WPS Week 11 Breakdown

Sky Blue teammates celebrate a goal as they pull off the upset against league leaders FC Gold Pride. They won 2-0 on Sunday, with goals from Rosana and Kai.




What a Week for WPS. In the midst of all the other things going on, such as World Cup, the WPS continues to provide us with some great action.


First match-up to discuss of course, is Boston vs. Chicago. It was a tough one to call, with both teams struggling especially to score for quite some time, but overall, struggling to do well in the league in general. The game ended 2-1, with Ella Masar scoring 2 goals to get Chicago the 3 points, and Fabiana scoring the lone goal for Boston, who looked threatening and had decent form early on this season, but fizzled out completely.

This game wasn't too surprising, since out of both the teams, I'd say that Chicago would be more likely to win, since they've fared a little better in the league than Boston. I think the score is fitting. Both teams have struggled, but Chicago, as I figured, was a little better, so the scoreline suggested just that. These 2 teams are in major problems in the league. Chicago is repeating their 2009 run practically, and if they don't seriously kick it up a notch, or a few notches, then they will be doomed to missing out on another play-off run. And Boston is doomed for the same. It doesn't make any sense, Boston looked like a contender from early on this season. They acquired players to address the lack of offense that haunted them in 2009, by getting players such as Cheney and Laura Del Rio. But, Cheney has lost her form, and Del Rio has never found the net. Smith was off to a good start, but she too fizzled out. One of Boston's talismans is their steady defense. The only problem is, you cannot rely on your defense to hold on without conceding for an entire 90 minutes, in hopes of a tie. If your offense cannot put you on the board, you are bound to concede, and therefore lose. Boston rarely has leads to protect, so the defense is going to waste. Boston is not performing well at all. They need to start scoring more goals, so that the defense will have something to defend. If Boston don't change this around now, they're not going anywhere, plain and simple. If Boston continue on this horrible form, I'll be willing to bet that Atlanta Beat will pass them on the standings, especially because of their new-found form. As for Chicago, they're incredibly inconsistent. They'll win some, lose some, tie some. They've done very well against some of the tougher teams, but you can't have high expectations for Chicago, since they are not guaranteed to meet them. They're too inconsistent to consider them contenders, however, no team should take them lightly. Chicago has proven that they can be a tough opponent when they want to be.







Next match-up, it's Washington vs. Philly. I thought Washington Freedom would take the win, as I predicted in my previous post. It looked like they were going to take it for sure too, after they were up 2-0 in the 1st half. However, disaster would strike completely, as Philly came back from behind to win the match in the 2nd half. A near-impossible feat in the WPS, when looking at the odds and history of the league. Only a small number of teams have come back from a deficit to win a match. Philadelphia became one of them on Saturday. The Washington Freedom looked like they had the match in the bag, after Mykjaland would put one away off a rebound, and after Wambach would convert a penalty to a goal. However, the match was far from over, as Philadelphia would come out swinging in the 2nd half. A-Rod would score twice, once off a DiMartino cross, and another time after shooting the ball off a Buczkowski service into the box. Philly would finish their come-from-behind thriller with a goal from Sanderson in stoppage time.

This is an utter embarrassment for Washington. I can't even explain how ridiculous it is for Washington to have had the 2 goal lead, and then throw it all out the window, giving the game away in the 2nd half. What happened!? That's inexcusable. There is no reason for Washington to have given up the lead, and then even worse, the entire game. I'm going to put away my frustration and bias for a minute, and say that Philly, on the other side of the coin, did excellently to exploit Washington's inability to hold a game, and come back. Only a few teams have ever come back to win a match, let alone in dramatic last-minute fashion. Hats off to Philly, but shame on you Washington. There is no doubt in my mind that the Washington-Philly games should be deemed as rivalries. The 2 are going back-and-forth on wins, and always give entertaining performances against each other. Now Philly has 2 wins against their "rival" opponents Washington. Washington has 1 win right now in their 4 game series against Philly. There is only one more meeting between these 2 sides, and it is bound to be an interesting one. Anyway, what we saw in this game, was one team come back excellently from being down by 2, and one team give away the win. Philly did a great job of coming back in a clutch performance. They finished off the chances when they knew they needed to, and they also did so in the last-minute. Not an easy feat by far. Washington, on the other hand, did very poorly. After the 2 goals, they threw everything out the window. They allowed Philly to equalize, and then gave up a goal in the last minute. Also, they failed to score any more goals. That's just plain ridiculous. Where was the defense? Apparently, Washington still has a lot to work on with their defense, and has a lot to learn. You can't just give up leads like that, and you certainly can't let a team win in the last minute. I'm not questioning Washington's quality, but they certainly need to pick up their game. If they got outplayed from the beginning it'd be a different story, but being up 2-0 and then letting the entire win slip through your hands? Not acceptable. Washington needs to look over that loss and learn a lesson from it.








