BRIT INVASION...PART 9

Saint Louis Athletica's English gem Eniola Aluko was top of the class this weekend as she notched her 4th goal of the season to down Sky Blue FC in a 2-1 win.
Aluko scored in the 2nd minute from a through ball by team captain Lori Chalupny. She beat the offside trap and English national teamate Anita Asante to score.
Aluko increasingly is becoming the 'taliswoman' for Athletica as her speed and runs cause defences problems.She is the no1 striker at the club and she is now in 5th place inthe WPS scorers league with 4 goals, one goal behind Kelly Smith and Canadian international Christine Sinclair after 12 games.

Anita Asante was an unlucky loser at the weekend.Unlucky that inside 2 minutes she appeared to play Eniola Aluko onside for her goal.TV replays show a possible hint of offside.And unlucky that the Sky Blues can't seem get a break.Last ditch fluke winner for Saint Louis.For most of the game Asante was as solid as ever, matching the speed of the Athletica forward and not allowing her any more attempts on goal.

Karen Carney and her Chicago Red Stars had a torrid time in Los Angeles against the Sol. In searing heat even at 10am Carney was unable to stop the 4-nil beating. Carney tried to attack but was stopped by the Sol defence. With just 2 shots, none on target and a yellow card to round it off it was a bad day at the office.

WPS MIDWEEK MATCHES 17/06/09

BOSTON BREAKERS V FC GOLD PRIDE 7pm ET

The Boston Breakers get back to the pitch quickly and will look to bounce back from Sunday’s loss to Saint Louis Athletica when they take on FC Gold Pride in the team’s first midweek contest of the season, Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Harvard Stadium.
The Breakers and FC Gold Pride (3-5-2, 11 points) are in a three-way tie with the Chicago Red Stars (2-3-5) for fourth place in the WPS standings. All three teams are two points behind the third-place Washington Freedom (3-3-4). The top four teams qualify for the playoffs.

The Breakers have suffered back-to-back losses for the first time following a 2-1 upset at Sky Blue FC two weeks ago, and Sunday’s 1-0 loss versus Saint Louis. Prior to that, Boston had been unbeaten in three-straight and was in second place. Sunday’s loss also marked the first home defeat for the Breakers this season. Kelly Smith is nursing a knee injury and is doubtful. Christine Latham should be back from suspension.

FC Gold Pride was off this past week and drew in their previous match, 1-1 versus the Red Stars. They are winless in their last three matches, with their last victory coming at Chicago on May 16 (1-0). Christine Sinclair leads the team in scoring with four goals, which is tied for third in WPS, while Tiffany Weimer has dished out a team-high three assists – second best in WPS.

The previous meeting between the two was a 2-1 home win for FC Gold Pride after a 90th minute winner by Tiffany Milbrett.

Both teams need the 3 pts to stay in the hunt for a playoff position but more importantly they need to win to get their confidence back.



NJ SKY BLUE FC V CHICAGO RED STARS 7pm ET

The Chicago Red Stars wrap up their longest road trip of the season Wednesday when they pay visit to Sky Blue FC.
Chicago have achieved 3 draws on the road and has scored two goals, both by Brazilian forward Cristiane. The Red Stars are 0-1-1 against Sky Blue FC this season, with both previous meetings at TOYOTA PARK.

Wednesday will also be Chicago’s first look at Sky Blue FC under the direction of interim head coach Kelly Lindsey. Lindsey was promoted from assistant coach following the dismissal of Ian Sawyers in late May. Sky Blue FC is 1-1-1 under Lindsey, including a 0-0 tie with WPS leader Los Angeles last weekend.

Sky Blue come into the match with confidence. They are playing well and they are difficult to beat with a hard to beat defence of Keely Dowling, Anita Asante , Christie Rampone and Megan Shnur. Up front Natasha Kai who is coming into form was a constant menace to LA Sol's defence on Sunday.

Chicago could have Carli Lloyd back from injury.She attended Rutgurs University and played at Yuracek park. It could be a great homecoming for her.
Karen Carney will miss the game through suspension after receiving a straight red card for bringing down Abby Wambach in the previous match versus Washington Freedom.

