EURO 2009 FINAL - ENGLAND 2 - 6 GERMANY

Inka Grings and Birgit Prinz scored two goals apiece Thursday to lead defending champion Germany past England 6-2 in the women's European Championship final.

It was the fifth straight Euro title for two-time defending world champion Germany, which beat England for the 17th time in their last 19 meetings.

Germany were ruthless in attack where they took their chances when given and they outmuscled England in the midfield.

Goals from Karen Carney and Kelly Smith twice kept England in contention but the world champions were ultimately far too strong.

The game started badly for England as Germany went 2-0 up inside 21 minutes as first Birgit Prinz and then midfielder Melanie Behringer found the net.

At that stage it looked like it was going to be a stroll for the Germans, but England were not prepared to lie down and Carney halved the deficit within two minutes of Behringer's goal. Jill Scott then almost got England level before the break with a header that was cleared off the line by Behringer

Germany re-established their two-goal advantage six minutes into the second period when Simone Laudehr's shot hit the post and the ball was only cleared as far as Kim Kulig who finished with ease.

Hope Powell's side again showed their fighting mentality four minutes later when Carney slipped in a fine ball for Smith, who turned and finished brilliantly.

That was as close as England would get and goals in the final half hour from Grings, twice, and Prinz, who scored her 125th international goal, ensured that Germany lifted their fifth European title in succession and their seventh out of the last eight.

Inka Grings won the adidas Golden Boot as UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009 finals top scorer – matching her feat of four years ago in England. She scored 6 goals in the Tournament and was named player of the match for the final.

Lineups:

England : Rachel Brown, Alex Scott, Faye White (C), Anita Asante, Casey Stoney, Karen Carney, Jill Scott, Fara Williams,Katie Chapman(Emily Westwood 86),Kelly Smith, Eniola Aluko (Lianne Sanderson 81)

Germany : Nadine Angerer,Linda Bresonik,Annike Krahn,Saskia Bartusiak,Babett Peter,Kerstin Garefrekes(Fatima Bajmaraj 83) , Simone Laudehr,Kim Kulig,Melanie Behringer(Célia Okoyino da Mbabi 60),Inka Grings, Brigit Prinz (C)

Boston Breakers v Los Angeles Sol Highlights

1-2

BOSTON BREAKERS 1 - 2 LOS ANGELES SOL

The Boston Breakers’ hopes of making the playoffs ended in a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Sol on Sunday night at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Mass.

Needing a win to advance to the playoffs the loss ends Boston’s season, as they finish in fifth place, one point behind Sky Blue FC who earns the fourth and final playoff spot. The Sol (12-3-5, 41 points), the number one seed in the playoffs, will await to host the 2009 WPS Championship on August 22.

Los Angeles started off the stronger. In the 3rd minute Chinese international Han Duan took the ball down the right side, and cut around defender Alex Scott, goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill came out to grab the ball before she could get her shot off. Aya Miyama had an opportunity when Aly Wagner bent a ball right in front of the net for her to connect on, but she hit it wide.

The Breakers opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Kristine Lilly send a long ball from the left side ahead of Kelly Smith, who ran past defenders and hit a low shot past Sol goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc into the left corner. Smith ends her season as the Breakers leading scorer with six goals.

Boston continued to be on the offensive after its goal, and had chances to add to its lead towards the end of the half. In the 31st minute, Smith, this time sent a ball to Lilly, but LeBlanc picked it up before she was able to catch it. In the 34th minute, Heather Mitts intercepted a ball, changing the direction of play and sending a cross into the box, but nobody was able to connect on it for a shot.

Into the 2nd half and Los Angeles started to connect with their passes and put some pressure on the Breakers who were finding it difficult to create the same chances like they did in the 1st half.French Midfielder Camille Abilly came on and made an immediate impact. This was to be her last game as she returns to France for Euro 2009 preparations.

It paid off as the tying goal was scored in the 59th minute, when Marta received a long ball over the Breakers defense from Wagner, and lifted it over goalkeeper Luckenbill who had hesitated in coming out, into the bottom left corner of the net. It was Marta’s league-leading 10th goal of the year.

After Marta’s equalizer, the Breakers pressed to get the lead back. Scott sent the ball through to Lilly in the 56th minute toward the left side of goal, but her shot went right into LeBlanc’s gloves.Smith and second-half substitute Amy Rodriguez had the best chances to regain the lead. Smith shot a free kick in the 70th minute that just grazed the crossbar. Rodriguez’ fellow second-half sub Christine Latham fought for the ball on the end line and slide tackled the ball for Rodriguez at the top of the area, but the forward’s shot went high in the 78th minute.

In stoppage time, Marta drew a foul in the penalty area, and Shannon Boxx sealed Boston’s fate with a penalty kick goal to the upper right corner of the net.

Boston Breakers Head Coach TonY DiCicco

“I’m very proud of our team, but we just came short,It was a very frustrating season. During the last home game we dominated Sky Blue FC, who’s in the playoffs ahead of us. This game here I thought that we had some pretty good looks to get the second goal, but we didn’t connect. When you keep a team like L.A. in the game, they did what they needed to do in the second half.”


Lineups
BOSTON: Kristin Luckenbill; Alex Scott, Amy LePeilbet, Candace Chapman (Amy Rodriguez, 74th minute), Heather Mitts; Maggie Tomecka, Kristine Lilly, Angela Hucles, Mary-Frances Monroe (Kelly Schmedes, 64th minute), Fabiana (Christine Latham, 68th minute); Kelly Smith.


