WPS Sky Blue FC

Sky Blue FC Looking to Break Out in Return Trip to Chicago

Published on May 8, 2009 under Women's Professional Soccer (WPS)
Sky Blue FC News Release


With just two points through the first four games of the season, Sky Blue FC is not ready to hit the panic button yet. Despite posting a 0-2-2 mark to this point, the team has been in every game to the end, and with a break here or there the ledger could be completely different.

When Sky Blue FC returns to Toyota Park on Sunday to take on the Chicago Red Stars - the lone unbeaten team remaining in Women's Professional Soccer, it will be hoping to see its fortunes change. The game will be televised on Fox Soccer Channel at 6 p.m. ET as part of the WPS Sunday on FSC programming.

With only one goal scored through four games, the biggest problem for the New Jersey team has been finding the back of the net. But while the scoring has been scant, it hasn't been due to a lack of opportunities.

"I'd be more concerned if we weren't creating chances," said Sky Blue FC General Manager and Head Coach Ian Sawyers. "We've just got to get over that first hurdle and kind of break the dam down. We're not getting our key players in good enough positions consistently but we're doing it enough that we should have put away games."

In the team's last match against FC Gold Pride, the Bay Area side had a couple of good chances early, but Sky Blue FC could have taken control of the game before halftime if the finishing had been better. In the end, FC Gold Pride claimed the win when Leigh Ann Robinson came off the bench to connect in the 86th minute for the only goal of the game.

"The players are working hard and we're doing a lot of finishing in practice so hopefully their confidence levels get a little higher," Sawyers said. "They want to do well for the club and they feel they're carrying that burden a little bit. We're trying to release the baggage a little bit from the players and free them up to play a little bit without that worry. I just want the players to get rewarded for all the hard work that they've been putting in."

The encouraging note for Sky Blue FC is that the team has not conceded very many goals at the other end of the field. Sky Blue FC has allowed just four goals in four games with only the Red Stars (1) and the Los Angeles Sol (2) having conceded fewer. The defense was boosted by the return of defensive leader Christie Rampone from a hamstring injury against FC Gold Pride but it wasn't enough to claim the win.

"We've played four games and only conceded four goals, but they've just been at critical moments of the game," Sawyers said. "That's somewhat encouraging but there are no moral victories in the pro game - it's all about getting the 'W'."

The game against Chicago will be the second time in three weeks that Sky Blue FC travels to Bridgeview, Ill. to face the Red Stars in a Fox Soccer Channel game. On April 11, the teams battled to a 0-0 draw on a cold, rainy day.

Since the first meeting between Sky Blue FC and the Red Stars, each team had a bye week and each team played one game, but with greatly different results. While Sky Blue FC suffered the 1-0 defeat to FC Gold Pride, Chicago staked its claim as the best team in WPS with a breakout performance. The Red Stars posted a resounding 4-0 victory over the Boston Breakers in Bridgeview.

So with Chicago coming off its signature performance to date, Sky Blue FC will be looking to break out of its offensive slump.

"We went in there before and fought hard on a miserable weather day," Sawyers said. "We tactically didn't execute our game plan so well in that game, so hopefully we can do a little bit better job and expose some of the things that Chicago does in their offensive style and see if we can get at them a little bit. They're a very dominating team and they've got some great flank players so we have to be very careful."

The game will be the third in a run of five straight games at home for the Red Stars while Sky Blue FC will be playing its third in a string of five consecutive away games. Sky Blue FC returns to New Jersey on May 31st when it hosts Boston at 6 p.m. at Yurcak Field on the campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J.



Women's Professional Soccer Stories from May 8, 2009


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