It might have seemed like a disappointment--and it really was--that the Breakers lost their WPS "super semi-final" at home to a Philadelphia team that they had handled fairly well for much of the season. But it really didn't matter because nobody, and certainly not Philadelphia in the WPS final, could contain FC Gold Pride, which finished off a season of dominance with a well-earned WPS title.
This blog kind of faded at the end of the season, right when things should have been getting good. That was primarily due to the birth of my son, who came into the world on Sept. 22. However, I have not lost interest in the Breakers at all. In fact, I hope to be at the home matches again next season.
Boston showed a lot of grit and determination this year in finishing second in the regular season and making the later rounds of the playoffs after a rough start. Perhaps the layoff between the end of the regular season and the semi-final was a negative and not a positive; this team fed off of momentum as the season went on, and it's hard to keep momentum going during a bye week.
Nevertheless, the Breakers were entertaining all season, and I'd like to thank the players, coaches and club officials who granted Steven and me access to games and interviews. You've got an excellent organization that is set for success on the pitch and at the turnstiles in the future. We'll see you in 2011.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Breakers One Win Away from WPS Final
OK, so, to be perfectly honest, I've neglected this blog a bit lately. I'm sorry for that; I've got a lot going on in my personal life and at work. There is good news to report, though: The Breakers are in the playoffs.
Actually, thanks to WPS's bizarre playoff system, they're in the (only) semi-final, awaiting the winner of Philadelphia and Washington. The semi-final berth is the result of a hard-fought second-place finish for Boston. At least in WPS, unlike in MLS, the regular season really does matter.
The semi-final match will take place on Sept. 23 at 8 pm at what the Breakers' Web site is calling Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium at Harvard University, which, I can only assume, is the little stadium that's been going up behind the Harvard baseball field all season. If that's the case, then capacity for this game is likely to be maybe 2500 or so--about half of what the Breakers have averaged for home crowds this season.
So, the noisy echo of old Harvard Stadium might not be present, but hopefully a house full of Breakers fans will be. There's really only one piece of bad news for Boston right now. Should they win the semi-final at home, they'll have to take on the pre-determined finalist: regular-season champion FC Gold Pride (and they'll have to do it in California). The Breakers have lost every match they've played against Gold Pride this season and haven't really come close to competing with Marta and company.
But first things first: There will be a rest, and then either the Independence or the Freedom will bring a patriotic nickname to America's most historic city for a semi-final clash. There's one more Breakers home game, and it's the biggest one yet.
Actually, thanks to WPS's bizarre playoff system, they're in the (only) semi-final, awaiting the winner of Philadelphia and Washington. The semi-final berth is the result of a hard-fought second-place finish for Boston. At least in WPS, unlike in MLS, the regular season really does matter.
The semi-final match will take place on Sept. 23 at 8 pm at what the Breakers' Web site is calling Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium at Harvard University, which, I can only assume, is the little stadium that's been going up behind the Harvard baseball field all season. If that's the case, then capacity for this game is likely to be maybe 2500 or so--about half of what the Breakers have averaged for home crowds this season.
So, the noisy echo of old Harvard Stadium might not be present, but hopefully a house full of Breakers fans will be. There's really only one piece of bad news for Boston right now. Should they win the semi-final at home, they'll have to take on the pre-determined finalist: regular-season champion FC Gold Pride (and they'll have to do it in California). The Breakers have lost every match they've played against Gold Pride this season and haven't really come close to competing with Marta and company.
But first things first: There will be a rest, and then either the Independence or the Freedom will bring a patriotic nickname to America's most historic city for a semi-final clash. There's one more Breakers home game, and it's the biggest one yet.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Breakers to Become Road Warriors
An understrength Breakers side--missing Kelly Smith, Alex Scott and Ifeoma Dieke through international duty and Leslie Osborne through injury--just missed a miraculous comeback last weekend in Atlanta, dropping a decision to the Beat 3-2 after being down 3-0 in the 87th minute.
But the "home" loss--played in Connecticut--didn't really hurt Boston much in the WPS table because Philadelphia and Chicago also lost last weekend. So, the Breakers remain in third place, five points behind Philadelphia and four points ahead of Washington with a game in hand on both of them. Sky Blue sits even on points with Washington and also has a game in hand on Philly and DC.
