Knapp Notes: Who Will Make A Playoff Run?

With the Fourth of July here, there’s just over a month of Women’s Professional Soccer left. And believe it or not… three of the four playoff spots are up for grabs. Let’s take a look at the seven teams and weigh the options.

Los Angeles Sol

The Sol (10-1-4, 34 points) have dominated since day one. No one can argue that they don’t deserve to be in the Championship. They’ve lost just one match. And sure for a while, they weren’t the dominant scoring force. But now… the stats are untouchable. They’ve outscored opponents 23 to 5, while posting 10 shutouts. When it comes to goal differential – they are +18. Come on… that deserves a shot at the inaugural championship. Los Angeles may as well take the rest of the month off. They’ve already clinched a playoff spot… now all that’s left is the coveted title of Regular Season Champion. If they get that, they’ll receive a double bye and host the Championship.

Boston Breakers

Boston (5-4-3, 18 points) has been picking up the pace lately. The Breakers are riding a three-game unbeaten streak with a 2-0-1 record. They’ve outscored opponents 4-1 and posted back-to-back shutouts in the last two matches. The last timeout Boston topped the Washington Freedom 1-0 to bounce into second place. The Breakers have the talent to get the job done. Boston is also the only other team to have a positive goal differential, as they are +1. The Breakers should still be standing at the end.  

Saint Louis Athletica

Saint Louis (5-5-2, 17 points) began the season on a slower pace than some of the teams. They dropped their first two matches before posting a 2-0-2 record in their next four games. And like all other teams they’ve had good days and bad days. The month of June was a strong month for Athletica as they posted a 3-2-0 record. Their last time out they picked up a 2-1 win over Sky Blue FC, which helped them move into third place. Can they keep the energy going for the next eight matches? It’s quite possible.

Washington Freedom

Washington (4-5-4, 16 points) has had no trouble finding the net this season. The Freedom ranks second in the league with 18 goals scored. Their down side is on the other side of the field. The Freedom has also allowed the most goals out of any team with 21. But Erin McLeod joined the campaign in May and has since helped solidify the backline. McLeod has posted a 3-3-2 record since and the first two shutouts in Washington history. She’s allowed nine goals, which isn’t great… but it’ better than 12 in the first five matches. Washington has to continue to strengthen its defense if it wants to make a run for the playoffs.

Chicago Red Stars

Chicago (3-6-5, 14 points) has baffled me all season. And mainly because I’ve seen them play most of their games, since I’m based in Chicago. They’re a good solid team. Then attack well. They defend well. But there just seems to be a dark cloud hanging over them. Maybe it’s Bridgeview. But alas, they have the talent it takes to make a run for the Championship. Wednesday they came back from a 1-0 deficit and earned a 2-1 win – the first time any WPS team has fought back. It showed that they have heart. Heart and talent are a lethal combination.

Sky Blue FC

Many people wrote Sky Blue FC (3-6-3, 12 points) off at the beginning of the season. It was an easy thing to do, quite frankly. In their first 10 matches, Sky Blue posted a 2-5-3 record. They scraped together six goals during that span, while allowing nine. With a new coach in Kelly Lindsey, Sky Blue has renewed faith in themselves and should make a strong push for the playoffs.

FC Gold Pride

FC Gold Pride (3-6-3, 12 points) has struggled from the beginning of the season. I was one of many people who assumed that the Bay Area club would be tough to beat this season. They have so much talent. It shouldn’t even have been an issue. But heading into July, they’re still struggling to find consistency and a winning combination. They’ve scored 11 goals while allowing 17. While I’d like to see FCGP make a push for the playoffs, I think they’ll come up a tad short.

Weekly Predictions

I’ve given up on keeping track of my sad little predictions. Mainly because, I just wasn’t doing too well.  This week however, I’ll make a couple picks… just for fun of course. I am picking Sky Blue FC, Saint Louis Athletica and the Washington Freedom as winners this weekend.  We’ll see if I’m even close to being right.

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Kathryn L. Knapp, Goal.com

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