100th Post Exclusive - ANITA ASANTE Q &A

To mark our 100th post here at womans soccer insider we bring you the Q&A of former Chelsea and Arsenal player Anita Asante. Anita a confident and assured player in both defence and midfield has now switched her attensions to WPS and the New Jersey outfit Sky Blue FC. Find out how she is coping with the differences between the English league and WPS.


1.Congratulations on your 1st win against Chicago Red Stars. Describe how you and your teamates felt after the game.
I think we felt relief and more importantly that all the hard work we and the staff have put in may be starting to pay off! But we were really pleased because we thought we played well!

2. You have played every game so far. How has it been adapting to a different type of game and tactics than you are used to?
The first couple of friendly games took some adjusting to because some of the teams play really high pressure and base a lot of their strategy on athleticism, but on the most part it has been a variation of learning new things and adding the experience I have to execute the strategy in a way that will hopefully make our team successful and play good football that spectators will always associate with Sky Blue FC.

3. How does the pace and skill of the WPS compare with the English game?
There are a lot of technical players in the English game that benefit from playing within a culture of football that has long lasting tradition and huge fan bases, regular coverage and accessibility. However, playing in WPS has provided a platform for the very elite to display their talent with players from all over the world...so of course the standard is extremely high. The pace of the games are intense but because they are highly competitive and players are mentally and physically astute.

4. Sky Blue have some pretty good defenders at the back. What has it been like to play with the like of Christie Rampone and Jenni Branam?
Honestly they are both real leaders on and off the pitch. I have enjoyed training and playing with both of them because they lead by example and I know they have my back. Christie is an exceptional player and I feel lucky to be playing alongside someone who is supportive and so experienced and positive all the time. Branam being a keeper is crazy just for being a keeper but we love her because she is a brilliant goal keeper and a commanding figure especially when we most need it!

5. The squad seems to have a lot of personalities on it. Do you do a lot of activities together on your days off?
Well most of the team lives in the same apartment complex so we often hang out together and play cards, watch a movie or just chill the usual...but because we mostly are together we have so much fun!

6. Who has been the toughest forward you have come up against so far in the WPS?
The toughest forward I have come up against is Marta because she always springs up no matter her presence in the game and makes something happen!

7. How have you improved your game in the short time you have been playing in the WPS?
I feel I have improved my game by being more vocal and adding a bit more of that controlled aggression that traditional British defenders are known for.

8 . Do you think there will be more English players looking to play in the WPS in the future?
Most definitely, we as a nation are continually improving and our recent international records and success is starting to show! If the opportunities are presented there will always be more potential for English players to take it up!

9. What are England’s chances at Euro 2009?
I am confident that we have a good chance of having a successful tournament as does every team! We will take it game by game accept the challenges and have the mentality that we are there to compete and nothing is beyond our grasp!

10. Finally…What is it truly like to now be a professional footballer?
To truly be a professional footballer is to accept pressure enjoy competition within training and match environments and strive to win and be better always!

BRIT INVASION...PART 8

Kelly, Alex, Karen, Ifeoma & Anita were all in the starting line-ups this past weekend. Eniola sat out as Saint Louis Athletica had a bye week. How did they do?


Top Play!

Top player & play this week again goes to Alex Scott from the Boston Breakers. 1st goal in the WPS, i expect she will get a few more. With Coach Tony DiCicco all for his full-backs getting forward and getting on the scoresheet,Scott done just that.
Against Washington Freedom Scott had been creeping forward and playing like a winger in the1st half but in the 2nd half it paid of. Latching on to a through ball by teammate Christine Latham, Scott out paced Freedom defender Alex Singer and struck a thunderbolt shot high past GK Erin McLeod into the roof of the net. She said she had been practising her shooting all week. Well keep practising that's all i can say!
Scott comfortable in the final 3rd of the field, quick in attack, bundles of energy and strong in defence Boston has got themselves a steal. Ohhh Chicago! An asset to every team she plays for. Its all good for England as well.

Kelly Smith is a marked woman. Hampered by a slight knee injury picked up in the previous week. Smith lumbered around the field. Still on 3/4 of a tank she was still giving the Freedom midfielders problems. Anytime she got the ball she was attacked by Freedom red shirts eager to strip the ball from her. Sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't. One time it didn't work Smith nearly scored a contender for goal of the season. Unfortunately for her it was brilliantly saved by GK Erin McLeod for the save of the season.