LOS ANGELES: Karina LeBlanc; Keri Sanchez (Camille Abily, 46th minute), Allison Falk, Brittany Bock, Stephanie Cox; Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama, Manya Makoski, Aly Wagner; Han Duan (McCall Zerboni, 87th minute), Marta.

Catch Up With Kelly..

Fair Game also caught up with Kelly.

Until this March, the only English female player to have played professionally in the USA - with the Philadelphia Charge in the WUSA - where she was a fan’s favourite but also plagued by serious injuries, Kelly Smith is again wowing American crowds, this time in the WPS for the Boston Breakers.

Amazingly, she still picked up the top scorer award for the FA Women’s Premier League this May, despite making the switch from her beloved Arsenal, across the Atlantic to Massachussetts, back in Feburary.

The goals are still flowing and life sounds good, news that all England fans will be delighted hear. FG tied Kelly to a tree on Boston Common (not really) and forced her to answer some of our nosey questions….

1. Have the first few months in the WPS been what you expected?
It has been what I expected. The football has been messy and scrappy - the first few months - as we are all getting to know each other and the way that we all play. It has definitely made my life easier having experienced playing out here in 2001 in the WUSA. It has made me settle in better, as I know what to expect.

2. How have you found the life of a professional footballer, second time around?
It\'s really enjoyable and doesn\'t feel like a job at all. I was really young in the league before and probably took it a bit for granted but now I am able to appreciate my situation more. I wake up every morning knowing I am doing something I love.

3. Only one England game to use as evidence but was it easier to step from the pace of a WPS game into an international than from the FAWPL or is it just different again?
I wouldn\'t say it\'s any different when we meet up with England. The pace in England training is so much faster than it is at club level and we have a week in camp to prepare for games. So, for me playing in the WPS is no different to how we always prepared for games with England.

4. How are you settling in and do you like life in Boston?
I love Boston, it\'s a great city with loads too do. There\'s plenty of shopping, restaurants, coffee shops and cool places to hang out. I live right off the Charles River, in Cambridge, where it is full of life, with people running, walking their dogs and cycling.

5. What are your team like to hang with? Do you spend quite a lot of time together?
My team mates are cool. We do hangout after training, maybe get lunch or dinner. Once a week we take it in turns at cooking at different team mates’ houses or we eat together at a restaurant. We try to get to a bar on Saturdays to watch the live WPS game on TV too. As the team is new, everyone comes from all over the country and abroad, so it\'s good to socialize and get to know the team outside of training.

6. Are you fed up with people copying your accent yet?
No, it\'s funny when they try to copy. They say that they love hearing the English accent, as to them it sounds ‘proper’. Kristine Lilly does the best accent.

7. How high profile are the Breakers’ team in the city? Are you getting recognised?
I was recognized in the mall by an English family who were in Boston for the weekend – how weird - and on the train, so far. The league is still so fresh and new we are getting out into the community to make it aware that Boston Breakers are back.

8. What is it like working with Tony DiCicco?
Tony is a great guy, who is very passionate about the game. He knows how to gel a team and get us playing. He is very honest and a winner. He wants the Breakers to be like a family, away from home.

9. Are you getting rough treatment from opponents or are your team mates and the refs protecting you?
Tony [DiCicco] told me, I was the most fouled player in the league to date, apparently. That\'s a compliment, as teams know I am a threat and want to stop me. Most games I get 2-3 players around me when I get on the ball, so I have to release the ball quickly, as my team mates are open. I personally don\'t think the refs give enough protection to the more skilful players. Ask Marta?!

10. Who has been the toughest opponent in the WPS, so far?
I would say Washington. They gave us a tough time at home recently, we had previously beaten them 3-1 at their field but they have really improved and kept the ball so well, for long periods in the game. It was frustrating to play in.

11. Are you surprised with your individual form or were you pretty confident you would ‘tear up the league’?
I am not surprised with my form, I was playing well for Arsenal and was confident coming into Boston that I could do well with my link-up play and also score goals. I was pleased to get the first ‘player of the month’ award.

12. Are you sad that you might potentially miss the post season games or does it not bother you too much – it’s Euro 2009 after all!?
It will be tough missing the games if we do make the play offs, but playing for your country at a major tournament is what it\'s all about. And, if selected, my main focus will be there with the national team.

13. Has anyone been out from home to visit you?
The whole month of June I have various friends coming and going, plus my mum and dad will be out for 10 days, so I will be happy to have them close by, for a while.

14. Who is more excited to be reunited, when you visit home – you or your dog!?
I miss my dog so much! I have had her since she was a pup. I originally got her from the USA in Philly. I chose not to bring her over for 6 months as she is now 8 and I thought the flight would stress her out. She has a nice comfy life with my family but I can\'t wait to be reunited with her when I am back in September.

15. Are you addicted to Twitter yet? (I think we know the answer!)
Yep, I\'m addicted. I love going on and seeing what my friends are doing and it also gives fans an update of what I am doing. The WPS really likes the idea of ‘twitter’ as you can reach out to your audience.

Fair Game : The Women's Football Magazine

BOSTON BREAKERS 1 - 2 NJ SKY BLUE FC

For the first time this season, Sky Blue FC can boast about a spot in the top four of Women’s Professional Soccer. Natasha Kai and Rosana connected for goals and Sky Blue FC held off a late charge to claim a 2-1 victory over the Boston Breakers at Harvard Stadium.

With the win, Sky Blue FC climbed into a third-place tie with the Breakers with both teams holding 5-6-3 records for 18 points. The top four teams qualify for the WPS playoffs. The victory was Sky Blue FC’s second straight over Boston and its third in three games this season over the Breakers.

