US Faces Sweden for a Berth in Algarve Final

The United States Women's National Team will face Sweden on Monday, with a spot in the Algarve Cup final at stake. The US would advance to the final with a win or a tie against Sweden. In Group A, Germany is in virtually the same position, needing only a win or tie over China to make the final.

The schedule organizers did the US no favors by placing them in the same group with Sweden and Norway, coincidentally, the last two teams to defeat the US in international competition. The US lost to Sweden in last year's Algarve Cup final and to Norway in the opening round of the 2008 Olympic Games.

A year ago, Sweden defeated the US in the Algarve Final which was decided on penalty kicks. Sweden had the upper hand for most of that game, with great goalkeeping by Hope Solo keeping the match close, before a late Shannon Boxx goal sent the game into penalties. It then took 7 penalty rounds to decide a winner.

Both Pia Sundhage of the US and Thomas Dennerby of Sweden have experimented with their lineups in their first two matches. Expect both to start their A-listers on Monday. The US has not trailed in either of their matches, although the game against Norway went down to the wire, with Abby Wambach scoring in stoppage time for the victory. By contrast, Sweden has trailed early in both matches, falling behind Norway 2-0 before fighting back for a tie, and trailing Iceland 1-0 at halftime before disposing of them by a 5-1 score.

In last year's meeting, Swedish strikers, most particularly Lotta Schelin, got behind American defenders repeatedly. The US cannot afford a repeat of that performance, although goalkeeper Hope Solo appears to be on top of her game, stopping two penalties against Iceland. One thing that is different from last year's matchup is that Abby Wambach is back and healthy for the US squad. After scoring her 100th career USWNT goal last year and finishing the 2009 WPS season on a scoring spree, she appears to be back in form. Wambach scored both goals in the US victory over Norway on Friday.

In the other Group B match, Norway will face Iceland. Meanwhile in Group A, the mighty Germans have outscored their two opponents by an 11-0 margin and only China stands in their way for a berth in Wednesday's final. Denmark and Finland will meet in the other Group A matchup.

Wambach Scores Two as US Edges Norway

Abby Wambach scored both goals, the second deep into stoppage, as the US defeated Norway 2-1. For Wambach, it was her 102nd and 103rd career USWNT goals. The US held a 1-0 edge at halftime, but Norway was able to tie the game on a goal by Isabel Herlovsen in the 63rd minute. The winning goal was set up by Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers). Nicole Barnhart got the win in goal for the US in a game that was played in sloppy conditions.

In other Group B action, Sweden trailed at the half, but scored 5 times after the break to defeat Iceland 5-1. The US will now play Sweden in the final Group B game, needing only a tie to clinch a spot in the finals. Sweden defeated the US in penalty kicks for last year's Algarve championship.

Meanwhile, Germany is cruising in Group A, defeating Finland by a 7-0 margin. China defeated Denmark 2-0 in the other Group A match up.

US, Germany Win at Algarve; Norway & Sweden Draw

The USWNT took a 2-0 decision over Iceland in their opening game at the Algarve Cup. The US scored two 2nd half goals, one by Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers) and the other on an own goal. US goalie, Hope Solo, stopped two penalty kicks, one in each half.

In the other game in Group B, Sweden and Norway played to a 2-2 draw. Norway jumped to a quick 2-0 lead, but Sweden was able to close the gap to 2-1 by the 20th minute. Jessica Landström (Sky Blue FC) scored the tying goal early in the 2nd half.

In Group A action, Germany had no trouble disposing of Denmark 4-0, while Finland and China played to a 1-1 draw. In other Algarve action, Portugal defeated Faeroe Islands 5-0 and Romania blanked Austria 2-0.

Walsh to Breakers

The Boston Breakers have announced the signing of Australian forward Sarah Walsh. To make room for an international player, Canadian forward Christine Latham was waived.

Walsh was originally drafted by Sky Blue FC in the WPS International Draft back in 2008. She played in 5 games, scoring a goal and an assist, before injuries sidelined her. She was then traded to Saint Louis for Kerri Hanks and Francielle. She had one assist in 6 games for Athletica. She played during the fall for Sydney FC in the Australian W-League where she scored 6 goals. For the 27-year old Walsh, Boston will be her third WPS team.

Latham scored two goals for Boston last season, both against the Washington Freedom. Boston has had a nearly complete turnover of forwards from last year's team. In addition to Latham, Amy Rodriguez was sent to Philadelphia in a trade, Kelly Schmedes was taken in the expansion draft by Philadelphia, and Jenny Nobis is suffering an injury and will miss at least part of the upcoming season.

