika (Sissi, 64th minute), Eriko Arakawa.

Misconduct Summary                                                                                              
Cautions:
FC Gold Pride: None

Boston: Fabiana, 59th minute.

Ejections: None.

Attendance: 2,203
Weather: 89 degrees, Sunny
Officials: R: Kari Seitz; A1: Veronica Perez; A2: Mike Kampmeinert; FO: Vicente Cortes

Photo Credit: David Silverman isi photos

The previous story is excerpted from a press release by Todd Civin, who is a free lance writer for the Bleacher Report. Todd can be contacted for comment or hire at toddcivin1@aim.com. His stories can be reprinted only with permission by writing to Todd at this address. Todd is also a supporter of A Glove of Their Own—the award winning children's story that is capturing the heart of the nation. Visit www.agloveoftheirown.com for details.

Angela Hucles scored in the first half and the Breakers defense held on in the second in a 1-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars in Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) action Wednesday night at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Mass.

The result ends the season series for the two teams with the Breakers winning 2-1-0. It also puts Boston (6-6-3, 21 points) in sole possession of third place in the standings, just two points behind second place Saint Louis Athletica.

The Red Stars (4-7-5, 17 points) are now in a tie for fifth.

“I thought we were very good in the first half, and we knew that they would push out a lot more,” said head coach Tony DiCicco.  “We chose to stay with the 4-5-1 and looked for counter attack opportunities."

"I don’t think we got enough of those. I think we were a little bit too eager, and gave up the ball too much.  They had chances to score.  We bent, but we didn’t break. I’m really proud of the players.”

The game winner occurred in the 35th minute when Kristine Lilly sent a long ball into the box that Hucles got on the end of with a one touch into the back of the net. It was both Hucles’ second goal of the season and Lilly’s second assist.

The Breakers offense was quiet as the defense fought hard in the second half to prevent the tie. The Red Stars put on intense pressure from the very first minute when Marian Dalmy sent a cross to Lindsay Tarpley, but the shot was deflected just wide of the goal.

They continued to control the game throughout the half as Chicago outshot Boston, 13-2.

The closest call came during a scramble in the box in the 64th minute, when Mary-Frances Monroe, in her first start of the season, saved the shutout when she deflected a shot from Jill Oakes on the goal line at the far right post.

Boston enjoyed the majority of the possession in the first half, and had numerous close chances leading up to their goal. Hucles almost scored earlier in the 22nd minute as she made her way to the net on a breakaway, but her shot was saved by Red Star goalkeeper Caroline Jonsson.

Jennie Nobis also looked especially hungry for a goal with several chances. In the 26th minute she got onto the end of a corner from Lilly, but it sailed right over the crossbar.

She had another shot off a pass from Heather Mitts in the 29th minute, but Jonsson got on the ground and just got her hands on it in time for the save.

The Breakers are next in action on Sunday, to face FC Gold Pride in Santa Clara, Calif. It will be the third and final game of the series, in which the Pride lead 1-0-1.

Box Score
July 15, 2009
Harvard Stadium – Cambridge, Mass.

GOALS 1  2  – Total
Boston 1  0 1
Chicago 0  0 0

Scoring Summary
First Half:
1 – BOS: Hucles 2 (Lilly 2), 35th minute

Second Half:
None

Stats
Total Shots: CHI 21 BOS 11; Shots on Goal: CHI 4 BOS 5; Saves: Caroline Jonsson (CHI) 4, Alli Lipsher (BOS) 3; Corners: CHI 5 BOS 5; Fouls: CHI 2 BOS 3; Offsides: CHI 4 BOS 8.

Lineups
BOSTON: Ali Lipsher; Nancy Augustiniak-Goffi, Amy LePeilbet, Candace Chapman (Kasey Moore, 80th minute), Heather Mitts (Abby Crumpton, 71st minute); Maggie Tomecka, Mary-Frances Monroe, Angela Hucles, Kristine Lilly; Jenni Nobis, Fabiana (Amy Rodriguez, 59th minute).

CHICAGO: Caroline Jonsson; Ifeoma Dieke, Natalie Spigler (Ella Masar, 46th minute), Lydia Vandenbergh; Brittany Klein, Megan Rapinoe, Carli Loyd, Marian Dalmy; Lindsay Tarpley (Danesha Adams, 72nd minute), Cristiane.

