(Breakers fans, you’re obliged to skip these first few paragraphs).

Let’s take it back to August 9, 2009. The location: Harvard Stadium. The scenario: the Breakers are coming off a three-match streak during which they earned just one point and scored zero goals. This is the final match of the season and it’s against the Los Angeles Sol, who have already booked their place in the Final by dint of finishing top of the table. But due to some mathematic possibility that surely only a person holding a Masters in Trigonometry can fully understand, the Breakers can still qualify for the playoffs. Their destiny is not in their hands (they qualify if the Freedom loses or Sky Blue wins or if the Freedom wins and the Breakers tie and if 13 other things go right) but their fate is simple: lose and it’s over.

For awhile the Breakers looked like the class of the league next to the Sol. Anchored by a wonderful defense and a gritty midfield, if it wasn’t for a strange trough in May – when English taliswoman Kelly Smith injured her knee – that saw the Breakers gain three points from a maximum of 15, Coach Tony DiCicco would already be preparing his side for the playoffs. But they stuttered and they stuttered again in the home stretch when the goal scoring went dry.

Okay, so back to the flashback: Kelly Smith is back in action despite not being fully match fit and is willing to pay through the pain. 6,631 eager Breaker fans watch as Smith slots a ball past Karina LeBlanc in the 17th minute (her first goal since late May).

It’s going to be alright, y’all.

But then at the hour mark, Boston ‘keeper Kristin Luckenbill confuses her positioning in goal and allows Marta to equalize.

Mmm…reason for concern.

The Breakers continued to fight but Amy Rodriguez’s shots frustratingly continue to elude the net (story of her Breaker career). Then in extra time, Boston defender Alex Scott fouls Marta in the area. Shannon Boxx steps up to make the goal that would eliminate Boston from the playoffs and…

…and Boston parts with 15 of its players in the offseason, including all of its forwards discounting Fabiana (whose season was curtailed by injury) and Kelly Smith (who’s listed as a forward but tends to play deeper in the hole).

Coach DiCicco quickly moved on from the Breakers’ cruel exit by retooling his roster and making sure to address the concerns that damned his 2009 season. The defensive core is still there with (2009’s best defender in the league) Amy LePelbiet in central defense. So too is resolute English right back Alex Scott. In the absence of Heather Mitts (who signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Independence), Coach DiCicco wisely rescued Stephanie Cox from the collapse of the Sol. Cox has proven to be a solid defender in the left part of the patch. Who will partner up with LePelbiet is an uncertainty. The only certainty is that it will be likely be a young’un. With the departure of Candace Chapman to FC Gold Pride, Kelsey Moore and Jordan Angeli (16th overall draft pick and also the leading scorer of her Santa Clara University team) will likely fight for the position.

Coach DiCicco will likely hold true in his “defense first” philosophy. LePeilbet, Scott and late-season revelation goalkeeper Allison Lipsher led the Breakers from the back and with the aforementioned roster touch-ups, the same will probably be true. Case in point is DiCicco’s decision to draft Penn State goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher quite high at 11th overall. Lipsher was a competent goalkeeper who was instrumental in allowing both the lowest amount of shots and shots on goal in the league. Naeher won the Golden Gloves at the U-20 World Championships and will be sure to keep Lipsher from getting complacent.

The Breakers also lacked a solid defensive midfielder last year, so the addition of Leslie Osborne from FC Gold Pride will hopefully assuage those concerns. The rest of the midfield and forward depth chart showcases just how seriously Coach DiCicco is trying to reverse the lack of scoring in 2009. The final two-thirds of the field will look quite different with the losses of players Kelly Schmedes, Amy Rodriguez, Jennifer Nobis, Sophia Mundy, Christine Lataham, Angela Hucles and Stacy Bishop. Coach DiCicco has stacked his attacking options in attaining Liz Bogus from the Sol, Spanish international Laura del Rio, New England native Tiffany Weiner, Australian international Sarah Walsh from Saint Louis and Lauren Cheney, the second overall pick in the 2010 WPS Draft.

