Pacific Palisades, Calif. (Monday, June 24, 2009) -- The Pali Blues Soccer Club (4-0-3) returned to the Stadium-by-the-Sea on Tuesday night to face the Vancouver Whitecaps (1-2-4). After more than a month since the last home game, Pali fans were treated to an exciting 2-1 Blues victory.

“Finally… tonight we showed flashes of fast-paced brilliant soccer,” Blues head coach Charlie Naimo commented. “It was a pleasure to watch. We still need to finish better and limit cheap giveaways but tonight was the first sign of the team I knew we had.”

The defending W-League champions started the game off strong, but a few heart-breaking misses in the first half left the game scoreless at intermission. In the second half, the Blues scored first off a Nikki Washington penalty kick in the 56th minute. The Whitecaps came back to tie the score in the 84th minute when midfielder Jodi Ann Robinson was played in behind the right side of the Pali defense and hammered a ball into the far corner at a tight angle.

“She is a fantastic player, certainly WPS quality,” Naimo commented about Robinson. “She gave us fits on the road and again last night. A great player like that is always going to get at least 1 chance no matter how good we defend and she buried 1 of the 2 she had last night.”

But the Pali Blues were able to break the tie just three minutes later when forward Christen Press made a penalty kick for the winning goal.

This was the first home game for both Washington and Press, as well as for defenders Ali Riley, Jenny Anderson-Hammond, and Bonnie Young, midfielders Tobin Heath and Melissa Hayes, and forward Kelley O’Hara. They were cheered on by a spirited crowd in the stands excited to welcome back Palisades native Ali Riley.

Next up for the Blues are two road match-ups against the Ventura Fusion and L.A. Legends. The Pali Blues will be home again at the Stadium-by-the-Sea on Sunday July 5 at 1 pm against the Ventura Fusion. Tickets for that game can be purchased today by calling 310-264-4649.