WPS PREVIEW WEEK 20

Well it's finally hear. The last week of the regular season in the inaugural WPS league. Oh my it has been exciting.
There are three teams still in the hunt, but only two playoff spots remain.It's all come down to this final weekend.
In a nutshell really all teams need to win. They are in control of their own destiny.





Washington Freedom v NJ Sky Blue FC Sat Aug 8 7pm ET Live Audio HERE



This game is a playoff elimination match.Regardless of the outcome of this game, one of the teams will have to sit back and watch the Boston Breakers vs. Los Angeles Sol game on Sunday to see if they qualify for the WPS Playoffs.

Why both matches were not scheduled at the same time mystifies us here.

Sky Blue FC take on the Washington Freedom at the Maryland Soccerplex in a must win game.

Sky Blue FC and the Washington Freedom enter the match tied on points with a 7-7-5 record for 26 points but Washington holds the head-to-head tiebreaker at this point with a win and a tie in the two previous meetings between the teams.

Sky Blue FC heads into the match on the heels of an impressive 2-0 victory over FC Gold Pride on Wednesday night. Rosana and Natasha Kai scored goals while Karen Bardsley posted the shutout in goal as a surprise starter.

The Freedom dropped a 3-2 decision on the road to FC Gold Pride last Saturday in the team’s most recent action. That result broke a four-match unbeaten run for Washington, which had posted three straight wins to climb to third place in the standings. Abby Wambach scored three goals during the winning streak to earn WPS Player of the Month honors for July.

Sonia Bompastor is still available to play for Washington. This will be her last game. She leaves to join her French national teamates for Euro 2009 on Monday.

The Freedom signed goalkeeper Katie Forbis due to injuries to their backup keepers. Forbis had been playing with the Charlotte W-League team before joining the Freedom last week.

For Sky Blue. Goalkeeper Jenni Branam could make her return after sitting out Wednesday's match. English defender Anita Asante returns straight to the starting line-up from suspension as she will also play her last game before leaving for the Euro 2009 championships.


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Boston Breakers v Los Angeles Sol Sun Aug 9th 6pm ET Live FSC & Webcast


The Boston Breakers come into Sunday’s regular-season finale (6 p.m., Harvard Stadium) against the league-leading Los Angeles Sol needing at least a tie, and maybe more, in order to secure a playoff spot.

The Breakers (7-8-4, 25 points) find themselves in fifth place coming into the weekend, one point behind both the Washington Freedom and Sky Blue FC, which play each other on Saturday. Only two of the three teams will earn a spot in the playoffs.

The Breakers, who are the only team that is unbeaten this season against the Sol, come into Sunday’s match having lost two-straight - both 1-0 decisions on the road to Washington and Saint Louis. Boston has not scored a goal in 345 minutes, the team’s longest such streak this season. Conversely, the team’s defense has been stellar, allowing just two goals in the past five matches.

Los Angeles has seen their momentum slow down in recent weeks. The Sol booked their playoff spot early on back on June 29, and subsequently clinched the WPS Regular Season title on July 23. Los Angeles has won just once since securing that playoff spot, a 1-0 win over Washington on July 5, and are just 1-2-1 in July and August.

The teams’ only previous meetings came in a home-and-home series in early May. The Breakers became the first team in the league to score upon, and defeat the Sol with a 2-1 win on May 2 at home. The teams drew, 0-0, eight days later in California.

Kelly Smith and Alex Scott will play their last games for the Breakers. Scott coming back from a suspension. Head coach Tony DiCicco is also back from suspension.

The Sol may start again without French star Camille Abily or maybe they will let her play the final game to try and get the win.

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FC Gold Pride v Saint Louis Athletica Sun Aug 9th 8pm ET


The final game of the 2009 WPS Regular Season will see FC Gold Pride and Saint Louis Athletica play at Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara.

The Pride is currently 0-2-1 against the Athletica and is looking to finish out its season with a victory. Both teams have already secured their postseason fate. The Pride will remain out of contention for a playoff berth despite the outcome of Sunday’s match while the Athletica earned a guaranteed playoff berth earlier in the season with a win over the Boston Breakers on August 1.

On July 22, a late goal by Christine Sinclair knotted the score at 1-1 for the Pride and kept Saint Louis from clinching a playoff berth for another week.

Brazilian star Formiga is still a doubt to start the match for Gold Pride.

Athletica again will look to shape their side for the upcoming playoff game. Christie Welsh could start again after scoring twice on Wednesday against the Red Stars.

A win over Saint Louis would give Gold Pride a win over five of the league’s six teams they have faced during the course of the season – proving the depth of WPS in its Inaugural Season that on any given day, any team can win.

Chicago Red Stars v Los Angeles Sol Highlights

3-1

CHICAGO RED STARS 3 - 1 LOS ANGELES SOL

The Los Angeles Sol were outplayed and out scored by the Chicago Red Stars 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at Toyota Park.

In an entertaining match infront of a record high 7959 crowd, Los Angeles Sol started of the brightest.With Brittany Bock leaving her defensive duties and partnering Marta in attack, Marta had several breakaway chances to score but she could not make her shots tell.The Sol pressured the Red Stars defence earning a succession of corners. The Red Stars defended well.

Chicago opened the scoring against the run of play in the 24th minute when a Sol defender gave the ball away to Carli Lloyd in the middle of the field. Lloyd played a pass to Chicago captain Lindsey Tarpley, ran into space into the box and collected the ball back from Tarpley. Lloyd put her shot past Sol goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc for her second goal of the season.

Los Angeles tried to get back into the game but their passing and movement of the ball was sloppy. French international Camille Abily was on the bench but Head coach Abner Rogers opted to play without her as she will not be there for the championship game.

