Jun 24, 2009
Pregame: Freedom at Breakers
Washington (4-3-4, 16 points) at Boston (4-4-3, 15 points)
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Before I get to my thoughts on tonight, here are a couple of links you should check out. First, Erin McLeod was the 3rd Freedom player to earn Player of the Week honors. She is only the second non-goal scorer to earn the award.
Second, Rebecca Moros is the second person to contribute to the WPS Remembering ’99 deal they have running online for the next few weeks. Make sure you read it.
Back to the game: It’s time for round 3 in the battle of former WUSA clubs. Aside from LA, Boston is the only other club to beat the Freedom. Good news for Freedom fans is that Abby Wambach made the trip to Boston and while she won’t start, hopefully she will play. On the downside though, Allie Long did not travel with the team and will be unavailable.
Wambach will not be the only injured star on the pitch as Boston’s Kelly Smith is also battling an injury. As Smith has gone, so have the Breakers. When Smith was scoring a goal in each of her first four WPS matches, Boston seemed to be the only team that had a shot at challenging LA. As Smith has battled injury, the Breakers have fallen behind the Freedom in the standings.
Just like Saturday against Saint Louis, there could be some residual side effects from the previous encounter between these two squads. Both Christine Latham and Joanna Lohman received suspensions for throwing elbows in the May 17 1-1 tie. If the refs don’t set the tone early, look for this match to be a physical one.
Given that Washington has posted two consecutive shutouts and has only 1 loss since Boston beat Washington 3-1 on April 18, I think this game is the Freedom’s to lose. Look for Washington to win this game 2-0.
And for those who think two hours of Freedom soccer won’t be enough, make sure you stay tuned to Comcast after the match as their special “Freedom Reigns” will re-air.
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