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Pardon the brevity tonight, folks (in the midst of thesis’ing). The Sky Blue FC/Philadelphia Independence featured 90 minutes of compelling action, four dramatic goals, two very halves, and (thankfully) no injuries. Here’s a few quick hits of the positives and negatives:

+ Sinead Farrelly

Farrelly’s performance went unheralded, but shouldn’t be overlooked. The rookie was constantly calm, composed, confident, and alert in midfield. Her strength on the ball and smart decision-making will help fill the void left by Caroline Seger. Farrelly may not have the same amount of steel as Seger, but could prove to be the linchpin in the Philadelphia midfield – particularly when Lori Lindsey is absent.

- Philly’s attack in the first half

Philadelphia instituted a high-tempo, route-one style of play with Tasha Kai employed as the lone targetwoman up top. Philadelphia could prove to have the most solid central midfield in the league, but it amounts to little when it destroys more than it creates. Indy’s plan of action proved to be too one-dimensional, as Kai often mistimed her runs and had little support out wide. Sky Blue FC took advantage of Philadelphia’s lack of possession and used it to spring counterattacks from deep down the field.

+ Casey Nogueira

So there may be something to the sophomore season bounce, huh? Nogueira was excellent in the first half. Her free kick was a dream, and could very well be the goal of the week for many weeks to come. The former Red Star played in a a very unrestrained role, dropping off behind Eniola Aluko, pulling play wide, making incisive runs, sometimes even tracking back to help retrieve the ball. Sky Blue’s lack of possession severely hampered her effectiveness in the second half, but that speaks more to her team’s weird second-half anemia than her performance. Nogueira was very much Dr. Jekyll tonight. Let’s hope she’s moved beyond the Mr. Hyde days.

- Sky Blue FC in the second half

And what about that second half anemia? The substitutions of Amy Rodriguez and Lori Lindsey did wonders for Philadelphia and Sky Blue’s backline couldn’t cope with either Lindsey’s service or A-Rod’s slick skill on the ball. Philadelphia had been knocking on the door for most of the second half, and Tina DiMartino’s deflected last-minute goal was just punishment for a Sky Blue FC midfield and defense that went cold all of the sudden.

+ Allen Hopkins/Kyndra St. de Aubin

I confess I’m not nearly as bothered by the Rogodino/Hildreth partnership as many others are, but credit has to be given where it’s due and the Hopkins/Kyndra St. de Aubin pairing was excellent tonight. Hopkins – the lead man – let the game run and his interjections worked to enhance the viewing experience, rather than weigh it down. St. de Aubin was equally as measured with her color commentary, and avoided talking about meaningless drivel. In fairness, the game was thrilling and interesting from start to end, leaving little air time for trivial nonsense. We’ll see how they do during dull 0-0 games this summer, but hopefully this duo will be around for the duration of the season.

-Attendance

A reported 2,910 people came out to watch the game. That’s considerably lower than last year’s opening game (the WPS site is loading too slowly for me to retrieve the exact figure, but it definitely is). In fairness, it was a cold, blustery, almost thunderstorm-y evening in New Jersey but it was also the team’s home opener. Not sure how that bodes for the team (or the league) going forward.

+ A-Rod/Lindsey

Perhaps Lori Lindsey can’t be expected to sub into a national team game and turn the match on its head. Perhaps A-Rod can’t be expected to start a national team game and frighten the defense for as long as she’s on the field. Perhaps that’s just a testament to Pia Sundhage’s formation, whatever. Either way, A-Rod and Lindsey had more terrific outings for their club teams. A-Rod gave the Independence attack some real bite. She benefitted immensely from Lindsey’s clean service. Kai’s pass to A-Rod’s feet for the game’s third goal was expertly weighted and A-Rod’s coy finish is proof positive that she’s still one of the most fearsome strikers in the league. Philadelphia will greatly miss these players this year. Riley must find a way to ensure that his squad isn’t so reliant on them. It could still be a few weeks before we see the team that is truly representative of the 2011 Philadelphia Independence.

- The webstream

WPS’ main site has been dogged with some kind of issue all weekend long. The webstream was also affected by the technical difficulties. Fortunately, patience was rewarded and the webcast finally loaded. Other than a bizarre public access television-like interruption, the stream played without a hitch. Between the site, the webcast, and the inaccuracy of Match Tracker, it seems the league’s technical department – much like the Atlanta Beat’s attack – weren’t ready for opening day.

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