Into the second half The Red Stars scored again quickly. In the 47th minute, Megan Rapinoe played a long cross into the box where Brittany Klein headed it to Tarpley, who floated a header over the outstretched arms of LeBlanc. The goal was the fourth of the season for the Red Stars’ captain.

The Red Stars played on the counter-attack for the rest of the second half.

Los Angeles made several offensive substitutes to get on the scoring sheet. They went to a 3-4-3 formation.

Marta out paced Frida Ostberg with a long run on the right to shoot and narrowly missed the far post on 67 minutes.

Substitute Han Duan got a goal in the 90th minute when Marta sent a ball from the right into the box. LA captain Shannon Boxx was there at the far post to head the ball back across the goal where Duan bundled the ball over by her chest.

Were Chicago about to collapse? No ... they immediately when back up the field to clinch the game when Cristiane collected a ball just inside the Sol's half and took a long run down the left side of the field and into the box. When LeBlanc stepped out to challenge, the Brazilian striker fired a shot into the right side of the net for her 7th goal of the season.

Chicago were boosted by the win and gave a winning end for their fans for the last game of the season at Toyota Park. Their final game is on Wednesday night at Saint Louis Athletica.

Even though Los Angeles had already clinched 1st place in the WPS standings they have now gone winless in their last 3 games. Their last game is against the Boston Breakers on Sunday at Harvard Stadium.


“Marta was very threatening and dangerous, but that’s Marta for you.” Said Chicago Red Stars Head coach Emma Hayes
“We showed this time when we got a goal against us that we had enough character to go straight down the other end and get the winner. I think there’s credit to the team to show their character in a game on some levels in meaningless to us at least because we’re out of the playoffs. For me, that will be the benchmark moving forward. This is a building platform for next year so I am happy with the result. ”

“Playing with the best players in the world has been a great experience. We couldn’t take this game, but you know we move on and go to Boston and do our stuff there.” Said Los Angeles forward Brittany Bock


“To me we needed to score some goals, unfortunately today we couldn’t put the ball in the net.” Said Brazilian Marta


Lineups:

Chicago Red Stars: Caroline Jonsson; Marian Dalmy (61: Nikki Krzysik), Natalie Spilger, Jill Oakes, Frida Ostberg; Carli Lloyd, Brittany Klein, Lindsay Tarpley (C), (64: Heather Garriock), Karen Carney; Cristiane, Megan Rapinoe (68: Ella Masar)

Los Angeles Sol: Karina LeBlanc; Sharlota Nonen (71: Han Duan), Stephanie Cox, Brittany Bock, Allison Falk; Shannon Boxx (C) ; Manya Makoski; Aya Miyama; Aly Wagner (75: Katie Larkin); McCall Zerboni (71: Liz Bogus); Marta.

FC GOLD PRIDE 0 - 0 LOS ANGELES SOL

The Los Angeles Sol clinched the 2009 WPS Regular Season title with a 0-0 tie against FC Gold Pride Thursday evening at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.In front of 3,873 fans.

This means the Sol has a spot in the league's championship game Aug. 22 at the Home Depot Center.

Both teams had numerous shots on goal throughout the match. Sol midfielder Aly Wagner at the ground where she played her college games registered the game's first scoring opportunity, about four minutes in, when she one-timed a bouncing ball on the right side of the box wide of the right post.

Gold Pride answered back when Adriane weaved past several defenders inside the penalty box before slipping a nice drop-back pass to an open Tina DiMartino, whose right-footed shot sailed just over the goal.

Wagner got a second strong chance moments later. Brazilian star Marta found her streaking down the right side with a perfect ball. GK Allison Whitworth gobbled up Wagner's attempted cross near the goal line.

Gold Pride got their best chance of the half when Di Martino escaped a Sol defender in the penalty box by spinning and passed to an open Brandi Chastain on the right side. Chastain's shot was hit hard into Karina LeBlanc's chest for the save to maintain the 0-0 and her 12th shutout of the season.

Into the 2nd half both teams swapped scoring opportunities, Han Duan getting LA's best chance in the 67th minute with a shot that was blocked by Whitworth.

The Sol clinched the regular season crown with two regular season matches still remaining on their schedule: Sunday, August 2 at the Chicago Red Stars and Sunday, August 9 at the Boston Breakers. As the Number One seed entering the WPS post-season, the Sol will host the WPS Championship at The Home Depot Center on Saturday, August 22.

FC Gold Pride remains in last place.They travel to Saint Louis to face the second-place Athletica on Sunday, July 26. Defeat there would see them out of contention for a playoff spot.


“I think the players really refocused themselves and whether you win or lose we’ve got to be able to bring it for ourselves, for the fans, and for the respect of the game,” said Forward Tiffany Milbrett."With the high learning curve with some of these younger players, we've now learned how to play,"


“We are delighted to win the WPS Regular Season title,” said Los Angeles Sol Head Coach Abner Rogers. “We have had a great a great five months and are very happy to have won for the city of Los Angeles and our great fans.”

Lineups:

Los Angeles Sol: Karina LeBlanc(C) ; Manya Makoski, Sharlota Nonen; Brittany Bock, Keri Sanchez, Aly Wagner (77: McCall Zerboni), Camille Abily, Lisa Sari (46: Shannon Boxx), Aya Miyama, Han Duan, Marta.

FC Gold Pride: Alison Whitworth, Leigh Ann Robinson, Kristen Graczyk, Carrie Dew, Greer Barnes, Formiga, Tina DiMartino, Leslie Osborne(C), Brandi Chastain (80: Yokers), Tiffany Milbrett, Adriane (90: Massengale).

Washington Freedom v LA Sol Highlights

WASHINGTON FREEDOM 0 - 1 LOS ANGELES SOL

The Los Angeles Sol rallied in the closing moments to break a scoreless tie and defeat the Washington Freedom, 1-0, at the Maryland SoccerPlex in front of 5,143 fans on Sunday night.

