Abby Wambach scored the winning goal for the Washington Freedom against the Boston Breakers last night at the Maryland Soccerplex to keep Washington on-track for the playoffs.
The Freedom leapfrog the Breakers into 3rd place in the standings , with a game in hand.
The game started badly for Boston when Alex Scott was redcarded in the 5th minute for a tackle against Sonia Bompastor. Studs were showing as Scott slide tackled and caught Bompastor on the ankle. That changed the game. Boston retreated into a defensive shell and played counterattack.
As a result of the red card, the Freedom enjoyed the better of the play for much of the first half, although Boston did mount some pressure in the later stages, and was only out-shot, 6-4.
The best scoring chance of the first half came from Rebecca Moros in the 21st minute, when she received a cross with space to the far post on the right side of the goal, but she shot high over the bar.
The Freedom did not make the most of their player advantage. The midfield did not penetrate and they were not stretching the Breakers enough.
The 2nd half was pretty much the same with Washington finding it difficult to break down the Breakers. Allie Long came on in the 58th minute for Moros to bring some creativity to their attack. With close ball control and the willingness to dribble at defenders, Long added a spark to Washington.
Kelly Smith came on for the Breakers on 55 minutes for Jenni Nobis. Whenever Smith got the ball Freedom defender Cat Whithill followed. At one point she followed Smith into the Boston half hounding her until Smith lost control of the ball.
Wambach's goal came in the 73rd minute when she stole the ball from a Boston midfielder , passed it to strike partner Lisa De Vanna who 1-2'd it back to Wambach in the penalty area. Wambach beat the defender and shot a low ball passed GK Ali Lipsher.
Boston nearly leveled the game in stoppage time when Smith broke free from her marker and shot a hard ball towards goal. Washington GK Erin McLeod making a spectacular stop tiping the ball over the bar to preserve the lead. The ball was heading for the top right hand corner.
Both teams play their next games on Saturday. Washington head to North California to play FC Gold Pride.For the Freedom it will be their third game in a week. A win will see them jump to 2nd place in the standing for a few hours till the Athletica game.
Boston head to Saint Louis to take on 2nd place Athletica. A win there would put them in the playoffs.
"We were way too frantic," Freedom Coach Jim Gabarra said. "And we weren't using the width and we weren't possessing at all."
“I’m really proud of the players, they played their hearts out,” said Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco. “The game changed unfortunately in the fifth minute and Washington did what they needed to do. I just feel very bad for my players to have to have played a very difficult game.”
Lineups:
WASHINGTON: Erin McLeod; Jill Gilbeau (Kristin DeDycker, 82), Cat
Whitehill, Becky Sauerbrunn, Alex Singer (Ali Krieger, 39); Sonia
Bompastor, Homare Sawa, Lori Lindsey, Rebecca Moros (Allie Long, 58); Lisa De Vanna, Abby Wambach (C) .
BOSTON: Alli Lipsher; Alex Scott, Amy LePeilbet, Candace Chapman, Heather
Mitts; Maggie Tomecka, Fabiana (Nancy Augustyniak-Goffi, 70),
Mary-Frances Monroe (Kelly Schmedes, 64), Angela Hucles, Kristine
Lilly (C) ; Jennie Nobis (Kelly Smith, 56).
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