EURO 2009 - UPDATE

SEMI-FINALS



We are now down to the last four in the Uefa Women's Euro 2009.
England, Germany, Netherlands and Norway.

England will play the Netherlands on Sunday 5pm BST.
They booked their place in the semi's with a gritty performance against the hosts Finland. Winning 3-2. England had more of the ball and the better of the play but the Finn's were always dangerous with long balls and set pieces. Saint Louis Athletica's Eniola Aluko scored 2 goals to to take England through taking her tally for the championships to 3 goals and earning her the player of the match. Midfielder Fara Williams scored her 2nd goal of the tournament. Captain Faye White is out of the tournament with a broken cheek bone.



Germany overcame an up for it Italy to go thorough to the semi's 2-1. 2 goals from forward Inka Grings who overcame a knee injury sealed it. Both goals coming at the start of each half.
Grings is now the leading scorer for the tournament on 4 goals.
Germany will play Norway on Monday 7th September.


Netherlands booked their Semi-Final day with England with a win over rivals France by a penalty shoot-out which they won 5-4. The game was all France but the Dutch bunkered in and got stuck into the French team to stop them playing. It was not pretty but it was effective.
With several players from both teams missing their penalties to take their team through young dutch midfielder and postergirl Anouk Hoogendijk stepped up to put her team through.




Norway the last team to make it through with maybe the surprise result of the tournament with a 3-1 win over their rivals Sweden. With luck on their side with the first goal Norway rattled Sweden out of their stride to book a date with Germany. In the end they were composed, compact and played well on the counter attack. One which accounted for their 3rd goal by 2nd half substitute forward Cecile Pedersen, who stroked the ball passed the goalkeeper with the outside of her right foot after out running the last defender. Brilliant goal which brought delight to her teamates and coach.

Semi-finals - Match kick-offs are listed in CET

06/09	England	18:00	Netherlands
07/09	Germany	18:00	Norway

Saint Louis Athletica v Boston Breakers Highlights

1-0

SAINT LOUIS ATHLETICA 1 - 0 BOSTON BREAKERS

Saint Louis Athletica clinched a playoff spot and home field for the WPS Super Semifinal by beating the Boston Breakers 1-0 at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park on Saturday night.

Eniola Aluko scored the game-winner in the 36th minute when Amanda Cinalli slipped a through ball to Aluko inside the penalty area. Aluko slotted home her shot beating Boston goalkeeper Allison Lipsher. The goal was Aluko’s sixth of the year.

The Breakers who had head coach Tony DiCicco watching from the stands after his suspension had a couple of threats to open the scoring earlier in the half. The first came in the fifth minute when Kristine Lilly and Jennie Nobis pressured Saint Louis defender Kia McNeil into giving up the ball. Lilly then broke in on goal but fired her shot wide of the near post.

Boston had another chance in the 16th minute off a corner. Lilly's corner was headed out of the box by the Athletica defense right to Kelly Smith at the top of area, but her shot went just over the crossbar.

Athletica had a chance to add to their lead in first half stoppage time when Niki Cross took a free drive from a free kick 30 yards out that went just wide of the left post.

Into the second half Smith nearly equalised for Boston in the 65th minute when Heather Mitts sent a pass to her in the penalty area. Smith turned and shot toward the upper right corner but Hope Solo made a diving save to deny Smith and keep the game 1-0.

2nd half substitute Sarah Walsh nearly sealed the game for Athletica in the 86th minute when she latched on to a though ball outpaced the defender and took a shot from distance that hit the left post and bounced safely back to Lipsher.

Athletica next play Chicago Red Stars for their last home game on Wednesday night 5th August. Having clinched 2nd place they can rest players in readiness for the playoffs.

Boston's last game is at Harvard Stadium Sunday 9th August to 1st place Los Angles Sol. Boston need a win to make the playoffs.

“My biggest dream is to give St. Louis a title in the WPS and god willing we will make this happen. I identify a lot with the fans here, the fans are part of the club, they come here to have fun and they believe in the work we do so we want to return that by giving them some happiness.” Said Head coach Jorge Barcellos.

“I think we played pretty well,” said Breakers assistant coach Lisa Cole “There were moments in the first half in which we kind of got away from our game plan. We put together a good half and put together several good opportunities that just didn’t fall for us. I’m proud of how we played and competed, but we have to finish.”

Lineups:

Saint Louis Athletica: Hope Solo; Kendall Fletcher, Kia McNeill, Tina Ellertson, Elise Weber (Stephanie Logterman, 55); Angie Woznuk (Sarah Walsh, 61), Lori Chalupny(C), Amanda Cinalli, Melissa Tancredi,; Eniola Aluko (Erin Walter, 93), Niki Cross.

Boston Breakers: Alli Lipsher; Heather Mitts (Abby Crumpton, 87), Candace Chapman, Amy LePeilbet, Nancy Augsustyniak-Goffi; Maggie Tomecka, Fabiana, Kelly Smith (Christine Latham, 72), Angela Hucles, Kristine Lilly(C) ; Jennie Nobis (Kelly Schmedes, 58).

Saint Louis Athletica v NJ Sky Blue FC Highlights

1-0

TAKE A BOW ENIOLA ALUKO

Eniola Aluko.....is making more than just a splash in the WPS. More a tidal wave. At least to Athletica.

The English international has emerged as one of the best players in the league and once again had a very busy week where she has played for England in England and played twice for Saint Louis Athletica in the USA. Playing more or less the full 90 minutes in all 3 matches.

This shows she is viewed as a very important player for club and country.