The Los Angeles Sol-An All Too Short History Part 4

Part 4 - Demise and Legacy

After a disappointing finish to an otherwise great season, players and fans were looking forward to 2010. The Sol were in the process of overhauling their international cast and were positioning themselves well for the January draft. Behind the scenes, with AEG on their way out, WPS officials were working on getting a new ownership group in place. Unfortunately, they quite simply ran out of time. A look at the last few months of the Los Angeles Sol.

November, 2009-WPS takes over operations of the Los Angeles Sol and continues attempts to find another ownership group.

Late, 2009-Abner Rogers is dismissed as head coach of the Los Angeles Sol, earning the Coach of the Year award in his only season.

January 7, 2010-The Sol trade Camille Abily to FC Gold Pride for Tina DiMartino. Abily was the league's 2nd leading scorer, while DiMartino was a 1st round selection for FCGP in 2009. The trade startles many LA fans.

January, 2010-Los Angeles adds three new international players. Dutch players Cathrine Paaske-Sorensen and Julie Rydahl Bukh and Czech forward Pavlina Scasna are the new additions. They are to replace Abily, Han Duan, and Johanna Frisk.

January 15, 2010-At the WPS Draft in Philadelphia, Los Angeles selects Nikki Washington, Casey Nogueira, and Kiersten Dallstream with their three 1st round picks. They also add Michelle Enyeart, Kiki Bosio, Estelle Johnson, Mary Casey, and Lindsey Browne in later rounds.

January 19, 2010-GM Charlie Naimo is named acting head coach of the Los Angeles Sol.

Late January, 2010-Negotiations between WPS and a potential buyer break down, leaving the league with no alternatives for the 2010 season.

January 28, 2010-WPS announces that the operation of the Los Angeles Sol has been discontinued. The league also announces that a dispersal draft would be held the following week.

February 4, 2010-The Sol's players are selected by the remaining 8 franchises in the Los Angeles Sol dispersal draft.

The end came with stunning swiftness to those of us not privy to negotiations that had been going on for months. While this signals the end of the Los Angeles Sol for now, the league will certainly make expanding to Los Angeles a priority for the future, maybe as soon as 2011. And former Sol players will be helping other WPS teams to the playoffs and for one team, a championship in 2010.

An incomplete list of the records and accomplishments of the 2009 Los Angeles Sol:

First WPS Goal in history-Allison Falk (March 29, 2009 vs. Washington)
First WPS Assist in history-Aya Miyama (March 29, 2009 vs. Washington)
First WPS Shutout-Karina LeBlanc (March 29, 2009 vs. Washington)
First WPS Win-Los Angeles 2, Washington 0 (March 29, 2009)
First 2-goal game-Marta (April 5, 2009 vs. Sky Blue FC)
Longest Winning Streak-Los Angeles 4 (June 21 through July 5, 2009)
Longest Unbeaten Streak- Los Angeles 11 (May 9 through July 5, 2009)
Most Wins in a Season-Los Angeles 12
Most Points in a Season-Los Angeles 41
Most Goals by a Player in a Season-Marta 10
Most Consecutive Games with a Goal-Camille Abily 4 (May 24 through June 7, 2009) and Marta 4 (June 21 through July 5, 2009)
Most Assists by a Player in a Season-Aya Miyama 6 (tied with Sonia Bompastor)
Most Shutouts by a Goalkeeper in a Season-Karina LeBlanc 12
Most Consecutive Shutouts by a Goalkeeper-Karina LeBlanc 4 (March 29 through April 25, 2009)
Best Goals Against Average in a Season-Karina LeBlanc 0.53
Golden Boot Award-Marta
Player of the Year Award-Marta
Coach of the Year Award-Abner Rogers
WPS All-Stars-Shannon Boxx, Karina LeBlanc, Marta, Aya Miyama, and Camille Abily (unable to play)

The Los Angeles Sol, at least in their first incarnation, had a short, but very memorable history. The WPS will continue with eight teams, each having committed ownerships for the 2010 WPS season. I am looking forward to a very exciting 2010 season, but there will certainly be something missing without the Los Angeles Sol. May we see women’s professional soccer in Los Angeles again in 2011.

Beat Sign Shelley Thompson

The Atlanta Beat have signed German forward Shelley Thompson as their 5th international player. Thompson, a veteran of the Frauen Bundesliga, scored 30 goals for her club team, FCR Duisburg, back in 2004-05. She has played for Vfl Wolfsburg for the last three years. She has scored 2 goals in 3 appearances for the 2009-10 season.

Thompson, who just turned 26, will be the first German to play in WPS.

Sinclair Scores 100th National Team Goal

Canadian star Christine Sinclair has scored her 100th international goal in a 3-0 victory over Poland at the Cyprus Cup. Only 10 players in women's soccer history have accomplished that feat. Sinclair also became Canada's all-time leader in caps with 133.