The game started as well as Sky Blue FC could’ve hoped for as the visiting side built a 2-0 lead in the opening 45 minutes. Kai and Rosana both netted their third goal of the season in the offensive outburst.

Jenni Branam came up with a nice save in the 18th minute off a shot from Boston’s Jenny Nobis. Amy Rodriguez rolled a low cross into the box from the right side and Branam was quick to react to the first-time effort from Nobis, kicking the ball away to keep the game scoreless.

Sky Blue FC took control of the game in the 24th minute on a piece of shaky goalkeeping from Breakers keeper Alli Lipsher, who also let in a goal directly off a corner kick in Sky Blue FC’s 1-0 victory last weekend. Collette McCallum floated a cross forward and Kai flicked a header toward goal from 20 yards out. Lipsher was cheating off her line on the play and the ball bounced into the vacated goal for the 1-0 lead.

In the 37th minute, Sky Blue FC doubled the lead off some brilliant play by Rosana. The Brazilian midfielder started the sequence by finding Heather O’Reilly out in the right side and O’Reilly controlled the ball before sliding a cross into the box. Kai let the ball run past and Rosana, with her back to the goal, stopped the ball with her right foot, spun to her right, and sent a left-footed shot inside the left post from eight yards out for the 2-0 lead.

In the second 45 minutes, Boston got forward more as the half went on but couldn’t find the back of the net until stoppage time.

The teams traded opportunities midway through the second half. In the 65th minute, Candace Chapman had a good chance for the Breakers, but her shot from 10 yards out was wide left. Two minutes later, Lipsher made a nice save by diving to her left to stop a left-footed shot from Kacey White from the top of box.

Kelly Schmedes came off the bench and saved a ball on the goal line in the 81st minute before passing it in front of the net, but a defender got to it before one of her Breakers teammates.Angela Hucles also had an open shot before her assist at the start of second-half stoppage time, but shot the ball high after gathering up a deflected Alex Scott shot 25 yards from goal.

The Breakers got their only goal two minutes into stoppage time off a nice piece of skill from Nobis. Getting the start with leading scorer Kelly Smith on the bench, the Boston forward chested down a pass from Hucles in the box and sent a nice finish into the upper right corner from 12 yards out.

The Breakers next game is Wednesday, July 15 at Harvard Stadium where they will face the Chicago Red Stars for their third and final meet of the regular season. The game will serve as a series tie-breaker as each team won each of the previous meetings.

Sky Blue's next two will be home matches at Yurcak Field in Piscataway, N.J. starting on Wednesday night with a battle against the Washington Freedom at 7 p.m. Sky Blue FC will also host the Chicago Red Stars at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 19.

Boston Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco

“You can’t argue (our team’s) work in the second half. They worked incredibly hard. Our final passes weren’t good enough. Final pass quality and finishing pass quality haven’t been good enough. We’ve got three goals from Lilly and five from Smith and we’ve probably scored 13 or 14 goals so now our third double goal scorer is Nobis and she’s played a third of what these others have played. We’ll have to play her more.”

Boston Breakers forward Jennie Nobis

“I don’t think we played horrible. We didn’t capitalize on our chances early like Sky Blue did. I think we had more chances than they did. Capitalization is what is missing and obviously not going down early. It’s frustrating, but it could change very soon. So many teams are close. We have to regroup (and start) thinking forward.”

“Fabiana had a great cross to me for a volley, (But I) just missed it on the outside of my foot. That would have changed the momentum of the game. Tony touched base on that at halftime. It’s something I have to work on. I get one chance; I have to capitalize.”

Boston Breakers defender Alex Scott

“Tony pushed me forward to pick up the pace. We put ourselves in good position and we adjusted to Sky Blue who played a great game. Sky Blue showed more effort; they outworked us. Their forward line worked hard against us the whole game.”

Sky Blue FC forward Natasha Kai

“We came out strong with our first time playing on turf. We wanted to score early and stay composed; we knew the goals would come. We got one in the 24th or 25th minute. Two goals in the first (half). We knew they were going to come out hard in the second half. They got one in stoppage time, but we held off. That’s what it’s going to take to win games. We fought hard as a team and the people who came off the bench did a great job.”

Sky Blue FC midfielder Heather O’Reilly

“I think we were very, very pleased with the first half. We got the goals and the finishes we were looking for all season. Great job by Rosana to finish the second goal. We still have to work on managing the game and continuing to play good soccer in the second half when we are up. We’ll learn from things we did in the second half. We need to keep focused on the next 5 or 6 weeks of the season.”

“We were very pleased walking into that locker room (at halftime). Let’s not make this too hard on us, let’s not turn off and give away an early one and then scrap the rest of the second half. We are happy with our defense. It was a world class finish at the end, but we have to say what a great finish it was. We are soccer players and perfectionists, but we will be happy to get back to Jersey.”

Lineups:

BOSTON: Ali Lipsher; Alex Scott, Amy LePeilbet, Candace Chapman (Kasey Moore, 73rd minute), Heather Mitts; Christine Latham (Kelly Schmedes 60th minute), Fabiana (Nancy Augustinak-Goffi, 54th minute), Angela Hucles, Kristine Lilly; Jenni Nobis, Amy Rodriguez.

SKY BLUE FC: Jenni Branam; Keeley Dowling, Anita Asante, Christie Rampone, Megan Schnur; Yael Averbuch (Jen Buczkowski, 57th minute), Rosana (Noelle Keselica, 62nd minute), Heather O'Reilly, Collette McCallum; Kacey White, Natasha Kai (Kelly Parker, 49th minute).

