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It was a tale of two halves between two playoff hopefuls at Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md., but the home Washington Freedom were able to get the better of things, holding off the Chicago Red Stars, 2-0 on Thursday night.

Washington (6-8-7, 25 points) moved into sole possession of fourth with the win, notching its fourth straight games without a loss; Chicago (5-10-6, 21 points), however, remains on the outside looking in, sitting sixth with just three games remaining.

The Red Stars got the edge early, controlling play in the first half, but Washington didn’t concede a goal, thanks to clutch goalkeeping from Ashlyn Harris. In the second half, the Freedom came out fast and put home a pair of goals—courtesy of Abby Wambach and Cat Whitehill—to win the match.

Washington next takes the pitch a week from Saturday, home against Sky Blue FC; Chicago returns home for its next tilt on Sunday against WPS leaders FC Gold Pride.

First Half

Chicago Red Stars got the first chance of the match in the 17th minute when Nikki Washington sent a cross to Ella Masar. Masar’s shot was blocked by Cat Whitehill but went out to the top of the box. It made its way to Casey Nogueira, who unloaded a shot that just missed the upper 90 high.

In the 25th minute, the Red Stars got the first shot on goal. Masar laid the ball off to Cristiane at the top of the box and the Brazilian hit a low strike for the lower 90, but Harris made a diving stop to keep it scoreless.

Megan Rapinoe turned defense quickly into offense in the 33rd minute. First, she dispossessed the Freedom in the midfield and took it to the 18 before taking a shot that Harris had to push over the touch line on the dive.

Harris was on her toes and made another clutch save on the Red Stars’ attack. In stoppage time of the first half, Cristiane was behind the defense and fed Masar by the penalty spot. Harris, however raced off the line and gobbled up Masar’s flick on net.

Just moments later, Marian Dalmy sent in a low cross for the Red Stars, but again, Harris hit the turf and punched away the ball before the Freedom cleared it away from danger.

Second Half

As great as Chicago played in the first half, they couldn’t hold onto that momentum entering the second half.

Just four minutes into the second 45, Abby Wambach took a shot that squeezed inside the post, but just beyond the reach of Jillian Loyden for a 1-0 lead in the 49th minute.

And then eight minutes after the Wambach goal, DC put the game away with a Whitehill goal in the 57th minute.

Washington, a superior set-piece club, scored off a corner. Sarah Huffman sent in the corner that Whitehill headed off the bar and in.

With the field tilted in Washington’s favor, the Red Stars Whitney Engen nearly knocked in the ball into her own net. The DC cross went just wide of the bar in the 78th minute, keeping it at 2-nil.

In the final 15, however, outside of the near-own goal, there was little happening on either side; Washington left the pitch with the 2-0 win.

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PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil (AP)—Internacional may be without three key starters in
the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final because of injuries.

Striker Alecsandro and midfielders Tinga and Pablo Guinazu missed practice
Monday and may not play at Beira-Rio stadium on Wednesday.

Internacional won the first leg 2-1 in Mexico and needs a draw to clinch its
second title in Latin America’s most important club competition.

Alecsandro and Tinga are nursing right thigh injuries, while Guinazu is
trying to recover from a left ankle injury.

“We can’t make any predictions,” Internacional doctor Guilherme Caputo
said, adding the players will have to keep being evaluated until matchday.

Tinga, who missed the first leg because of a red card in the semifinals,
injured his right thigh in the team’s 3-0 loss to Fluminense in the Brazilian
league on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro. He was only one of the few regular starters
not rested for the second leg.

Alecsandro also is nursing a right thigh muscle injury from the first leg,
while Argentine midfielder Guinazu twisted his left ankle and hasn’t been able
to practice since last week.

Caputo said all three players have been improving and are likely to practice
at least a little bit on Tuesday.

Midfielder Sandro also missed Monday training session because of muscle pain
but doctors said he is expected to play.

Internacional is trying to win its first Copa Libertadores title since 2006,
when it also won FIFA’s Club World Championship in a final against Barcelona.

Chivas is trying to become the first Mexican club to win the title.

* Late sending off fails to halt Inter’s progress

* Brazilians on course for second win since 2006

(adds quote)

By Pedro Fonseca

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 5 (Reuters) – Internacional remained on
course for a second Libertadores Cup success in five seasons
when they overcame a late sending off to edge out fellow
Brazilians Sao Paulo on the away goals rule in their semi-final
on Thursday.

Inter, winners in 2006 when they beat three-times South
American champions Sao Paulo in the final, lost 2-1 at the
Morumbi in Brazil’s biggest city but went through having won
the first leg 1-0 in Porto Alegre last week.

They meet Guadalajara’s in the two-leg final on Aug. 11 and
18 after the Mexican side beat Universidad de Chile 3-1 on
aggregate earlier in the week. Inter will host the second leg.

“We’re satisfied to be in the Libertadores final, obviously
very satisfied, but I feel a bit flat after this defeat. I
think Internacional did not deserve to lose today,” said coach
Celso Roth, who took charge after Uruguayan Jorge Fossati was
sacked despite having steered them into the semi-finals.

Inter had midfielder Tinga sent off 10 minutes from time
for a second bookable offence but Sao Paulo failed to score a
third goal despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession.

Alex Silva headed Sao Paulo into a 1-0 halftime lead after
a blunder by keeper Renan, who dropped an easy high ball.

Striker Alecsandro flicked in playmaker Andres
d’Alessandro’s free kick in the 51st minute to equalise but
Ricardo Oliveira restored the home side’s lead less than two
minutes later when he beat the offside trap and shot from the
right.

Inter have already guaranteed a Club World Cup appearance
in Abu Dhabi in December even if they were to lose the final
since Mexican teams, from the CONCACAF region, are guests in
the South American Confederation’s (CSF) flagship event.

In 2006, Inter were crowned world club champions when they
beat Barcelona, winners last year, in the final in Japan.
(Writing by Rex Gowar in Buenos Aires; Editing by John
O’Brien; To comment on this story email
sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)