Pride strike gold in inaugural match

By Cecile Nguyen

FC Gold Pride couldn't have asked for a better ending as they defeated the visiting Boston Breakers 2-1 at Buck Shaw Stadium Sunday afternoon.

A crowd of 6,459 fans, most of them girls who looked as if they play youth soccer, and their booming thunder sticks greeted U.S. women's soccer legend and Santa Clara alumna Brandi Chastain as she subbed into the game in the 65th minute of the match for co-captain and fellow Santa Clara alumna Leslie Osborne.

"I didn't hear anything except the beating of my heart, the excitement was overflowing," said Chastain. "I was like a rookie out there, I was so excited."

The San Jose, Calif., native made her return to Buck Shaw on Sunday, where she helped Santa Clara earn two NCAA semifinal appearances. Chastain finished her Bronco career with 32 goals, 8 assists and 72 points.

"I gave a talk to the team before the game, as the oldest player. I told them about the importance of this game and how we're going to make a huge impact on the community both locally and across the country," Chastain said. "'»¿We showed it by coming back to win it."

Gold Pride head coach Albertin Montoya subbed in Chastain and Tiffeny Milbrett late in the game after he felt that his team's legs were getting tired, and because of their experience, he said.

The decision paid off, as Chastain had a quality shot that was barely foiled by the Breakers' keeper a minute into her Women's Professional Soccer debut.

Milbrett scored the game-winner off a rebound in the 90th minute to give the Gold Pride their first franchise win in their inaugural game.

She took the opportunity to score after a shot from Kandace Wilson deflected off Boston's keeper and rolled to Milbrett's foot.

"I'll take a goal every game, or even two or three," said Milbrett, who has scored 100 goals for the U.S. National Team. "But just even to be out there and get the pro league off on the right foot was a great feeling."

Striker Eriko Arakawa scored the game's opening goal and the Pride's first franchise goal with a header on a cross from Tiffany Weimer 15 minutes into the game.

'»¿"Eriko just got that 'fro on the ball," Weimer said of her teammate's afro. "I don't know how she did it."

The Breakers tied the game at 1-1 on Kelly Smith's goal in the 79th minute of the match.

"Smith is just a great player. They chipped it in behind us, and it was a bullet of a shot," said goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart, who won a gold medal with the U.S. National Team in Beijing.

Smith has 76 caps and 33 goals for the English National Team.

'»¿"When you're playing Kelly Smith, she's magical," Chastain said.'»¿

Barnhart faced a fury of shots from Boston late in the game after the Gold Pride went up 2-1.

"'»¿It got a little hectic toward the end, but our defense held strong. We weathered the storm," Barnhart said. "'»¿I love being back there. Any save I can make, it helps keep us in it."

FC Gold Pride will play a 20-game schedule in their inaugural season, including nine more games at Buck Shaw.

Their next game is against Sky Blue FC in Somerset, N.J., on Sunday, April 11.

Contact Cecile Nguyen at (408) 551-1918 or cnguyen5@scu.edu.