LA Strikers win in road thriller, but fall narrowly at home last week vs. Bay Area Breeze

The LA Strikers had two games last week, one on the road against the Bay Area Breeze, and one at home just a few days later. They ultimately split the pair, starting out with a win in a goalfest, before taking a tough loss in the home match.

Last Tuesday, the Strikers made the long drive up to San Francisco to play Bay Area at Kezar Stadium, making the trip worth it with a 5-3 win. Kristy Moore started the scoring in the 34th minute, and Tanya Samarzich put in a goal of her own to give the visitors a 2-0 lead, before the Breeze's Brandi Vega pulled one back in the 50th minute. Vega tied the game just two minutes later, but Moore, looking for a brace of her own, nabbed the lead once again in the 53rd minute to put the Strikers up 3-2. Melissa Fernandez added an insurance goal for LA in the 65th minute, and although the Breeze got one more, in the 77th minute, an own goal in the Strikers' favor meant the ladies from LA got the full three points.

On Sunday, Bay Area returned the trip, and the favor, by beating the Strikers 1-0 at Occidental College. This was a nervy game until Leah Morales got the breakthrough for the visitors in the 68th minute. The game was nearly even statistically between the teams, but that goal made all the difference in the end.

The three points picked up last week means the Strikers remain in third place on nine points in the W-League Western Conference, and the gap has spread between them and the top two teams, Pali Blues (16 points) and Seattle Sounders women (17 points). They have work yet to do if they want to make the playoffs, but they remain in a decent position in the standings.

The Strikers' next game is this Sunday, at home against the Santa Clarita Blue Heat. Yes, there will be another game going on around that time, but if you want to check out live soccer and you don't want to get hassled by Galaxy fans, you can always check out quality women's soccer in Los Angeles with the Strikers! Head to their website for ticket information.

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