Struggling Breakers Waive Weimer, Igwe, and Enyeart

Something had to give with the Boston Breakers off to a 1-5-4 start and they decided to shake up the roster, waiving Tiffany Weimer, Chioma Igwe, and Michelle Enyeart.

Weimer had signed as a free agent during the winter after spending last season with FC Gold Pride. For the Breakers, she had appeared in 7 matches, starting two of them. She does not have any goals this season.

Igwe came over to the Breakers from Chicago. She had made six starts for Boston.

Enyeart had not seen any action after suffering a severe injury last November while at the University of Portland.

Sides Chosen - Abby XI vs. Marta XI

On Monday evening, the All-Star Game captains, Abby Wambach and Marta, chose teams from among 22 players that were selected to be the starters in the 2nd WPS All-Star match. Wambach, with an assist from Philadelphia coach Paul Riley chose one team, while Marta, helped by Gold Pride coach Albertin Montoya, picked the other team.

Abby's XI are GK-Hope Solo; D-Amy LePeilbet, Tina Ellertson, Cat Whitehill; MF-Shannon Boxx, Heather O'Reilly, Lori Lindsey, Lori Chalupny; F-Abby Wambach, Eniola Aluko, Lauren Cheney.

Marta's XI are GK-Karen Bardsley; D-Rachel Buehler, Allison Falk, Brittany Taylor; MF-Kelly Smith, Sonia Bompastor, Aya Miyama, Kristine Lilly; F-Marta, Christine Sinclair, Ramona Bachmann.

The WPS All-Star Game presented by the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, will be played Wednesday evening at 7:30 eastern on Fox Soccer Channel.

WPS Weekend Wrap - Philadlephia and Sky Blue Post Wins

Philadelphia 3, Washington 2

The Independence staged a dramatic come-from-behind victory to defeat the Washington Freedom 3-2 in West Chester. Lianne Sanderson scored the game winner in stoppage for the home team.

The Freedom built up an early 2-0 lead and looked to be on their way to a victory. Lene Mykjåland opened the scoring just 3 minutes in, as she scored on a rebound. Abby Wambach converted a penalty to put Washington ahead by two before the match was a quarter hour old.

Philadelphia pulled even in the 2nd half with two Amy Rodriguez goals, her fifth and sixth of the season, in a 10 minute span. That set the stage for Sanderson's heroics.

Rodriguez is now tied for the WPS lead in goal scoring with Marta. The Independence moved to within a point of league leading Gold Pride. They stand at 21 points with a 6-3-3 record. Washington's loss combined with Sky Blue's victory drops the Freedom into 4th place at 4-3-3.

Sky Blue FC 2, FC Gold Pride 0

Sky Blue handed Gold Pride their first home loss since last July with a 2-0 victory. New Jersey was coming off the worst loss in their history, a 4-1 loss to Philadelphia last weekend.

After a scoreless 1st half, Sky Blue struck in the 58th minute. Heather O'Reilly crossed the ball to the back post and Rosana was able to slide between defenders for a diving header which she placed past Nicole Barnhart. The goal came as Rosana was about to be subbed out in favor of Tasha Kai.

Gold Pride turned up the pressure, creating several chances to tie, but were unable to convert. A Tiffeny Milbrett drive from 20 yards hit the crossbar. Karen Bardsley tipped a Kelley O'Hara shot over the bar. Later, a Christine Sinclair goal was correctly disallowed on an offsides call.

Just when it seemed Gold Pride might pull even, Sky Blue struck on a counterattack. After the ball was cleared by the Sky Blue defense, Jessica Landström was able to get through two Gold Pride players in the midfield and then push a pass forward to Kai. Kai was able to get a shot off from 22 yards, just before an onrushing Ali Riley was able to cut her off and it beat Barnhart just inside the right post.

Karen Bardsley picked up her 5th shutout for Sky Blue this year. Gold Pride gave up two goals for the first time since the season opener.

The win moves Sky Blue into 3rd place with a 5-4-2 record and 17 points. Gold Pride maintains their hold on 1st place, but their lead is down to one point with a 7-3-1 record and 22 points.

Standings:
(1) FC Gold Pride (7-3-1, 22 pts); (2) Philadelphia (6-3-3, 21 pts); (3) Sky Blue FC (5-4-2, 17 pts); (4) Washington (4-3-3, 15 pts); (5) Chicago (3-5-3, 12 pts); (6) Boston (1-5-4, 7 pts); (7) Atlanta (1-5-3, 6 pts).

Masar Scores Twice in Red Stars Win

The Chicago Red Stars defeated the Boston Breakers 2-1 at Harvard Stadium on Friday night. Ella Masar scored her first two goals of the 2010 season, one in each half, to lead the Red Stars to victory. Her second came in the 80th minute after Fabiana had tied the score early in the 2nd half.

Chicago raises its record to 3-5-3, good for 12 points and 5th place. They will finish off a four game road trip next weekend in Washington. Boston lost their third match in a row to fall to 1-5-4, barely clinging to 6th place.

WPS Weekend Preview - June 26-27

Washington Freedom (4-2-3, 15 pts) at Philadelphia Independence (5-3-3, 18 pts)
John A. Ferrell Stadium, West Chester, PA – June 26 (6 pm ET)

Rosters:
Washington: GK-E. McLeod, A. Harris; D-C. Whitehill, B. Sauerbrunn, N. Marshall, R. Moros, A. Singer, B. Bock; MF-S. Bompastor, H. Sawa, S. Huffman, A. Long, B. Goebel; F-A. Wambach, L. Mykjåland, C. Welsh.
Not Active: J. Gilbeau, M. McCray, M. Abegg, K. Eveland, C. Miskel, L. DeVanna (season-ending injury).

Philadelphia: GK-K. LeBlanc, V. Henderson; D-A. Falk, S. Larsson, H. Mitts, H. Magnusdottir, N. Krzysik, S. Senty, E. Johnson; MF-C. Seger, L. Lindsey, J. Lohman, T. DiMartino (probable-hip), J. Buczkowski; F-A. Rodriguez, L. Sanderson, L. Patterson, K. Maruyama.
Not Active: D. Adams, G. DiMartino, K. Reynolds, R. Jones.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Washington 1 @ Philadelphia 3
Philadelphia 1 @ Washington 2

What to Look for – These two teams have met twice previously, with the home team winning each time. Philadelphia was the last team to defeat the Freedom back in Week 3. In the surprise of the week, if the WPS roster report is correct, Adams is listed as not active for Philadelphia for this match. Keep in mind, however, that these things can change.

