David Silverman | isiphotos.net PURCHASE THIS PHOTO

Chicago's Ella Masar celebrates after her first of two goals in the Red Star's 2-1 victory over the Boston Breakers, Friday, June 25 at Harvard Stadium

View the boxscore >> (all statistics contained in this boxscore are unofficial)

CAMBRIDGE, MA (June 25, 2010) -- Chicago forward Ella Masar netted two goals as the Red Stars (3-5-3, 12 points) defeated the Boston Breakers (1-5-4, 7 points), 2-1, on Friday night in Women's Professional Soccer action at Harvard Stadium.

For Masar, those were her first two WPS tallies in her season-and-a-half tenure thus far with the Red Stars. The Urbana, Ill., native made the most of her third start this season with goals in the 13th and 79th minutes, the second being the game-winner.

The Red Stars got on the scoreboard first in the 13th minute. Defender Kate Markgraf started the attack with a long ball from the back to Red Stars forward Cristiane, who flicked a header to Masar, who made a run behind the Breakers defense.

"She has been practicing really well, and I noticed that she was creating a lot of chances," Red Stars Head Coach Omid Namazi said. "I felt it was a good time to give her a start and see how it works, and it worked to perfection. She got behind the Boston defenders and she finished tonight."

Chicago's defense held Boston in check throughout the first half, allowing only one shot, off target.  But at the start of the second half, the Breakers broke through when Fabiana took a pass from Laura del Rio and put home the first goal of her WPS career.

“It was a great goal and it was a great build up as well,” Breakers midfielder Lindsay Tarpley said. “Laura played an incredible ball across the box there and she did a great job about getting at the other end of it and finishing it.”

The two teams battled for a little more than a half hour without adding to the scoring column, until Masar broke the tie in the 79th minute off of Marian Dalmy's second assist of the season. Dalmy played the ball diagonally to Masar, who had a 50-50 attempt against Breakers goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. Masar reached out and poked the ball underneath Naeher for the game-winner.

“Four home games in a row with a loss,” DiCicco said. “If somebody told me that at the start of the season, I’d say that you were crazy, but the team has to stay together and keep working hard.”

In goal, Alyssa Naeher made three saves for Boston while Jillian Loyden made two saves for Chicago.

With the win, Chicago improves to 3-5-3 on the season, while Boston falls to 1-5-4 and remains winless at home. The victory also is the first for Namazi, who has a 1-1-2 record in his four matches at the helm.

Up next, the Breakers travel to West Chester, Pa. to play the Philadelphia Independence on Sunday, July 4th at 4pm ET. The Red Stars also play on the road on July 4th as they take on the Washington Freedom at 5pm ET at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md. 

View the boxscore >> (all statistics contained in this boxscore are unofficial)

QUOTES

Kelly Smith, Boston Breakers Forward

On the second half being different
In the first half we were second to ball. I was trying to get the team going by trying to press. Cheney and I were trying to press but it just wasn’t working for us.  We changed our formation at half time.  We were in a 4-4-2 and it just wasn’t working – too much time for them and they were dominating in the center of the field which we weren’t happy about.  We changed to a 4-3-3 and the formation suited us in the second half and we were able to get closer to them and they weren’t able to play like they did in the first half.
 
On Lindsay Tarpley
She’s a great player.  She comes in and she’s really good on the ball.  She’s got good vision and her work rate is outstanding.  She’s a good player.
 
On tonight’s physical play
It was a very physical game tonight but that’s to be expected when there’s a lot at stake for both teams. Both teams really wanted to win it and unfortunately tonight wasn’t our night
 
On struggling in the first half and coming out better in the second half
We just come out flat in the first half, I don’t know why, it was just really hard to play in.  It was just really hard for myself and the players.  We were second to everything.  We can’t do that at this level. We get punished.  We go in 1-0 down at half time and I think we deserved to go in 1-0.  But in the second half we changed it around came out with guns blazing.
 
On the team’s loss streak
No it’s something obviously that I’m dealing with and the team is dealing with. It’s frustrating. You give everything on the night and it’s tough. You got to keep your heads up.  You can’t come out in your shell.  We go away next week and we have to win.
 
Lindsay Tarpley, Boston Breakers Forward

On the transition to Boston
It’s been a great transition. I’ve really been enjoying the city and I’ve gone exploring and everyone on the team and staff has been great.
 
On Boston’s turf field
It’s different from what I’m used to playing on.  I think it takes a little time to develop your touch on the turf. But it was a great game tonight, I was really happy with the way we came out and fought in the second half and got a goal back
second half.
 
On what went well in the second half
I think there were a couple of tactical changes that we made.  I also think that we really sorted some things out and we came together and found a way to get one back and we fought hard.
 
On Fabiana’s first goal
It was a great goal. I think it was a great build up as well. Del Rio played an incredible ball across the box and she did a great job getting on the end of it and finishing it.
 
Tony DiCicco, Boston Breakers Head Coach

On what went wrong
I thought they came out and played a really good first half. I was proud of our players because they kind of crawled and scratched their way back into the game. We came out with a great mentality and scored early. We’re hemorrhaging bad goals.  We’re young in goal.  I know she’s a young keeper. We’re just making it easier to score. They played well and I think they played better than us in the game.
 
On missed opportunities
Lauren Cheney had a great head ball opportunity.  Kelly Smith had a great ball that she got in but we’re just not finishing. We have to stop giving away easy goals and we did in the last game when we were home and we lost 2-1.  And we lost this game.  There’s a character to this team and that’s why we fight and come back.  We took over most of the second half.  And then a counter and we give up a goal that should not have happened.  Both goals should not have happened.  If you score a great goal, fair enough but we’re just giving up bad goals and we need to correct it.
 
Omid Namazi, Chicago Red Stars Head Coach

On the difference in two halves
We had some chances in the first half. Sometime it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t. Finishing has been our Achilles Heel.

On Ella Masar
Ella gives us a different look, being able to get behind defenders.  On her second goal, we won the ball in transition and spun her away.

Ella Masar, Chicago Red Stars Forward

On her second goal
Marian Dalmy played a great ball and the goalie came out.  The ball got lucky and got through.  Amy LePeilbet is one of the best defenders I’ve ever faced.  The team played great balls and I just happened to be there.