Los Angeles Sol - The Offseason So Far

When Last We Left Them...

Los Angeles won the WPS regular season title with a 12-3-5 record and 41 points, well ahead of the rest of the league. By early June, they had opened up a double digit lead on the field, posting shutouts in 8 of their first 9 games. They were led by three great international players on offense, Marta, Camille Abily, and Aya Miyama. These three combined for 18 goals and 10 assists for the season. Karina LeBlanc was unbeatable in goal and a strong defense led by veteran Shannon Boxx at defensive mid kept opponents in check.

However, with not much to play for, they struggled down the stretch. A loss to Athletica in early July put their championship celebration on hold for two weeks. A scoreless tie against Gold Pride on July 23rd clinched it for them, but they appeared to be losing momentum. The Sol managed only a 1-2-1 record over their last 4 matches and then had a two week layoff before hosting the WPS Championship. They just never looked sharp in that match, surrendering an early goal to Sky Blue, followed quickly by a red card to Allison Falk. The 1-0 loss was a disappointing ending to a great season for Los Angeles.

Roster Moves

Los Angeles retained several great players from their 2009 roster, but little beyond that. At the present time, they have only 9 players signed for the 2010 season. Those players are Marta, Abily, Miyama, Boxx, LeBlanc, Brittany Bock, Stephanie Cox, Johanna Frisk, and Manya Makoski. It remains to be seen if they will re-sign any of their own free agents such as Aly Wagner or McCall Zerboni.

The Sol lost defender Sharolta Nonen and all-purpose player Katie Larkin to Atlanta in the expansion draft. Nonen, a veteran of the Canadian National Team and the WUSA Atlanta Beat, was a late season signing for Los Angeles after their defensive ranks were depleted for various reasons. She appeared in only two matches for the Sol. Larkin was a 3rd round draft choice for LA in 2009 and showed a lot of potential, but she rarely cracked the starting lineup of the talented Sol. She proved to be very versatile, even filling in at defense when needed. Larkin didn't score, but played in 14 matches and started 5.

In early October, Los Angeles traded defender Allison Falk and backup keeper Val Henderson to the Philadelphia Independence, for a 1st and a 3rd round draft pick. Falk, the Sol's 2nd round pick from 2009, started 16 games for Los Angeles and was considered to be one of the best young defenders in the league. Her absence will leave a pretty big hole in the Sol's back line. Henderson got very little chance to play because of LeBlanc's brilliance. But when she did, she sparkled with a shutout against Gold Pride in her only match. Additionally, free agent Lyndsey Patterson, who saw action in one match for LA, was signed by Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles has been very quiet, making no major acquisitions. They are in good position to make a lot of noise at the draft. They have possession of the 5th, 8th, and 9th overall picks.

Current Roster

Goalkeepers (1)-Karina LeBlanc.
Defenders (4)-Brittany Bock, Stephanie Cox, Johanna Frisk, Manya Makoski.
Midfielders (3)-Camille Abily, Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama.
Forwards (1)-Marta.

Additions- None
Subtractions- Sharolta Nonen (drafted by Atlanta), Katie Larkin (drafted by Atlanta), Allison Falk (traded to Philadelphia), Valerie Henderson (traded to Philadelphia), Lyndsey Patterson (signed by Philadelphia).

Other Free Agents from 2009 roster-Liz Bogus, Brittany Cameron, Martina Franko, Han Duan, Keri Sanchez, Lisa Sari, Julia Schnugg, Christie Shaner, Aly Wagner, and McCall Zerboni.
Internationals-Abily, Frisk, Marta, and Miyama with 1 slot open.
Draft Choices (in first 3 rounds)-Nos. 5, 8, 9, 20, and 22.

Needs to Address

Los Angeles has three things going for them. They have a lot of talent, a lot of draft picks, and some versatility. Brittany Bock can play any position on the field and Manya Makoski can play defender or midfielder. But there are still holes to fill. I would think that their first need would be defender. With Franko, Falk, and Nonen gone, they really need a center back. I'm guessing that LA will use their final international opening for a scorer, leaving the draft as the means to fill their defensive needs. Would LA possibly package a couple of their draft picks to move up to the top spot in the draft?

Los Angeles also needs a scorer and probably more than one. Brittany Bock could move up to forward. Bock and Marta seemed to have pretty good chemistry when they paired together up front, but their 5th international player will probably be the key here. Will Laura Del Rio be the missing piece of the puzzle or do they have someone else in mind?

The other needs for the Sol could probably be filled by re-signing some of their own players. Brittany Cameron, last year's developmental keeper for the Sol, could move into the backup position, although the Sol could opt for one of the top college keepers instead. And then at midfield, there is the question as to whether Aly Wagner and/or McCall Zerboni might be back to complement the already strong group of Boxx, Abily, and Miyama.