Buzz has surrounded Lauren Cheney throughout her UCLA career. The 5 foot 10 forward has proven she has more dimensions to her game than simply receiving the ball at her feet, beating defenders and scoring inside the box, like other strikers her size. With Pia Sundhage’s WNT, Cheney has exhibited her athleticism and quickness, tactical awareness in finding space, technical skill in turning and running with the ball and eagerness to score goals anywhere in the final third. She is a different player from the outgoing Amy Rodriguez and Coach DiCicco will be hoping that Cheney can familiarize herself with the professional game and find her scoring boots quickly.

Kristine Lilly (the Ryan Giggs of the Breakers) will return for her fourth decade (as in the 80s, 90s, 00s and now 10s) of competitive soccer. The timeless Lilly was the only Breaker who played in all 20 games last year and she also racked up the most minutes with 1,800. Lilly also scored the second-most goals last year out of any Breaker and led the assists chart. She’ll be reunited with English legend Kelly Smith who looks to return to the form she enjoyed last year in which she topped Boston’s goal scoring list with six.

With an already-sturdy defense bolstered and an attacking arsenal that’s fully loaded with big names, the Breakers are one of the most dynamic sides on paper. The offensive formations will be truly endless and DiCicco must strive to find that delicate balance in which players who are used to scoring goals will be successful in linking up or widening play. The Breaker debutantes will be in good hands with his experience, numerous accolades and contributions to the women’s game.

Perhaps if Coach DiCicco had this roster at his disposal last year, the Breakers would have sailed to the playoffs by converting all those wasted chances and doing it with tenacity and style.

The Anorak:

The Breakers were the team fouled the most in WPS with 212 fouls committed against them (the league average was 162). I have no idea what to read from this.

College greats and players in the WNT youth systems Michelle Enyeart and Gina DiMartino were apparently not selected in either the senior or developmental rosters.

Of the 7 players outgoing to different WPS clubs, only 1 player will not be arriving at either Atlanta or Philadelphia.

Allison Lipsher conceded just 6 goals in 11 appearances.

8 out of the 11 Boston goal scorers and 6 of the 9 players who registered assists in 2009 will not be returning.

5 out of 7 of the Breakers wins were also shut outs.

Of the 13 new or developmental players, only 4 are not a forward or midfielder.

Outgoing: Nancy Augustyniak, Stacy Bishop (signed as a free agent with Atlanta), Candace Chapman (signed as a free agent with FC Gold Pride), Abby Crumpton, Angela Hucles (retirement), Christine Latham, Heather Mitts (signed as a free agent with Philadelphia), Mary-Frances Monroe, Sophia Mundy (signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Beat), Jennifer Nobis, Amy Rodriguez (traded to Philadelphia for two first round selections), Kelly Schmedes (drafted by Philadelphia in the Expansion Draft), Erika Sutton, Sue Weber (drafted 7th overall by Philadelphia in Expansion draft) and Kristin Luckenbill.

Incoming: F Jordan Angeli (16th overall draft pick out of Santa Clara University), F Liz Bogus (free agent signing from L.A. Sol), D Stephanie Cox (taken 5th overall in Dispersal Draft), F Laura del Rio (selected third round in WPS Draft), GK Alyssa Naeher (11th overall pick from Penn State), M Leslie Osborne (signed as free agent form FC Gold Pride), Tiffany Weimer (signed as free agent from FC Gold Pride), F Sarah Walsh (signed as free agent from Saint Louis), F Lauren Cheney (2nd overall pick out of UCLA) and M Chioma Igwe (signed as free agent from Chicago Red Stars)

Developmental players:

F Taryn Hemmings (8th round pickup out of University of Denver)

F/D Analisa Marquez (University of Arizona)

GK Ashley Phillips (Breakers developmental player last year)

View Original Post at allwhitekit.wordpress.com

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• Soccer, Sports, WPS

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• Soccer
• WPS
• Boston Breakers

This post is related to the following ongoing stories:

• 2010 WPS Season Kickoff