Last match-up to talk about here, with quite the surprising result to go along with it, is FC Gold Pride vs. Sky Blue FC. Now, most people would say that the league's current best, FCGP, would have taken Sky Blue to town. However, it was quite the opposite. The result was 2-0, and it was Sky Blue who won the match, not FCGP, as was expected.

The game wasn't bad at all, there were plenty of chances for both sides, but when the game was all set and done, it was FCGP who had more offensive possession. However, Sky Blue was better offensively in regards to finishing than their opponents, FCGP. The first goal would come off a diving header from Rosana, who played lone striker. I personally don't like the lone striker formation, since a 4-4-2 is much better, as the 2nd striker helps to create opportunities and opens up space. The lone striker deal seemed ineffective for Sky Blue, but towards the end of the 1st half, Rosana anticipated a cross and dove right in to get her head on the ball, putting it past Barnhart, and thus getting Sky Blue on the board. In the 2nd half, the game was all FCGP. They attacked constantly, bombarding Sky Blue's defense with chance after chance in the face of goal. Milbrett would hit the cross bar off a shot that she fired from about 22 yards out. Sinclair would notch a goal from inside the 18, yet it would be disallowed due to her offsides positioning before the pass was made. FCGP were clearly the aggressors in the 2nd half, but Sky Blue would further silence the top team, by adding another goal, courtesy of Kai. Kai would latch onto a long ball off a counter-attack. She raced down center field with the ball, but met pressure immediately from an FCGP defender. With the defender hanging on her, she released a shot from right outside the 18 that would sink into the bottom right corner, past Barnhart who did too little too late to stop the ball. It was an accurate and quality shot from Sky Blue's very own Tasha Kai, but in all honesty, Barnhart really should have stopped the goal. In my opinion, FCGP were the better side in this match, yet the scoreline doesn't suggest it. Sky Blue's defense did well, but FCGP failed to finish on some rather golden opportunities that they should have put away. It doesn't matter how many chances you have on goal. If you don't finish them, it doesn't matter. Sky Blue had fewer chances than FCGP, but they finished them. That made the difference in this match. FCGP is going to want to work on the finishing. Future opponents will definitely make them pay for it. Sky Blue FC is the famous Cinderella team, and may have a chance of surprising everyone again. They aren't exactly on form, but they proved that they can finish chances when they matter in this game. Sky Blue shows potential. They definitely have had some positive moments in their campaign, and have shown some signs of the old Sky Blue FC that won the Championship in 2009. If they can make these runs more consistent, I have a feeling they could be the comeback team once again.


Hope you enjoyed this Week's action, and the Weekly Breakdown! See you next time when Abby's XI faces off against Marta's XI this Wednesday. Catch it on FSC starting at 7:30pm, or find it on womensprosoccer.com as a Webcast.

Denise

A Goal At The Death Gives Atlanta The Point Against Expansion Rivals Philadelphia In Wednesday Night's Affair

Expansion Rivals Philadelphia Independence and Atlanta Beat fight to a 2-2 deadlock. The game was well-fought from both sides.



A little WPS action occurred this Wednesday to break up a rather long stretch from weekend to weekend that most of us fans have to patiently endure. Yes folks, summer is back, and that means Wednesday night matches are too! One of our first looks at this summer's Wednesday fixtures, is what I like to call (not sure if its an official term) the "Expansion Derby." The on-form Philadelphia Independence played their fellow rookie WPS team the Atlanta Beat on Wednesday, and the result, to me anyway, was just a tad surprising.

The result was 2-2, with Philly's goals coming from A-Rod and Stacy Bishop (ATL own goal), Atlanta's goals were courtesy of Yamaguchi, and also Ellertson, who's last-gasp header salvaged the game at the death.


To be honest, I'm quite surprised. Atlanta had gotten their first win, and that was a huge confidence boost, but it also indicated that the team was starting to build chemistry, meaning the newly signed St.Louis Athletica stars were beginning to work efficiently with its already existing members. However, even though this win would do wonders for ATL in a number of ways, I didn't think they'd be strong enough yet to hold Philly, a tough team who are consistently on-form. But alas, ATL proved me wrong, and ended up tying against one of the league's current best.