It's almost as though Los Angeles is banking on this year's draft being stronger than last year's. They've lost three talented young players from that 2009 draft in Falk, Henderson, and Larkin. In addition, they got Bock, Zerboni, Cameron, and Sari in the draft. Will their 2010 draft class be as talented as the 2009 class was? The Sol will definitely be a team to watch on draft day.

Saint Louis Athletica - The Offseason So Far

Madelaine Edlund and Lori Chalupny battle in the WPS All-Star Game. The two will be teammates with Saint Louis Athletica in 2010.

When Last We Left Them...

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Saint Louis Athletica finished in 2nd place with a 10-6-4 record and 34 points. After a very slow start which saw them go scoreless for the first 277 minutes of the season, they showed strong improvement as the season wore on. An early season injury to Daniela left Athletica without one of their more talented players. But they went 6-1-2 over their last 9 games, the best record in the league over that time. Saint Louis was eliminated by Sky Blue in a tough 1-0 match in the semifinals, as they played without leading scorer Eniola Aluko.

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Chances are, if you attended an Athletica match in 2009, you saw a shutout. Saint Louis, behind brilliant goalkeeping from Hope Solo and Jill Loyden, posted 10 shutouts. Athletica was also shut out 6 times in addition to their playoff game. Aluko was their only consistent scorer. After Aluko, only midseason acquisition Christie Welsh scored as many as 3, all coming in the last two games of the season. Saint Louis was led in the midfield by Lori Chalupny and Kendall Fletcher, and defensively by Tina Ellertson.

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Roster Moves

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Saint Louis retained only 10 players from their 2009 squad, leaving them a strong nucleus but a lot of holes to fill. They waived their option on two of their international players, Daniela and Sarah Walsh, and granted free agency to a 3rd, Melissa Tancredi.

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Surprisingly, at least to me, Athletica left attacking midfielder Amanda Cinalli unprotected in the expansion draft and she was selected by the Atlanta Beat. Outside of Aluko and Welsh, Cinalli was probably their most productive offensive player. She scored 2 goals and an assist after missing the first 7 games due to a leg injury. Atlanta also selected veteran defender Sara Larsson from Saint Louis, a starter of 12 games for Athletica. She eventually signed with the Philadelphia Independence after Atlanta did not pick up her option. Additionally, free agent Niki Cross, who scored a late season goal for Saint Louis, was signed by FC Gold Pride.

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The big news for Saint Louis was the signing of two veteran international players in late November. Athletica addressed some of their scoring needs by signing 24 year old Swedish forward Madelaine Edlund. Edlund has played the last three seasons with Umeå IK of the Swedish Damallsvenskan. She has scored 28 goals over the past two seasons with Umeå. Edlund should provide Saint Louis with a forward complement to Eni Aluko.

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The other signing was that of Brazilian midfielder Elaine Moura, another player that spent 2009 with Umeå IK. Elaine was a member of the 2007 Brazilian team that finished 2nd in the World Cup. The 27 year old strengthens Athletica's midfield and will give them added experience.

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Current Roster

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Goalkeepers (2)-Jillian Loyden, Hope Solo.

Defenders (4)-Tina Ellertson, Stephanie Logterman, Kia McNeill, Elise Weber.

Midfielders (4)-Lori Chalupny, Elaine, Kendall Fletcher, Angie Woznuk.

Forwards (2)-Eniola Aluko, Madelaine Edlund.

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Additions-Edlund and Elaine.

Subtractions-Amanda Cinalli (drafted by Atlanta), Sara Larsson (drafted by Atlanta), Niki Cross (signed by Gold Pride.

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Other Free Agents from 2009 roster-Daniela, Sheree Gray, Erin Kane, Ashlee Pistorius, Lisa Stoia, Melissa Tancredi, Sarah Walsh, Erin Walter, Christie Welsh.

Internationals-Aluko, Edlund, and Elaine with 2 slots open.

Draft Choices (in first 3 rounds)-Nos. 17, 19, and 28.

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Needs to Address

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Considering that Saint Louis scored only 19 goals last season and that only 3 players that scored are still on their roster, it's fairly obvious that scoring has to be a priority. With the loss of Cinalli, Athletica really needs a scorer out of the midfield. Last season, Saint Louis got only 6 goals out of their midfield, two each from Chalupny, Cinalli, and Daniela. Angie Woznuk was unable to add a goal or an assist in 2009 and Chalupny took quite a beating, suffering 46 fouls, tied with Kelly Smith for tops in the league. Without a top draft choice, Saint Louis may have to turn to the international market to find an attacking mid.

