Milbrett's Late Goal Denies Breakers

Boston Falls, 2-1, in WPS Season Opener

By Mark Goodman

April 6, 2009

A 90th minute goal from substitute Tiffeny Milbrett gave FC Gold Pride a 2-1 over the Boston Breakers Sunday in both teams’ inaugural Women’s Professional Soccer match.

Breakers midfielder Kelly Smith scored in the 79th minute to cancel out Japanese international Eriko Arakawa’s goal 15 minutes in for the home team.

Kristin Luckenbill

Kristin Luckenbill and the Breakers hope to get in the win column Saturday in their home opener against Saint Louis Athletica. (Photo by JC Ridley)

The Breakers controlled the play for long stretches of the game and created the more dangerous chances, but head back to Boston with no points to show for it after watching all three of Gold Pride’s subs combine for the winning goal.

Forty-year old Brandi Chastain started the attack with a ball over the top to Kandace Wilson storming down the right flank into the Breakers’ penalty area. Wilson had a go at net and forced Boston keeper Kristin Luckenbill into a diving save, and the rebound fell to the feet of Milbrett.

The former US international collected the ball and put it home before Luckenbill could recover.

Smith, the best player on the pitch on this day, was inches away from tying it again in injury time. Dribbling from the middle of the pitch toward the right, Smith cut it back to set up a clean shot at goal with her left foot from 24 yards out. The shot beat Gold Pride keeper Nicole Barnhart, but went off the crossbar.

“We are disappointed, but I thought we had some good performances and some average ones out there,” said Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco. “We just need to get better consistency. It was an exciting game and I think it would have been a fair result as a tie, but they took their chances and we didn’t.

“I thought Kelly Smith was the class player out on the field for us today.”

After Boston controlled the opening minutes - including earning a corner kick in the fourth minute when a good through ball from midfielder Kacey Moore to forward Christine Latham forced a Gold Pride clearance - the San Jose-based team started to assert itself in attack, at one point earning three corners in the span of just over three minutes.

Those set pieces provided some difficult for the Breakers’ defense, and it was in the air that Gold Pride got on the board in the 15th minute. Bridgeport, Conn. native Tiffany Weimer found herself in acres of space on the right wing at the edge of the Boston penalty area. Weimer’s cross found the head of Arakawa in between Boston central defenders Nancy Augustyniak Goffi and Amy LePeilbet, and Arakawa nodded it past Luckenbill for the 1-0 lead.

Breakers striker Amy Rodriguez nearly got her team right back in it just three minutes after Arakawa’s goal. Rodriguez appeared to have teammate Kristine Lilly open for a square ball across the edge of the box, but elected to shoot instead and forced Barnhart into the save.

In the 28th minute, Lilly executed a great turn on the edge of the box and got a cross in, but FC Gold Pride was able to clear it away.

Weimer, the home team’s most dangerous player in the match, responded with a couple forays into the Breakers’ box that required some last-ditch defending from Boston right back Alex Scott.

Smith sent Rodriguez in on net in the 35th minute with a through ball up the middle, but the former USC standout’s shot was right at Barnhart. The last significant opportunity of the half came 90 seconds later, when Luckenbill dove to tip away a shot from distance by Weimer.

Brazilian playmaker Formiga nearly gave Gold Pride a two-goal advantage in the 62nd minute. Given the ball just outside the box off a poor clearance by LePeilbet, Formiga unleashed a shot, forcing Luckenbill into a great diving stop.

Boston had a chance to get on the board in the 68th as Kelly Schmedes - a 58th minute substitute for Latham - crossed toward Rodriguez from the left flank. Gold Pride defender Rachel Buehler stepped in just in time to get a foot to it and force the ball out for a corner. Rodriguez also had a cross in the 77th minute go just over Lilly’s head.

The Breakers are next in action Saturday night at 7 in their home opener at Harvard Stadium against Saint Louis Athletica, who lost its season opener to the Chicago Red Stars, 1-0. Athletica are led by US national team keeper Hope Solo.