The Home Depot Center 5k/10k Run

Via Los Angeles Sol email newsletter...

Race through The Home Depot Center stadium!

Registration is only $45 and includes: Ticket to LA GALAXY vs. Houston Dynamo on June 28th, Ticket to LOS ANGELES SOL vs. FC Gold Pride on June 21st, Race T-Shirt and a $5 gift card to Team LA store. -- Click to register online

Great Poll Question At Futebol Feminino - WPS Talk

Que brasileira você quer ver jogando na WPS?

Which Brazilian player do you want to see next in WPS?

The poll is on the left side of the website -- here is the site link -- Futebol Feminino - WPS Talk.

I clicked on Renata Costa!

Friendly Matches

Finland beat Italy surprisingly 3-2 in a friendly in Finland on Thursday.

Ukraine won 2-0 at home against Russia in a friendly on Friday.

Both matches are warm up for Euro 2009.

Czech Rep won 2-1 against Poland.

Several New Writers Join The Ranks

WSW recently added several global correspondents to our website. Their work will be rolling out in the coming weeks. Thank you again to all who support our ongoing efforts to provide women's soccer some deserved coverage. And remember, if you are interested in writing here at WSW, send an email to -- contactwsw@womens-soccerweekly.com

Regards,
S.G.

WPS Weekend Matches-May 30-31

Saint Louis Athletica at Los Angeles Sol

When these two teams last met, Saint Louis hadn't scored a goal, much less won a game and Los Angeles was in first place. The two teams played to a scoreless tie on April 25th. The Sol is still at the top of the table, solidifying their hold by defeating FC Gold Pride 2-0 last week. However, Athletica's fortunes have changed, earning 8 points in their last four games. Back in April, Kendall Fletcher and Christie Welsh wore LA Sol kits against Saint Louis, but they have traded in those for Athletica green. One important thing to remember is that Marta didn't play in the first contest.

The addition of Fletcher has definitely helped Athletica. She was involved in both goals against Chicago, getting an assist on one. After playing only 45 minutes for the Sol, she has played 123 minutes in just two games since arriving in Saint Louis. Although she still appears a step slow at times, probably due to her lack of playing time, she has proven to be a hard worker for Athletica.

However, the real offensive spark for the past month has been Eniola Aluko, the talented English striker. Aluko scored her first goal against the Freedom early in the month and scored a goal and caused another against the Red Stars last weekend. She's fast and has the skill to beat defenders one-on-one. The problem is that outside of Aluko and the injured Daniela, Athletica doesn't create a lot of scoring chances. A skilled defensive team like the Sol can neutralize one player.

Meanwhile, the Sol just keep clicking. They have shut out 7 of their 8 opponents, giving up just 2 goals for the year. They didn't miss a beat last week with Val Henderson replacing Karina LeBlanc, who was in Canada for her national team. LeBlanc will be back and she has a fine back line in front of her including Cox, Falk, Franko, and either Bock or Makoski. Marta has provided most of the offense, but others are starting to chip in. Last week, Aya Miyama forced a penalty which Camille Abily converted and Han Duan scored her first goal of the year.

If Saint Louis is to have a chance, they must score first. If the Sol get the lead, then their defense can blanket Athletica as they wait for opportunities to spring their lethal counterattack, either with Marta or as was the case last week, with Han Duan. Athletica is most likely going to attack from their wings on the outside, which is when they appear to be most dangerous. Hope Solo will have to be on her game and her defense cannot afford mistakes.

FC Gold Pride at Washington Freedom

These two teams met a month ago in a wild scoring affair that saw Washington edge Gold Pride 4-3 on an Abby Wambach goal in stoppage. This time, the game sets up as a battle for 3rd place as FC Gold Pride enters the game with 10 points, while Washington has 9 points.

Since then, Canadian Erin McLeod has taken over in goal for the Freedom and the difference has been noticeable. Before McLeod, Washington was giving up 2.4 goals per game. Since then, they have allowed only 1 goal per game. Most opposing teams concentrate on defending Wambach and rightfully so, but the Freedom have several weapons and eight different players have scored a goal. Much of the Freedom's offense comes through the midfield, especially from Sonia Bompastor and Lori Lindsey. Gold Pride must beware of set pieces in their own end. Washington can be dominating in the air and 8 of their 12 goals have come on headers. Last week, Cat Whitehill put one away off of a corner kick.

If things hold true, Gold Pride should get some chances of their own. Even in last week's 2-1 Freedom victory, Sky Blue had several opportunities. FCGP is going through a scoring slump with only one goal in their last 3 games. After missing last week due to national team duty, Christine Sinclair returns to the lineup, joining Tiffeny Milbrett as Bay Area's biggest offensive threats. After getting off to a fast start, Tiffany Weimer has been quiet as of late, with no goals and only one shot during that three week scoring slump. It has also been a long time since Eriko Arakawa has entered the scorer's book and one would think she is due. The injury to Kandace Wilson is a huge blow to Gold Pride. She is a speedy outside defender who can give opponents fits when she goes forward. She will be missed on both ends of the field.

The keys for Gold Pride are to not give any fouls in their own end and to try to control the midfield with their passing game, as they did in the 2nd half against Athletica two weeks ago. Formiga may be the player to watch there. McLeod has been a breath of fresh air for the Freedom, but they still need to tighten their defense as they give up way too many chances. The Freedom will use overlapping runs from Gilbeau when they can and get the ball to Bompastor to work her magic. I don't think we'll see 7 goals as in the first meeting, but expect there to be plenty of scoring.

Boston Breakers at Sky Blue FC

Sky Blue returns home for the first time since April 11th and a lot has happened since then. Ian Sawyers is out as head coach and assistant coach Kelly Lindsey has been installed as the interim head coach. Lindsey has the unenviable task to bring this team together and reverse course for the last place Jersey team. The 2nd place Breakers come calling on a televised FSC matchup on Sunday evening.

In spite of their 1-4-2 record, Sky Blue has been competitive and have only lost one game by more than a goal. They have had to deal with a number of key injuries including Christie Rampone, Sarah Walsh, and Natasha Kai. Kai has fought injuries all year, but the tough Hawaiian has played in every game in spite of it. She is one player that Lindsey must look to for a bigger impact. Yael Averbuch is another. Averbuch started just one game under Sawyers, but Lindsey had the 1st round draft pick in the lineup last week and she may be ready for a breakout performance.

Sky Blue has generally played solid defense, employing the offside trap to its fullest. The defense is led by Rampone, Anita Asante, Megan Schnur, and Keeley Dowling. The problem has been scoring and they have netted just four in 7 games. SBFC has been getting more chances as of late and the key for them may be the play of a talented group of midfielders headed by Heather O'Reilly and Collette McCallum.

Boston needs to avoid letdowns like the 4-0 loss to Chicago in order to maintain their hold on 2nd place. They can be inconsistent on defense, playing very well against LA and Marta, but giving up 4 goals to Chicago and 2 to Gold Pride. There's not much question about their offense, though, as Kelly Smith is leading the league in scoring and is always dangerous. Breakers' fans are still waiting for Amy Rodriguez, who certainly must be frustrated. Other players have stepped up though, including Kelly Schmedes and Stacy Bishop. The Breaker defense is led by Alex Scott, who is having a very good season, Amy LePeilbet and Heather Mitts. Note that at the time of this post, Kelly Smith and Heather Mitts are both listed as questionable for the match.

The Breakers had better not take Sky Blue lightly. Adversity can have a way of bringing a team together, much as it did for Saint Louis after Daniela's injury. It could come down to a battle of veteran goalkeepers, Kristin Luckenbill for Boston and Jen Branam for Sky Blue.

2 Links From The AM

Two solid links from the morning...

• Ella Masar of the Chicago Red Stars speaks with Jared Montz. Quality. -- Read On -- JMS Podcast Interview w/ Chicago Red Stars’ Ella Masar
• AZ women also win Dutch Eredivisie -- Read On -- AZ women ensure Eredivisie double

Sky Blue FC Parts Ways With Ian Sawyers

Frank Giase with the story at The Star-Ledger -- Read On -- Sky Blue FC fires coach and general manager Ian Sawyers

Plus Jeff Kassouf with more -- Read On -- Sawyers out at Sky Blue FC; Spirits remain high despite chaos

WPS Midweek Notes-May 27

Cloudy Skies at Sky Blue?

As if things weren't bad enough for the Jersey based team, getting off to a 1-4-2 start with just 5 points, Sky Blue FC is showing signs of being a dysfunctional family. The organization suspended head coach Ian Sawyers indefinitely before their game at Washington last Saturday.

In addition, Sky Blue drew only 2753 for their 2nd home game after having over 6000 for their home opener. The team has since played 5 straight road games and will return home for the first time since April 11th for their next game against the Boston Breakers.

On the surface, Sky Blue looks like a train wreck in the making. The team has only scored 4 goals in 7 games and finds itself looking up at the rest of the league from last place, now further complicated by internal turmoil. However, if you look closer at their results, maybe the situation isn't as dire as it appears.