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Additionally, Athletica could use another forward. Right now, they have only Aluko and Edlund. Ashlee Pistorius could still be in the picture for 2010, but another forward is needed. It will be interesting to see who is left when Athletica drafts at number 17.

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Defensively, Saint Louis was strong with Tina Ellertson leading the way, surrounded by young talent like McNeill, Logterman, and Weber. But an experienced back line player would be welcome. Athletica looked particularly vulnerable in the first 30 minutes of the playoff match against Sky Blue.

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Saint Louis was the surprise team to many last season. They didn't boast a lot of big name stars outside of Chalupny and Solo. Aluko turned out to be one of the league's most exciting young players and Ellertson's experience on the back line was a key factor as Athletica clawed their way up to 2nd place by the end of 2009. While they have a nice group of veterans to build around and have added two very good players, there are still many holes to be filled in the next three months. Without any high choices, it will be tough to do this through the draft. They will have to make the most of their two remaining international openings if they are to challenge for the title in 2010.

Washington Freedom - The Offseason So Far

For the 4th installment on the WPS offseason...the Washington Freedom.

When Last We Left Them...

The Washington Freedom finished in 3rd place with 29 points and an 8-7-5 record. The 2009 Freedom could score a lot, leading the league with 32 goals. Unfortunately, they also gave up 32 goals, worst in the WPS. Abby Wambach and Lisa De Vanna were a dangerous combination of power and speed up front. Together, they scored 14 goals for the regular season, with De Vanna adding one in the playoffs. Sonia Bompastor added four goals of her own and was one of the best midfielders in the league.

But on the defensive side, there were problems. Early on, Washington gave up goals and lots of them. By midseason, the Freedom had installed Erin McLeod as their starting keeper and that seemed to temporarily solve the problem. Washington had a 6 game stretch where they gave up a total of just 3 goals. But late in the season, the defense gave up 4 goals in one game against Sky Blue and 3 in a key late season contest against Gold Pride. The Freedom then made a quick exit in the playoffs, losing at home to eventual champions Sky Blue by a 2-1 margin.

Roster Moves

The Freedom's offseason has been extremely quiet...no free agent signings, no trades, no nothing. Quiet that is, until yesterday when they announced the signing of 22 year old forward Lene Mykjåland, a member of the 2008 Norwegian Olympic Team. Mykjåland has spent the last 4 years with Rǿa of the Norwegian Toppserien. She scored 21 goals in 2009, leading the league and leading her team to a 3rd straight championship. With Wambach, De Vanna, and Mykjåland, the Freedom could threaten their 2009 mark of 32 goals.

The Freedom retained 14 players from their 2009 squad, including all four internationals (Bompastor, De Vanna, McLeod, and Homare Sawa). This also includes the scorers of 29 of their 32 goals (the 30th was an own goal by Gold Pride). Chances are, of all WPS teams, Washington's 2010 roster will change the least from 2009.

However, Washington did lose a couple of players in the expansion draft. Lori Lindsey, a key member of the Freedom midfield in 2009, was left unprotected and Philadelphia quickly took her off the board with their 1st choice. Lindsey's 2009 performance was impressive enough for US National Team coach Pia Sundhage to call her into camp. For the Freedom, she played in 19 games, scoring 2 goals and an assist.

Philadelphia also chose defender Sarah Senty in the expansion draft. Senty, a former University of Virginia star, joined the Freedom in June and started 5 games down the stretch. She also started Washington's playoff match and played the full 90 minutes.

Current Roster

Goalkeepers (2)-Erin McLeod, Briana Scurry.
Defenders (5)-Jill Gilbeau, Alex Krieger, Becky Sauerbrunn, Alex Singer, Cat Whitehill.
Midfielders (5)-Sonia Bompastor, Sarah Huffman, Allie Long, Rebecca Moros, Homare Sawa.
Forwards (3)-Lisa De Vanna, Lene Mykjåland, Abby Wambach.

Additions- Mykjåland
Subtractions- Lori Lindsey (drafted by Philadelphia), Sarah Senty (drafted by Philadelphia).

Other Free Agents from 2009 roster- Kristen DeDycker, Parrissa Eyorokon, Katie Forbis, Emily Janss, Christen Karniski, Joanna Lohman, Kati Jo Spisak.
Internationals-Bompastor, De Vanna, McLeod, Mykjåland, and Sawa.
Draft Picks (in first 3 rounds)-Nos. 7, 18, and 27.