On Wednesday night another goal by Aluko against Sky Blue FC has taken Athletica one step closer to clinching a playoff spot. The goal is Aluko's 5 th of the season. She is comfortably in the top 10 scorers chart of the WP, hanging with the likes of Marta, Cristiane, Natasha Kai, Christine Sinclair and English national teamate Kelly Smith.

Athletica have scored a total 14 goals this season. Not only has Eniola scored 5 of those goals she has assisted on a further 4 earning praise from other coaches in the WPS and Athletica coach Jorge Barcellos who said that she is a very important player for Athletica and they will miss her when she leaves for the Euro's in August.
Athletica captain Lori Chalupny also has high praise for Aluko.

"You can see why she's done so well in this league,She's so good at taking people on (one on one), she's so confident in turning with the ball. Her shot, she's got a real quick release. It's unlike anything I've seen, how quick she gets her shot off."

For England Aluko has scored 6 goals in 38 appearances. With the confidence from her WPS season behind her we are betting Eniola Aluko will also be making a splash in Finland at Euro 2009. A tidal Wave no less!


Paul Taylor

SAINT LOUIS ATHLETICA 1 - 0 NJ SKY BLUE FC

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.

WASHINGTON FREEDOM 1 - 0 SAINT LOUIS ATHLETICA

The Washington Freedom took a much needed win against the Saint Louis Athletica at RFK Stadium, Washington on Saturday evening. In the double header with MLS’s DC United in front of a 4600 strong crowd, the Freedom missing Captain Abby Wambach , centre-back Cat Whitehill and GK Erin McLeod to international duty took the tie 1-0 to boost their chances in making the WPS playoffs.

The winning goal came in the 74th minute from the Japanese midfielder Homare Sawa who burst on to the ball in the box and struck the ball towards goal. The ball took a slight deflection of Athletica defender Kia McNeil to go past GK Jillian Loyden in for the missing Hope Solo.

Saint Louis started the 1st half well with defender Nikki Cross playing as a forward getting a chance in 10th minute. Amanda Cinalli crossing the ball into the box and Cross beating the Freedom GK Kati Jo Spisak but hitting the side netting.Cross got another chance on 20 minutes where she headed a ball towards goal, this time Spisak tipped the ball over the bar.
Eniola Aluko made several darting runs and was full of energy on the hot day even though she had just arrived back the day before from England after playing the full 90 minutes of England’s friendly against Iceland on Thursday.
Athletica looked the better side in the 1st half even though they were missing the industry and penetration in midfield of their captain Lori Chalupny. Washington with a much changed backline held strong.

Into the second half Washington saw more of the ball and Sonia Bompastor who was Captain in the absence of Wambach and Whitehill started to take control of the midfield.

The heat looked to play a big part as the play slowed down dramatically.

On the 64th minute the Freedom had drama of their own. Goalkeeper Spisak suffered a quad injury and GK Coach Nicci Wright had to come on. Wright was on the bench due to McLeod on international duty with Canada and Briana Scurry out injured.

Athletica failed to test the 36 yr old keeper and didn’t create many chances in the 2nd half.

In the 74th minute Kendall Fletcher lost the ball at the top of the box and Sawa latched on to the ball to drive into the penalty box to score the goal giving the Freedom the Win.

With the win, Washington (5-6-5, 20 points) jumped into fourth place in the WPS standings. Saint Louis (7-6-2, 23 points) remain in 2nd.This could all change later this weekend though.

Washington has four games left, while Saint Louis has five left. Three playoff spots are still up for grabs. Washington returns to action Sunday, July 26th, playing at the Chicago Red Stars. Saint Louis takes the pitch again Wednesday, July 22nd against Sky Blue FC.



“Near the end of the game, they weren’t able to put on any pressure and get any clear chances. Defensively we were solid; it was nice to have a coach back there organizing things,” said Freedom head coach Jim Gabarra.

“It’s so different when you’re out of it…it’s more of a mental issue,” Nicci Wright said of her abrupt return from retirement. “I retired for a reason, because I wanted to coach.”

“There’s a feeling of relief when [the ball] makes it into your hands…[you] get that first save and you’re kinda like, I’m fine, I’m okay.”

"It's pretty frustrating," said defender Tina Ellertson. "We really wanted to get a win because it's the last time we play them. We thought we were prepared and united together, but we didn't capitalize when we should and they did. It's unfortunate."

"We tried to (challenge her)," said Athletica forward Eniola Aluko, "but we couldn't even get the ball to the top (of the penalty box). It was tough to get to areas where we could shoot. It was frustrating."

Lineup:

Washington Freedom : Kati Jo Spisak(Nicci Wright 64); Jill Gilbeau, Alex Singer, Becky Sauerbrunn; Sarah Senty ;Lori Lindsey, Sonia Bompastor (C) , Homare Sawa, Alex Krieger(Joanna Lohman 79 ); Lisa De Vanna, Rebacca Moros.(Allie Long 59)

Saint Louis Athletica: Jillian Loyden;Stephanie Logterman (Kia McNeill 63), Sarah Larsson, Tina Ellertson (C), Elise Weber; Lisa Stoia, Amanda Cinalli (Erin Walter 46), Angie Woznuk, Kendall Fletcher;Nikki Cross (Sarah Walsh 68), Eniola Aluko

ENGLAND 0 v 2 ICELAND

Eniola Aluko was the only English player from the WPS on show on Thursday night 16th July as England started their preparations for Euro 2009 against Iceland.

Kelly Smith, Alex Scott,Karen Carney, Anita Asante and Karen Bardsley all sat in the stands as the mostly fringe players got a chance to stake a claim for the Euro 2009 squad.

England started brightly , however it was the visitors who got the opening goal in the 25th minute from a left footed shot from Holmfridur Magnusdottir.