Misconduct Summary                                                                                              
Cautions:
Chicago: Lloyd, 59th minute.
Boston: None

Ejections: None.

Attendance: 4,075
Weather: 82, Sunny
Officials: R: Ted Unkel; A1: Teresa Miguel; A2: Daniel Hristov; FO: Jennifer Powell

Photo Credit: David Silverman | DSPics.com

The previous article was excerpted from a post by the Boston Breakers PR department and was reposted as part of an agreement with the WPS and the Bleacher Report. Todd Civin is a freelance writer who writes for the Bleacher Report. He can be reached at toddcivin1@aim.com with comments or story leads.

Jennie Nobis’ stoppage time goal prevented a shutout, but it simply wasn’t enough for Boston as the Breakers fell to Sky Blue FC, 2-1, in Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) action Sunday night at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, MA.

Boston and Sky Blue FC now have identical 5-6-3 records on the year and are tied for third place with 18 points—five behind second-place Saint Louis. The match was the third of four between the two teams in the regular season, although Sky Blue FC has now clinched the season series.

“You can’t argue (our team's) work in the second half. They worked incredibly hard,” said Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco. “Our final pass quality and finishing quality have not been good enough.”

Nobis’ second goal of the season came three minutes into second-half stoppage time, into the top right corner of the goal, after she settled a ball sent over the top of the defense from Angela Hucles with her chest.

The first goal came in the 24th minute after a pretty quiet start to the half when Sky Blue FC’s Collette McCallum played a long ball to Natasha Kai who headed it long and over Breakers goalkeeper Alli Lipsher, who was caught too far out of net, trying to intercept the cross.

It wasn’t long before the New Jersey team scored their second of the match in the 37th minute when Heather O’Reilly crossed the ball to Rosana’s feet in the middle of the box. The Brazillian skillfully turned on defender Candace Chapman and hit a shot to the top left corner, out of Lipsher’s reach.

The Breakers had a few opportunities to get on the board before halftime, the first coming in the 18th minute when Amy Rodriguez crossed the ball across the box to Nobis, who hit the shot at Branam. The Sky Blue FC goalkeeper deflected the save, and Nobis just missed the rebound.

Not long after Sky Blue FC’s second goal, Rodriguez took the ball on a breakaway to the goal in the 40th minute, but Branam came out of net and intercepted it, clearing the ball out of bounds.

With one last attempt just before the half, Fabiana, in her Breakers debut, crossed the ball again to Nobis who mis-struck the ball, leaving it for Sky Blue FC defenders to clear out.

McCallum and O’Reilly continued to be dangerous for Sky Blue FC in the second half. McCallum rocketed two shots in the 50th and 52nd minutes, but both went just over the cross bar. O’Reilly made a fast breakaway in 85th minute, and toe poked the ball with force, but it too went over the goal.

Lipsher made a few other key saves in the second, to shut out Sky Blue FC for the half.

Leading up to Nobis’ goal, the Breakers had a few opportunities to close the gap, but were unable to finish. In the 65th minute, Chapman got an open shot in the box, but shot it wide to the left.

Kelly Schmedes came off the bench and saved a ball on the goal line in the 81st minute before passing it in front of the net, but a defender got to it before one of her Breakers teammates.

Angela Hucles also had an open shot before her assist at the start of second-half stoppage time, but shot the ball high after gathering up a deflected Alex Scott shot 25 yards from goal.

The Breakers next game is Wednesday, July 15 at Harvard Stadium where they will face the Chicago Red Stars for their third and final meet of the regular season. The game will serve as a series tie-breaker as each team won each of the previous meetings.

Box Score
July 12, 2009
Harvard Stadium – Cambridge, MA

GOALS    1  2  – Total
Boston        0  1    1
Sky Blue FC    2  0    2

Scoring Summary

First Half:
1 - SBFC: Kai 3 (McCallum 2 ), 24th minute.
2 – SBFC: Rosana 3 (O’Reilly 1), 37th minute.

Second Half:
2 – BOS: Nobis 2 (Hucles 1), 90+3rd minute

Stats
Total Shots: SBFC 12 BOS 14; Shots on Goal: SBFC 5 BOS 6; Saves: Jenni Branam (SBFC) 5, Alli Lipsher (BOS) 4; Corners: SBFC 3 BOS 7; Fouls: SBFC 13 BOS 8; Offsides: SBFC 5 BOS 2.