On the positive side, SBFC has a win and a tie over Chicago and another tie against FC Gold Pride. Two of their defeats have been at the hands of 1st place Los Angeles, hardly anything to be ashamed about. Their other two losses were a 1-0 loss to Gold Pride on a goal in the 86th minute and a 2-1 loss to an improved Washington team last weekend, while playing without the likes of Christie Rampone, Heather O'Reilly, Sarah Walsh, and Kelly Parker. Not many teams are going to win missing so many quality players.

What I see is a good defensive team that is competitive in almost every game. Goal scoring has been a problem, but Natasha Kai hasn't been 100% for much of the season, first because of a concussion and then because of a quad injury. Walsh missed last week's game due to a hamstring injury.

While 1st place is a distant fantasy, a playoff spot is certainly attainable. Sky Blue trails 4th place Washington by just 4 points and we're only a third of the way through the season. I don't think we can count the Jersey team out just yet. The question is...who will be coaching them, Ian Sawyers or someone else?

Backup Keepers Stand Tall

Because of national team duties, three backup goalkeepers found themselves starting their first games over the weekend and all three were impressive. Jillian Loyden of Athletica won Player of the Week honors, while Val Henderson posted a shutout for Los Angeles and Allison Whitworth played well for Gold Pride in their loss to the Sol.

Loyden, who played her college soccer at Villanova, shut out the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday night. She made six saves for the game, stepping in for USWNT goalie Hope Solo. Early in the game, Loyden leaped to tip Cristiane's header over the crossbar. Later, she made a similar play on Karen Carney's blistering shot. She topped it off with a great kick save on Frida Östberg in the 84th minute which sealed the victory.

Henderson (UCLA) and Whitworth (Auburn) squared off against each other in the LA Sol-Gold Pride match on Sunday. Both made several nice saves. Henderson's shutout was the Sol's 7th shutout of the year. Whitworth gave up two hard luck goals, one on a penalty and the other on a near breakaway.

These performances show that the US has a number of talented young keepers that might warrant a look from US coach Pia Sundhage in the future. Loyden is the oldest of the three, but not by much, as they are all just 23 years old.

Quick Notes-Team by Team

Boston-The Breakers retained their hold on 2nd place while taking the weekend off. They return to action on Sunday against Sky Blue.....Boston defender Heather Mitts started for the US against Canada and assisted on the first goal of the game, scored by Shannon Boxx.

Chicago-The Red Stars have now gone 308 minutes without a goal. Two Red Star players did score for the US team, however. Megan Rapinoe scored on a beautiful shot just inside the post in first half stoppage time. Lindsay Tarpley scored a 2nd half goal for the US.....Heather Garriock subbed into Saturday's game only to be forced out after 11 minutes due to another injury.

FC Gold Pride-Nicole Barnhart played the second half of the US-Canada game, sharing the shutout with Hope Solo. Barnhart had seen action earlier this year for the US, shutting out Iceland in the Algarve Cup.....Defender Kandace Wilson went down with a serious injury near the end of last week's game against the Sol. It appears the injury could be season ending.....Gold Pride travels to Washington this weekend in a rematch of the highest scoring WPS game of the year. They lost a 4-3 decision to the Freedom back on April 26th.

Los Angeles-The Sol have now shut out 7 of their 8 opponents. Karina LeBlanc has earned six of those, with Val Henderson getting the other.....Camille Abily became just the 2nd player to convert a penalty. Only 2 of 6 have been converted this year. The Sol's other attempt was by Aly Wagner against Saint Louis and was stopped by Solo.....Shannon Boxx scored the opening goal against Canada on Monday.

Saint Louis-Eniola Aluko continues to shine for Athletica. She scored her 2nd goal of the season against Chicago and also forced an own goal.....The acquisition of Kendall Fletcher quickly paid dividends for Saint Louis. Fletcher started against Chicago and her pass up the left side led to Aluko's play and the own goal. She also hit the initial shot on the 2nd goal which Aluko finished on the rebound.

Sky Blue FC-Heather O'Reilly assisted on two goals in the US-Canada match.....Last week, SBFC promoted Noelle Keselica to full roster status and signed Lauren Sesselman. Sesselman played college soccer at Purdue. To make room for Sesselman, Jenny Anderson Hammond was waived.

Washington-Following their 2-1 victory over Sky Blue, the Freedom are now in fourth place, just two points behind 2nd place Boston.....Cat Whitehill became the 8th different player to score a goal for the Freedom this season.....The Freedom are still the only team that hasn't posted a shutout. Erin McLeod has started the last two games, giving up just one goal in each.....The first WPS/MLS doubleheader drew 16,089 at RFK Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Lionel Messi - Champions League Barcelona vs. Manchester United Interview

In the buildup to tomorrow's Champions League final, SoccerLens sat down with Leo Messi and talked about Barcelona's chances in Rome.

Read On -- The Big Interview: Lionel Messi on imposing Barca’s style on Manchester United and stopping Crisitano Ronaldo

TTI- 5/26

Newest installment of Tuesday Throw-Ins at Goal.com -- Tuesday Throw-Ins: Round One To The USA But Canada Is Closing The Gap

Kelly Hathorn: Q and A Interview

Recent Duke University graduate Kelly Hathorn completed her collegiate soccer career in the Fall of 2008. The versatile player saw action during her first two seasons in the back before moving into an attacking role as one of the team's top forwards for her junior and senior campaigns. Over her final two seasons, she collected eight goals and contributed six assists. Hathorn, currently preparing to take the MCAT as she looks towards attending medical school, kindly took time to speak with Women's Soccer Weekly.


Hathorn in action vs. N.C. State. Duke won 3-0.
Photo Credit: Jon Gardiner, Duke Photography

Q. Now that you have had time to reflect on your collegiate career, what are you most proud of?

I think more than anything else I am most proud of the way that our team has always come together. In the last two seasons, we have made it to two Elite 8 appearances, and although the results may not have gone our way, just the process of coming together and fighting through the tournament is something that I will forever be proud of.

Especially my junior year, we were pretty much the underdog in every game we played, our bus driver got lost on the way to the Georgia game, we had to play in freezing rain in Indiana, and played in the coldest weather I have ever faced at Notre Dame—and our team never stopped working hard for each other.

I know that most of the things I will take away from the experience of playing college soccer have more to do with the character of my teammates over the past four years than how many wins or losses we accumulated.

Q. Top 5 game moments from your career?

Ahh this is a tough one—I know I’m leaving some good ones out, but here goes:

The top moment is definitely beating Carolina my freshman year. We didn't have the best of luck against them the rest of my career, and I will always remember being a little freshman playing outside back watching my teammates score the game winning goal... not to mention Robbie (Church's) celebration was pretty priceless. We replayed the video of his celebration NUMEROUS times over my four years here!! Besides that....

Scoring my first goal in college my junior year after switching positions and playing forward, Sweet 16 win over UVA my senior year (they were the only ACC team left that my class had never beaten), beating Florida State at home on my sister's senior day (our team played unbelievable that day, it was so much fun), and finally finally finally beating Clemson on our own senior day this season (after way too long of a losing streak on our end).

Q. Which of your two goals from 2008 was your favorite?

That is definitely a tough question. The first goal was nice because I had just been coming back from a sprained ankle over the summer and had just started playing that week. I was pretty out of shape and a little bit nervous even to be back playing on it at the time, so scoring that goal was pretty nice. However, the second goal against Wake Forest was such a relief-- I didn't exactly have the best of luck when it came to scoring goals this past season. To me, personally, it felt like I had hit every inch of post or had missed every opportunity I had. But through it all, I had a lot of support from my teammates and coaches and I just kept trying-- so it was really nice when that one finally went in.

Q. Are you pursuing a post-graduate degree? What schools are you considering?

I am planning on going to medical school. I had planned from the very beginning to take a year off, so hopefully I will find a research/lab job in the next few weeks. I graduated a few days ago and am already back in the library studying for the MCAT, which I will take in June. From there, the application process begins... I plan on applying to all of the North Carolina schools (Duke, UNC, Wake, and ECU,) but other than that I'm not sure.

Q. Can we get the recipe for Wassel or is it a family secret?

Haha well, to be honest, I think it is actually spelled Wassail?? But my family just thinks its funny to call it Wassel and now all of our friends spell it the same way. I had to ask my mom for this one, but she said that the recipe is:

- 1 quart apple juice

- 1/2 quart cranberry juice

- Cut 3-4 fresh oranges into 1/8s and throw them in.

- Three sticks cinnamon

- Three cloves

- Heat on the stove until the oranges sink! Then, for those that are of age, throw in some rum or whisky "to taste."

Q. Have you followed WPS at all? What are your thoughts on having a women's professional league stateside again?

I have followed the WPS a little bit. I check in on some of the girls and coaches that I know more than anything else---Rebecca Moros is playing for the Washington team and Alli Lipsher is playing with the Boston team so I will try and follow how they have been doing (and both have gotten playing time which makes me proud!!!) In addition, one of my assistant coaches for the past three years, Nathan Kipp, is now the goalie coach for the Chicago Red Stars so I try to follow how they have been doing as well. I think it is awesome that they have gotten a women's professional league stateside. The US has some of the greatest soccer players in the world, and it is amazing that they all have the opportunity to continue their soccer careers without having to go too far from home.

