Breakers Look to Rebound

Boston has Tough Task as it Hosts WPS-leading Sol

By Mark Goodman

May 1, 2009

Who: Boston Breakers vs. Los Angeles Sol
What: WPS Regular Season
Where: Harvard Stadium, Boston, Mass.
When: Saturday, 7 p.m.

Embarrassing� wake-up call� redemption.

Those were just three words or phrases heard at Friday�s Boston Breakers practice at Harvard University. The first two refer to last Saturday's 4-0 loss to the Chicago Red Stars, a result that saw the Red Stars leap over Boston into second place in the WPS standings.

Breakers return home

Breaker fans haven't seen their team in person since the April 11 home opener against Saint Louis Athletica. (Photo by Robin Chan)

Redemption is what the Breakers will be seeking this Saturday night as they host the league�s first-place team, the Los Angeles Sol. The Sol - led by three-time FIFA World Player of the Year Marta - are 3-0-1 with 10 points through four matches. The Breakers are 2-2 and have 6 points, currently good enough for third place.

Boston left back Heather Mitts said Friday she and her fellow defenders will need to be far more organized and compact against L.A. than they were in Chicago.

�I think they had a great game and we had a bad game, and it was embarrassing,� Mitts said. �We fought �til the end but we couldn�t really produce. I don�t think we were on the same page, at all. So, hopefully, [Saturday]�s game will be different.�

The 30-year old U.S. international said the team responded well when it came back to training Tuesday, while at the same intimating there will a different look to the starting 11 on Saturday.

�[Tuesday] was one of the best practices we�ve had all year long,� Mitts said. �I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that (head coach) Tony (DiCicco) knew that he was going to have to come out here and challenge some players for starting positions and change some things. On top of that, it�s us being embarrassed and wanting to come out here and becoming better as a team.�

Forward Kelly Schmedes said she also noted a change in the team�s attitude in the aftermath of the lopsided defeat.

�It seems like there�s been more intensity and more heart in practice, and I think that was a good thing,� Schmedes said. �Even though we hated to come out of Chicago with that kind of a loss, I really think it made us re-evaluate us as a team, and individually re-evaluate whether you�re doing everything you can in practice to make your team better.�

While Marta - whose 3 goals tie her with Boston�s Kelly Smith atop the league leaders - garners all the attention, the Sol also boast a strong defense that has yet to concede a goal in four matches. L.A.�s strong attack keeps opponent�s cautious, but that�s just part of the puzzle.

U.S. national team starter Stephanie Cox marshals a stout defense in front of veteran keeper Karina LeBlanc, who played for the Breakers in WUSA.

�With their offense, when they�re putting you under pressure it�s hard for you on the other end of it to attack,� Schmedes said. �They�re really well-organized (defensively). They have great personalities back there that are really hard and tough. But I think our attacking line looks at it as a great challenge and is also confident in the personality players that we have.�

Los Angeles dropped their first points of the season after being held to a 0-0 draw at Saint Louis last weekend. Both goalkeepers, LeBlanc and Hope Solo, saved penalty kicks in the second half to preserve their clean sheets. Los Angeles was missing the services of three players, Marta (Brazil), Camille Abily (France) and Han Duan (China), who were all playing with their respective national teams last week.

With Smith back in lineup after sitting out the Chicago game (having played a full 90 minutes just two days earlier for England), the Breakers� attack figures to be back to full strength. That, and the fact that the Breakers will be back at Harvard Stadium, will give the team a needed lift.

It�s been three weeks since Boston played its home opener, a 2-0 win over Saint Louis Athletica. To date, that remains the only match the Breakers have played at Harvard Stadium.

A source close to the team said Friday that pre-game ticket sales were already over 6,000. The Breakers will be looking to put in a good performance - not only for those supporters, but for themselves.

�I think we�re out to make a statement,� Schmedes said. �Yeah, we had some breakdowns last Saturday, but we�re the same team that beat Saint Louis and Washington. Even though we didn�t collectively play that way last weekend, but we still have great players and we have great chemistry.�

Mark Goodman can be reached at newsdesk@soccernewengland.com.

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