Lineups
BOSTON: Ali Lipsher; Alex Scott, Amy LePeilbet, Candace Chapman (Kasey Moore, 73rd minute), Heather Mitts; Christine Latham (Kelly Schmedes 60th minute), Fabiana (Nancy Augustinak-Goffi, 54th minute), Angela Hucles, Kristine Lilly; Jenni Nobis, Amy Rodriguez.

SKY BLUE FC: Jenni Branam; Keeley Dowling, Anita Asante, Christie Rampone, Megan Schnur; Yael Averbuch (Jen Buczkowski, 57th minute), Rosana (Noelle Keselica, 62nd minute), Heather O'Reilly, Collette McCallum; Kacey White, Natasha Kai (Kelly Parker, 49th minute).

Misconduct Summary                                                                                              
Cautions: None

Ejections: None.

Attendance: 4,009
Weather: 80, Sunny
Officials: R: Sandra Serafini; A1: Melanie Johnson; A2: Douglas Coutts; FO: Daniel Hristov.

The previous story was excerpted from a press release by the Boston Breakers and reworked by freelance writer Todd Civin. Photo Credit: Jess Lander | Boston Breakers

Los Angeles Can Clinch WPS Regular Season Title on Wednesday

With five weeks left in the WPS Regular Season, the Los Angeles Sol have opened up a 17-point lead in the WPS Standings, with only the second-place St. Louis Athletica and third-place Boston Breakers having any mathematical chance at overtaking the Sol in the table.

The top two teams in WPS will battle it out at 3 p.m. Eastern/noon Pacific on Wednesday, July 8 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. with Los Angeles having its first opportunity to officially clinch the regular season title with a victory against St. Louis at home.

A tie would also benefit the Sol, as a draw would keep the gap between the two teams at 17 points, which means Athletica would have to win all six of its remaining games and Los Angeles would have to fail to earn a single point in their three remaining games this season for Saint Louis to overtake the Sol.

A tie would also mean that the Boston Breakers would have to win all of its remaining seven games for any chance to overtake Los Angeles, while also needing Los Angeles to falter down the stretch.

Not only would Los Angeles capture the trophy that goes with the regular season title with a win but under the WPS Playoff format, the Sol would earn the right to host the WPS Championship on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Home Depot Center.

Weekend Report

With another shutout from goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc and another clutch goal from star forward Marta, the Los Angeles Sol moved just one win away from clinching the WPS regular season crown when they defeated the Washington Freedom, 1-0, Sunday in front of a packed house at the Maryland SoccerPlex.

The Athletica escaped with a 1-0 victory at FC Gold Pride on Sunday evening and moved into second place in the WPS Standings, two points ahead of the Boston Breakers, who were defeated 1-0 by Sky Blue FC on Independence Day.

With its win, Sky Blue FC moves just one point behind Washington in the race for the fourth and final playoff position in WPS.

Sky Blue FC 1, Boston Breakers 0

With every game crucial to its playoff hopes, Sky Blue FC got a game-winning goal in the sixth minute when Heather O'Reilly scored directly off a corner kick.

Goalkeeper Jenni Branam led a strong defensive effort in goal, as Sky Blue FC held on for a 1-0 victory over the Boston Breakers. With the win, Sky Blue FC improves to 4-6-3 for 15 points and moves into fifth place in the standings.

The Breakers drop to 5-5-3 for 18 points. It was the second straight one-goal win for Sky Blue FC over Boston.

Sky Blue FC’s four wins this year have come against two teams—Chicago and Boston—and the New Jersey-side will look to clinch the season series against Boston with a win or tie this weekend in the second of two straight games against the Breakers.

Los Angeles Sol 1, Washington Freedom 0

The Sol rallied in the closing moments to break a scoreless tie and defeat the Washington Freedom, 1-0, at the Maryland SoccerPlex in front of 5,143 fans on Sunday night.

The Sol became the first team in WPS to clinch a playoff berth last week, traded scoring opportunities with the Freedom for the first 90 minutes of the match before three-time FIFA World Player of the Year Marta found the back of the net in stoppage time.

In the 91st minute, Marta collected a pass left of the area from Japanese international Aya Miyama, touched it and immediately drilled a shot towards the far post to give the Sol its fourth consecutive victory and extend its unbeaten streak to 11 games.

