SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (Aug. 9, 2009) – Under warm and sunny conditions at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, the inaugural regular season of Women’s Professional Soccer came to a close on Sunday with a 1-1 draw between FC Gold Pride and Saint Louis Athletica. But it was two exciting games earlier on the weekend that determined the final WPS Playoff berths in WPS Week 20.With a 3-1 victory by the Washington Freedom over Sky Blue FC on Saturday evening, the Freedom clinched third place in the WPS Standings and will again host Sky Blue FC in a rematch at the Maryland SoccerPlex on Saturday, Aug. 15 at 4pm ET/1pm PT. On Sunday afternoon, the New Jersey-based Sky Blue FC clinched the fourth and final spot in the WPS Playoffs when the Boston Breakers lost at home in a nail-biter to the Los Angeles Sol, 2-1. With the score tied 1-1 and Boston pushing everyone up late in the game for a score – and a potential playoff berth – the Sol sealed Boston’s fate when Shannon Boxx converted a stoppage-time PK. The loss eliminated any playoff hopes for the Breakers, who needed a victory over the Sol to edge Sky Blue FC for the final WPS Playoff berth.
Two teams, Saint Louis Athletica and Los Angeles Sol, already secured their playoff destiny prior to Week 20. The Athletica host the winner of the WPS First Round between Washington and Sky Blue FC in the WPS Super Semifinal on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 7pm ET/6 CT at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo.
As regular season champions, the Los Angeles Sol await the winner of the WPS Super Semifinal in the WPS Championship presented by MedImmune on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 4pm ET/1pm PT at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