Sinclair, who plays for FC Gold Pride, was one of the leading scorers last year in WPS with 6 goals and she scored two more in the WPS All-Star Game. Sinclair is just about three weeks shy of the 10th anniversary of her first cap, back on March 12, 2000.

WPS Releases Full 2010 Schedule

Women's Professional Soccer has released its 2010 schedule. All teams will play their season openers on the weekend of April 10-11. The first game of the season will be on Saturday, April 10, with Boston traveling to Washington. The other 6 teams open on April 11. Atlanta opens at Philadelphia in a battle between the two expansion teams. Defending champions Sky Blue FC hosts Chicago, while FC Gold Pride travels to Saint Louis.

The All-Star game will be played midseason on Wednesday, June 30. The site is yet to be determined. The final weekend of the regular season will be the weekend of September 11-12, with the championship game to be played on Sunday September 26. The playoff format will be the same as 2009.

The Los Angeles Sol-An All Too Short History Part 3

Part 3-Clouds on the Horizon

By late June, Los Angeles had risen to the top of the WPS. It would be only a matter of time before they clinched the regular season title and barring an upset, the WPS Championship. But by July, things weren't going perfectly anymore. The combination of injuries, a strange schedule which saw them play only sparingly over the last two months of the season, and some less than sparkling play on the field started catching up with them. And apparently off the field, the problems were far greater.

June 29, 2009-Martina Franko is listed by the Sol as having a season-ending injury.

June 30, 2009-Los Angeles trades for Christie Shaner to help fill in for Franko. Shaner plays only 52 minutes for the Sol. In her first game for Los Angeles just 5 days later, Shaner fractures her leg in a collision with the Freedom's Abby Wambach, thus ending her season.

July, 2009-Yet another Sol defender is having injury problems. Allison Falk misses all three games in July with injuries.

July 5, 2009-Marta scores the only goal of the game in stoppage to defeat Washington 1-0. Karina LeBlanc earns her 11th shutout. It is LA's 4th consecutive victory and they run their unbeaten streak to 11 games. The Sol now lead 2nd place Athletica by a whopping 17 points and will have a chance to clinch the regular season title in their next match.

July 8, 2009-With a chance to clinch first place, the Sol suffer their first and only regular season loss at home in their final regular season home game. Los Angeles falls to Saint Louis 1-0 as Amanda Cinalli scores the game winner for Athletica.

July 13, 2009-The Sol signs Sharolta Nonen to help their beleaguered defense. Nonen, like Martina Franko, is a veteran of the Canadian National Team.

July 23, 2009-After a two week layoff, Los Angeles clinches the WPS regular season title in a scoreless tie against Gold Pride. Karina LeBlanc gets her 12th and final shutout of the season. The Sol shut out Gold Pride all four times they play them.

August 2, 2009-Falk returns to the lineup, but Los Angeles' winless streak extends to 3 games with a 3-1 loss in Chicago. After falling behind 2-0, Han Duan scores a late goal to temporarily make it close, before Cristiane puts it out of reach with a goal in stoppage time. It is only the 2nd time all season that the Sol allow more than one goal in a game.

August 4, 2009-Four Sol players are named to the WPS All-Star First XI. Karina LeBlanc, Shannon Boxx, Camille Abily, and Marta grace the first WPS All-Star team. Abily would be unable to play because of her national team commitment for France. Abner Rogers is named to coach the WPS All-Star team.

August 7, 2009-Aya Miyama is added to the WPS All-Star roster as the next highest vote getter as a replacement for players not able to play in the game.

August 9, 2009-The Sol end the regular season with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Boston, keeping the Breakers out of the playoffs. Marta scores her league best 10th goal of the season and then forces a penalty kick late on a call strongly protested by Breakers' players. Shannon Boxx converts the penalty to give Los Angeles the win. Ironically, this result puts Sky Blue, the team that would ultimately defeat them in the title game, into the playoffs.

August 22, 2009-Los Angeles hosts the first WPS Championship Game at the Home Depot Center. Playing without their 2nd leading scorer, Camille Abily, the Sol are upset by Sky Blue by a 1-0 score. Heather O'Reilly scores in the 16th minute. Then Allison Falk receives the first and only red card in Sol history for tripping Natasha Kai from behind later in the 1st half. The final is played before 7218 fans.

August 29, 2009-At the WPS Awards Banquet, Marta is presented with the PUMA Golden Boot Award and the Michelle Akers Player of the Year Award. Abner Rogers wins the Coach of the Year Award.

August 30, 2009-The WPS All-Stars defeat Umeå IK by a 4-2 margin in St. Louis. Marta gets the game tying goal and adds two assists in the contest. Abner Rogers is the winning coach.

