WPS: Red Stars earn first rally win in club history

At this point in the season, one win can shift the standings in Women's Professional Soccer play, except for first place. The Los Angeles Sol (11-1-4, 37 points) continued their domination with a 1-0 win on Sunday. The Sol clinched the first-ever WPS playoff spot last week.

St. Louis Athletica (6-5-2, 20 points) earned a win on Sunday, which moved them into second place. The Boston Breakers (5-5-3, 18 points) dropped to third. The Washington Freedom (4-6-4, 16 points) are now in fourth. Sky Blue FC (4-6-3, 15 points) and the Chicago Red Stars (3-6-5, 14 poitns) earned wins, moving both clubs out of the bottom of the table. FC Gold Pride (3-7-3, 12 points) sits alone at the bottom.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Red Stars made history Wednesday night. Second-half goals by Cristiane and Lindsay Tarpley led Chicago to a 2-1 win and the first-ever come-from-behind win for any WPS team.

The Washington Freedom's Abby Wambach got on the board first, burying a Lisa De Vanna assist in the 34th minute for a 1-0 lead.

Second half the Red Stars took control. In the 48th minute Lindsay Tarpley sent a shot toward goal. Freedom goalkeeper Erin McLeod deflected the ball into play. Chicago striker Cristiane was there. Standing with her back to the net, Cristiane kicked it backwards and straight into the net, tying the match at 1-1.

In the 61st minute, Megan Rapinoe sent the ball to Tarpley, who spun around her defender and found some space. Tarpley rocketed the shot into the net for a 2-1 lead, and eventual win. Chicago snapped its nine-game unbeaten streak and scored for the first time in 451 minutes.

"What we did differently this week, as you know, we put the ball in the back of the net," Red Stars Coach Emma Hayes said. "The law of averages suggests that the amount of chances we have, we have to bloody put the ball in the back of the net.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Heather O'Reilly tallied in just the sixth minute to give Sky Blue FC a 1-0 win over the Boston Breakers.

O'Reilly bent a corner kick into the box in the sixth minute, headed right toward goal. Boston goalkeeper Alli Lipsher grabbed for the save, but the ball went into the net for a 1-0 lead, and O'Reilly's second tally of the season.

The goal also marked the first one Boston had given up in 261 minutes, since a June 17 match with FC Gold Pride.

"Obviously it was a little bit of a lucky goal for us, but at the same time I think that we created enough chances that we deserved a goal today," Sky Blue head coach Kelly Lindsey said. "It's not necessarily the way we mapped it out in practice, but we'll gladly take it."

In the 20th minute, Boston nearly evened the score when Christine Latham headed the ball just wide of the right post. Boston threatened again in the 73rd minute. Kelly Smith sent the ball to Amy Rodriguez in the box. Rodriguez shot the ball toward goal. Sky Blue goalkeeper Jenni Branam blocked it for the save. Smith attempted a shot moments later, but it sailed past the right post.

With the win sky Blue snapped Boston's three-game unbeaten streak and picked up its second win in three games.

BOYDS, Md. -- Marta tallied a stoppage-time goal to lead the the Sol to a 1-0 win over the Freedom.

Washington had its best chances of the match early in the first half. Abby Wambach blasted a shot toward goal. Sol goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc dove to make the save. Cat Whitehill sent a freekick toward goal in the 25th minute. It deflected off the right goal post.

But Los Angeles got all it needed in extra time. In the 91st minute, Aya Miyama passed the ball to Marta, who drilled a left-footed shot home for the club's fourth consecutive win.

"Though it was one of only a few chances I had, it came at the right time to be able to win the game," Marta said.

The Sol are now unbeaten in 11 matches. A win on Wednesday against St. Louis Athletica will ensure the Sol clinch WPS' Regular Season Champions. With that title, Los Angeles will host the Championship Aug. 22.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Lori Chalupny tallied her second goal of the season to lead St. Louis Athletica to a 1-0 win over FC Gold Pride.

Athletica's Enila Aluko almost got Athletica on the board in the 11th minute, when she sent a shot toward goal. FC Gold Pride goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart easily stopped the attempt. Five minutes later, St. Louis' Melissa Tancredi headed a shot over the crossbar.

FC Gold Pride nearly tallied in the 69th minute. Tina DiMartino and Leslie Osborne sent quality chances at goal. Athletica goalkeeper Hope Solo made both saves to keep her net clean.

But In the 73rd minute, it was St. Louis who found the net. Chalupny struck a straight shot into the upper far corner for a 1-0 Athleitca lead.

St. Louis head coach Jorge Barcellos summed up the match very simply. "Three big points," Barcellos said. "Three very important points."