The Freedom have had a couple of weeks to rest up for this one. The formula for Washington is to score early. They have scored the first goal in every match this season, except the two against Boston. Their last five goals have been in the 1st half. Wambach is obviously the focus of the offense, but the Freedom spread their scoring around very well. Eight different players have goals for them this season. With De Vanna out, other players seem to have stepped up their game. Mykjåland, Long, Sawa, and Welsh can all score. Bompastor controls things in the middle for the Freedom. Whitehill and Sauerbrunn provide solid defense. Marshall is having a solid rookie season. McLeod has two shutouts to her credit.

Philadelphia continues to hold on to 2nd place. On offense, it’s all about speed for the Independence. Rodriguez is having an amazing season for the expansion team, while Sanderson and Patterson are always threats. Lindsey and Seger are the two mainstays of the midfield, but DiMartino has played very well since coming over from St. Louis. Early in the season, the defense was winning matches for Philadelphia, but they have given up 9 goals in the last five matches. LeBlanc is good in goal, but maybe not as sharp as last season. The Independence boasts a lot of experience on their back line.

Falk and Larsson must contain Wambach if Philly is to win this match. The battle in the midfield, especially between Lindsey and Bompastor could be quite interesting and a little on the feisty side. The two former teammates can both go at it pretty well. With all their speed, Philadelphia could get some chances behind the Freedom defense, but will they convert?

Storylines: Canada’s two top keepers, McLeod and LeBlanc, oppose each other in this one. Washington is on a six game unbeaten streak, but Philadelphia is the last team to defeat them. The Independence are 3-1-1 at home, while the Freedom’s only road win has come against the expansion Atlanta Beat. Rodriguez could be the key. She has three goals and three assists in Philly’s five wins, her only other goal coming Wednesday in a game the Independence were seconds from winning. It’s a battle for 2nd place on Saturday.

Sky Blue FC (4-4-2, 14 pts) at Gold Pride FC (7-2-1, 22 pts)
Pioneer Stadium, Hayward, CA – June 27 (6 pm ET, 3 pm PT) Fox Soccer Channel

Rosters:
Sky Blue FC: GK-Karen Bardsley, K. Luckenbill; D-C. Rampone, D. Koster, M. Schnur, B. Taylor, K. Fletcher; MF-Y. Averbuch, H. O’Reilly, Rosana, K. White, I. Trotter; F-T. Kai, L. Kalmari, J. Landström, K. Dallstream.
Not Active: J. Branam (knee), K. Dowling, D. Johnson, S. Myers, A. Salem, K. Schoepfer.

FC Gold Pride: GK-N. Barnhart, B. Cameron; D-R. Buehler, C. Chapman, A. Riley, K. Wilson, K. Graczyk; MF-S. Boxx, B. Edwards, C. Abily, S. Gulbrandsen, C. Dew, K. Yokers; F-Marta, C. Sinclair, K. O’Hara, T. Milbrett, K. Bosio.
Not Active: K. Fountain, E. Guthrie, R. Tantillo.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Sky Blue FC 1 @ FC Gold Pride 3
FC Gold Pride 1 @ Sky Blue FC 0
FC Gold Pride leads the all-time series with a 3-1-1 record.

What to Look for: Sky Blue has lost four games to two teams this seasons, Gold Pride and Philadelphia. A loss would put Sky Blue 11 points behind Gold Pride, so if SBFC is to have any realistic hope of finishing atop WPS in the regular season, they must at least gain a point in this one. New Jersey is coming off of a horrible 4-1 loss last weekend and must turn things around. Their last two goals have come on Rosana penalty kicks, something they can’t rely on a consistent basis. The return of Kalmari, Landström, and Koster should help considerably. Kalmari has four of the seven goals that Sky Blue has scored in the normal run of play. What was once considered one of the finest defenses in the league has given up a ton of shots and four multi-goal games against. Bardsley has been top notch, but the onslaught of pressure and shots has to be wearing her down. Rampone’s leadership could be key to this squad holding it together, much as it was last season.

On the other hand, Gold Pride seems to be gliding along. The only time they lose is if they don’t score, which doesn’t happen very often. They have an opportunity to stretch their lead to 7 points at home, where they have been unbeatable this season with a 4-0-1 record. Offensively, Gold Pride has more options than any other team with Marta, Sinclair, O’Hara, and Milbrett. The addition of Boxx and the return of Abily give them a strong midfield as well. Rookies Riley and Edwards have helped contribute to a strong defensive effort to go along with veterans Buehler and Chapman. Barnhart now leads the league in goalkeeping.

For Sky Blue to win, they will have to play smart defensively and Bardsley will have to be on top of her game. Sky Blue seems to have problems against teams with a lot of speed, with Gold Pride being on the top of that list. With Boxx and Abily in the middle, it will be difficult for Sky Blue to exert any kind of control of possession. Considering that SBFC is allowing nearly 20 shots per game, Marta and company should get opportunities.

Storylines: Gold Pride’s home unbeaten string is now at 8 games. Both Marta and Sinclair have double digit career goals now. Dowling, who has started 24 matches for Sky Blue in her career, is listed as not rostered for this match. Can Kai, who has been plagued by injuries, once again become an offensive force?

WPS Friday Night - Chicago at Boston

It’s a bit early to call any game a must-win situation, but these two teams are in danger of losing contact with the top four in the table. If the Red Stars and the Breakers want to keep themselves in good position for a playoff spot, this match could be very important.

Chicago Red Stars (2-5-3, 9 pts) at Boston Breakers (1-4-4, 7 pts)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, MA – June 25 (7:30 ET, 6:30 CT)

Rosters (note roster report was not available at press time):
Chicago Red Stars: GK-J. Loyden, A. Whitworth, M. Burke; D-K. Markgraf, W. Engen, M. Dalmy, A. Asante, N. Spilger, E. Weber, J. Sitch; MF-Formiga, M. Rapinoe, K. Carney, K. Chapman, N. Washington, L. Vandenbergh, J. Santacaterina; F-Cristiane, K. Asllani, C. Nogueira, E. Masar, J. McDonald.

Boston Breakers: GK-A. Naeher, A. Phillips, A. Lipsher; D-A. LePeilbet, S. Cox, A. Scott, K. Moore; MF-L. Osborne, K. Lilly, K. Smith, J. Angeli, C. Igwe, L. Bogus; F-L. Cheney, L. Tarpley, L. Del Rio, Fabiana, T. Weimer, M. Enyeart, T. Hemmings, A. Marquez.
Not active: S. Walsh.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Chicago 2 @ Boston 0.
The all-time series is tied at 2 wins each.

What to Look for: These two teams met earlier in the season, with Chicago taking a 2-0 result in Boston. In fact, the previous four meetings between the Red Stars and the Breakers have been shutouts.