St. Louis Athletica 1, FC Gold Pride 0

Athletica midfielder Lori Chalupny struck what may have been one of the most clutch goals of her career to give St. Louis Athletica a 1-0 win over FC Gold Pride at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

Chalupny’s 73rd minute effort was a cleanly struck line drive from well outside the left edge of the penalty area that beat Nicole Barnhart to the upper far corner.

The goal, Chalupny’s second of the year, gave Athletica a hard earned three points and moves them into sole possession of second place in the WPS standings. 

FC Gold Pride are now winless since May 16 and have fallen into last place in the WPS Standings, just four points from the playoff position.

Lineup Notables

Chicago Red Stars: The Red Stars made WPS history Wednesday, when they came back from a one-goal deficit to beat the Washington Freedom 2-1.

Lindsay Tarpley tied Kristine Lilly and Abby Wambach as the only American players in WPS to reach a three-goal tally this season. Ella Masar made her first appearance (for one minute) since injuring her hip against FC Gold Pride on June 7. Chioma Igwe sat out the match due to yellow card accumulation.

Boston Breakers: With sporadic appearances in the starting lineup since the beginning of the season, Nancy Augustyniak-Goffi, returned to the starting 11, leaving recent regular Candace Chapman out. Recently signed Sophia Mundy made her second appearance with the Breakers.

FC Gold Pride: 1999 World Cup veteran and Brazilian star, Sissi, set foot on the pitch for the first with the Pride since she was added to the developmental roster June 16. Along with Sissi, former '99er Brandi Chastain made only her fourth appearance in a game this season. A surprise in the frontline of starters was Brazilian defender Erika.

Los Angeles Sol: On a four-game goal streak, Sol forward Marta surpassed her teammate Camille Abily and became the league-leader in goals scored with nine. Her goal Sunday lifted the Sol to a 1-0 win in the 91st minute.

Christie Shaner, acquired on a trade with Sky Blue FC, made her first start and appearance with the team, but left the match in the 52nd minute after colliding with Freedom forward Abby Wambach.

St. Louis Athletica: The Athletica’s 1-0 win over FC Gold Pride Sunday was in large part due to the outstanding saves made by Hope Solo, who kept several late chances by the Pride out of the net. Her shutout total went up to five for the season, a number second to league-leader Karina LeBlanc of the Sol.

Sky Blue FC: With a stroke of good fortune, Heather O’Reilly became the second WPS player to score directly off a corner-kick this season, which proved to be the game-winner against Boston Saturday; the first corner-kick goal came from the Athletica’s Lori Chalupny.

Former St. Louis Athletica forward Kerri Hanks made her debut with the New Jersey club and posted 22 minutes.

Washington Freedom: On Wednesday, Abby Wambach became tied with Lindsay Tarpley and Kristine Lilly as the only American players in WPS to tally three goals this season.

Defender Sarah Senty earned her first start this season on Sunday. Allie Long played as a substitute for the first time this season, and only logged eight minutes in Sunday’s match.


Quotables From Notables
A few words from players and coaches…

“It was a great ball from Tina Ellertson to free me up on the left side,” said Athletica captain Lori Chalupny. “I took a good first touch across the defender to find some space. It couldn’t have been a better strike, upper corner, far post.”

"Obviously it was a little bit of a lucky goal for us, but at the same time I think that we created enough chances and that we deserved a goal today," said Sky Blue FC head coach Kelly Lindsey. "It's not necessarily the way we mapped it out in practice, but we'll gladly take it."

"I can't say that I meant to bend that in on goal, but if you create chances, good things will happen," said Sky Blue’s Heather O'Reilly said. "We did a good job of earning that corner kick, and luck was on our side today. We've been missing out on good fortune all season; maybe the tide has turned."

“The first half we could have been up 2-0 but had a couple of bad breaks,” said Washington Freedom head coach Jim Gabarra. “Chicago also had several opportunities to score but either squandered them or Erin (McLeod) would make a great save.”

“We felt that we could have won this game. We are creating opportunities, we are being dangerous,” Gold Pride head coach Albertin Montoya said. “It’s not like we are constantly being bombarded in our goal, if anything it was the other way around.”