The Sol, who became the first team in WPS to clinch a playoff berth last week, traded scoring opportunities with the Freedom for the first 90 minutes of the match before three-time FIFA World Player of the Year Marta found the back of the net in stoppage time.

In the 91st minute, Marta collected a pass left of the area from Japanese international Aya Miyama, touched it and immediately drilled a shot towards the far post to give the Sol its fourth consecutive victory and extend its unbeaten streak to eleven games.

Washington’s best chance came early, when Abby Wambach drilled a left-footed shot from the top of the box, saved only by a spectacular dive by LA’s keeper, Karina LeBlanc. Later on, in the 25th minute, Freedom defender Cat Whitehill took a beautiful free kick from nearly 35 yards out, but it hit the right goal post.

The rest of the half was slightly more stagnant than the first half, punctuated by the occasional hustle play by Washington’s Lisa De Vanna or fancy footwork by Marta.

The 2nd half started with a collision. Sol defender Christie Shaner a trade from Sky Blue FC making her 1st start with LA went in to challenge for the ball with Wambach in the penalty box. Shaner came out the worst with a nasty injury which looks like it could be a broken leg. Play was held up for 10 minutes while Shaner was being attended to. She was taken of the field on a stretcher right into an ambulance.

Play continued in the 2nd half and LA created a lot of chances as Washington got frustrated. In the 2nd half, LA had seven shots on goal in comparison to the Freedom’s one. The one that counted was Marta's.

Though it took her 46 minutes to score once the second half began, Marta put on a speed and footwork clinic for the 5,143 fans in attendance. Freedom defender Alex Singer, tasked with the job of defending the seemingly unstoppable Marta, explained her defensive strategy: “I just do anything I can to make sure she [Marta] doesn’t get past me with the ball. She can get past me, or the ball can go by me, but never together.”

The Sol will play its next game in just three days against St. Louis, as the Freedom get 10 days to rest before traveling to New Jersey on July 15 to play Sky Blue FC.


Lineups:

Washington Freedom: Erin McLeod; Becky Sauerbrunn, Cat Whitehill, Alex Singer, Sarah Senty, Homare Sawa, Sonia Bompastor, Ali Krieger (Rebecca Moros, 72'), Lori Lindsey, Abby Wambach (C), Lisa De Vanna (Allie Long, 82')

Los Angeles Sol: Karina LeBlanc; Stephanie Cox, Brittany Bock, Christie Shaner (Manya Makoski, 52'), Shannon Boxx (C), Camille Abily, Aya Miyama, Katie Larkin, McCall Zerboni, Han Duan, Marta

WPS PREVIEW WEEK 15

NJ Sky Blue v Boston Breakers Sat July 4th 4pm ET

Sky Blue FC and Boston Breakers will meet on the pitch for just the second time this season. In their previous match-up, home side Sky Blue FC came away with a 2-1 victory. Goals from Natasha Kai and Kacey White were enough to see off the Breakers, though Boston did get on the scoreboard courtesy of Kelly Smith. This Saturday’s game will be the first of two matches in a row for these two.

Sky Blue FC (3-6-3, 12 pts) is currently tied for last place with FC Gold Pride. In their most recent game, they suffered a 2-1 home loss against Saint Louis Athletica. That loss halted a two-game unbeaten streak, including a 1-0 defeat of the Chicago Red Stars on June 17th. Offensively, Sky Blue FC has only managed to net eight total goals, the fewest in the league. They have outshot opposition, 159-110, proving they aren’t shy about going for goal. Finishing those chances, of course, will be key. Natasha Kai and Rosana together account for half of Sky Blue FC’s goals this season, so they will hope to be on target Saturday.

Boston Breakers (5-4-3, 18 pts) are in second place. They are unbeaten in their last three games, with the latest being a 1-0 win at home against the Washington Freedom. The Breakers are the only team besides Los Angeles to hold a positive goal differential, with +1. (Of course, no one compares to LA at +18). For Boston, a win this weekend is necessary to hold off competitors and secure their spot. They have scored four goals in the last three matches, and will look to add to that stat.

A win for Boston will keep them very much in the play-off race, in second-place. For Sky Blue FC, a win could land them in fifth-place, just on the cusp of play-off eligibility. Three out of Boston’s four losses have been on the road, so Sky Blue will have the slight advantage this weekend.


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FC Gold Pride v Saint Louis Athletica Sun July 5th 8pm ET

FC Gold Pride hosts Saint Louis Athletica this weekend, marking the first time these two teams have faced each other in nearly two months. In that fixture, on May 9th, Saint Louis topped FC Gold Pride 1-0, with Lori Chalupny notching the match-winning goal.
FC Gold Pride (3-6-3, 12 pts) is tied with Sky Blue FC at the bottom of the table. Their last win came on May 16th at Chicago, and since then they have lost three and drawn two. Gold Pride allowed nine goals in the last five games, and netted just three of their own. Twice in a row they took the early lead through Christine Sinclair, only to allow late equalizers. Their latest match resulted in a 0-2 road loss to league leaders Los Angeles. FC Gold Pride has allowed 17 goals to-date, second in the league only to the Freedom, who has let 18 into their net.
Saint Louis Athletica (5-5-2, 17 pts) currently hold third place, just one point behind second-place Boston. In their most recent match, Athletica went on the road and beat Sky Blue FC, 2-1. Elise Weber scored the game-winner for Athletica with six minutes on the clock. Eniola Aluko also scored against Sky Blue FC, bringing her season total to four. That win halted a two-game losing streak, and got their four-game road trip off to a good start. Athletica has won more and lost fewer away than at home, so that stat works in their favor this week. Goalkeeper Hope Solo has four clean sheets, second in the league in that category.

