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Women's Professional Soccer Recap: Week 2
Goal.com runs down the second week of the 2010 WPS season.
Apr 19, 2010 1:07:00 AM
By Giovanni Albanese Jr.
In the opening weekend of Women’s Professional Soccer, the two biggest surprises were the losses by Washington Freedom and FC Gold Pride to the Boston Breakers and St. Louis Athletica, respectively. Not so much that they lost, but how they lost. Washington was outplayed in its home loss to Boston; the Pride simply couldn't put away chances, and had a little bad luck, falling 2-nil to Athletica.
In the second week of play, both clubs got decisive wins on their home turf.
FC Gold Pride (1-1) took on defending champion Sky Blue FC (1-1) in its home opener on Saturday night. In front of a near-sellout crowd at Castro Valley High School Athletic Stadium, the new-look Pride didn’t disappoint, handing Sky Blue FC its first loss since the regular-season finale last season.
Christine Sinclair netted a pair of goals -- one in each half -- and Marta put home an insurance goal to keep the Pride from falling to 0-2 on the campaign. Kelley O’Hara assisted on both second-half goals by the Pride.
"It was great a game for us in front our home crowd," said Sinclair. "We needed to bounce back from last weekend and get the win and I was glad that I could contribute."
Washington played its second consecutive home game, this week against Allison Whitworth (Goal.com's WPS Player of the Week last week) and the Atlanta Beat on Sunday night at the Maryland SoccerPlex.
Prior to the game, coach Jim Gabarra said the Freedom needed to feed Abby Wambach more if they would win. They listened. Wambach had a goal and two assists, leading to the Freedom’s (1-1) first win of the season, 3-1.
"It's a team game and Abby is a complete player. She knows to play the open player and she did that a couple times," said Gabarra. "The win today was huge, because we want to get off on a good start."
Romona Bachmann scored the Beat’s first WPS goal, at the time tying the game, 1-1, in the 48th minute. Atlanta (0-1-1) is still vying for its first win, and will take on FC Gold Pride in the Bay Area next weekend.
"We are still learning," said Beat coach Gareth O’Sullivan. "We have to build on tonight, look at the film, and hopefully we have a better finish next week against Bay Area."
The Chicago Red Stars took on the St. Louis Athletica in its home opener at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill., on Saturday night. Coming off a 1-0 loss to Sky Blue FC, Chicago was able to avoid going 0-2 with a 1-1 draw.
Lori Chalupny put Athletica (1-0-1) up 1-0 in the fourth minute and things looked bleak for the Red Stars. But Chicago put on the pressure and took it to Athletica for the rest of the game, especially coming out of the locker room to start the second half.
"In the second half things changed. [The Red Stars] took over the game," said Athletica coach Jorge Barcellos. "They used the right side of the field very well. To have players like they have, you give them enough opportunities and sooner or later they'll score, and they did."
And Casey Nogueria did just that, pulling the Red Stars (0-1-1) even with a goal in the 59th minute to earn a point in the standings.
"What a great team comeback. You know it's a sense of togetherness, settling their nerves early on and trusting in the confidence they have," said Red Stars coach Emma Hayes. "Any given day we'll smash a team in WPS, no doubt."
Meanwhile, at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Mass., the Boston Breakers played its home opener against the expansion Philadelphia Independence. After finishing a scoreless first half, each team netted a goal in the second to draw 1-1.
Kelly Smith scored her second goal of the season with a left-footed free kick strike that bent around the Independence wall and behind keeper Kaina LeBlanc in the 50th minute, giving the Breakers (1-0-1) the advantage. Six minutes later, Allison Falk scored the Independence's (0-0-2) first goal, tying the game up. (Falk scored the first ever WPS goal as a member of the Los Angeles Sol in 2009.)
"It was the perfect ball that came in. I was wide open went up for it, put a head on it and it went in," said Falk. "It was very exciting that first goal [for us] that tied the game and brought momentum back in our favor."
Jennifer Buczkowski was ejected from the game in the 86th minute after picking up her second yellow card, leaving the Independence with 10 players. Coach Paul Riley admitted when they went down a player, the point was inevitable.
"We would have gone after the game and tried to pinch it maybe if they kept 11," said Riley. "We lost that player and settled for that point."
