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Tasha Kai and the Philadelphia Independence are title game bound

Things may have looked teed up for a WNY/magicJack championship tilt, but clearly, the Philadelphia Independence were having none of it. On Saturday, the Cheesesteaks brushed aside magicJack 2-0 to mark their return to the WPS Championship game. Tasha Kai and Amy Rodriguez each had gems of goals.

The WNY Flash now await the Independence in Rochester next Sunday. The 2011 WPS Championship is at stake.

Speed kills.

Philadelphia looked to be operating in a different gear opposite magicJack. There’s reasons (read: excuses) for this: magicJack, after all, has played two games per week since July 20. And for the bulk of the team’s squad, this after a grueling World Cup. Sky Blue FC had overcome the exhausting turnaround to win the 2009 WPS title, but didn’t have to contend with such a congested fixture list or a World Cup. Beyond that, though, Philadelphia exploited magicJack’s fatigue by making them chase. The home side broke at a frenetic pace right through the middle, and forced magicJack to retreat and recover at a tempo that wasn’t sustainable for 90 minutes. On counterattacks, Vero, A-Rod, and Tasha Kai all rampaged down the field at blazing speeds. Other than a few nice spells of possession in the second half, magicJack just couldn’t keep up.

magicJack looked short of ideas and energy.

To continue the thought above, according to Jess Fainberg, magicJack had successfully gotten at Philadelphia at Boca Raton by fighting pace with pace. Ella Masar and Lisa De Vanna were made to run wild on Philadelphia’s center-backs. Rather than employing the same game plan this time, magicJack sought to use the same tactics that had bamboozled a middling Boston Breakers side. Attack from the wings, move the ball around in the penalty area, try your luck from distance, and/or find Abby’s head. It simply didn’t work as Philadelphia’s defense was up for the challenge. magicJack made initial headway down the left flank thanks to Megan Rapinoe’s hassling of Estelle Johnson, but the final product was absent. Even when De Vanna and Nikki Washington made their presence known late in the second half, the team just looked past it, especially after A-Rod’s goal.

You can’t stop Abby Wambach, you can only hope to contain her.

And contain they did. Kia McNeill had a stellar game reading oncoming crosses intended for Wambach’s forehead. The mJ player-coach had a few nice looks that were either pawed away by Nicole Barnhart (and what a nice day she had) or went wide of the mark. Jen Buczkowski (a mainstay of the WPS Underrated XI) limited space for Wambach and Christen Press to attack in. Philadelphia did exactly what they needed to do. Abby Wambach didn’t score and magicJack lost.

Vero makes for a promising attacking midfielder.

Vero is a voracious goal-scorer, and she’s also a fine distributor of the ball from the center of the park. It wasn’t her best game of the season, but the WPS Player of the Year showed excellent vision by leading the charge and threading balls to the wings for Tina DiMartino and/or A-Rod. Philadelphia weren’t clinical enough in front of goal in the first half to make it count. Vero had a conspicuously quiet second half, but her strike partners didn’t let it become an issue. (Danesha Adams also had some nice moments as a second half sub.) The Independence probably couldn’t replace Caroline Seger, but Vero gives the team a new kind of attacking thrust.

Philadelphia’s spine is their biggest strength.

Nicole Barnhart, Nikki Krzysik, Kia McNeill, Jen Buczkowski, Sinead Farrelly, Vero. Philadelphia love to attack down the central channel, and for good reason. Barnhart was as secure and tidy as ever on Saturday, while Krzysik and McNeill did well to keep magicJack at bay. Buczkowski had another fine outing at the holding midfield position. Sinead Farrelly was tremendous with defensive responsibilities. Vero lurked constantly and had a clear awareness of the players around her. The team played to their strengths and were duly rewarded for it.

Note and H/T to Lauren Barker, this will be the first time the first and second seeds will meet in the championship game. In 2009 it was 1 v. 4 and in 2010 it was 1 v. 3.

And some audio clips, also courtesy of LB.

Nicole Barnhart on her saves and Paul Riley on his team’s superior midfield and preparations for the final.

Amy Rodriguez on chipping Jillian Loyden and settling back in to Philadelphia’s system.

Abby Wambach’s emotional post-match comments and an apology to fans for not signing autographs.

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This post is related to an ongoing story:

• 2011 WPS Playoffs

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