Sky Blue FC Centre-Back Anita Asante was once again up against Marta. Compared to the last match they faced each other Asante put in a solid display and the Sky Blue defence had Marta under control...well, untill till the 80th minute that is, when Marta sprung the offside trap to score. For her performance in the match Asante was quick and strong and rarely let the offensive players of the Sol past her. With an unchanged back four of Dowling, Asante, Rampone, Schnur, Asante is proving herself to be a leader on the field with her organisation. England will reap the benefits this summer.

Karen Carney was IMO the best player wearing skyblue against the FC Gold Pride. Yes the Chicago Red Stars wear sky blue! Carney claimed 2 of the total 3 shots on goal for the Red Stars. Making the The Pride goalkeeper work for their win. Always busy she was trying to get her teammates involved in play that counted but the Pride defenders stood up well to all of the Red Stars attacks. Towards the end of the match she was spent but it is clear she is an important player for Chicago.

Chicago red Stars Scottish star Ifeoma Dieke played a lot better than her previous match. Kept the Red Stars in the game with keeping the Pride from extending their lead.She kept FC Gold Pride's talented forwards far from goal which meant they took a lot of shots outside the area. Matched up to the strength of Christie Sinclair well. Another important player for the Red Stars.

BRIT INVASION...PART 7

All 6 British players were in the starting line-up for their clubs last weekend. Results were mixed.

Strong!

First up...Anita Asante and Sky Blue FC put on a fantastic display to win their 1st game against the much fancied Chicago Red Stars. Asante was strong and composed in defence when faced with the threats of Megan Rapinoe, Lindsey Tarpley, Karen Carney and then Cristiane when she came on. The whole Sky Blue back four put on a great tactical display. Playing a high line catching Chicago offside numerous times. Asante's partnership at the heart of the defence with USA Captian Christie Rampone can only improve as the games keep coming. They just might be the fastest centre-backs in the league.

Eniola Aluko also achieved her 1st win with Saint Louis Athletica in a thrilling match against FC Gold Pride. Not on the scoresheet this time, Aluko never the less worked hard and created chances for her team. When asked to defend as time went on in the game she did just that. The Athletica team came together, fighting for each other for that elusive win.

Ifeoma Dieke has had an up and down past week. Against Sky Blue she put in a not bad performance but it was not good enough as the Blues ran out winners. Dieke was up against the very fast Sarah Walsh and the one time she got beaten by her was when the goal was scored. The Red Stars defence picks itself. Dieke will be hoping for better a better performance against FC Gold Pride this weekend.
Against Northern Ireland, Dieke earned her 50th cap and was the best player on the field in the 1st half.She led the line as Scotland were put under pressure in the earlier parts of the game.

Karen Carney in the same game was trying to get her team going.With only 3 shots on goal by the Red Stars all game,Carney's was one of them and the closest to a goal. The rasping low shot to the right of the goal saved just, by Jenni Brannam. Showing some flashes of brilliance Carney tried to make things happen for herself and teamates. Sky Blue had all the answers and Carney was snuffed out by the unforgiving Blues midfield. A match to forget maybe.


Solid!

Alex Scott put in another solid display against the LA Sol. So much so that Marta didn't even get a shot at goal the entire game. Or when Katie Larkin (pictured above) came on went up top and Marta dropped to midfield she didn't get much change out of Scott either. With Scott and centre-back Amy LePielbet working well in tandem on the right side the Breakers look at least hard to break through. Not much attacking done today for Scott though. Expect more so in the next match v Washington Freedom. No Wambach to mark. Should be exciting.

Kelly Smith was man/woman marked by LA Sol so didn't have the opportunities to get many shots on goal in this match. She however created a few chances that went begging and was fouled numerous times allowing the Breakers to send in many free-kicks which ultimately fell short. Smith still showed of her technical ability and skill level but she was well dealt with by the Sol midfield in the end. Still leads the league scoring chart with 4 goals.

CHICAGO RED STARS V SKY BLUE FC

Adam Ant?