This game is more of a win for ATL, and more of a loss for Philadelphia. The result from this match is going to give ATL a strong confidence boost. All respect to Chicago Red Stars, but this week was a huge upgrade as far as opponents go, a real challenge to see if ATL's progress and first win was for real, or if it was just the result of a lucky day. Turns out that this ATL team might have hit the right note. The St.Louis Athletica players have already made a very positive impact, with Ellertson, who is a newly-signed player from the Athletica, scoring both a game-winner last week, and an equalizer this Wednesday. Of course, these goals were also due to already existing players giving her the service. Last week it was Ocampo who gave her the cross. This week it was teammate Miyama, who also came from St.Louis. Apparently, the St.Louis players are partly to thank, as they probably filled the spots where the puzzle pieces were missing. It seems that the already existing players, and the new players from St.Louis, have already built chemistry and are working excellently together. These past 2 results, along with the fact that they have been making plays and have finished off chances, proves that. Seems to me like ATL have finally found their rhythm, or "Beat". Philly, on the other hand, has gotten themselves 1 point. Its not a bad result, and it does keep them in 2nd. They just might want to keep in mind that, even though they have been doing well and are in 2nd place, they shouldn't take anyone lightly. If ATL could turn things around in a heartbeat, so can anyone. ATL is going to face a huge test of their progress on July 3rd (after the All-Star match), in one of their biggest challenges so far this season, as they go up against 1st place powerhouse FC Gold Pride.


Now, let's look at the upcoming fixtures:
Tomorrow will be a pretty interesting match, as Boston will play Chicago. Both teams have had plenty of struggles this season, and both have failed to rack up some goals. It'll be interesting to see who will be the better side in this one, and if anyone will actually score a goal.

Saturday and Sunday bring some rather interesting matches as well (really, when is there NOT an interesting match-up?), with the Washington Freedom playing against the Philadelphia Independence, in somewhat of a rivalry that has been established between the 2. Both have played each other twice, and each has a win a piece. Who will be the better side this time around? Hard to call, Washington is coming off a bye week, and Philly, who has seen much more action in the past few days, is coming off a big 4-1 win against rivals Sky Blue last week, but also a tie against reborn ATL yesterday. Still, that doesn't necessarily guarantee a loss or win in any situation. I personally think Washington Freedom will take the game. That's partly because I'm a biased Freedom fan, but mostly because I think Washington is a very strong team, and I feel they can pull out the win against Philly once again. The 2 teams have established somewhat of a rivalry, so I'm very excited for this match. Both teams are running on great form right now, and both have prolific offenses. Should be an intense one!

Last but certainly not least, is 1st place FCGP vs. the struggling Sky Blue FC. Going to be dead honest here and say that I think FCGP is going to take the win without a doubt. FCGP has dominated some of the strongest opponents, such as Philly in recent matches, and they're currently on a great run. FCGP is absolutely on-form right now, and their offense is excellent to boot. FCGP is an all-around powerhouse, so this game should be quite the challenge for Sky Blue FC, who in recent matches, have still been struggling, and also, haven't scored any goals really, except by way of penalty. Sky Blue FC really has their work cut out for them. I doubt highly that FCGP will pass up this chance for 3 points. They're too strong for Sky Blue FC. I'm not counting out miracles, but realistically, Sky Blue should be toast in this one. At least we'll get to witness this one on FSC!

Enjoy the matches this weekend, I know I will. I'll see you then when I write the Weekly Breakdown. Who knows, maybe some teams will make me eat my words. Maybe not.

Until then,

Denise

WPS Week 10 Breakdown

Philadelphia Independence teammates Lindsey, A-Rod, and Adams celebrate a goal in their 4-1 win against the inconsistent Sky Blue FC. With this win, the Independence take sole possession of 2nd place in the standings, 5 points behind FC Gold Pride, and 2 points ahead of the Washington Freedom, who had a bye week.



Week 10 has passed, and like always, there are some results and points to discuss regarding this past week's games

First things first, it's FC Gold Pride vs. Boston Breakers in one of the most interesting features in this past Saturday. Let's put it this way....in this game, the rich got richer, and the poor got poorer...in regards to points. FCGP increased their lead in the standings with another 3 points, as they topped a lackluster Boston side 1-0. It was business as usual, with FCGP further proving their superiority in the league, with Boston still failing to score and win...something they've had problems with for 8 straight games now. The only goal came from rookie O'Hara, who has been doing quite well overall this season.