Boston's playoff prospects look good--but it's a good thing that the Breakers seem to be peaking now because the toughest part of the season might be yet to come. Sunday evening begins a four-game road stretch to finish the regular season, with games at Philadelphia and Atlanta followed by a clash with regular-season champion Gold Pride and then a potential playoff decider against Sky Blue.
Aside from Gold Pride's dominance, nothing is decided. But with the returns of Smith, Scott and Dieke (and hopefully Osborne, although I'm not sure of her status) imminent, the Breakers should have every opportunity to consolidate the third spot in the standings and make a run for the second. Harvard Stadium is going to be quiet for the next few weeks, but a home playoff game in mid-September would liven it up nicely.
The Philadelphia match will be on Fox Soccer Channel live at 6 pm Sunday night.
But the "home" loss--played in Connecticut--didn't really hurt Boston much in the WPS table because Philadelphia and Chicago also lost last weekend. So, the Breakers remain in third place, five points behind Philadelphia and four points ahead of Washington with a game in hand on both of them. Sky Blue sits even on points with Washington and also has a game in hand on Philly and DC.
Boston's playoff prospects look good--but it's a good thing that the Breakers seem to be peaking now because the toughest part of the season might be yet to come. Sunday evening begins a four-game road stretch to finish the regular season, with games at Philadelphia and Atlanta followed by a clash with regular-season champion Gold Pride and then a potential playoff decider against Sky Blue.
Aside from Gold Pride's dominance, nothing is decided. But with the returns of Smith, Scott and Dieke (and hopefully Osborne, although I'm not sure of her status) imminent, the Breakers should have every opportunity to consolidate the third spot in the standings and make a run for the second. Harvard Stadium is going to be quiet for the next few weeks, but a home playoff game in mid-September would liven it up nicely.
The Philadelphia match will be on Fox Soccer Channel live at 6 pm Sunday night.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Breakers Thrash Sky Blue 4-0; Story up on Bleacher Report
What a night, what a team, what a town. Seriously, Sunday night's 4-0 beat-down of Sky Blue FC was as comprehensive a game as the Breakers have played all season. They were simply rampant. Jordan Angeli was probably player of the match, but all Breakers involved were fantastic. Get well soon, Leslie Osborne--she separated her shoulder on Sunday night and will likely be out for Saturday's match against Atlanta.
The full match report is up on Bleacher Report.
The full match report is up on Bleacher Report.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Breakers Improve Playoff Chances, Miss Chance for Second Place
The Boston Breakers, aside from Kelly Smith, are slightly less torrid than they were going into last Sunday's game in Philadelphia. But they're still on course for the playoffs.
The Breakers went into Philly with a chance to steal second place in the WPS table and came out with a hard-fought 2-2 draw--and a solid lock on the third spot in the standings. (The top four teams earn playoff berths.) Lauren Cheney found her way back onto the score sheet with an opening goal for Boston, only for Philadelphia's excellent midfielder, Holmfridur Magnusdottir, to cancel out Cheney's strike and then put the Independence ahead 2-1 in a busy first half.
But Smith, who scored for the fourth consecutive game and now has 10 goals on the season, equalized early in the second half, and the Breakers came away with a valuable point. They now sit five points ahead of fourth-place Chicago and have a game in hand. Perhaps the greatest threat to Boston in the standings at this point is Sky Blue FC, which trails Boston by five points but has a game in hand on the Breakers.
As luck (and the WPS schedule) would have it, the Breakers will take on Sky Blue on Sunday at 6 pm in their last regular-season home game at Harvard Stadium for 2010. As always, playoff implications will be strong.
The Breakers went into Philly with a chance to steal second place in the WPS table and came out with a hard-fought 2-2 draw--and a solid lock on the third spot in the standings. (The top four teams earn playoff berths.) Lauren Cheney found her way back onto the score sheet with an opening goal for Boston, only for Philadelphia's excellent midfielder, Holmfridur Magnusdottir, to cancel out Cheney's strike and then put the Independence ahead 2-1 in a busy first half.
But Smith, who scored for the fourth consecutive game and now has 10 goals on the season, equalized early in the second half, and the Breakers came away with a valuable point. They now sit five points ahead of fourth-place Chicago and have a game in hand. Perhaps the greatest threat to Boston in the standings at this point is Sky Blue FC, which trails Boston by five points but has a game in hand on the Breakers.