NJ SKY BLUE FC 1 - 0 BOSTON BREAKERS

Heather O’Reilly scored the game’s only goal in the sixth minute to give Sky Blue FC a 1-0 win over the Boston Breakers on Saturday afternoon at Yurcak Field in Piscataway, N.J.

O'Reilly scored directly of a corner kick. The Assistant referee ruling the whole ball crossed over the line even though Boston GK Ali Lipsher got a hand to it.

Boston (5-5-3, 18 points), which played for the first time in 10 days, came into the match having won back-to-back matches and were unbeaten in their last three. The loss keeps the Breakers in second place for the moment pending tomorrow’s matches. Boston has a one-point edge over third-place Saint Louis, and a two-point lead over fourth-place Washington. Both teams are in action tomorrow. Sky Blue FC (4-6-3, 15 points) moves to fifth place with their second win in as many matches over the Breakers this season – both snapping three-match unbeaten runs.

Boston nearly answered O'Reilly's fortuitous corner kick in the 20th minute, but Christine Latham's header off service from Kelly Smith barely missed the right post.

Sky Blue FC had the better chances in the later stages of the opening half. In the 32nd minute, Kacey White played a nice through ball to Rosana but Lipsher came off her line well to stuff the Brazilian's chance. Three minutes later, Collette McCallum curled a 22-yard left-footed shot over Lipsher but off the front of the crossbar.

In the 40th minute, McCallum ran onto a cross from White but her close-range effort was deflected by Nancy Augustyniak-Goffi and then touched wide by Lipsher.

In the second half, the Breakers came up with two good chances back-to-back in the 73rd minute. Smith fed Amy Rodriguez in the box, but Jenni Branam was there to make a diving stop on her shot from 12 yards out. Moments later, Smith buzzed a shot past the right post from outside the box.

Sky Blue FC had a couple of opportunities of its own four minutes later. Lipsher came up big to stuff White and then held on to a blast from distance by McCallum.

The last good chance of the game went to Boston as substitute Jenny Nobis ran onto a long ball behind the Sky Blue FC backs and cut past a defender in the box, but her shot was knocked away by a diving Branam.

Sky Blue FC held a 13-12 advantage in shots and Branam was stellar in goal with five saves to register her fourth shutout of the season.

These two teams will do battle again, this time in Boston, on Sunday, July 12 at 6pm ET. The game will be televised live on Fox Soccer Channel and webcast at womensprosoccer.com.


Sky Blue FC Head Coach Kelly Lindsey:

"I thought we did much better today playing with the lead than we have in the past. We possessed the ball, kept Boston chasing, and found the corners. We didn't force anything at goal - overall I think that we managed the lead today much better than we did a few weeks ago."

Boston Breakers Head Coach Tony DiCicco:

"It's always hard when you have to chase the game. Recently we've been doing a good job of getting the first goal, but today that wasn't the case - Sky Blue FC did well today. We had our share of chances and we didn't put them away. Jenni Branam made a few good saves; it's unfortunate we didn't fare better because I think we've been playing pretty well of late."


Line-ups:

SKY BLUE FC: Jenni Branam; Keeley Dowling, Anita Asante, Christie Rampone, Megan Schnur; Kelly Parker (Julianne Sitch, 58th minute), Yael Averbuch (Jen Buczkowski, 62nd minute), Rosana (Kerri Hanks, 68th minute), Collette McCallum; Kacey White, Heather O'Reilly.

BOSTON: Ali Lipsher; Alex Scott, Amy LePeilbet, Nancy Augustyniak-Goffi, Heather Mitts (Kasey Moore, 46th minute); Christine Latham (Maggie Tomecka, 79th minute), Sophia Mundy (Jennie Nobis, 67th minute), Angela Hucles, Kristine Lilly; Kelly Smith, Amy Rodriguez.

KELLY SMITH WEEKLY COLUMN - 5th JULY

KELLY SMITH: Brit of bother in Boston showered with a win

By Kelly Smith

Some things are very English about Boston – I'm thinking mainly about the weather at the moment.

But when it comes to sport, you're soon reminded where you are. I've been trying to follow Wimbledon, watching it on ESPN, but it's just not the same. I miss the English commentary and there's something about way that the BBC do it that is lost over here.

And the only Brit they cover is Andy Murray, which is not a surprise, I suppose. When it comes to soccer, the U.S. men's team did really well in the Confederations Cup, but it still doesn't get that much coverage. It's way down the pecking order. I went out with a few friends to see one match in a special bar that's owned by soccer fans.

Centre stage: Kelly Smith tries to slow down a Washington Freedom attack during the Boston Breakers 1-0 win

It's obviously noticeable if you come over from England, where almost every pub seems to show football. In most places here, they'd be reluctant to put it on.

Maybe it will be different with the Gold Cup just kicking off here. It's the North American version of the European Championship and some of the Boston Breakers girls have tickets.

It was good to get last weekend off after a gruelling run of games. At the end of May/start of July, we played only once in three weekends. Then we went into a run of four matches in 11 days.

In a way it's good. You don't get to train as much; there's some recovery time and then straight into another match. And it's exciting because you know it's a chance to pick up points.

Thankfully, that's what we did. We'd had a frustrating run, but now we've won two in a row and are unbeaten in three. We were really happy with our performance against the Washington Freedom last time out.

It was only 1-0 and the defending was really good throughout the team, starting from the front. Everyone put in a shift and now we have to stay determined and build on that.

