The Washington Freedom are now unbeaten in four games after a 2-0 win Thursday over the Chicago Red Stars at the Maryland SoccerPlex.

Abby Wambach scored the first goal of the match just four minutes after halftime to give the Freedom a 1-0 lead.  That was Wambach's 10th goal of the season, tying heer with Kelly Smith for third in WPS.

"We were asleep in the first half," Wambach said.  "Jim came into the locker room and he provided us with a little bit of energy.  He was great.  He sparked us.  I think at the end of the day, we can't have performances like our first half, but I credit him."

Then in the 55th minute, Cat Whitehill headed in a Sarah Huffman corner kick to double Washington's lead.  That was Huffman's second assist of the game and 2-0 is how it would end in favor of the Freedom (6-8-7, 25 pts.).

Washington Freedom rookie goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris has now given up just one goal in this four-game unbeaten streak and that was a Cat Whitehill own goal in a 1-1 draw August 11 with Sky Blue FC.

Chicago (5-10-6,21 pts.), meanwhile continued to suffer injury setbacks.  Julianne Sitch and Elise Weber were recently proclaimed out for the season and defender Kate Markgraf missed Thursday's match due to ramifications from a concussion last week.  Formiga exited the game due to injury in the 63rd minute and Jessica McDonald had to leave the field in the 12th minute and Red Stars Head Athletic Trainer Laura Behr said that McDonald tore her patellar tendon and is out for the remainder of the season.

Despite all the injuries, Chicago still looked good throughout the first half.

"First of all, Chicago was clearly the better team in the first half," Freedom Head Coach Jim Gabarra said.  "We managed to survive the first half. We asked them to battle harder and string some passes together.  The first half was pretty ugly, but we held strong and didn't bend."

The Boston Breakers put on a clinic Sunday in a 4-0 victory over Sky Blue FC in front of 6,108 fans at Harvard Stadium.

It was all Boston from the opening kickoff and got its first breakthrough in the ninth minute when Amy LePeilbet sent a free kick from 45 yards into the box.  Midfielder Jordan Angeli headed the ball down and it bounced up to fellow rookie Lauren Cheney, who flicked it on with her head past on-rushing Sky Blue FC goalkeeper Jenni Branam.

Cheney was active throughout the first half and after cutting the ball back to her right foot and alluding defender Keeley Dowling, Cheney forced Branam to make a huge save in the 15th minute.  

In the 41st minute, the Breakers got their second breakthrough when Stephanie Cox sent a long ball into the box.  Cheney shielded the ball and let it fall to Angeli, who struck it on a half-volley from the 18-yard box and dipped the ball over Branam to give Boston a 2-0 lead just before halftime.  The goal was Angeli's sixth of her rookie campaign.

Sky Blue FC inserted Tasha Kai and Rosana into the lineup at halftime, but it did little to change things.  Breakers forward Lindsay Tarpley scored her first goal in a Boston uniform just four minutes after halftime as Sky Blue FC conceded on another set piece.  Kristine Lilly sent a corner kick to the back post, where LePeilbet redirected the ball back into the middle and Angeli headed it toward net.  Branam made the initial save but could not hold onto the ball and Tarpley was there for the easy tap-in.  

The firsts continued when second-half substitute Laura Del Rio scored on a wonder strike in the 80th minute.  Dowling's poor clearance came right to Del Rio, who blasted a left-footed shot into the far upper corner and left Branam helpless.  That made it 4-0 and that is how it would end and Boston would pick up its first-ever victory over Sky Blue FC.

"We’ve stuck together this whole year and I think this is one of the best games we’ve played all season," Cheney said.  "Obviously we don’t want this to be our peak, we want to be playing at our peak when the playoffs start.  I think we are on a roll and we’re playing well together.  Hopefully that will continue."

Meanwhile, Sky Blue FC has just one win in its last eight games.

"Boston did a good job of interchanging the roles of certain players tonight, and that really seemed to confuse us," Sky Blue FC Head Coach Rick Stainton said.  "As a team, we have to do a better job of balancing our defense and competing for every ball.  These are challenges that we as coaches, in addition to the players, must accept and take on with complete dedication.  We have the pieces here to be successful, but we have to have the internal belief that we can accomplish great things."