Sky Blue FC won their first match, Chicago Red Stars lost their first match. Sarah Walsh scored her 1st goal and so did Natash Kai. A game of many 1st's at Toyata Park, Chicago.
Sky Blue came out to attack from the start with the midfield picking up all the loose balls and harassing Chicago's midfield. Not letting them have time on the ball.Even in the first 5 minutes Sky Blue were looking to put the speedy Australian forward Sarah Walsh through with the through ball.She was just off side.Her Australian international teamate Collete McCallum got the range right a couple of minutes later. In the 7th minute McCallum passed a perfect ball to Walsh(wearing war paint! nah it was sunblock-she is Australian after all) who had timed her run brilliantly slipping in behind two Red Stars defenders.She coolly passed the ball past GK Caroline Jonsson to the left of her goal putting Sky Blue one up and shocking the Red Stars.
Sky Blue never let up in the first half. They were 1st to every ball.Chicago were making mistakes and couldn't get their offensive players on the ball a lot.When they were they were swarmed by orange jersey's. Who were hunting in packs. At times it looked like Sky Blue had more players on the field than Chicago. I even tried to count them just to make sure.
On 10 minutes the very busy Heather O’Reilly played the ball up to Kai and then ran onto to the striker’s flick.As O’Reilly broke into the box alone and took a shot at goal, Red Stars GK Jonsson came off her line to stuff O’Reilly’s shot.Five minutes later, Sky Blue appeared to double the lead after a steal in the box by Julianne Sitch playing in the center of the midfield after playing at right back in previous games. Sitch stole the ball from Chicago's midfielder Frida Ostberg in the box and cut the ball across for Walsh to hammer home but the flag was up for offside.
Chicago's talented offence were held in check by Sky Blues defence brilliantly marshaled by Christie Rampone. The defence played very high. I mean VERY HIGH!They compressed the field knowing that they had the speed in Rampone and English star Anita Asante as insurance. At times the defence were on the halfway line. Chicago were caught out time and time again with offsides. They came close when the ball was fed through the defence by substitute Cristiane. Carli Lloyd and Karen Carney both raced to the ball and ended up getting in each others way. The ref calling offside for Lloyd. Carney was onside and through but Lloyd had touched the ball negating the opportunity.
Sky Blue sealed the game when play started once again by the impressive McCallum in the 78th minute. The Australian playmaker fed a nice through ball behind for Kelly Parker to run onto. As Jonsson charged out off her line, the Canadian midfielder slid a slow roller across the goal and Kai flew in to bury the ball into the open goal from five yards out.
Chicago’s last play came in stoppage time off the foot of Lindsey Tarpley. Carney passed in from the left and Tarpley hit a first time shot from the top of the box but GK Jenni Branam was there to punch her shot wide of the goal. 2 nil Sky Blue.

"Chicago made it very difficult, especially at the end of the game. I’m getting old, but that last ten minutes of the game made me even older. I’m very proud of the players today; they really stepped it up and expressed themselves." Ian Sawyers.

"Collette McCallum and I know each other’s game inside and out so the ball through was perfect. We’ve had three or four games without a goal, so it was just a huge relief to get a goal and to be up. To be honest, I was surprised we were up.""I’ve never been so relieved, to have my club win a game. We worked hard for it and we deserved it." Sarah Walsh.

"The goal came off a great run from Kelly Parker. The ball was probably already going in, but I made sure it went in to secure a 2-0 lead.""It felt good to score not just for me, but for our team in general. I just hope this carries on to our next game." Natasha Kai

“I don’t think any one of our players had a good game today,” “You can’t win games if your players are under performing. Unfortunately, we didn’t do some basic things, got exposed and were punished for it. I don’t think it was one single area, I thought it was everywhere.” Emma Hayes

Lineups:
Chicago Red Stars: – Caroline Jonsson; Marian Dalmy, Nikki Krzysik, Ifeoma Dieke, Chioma Igwe (Natalie Spilger 79’); Megan Rapinoe (Ella Masar 66’), Brittany Klein (Cristiane 54’), Frida Ostberg, Karen Carney; Carli Lloyd, Lindsay Tarpley.