Athletica 2, Red Stars 0

In a battle of two midwestern rivals, Saint Louis defeated Chicago 2-0 before 4461 fans at Toyota Park on Saturday night. Eniola Aluko was the offensive star of the game, scoring one goal and causing an own goal on the other. Jillian Loyden, who was starting in place of National Team keeper Hope Solo, filled in nicely earning the shutout in her first action of the year. Chicago took the hard luck loss. They had more chances, but couldn't finish, while Athletica made the most of their chances. Saint Louis was credited with only one shot on goal for the match, while Chicago had six, all turned away by Loyden.

Several starters were missing for both teams. Chicago had four players called up for the National Team contest, including Carli Lloyd, Marian Dalmy, Megan Rapinoe, and Lindsay Tarpley. Athletica had two players called up for the US, captain Lori Chalupny and Solo, as well as one for the Canadians, Melissa Tancredi. Kia McNeill was serving her one game suspension and Daniela is probably out for the season with her leg injury.

First Half

Saint Louis did well with possession early on. A foul gave Athletica a free kick from 20 yards out directly in front of the Red Star goal, but Francielle hit a rather weak shot into the Red Star wall and it was easily cleared.

Chicago got their first scoring chance at the 16 minute mark off of a corner kick. Cristiane rose for the header and put it on net only to have Loyden tip it over the goal. It was the first of several nice saves by Loyden.

At the 20 minute mark, Aluko appeared to be through for a breakaway, but it was whistled for offsides. Then Francielle whistled a shot over the crossbar at the 24 minute mark. It was shortly thereafter when Athletica broke through with the first goal of the game.

The play started with Kendall Fletcher sending a long ball to the corner that was well placed for Aluko to run down. Aluko controlled the ball and beat the defender to the outside, putting her one-on-one against the Red Star keeper, Caroline Jönsson. She dribbled to the 6 yard box at a steep angle and sent a cross intended for Saint Louis striker Kerri Hanks, that instead deflected off Chicago defender Ifeoma Dieke over Jönsson's head for the goal. It was the first own goal in the history of the league. Even though it was credited as an own goal, Aluko should be given credit for a great effort which led to it.

As the half wore on, Chicago put more pressure on. Cristiane sent a nice pass through to Karen Carney who shot just high and wide of the goal. At the 37 minute mark, it was Carney again, as she dribbled to the top of the box and hit a hard shot that Loyden just managed to tip over the bar. On another crossing attempt, Loyden barely outjumped Frida Östberg for the ball.

In spite of the Chicago pressure, it was Athletica that scored again. Angie Woznuk sent a ball into the box that Aluko and a Red Star defender went up for, but neither got cleanly. The ball fell to Fletcher's feet at about 15 yards out and she got off a shot that was blocked by Dieke. The ball went directly to Aluko who was wide open and she made no mistake in finishing it. It was her 2nd goal of the season.

Chicago had one more chance late in the half as Brittany Klein got loose after a scramble for a header at the top of the box. Her sliding shot went just wide of the goal. The half ended with Athletica on top, 2-0.

Second Half

The 2nd half opened with Saint Louis nearly making it 3-0. A series of nice passes in the midfield area set up Elise Weber heading up the left side. She placed a nice cross to Hanks in the box, who under pressure, mishit the shot and Jönsson was able to track it down.

The Red Stars had most of the 2nd half chances. Heather Garriock shot wide in the 52nd minute. Garriock, who has been plagued by injuries this year, appeared to be hurt once again and had to be taken out at the 56 minute mark, having played only 11 minutes.

In the 60th minute, it was the Carney-Cristiane connection again as Carney passed to Cristiane who made a nice move to get off a shot, but she didn't get as much on it as one might have hoped and Loyden made the save. A few minutes later, Carney got off a long shot that was handled easily by the Athletica keeper. At the 73 minute mark, Östberg shot from about 25 yards out that went straight to Loyden.

The Red Stars had their best chance of the 2nd half in the 84th minute. Klein crossed the ball to the far side of the box onto the foot of Östberg, who found herself unmarked from about 12 yards out to Loyden's left. She hit a hard shot that Loyden made a kick save with her right foot, probably her best save of the match.

From that point on, there was little doubt as to the outcome of the match. Athletica improved their record to 2-2-2, while Chicago fell to 2-3-2. The two teams are now tied for 5th place with 8 points, with Saint Louis having a game in hand.

Overall Impressions

Certainly Aluko and Loyden had great games, but Athletica played very well as a team and several players had good games. I thought Francielle played her best match of the year. Tina Ellertson was solid and captained the defense in front of Loyden. Although they didn't get a lot of scoring chances, Athletica did put together some nice passing at the midfield as it appears they are embracing Coach Jorge Barcellos' Brazilian style of play. Several replacement starters, including Niki Cross, stepped up their game.

I'm at a loss the explain what's going on with Chicago. They have talent and they certainly had chances. Cristiane and Carney kept Loyden on her toes all night, but either she made the saves or they shot wide. The Red Stars have now gone over 300 minutes without a goal. Surely missing several players hurt them, but Saint Louis was also missing a number of key players and seemed to adapt better. Chicago was a bit unlucky on both goals, but in both cases, Athletica forced the play that caused that luck. The Red Stars now have a week and a half to recover before traveling to Los Angeles for a June 3rd game. Athletica's next game is also against the Sol next Saturday.

Other Notes

It was the first time I had ever been to Toyota Park and I was very impressed with the facility. It's a great venue to watch soccer. I also can't thank enough the Chicago organization and fans for their hospitality. Although St. Louis and Chicago are rival cities in most sports, there was certainly goodwill between the two fan groups who both want their teams and the league to succeed.

It was a special night for several of Athletica's players. Erin Walter, Elise Weber, and Erin Kane are all from the Chicago area. Weber has started the last 4 games, but for Walter, it was her first time making the traveling squad. It was great to see the DePaul graduate see her first action of the season in front of her hometown family and friends in the 70th minute.

Also At The Soapbox - Djurgården vs. Linköping

Jocasta has a new post now online reviewing the Djurgården vs. Linköping match which was played in Stadion, Stockholm's historic stadium built for the 1912 Olympic games.

Read On -- The High Life

Web Casts For Damallsvenskan Games

By: Jocasta -- Damallsvenskan Soapbox

Don't live in Sweden, but you'd like to catch the Linköping-AIK Damallsvenskan match this Tuesday? Lucky you! A pay-per-view service, sverigewebben.se, will be streaming the game. Registration for the service is free. You then pay for individual games, which cost 79 Swedish kronor per match (roughly $10).

Click on the words "Bli medlem" ("become member") in the upper right hand corner; doing so will take you to a screen for registering. Google Translate will get you through the registration process pretty well, but here are a couple of the finer points:

Användarnamn = username for logging in (your choice, they suggestusing your email address)

Visningsnamn = on-screeen name that other users can see

Lösenord = password, which will be sent to your email account in clear text, so choose accordingly

Mobiltelefon = cell phone number (obligatory)

An email will then be sent to you with your registration details and a verification code. Click on the link in the mail, give your verification code. Start the service with PayPal/credit card by clicking "Betala här" ("pay here"). Pay no earlier than 4 hours before the start of the game and remember that Sweden is on central European time (6 hours ahead of US Eastern Standard time most of the year). Choose your match, and you're in business.

I watched the AIK-Umeå match at this site (on a Mac), and the quality was just fine. A schedule of future streamed matches (let's hope there will be even more) can be found at TV-sändningar Damallsvenskan 2009.

PS -- Note that sverigewebben.se also streams Swedish league American football games, which might be fun for some of you to watch...

Canada vs. USA Preview

Andrew Bucholtz at the 24th Minute has put together a fine preview of tomorrow's match between the US and Canadian senior international sides at BMO Field in Toronto -- Read On -- New era dawns for Canadian women.

2011 FIFA Women`s World Cup - African Qualifiers

South Africa will host the finals of 2010 Women`s African Cup of Nations, date is tentatively set for October 2010.

Click Here for more on the story -- Safa to host Women Cup of Nations

The finals will also be the qualifiers for 2011 FIFA Women`s World Cup.

Africa got two places in the finals in Germany.

2011 FIFA Women`s World Cup - Asian qualifiers

First qualifying match for 2011 FIFA Women`s Cup was played in Malaysia in April 25. Jordan beat Kyrgyzstan 7-1. 5 teams played in the qualifiers , Jordan , Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan qualified for Second round. Palestine and Maldives were the first teams to be eliminated.

Second round of the Asian qualifiers take place from July 4.

Group A : Chinese Taipei (hosts) , Myanmar and Jordan
Group B : Thailand (hosts), Iran and Uzbekistan
Group C : Vietnam (hosts) , Kyrgyzstan and Hong Kong

The three group winners will join five direct entrants – DPR Korea, China, Japan, Australia and Korea Republic in the tournament proper.

