Los Angeles 0, Boston 0: A Play By Play (and Other Miscellany)

(Photo courtesy of isiphotos.com)

T-60 Minutes: Mother's Day 2009. Home Depot Center. Carson, California. It's hot. It's humid and muggy. And for the first time this season, the Los Angeles Sol was dealt their first defeat last week against the Boston Breakers, who they host today.

T-60: Kelly Smith, one of England's best players, flipped the switch with an early goal in the Breakers' 2-1 win at Harvard Stadium. Captain Kristine Lilly's shot in the 2nd half proved to be the difference in that contest.

And so it will be up to the Sol to ask themselves: How will we bounce back? An unimpressive performance for the bulk of the match relative to other action that week put them at 6th in the Power Rankings. Naturally, it would not sit well with the home supporters.

T-57: So if the fans want to see their side back to re-energize their push to stay at the top of the table, a solid result at the friendly confines of Victoria Street is TANTAMOUNT for Abner Rogers' club.

T-56: Here's another added incentive for Marta & Co. to make adjustments: should they succeed (and here come those Breakers, going through their preliminaries), everybody in attendance gets free tickets to the match against the Chicago Red Stars (who would lose later today).

T-54: I had to do some Mother's Day obligations before taking my seat, flipping through some books I ordered from a store in Costa Mesa. This will be a little homecoming of sorts for Boston's Amy Rodriguez, who played for Ali Khosroshahin's USC Women of Troy.

If only my university's side had that type of coach...we would have won some tournament titles...and mastered winning penalty shootouts, I guarantee you.

T-51: Sandra Serafini will be in charge of officiating today's match. Maurizio Cardini and Dylan Anderson are the linesmen and the fourth official will be Daniel Radford.

T-50: This likely will be the last match where I manually write the play-by-play (with other miscellany). Friday, when the Sol faces Sky Blue FC, I will bring out my resurrected laptop and use that instead.

T-47: The Sol seem to have an eye on the future. Christine Welsh and Kendall Fletcher will not be on the lineup due to a trade with St. Louis Athletica, who won yesterday.

T-45: The Sol go through their preliminaries.

T-42: The Galaxy are playing right now against the Seattle Sounders. This TV I got here has up to 125 channels. Many of them don't work, though.

T-37: The fans file in. And I do some channel flipping, mulling the comparisons between Chelsea's piss-poor stoppage time performance and Ricky Hatton's against Manny Pacquiao. Andres Iniesta, the Pacman of football. Enjoy getting roughhoused by Man United, you lucky Catalonians!

T-32: Seattle 1, Galaxy 0. Hello hello hello, it's gonna be one of those all-too familiar days again for those G's.

T-27: Ugh. Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" is blaring out. The song with a soul of a puppy chasing you to the point of annoyance. Can't the people up top play something more tasteful, like Weezer's "Undone"?

T-25: A makeshift percussion ensemble echoing shades of the epic "Stomp" parades around the concourse, settling in Section 119, the "Marta's Maniacs" section.

T-20: Breakers take a break, and head back to the change rooms for final instructions.

T-18: The Sol head to the change rooms. Lakers are off to a very poor start, a start they would not recover from in Game Four. Bloody murder; all the local team are getting hard done by. (The Angels did win, though).

T-15: I am anticipating less-than-half capacity. Orange bibs for the photo shooters.

T-10: Galaxy 1, Seattle 1. Yep. All too familiar.

T-7: Epic fail on bringing out the player quotes (one which was misspelled later in the game).

T-5: Interesting note on the Sol's mascot: Mr. Sunny Shark. He used to be known as Rippy, the mascot for the LA Riptide, until the folded. He was given a new name, a new identity, and a new soul (no pun intended).

1' - Here we go. Boston attacking early.

2' - Set piece for Boston. First of the match. A great save from Karina LeBlanc. She is keen to not let deja blue happen all over again (pun intended).

3' - Warning shot from Shannon Boxx, but it was going to be a difficult angle to begin with.

4' - Don't you just love the composition of this Puma WPS match ball? Bouncing off the seats, and back on to the pitch.

5' - The Breakers and Sol are testing each other's ball movement, keen to disrupt the opposition's possession. A close contest. Fantastic.

6' - A would-be shot Han Duan called back, but it results in a corner. A wide volley from Brittany Bock. And Los Angeles is now on the offensive.

7' - I am watching two local teams at the same time.

8' - Marta attempts to feed someone in the box, thinking too much. And another bullet dodged by Boston. Breakers keeper Kristin Luckenbill putting the "luck" in her last name apparently.

9' - First big shot went wide for the Breakers. Goal kick for LeBlanc.