England were mostly on the attack but failed to convert their chances. Something they will most definitely need to do come the real deal in the championships. Aluko, Jill Scott, Rachel Yankey and Captain Faye White all had good chances to equalise.

Iceland mainly playing on the counter attack sealed the win in the 81st minute when Margrét Lára Vidarsdóttir slid the ball under the keeper for a well taken goal.
Rachel Williams, Gemma Davison and Dunia Susi all made their senior debuts coming on as substitutes.

The final warm-up match is on Wednesday against Denmark where it is expected certainly in the first half to see England's best starting 11.


Line-ups:

England: Siobhan Chamberlain(Carly Telford 46); Rachel Unitt , Laura Bassett, Faye White (C) , CorinneYorston (Dunia Susi 65); Dan Buet, Jill Scott (Rachel Williams 65); Emily Westwood; Jess Clarke (Gemma Davison 79) , Eniola Aluko, Rachel Yankey.

Iceland: Helgadottir; Sigurdardottir, Jonsdottir, G. Gunnarsdottir, O. Vidarsdottir; Gardarsdottir, Stefansdottir (Omarsdottir 70); Larusdottir, S. Gunnarsdottir, Magnusdottir; M. Vidarsdottir.

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.

NJ SKY BLUE 1 -2 SAINT LOUIS ATHLETICA

Saint Louis Athletica wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in New Jersey against Sky Blue FC as Eniola Aluko notched an opening strike in just the second minute of action but it was Elise Weber’s game-winner in the 84th minute that gave Saint Louis a 2-1 win at Yurcak Field at Rutgers University in a WPS, Sunday night matchup.

Saint Louis took control early when Aluko netted her fourth goal of the season in the 2nd minute. Lori Chalupny played the ball behind and Aluko barely stayed onside before rolling a shot into the lower left corner of the goal past Jenni Branham.

Sky Blue FC responded with a number of chances but couldn't find the back of the net before halftime. In the 10th minute, Natasha Kai blocked a Hope Solo clearance and Kacey White tried to chip the Athletica GK but she got back to her line in time to grab the attempt. Meghan Schnur followed in the 21st minute with a shot from 25 yards out that went over the bar.

Sky Blue FC continued to press and in the 40th minute Keeley Dowling sent a nice cross into the box from the right side that Rosana headed with force just over the goal. Four minutes later, a nice combination between Heather O'Reilly and Kacey White led O'Reilly into the box but her shot was stuffed by Solo.

In the second half, it was more chances for Sky Blue FC as O'Reilly's effort from 20 yards was tipped over the bar by Solo in the 70th minute and O'Reilly followed that with a volley that just missed the left post four minutes later.

Sky Blue FC finally broke through in the 76th minute off an extended sequence in the Athletica box. O'Reilly chipped the ball forward and Kai battled with Saint Louis defender Tina Ellertson, knocking the ball loose for substitute midfielder Julianne Sitch to nail inside the left post.

Saint Louis stunned the crowd with the game-winner eight minutes later. Melissa Tancredi took a throw to the side of the Sky Blue FC box and Weber looped the ball high into the air and just inside the far post.

Sky Blue FC held a 21-5 advantage in shots but could only muster one goal off the foot of Julianne Sitch that tied the score in the 76th minute.

The loss keeps Sky Blue in 5th place in the WPS standings 4pts behind the Washington Freedom with their next game against the 2nd place Boston Breakers on July 4th.

The win moves Athletica up to 17 points for the year and 3rd place in the standings.It starts off a four game road trip in fine fashion. Athletica are now 5-5-2 on the season.

Sky Blue FC midfielder/defender Julianne Sitch:

“The ball was played in and Natasha (Kai) chased the ball down and kept it alive for us. Without her working hard to keep the play going, the ball would have never fallen to me. We’ve all been doing a good job of creating chances in recent games, and I was glad to be able to put one in the back of the net.”

Saint Louis forward Eniola Aluko:

“It was good to score an early goal since we absorbed so much pressure throughout the course of the game. The score helped us settle in a little easier and build confidence. In winning tonight, we showed our resilience – in that sense, winning ugly has become somewhat typical of Saint Louis soccer.”

Saint Louis Athletica defender Elise Weber:

“(Melissa) Tancredi won a throw-in for us, and on the following play I realized that the defender wasn’t watching me – she was focused on Melissa. I made a run into space and collected the ball; it took a bounce and I knew I wouldn’t be able to cross it on the ground. I just tried to play as dangerous a ball as I could, to make the keeper have to come out and make a play.”

Lineups:
Sky Blue FC – Jenni Branam; Meghan Schnur (Collette McCallum 63’), Christie Rampone (Capt), Anita Asante, Keeley Dowling (Capt); Kelly Parker, Rosana (Julianne Sitch 69’), Yael Averbuch (Jen Buczkowski 65’), Heather O’Reilly (Capt); Natasha Kai, Kacey White.

Saint Louis Athletica – Hope Solo, Stephanie Logterman, Tina Ellertson (Elise Weber 79’), Sara Larrson, Kia McNeill; Amanda Cinalli (Melissa Tancredi 63’), Kendall Fletcher, Angie Woznuk, Lori Chalupny (Capt); Eniola Aluko, Christie Welsh (Lisa Stoia)

SAINT LOUIS ATHLETICA 1 - 2 LOS ANGELES SOL

Saint Louis Athletica had their chances, plenty of them, but could not get the result they might have deserved and dropped a 2-1 decision to the Los Angeles Sol in front of 3,014 at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park on Wednesday night.

Han Duan got the first goal of the game for Los Angeles in the 50th minute. Duan’s effort was singularly impressive as she had a ball played into her at the edge of the penalty area. Duan used her first touch to flick the ball over and around Tina Ellertson, Duan picked up the ball as she moved past Ellertson and then beat Hope Solo with a clean shot to the far post.