Sky Blue FC: – Jenni Branam; Meghan Schnur, Christie Rampone (Christie Shaner 72’), Anita Asante, Keeley Dowling; Collette McCallum, Julianne Sitch, Kelly Parker, Heather O’Reilly; Natasha Kai (Rosana 82’), Sarah Walsh (Yael Averbuch 65’).

BRIT INVASION...PART 6

Karen Carney, Ifeoma Dieke and the Chicago Red Stars sat out the weekend.


Composure!

Top accolades this week, i think i will give it to Eniola Aluko.Aluko scored her 1st goal and Saint Louis Athletica's 3rd goal against the Washington Freedom at the SoccerPlex Stadium in Maryland. In an exciting yet physical and emotional match the game ended 3-3 with the Freedom scoring 2 late goals to tie.
Aluko was played through in the 69th minute with a great pass over the top by substitute Keri Hanks. Aluko ran on to the ball and struck a perfect shot across the Freedom keeper while under pressure from the centre-back Becky Sauerbrunn. It was a well taken goal and should give her confidence going into future games. Aluko also played hard and was constantly dangerous in a match Athletica having been 3-1 after 75 minutes up should have closed out.

“I would have taken the win rather than score,” said Aluko. “The draw took away any joy that came with that goal. Everyone is very disappointed. To go 3-1 up in any game and lose it in the 90th minute and lose Daniela is very tough to take.”


Goal, Again!

Kelly Smith once again has shown how much she means to the Boston Breakers . Scoring her 4th goal in as many games against LA Sol. Smith sat out against the Red Stars last match and boy! did they miss her. They were all over the place and were trampled 4-0. This weekend it was oh so different. Just 2 minutes into the game Smith struck a well placed shot to beat the previously unbeaten keeper Karina LeBlanc. She also displayed her superior skills in midfield against the likes of Shannon Boxx and Aly Wagner who had to use what ever method they could to stop her, it worked only when she was brought to ground. Smith takes the knocks and the accolades with aplomb.

"There was a lot of hype, obviously," Smith said. "For me, it's not Marta v. Kelly. It's Boston v. L.A., and I'm all about the team performance. I was pleased to get on the scoresheet, but if other players score and we get three points every week, I'm happy as long as we're winning."

While Smith played a great game, it was the Breakers' back line of Alex Scott, Amy LePeilbet, Sue Weber and Heather Mitts -- along with goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill -- that kept Marta from looking dangerous and off the scoresheet. Scott had another solid game directly up against the best player in the world. Marta is fast but so is Scott and rarely did Marta get past her. Scott drove Marta into midfield to get the ball this way limiting her effectiveness and ultimately the Sol's game. As a consequence Scott did not do much attacking in this match. Looking forward to the replay in a bigger pitch and GRASS!

Anita Asante and Sky Blue FC were beaten by a single goal by FC Gold Pride. A Topsy turvey match with chances on both sides. The Sky Blue defence looked off the pace whenever the pacier Pride players were in and around the box. Asante possibly getting used to playing again with Christie Rampone was made to look slow at times, hesitating before clearing the ball. As a player she will need to be sharper against International teammate Karen Carney, Megan Rapinoe and Cristiane this weekend. As a unit the defence need to be more compact and alert to the offence of the only undefeated team in the league.

WPS PREVIEW WEEK 6

Boston Breakers vs LA Sol Sat May 2nd 7pm ET

Some say it's the showdown of the best 2 teams in the league. It's definitely the showdown of the best 2 players in the league. The Los Angeles Sol's Marta and Boston Breakers' Kelly Smith return to WPS action after missing last week's play, and they meet for the first time Saturday at Harvard Stadium. Their teams failed to score a goal when they were not playing. That is how important they are to their teams.
The first of back-to-back meetings between the Sol and Breakers. Both teams will be looking to gain that psychological one up.
The breakers will need to play better & defend better than they have been doing so. Alex Scott should expect a busy evening as Marta will most likely be playing down the left. Will Amy Rodriguez be instated into the starting lineup. She was substituted at half-time against Chicago in a disappointing display from her. Will Kelly Smith ignite the offense and try to put one past the impressive Karina LeBlanc who has not let in a goal in all 4 matches played.

