Boston Breakers Vs. Sky Blue FC: A Play-By-Play (and Other Miscellany)

T-60 minutes to kickoff: The race to the 2010 Women's Professional Soccer playoffs rolls on, and while FC Gold Pride is putting on the afterburners with their third consecutive draw (do I hear some reeling-in sounds?), the race for the other slots trundles on at a break-neck pace.

This week's play-by-play features Tony DiCicco's Boston Breakers and Rick Stainton's Sky Blue FC in a match that will have, as always, implications on the postseason picture.

T-50: Currently, Boston sits third in the standings at 7-6-5 (26 points) while Sky Blue FC is fifth with a record of 6-8-4 (22 points). Now the defending champions are out of the postseason make-up by any stretch of the imagination but one would be a fool to think they don't need a win from this match at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

T-40: Boston's next three games involve their official home finale with the Atlanta Beat on Saturday, August 21 in Connecticut, an August 29 road trip to John A. Farrell Stadium in West Chester, Pennsylvania to take on the Philadelphia Independence and a September 1 road trip to Atlanta Beat/KSU Stadium in Kennessaw Georgia to face the Beat.

As for Sky Blue FC, their next three games involve an August 22 home match at Joe Yurcak Field on the campus of Rutgers University in East Piscataway, New Jersey to face the Indies; an August 28 road trip to the Maryland SoccerPlex to take the Washington Freedom; and a September 1 clash at Joe Yurcak Field against FC Gold Pride.

T-30: It's now time for the line-ups... brought to you by yours truly.

BOSTON BREAKERS

Manager: Tony DiCicco

Formation: 4-3-3

Colors: Blue tops, blue shorts, blue socks

1 Alyssa Naeher

22 Alex Scott ---- 6 Amy LePeilbet ---- 20 Ifeoma Dieke --- 14 Stephanie Cox

12 Leslie Osborne --- 4 Jordan Angeli

10 Kelly Smith

13 Kristine Lilly (C) --- 5 Lindsay Tarpley

8 Lauren Cheney

Substitutes:

15 Fabiana

7 Liz Bogus

2 Chioma Igwe

16 Laura Del Rio

17 Kasey Moore

24 Ashley Phillips

SKY BLUE FC

Manager: Rick Stainton

Formation: 4-1-4-1

Colors: Orange tops, orange shorts, orange socks

23 Jenni Branam

4 Daphne Koster ---- 17 Keeley Dowling ---- 3 Christie Rampone (C) ---- 7 Meghan Schnur

9 Heather O'Reilly ---- 5 Kendall Fletcher ---- 13 Yael Averbuch ---- 14 Brittany Taylor

8 Kacey White ---- 21 Laura Kalmari

Substitutes:

6 Natasha Kai

12 Kelly Parker

11 Rosana

18 Meghan Burke

96 Patrizia Panico

T-15: In other action, FC Gold Pride were locked in a scoreless draw with the Washington Freedom, the Freedom finished 1-1 with Sky Blue FC and Philadelphia dominated the Chicago Red Stars 2-1.

FIRST HALF START: 3:06 P.M. PT

1' - And we're underway.

3' - Good save from Jenni Branam. Here comes a corner. High shot over the bar. It will be a goal kick.

4' - Felisha Mariscal is our match official today.

5' - Five minutes in, and it's still scoreless.

6' - Oh gosh, that was almost an own goal by Heather O'Reilly. Heads up, Sky Blue.

9' - GOAL! Boston Breakers 8 Lauren Cheney. Cheney was unmarked inside the box, and it was just a matter of fundamentals with the header.

10' - This is Cheney's fourth of the season. She's on a hot streak.

11' - Boston will look to consolidate on their 1-0 lead here, as Stephanix Cox leads the charge.

12' - Goal kick, Jenni Branam.

13' - And now it's Yael Averbuch, pressing for the equalizer.

14' - Alyssa Naeher looks to reset the sequence with a goal kick.

15' - A shot from Cheney is saved by Branam for a corner.

16' - Too high a volley. Goal kick, Branam.

17' - Daphne Koster with the challenge. Mariscal plays advantage to Sky Blue FC.

18' - Sky Blue's struggles have concentrated on the lack of a go-to player. When you don't have someone whose shoulders, touch and feet you can ride on, you will struggle as they have so far this year.

19' - Throw-in for Sky Blue FC. Here's Laura Kalmari, with Ifeoma Dieke marking. No room for Kacey White. It will be a goal kick. Love the hair from Tasha Kai. Fabulous. 

20' - Tasha Kai looks like a female Freddie Hajduk with a tan. Seriously. She does.

21' - Here's Kacey White, with Jordan Angelie providing the challenge. Free kick goes nowhere. Stephanie Cox now with the sequence, and here's Kristine Lilly.

22' - Brittany Taylor dispossesses, and Sky Blue FC go on the offensive. Naeher is there for the save. End to end action with Jenni Branam resetting the sequence for the visitors, the Ladies of the Raritan.