Sky Blue FC (6-9-4, 22 pts.) next hosts the Philadelphia Independence at home Sunday, while Boston (8-6-5, 29 pts.) will host the Atlanta Beat Saturday in New Britain, Conn.
 

The Philadelphia Independence erased a two goal defecit to defeat the Atlanta Beat 3-2 Sunday in West Chester, Penn. in a battle of 2010 expansion teams.

Atlanta midfielder Johanna Rasmussen opened the scoring in just the 4th minute on a feed from Ramonna Bachmann to make it 1-0 early.  Just twelve minutes later, Beat midfielder Lori Chalupny split the Philadelphia defense and slipped the ball past Independence goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc to double Atlanta's lead.

“We started with a high tempo,” Beat Head Coach Gareth O’Sullivan said.  “We showed very well and were able to score two early goals and had a chance to score a third one before the half.”

But it was Philadelphia that would strike just before halftime when Tina DiMartino sent her shot into the upper corner past Atlanta goalkeeper Hope Solo.

“I think getting the goal before halftime was vital” Philadelphia Head Coach Paul Riley said.  “It gave us some spark going into the second half...the girls knew they were still in it.  Plus, it was a brilliant goal from Tina.”

DiMartino would strike again after halftime, this time for the equalizer off a feed from Amy Rodriguez in the 60th minute.  That made it 2-2 and all the momentum was in the home side's favor.

Philadelphia would find the winner in the 81st minute when Rodriguez got her second assist of the game, finding second half substitute Johanna Lohman for the game-winner.  Lohman scored just seven minutes after she entered the match to give Philadelphia the 3-2 win and maintain the team's second place position.  With one more game played, Philadelphia is six points back of league-leading FC Gold Pride.

"I’m disappointed that we game up the late goal when we did," O'Sullivan said.  "We had a great start to the game and I wish that we’d taken advantage of going ahead early like we did."

Next up for Atlanta (4-10-5, 17 pts.) is another road trip Saturday to take on the Boston Breakers, this time in New Britain, Conn.  Philadelphia (10-6-4, 34 pts.) will travel across the state line to New Jersey to take on Sky Blue FC Sunday.
 

GOALS                                 1    2    F

Atlanta (4-10-5)                    2    0   2 

Philadelphia (10-6-4)           1    2   3

SCORING SUMMARY

Goal        Time      Team                      Goal  Scorer                                         Assists                                 Note

1              4:00         Atlanta                    Johanna Rasmussen           & ... More

FC Gold Pride played to its third-straight 0-0 draw Saturday at home agains the Washington Freedom.

Despite the third-straight 0-0 draw, FC Gold Pride is unbeaten in its last eight games and still holds a six point lead in first place with a game in hand on second-place Philadelphia Independence.  Now having been held 271 consecutive minutes without a goal, players are still staying positive

"Goals come and go and the point that we're trying to make on this team is that we're defending great," FC Gold Pride midfielder Shannon Boxx said. "We've got three shutouts in a row and that's huge because in the end defense wins games. When we know we've got a good defense behind us, we can take those chances of going forward and maybe push another midfielder to try to get that goal."

Washington played to its second draw of the week and after a ten-game winless streak, the Freedom is now unbeaten in its last three games.  Next up for Washington is a home match Thursday against the Chicago Red Stars, while FC Gold Pride will travel east Sunday to take on Chicago at Toyota Park.

"I told the team to make sure we stay positive because our performance tonight was very good," Pride Head Coach Albertin Montoya said.  "We created a lot of  chances and I thought we played good soccer. Defensively we've been very good by not allowing clear opportunities for other teams to score goals."
 

FC Gold Pride played to its third-straight 0-0 draw Saturday at home agains the Washington Freedom.

Despite the third-straight 0-0 draw, FC Gold Pride is unbeaten in its last eight games and still holds a six point lead in first place with a game in hand on second-place Philadelphia Independence.  Now having been held 271 consecutive minutes without a goal, players are still staying positive

"Goals come and go and the point that we're trying to make on this team is that we're defending great," FC Gold Pride midfielder Shannon Boxx said. "We've got three shutouts in a row and that's huge because in the end defense wins games. When we know we've got a good defense behind us, we can take those chances of going forward and maybe push another midfielder to try to get that goal."