LA Sol will have to get to grips with playing on artificial turf. Only Marta has had experience on the surface as her previous club Umea played on the surface. The Sol have Camille Abily and Han Duan back. It will be a fast paced game. Expect fireworks.

My prediction 2-1 away win for LA Sol





Washington Freedom vs St Louis Athletica Sun May 3rd 6pm ET Live FSC (11pm British Time).

It's a battle of WPS's worst defense (Freedom has allowed nine goals in four games) against the worst offense (St. Louis hasn't scored in three games).
This could be a great game. The Freedom are on a high after their last minute win at FC Gold Pride and Abby Wambach suddenly looks dangerous again. Can they continue the momentum. French international Sonia Bompastor returns from international duty. GK Kati Jo Spicek looking for her 2nd start. Erin McLeod is still having visa problems.

Athletica got their 1st point against the LA Sol last weekend and could of and should have collected all 3. It's only a matter of time before they score but honestly the players need to step up. Strikers Eniola Aluko and Keri Hanks need to step up. Key word - Composure!

My prediction 2-1 away win for Athletica (keep the faith!)







FC Gold Pride vs Sky Blue FC Sun May 3rd 8pm ET

The late Sunday match marks the first time two WPS teams have met for a second time. FC Gold Pride and Sky Blue FC played to a 1-1 draw in New Jersey three weeks ago. Both teams will be going for the win this time.

The Pride so far are the most entertaing side. Playing fluent and attacking football. Look out for the Tiffany Weimer and Christina DiMartino who had fantastic games last weekend. Last weekends result was a huge disappoinment to the players and a heavy loss to bear.Something that they won't want to have repeated. Centre-back Carrie Dew is set to return after injury. They need her.The defence is not quite as good as their offence.

Sky Blue have been mostly in the shadows of the Breakers and the Red Stars. Yet to win they need to kick on and state their intentions. They played well against Chicago in their last match but we have still to see the best in some players. English star Anita Asante will be looking to start her partnership in defence at last with captain Christie Rampone who may return from injury. Expect Heather O'Reilly and Australian Sarah Walsh to continue up front. Brazillian International Rosanna played her 1st game in a friendly at the weekend and scored a goal for Sky Blue after returning from a knee injury. She could start on the bench. They need a bit of flair.

My prediction 3-1 home win for FC Gold Pride

BRIT INVASION ...PART 5

Well how did the English ladies get on this weekend after the England game?

England played Norway for a friendly International on Thursday evening, winning 3-0. All 5 English girls started with Anita Asante, Alex Scott, Karen Carney and Kelly Smith all lasting the full 90 minutes.Eniola Aluko played over 60 minutes.

All returned back to America on Friday and all but Anita Asante and Kelly Smith were involved with their clubs on Saturday. Sky Blue FC had a bye week. Smith sat out Boston Breakers defeat.

Top player this week was Chicago Red Stars Karen Carney. Doing what she does best Carney was a menace to the Breakers Defence throughout the game. No matter what wing she was on, Carney was full of running and trickery earning herself 2 assists and a goal.1st assist was on 10 minutes, she tapped a free kick to Carli Lloyd and her 28-yard shot deflected off the Boston wall and into the net. Carney then got in the action herself just before half-time using a scissor fake to create some space away from Heather Mitts before shooting and making it 3-0 at the break. 10 minutes into the 2nd half Carney drove at the Breakers Heather Mitts (again) and passed the ball inside for teammate midfielder Brittany Klein for the goal. Her work done Carney was substituted later on as her transatlantic schedule caught up with her. She left the field to a standing ovation and narrowly missed out on Player Of The Match which went to teammate Megan Rapinoe. She was definitely my PotM.
'We were all good, we were all on it. We are getting better every week. From the goalkeeper all the way up to the top everyone played really well today.' Carney.

The Chicago Red Stars defence was once again solid. Not that they had much to do. Ifeoma Dieke again untroubled at the back.She had the pace to contain Amy Rodriguez and Kristine Lilly and the strentgh to out muscle Christine Latham when she came on as a sub. Top top player.

