Michael Janosz | isiphotos.com

Kelly Schmedes' first WPS goal gave the Breakers a 1-0 win over FC Gold Pride.

Boxscore (all statistics contained in this boxscore are unofficial)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (July 19, 2009) - Kelly Schmedes scored her first goal of the season to lead the Boston Breakers past FC Gold Pride, 1-0, in WPS action Sunday night at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

The win came despite the Breakers (7-6-3, 24 points) missing seven starters due to national team duty. The depleted lineup was able to record Boston’s second-straight shutout, and allows the Breakers to move back into second place in the standings. The team sits one point ahead of Saint Louis, and two ahead of Saturday’s opponent, Sky Blue FC, who were 1-0 winners earlier today over the Chicago Red Stars.

The Pride (3-9-3, 12 points), who themselves were missing four starters to national team duty, lost for the fourth-consecutive match and remain winless in their last eight. They are now 10 points behind Sky Blue FC for the fourth and final playoff spot with five matches remaining.

“We stress how important it is to go out there and get the first goal show some energy, excitement and desire to compete, and try to make things happen.” said FC Gold Pride Head Coach Albertin Montoya. “I think we lacked that in the first half. In the second half we started to create chances, hit the post twice and started getting in behind the defense, we were pressing them. As it happens so often we had one breakdown in the back.  We have to give Boston credit, they took advantage of that and put the ball in the back of the net.  At the end of the day, it was similar to some of the losses in the past whether we have our national team players or not, it’s that one breakdown.”

Schmedes' goal for the Breakers came in the 13th minute, beating the offsides trap from a pass by Mary-Frances Monroe before slotting the ball past Pride goalkeeper Allison Whitworth. The assist was Monroe’s first of the season.

The Breakers had the majority of play and chances in the first half, as Kristine Lilly and Fabiana were constantly dangerous in the attack. Boston held an 8-2 shot advantage in the first 45, including six shots on goal.

Things shifted in the second half as FC Gold Pride pressed for an equalizer. It nearly came in the 57th minute as Tina DiMartino hit the crossbar, followed by a shot from Formiga that hit the post. The Pride outshot Boston, 9-1, in the second half.

“I want to take responsibility for not being able to tie up this game,” said FC Gold Pride Tiffeny Milbrett. “It’s not easy when you have missing pieces. Unfortunately we're still a very young team and very fragile, we haven’t grown enough together. I think what we see right now, is we’re putting stuff together. But unfortunately luck is not with us sometimes, also were not creating our own luck.”

“I think we are a team that needs to just keep fighting to the very end.  Regardless, we need to button up our defense, button up our midfield, we need to score goals from our forwards, or even from our midfield; we just have to do everything,” added Milbrett.

Due to the amount of players missing the match, the Breakers had signed two players just for tonight’s match. Erika Sutton started and played the full 90 minutes in defense, while former Boston midfielder Stacy Bishop returned and played 34 minutes in the second half.

Boston returns to Harvard Stadium to host fourth-place Sky Blue FC on Saturday, July 25 at 7pm ET.  FC Gold Pride hosts the first-place Los Angeles Sol on Thursday, July 23 at 7pm PT.

Boxscore (all statistics contained in this boxscore are unofficial)