Festival of Goals
Game Review: Washington Freedom SC vs. Philadelphia Pirates July 27, 2005 Maryland SoccerPlex, Germantown, MD
- By Joseph Schoenbauer Thu Jul 28, 2005
The Washington Freedom Soccer Club showed no mercy towards the newly formed WPSL side Philadelphia Pirates Wednesday night, bursting into a 6-0 half-time lead on the back of a superb Jacqui Little hat trick and a most unlikely attacking figure in World Cup and Olympic champion Brandi Chastain, in a game that eventually finished 7-1.
In what turned out to be a great stoke of luck, a heavy thunderstorm rolled through the area hours before kickoff, clearing the scorching temperatures and leaving the field in slick but prime playing conditions.
The Freedom were quick to take advantage of the slick conditions. In the 14th minute, a bouncing ball skipped beyond the Philadelphia defense just past the half way line. Jacqui Little pounced on the opportunity, latching on to the ball and making a 50-yard run into the Pirates 18-yard box before cutting back to her right and firing an unstoppable shot into the top right hand corner of the goal. Moments later, the Freedom were back at it again, drawing a corner in the 16th minute. From the resulting corner, the ball was played in and headed on to the back post where Brandi Chastain smartly headed back into the middle for Jacqui Little to score her second goal in as many minutes. Her first-half hat trick was complete in the 23rd minute when a great first touch brought her into the box all alone. With just the keeper to beat, she calmly slotted it home.
Brandi Chastain, who graced the international stage for a remarkable 17 years as a left sided defender, was now playing up top with Jacqui Little after the Freedom switched to a 3-women back line, and looking forward to getting on the score sheet herself. It almost happened as soon as the 25th minute. Another turn and quick sprint down the right from Jacqui Little gave her time to look up and pick out the surging Chastain, only for her redirection to go agonizingly wide.
It was Chastain’s turn to play the provider again moments later when her nice through ball sent the impressive US U-21 International Joanna Lohman through on the left. The Pirates keeper was no match for Lohman’s shot, but the ball caromed back into play off the cross bar. However, in the 32nd minute, the two teammates made amends, combining for the fourth goal on the night when Chastain picked Lohman out perfectly with a cross to the far post from the right. Lohman headed the ball strongly down past the diving keeper.
The scoring fest was not over yet, though. In the 36th minute Betsy Barr, formerly of the San Jose CyberRays, saw her left footed shot from the top of the box sail past the Pirates keeper’s arms yet again.
Brandi Chastain finally got a goal of her own in the 41st minute. In what was perhaps the best goal on the night, the build up began deep in Freedom’s half. After a number of impressively quick one-touch passes from defenders Casey Zimny and Tiffany Roberts and center midfielder Kylie Bivens, the ball found itself on it’s way to Jacqui Little once again. But this time, she cleverly dummied the ball through her legs. The ball ran directly to Chastain, who with her pace drove in all alone towards the keeper. After carefully calculating her best options as she dribbled in from the left, Chastain quickly placed the ball into the left hand side of the back of the net, leaving the goalie no chance.
The second half began the same way the game began in terms of pressure and possession for the Freedom. But the pride of the Philadelphia Pirates began to show as their intensity picked up. There head coach, David Jones, who had a highly respectable playing career himself, featuring for Manchester United of England, Tenerife of Spain, and a number of teams in the Far East, among others, over his career, obviously knows a few things about the game of soccer, and gave his team a few instructions at half-time. The instructions and the pride paid off, as the Freedom was unable to continue their domination from the first half and the Pirates managed to break out for several counter-attacking opportunities of their own.
The deadlock of the second half remained until the 80th minute, when it was not the Freedom who scored again, but the Pirates. Taking advantage of the space afforded to them when they broke quickly up field, the Pirates played a long ball to the streaking Emily Krankowski. With a defender bearing down on her, she quickly made it to the top of the 18-yard box on the right hand side. Finding goalkeeper Mary Casey, who had subbed in for Nicci Wright at halftime, coming off her line, she lifted her shot over her and in off the cross bar.
The Freedom finished the game off in the 88th minute when the ever-dangerous Kim Francis, who had subbed on for Jacqui Little in the 60th minute, scored a fantastic goal. A long ball sent her sprinting in on goal with a defender at her heels. When she finally caught up to the ball still a good 30-yards out she blasted it first time into the top right corner of the net.
“Obviously you never want to be down 6-0 at halftime to any team,” was head coach of the Pirates David Jones first response to how happy he was with his teams second half performance. He went on, stating that the Washington Freedom is a great team and clearly to have an even score of 1-1 in the second half was a good sign, although he stated his desire to work on the problems with consistency and starting off too slow. However, having been able to work with his team for only the last eight weeks, Coach Jones was happy with the results so far this season, especially the way in which they came out and played in the second half.
Over on the other side after the game, Brandi Chastain was clearly happy in getting the opportunity to play the game she loves so much for the Washington Freedom. In town to cover the sidelines of the DC United – Chelsea friendly for her current job with ESPN2 and MLS as a sidelines analyst and interviewer, Brandi Chastain was able to play because she is good friends with Freedom player Joanna “Jo” Lohman, who mentioned that she would be in town to head coach Jim Gabarra. Obviously it took no convincing Coach Gabarra to let her play once the possibility arose. Asked how she felt about getting to be on the attacking side of things Chastain, in a slightly joking manner, was very truthful, “I made a few mistakes, but I haven’t played there in about 20 years!” Before the game she spoke to Jacqui Little and told her to cut her a little slack and to help her out a bit, too. Her performance on the night, which included a goal and two assists, was highly credible.
Unfortunately for Washington Freedom fans, whom all cheered wildly for Chastain throughout the game and looked intently for her autograph afterwards, she is not expected to play any more games this season. Commenting about her playing career and reflecting on her current situation with the US National team, Chastain quickly pointed out, “I would love to continue playing but sometimes that’s out of your control.”
Nevertheless, it was truly a treat for the fans to see Brandi Chastain set foot on the playing field again, along with the other stars of the Washington Freedom.
Side Notes: The Washington Freedom are hosting the inaugural “WFSC Celebrity Golf Tournament” this coming Monday August 1st. There will be a host of celebrities involved that include special guest Mia Hamm, Charles Mann, Desmond Armstrong, Nick Rimando, Anson Dorrance, Phil Chenier, Tony DiCicco, and Siri Mullinix. Although Brandi Chastain will not be able to attend the tournament because she will be in Columbus, working the MLS All-Star game, she did have advice for whom to put your money on, “If I was going to bet on anyone, I’d bet on Mia Hamm.” She insisted that this of course was not just because the two are really good friends, but also because anything Mia Hamm does, she does with the intention of being the best. That’s Mia Hamm for you.