As far as this game goes, we can see, that as is typical right now, FCGP is winning, and is keeping a steady winning pace, no matter who the opponents. FCGP is on fire right now, and its going to take a pretty big effort to beat them. As for Boston, they're a wreck. They haven't won any match for the past 8 game weeks. They looked like they would be one of the teams who might be complete this season, as the offense problem was seemingly taken care of, and they already had the sturdy defense, but Boston has definitely not lived up to expectations. One of their biggest problems is goal scoring. Kelly Smith and Cheney have suddenly been silenced, and while the defense has been doing decently, they still concede goals. But can you blame them? Its difficult for a defense to hold steady for a full 90. The offense needs to really step up and score goals. That's the key to winning. What's the use of having a good defense...if you have no lead to protect? The fixing of the goal scoring problem will be very critical for Boston, if they want to advance this season. If they want to stay at the bottom of the standings, then by all means fail to score and force your defense to hold on for possible ties. But, I doubt they want to do that, so its time for the strikers to kick it up a notch. As I have said for the past few weeks, FCGP has seemingly no weaknesses. Its going to take quite a bit to get FCGP to lose a game.





In the next fixture on this WPS filled Saturday, Atlanta actually got their first win. Nope, not even kidding! ATL notched their fist ever win, and in their home stadium, which was befitting for the occasion. Took a while, but it seems like the signing of the St. Louis stars might come in handy to turn this team around for the better. Of course, this win was at the expense of the Chicago Red Stars, who's 3 game winning streak got crushed with the loss to the Beat. The score was 1-0, with a goal from newly-signed former St.Louis defender Tina Ellertson. Her goal was scored off a cross from Mexican striker Monica Ocampo.

An important point in this game, is that ATL has shed its misfortunes in the league, and has gotten their first ever win as a WPS team. Way to go ATL...wondered when this day would come!! Now now, all kidding aside, this means a lot for the Beat. It means that chemistry between new and current players is starting to build, and it also means confidence. ATL were always the "losing team" but they've turned it around this time and broke the 8 week tradition. The new stars already seem to have an impact on the team, but let's be fair and say that it also took the hard work of the current players who started with the Beat from the beginning of the season. They too, are the reason why this win came to be. The efforts from old and new players created this win. As for Chicago, their 3 game wining streak, which started to raise confidence and belief in the squad who have dealt with obstacles since the beginning of the season, was crushed. Once again, this can be linked back to scoring problems. Chicago failed to score in this match. What wins games? Goals do. Chicago's gotta put them in the net if they really want to move up in the standings.





And for our last match-up: Sky Blue vs. Philadelphia Independence. This match would mark another win for Philadelphia against their "cross-town" rivals Sky Blue FC. Without Bardsley in goal, Philly would go on to score 4 goals in the match, proving themselves even more as a feared side to reckon with in this league. Sky Blue, however, netted only one...coming from a penalty...scored by Rosana. Seems to me that Sky Blue seemed rather lost and weak in this match. The only way they got on the board was by a penalty. For Philly, on the other hand, their large tally of goals were courtesy of Adams, A-Rod, Lohman, and DiMartino. This win would give Philly sole possession of 2nd place, as Washington missed out on any further advancement in the standings due to their bye week.

Philly continues to establish and preserve themselves as a force to reckon with in this league, only losing to other top teams such as FCGP and Washington Freedom. Other than those instances, Philly on the other hand has had quite a fantastic campaign. They have very few weaknesses, and are just proving their dominance, week after week for the most part. As for Sky Blue, they're riding a roller coaster. Sometimes its a win, next week it'll be a loss. Sky Blue is very inconsistent. As the team who were WPS Champions, their style of play and their current form is lacking. Still, a major problem is goal scoring. All of the successful teams in this league have great offenses, and above all, successful offensive efforts. Sky Blue really needs to pick up the pace and needs to make winning a habit...not an occurrence.


That's all for now! See you next Week!

Denise

WPS Week 9 Breakdown

Sinclair celebrates her goal in FC Gold Pride's big 3-1 win over 3rd place Philadelphia Independence, in a playful "Knock-Out Punch" style. Her goal, scored just before half time, was the first of the match.



Hello all, sorry if things have been a tad slow around here. Between obligations before summer, and also World Cup, its been hard to find time to write about our beloved Women's league here in the U.S.A.

Week 9 for WPS has come and gone. There are a few good match ups to talk about here.

First match up to discuss is Washington vs. Chicago Red Stars. I didn't watch any webcasts or match trackers on this one, as I was very very busy this weekend especially. It seems like it was a good game though. I'm very surprised at the result, which was a 2-2 tie. I figured with the way things were going, that Washington would take the 3 points, but as we've seen before, Chicago can definitely surprise and pull some tricks. Chicago, as I've said before, isn't a bad team when it comes to possession...its just the scoring that needs some work. Well, looks like they turned that around this time, as they scored a pair of goals. Washington actually took the lead, with Wambach and Sawa putting them on the board in the first half. Chicago would put themselves back into the game with a Cristiane goal before half time. It stayed the same, until Cristiane scored her second of the match only minutes before the end of the 2nd half, to get the Red Stars the tie.