WPS Weekend Matches-May 23 and 24

This should be an interesting week in WPS as it is a regional rivalry weekend around the league. Also, all games will match teams that are fairly close to each other in the standings. The Washington Freedom hosts Sky Blue FC, trying to protect their slim one point hold on 5th place. Saint Louis travels to Chicago where they will try to catch the 4th place Red Stars. First place Los Angeles heads to Buck Shaw Stadium to take on 3rd place FC Gold Pride.

This is also a challenging week for WPS coaches as they try to juggle their lineups due to nearly 20 players missing for the upcoming USA-Canada match on Monday. Each team will have the opportunity to show off their depth, with some teams having as many as 5 changes to their starting lineups.

This weekend also marks the first WPS/MLS doubleheader at RFK stadium on Saturday. The Washington Freedom play Sky Blue in the opener, followed by DC United and Real Salt Lake.

Sky Blue FC at Washington Freedom

Although both teams are near the bottom of the table, they have shown improvement as of late. The Freedom are 1-0-2 in their last three games, while Sky Blue scored their first victory two weeks ago in Chicago and battled LA before losing on a late goal by Marta.

For the second week in a row, the Freedom will be without the services of Abby Wambach. It didn't seem to faze them last week as they tied 2nd place Boston on the road. Perhaps the biggest news in the Washington camp, though, is that they finally have their keeper. Erin McLeod looked very good last week and made a sparkling 2nd half save on Kelly Smith to preserve the tie.

Washington does a good job of spreading around the offense as 7 different players have scored this year. Last weekend, it was Rebecca Moros finding the net for the first time. Even when Wambach is present, the key player to the Freedom's offense is often Sonia Bompastor. Bompastor has two goals and an assist through just 6 games. Washington's back line is anchored by veteran Cat Whitehill.

Sky Blue will be missing several key players for the game. Christie Rampone, Heather O'Reilly, and Kelly Parker will all be playing in the US-Canada match. Additionally, Sarah Walsh is listed as unavailable due to a hamstring injury and Natasha Kai suffered an injury last week. Kai is available to play, but most likely won't be 100%. SBFC has had problems scoring all year long, tallying only 3 goals to this point. They finally seem to have settled on a goalkeeper, going with Jen Branam for the past 3 games. She has given up just two goals in those three games, unfortunately a couple of 1-0 losses. Look for 1st round draft pick Yael Averbuch to have a bigger role this week.

With so many key pieces missing, it will be an uphill battle for Sky Blue on the road. Meanwhile the Freedom, who have shown a versatile offense, now have a solid keeper to go with it and could be poised to make a run up the table.

Saint Louis Athletica at Chicago Red Stars

This match is probably the most affected by national duty call ups. Chicago will be missing Marian Dalmy, Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, and Lindsay Tarpley for Saturday's game. Saint Louis will be missing Lori Chalupny, Hope Solo, and Melissa Tancredi. Also absent for Athletica will be two other starters, Daniela and Kia McNeill, who is serving her one game suspension this weekend. So with 9 starters unavailable between the two teams, several bench players will get a chance to show what they can do.

Chicago has been suffering through a goal scoring slump, which now stretches to over 200 minutes. With Athletica missing two of their big back line players and Solo, the Red Stars should get opportunities in this match. Cristiane is yet to score, but has shown improvement each week. Karen Carney has clearly been one of the Red Star's biggest threats this season. Frida Östberg will likely command Chicago's midfield after starting the season on defense and Chioma Igwe should get a start on the back line. Brittany Klein will be asked to shoulder more of the midfield load with Lloyd and Rapinoe out. The good news is that two injured players, Danesha Adams and Heather Garriock may be ready to play. As usual, Caroline Jönsson will guard the net. Jönsson has a 0.67 goals against average for the year.

With Daniela injured and Chalupny unavailable, Saint Louis has a gaping hole in the middle. Those two players have been responsible for a large portion of Athletica's possession. Newcomer Kendall Fletcher should help after coming over from Los Angeles. Sara Larsson returned to the lineup against Gold Pride and it will be interesting to see if Barcellos will use her at defense or midfield. Saint Louis will probably look to either Niki Cross or Sheree Gray to fill in at one of the back line positions. Christie Welsh gives Athletica another weapon forward to go with Eniola Aluko and Kerri Hanks. Keeper Jillian Loyden has big shoes to fill, seeing her first action for starter Hope Solo. Barcellos is confident his backup can handle the job.

It is really hard to see Athletica mustering any offense without their two talented midfielders. Barcellos could opt to play kick and run, but that's not his style. Cristiane seems due to break through for a goal and Carney is ever dangerous. With the home field advantage, I give Emma Hayes' Red Stars the edge here.

Los Angeles Sol at FC Gold Pride

This game is a match up between backup keepers, as Val Henderson of Los Angeles and Allison Whitworth of Gold Pride will be seeing their first action of the season. They will be filling in for two top notch goalies in Karina LeBlanc and Nicole Barnhart. Both teams are coming off of 1-0 victories.

Certainly, LeBlanc will be missed as she has posted 6 shutouts in 7 outings. LA will also be without the services of Shannon Boxx, Brittany Bock, and Martina Franko. Their star player, Marta, will be there and she is sure to give the Gold Pride defense fits. She has scored 4 of the Sol's 7 goals this season. French National Team player Camille Abily has played very well for Los Angeles and assisted on Marta's goal last weekend. Aya Miyama and Han Duan are also key players in the Sol's offense. With the steady Boxx and the versatile Bock in Toronto and with Welsh and Fletcher traded to Saint Louis, the Sol's roster is razor thin. During the week, the Sol promoted Liz Bogus to full roster status and signed 36 year old Keri Sanchez to add depth.

FC Gold Pride is coming off a split on their midwestern road trip and their victory over Chicago put them in 3rd place, just 4 points behind Los Angeles. Christine Sinclair was the WPS Player of the Week for her game winning goal against the Red Stars, but she'll be with the Canadian team this weekend and Rachel Buehler will also be missing. Without Barnhart and Buehler, Gold Pride has a tough task facing them to defend against the Sol. Gold Pride will still be strong at midfield with Formiga and Leslie Osborne. Formiga is one of the most talented and steadiest players in the league. Even minus Sinclair, Bay Area has capable offensive players in Eriko Arakawa, Tiffeny Milbrett, and Tiffany Weimer.

With the offensive talent on these two teams, Whitworth and Henderson should have their hands full. Look for both teams to throw numerous shots at the net early to challenge these young, untested keepers.

100th Post!

Thanks for all of the positive support and warm wishes to our readers who stop by to check in on our site.

Cheers,
WSW Staff and Contributors

WPS Midweek Notes-May 20

Marta's Goal

Two weekends ago, Sky Blue's defense stymied Chicago, shutting them out and drawing the Red Stars into several offside calls. This past weekend, the strategy appeared to be working well again. Sky Blue was holding Los Angeles to a 0-0 tie 80 minutes into Friday's game in Carson. And then, in the blink of an eye, Marta broke through for a goal.

The first time I saw the play I thought that surely Marta must have been offside. Watching the replay, I instead saw that it was an absolutely perfectly timed play, from Camille Abily's pass to Marta's run. It couldn't have been done any better. Marta is so quick to get to full speed and she was a good 5 yards behind the defense before they were able to turn and pursue her. For good measure, she finished it off with a nifty little sidestep move on Sky Blue goalie Jen Branam and then placed the ball neatly into the net for the what proved to be the game winner.

Even after getting that far behind the defense, many players would have panicked and shot early or lost the ball on the dribble. Faced with the keeper running out at her and the defenders chasing from behind, Marta kept her composure, made the move on Branam, and made it look easy. This was certainly one of the prettiest plays in this young season.

Canadian Call Ups

In addition to the 17 WPS players that the US is calling up, the Canadian National Team has called up 6 WPS players for the upcoming US-Canada match. They are Karina LeBlanc (LA), Martina Franko (LA), Kelly Parker (SBFC), Christine Sinclair (FCGP), Melissa Tancredi (StL), and Candace Chapman (Bos). The Boston Breakers have a bye week, so the call up of Chapman will not affect them.

The United States will face Canada on May 25th in Toronto. It marks the first time that Canada has hosted the United States since 2001. The game was arranged at the last minute after the Japanese National Team cancelled their North American trip due to concerns about the swine flu outbreak.

Scoreless in Chicago

After scoring four goals against the Boston Breakers on April 25th, the Chicago Red Stars have now gone 218 minutes without scoring a goal. Their last goal was scored in the 52nd minute of the Boston game by Brittany Klein.

The Red Stars, who host Athletica this weekend, will be missing several starters due to National Team duty. Marian Dalmy, Lindsay Tarpley, Megan Rapinoe, and Carli Lloyd will all miss this Saturday's contest. Saint Louis will also be missing several players for that match.