September 15, 2009-The Sol lose Katie Larkin and Sharolta Nonen to Atlanta in the WPS Expansion Draft.

October 7, 2009-Los Angeles sends starting center back Allison Falk and backup keeper Val Henderson to Philadelphia for the 5th and 22nd selections in the 2010 draft. The Sol would later draft Nikki Washington and Kiki Bosio with those selections.

The finish of the 2009 season was a disappointment for players and fans alike, but it was always assumed that there would be a next year. Unfortunately, behind the scenes, things were not going well. The team lost what has been variously estimated between $2 and $3 million in their first season of operation. AEG had maintained that their involvement with the team was always on a temporary basis and that involvement was coming to an end. And equally unfortunate for the Sol and their fans, this was one issue that couldn't be settled on the field.

For the final part in this series, we'll look at the final months and the legacy of the Los Angeles Sol.

(Sources for some of the information in this story came from http://www.womensprosoccer.com/ and the 2009 Los Angeles Sol Media Guide)

The Los Angeles Sol-An All Too Short History Part 2

Part 2 - Rise to the Pinnacle

After winning the inaugural WPS game, Los Angeles dominated the league early on. Only in a home and home with the Boston Breakers in early May were they held in check. They had everything...scoring (Marta, Camille Abily, and Aya Miyama), defense (Karina LeBlanc and a fine back line), young talent (Brittany Bock and Allison Falk), and veteran leadership (Shannon Boxx and Aly Wagner).

April 5, 2009-Marta becomes the first player in WPS history to score twice in one game, leading the Sol to a 2-0 victory over Sky Blue FC at TD Bank Park in New Jersey.

April 16, 2009-Defender Martina Franko signs with the Sol. Franko, a veteran of the Canadian National Team, would strengthen an already solid back line.

April 19, 2009-Karina LeBlanc earns her 3rd consecutive shutout as Marta scores the only goal in LA's 1-0 win over FC Gold Pride. Aly Wagner assists on the goal.

April 25, 2009-With Marta and Camille Abily away on international duty, Los Angeles and Saint Louis battle to a scoreless tie. Wagner and Lori Chalupny are stopped on penalty kicks by Hope Solo and Karina LeBlanc, respectively. It's the first match that Los Angeles comes away with less than 3 points.

May 2, 2009-The Sol suffer their first setback, a 2-1 loss to the Breakers in Boston. After falling behind 2-0, Brittany Bock scores the only Sol goal, assisted by Aya Miyama.

May 8, 2009-Los Angeles and Saint Louis complete the first in-season trade in WPS history. The Sol send Kendall Fletcher and Christie Welsh to Athletica for a conditional draft pick in 2010 and a 1st round choice in 2011. The Sol later use the 2010 pick to select Casey Nogueira.

May 10, 2009-For the second straight week, Boston frustrates Los Angeles. The Sol have to settle for their second scoreless tie of the season. It runs LA's winless streak to 3 games, but LeBlanc earns her 5th shutout of the season.

May 15, 2009-In the league's first ever Friday night contest, Marta beats Sky Blue's offside trap and dribbles around goalkeeper Jen Branam to score the only goal in the 80th minute. Meanwhile, the Sol announce the signing of veteran Keri Sanchez and move Liz Bogus to full-roster status.

May 24, 2009-Behind a Camille Abily penalty kick and a late goal by Han Duan, LA defeats FC Gold Pride 2-0. Val Henderson gets the shutout in her only match of the season.

May 30, 2009-Los Angeles dominates Saint Louis in a 2-0 victory, with LeBlanc posting her 7th shutout. Shannon Boxx scores her first goal of the season.

June 3, 2009-In the first WPS midweek contest, the Sol tie Chicago 1-1. After falling behind on a Cristiane goal in the 88th minute, Camille Abily ties the game in the closing seconds of the match.

June 7, 2009-Camille Abily scores for the 4th consecutive game, this time hitting the back of the net twice. Brittany Bock adds a third goal to give the Sol a 3-1 victory over Washington. Abily converts her second penalty kick of the season.

June 10, 2009-Los Angeles signs Julia Schnugg as a developmental player.

June 13, 2009-The Sol play their 3rd scoreless tie of the season, this time against Sky Blue. LeBlanc gets her 8th shutout as SBFC badly outshoots LA by a 14-5 margin.

June 19, 2009-Los Angeles waives Greer Barnes and moves McCall Zerboni to full-roster status. In spite spending two and a half months on the roster, Barnes never plays for the Sol in a regular season match. She later signs with FC Gold Pride.