The Red Stars looked to be turning the corner with a win over first place Gold Pride, followed by two ties, including a come-from-behind effort in Washington. But then they fell on the road to last place Atlanta. Chicago defends very well. Loyden has given up just 9 goals in ten matches and the back line, led by Markgraf, is solid. In the midfield, Chapman and Carney are having good seasons, but Rapinoe still doesn’t appear to be 100% after suffering through a long illness earlier in the season. Chicago’s problem has often been finishing. They have talented strikers with Cristiane, Asllani, and Nogueira, but they need to get more of their shots on frame and test opposing keepers.

Boston is looking for their first home win since last July. They have had just as much trouble scoring as the Red Stars. Generally speaking, if Smith doesn’t score, the Breakers probably won’t. It’s hard to figure with players like Smith, Lilly, Cheney, and Del Rio. The addition of Tarpley could help turn things a bit. She is an unselfish player and is adept at setting up teammates. Cheney is one of the best with her back to the goal, turning on defenders and getting a good shot. But after an early goal in the season opener, she has been largely silent. Like Chicago, the Breakers have a solid back four, led by LePeilbet and Scott. The goalkeeper situation appears to be up in the air. Lipsher lost her starting role to Phillips before the season, but DiCicco started the rookie Naeher in their last match, before she had to come out with an injury.

There are a lot of keys to this match, starting with finishing chances. Both teams have handily outshot their opponents this season, but the back of the net seems to be elusive. Cristiane and Smith are the big scorers. The Red Stars have speed in Asllani and Nogueira can be magical….at times. The latter seems to be best suited as a 2nd half substitution with the game on the line, where she is a clutch goal scorer.

Another key is how well the midfielders link up with their forwards. Chicago seems to be better at attacking from the wings with Carney and Rapinoe, while Lilly offers the same for the Breakers. The Red Stars may have a slight edge in goal with Loyden. In the end, it may be a matter of one of two outside defenders, Dalmy for Chicago and Scott for Boston, getting forward to cause problems that might decide this match.

Trivia Question - Of last year's (2009) first round draft choices in the January draft, who has scored the most career goals?
Answer – Amy Rodriguez now has 5 career goals after scoring on Wednesday night. Just behind is Allie Long of the Freedom with 4. Tina DiMartino, Megan Rapinoe, Brittany Bock, and Kerri Hanks have two. Yael Averbuch, who plays a more defensive role for Sky Blue, has yet to score a goal.

Last Second Goal by Ellertson Gains Tie for Beat

Tina Ellertson scored in the waning moments of stoppage time to give the Atlanta Beat a 2-2 draw against Philadelphia on Wednesday evening. Ellertson scored on a header off of an Aya Miyama cross as seconds ticked down.

Atlanta jumped on top early in the contest on a Mami Yamaguchi goal, but Philadelphia drew even before halftime, with Amy Rodriguez getting the equalizer for the Independence.

Barely into the 2nd half, Stacy Bishop scored an own goal after Joanna Lohman had crossed the ball for Philadelphia. That gave the Independence a 2-1 lead, which held until Ellertson's heroics in the closing seconds. It was the second straight game that Ellertson has gotten the key goal of the match. Last weekend, she scored the game winner against Chicago.

Atlanta now has a 10 day break until after the All-Star game which will be played in their home stadium. They will host FC Gold Pride on July 3. Philadelphia returns home to face the Washington Freedom on Saturday night.

WPS Midweek Notes - June 23

Adams Named WPS Player of the Week

Danesha Adams of the Philadelphia Independence has earned WPS Player of the Week honors. Her performance was a key factor in Philly’s 4-1 victory over Sky Blue FC. She scored the first goal of the match and later assisted on a goal by Amy Rodriguez. Adams has also been credited with setting up another goal, but did not get an assist as a Sky Blue player had touched the ball before Joanna Lohman knocked home the rebound.

It was the first start of the season for Adams who was selected by Philadelphia in the expansion draft from the Chicago Red Stars last fall. The goal and assist were the first of her WPS career. She became the 3rd Philadelphia player to win the award in 2010. Adams played college soccer for UCLA where she was an All-American.

Around The League

Atlanta Beat – The Beat now have a three game unbeaten streak after starting with a 0-5-1 record…..The first midweek home match for Atlanta drew 2632 fans…..The own goal in Wednesday’s match was the second of the season for Atlanta. No other team has ever had more than one in a season.

Boston Breakers – With injuries and national team duty, the only three players that have played every minute this year for the Breakers are Lauren Cheney, Stephanie Cox, and Amy LePeilbet…..A bit of history, Kristine Lilly made her first appearance for the USWNT on the day Breaker teammate Kasey Moore was born (August 3, 1987). Four of Lilly’s other teammates at Boston had not been born yet…..Boston has not won a home game since defeating the Red Stars on July 15, 2009.

Chicago Red Stars – The Red Stars have never used a backup goalkeeper. Caroline Jönsson played every minute last season and Jill Loyden has played every minute this year…..Although Cristiane has scored 10 career goals, she has only scored against four different teams, four against Gold Pride, three against Washington, two against Los Angeles, and one earlier this year against Boston…..Chicago is currently 2nd in team defense, giving up less than a goal per game.

FC Gold Pride – Gold Pride has gotten over 2500 minutes of play from their 2010 draft choices, led by Ali Riley, Becky Edwards, and Kelley O’Hara…..Nicole Barnhart leads WPS with only 0.80 goals against per game…..FCGP passed last year’s point total of 18 on June 12. It took them only 9 games in 2010.

Philadelphia Independence – The Independence extended their consecutive games scoring streak to 10 against Atlanta on Wednesday, just one shy of the WPS record…..The change of scenery appears to have helped Amy Rodriguez, who now has four goals and three assists for the Independence after struggling last season…..Philadelphia has averaged scoring 2.25 goals per game over their last four matches.

Sky Blue FC – Sky Blue surrendered four goals for only the second time in their history on Saturday night. Last season, they gave up that many in a 4-4 tie against Washington…..Rosana became only the second WPS player to convert two penalties in one season. Camille Abily did it last season for Los Angeles…..A bit of an contradiction, Sky Blue’s defense leads WPS with four shutouts, but they have also suffered the most multi-goal games against with four.

Washington Freedom – Becky Sauerbrunn’s ironwomen streak now stands at 2610 minutes in the regular season, plus another 90 minutes if you count last season’s playoff match…..Beverly Goebel was elevated to full roster status last week to replace Lisa DeVanna, who is out with an injury…..The last three times Washington has faced the Red Stars, they have surrendered a lead. They still managed a 1-1-1 record in those three contests.

Trivia Question - Of last year's (2009) first round draft choices in the January draft, who has scored the most career goals?

