Highlights & Lowlights

This weekend's scores:

St. Louis Athletica 1, FC Gold Pride 0 -Recap

LA Sol 0, Boston Breakers 0 - Recap

Chicago Red Stars 0, Sky Blue FC 2 - Recap

Highlights:
-St. Louis and Sky Blue FC won their first games of the season!

-St. Louis captain Lori Chalupny scored off her own corner kick! How many times do you see that happen?!

- FSC had new commentators this week! (Hopefully they stick around!)

- My old EPYSA teammate, Christie Shaner, played her first professional game as she subbed in for Sky Blue FC's Christie Rampone.

- Solid attendance figures: 3,664 @ Chicago; 3860 @STL; 6,210 @ LA

Lowlights:

- The Chicago Red Stars are no longer undefeated. Tonight's performance was disappointing, but according to Karen Carney (one of my fave Stars) they will bounce back!

- FC Gold Pride goalie Nicole Barnhart broke her nose in the 16' of the STL match (however she continued to play the entire game injured! Tough chica!)

- Bummed the Smith vs. Marta matchup was not available via TV or internet.

- Watched the preview for next week's FSC game: Breakers vs. Freedom. Is anyone else tired of seeing Washington besides me?

St. Louis - Close, But No Cigar

ST. LOUIS 3, WASHINGTON 3

I have to admit, I'm pretty upset over the outcome of tonight's Athletica/Freedom game. Don't get me wrong, it was an exciting match and I'm stoked that WPS has been lucky enough to have two great games air on back-to-back weeks. All around, league play has just been phenomenal. I'm really pleased.

However, here's why I'm bummed:

#1 - I predicted that Athletica was going to win and they didn't. I don't like to be wrong. Had they been playing someone other than Washington (aka the comeback kids), they would've had it in the bag!

#2 -Kia McNeill should have been ejected. I remember a game I played in high school. I was playing sweeper. An opponent caught me on my heels and flat out beat me. Embarrassed and frustrated I turned around, ran the player down, and knowing that I had no shot at the ball, I took her out from behind. It's been 10+ years and I still remember it like it was yesterday. I remember it because I knew it was dirty. It was a cheap shot on a girl who beat me fair and square. Kia McNeill is worse than that. She didn't even wait to get beat. Instead, she just took out players before they even got a chance to beat her. Not once, not twice, but three times. It was disappointing to watch. I love playing physical, but McNeill was displaying the traits of a NFL linebacker and though I may sound like a soccer mom with a 6-year old on the field, I was legitimately worried someone was going to get hurt.

# 3 - Hope Solo is NOT shaky. I may be biased because I do think she's the best keeper in women's soccer, but the recent criticism of her game has been a little harsh. And let's be fair, this is the first game most of us soccer fans actually got to see her play (since the Freedom has been hogging all the airtime...just kidding..kinda). Do I think it was Solo's best game? Not at all. But I've replayed tonight's goals a few thousand times and in the last 2 goals against, Athletica's defense (or lack there of) played a huge part in its downfall. The coverage on the 2nd goal was lax, at best. Sadly, I think it was Chalupa's mark that netted the goal. On the 3rd goal, Athletica's defense can be credited with the Freedom's assist. 'Nuff said.

#4 - If Daniela is seriously hurt (which I think she is), St. Louis can say goodbye to any chance at the title. Hey, I may be an Athletica fan, but I'm also a realist. (According to a post on the Washington Examiner, "Daniela lost consciousness at one point in the locker room due to the pain, leading to the appearance of a defibrillator, even though it apparently was not used. Daniela eventually was taken away from the facility in an ambulance for precautionary reasons.")

#5 - Kerri Hanks. Coming into this season I was expecting a superstar to step out on the field. I'm still waiting. I know you've got it in you!

Now for some positive notes on Athletica: YOU FINALLY SCORED!!! It would've been slighlty embarrassing to head into Week 7 scoreless. To top it off, those three goals pull Athletica ahead of Sky Blue in the standings! Hellllllo, 6th place! Also, I really saw something special out of defender Tina Ellertson - Straight up, she saved a goal solely with pure heart and hustle. Hope Solo let out the biggest sigh of relief after Ellertson saved her from a 1v1 situation in the first half -- So much so, that minutes later, Solo stated in her halftime interview, "Tina Ellertson inspires me. I am inspired by Tina Ellertson." (Haha it was so sincere, but it cracked me up because I think Solo was still in shock from Ellertson saving her butt.)

Breakers Defeat Freedom 3-1

Yesterday, the Boston Breakers traveled to the Maryland SoccerPlex to take on Abby Wambach and the Washington Freedom. For the 2nd week in a row, the Breakers came out on top, defeating its opponent 3-1.