June 21, 2009-Los Angeles defeats Gold Pride for the third time, with LeBlanc again getting the shutout. Abily scores her league leading 7th goal, with Marta getting her 5th in the 2-0 victory.

June 22, 2009-Los Angeles signs forward Lyndsey Patterson.

June 24, 2009-The Sol win a hard fought contest in Saint Louis by a 2-1 score. Karina LeBlanc and the Sol defense survive 25 shots and 12 corner kicks to preserve the win. Goals are scored by Han Duan and Marta.

June 27, 2009-Los Angeles mauls Chicago by a 4-0 margin. In doing so, Los Angeles becomes the first team to clinch a playoff berth. Shannon Boxx scores the opening goal assisted by McCall Zerboni, her first assist of the season. Both Abily and Marta reach the 8 goal mark, with Aya Miyama assisting on two of the goals.

By the last week in June, Los Angeles has sprinted to a 10-1-4 record and have outscored their opponents by 23-5. They have a 16 point margin over 2nd place Boston and it is only a matter of time before they clinch the regular season title, which would give them an automatic berth in the WPS Championship Game at home. However, difficulties on road trips to Boston, New Jersey, and Saint Louis seem to prove they aren't invincible. Part 3 will examine clouds on the horizon as Los Angeles headed into the final two months of the season.

(Sources for some of the information in this story came from http://www.womensprosoccer.com/ and the 2009 Los Angeles Sol Media Guide)

Gold Pride Releases Chastain

FC Gold Pride has announced that they have released Brandi Chastain. The long-time veteran of the USWNT was drafted by Gold Pride last January in the 7th round of the draft. At 41, she was briefly the oldest player in the league, surpassed when Sissi was signed to play by Gold Pride late in the 2009 season.

Chastain played in 10 games for FC Gold Pride, starting the late five matches of the season. In addition to the WPS, she also played in the WUSA and for several years in the WPSL for the California Storm.

Rutger's Ashley Jones speaks with Goal.com

Here is the Q and A with Ashley Jones at Goal.com

US Algarve Cup Team Announced; Chalupny Out Indefinitely

Pia Sundhage has named a 19 player roster for the upcoming Algarve Cup to be played in Portugal. The roster includes a nice mixture of young players and veterans. Three recent draftees made the roster, Tobin Heath, Lauren Cheney, and Casey Nogueira. It also includes two players looking for their first cap, goalkeeper Jill Loyden and defender/midfielder Meghan Schnur. Those two players, along with Lori Lindsey and Yael Averbuch, had solid WPS seasons last year which probably influenced Sundhage to give them a look for the national team.

Missing from the team will be Lori Chalupny, who had been the team's captain and co-captain during 2009. Chalupny is suffering concussion symptoms and will be out indefinitely.

The US is in Group B with Norway, Iceland, and Sweden. Norway defeated the US in the group stage of the 2008 Olympics, but US defeated them at the 2009 Algarve Cup. Sweden defeated the US in the 2009 Algarve Championship Game.

GOALKEEPERS (3): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Jill Loyden (Chicago Red Stars), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica)

DEFENDERS (6): Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Philadelphia Independence), Meghan Schnur (Sky Blue FC), Cat Whitehill (Washington Freedom)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Yael Averbuch (Sky Blue FC), Shannon Boxx (St. Louis Athletica), Tobin Heath (Atlanta Beat), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC)

FORWARDS (4): Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Casey Nogueira (Chicago Red Stars), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)

The Los Angeles Sol - An All Too Short History

Part 1 - The Beginning

On February 4th, what was left of the Los Angeles Sol roster was dispersed and only time will tell when the WPS returns to Los Angeles, but the Sol made an indelible mark in their only WPS season. In their short one-season history on the field, they won the regular season title, set many records that will become benchmarks, and set a standard of excellence by which other teams will be measured for years to come. This is a look back at the short history of the Los Angeles Sol.

September 4, 2007-Los Angeles is announced as one of seven teams that will compete in the inaugural season of a new women's professional soccer league. The team will be owned by AEG and Blue Star, LLC.

September 15, 2008-Abner Rogers is named as the first coach of the Los Angeles WPS franchise.

September 16, 2008-Los Angeles receives its first players as Shannon Boxx, Stephanie Cox, and Aly Wagner are allocated from the USWNT.

September 24, 2008-Los Angeles selects Marta as their first selection (3rd overall) in the WPS International Draft. They also draft Aya Miyama, Han Duan, and Margret Lara Vidarsdottir. The following day, they would add Camille Abily as a post-draft discovery player.

October 3, 2008-Charlie Naimo is named as general manager for Los Angeles.