WPS Midweek - Philadelphia Independence at Atlanta Beat

The two expansion teams take center stage in the first WPS midweek match of 2010. Both are coming off of successful weekends.

Philadelphia Independence (5-3-2, 17 pts) at Atlanta Beat (1-5-2, 5 pts)
KSU Stadium, Kennesaw, GA - June 23 (6:30 ET)

Rosters:
Philadelphia: GK-K. LeBlanc, V. Henderson; D-A. Falk, H. Mitts, N. Krzysik, S. Senty, E. Johnson; MF-J. Buczkowski, L. Lindsey, J. Lohman, T. DiMartino; F-A. Rodriguez, L. Sanderson, L. Patterson, D. Adams, K. Maruyama.
Not Active: H. Magnusdottir (national team), S. Larsson (national team), C. Seger (national team), G. DiMartino, K. Reynolds, R. Jones.

Atlanta: GK-H. Solo, B. Maron; D-T. Ellertson, K. McNeill, L. Robinson, S. Bishop, K. Larkin; MF-M. Yamaguchi, A. Miyama, A. Kerr, L. Chalupny, M. Zerboni, R. Nolin, C. Blank (unlikely-knee); F-E. Aluko, M. Ocampo, A. Cinalli.
Not Active: R. Bachmann (national team), J. Rasmussen (national team), M. Lofton-Malachi.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Atlanta 0 @ Philadelphia 0
Atlanta 0 @ Philadelphia 1

What to Look For: Philadelphia enters the match coming off a big win over Sky Blue, in 2nd place with a chance to close within two points of Gold Pride. There are plenty of things to like about the Independence attack these days. The have plenty of speed, led by Rodriguez, who is having a solid season with 3 goals and 3 assists. Adams had a great game last weekend with a goal and two assists. Sanderson and Patterson have played well, too. Lindsey directs the show in the midfield with 2 goals and 5 assists. DiMartino has scored in consecutive games since coming over from St. Louis. Although they have yielded more goals as of late, Philly still boasts a solid defense led by Falk in the middle and LeBlanc in goal. The Independence will still be missing three European starters for this match in Seger, Larsson, and Magnusdottir.

Atlanta has scored less goals this season than the Independence did last weekend and scoring is still a problem for this young club. But the situation isn't as dire as it appeared three weeks ago and a victory would lift the Beat out of last place for the first time this year. Aluko returns to give them a scoring punch and she will team with Ocampo up front. The midfield group is now one of the best in the league with Miyama, Yamaguchi, Chalupny, and Kerr. Solo is expected back for this match and she and Maron have shut out their last two opponents. The addition of Ellertson, who scored Atlanta's goal over the weekend, has helped solidify the defense. Bachmann and Rasmussen will miss this game on national team duty.

These two teams played two low scoring match earlier this year, but it could be very interesting this time around. Atlanta now has a midfield which can control possession and create chances. In her first match with the Beat, her teammates had trouble connecting with Aluko. If they can in this match, her speed should give the Indepedence problems. But Philadelphia has speed of their own to counter with. Ellertson has given Atlanta the speed and experience it was lacking on their back line. I expect another close match, but we may see a lot of scoring chances in this one.

Storylines: It is the third meeting between the two expansion teams with the only goal being scored so far by Philadelphia's Lindsey. For 2010, in the previous meeting between last year's two top keepers, Solo came out on top over LeBlanc in a 2-1 win. After not scoring in her first 24 WPS matches, T. DiMartino has scored in consecutive matches. Philadelphia has a 9 match scoring streak, only two short of a record set by St. Louis earlier in the season. Can Adams repeat her success of a few days ago? Can Atlanta climb out of last place?

Weekend Wrap Up - June 19-20

Independence Demolishes Sky Blue

For the second time in three weeks, Philadelphia defeated Sky Blue FC. But this was in a more convincing fashion, a 4-1 victory in New Jersey, no less.

The Independence struck early and often, with Danesha Adams leading the way. Adams, who was making just her first start of the year, made the most of it with a goal and two assists. She put Philadelphia in the lead just five minutes into the match, assisted by Amy Rodriguez. Later in the half, Adams assisted on a goal by Rodriguez to put Philly up 2-0.

Sky Blue got one back on a penalty with Rosana doing the honors for the second week in a row. Last week, she converted a penalty in stoppage for the game winner against Boston. The score stood at 2-1 in favor of the Independence at half.

Adams earned her second assist on a Joanna Lohman goal early in the 2nd half and the game was never in doubt after that. Free agent signee Tina DiMartino scored her second goal in as many weeks since coming over from Saint Louis to make the final score 4-1. Karina LeBlanc got the win in goal for the Independence.

The Independence, who leapfrogged Washington into 2nd place, have now scored in 9 consecutive matches, just two shy of the regular season record held by Athletica. Philadelphia doesn't have long to rest as they travel to Atlanta for a midweek clash with the Beat on Wednesday. Sky Blue travels to the bay area to meet first place FC Gold Pride next weekend.

The Beat Get First Victory

It took eight matches, but the Atlanta Beat finally get their first win, a 1-0 shutout victory at home against Chicago.

Tina Ellertson headed home a Monica Ocampo cross in the 42nd minute to give the Beat their first WPS home goal. The goal ended a 467 minute scoring drought for Atlanta, which surpassed a record previously held by the Red Stars. For Ellertson, it was her first WPS goal.

Brett Maron got the shutout for the Beat. Atlanta outshot Chicago 17-4 for the match and held the edge in corners as well, 10-5. The victory puts Atlanta at 5 points, now just two behind 6th place Boston. They host Philadelphia on Wednesday night. Chicago remains in 5th place with 9 points and will travel to Boston to meet the Breakers in a Friday night contest.

Gold Pride Edges Boston To Solidify Hold on 1st Place

Kelley O'Hara scored late in the 1st half to give FC Gold Pride a 1-0 win over the visiting Boston Breakers. For O'Hara, it was her second goal of the season, this one assisted by Christine Sinclair.

Nicole Barnhart earned her third shutout of the season for FCGP. Alyssa Naeher, making her first start for the Breakers, was injured in the 1st half and had to be replaced by Ashley Phillips.

The victory came before a crowd of 3588 at Gold Pride's new home, Pioneer Stadium in Haywood, California. They have stretched their home unbeaten streak to eight games.

Gold Pride, with 22 points, now has a five point cushion over 2nd place Philadelphia. They will host Sky Blue next Sunday. Meanwhile, Boston sits in 6th place, just two points out of the basement. Boston has not won a match since the season opener and has scored just two goals total in their last six matches. They will host Chicago on Friday night.