23' - A shot from Kelly Smith is deflected for Boston's fifth corner of the match. Five corners in 23 minutes... not bad. That's cleared, and here is number six.

24' - Taken short by Cox, and Koster clears. Smith is double-marked but for some reason is unfazed. Branam takes that one. 

25' - This is actually the last match at Harvard Stadium for the Breakers.

26' - Branam with the anticipation. And here is corner number seven. Lilly is starting to feel a little bit woozy.

27' - Kendall Fletcher's breakaway opportunity is stymied by Alyssa Naeher. Textbook.

28' - Here's Christie Rampone, looking to reset the sequence. The drums bang into Sunday's evening at Soldiers Field.

29' - 29 minutes into the contest, and it's 1-0 Boston.

30' - Here's Dieke with the touch. Boston hasn't had to do too much defensively, whereas for Sky Blue FC, they have been on the defensive since we first started.

31' - Naeher will be wise to settle the troops, as the ladies in Breaker Blue look to consolidate their advantage.

32' - Alex Scott with the run, and she should have done better. Branam almost forced a corner, but kept that in bounds.

33' - Amy LePeilbet now with the touch, and this is some nice passing, but Boston needs to get people forward. Otherwise, as seen here, it will be another goal kick for Jenni Branam.

34' - Kacey White looked dangerous in Sky Blue attacking third, but it will be a goal kick for Naeher. Short-lived attack from Sky Blue FC.

35' - I'm not sure why they haven't tried to up the aggression on Boston, but then again, I'm not Slick Rick Stainton.

36' - Alyssa Naeher hasn't had to do much yet. We'll see if that changes in the second half. Nearly connected on the pass for Boston, but Branam is there.

37' - Now Sky Blue FC draws players forward. Laura Kalmari nearly got that to go in but missed wide. That's what I'm talking about.

38' - Boston on the counter, but the Breakers are called back for offsides.

39' - More chants from the local supporters in The Dock.

40' - Free kick does not work. But here comes a corner. And that doesn't materialize. I think some of the Dock supporters also ply their trade when the Revs play at nearby Gilette.

41' - GOAL! Boston Breakers 4 Jordan Angeli. This has all the makings of a rout. Not bad form, and a looper past Branam. It's the sixth goal of the season for Angeli.

42' - Now both Cheney and Angeli have a goal and an assist between them. This is Cheney's third assist of the year.

43' - Too high for Heather O'Reilly. Goal kick Alyssa Naeher.

44' - With six goals and three assists, could Angeli be pressing for Rookie of the Year? Stay tuned.

45' - All right. A million dollar question. Drum roll please... how many minutes of stoppage time? One minute.

Kacey White's chance is snapped up by Alyssa Naeher. She has been stellar in net, Boston's No. 1 has.

Halftime, and the Breakers are building steam heading into the break.

HALFTIME

Boston Breakers 2

Lauren Cheney 9'

Jordan Angeli 42'

Sky Blue FC 0

SECOND HALF START: 4:09 P.M. PT

46' - The second half begins.

Substitution Sky Blue FC
IN
6 Natasha Kai
11 Rosana

OUT
5 Kendall Fletcher
13 Yael Averbuch

47' - In other action, the Atlanta Beat are leading the Philadelphia Independence 2-1.

48' - Here's Kristine Lilly, and now Keeley Dowling breaks up Boston's next sequence. Sky Blue FC is now spreading the ball around, and this will work well for them.

49' - Here is a corner for Lilly. Taken short, and Tasha Kai clears.

50' - Taken long, and the rebounds make it 3-0!

GOAL! Boston Breakers 5 Lindsay Tarpley.

It is a rout here at Soldiers Field. Tarpley's second goal of the year comes off a poorly saved ball by Branam. And thus, Sky Blue FC's defense just got a bit more ambivalently.

51' - Some sweet shin music from HAO (O'Reilly, that is). Wonder what that was all about.

52' - Boston might let the dogs out this match and make it 4-0 or 5-0.

53' - Cheney was off on that one. Boston Breakers are 11-0-1 when scoring at least two goals. A daunting statistic.

54' - This is LePeilbet, marked by Kai. And now it's Cox.

55' - Handball on Rosana, and the bad luck continues for Sky Blue FC. Dieke with the distribution.

56' - 56 minutes into the contest and it's already 3-0 Boston. It's getting a bit ugly here at Harvard Stadium.

57' - Offsides on that would-be goal, Kelly Smith, and the fans are not liking this. DiCicco maintains his stone-faced expression but doesn't seem to mind a bit.

So much for the hopes of a payoff with the substitutions, Richard Stainton...

58' - Shot for Kristine Lilly goes high and over the crossbar. Boy, the 3-0 sideline seems to be flattering for Sky Blue FC. Surely it should have been more after those two breaks.

59' - Now here's Tasha Kai. Sky Blue FC is hoping for some sort of comeback. Daphne Koster was there, but Kacey White will have to kick herself for being called offsides.