Five points separate FC Gold Pride and Athletica on the table. A win for Saint Louis could see them jump to second place, while a win for FC Gold Pride would mean a way out of the bottom. Expect a determined performance from both teams, with the slight edge going to Athletica.


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Washington Freedom v Los Angeles Sol Sun July 5th 6pm ET Live FSC, Webcam

Washington Freedom and the Los Angeles Sol have faced each other twice this season, with the Sol coming out ahead 5-1 on aggregate. Both times, Los Angeles had the home advantage, so it will be up to Washington to show what they can do on their own turf.

The Washington Freedom (4-5-4, 16 pts) sit in fourth place on the league table. In their recent mid-week match against the Chicago Red Stars, Washington scored first, only to see Chicago fight to a historic come-from-behind win, 2-1. Since the beginning of June, the Freedom has posted a 1-3-1 record. They’ve only tallied three goals in the last five games, compared to the 13 they scored in the five prior fixtures. In Washington’s favor, team top scorers Abby Wambach, Lisa De Vanna, and Sonia Bompastor, with three apiece, have all proven dangerous in the final third. Bompastor found a way past the Sol backline in the last match-up, so she may be key.

With 34 points, the Los Angeles Sol (10-1-4) are well ahead in first place and have already clinched a play-off berth. They boast a 10-game unbeaten streak, and have won the last three in a row. In their most recent match, L.A. hosted the Chicago Red Stars, and proceeded to crush the visitors 4-0. Marta scored four goals in the last three games, and she and teammate Camille Abily share the title of league top scorers, with eight each. Three of Abily’s goals were against Washington. Goalkeeper Karina Le Blanc has posted 10 shutouts, and only allowed five goals in 14 starts. The numbers show Los Angeles has the best offense and the toughest defense.

With the Los Angeles Sol proving their mettle week in and week out, the stats, records, and history are all in their favor. Still, soccer fans know never to take anything for granted, and Washington will surely fight for the upset. Either way, expect a scintillating match with some of the league’s best players on the pitch.

Preview by Goal.com

WPS PREVIEW WEEK 14

Los Angeles Sol v Chicago Red Stars Sat June 27 1pm ET Live on webcam


The Chicago Red Stars will try to break an eight-match winless streak Saturday when they face WPS leader the Los Angeles Sol at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Saturday marks the second meeting of the season between Chicago (2-5-5, 11 pts) and the Sol (9-1-4, 31 pts). The Red Stars nearly won at Los Angeles earlier this month when Cristiane scored her first goal of the season in the 88th minute to give Chicago a 1-0 lead. But WPS goals leader Camille Abily recorded the equalizer seconds before the final whistle to force a 1-1 draw.

Los Angeles brings a nine-match unbeaten streak into Saturday’s game. The Sol are 13 points ahead of second-place Boston in the WPS standings.Marta is on form having scored in th last 2 matches.

Red Stars defender Marian Dalmy will miss the match after suffering an ankle sprain Sunday in Chicago’s loss to Boston. Heather Garriock and Ella Masar are also out with injury for Chicago.

The Sol may well still be without defender Martina Franko who missed the trip to Saint Louis. Brittany Bock may start in defence again.






NJ Sky Blue FC v Saint Louis Athletica Sun 28 June 6pm ET Live FSC, Webcam

After an 11-day mid-season break, Sky Blue FC is recharged and ready to take aim on a spot in the playoffs as the team heads into the second half of the season. Sky Blue FC first sets it sights on Saint Louis Athletica, which makes its only visit to New Jersey this season.

Sky Blue FC meets Saint Louis on Sunday in a 6 p.m. clash at Yurcak Field on the campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J.

Heading into the match, Sky Blue FC (3-5-3, 12 pts.) holds down fifth place in the standings, edging out sixth-place FC Gold Pride (3-6-3, 12 pts.) on goal differential. The New Jersey/New York team has a game in hand over both FC Gold Pride and the cellar-dwelling Chicago Red Stars (2-5-5, 11 pts.), who Sky Blue FC defeated 1-0 in their most recent game on June 17.

Athletica (4-5-2, 14 pts.) comes into the match in sole possession of fourth place and the final playoff position. After the results of this week’s midweek matches, Saint Louis sits two points behind the third-place Washington Freedom (4-4-4, 16 pts.). The Los Angeles Sol (9-1-4, 31 pts.) remains alone atop the table, 13 points clear of the Boston Breakers (5-4-3, 18 pts.).

In the only prior meeting between Sky Blue FC and Athletica, Saint Louis came away the victors 1-0 in a closely-fought battle at Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo. Amanda Cinalli’s goal in the 15th minute proved to be the difference in a game where Sky Blue FC outshot the home team and controlled play for long stretches of time.

MIDWEEK GAMES -WEDNESDAY 24TH JUNE 09

Boston Breakers vs. Washington Freedom (7 pm ET - CSN)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, MA

The third of four matches between these two teams whose namesakes stem from the old WUSA. Boston has the chance to clinch the season series with a win after notching a 3-1 victory in the first game at Maryland SoccerPlex and drawing 1-1 in Boston one month ago. Just one point separates these two teams, with Washington sitting in second in the WPS Standings and the Breakers in third.

The Breakers broke out of several slumps over the weekend, winning their first game since May 2 with a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Red Stars. Kristine Lilly notched her first tally since May 2 and Amy Rodriguez ended her scoreless slump with an early goal. Boston is now 3-0 when Lilly scores.

Likewise, the Freedom come into the game having won on the road in Week 13 against Saint Louis. The Freedom’s 83rd-minute game-winner by Rebecca Moros was the third time this year that the Washington side has scored a clutch goal in the last 10 minutes to either win or tie a game. Abby Wambach will feature at some point although she is hampered by a hamstring injury.

This match will air on the Comcast Sports Network on Wednesday, June 24 at 7 pm ET.








