2009 WPS Power Rankings: Week 17

As the Los Angeles Sol prepares for its three-game road trip and its counterpart, the LA Galaxy, plays AC Milan to a 2-2 draw, the Boston Breakers retake the top spot in this week's WPS Power Rankings. Could the Sol make a run and finish second?

Let's take a look and find out.

1. Boston Breakers

Returning to the top spot this week is Tony DiCicco's Boston Breakers. A key pair of victories this week have paced Boston to second in the WPS standings.

What a jump.

Last Wednesday, the Breakers faced the Chicago Red Stars at Harvard Stadium. Angela Hucles scored a gem of a goal in the 35th minute off a Kristine Lilly feed inside the box.

However, it was Boston's defense that earned its stripes with an inspired performance in the second half. Breakers' goalkeeper Allison Lipsher made three clutch saves in the shutout.

And the week only got better for the Breakers.

At Buck Shaw Stadium, Kelly Schmedes opened her account in the 13th minute as the Breakers rubbed more salt into the gaping wounds of FC Gold Pride, 1-0.

This victory is all the more impressive for Boston because seven of its starters were out on national team duty.

Mary-Frances Monroe earned her first assist of the year with a pass to Schemedes, who beat the offside trap and finished at the net.

Boston outshot the Pride 6-3, with all six scored in the first half. Once again, Lipsher made three saves in the shutout.

With the Breakers now one point ahead of St. Louis Athletica, can they hold on? After all, just like the Breakers, Athletica knows how to beat the team at the top.

Boston returns to Soldiers Field in Cambridge to face off against Sky Blue FC. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, July 25 at 7:00 p.m. ET.
2. Los Angeles Sol

If you are a Los Angeles Sol fan, perhaps you should consider being a Sky Blue FC fan for a day.

This Wednesday, to be specific.

Abner Rogers's club won't even need to gain a point against FC Gold Pride on Thursday if Athletica draws or loses at the Busch. It could win the championship outright on Wednesday while watching the game on the webcast.

But you know what? Let's take things one step further. You can sense that right now, the WPS Regular Season Championship trophy is already in a secret room in the Toolbox on Victoria Street, and will only be brought out, along with some carbonated bubbly, if St. Louis fails to get three points.

But regardless of whether the Sol claim their first-ever piece of hardware on Wednesday (barring an Act of God), there is the matter of the remaining matches on tap.

Los Angeles wraps up its 2009 season with a three-game road stand, starting with FC Gold Pride.

Can the Sol complete the whitewash?

We'll find out on Thursday. Kickoff at Buck Shaw Stadium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PT (10:00 p.m. PT).

3. St. Louis Athletica

After halting the Los Angeles Sol's run to the regular season crown for at least another week, Jorge Barcellos's Athletica failed to replicate its performance against the Washington Freedom. At RFK Stadium, St. Louis lost 1-0 thanks to one Homare Sawa.

Combined with the Breakers sweeping the week's set of matches, St. Louis dropped to third in the standings.

Athletica's biggest chance to score came in the 10th minute, as Nikki Cross's opportunity in the box was stopped by Kati Jo Spisak, Washington's backup goalkeeper.

School may not be back in session for another month or so, but Spisak and the Freedom backline sure gave St. Louis a lesson or two in playing some solid defense.

The loss hurt more for St. Louis because the magic number for Los Angeles has been reduced to one. This means Athletica must win the rest of their matches and hope the Sol will not earn any more points the rest of the way.

Even if St. Louis won their next two games this week, it will be six points too late if Los Angeles takes care of business up in Santa Clara. Finishing level on points won't be enough because the Sol holds the tiebreaker.

On Wednesday, Athletica takes on Sky Blue FC at the Busch. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET. On Sunday, St. Louis will host FC Gold Pride. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel.

4. Washington Freedom

Jim Gabarra's Freedom fell two points short of the six they needed to stay in playoff contention. However, they did manage to stop St. Louis Athletica's run of positive results.

At Joe Yurcak Field on the campus of Rutgers University, the Freedom forced a 4-4 draw in a Piscataway goal festival.

Sonia Bompastor began the proceedings in the fourth minute with a header from Ali Krieger. After Natasha Kai and Kacey White put the Freedom in a 3-1 hole, it was Lisa De Vanna's turn to put Washington back in the game.

A cross from Bompastor saw Matilda head one past Jenni Branam in the 47th minute. Seven minutes later, Abby Wambach chipped a pass to De Vanna, who beat the offside trap for her fifth goal of the season.

And in the 92nd, Cat Whitehill spared blushes for Washington as a rebound off a Branam save salvaged the tie.

The Freedom certainly could have done without the numerous offsides going against them. Washington committed 11 in the contest, while Sky Blue FC committed zero.

Things looked a bit rosier for the Freedom in Fenton, however.