With this result, we can see that Chicago may be starting to pick things up. Cristiane scored 2 goals in her first multi-goal campaign of the season, and may keep rolling on this good form. The Brazilian strikers have awakened, as Marta is on fire right now, and Cristiane might be following. Chicago may be the surprise here; if they change things around permanently and start scoring and winning games like they did this weekend, they can start moving up in the standings. As I said earlier in the season, don't count Chicago out. As for Washington, a tie gives them a point, which will keep them up in the standings, but it won't move them anywhere. They can't get complacent against any team in this league, and in regards to a game, can't get complacent after going up by 2 in a match. At any given moment, a team can turn around and equalize. The offense did their job, but their defense allowed Chicago to come back. They need to start cleaning up on their silly mistakes.



The next match to go over is Sky Blue FC vs. Boston Breakers. The Breakers continue to have bad luck against Sky Blue, as they have yet to win a match against Sky Blue FC in the Eastern Derby. The Boston Breakers took the lead early on, as Angeli put them on the board, but the lead was to be destroyed early in the 2nd half, as Kai comes back into the groove after injury, and scores her first after returning, making the score 1-1. As it looked like the game would end in a tie, a penalty was called off a foul in the box, committed by Boston. Rosana would win the game for Sky Blue FC in the 90th minute as she converted from the spot, getting them 3 points.

This game went as expected, if looking from a historical perspective. Sky Blue wins once again against Eastern rivals Boston Breakers. Sky Blue was able to score in the match with the help of returning star striker Kai, and also from Rosana who converted from the spot. Boston on the other hand continues to do poorly. Another loss for Boston as they have fizzled out from the beginning of the season to now. Scoring seems to be quite the problem for Boston. They may have notched a goal in this game, but things just seem to be lacking up front for them. Boston is seriously starting to fall behind. They need to pick it up, the competition is too tough in the league for them to be squeaking by with ties, or even allowing themselves to lose games completely. They need to pick their form back up, and that starts with getting that final element up top. The offense needs to do its job, or they will be stuck with scoring problems like last season.



And for the last match of the weekend, 1st place FC Gold Pride vs. Philadelphia Independence. FCGP won 3-1, shocking Philly who have been on quite the roll this season. This game was a little erratic in the first half, as neither team could find rhythm. There were plenty of turn overs for both, and the plays were inaccurate at times. There were a few chances for each team, but none would be converted until Sinclair scored right before half time. Lindsey made a mistake in midfield leading to the interception in her half by Marta. Marta ran down the field and played a perfect ball to Sinclair who received it in the box, coolly slotting it past LeBlanc and into the far right to give FCGP the lead. The 2nd half would begin, and it looked much more lively, as more chances were created and possession was a little neater. FCGP would score again, as Marta would gather a ball and run into the box. She would run towards the endline, keep possession under pressure, run towards goal, and would shoot it in between LeBlanc's legs to come up with FCGP's 2-0 lead. Philly would get some good looks and would convert, as DiMartino would score off a cross late in the second half, making Philly hopeful for a late equalizer. FCGP would put those hopes to rest, as Marta would silence Philly in the 90th, as Sinclair slotted a perfect through pass to the speedy Marta, who ran onto the ball and was 1 v 1 with LeBlanc. She faked out LeBlanc by cutting left, but got a little tripped up as LeBlanc went out to grab the ball. Nonetheless, Marta kept her composure, stayed on her feet, and controlled the ball, as she put it right into an open net, closing the game at the final score; 3-1.

As far as the match ups go, this was a pretty big win. FCGP are further proving their superiority in the league, by beating close competitors Philly. And, it was by means of a very convincing win. FCGP's offense continues to thrive, as Sinclair and Marta both put chances away. FCGP's defense also held steady, confining Philly to only scoring one goal in the match. FCGP are looking very very dangerous, and are on quite a roll right now. They deserve to be atop the standings. As for Philly, this loss was somewhat of a shock. It seemed like it would be a very close game, since both teams have had great campaigns so far, and since both have looked threatening. Philly is going to need to build off this loss and improve on where they went wrong. More chances could have been finished by them, and their defense gave a little too much room for FCGP's offense. Also, the midfield gave up too many turn-overs...one of them leading to Sinclair's goal. FCGP is on fire and has no stand out weaknesses. Philly needs to improve and build off this game.


That's all for this week's analysis and review. See you all next time!

Denise

Week 8 Review and Analysis

The league keeps rolling, as yet another WPS game week has come and gone. Not as many winners this week, or losers for that matter, as there usually are. But that didn't take away from how well the majority of the games were played. Let's Review and Analyze what happened this week, shall we?


