Saint Louis Athletica defeated Sky Blue FC 1-0 in front of 3,726 spectators at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park on Wednesday night to leap back into 2nd place in the WPS standings.
English star Eniola Aluko scored the only goal in the 48th minute.
In the 1st half Athletica created quite a few chances. Eniola Aluko forced Jenni Branam into a diving save in the 18th minute. Niki Cross did the same in the 31st. One minute later Amanda Cinalli nearly connected on a Lori Chalupny cross. Cinalli’s sliding attempt just missed meeting the ball. Cinalli nearly scored again in the 39th minute but put her shot over the bar.
Sky Blue nearly got the 1st goal though in the 44th minute when a Natasha Kai effort went just over the bar.
Athletica got on the board early in the second half when Aluko stole a ball while pressing a Sky Blue defender then calmly dribbled in, rounded goalkeeper Branam, and finished off her chance. The goal was her fifth of the season and gave Saint Louis a perfect start to the second half.
In the second half Saint Louis had their chances to kill off the game but just couldn’t convert.
Sky Blue started to come back into the match in the 2nd half. Midfielder Yael Averbuch crashed a shot of the bar in the 60th minute.Eight minutes later Kai got in alone on goal against Jillian Loyden but Athletica’s keeper made a heart-stopping dive to take the ball off Kai’s foot and prevent a shot from even occurring.
Averbuch again was denied 2 minutes from time with a header of a corner by Loyden. And Casey White had the last chance in stoppage time with a shot that Loyden somehow managed to dive down to.
The game was one that was full of quality scoring chances for both teams. Sky Blue managed 14 shots, Saint Louis 11. Sky Blue turned eight shots on goal and Athletica had five. Loyden posted seven saves for Athletica including crucial stops late and in stoppage time, Branam kept Sky Blue in the game with four stellar saves.
Athletica is two points clear of Boston who are idle this midweek and four points clear of Sky Blue FC who remain in fourth for the moment. The win also gave Athletica a perfect 3-0-0 mark over Sky Blue FC for the season.Now on 26 pts, they need 4pts to clinch an automatic playoff spot.
Their next game is at home on Sunday July 26 against a struggling FC Gold Pride.
Sky Blue FC remains in fourth spot with 22 pts. With only 3 matches remaining. Their next game is on Saturday July 25 against 3rd place Boston Breakers who are 2 pts ahead of them in the WPS standings with 24pts. Sky Blue are Boston's bogey team having beaten them 3 times already.
“I could see the defender playing around with the ball a bit and I knew she was a bit uncomfortable so I pressed her,” said Aluko. “Jorge Barcellos talked about how they would give up a ball if we pressed them. That’s what I did and it paid off.”
“Aluko was a forward who believed that the defender is always going to give up,” said Head Coach Jorge Barcellos. “If they believe this they will succeed and Aluko had that belief.”
Lineups:
Saint Louis Athletica – Jillian Loyden; Kia McNeil, Tina Ellertson, Sara Larsson, Elise Weber; Lori Chalupny(C) , Kendall Fletcher, Angie Woznuk, Amanda Cinalli (Lisa Stoia 71’); Niki Cross (Sarah Walsh 57’), Eniola Aluko (Stephanie Logterman 92+).
Sky Blue FC – Jenni Branam; Katie Hooker (Lauren Sesselmann 91+), Jen Buczkowski, Keeley Dowling(C) , Meghan Schnur; Julianne Sitch (Kerri Hanks 69’), Yael Averbuch, Rosana (Noelle Keselica 75’), Collette McCallum; Kacey White, Natasha Kai.
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