Photo by ISIphotos.com
By CHRISTA MANN
Women's Pro Soccer began Week 13 with two midweek match-ups but will continue over the weekend with one Saturday and two Sunday rematches.
In the Wednesday games this week, the Boston Breakers and FC Gold Pride (Bay Area) tied 1-1 with goals by the Bay Area's Christine Sinclair in the 15th minute and Boston's Jennifer Nobis in the 76th.
In the second midweek game, Rosana finished a goal in the 23rd minute to give SKy Blue FC its (New Jersey) third win of the season and to finally move the club out of last place. SBFC now sits comfortably in a three-way tie for fourth place and will take the weekend off.
The remaining Week 13 contests begin on Saturday when St. Louis and Washington have a rematch of their late April battle which resulted in Daniela's tragic injury and also created the controversy of suspensions back in Week 6.
Sunday follows with two games as the Chicago Red Stars look to get back on tack against a team they beat by the greatest margin (Boston Breakers 4-0). In the last game of the weekend, the L.A. Sol battles the Bay Area for the third and final time this season at 6:00 P.M. on FSC.
Week 13 should be exciting; especially since it opens with one of the most anticipated rematches of the season.
The St. Louis Athletica and Washington Freedom fought in one of the league's most memorable games all season. In that game, physical play escalated a bit too far and caused a sea of controversy the following week. As both teams look to leave the negatives from that game in the past, perhaps there are a few things that each should remember.
The Athletica's Eniola Aluko finished her first goal of the season in the first game against the Freedom, and lately, she has been unstoppable. The English international holds the current WPS Player of the Week title and should be the main concern for the Washington Freedom.
Washington approaches the game trailing St. Louis by only a single point for second place in the league. As the Freedom looks to exploit the Athletica on Saturday, Washington needs to utilize its aerial attack to get on the end of set pieces. That is exactly how the Freedom tied in the first meetings of these two teams and it will be the way they can win.
St. Louis has calmed down on the fouls, so hopefully this will be a cleaner game than it was in Week 6 and will showcase some great soccer. Both teams should present a good game and have an equal shot at the win.
Sunday begins with a rematch from Week Five when the Chicago Red Stars return home to once again host the Boston Breakers. As usual, the Red Stars will webcast the match on chicagoredstars.com, but this week, the club will give fans the option of commentary in either English or Spanish.
Both teams approach the game with sights set on redemption, but Boston could be looking for the bigger comeback. In the last contest between these teams, Chicago held a ridiculous shot advantage (20-8), won 4-0, and set the league record for the largest goal differential in a single game.
After that momentous finish, Chicago picked up three straight losses and has yet to earn another win. Boston bounced back from the four goal defeat with a big win over the Sol, but then found itself in a very similar situation with Chicago.
Comparatively, the Red Stars have four losses and three ties after the club's biggest win this season and the Breakers have two losses and three ties according to that very same scenario. Neither team has come out with another win since its most successful WPS weekend, but maybe all of that will change in the head to head battle Sunday.
The weekend comes to a close after the third and final match between the L.A. Sol and FC Gold Pride.
FCGP approaches the game having lost the 1-0 and 2-0 in the previous two contest against the Sol. The Bay Area needs to rally its attack and finish the few opportunities presented this week.
Defensively, the club must keep the ball in front and win the midfield battle. Through balls, close range shots, and set pieces are the three weapons that L.A utilizes well in addition to its amazing slew of attacking players.
The Sol continues to surprise teams as it still comfortably holds the highest ranking in WPS w 11 points ahead of the second place team. Every week for the Sol, a new player rises to the occasion when opposing teams mark its superstar, Marta, out of the game. Give credit to goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc as well for coming up big to preserve the team's success.
Week 13 has the potential to once again drastically change the positions of the second through seventh placed teams. Only a single point separates every position, so a win by any team will be huge.
It should be an exciting Week 13 in WPS and memorable one for women's soccer. In addition to a few great match-ups, the L.A. Sol and St. Louis Athletica are scheduled to host a 10th Anniversary Tribute Day to honor the U.S. victory in the 1999 Women's World Cup.