Marta would provide that second goal in the 73rd minute as an Aly Wagner ball found her in the area. Marta’s quick shot was able to beat Solo and Los Angeles looked comfortable with a 2-0 lead.

Kerri Hanks, subbed in the 77th minute, notched her first goal of the season in the 81st minute to draw one back and breathe some late life into the game. Eniola Aluko provided the set up and Hanks became the first Athletica player to get a ball past LA’s Karina LeBlanc this season.

The game was likely decided in the first half as it was Saint Louis that applied the pressure and outshot the Sol nine to six, put four chances on goal to LA’s three, and took six corners to Los Angeles’ one, yet nothing would go in. First half chances by Lori Chalupny, Christie Welsh, and Ellertson all were handled by LeBlanc or finished high and wide.

The second half would see more of the same from Saint Louis as Athletica pushed forward and tried to overcome one and two goal deficits. Athletica earned another six corners, took a staggering 16 shots, and placed six shots on goal for the half.

LeBlanc again proved to be the story. Chalupny’s 63rd minute bid to tie the match drew a fantastic save from LeBlanc. LeBlanc then saved Melissa Tancredi’s header two minutes later. Those two saves represented Athletica’s best chances until Hanks converted later.

Athletica remain in fourth place for the moment due to all the teams behind them in the standings being off on Wednesday night. Sunday night they will face Sky Blue FC at Rutgers University in New Jersey. A win will keep Athletica in fourth place. The game can be seen on the Fox Soccer Channel and heard locally in St. Louis on Team 1380 AM. Game time is 6pm ET.

The Los Angeles Sol who extend their points at the top of the league hosts the Chicago Red Stars this Saturday, June 27 at 1pm ET at The Home Depot Center.

“I believe in the second half we created so many chances. It is something in a match to have 12 corner kicks and we missed a goal almost inside the goal. We worked on a lot of things during the week and the goals didn’t happen for us,” said Athletica Head Coach Jorge Barcellos. “Today though we proved we could play with Los Angeles. They had two chances in the second half and scored on both chances. Now we need to prepare to go to New Jersey.”

“It was kind of frustrating that I hadn’t gotten a goal yet,” said Hanks. “Aluko set me up on a perfect through ball and I just took my chance and hit it well.”

“We made a few changes to start the second half,” said Sol Head Coach Abner Rogers. “Duan came in off the bench and scored a world class goal. We only had two good chances tonight and we got goals from both.”

Lineups:

Saint Louis Athletica: Hope Solo; Kia McNeill (58: Melissa Tancredi), Tina Ellertson, Sara Larsson, Stephanie Logterman, Lori Chalupny, Angie Woznuk, Kendall Fletcher, Amanda Cinalli (76: Ashlee Pistorius), Christie Welsh (77: Kerri Hanks), Eniola Aluko.

Los Angeles Sol: Karina LeBlanc; Manya Makoski, Allison Falk, Lisa Sari, Stephanie Cox; Camille Abily (69: Aly Wagner), Shannon Boxx (C), Aya Miyama, Brittany Bock, Marta, Keri Sanchez (50: Han Duan).

Erin McLeod selected Week 13 WPS Player of the Week

Well thank god for that. About time another defensive player gets the nod.And the 2nd goalie after Athletica's Jillian Loyden.


Washington goalkeeper Erin McLeod has been selected WPS's Player of the Week for Week 13 after notching her second shutout in six appearances to lead the visiting Freedom to a 1-0 triumph over Saint Louis Athletica. The Canadian made seven saves, including a big 63rd-minute stop on Week 12 winner Eniola Aluko, and twice received help from her crossbar as Washington climbed to second place in the WPS standings.

McLeod is the third Freedom player to receive Player of the Week honors, joining Abby Wambach (Week 5) and Sonia Bompastor (Week 6). She's the second Canadian selection (FC Gold Pride's Christine Sinclair, Week 8) and the second goalkeeper honored (Saint Louis' Jillian Loyden, Week 9). The WPS Player of the Week is selected by a panel of writers from the North American Soccer Reporters.

WPS Players of the Week

Week 1: Aya Miyama (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 2: Marta (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 3: Kelly Smith (Boston Breakers)
Week 4: Aly Wagner (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 5: Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)
Week 6: Sonia Bompastor (Washington Freedom)
Week 7: Lori Chalupny (Saint Louis Athletica)
Week 8: Christine Sinclair (FC Gold Pride)
Week 9: Jillian Loyden (Saint Louis Athletica)
Week 10: Shannon Boxx (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 11: Camille Abily (Los Angeles Sol)
Week 12: Eniola Aluko (Saint Louis Athletica)

Week 13: Erin McLeod (Washington Freedom)

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.

SAINT LOUIS ATHLETICA 0 - 1 WASHINGTON FREEDOM

The Washington Freedom's Rebecca Moros scored in the 83rd minute to defeat Saint Louis Athletica 1-0 on a hot and muggy day at Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Saint Louis, Missouri, in front of 2,731 fans.

Moros’ goal came on a breakaway counter attack by Washington. Lisa De Vanna picked up the ball in midfield and made a run at the Athletica back line. De Vanna’s forward ball found Moros with Kia McNeill defending her. McNeill’s attempted clearance came right back to Moros who took the shot past an on rushing Hope Solo. Moros’ shot hit the underside of the crossbar came down on the line and then bounced into the goal.Her 2nd goal of the season.

Athletica created multiple opportunities in the second half starting in the 47th minute when Christie Welsh crashed her header from a corner off the underside of the crossbar. The ball came straight down, never crossing the goal line, and was cleared off the line by a Freedom defender.

