Jersey Unkind to Breakers Again

Early Goal Dooms Boston in 1-0 Loss to Sky Blue FC

By Mark Goodman

July 4, 2009

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Conceding an early goal once again proved too much to overcome for the Boston Breakers, who fell 1-0 to Sky Blue FC Saturday afternoon.

The game got off to an ugly start for Boston (5-5-3, 18 points) as Sky Blue forward Heather O�Reilly�s corner from the left side of the pitch bent into the net inside the far corner. The Breakers conceded the corner after right back Alex Scott scrambled back to block a shot from Sky Blue (4-6-3, 15 points) striker Kacey White, who was sent through on goal.

Angela Hucles

Angela Hucles and the Breakers had their chances to score in Saturday's 1-0 loss at Sky Blue FC. (Photo by Robin Chan)

There seemed to be some question as to whether the ball actually crossed the line, with Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco saying some of his players said it went in and others said it didn�t. Left back Heather Mitts was among the latter.

�Honestly, I didn�t think it went across the line,� Mitts said. �Once again, it�s unfortunate, but we gotta do a better job of taking care of our end of things.�

The Breakers gradually took control of the game as the first half wore on. At the 20-minute mark, forward Kelly Smith sent a ball into the box where midfielder Christine Latham ran onto it on the left side and put a header just wide of the far post.

In the 45th minute, midfielder Angel Hucles played a ball up to striker Amy Rodriguez, who sped right around Sky Blue defender Anita Asante and went in on goal. Rodriguez�s right-footed effort from the left side of the box curved just over the bar.

In first half injury time, Smith went over the top to Hucles, who had beaten the offside trap and was momentarily in on goal. Sky Blue defender Christie Rampone hustled back to force Hucles into an awkward shot from the top of the box that was easily saved by keeper Jenni Branam.

Sky Blue also had a pair of dangerous chances toward the end of the half. In the 33rd minute, White played Brazilian playmaker Rosana in on goal with just Alli Lipsher to beat, but the 23-year old keeper came off her line to smother the shot near the penalty spot. Just two minutes later, midfielder Collette McCallum bent in an effort from 25 yards out that beat Lipsher but slammed off the crossbar.

DiCicco was forced into a substitution at halftime, as a 42nd minute collision between Mitts and Sky Blue midfielder Kelly Parker left the Breaker defender with a massive gash on the right side of her head. Kasey Moore came on in central defense, with Nancy Augustyniak-Goffi sliding over to Mitts�s spot at left back.

DiCicco and Mitts said after the game that she was ready to go back in, but the Sky Blue doctor - the only one on hand - said Mitts required stitches, a procedure that would take about 20 minutes. The message came right before the start of the second half.

�I have to take her out. We can�t play down a player for 15 or 20 minutes,� DiCicco said. �That�s the economics of the league.�

�I was ready to go but, unfortunately, I had to wait on their doctor,� Mitts said. �It took 25 minutes to take care of. Otherwise, I would�ve been in the game. I felt fine.�

The Breakers� best chance to equalize came in the 80th minute, as Moore launched a long ball to forward Jennie Nobis in behind the defense. Nobis collected it in the right side of the box, took one touch to her left past the last Sky Blue defender, and fired a left-footed shot that looked destined for the far corner of the net.

But Branam dove to her right and, at full extension, got her fingertips on it for the game-saving stop.

Seven minutes prior, Smith played a ball up to strike partner Rodriguez in the box. Rodriguez turned well on her marker and let loose a hard, low shot, but Branam went to ground to her left and made the save with her hand.

�We had some chances, we just didn�t put them away. Branam made a couple good saves,� DiCicco said. �It�s unfortunate because I think we�re playing pretty well, and I think that we�re really close. I told them (after the game) the last piece of the puzzle for this team is to put your chances away. We�re just not good enough yet to put our chances away. A couple players are, but too many players just shoot it - they don�t finish it.�

Hucles said she and her teammates need to do more as they prepare for a rematch with Sky Blue, coming next Sunday at 6 p.m. at Harvard Stadium.

�We want to create more chances to give ourselves more opportunities to score goals,� Hucles said. �Especially at this level, you�re not going to get so many chances to get a goal, so we have to really make the most of our opportunities.

�Possession�s great but, obviously, you gotta put one in the back of the net in order to win the game.�

More postgame quotes

DiCicco on:
The way games are being called�
�I�m sending clips in to the league, but I think right now the defenders - on our team, all teams - the defenders have too much license to be destructive without consequence. Creative players aren�t protected enough, so that�s why I think you see so many low-scoring games in this league. If I know I�m a defender and I can go in every time, get in hard because I�m not going to get called for it, I�m going to be very successful being destructive at the expense of the creative side of the game.

�I�m not saying they�re bad calls. I�m just saying the defenders in the league feel that they have no one looking over their shoulder. They can do whatever they want without consequence.�

Going behind in the game�
�It�s hard to chase the game. We�ve been doing a good job of getting ahead in games, and we got behind today and Sky Blue did a good job.�

The performance of Lipsher�
�Alli came up with some good saves in the second half, too. She�s a pretty good goalkeeper. It�s too bad that that corner kick got in on her.�

The progression of the game�
�I thought we created enough chances to at least score a goal. It�s hard when they�re a pretty good counter-attacking team. It�s hard when you have to keep throwing bodies forward and then have to try to get back and defend. It took our legs out at the end there.�

The performances of Augustyniak-Goffi and Moore�
�Nancy Goffi played a good game for us today. We�ve got some good team depth. Even Kasey Moore stepped in when Heather had to come out and did a pretty good job from the center back position.�

Hucles on the team�s record (0-5-3) when it doesn�t score first�
�We wanted to make sure that we came back out (for the second half) with a better mentality, trying to get a goal and not let that (record) have an impact on us. Unfortunately we just came up short today with that fluky goal at the beginning.�

Mark Goodman can be reached at news desk@soccernewengland.com