Washington played to its second draw of the week and after a ten-game winless streak, the Freedom is now unbeaten in its last three games.  Next up for Washington is a home match Thursday against the Chicago Red Stars, while FC Gold Pride will travel east Sunday to take on Chicago at Toyota Park.

"I told the team to make sure we stay positive because our performance tonight was very good," Pride Head Coach Albertin Montoya said.  "We created a lot of  chances and I thought we played good soccer. Defensively we've been very good by not allowing clear opportunities for other teams to score goals."
 

CONCACAF announced Thursday qualifying for the 2011 Women's World Cup will take place from Oct 28-Nov. 8 in Cancún and Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

The United States has been drawn into Group B alongside Costa Rica, Haiti and Guatemala, and will pa\lay in Estadio Unidad Deportiva in Playa del Carmen, which holds around 7,000 fans and is home to the Inter Playa del Carmen soccer team in Mexico’s third division.  

Group A will feature host Mexico, Canada, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana.  Group A will play in the 9,000-seat Estadio Beto Ávila in Cancún, which is the regular venue for Mexican baseball team the Quintana Roo Tigres.

The format will be round-robin with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals, with the first place finisher in Group A facing the second place finisher in Group B and the first place finisher in Group B playing the secong place finisher in Group A.

 Both finalists will get an automatic bid to the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany while the tournament’s third-place finisher will face the fifth place team from Europe in a home-and-home and series for a World Cup spot. The 16-team 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament will be held in nine German cities from June 26-July 17.

The United States is 16-0-0 all-time in Women's World Cup Qualifying, scoring 113 goals and conceding just four.

GROUP A
Mexico
Canada
Trinidad & Tobago
Guyana

GROUP B
United States
Costa Rica
Haiti
Guatemala

The Phialdelphia Independence temporarily pulled within eight points of league-leading FC Gold Pride with a 2-1 win Wednesday over the Chicago Red Stars at Toyota Park.

After a scoreless first half, Amy Rodriguez scored off a cross from Lori Lindsey to put Philadelphia ahead 1-0 in the 53rd minute.  The goal was Rodriguez's 12th of the year, just one less than Marta.

Chicago drew level in the 62nd minute when Ella Masar continued her good form by scoring her team-leading sixth goal of the season.  Casey Nogueira sent a deep cross into the box that Masar got her head on and guided past Philadelphia goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, who started her second-straight game.

However, it was Philadelphia who had the last laugh when Liane Sanderson hit for the game-winner in the 78th minute on a free kick that beat Chicago goalkeeper Jillian Loyden.  Philadelphia (9-6-4, 31 pts.) is now eight points back of FC Gold Pride but has played one more game, while Chicago (5-9-6, 21 pts.) is now tied with the Washington Freedom for sixth place after Washington drew Sky Blue FC 1-1 Wednesday.

"We're not a very good team when we go down a goal, based on records," Red Stars Head Coach Omid Namazi said.  "We're very good when we go up.  We fought and we came back, and we had the momentum going."

Chicago Red Stars (5-8-7) vs. Philadelphia Independence (9-6-4)
August 11, 2010 -- Bridgeview, Ill., Toyota Park
Independence 2, Red Stars 1
Independence    0    2    -    2
Red Stars            0    1    -    1
SCORING SUMMARY
1. PHI - Rodriguez (Lindsey), 53; 2. CHI - Masar (Nogueira), 62; 3. PHI - Sanderson (unassisted), 78.
Red Stars: Loyden (GK), Dalmy, Engen, Markgraf (Vandenbergh, 73), Spilger, Rapinoe, Formiga, Chapman, Masar, Cristiane (Sitch, 71; Washington for Sitch, 82), Nogueira.
Independence: LeBlanc (GK), Mitts, Buczkowski, Lindsey, Larsson, Rodriguez (Patterson, 90), Seger, Krzysik, Lohman (Johnson, 84), T. DiMartino (Sanderson, 64), Magnusdottir.
STATISTICS:
Shots: Red Stars 9, Independence 5
Shots on goal: Red Stars 4, Independence 3
Saves: Red Stars 1, Independence 3
Corner kicks: Red Stars 7, Independence 4
Offsides: Red Stars 2, Independence 5
Fouls: Red Stars 13, Independence 8
Cautions and ejections:
37th minute -- CHI, Formiga, yellow card
67th minute -- CHI, Rapinoe, yellow card
77th minute -- CHI, Spilger, yellow card
90th minute -- CHI, Chapman, yellow card

Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero
Assistant referees: Shelley Finger, George Ghawi
Fourth official: Miguel Panduro Jr.
Attendance: 3,152

Sky Blue FC and the Washington Freedom played to a 1-1 draw Wednesday at Yurcak Field thanks to a late Cat Whitehill own goal.

The first half brought inspiring soccer from the home team as Sky Blue FC pushed forward in the opening 35 minutes.  Right midfielder Heather O'Reilly had the first legitimate chance for Sky Blue FC in the 10th minute when her point-blank shot from six yards out was saved by Freedom goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris.

Laura Kalmari had the best chance of the half in the 27th minute when she fired a shot off the post to send a collective scare through the Freedom.  Kacey White laid a perfect ball into the path of Kalmari, who one-timed it with her right foot from 20-yards out and smacked the ball off the far post.  The attack was the best culmination of fluent possession from Sky Blue FC, but the game entered halftime level at 0-0.

Washington came out much stronger in the second half and forward Abby Wambach should have done better with a golden opportunity in the 51st minute.  Strike partner Lene Mykjaland played Wambach in behind the Sky Blue FC defense with a great ball over the top, but Wambach sent her shot well over the crossbar and was frustrated afterward.

"Personally I had two chances that I absolutely should have done a better job with and you know, I'll be dreaming about them for the next couple of nights," Wambach said.

Washington controlled much of the second half and finally broke through in the 65th minute when Sarah Huffman turned the corner on Sky Blue FC defender Meghan Schnur and hit a low, driven cross to the back post, where Sonia Bompastor fired it home.  Huffman's cross eluded three Sky Blue FC defenders and goalkeeper Jenni Branam to find Bompastor at the back post, where she rocketed the ball into the upper corner of the goal from six yards out.

But Sky Blue FC would equalize late on to earn a point on the evening.  For the second-straight game an own goal would provide Sky Blue FC with a result as Cat Whitehill hit the ball into her own net in the 80th minute to bring Sky Blue FC level at 1-1 and give the home team a share of the points.  O'Rielly played a cross into Kalmari and althought the Finnish forward could not get a foot on it, Whitehill mishit her clearance attempt and sent the ball into the back of the net.

"Honestly, I thought it was one of our best performances all season long," Sky Blue FC Head Coach Rick Stainton said.  "We were able to possess the ball very well.  We were able to attack with a lot of purpose."  

Meanwhile, Wambach, who wears the captain's armband along with Whitehill, put the blame on herself for not getting Washington three points.

"It doesn't help when the person that is on the field who is paid to score goals can't finish two brilliant chances, so I'll put this point on my back and take the responsibility for not winning this game."
 

After Atlanta Beat goalkeeper Hope Solo accused Boston Breakers fans of racism and sexism last week, the two organizations issued a joint statement on the incident after a full review.

Here is the statement:

Westwood, MA (August 9, 2010) -The management of the Atlanta Beat and the Boston Breakers have worked together over the past several days to look into the alleged incidents of fan misconduct and the subsequent post-game public comments of beat goalkeeper Hope Solo during the Breakers-Beat game at Harvard Stadium on Wednesday, August 4th.

After interviewing fans, players, security personnel and team employees, it seems clear that a few individual fans shouted comments towards the field that crossed the line from traditional heckling to abusive language that is neither respectful of the players, nor apppropriate for the family friendly entertainment environment that the Breakers pride themselves on. The Breakers organization extends an apology to all members of the Beat team & staff and to any Breakers fans that were offended by the actions of these unidentified individuals. The Breakers have also pledged to place additional stadium security in closer proximity to the stadium sections adjacent to the visiting bench and goalkeeping areas to further ensure a safe and enjoyable game environment for all participants & spectators.