WPS Player of the Week: Week 15

Chicago forward Lindsay Tarpley has been selected WPS's Player of the Week for Week 15 after leading the Red Stars to a come-from-behind victory over the visiting Washington Freedom.

On Wednesday, Tarpley, a U.S. national team standout, assisted Cristiane's equalizer in the 48th minute and netted the winner in the 61st as Chicago prevailed, 2-1. The Red Stars are the first WPS team to notch a victory after trailing in the game.

Tarpley is the first Chicago player to win the honor and the fifth U.S. national-teamer awarded, joining Los Angeles' Aly Wagner (Week 4), Washington's Abby Wambach (Week 5), Saint Louis' Lori Chalupny (Week 7) and Los Angeles' Shannon Boxx (Week 10).

WPS's Player of the Week award is selected by a panel of writers with the North American Soccer Reporters.

WPS Players of the Week
Week 1: Aya Miyama (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 2: Marta (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 3: Kelly Smith (Boston Breakers)
Week 4: Aly Wagner (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 5: Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)
Week 6: Sonia Bompastor (Washington Freedom)
Week 7: Lori Chalupny (Saint Louis Athletica)
Week 8: Christine Sinclair (FC Gold Pride)
Week 9: Jillian Loyden (Saint Louis Athletica)
Week 10: Shannon Boxx (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 11: Camille Abily (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 12: Eniola Aluko (Saint Louis Athletica)
Week 13: Erin McLeod (Washington Freedom)
Week 14: Marta (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 15: Lindsay Tarpley (Chicago Red Stars)

Note: Weeks 1-2 selected by The Soccer Magazine; weeks 3-9 selected by North American Soccer Reporters panel.

Abily wins WPS Player of the Month for June

Los Angeles Sol midfielder Camille Abily was selected as the WPS Player of the Month for June in a voting by fans, teams, and media.

The 24-year-old French international from Rennes had five goals in the month of June helping the Sol to an undefeated 4-0-2 record for the month and an impressive 16-point lead in the WPS Standings as the Sol close in on the WPS Regular Season crown.

Highlights for Abily included a two-goal game in a 3-1 victory over the Washington Freedom and a stoppage-time goal against the Chicago Red Stars to earn Los Angeles an exciting 1-1 draw and remain undefeated at home this season.

Los Angeles Sol’s Marta Nominated for ESPY

The current and three-time FIFA World Player of the Year, Marta has been nominated in the category of Best Female International Athlete.

She will be competing against Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, Mexican golfer Lorena Ochoa, Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice, and Russian tennis player Dinara Safina.

The ESPYS, which take place July 15 and air July 19, are the one night each year where athletes from all sports join together to celebrate the best moments of the year. Marta leads the league in scoring.

Roster Freeze Date Set for July 15

All WPS player contracts were guaranteed as of July 1 for the rest of the season and the roster freeze date for the 18-player roster is at 8 p.m. Eastern/5 p.m. Pacific on July 15. Movement and transactions among developmental players is still allowed.


Athletica and KPLR 11 Announce Broadcast Agreement

Saint Louis Athletica announced a local television broadcast agreement with KPLR 11 who will air two Athletica games this season. That brings the television coverage for WPS to 28 of 70 regular season games.

The two new matches scheduled for broadcast are on Saturday, July 18 in Washington, when Athletica visits RFK Stadium to face the Washington Freedom and Saturday, August 1 when Athletica hosts the Boston Breakers at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park. The broadcast dates and times for the two matches are as follows:

Saturday, July 18 – 3:30 p.m, Pre-Game Show
4:00 p.m. Athletica @ Washington Freedom

Saturday, August 1 – 6:30 p.m. Pre-Game Show
7:00 p.m. Athletica vs. Boston Breakers

English Internationals Called up for National Team Duty Next Week

Several English national team players in WPS have been called up by English national team trainer Hope Powell for next week’s friendlies against Iceland on July 16 and Denmark on July 22.

They include: Karen Bardsley (Sky Blue), Alex Scott (Boston Breakers), Anita Asante (Sky Blue), Kelly Smith (Boston Breakers) and Karen Carney (Chicago Red Stars).