Saint Louis Athletica vs. Los Angeles Sol (8 pm ET)
Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park, Fenton, MO

Saint Louis played Los Angeles tough earlier this season when the Sol visited the Gateway City, earning the Athetica’s first points on the year with a scoreless draw after two losses. But the Sol dominated the return match in Southern California, doubling the Athletica in shots (16-8) and shots on goal (8-4) in their 2-0 victory on May 30.

While the Athletica have a speedy defense which has neutralized forwards Marta and Brittany Bock in previous games, it’s midfielders Sol Camile Abily, Shannon Boxx and Aya Miyama that look to control the midfield possession and build up towards the attack for Los Angeles. For Saint Louis, Eniola Aluko has developed into a proven attacker up front – but the Los Angeles defense has given up only four goals all year and have only one multi-goal game against them this season. Aluko will need some support from Melissa Tancredi or Christie Welsh, who began the season in Los Angeles before being traded to Saint Louis in mid-May.

With a 14 point cushion for Los Angeles over the Athletica, this game is critical for Saint Louis if they want to maintain any hopes of catching the Sol in the race for first and the right to host the WPS Championship on August 20. They are the last of the seven WPS teams to begin the second half of their regular season with only 10 games played thus far.

WPS ON YOUTUBE

Teams and players are reaching out to their fans on the net.


Interviews with Kelly Smith and Alex Scott - Boston Breakers









FC Gold Pride & Brandi Chastain hang out in New Jersey







LA Sol - Breakers - Sky Blue MASH!!!







Make sure you follow your fav team wherever you are.

WPS PREVIEW WEEK 13

LA Sol v FC Gold Pride Sun June 21 6pm ET Live FSC


Once again! I feel like these 2 teams are always playing each other. This will be the 3rd time the teams have met and there is one more to go as well!

LA Sol have never been beaten by FC Gold Pride. In fact they have never been beaten at home The Home Depot Center so it is a tall order for the Pride.

Sunday's match will truly feature the world's best as countrywomen go head-to-head. Pride Striker, Canada's National Team Captain and all-time women's leading goal scorer Christine Sinclair will try to keep her three-game scoring streak alive, but will have to beat her fellow British Columbia native and Canadian teammate Karina LeBlanc, who has helped the Sol to the league's best goals against average (.363).

Fans can also look forward to seeing U.S. Soccer stars Nicole Barnhart, Rachel Buehler, Tina DiMartino and Leslie Osborne as they face off with U.S. Soccer teammates Shannon Boxx, Stephanie Cox and Aly Wagner.

The Battle of the Samba Queens continues as Marta and the Pride's Brazilian quartet that now includes Brazil women's soccer legend Sissi will try to help lift their team to victory. Sunday will mark the 1999 Golden Boot Winner's return to professional soccer after being added to the Pride's roster as a Developmental Player on June 11.

Even though Marta hasn't scored for 5 matches the Sol are still the team to beat. They are difficult to beat due to their defensive displays as a unit. GK Karina LeBlanc and rookie centre-back Alison Falk have been instrumental in this.

Will Gold Pride score and hold on for the win or will the Sol increase their dominance in the inaugural year.

Game is also shown online at http://www.womensprosoccer.com/

WPS PREVIEW WEEK 9

With the friendly game between USA and CANADA taking place next week all the WPS teams will see many changes in the starting line-ups.


New girl Sessleman


Washington Freedom vs Sky Blue FC Sat May 23 4.30pm ET

Washington having got a a point away to Boston Breakers look to get all 3 pts this time against Sky Blue. Again without Abby Wambach due to national team duty they will look to the impressive forward line of Lisa DeVanna,Allie Long and Rebecca Moros. Midfielder Joanna Lohman will also miss the match after she was suspended for an elbow on Alex Scott. Freedom GK Erin McLeod will continue in goal as she was not called up for Canada.
The Sky Blue line-up could have several changes due to national team call-ups and injury. Captian Christie Rampone, Heather O'Reilly and Canada's Kelly Parker(national teams) and strikers Natasha KAi and Sarah Walsh are doubtful due to injury. Lauren Sesselman a forward was signed this week and could make a dramatic impact on the game. Anita Asante will just have returned from England camp also.
Both teams need the 3 pts to get out of the bottom of the league and to get some momentum going.
My Prediction 2-1 Home win for Washington




Samba flair!


Chicago Red Stars vs Saint Louis Athletic Sat May 23 8.30pm ET

Saint Louis Athletica travels to Toyota Park this Saturday evening to face their closest league rivals the Chicago Red Stars.The matchup is the second of the year between these two clubs. Chicago beat Saint Louis 1-0 on April 4 to spoil Athletica’s home opener before a crowd of 5,008. A Lindsay Tarpley goal in the 78th minute of the match was the game winner.
Athletica enters this contest on an upbeat note having garnered five points from their last three games.Chicago has dropped two games in a row and not scored in those games will be looking to get back on track to keep up with LA & Boston.
Both teams will be without their important players.Chicago will be missing starters Carli Lloyd, Lindsay Tarpley, Megan Rapinoe, and Marian Dalmy. All of whom are on duty with the USWNT.Athletica will be missing team captain Lori Chalupny and goalkeeper Hope Solo, both are also on duty with the USWNT. Athletica will also be without Melissa Tancredi, who is on national team duty for her native Canada, and Kia McNeill, who is serving a one game suspension.
There could be up to 8 new faces starting for both teams. Athletica could start with new players Christie Welsh and Kendal Fletcher who were traded from LA Sol last weekend.
Chicago still has Cristiane who was showing some silky skills last weekend despite the defeat.
My prediction 1 - o win for Chicago






Brazil v Brazil!