Needs to Address

With Lindsey gone, Washington needs additional help in the midfield. Just how many depends on whether Freedom coach Jim Gabarra would rather use Sonia Bompastor on their back line. Sarah Huffman will be returning after missing the entire 2009 season, save for a brief appearance in the playoff match against Sky Blue. But most of their current midfielders would be considered to be offensive minded. I would think that a defensive mid would be a priority and perhaps a creative playmaking midfielder if Bompastor moves to defense permanently. I could certainly see the Freedom using 2 of their first 3 draft choices on midfielders.

After giving up 32 goals in 2009, defense also has to be a priority. While they would appear to have some strong defenders on their roster, including veteran Cat Whitehill, they did not perform particularly well as a unit last season. They yielded three or more goals 6 times in 2009. Amazingly, they managed a 1-3-2 record in those six games. In a league where 1-0 games are the norm, a solid defense is essential and Washington will seek to improve in this area.

In spite of all their scoring, Washington played a lot of close matches. When their opponents scored a lot, they scored a lot. But in the 4 matches in which they shut out their opponents, they scored only 3 goals. Four different times, the Freedom scored in the 89th minute or later to win or tie games. One thing that can be said about this team is that they keep you on the edge of your seat. Now that Mykjåland has been signed, it will be interesting to see if this team can make enough small changes in the rest of their squad to challenge for the top.

Lene Mykjåland Signs with Washington Freedom

The Washington Freedom have signed forward Lene Mykjåland of Norway. The 22 year old striker is a member of the Norwegian National Team and has been the leading scorer for league champions Rǿa of the Norway Toppserien the past 3 years. She led the league in scoring with 21 goals for Rǿa in the 2009 season, after scoring 18 in the previous season. Mykjåland has also participated for Norway in the 2007 World Cup and the 2008 Olympics. She has over 20 caps for Norway.

Mykjåland joins an already powerful offensive unit which led the WPS in scoring last season and includes Abby Wambach and Lisa De Vanna. Interestingly, one of Mykjåland's teammates at Rǿa is Becky Sauerbrunn, a starting center back for the Freedom. Barring any changes, Washington now has a full complement of 5 internationals on their roster. Mykjåland joins De Vanna, Sonia Bompastor, Erin McLeod, and Homare Sawa on Washington's roster.

Boston Breakers-The Offseason So Far

In the 3rd installment on WPS teams in the offseason, we'll look at the Boston Breakers.

When Last We Left Them...

The Breakers finished in 5th place with 25 points, just a point behind 4th place Sky Blue and out of the playoffs. Like Gold Pride and Chicago, they played very well early in the season and after defeating Los Angeles on May 2, they looked like they would challenge the Sol for 1st place. However, a May/June slump sent them back in the pack. Still, with just two weeks to go in the season, they were in good shape for the playoffs at 7-6-4. They never got another point, falling to LA in a must win match on the final day of the season as the Sol netted two 2nd half goals to defeat Boston 2-1.

The Breakers boasted a solid defense, but scored only 18 goals. Leading scorer Kelly Smith had injury issues, but still managed a fine season in spite of rarely being 100% physically. Boston only scored more than one goal on 3 occasions and not at all after June 21. Their midseason goalkeeper change to Allison Lipsher made their defense even stronger, but scoring just one goal total in their last four games doomed their playoff chances.

Roster Moves

If you could choose one word to describe the Breakers' offseason it would be eventful. Although they still have a core from last year's team, their 2010 roster will be quite different from that of 2009. Gone are Angela Hucles (retired), Heather Mitts (free agent), Amy Rodriguez (trade), Kelly Schmedes (expansion), Sue Weber (expansion), and Candace Chapman (free agent). That's two of their 3 USWNT allocations, the number one choice in the 2009 draft, and three other key players from their 2009 roster. Add to that Sophia Mundy, who was recently signed by Atlanta and Nancy Augustyniak Goffi, who reportedly has retired and we're talking about over one-third of the team' starts for last season.

The trade of Rodriguez was not a surprise as there appeared to be some friction between her and head coach Tony DiCicco for much of the season. She played only 61 minutes over the final 6 games of the year and it was a foregone conclusion that she would not be back with Boston in 2010. Boston traded Rodriguez and their 1st round pick to Philadelphia for the number 2 and 11 picks in the 2010 draft. The trade should work out well for both parties with Boston gaining a high draft choice and Rodriguez getting a chance for a new start.

Likewise, Heather Mitts signing with Philly was no surprise. However, the retirement of Angela Hucles caught a lot of people off guard. Hucles is just 31 years old and had helped lead the US to an Olympic Gold Medal just a year earlier.

