FC Gold Pride 0 - 2 Los Angles Sol

At last!

The Los Angeles Sol blanked FC Gold Pride , 2-0, on Sunday afternoon at Buck Shaw Stadium in front of a sell-out crowd of 6,280 fans.
The Sol opened up the scoring in the 27th minute when Japanese International Aya Miyama was fouled inside the penalty area by defender Carrie Dew resulting in a penalty kick for French International Camille Abily. Abily's low-lining penalty kick found the back right of the net past back-up Gold Pride keeper Allison Whitworth to put the Sol up 1-0. That was her 2nd goal of the season since her 1st on the inaugural match v Washington Freedom.
FC Gold Pride threatened in the closing minutes of the half when Eriko Arakawa crossed to Tiffany Weimer from the right side of the box, but Sol back-up keeper Val Henderson made a diving block on Weimer's shot from eight yards out to keep the Sol ahead going into the half.

After trading scoring opportunities in the second half, the Sol struck again in the 86th minute on a counter-attack when Han Duan found herself on a breakaway and slipped a ball past Whitworth from 12 yards out for the final goal of the game. Her 1st goal of the season. A weight lifted of her shoulders? We will wait and see. I believe she can apply herself much more than she has been doing.

The Sol were without Shannon Boxx (USA), Brittany Bock (USA), Karina LeBlanc (Canada) and Martina Franko (Canada) who were all called into National Team duty and Aly Wagner who injured her groin in training in the week.
FC Gold Pride lost Rachel Buehler (USA) , Nicole Barnhart (USA) and Christie Sinclair (Canada) to national team duty.
Both deputy GK had great games with Whitworth having an outstanding game limiting the Sol to 2 goals by making some great saves.
Lisa Sari starting her 1st game for the Sol was impressive in the defensive midfield role. Stepping in for Shannon Boxx she won every ball in the air, broke up play in the midfield and subdued Tina DiMartino.

The game was very physical with Gold Pride being strong with the tackles on Marta in particular. In stoppage time right-back Kandace Wilson was injured when colliding with Marta. It looked a bad injury.Although thought to be to her knee-(the dreaded ACL) Pride officials say it is a hip injury.

The Pride are an entertaining team but their forwards were below their best. Eriko Arakawa and Tiffany Weimer did not do enough in the game. To get to the playoffs all players need to be on song.
The Sol are very solid. Although they did not create a lot of pretty soccer they have players that will hustle and stop other teams creating. No matter who is in defence(Stephanie Cox as centre-back?) they are hard to breach. They are way out in front with 17pts. 6pts ahead of the competition.

"We had one mental lapse, but we will learn from it," said FC Gold Pride Head Coach Albertin Montoya. "We went from Brandi almost scoring to a missed ball off a goal kick. We lost our concentration for one second. When you have players like Marta and Duan, they'll make you pay."

"Today was a really great team victory for us," said Los Angeles Sol Head Coach Abner Rogers. "We were missing some of our players, but our entire team pulled together and helped us earn a very good victory."


Lineups:

FC Gold Pride: Allison Whitworth; Leigh Ann Robinson, Carrie Dew, Kristen Graczyk, Kandace Wilson, Leslie Osborne, Erika (Formiga, 66'), Tina DiMartino, Tiffany Weimer (Adrianne, 54'), Tiffeny Milbrett, Eriko Arakawa (Chastain, 80').

Los Angeles Sol: Val Henderson; Manya Makoski, Allison Falk, Stephanie Cox; Katie Larkin, Camille Abily (McCall Zerboni, 92'+), Lisa Sari, Aya Miyama, Liz Bogus (Johanna Frisk, 45'), Han Duan, Marta.