October 6, 2008-Los Angeles chooses Karina LeBlanc as their first selection (5th overall) in the WPS General Draft. They also select Kendall Fletcher, Christie Welsh, and Manya Makoski. All four would make the team, although Fletcher and Welsh were later traded to Saint Louis.

October 25, 2008-Los Angeles officially announces that the team would be called the Los Angeles Sol and they also unveil the team's new logo.

November 25, 2008-Los Angeles names Johanna Frisk as a post-draft discovery player.

January 12, 2009-The Sol announce the signing of three-time FIFA Player of the Year, Marta.

January 16, 2009-At the first annual WPS Draft in St. Louis, the Sol select Brittany Bock with their first selection (5th overall). In later rounds, they select Allison Falk, Katie Larkin, Greer Barnes, Valerie Henderson, Katie Hooker, McCall Zerboni, Brittany Cameron, Erica Janke, and Lisa Sari. All but Hooker and Janke would make the Sol's opening roster.

February 4, 2009-The Sol officially announce the signing of Aya Miyama.

February 19, 2009-The Sol announce the signings of Camille Abily, Han Duan, and Johanna Frisk.

March 2, 2009-The Los Angeles Sol training camp begins.

March 5, 2009-Los Angeles becomes the first team to announce an on-jersey sponsorship with Amway Global.

March 25, 2009-Los Angeles announces its opening day roster. Full-roster players are Camille Abily, Greer Barnes, Brittany Bock, Shannon Boxx, Stephanie Cox, Allison Falk, Kendall Fletcher, Johanna Frisk, Han Duan, Val Henderson, Katie Larkin, Karina LeBlanc, Manya Makoski, Marta, Aya Miyama, Aly Wagner, and Christie Welsh. Developmental players are Brittany Cameron, Lisa Sari, and McCall Zerboni.

March 26, 2009-The Sol add Liz Bogus, just recently released by FC Gold Pride, to their developmental roster.

March 29, 2009-The Sol defeat the Washington Freedom 2-0 before 14,832 fans in the WPS inaugural game played at the Home Depot Center. Allison Falk scores the first goal in WPS history on a header in the 6th minute. Camille Abily later adds a goal to seal the victory. Karina LeBlanc is sharp in goal and earns the shutout. The attendance would be the largest for a non-WPS/MLS doubleheader in the 2009 season.

With an immensely talented roster, the Sol were off to a great start and looked to be the team to beat in 2009. Over the next three months, the Sol were a dominant team. We'll look at that period in Part 2-Rise to the Pinnacle.

(Sources for some of the information in this story came from www.womensprosoccer.com and the 2009 Los Angeles Sol Media Guide)

Atlanta Signs Free Agents Maron & Schumacher-Hodge

The Atlanta Beat have announced the signing of two free agents, goalkeeper Brett Maron and midfielder Marisha Schumacher-Hodge. Both players played their college soccer in the northeast, Maron at Fairfield and Schumacher-Hodge at Boston University.

The Beat will begin preseason camp in March in preparation for their opening game in Philadelphia on April 11.

U.S. U-20 Women off to Spain for La Manga Cup

The U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team took home the title at the 2010 CONCACAF U-20 Women’s Championships in Guatemala City.

Now the team will head to La Manga, Spain, from February 18 through the 27 for a four-nation tournament featuring the Under-23 National Teams from Norway, England and Germany.

U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team Roster

GOALKEEPERS (2): Adrianna Franch (Oklahoma State; Salina, Kansas), Bianca Henninger (Santa Clara; Los Gatos, Calif.)

DEFENDERS (6): Amber Brooks (UNC; New Hope, Pa.), Crystal Dunn (Albertson SC; Rockville Centre, N.Y.), Kendall Johnson (Portland; Portland, Ore.), Lucretia Lee (UCLA; Bothell, Wash.), Toni Pressley (Florida State; Melbourne, Fla.), Rachel Quon (Stanford; Lake Forrest, Ill.)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Zakiya Bywaters (UCLA; Las Vegas, Nev.), Samantha Mewis (Scorpions SC; Hanson, Mass.), Teresa Noyola (Stanford; Palo Alto, Calif.), Jenna Richmond (McLean SC; Centreville, Va.), Casey Short (Florida State; Naperville, Ill.)

FORWARDS (5): Maya Hayes (Aristocrats Club; West Orange, N.J.), Sydney Leroux (UCLA; Pheonix, Ariz.), Morgan Marlborough (Nebraska; Raymore, Mo.), Tiffany McCarty (Florida State; Laurel, Md.), Courtney Verloo (Portland; Tualatin, Ore.)

One year in the books, sort of.

Well, well, well...one year down. WSW came to life a year ago, although we didn't ramp up the coverage until the beginning of the 2009 WPS season.

That said, we thank you all for coming to read what we have to say. And hopefully you will find your way back to us when time permits.