Maryland Via Virginia

Earlier this week, the Washington Freedom signed Sarah Senty of the University of Virginia to a contract. Senty was drafted by the Freedom, but chose to complete her college studies first. Senty becomes the fifth University of Virginia product on the Washington roster. This is the most from any one college on any team's roster. The other four players are Sarah Huffman, Lori Lindsey, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Alex Singer. Huffman has not played this year due to injury. Sauerbrunn and Singer were teammates of Senty at Virginia.

To make room on the roster for Senty, the Freedom waived Jayme Cargnoni.

Fighting Irish in St. Louis

Speaking of alumni, five Notre Dame players started the April 25th game between Los Angeles and Saint Louis. The Sol started Shannon Boxx and Brittany Bock, while Athletica started Melissa Tancredi, Kerri Hanks, and Elise Weber. A sixth Notre Dame alum, Amanda Cinalli, was unable to play because of an injury. Only 7 schools have as many as five players in the WPS. The University of North Carolina leads with 13, followed by Notre Dame with 10 and Virginia with 8. Portland, Santa Clara, Stanford, and UCLA are the other schools with at least 5 players in the league.

More Suspensions and Fines

The league handed down two more suspensions stemming from play in the Boston Breakers-Washington Freedom match last Sunday. Christine Latham of Boston was suspended two games and fined $250 for throwing an elbow in that game. The Freedom's Joanna Lohman was suspended for one game, also for an elbow thrown in the same match. It was Lohman's first game of the year.

Boston Coach Tony DiCicco, who was openly critical of the officiating following the Boston-Washington match, was fined $750 and required to do 4 hours of community service for his comments.

Change of Schedule

There have been two scheduling changes made by WPS in the past couple of days. The major change is that FSC will now broadcast the Los Angeles Sol-Boston Breaker game on August 9th, the last weekend of the regular season. It replaces the Saint Louis Athletica-FC Gold Pride game, which has now been moved to 8pm Eastern/5pm Pacific that evening. That game will conclude the regular season. Apparently, FSC and WPS want to take advantage of the opportunity to showcase the league's two leading scorers, Marta and Kelly Smith.

The other change also involves Saint Louis. Their June 6th game against Sky Blue FC has now been moved to June 7th at 3pm Central Time. Although no reason was given specifically, I'm guessing it has partly to do with the US Men's National Team World Cup qualifier in Chicago that is scheduled for June 6th at Toyota Park in Chicago. The league's other two matches that weekend were already scheduled to be played on June 7th.

In Case You Missed It

At Goal.com, Tuesday Throw-Ins: Tuesday Throw-Ins: Freedom Defense Rises To The Challenge

Saint Louis Athletica Announces Radio Deal with Team 1380

Saint Louis Athletica became the first WPS team to secure a radio deal to broadcast all home and away games for the rest of the season. The matches will be broadcast on Team 1380 AM KSLG and can be followed online at http://www.team1380.net/. This will enable fans to follow Athletica from anywhere in the world. The broadcast crew for those matches will be Tony Hubert and Joe Pelusi.

Check Out Damallsvenskan Soapbox

Jocasta of Damallsvenskan Soapbox, a blog about women's soccer in Sweden, recently wrote a post about the Hammarby vs. Sunnanå match. Here is an exert from the post...

"I'm a little later than usual, so I sit in the middle of the stands rather than the top as I usually prefer to do, as the top row is already filled with some older guys. The weather on this holiday weekend has been gorgeous, sunny and warm, but today there are clouds and just as the game is about to start, I feel some drops from the sky hitting my neck and head. Sigh. Too bad, it's starting to rain. Then, as sometimes happens, I start to think about that. My mind plays the last ten seconds of my life over again, and I hear a tremendous sneeze as the overture. My mind freezes in horror, and rewinds again. This time the conclusion is inevitable. I have been sneezed on. I'll say that again, because I think it bears repeating. I have been sneezed on so hard that I thought it was raining. My inner microbiologist starts screaming. Mercifully, the game starts so that I can concentrate on something else."

Action from the Hammarby vs. Sunnanå match
Photo Credit: Jocasta at Damallsvenskan Soapbox
To read the entire post -- read on -- Prosit

And here is a link to her blog -- Damallsvenskan Soapbox

Women's Soccer Weekly will be profiling Jocasta's blog posts from time-to-time. Check back often to see what is happening in Sweden.

And if you want your blog/website on women's soccer to be featured, let us know by emailing WSW at -- contactwsw @ womens-soccerweekly.com

Scott Scores For Breakers

Here is my recap of the Breakers - Freedom game at Goal.com -- Read On -- Alex Scott Saves Boston Breakers In 1-1 Draw

Freedom Players Assist Reading Is Fundamental

Freedom players will be assisting with Reading is Fundamental (RIF) on May 19 at area Washington, D.C. schools. Players will be distributing donated books to two area schools sponsored by RIF in the metro area.


Sonia Bompastor in action for the Freedom
Photo Credit: Mobilus In Mobili

WPS Weekend Matches-May 15, 16, and 17

One thing that we found out last weekend was that nothing is predictable in the WPS. Saint Louis Athletica came away with their first victory by defeating FC Gold Pride 1-0. Then Sky Blue FC followed suit by playing an excellent game in defeating Chicago 2-0. This weekend sees three games scheduled, including the league's first Friday night game in Los Angeles.

Sky Blue FC at Los Angeles Sol

A week ago, things weren't looking very good for Sky Blue. The Jersey team was struggling with no wins, two points, and only one goal scored for the season. That all changed with a 2-0 victory over the Red Stars in Chicago. Pretty much everyone that wore a Sky Blue kit played well. I was especially impressed with midfielder Collette McCallum and defender Keeley Dowling. McCallum had one assist and could have had another had Natasha Kai not decided to make sure of Kelly Parker's shot on Sky Blue's 2nd goal. Dowling shut down her side of the field on defense, showing great composure. Kai and Sarah Walsh scored their first goals of the season and Parker was also very active on the offensive end.

Sky Blue Coach Ian Sawyers pushes his defense farther forward than any team in the league, which seem to frustrate the Red Stars who were called numerous times for offsides. Sky Blue's defensive line of Dowling, Asante, Rampone, and Schnur played a solid game, as did Jen Branam, who now appears to have won the starting keeper job. Branam made some nice saves, although admittedly she scares me with those three-feet off the ground punts she sometimes gets off.

The Sol, on the other hand, cruised into St. Louis three weeks ago with a perfect slate. Since then, they have managed just two points in three games, as the offensive output has dried up. Their only goal over that time was scored by Brittany Bock, who was recently named to the US squad for their game against Canada. It's hard to figure how a team with so many talented offensive players is having so much trouble scoring. L. A. could have gained a stronghold on 1st place in their two games with Boston, but instead find themselves with a precarious one point lead over the Breakers. Still, Karina LeBlanc has proven the hardest WPS keeper to score off, with 5 clean sheets in 6 contests.

It should be interesting to watch the Sol attack the Jersey defense. Marta can get to top speed quicker than anyone in the league, so if she can time her runs, it could pose a problem for Sky Blue. It's time for Marta, Boxx, and company to step it up. A much improved Sky Blue side should be a good test for them.

FC Gold Pride at Chicago Red Stars

Both of these two teams are coming off extremely frustrating losses. Gold Pride played well against Athletica, but fell 1-0. The Red Stars did their best Jekyll/Hyde imitation, losing 2-0 to Sky Blue following their easy 4-0 victory over Boston.

Bay Area, after falling behind 1-0 early last week, kept constant pressure on in the 2nd half. Sinclair, Arakawa, Milbrett, and DiMartino all had good chances, but couldn't quite finish. Overall, Nicole Barnhart played a solid game in the nets, but gave up a rather fluky goal, when Lori Chalupny scored directly from a corner kick. Barnhart also received a fractured nose for her trouble, but finished the game showing little, if any, ill-effect. Formiga played her usual strong game in the middle and the FCGP defense totally shut down Saint Louis in the 2nd half. Look for Tiffany Weimer to bounce back this week after having an unusually invisible 45 minutes against Athletica, before being subbed out at the half.

After making a statement with their 4-0 dominance over Boston, Chicago appeared stale in their game against Sky Blue last weekend. Poorly timed runs, miscommunication on the offensive end, and persistent problems staying onside were the order of the day for the Red Stars. Quite frankly, it could have been worse had Heather O'Reilly's shot found the net instead of nearly dislodging the crossbar. At one point, Carli Lloyd and Karen Carney seemed to be fighting each other for what should have been a clear breakaway goal. I'm sure Coach Emma Hayes would agree that this team has far too much talent for performances like they gave last weekend. Still, I thought Marian Dalmy performed well overall and her call up for the USWNT is certainly deserved. Caroline Jonsson, while now at least appearing to be human, is still one of the best keepers in the league.

Both teams will be looking for redemption following last week's results in this battle for 3rd place. It should be a good contest, pitting Gold Pride's talented offense against the normally strong Red Star defense.

Washington Freedom at Boston Breakers

The Breakers have to be happy with the 4 points they earned in back-to-back meetings with Los Angeles. They now sit in 2nd place, just one point out of the top spot. Washington will be without Abby Wambach, who will be serving her one game suspension this weekend.