As luck (and the WPS schedule) would have it, the Breakers will take on Sky Blue on Sunday at 6 pm in their last regular-season home game at Harvard Stadium for 2010. As always, playoff implications will be strong.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Torrid Breakers Look to Move into Second Place
Who would have thought back in early June that the Boston Breakers would be making a serious run for second place this weekend? Yet, on Sunday, Boston will travel to Philadelphia with the opportunity to take sole possession of second place behind the untouchable FC Gold Pride.
It's Philly that sits in second now, just two points ahead of the Breakers. It's hard to imagine, though, that the Independence are looking forward to facing a Boston team that is absolutely on fire. In the past week, Boston has racked up two more wins, a 3-1 home victory over Washington and a 2-0 decision at Harvard Stadium over the lowly Atlanta Beat.
Kelly Smith and Jordan Angeli are on fire, and Boston's once-leaky defense is holding steady in the stretch run. It seems as though whispers in the Harvard Stadium press box about the future of Tony DiCicco as Boston coach must have trickled down to the pitch and inspired the team. The Breakers are 6-1 since the beginning of July after winning just one match from April through June. That one loss in July came at home to Gold Pride, the club that has torn through the entire league this season.
Seven regular-season games remain for the Breakers--just one at Harvard Stadium, on August 15 against Sky Blue FC. The team's final "home" game will take place in New Britain, Conn., against Atlanta on August 21. Five away matches plus one displaced match might cause Boston some difficulty, but two of those games are against Atlanta, and only one of the final seven matches involves Gold Pride.
With Philadelphia and Sky Blue FC rounding out the rest of the slate, the Breakers have an excellent opportunity to solidify second place or, at the very least, a playoff spot. At this point, with the club playing its best soccer of the season by far, who would bet against Boston making a playoff run? Anything can happen, but August thus far looks a lot brighter than June did.
It's Philly that sits in second now, just two points ahead of the Breakers. It's hard to imagine, though, that the Independence are looking forward to facing a Boston team that is absolutely on fire. In the past week, Boston has racked up two more wins, a 3-1 home victory over Washington and a 2-0 decision at Harvard Stadium over the lowly Atlanta Beat.
Kelly Smith and Jordan Angeli are on fire, and Boston's once-leaky defense is holding steady in the stretch run. It seems as though whispers in the Harvard Stadium press box about the future of Tony DiCicco as Boston coach must have trickled down to the pitch and inspired the team. The Breakers are 6-1 since the beginning of July after winning just one match from April through June. That one loss in July came at home to Gold Pride, the club that has torn through the entire league this season.
Seven regular-season games remain for the Breakers--just one at Harvard Stadium, on August 15 against Sky Blue FC. The team's final "home" game will take place in New Britain, Conn., against Atlanta on August 21. Five away matches plus one displaced match might cause Boston some difficulty, but two of those games are against Atlanta, and only one of the final seven matches involves Gold Pride.
With Philadelphia and Sky Blue FC rounding out the rest of the slate, the Breakers have an excellent opportunity to solidify second place or, at the very least, a playoff spot. At this point, with the club playing its best soccer of the season by far, who would bet against Boston making a playoff run? Anything can happen, but August thus far looks a lot brighter than June did.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Breakers Move into Playoff Position with Win in Chicago
The torrid Boston Breakers finally seem to be shedding the mediocrity and uncertainty that they showed in the early part of the WPS season. Boston won 3-1 on Sunday in Chicago by scoring three goals in the first 15 minutes of the match.
Kelly Smith had a brace before the Red Stars knew what hit them, and Ifeoma Dieke effectively ended Chicago's hopes with her first goal as a Breaker. The Red Stars saved some blushes with a strike in the 80th minute, but Boston took an important step toward a playoff spot with the victory.
The Breakers now sit alone in third place in the WPS table, having climbed from sixth in the span of just a few games. They still need to fend off at least two of Sky Blue FC, Philadelphia and Washington to solidify a post-season spot, so Saturday night's game at Harvard Stadium against the Freedom will be another massive contest.
Kelly Smith had a brace before the Red Stars knew what hit them, and Ifeoma Dieke effectively ended Chicago's hopes with her first goal as a Breaker. The Red Stars saved some blushes with a strike in the 80th minute, but Boston took an important step toward a playoff spot with the victory.
The Breakers now sit alone in third place in the WPS table, having climbed from sixth in the span of just a few games. They still need to fend off at least two of Sky Blue FC, Philadelphia and Washington to solidify a post-season spot, so Saturday night's game at Harvard Stadium against the Freedom will be another massive contest.
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