Breakers Suffer Another Blow vs. WNY

Photo credit: Chris Aduama/aduamaphotography.com

The Western New York Flash handed the Boston Breakers their tenth loss of the season, winning 2-1 at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester, N.Y. on Friday. US national team midfielder Carli Lloyd struck twice for the Flash to erase a goal scored by Boston’s Nkem Ezurike.

The result leaves Boston (3-10-1, 10 points) last in the NWSL standings, three points behind the next worse Houston Dash.

Though the Breakers managed to compete with the Flash for chances, they nearly fell behind to the hosts early in the game. Boston captain Cat Whitehill cleared a header by Samantha Kerr off the line in the fifth minute. Boston’s Heather O’Reilly and Jazmine Reeves responded with shots that went wide, leading to a scoreless first half.

But the second half was another story – for both sides.

Lloyd, with the captain’s armband affixed to her bicep, went into the penalty area just moments after second half kick-off and fired a shot knocked away by Boston goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. But Lloyd buried her next attempt, however, as she latched onto a freekick from Brittany Taylor and heading the ball past Naeher, giving her team the lead in the 59th minute.

Ezurike put Boston on level terms in the 71st minute as she took a feed from Maddy Evans and then chipped the ball past Flash goalkeeper Lydia Williams.

Lloyd and the Flash didn’t look set to give up valuable points at home. In the 75th minute, she fired a left-footed drive that narrowly missed the goal. Lloyd made good on her miss minutes later, combining with Vicky Losada for a one-two passing sequence and going in alone on Naeher before firing the ball into the top corner of the net.

The loss comes in the second of six road games for the Breakers, who have struggled to string together positive results all season. They have yet to earn back-to-back positive results this season.

Boston’s next game is on July 2 at the Washington Spirit.