Mark told viewers that Marta had "tallied a brace" of goals in the early going. I always assumed that a brace was just a small bunch, but dictionary.com tells me it is indeed a pair, so I learned something.

More things I learned:

Don't play five midfielders unless you are the German national team and you have superior organization and have been playing together for years. Otherwise it just makes the middle of the field crowded and ripe to be exploited by greater individual talent.

Ramona Bachmann has all the skills in the world, but unless she figures out how to finish it's all for naught.

Bompastor is generally thought of as an attacking mid, but she tracked back quite well on d. I had also forgotten that the edge Whitehill has over Sauerbrunn is her involvement on the offensive end.

Paul O'Reilly does not like Tony DiCicco. This I gleaned from the article on Amy Rodriguez' resurgence, in which O'Reilly intimated that DiCicco lacked compassion and the necessary patience to develop A-Rod. I don't think she's ever going to be the uber-superstar that everyone treats her as, but she's having a nice little run at midseason.

Hope Solo's world-famous ego was on display yet again, although she covers by seeming like she's joking. Yet both she and Loyden looked pretty problematic in goal. Better defense can cover up holes in a keeper's game.

Lauren Cheney is a standout player. Her field presence, passing, and one-v-one composure are just excellent.

HAO might be underrated as a passer. Her crosses resulted in both goals for Abby's side.

The Coast Guard couldn't even bother getting a new banner ad out, since the one they showed celebrated 'the first WPS All-Star Game.' They're a little bit busy with the oil thing, I'm aware, but it takes, what, two seconds at a computer?

And finally, Karen Bardsley's training injury is compelling argument for holding the ASG at the end of the year rather than in the middle, even though a mid-season game has become the preferred practice everywhere except the NFL.

What this game lacked in the kind of sideline hijinks we saw last year, it made up for in entertaining goals. Good job, WPS.

View Original Post at ftlouie.typepad.com/womensports

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• Soccer, Sports, WPS

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• WPS All-Star Game presented by U.S. Coast Guard