SCORING SUMMARY
1 56 Kelly Smith - PK (Boston)
2 60 Lori Lindsey (Washington)

3 76 Christine Latham (Boston)

4 81 Angela Hucles (Boston)

To read more about the game and for unofficial box scores, visit Women's Professional Soccer.

I've got to be honest, I think it's time for Freedom coach, Jim Gabarra, to make a change in goal. Not only did Scurry make an error last night fouling Boston's Angela Hucles (which led to one of the 3 goals), but she has let in 6 goals in 3 games, many of which she could have (should have) saved. This is unacceptable. Would it really hurt to put KJ or Erin McLeod in for a game? At this point, what do you have to lose? I respect Scurry for what she did in the past with the National Team, but she isn't carrying her weight in Washington. It's time for a new face in net.

The Breakers are back on the road next weekend to take on the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday, April 25. The Washington Freedom meanwhile travel to Santa Clara to face FC Gold Pride on Sunday, April 26 in a match that will be televised nationally on Fox Soccer Channel (6pm ET).

Sol Outshines Freedom

In the first ever Women's Professional Soccer match, home team Los Angeles Sol defeated opponent Washington Freedom, 2-0, in front of a 14,832-person crowd in Carson, California.

Though Washington Freedom had the first shot of the game, it was the Los Angeles Sol that gained the early lead with a goal in the 6th minute. Off a great set piece by midfielder Aya Miyama, Sol defender Allison Falk was able to beat goalkeeper Briana Scurry midair and get a head on the ball to finish. I am confident the Scurry-of-old would have been able to break up that play easily, since the ball was actually in her hands, but a case of butterfingers surfaced and Falk jumped at the opportunity... literally. To quote WPS Fox Soccer commentators Mark Rogondino and Jenn Hildreth (who happen to be former keepers), "When in doubt, punch it out."

Throughout the first half, and much of the game, the Washington Freedom seemed to be slow on the attack and had very little movement off the ball. Freedom star player Abby Wambach only touched the ball a handful of times in the first 45 minutes. There were numerous times in the game when Wambach was the lone red shirt in a sea of Sol blue. She lacked support from her midfield and fellow forwards.

The best opportunity for the Freedom came in the 24th minute when Sonia Bompastor served a great ball to Wambach, who after a quick touch, blasted the ball toward charging Sol goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc. LeBlanc, who deflected the ball off her right leg, was later named player of the game by LA Sol General Manager, Charlie Naimo (via Twitter) for that very stop.

In the second half, Marta and her Sol-mates continued to dominate, however the Freedom seemed to come out of its shell...sorta. In the 49th minute, Freedom defender Cat Whitehill (the free kick specialist) served a great ball into the box. It caused so much chaos that four players went down, including LeBlanc. This left the net WIDE OPEN for Freedom's Lisa De Vanna, however her shot went over the crossbar. Doh!

The Freedom defense, anchored by Whitehill, was fairly solid throughout the game, however, Marta did catch them offguard on several occasions with fast-paced, creative runs and perfect through-passes. In the 87th minute, Marta proved to be too much of a challenge for Whitehill's warriors. During a Sol counter attack, started by Brittany Bock, Marta sent a beautiful ball to attacking Sol midfielder Camille Abily. Abily was able to draw Scurry out of the net just enough to easily chip the ball over her head and into the back of the net. Needless to say, that goal was the nail in the coffin for the Freedom.

The Los Angeles Sol will travel to Bridgewater, NJ on April 5 to face Sky Blue FC, while the Washington Freedom will take advantage of its week off to scrimmage the University of Virginia on April 4.

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Starting Lineups:

LA: 23-Karina LeBlanc (GK), 2- Kendall Fletcher (18-Katie Larkin, 46), 3-Allison Falk, 7-Shannon Boxx (Captain), 14-Stephanie Cox, 8-Aya Miyama, 11-Brittany Bock, 20-Camille Abily, 22-Manya Makoski, 9-Han Duan (13-Christie Welsh, 84), 10-Marta.

WSH: 1-Briana Scurry (GK), 4-Cat Whitehill, 11-Emily Janss, 21-Alex Singer, 22-Becky Sauerbrunn, 6-Lori Lindsey (3-Jill Gilbeau, 72), 8-Sonia Bompastor, 9-Allie Long, 10-Homare Sawa, 20-Abby Wambach (Captain), 25-Claire Zimmeck (17-Lisa De Vanna, 43).

Goals: Falk (6'), Abily (87')

For more stats on the game, visit the WPS Matchtracker.