The coordinated review of the Breakers and the Beat also conclusively showed that at no time was there any organized or coordinated singing or chanting of racially insensitive slogans or profanity by the Riptide supporters group or any other group of fans. The Beat regret that a member of their organization used social media to make public allegations against the Breakers organization and its supporters group without first bringing her concerns to the attention of either club. The Beat and its players understand that the remarks were from a few individuals and not representative of the Breakers organization or the Riptide supporters group.

Both teams look forward to contesting the remainder of this exciting WPS playoff race on the field and to their next head-to-head competition on August 21st, when the Breakers and the Beat meet at Veterans Memorial Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut.

Kelly's Smith's early second half goal helped the Boston Breakers get a point in a 2-2 draw Sunday with the Philadelphia Independence in West Chester, Penn.

Philadelphia dominated early possession, but Lauren Cheney opened the scoring in the 25th minute.  Kelly Smith dribbled through three Philadelphia defenders and slotted a ball to Cheney who turned on Allison Falk and fired a shot past Karina LeBlanc, who played her first match in goal since July 4.  

Four minutes later Holmfridur Magnusdottir ripped a free kick from about 25 yards out around the Boston wall and beat goalkeeper  Alyssa Naeher to level the game at 1-1.  Then, just two minutes later, Magnusdottir struck again to give Philadelphia the lead.  Caroline Seger and Tina DiMartino did well to keep possession and found the Philadelphia left back on the opposite flank.  Magnusdottir then fired a shot from the corner of the 18-yard box and hit a shot off the far post, but the ball bounced back off Naeher's back and into the goal to give the home team a 2-1 lead.

That is how it would stand at halftime, but Smith struck for the equalizer in the 52nd minute when she collected a loose ball 45 yards from goal, dribbled forward and cracked a shot past LeBlanc and into the lower corner.

“Overall I was pleased with our performance,” Independence Head Coach Paul Riley said.  “Frida [Magnusdottir] was fantastic and was dangerous coming out of the back.  We missed that on Wednesday when she wasn’t in the game, and it proved crucial tonight.”

Rookie midfielder and July WPS Player of the Month Jordan Angeli should have found the game-winner in the 59th minute when she pushed Lindsay Tarpley's low cross wide, but the match would end 2-2, keeping Philadelphia (8-6-4, 28 pts.) in second place and Boston (7-6-5, 26 pts.) in third place.  Both trail FC Gold Pride (12-3-3, 39 pts.), which has already clinched a playoff spot.

“I think we had the better of the chances in the second half,” Boston Head Coach Tony DiCicco said.  “It’s a shame we didn’t get the game-winner, but we fought back from going a goal down and I’m proud of the performance tonight.”

Sky Blue FC Head Coach Rick Stainton won his first game as head coach as Sky Blue FC defeated the Atlanta Beat 2-1 Saturday in Kennesaw, Ga.

Finnish forward Laura Kalmari opened the scoring in the 44th minute to give Sky Blue FC the momentum just before halftime, but Atlanta forward Eniola Aluko equalized in the 62nd minute when she finished a powerful shot off a feed from Aya Miyama.

With the game deadlocked at 1-1, an own goal would decide the fate of the two teams when Atlanta defender Tina Ellertson misdirected the ball into her own net in the 71st minute.  That gave the visitors the 2-1 lead and Sky Blue FC would hold on for the victory, snapping a four-game losing streak.

"This is a huge win for us, and we look for it to serve as a big step into the right direction," Stainton said.  "It was important for us as a team to get around the bend so we could put ourselves in a position to be successful.  As a staff, we've been telling the players the time and opportunity will come if we put forth our best efforts every time we take the field.  We know we have the talent on this team to be successful, and positive things will continue to happen for us as long as we work hard and maintain a positive mindset."

Atlanta out-shot Sky Blue FC 22-8 on the day and coaches and players were notably frustrated with the result.

"I’ve never been in a situation where we just had so much bad luck," Aluko said.  "It hit the bar twice and it just wasn’t going in for us.  Their goals were very sloppy goals.  I don’t think Sky Blue was better than us today.  I honestly think that we were the better team, but sometimes the cookie doesn’t crumble that way.  It was bitterly disappointing.  If we won today we would’ve stayed close to the pack."