Games involving the Freedom certainly don't lack for goals. In their 5 games, there has been an average of over 4 goals scored per game. They are probably the toughest team in the WPS in the air, having scored 7 times via the header. Sonia Bompastor is an expert at sending nice serves on set pieces. In Wambach's absence, she will be the focus of the Freedom offense against Boston. While Washington has not had any trouble scoring, they certainly have had problems defending. Perhaps, their goalkeeping situation will be solved if Canadian Erin McLeod is ready to go. The Freedom have allowed 3 goals in each of their last three games, something that has to improve if this team is going to challenge for a playoff spot.

Boston's Kelly Smith has been the league's most dangerous goal scorer. Smith, when she isn't busy putting the ball in the net, is usually drawing fouls which gives her team ample opportunities on set pieces. Kristine Lilly is playing far younger than her 37 years would indicate.

One has to be impressed with the Boston defense the last two weeks. In those two games against the Marta-led Sol, they gave up a total of just one goal and 5 shots on goal. Their defense includes English National Team player Alex Scott, USWNT players Amy LePeilbet and Heather Mitts, WUSA veteran Nancy Augustyniak, and Hofstra grad, Sue Weber. Goalkeeper Kristin "Lucky" Luckenbill has posted two clean sheets for the Breakers.

It is hard to see Washington winning this game on the road without their star player. However, the league has been full of surprises and the Freedom showed resilience in their 4-3 victory over Gold Pride and their come-from-behind tie with Athletica. Can they catch the Breakers in a letdown and pull together to steal a game up in Boston?

New London FA County Girls’ League

Release via London FA website --

London FA are pleased to announce the launch of their new County League which will commence in the 2009/2010 season.

We are targeting three age groups, and the divisions that will run will be the U13, U15 and U17 age groups. Teams & Clubs affiliated to the London FA or who have their home ground within county boundaries are able to participate in this league. At the current time we are looking for expressions of interest from teams, so to request a form or for further information please contact Emma Barnes, Women’s & Girls’ FDO, London FA.

This is a fantastic opportunity to bring teams from across London together to compete in the first County League in London.

We are also pleased to announce that the Greater London Women’s League have agreed to take on the administration side, which is a real positive as they have had masses of experience in this side of the game for a number of years.

Select Members of England Women's NT Now With Contracts

The Football Association with a positive step forward has decided to reward select members of England Women's team by offering 17 players central contracts.

A total pot worth £1.28m over a four-year period will be paid to the 17 players. Not listed are players who compete in the WPS such as Boston Breakers forward Kelly Smith.

"This is a step in the right direction and a key strategy for England Women," said FA spokesman via BBC Sport. "Players can also work up to 24 hours in the week to boost their income."

Here is a list of the 17 players:

Rachel Brown (Everton), Siobhan Chamberlain (Chelsea), Carly Telford (Leeds Carnegie), Casey Stoney (Chelsea), Faye White (Arsenal), Rachel Unitt (Everton), Stephanie Houghton (Leeds Carnegie), Emily Westwood (Everton), Katie Chapman (Arsenal), Jill Scott (Everton), Laura Bassett (Arsenal), Rachel Williams (Doncaster Rovers Belles), Rachel Yankey (Arsenal), Sue Smith (Leeds Carnegie), Jody Handley (Everton), Lindsay Johnson (Everton), Corrine Yorston (Bristol Academy).

Late Night Links 5/14

Some links from around the Internet...

Newest edition of the Bard -- The Bard: Karen Bardsley Talks Airplane Entertainment via Goal.com

And Marta Q and A -- Give And Go: Los Angeles Sol's Marta via Goal.com

And finally -- The Best Players in US WNT History: Who’s #4? -- via Soccer Tickets Online


Photo Credit: Kim Grybos

Goal.com Profile: Washington Freedom's Becky Sauerbrunn

Here is Becky Sauerbrunn's profile at Goal.com -- Goal.com Profile: Washington Freedom's Becky Sauerbrunn

WPS Midweek Notes-May 13th

The Australian Connection

The dynamic Aussie duo of Collette McCallum and Sarah Walsh connected for Sky Blue's first goal of the match on Sunday night in Chicago. McCallum sent a brilliant pass through to Walsh, who split the defense and sent the ball into the lower corner of the net, beating Caroline Jonsson in the 8th minute of the match. The goal gave Sky Blue their first lead of the season and turned out to be the team's first game-winning goal in its history.

The Matildas have made their presence felt in the WPS. Just a week earlier, Lisa DeVanna of the Washington Freedom scored on a header against Saint Louis. Two other Australian nationals, Heather Garriock and Lydia Williams play for the Chicago Red Stars. Unfortunately, Garriock has been plagued by injuries and has seen just 9 minutes of action. Williams, who celebrates her 21st birthday today, is stuck on the depth chart behind Jonsson, who is arguably one of the hottest keepers in the league to this point. Williams is the youngest keeper in the league. Happy 21st to Lydia!

Bye for Washington Means Bye Bye Goals

In last week's WPS action, only 3 goals were scored in 3 games. This is the lowest offensive output for any week so far, except for the first week when only one match was played. It's not surprising given the Washington Freedom had a bye week. 21 of the 43 goals scored thus far have been scored in games involving Washington. The Freedom lead the league in both goals scored and most goals allowed. They have scored 9, while allowing 12 in five games. This week, Washington travels to Boston where it will face WPS leading scorer, Kelly Smith. In the previous meeting between the two teams, Boston won 3-1.

Call Ups May Give Backups a Shot

The US Women's National Team will face Canada on May 25th, a game that replaces the friendlies that were scheduled by both teams against Japan. This means that several WPS backup goalies may see their first action of the year. The most likely candidates would be Jillian Loyden of Saint Louis, Allison Whitworth of FC Gold Pride, and Val Henderson of Los Angeles.

Loyden, a Villanova graduate, backs up Hope Solo for Athletica. Saint Louis is scheduled to play a Saturday night match in Chicago on May 23rd. Whitworth (Auburn) backs up Nicole Barnhart for Gold Pride and Henderson (UCLA) backs up Karina LeBlanc for the Sol. Those teams are set to face off against each other on the afternoon of May 24th in Santa Clara, California.

Rare Yellow Cards for Weber

If my research is accurate, Athletica defender Elise Weber did not receive a yellow card in her two seasons with Notre Dame. The last one she had received was when she wore the Cardinal and White of the University of Wisconsin in 2006. Weber has now received a yellow card in consecutive WPS games, both times for stalling and failure to complete a throw-in quickly enough, kind of an unusual way to accumulate yellows.

Card Accumulation

Speaking of yellow cards, Julianne Sitch of Sky Blue FC became the first WPS player to accumulate 3 yellow cards for the season. A 4th yellow card will mean a suspension, per league rules. However, if a player plays four consecutive games without a yellow, the accumulation for that player is reset to zero. The aforementioned Weber is also in danger of a suspension. League rules stipulate that yellow cards in 3 consecutive games also warrant a suspension. So far, the only players that have been suspended have been Frida Ostberg (for two yellows in one game) and Abby Wambach and Kia McNeill (by Commissioner Antonucci for plays in the Washington-Saint Louis match).

Mid-Day Links 5/13

Here are some from around the globe --

1. Just came across WPS Talk - Futebol Feminino, WPS coverage out of Brazil!

2. Scotland and Red Stars standout Ifeoma Dieke now with 50 international caps -- Read On -- via Scottish FA

3. Football Association of Finland president Pekka Hämäläinen speaks about Euro 2009 -- Read On -- via UEFA.com

4. And Shamrock Rovers men's side is raising awareness of breast cancer in Ireland -- Read On -- Pink is the new Hoops

Becky Sauerbrunn -- More From The Interview

Photo Credit: ISI Photos
I recently spoke via email with Becky Sauerbrunn for my profile of her at Goal.com. Some of the material didn't make it into the piece; I hate wasting quotes especially since Becky did take the time out her busy schedule to answer my questions. So here is some more insight for fans out there.

At the Freedom homesite, she was asked in her player profile to pick one adjective to describe herself, she chose diligent. I asked her if it was more important to be diligent on the practice field or on game day. Sauerbrnn said,

"It's important to be diligent on both the practice field and on game day. However, training is supposed to provide players with an environment where weaker areas of their game can be worked on. So perhaps I try new things during training that I would never try on game day without first practicing it. My decision making becomes different during training, maybe a bit more risky, so that it's not such a risk during the game."

I also asked Sauerbrunn to list five things (soccer or non-soccer related) that readers should know about her. She said,

1. "Sometimes I need to get away from soccer and rely on books and movies to be my outlet."

2. "If I could not play soccer anymore I would try to get into publishing."

3. "I prefer the rain and the cold over a 90 degree day."

4. "My first pet will be an Egyptian Mali (a type of cat)."

5. "Soccer has given me more than I could ever ask for."

