England international Eniola Aluko's goal for the Saint Louis Athletica in its 1-0 win at Boston on Sunday was the only goal in three games, reducing the league's goal-per-game average to 2.09.
Athletica took the lead in the 43rd minute when Kendall Fletcher set up Aluko for her third goal of the season.
"Absolutely brilliant ball from Kendall Fletcher," said Aluko. "She put me right in to the channel and I just knew I had to finish. Thankfully it went through the goalkeeper's legs and we got the win away from home. Now its onwards and upwards."
The win catapulted Saint Louis into second place, 11 points behind first-place Los Angeles, which was held to a 0-0 tie at last-place Sky Blue FC in a match marred by muddy playing conditions.
Sol goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc picked up her eighth shutout in 12 games, getting help from her left post on Natasha Kai's shot in the 15th minute.
In Chicago's 0-0 tie at Washington, Red Star Karen Carney was ejected in the 60th minute after a hard foul on Washington captain Abby Wambach.
Results:
June 13 in Washington, D.C
Washington 0 Chicago 0.
Washington - McLeod, Sauerbrunn, Whitehill, Bompastor, Krieger (Gilbeau, 72), Lindsey (DeDycker, 85), Sawa, De Vanna, Long, Moros, Wambach.
Chicago - Jonsson, Dalmy, Spilger, Oakes, Ostberg, Carney, Klein (Adams, 71), Igwe, Rapinoe (Vandenbergh, 81), Tarpley (Lloyd, 34), Cristiane.
Yellow Cards: Washington - Wambach 82, Bompastor 84; Chicago - Klein 37, Rapinoe 45+.
Red Card: Chicago - Carney 60.
Referee: Juan Carlos Rivero.
Att.: 5,049.
June 13 in Piscataway, N.J.
Sky Blue FC 0 Los Angeles 0.
Sky Blue FC - Branam, Dowling, Asante, Rampone, Schnur, O'Reilly, Averbuch, Rosana (McCallum, 60), Parker, Kai, White.
Los Angeles - LeBlanc, Sanchez, Falk, Franko, Cox, Abily, Boxx, Wagner, Miyama, Bock, Marta.
Yellow Cards: Sky Blue FC - Kai 51; Los Angeles - Bock 83.
Referee: Daniel Radford.
Att.: 4,138.
June 14 in Cambridge, Mass.
Boston 0 St. Louis 1. Goal: Aluko (Fletcher) 43.
Boston - Luckenbill, Scott, Chapman, LePeilbet, Mitts, Schmedes, Hucles, Lilly, Smith (Moore, 71), Rodriguez, Nobis (Tomecka, 67).
St. Louis - Solo, Logterman, McNeill, Ellertson, Weber, Cinalli, Woznuk, Chalupny (Larson, 75), Fletcher, Aluko, Welsh (Pistorius, 89).
Yellow Cards: Boston - Smith 28, Nobis 35.
Referee: Daniel Fitzgerald.
Att.: 4,502.
Standings:
TEAM W L T GF GA P
Los Angeles 7 1 4 15 4 25
St. Louis 4 3 2 8 8 14
Washington 3 3 4 16 18 13
Boston 3 4 2 10 12 11
Chicago 2 3 5 8 8 11
FC Gold Pride 3 5 2 10 14 11
Sky Blue FC 2 5 3 6 9 9
Leading Scorers:
PLAYER (TEAM) G
Abily (Los Angeles) 6
Kelly Smith (Boston) 5
Marta (Los Angeles) 4
Sinclair (FC Gold Pride) 4
De Vanna (Washington) 3
Aluko (St. Louis) 3
No comments yet.
