LOS ANGELES SOL 2 - 0 FC GOLD PRIDE

The Los Angeles Sol blanked FC Gold Pride 2-0 at The Home Depot Center.

The Sol remains comfortably atop the WPS standings with an 8-1-4 record (28 points), while FC Gold Pride falls to 3-6-3 (12 pts.). Sol goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc made three saves to register her WPS-leading 9th shutout,giving her dad a very nice birthday gift while midfielder Camile Abily notched her league-best 7th goal of the season.

The Sol opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Aya Miyama's corner kick from the right side was cleared to the edge of the area finding Sol defender Martina Franko. She then volleyed the bouncing ball, hitting a slow, arching shot that was deflected on the goal mouth by Abily and nestled itself the far corner of the goal and somehow getting past Gold Pride 'keeper Nicole Barnhart.

Marta doubled the lead in the 25th minute, collecting a long Shannon Boxx pass shy of the area on the left, dribbling into the box and putting her low, left-footed shot past a diving Barnhart and into the goal. It was the fifth goal of the season for the Brazilian and her first since a 1-0 defeat of Sky Blue FC on May 15 at The Home Depot Center.

Los Angeles had three chances just seconds apart in the 71st minute, as Han Duan, Aya Miyama and Marta all had point-blanks cracks at the cage, but each was turned aside by the busy Barnhart.

The Pride managed to deny the Sol's attempts at widening the gap in the second half. Barnhart played an integral role in keeping her team in the game coming up with seven big saves in the second half. Barnhart, with a save percentage of 73 ranks second amongst all goalkeepers with 46 saves so far this season.

The Pride's leading goal scorer Christine Sinclair saw her three-game scoring streak snapped on Sunday but it was not for lack of trying as she fired off four shots, three on frame, in the match. The Canadian now leads the league in shots (37), shots on goal (18) and is tied for second in goals with five.

The Los Angeles Sol hosts the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday, June 27 in the breakfast match. The game starting at 10am!
The Pride will be given a chance to recuperate after a tough week of WPS competition with the team's final bye week of the season next week. The Pride will return to action at home on Sunday, July 5 at Buck Shaw Stadium at 5 p.m. against the Saint Louis Athletica.

"I thought we gave an excellent effort on the field, especially against such a tough team following our game against Boston just a few days ago," said FC Gold Pride Head Coach Albertin Montoya. "We've worked extremely hard and came into this game with a lot of confidence thinking we could pull off a win. You have to give LA credit they keep seeming to find ways to win. I'm not disappointed in our team, they played their hearts out."


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Lineups:

Los Angeles Sol: Karina LeBlanc; Manya Makoski, Allison Falk, Martina Franko, Stephanie Cox; Camille Abily, Shannon Boxx (C), Aly Wagner, Aya Miyama, Brittany Bock (67: Han Duan), Marta.

FC Gold Pride: Nicole Barnhart; Rachel Buehler, Leigh Ann Robinson (57: Marissa Abegg), Kristen Gracyzk, Carrie Dew; Tina DiMartino (85: Tiffany Weimer), Leslie Osborne (C), Formiga; Christine Sinclair, Tiffeny Milbrett, Eriko Arakawa (67: Adriane).