Looking forward to the second year of WSW.

~Thanks

Japan vs. China in 2010 East Asian Women's Football Championship Final Day 1

Highlights from the match include top-notch freekick from Aya Miyama.

Via here Japan vs China

Breakers Sign Fabiana and Del Rio

The Boston Breakers have added two offensive players to their arsenal. Boston has officially re-signed Fabiana, who played forward for the Breakers last season, and have added Spanish international Laura Del Rio.

Primarily a forward, Fabiana played 7 games for Boston last year, but did not score. At just 20 years old, she is one of the youngest players in the league. She is also a member of the Brazilian National Team.

Del Rio, 27, is no stranger to American soccer. She has played the last two seasons with FC Indiana of the W-League, where she scored over 30 goals. The rights to Del Rio originally belonged to Los Angeles and later Chicago, but neither team was able to sign her. Most recently, Del Rio has been playing for FFC Frankfurt of the Frauen Bundesliga, where she has scored 6 goals in just 10 games. She is teammate of Washington Freedom defender, Alex Krieger, at FFC Frankfurt. Several members of the German National Team also play for FFC Frankfurt, including Birgit Prinz, Nadine Angerer, Kerstin Garefrekes, and Saskia Bartusiak.

WPS Dispersal Draft of Los Angeles Sol players

Round 1
1. Shannon Boxx, M – Saint Louis Athletica *
2. Karina LeBlanc, GK – Philadelphia Independence
3. Marta, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
4. Casey Nogueira, F – Chicago Red Stars
5. Stephanie Cox, D – Boston Breakers
6. Nikki Washington, M – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
7. Brittany Bock, D – Washington Freedom
8. Aya Miyama, M – Saint Louis Athletica

Round 2
9. Manya Makoski, M – Atlanta Beat
10. Faith Ikidi, D/F – Washington Freedom
11. Kiersten Dallstream, F – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
12. Michelle Enyeart, F – Boston Breakers
13. Kiki Bosio, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area) ^
14. Tina DiMartino, M – Saint Louis Athletica #
15. Estelle Johnson, D – Philadelphia Independence
16. Pavlina Scasna, F – Atlanta Beat

Round 3
17. Pass – Atlanta Beat
18. Pass – Philadelphia Independence
19. Lindsay Browne, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
20. Pass – Chicago Red Stars
21. Pass – Boston Breakers
22. Pass – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
23. Pass – Washington Freedom
24. Catherine Sorenson, M – Saint Louis Athletica

* via trade with Atlanta Beat (trade prior to draft)
^ via trade with Chicago Red Stars (Chicago receives FC Gold Pride's 2nd Round pick in 2011 WPS Draft)
# via trade with Chicago Red Stars (Chicago receives Saint Louis Athletica's 2nd Round pick in 2011 WPS Draft)

Info via WPS

Every player from the U-18 Utah Avalanche team signs with NCAA programs

An amazing feat which you can read via Deseret News

+ Kealia Ohai (Alta, UT) - North Carolina
+ Jordyn Rolling (Northridge, UT) - Virginia Commonwealth University
+ Lauren Roundy (Alta, UT) - Utah State University
+ Kyleigh Royall (Lehi, UT) - Brigham Young University
+ Harley Spier (Lehi, UT) - University of Utah
+ Jackie Tillotson - (Alta, UT) - UNLV
+ Lexy Webber (Alta, UT) - UNLV
+ Kristy Baron (Hunter, UT) - Southern Utah University
+ Shay Haddow (Bingham, UT) - Virginia Commonwealth University
+ Taisha Long (Alta, UT) - University of the Pacific
+ Maddie Malmquist (Hillcrest, UT) - Northern Arizona University
+ Cheyanne Mulcock (Bingham, UT) - University of Utah
+ Kendra Pemberton (Woods Cross, UT) - Utah State University
+ Alexa Pulley (Alta, UT) - Utah Valley University

Midfielder Sydnee Fields will join Xavier women's program

Badin High School midfielder Sydnee Fields is headed to Xavier University for the fall of 2010 -- see the story via Cincinnati.com

NCAA Women's Soccer Letters of Intent '10 [Running List]

Please post in the comment section the names of players and the colleges they signed with. Also, post links to news stories. We here at WSW will continue to update the list. Thank you.