Boston quickly moved to fill some of those gaps by signing Tiffany Weimer and Leslie Osborne, two of the more coveted available free agents. Both spent their 2009 seasons with FC Gold Pride. Osborne, an USWNT allocation herself, started 18 games for FCGP and was a stalwart at midfield. She is a hard tackling defensive mid who should help strengthen the Breakers' center. Osborne has 61 caps and 3 goals for the US National Team.

Weimer, started last season in fine fashion, scoring a goal and adding 3 assists in her first four games. But she rarely started after midseason and Gold Pride waived their option on her for 2010. She is a highly creative forward and should help the Breakers' offense in 2010. The Breakers also signed Erika Sutton, a Florida State alum, who saw action in one match for Boston as a short term player due to roster depletion as a result of national team call ups. There is also a strong likelihood that Brazilian forward Fabiana could be back with the Breakers in 2010.

Current Roster

Goalkeepers (1)-Allison Lipsher.
Defenders (3)-Amy LePeilbet, Alex Scott, Erika Sutton.
Midfielders (6)-Kristine Lilly (MF/F), Mary-Frances Monroe, Kasey Moore, Leslie Osborne, Kelly Smith, Maggie Tomecka.
Forwards (3)-Christine Latham, Jennifer Nobis, Tiffany Weimer.

Additions-Osborne, Sutton, and Weimer.
Subtractions-Amy Rodriguez (traded to Philadelphia), Sue Weber (drafted by Philadelphia), Kelly Schmedes (drafted by Philadelphia), Angela Hucles (retired), Heather Mitts (signed by Philadelphia), Candace Chapman (signed by Gold Pride), Sophia Mundy (signed by Atlanta), Nancy Augustyniak Goffi (retired).

Other Free Agents from 2009 roster-Abby Crumpton, Fabiana, Kristin Luckenbill, Ashley Phillips.

Internationals-Scott, Smith, and Latham with 2 slots open (Fabiana is likely to be one of them).
Draft Picks (in first 3 rounds)-Nos. 2, 11, 16, and 25.


Needs to Address

Even though they had trouble scoring in 2009, the Breakers' number one need has to be defense. They have two of the world's best in Scott and LePeilbet, but they lost 42 of the team's 80 defensive starts with Mitts, Goffi, Chapman, and Weber. With the number 2 pick in the draft, it would appear to point to Whitney Engen, North Carolina's all-everything defender. Engen is a four year starter for the Tar Heels and the consensus best defender in the coming draft. After playing two years at forward for UNC, she made the transition to defense look easy.

Scoring is still a need, even if Fabiana is on board for the 2010 season. The foursome of Fabiana, Latham, Nobis, and Weimer only scored a total of 5 goals last season. Kelly Smith led the team in scoring with 6 goals, but injuries and call ups limited her late season output. Kristine Lilly will be back and is still an amazing player, but another scorer would certainly be in order for Boston.

As with several teams, Boston also needs to address the backup keeper situation. As stated earlier, there will be several keepers available in the draft and last year's developmental keeper Ashley Phillips could still be in the picture.

The Breakers must do better in this year's draft. They possess 3 of the top 16 picks. Out of their 2009 draft class, only Jenny Nobis and Kasey Moore are still with the team. Boston has a lot of talented players to build around with Smith, Scott, Lilly, LePeilbet, and Osborne, but they must still fill in the gaps around that talent. Perhaps fittingly, the Breakers' 2010 home opener will be against Philadelphia. Mitts, Rodriguez, Schmedes, and Weber will return to Boston to play against their old team.

Chicago Red Stars - The Offseason So Far

In the second installment on the WPS offseason, we'll take a look at the Chicago Red Stars.

When Last We Left Them...

The Chicago Red Stars finished in 6th place with 20 points and out of the playoffs. The season started promisingly enough with the Red Stars going 2-0-2 over their first 4 matches climaxing with a 4-0 trouncing of the Boston Breakers. But then, the wheels came off. Chicago managed just two goals over their next 9 games, which included scoring droughts of 396 and 451 minutes. They did manage 3 late season wins, including a 3-1 victory over Los Angeles.

Scoring was a major problem for the Red Stars as they tallied only 18 goals during the season, with 10 of those coming in just three games. Surprisingly after a great start defensively, earning shutouts in 3 of the first 4 matches, they gave up 24 goals over the last 16 matches and finished with the 3rd worst total in the league. Much of that can probably attributed to injuries on the back line. With Kate Markgraf returning to action in 2010, the Red Star defense appears to be in good shape for the coming season.

