Let's face it -- there's no team even close to as talented as FC Gold Pride. The Hayward, Calif., based club has steamrolled through the competition all year long to the tune of a 10-3-1 record heading into its Wednesday night match-up with the Boston Breakers.The match-up with the Breakers was unique because both clubs were riding three-game win streaks, so it gave the Pride an opportunity to show the rest of Women's Professional Soccer that they are, indeed, that good.
They're so good they even spotted Boston a goal -- a Jordan Angeli strike in the 30th minute, her third in as many games.
Once Boston had the lead, then the Gold Pride went to work. Six minutes after the Angeli goal, Christine Sinclair put one past Alyssa Naeher to tie the game at 1-apiece. And nine minutes after the Sinclair strike, Marta got her 11th goal of the season -- a new WPS single-season record (yes, in the league's second season) -- to give the first-place Pride a 2-1 lead which they took into the half.
Boston came out and put the pressure on to get the equalizer, but Pride keeper Nicole Barnhart made a few spectacular saves, ensuring victory, and sending the 3,054 fans at Harvard Stadium in Allston, Mass., home upset.
Gold Pride upped its record to 11-3-1 on the year with the one-goal win, giving them a total of 34 points on the season, spreading their lead over second place to 13 points. Boston (4-6-4, 16 points) is at the bottom of a logjam from the second to sixth spot in the standings. From second-place Philadelphia (21 points) to Boston in sixth, there is just a five-point gap. Sky Blue FC (18), Washington (17) and Chicago (17) all sit in the middle.
Gold Pride has a chance to help four of those clubs when they head to Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md., on Saturday night for a tilt with the Washington Freedom. Boston and Chicago take on each other this Sunday at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill.