The game is a battle for first place between the two teams with matching 1-0-1 records. It doesn’t matter what happens in the rest of the WPS this weekend, the winner of this game is in sole possession of first place.

Both team’s leading scorers (Boston’s Kelly Smith and St. Louis’ Eniola Aluko, both teammates on England’s Women’s National Team) both have two goals this season. Both Boston and St. Louis have scored three goals this season, and both won their first match and played to a tie last week.

Sunday’s game at Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo., also marks the first time that Boston’s Stephanie Cox and Liz Bogus face their former L.A. teammates and current members of St. Louis – U.S. Women’s National Team midfielder Shannon Boxx (three goals in 19 games last year for L.A.) and Japanese National Team midfielder Aya Miyama. The Sol went 2-1-1 against St. Louis last season.

“St. Louis was athletic and physical,” said Cox. “Adding Boxxy to their team, she’s just so strong, such a competitor in the middle, so I think it’s going to be a very hard-fought game, but I think we had some good preparation going against Philly. They were a very physical team. We handled that challenge pretty well. I was pretty confident in our midfield after that.”

The Breakers went 1-2 against St. Louis last season. They beat St. Louis, 2-0, in their season opener last year and then lost two 1-0 games. Aluko scored both St. Louis goals in those two matches. The Breakers, coming off a 1-1 tie at home against Philadelphia, feel confident going into Sunday night’s battle of the unbeatens.“It’s going to be a great game. I think we’re doing good,” Cox said. “I think our goalkeeper, Ashley (Phillips), is coming up great for us. She’s coming up strong and coming up so we can hold a higher line and pick up the loose balls.”

Only two games into the WPS season and Boston’s back four of Cox, Amy LePeilbet, Kasey Moore, and Alex Scott have started forming a cohesive unit. Cox said the four work hard in practice each day to make sure that unit remains intact and becomes as strong as Boston’s back four during the early part of the 2009 WPS season.

“It’s a work in progress, and everybody is willing to take criticism and learn and grow,” Cox said. “So it’s good.”

The key to Sunday’s game, according to Cox, is attacking St. Louis by taking advantage of every chance on goal.“We didn’t have too many opportunities against Philly,” she said. “We’ve just got to be strong on set pieces and keep an eye on the back of the net.”

Hours after the United States confirmed the Mexico bogey, Richard Farley and Dave Topp broke down the results from Estadio Azteca and evaluate where Wednesday’s loss leaves the country’s program. In the show’s final segment, Richard is joined by Jeff Kassouf, owner of Equalizer Soccer, a site devoted to promoting the women’s game. They talk about the recently finished WPS season and the upcoming playoffs. All that, and Richard gets you up-to-date on Wednesday’s World Cup Qualifiers, the important international friendlies, action from Brazil and the world’s football news. It’s all on Episode #11 of Inside the Six.

To download the show, right click here to save the file.