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With Athletica's leading goal-scorer, Eniola Aluko, away on National Team duty with England, will Australian Sarah Walsh rise to the challenge?

 

WPS Playoffs – Super Semifinal
Saint Louis Athletica vs. Sky Blue FC (7 pm ET – FSC)
The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park, Fenton, MO

Wednesday’s intriguing contest between Sky Blue FC and Saint Louis Athletica will be a match-up of similar styles on the field, yet a match-up of two teams that have taken very dissimilar routes of getting to where they find themselves: in the WPS Super Semifinal, one step away from the WPS Championship presented by MedImmune on August 22.

Saint Louis has shown steady and incremental improvement all season, starting off slowly and building along the way. The Athletica ultimately clinched second place in the WPS Standings in their third-to-last game of the year and were the only team to defeat the Los Angeles Sol on their home turf at The Home Depot Center this season. Even when things were tough going for Saint Louis – they were the last WPS team to score a goal – Jorge Barcellos’ side displayed a calm and focused disposition much like their head coach himself.

Sky Blue FC’s year has been marked by challenges and adversity. Two coaching changes, and injuries and illnesses to their star forward, captain and starting goalkeeper along the way have made for eventful times in New Jersey. But no one has ever questioned the team’s heart. Coming through with some big wins (and draws) down the stretch, Sky Blue FC earned a spot in the WPS Playoffs on the very last day of the WPS Regular Season when the Boston Breakers failed to defeat the Los Angeles Sol.

Then, to keep their storybook season alive, Sky Blue FC traveled down to the Maryland SoccerPlex last Saturday and defeated a Washington Freedom team that had been 2-0-1 against them in the regular season, had won four of five games and were a solid 5-2-3 on the year playing at home. The victory was highlighted by player-coach and captain Christie Rampone making two key substitutions in the second half, with both substitutes scoring soon after their insertion into the game.

In Saint Louis, Sky Blue FC will be facing a team that similarly dominated them on the scoreboard in the regular season. Saint Louis finished 3-0-0 vs. Sky Blue FC, but if shots taken were any measure of success between Sky Blue FC and Saint Louis Athletica, then the New Jersey-side would have walked away with the season series. Sky Blue FC outshot the Athletica a whopping 49-26. This included a 2-1 loss to Saint Louis at Yurcak Field in late June when Sky Blue FC had the run of play and a 21-5 edge in shots but still lost.

In the two previous match-ups at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Fenton, MO, the Athletica captured 1-0 victories on goals by Amanda Cinalli and Eniola Aluko. Indeed, similar to the absence of playmaker Sonia Bompastor for the Washington Freedom in this weekend’s playoff game, the biggest test for Saint Louis will be finding a player to replace Aluko, a WPS All-Star, on the front line. Aluko had her hand in three of Athletica’s four goals against Sky Blue FC this year. Instead, Saint Louis will counter with the pairing of Sarah Walsh and Christie Welsh up front.

Sky Blue FC will have to find a way to get the ball past Athletica keeper Hope Solo, who has been nothing short of phenomenal this season, especially in moments when the game is on the line. It is one thing to make brilliant saves when your team is up by a handful of goals, it’s another to make crucial saves to preserve victories as Solo has done time and again. In fact, eight of the Athletica’s 10 wins this season were by one goal, including seven 1-0 scorelines. In the tradition of some great Italian teams in history, don’t be surprised to see the Athletica try to sit on a lead if they jump out early in the game. And if they do, will Sky Blue FC possess the guile – and emotional energy – to come back in the contest.