We're doing OK. I think everyone is fighting for second place at the moment, but we're trying to stay close to the Los Angeles Sol. It looks like they're pulling away more than they actually are, but if we were to win our three games in hand we'd be seven points behind and suddenly things look a little different.

We're still getting better and a little more confident. You can see us gelling and moving the ball quicker. There was a lot of one- and two-touch play against Washington, which you've not really seen from us as much before – so there's definitely progress.

Now we've got to keep it up with the next two games against Sky Blue FC, the New Jersey team.

After that, it's back to England for the last two friendlies before the European Championship in Finland, which starts next month.

England coach Hope Powell visited Smith in America

Hope Powell, the England manager, came over to see a couple of games recently. She was taking a holiday with her partner in Florida but couldn't pass up the opportunity to see me and Alex Scott, my Boston and England team-mate, in action.

We all went for dinner one night and her attention to detail never surprises me. She asked so many questions about training and our preparation, checking out the standard and also seeing where are heads are at. She's always keen to see if the girls in America are enjoying and getting the most of this experience.

We certainly enjoyed last weekend. A couple of friends were over and me and Alex took them to Provincetown – a cool place at the tip of Cape Cod, about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Boston. There's a few galleries, theatres and it's pretty popular in summer.

We could just do with losing the English weather occasionally! From what I hear about the heatwave back home, it sounds like we've done a swap. The summer's used to be scorching when I lived in New Jersey, during university, and I hardly ever played in the rain.

But in Boston it seems to rain every time we play at home. I actually quite like playing in it but it's tough for some of the others and a bit depressing for the fans.

We got about 3,500 in for a midweek match in the rain, which is pretty decent when your stadium doesn't have a roof, but it's a shame when they can't have proper tailgate parties, which are a bit of a pre-match tradition over here.

The players just have to make sure there's something to celebrate.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1197679/KELLY-SMITH-Brit-bother-Boston-showered-hard-fought-win.html

BOSTON BREAKERS 1 - 0 WASHINGTON FREEDOM

Christine Latham scored a header off of Heather Mitts’ free kick in the 37th minute to give the Boston Breakers a 1-0 win over the Washington Freedom on Wednesday night at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Mass.

The win allows the Breakers (5-4-3, 18 points) to leap over the Freedom (4-4-4, 16 points) into sole possession of second place. It also gave Boston the overall series win for the season against Washington (currently 2-0-1) with one match between the two remaining on July 29. The Freedom drop to third place.

Mitts’ free kick came in the first half from a foul on Kelly Smith in the 37th minute. Mitts stepped in and crossed the ball to Latham on the right side of the goal, who then headed it into the opposite left corner, putting the Breakers up, 1-0. It was the second goal of the season for Latham, both of which were game-winners against the Freedom. The assist was Mitts’ first.

Washington had a chance to tie before halftime in the 44th minute when Lori Lindsey hit a shot from outside the box just wide to the left side of the goal.

Leading up to the goal, both Boston’s Amy Rodriguez and Kelly Smith were knocking on the door with several close calls. Rodriguez put pressure on early, in the 16th minute, when she shot a ball at the top of the net, but Erin McLeod just tipped it over the cross bar. She then sent a cross across the net minutes later, but again McLeod made the save.

Smith rocketed two shots; both from about 30 yards out, one over and the other wide. She also took a free kick after being fouled, which bounced off the cross bar just prior to Latham’s tally.

In the second half, Smith finally hit the back of the net in the 55th minute, when she shot a ball past McLeod to the lower left corner, but the goal was called back for offsides.

Amy Rodriguez, looking to catch another goal after scoring the game winner on Sunday over Chicago, had luck similar to Smith’s, sending several shots just past the goal.

Washington became dangerously close of equalizing the match several times in the second half, outshooting Boston, 6-4, but goalkeeper Ali Lipsher held the win until the final whistle with five saves. It was her second straight shutout in only her third start of the year.

Two of those saves came at the end of the second with the Breakers trying to hold on to the win. Lipsher deflected a shot, creating a scramble in the box, but Alex Scott made the clear before a Washington player could get on the end of it. In the 90th minute, Washington tried one last time to leave with a tie, as Homare Sawa hit a shot that Lipser caught just before it went over the goal line.

The Breakers next game is July 4 against Sky Blue FC in Piscataway, N.J. Sky Blue leads the series 1-0, having defeated Boston 2-1 on May 30.

The Freedom have this weekend off and next play on Wednesday July 1st against Chicago Red Stars at Toyota Park, Chicago. Both previous games between the two have been drawn.

Boston head coach Tony DiCicco

"I thought the first half was probably our best soccer from both an offensive and defensive standpoint. Washington is a good team and we just didn’t let them play in the first half,” he said. “It’s hard because you want to be a little more cautious when you are leading, and they came out hard in the second half. They had some opportunities, and good teams are going to get opportunities."



Freedom head coach Jim Gabarra

"I think we could get the ball, we couldn’t string a pass together. Our first touch was disappointing; we couldn’t play the ball to feet. Part of it might be the surface; we came from Saint Louis where the grass was long and played slow. And we came here on turf, and the field was wet so it is even quicker. We played too slow, we couldn’t possess the ball. Against a team like Boston, as soon as you win the ball, everyone is spreading out, and you give it to the other team, it’s going to create some dangerous situations."