St Louis Athletica's Eniola Aluko was a 2nd half sub against the LA Sol. She came on in 53 minutes sparking life into Athletica. It was her shot which hit the hand of the Sol defender earning her side the penalty kick. Caused havoc with some darting runs and through balls for teammates.Did well considering it's her 2nd game in 2 days.

Scott 1st to ball before Carli Lloyd

Must have been a bad day for the Boston Breakers when your Right-Back is your best player in the match! And i'm also talking offesively. Alex Scott just stepped of the plane and into the game but was still the best player on the team. Played the full 90 minutes she stopped wave after wave of attack from Chicago down her side, hence why all the goals came from the left side.
She also was bombing forward whenever she could trying to link up with the forwards, managing to get a few shots of at goal. Infact Boston had a total 3 shots on goal, Scott, Kristine Lilly and 2nd half sustitute Candace Chapman getting the other 2. Scott also had 2 off target. No other player came close.

BRIT INVASION...PART 4

With Eniola Aluko not suiting up (haha American term) this week as St Louis Athletica had a bye week there were just 5 Brits taking part on day 3 of the WPS.
Machine!!
Top player for me this week was Boston Breakers Alex Scott. Having her best game so far, Scott seems to have settled into the formation and way of playing for the Breakers. Many people's and sports writer's who were at the match.. player of the match. She shackled Washington Freedoms Sonia Bompastor. She was up and down the right side of the field like a machine and got her self an assist to boot on Christine Latham's goal with a cross onto Latham's head from the right. Getting better and better as she gels more with the team.She is going to get a goal one day mark my words.


Solid Solid Solid!!
Anchoring a somewhat weakened defence due to suspension Chicago Red Stars Ifeoma Dieke once again was outstanding in the match,earning praise from the FSC commentators. With the star studded offence of the Red Stars stuttering in the past 2 games the spotlight has fallen on the defenders who were relatively unknown..well now heading into week 5 they are the names that people are taking notice of as they have propped this team up. None more than Dieke. She had the speed , tactical awareness and composure to shut out the forwards of Sky Blue FC.Kate(Markgraf) who?..sing the Red Stars fans.

Skill!
Stroked home a penalty to send the Boston Breakers on their way to another win. Kelly Smith is now in joint place in the goal scoring charts with Marta.3 goals in as many games, she is a player who is on form. Proving to those that know the game and those that don't that she is the best player in the world bar Marta.Once again Smith showed great skill, technique and class in a game that was very tight in the 1st half. No room to move in the midfield although Smith had the skill and technique to make room for herself.Seems to be enjoying herself in the league with this new lease of life. Can only get better.Yikes!!

Work It!!

Chicago Red Stars Karen Carney put in an impressive work rate in the terrible rainy conditions against Sky Blue FC. Played down both wings through out the game swapping wings with Megan Rapinoe. This allowed the Red Stars to get more width and attack more, playing better than they did in the previous 2 games. Had a couple of looks at goal but nothing came of them. Will get better once Chicago offense gets going. The potential of a Carney, Cristiane sync was there to see.

Experience!!

Anita Asante showed her experience by keeping out Cristiane and the Red Stars in a relatively inexperienced Sky Blue FC backline. Still without defender Christie Rampone , Asante had to appear big and guide her team to their 2nd draw in a row. With Chicago on the attack most of the match she was kept busy and helped her side keep there first clean sheet. Strong in the tackle she snuffed out any clear cut chances the Red Stars had.Up next the towering Norwegians back in England for the international friendly with Norway this Thursday. Asante will come back to England a better player for sure.

BRIT INVASION ....PART 3

All the British girls started the matches this weekend. With Kelly Smith for the Boston Breakers and Scottish star Ifeoma Dieke for Chicago Red Stars having outstanding games.
Kelly notched her 2nd goal of the campaign and an assist to Kristine Lilly in the match against St Louis Athletica. Once again she was also involved in a scuffle with Swedish international Sara Larsson.

Smith brings competitive edge from Arsenal

"It's always going to be physical in a league like this, there's some big girls out there, strong, but that's part of the game and you're going to get knocked, it's going to be a 50-50 battle going on all over the field. We'll just make sure it's Boston Breakers that win the majority of them."