Standings: (1) FC Gold Pride (7-2-1, 22 pts); (2) Philadelphia (5-3-2, 17 pts); (3) Washington (4-2-3, 15 pts); (4) Sky Blue FC (4-4-2, 14 pts); (5) Chicago (2-5-3, 9 pts); (6) Boston (1-4-4, 7 pts); (7) Atlanta (1-5-2, 5 pts).

WPS Weekend Preview - June 19

We head into the 10th week of WPS games with some interesting matches and many players missing for a variety of reasons. All matches are on Saturday for this weekend and there is no FSC match of the week. Comcast will broadcast the Chicago-Atlanta match.

Philadelphia Independence (4-3-2, 14 pts) at Sky Blue FC (4-3-2, 14 pts)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ – June 19 (7 pm ET)

Rosters:
Philadelphia Independence: GK-K. LeBlanc, V. Henderson; D-A. Falk, H. Mitts, N. Krzysik, S. Senty, E. Johnson (questionable-ankle); MF-J. Buczkowski, L. Lindsey, J. Lohman, T. DiMartino, G. DiMartino; F-A. Rodriguez, K. Maruyama, L. Patterson, D. Adams.
Not Active: H. Magnusdottir (national team), S. Larsson (national team), C. Seger (national team), L. Sanderson (national team), K. Reynolds (U-23 national team), R. Jones.

Sky Blue FC: GK-K. Luckenbill, J. Branam (?); D-K. Dowling, C. Rampone, B. Taylor, M. Schnur, K. Fletcher, I. Trotter, D. Johnson; MF-Y. Averbuch, H. O’Reilly, K. White, Rosana, A. Salem; F-T. Kai, K. Dallstream, K. Schoepfer.
Not Active: K. Bardsley (national team), L. Kalmari (national team), D. Koster (national team), J. Landström (national team), C. Lloyd (ankle), S. Myers.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Sky Blue FC 1 @ Philadelphia 2

What to Look For: This is a rematch of a game two weeks ago, won by Philadelphia 2-1. And like in that match, both teams head into this one tied for 3rd place. Perhaps more than any other match this weekend, national team duty will affect this game. The question is, will it affect both sides evenly? Both teams will be missing scorers, midfielders, and defenders. But the key absence for the week could be Bardsley. Luckenbill has been unofficially named the starter for this match, but also note Branam did not appear on the roster report as injured. Sky Blue has played only three home matches, scoring only one goal and surrendering only one. Both O’Reilly and Rosana got into the scoring column last weekend, indicating that the midfield is showing some signs of life. Who will join Kai upfront? It could be one of two rookies, Schoepfer or Dallstream, or even possibly Trotter. Tina DiMartino scored her first goal last week and fit very well into Philly’s midfield. Will Maruyama, who has played just 78 minutes this year, team with Rodriguez at forward? Or will it be Patterson, who has provided a big spark off the bench for the Independence? A low scoring match would appear to be in order, but there is still a lot of speed on both teams.
Storylines: Philadelphia has now scored in 8 consecutive matches after being shut out in the opener. Luckenbill hasn’t started a WPS match since June 14, 2009. How much will the two former Athletica players influence the match, DiMartino, the more offensive player for Philadelphia, or Fletcher, the more defensive player for Sky Blue?

Chicago Red Stars (2-4-3, 9 pts) at Atlanta Beat (0-5-2, 2 pts)
June 19 (7 pm ET, 6 pm CT) KSU Stadium, Kennesaw, GA.

Rosters:
Chicago Red Stars: GK-J. Loyden, A. Whitworth; D-K. Markgraf, M. Dalmy, W. Engen, A. Asante, E. Weber; MF-Formiga, M. Rapinoe, J. Sitch, N. Washington, L. Vandenbergh; F-Cristiane, C. Nogueira, E. Masar, J. McDonald.
Not Active: N. Spilger (suspension), K. Asllani (national team), K. Carney (national team), K. Chapman (national team), K. Davis (season-ending knee), J. Santacaterina.

Atlanta Beat: GK-B. Maron, M.Lofton-Malachi; D-T. Ellertson, L. Robinson, S. Bishop, K. Larkin; MF-M. Yamaguchi, A. Miyama, A. Kerr, L. Chalupny, M. Zerboni, R. Nolin, C. Blank (unlikely-knee); F-M. Ocampo, A. Cinalli.
Not Active: H. Solo (sponsor obligation), K. McNeill (sponsor obligation), R. Bachmann (national team), E. Aluko (national team), J. Rasmussen (national team), S. Mundy (season-ending injury).

Previous Meetings (2010):
Atlanta 0 @ Chicago 0.

What to Look For: In a matchup between the two lowest scoring teams in WPS, Atlanta and Chicago fittingly played to a scoreless draw two weeks ago. In the interim, the Red Stars came out of their offensive slump with two Cristiane goals in a come-from-behind tie against Washington. Meanwhile, the Beat have had a bye week to acquaint themselves with one another. This is another match that will see many key European players missing due to national team duty. Atlanta may have been hit the worst, given they have scored only two goals this season and both Aluko and Bachmann will be absent. They will get a boost in the midfield, with the addition of Miyama and the return of Yamaguchi. One has to wonder if they will switch one of their midfielders forward to team with Ocampo. And with Solo and McNeill gone on a sponsor trip to the World Cup, the defense will be hit hard, too. Chicago and Cristiane finally came to life last week after falling two goals down to the Freedom. While, the Red Stars’ two English midfielders, Carney and Chapman, will be away, we might finally see Nikki Washington on the pitch. The Red Stars will also be missing Spilger due to red card suspension, but the addition of Asante and Weber should ease that pain. Loyden has been fine in goal for the Red Stars. If Chicago’s weakened midfield can link up with their forwards, they should have the advantage in this one.
Storylines: Chicago is looking to increase their unbeaten streak to four games, which would tie a franchise best. Atlanta is still looking for their first WPS goal in their new stadium. Will we finally see Washington in WPS play? Will the combination of the two talented Japanese midfielders, Yamaguchi and Miyama, spring the Beat’s offense to life? Can Atlanta keep Cristiane and company in check without McNeill and Solo?

Boston Breakers (1-3-4, 7 pts) at FC Gold Pride (6-2-1, 19 pts)
June 19 (10 pm ET, 7 pm PT) Pioneer Stadium, Haywood, CA.

Rosters:
Boston Breakers: GK-A. Phillips, A. Naeher; D-A. LePeilbet, S. Cox, K. Moore, N. Cross; MF-K. Lilly, C. Igwe, L. Tarpley, J. Angeli; F-L. Cheney, L. Del Rio, T. Weimer, Fabiana, T. Hemmings, A. Marquez.
Not Active: L. Osborne (shin), A. Scott (national team), K. Smith (national team), S. Walsh (knee), M. Enyeart, A. Lipsher.