Lineups:

BOSTON: Alli Lipsher; Amy LePeilbet, Sue Weber, Alex Scott, Heather Mitts; Christine Latham (Maggie Tomecka, 62nd minute), Kristine Lilly, Angela Hucles, Kelly Smith,,Sophia Mundy; Amy Rodriguez (Mary Francis Monroe, 71st minute; Kelly Schmedes, 90+2 minute).

CHICAGO: Erin McLeod; Cat Whitehill, Sonia Bompastor, Becky Sauerbrunn, Ali Grieger; Lori Lindsey, Homare Sawa, Kristin DeDycker (Abby Wambach, 54th minute); Jill Gilbeau (Parissa Eyorokon, 70th minute), Lisa DeVanna, Rebecca Moros.

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)

WPS ON YOUTUBE

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


Interviews with Kelly Smith and Alex Scott - Boston Breakers









FC Gold Pride & Brandi Chastain hang out in New Jersey







LA Sol - Breakers - Sky Blue MASH!!!







Make sure you follow your fav team wherever you are.

ALEX SCOTT BLOG - June 19

The TV curse


Steph, our equipment manager will tell you i am very superstitious. I have a routine that has to be the same before every game we play. My routine at home will always be the same. Eating my pre match meal at a certain time and making sure i take a shower to feel fresh and alive for the game at a certain time. I have to have my red wrist band on to play. I have to make sure i have a L (left) and a R (right) sock, not 2 L's that nearly happened last game(that would have been bad). I have to have my can of red bull just at the right time when Tony starts to do his pre game team talk. I always have to be on Anglea Hucles right hand side when we warm up, and finally i have to make sure i do 2 sprints before the whistle blows to start the game.

After all this i am ready to go. I am ready to play and ready to run and i am ready to hustle, oh my gosh i am turning into an American, ha (way to hustle Alex,hehe).
Anyway i mention my routine because my word, i feel like i am doing it a lot at the moment. I feel like i am playing in a competition not in a league because at the moment we are in the middle of playing four games in 11 days, this schedule normally happens if you play in World Cups and European Championships. What do you do to be ready to play in all these games...... LOOK AFTER YOUR BODY..... Your recovery in between these games is the most important thing ever. Straight after the game i will plunge myself into an ice bath (ice,ice, baby) the ice feels sooooooo good on your legs when you have just run your socks off, and your muscles if they could show emotions would be for sure non stop crying and telling you no more..... stop playing Alex. So the ice makes them feel good. Then after a nice refreshing shower, its straight into my skins (skins are a form of tighter than tight tights) These will act as a pumping mechanism for your muscles, the skins help your muscles flush through all the lactic acid which means once again a quicker form of recovery. We get given these through our nation team because recovery is key there, but we have skins that only cover our legs.

This is where i have to mention Heather Mitts who has now also got in on this trend, but has taken it one step further then the brits, not only did she get her sponsor to send her the leg ones, she got her sponsor to send her a full body one. Not only was it so funny watching her trying to get into this thing, but once she had it on, its like she was a robot that needed oiling because she could not walk this outfit was so tight,ha. I bet her and her fiance AJ who is in town had fun trying to get that thing off (how funny).


The next day will also be a light recovery session, lots of stretching and light jogging. More ice ice baby, and eating a whole lot of food, carbs and protein so your body has all the energy and fuel it needs to run for 90 minutes like Forrest Gump (run forest run, i love that film).

We have played two games so far, against St Louis and FC gold pride only gaining 1 point. This is shocking I know, but hey 1 point is a baby step in the right direction. The 2nd half of the FC gold pride game was the best we have played since i can last remember and maybe should have finished the game off, but WOW, the 1st half was embarrassing. It was women against girls out there. It was like when your 1st team plays a reserve team and you tell the 1st team they have to play 2 touch, Yes folks thats how bad we played. The postive is though, coach Tony wanted a reaction and in the 2nd half he got it. So now we build on that and we go again against Chicago, who let me remind you folks, because i am still feeling the hurt from that game, whooped our butts 4 - 0 last time, so this really is revenge match.

Im looking forward to seeing my national team mate Karen JULIA Carney, who is also my roommate when travel with the national team, but wont catch up with her until after the game, when we beat you karen,haha.

The title of my blog is the TV curse. I really do think something is going on here. Out of the four games we have had on Fox Soccer we have lost 3 and drew 1. We are still awaiting that all important win! Why Boston why do we have to have this curse? If anyone is reading this and can lift this curse from us, please work your magic, I think our next TV game is when we play home to Sky blue, so i am going to keep my fingers crossed and hope someone has helped out by then and this will be the one where the Fox Soccer cameras will be there to see us celebrate,yah!!!
Talking about camera's, I have also turned my eye to directing, (wink, wink). I came up with the idea to have some in team friendly competition, so every other week i have to come up with challenges to set the team and see who wins......Well no big surprise who won my 1st competition.............?????????? Well i cannot tell you because you need to go onto our Boston breakers website to see for yourself. We attempted the crossbar challenge, out of the whole team, 1 person managed to hit it (maybe i should have given the team another go - you have to watch Coach Tony's attempt (Tony this was a let down!).

As well as it being busy on the field both myself and Kelly Smith have been busy off it, Kelly's parents have been in town for the last 10 days also staying at our apartment. One night Kelly's mum made us a home made roast dinner( i miss my Sunday roasts) this is a traditional English meal that most people have on a Sunday. I think in America you will sit down and have this kind of meal for the 4th july, meat, potatoes, veg, stuffing etc, a BIG feast, mmmmm its lovely.
Also our national team manger came into town for 3 days to see our game against FC Gold Pride. She will also be in Chicago to see her 3 English players battle it out there too. Kelly and I took her out for dinner at the top of the Prudential Center (top of the hub). Trust me to go there when i am scared of heights plus eating dinner on the 52nd floor (where's the knowledge in that,ha). We talked about all our stories off being here for the last 3 months and she actually seemed really interested,(hehe only messing coach Powell). so for us the last couple of weeks have flown by having all these guests and showing them the sights of Boston. I will now be charging small fees for my qualified knowledge and my tour guide expertise. Just ask for TOUR GUIDE Scott !!!

