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Breakers defender Amy LePeilbet wards off Sky Blue's Collette McCallum during Sunday's match. (Photo by CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com) |
The Breakers are now 0-3 against Sky Blue.
“I thought that we played pretty hard all game long, but we need to play harder at the start of games and not end up having to chase the game,” said Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco. “We’re not getting quality final passes and we’re not finishing our quality chances. We’re creating some chances; we just need to put them away. This game, clearly, I thought we should’ve been in the lead before they scored.”
Nobis had the best chance to put the Breakers ahead in the 18th minute. Strike partner Amy Rodriguez beat Sky Blue left back Megan Schnur in the box and sent in a cross to Nobis just outside the six-yard box. Sky Blue keeper Jenni Branam made a kick save on a one-time volley from Nobis to keep the game scoreless.
The visitors from New Jersey took the lead six minutes later. From 45 yards out, midfielder Collette McCallum lofted a ball up the middle of the pitch. Kai, who was being marked by Breakers left back Heather Mitts, was first to it and headed it toward goal from just outside the penalty area. Boston keeper Alli Lipsher had come off her line to play the original ball from McCallum and couldn’t recover in time to stop Kai’s header from reaching the back of the net.
Rosana doubled Sky Blue’s lead after receiving a cross from the right flank by Heather O’Reilly, turning and shooting from near the penalty spot with her left foot past a diving Lipsher.
Boston nearly pulled one back in the 44th minute as Fabiana - a starter in her debut for the Breakers - crossed to an open Nobis in the box, but the striker shanked her shot well wide of goal.
“I don’t think we played horrible. Just the only thing that we didn’t do, we didn’t capitalize on our chances early in the game like Sky Blue did,” Nobis said. “I think that we actually had more chances than they did. You just have to capitalize, that’s the only thing that’s missing right now.”
Boston went with three in the back for the last half hour after Kelly Schmedes came on for holding midfielder Christine Latham in the 60th minute after Latham appeared to injure her right ankle. Mitts was joined by Nancy Augustyniak-Goffi - who substituted for Fabiana in the 54th minute, with right back Alex Scott moving up to midfield to take the Brazilian’s spot - and Candace Chapman in the back, with Amy LePeilbet pushing up into the holding role.
The Breakers had a couple decent chances but couldn’t break through until Nobis scored with just over a minute remaining. She chested down a pass from Angela Hucles with her back to net, turned in the middle of the box and fired a well-placed left-footed strike just inside the left post.
Boston had one last-ditch chance to tie it when Mitts sent in an early cross toward Schmedes, but Sky Blue center back Christie Rampone rose up to deflect Schmedes’s header away.
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Fabiana started on the right side of Boston's midfield and played 54 minutes on her WPS debut. (Photo by CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com) |
It signaled the end of a frustrating night for Boston. The Breakers out-shot Sky Blue 14-12 and had a 7-3 advantage in corner kicks, but lacked the necessary quality in the opponents’ penalty area.
Scott called into question the team’s spirit and attitude toward the result.
“[Sky Blue] just showed more effort and I think they showed more heart than what we did,” Scott said. “I think at times they were going into tackles and winning the ball. If we’re to get into the playoffs we just can’t play like we did today; we just need to show a bit more heart out there.
“It hurt to lose. I don’t think everyone feels the hurt to lose, and if you want to be a champion it’s gotta hurt when you lose.”
The Breakers were without leading scorer Kelly Smith, who was out with a knee injury that has been bothering her for most of the season. The loss will again raise questions as to whether Boston can win without their biggest star - questions the team will have to answer Wednesday at home against Chicago and at FC Gold Pride Sunday, as it will be without Smith and Scott while they’re on English national team duty.
“We’re not as good without Kelly. She’s, in my opinion, the best player in the league,” DiCicco said. “But we need to learn to win without her, that’s the reality of it.”
Wednesday would be a good place to start, as a loss to the Red Stars could see the Breakers fall out of the top four in the league and thus out of the playoff spots. For a team that won two in a row (2-0 June 21 in Chicago and 1-0 three days later against Washington) to seemingly take a firm hold of second place, it’s a shocking turn of events.
“I can’t tell you how disappointed I am that we had two wins, put ourselves in great position, and now we’ve let the rest of the pack catch us,” DiCicco said. “We’re losing Alex and Kelly Smith for the next game and then seven internationals will be away, seven starters (for Boston) will be away for next weekend’s games. I think right now it’s going to be difficult for us to make the playoffs unless we start scoring goals.”
More postgame quotes
DiCicco on:
Jennie Nobis…
“I’ve got national team players that I don’t think are doing as well as she is…Our third (it’s actually four) [multiple] goal scorer is Jennie Nobis, and she’s played a third of what some of these other players have played.”
Fabiana…
“I thought she did well…She showed a lot of heart, she worked hard, she created a couple of opportunities. I think she’s a class player and she’ll help us down the stretch.”
Fabiana (through translator Rebeca Cortazio) on being substituted in the 54th minute…
“I was a little frustrated, but it’s the coach’s decision. I can’t do anything about it. I’m glad that he trusted me to start me and give me the opportunity coming out of my injury.”
Rosana (also through Cortazio) on seeing Fabiana back on the field…
“I’m really happy that she came back…To not have played in a long time and come back and do the way that she did today, it was really good.”
Scott on:
Encouraging teammates…
“I try and lead by example and show the younger players like Amy (Rodriguez) that, you know what, just get the ball and just run at players. It don’t matter if you make a mistake, it’s what you do after the mistake that counts, and I just think some people need to keep that mind and just give 100 percent all the time.”
The team struggling as she leaves for England…
“I did want to leave today with three points and, hopefully, the team would’ve been in a better position. But we’ve dug ourselves a grave that the girls are gonna have to dig deep and get themselves out of it now.”
Rampone on the Breakers with and without Smith…
“Kelly Smith is just an incredible athlete, an incredible soccer player. She’s the quarterback of the team and you’re always mindful of Kelly when she’s on the field…I told the team you have to come out with the same mentality whether she’s on the field or not. But she’s always a factor when she’s on the field because she pulls defenders away when you don’t really need to be pulled, but you’re just mindful of her. She opens up a lot of holes for other teammates.”
Sky Blue head coach Kelly Lindsey on her defense…
“I think our back five are terrific…The four [defenders] are really coming together. Branam’s leading them well from behind and seems to always pick up the pieces…I think overall they’ve become a really cohesive unit.”
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