Atlanta Beat (4-9-5) vs. Sky Blue FC (6-8-3)
Saturday, August 7, 2010 — Atlanta Beat Stadium
FINAL

SCORING SUMMARY:

NJ: Laura Kalmari 5 (Heather O'Reilly) 44'
ATL: Eniola Aluko 7 (Unassisted) 62'
NJ: Tina Ellertson (Own Goal) 71'

ATLANTA BEAT — Hope Solo, Stacy Bishop, Kia McNeill, Leigh Ann Robinson (Angie Kerr, 79'), Mami Yamaguchi, Ramona Bachmann (Monica Ocampo, 72'), Lori Chalupny (Carolyn Blank, 46'), Johanna Rasmussen, Aya Miyama, Eniola Aluko, Tina Ellertson

Substitutes Not Used: Amanda Cinalli, Lauren Sesselmann, McCall Zerboni, Brett Maron, Rebecca Nolin, Malori L ... More

The Chicago Red Stars held league-leading FC Gold Pride to a 0-0 draw Saturday in Hayward, Calif.

The clean sheet was the second-straight for FC Gold Pride and goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart, but it came in the team's second-straight 0-0 draw.  Though the high-powered offense of the Pride has not produced a goal in the last two games, forward Christine Sinclair credits her team's defensive abilities.

"It would've been nice to put a goal in but that's part of the game," Sinclair said.  "You can win 4-0 and the offense will get all the accolades, but our defense has been rock solid all season and by getting the shut out, they're getting us a point."

With the shutout, Barnhart now leads WPS with six, while her counterpart, Chicago goalkeeper Jillian Loyden, earned her fifth clean sheet of the season.

Neither goalkeeper had much to do on the day, though, and the key for FC Gold Pride is keeping the early season momentum rolling into the playoffs.

"Every season has some ups and downs and obviously you want to peak at the very end when you're going into playoffs and working toward a championship," said FC Gold Pride defender Rachel Buehler.  "Now we have things to work on and sort out before playoffs.  It also puts pressure on the defense to make sure that we don't let up a goal and I think that's really important for us to deal with that pressure before heading into playoffs."

Spanish international Veronica Boquete, Chicago's newest acquisition, made her debut when she replaced Cristiane in the 80th minute.  Chicago will end the season with four of its final five games at home, starting Wednesday when the Red Stars host the Philadelphia Independence.

Chicago Red Stars (5-8-6) at FC Gold Pride (12-3-3)
August 7, 2010 -- Hayward, Calif., Pioneer Stadium
Red Stars 0, Gold Pride 0
Red Stars    0    0    -    0
Gold Pride    0    0    -    0
SCORING SUMMARY
None.
Red Stars: Loyden (GK), Dalmy, Engen, Markgraf, Spilger, K. Chapman, Formiga, Carney (Nogueira, 46), Rapinoe, Cristiane (Boquete, 80), Masar (Sitch, 89).
Gold Pride: Barnhart (GK), Wilson, C. Chapman, Buehler, Riley, Boxx, Edwards, Milbrett (Abily, 46), O'Hara, Sinclair, Marta.
STATISTICS:
Shots: Red Stars 8, Gold Pride 7
Shots on goal: Red Stars 5, Gold Pride 4
Saves: Red Stars 4, Gold Pride 5
Corner kicks: Red Stars 2, Gold Pride 6
Offsides: Red Stars 7, Gold Pride 4
Fouls: Red Stars 10, Gold Pride 10
Cautions and ejections:
62nd minute -- Kandace Wilson, yellow card
85th minute -- Kelley O'Hara, yellow card
Referee: Ted Unkel
Assistant referees: Colin Arblaster, Mike Kampmeinert
Fourth official: Maurizio Laudani
Attendance: 2,740
 

The Washington Freedom ended a 10-game winless streak and five game losing streak with a 2-0 win Wednesday over the Philadelphia Independence at the Maryland SoccerPlex.

