Game Notes: WNY vs Chicago
Published on May 24, 2013 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Western New York Flash News Release
Date: Friday, May 24, 2013
Time: 7:05 p.m. (EST)
Pitch: Sahlen's Stadium
Forecast: Partly cloudy, mid 50s with slight wind
The Matchup: Tonight, the Western New York Flash welcome the Chicago Red Stars to Sahlen's Stadium for a 7:05 p.m. contest. The Flash (2-2-1, 7 points) are riding a two-game winning streak, having last played on May 11th where they beat FC Kansas City 2-1 at home. Chicago, on the other hand, is without a victory this season (0-3-2, 2 points). In their most recent game, the Red Stars fell to Portland 2-0 on May 12th.
Both teams were a part of the 2012 WPSL-Elite, with the Flash owning the regular season record 2-0. The teams met for a third time in the Championship game and, after a 1-1 tie couldn't be broken in extra time, the Flash were victorious 4-2 in penalty kicks.
Where to Watch: The Flash and all participating NWSL teams will stream games live on the Internet throughout the 2013 season. Flash fans can find today's game video by clicking the link above.
Fans can join the conversation by following the official Flash Twitter account (above) and by using the designated hashtags for the game: #WNYF, #WNYFvCRS, #NWSL
Unbeaten No More: The Flash have compiled two wins so far, with both coming back- to-back at Sahlen's Stadium. More impressively, both of those wins have come over opponents who entered the game unbeaten. On May 1st, the Flash beat Sky Blue FC 2-1 on goals from Adriana and Abby Wambach. Eleven days later, Wambach scored another two goals against FC Kansas City to lead the Flash to a victory with the same final 2-1 score.
Flashback Friday: Fans will be able to enter to win a number of items at tonight's game, as the Flash celebrates the club's history with "Flashback Friday". All fans who attend the game will earn an entry to win a game ball autographed by the 2011 WPS Championship Flash squad. Other items that are being raffled off include: a signed short-sleeved Marta jersey, a signed long-sleeved Alex Morgan jersey, a pair of game- worn Brittany Cameron GK gloves, an Ashlyn Harris signed 2011 Championship program and tickets with picture and much more.
All items can be found at the Flashback Friday raffle table, located near the Flash Shack. Tickets for the raffle cost $1 for 1 ticket, $2 for 3 tickets or $5 for 10 tickets with winners drawn at the 70-minute mark. Winners will be posted at the Flash Shack after they are selected.
American Announcement: On Tuesday, U.S. Women's National Team head coach Tom Sermanni announced the 21-player roster that will be available for the USA's friendly with Canada on June 2nd. Named to that list were Flash offensive attackers Carli Lloyd and Abby Wambach.
The game, hosted at BMO Field, will be the first meeting between the two teams since the USA defeated Canada 4-3 in the 2012 Olympic semi-final on Alex Morgan's 123rd- minute header goal in extra time.
The 4:30 p.m. match, which marks the first friendly for the U.S. Women during the inaugural season of the NWSL, is part of U.S. Soccer's Centennial Celebration weekend and will be broadcast on ESPNNews.
Canada, Too: A day after the American squad announced its roster, the Canadian player pool was released. The Red Stars will lose three members of its defense for the game with goalkeeper Erin McLeod and defenders Carmelina Moscato and Rachel Quon on the list.
On The Road Again: After a four-game homestand, the Flash will return to the road for four games. The team will begin the trip with a 7:00 p.m. contest with the Boston Breakers on June 5th. Western New York will eventually return to Rochester on June 23rd when it hosts Seattle for its "Pit Stop for Camp Good Days" game.
The Quest for Four: This season, the Flash will aim for its fourth title, this time in the newly formed NWSL. The Flash are back-to-back-to-back Champions, winning three different championships in the three different leagues since 2010.
In that year, the then-Buffalo Flash went undefeated in the W-League, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 to take the league crown. The following season, the WNY Flash won the WPS Championship in their first year as a member of the league. The Flash claimed the crown on penalty kicks in front of a league-record crowd. It took penalty kicks again for the team to win its third, coming away with a 2-1 victory over the NY Fury in the WPSL-Elite last year.
Game Five Recap: Two goals from Abby Wambach in a five-minute span proved to be enough to lift the Western New York Flash to its second win of the season, 2-1 over FC Kansas City. Wambach scored in the 34th minute off a chest pass from Veronica Perez then added an unassisted goal after a miscommunication from the FC Kansas City defense. The forward chased down a faulty pass in the 18-yard box and fired past Nicole Barnhart for the game-winner.
Lauren Cheney scored Kansas City's lone goal of the game in the second half, but the Flash defense buckled down and preserved the win. Wambach was named NWSL Player of the Week following her Week 5 performance.
The Kit: The Flash announced that Sahlen Packing Co. would serve as the team's official jersey sponsor for the 2013 season. Joe Sahlen, owner of the Buffalo-based packaging company, started the Flash in 2008 and the Sahlen's family has been tied to the team ever since. Sahlen Sports Park in Elma serves as the official practice facility of the Flash, while the team will play home contests in Rochester at Sahlen's Stadium.
Third Time's a Charm? After the folding of the WUSA and the WPS, the NWSL will look to create a sustaining women's professional soccer league. The NWSL is backed by US Soccer, the Canadian Soccer Association and the Mexican Football Federation.
All teams were allocated players from the respective countries and rosters were then filled out through drafts and free agent signings.
There are eight clubs competing in the league. They are: the Boston Breakers, the Chicago Red Stars, FC Kansas City, Portland Thorns FC, Seattle Reign FC, Sky Blue FC, the Washington Spirit and the Western New York Flash.
Next Game: The Western New York Flash will travel to Boston on June 5th for a 7:00 p.m. game at Dilboy Stadium. The Breakers spoiled the Flash's home opener back on April 27th with a 2-1 final from Sahlen's Stadium.
National Women's Soccer League Stories from May 24, 2013
- Red Stars Drop 2-1 Match to WNY in Rochester - Chicago Stars FC
- Flash End Homestand with Three Points; Beat Chicago - Western New York Flash
- Hope Solo Added to Reign FC Roster, Available for Match Saturday Night - Seattle Reign FC
- Game Notes: WNY vs Chicago - Western New York Flash
- Breakers Meet Spirit for Third Time After Two Draws - Boston Breakers
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