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Fabiana and the Breakers created plenty of chances Saturday night, but couldn't score against Sky Blue FC. (Photo by CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com) |
In the 17th minute, Breakers striker Jennie Nobis went sent in on goal, only for Branam to come up with a kick save on her shot. Fifteen minutes later, a cross from Alex Scott on the right found its away to midfielder Angela Hucles in the box, but Branam made a diving, fingertip save to her right.
The first half was all Breakers (7-6-4, 25 points), and Branam got a little help, too. Just 10 minutes in, Boston midfielder Maggie Tomecka appeared to be all alone in the box for a shot, but Sky Blue defender Anita Asante got back in time to block the shot. Just five minutes after that, Hucles ripped a 20-yard shot off the crossbar.
The second half was a little more even as the Breakers appeared to run out of steam in search of a goal, but Boston is left to rue not taking better advantage of a dominating first half that saw it out-shoot Sky Blue 12-3.
�We thought, in some ways, that was our best offensive half of the season,� DiCicco said. �But we didn�t get anything from it. Jenni Branam made some great saves, but our quality in front of goal just isn�t good enough. It�s kind of plagued us all season long.�
Said Boston midfielder Kelly Schmedes, �If we get one early, that changes the game right there, Credit to Jenni Branam, she did awesome, made a couple really big saves that kept them in the game there in the first half. We just need to put those away.�
Sky Blue head coach Kelly Lindsey didn�t hesitate to give her keeper the credit for getting the team out of Boston with a point.
�Thank goodness for Branam; I think that�s the theme of the night for us,� she said. �She definitely saved us. Our team knows it Boston knows it. Branam was the hero today, by far.�
Breakers midfielder Kristine Lilly - who drew a diving save from Branam with a bending effort from 25 yards in the 54th minute - took responsibility for her team�s failure to score.
�I had three good chances, and I gotta finish one of those. That�s just not good enough,� Lilly said. �We battled. It�s just something with this team (Sky Blue) right now; we couldn�t beat them. The only positive thing is that we got one point, that keeps us moving forward.�
Indeed, compared to the Breakers� first three matches against Sky Blue - all losses - this was an improvement. But that will be of little consolation for a team that could have used the three points in an attempt to lock up a playoff spot.
�I think in the first half we was definitely the better team, but it�s still kind of frustrating because we�ve got nothing to show for a good performance today,� Scott said. �We�re still in the hunt for the playoffs and that�s the main thing. We�ve got a game on Wednesday, so it�s just about regrouping and recovering as quick as we can to go against Washington on Wednesday.�
As Sky Blue (6-7-5, 23 points) gradually got into the game in the second half, the Breakers needed solid defending, and they got it from Amy LePeilbet and Nancy Augustyniak-Goffi. Sky Blue sent in several long balls and crosses toward the middle of Boston�s box, and all were handled effectively by Boston�s central defense pairing.
Sky Blue were without star forward Natasha Kai - who scored in two of the teams� previous three meetings - but LePeilbet said there was still plenty to worry about in the visitors� attack.
�Natasha�s a great player, but they had Heather O�Reilly and Kacey White, and they�re just as good,� LePeilbet said. �They all play a little different, but they�re all top-quality players so they�re difficult to play against.�
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Substitute Amy Rodriguez was pulled by head coach Tony DiCicco after just 15 minutes of action Saturday night. (Photo by CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com) |
What will likely be a topic of discussion for Breakers fans stemming from the second half was the 15-minute stint of Amy Rodriguez. The striker came into the game for Nobis in the 62nd minute, only to come out of the game in the 77th for Christine Latham. Rodriguez didn�t appear hurt when she came off, and participated in routine team exercises after the game.
DiCicco said it came down to a matter of effort.
�She just wasn�t working hard enough,� DiCicco said. �I mean, she�s the fastest player on the field. I�ve had a talk with Amy. I didn�t want to take her out. We only have three subs, so I basically wasted a sub putting her in. Before I put her in I said, �Are you going to work hard? Because, otherwise, I won�t put you in.� And I didn�t think she worked hard enough.�
The Breakers are next in action Wednesday night on the road against the Washington Freedom, who currently sit in fifth place in the WPS standings. Should the Freedom lose or draw tonight in Chicago, a Boston win Wednesday would clinch a playoff berth for the Breakers.
More quotes
LePeilbet on playing after two 90-minute performances with the national team�
�I was a little tired, but I had two good days of rest so I felt like I was ready to go, mentally. I just had to get over that hump, that little bit of fatigue, but once you�re out there and going, you kind of forget about it.�
Scott on playing midfield in the second half�
�I think my fatigue kind of set in. I didn�t really get on the ball as much as I did from right back in the second half. But if Tony wants me to play there, I�m going to play wherever he puts me. I just want to be out on the field, giving it my all all the time.�
Lilly on Branam�
�I told her she just keeps getting in the way�Every time we play her she�s made the saves, and I think she�s done a great job for them back there.�
Schmedes on the team�s 4-5-1 formation�
�I think in midseason we were maybe getting spread a lot in midfield, and then having five in there makes it hard for them to play through our midfield. Defensively, we pick up a lot of balls and be able to go forward, so I think that�s helped us a lot there.
Lindsey on the first half�
�I think after those first 10 or 15 minutes it was just, �Let�s get into halftime tied or maybe we�ll sneak one and be a goal up.� But I was very happy to get into halftime tied. I think we could all take a sigh of relief and kind of start over, rebuild.�
Lindsey on Kai and defender Christie Rampone, both nursing injuries�
�They are resting their bodies and hopefully we�ll get to see them in our next game. They�ve been doing well, and our goal is to rest them up and see if we can get them back for our Bay Area game.�
DiCicco on Kelly Smith, still out with a knee injury�
�She�s recovering, so we hope we have her for next week. If we don�t, we still need to win.�
Mark Goodman can be reached at newsdesk@soccernewengland.com.
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