Breakers Fall Short in D.C.

Scott Sees Red as Boston Falls to 4th in WPS

July 30, 2009

The Boston Breakers held on until the 73rd minute, despite playing with 10 women from the fifth minute on, but Abby Wambach finally broke through for the Washington Freedom in a 1-0 win over the Breakers in Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) action Wednesday night at Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md.

Boston (7-7-4, 25 points) right back Alex Scott was sent off in just the fifth minute of the match for a late, studs-up challenge on Sonia Bompastor, forcing the Breakers to play down a woman for the majority of the match. It was the first red card given to a Boston player this season.

“I’m really proud of the players, they played their hearts out,” said Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco. “The game changed unfortunately in the fifth minute and Washington did what they needed to do. I just feel very bad for my players to have to have played a very difficult game.”

Wambach’s goal was her team-leading sixth of the year as she took a through ball from Lisa De Vanna, beat Heather Mitts and shot the ball past Ali Lipsher in the 73rd minute to break the deadlock. The goal snapped a team season-best 396-minute scoreless for the Breakers.

With the loss, the Breakers fall back into fourth place, while the Freedom (7-6-5) switch places with Boston into third. The Breakers can still clinch a playoff spot with a win Saturday against Saint Louis, followed by a Sky Blue FC loss next Wednesday.

Kelly Smith, who came in as a second-half substitute for her first action in a Boston uniform since July 4, nearly equalized in stoppage time when she took the ball from a Freedom defender at the edge of the box, shot and forced keeper Erin McLeod to tip the ball over the crossbar for a corner kick.

As a result of the red card, the Freedom enjoyed the better of the play for much of the first half, although Boston did mount some pressure in the later stages, and was only out-shot, 6-4. Kristine Lilly played left back while Mitts switched to the right, until Nancy Augustyniak-Goffi came on in the 70th minute for Fabiana, who showed a tremendous work rate up and down the right flank.

The best scoring chance of the first half came from Rebecca Moros in the 21st minute, when she received a cross with space to the far post on the right side of the goal, but she shot high over the bar.

The Breakers next travel to Saint Louis to take on Athletica, Saturday at 8 p.m. (ET). The game can be seen via live webcast on saintlouisathletica.com.

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