Scotland WNT 3-1 Over Northern Ireland

Scotzine's Laura M with a fine report on Scotland's 3-1 victory over Northern Ireland -- Read On -- Womens Football: Scotland 3-1 Northern Ireland

Cristiano Ronaldo Video at WSW Page 2

Check out this blast from the past -- Cristiano Ronaldo Ignites Legends

Japan Out, Canada In

U.S. WNT Matches Against Japan Cancelled -- So -- U.S. Women to Face Canada in Toronto on May 25 -- Bot via USSoccer.com

Thanks to Womentalksports at Twitter for the heads up.

Angie Woznuk Is Guest Blogging Plus Tuesday Throw-Ins

Saint Louis Athletica midfielder Angie Woznuk is guest blogging over at Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Free Kicks Blog. -- Plus -- Wins by Saint Louis and Sky Blue FC are helping to even out the Women's Professional Soccer playing field, this is my newest Tuesday Throw-Ins article at Goal.com



Photo Credit -- Stephen McClain

WPS - A Look at the Numbers

League Competitiveness

Call it competitiveness or call it parity, there is not a lot separating the best teams from the bottom teams in the WPS. Every team has now played at least a quarter of their schedule and there is only 6 points separating first place from last place. It's even closer when you consider that the league's top two teams, Los Angeles (11 pts) and Boston (10 pts), have played one more game than the league's lowest three teams, Saint Louis, Sky Blue, and Washington (5 pts each).

This competitiveness was never more evident than last week, when the two last place teams both picked up victories. Saint Louis pulled off a 1-0 victory over 4th place FC Gold Pride at home. Even more shocking was Sky Blue FC's 2-0 shutout of the Red Stars in Chicago. Going into the game, Chicago had allowed only one goal, while Sky Blue had scored only one goal. Chicago was coming off of a 4-0 thrashing of Boston. The fact that Sky Blue was able to not only score two goals, but also create several other chances was surprising.

Through 19 games, 13 of them have been decided by one goal or less. Only the Chicago/Boston game was decided by a margin of more than two goals.

Scoring First

As one might suspect, the team that has scored first has either won or tied every match through the games of May 10th. There have been no come from behind victories. Only two teams have come back from 2 goal deficits to catch up. FC Gold Pride was able to erase a 3-1 lead against Washington, only to lose the game on a Freedom goal in stoppage time. Washington scored two late goals against Saint Louis to gain a 3-3 tie two weekends ago.

There have been 15 clean sheets so far, six of which have come in 3 scoreless ties. This has been a little surprising given the number of gifted offensive players in the league. Part of this can probably be attributed to players getting used to playing together and getting their timing down on passing and scoring runs.

WPS Attendance

So far, 102,226 fans have attended WPS games, an average of 5,380. Los Angeles leads in attendance, largely on the strength of a huge crowd for the league's inaugural match. Averages by team:

Los Angeles (3 games)-9,054
Boston (2 games)-6,418
Washington (3 games)-4,803
Chicago (3 games)-4,535
Sky Blue FC (2 games)-4,403
Saint Louis (3 games)-4,365
FC Gold Pride (3 games)-4,104

WPS averaged 6,858 for their 7 home openers. Since then, there have been 12 games and the average for those games was 4,518, a 34% drop off from the openers.

The league has been unlucky with the weather as several of the games have been plagued by rainstorms and cold weather. Additionally, the Mother's Day holiday and high school proms probably hurt last week's attendance. The league has stated a target attendance of between 4,000 and 6,000.

Japan cancels North American Trip

According to FoxSports.com, the Japanese Women's National Team has cancelled it's scheduled trip to North America due to concerns about the swine flu outbreak. The Japanese team was scheduled to play the United States in Frisco, Texas on May 20th and in Sandy, Utah on May 23rd. Following that, they were to play Canada in Toronto on May 25th.

So far, there hasn't been any comment on the story on ussoccer.com, the official site for the United States team.

Saint Louis Soccer News

Some news out of Saint Louis via Tom Timmermann at the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH -- Read On -- Chalupny's goal lifts Athletica to first win and Athletica scramble to fill gap left by loss of Daniela

Breakers Players Will Be At Boston's City Hall Plaza For FitKick 2009

Pro Soccer Comes to City Hall Plaza

The New England Revolution and the Boston Breakers join the kids of America SCORES New England for FitKick 2009

Pro soccer is coming to downtown Boston. The top-ranked New England Revolution and the Boston Breakers will join the Boston Public School kids of America SCORES New England for FitKick 2009. The public is invited as some of the best soccer players in the country play with school kids and sign autographs for local fans.

The event will also feature a variety of outdoor activities aimed at promoting health, fitness and education throughout the City, including soccer clinics run by top soccer stars, health screenings, nutrition information, autograph tables and other interactive games for local youth and families. America SCORES New England is Boston's leading after-school soccer, literacy and service learning program and FitKick 2009 celebrates spring, health and fitness in the City. For more information on the event, visit America SCORES New England

Who Will Be There? -- New England Revolution players, Angela Hucles, Boston Breakers midfielder, Amy LePeilbet, Boston Breakers defender, Kasey Moore, Boston Breakers defender, Boston Public Health Commission, Boston Center for Youth & Families, 93.7 MikeFM, Champions, Boston Bikes, El Planeta

When? -- Thursday May 14, 2009 from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Where? -- Boston City Hall Plaza Boston, MA

About America SCORES New England

America SCORES New England is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping at-risk urban youth develop life skills, literacy and health through soccer. America SCORES New England utilizes Boston Public School teachers to empower youth through the unique combination of athletics, creative writing and service learning. An affiliate of the national America SCORES program currently in 13 major American cities, America SCORES New England prepares the next generation of students for success throughout their lives, and helps youth realize their full potential as active citizens and leaders of their community. For more information, visit America SCORES New England

Lindsay Tarpley Profile At MLive

A fine feature at MLive.com -- Read On -- Lindsay Tarpley Profile

6,000+ At Sol-Breakers Game

Today's attendance at the Sol-Breakers game was 6,210. Solid numbers for Mother's day.

Athletica Hangs On For First Victory

It seemed a long time coming, but Saint Louis Athletica finally notched their first victory in team history as they defeated FC Gold Pride 1-0 before a crowd of over 3800 at Korte Stadium on the campus of SIU-Edwardsville.

The winning goal was scored early in the contest at approximately the 16 minute mark on a corner kick by Lori Chalupny. Chalupny's left-footed in-swinging corner to the far post eluded Nicole Barnhart and went cleanly into the net giving Athletica a 1-0 lead they would never relinquish. The goal seemed to catch both players and fans off guard as there was almost a delayed reaction to it.

The victory did not come without a few anxious moments for Saint Louis, most notably on a play just before stoppage in the 2nd half. Hope Solo came out to intercept a ball in heavy traffic, but she was unable to grab it cleanly. In the ensuing scramble, Christine Sinclair was able to get a shot off that Solo, who was trying to make her way back to the net, was able to snare out of the air to preserve the win.

The game was fairly evenly played in the 1st half, with Athletica having slightly more possession and a healthy edge in shots on goal and corners. Early on, Barnhart went down after a collision in front of her net for what we later found out was a fractured nose. In spite of that, Nicole was able to continue and played very well the rest of the match.

Saint Louis did have a few dangerous chances later in the half, but as has been too often the case this season, their shots were not well placed and Barnhart handled them without incident. Bay Area's best chance of the half came in the 34th minute as Sinclair got clear for a shot at the top of the box that went just wide to Solo's left. A minute later, it was Athletica's Eniola Aluko chipping a cross from the side of the box that went just high and wide of the Gold Pride net.

At half time, Coach Albertin Montoya subbed Tiffeny Milbrett in for Tiffany Weimer, who had an uncharacteristically quiet first half. The 2nd half started much as the first with Chalupny's shot in the 48th minute being easily saved by Barnhart.

It was at that point that Gold Pride started to assert themselves, as their skill players took charge. Over the next 25 minutes, they dominated play with Saint Louis rarely able to get it out of their own half of the field. In the 54th minute, Solo raced out and just beat a charging Sinclair to the ball in front of the Athletica net. A few minutes later, Leslie Osborne launched a shot from long range that was saved by Solo. At about the 75 minute mark, Gold Pride had three consecutive corner kicks that they weren't able to do anything with. This was followed by a hard shot from Eriko Arakawa that Solo made a nice stop on. A minute later, another Gold Pride effort, this one by DiMartino, sailed just over the net. Arakawa, Milbrett, and Formiga played exceptionally well over this stretch. However, Saint Louis was able to weather the storm and hang on for the victory.

Melissa Tancredi suffered a leg injury early in the 2nd half. The stretcher was brought out, but she got up and tried to walk it off, only to go to the ground again a few minutes later. At that point, Coach Jorge Barcellos replaced Tancredi with Niki Cross. The injury to Tancredi did not appear to be serious, but she did have a fairly pronounced limp after the game.

For his other two substitutions, Barcellos used his new acquisitions from LA, Kendall Fletcher and Christie Welsh. Welsh played very well in the closing minutes of the game, showing some nifty ball handling at times and was arguably Athletica's best offensive threat in the 2nd half. Fletcher subbed for Sara Larsson, who was playing her first game at defensive midfielder instead of her normal central defender role. This was Larsson's first game back after sitting out two games with an injury. Saint Louis' defense was solid throughout the match.