Roster Moves

Chicago instantly made offseason news by deciding to waive their 2010 options on several players, including Carli Lloyd and Cristiane, their leading scorer. Not surprisingly, Sky Blue signed Lloyd in October. Cristiane remains a free agent, but there is still the possibility that she could be back with the Red Stars in 2010. Also no longer with the team are Frida Östberg, who opted to retire, and Australian midfielder Heather Garriock, who was plagued by injuries for almost the entire 2009 season.

As far as acquisitions go, the Red Stars were pretty quiet early on. They did sign Oswego, Illinois native Julianne Sitch, who spent the 2009 season with the champion Sky Blue side. Sitch played several years for the Chicago W-League team and played her college soccer at DePaul. She started 11 matches for Sky Blue, scoring one goal. Sitch will provide some versatility to the Red Stars, as she can play both midfielder and defender. She has been sharpening her skills in the WPS offseason by playing for the Melbourne Victory of the Australian W-League where she has scored one goal as well.

December saw the Red Stars making two key international signings, tapping into European national teams. First came the signing of veteran English midfielder Katie Chapman of Arsenal. Chapman is a long-time member of the English National Team with 73 caps and 7 goals to her credit. She joins a talented Chicago midfield group which also includes her English teammate Karen Carney as well Megan Rapinoe and Brittany Klein.

The second signing was that of 20-year old Kosovare Asllani, a member of Linköpings FC and the Swedish National Team. The young forward debuted with the national team in 2008 and has scored 21 goals over the past two seasons in the Damallsvenskan. Asllani should bolster the Red Stars offense, but she will be hard pressed to replace Cristiane's 7 goals from 2009, unless the Brazilian forward re-signs with Chicago.

Current Roster

Goalkeepers (1)-Caroline Jönsson.
Defenders (6)-Marian Dalmy, Ifeoma Dieke, Chioma Igwe, Kate Markgraf, Jill Oakes, Natalie Spilger.
Midfielders (6)-Karen Carney, Katie Chapman, Brittany Klein, Megan Rapinoe, Julianne Sitch, Lindsay Tarpley (MF/F).
Forwards (2)-Kosovare Asllani, Ella Masar.

Additions-Asllani, Chapman, and Sitch.
Subtractions-Danesha Adams (drafted by Philadelphia), Nikki Krzysik (drafted by Philadelphia), Carli Lloyd (signed by Sky Blue).

Other Free Agents from 2009 roster-Cristiane, Heather Garriock, Jaimel Johnson, Mary Therese McDonnell, Frida Ostberg (retired), Lydia Vandenbergh, Michelle Wenino, Lydia Williams.
Internationals-Asllani, Carney, Chapman, and Jönsson with one slot open.
Draft Picks (in first 3 rounds)-Nos. 4, 15, and 24.

Needs to Address

With Cristiane being a free agent and Lindsay Tarpley coming off ACL surgery, scoring has to be priority one. Those two combined for 11 of the Red Stars' 18 goals last season, with Tarpley also leading the team in assists. The Red Stars were shut out in over half of their games last year and they can't afford a repeat of that performance. Ella Masar will be back with Chicago, but while Tarpley's rehab seems to be going well and the signing of Asllani is a great addition, I really think the Red Stars need another top scorer. Whether that means re-signing Cristiane or another international forward, or perhaps a top college scorer remains to be seen.

The second major need is a backup keeper. Last season, Caroline Jonsson played every minute of every game. She was very sharp early on, but later in the season, the onslaught of shots against her had to take their toll. Jonsson has just turned 32, not necessarily old for a keeper, but still it would be nice to groom somebody to be her replacement and this year's draft has several good candidates. It is unknown if Lydia Williams is still in the Red Stars' plans for the future.

The other area that Chicago might want to address is depth at midfield. With so many of their players being potential call ups for national team duty, it is likely that players like Rapinoe, Carney, Chapman, and Klein will miss several games. The signing of Sitch certainly addressed that problem, but more depth is never a bad thing to have.

The Red Stars were a bit of an enigma last year. They appeared to have all of the pieces of the puzzle and got off to a great start. But injuries hurt the team, as did a couple of red cards in matches against Washington. At times, it appeared that they offensively broke down into too much one-on-one play. I believe that in Rapinoe and Carney, they might possibly have two of the best young outside midfielders in the world. It certainly seems like this all should have translated into more than 5 victories. I have to believe that better things are ahead for this team in 2010, but there are some lingering questions that need to be addressed.

Scotland's Under 19s face tough challenge in the Elite Round of the UEFA Women's Under 19 Championship

Scotland's Under 19 women are preparing to face Denmark, The Netherlands and Finland in the Elite Round of the UEFA Women’s Under 19 Championship. The mini tournament is set to take place in March and April of 2010. The Netherlands will host the group and only the group winner and top runners-up will advance to compete with host FYR Macedonia in the finals next summer.