FC Gold Pride vs Los Angeles Sol Sun May 24 7.00pm ET FSC

A rematch which has been billed as Battle of the Samba Queens - Formiga v Marta. FC Gold Pride are expecting a sell out crowd at Buck Shaw Stadium as Marta and the LA Sol renew their in-state rivalry with the Pride. WPS standings are at stake as third place FC Gold Pride (10 points) look to leapfrog the second ranked Boston Breakers (11 points) and close the gap on the LA Sol out in front on 14pts.
Both teams will be missing a number of players due to the US v Canada international game.
Gold Pride will be missing Rachel Buehler, GK Nicole Barnhart and Canadian striker Christie Sinclair. LA Sol will miss Captain Shannon Boxx, GK Karina LeBlanc and the defenders Brittany Bock and Canadian Martina Franko. Both teams will play their back-up keepers of Allison Whitworth (Pride) and Val Henderson (Sol). It will be a big game for both.Whitworth though you would think will have the more solid backline in front of her.
No matter what, it will be a big test for both teams.
My prediction a 2-2 draw

WPS PREVIEW WEEK 8

LA Sol vs Sky Blue FC Fri May 15th 10.30pm ET

The Los Angeles Sol and Sky Blue FC face off in front of a television audience on Universal Sports – the first of two Sol-Sky Blue FC games covered by Universal and the first Friday night game in WPS history. The two play each other for the second time this season with their previous match-up ending in a 2-0 Sol victory at TD Bank Park in early April. Los Angeles comes into the game atop the WPS standings for the seventh consecutive week since opening the season with a win in the WPS Inaugural Match, but the team has not won since a 1-0 victory over FC Gold Pride in Week 4. Chinese international Han Duan created some good opportunities against Boston last weekend, but the Sol offense will have to break out of their slump to overcome a stingy Sky Blue FC defense led by Christie Rampone. Having allowed only four goals this season has kept Sky Blue FC competitive in every game so far and helped lead them to their first win last weekend in a 2-0 upset of the Chicago Red Stars. With their offensive stars of Sarah Walsh, Collette McCallum, Natasha Kai and Heather O’Reilly finally clicking, one key goal could make the difference for either team in this cross-country match-up. For Sky Blue FC, it’s their fourth of five consecutive away games before returning home for a game on May 31. Only two WPS teams, Boston and Los Angeles, have been able to secure back-to-back victories so far this season, as Sky Blue FC looks to become the third team in WPS to follow-up a win with another victory.
My predictions 1-1 score draw.



We need to score!

Chicago Red Stars vs FC Gold Pride Sat May 16th 8.30pm ET
The Chicago Red Stars play host to FC Gold Pride for the first ever match-up between the two sides and the Red Stars fourth of five consecutive home games early in the 2009 season. The Red Stars became the last team to fall from the unbeaten ranks on Sunday with their upset loss to Sky Blue FC at Toyota Park. With a win last week, the Red Stars could have moved into first place in the WPS standings but instead remain in third place, three points behind league-leading Los Angeles, but only three points ahead of fifth-place teams Saint Louis, Washington and Sky Blue FC. The Red Stars continue to be led by the goalkeeping of Caroline Jönsson and the offensive touch of Lindsay Tarpley, but need more consistent contributions from 2008 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year Carli Lloyd. FC Gold Pride has shown moments of brilliance this season with some creative attacking soccer, but will need their offensive regulars to start scoring more consistently. In the past two weeks, FC Gold has seen only a converted defender, Leigh Ann Robinson playing at forward, hit the back of the net.
My prediction 2-1 Chicago






Boston Breakers vs Washington Freedom
Sun May 17th 6.oopm ET FSC

The Boston Breakers and Washington Freedom will face each other for the second time this season in the televised FSC game on Sunday. After maintaining their number two spot in WPS Standings with a win and tie, taking four of six points in a home-and-away series against the Los Angeles Sol, the Breakers look ahead to get their younger players on the scoreboard. The Washington Freedom will play without Abby Wambach, out on suspension for one game, and plan to close the gaps in a defense that has allowed a league leading 12 goals.
Offensive veterans, Kelly Smith, Kristine Lilly, Angela Hucles, and Christine Latham have scored all eight of Boston’s goals this season. Half of those goals came from the English superstar, Smith, and Lilly has tallied two. Coach Tony DiCicco is looking for more from striker Amy Rodriguez who has came on as a sub in the last 2 games.
Washington will look to Sonia Bompastor in the abscenec of Abby Wambach to pack a punch at the Boston defence. Washington's own defence will need to improve hugely against Smith & co.The team has struggled to organize defensively. Having allowed the most goals in the league, Washington’s center back, Cat Whitehill, will be vital to pumping up the Freedom’s defensive confidence. The arrival of the long awaited Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod should also re-energize the defense.
My prediction 2-1 Boston win

preview by womensprosoccer.com

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS WEEKENDS GAMES -MAY 9-10

Los Angeles Sol 0 - 0 Boston Breakers






Chicago Red Stars 2 -0 Sky Blue FC


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St Louis Athletica 1 - 0 FC Gold Pride

LA SOL V BOSTON BREAKERS

Running on empty!

