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Stacy Bishop and the Breakers will look to keep Washington's high-powered attack at bay. (Boston Breakers/DSPics.com) |
The Breakers were the first road team to get a result at the Home Depot Center when they tied the Los Angeles Sol, 0-0, Sunday, leaving their 2-0 home mark as the only unblemished one in the league.
Boston (3-2-1, 10 points) will took to continue that Sunday night when it hosts the Washington Freedom (1-2-2, 5 points).
The Freedom will be without star striker Abby Wambach, who will serve a one-game suspension for her sliding tackle on Saint Louis Athletica’s Daniela May 3, an incident that left the Brazilian with a serious knee injury that will likely sideline her for the year.
Still, Washington have plenty of weapons in attack for the Breakers to be concerned about, starting with Sonia Bompastor. The French international earned WPS Player of the Week honors for her two-goal showing in the Freedom’s 3-3 draw against Athletica.
Bompastor, a winger, is best known for her crossing ability, with Lisa De Vanna and Allie Long among the Freedom’s top targets near goal. The Freedom lead the league with nine goals from just five matches.
“A lot of their goals have come from headers on balls that were crossed in,” Boston central defender Amy LePeilbet said Friday. “If we can stop that, hopefully that will cut down on their strengths.”
The Breakers were able to do that pretty well in the teams’ first meeting, a 3-1 Boston win April 18 at the Maryland SoccerPlex.
“They do have some dangerous players who are good at serving the ball into the box,” said Breakers midfielder Stacy Bishop Tuesday. “Part of our game plan (in the first game) was to shut that down. I’m sure that won’t change.”
The Breakers’ defense has rebounded nicely since a 4-0 loss to Chicago April 25. In back-to-back games against the first-place Sol, Boston has allowed just one goal - a score that appeared to go in off the arm of L.A.’s Brittany Bock in Boston’s 2-1 home win May 2.
While the back four of LePeilbet, Sue Weber, Alex Scott and Heather Mitts have been a lot more organized since the Chicago debacle, LePeilbet is quick to point out that defending is an 11-player effort.
“We’ve really focused on team defending,” she said. “It has to come from all of us. We worked hard and did it for each other.”
Still, defending starts at the back, and Boston has been lifted by the play of Weber, who has started the team’s last five matches after Nancy Augustyniak-Goffi was injured after the season opener.
“She came in when Nancy got hurt and she’s done a wonderful job,” LePeilbet said. “She’s really tough and aggressive, and she’s improving each game. We’re becoming more of a unit each game.”
The Hofstra University grad’s contributions haven’t gone unnoticed by head coach Tony DiCicco, either.
“Sue’s a feisty player,” DiCicco said. “She’s a pretty smart player. She’s good in the tackle and comfortable on the ball. She’s been a good partner with Amy.”
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Former Breakers star Maren Meinert will be honored at halftime of Sunday's game. (Photo by CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com) |
Meinert to be honored
Former Germany forward/midfielder Maren Meinert will be the first inductee into the Breakers Pillars of Excellence during a halftime ceremony in Sunday’s match.
Her former coach with the Breakers in 2003, and current U.S. women’s national team head coach Pia Sundhage, will be at Sunday’s ceremony.
Meinert was the 2003 WUSA Most Valuable Player and was also named the MVP of the WUSA All-Star Game that year. After retiring from club soccer, she led her native Germany to its first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup title in 2003.
Meinert is now the head coach of Germany’s Under-20 Women’s National Team.
Fabiana in the fold
The final member of the Boston Breakers has arrived to the Hub.
Brazilian international Fabiana came into Boston last week and visited with her teammates and front office staff. The 19-year old forward has begun moderate post-surgery training and running following an ACL injury last fall, and team doctors and coaches are monitoring and evaluating her condition on a continuous basis.
Fabiana is one of only two teenagers in the league, and the second-youngest player behind compatriot and Saint Louis Athletica midfielder Francielle.
Mark Goodman can be reached at newsdesk@soccernewengland.com.
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