Coach Montoya's 2nd half substitution of Milbrett was instrumental in changing the momentum of the game in Gold Pride's favor, as they outshot Saint Louis 8-1 in the final 45 minutes. His other 2nd half substitutions were Erika and Leigh Ann Robinson, who had scored the game winner against Sky Blue a week ago. The Gold Pride defense also played well and they were able to keep Athletica's scoring chances to a minimum. Rachel Buehler was a standout in that capacity. Christina DiMartino was very active and played well for long stretches during both halves. Kandace Wilson made some nice runs from the back, but was unable to get any serious scoring chances. Montoya had to be happy with how well his team played in the 2nd half, even if there was disappointment in not being able to find the net.

Coach Barcellos was obviously both joyous and relieved as he came over to greet fans with hugs and handshakes following the victory. It has certainly been a tough year for Barcellos, who has had to juggle his lineup due to numerous injuries and whose team started the season playing well, but had little to show for it. Athletica's victory moves them into a tie for 5th place with Washington, just two points behind 4th place FC Gold Pride, who maintains their hold on the last playoff spot.

Red Stars Karen Carney Q and A Interview

Karen Carney speaks with Women's Soccer Insider -- Read On -- Exclusive Q and A - Karen Carney

Saint Louis Athletica Defeats FC Gold Pride 1-0

Here is my recap at Goal.com -- Read On -- Saint Louis Athletica Claims First Win Over FC Gold Pride

QPR Ladies Promoted To FA Women's Premier League

Well done, QPR Ladies -- Read On at Vital Queens Park Rangers -- QPR Ladies Promoted To Premier League!

FC Gold Pride Starters vs. Saint Louis Athletica

FC Gold Pride -- Barnhart (GK), Graczyk, Buehler, Dew, Wilson, Formiga, Osborne, DiMartino, Arakawa, Sinclair, Weimer

Via FCGoldPride

Los Angeles Sol To Lend A Hand To Family Of Victim In Long Beach Memorial Shootings

CARSON, CALIF., – Friday, May 8, 2009 – The Los Angeles Sol (Women’s Professional Soccer) will be raising funds for the family of one of the innocent victims in the recent shootings at Long Beach Memorial Hospital at its upcoming May 15 home game at The Home Depot Center.

Hugo Bustamante, a hospital pharmacist at the time of the tragedy, was a coach with the Under-10 Cypress Cyclones and a father of two young children, one of which plays for the AYSO Region 154 team.

In early March, the team lost in the Section 11 finals against the Huntington Park American Eagles – giving the Eagles a chance in play in a state tournament in Davis, California. However, the Eagles knew even before the game that, win or lose, they would not be able to make the trip to Davis due to financial constraints.

Then, something miraculous happened – the Cyclones (who lost the game) were so impressed with the graciousness of the victors, decided they were going to start a fundraising effort to give the Eagles the chance to play in Davis after all.

The Sol, along with KIIS FM Host Ryan Seacrest, who became aware of the efforts thru an e-mail he received from one of the team’s coaches, together provided the Eagles with transportation and hotel accommodations in Davis. In addition, the Sol hosted both the Cyclones and the Eagles at the WPS Inaugural Match on March 29 at The Home Depot Center.

Now, as Bustamante’s family and friends mourn his loss, the Los Angeles Sol together with the entire Southern California soccer community, have joined forces to fundraise for the Hugo Bustamante Family Fund – to benefit his two young children. At its home game on Friday, May 15, the Sol will donate $15 from every $20 ticket purchased in the Cypress Cyclones section to the fund as well as host a pre-game silent auction, a raffle and much more. For information on the tribute to Hugo Bustamante, please visit www.losangelessol.com/hugo or call the Los Angeles Sol at 1-877-4-SOL-TIX.

Via Sol Media Release

This Weekend's WPS Matches-May 9th and 10th

FC Gold Pride at Saint Louis Athletica

It appears that Saint Louis will have a full roster for tonight's match...with one glaring omission. With Daniela sidelined indefinitely, Athletica acquired Kendall Fletcher and Christie Welsh from the Sol. In addition, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, both Amanda Cinalli and Sara Larsson will be available after sitting out time with injuries. Kia McNeill's suspension will be delayed by a game, so she will also be ready to go. Undoubtedly, Coach Jorge Barcellos and captain Lori Chalupny have a monumental task facing them to try to hold this team together. I don't know how much we will see of the new additions, since they have not yet practiced with the team. It will be interesting to see who Athletica will start at forward. Aluko is a given, but will he go to Tancredi, Hanks, or Welsh for the 2nd forward. Hanks sent a perfect pass through the defense for Aluko who neatly placed it in the corner of the net for the team's third goal last week (even though the assist was mistakenly given to Daniela). Chalupny will certainly be the focus, with Daniela out, much as she was the first game of the season.

For FC Gold Pride, Brazilian Adriane saw her first action of the year, just 6 minutes, but quickly contributed with an assist on Leigh Ann Robinson's winner in the 86th minute. Interestingly, Coach Albertin Montoya chose not to start Eriko Arakawa last week. Ageless Tiffeny Milbrett has been starting and has scored twice this season. Nicole Barnhart recorded her first shutout last week and made some excellent saves in the process. Gold Pride also features tough defender Rachel Buehler and solid midfielder Formiga.

One problem for Athletica is how their defense will match up with the likes of Arakawa, Milbrett, and the creative Tiffany Weimer, along with the speedy Kandace Wilson. Gold Pride's defense has been surprisingly vulnerable at times and Aluko could give them fits if she has support up front. But on her good days, Barnhart can be tough to beat. This is a tough game to call, in fact, a tough game to even guess the starting lineups.

Boston Breakers at Los Angeles Sol

This is a battle between the top two teams in the standings and a rematch of last week's game won by the Breakers, 2-1. It marked the first loss for LA and the first time they had given up a goal. The teams switch coasts for this one, which will be played Sunday afternoon at the Home Depot Center.

I'm sure that Los Angeles is glad for the immediate chance to avenge last week's loss. For the 2nd straight week they were outshot and they do not seem to resemble the juggernaut that they appeared to be in the first 3 games. Karina LeBlanc actually appeared to be human, reacting late on Kelly Smith's goal in the opening minutes of the match. There were bright spots as Brittany Bock picked up her first goal. Surprisingly, Coach Abner Rogers used only 12 players in that game, the only substitution being Katie Larkin for Camille Abily late in the game. After starting the four previous games, Allison Falk wasn't used last week. I'm not sure if she was under the weather or if the addition of Martina Franko has pushed her out of the starting lineup.

For Boston, last week's victory was a big one. A loss would have put them 7 points out of 1st. Instead, they now have the opportunity to take over the top of the table this week. Defensively, the Breakers held Marta to no goals and only two shots. This was the same defense that surrendered 4 goals to Chicago the previous week. Kelly Smith has scored in every game that she has played in (she did not play in Chicago after returning from England). Kristine Lilly added a goal in the 2nd half. Breakers' Coach Tony DiCicco is getting a lot out of players that are less than household names like Kelly Schmedes and Stacy Bishop, who have two assists each.

Boston has struggled on the road, being demolished in Chicago and losing at Gold Pride earlier in the season. They will have to lift their game in order to win back-to-back against a talented Los Angeles team. It should be an interesting game between two teams with many offensive weapons. My prediction is that the Sol will bounce back and take this one in their home stadium.

Sky Blue FC at Chicago

The NJ/NY side makes it way to Chicago for the 2nd time this season. The first match ended in a scoreless tie amidst a rainstorm in Chicago. Chicago sits in 3rd place, trailing LA by 2 points and Boston by 1, but they have a game in hand on both of those two teams. Sky Blue is tied for last with Athletica and have scored only once this season.

Chicago had their best game of the season two weeks ago as they blitzed Boston for a 4-0 decision. The Red Stars are led by what I think is the toughest back line in the league with Dalmy, Dieke, Krzysik, and Ostberg. Caroline Jonsson has been fabulous in goal, making good decisions and showing a lot of quickness. Carli Lloyd leads the midfield, but perhaps Brittany Klein has been the most pleasant surprise there. Five players have contributed goals to the Red Star offense, including young English National player Karen Carney, who is small in stature, but big in talent.

For some reason, Sky Blue just can't seem to score. Their only goal came in a 1-1 tie with Gold Pride, scored by Heather O'Reilly. Natasha Kai, who received a concussion earlier in the season, has yet to score. Given their limited offensive output, they are lucky to have gained two ties. The good news is Christie Rampone returned to the lineup last week for the first time since the opener and her field leadership alone has to help Sky Blue. Another question is whether the goalie-go-round is still going on. Jen Branam and Karen Bardsley have shared time this year, but Branam played the full 90 last week, giving up only a late goal to Leigh Ann Robinson.

One would think this would be a no-brainer, given Sky Blue's anemic offense and Chicago's rock solid defense. My prediction is a Chicago victory, however, a Sky Blue breakthrough would not surprise me.