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Kristine Lilly and the Boston Breakers hope to make it five wins in six tonight against the Washington Freedom. (Photo by CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com) |
�We know that feeling, and we know that any team can turn it around at any time,� said Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco after Friday�s practice. �We give little solace in the fact that they haven�t had a win in nine games. (In that situation) you just come out harder, so we have to do that, too.�
Boston�s position in the league table is tenuous, as a loss tonight would drop it back below Washington in the standings. The Breakers would likely be in fifth or sixth (and out of the top four playoff spots) by the end of the weekend should they lose tonight.
Team co-captain Kristine Lilly says she and her teammates just need to concern themselves with their games, and if they continue winning, the rest will take care of itself.
�If we can keep the focus on us, we can take care of things,� Lilly said. �Every game is important. I think this team has turned the corner.�
The Breakers have certainly figured it out in attack, having scored 11 goals in their last five games. Kelly Smith scored twice and Ifeoma Dieke once - all in a span of five minutes in the first half - of Sunday�s 3-1 road win at Chicago. It was Boston�s second such outburst this season, having also scored three times in five minutes in its 3-1 home win over Atlanta July 11.
Now, DiCicco is looking for his defense to follow suit. The Breakers have conceded at least one goal in their last eight matches, having last kept a clean sheet May 29 at Sky Blue FC (in a 0-0 draw). Boston looked like it would get one in Chicago until Kosovare Asllani scored off a Casey Nogueira free kick in the 80th minute.
�We need a shutout. We�re a good enough defensive team to get one,� DiCicco said. �I�m not saying [Chicago] didn�t deserve their goal. We just have to start not giving away goals. If you give up one, all of a sudden you give up two and then you�re scrambling. We need a 1-0 win.�
The Breakers will hope to have right back Alex Scott on the pitch tonight. She played in England�s 3-0 win over Turkey Thursday in World Cup qualifying, and flew back into Boston Friday.
�If she can start, she will,� said DiCicco, who added that Taryn Hemmings would get the nod if Scott can�t go. �[Scott] wants to start. She played a game [Thursday]. It wasn�t a very taxing game, but I know her style. She�s always going forward. But we�ll see how she feels, and if she can play, she�ll play. She�s too important to have on the bench.�
One player that has solidified her place in the team has been Dieke. Since signing with Boston June 30 after being released by the Red Stars, Dieke has become a first-choice central defender alongside Amy LePeilbet, starting the team�s last four games.
On top of solid defending, there was her goal Sunday, the first of her WPS career.
�It was an amazing feeling,� Dieke said. �I like to trash talk about how I would celebrate when I score a goal, but I never really believed I would. It was an unbelievable feeling, not just scoring but knowing that it put us up three and helped the team.�
Boston�s defenders will be challenged against a Freedom team that has scored six goals in their four-game losing streak, and is led by Abby Wambach, who has six goals to her name so far this season. DiCicco said Washington has gotten a boost lately from Nikki Marshall, who scored in the third minute of the Freedom�s 2-1 loss at Boston July 18.
Washington is susceptible in the back, however, with a league-high 26 goals against. Erin McLeod, the team�s starting keeper, tore her ACL in the team�s 4-1 loss to FC Gold Pride last weekend. Rookie Ashlyn Harris got the start in goal for the Freedom Wednesday night, a 3-2 loss at Atlanta.
Breakers notebook
* Lauren Cheney scored a couple good goals in training Friday. Now, the rookie forward will be looking to do it in a game. Cheney, the league�s second overall draft pick in January, has scored just two goals this season. She�s done plenty else to help the team in attack from her center forward position, holding the ball to get others involved and making runs to open up defenses. But putting the ball in the net would be a welcome sight.
�When you�re a forward, you�re expected to score,� Lilly said. �I think she�s doing a lot of things well to help the team. Scoring a goal would hopefully give her a boost, so hopefully she can score [tonight].�
* Jenny Nobis and Tiffany Weimer both participated in Friday�s practice, although it will likely be their last with the team this season. Both were waived Wednesday, with general manager Andy Crossley saying on BigSoccer the move was done �to facilitate both of their moves to Sweden. Both players have the same agent, who is Swedish and has many connections in Swedish women's soccer and the European women's game in general.�
Crossley went on to write, �Both players could be in the mix for the Breakers in the future, but neither are under contract for next season or expected back this year, assuming their Swedish paperwork goes through.�
Nobis tore her ACL in February, but has been training with the Breakers the last couple weeks. Weimer has appeared in eight matches, including two starts, for Boston this year.
* Mia Hamm and her twin daughters were on hand for Friday�s practice.
* The Breakers will be wearing pink jerseys tonight, as this weekend also kicks off PUMA�s Project Pink, an initiative that will strive to raise awareness and funds in support of the fight against Breast Cancer. Saturday will be the first of five WPS matches in which players will be outfitted in special Project Pink kits.
The pink jerseys that the Breakers wear out on the pitch will be auctioned off during the game in the main concourse with 100% of the proceeds going to the Boston Chapter of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of the American Cancer Society.
Follow the match between the Boston Breakers and Washington Freedom on Twitter with Soccer New England. Follow "SoccerNE" for updates throughout the game.
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