Smith, who could rival Los Angeles star Marta for being the most dangerous striker in WPS, scored one goal and set up Kristine Lilly another to lead the Breakers to a 2-0 win over St. Louis in their home opener.
Smith also scored in the Breakers' opener at FC Gold Pride and hit the crossbar in stoppage time.
The loss was the second shutout loss for Athletica, which finds itself in the cellar.
On Smith's goal, Kelly Schmedes took a pass from Amy Rodriguez and one-touched a ball through two St. Louis defenders to Smith, who calmly placed the ball by goalkeeper Hope Solo.
With three minutes left in the game, Lilly ran on to Smith's cross and scored with a right-footed shot to the far upper corner.
"Obviously it's a big win," said Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco. "Nobody wants to go into a third game without any points "Everybody was a little disappointed, not with our effort, but with our level of play last week."
The game drew 4,804 in the rain at Harvard Stadium.
SKY BLUE FC-FC GOLD PRIDE. Carrie Dew was a defender at Notre Dane, but she has emerged as one of the top first-year players out of college -- as a midfielder. Her goal helped the Pride earn a 1-1 tie in New Jersey.
"I don't know if we'll see it a lot." Pride coach Albertin Montoya said of Dew's goal. "But I know she [Dew] can score on set plays. She is excellent out of the air and has an excellent shot. She took a touch and hit the ball well and drove it into the back of the net."
Heather O'Reilly's goal broke Sky Blue's scoreless streak of 176 minutes.
The crowd of 2,735 at TD Bank Ballpark was less than half the crowd on opening day. Rain ended shortly before the start of the game.
WASHINGTON-CHICAGO. Red Stars goalkeeper Caroline Jonsson once again established herself as the top goalie in WPS, holding off a Freedom onslaught to earn short-handed Chicago a 1-1 tie in the Freedom home opener.
The Freedom dominated play, outshooting the Red Stars, 26-8, but it couldn't score until defender Becky Sauerbrunn's goal in the 54th minute off a cross from midfielder Sonia Bompastor.
Jonsson, who has played in two World Cups and two Olympics for Sweden, stopped 13 shots -- eight in the second half.
The game featured the first WPS red card -- to Chicago captain Frida Ostberg for second yellow card after throwing herself into the path of Lisa De Vanna.
The game drew a record crowd of 5,028 at the Maryland SoccerPlex.
Results:
April 11 in Cambridge, Mass.
Boston 2 St. Louis 0. Goals: Smith (Schmedes) 53, Lilly (Smith) 87.
Boston - Luckenbill, S.Weber, Mitts, Scott, LePeilbet, Moore (Bishop, 76), Hucles, Lilly, Smith, Schmedes (Latham, 80), Rodriguez.
St. Louis - Solo, Larsson, McNeill, Ellertson, Stoia (E. Weber, 74), Daniela (Francielle, 55), Chalupny, Woznuk, Tancredi, Aluko (Gray, 45), Hanks.
Yellow Cards: Boston - Moore 57, Scott 79, Bishop 90; St. Louis - Tancredi 67.
Referee: Sandra Serafini.
Att.: 4,804.
April 11 in Germantown, Md.
Washington 1 Chicago 1. Goals: Sauerbrunn (Bompastor) 54; Tarpley (Dalmy) 29.
Washington - Scurry, Singer, Whitehill, Sauerbrunn, Long, Janss (Gilbeau, 58), Sawa, Lindsey (Moros, 68), Bonpastor, Wambach, De Vanna (Zimmeck, 84).
Chicago - Jonsson, Dalmy, Krzysik, Dieke, Ostberg (Ejected 63), Klein, Lloyd, Tarpley (Spilger, 82), Carney, Rapinoe (Cristiane, 58), Masar (Igwe, 65).
Yellow Card: Chicago - Ostberg 54.
Red Card: Chicago - Ostberg 63.
Referee: Margaret Domka.
Att.: 5,028.
April 11 in Bridgewater, N.J.
Sky Blue FC 1 FC Gold Pride 1. Goals: O'Reilly (Walsh) 76; Dew (Weimer) 33.
Sky Blue FC - Bardsley, Asante, Schnur, Dowling, Sitch, Buczkowski, Parker, O'Reilly, McCallum (Averbuch, 66), Kai, Walsh (White, 88).
FC Gold Pride - Barnhart, Buehler, Robinson, Graczyk (Wilson, 82), Dew, DiMartino (Chastain, 72), Osborne, Formiga, Weimer (Milbrett, 75), Sinclair, Arakawa.
Yellow Card: Sky Blue FC -Bardsley 37.
Referee: Kari Seitz.
Att.: 2,753.
Standings:
TEAM W L T GF GA P
Los Angeles 2 0 0 4 0 6
FC Gold Pride 1 0 1 3 2 4
Chicago 1 0 1 2 1 4
Boston 1 1 0 3 2 3
Sky Blue FC 0 1 1 1 3 1
Washington 0 1 1 1 3 1
St. Louis 0 2 0 0 3 0
Schedule:
Saturday, April 18
Washington vs. Boston Breakers, 7pm ET
Sunday, April 19
Los Angeles vs. FC Gold Pride, 4 pm ET
Chicago vs. Sky Blue FC, 6 pm ET (Fox Soccer Channel)
No comments yet.