But for now its off to the airport tomorrow for my favorite thing of all time........ FLYING (HELP!!!)Until next week, thank you for reading your England Boston Breaker Alex Scott



By Alex Scott

http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/Alex%20Scott

Chicago Red Stars v Boston Breakers Sun June 21 4pm ET


The Chicago Red Stars will look to replicate their best performance of the season Sunday when they play the Boston Breakers at TOYOTA PARK.

The Red Stars crushed Boston, 4-0, on April 25th, in the process setting a Women’s Professional Soccer record for goals in a game that is yet to be surpassed.
Chicago has not won a game since, a streak that reached seven matches with a 1-0 loss at Sky Blue FC on Wednesday.

Sunday’s game will be webcast on chicagoredstars.com and BostonBreakers.com with both English and Spanish language audio feeds available.

English star Karen Carney is set to play after sitting out her suspension. She scored her 1st and only goal against the Breakers in the 4 -0 win last time. She will meet up again with compatriots Kelly Smith and Alex Scott. Smith didn't play in that game but i expect she will get some minutes if not a start this time. She played 30 minutes against FC Gold Pride on Wednesday night.Knee holding up enough!

Both team desperately need a win to push them back up the standings.

Red Stars Head Coach Emma Hayes after the defeat to Sky Blue on Wednesday night indicated there would be several changes in the starting line-up.

Jennie Nobis and Kelly Smith both came off the bench in Wednesday’s game against FC Gold Pride to lead the Breakers to a 1-1 tie. Smith hit a corner kick to the far post, in which Nobis headed the ball into the bottom left corner of the net in the 76th minute. It was Nobis’ first goal this season and Smith’s second assist.

BOSTON BREAKERS 1 - 1 FC GOLD PRIDE

Jennie Nobis came on in the 2nd half to earn the Boston Breakers a disappointing 1-1 draw at home against FC Gold Pride. A draw that puts them tied 4th in the league with FC Gold Pride and Sky Blue FC.

The Pride took control of the game in the first half, creating numerous scoring opportunities and out shot the Breakers, 7-1, in the first 45 minutes of play. The Pride made the most of their early attack as a ball deflected from a defensive tackle right to Christine Sinclair’s feet, about 25 yards out. The Pride’s leading goal scorer fired off a shot right to the bottom right corner of the net for her fifth tally of the year. Canada’s female all-time leading goal scorer has now scored for the Pride in the last three consecutive games, giving Sinclair the longest active scoring streak in the league. She trails Boston striker Kelly Smith (4/11-5/2; 4 games) and the Sol’s Camille Abily (5/24-6/7; 4 games) for the longest streak of consecutive games with a goal.
They maintained a composed possession throughout the half, giving the Breakers only a few scoring chances, such as in the 33rd minute, when Amy Rodriguez ran onto a through ball to cross to Christine Latham who jumped but just missed the header. Two minutes later, Kasey Moore got onto the end of a free kick but Nicole Barnhart was right behind her to make the save.

The second half looked like it would be much of the same as FC Gold Pride came out again with high pressure. Within the first minute Sinclair, looking for another, had a dangerous shot, but Alli Lipsher making her 1st start tipped it to hit off the crossbar.

Then the tables turned and the Breakers dominated play and pressured the FC Gold Pride defense. Boston would outshoot the Pride, 12-4, in the second half.
With a series of opportunities, it was only a matter of time before they grabbed a goal. Nobis, who came on at halftime, had several close calls leading up to her goal, one which was a shot sent just over the crossbar and another where Barnhart beat her in the foot race to the ball.

In the 76th minute, Smith, who is hampered by a knee injury and came on in the second half, sent a corner kick to Nobis on the far post, who then headed the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal for the tie. The goal was Nobis’ first of the season, and the assist was Smith’s second. It was also great to someone else score for Boston other than Smith.

Following their goal, the Breakers pushed hard for a win. Kristine Lilly hit a shot in the 80th minute that hit the crossbar, and in stoppage time Nobis had another header that this time went into Barnhart’s hands.

Marisa Abegg and Kimberly Yokers - defensive substitutions for the Pride in the second half - helped to preserve the tie.

Both teams could have done with the 3 pts as both hadn't won in the last 4 games - not championship form.

The Breakers, head to Chicago to take on the Red Stars on Sunday at 4pm ET/1pm PT. FC Gold Pride, meanwhile, travels to Los Angeles to face the league-leading Sol on Sunday in a match that will be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel and webcast at womensprosoccer.com(6pm ET/3pm PT).

“We would have liked to have gotten a win; we saw the worst and the best in this team,” said Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco in pointing out the vast differences in his team between halves. “It’s a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story. It was really disappointing in the first half, and then they came out and showed how good they really can be.”

"A point on the road is always good,” said FC Gold Pride Head Coach Albertin Montoya. “We would prefer three points especially since we're batting with Boston for the fourth place spot. We had an exceptional first half and created some great chances. In the second half Boston came out with a lot of energy and high pressed and made it a little difficult to play. It took us all the way until they scored a goal for us to get settled in and start playing good soccer again. It’s interesting how the game works out, they get a goal, and we start playing well again. At the end of the day you have to be pleased to go on a long trip and getting a point.”