After two weeks, St. Louis and Boston maintain atop the WPS standings with four points; the bounce back wins by the Freedom and Pride put them in a second-place position with three points, along with Sky Blue FC; Philadelphia remains unbeaten, but with just the two ties, the Independence sit in fifth with two points; Chicago and Atlanta sit in the final spot with a single point.
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In the second week of play, both clubs got decisive wins on their home turf.
FC Gold Pride (1-1) took on defending champion Sky Blue FC (1-1) in its home opener on Saturday night. In front of a near-sellout crowd at Castro Valley High School Athletic Stadium, the new-look Pride didn’t disappoint, handing Sky Blue FC its first loss since the regular-season finale last season.
Christine Sinclair netted a pair of goals -- one in each half -- and Marta put home an insurance goal to keep the Pride from falling to 0-2 on the campaign. Kelley O’Hara assisted on both second-half goals by the Pride.
"It was great a game for us in front our home crowd," said Sinclair. "We needed to bounce back from last weekend and get the win and I was glad that I could contribute."
Washington played its second consecutive home game, this week against Allison Whitworth (Goal.com's WPS Player of the Week last week) and the Atlanta Beat on Sunday night at the Maryland SoccerPlex.
Prior to the game, coach Jim Gabarra said the Freedom needed to feed Abby Wambach more if they would win. They listened. Wambach had a goal and two assists, leading to the Freedom’s (1-1) first win of the season, 3-1.
"It's a team game and Abby is a complete player. She knows to play the open player and she did that a couple times," said Gabarra. "The win today was huge, because we want to get off on a good start."
Romona Bachmann scored the Beat’s first WPS goal, at the time tying the game, 1-1, in the 48th minute. Atlanta (0-1-1) is still vying for its first win, and will take on FC Gold Pride in the Bay Area next weekend.
"We are still learning," said Beat coach Gareth O’Sullivan. "We have to build on tonight, look at the film, and hopefully we have a better finish next week against Bay Area."
The Chicago Red Stars took on the St. Louis Athletica in its home opener at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill., on Saturday night. Coming off a 1-0 loss to Sky Blue FC, Chicago was able to avoid going 0-2 with a 1-1 draw.
Lori Chalupny put Athletica (1-0-1) up 1-0 in the fourth minute and things looked bleak for the Red Stars. But Chicago put on the pressure and took it to Athletica for the rest of the game, especially coming out of the locker room to start the second half.
"In the second half things changed. [The Red Stars] took over the game," said Athletica coach Jorge Barcellos. "They used the right side of the field very well. To have players like they have, you give them enough opportunities and sooner or later they'll score, and they did."
And Casey Nogueria did just that, pulling the Red Stars (0-1-1) even with a goal in the 59th minute to earn a point in the standings.
"What a great team comeback. You know it's a sense of togetherness, settling their nerves early on and trusting in the confidence they have," said Red Stars coach Emma Hayes. "Any given day we'll smash a team in WPS, no doubt."
Meanwhile, at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Mass., the Boston Breakers played its home opener against the expansion Philadelphia Independence. After finishing a scoreless first half, each team netted a goal in the second to draw 1-1.
Kelly Smith scored her second goal of the season with a left-footed free kick strike that bent around the Independence wall and behind keeper Kaina LeBlanc in the 50th minute, giving the Breakers (1-0-1) the advantage. Six minutes later, Allison Falk scored the Independence's (0-0-2) first goal, tying the game up. (Falk scored the first ever WPS goal as a member of the Los Angeles Sol in 2009.)
"It was the perfect ball that came in. I was wide open went up for it, put a head on it and it went in," said Falk. "It was very exciting that first goal [for us] that tied the game and brought momentum back in our favor."
Jennifer Buczkowski was ejected from the game in the 86th minute after picking up her second yellow card, leaving the Independence with 10 players. Coach Paul Riley admitted when they went down a player, the point was inevitable.
"We would have gone after the game and tried to pinch it maybe if they kept 11," said Riley. "We lost that player and settled for that point."
After two weeks, St. Louis and Boston maintain atop the WPS standings with four points; the bounce back wins by the Freedom and Pride put them in a second-place position with three points, along with Sky Blue FC; Philadelphia remains unbeaten, but with just the two ties, the Independence sit in fifth with two points; Chicago and Atlanta sit in the final spot with a single point.
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