Three minutes later Melissa Tancredi would repeat the same scenario. Tancredi’s header off another Saint Louis corner slammed into the crossbar and rebounded out before being cleared. Five minutes into the second half the score line read Crossbar 2 – Saint Louis 0.

Athletica still generated chances as the game and the heat began to takes its toll on both teams. Eniola Aluko made a bid for her fourth goal of the year in the 63rd minute, as she broke clean from the Freedom on the right side only to have her shot stopped by Erin McLeod.

The win for Washington was especially big considering Freedom Head Coach Jim Gabarra was forced to take off Abby Wambach in the 41st minute due to a hamstring problem.With the win, the Washington Freedom move ahead to second place in the WPS Standings, while Saint Louis Athletica drop a spot to number three.

The Freedom will next travel to Boston for a Wednesday night game with the Boston Breakers, to be televised on Comcast Sports Network. Saint Louis Athletica will host league-leaders LA Sol on Wednesday also.

“We played pretty well in the first half but did have to weather a few storms,” said Washington Freedom Head Coach Jim Gabarra. “Both goalies played spectacular in the first half and each team was battling to just be the first one to score.”“I think St. Louis had the better play in the second half but we held strong defensively and that ended up being the difference in the game,” said Gabarra. “To get a win on the road against a team that is ahead of you in the standings and has game in hand is critical at this time of the year.”

“When you play at home you have to win,“ Head Coach Jorge Barcellos said. “Soccer is a game when you have opportunities you have to score. If you don’t score sooner or later the other team will.”


Find more videos like this on Women's Professional Soccer




Lineups:

STL: Solo; Logterman, Ellertson, McNeill, Weber (Tancredi 27); Fletcher, Cinalli (Larsson 81), Woznuk, Chalupny; Aluko, Welsh (Hanks 58)

WAS: McLeod; Bompastor, Sauerbrunn, Whitehill, Krieger; Lindsey, Long (DeDycker 58), Sawa; De Vanna (Singer 84), Moros, Wambach (Gilbeau 41)

Saint Louis Athletica v Washington Freedom Sat June 20 2 pm ET

Saint Louis Athletica play the Washington Freedom this Saturday afternoon in a match between 2nd and 3rd in the standings. The game will be played at Athletica's new home The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park, Saint Louis. The match can be heard on local radio in St. Louis on TEAM 1380 AM, on-line at team1380.net, or follow the game on matchtracker if you dare.

This is the 2nd time the teams will have met with the 1st being the 3-3 draw at the Maryland socceplex park in Washington. It was also the same game Athletica's Daniela was taken out by a bad tackle by the Freedom's Abby Wambach.

Saint Louis will be looking to get all 3 pts this time as they are the form team and will be playing infront of their home crowd.Athletica have won four of their last five games with all the wins coming by shutout and they have taken points in six of their last seven games with the only blemish being a 2-0 loss at league leading Los Angeles on May 30. Athletica’s current streak has seen them rise from the bottom of the standings to second place in the WPS table.

Few changes are expected in the lineup as Head Coach Jorge Barcellos has named the same 11 starters for the last two games, both of which have been 1-0 wins. Athletica enter this matchup relatively healthy except for Daniela being out.English international Eniola Aluko having scored against Boston is the player in form.

The Washington Freedom have had an up and down season. There last 4 matches have been - a draw at Boston,Win v FC Gold Pride, a loss against league leaders LA Sol and a draw at home against the Chicago Red Stars. Although their defence has played much better there is still a lot of work to do. They need more consistency. They need to score goals. The build up place is great but the ball needs to go in the net.

Having new defender Ali Krieger available again should start start them off. Key players for the Freedom - GK Erin Mcleod and Lori Lindsey who has recovered from illness.Without her the Freedom lost some of their drive in midfield.

Expect an exciting match if the 1st matchup is an indicator.

WPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK 12

Saint Louis Athletica forward Eniola Aluko won the WPS of the Week for Week 12 on Tuesday.

Aluko scored just before halftime to lead visiting Athletica to a 1-0 win over the Boston Breakers. St. Louis moved into third place with the win.

The Englishwoman finished a through ball from Kendall Fletcher for the only goal in three WPS matches this week and her third of the season.

"Absolutely brilliant ball from Kendall Fletcher," said Aluko. "She put me right in to the channel and I just knew I had to finish. Thankfully it went through the goalkeeper's legs and we got the win away from home."

Aluko is the third Athletica player to receive Player of the Week honors, joining Lori Chalupny (Week 7) and Jillian Loyden (Week 9).

Aluko has been playing well over the past couple of games for Athletica and is a vital player in their quest for silverware. She has started in 8 games , scored 3 goals and has an assist to Amanda Cinalli's debut goal against Sky Blue FC. With her speed and willingness to run into the channels she offers her teammates plenty of options in attack and she gives defenders the runaround keeping them on their toes.

WPS HIGHLIGHTS

Washington Freedom 0 - 0 Chicago Red Stars



Find more videos like this on Women's Professional Soccer






NJ Sky Blue FC 0 - 0 Los Angeles Sol


Find more videos like this on Women's Professional Soccer





Boston Breakers 0 - 1 Saint Louis Athletica


Find more videos like this on Women's Professional Soccer

BOSTON BREAKERS 0 - 1 SAINT LOUIS ATHLETICA

Saint Louis Athletica continued their hot streak with a 1-0 win Sunday night over the Boston Breakers at Harvard Stadium.Before a crowd of over 4500. The win was the fourth in the last five games for Saint Louis and moved them into sole possession of second place in the WPS standing with 14 points.