The first game played was the Washington Freedom's showdown against FC Gold Pride for rights to 1st place. It was a hard fought game for both teams, as both sides were reluctant to give the opposition the lead. Eventually, the Washington Freedom would draw first blood, as midfielder Allie Long would give them the 1-0 edge. It seemed like Washington would actually hold off a heavy-hitting FCGP offense, but that wouldn't happen. Late in the 2nd half, Marta would equalize. It was bound to happen, as FCGP were the clear aggressors, attacking from left, right, and center for the majority of the match. All Washington did was defend, and there were only a few other opportunities in front of goal for them in the match. FCGP, however, attacked again and again, forcing Washington to play defense, as they wanted to outlast FCGP and keep the lead. Although Washington's defense was outstanding to hold FCGP at bay for nearly the whole match, they couldn't keep them from scoring eventually. FCGP's attack was fierce and determined, and their perseverance paid off, as against any team playing a solely defensive approach to hold a lead, you will eventually break through the defense and score. Even after Marta would put FCGP on the board for the night, they would continue to attack. However, Washington's and also FCGP's defense held steady, causing the match to end in a 1-1 tie. There were no declared winners in this match, but I think its clear as to who was the better team.

Looking at this match, its easy to say FCGP was the better side. They unleashed their offense and created plenty of chances. FCGP were persistent in their attacks, as they had Washington in a tough spot for the whole match. The Freedom were desperate to keep the 1-0 lead and snatch 1st place, but FCGP really came out swinging against Washington, as their attack barely gave them any time to breathe. As I said, FCGP were the clear aggressors. They had more chances, and spent most of the match in front of the Freedom's goal. Washington and FCGP were pretty equal going into this match, but FCGP proved themselves the better side against their top-of-the-table rivals. Its safe to say that as of right now, FCGP is definitely deserving of the # 1 place in the standings. Even though FCGP failed to score on quite a few attempts, they definitely had more chances and looked more dangerous. Still, they did fail to score very often. Even though they deserved to win, their lack of finishing on the remainder of the chances kept them tied. Also, we have to give loads of credit to Washington's defense. FCGP did fail to score, but we have to realize that the Freedom's defense worked extremely hard, and held FCGP at bay for nearly the whole match. FCGP may have looked better offensively, but Washington looked excellent defensively. Historically, Washington is home of the league's most conceding defense, but they've changed that a little this year, and it showed against FCGP...a team with one of the league's best offenses to date. That's saying something. As far as these teams go, Washington just needs to continue with their great form, and remember that holding a lead and playing defense isn't always smart. Whatever went wrong tactically with Washington against FCGP, they need to work on it. There weren't enough offensive efforts against their opponents, and they'll need to work on that, so when they do come against FCGP, they can attack more effectively, and still be able to hold steady in back. Its good to have balance, having to play too much defense is never a good thing. As for FCGP, their attacking efforts were plentiful, but not necessarily fruitful. Their defense held steady for the most part, but their finishing needed to be 100%, and it wasn't. True, Washington's defense did a great job, and it would be hard for any team to score on them that night, but still, FCGP has one of the best offenses right now...maybe they should have finished more. FCGP will stay atop the table in first place, while Washington will remain in 2nd. Nobody won or lost, but this game could prove as a valuable learning experience, as they can examine their weak points and improve on them.


The next fixture to talk about is Chicago vs. Atlanta Beat. The game ended in a 0-0 tie, but to be honest, it wasn't exactly surprising. Both teams have had trouble winning games thus far, and it wasn't surprising to see a result that yielded no goals either, as these are the 2 teams that have had some of the toughest times finding the net so far this season. The game was rather sloppy, and erratic. There were quite a few turn overs, but though each team had their equal chances, Chicago Red Stars were more of the aggressors in this game. They used Rapinoe on the right flank often, and she played pretty well. She was one of the main contributors to plays in the game. Cristiane saw the ball numerous times, but could never gain the composure to put it where she wanted it. Chicago had the majority of the possession in the match, and created more chances as well, although, as usual, they failed to score. Atlanta looked lost in this match. The addition of individual talent to the team could help in the long run, but seeing as it was their first match together as a team in ATL, the chemistry wasn't there.