It's this competitive streak that led Smith to be the top Arsenal player, the top English national team striker, and three times nominated for FIFA's world's best player, beaten out only by Marta. And Smith has big plans for the Boston Breakers.

"Every day in practice we're getting better, we're looking sharper. Like we said before, the team that we are now is not the team we're going to be come the end of the season, we're going to be a lot, lot, better, so we're looking forward to that."

Ifeoma Dieke led her side to an away draw after going down to 10 men against the Washington Freedom and Abby Wambach when LB Frida Ostberg was sent off in 63mins. Dieke was composed and strong and shackled Australian internation Lisa DeVanna and Wambach. Behind gk Caroline Jonsson she was Chicago's best outfield player.

Kaz Carney had an ok game but with the Red Stars midfield misfiring scoring oppertunities were rare for her. Anytime she had the ball she took the fight towards Washington's defence causing them a few problems. Worked well with Cristiane when she came on in the 2nd half.Never stopped running which led to her getting cramp in stoppage time.

Alex Scott by all accounts had a great game for the Breakers. Dissappointed with her own game in the 1st match against FC Gold Pride i guess she had something to prove. With her mum and friends from England in the crowd she put on a great defensive display against the speedy forwards of St Louis. Earning a yellow card in the 78th minute for bringing down Lori Chalupny.

Anita Asante started in the back for Sky Blue FC again without Captain Christie Rampone. She was solid and dominant in the air.

Eniola Aluko had a night to forget in Boston. Having started the match up front for Athletica with Kerri Hanks after a few runs and one shot at the end of the half she was sustituted by Coach Jorge Barcellos for the 2nd half. Athletica need her and all their strikers to be on the same page and put the ball in the back of the net.

SKY BLUE V UNC

Sky Blue took on College champs University of North Carolina in a preseason game. Anita Asante started the game in defence with Christie Rampone.
UNC ran out 2 -1 winners in an entertaining match.

Anita Asanti

Anita Asante is settling into the Sky Blue franchise by having already taken a few training sessions with the NJ/NY club. Coach Sawyer is looking for her to lead the defence along with US WNT captain & likely Sky Blue captain Christie Rampone.
Here is an interview she gave to the Sky Blue blog.

Getting to Know Anita Asante

What American doesn't love an English accent, and such clever turns of phrase ("We're all finding our feet", a literal football (soccer, to us) and figurative reference). That's my gut on first, albeit brief, conversation with Anita. But what struck me especially is her last comment in the interview. I want you, our fans, to read and remember it. I know I will.

So, what took you so long to arrive?
I was away with the England National Team at the Cyprus Cup. I flew in after the tournament (meeting up with Sky Blue FC at the Washington Freedom game). Our team was preparing for the European Championships in the summer.

You had a good tournament?
We had France in our group, whom we met before and they had qualified for the World Cup. We played South Africa for the first time ever, and Canada in final. For us to win this tournament was a major step for our team, and showed how far we came in last couple of months.

How did you come to play the game?
I started as a kid back home. Typically, the area I grew up in, Edgeware Town in Northwest London, had kids all over playing football, so it was easy to pick up. I suppose also partly because my dad is a massive football fan. He supports Arsenal. My uncle was a massive Liverpool fan. I ended up supporting Liverpool, much to the upset of my dad. I went on to play for Arsenal (Ladies) for ten years, and for the last year, with Chelsea.

Any playing history in the U.S.?
I've never really been out here and played, except once at the San Diego Surf Cup with Arsenal.

How do you find Sky Blue FC in this early stage?
I think we have a very solid defensive unit, and we are quick up front. We are all finding our feet and getting to know each other. There is good team spirit and everyone interacting and interested in each other, and our different backgrounds. This is translating onto the field as well, providing good communication, so we can get the best out of each other.

How do your family and friends feel about you coming here?
Most of my friends are really pleased. They've been pushing me to do something like this for a long time. And for them it's a trip, a chance to come visit. Mom and dad have always supported me, and can't wait to come out and watch.

Anything you want to add?
I want as many people to come watch as possible. It's going to be an exciting league. This team has so much to show. In England, the fans come to home games, and catch up with away games. Wherever we go, we know our fans are there in spirit. Fans make the 12th player on the team.

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