U.S. Internationals Called Up for Games against Canada

U.S. National Team Coach Pia Sundhage called up 18 players from WPS for U.S. National Team friendlies against Canada on July 19 and July 22. WPS players include:

Goalkeepers: Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica)

Defenders: Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Stephanie Cox (Los Angeles Sol), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis Athletica), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Boston Breakers), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC), Cat Whitehill (Washington Freedom)

Midfielders: Shannon Boxx (Los Angeles Sol), Angela Hucles (Boston Breakers), Carli Lloyd (Chicago Red Stars), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Leslie Osborne (FC Gold Pride), Megan Rapinoe (Chicago Red Stars), Lindsay Tarpley (Chicago Red Stars)
Forwards: Amy Rodriguez (Boston Breakers), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)


WPS Concludes Remembering 1999 Tribute Days

Two WPS teams will celebrate the 10th Anniversary and the legacy of the 1999 Women’s World Cup by recognizing members from that legendary team, as WPS concludes its Remembering ’99 tribute series this weekend with special appearances from players and a trophy tour of the 1999 World Cup trophy organized in conjunction with the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

On July 12th, the Boston Breakers will salute Tony DiCicco, Lauren Gregg, Kristine Lilly and Danielle Fotopolous while the Chicago Red Stars will honor Brandi Chastain and Briana Scurry, two current WPS players, at their game against FC Gold Pride later that day. The 1999 World Cup was held June 19-July 10, 1999.


Second Set of WPS Camps underway Next Week

WPS Camps will be held in Dallas with Athletica’s Stephanie Logterman making an appearance. For interview requests with player making appearances or further information, please contact media@womensprosoccer.com.


Goals by the Numbers
Top Scorers – Los Angeles Sol’s Marta (9), Los Angeles Sol’s Camille Abily (8), Boston Breakers’ Kelly Smith (5), FC Gold Pride’s Christine Sinclair (5)

Goals by Team – Los Angeles Sol (24), Washington Freedom (18), Boston Breakers (14), Saint Louis Athletica (12), FC Gold Pride (11), Chicago Red Stars (10), Sky Blue FC (9),

Total Goals – 98 goals scored since WPS Inaugural Match on March 29, 2009 with an average of 2.04 goals per game.

Quickest Goal in League Play: 2nd minute of play, Eniola Aluko – Saint Louis Athletica vs. Sky Blue FC (6/28/09), Kelly Smith – Boston Breakers vs. Los Angeles Sol (5/2/09)

Quickest back-to-back goals by one team: two goals in three minutes – 42nd minute, 45th minute, from Marta in Los Angeles Sol vs. Sky Blue FC match (4/5/09)

Most Goals in One Game by one team: 4, Los Angeles Sol 4-0 Chicago Red Stars (6/27/09), Washington Freedom 4-3 FC Gold Pride (4/26/09), and Chicago Red Stars 4-0 Boston Breakers (4/25/09)

Most Goals in One Game by both teams: 7, Washington Freedom 4-3 FC Gold Pride (4/26/09)

Most Goals in a Game by a player: 2, Marta (Los Angeles Sol – 6/27/09, 4/5/09), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom – 4/26/09), Daniela (Saint Louis Athletica – 5/3/09), Sonia Bompastor (Washington Freedom – 5/3/09), Camille Abily (Los Angeles Sol – 6/7/09)


Scoring First Is Key To Success

While Chicago Red Stars became the first team to come from behind to win a WPS game last week in their 2-1 defeat of Washigton, scoring first is still a huge factor in the outcomes in league play.

With three 1-0 results in Week 15, teams that score first are now an impressive 35-1-7 this season when scoring the opening goal of the game (out of 48 total games). WPS has had 5 scoreless ties this season.


The Weekly Forecast

Wednesday, July 8

Los Angeles Sol vs. St. Louis Athletica (3:00 pm ET)
Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.
In the midst of an 11-game unbeaten and four-game winning streak, the Los Angeles Sol have put themselves on the cusp of the WPS Regular Season title.

A victory over St. Louis on Wednesday will officially crown them as champions of the regular season and give the Sol the right to host the WPS Championship on Aug. 22.

But to get there, the Sol will have to get through the Athletica, who have clearly been the league’s No. 2 team the past two months, posting a 6-3-0 record since starting the season 0-2-2.

The Athletica have played Los Angeles tough on two occasions; both times at home in St. Louis. The third game was a comfortable 2-0 victory for Los Angeles on May 30 at The Home Depot Center on goals by Camille Abily and Shannon Boxx in each half.

