Amy Rodriguez

Will forward Amy Rodriguez, recently returned from the U.S. Women's World Cup team, play for the Independence against host Sky Blue on Saturday? We won't know until the Women's Professional Soccer game, scheduled for 7 p.m., starts. "After the last Indy game, [coach Paul Riley] said that World Cup players will have to work their way back into the lineup," said Rodriguez, who registered the most playing time of the three Independence players on the national team roster. The Indy's last game, a 1-0 win over the host Atlanta Beat, extended the team's winning streak to six. They lead the league with an 8-2 record.

Third in a series of previews for the Women's World Cup. Coming off a stellar performance in helping the U.S. Olympic women's soccer team win the goal medal in 2008, Amy Rodriguez suddenly saw her confidence and goal-scoring ability wane as she began her professional career. Selected No. 1 overall in the Women's Professional Soccer draft in 2009 by the Boston Breakers, Rodriguez, by her own admission, had a miserable debut season. She was traded shortly after the season to the Independence.

Soccer's A-Rod remains on a-roll. Independence forward Amy Rodriguez scored two goals and added an assist in Wednesday's 3-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars at West Chester University. Rodriguez has scored in six consecutive Women's Professional Soccer games, totaling nine goals in that span. Overall, Rodriguez has 11 goals. That doesn't count the goal she scored for the United States national team in a friendly against Sweden on July 13. "It's been the same story lately, but I'll take it as long as we keep winning," Rodriguez said.

Amy Rodriguez scored twice to help lead the Independence to a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Red Stars in a Women's Professional Soccer league game at West Chester University's John A. Farrell Stadium last night. The Independence (8-5-3) also got a goal from Caroline Seger. The Red Stars, coached by former Kixx player and coach Omid Namazi, dropped to 4-8-5.

Midfielder Joanna Lohman scored her first career goal, and the Independence made it stand up for a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Red Stars, at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill., on Saturday. Lohman tallied in the sixth minute off an Amy Rodriguez pass in the center of the box. Chicago had several chances to tie the game late. Formiga collected a rebound in the 76th minute but sent her shot over the crossbar. Karen Carney sent in a low shot that was saved by Independence keeper Karina LeBlanc in the 79th minute, while Ella Masar's header in stoppage time went wide right to seal the Red Stars' fate.

The U.S. women's national team will play the second in a pair of matches against longtime rival China at PPL Park in October. The match, scheduled for Oct. 6 (ESPN2), will serve as a final friendly before the women enter CONCACAF qualifying for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. The Independence's Heather Mitts and Amy Rodriguez are expected to join U.S. coach Pia Sundhage's camp following the Women's Professional Soccer playoffs. The U.S. team will be out to defend a 46-game unbeaten streak on U.S. soil.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Abby Wambach scored and assisted on Amy Rodriguez's goal in the first half to lead the United States to a 2-0 win against No. 4 Japan in an exhibition Saturday. Wambach's 118th career goal came in the 29th minute off a header from 8 yards after a 40-yard free kick by Ali Krieger. Eight minutes later, Wambach took a pass on the right flank from Heather O'Reilly and found Rodriguez at the near post for a left-footed redirect. Japan played its first match since devastating earthquakes and a tsunami hit the northeastern part of the country March 11. A moment of silence was held before the game.

The Independence earned their first Women's Professional Soccer road victory Saturday in a 1-0 win over the host Chicago Red Stars in Bridgeview, Ill. Penn State product Joanna Lohman scored in the seventh minute on an assist from Amy Rodriguez for the first-year Independence (3-1-2). The Red Stars dropped to 1-4-1. It was the second of three straight road games for the Independence, who were coming off a 2-1 loss in St. Louis. "The team looked much better this week," coach Paul Riley said in a telephone interview.

Riding the momentum of a thrilling, first-round opener, the Independence starts phase 2 of the WPS playoffs tonight against the Boston Breakers in Cambridge, Mass. Philadelphia, the No. 3 seed, defeated fourth-ranked Washington, 1-0, last Sunday when leading goal scorer Amy Rodriguez scored the game-winner in the 120th minute. That increased Rodriguez' season goal count to 13 goals, third best in the league. Against the second-seeded Breakers tonight (8 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel)

Like most student-athletes who have played their final collegiate game, La Salle's Melissa Sanger and Jess Hopton had assumed their competitive soccer-playing days were behind them. Their coach, Paul Royal, had other ideas. Besides leading the Explorers to a 15-2-3 record, the semifinals of the Atlantic Ten tournament, and a berth in the NCAA tournament in 2011, Royal also serves as an assistant coach for the Independence. Royal persuaded Sanger and Hopton to come to the first of three combines the Women's Professional Soccer club was holding at their United Sports training facility in Downingtown.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Independence striker Amy Rodriguez matched the United States women's soccer team record in scoring five goals in the second half as the Americans obliterated the Dominican Republic, 14-0, in the first round of CONCACAF Olympic qualification late Friday night. Told she had tied a record, Rodriguez joked, "Darn, now I wish I would have scored one more. " The Dominicans had only three shots and one shot on goal, which Hope Solo stopped. While a victory over the Dominican Republic (ranked No. 88 in the world)

The United States lost to Denmark, 2-1, in tennis' Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia, on Monday, with late-arriving Caroline Wozniacki and Frederik Nielsen beating Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Mardy Fish , 7-5, 6-3, in the deciding mixed doubles match. Fish gave the United States an opening victory in this Australian Open tune-up, defeating Nielsen, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4. The top-ranked Wozniacki, who made it to the tournament only four hours earlier on a flight from Thailand, beat Mattek-Sands, 7-6 (4)

What was hush-hush last week is now public knowledge: Amy Rodriguez and Tasha Kai are a double threat in the Independence attack. The Western New York Flash (13-2-3), who will host Indy (11-4-3) on Saturday in the Women's Professional Soccer championship game, undoubtedly have taken note. Kai and Rodriguez each scored a goal in the Independence's 2-0 victory over magicJack on Saturday in the WPS super semifinal at PPL Park in Chester. That was a first for the duo. "We really didn't play them together until today," said a jubilant Paul Riley, the Independence coach, after the shutout.

"Vero" has done it again. Veronica "Vero" Boquete scored the winning goal for the Independence Sunday night in a 1-0 victory over the Atlanta Beat at Widener University. The goal, witnessed by 4,162 fans - the largest crowd of the season - was the third game-winner in as many matches for the Spanish forward, whose speed and powerful shot are being felt around the league. The win boosted the Independence's record to 10-3-3 and put them in sole possession of the top spot in the Women's Professional Soccer League standings.

"Vero" has done it again. Veronica "Vero" Boquete scored the winning goal for the Independence Sunday night in a 1-0 victory over the Atlanta Beat at Widener University. The goal, witnessed by 4,162 fans - the largest crowd of the season - was the third game-winner in as many matches for the Spanish forward, whose speed and powerful shot are being felt around the league. The win boosted the Independence's record to 10-3-3 and put them in sole possession of the top spot in the Women's Professional Soccer League standings.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - A defensive battle with Sky Blue FC turned into a 2-0 loss for the Independence in a Women's Professional Soccer game Saturday night at Rutgers' Yurcak Field. Casey Nogueira came off the bench to make the difference with a pair of goals. After scoring in the 71st minute, she sealed it in the 80th for Sky Blue, which improved to 4-5-4 overall and 4-1-3 at home. With their win streak ending at six games, the league-leading Independence fell to 8-3-3 but remained a point ahead of the Western New York Flash, who play at Boston on Sunday night.

WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL SOCCER   Independence (8-2-3) at Sky Blue FC (3-5-4) Saturday at 7 p.m., Rutgers University's Yurcak Field, Piscataway, N.J. Last game: The Independence won, 1-0, at the Atlanta Beat last Saturday. Sky Blue FC lost, 3-1, on Sunday to the Western New York Flash, snapping their six-game home unbeaten streak. Outlook: The Independence are in first place by a point over Western New York, which owns a game in hand. . . . The three U.S. national team players on the Independence - forward Amy Rodriguez, goalie Nicole Barnhart, and midfielder Lori Lindsey - returned to practice on Thursday.

Will forward Amy Rodriguez, recently returned from the U.S. Women's World Cup team, play for the Independence against host Sky Blue on Saturday? We won't know until the Women's Professional Soccer game, scheduled for 7 p.m., starts. "After the last Indy game, [coach Paul Riley] said that World Cup players will have to work their way back into the lineup," said Rodriguez, who registered the most playing time of the three Independence players on the national team roster. The Indy's last game, a 1-0 win over the host Atlanta Beat, extended the team's winning streak to six. They lead the league with an 8-2 record.