The Atlanta Beat opened its brand new Kennesaw State University Soccer Stadium in front of 7,428 fans on a historic evening for Women's Professional Soccer, but fell to Sky Blue FC 1-0 Sunday. Atlanta learned why soccer can be a cruel game after dominating much of the match but failing to score - at least in the correct goal.
A 50th minute owl goal from Atlanta defender Leigh Ann Robinson was the difference in this match, giving 2009 WPS Champion Sky Blue FC its third win of the season.
Sky Blue FC goalkeeper Karen Bardsley was the hero on the day as she had 13 saves to preserve her third shutout of the year.
The match started out at a pretty fast pace with both teams looking to put their stamps on the match early on. Atlanta enjoyed much of the better play early on but failed to produce many truly threatening chances.
Ramona Bachmann had a chance in the 13th minute when she found her way in behind the Sky Blue FC defense, but she rushed her left-footed strike and sent it over the crossbar. Two minutes later, Monica Ocampo sent an empty net shot onto the top of the net after avoiding a diving Bardsley on the endline.
Bardsley was called into action in the 16th minute when Mami Yamaguchi sent a hard strike toward Bardsley's right, but the Sky Blue FC goalkeeper was able to make the save without giving up a rebound. Atlanta would continue to build pressure but fail to finish and Sky Blue FC would get some chances of its own.
Heather O'Reilly had the best chance for the visitors in the 28th minute when the ball fell to her at the back post, but she was unable to collect it cleanly and Atlanta goalkeeper Brett Maron closed ground on O'Reilly to save the shot from inside the six yard box.
Atlanta's star forward Bachmann, dangerous throughout the match, had the best chance of the half when she found herself in behind the Sky Blue FC defense in the 38th minute, but she pushed her left-footed shot just wide of the net.
The match went into halftime scoreless, but Beat midfielder McCall Zerboni looked like she would put the home side ahead in the 49th minute when she sent a screaming shot toward the upper 90, but Bardsley laid out to tip it wide.
Just one minute later, it was Sky Blue FC that would take the lead against the run of play. O'Reilly served a searching cross into the box that bounced and caused mis-communication in the Atlanta goal mouth. Unaware of her goalkeeper's positioning, Robinson headed the ball backwards and it gently floated into the back of Sky Blue FC's net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Bachmann would have another breakaway for Atlanta in the 62nd minute, but Bardsley made herself big and came out of her net to tip the ball just wide of frame. Bachmann, the 19-year-old Swiss forward, continued to threaten the Sky Blue FC goal throughout the second half and Atlanta did everything but finish in a game that it dominated. The final pass selection and shot selection of the Beat was not there on the day, and Bardsley continued to deny all Atlanta efforts right through second half stoppage time to help her team hold onto the 1-0 victory.
Atlanta can claim success off the field though, with a crowd of 7,428 showing up to KSU Soccer Stadium's inaugural game in the league's first soccer-specific stadium. The Beat (0-4-1, 1 pt.) returns home to its dazzling new facility next Sunday against the Washington Freedom looking for its first win of the season, while Sky Blue FC (3-2-0, 9 pts) next travels to take on Saint Louis Athletica.
Check out the rest of the weekend's WPS results at The Equalizer.
Comments
David's an ass, but shouldn't it read own goal, not owl goal? Just asking.
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