Lineups:

BOSTON: Alli Lipsher; Alex Scott, Candace Chapman (Kelly Smith 62nd), Amy LePeilbet, Heather Mitts; Kasey Moore, Angela Hucles, Kristine Lilly, Stacy Bishop (Nancy Augustyniak-goffi, 46th); Amy Rodriiguez, Christine Latham (Jennifer Nobis, 46th).

FC GOLD PRIDE: Nicole Barnhart, Rachel Buchler, Carrie Dew, Leigh Ann Robinson (Marisa Abegg, 84th), Rachel Grazyk; Tina DiMartino (Kimberly Yokers, 62nd), Formiga, Leslie Osborne; Eriko Arakawa, Tiffeny Milbrett, Christine Sinclair (Tiffany Weimer, 73rd)

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.

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

KELLY SMITH WEEKLY COLUMN - 15th JUNE

KELLY SMITH: It's been a rollercoaster ride since our last game - now it's time to put things right

By Kelly Smith

When you've lost like we did against Sky Blue FC a fortnight ago, a weekend without a game doesn't come at the best time. We didn't play very well at all in New Jersey and it's a long wait until we can put it right against Saint Louis on Sunday.

True, we've got games in hand on most teams - three on Los Angeles - but we'd rather have the points. We've had two bye weekends in the last three and suddenly LA have twice as many points as anyone else, while there are five teams with only two points between them.

Saint Louis, who we face on Sunday, are one of those. We've faced everyone now and it's going to be different this time around.

On target: Kelly converts a tap-in from close range but it proved only to be a consolation strike in the Boston Breakers 2-1 defeat to Sky Blue FC

We beat Saint Louis 2-0 in our first home game, back in April. But though it was a slow start, they're beginning to do well and find their rhythm. All the teams are inevitably a lot more confident and comfortable together since the start of the season. Saint Louis lost their star when Daniela got injured last month but probably strengthened as a result by trading players.

Because everyone is so bunched up, you can look at the table and think a couple of wins can help you pull away or you can think that everyone is beating each other and that there will always be chances to get back into the race for the top-four play-off spots. But it's too early for any of that and we really are approaching every game as it comes, even if that sounds like a cliche.

Head girl: Sky Blue FC's Keeley Dowling (C) manages to rise above the crowd of players to clear the ball from danger

The plus side to having last weekend off was it gave me extra time to get my right knee sorted. I had to come off against Sky Blue and it's still giving me a problem.

I'm managing the injury week by week and day by day, trying to get it stronger, but it's hard to treat it perfectly during the season. It's a short championship and you don't want to miss games, so it's a case of strapping it up and getting in the best shape possible.

Our last three matches were spread over 21 days, now we face three in eight days. FC Gold Pride at home on Wednesday could come too quickly if I play against Saint Louis, then we've got Chicago away on Sunday week.

It's not all been about managing the injury and mulling over the Sky Blue defeat.

Faye White, my friend and former team-mate from my Arsenal Ladies days, came over for a week with her brother.

We had a great time, venturing into Boston, spending all day Sunday in Boston Park, enjoying a picnic and taking a break for lunch in Newbury Street. It's one of the main shopping areas and tourist hot spots with all the top boutiques. The perfect place to show off to your friends.

Life is a rollercoaster: Kelly enjoyed a team-bonding day out to the Six Flags theme park in New England - including a ride on the mammoth Flashback!

The day before, Faye and her brother went off to look round New York, while myself and team-mates Alex Scott, Jennifer Nobis and Fabiana went to the Six Flags theme park in New England. Wow. The main rollercoaster, Bizarro, was closed until late, but the place still has probably the best rides I've been on for fear factor.

KELLY'S EYE

This week I have been... reading Columbine, by Dave Cullen. The author was working on it for 10 years and it's really disturbing to find out what was going through the head of killers who were only 15 or 16 at the time. It profiles Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who murdered 12 between them and it's really interesting but difficult reading. The detail is astonishing and those boys had so much hate in them.

The only regret is we ate too soon - before going on Flashback! It throws you round in circle after circle and I didn't feel 100 per cent after that.

It was great to have Fabiana with us. The Brazilian has her translator everywhere and brought a couple of friends along.

She's having a few problems withher knee (I have some sympathy) so hasn't trained much with us, but we see her in the weights room and she's socialising with the group as well as she can. She's only just 20 and doesn't speak much English so it must be really difficult for her.

No sooner had Faye gone that my parents arrived. They're in town for 10 days and the weather is pretty dodgy, but they're quite happy to put on their coats, get out on their maps and explore.

It's their first time in town and they took the Duck Tour, seeing the sights in Boston before driving straight into the Charles River in the bus-cum-boat. Then off to the aquarium and beach - I just tend to see them in the evening.

My mum's not such a big football fan, but my dad can't wait to come along to the game against Saint Louis. Hopefully they'll see us put things right. It's not all about hard work in training. On Wednesday we had a team bonding session. We can't splash out £80million on Cristiano Ronaldo, so it's about getting the best out of what you've got.

The club had this idea of splitting us into teams for a scavenger hunt around Boston, cracking clues, finding things and interviewing people on the streets, asking if they knew who the Breakers were.

We haven't been told if who was on the winning team yet, but all that matters is we get the right result on Sunday.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1192715/KELLY-SMITH-Its-rollercoaster-ride-game--time-things-right.html