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Amy LePeilbet led a strong defensive effort in last Saturday's 2-0 win over Saint Louis Athletica. (Photo by David Silverman) |
After looking disorganized at times in the team’s 2-1 season-opening loss to FC Gold Pride, Boston’s defenders performed much better against Athletica, keeping the visitors’ shots on frame to a minimum and staying composed in the face of several crosses and attempted through balls into the penalty area.
“We were ready to perform in that first game, but everything just didn’t fall into place for us and we knew we had to step it up in the second game,” said Breakers central defender Amy LePeilbet after Thursday’s practice. “We knew what we were capable of and we didn’t show it in the first game.”
Right back Alex Scott – who joined LePeilbet, center back Sue Weber and left back Heather Mitts in the back four against Athletica – credited Boston’s forwards for their pressure high up the pitch, thus allowing the defenders to push up more and condense the field.
The Breakers will need to continue to be on top of their defensive game this Saturday night, as they take on the Washington Freedom at 7 at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Md.
The Freedom may have only one point and one goal from their first two matches – both coming Saturday in a 1-1 home draw against the Chicago Red Stars – but possess plenty of firepower upfront for Boston to contend with.
The name most familiar to soccer fans is Abby Wambach, one of the greatest goal-scorers in women’s soccer history. The 5-foot-10 center forward has scored 99 goals in 127 career matches for the US national team, and tied for the WUSA lead in points (33) in the league’s final season (2003).
“She just makes great runs and she hunts the ball,” LePeilbet said. “She’s always dangerous, so you have to make sure you’re nice and tight, and get up with her and be strong.”
Boston’s defenders spent part of Thursday’s practice working on defending the aerial game, a big part of Washington’s attack with Wambach’s presence in the middle. The Freedom will look to French winger Sonia Bompastor to deliver that service.
Playing primarily on the left flank, Bompastor will be going up against Scott, and that figures to be one of the most intriguing matchups of the day. Scott has played against Bompastor at both the international and club levels, with Scott’s Arsenal side having played Bompastor’s Lyon in the UEFA Women’s Cup.
“[Bompastor and Wambach] seem to be the two that we’re going to have to look to keep quiet,” Scott said. “They like to play it to Bompastor and she’s got an excellent delivery. She puts it on Abby’s head – wherever Abby wants it, she seems to be playing it.”
While defending will be at the top of the priority list, Scott admits she would like to get more involved in attack, as well. She rarely ventured forward in the Breakers’ season opener, something she attributed to the energy-sapping warm temperatures in Santa Clara, Calif. that day (it was about 80 degrees on gameday, after two days of training in 60-degree weather).
There were more of Scott’s trademark runs against Athletica, though, a trend the 24-year old English international would like to continue.
“I’m used to getting forward and scoring goals back home, so hopefully that will come into it here,” Scott said. “I think it’s just getting used to everyone’s playing style… But I love to attack. I like to get up there and join in with the goals, and that will be my aim this season – to get on the scoresheet.”
News and Notes
* Scott suffered a knock to her right knee about halfway through Thursday’s practice. She sat out the rest of the session to ice it down.
In other injury news, center back Nancy Augustyniak-Goffi – who missed the Athletica match with a knee injury, as Weber took her place in the starting lineup – has been training with the team this week.
* The Breakers’ forwards and midfielders played a series of 4v4 games Thursday, with three teams of four rotating in and out, as well as keepers Kristin Luckenbill, Allison Lipsher and Ashley Phillips all taking their turns in goal.
The games were confined to the penalty area with focus on ball control in tight spaces and finishing in front of goal. Smith scored a sublime goal, flicking a cross with her right foot – on the first touch – into the net from five yards out.
* The upcoming week will be a busy one for Scott and Smith. Immediately following the Breakers’ match against Washington, the duo will board a plane to England to prepare for an international friendly Thursday against Norway, a traditional powerhouse in the women’s game.
After Thursday’s game, they will fly straight to Chicago to join the Breakers for next Saturday’s game against the Red Stars.
Other WPS players that have been called into the England squad by manager Hope Powell include Sky Blue FC midfielder Anita Asante, Chicago striker Karen Carney and Athletica forward Eniola Aluko.
* Scott said the overall quality of WPS is higher than that of the English Women’s Premier League, which has been dominated by Arsenal in recent years.
“With Arsenal, I think we had only two hard games in a season, so we knew that if we played average we’d get away with winning,” Scott said. “Here, you can’t in this league. Every game is a high standard, and you need to be on your game. It showed in our first game, everyone needs to be on their game; you just can’t rely on certain players.
“It’s great. It’s going to improve me as a player.”
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