Turning on the TV to watch this match at Villanova University, I was appaled as there is nothing more in soccer I hate than the greatest game in the world being played on artifical turf. I wish the WUSA would ban artificial turf fields. The narrowness of the field only exacerbated several of the problems incumbant in artifical turf fields. That, and Sun Wen still recovering from injury, I knew it wouldn't be good for her to play.
It didn't take long for the Beat to strike. Cindy Parlow, probably still kicking herself for missed opprtunities in the last match made no mistake in her first opportuity up in the "City of Brotherly Love". She made a beautiful stike into the net that the Philly keeper had no chance to get. This only in the second minute.
The Beat really didn't give the Charge a chance in the first half, keeping the pressure on the Charge defense for most of the first 45 minutes. The Beat also proved the addage that good things happen when you pressure the opposition goal. This happened in the fortieth minute. Dayna Smith made a beautiful ball off a free kick from about 40 yards out into the box that found Marci Miller's head. Miller redirected the ball off of the post. The ball would not have found its way into the goal had it not bounced off of the back of Saskia Webber's (the Charge keeper) hand and dribbled back into the goal. This was all the Beat needed as they held the Charge at bay for the rest of the match.
The defense did the job again. Dayna Smith is really starting to stand out in the Beat defense. She played sweeper in this match and snuffed out just about any threat that made its way in our defensive end. Sharolta Nonen, the Canadian international, is also playing very tough in the defense. Brianna Scurry, the keeper, erases the few mistakes made by this defense. In five matches, they have only given up one goal (and that one being a very controversial one). The offense is starting to heat up. Although Sun Wen only played a couple of minutes during added time at the end of the match, the offense is generating more opportunities with every match. Emily Burt was wrecking havoc in the Charge defensive line for much of the match, making it very difficult for them to even set up in the midfield.
As a Beat fan, I am more encouraged than ever as to the potential of this team. The offense is beginning to click, the defense is rock solid, and for the first time this season, the Beat are tied for first place. The team has the back end of a difficult road trip on Sunday. However, if the defense continues to hold, the Beat should be able to grab at least one point if not all three.