Diana Matheson is ruthlessly committed to seeing her squad get a win. Unluckily, her aggressive style of play only results in the opposition winning by a smaller margin. The Washington Spirit have yet to win a match (0-2-2), but are regularly on the cusp of equalizing or finding the game-winning goal only to fall behind in their execution.
Washington Spirit vs. Boston Breakers: Preview
Washington has the most to prove in this game, but Boston will not give up their winning streak easily.
The Boston Breakers don’t have the best back line; Washington posses an adventurous attack, and this combination is perfect for the Spirit to test their creativity. When both of these teams met in week one it appeared that the Spirit were on their way to their first victory, but 76 minutes after taking the lead, Elizabeth Guess found a pocket through Tori Huster to find Sydney Leroux to get the equalizer.
Washington is a standout team with great offensive players in Lori Lindsey, Stephanie Ochs and Caroline Miller as well great support from Ali Krieger, Robyn Gayle and Ashlyn Harris. The Spirit’s downfall is due to their hastiness on the ball in the midfield -- they try to get the ball to their forwards before they’re ready for it.
The offensive plays are predictable and the only player that has stepped outside of the box is Miller, who sneaks up behind the defense and presents a great partnership with Ochs. Ochs has a strong, accurate shot, but her attempts on goal are regularly blocked by a defender or saved.
Sydney Leroux made history last week as the NWSL’s first player to complete a hat trick but it is doubtful that she will replicate this feat because Harris is a diligent keeper that rarely concedes many goals. In front of Harris is Gayle and Krieger but their job will result in failure if they cannot shut down Heather O’Reilly, the Breakers’ pivotal playmaker. If O’Reilly finds any room on the edge of the 18 yard box, she is sure to cause problems. Lianne Sanderson will clash with Lori Lindsey in the midfield as they both challenge for the ball to send up crosses.
Washington Spirit Injuries
Out: N/A
Boston Breakers Injuries
Out: Bianca D’Agostino (partially torn ACL), Maddy Evans (school commitments), Jessica Luscinski (ankle), Casey Short (ACL)
Match Date/Time: Saturday May 11, 7:00 pm EDT
Venue: Maryland Soccerplex Stadium, Boyds, Maryland
Online: WWashington Spirit LiveStream
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