The LA Sol and the Boston Breakers played out a 0-0 draw on a hot Sunday afternoon at The Home Depot Center in front of a crowd of over 6,200. It was a rematch after the Breakers gave the Sol their 1st defeat of the season last weekend in Boston.
LA started brightly with the best chance in the sixth minute when Marta's through ball found fellow forward Han Duan in stride outside the penalty area. Duan dribbled around a defender before putting a low shot on the Boston goal that was steered aside for a corner by GK Kristin Luckenbill. The Sol also created a chance a minute later, but a scramble in front of the goal did not result in a clear shot on goal.
Duan had several chances in the 1st half with the first in the 24th minute but her glancing header off a Martina Franko cross sailed clearly over the bar. She also had an opportunity in the 38th minute when Shannon Boxx played a long ball over the Boston defense but her effort banged off the left post with only Luckinbill to beat. At the end of the match a clearly emotional Duan was being comforted by fellow teammates.
In the 2nd half the Breakers were clearly the better team. Pushing for the win first with Kelly Smith sending a dangerous ball into the area but this was cleared by LA's defenders. Boston had a series of dangerous free-kicks which were scrambled away by LA. Amy LePeilbet had a header cleared of the line with 5 minutes to go. It remained scoreless till the end.
Defenders for both teams won the day.Marta and Smith did not get a lot of clearcut chances. Marta was double-teamed , even sometimes triple teamed by Boston. Smith was shadowed by the excellent Brittany Bock who was playing in midfield specifically to contain Smith.
Both teams are very evenly matched. I expect both to be in the play-offs.

"I thought we played a good first half but we lacked quality finishing," said Los Angeles Sol Head Coach Abner Rogers. "Boston is a very good team and you're not going to get many opportunities to score against them. The chances were there today, but we need to finish better."

“Getting the point on the road is not a bad result,” said Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco. “I’m not totally satisfied, but I think it was probably the right result. It was an even game and hard-fought by both teams. I’m proud of the way our players responded in the second half. It was a little hot out here for us and they stood strong through the end, which is a compliment to our fitness staff.”

Lineups :

LOS ANGELES: Karina LeBlanc; Brittany Bock, Stephanie Cox, Martina Franko, Manya Makoski (Katie Larkin, 46th minute), Aly Wagner (Camile Abily, 77th minute), Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama, Allison Falk; Marta, Han Duan.

BOSTON: Kristin Luckenbill; Alex Scott, Amy LePeilbet, Sue Weber, Heather Mitts (Nancy Augustyniak-Goffi, 78th minute); Angela Hucles, Kristine Lilly, Stacy Bishop (Kasey Moore, 85th minute), Kelly Smith; Kelly Schmedes, Christine Latham (Amy Rodriguez, 51st minute).

BOSTON BREAKERS 2 - 1 LA SOL

High Five!

Kelly Smith shows why she is important to the Boston Breakers and to the WPS.

The Breakers coming of of that 4 - 0 drubbing by Chicago Red Stars were determined to get the win and show their fans just how good they really are. With Smith back in the starting 11 and Amy Rodriguez dropped to the bench they put early pressure on the LA Sol. Heather Mitts set the play in motion with a feed to Kelly Schmedes 12 yards in front of the LA goal. Schmedes’ shot was deflected back to Smith, who fired the ball over Karina LeBlanc’s fingertips and into the upper right corner for the fastest goal in the league this season. 2 minutes on the clock. The Sol had just conceded their 1st goal and the Breakers were on their way.
They went up 2-0 in the 55th minute on a hard run upfield by defender Stacy Bishop, who dished to Kristine Lilly on the left flank. Lilly fought off LA defender Manya Makoski and beat LeBlanc on the far side.

The Boston defence dealt adequately with Marta and the rest of the Sol attack for most of the game. In fact Smith handed out high praise to her back unit. "....it was important to our defenders and keeper to show the level that they can play at. They’re the best defensive unit I’ve ever played with and today they showed it". Wow! high praise indeed from Smith considering the teams she has played with.

LA Sol at times had good possession and good passing. They got through the Boston defence at times but goals were marked off for offside.In the 1st half Marta had few chances but came alive in the 2nd half going on her typical runs from the left to inside. GK Kristin Luckenbill making the saves. They got their goal from an Aya Miyamo free-kick which Brittany Bock headed past Luckenbill in the 63rd minute. Tails up, the Sol pressed forward for the equaliser but the Breakers defence held strong sending most of the 8,031 strong crowd home happy.

"You knew they were going to come out well, and with fairness to them, they scored two quality goals with two quality finishes. I give them credit but I think we played a very good game as well and I was happy with the work we put in". LA Sol's coach Abner Rodgers

Lineups:

Boston Breakers: Kristin Luckinbill; Heather Mitts, Amy LePeilbet, Sue Weber, Alex Scott; Kelly Smith, Angela Hucles, Stacy Bishop; Kelly Schmedes (Kasey Moore: 76), Chritine Latham (Amy Rodriguez: 64), Kristine Lilly (c).

Los Angeles Sol: Karina LeBlanc; Manya Makoski, Matina Franko, Brittany Bock, Stephanie Cox; Camille Abily (Katie Larkin: 75), Shannon Boxx (c), Aya Miyama; Aly Wagner, Han Duan, Marta.

Highlights - LA SOL Vs FC GOLD PRIDE 1 - 0

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LOS ANGELES SOL 1 - 0 FC GOLD PRIDE

The Los Angeles Sol defeated FC Gold Pride 1-0, on a scorching Sunday afternoon at The Home Depot Center to claim its third consecutive shutout victory of the season.After trading scoring opportunities for the first 44 minutes of the game, Japanese international Aya Miyama received a well placed through ball that gave the Sol a one-on-one scoring opportunity in the closing moments of the first half. But with pressure from FC Gold Pride keeper Nicole Barnhart, Miyama was forced to take a quick shot six yards out that grazed the outside right post and ended the half.
With halftime providing the Sol with an opportunity to escape the heat and regroup, they opened the second half with a new energy and a new formation that allowed them to set the tone for the rest of the game.In the 47th minute, midfielder Aly Wagner chipped a ball over the backline that found Marta running in stride through the 18 yard box. Marta settled the ball down, took a quick touch and placed it past Barnhart into the back of the net.Her 3rd goal of the season so far.
FC Gold Pride will be disappointed in the result as at times they dominated possession and wasted several chances on goal.
Over the season expect these two teams to start an exciting rivalry.