Both these teams are still having major goal scoring problems. Atlanta has made efforts to fix and improve on this issue, as the Atlanta management have brought key players like Solo, Chalupny, Ellertson and Aluko who will definitely help with Atlanta's growth. The chemistry and flow of play might not be there yet, but after these teammates get comfortable with each other and learn each player's style, they will start being able to communicate more effectively and flow through plays and passes much better. As for Chicago, they have not improved on their goal scoring problems much. The same players fail to score each time, and lack composure. Chicago had the most chances in front of goal, but of course did not capitalize. In all fairness, solo did a fantastic job in goal as always, but still, this has been an ongoing problems no matter who they have faced. At times the final touch is lacking, and at other times, players do not have the composure to finish the job in front of goal. Chicago seriously needs to work on this, as it is the one thing keeping them from winning matches. As for ATL, the chemistry just needs to be built, and we might finally see ATL break out of their rut. As for Chicago, they have to start making efforts to fix their scoring problem, or they will not be leaving the bottom of the standings this year.


The last match of the weekend was Sky Blue FC vs. Philadelphia Independence. Philly's strong form did not fail, as they won against Sky Blue 2-1. Philly's goals came from striker A-Rod, and also midfield master Lori Lindsey. Sky Blue's only goal came from Laura Kalmari, who has been doing excellently this year, as she has 4 goals, tied with top scorers Eniola Aluko and Marta. The game seemed to have chances for both sides, but Philly was able to come out strong and win against the 2009 WPS Champions. Kai is back, but hasn't scored, yet. I think she will eventually get herself back on the board, and back into form, and I think she'll do it soon.

Sky Blue hasn't necessarily been doing too well this season. They've suffered quite a few injuries, and have had some problems with keeping possession, creating chances, and finishing them off. Sky Blue fought a hard game against Philly, and might be turning it around. Don't count Sky Blue out. This Cinderella Story team has had to deal with adverse conditions before, and have come out on top through it all. Can Sky Blue turn it around, and beat the odds again? Or will the competition be too strong this time around? And as for Philly, they have done excellently so far this season, and their label as a rookie team has pretty much vanished. Philly is quite the team to reckon with, placing themselves right in with the toughest of competition in the league. Philadelphia should be expected to go far this season, and with the way they're going, will probably make it to play-offs. Philadelphia is no rookie team, in fact they are quite the opposite. They have proven everyone wrong, and are a threat to every single team in the WPS. Philly has virtually no standout weaknesses. They have great form and will continue winning if they keep it up.

That's all for Week 8's analysis. Sorry that its a little delayed on the publishing...I've been busy with other obligations.

Enjoy!

Denise

Transfers All Around

After the ceasing of operations on St.Louis, many players were left without a home, becoming free agents on the market. However, now that it is past June 1st, which was the day where all of the free agents could start signing with the teams they wanted, a few players are going to start settling into new teams.


One of the biggest moves on the transfer summary right now is the signing of Aluko, Ellertson, Solo, and Chalupny to the Atlanta Beat. Not only were these 4 arguably the most talked about and valued assets, but they are going to the league's last place team. However, although it may sound like they aren't going to the right place, I believe its exactly where they're needed. Atlanta Beat needs all the help they can get right now, as they are in the basement of WPS with only 1 point in 7 games. The Atlanta Beat knew they had to turn things around, and fast, so the management made the right move by bringing these talented players into the squad. The Beat weren't necessarily a bad team to begin with, but they were lacking those pieces of the puzzle that would help them get that final touch or finish, and these 4 might just be what the doctor ordered. The way I see it is, why take these players onto an already talented squad? Of course everyone would love to have high class players like these on their roster, but its good that they're going to a team where they will help with the growth and will definitely have a strong impact, instead of going to a team where they will just be another high quality player to add onto an already talented squad.


Another move involving a former St.Louis player is Shannon Boxx to FC Gold Pride. She's had some pretty bad luck, having been on the 2 teams in the league that have been discontinued: LA Sol and St.Louis Athletica. The Pride have agreed to terms with Shannon Boxx, and the middie will be returning to California...only this time on her former cross-town rival's squad. Boxx's talents should definitely come in handy for any team, as I'm sure they will with FCGP.


Also, Ashlyn Harris, a back-up keeper on St.Louis, will be joining the Washington Freedom. The Freedom have had their eye on the young player, and believe she has a lot of potential.


In other transfer news, Sky Blue FC have signed a player that will hopefully help put their goal-scoring difficulties to rest. Patrizia Panico, an italian international team player, and Serie A player, will be the first italian to play in the WPS. She has an outstanding record of scoring goals, as she has scored over 400 times in her professional career. For her national team, she has scored 80 in 145 matches. A player who has scored this many goals in her career seems promising, and right now, a player who knows how to put it in the back of the net is something Sky Blue needs. With Kalmari, Kai, and Panico combining on the offensive efforts, this team should start scoring a lot more.

A Few Things To Think About Going Into Week 8...Along With a Few Predictions.