Washington Freedom vs. Boston Breakers - April 10th

The 2009 WPS season begins with the Freedom and Breakers squaring off at the Maryland SoccerPlex on Saturday April 10th.

2010 WPS Home Openers Set

Via League Press Release

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (December 17, 2009) – Women’s Professional Soccer today announced the bulk of its home openers for the 2010 WPS Season, which features two new teams entering the league with the Atlanta Beat and Philadelphia Independence as 2010 expansion franchises. League play will begin with a full slate of games on the weekend of April 10-11, two weeks later than the start of the inaugural season in 2009 in order to accommodate warmer weather and avoid playing on the Easter holiday weekend. It will be the first time ever that four WPS games take place over one weekend.

The opening game for Fox Soccer Channel’s WPS Sunday on FSC national telecast package, which will return with the same appointment-television format in 2010, will feature 2009 WPS Champion Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY) playing host to the Chicago Red Stars on April 11 at 6pm ET. Sky Blue FC played their final home game of the 2009 season in front of a sell-out crowd at Yurcak Field in Piscataway, NJ, before its 3-game run through the WPS Playoffs, and will be looking for a successful start to their title defense. The Fox Soccer Channel national game in Week 2 will then feature the first television appearance for a WPS expansion team with the Philadelphia Independence traveling to play the Boston Breakers at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, MA on April 18, also at 6pm ET. The game will be a return to the Boston area for former No. 1 overall draft choice Amy Rodriguez and star defender Heather Mitts – both of whom played with the Breakers last year before signing with the Independence during the off-season.

Other home openers on the weekend of April 10-11 include Philadelphia hosting the Atlanta Beat in a match-up of expansion teams, Saint Louis Athletica taking on FC Gold Pride in St. Louis, MO, and the Washington Freedom hosting East Coast rival Boston at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, MD. On April 17, FC Gold Pride will host its 2010 home opener against Sky Blue FC at Castro Valley H.S. Athletic Stadium, a temporary venue, while the Chicago Red Stars will face regional rival Saint Louis with its first home game at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL.

Home openers for the Los Angeles Sol and Atlanta will be announced soon with Atlanta expecting to play its first home game in May at its brand new stadium built specifically for Women’s Professional Soccer at Kennesaw State University.

Gold Pride Signs Gulbrandsen

About a week ago, I was writing that FC Gold Pride had a gaping hole in their midfield. They took a big step in filling that hole with the signing of Solveig Gulbrandsen of Norway.

Gulbrandsen has extensive experience with the Norwegian national team, playing for her country in 3 World Cups and 2 Olympics. The talented midfielder scored a goal in her World Cup debut in 1999 against Canada at the age of 18, a game which incidentally was played in Washington DC in the US. As of earlier this year, Gulbrandsen was 6th all-time in caps (133) and goals (40) for Norway.

Gulbrandsen joins Christine Sinclair, Candace Chapman, and Eriko Arakawa as Gold Pride's international players. They still have a 5th international spot open.

FC Gold Pride-The Offseason So Far

We're now about 6 weeks away from the 2010 WPS draft and it might be a good time to catch up on what each WPS team has been doing since the season ended in August. Offseason, of course, refers to that part of the year when no matches are being played, but that doesn't mean that coaches aren't busy. Front offices and coaching staffs have been logging heavy mileage, scouting international talent as well as the NCAA Tournament in search of players that will help them in the coming season. In addition, teams had to make decisions regarding player options and contracts, as well as who to protect for the expansion draft which was held in September.

So let's take a look at what has happened since August and what lies ahead for each team. We'll start with FC Gold Pride.

When Last We Left Them...

FC Gold Pride finished last in the regular season table with just 18 points. The season started out promisingly enough, with Gold Pride going 3-3-1 over their first 7 games. If there was a turning point in the season, it was the May 24th match against Los Angeles. Not only did they lose that match 2-0, but they also lost defender Kandace Wilson for the season after a collision with Marta very late in that contest. FCGP managed only 2 points over their next 7 games, being outscored 12-4 over that time. They had problems scoring, with Christine Sinclair being the only player to score on anything other than a penalty kick from May 3 through August 1. And for a team that seemed to have a decent back line, they gave up the 2nd most goals in the WPS.

Gold Pride did manage a fairly strong finish, playing the role of spoiler late in the season. A combined 3 ties against Saint Louis and Los Angeles and a victory over Washington proved that they could play with the league's top teams.

