KELLY SMITH WEEKLY COLUMN - 15th JUNE

KELLY SMITH: It's been a rollercoaster ride since our last game - now it's time to put things right

By Kelly Smith

When you've lost like we did against Sky Blue FC a fortnight ago, a weekend without a game doesn't come at the best time. We didn't play very well at all in New Jersey and it's a long wait until we can put it right against Saint Louis on Sunday.

True, we've got games in hand on most teams - three on Los Angeles - but we'd rather have the points. We've had two bye weekends in the last three and suddenly LA have twice as many points as anyone else, while there are five teams with only two points between them.

Saint Louis, who we face on Sunday, are one of those. We've faced everyone now and it's going to be different this time around.

On target: Kelly converts a tap-in from close range but it proved only to be a consolation strike in the Boston Breakers 2-1 defeat to Sky Blue FC

We beat Saint Louis 2-0 in our first home game, back in April. But though it was a slow start, they're beginning to do well and find their rhythm. All the teams are inevitably a lot more confident and comfortable together since the start of the season. Saint Louis lost their star when Daniela got injured last month but probably strengthened as a result by trading players.

Because everyone is so bunched up, you can look at the table and think a couple of wins can help you pull away or you can think that everyone is beating each other and that there will always be chances to get back into the race for the top-four play-off spots. But it's too early for any of that and we really are approaching every game as it comes, even if that sounds like a cliche.

Head girl: Sky Blue FC's Keeley Dowling (C) manages to rise above the crowd of players to clear the ball from danger

The plus side to having last weekend off was it gave me extra time to get my right knee sorted. I had to come off against Sky Blue and it's still giving me a problem.

I'm managing the injury week by week and day by day, trying to get it stronger, but it's hard to treat it perfectly during the season. It's a short championship and you don't want to miss games, so it's a case of strapping it up and getting in the best shape possible.

Our last three matches were spread over 21 days, now we face three in eight days. FC Gold Pride at home on Wednesday could come too quickly if I play against Saint Louis, then we've got Chicago away on Sunday week.

It's not all been about managing the injury and mulling over the Sky Blue defeat.

Faye White, my friend and former team-mate from my Arsenal Ladies days, came over for a week with her brother.

We had a great time, venturing into Boston, spending all day Sunday in Boston Park, enjoying a picnic and taking a break for lunch in Newbury Street. It's one of the main shopping areas and tourist hot spots with all the top boutiques. The perfect place to show off to your friends.

Life is a rollercoaster: Kelly enjoyed a team-bonding day out to the Six Flags theme park in New England - including a ride on the mammoth Flashback!

The day before, Faye and her brother went off to look round New York, while myself and team-mates Alex Scott, Jennifer Nobis and Fabiana went to the Six Flags theme park in New England. Wow. The main rollercoaster, Bizarro, was closed until late, but the place still has probably the best rides I've been on for fear factor.

KELLY'S EYE

This week I have been... reading Columbine, by Dave Cullen. The author was working on it for 10 years and it's really disturbing to find out what was going through the head of killers who were only 15 or 16 at the time. It profiles Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who murdered 12 between them and it's really interesting but difficult reading. The detail is astonishing and those boys had so much hate in them.

The only regret is we ate too soon - before going on Flashback! It throws you round in circle after circle and I didn't feel 100 per cent after that.

It was great to have Fabiana with us. The Brazilian has her translator everywhere and brought a couple of friends along.

She's having a few problems withher knee (I have some sympathy) so hasn't trained much with us, but we see her in the weights room and she's socialising with the group as well as she can. She's only just 20 and doesn't speak much English so it must be really difficult for her.

No sooner had Faye gone that my parents arrived. They're in town for 10 days and the weather is pretty dodgy, but they're quite happy to put on their coats, get out on their maps and explore.

It's their first time in town and they took the Duck Tour, seeing the sights in Boston before driving straight into the Charles River in the bus-cum-boat. Then off to the aquarium and beach - I just tend to see them in the evening.

My mum's not such a big football fan, but my dad can't wait to come along to the game against Saint Louis. Hopefully they'll see us put things right. It's not all about hard work in training. On Wednesday we had a team bonding session. We can't splash out £80million on Cristiano Ronaldo, so it's about getting the best out of what you've got.

The club had this idea of splitting us into teams for a scavenger hunt around Boston, cracking clues, finding things and interviewing people on the streets, asking if they knew who the Breakers were.

We haven't been told if who was on the winning team yet, but all that matters is we get the right result on Sunday.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1192715/KELLY-SMITH-Its-rollercoaster-ride-game--time-things-right.html