It looked as though the Freedom's poor string of luck would continue when Abby Wambach's 17th minute penalty kick was saved by Philadelphia goalkeeper Val Henderson.  Lene Mykjaland turned the corner on Nikki Krzysik and Krzysik brought the Freedom forward down in the box to cause the penalty.  The PK save was one of several key early saves by Henderson, but Washington would find a way to break through.

A lightning delay in the 32nd minute postponed the game for 46 minutes and the Freedom found inspiration once play resumed.  In the 39th minute, Sonia Bompastor sent a corner kick into the box and Wambach headed it toward goal.  Henderson seemed to make the save on the shot but the ball slipped out of her hands and it turned into a howler to give the Freedom a 1-0 lead at home.

Then, just two minutes later, Wambach would score again on another questionable play from Henderson.  Cat Whitehill boomed a long ball into the box off a free kick from midfield and Wambach's flick-on header went over Henderson - caught out trying to punch the ball - and into the back of the net.

Philadelphia forward Amy Rodriguez was unable to add to her 11 goals on the season and the Freedom tasted victory for the first time since May 30 when Washington beat Philadelphia 2-1 at home.

"We have to come out and play hard all 90 minutes," Wambach said.  "It has become a recurring theme for us to sort of die in the second half and that was not the case tonight."

The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for the Independence, which hosts the Boston Breakers Sunday at 8 p.m. at West Chester University.

"Today all four of our midfielders were bad on the same day unfortunately and we could just never get moving," Philadelphia Head Coach Paul Riley said.  "Amy Rodriguez didn't get good service and we didn't get good service to the front line."

The Boston Breakers won their third-straight game and sixth in seven matches with a 2-0 win Wednesday over the Atlanta Beat at Harvard Stadium.

Kelly Smith opened the scoring with the fastest goal in franchise history when she gave the Breakers the lead just 40 seconds into the match.  Rookie forward Lauren Cheney played a long ball to Lindsay Tarpley, who crossed the ball to Smith for the finish.  As fast as Smith's goal was, it did not set the WPS record for fastest goal.  That honor goes to FC Gold Pride forward Christine Sinclair, who scored in the 31st second July 3 against the Atlanta Beat.

Boston had a chance to go up 2-0 in the 31st minute when rookie midfielder Jordan Angeli headed the ball off the post on Kristine Lilly's corner kick.  Earlier that day, Angeli was named July WPS Player of the Month after tallying four goals and an assist in the month of July.

The Breakers continued to push forward and Smith would score a second goal in the 62nd minute to seal the victory for the home side.  Smith ran onto a loose ball and finished it past Atlanta goalkeeper Hope Solo to make it 2-0.  That is how the game would end and Boston won its sixth game in the last seven, snapping the Beat's four-game unbeaten streak.

"We're on a roll at the moment, it feels to good to be on a streak," Smith said.  "We're playing well, especially the second half, it’s probably the best performance of the season.  We had some good possession and chances, we probably could have done more at the end."

The loss is the second time Boston has beaten Atlanta at home in under a month.  The two teams meet again in New Britain, Conn. August 21 and again Sept. 1 in Kennesaw, Ga.

"It’s unfortunate to give up a goal so early, I feel like we were chasing the game from that point on," Atlanta midfielder Lori Chalupny said.  "I thought we had some good moments in the first half but it wears on you after pushing to be getting a goal the whole game.  It’s a shame because we definitely didn’t bring our best game tonight and it just doesn’t help matters when you let up a goal so early."
 

Atlanta Beat (4-8-5)  vs. Boston Breakers (7-6-4)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010 — Harvard Stadium
FINAL

SCORING SUMMARY

GOALS   1 2  F
Atlanta    0 0  0

Boston    1 1 2

BOS: Kelly Smith 8 (Lindsay Tarpley) 1'
BOS: Kelly Smith 9 (Unassisted) 62'

PLAYER SUMMARY

ATLANTA BEAT — Hope Solo, Stacy Bishop, Kia McNeill, Tina Ellertson, Angie Kerr (Leigh Ann Robinson, 56'), Lori Chalupny, Carolyn Blank, Aya Miyama, Mami Yamaguchi (Monica Ocampo, 61'), Johanna Rasmussen, Eniola Aluko

Substitutes Not Used: McCall Zerboni, Ramona Bachmann, Brett Maron