In the first game today, the Orange County Waves won comfortably against the defending champion Boston Aztec Breakers Reserves, 3-0. The host Chicago Red Stars are currently playing the Tampa Bay Hellenic for the other spot in the final, which will be played tomorrow.
Chicago Red Stars 2, Tampa Bay Hellenic 1. Chicago scores two goals early in the second half, then hangs on for the win.
The Orange County Waves - keyed by WPS vet Brittany Klein - held on for a 2-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars in an exciting match. The Waves looked to have the game in hand with a 1-0 lead late in the second half, but the Red Stars scored with just a few minutes left to tie it up and send the game into overtime. But Orange County got a breakaway goal about 10 minutes in and were able to hold on for the remaining 20 to earn the 2011 WPSL Championship.
The Chicago Red Stars (11-2-0) and Orange County Waves (13-1-0) provided plenty of drama in the biggest game of the season though in the end, Tanya Taylor's 101st-minute goal proved to be the difference as the Waves won 2-1 in overtime to earn the 2011 Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) National Championship on Sunday at the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex. The Waves appeared to have the title wrapped up in regulation with a 1-0 lead, though Red Stars midfielder Julie Ewing scored a dramatic game-tying goal in the 88th minute to send the match into two 15-minute overtime sessions. Michele Weissenhofer had the setup with a flip throw-in from the right side. The ball juggled around in the middle of the box and Ewing converged to tie the match at 1-1. Orange County Waves head coach Abner Rogers said after the game: "I felt overall the game could have gone either way. Like any big game, you're going to have to dodge some bullets, and we certainly got our breaks today."