+ Allie Beahan (Eastlake, WA) - Washington
+ Lindsay Elston (Eastlake, WA) - Washington
+ Courtney Pixler (Eastlake, WA) - Alabama
+ Emily Hurd (Eastlake, WA) - Penn State
+ Kellie Shreve (Eastlake, WA) - Gonzaga
+ Candice Osei-Ogyemang (Eastlake, WA) - Penn
+ Lindsey Bos (Archbishop Murphy of Everett, WA) - Washington
+ Annie Sittauer (Everett, WA) - Washington
+ Hillary Zevenbergen (King's of Shoreline, WA) - Washington
+ Molly Boyd (Nathan Hale, WA) - Washington
+ Brianna Sweeney (Woodinville, WA) - Washington
+ Morgan Swanson (Stadium of Tacoma, WA) - Washington
+ Holland Crook (Beamer of Federal Way, WA) - Arizona State
+ Kate Bennett (Bellevue, WA) - California
+ Rachel Bindl (Kentwood, WA) - Montana
+ Kristin Maris (Issaquah, WA) - Western Washington
+ Sierra Keeler (Seattle Academy, WA) - Colorado College
+ Sydnee Fields (Badin, OH) - Xavier
+ Kealia Ohai (Alta, UT) - North Carolina
+ Jordyn Rolling (Northridge, UT) - Virginia Commonwealth University
+ Lauren Roundy (Alta, UT) - Utah State University
+ Kyleigh Royall (Lehi, UT) - Brigham Young University
+ Harley Spier (Lehi, UT) - University of Utah
+ Jackie Tillotson - (Alta, UT) - UNLV
+ Lexy Webber (Alta, UT) - UNLV
+ Kristy Baron (Hunter, UT) - Southern Utah University
+ Shay Haddow (Bingham, UT) - Virginia Commonwealth University
+ Taisha Long (Alta, UT) - University of the Pacific
+ Maddie Malmquist (Hillcrest, UT) - Northern Arizona University
+ Cheyanne Mulcock (Bingham, UT) - University of Utah
+ Kendra Pemberton (Woods Cross, UT) - Utah State University
+ Alexa Pulley (Alta, UT) - Utah Valley University

+ [Update] Northewestern U add seven Click Here

Marta to FC Gold Pride in the Los Angeles Sol dispersal draft?

Jay Hipps at Center Line Soccer with his take on the situation.

LSU ventures deep into the heart of Texas to pull out a top class of '10

The LSU Tigers added 10 recruits for the 2010 season, including five ranked in the final TopDrawerSoccer.com National 100 for the Class of 2010.

Read on at the LSU Athletic site.

Oakes Is Expecting; Will Miss 2010 Season

Chicago Red Stars' defender Jill Oakes is expecting her first child and will miss the 2010 season. Oakes is the 2nd Chicago defender to miss a season because of pregnancy. Last year, Kate Markgraf, one of Chicago's allocated USWNT players, missed the entire season.

Oakes was originally drafted by Gold Pride in the WPS General Draft in October of 2008 but was later cut and signed with the Red Stars, where she became a starting defender. She played 15 games for the Red Stars, starting 13 of them, and became a mainstay on Chicago's solid back line.

Congratulations to Jill and her family!

Will Athletica select Shannon Boxx with first pick in Los Angeles Sol dispersal draft?

Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch with the news, it will be Shannon Boxx and not Marta via his Free Kicks Blog.

Athletica Trade for first pick in Los Angeles Sol dispersal draft

Via Athletica media release

Saint Louis Sends Three Players to Atlanta in Exchange

ST. LOUIS, MO (February 1, 2010) – Saint Louis Athletica of Women’s Professional Soccer, WPS, announced Tuesday that they have acquired the first pick in the February 4 Los Angeles Sol dispersal draft from the Atlanta Beat. Saint Louis will send defender Kia McNeill, midfielder Angie Kerr (Woznuk), the rights to third round draft choice Amanda Poach, and Athletica’s second round choice in the dispersal draft (9th overall) to Atlanta. In exchange, Saint Louis will receive Atlanta’s first round pick, number one overall, in the dispersal draft, and Atlanta’s second round pick in the 2011 WPS Draft.

"We were presented with an opportunity to make our club better," said Head Coach Jorge Barcellos. "We gave up some talented young players to do this. I want to thank Kia and Angie for the hard work that they did last season, they were a big part of the success that Athletica enjoyed in our first year. We wish them all the best in their careers."

Saint Louis will now have two selections in the first round of Thursday’s dispersal draft, 1st and 8th, and one final selection at the end of the third round with the 24th pick.

Kia McNeill played in 19 games for Athletica, making 17 starts. The Boston College graduate had become a fixture in the center of the Saint Louis defense. Angie Kerr appeared in 18 games, starting each of them, and was second in the team in minutes played with 1,577. Amanda Poach, Santa Clara University, was selected 26th overall in last month’s WPS Draft.

FC Gold Pride's Solveig Gulbransen checks in

A wonderful postcard w/photo from Solveig found at FC Gold Pride's homepage