Boston beats Freedom on three second half goals

BOYDS, Md. (April 18) – Everything that seemed to be trending in the right direction for the Washington Freedom was turned on its head Saturday night as the visiting Boston Breakers left the Maryland SoccerPlex with a 3-1 victory in front of a crowd of 4,232.

Things looked like they would be relatively quiet as neither team was able to find the back of the net in the first half. However, things got going in the second starting with Kelly Smith’s penalty kick in the 56th minute. Freedom goalkeeper Briana Scurry fouled the Breakers Angela Hucles, a Virginia Beach, Va. native, in the box giving the Breakers the penalty kick. Smith buried the kick and gave Boston a 1-0 lead.

“The first half was really substandard for both teams,” Freedom Head Coach Jim Gabarra said. “I think it was tentative, we didn’t have good pressure on the ball.

“The second half was better – a bounce here or there, you go ahead 2-1, I think the game’s probably over.”

Washington (0-2-1) responded in the 60th minute to tie the score at 1-1 as Lori Lindsey took a pass from Rebecca Moros and put it past Boston goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill. Boston (2-1-0) added its final two goals in a five minute span as Christine Latham headed the ball past Scurry in the 76th minute and Angela Hucles scored the final goal of the match in the 81st.

“That ball had eyes,” said Scurry, who got a finger on Latham’s header. “Latham got up well for it. It was like that in the first half too but fortunately we were able to get our heads on the ball.

“You’ve got to be careful, you’ve got to be tight. You’ve got to have everybody in position at every moment with [Boston] because they have such great attacking weapons. They’re going to punish you if you’re not careful.”

Washington had a chance to take the lead in the 72nd minute when Hucles was called for a handball inside the goalie box. Luckenbill had Abby Wambach’s penalty kick pegged though and stopped the shot. And even though the expectations continue to grow for Wambach to finally score, Scurry says more patience is still needed.

“Abby’s getting into it,” Scurry said. “She had a major injury. Sometime these things take time and I’m sure she’s doing everything she can to get back to herself. Eventually she will get a goal and I think after she gets one, she’ll get plenty.”

After a two-game home stand yielded only one point, Washington will hit the road in search of its first WPS win as the team will face FC Gold Pride next Sunday in Santa Clara, Calif. on Fox Soccer Channel at 6 p.m. ET.

Breakers 3, Freedom 1
April 18 //Boyds, Md.
Attendance: 4,232

Scoring: 1. BOS, Kelly Smith 3 (penalty kick) 56; 2. WSH, Lori Lindsey 1 (Rebecca Moros, 1) 60; 3. BOS, Christine Latham 1 (Alex Scott, 1) 76; 4. BOS, Angela Hucles 1.
Scoring By Period:
Boston                  0   3 – 3
Washington        0   1 – 1
Shots: BOS 13, WSH 14; Shots on Goal: BOS 7, WSH 8; Saves: Kristin Luckenbill (BOS) 3, Briana Scurry (WSH) 4; Corners: BOS 2, WSH 5; Fouls: BOS 10, WSH 12; Yellow Card: Kelly Smith (BOS), 70.
Lineups: BOS: Luckenbill, Mitts, LePeilbet, Weber, Scott, Moore (Bishop, 61), Hucles, Lilly, Smith, Schmedes (Tomecka, 84), Rodriguez (Latham, 68). WSH: Scurry, Janss (Gilbeau, 45), Whitehill, Sauerbrunn, Singer, Lindsey, Sawa, Long (Moros, 45), Bompastor, Wambach, De Vanna (Zimmeck, 84).

Courtesy of: Washington Freedom