FC Gold Pride: GK-N. Barnhart, B. Cameron; D-C. Chapman, R. Buehler, A. Riley, K. Graczyk, K. Wilson, K. Fountain; MF-S. Boxx, C. Dew, B. Edwards, K. Yokers ; F-Marta, C. Sinclair (unlikely-ankle), K. O’Hara, T. Milbrett, K. Bosio.
Not Active: C. Abily (national team), S. Gulbrandsen (national team), E. Guthrie, R. Tantillo.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Gold Pride 2 @ Boston 1
Gold Pride leads the all-time series with a 2-1-1 record.

What To Look For: Strangely enough, the Breakers are unbeaten on the road this season with a win and three ties. Gold Pride debuts in their new home, Pioneer Stadium, with a 7-game home unbeaten streak. Barring a tie, something will have to give Saturday night. The Breakers are coming off of a tough loss to Sky Blue on a penalty in stoppage. Boston has played Gold Pride four times in their history, scoring exactly one goal in each of the four meetings. The Breakers will miss Alex Scott’s speed on defense, trying to combat Gold Pride’s fast frontline group. Both teams will be hurting in the midfield, with Osborne and Smith out for Boston and Abily and Gulbrandsen out for Gold Pride. The Breakers obviously need to start scoring more. Cheney has not scored a goal since a few minutes into the season opener. For FCGP, Sinclair is slowed by injury, but they will have O’Hara back. Marta has been spectacular as of late, with two goals and an assist last weekend. Gold Pride’s speedy outside backs, Riley and Wilson, could cause the Breakers a lot of problems up the flanks. With key midfielders out, Boxx may have to take on a more offensive role in this match. Barnhart has been steady in goal. With Smith out and Boston’s scoring woes, it’s hard to see them winning this match. They will have to play sound defensively and hope to get offense from unexpected sources.
Storylines: Gold Pride, unbeaten at home, takes on the Breakers, unbeaten on the road. Marta has five goals and an assist in her last four matches. The last time Lindsey Tarpley met Shannon Boxx on the same field as foes, Tarpley scored a goal, leading the Red Stars to an upset win over the LA Sol last August. Gold Pride will remain in 1st place, regardless of the result in this match.

Trivia Question- Who scored the 200th regular season goal in WPS history?Answer-Eniola Aluko scored the 200th regular season goal in Athletica’s 2-2 tie with Sky Blue FC on May 16, 2010. Coincidentally, it was the final goal in Athletica history.

Whitworth Traded To Red Stars

The Atlanta Beat have traded goalkeeper Allison Whitworth to the Chicago Red Stars. The Red Stars will also get Atlanta's 1st and 4th round picks in the 2011 draft, while Atlanta will receive Chicago's 1st and 4th round picks in the 2012 draft.

Atlanta had traded draft picks to obtain Whitworth last October and she was expected to be Atlanta's number one keeper. However, a few games into the season, Brett Maron took over as the starter and then the Beat later signed Hope Solo.

Chicago found themselves in need of a backup keeper after Kelsey Davis was put on season-ending injured reserve.

Whitworth had started 3 matches for Atlanta, facing 29 shots on goal and giving up 5 goals for a 1.67 goals against average.

WPS Midweek Notes - June 16

Marta Named Player of the Week

It's no surprise that Marta was named WPS Player of the Week after scoring two goals and assisting on a third in FC Gold Pride's 3-1 victory over Philadelphia on Sunday. It is the 4th time Marta has received the honor, the second time this season.

Marta assisted on Gold Pride's first goal, intercepting a pass near midfield and sending a perfectly weighted through ball to Christine Sinclair who made it 1-0. Later, Marta got one of her own, outracing Holmfridur Magnusdottir for the ball and sending it through Karina LeBlanc's legs from close range to give Gold Pride a 2-0 lead.

Finally, after Philadelphia had closed the gap to one goal, Marta scored her second of the match. This time she raced past Nikki Krzysik to go one-on-one with LeBlanc. After LeBlanc had slid out, Marta was able to keep her feet on a great effort and slammed it home.

Marta now leads WPS with 6 goals this season and 16 goals in her WPS career.

Around the League

Atlanta Beat – The Beat are the only team in the league to not have any player over 30 years old. Their oldest player is Hope Solo who is just 28…..As Eniola Aluko joined the Beat, she had twice as many goals this season as the entire Atlanta team…..The Beat will host the first midweek game of the WPS season against Philadelphia on June 23.

Boston Breakers – Rookie Jordan Angeli scored her first WPS goal on her first WPS shot on goal last weekend against Sky Blue…..The Breakers added former Athletica defender Niki Cross to their roster as a developmental player…..Boston’s struggles have continued, with a 1-6-5 record over their past 12 matches dating back to 2009. They have been outscored by a 13-7 margin over that time.

Chicago Red Stars – Cristiane scored her 9th and 10th career goals for the Red Stars on Saturday…..With Natalie Spilger's red card, the Red Stars have now received four red cards in their history, three of those against the Freedom…..Chicago’s three game unbeaten streak is just one shy of a franchise best which occurred in the first four matches in their history.

FC Gold Pride – In her WPS career, Marta has now scored multiple goals in four different games…..Christine Sinclair became the first player to score 10 goals for Gold Pride over her career with a goal against Philadelphia. She is now tied for 2nd in goals this season with four…..Gold Pride takes the field hosting Boston this week riding a 7 game unbeaten streak at home.

Philadelphia Independence – Tina DiMartino scored her first WPS goal against Gold Pride on Sunday…..Lyndsey Patterson continues to provide a spark off the bench for the Independence with a goal and an assist in just 158 minutes of action this season…..The game against Gold Pride marked only the 2nd time in her career that Karina LeBlanc has given up as many as three goals in one game.

Sky Blue FC – Rosana’s penalty kick goal against Boston was not only the first converted by a Sky Blue player, but also the first ever attempted by SBFC…..Kendall Fletcher saw her first action with Sky Blue as a 2nd half substitution in Sunday’s match…..Since making the playoffs in 2009, Sky Blue has become an impressive road team, sweeping three matches in last year’s playoffs and going 3-2-1 in six road games this season.

Washington Freedom – The Freedom extended their unbeaten streak to six with Saturday’s tie, a franchise record…..Homare Sawa is the only WPS player with three or more goals that did not make the WPS All-Star game…..Sonia Bompastor recorded her 10th career assist on Sawa’s goal on Saturday. She is second only to Abby Wambach in career assists.

Return of the Trivia Question
After a brief hiatus, I have brought back the trivia question of the week.
This week's question - Who scored the 200th regular season goal in WPS history? Hint: It happened in mid-May. Answer on Friday.