The Saturday contest with St. Louis Athletica saw Homare Sawa open her account in the 74th minute. The question that may be on a number of Freedom supporters' minds is, "What took so long, Sawachan?"

A little aside here: that is a reference to a popular Japanese anime/manga series called K-ON! It's a story of four high school girls who decide to revive a club and in the process form a rock band. The nickname for the unexpected adviser of the band is "Sawachan." But that's a different story all together. You can look it up.

Nevertheless, for Sawa fans, it was worth the wait.

The Nadeshiko Japan star came down the right side of the penalty area to send one off St. Louis's Kia McNeill and goalkeeper Jillian Loyden. Even more impressive was that Nicci Wright who started in goal in place of McLeod, teamed up for the shutout with backup Kati Jo Spisak.

Wright is Washington's goalkeeper coach and with her start on Saturday, she followed Sissi's lead as a player-coach.

One would have to admit that even though she is technically retired, Wright still knows how to make some stops.

Erin McLeod, oh how they need you now.

The Freedom are intent on getting back in the hunt. Next Sunday, the Freedom will travel to Toyota Park in a must-win game against the Chicago Red Stars. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET in Bridgeview.

5. Sky Blue FC

Kelly Lindsey's Sky Blue FC had their work cut out for them this week. But a draw combined with a hard-earned victory resulted in a rise to fourth place in the WPS Standings.

On Wednesday, a shootout with the Washington Freedom at Joe Yurcak Field culminated in a 4-4 draw.

A great day to be a keeper? Probably not.

A great day to be a scorer? You bet.

A great day to be Natasha Kai or Kacey White? Could have been, if it weren't for Cat Whitehill's stoppage-time heroics.

But Kai equalized in the fifth minute, responding to Sonia Bompastor's goal with a header off of Heather O'Reilly's cross.

In the 27th minute, Keeley Dowling's corner saw White score on an overhead volley past Erin McLeod. And 27 seconds into the second half, White scored off a cross, making it 3-1 Sky Blue FC.

After Lisa De Vanna's brace put the match on level terms, Rosana passed to Kai, who tapped it past a charging McLeod, and brought the game to 4-3. The goal was Kai's fifth of the season. Finally, it was Whitehill with the equalizer, which ended the game at 4-4.

Sky Blue FC outshot the Freedom 14-12, while keeper Jenni Branam made three saves amid the barrage.

While it was an offensive showcase on Wednesday, it was a defensive struggle on Sunday against the Chicago Red Stars.

Kerri Hanks was the hero. The former St. Louis Athletica star showed that she had lost none of her poise with a 91st minute strike inside the right post for her second of the season.

Sky Blue FC outshot Chicago 12-11. Branam had a solid performance in goal, making five saves to chalk up another clean sheet to her tally.

A huge week awaits the Jersey girls. This Wednesday, Sky Blue FC will travel to the Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri to take on St. Louis Athletica. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.

On Saturday, July 25, Sky Blue FC will travel to Harvard Stadium to face the Boston Breakers. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

6. Chicago Red Stars

It turns out Cristiane's hat trick heroics were nothing but a flash in the pan.

The Red Stars continued yet another dry spell as they lost their two games last week to fall to sixth place in this week's Rankings.

Emma Hayes's Red Stars may have outshot the Boston Breakers on Wednesday at Harvard Stadium 21-11 and Caroline Jonsson may have made one more save (she finished the match with four stops), but they were unable to get one in the net in a 1-0 loss.

And another one-goal defeat would doom the Women of the Windy City.

In the cruelest of fates, Sky Blue FC's Kerri Hanks stole three points from the Red Stars on Sunday at Yurcak Field with her 91st minute blast inside the right post.

The setbacks also consign Chicago five points out of the fourth spot in the playoffs, occupied by Sky Blue FC.

The Red Stars will need to get three points against the Washington Freedom to remain in the hunt for that last spot. Anything less and the writing will be on the walls of Toyota Park on Sunday: Chicago is OUT.

Kickoff at Bridgeview is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET.

7. FC Gold Pride

Things continue to go badly for FC Gold Pride. On Sunday, they dropped another howler: a 1-0 loss to the Boston Breakers. At home.

And count 'em up everyone, that's nine games without a win.

Nine.

It's a nasty number when you consider what could have been.

What makes things even worse for the embattled Lionesses of the Bay is that the Los Angeles Sol could knock them out of the playoff picture while winning the WPS Regular Season Championship at their expense.

Assuming, of course, St. Louis Athletica defeats Sky Blue FC on Wednesday.

As the lyrics to ZZ Top's song "Manic Mechanic" from its album Deguello go, "Have mercy, Miss Percy." It's desperation time for the Pride.

Kickoff for this rematch of the Samba Queens is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PT (10:00 p.m. ET) on Thursday.