Will St. Louis continue on its current streak or will the Freedom handle business? Will Chicago or Boston have the upper hand this time around? What are you looking forward to the most in Week 13
Share your thoughts below.
esphir:
Another intelligent and classy response. If I were to base it on you and Roehl, I would think that that the supporters of WPS are mostly ignorant, stupid, and totally lacking in class.
Why don’t you at least read a post before you respond to it? My comment was on the WPS topics being posted here not generating much interest. Plain and simple. Then ignorant babies like you and roehl who have no interest in conversation or debate post ignorant hissy fits defending WPS. I never said a word about WPS initially. Then part of your response to me is clearly about comments someone else made. Ignorant moron.
Aristotle, you need to change your name as to no longer shame a great thinker.
I have seen more passion and excitement in the WPS this season then any televised MLS game. Take Sky Blue FC, they were in last place with a sh*tty coach who couldn’t pull them together. Now Lindsey steps in and brings a more fun and relaxing atmosphere to the team and they are playing their hearts out.
Natasha Kai went down a couple of weeks ago against the Boston Breakers with a dislocated shoulder. Her teammate Collette McCullum comes over to check on her, on FSC, you can see Kai say to her teammate, “just pull my shoulder.” She complies and Kai is up and playing with a dangling arm. If that were to happen in the MLS, the player would have been taken to the sideline, probably on a stretcher, and injury time added on.
These women don’t get paid a lot of money, they love what they do, and if there’s too much “buddy-buddy” in the league for you, then don’t f*cking watch it. Leave the good soccer for us, go watch your MLS.
Roehl:
You should go into politics. Obviously lies, idiocy, and sleaze are your forte.
i’m in aristotle’s boat.
There is something to be said about hard aggressive play. Andrea Canales wrote a good article a few days ago about the women’s game on si.com. It talked about the lack of passion, trash talking and too much family friendly attitude that just may doom the WPS. I couldn’t agree more. While everyone says they want to see “clean” play, the reality is – it is the emotional highs and lows of events that transpire on and off the pitch between teams and players that makes fans feel the way they do. And that is what sells tickets and merchandise. There is a little to much kumbayah in the WPS. I would rather see a food fight.
“The women’s league only has one or two topics posted here, and they frequently show zero comments.”
That’s not the least bit true (the “frequently” part and the “zero comments” part). This site has, in the past, had in-depth discussion among its readers about WPS, and the comparison in the level of play between WPS and MLS (hint: it’s not exactly a runaway contest). That’s even after you subtract substance-less comments like yours. Feel free to actually look through the archives, because I know you haven’t.
Personally, I am interested in WPS and its growth and I would like to see more coverage, but this is a league in its infancy, and I don’t care to post on a topic I don’t know much about yet, nor do I care to post comments of general well-wishing the way ESPN basketball or football columnists say “hey, soccer is cool” every time the World Cup rolls around. Call that lack of interest if you want, but you’re just wrong.
But you go on with your soccer bashing like the Jim Romes and Frank DeFords of the sporting landscape. Who am I to present any sort of rational thought to your moronic and false “comments”?
No, Roehl, one cannot say the same about men’s soccer, so you’d better check yourself. Whatever the he*l that’s supposed to mean.
I was referring to the topics on this website posted by Ives. The women’s league only has one or two topics posted here, and they frequently show zero comments. The men’s soccer has many topics and do not generate zero comments. There’s a huge difference. If the men’s topics generated the same interest level as the women’s, Ives would not have a website.
Matt:
I guess there’s not much interest in “great” soccer that’s “the best in the world in the women’s game.”
I think there’s a lot of hypocrisy in comments about women’s soccer in reference to the mens. The women are nowhere near as good as the men, and it’s not anywhere near as serious. This means you don’t have players or coaches in women’s soccer trying to kill games or play ultra defensively and win or not lose at all costs. So you see more offensive soccer and less fouling. For some reason men can admire this in women’s soccer, but if you suggest that men play more like the women by not playing such negative soccer, generally, male soccer fans don’t want that.
which i find funny because the womens league has great soccer, probly the best in the world in the womens game. as apposed to MLS which is probly at the bottom
One can always say the same about men’s soccer. So if I were you, I’d check myself.
There seems to be a huge lack of interest in this topic.