“Aly gave me a great pass and put me in a position to score. We’ve connected several times during training and it was great that we got one today that was the difference in the game.” Marta on her goal.

Once again the back 5 for LA - Makoski, Falk,Bock Cox & the superb Leblanc were outstanding today.Determined to keep their 3rd clean sheet in a row the defended in numbers and great individually to deny the Pride.

Lineups
Los Angeles Sol: 23 - LeBlanc (GK), 3 - Falk, 11 - Bock , 14 - Cox , 22 - Makoski, 4 - Wagner (12 - Sari, 82') , 7 - Boxx - Capt.), 8 - Miyama , 20 - Abily (18 - Larkin, 92'), 10 - Marta , 13-Welsh (17 - Bogus, 67')

FC Gold Pride: 1 - Barnhart (GK), 4 - Buehler, 7 - Robinson (13 - Graczyk, 57'), 9 -Wilson , 19 - Dew (20 - Erika, 15') , 5 - DiMartino , 10 - Osborne - Capt.), 31 - Formiga , 8 - Weimer (15 - Milbrett, 67'), 12 - Sinclair , 30 - Arakawa

MATCH UPDATE: LOS ANGELES SOL 1 - 0 FC GOLD PRIDE

Marta scored once and Karina LeBlanc recorded her third consecutive shutout as the Los Angeles Sol blanked FC Gold Pride 1-0 on a hot Sunday.

Marta's goal, her third consecutive, was all Los Angeles needed to beat FC and stay perfect in the Women's Professional Soccer standings.

The Sol (3-0) finally broke through when Marta scored in the 47th minute to make it 1-0.

Aly Wagner cleared a ball to Marta from midfield and the Brazilian soccer star split two defenders toward the left side of the box to create some space. Marta then sped in front of both to net the goal past FC goalie Nicole Barnhart.

The Sol continued to put pressure on Barnhart and had several chances to add to the score, but Marta was the only one to get through.

Allison Falk, Stephanie Cox, Manya Makoski and Brittney Bock manned Sol's defense and limited FC's touches throughout.

Full recap to follow...

LOS ANGELES SOL V WASHINGTON FREEDOM

Well the first match of the inaugural season has come & gone. The Sol win an entertaining game 2-0. Goals coming from defender Allison Falk and French international midfielder Camille Abily.

The game started of quick with LA playing the better game with their midfield of Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama & Camille Abily dominating. Washington Freedom players looked like they had stage fright. The first goal came in 6 mins when Japanese star Miyama delivered a perfect ball into the area for Rookie defender Falk to tangle with GK Briana Scurry & head the ball into the net. The Freedom claimed it was a foul on their keeper. From looking at the replays and pictures sometimes i think it was a goal and sometimes not but hey Allison Falk has now officially gone done as the first woman to score in WPS. The ball was taken out of play & Falk will sign it & it will go into the Hall Of Fame. LA continued to make chances with Marta showing some of her skills and keeping the Freedom defence occupied although they dealt with her ok throughout the game.
Toward the end of the half Washington started to put some plays together. Most of that was coming from their left where French international Sonia Bompastor was was being a menace.She put in several balls from the left for striker Wambach. One where Wambach made a great connection but Sol's GK Karina Le Blanc coming of her line to make a great save. To me she was the Freedoms best player of the whole game. Her crossing was on point. For the 2nd half LA coach Abner made a tactical change to contain her.

2nd half - Washington had more of the play where they were pushing forward trying to get the equalizer. The problem they had was Abby was pretty much up there on her own. And all balls went to her. As the season goes on i expect the Freedom to have a plan B, where other players start taking chances and making plays. As much as Washington were pushing forward LA's defence held up with the impressive Brittany Bock at CB. Bock is not a defender per say. She is a combative midfielder that can do a good job as a forward but i guess because Abby was the opposition Coach Abner decided he needed a tough person at the back. She was great.
Freedom nearly scored from a scramble in the box when Lori Lindsey struck the ball from just inside the area only to see the ball hit the right upright on 63 mins.

LA Sol clinched the game from a counterattack when Bock intercepted a cross from a Freedom player and passed the ball to Marta who at first tried a slide ruler pass through to substitute forward Christie Welsh where it came of her heel , Marta picked up the ball again and continued her momentum towards goal at pace attracting the 3 defenders to her. She passed the ball to the oncoming midfielder Abily who was unmarked on the right. Abily took one touch to get closer to goal and then chipped Scurry from just outside the penalty box. It was a sweet goal with great technique from the French woman. A great way to end the game. But you have got to ask what were the defenders thinking and why did no midfield player track Abily's run.She started of on the edge of her own box. I guess that is the Marta effect. The same thing happened in the 2008 Olympic Semi-Final game Brazil v Germany. Marta had the ball & was running on a breakaway towards goal all the German defenders went to her... yes all 4.. but they left Christiane and no midfielder tracked her. Marta passed the ball to Christian who was unmarked and she slotted the ball home.

Overall the game was entertaining i enjoyed watching it. I have no doubt the play will get better as the teams get more games in. My MVP choice was tough i could pick quite a few but i will go with Brittany Bock..she was awesome. Miyama had a good game as well. Best Freedom player by a mile was Sonia Bompastor. Best play Camile Abily's goal. Perfect execution. She ran all the way up the pitch and had composure to lob the keeper.

Line-ups

LA Sol - 23- Le Blanc , 2-Fletcher,11-Bock, 3-Falk , 14-Cox, 20-Abily, 7-Boxx, 22-Makoski,8-Miyami , 10- Marta, 9-Duan

Washington Freedom - 1-Scurry, 21-Singer,4-Whitehill, 22-Sauberman ,11- Janss,9-Long, 6- Lindsey, 10-Sawa ,8- Bompastor,25-Zimmeck, 20-Wambach.