In their last matchup, Saint Louis outshot L.A. more than two-to-one but came up short in a 2-1 loss at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park.

It’s the final home game of the season for Los Angeles and their last game prior to a 15-day stretch of no games until facing FC Gold Pride on July 23.

If the Sol fail to clinch the title on Wednesday with a win, they could very much clinch it if Boston and St. Louis fail to earn maximum points on games played while the Sol are idle.


Sunday, July 12

Boston Breakers vs. Sky Blue FC (6 p.m. ET - FSC)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, MA

The second game of a home-and-home series between the league’s two Northeast rivals is another huge game with playoff implications.

The Boston Breakers entered the two-game series with a six point lead in the standings over Sky Blue FC, but after a loss this past weekend at Yurcak Field in Piscataway, N.J., the Breakers face the possibility of being level on points with Sky Blue FC and losing any tiebreak advantage in the WPS Standings if the New Jersey side can pull out another win.

Sky Blue FC has four wins on the year: two each against Boston and Chicago. But the Breakers have been tough at home with the league’s second-best home field record after Los Angeles, with their only home loss coming to Saint Louis in mid-June.

They were shut out that game by the Athletica as compared with three shutouts on the road for Boston; so look for the Breakers to put at least one or two goals in the back of the net, especially if they have Brazilian international Fabiana at their disposal for the first time this season.

Sky Blue FC continues to struggle with scoring with a measly goals-per-game average of .69 per game but clutch performances by Natasha Kai in one game, Heather O’Reilly in another, and a stingy defense have kept them in the thick of the playoff hunt, just one point back.

A tie by Sky Blue FC would move them into a tie for fourth with the Washington Freedom ...at least for a short while pending the outcome of the late game at Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.


Chicago Red Stars vs. FC Gold Pride (8 p.m. ET - CSN)
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL

FC Gold Pride is in the same position Chicago found itself in last week: desperate for a win.

Having notched only two points in the WPS Standings since mid-May with a pair of ties, FC Gold Pride needs a win to put them back in the thick of the playoff hunt.

The last FC victory was against this very Red Stars side, 1-0, on May 16 in Chicago.

A tie would also benefit the home side a bit as it would clinch the season series with Chicago against whom they are 1-0-1 coming into the game. But a victory by more than a one-goal margin would give Chicago the series series.

Albertin Montoya shook up his lineup with some subs in the second-half against St. Louis leading to several offensive surges, but no goals as the Gold Pride continue to rely on Christine Sinclair as their only real scoring threat.

On the Chicago side, the Red Stars are rejuvenated after ending their ugly nine-match winless streak and record 451-minute scoreless streak with a solid 2-1 victory over the Washington Freedom last Wednesday, becoming the first WPS team to come from behind to win a game.

Look for a tense affair on both sides of the ball as this becomes practically a must-win game for both teams to stay alive in the hunt for the final playoff spot with both teams scheduled to face league leaders Los Angeles in the final weeks of the season.

League Standings
Team                         GP    W L T       GF  GA  Points
Los Angeles Sol         16    11-1-4       24     5    37
St. Louis Athletica     13    6-5-2        12    12    20
Boston Breakers        13    5-5-3        14    14    18
Washington Freedom  14    4-6-4        18    22    16
Sky Blue FC              13    4-6-3          9    11    15
Chicago Red Stars      14    3-6-5        10    16    14
FC Gold Pride             13    3-7-3        11    18    12

Wednesday, July 1
Chicago Red Stars 2, Washington Freedom 1

Saturday, July 4
Sky Blue FC 1, Boston Breakers 0

Sunday, July 5
Los Angeles Sol 1, Washington Freedom
Saint Louis Athletica 1, FC Gold Pride 0


Off
Washington Freedom are off in Week 16


On TV
The WPS Sunday on FSC match between the Boston Breakers and Sky Blue FC will air on the Fox Soccer Channel on Sunday, July 12 at 6 pm ET.

The Sunday, July 12 match between the Chicago Red Stars and FC Gold Pride will air on Comcast Sports Network at 8 pm ET.

The WPS Weekly is reprinted each week by What's News with permission of the Women's Professional Soccer League. What's News is the alternate profile of Bleacher Report wirter Todd Civin and is used for press releases by the WPS and AHL. Todd Civin can be reached at toddcivin1@aim.com for hire or comment.