Hey everyone, this is a little bit of a new kind of post segment. As I said once before, I don't usually like to predict matches because I'm usually wrong, but then again, I'm going to give myself some credit and say that sometimes I'm right. Its even harder to predict the outcome of matches in the WPS, as any team can beat any other at any time. Sure you have the teams that are favorites and those that are the underdogs, but this league is pretty much up in the air as far as predictions go. A perfect example was FC Gold Pride losing to Chicago this past weekend. Anyway, I figured I'd take the plunge and give my instincts a shot. Maybe I'll get 1 or 2 right. Plus, I'll give some info and tidbits that should be taken into consideration going into each match. Here we go! Let's start the betting, shall we? Just kidding.


First match up for analysis and prediction:
Washington Freedom vs. FC Gold Pride- This is bound to be an exciting game, as both teams will be fighting for first place. FCGP will be defending their place atop the standings, while Washington is going to try to take it over. There are actually a few little factoids and tidbits that make this game even more interesting. In WPS history, whenever these teams have met, it has always been a high-scoring game. The lowest score between these 2 yielded 4 goals in a match, and the highest score between these 2 teams yielded 7 goals in a match. I would expect a ton of goals to be scored once again, as history is likely to repeat, especially with the players who'll be in the match. Star strikers Abby Wambach, Christine Sinclair, and Marta will all be playing. Each have 3 goals to their name in the campaign. These powerful offensive forces will all be vying to give their team the edge in one of the most entertaining and anticipated matches so far this season. Based on Week 7's games, I'd have to say that Washington Freedom is looking best out of everyone so far. FCGP in my opinion are right there with them. Even though they lost one game to Chicago, it doesn't mean they're gonna down to everyone easily, in fact, I think they are going to come out swinging against Washington. But, I'm going to say the Washington Freedom will take this one. I'm thinking it'll be a hard fought match from both teams, but I'm going to give the Freedom the edge because they seem a little stronger.

Next match we'll pick apart and analyze:
Sky Blue FC vs. Philadelphia Independence- This match will also be involving a battle for sole rights to a spot in the standings. Sky Blue and Philly are both tied with 11 points, and whoever wins will gain sole ownership of 3rd place for the moment, and the other will descend to 4th place. This is a hard one to call, as is any WPS match like I said. Sky Blue would seem likely losers in this match, taking into consideration their goal-scoring problems and sub-par form. I'm surprised to see Sky Blue FC this far up in the table actually, because they haven't been playing like a team who would be fighting for 3rd. Philadelphia on the other hand has been playing excellently. They were undefeated for the longest period of time this season, and have conveyed great form thus far. Philly means business, and they will take no prisoners. They're out to prove themselves, and to me they've already established themselves as quite a threat in this league. This is not the expansion team you want to take lightly. If anybody in this league underestimates an expansion team, they will find that they're making a big mistake. As for this match, I think Philly is on fire, and they're determined to keep fighting and winning. Sky Blue's rather weak presence as of late will not stand a chance against Philly's strong will. Sky Blue are capable of pulling some surprises from their sleeves, but something tells me that Philly isn't a fan of magic tricks, and won't be interested in a magic show on Sunday. I say Philly walks away with the win, and with sole rights to 3rd place.


And now, for the last match to analyze:
Chicago Red Stars vs. Atlanta Beat- Believe it or not, this is a hard one to call. Right from the get go, one would say Atlanta is for sure going to lose this match. But with the acquisitions they just got, that can start to turn around fast. Even still, if Solo, Aluko, Chalupny, and Ellertson don't play, Atlanta reminds me of Chicago, fighting hard, and not necessarily playing badly despite losing games. Chicago is under new management as far as coaches go, as Hayes has been sacked and replaced by McDermott. Chicago won their first game under her management. Did she make an immediate impact on the team, or was it just coincidence? Maybe she did have something to do with the win, but Chicago seem like they have a great team waiting to come out, and I'm not too surprised that they pulled together against FCGP, as they held their own against teams like St. Louis earlier in the season. But they need to start scoring more and holding teams better from this point forward. They fight with a lot of heart, now all they need to do is keep winning, and stay up in the standings. If they do, they might just surpass Boston who has had some serious scoring problems as well. Atlanta on the other hand, has shown a lot of fight as well. They just cannot seem to score however. They have some talented players, especially in young striker Bachmann who is fearless in 1 v 1's, yet still they just can't put them away. I'm going to say Chicago takes this win, but I think its going to be a hard match to fight for both sides. I give Chicago the edge since they're coming off a big win and have momentum.

That's all for my predictions and team analyzing. Feel free to post your own comments and predictions.

Enjoy!

Denise