2010 WPS All-Star Reserves Named

Women's Professional Soccer announced 14 reserves on Monday for the 2010 WPS All-Star Game presented by U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, which kicks off at 8pm ET on June 30 at KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, Ga.

2010 WPS All-Star Reserves (alphabetical by team)

Angie Kerr, M (Atlanta Beat)
Alex Scott, D (Boston Breakers)
Cristiane, F (Chicago Red Stars)
Karen Carney, M (Chicago Red Stars)
Jillian Loyden, GK (Chicago Red Stars)
Kate Markgraf, D (Chicago Red Stars)
Kelley O'Hara, F (FC Gold Pride)
Caroline Seger, M (Philadelphia Independence)
Amy Rodriguez, F (Philadelphia Independence)
Tasha Kai, F (Sky Blue FC)
Laura Kalmari, M (Sky Blue FC)
Christie Rampone, D (Sky Blue FC)
Erin McLeod, GK (Washington Freedom)
Becky Sauerbrunn, D (Washington Freedom)

Back 2 The Future, Fingers Crossed

Back...after a long, stroll through life.

Looking forward to posting about the beautiful game once again.

WPS Weekend Preview - June 12 & 13

Chicago Red Stars at Washington Freedom– June 12 (7 pm ET, 6 pm CT)
Maryland SoccerPlex, Boyds, MD.

Rosters:
Chicago Red Stars: GK-J. Loyden, M. Burke; D-K. Markgraf, M. Dalmy, W. Engen, A. Asante, E. Weber, N. Spilger; MF-K. Carney, K. Chapman, Formiga, M. Rapinoe; F-Cristiane, K. Asllani, C. Nogueira, E. Masar.
Not Active: K. Davis (season-ending knee), N. Washington (knee), J. Sitch, J. McDonald, J. Santacaterina, L. Vandenbergh.

Washington Freedom: GK-E. McLeod, M. McCray; D-C. Whitehill, N. Marshall, B. Sauerbrunn, R. Moros, A. Singer, B. Bock, K. Eveland; MF-S. Bompastor, A. Long, S. Huffman, H. Sawa, J. Gilbeau, C. Miskel; F-A. Wambach, C. Welsh, B. Goebel.
Not Active: L. Mykjåland (knee), L. De Vanna (leg), B. Scurry (head), M. Abegg, A. Harris.

Previous Meetings (2009):
Chicago 1 @ Washington 1
Chicago 0 @ Washington 0
Washington 1 @ Chicago 2
Washington 3 @ Chicago 2

What to Look For: This was a very even and very spirited rivalry last season. In two of the four meetings, a Red Star player was sent off. Washington is known for their offense and Wambach is having arguably the best offensive season in WPS with 3 goals and 7 assists. She scored three of the Freedom’s 5 goals in this series a year ago, not to mention drawing one of the red cards. But surprisingly, it is Washington’s defense that has made the Freedom a contender for 1st place. Outside of one soft goal on a mixup between McLeod and her back line, the defense has led the way lately, giving up just three goals in the last 5 matches. Chicago has edged its way back into shouting distance of a playoff spot. With a win and a tie over the last two weeks they have moved to within three points of 4th place. However, the problem for the Red Stars is the same as it has been, lack of scoring. Chicago continues to put an alarmingly low percentage of their shots on frame, especially Cristiane. Rapinoe had good opportunities in last week’s game, but could not finish. On defense, the Red Stars have given up the fewest goals of any team, led by Loyden in goal and strong back line play by Markgraf, Engen, and Dalmy. The midfield battle could be interesting with Carney for Chicago and Bompastor for Washington being the players to watch.
Storylines: Washington looks to extend their all-time best unbeaten run of 5 matches. A Washington win combined with either a Philly win or tie against Gold Pride will put the Freedom in a 1st place tie. The game will feature the league’s top ranked Freedom offense against the league’s top ranked Red Star defense.

Sky Blue FC at Boston Breakers – June 12 (4 pm ET)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, MA.

Rosters:
Sky Blue FC: GK-K. Bardsley, K. Luckenbill; D-K. Dowling, D. Koster, C. Rampone, B. Taylor, M. Schnur; MF-Y. Averbuch, H. O’Reilly, K. White, Rosana, I. Trotter, K. Fletcher; F-T. Kai, J. Landström, K. Dallstream.
Not Active: L. Kalmari (calf), J. Branam (knee), C. Lloyd (ankle), D. Johnson, S. Myers, A. Salem, K. Schoepfer.

Boston Breakers: GK-A. Phillips, A. Naeher; D-A. Scott, A. LePeilbet, S. Cox, K. Moore, J. Angeli; MF-K. Smith, K. Lilly, C. Igwe, L. Tarpley; F-L. Cheney, L. Del Rio, T. Weimer, Fabiana, T. Hemmings, A. Marquez.
Not Active: L. Osborne (shin), S. Walsh (knee), M. Enyeart, A. Lipsher.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Boston 0 @ Sky Blue 0.
Sky Blue leads the all-time series 3-0-2.

What to Look For: Although this series has been marked by close, low scoring matches, Sky Blue has dominated the results. Just when Sky Blue was beginning to get healthy, league leading scorer Kalmari will reportedly miss this match with an injured calf. Outside of Kalmari, SBFC has scored only 3 goals, two by Kai and an own goal. Sky Blue has just added Fletcher to an already strong defensive team. However, Sky Blue’s defense has been slipping a bit lately and appear to be beginning to show the effects of facing so many shots. Bardsley has been the top keeper in WPS with 4 shutouts, but has also given up multiple goals in three matches. Boston is once again having problems scoring and hopefully, the bye week gave them a chance to regroup. Smith has scored three of their five goals this season, but there hasn’t been much else. Coach DiCicco is hoping that the addition of Tarpley will jumpstart their offense. She had teamed well with Aluko in Saint Louis earlier in the season. On defense, Boston has one of the best units in the league with LePeilbet, Cox, Scott, and a much improved Moore. Phillips has been generally solid in goal. The Breakers will be missing Osborne in the midfield due to injury. Given two strong defenses and the lack of scoring between these two teams, another scoreless tie would not be out of the question, but the Breakers certainly should have a chip on their shoulders for this match.
Storylines: The Breakers are looking for their first victory against Sky Blue in six tries. They will be trying to stop their six game winless streak, the longest in their history. Fletcher joins several of her former UNC teammates at Sky Blue.

FC Gold Pride at Philadelphia Independence – June 13 (6 pm ET, 3 pm PT) – Fox Soccer Channel
John A. Ferrell Stadium, West Chester, PA.

