Allie Long (left) is the WPS Player of the Week for Week One. (Howard C. Smith/ISI Photos)
Sky Blue FC midfielder Allie Long has been named the first WPS Player of the Week for her performance in a 2-2 draw with the Philadelphia Independence on Sunday at Yurcak Field.
“As with any individual award, it really comes down to the overall team effort,” Sky Blue FC Head Coach Jim Gabarra said. “Allie put forth a great effort on both the offensive and defensive end of the field this past Sunday, and her distribution helped us create some very good scoring opportunities. Now in her third season, Allie has been establishing herself as a prominent player in this league, and I fully expect her to continue developing and helping our team to be successful.”
Long was influential in building Sky Blue FC’s attack on Sunday and helped create Sky Blue FC’s first goal, an 18th minute finish by Laura Kalmari. Long played a great through ball to an overlapping Brittany Taylor on the right flank. Taylor then crossed the ball to Kalmari, who tapped it in from six yards out.
Although she did not officially register any points in the game, Long was active throughout the match on both the offensive and defensive ends. The award, which is voted on weekly by the North American Soccer Reporters, is the first such honor for Long, who spent the last two seasons with the Washington Freedom under Gabarra’s reign there.