Roster Moves

Gold Pride retained 12 players from their 2009 team, including leading scorers Sinclair and Tiffeny Milbrett, US National Team players Rachel Buehler and Nicole Barnhart, last year's 1st round draft pick Tina DiMartino, injured defender Wilson, and international star Eriko Arakawa.

The expansion draft saw the Atlanta Beat choosing Leigh Ann Robinson as the first overall pick in that draft. Robinson had started 15 games and scored a goal for Gold Pride. Considering she was only a 6th round pick, Robinson made a nice contribution for Gold Pride in 2009.

Gold Pride quickly made a splash in the free agent market, signing former Boston Breaker defender Candace Chapman and the versatile Niki Cross from Saint Louis in October. Both were part-time starters with their former teams.

Chapman saw action in 11 matches, starting 8 for the Breakers. She gives Gold Pride international experience at defense. The former Notre Dame star has 65 caps for the Canadian National Team and has both World Cup and Olympic experience. She will help solidify a back line that already includes Rachel Buehler, Kandace Wilson, Carrie Dew, and Kristen Graczyk.

Cross saw very little action early in the season as a defender for Athletica. However, a late season move to forward gave her a chance for more playing time and she responded by scoring a goal against Gold Pride in a late July matchup. Like Chapman, Cross played in 11 and started 8 games. She also saw 30 minutes of action in Athletica's playoff loss to Sky Blue. She brings size and speed, as well as a wickedly hard shot, to the Bay Area. It will be interesting to see where Coach Albertin Montoya plans to use her on the field.

At the end of October, Gold Pride made a significant trade, sending highly regarded backup keeper Allison Whitworth and their 3rd round pick to the expansion Atlanta Beat for two top 12 picks in the 2010 draft. This gives FCGP 4 of the first 14 picks in the upcoming draft and the opportunity to build the team with youth.

So far, the most significant loss for Gold Pride is Leslie Osborne, who was signed away by the Boston Breakers as a free agent. Osborne will certainly be missed in the midfield, where she started 18 matches for the Pride. While she didn't score, she was certainly a defensive presence for FCGP. Additionally, they lost Tiffany Weimer, also through a free agent signing by Boston.

Current Roster

Goalkeepers (1)-Nicole Barnhart.
Defenders (6)-Rachel Buehler, Candace Chapman, Niki Cross, Carrie Dew, Kristen Graczyk, Kandace Wilson.
Midfielders (4)-Eriko Arakawa, Brandi Chastain, Tina DiMartino, Kimberly Yokers.
Forwards (2)-Tiffeny Milbrett, Christine Sinclair.

Additions-Chapman and Cross.
Subtractions-Leigh Ann Robinson (drafted by Atlanta), Leslie Osborne (signed by Boston), Tiffany Weimer (signed by Boston), Allison Whitworth (traded to Atlanta).

Other Free Agents from 2009 roster-Marisa Abegg, Adriane, Erika, Formiga, Lindsay Massengale, Meagan McCray, and Sissi.

Internationals (3)-Arakawa, Chapman, Sinclair, with 2 slots open.
Draft Picks (in first 3 rounds)-Nos. 3, 10, 12, and 14.

Needs to Address

The number one need for Gold Pride has to be scoring. FCGP scored the fewest goals of any WPS team in 2009. For much of the season, Sinclair was the lone threat up front for Bay Area. She finished with 6 goals and went on to star in the WPS All-Star match, scoring two 2nd half goals and barely missing a hat trick. The only other Gold Pride player that hit the back of the net more than once was ageless Tiffeny Milbrett. In spite of having a talented midfield, they got very little scoring from that group. Obviously, this is one area that must be addressed in the offseason, either via the draft or free agency, possibly with one of their remaining international slots.

The loss of Osborne leaves a gaping hole in the Gold Pride midfield. Arakawa is talented and experienced and DiMartino shows a lot of promise, but FCGP is pretty thin past that. Their midfielders always impressed me with their passing and ball movement until they got in the final third, where things always seemed to break down. Chastain seemed to provide a bit of a spark late in the season, but she turns 42 next year. I don't know if there is any possibility of re-signing Formiga, but if not, that would be another major blow to their midfield situation. Formiga's 2010 option was waived by Gold Pride and she finished the season hobbled by injuries.

Gold Pride will also need a backup keeper after trading Whitworth to Atlanta. One would think that the college draft would solve this problem, given the number of talented senior goalkeepers in the college ranks and the number of high draft choices that Gold Pride has to work with.

Personally, I enjoyed watching Gold Pride play last year. They passed the ball well and were very competitive, but it never seemed to translate into goals and wins. They will have the opportunity to build through the draft and they still have two internationals spots to fill, which could have a major impact on their 2010 season.