Photo Credit: Argueta | isiphotos.net

Caption: Los Angeles Sol captain Shannon Boxx takes on the Washington Freedom's Homare Sawa.

Heather O’Reilly scored the game’s lone goal at the sixth minute mark to give Sky Blue FC a 1-0 win over the Boston Breakers in Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) action Saturday afternoon at Yurcak Field in Piscataway, N.J.

“It was a pretty even game and we certainly had our chances,” said Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco.  “They scored on the corner and we weren’t able to answer."

"We played hard and created chances in the second half, we just weren’t able to convert. We have to execute better next week. The effort was pretty good, we just need to be better in the final pass and the final shot.”

Boston (5-5-3, 18 points), which played for the first time in 10 days, came into the match having won back-to-back matches and were unbeaten in their last three. The loss keeps the Breakers in second place. Boston has a one-point edge over third-place Saint Louis, and a two-point lead over fourth-place Washington.

Much like the teams’ first meeting this season, Sky Blue FC got off to an early lead. O’Reilly sent a corner kick that sailed untouched directly into the net at the far post to give the hosts the 1-0 advantage. It was the first goal given up by the Breakers defense since June 17 against FC Gold Pride, a span of 261 minutes.

Sky Blue nearly added to their lead with a pair of chances in the 33rd and 35th minutes. First, Brazilian midfielder Rosana beat the offside trap, but Breakers’ keeper Ali Lipsher was able to make the stop on the one-on-one. Two minutes later, Australian midfielder Collette McCallum hit the crossbar with a curling shot.

Boston had a chance to equalize just before halftime when Angela Hucles was in on goal, but she was closed down quickly. Amy Rodriguez also was denied in the final minute when her shot on goal was saved by Jenni Branam.

Sky Blue held an 8-5 shot advantage and 4-1 edge in corners in the first half.

The Breakers had a few chances in the later stages of the match to find the equalizer. Rodriguez turned and shot to the lower right side of goal in the 73rd minute to force a diving save from Branam. A minute later, Kelly Smith sent a long distance effort toward goal that hit the side netting.

In the 80th minute, second-half substitute Jennie Nobis was played in on goal over the top of the defense, but Branam was there to make another diving stop.

The Breakers and Sky Blue FC will meet again next Sunday, July 12 at 6 p.m. in a nationally televised game on Fox Soccer Channel. The game will be the teams’ first meeting this season at Harvard Stadium.

Box Score
July 4, 2009
Yurcak Field—Piscataway, N.J.

GOALS         1   2  Total
Boston         0   0   0
Sky Blue FC  1   0   1

Scoring Summary
First Half:
1—SBFC: O’Reilly 2 (unassisted), 6th minute.

Second Half:
2—None

Stats
Total Shots: SBFC 13 BOS 12; Shots on Goal: SBFC 8 BOS 6; Saves: Jenni Branam (SBFC) 5, Alli Lipsher (BOS) 6; Corners: SBFC 5 BOS 5; Fouls: SBFC 11 BOS 6; Offsides: SBFC 7 BOS 3.

Lineups
BOSTON: Ali Lipsher; Alex Scott, Amy LePeilbet, Nancy Augustyniak-Goffi, Heather Mitts (Kasey Moore, 46th minute); Christine Latham (Maggie Tomecka, 79th minute), Sophia Mundy (Jennie Nobis, 67th minute), Angela Hucles, Kristine Lilly; Kelly Smith, Amy Rodriguez.

SKY BLUE FC: Jenni Branam; Keeley Dowling, Anita Asante, Christie Rampone, Megan Schnur; Kelly Parker (Julianne Sitch, 58th minute), Yael Averbuch (Jen Buczkowski, 62nd minute), Rosana (Kerri Hanks, 68th minute), Collette McCallum; Kacey White, Heather O'Reilly.

Misconduct Summary                                                                                              
Cautions: None

Ejections: None.

Attendance: 1,878
Weather – 83, Partly Cloudy
Officials – R: Bryan Roslund; A1: John Schmitz; A2: Brian Dunn; FO: Danielle Magouirk.

Photo Credit: Howard C. Smith | isiphotos.ne

The previous story by Todd Civin used excerpts from a Press Release by the Boston Breakers of the WPS. Civin is a freelance writer who writes for the Bleacher Report. He can be reached for hire or comment at toddcivin1@aim.com.