July 28, 2010 WPS ROUNDUP Beat win 3rd straight, Philly blanks Chicago
Monica Ocampo (left) scored twice to give Atlanta a 3-2 comeback win over Washington on Wednesday. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
PHILADELPHIA INDEPENDENCE 3, CHICAGO RED STARS 0
WEST CHESTER, Pa---Amy Rodriguez had two goals and assisted on one by Caroline Seger to give the Philadelphia Independence in a 3-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars at Farrell Stadium Wednesday night.
Rodriguez, who has scored nine goals in the last six games, started the barrage early, finishing off a ball from Lori Lindsey into the lower right corner of the net in the 12th minute. Lindsey got hold of a bad clearance and sent the ball ahead to Rodriguez, whose shot deflected off a Red Stars defender and past goalkeeper Jillian Loyden.
Rodriguez added her second in the 28th, driving a left footed shot to the upper right side of the net. Nikki Kryzsik set the stage with a long ball over the top. Rodriguez beat two defenders before chipping the ball over Loyden.
Rodriguez now has 11 goals, two behind WPS scoring leader Marta (Bay Area).
Rodriguez, who had two goals against Sky Blue FC set up by Seger last Saturday, returned the favor Wednesday night, as the Swede scored her first goal of the season in the 56th minute. Rodriguez curled a ball inside the box to the unmarked Seger, who put it past Loyden.
Chicago falls to 4-8-5 (17 points) and Philadelphia improves to 8-5-3 (27 points). Independence goalkeeper Val Henderson needed only one save to earn the clean sheet, her third of the season. Loyden stopped two for Chicago.
ATLANTA BEAT 3, WASHINGTON FREEDOM 2
KENNESAW, Ga--- Monica Ocampo scored two goals and Johanna Rasmussen added another as the Atlanta Beat won their third straight game, defeating the Washington Freedom 3-2 at KSU Soccer Stadium. Nikki Marshall and Sarah Huffmann scored for Washington (4-7-5).
Rasmussen scored in the 20th minute, cutting into the box from the left side to shoot a bending ball into the top right corner. Washington forward Nikki Marshall scored the first-half equalizer in the 41st minute.
The Freedom took a 2-1 lead in the 64th minute, when Abby Wambach received the ball near the right edge of the 18 yard box and served a low, driven ball across the six to the unmarked Huffmann, who had just entered the game.
Ocampo evened the match in the 67th minute off a pass from McCall Zerboni before scoring the game-winner in the 88th minute on a through ball from Aya Miyama.
Atlanta goalkeeper Hope Solo made five saves, including one on a penalty kick by Sonia Bompastor in the 44th minute, tipping the ball over the bar. The Freedom’s Ashlyn Harris made three saves.
The Beat (16 points) are now a single point behind the Chicago Red Stars (17 points) and the Washington Freedom (17 points) in the WPS standings.