Athletica took the lead in the 43^rd minute when Eniola Aluko struck for the third time this season. Aluko split open the Boston defense with her run and calmly finished her chance beating Kristen Luckenbill. Kendall Fletcher provided the perfectly weighted ball right down the center channel for Aluko to use her pace and get onto the end of. Aluko has now had a hand in all four of Athletica’s last four goals.

The goal just before the half followed a disallowed goal that Amanda Cinalli had struck in the 17^th minute. Cinalli reached the end of a cross in the six-yard box and cleanly finished only to be judged correctlely offside by the linesman.

Boston had one quality chance in the first half but Kelly Smith failed to connect with a ball that found her alone at the six-yard box straight in front of Hope Solo. Smith’s volleyed touch took the ball high and wide of the net.

The Breakers came out into the second half with momentum, and had three scoring opportunities in the first five minutes. Kristine Lilly got two shots off, one which was saved by Saint Louis goalkeeper Hope Solo at the near post, and another that went just wide of the net. Alex Scott also sent a cross right across the goal line, but no teammates were on the end of it to finish. Athletica dealt with what Boston threw at them. Hope Solo made four saves but none of them challenged her seriously.

Despite Boston controlling the majority of the game, Saint Louis proved to be effective on the counterattack.

The Breakers owned a commanding 17-7 advantage in shots on goal, and an 8-1 edge in corners. Boston also enjoyed the majority of the possession throughout the game, but were unable to score.

Lineups :

BOSTON: Kristin Luckenbill; Alex Scott, Candace Chapman, Amy LePeilbet, Heather Mitts; Kelly Schmedes, Angela Hucles, Kristine Lilly, Kelly Smith (Kasey Moore, 71st); Amy Rodriguez, Jennifer Nobis (Maggie Tomecka, 67th min).

SAINT LOUIS: Hope Solo; Stephanie Logterman, Kia Mcneill, Tina Ellertson, Elisa Weber; Amanda Cinalli, Angie Woznuk, Lori Chalupny (Sara Larson, 75th), Kendall Fletcher; Eniola Aluko, Christie Welsh (Ashless Pistorious, 89th min).

WPS PREVIEW WEEK 12

Three matches take shape this weekend, all on the East coast. FC Gold Pride will sit out. Five teams will turn up the intensity hoping to someday catch the first-place Los Angeles Sol, who has a 12-point lead.

Week 12 of Women’s Professional Soccer features three matches. Sky Blue FC hosts the Los Angeles Sol. The Washington Freedom hosts the Chicago Red Stars in a doubleheader with D.C. United. While Sunday’s finale features Boston hosting St. Louis Athletica. FC Gold Pride will sit out the week. Los Angeles has a Twelve-point lead in the WPS standings. While the rest of the teams are looking to break away from the pack.

Washington Freedom vs. Chicago Red Stars, Saturday, June 13 at RFK Stadium at 4:30 p.m. ET

The Washington Freedom hosts the Chicago Red Stars Saturday in a battle for second place. A win and the Red Stars (7-1-3, 10 points) can move into second place. A draw or a win for Washington (3-3-3, 12 points) helps them secure second place for at least a few hours.

The Red Stars are impressive on the road with a 1-0-3 record. Chicago snapped its three-game losing streak last week, posting back-to-back 1-1 draws at the Los Angeles Sol and FC Gold Pride. Cristiane led the Red Stars this past week with a goal in each match.

Chicago is relatively even across the board. The Red Stars have tallied eight goals while allowing eight. Goalkeeper Caroline Jonsson is still among the best in the league, making 38 saves and posting three shutouts. Chicago will be missing forward Ella Masar (hip) and midfielder Heather Garriock (muscle strain) for the match. Defender Ifeoma Dieke (hamstring) is also listed as questionable.

Washington is still one of the toughest squads in the league. The Freedom has forced 16 goals for the top scoring team in WPS. However, they’ve also allowed 18, for the most goals allowed. Sonia Bompastor and Lisa DeVanna lead the attack for Washington with three goals each. Goalkeeper Erin McLeod is finally securing the backline for Washington. While they still iron out some kinks, the Freedom will rely on her to make the big saves.

In the Freedom’s last home match, they posted a 3-1 win. But last weekend the Los Angeles Sol topped Washington 3-1, ending their unbeaten streak at five matches. The Freedom will host their second double-header with D.C. United. The first time at RFK Stadium they earned a 2-1 win. It won’t be easy for Chicago to go in there and stop Washington’s attack.

The First time these two teams met, the game ended in a 1-1 draw. Expect Chicago to look for a win. But Washington too will look to hold on to the number two spot. It should be a close match, but a must-see for the MLS fans in the stands.



Sky Blue FC vs. Los Angeles Sol, Saturday, June 13 at 7:00 p.m. ET, Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ

When Sky Blue FC and the Los Angeles Sol meet on the pitch this Saturday, it will be a battle between first-place and last in the league. This will be the third time these teams have played each other this season, with the Sol coming out on top in both prior matches.

Sky Blue FC (2-5-2) sits at the bottom of the league table with eight points. Only four points separate second-place and last, though, so every round can reshuffle the table. They lost their most recent match 0-1 on the road against Saint Louis. Two games ago, Sky Blue earned a 2-1 win over the Boston Breakers, who were in second place. Four out of five of Sky Blue FC’s losses have been away games, so they will be happy to host on home turf facing the Sol. However, they have only scored six goals to date, and they will be facing a tough goalkeeper. Sky Blue FC players to watch will be Natasha Kai, with two goals and one assist this season, and Kacey White, who scored the match winner against Boston.