10' - Now it's Han trying to get Marta open, but the Breaker defense is there.

11' - Boston back line busy early.

13' - It's a matchup between the Sol offense and the Breaker defense, as the Sounders and Galaxy spend Mother's Day fighting it out. Desecration at Qwest Field. Hide this children if they are still awake from the coffee.

14' - Again, passing is satisfactory, but the finishing from LA leaves much to be desired.

15' - Sol clears another threatening possession from the Breakers.

17' - Breakers and Sol waging another chess match in attack-and-counter.

19' - Good marking by Boston's Alex Scott on Han Duan.

20' - One impatient fan wants Amy Rodriguez in the match.

22' - Boston is winning the possession game, but Miyama clears another Breaker attack. Here comes LA...

23' - Han's header just over the crossbar.

27' - Boxx getting marked again.

28' - Manya Makoski with a textbook clearance.

29' - Shot from Angela Hucles wide left.

31' - Here comes Boston, but Kristine Lilly's header inside the box misses.

33' - THe Breakers continue to press for that go-ahead score.

35' - A good cross from Los Angeles turns from gold to pyrite through wasteful finishing. This has been the story of the game for both sides. Harsh tackle by Scott, but no card.

36' - Boston manager Tony DiCicco showing his indignation.

37' - Another wasted set piece for the Sol.

38' - This has been a nightmare for Han Duan today. Luckinbill was blessed by the crossbar, now she has blessed by the post.

41' - Could it be only a matter of time before the first goal of the match is realized?

43' - A bit too much from Marta again...

44' - Too high from Christine Latham

HALFTIME
Los Angeles Sol 0
Boston Breakers 0

LA has been plagued by bad luck and poor finishing. Boston has only benefited from it. Can the Sol turn the ship around?

46'- Substitution for LA:
IN 18 Larkin
OUT 22 Makoski

49' - Harsh tackle on Miyama. Angela Hucles gets cautioned. And the chippiness begins.

51' - Substitution for Boston:
IN 8 Rodriguez
OUT 7 Latham

The young Breakers supporter gets his wish while another danger has been averted.

52' - Los Angeles resets, and it's back to another phase of attack-vs.-counter.

54' - And in the middle of it all is who else but Kelly Smith. There is a reason why she is the catalyst behind this team, and those witnessing the match can see why.

55' - Well, if the Sol and Breakers do end up sharing the points, it won't be a surprise. Abner asking his ladies to put more pressure, getting out of his bench.

57' - A few ripples of the Mexican Wave.

58' - A great save from Luckinbill; first time she's had to  do something this half, too.

59' - Shot from the Breakers safely in LeBlanc's hands.

61' - Boston stuffing the bean pot again. Header from Stacy Bishop wide.

62' - Tackling from Boston is now getting cranked up...while L.A. still can't jump-start the finishing engine.

63' - LeBlanc needing to make a save, and another one.

65' - When the Breakers are crashing, the Sol are rising. That's how it's been.

66' - Smith's role as the playmaker on this team rather than the finisher was apparent, as she didn't all of that.

67' - Good tackle by Bock, but Marta and Han blew another opportunity . "Oh shoot!" said an exasperated Sol supporter.

69' - Side netting. Boy, the Sol can't score their way out a wet paper bag today. It has been that bad.

71' - The marking has been anything but short of remarkable, though.

72' - There's another save for Kristin Luckinbill.

73' - Boston snuffed out that cross like candy.

75' - At this rate, this could be Drawville for these two. Well, it should be THAT bad for tickets. I mean, there has to be PLENTY of seating...

76' - Injury to Mitts. She is fine, though.

77' - Substitution for Los Angeles
IN 20 Abily
OUT 4 Wagner

77' - Substitution for Boston
IN 25 Augustyniak-Goff
OUT 2 Mitts

78' - Yellow card to Shannon Boxx. Frustration beginning to mount for the Sol.

80' - Corner for LA...but one laced with kryptonite.

83' - Both sides desperately pushing for the winner.

84' - This has been some great defending late for Boston.

85' - Substitution for Boston:
IN 17 Moore
OUT 4 Bishop

86' - Amy LePeilbet has been a work horse for the Boston back line.

90' - Yellow card to Augustyanak-Goff. Serafini dishing out cautions at will.

91' - Yellow card to Abily, as the game clock malfunctions.  Well, the onus was on LA to deliver, and they haven't done that. And a new question is asked: do we have to wait until Friday for the form to return, or is the writing on the wall for LOs Angeles to find some more players from Europe to assist Marta and Company?

92' - One last opportunity for Boston...cleared away. That should do it.

FINAL
Los Angeles Sol 0
Boston Breakers 0