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Jenny Nobis (left) and Heather Mitts celebrate Nobis's goal Wednesday against FC Gold Pride. (Photo by CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com) |
“I’m a geezer. I’ve been coaching a long time,” DiCicco said after Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with FC Gold Pride. “This is without question my toughest coaching challenge. So that’s what makes it fun, because challenges are great opportunities. And that’s what I want them to think - that we have a great opportunity here to turn it around in the second half of the season.”
That second half begins today at 4 p.m. in Chicago against a Red Stars team that handed Boston its worst result of the year, a 4-0 drubbing April 25. The memory of that game, said striker Jenny Nobis after Friday’s practice, hasn’t gone away.
“We got our butt kicked 4-0, and I think that we have a lot of emotions about the last game,” she said. “We definitely have a lot to prove, so I think we’re going to be fine.
“We’re coming off a really good second half on Wednesday night…I think we’re ready, too, to get a win.”
Nobis was a central figure in that second half, helping to turn the momentum in Boston’s favor after a dismal first half and scoring the 76th minute equalizer after coming on as a substitute at halftime.
After not playing in the first seven matches of the season, Nobis made her debut - also as a halftime substitute - in the Breakers’ 2-1 loss at Sky Blue FC May 31. The 25-year old started in Boston’s 1-0 loss to Saint Louis Athletica last Sunday.
“At the beginning, it took me a while to get used to Tony’s formation and what he wanted out of the forwards,” Nobis said. “It took me a while and I think I finally got the hang of it. I know as long as you work hard and you do your best, then it’s eventually going to pay off.”
Another player who’s gotten her chance of late has been Candace Chapman, who has started the last two matches alongside Amy LePeilbet in central defense. Sue Weber had started the last seven games in that spot, and DiCicco says he doesn’t see much difference between the two.
“Candace has worked hard and deserved a shot,” DiCicco said. “They’re pretty similar as players. They both have some bite. I think Candace might be a little bit better in the organization back there, and something I think we need is to be a little bit more organized.”
The Breakers could desperately use a win against a Chicago team that hasn’t had a victory since its demolition of Boston. The Red Stars currently sit at the bottom of the WPS standings with 11 points (2-4-5). A Boston win would see it vault into third place and just a point behind the Washington Freedom, whom the Breakers host Wednesday night at 7.
Going into today’s game, the Breakers sit in a three-way tie for fourth with Sky Blue and Gold Pride, who take on first-place Los Angeles tonight at six. Boston could be sitting a little prettier had it not been for some slow starts lately - in the last four games, the Breakers have gone down by a goal in the first half.
“We certainly have done enough to win a couple of those games,” DiCicco said. “We need to have a better mentality coming out for games…We need to just take the initiative right out of the gate and we haven’t, and that’s hurt us.”
Mark Goodman can be reached at newsdesk@soccernewengland.com.
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