The Los Angeles Sol (7-1-3) is mowing down the opposition left and right. With 24 points, they have twice as many as the second-place team, and three times that of last-place. They have only let in four goals all season, with by far the best goal differential of +11. In eight of eleven games played, the L.A. has held opponents scoreless. The one defeat they suffered occurred on the road, and of their seven wins, only two were away games, so that should offer Sky Blue FC a glimmer of hope. Sol players to watch include the league top scorer, Camille Abily, with six goals to her name, and Marta, who is tied for 3rd most league goals at four.

The Los Angeles Sol is the definite favorite in this match-up, but don’t count out the unpredictable Sky Blue FC. A win for the home side could pull them out of last-place, so the Sol will have a fight on their hands to come away with all three points.



Boston Breakers vs. Saint Louis Athletica, Sunday, June 14 at 6:00 p.m. ET, Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, MA

The Boston Breakers stay at home this weekend and take on Saint Louis Athletica. The two teams are tied for third place on the table with eleven points apiece, along with FC Gold Pride. With second place Washington only one point above them, the winner of this match could potentially claim that spot.

Boston (3-3-2) had a bye last weekend, and their most recent game was a 1-2 road loss to Sky Blue FC on May 31st. That defeat saw the Breakers fall out of 2nd place and halted a three-game unbeaten streak. In their favor, Boston has a good home record, with no losses, two wins, and a draw. This match marks the start of an intense period in the Breakers’ schedule, with four games in eleven days, so that could impact their lineup and tactics. Players to watch include Kelly Smith, who is the league’s second highest goal scorer with five goals, and Kristine Lilly, with two goals so far. Smith sustained a knee injury in the last match but has since recovered.

Saint Louis (3-3-2) had a disappointing start to the season with two losses, but ever since has been grinding out results. Of their last six matches, they only suffered one loss, and that was to first-place Los Angeles Sol. Athletica’s most recent game was a 1-0 home victory over Sky Blue FC. Saint Louis’ away record doesn’t bode well for them, though, with two of their three losses coming on the road. Players to watch include goalkeeper Hope Solo, who has made 35 saves this season, as well as Eniola Aluko, with two goals and an assist to her name.

The last time these teams met, on April 11, Boston defeated Saint Louis 2-0. Since then, Athletica’s performances have improved, while the Breakers’ haven’t won in more than a month. This will be a very tight match-up, and could go either way.


Preview by goal.com

WPS RESULTS SUN JUNE 7TH

Saint Louis Athletica 1 - 0 Sky Blue FC

Athletica moved up to 3rd place in the league with a win over Sky Blue. Amanda Cinalli coming of an injury scored in the 15th minute for her 1st goal of the season. Cinalli was injured on the eve of the WPS.In the 15th minute Angie Woznuk passed the ball to Eniola Aluko inside the penalty area. Aluko sent a high ball over Sky Blue FC’s defenders. Cinalli chested the ball down and shot it into the net past Sky Blue keeper Karen Barsdley for a 1-0 lead.“It was a great build up coming up the field. We worked it to Aluko and she had a great cross and I was in the right place at the right time,” said Cinalli. “It was a great feeling and it has been so much fun to be a part of this team so it was great to be out there contributing.”

Sky Blue FC’s Natahsha Kai blasted a ball toward goal in the 22nd minute. Athletica goalkeeper Hope Solo tipped it over the bar, keeping her net clean. Heather O’Reilly shot the ball toward Solo in the 33rd minute. Hope Solo punched it out of harm’s way.

Saint Louis turned up the pressure toward the end of the half. Christie Welsh, Stephanie Logterman, Elise Weber and Woznuk all had decent chances in the final 10 minutes of the first half.

In the 58th minute, Saint Louis received a scare when Aluko began running a bit slower. She was removed from the game for a hamstring strain.

Sky Blue FC continued to push for the equalizer. They came close in the 74th minute. Collette McCallum stood wide open in front of the net. With plenty of space, McCallum shot and missed the goal.
Saint Louis held on for the 1-0 win.

Sky Blue FC out shot Athletica 14-10, including six shots on goal. But the visitors couldn’t convert. Solo made six saves on the night for Saint Louis. Bardsley had three stops for Sky Blue.


“The important thing is that we took the three points today,” said Jorge Barcellos. “Stephanie Logterman gave us a lot of quality on the outside of the defense. Cinalli was a very good marking player today and she really helped the team and of course scored the goal but we will take her progress slowly as she makes her way back.”


Lineups :
Saint Louis Athletica – Hope Solo; Kendall Fletcher, Tina Ellertson, Kia McNeill (Sara Larsson 69’), Stephanie Logterman; Elise Weber, Lori Chalupny, Amanda Cinalli (Francielle 66’), Angie Woznuk; Christie Welsh, Eniola Aluko (Kerri Hanks 57’).

Sky Blue FC – Karen Bardsley; Julianne Sitch (Jen Buczkowski 70’), Christie Rampone, Anita Asante, Meghan Schnur; Heather O’Reilly, Yael Averbuch, Rosana (Kelly Parker 57’), Collette McCallum; Natasha Kai, Kacey White.


************************************


FC Gold Pride 1 - 1 Chicago Red Stars

FC Gold Pride played the Chicago Red Stars to a 1-1- draw at Buck Shaw Stadium. The teams squared off in front of 2,956 fans under blue skies on Sunday evening.
FC Gold Pride struck first in the match, going up 1-0 on the Red Stars as Christine Sinclair, assisted by Eriko Arakawa, put away her fourth goal of the year in the 15th minute of play.
The Red Stars struck back early in the second half with a goal served up by Megan Rapinoe and headed in by Cristiane 47th minute. The teams exchanged attacks throughout the second half seeing close calls for both teams, but neither team would find the back of the net again. After 90 minutes of well played soccer the match ended in a 1-1- draw.