60' - An hour in... it's 3-0. Breakers are winning the possession battle, too.

61' - Good left-footed effort from Rosana. Nice pace, but it misses the corner, and it will be a goal kick to Alyssa Naeher.

62' - Christie Rampone with the dispossession. Heather O'Reilly was off on the receiving end, and it will be another goal kick for Naeher. Tasha Kai is offsides.

63' - Substitution Boston Breakers
IN 15 Fabiana
OUT 13 Kristine Lilly

64' - Here's Fabiana, and her cross is broken up by Rampone. The pace of this Breakers side is killing Sky Blue FC. Another chance for Smith goes array. Goal kick Branam.

65' - Bad communication from Boston's midfielders, but they get the ball back in play. Alex Scott couldn't get to that ball, and here is a throw-in by Heather O'Reilly.

66' - Sky Blue go on the attack. This is White, but Lindsay Tarpley says, "I don't think so."

67' - Ifeoma Dieke had to break that up. Here is a corner for Sky Blue FC. The Dock with the streamers.

68' - Some interesting Keystone Kops action...

Yellow card 7 Meghan Schnur
Sky Blue FC

And things go from bad...to worse. The Dock lets 'em hear it.

69' - Cross from Scott goes wide left. Goal kick Naeher and Rosana is shaken up.

70' - 70 minutes in, and it's still 3-0.

71' - Keeley Dowling with the clearance.

72' - Shot for Fabiana hits side netting and misses the near post. Boy, this Boston team is never satisfied. It's only a 3-0 lead after all. Sky Blue can still come back, can't they?

73' - Branam goes off her line for that one.

74' - Amy LePeilbet clears the next big opportunity. Short corner for SKy Blue FC, but it will be another one for Heather O'Reilly as Kai get a shot to the teeth.

75' - Koster whiffs that one. It will be a corner corner for Alyssa Naeher.

76' - Substitution Boston Breakers
IN 16 Laura Del Rio
OUT 10 Kelly Smith

Corner for Sky Blue FC. Boy, they are racking it up. Naeher with the punch. And it will go back to her hands. Now the Breakers are doing some work in their own defending third. Had to happen.

77' - Laura Del Rio should have done better. Philadelphia just tied the match, and now it's 2-2.

78' - Fabiana is jammed, and that will be a goal kick for Jenni Branam. 78 minutes in, and it's 3-0 Boston Breakers over Sky Blue FC.

79' - O'Reilly's shot is deflected. Oooh, and Kalmari should have made that one. Naeher was beat. It will be a goal kick.

80' - Substitution Sky BLue FC
IN 96 Patrizia Panico 
OUT 3 Christie Rampone

81' - GOAL! Boston Breakers 16 Laura Del Rio

The rout is on. I repeat: the rout is on. Del Rio opens her scoring account, and if any fans are leaving Harvard Stadium with a sour expression, I think it's because they are barracking for the defending WPS Champions. I hope...

A solid golazo from Laura Del Rio.

82' - Good footwork here from the Breakers as Naeher scoops that up.

83' - Leslie Osborne get elbowed to the nose

Substitution Boston Breakers
IN 17 Kasey Moore
OUT 20 Ifeoma Dieke

84' - Yellow card 12 Leslie Osborne
Boston Breakers

Dubious call, but questionable conduct from Boston's No. 12.

85' - I have to say that if Boston and FC Gold Pride were to face each other, the gals in Breaker Blue may have the advantage. But there is plenty of football left to be played, so we'll have to wait and see. 

86' - Joanna Lohman in the 81st minute makes it 3-2 Philadelphia over Atlanta. What a rally. Panico shows her frustration with the shot to Osborne.

Yellow Card 96 Patrizia Panico
Sky Blue FC

87' - That was a cheap elbow. Lucky that wasn't anything worse.

88' - The men and women at the Dock show their appreciation. But it might be a shoulder injury. The View and Bleacher Report hopes for the best. Play on.

89' - Boston will be playing with 10. Another save from Naeher. Her best of the night, snuffing out the Panico chance.

90' - All right, how many minutes? Three, says the fourth official.

90' + 1' - Here's Fabiana, and the Boston attack is marked. The Breakers will have to end their season with four straight on the road. There's an early autumn gauntlet for you. 

90' + 2' - Fabiana was jammed, and the follow-through from Tarpley is deflected for a corner, which is cleared. Easy pickings for Naeher.

90' + 3' - Sky Blue FC has time to get back one goal, but they have to do it quickly. So much for that, though, as Naeher hauls that it for a goal kick.

That's a wrap.

FINAL

BOSTON BREAKERS 3

Lauren Cheney 9'

Jordan Angeli 42'

Linday Tarpley 50'

Laura Del Rio 81'

SKY BLUE FC 0

Stay tuned for this week's power rankings on the WPS Fan Corner, the View from Victoria Street and Bleacher Report.