SAN FRANCISCO (7/3/09) – The Los Angeles Sol will face the Washington Freedom Sunday for the third time this season, but it will be the first time the two play on the Freedom’s home turf. After meeting the Sol twice at the Home Depot Center this year, Washington fell to the California side by two goals each time. In a three-time televised series, the Washington Freedom will look to end the Los Angeles Sol’s current 10-game unbeaten streak, and have a final chance at redemption in a series already won by the Sol.

With Marta on a role recently – three consecutive games with goals to be exact – the Freedom’s new arrangement in the backline will be of the utmost importance Sunday to not only keep Marta astray, but contain June’s WPS Player of the Month Camille Abily. Not to mention a further slide down the WPS standings chart after losing their last two games against the Boston Breakers and Chicago Red Stars.

Washington head coach Jim Gabarra moved Sonia Bompastor into a left back position, a surprising move as Bompastor has the second most assists in the league.

 “We had to address our defensive structure in giving up so many goals,” said Gabarra. “When we first brought Sonia here it was as a left back, and I think our wide defenders were not possessing the ball well enough for us. This allowed us to have two more experienced defenders in the flank defensive position, players who can get forward and are good on the ball.”

The Freedom have struggled all year long to keep the ball out of their net. They continue to have a league-high in goals allowed with 21, a stat they have held for most of the season. The Los Angeles Sol, on the other hand, have let in a measly five goals this year, leading to Sol goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc’s 10 clean sheets this season – a record six above the closest competitor in the league.

In addition to being rock solid on defense, losing only one game this season to Boston in early May, the Sol also tallied two offensive records in their last match against the Chicago Red Stars. The team became the second in WPS history to win a game by four goals and had two players, Marta and Abily, become tied for the league-lead in goals scored. Each player has posted eight goals.

“It was our third game in seven days, but I thought we played very well," said Sol head coach Abner Rogers about the match against Chicago. "Obviously, the result speaks for itself. The number of opportunities that we created was very satisfying."

While Los Angeles looks ahead to produce more offensive opportunities with each game and potentially grab the regular season title, the Freedom needs every win they can to get out of the unstable heat for fourth place, a spot they currently hold and are separated by one point with the third-place Saint Louis Athletica and two points by the fifth-place Chicago Red Stars.

With a win the Freedom will stall the Sol’s seemingly inevitable road towards the regular season title and boost their confidence heading into the final stretch of the season as they would become only the second team to beat the Los Angeles club.

The Sol is on a mission to win the league and earn an automatic placement and home field advantage in the WPS Final. Tune into the Fox Soccer Channel Sunday to see if the Washington Freedom can beat the odds and cancel the Sol’s unbeaten streak on Sunday, July 5 at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT.

Non-Televised Games:

Saturday, July 4

Sky Blue FC vs. Boston Breakers (4 pm ET)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ

This is the first of a two-game, home and home series that will prove pivotal to Sky Blue FC’s playoff chances. Two consecutive wins from the Jersey-side will put them level with the Boston Breakers at 18 points, while a sweep by Boston will put them in the driver seat for a home playoff game come August as one of the top 3 teams in the WPS Regular Season.

With no margin for error in the title chase, Boston needs a win to keep pace with Los Angeles and have any chance of catching the league leaders in what already may be a foregone conclusion for the regular season title.

Sky Blue FC and Boston played on May 31 when the squads were heading in seemingly opposite directions. Boston was unbeaten in three games including a victory over LA, while Sky Blue FC had undergone a coaching change and had lost two straight. But Sky Blue FC played one of their best games of the year in a 2-1 national television victory that saw exciting goals from Natasha Kai and Kacey White. In that game, Boston was missing the services of suspended Christine Latham, the tough Canadian midfielder who could prove the difference, as she did last Wednesday night against Washington in a pivotal 1-0 victory for Boston.

After collecting 7 points in a four-game stretch over 10 days, Boston has now had 10 days rest for this game. Tony DiCicco’s side seems to have found some rhythm for a stretch run, but the same was said one month ago heading into Boston’s first game against Sky Blue FC.


FC Gold Pride vs. Saint Louis Athletica (8 pm ET)
Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara, CA

In the first game at Buck Shaw Stadium in a month, FC Gold Pride returns to their home field in desperate search of a victory against Saint Louis following a bye last week. Since a victory over Chicago on May 16, FC Gold have gone 0-3-2 and collected just two points in the standings.

The Pride, which was explosive offensively early in the season, has not had a multi-goal game since April 26th, though two 1-0 victories during this time have kept them in the playoff hunt. The team’s only consistent, regular goal scorer in the past month has been Canadian international Christine Sinclair and she’ll look to match up with Saint Louis’ tough defenders in Tina Ellertson and Kia McNeill. Look for FC Gold defender Rachel Buehler to give tight cover on Eniola Aluko. In the team’s previous match-up, a fortuitous corner kick goal by Lori Chalupny was the difference as Saint Louis captured their first victory in WPS history back on May 9.