The physical game saw the Pride suffer 19 fouls. A trio of cautions were issued in the game, one to the Pride's Leslie Osborne in the 27th minute and two to the Red Stars' Chioma Igwe in the 43rd minute and Frida Ostberg in the 66th.

Despite the tie, Chicago drops to sixth place in the WPS standings with 10 points – but the Red Stars are just a point back of a three-way tie for third place. Boston, FC Gold Pride and Saint Louis are knotted together with 11 points each.

Both teams will be looking to pick up more points to get in the top four -playoff place and to chase LA Sol who are way out in front.

"For me its just being comfortable with the team," said Sinclair on scoring goals. "To come in late to a team where you don't really know anyone it's an interesting position to be out in to. I think the team has come together very nicely. We're starting to sort of click up front. We could have scored a couple more goals today, but for me personally, when the goals start going, your confidence starts going up, which is nice because it's something I didn't have the first couple of games this season when it seemed we were all missing open nets, that gets kind of frustrating as a forward."

"I thought the first half was really poor by our standards," said Red Stars Head Coach Emma Hayes. "I think playing two games back-to-back takes its toll on you… We bounced back really well we lost 1-0 at home to this team. For us to get a point away from home is a great stepping stone and we know we can play better than that. In the end we had chances to win the game as did they."

"I love them I'm never going to change that opinion," said Hayes regarding her players. "They showed today they have the character that represents our club really well. As I said, last time around this team beat us 1-0, this time we take a tie and next time we're off with the three points. So character matters if you're chasing championships and we showed a lot of that in the second half even when we didn't play well."

Lineups:

FC Gold Pride – Barnhart; Robinson, Abegg, Buehler; Graczyk, Osborne, DiMartino, Formiga (Yokers, 87); Arakawa (Adriane, 90), Sinclair, Weimer (Milbrett, 56).

Chicago Red Stars – Jönsson; Dalmy, Spilger (Krzysik, 68), Oakes, Östberg; Carney, Igwe, Klein, Rapinoe (Masar, 57; Adams, 76); Tarpley, Cristiane.


*****************************


Los Angeles Sol 3 - 1 Washington Freedom


The LA Sol defeated the Washington Freedom 3-1 at The Home Depot Center again. The Freedom played better than they did in the Inaugural game but so did the Sol.
The Sol opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Captain Shannon Boxx's long pass from the left side of the defense found Japanese midfielder Aya Miyama in stride in the center of the field.Miyama touched it quickly to get in behind the Washington defense then played a perfect ball to French star Camille Abily who was unmarked, she then lobbed the ball over the on-rushing Freedom GK Erin McLeod who got a touch of the ball but could not stop it going into the net. This was a carbon copy of the goal Abily scored in the Inaugural game against the Freedom but with Briana Scurry in goals. The goal was Abily's fourth in as many matches and her fifth overall this season, tying her with the Boston Breakers' Kelly Smith for the WPS lead.

Washington nearly drew even in the 18th minute, with a shot from Abby Wambach from outside the penalty area from a great pass from defender Cat Whitehill. Sol GK Karina LeBlanc was there once again to make a great save to preserve the lead. The teams traded chances in the latter stages of the half, but neither converted. The Sol looked comfortable in possession and dominated the midfield.

In the 2nd half LA kept up the early pressure with Boxx feeding Miyama at the edge of the box, but the long shot sailed over the Washington goal.The Freedom leveled the match with a Sonia Bompastor goal.They got a free kick 40 yards away from goal in the 57th minute. Whitehill's shot at goal was gathered by Bompastor in the box, who turned and took the quick shot leaving LeBlanc no chance for the save.

The Sol was quick to regain the lead, however. In the 60th minute, midfielder McCall Zerboni served a cross from the right byline for a diving Brittany Bock. Just as Bock got her head to the ball, Whitehill stepped in, only to see the ball deflect off her arm - and referee Ted Unkel wasted no time in pointing to the penalty spot. Abily calmly stepped up and drilled the ensuing effort into the left of the goal past McLeod to giver team a lead they would not surrender.
In the 66th minute, the LA extended the lead to 3-1. Bock and Marta worked a give-and-go on the left side of the area, with the rookie and recent Notre Dame graduate slotting her effort past McLeod. Good play all round and good goal by Bock who has played everywhere for the Sol except in goals.

LA were just too strong for the Freedom. They are the team to beat in WPS.

LOS ANGELES SOL HEAD COACH ABNER ON TODAY'S MATCH
"It was a great performance out there today; we are very happy with the way we played. We did what we had to do today to control the rhythm and win the game."

WASHINGTON FREEDOM HEAD COACH JIM GABARRA ON TODAY'S MATCH
"It was a fairly even game, but we made three pretty bad defensive lapses. They have been taking advantage of those all year and they did again today."

"We got the equalizer, but next time they were in our end we gave up a hand ball."

"We are getting better defensively but, obviously they are the best team in the league with so many weapons and so hard to stop."

Lineups:

LA Sol: Karina Leblanc; Keri Sanchez, Allison Falk, Martina Franko, Stephanie Cox; Aly Wagner (28: McCall Zerboni (88: Katie Larkin)), Camille Abily, Shannon Boxx ©, Aya Miyama; Brittany Bock, Marta.

Washington Freedom: Erin McLeod; Jill Gilbeau (72: Rebecca Moros), Cat Whitehill, Alex Singer, Becky Sauerbrunn, Joanna Lohman, Sonia Bompastor, Homare Sawa; Allie Long (81: Parrissa Eyoroken), Lisa DeVanna, Abby Wambach ©.