Rosters:
FC Gold Pride: GK-N. Barnhart, B. Cameron; D-C. Chapman, R. Buehler, K. Graczyk, K. Wilson, K. Fountain; MF-S. Boxx, C. Dew, B. Edwards, C. Abily, S. Gulbrandsen, K. Yokers ; F-Marta, C. Sinclair, T. Milbrett.
Not Active: K. Bosio (graduation), K. O’Hara (graduation), A. Riley (graduation) E. Guthrie, R. Tantillo.

Philadelphia Independence: GK-K. LeBlanc, V. Henderson; D-A. Falk, H. Mitts, S. Larsson, N. Krzysik, S. Senty, E. Johnson (questionable-ankle); MF-J. Buczkowski, L. Lindsey, J. Lohman, T. DiMartino, G. DiMartino, L. Patterson; F-A. Rodriguez, H. Magnusdottir, L. Sanderson, K. Maruyama.
Not Active: C. Seger (ankle), H. Mitts (knee), D. Adams (graduation), K. Reynolds (U-23 national team), R. Jones.

Previous Meetings:
This will be the first meeting between the two teams.

What To Look For: For the second week in a row, 1st place Gold Pride will meet the team directly below them in the standings. FCGP has actually been outscored on the road this season, while Philadelphia is unbeaten at home so far. Gold Pride is led by a resurgent Marta, who has scored their last three goals. Boxx teamed with Gulbrandsen and Abily in the midfield gives Bay Area one of the strongest midfield units in WPS. With Seger out, Gold Pride should have a heavy advantage there. Barnhart has been steady in goal. But Gold Pride will be missing three key players due to graduation ceremonies, Riley, O’Hara, and Bosio. Philadelphia boasts a strong goalkeeping tandem in LeBlanc and Henderson and a very good defense. Mitts and Larsson give the Independence a veteran presence on their back line. The signing of Tina DiMartino came at an opportune moment, given Seger’s injury. Lindsey is one of the best midfielders in the league and Magnusdottir can be a force at both ends of the field. Rodriguez is coming off Player of the Week honors and Sanderson seems to be settling in quite well at the other forward position. Philadelphia will have to neutralize Marta, as well as the Gold Pride midfield, to have a chance at victory. The home field advantage should give them a lift.
Storylines: Marta makes her first trip to Philadelphia and is now tied for WPS lead in goals with four. Tina DiMartino joins her sister in Philadelphia. It could be the first time sisters have competed together for the same team. The two were briefly on the field together for opposing teams in St. Louis earlier in the season. This is another battle for 1st place and it will be televised nationally on FSC.

More Former Athletica Players Find Homes

Three more former players of the now disbanded Saint Louis Athletica have signed with other teams.

Japanese midfielder Aya Miyama has signed with Atlanta, bringing the Beat's total to six signings from Athletica's roster. Miyama had not played with Athletica since mid-May while she was competing in the Asian Cup. Miyama scored a goal and helped lead Japan through the group stage before being upset by Australia in the semifinals. The talented midfielder has not scored this season, but led WPS in assists with 6 while playing for the Los Angeles Sol in 2009.

Sky Blue FC has signed defensive midfielder/defender Kendall Fletcher. The former star at North Carolina will join her college teammates Kacey White and Heather O'Reilly. Fletcher had been obtained by Athletica during the 2009 season in a trade with Los Angeles. Known for her marking ability, Fletcher helped solidify Athletica's defense while playing holding mid last season. She moved to the back line this year to make room for rookie Carolyn Blank and veteran Shannon Boxx in the midfield.

Philadephia has signed midfielder Tina DiMartino. She will join her sister Gina on the Independence roster. DiMartino has not scored this year, but is known for her ball skills and passing ability. She was a 1st round draft choice in 2009 for FC Gold Pride, where she started 18 games and earned one assist. She was traded to Los Angeles for Camille Abily in the winter, but was then taken by Athletica in the dispersal draft when the Sol folded.

WPS Midweek Notes - June 9

All-Star Team Announced

WPS has announced the first 22 players that will participate in this year's All-Star match in Atlanta. The captains of the two teams will be Abby Wambach of Washington and Marta of FC Gold Pride. The 22 players were selected in a combined vote of players, fans, media, and coaches.

The players by position:

Goalkeepers: Karen Bardsley (Sky Blue), Hope Solo (Atlanta).
Defenders: Rachel Buehler (Gold Pride), Tina Ellertson (Atlanta), Allison Falk (Philadelphia), Amy LePeilbet (Boston), Brittany Taylor (Sky Blue), Cat Whitehill (Washington).
Midfielders: Sonia Bompastor (Washington), Shannon Boxx (Gold Pride), Lori Chalupny (Atlanta), Kristine Lilly (Boston), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia), Aya Miyama (free agent), Heather O'Reilly (Sky Blue), Kelly Smith (Boston).
Forwards: Eniola Aluko (Atlanta), Ramona Bachmann (Atlanta), Lauren Cheney (Boston), Marta (Gold Pride), Christine Sinclair (Gold Pride), Abby Wambach (Atlanta).

Rodriguez Earns Player of the Week Honors

Amy Rodriguez of the Philadelphia Independence has won WPS Player of the Week honors. Rodriguez had a goal and an assist in Philadelphia's 2-1 victory over Sky Blue FC. The win vaulted the Independence in to a tie for 2nd place in the WPS standings.

Rodriguez became the second player from Philadelphia to earn the honor. Lori Lindsey won Player of the Week back in April.

Around The League

Atlanta Beat - Hope Solo became the first goalkeeper to earn shutouts with two different teams in the same season against Chicago. She had earlier blanked FC Gold Pride in Athletica's season opener.....Leigh Ann Robinson is now the only Atlanta player to have started and finished all seven matches for the Beat.....The Beat have now been shut out for 425 consecutive minutes, just shy of the Red Stars' record of 451 minutes.

Boston Breakers - Kelly Smith continues to be the most fouled player in the league with 22 fouls suffered.....The Breakers are coming off of a bye week. Last season, in games they played after having 10 or more days off, they were 0-3.....The last three times Boston has shut out an opponent, they have also failed to score.

Chicago Red Stars - The Red Stars have only given up 4 goals in five home games.....Four Chicago Reds Stars (Marian Dalmy, Katie Chapman, Kate Markgraf, and Jill Loyden) have played every minute so far this season.....Chicago's last 1st half goal was on August 2, 2009 by Carli Lloyd.

FC Gold Pride - Marta scored her 4th goal of the season on Saturday against Washington. She is tied for the WPS lead in that category.....Four different Gold Pride players have game winning goals (Christine Sinclair, Tiffeny Milbrett, Marta, Carrie Dew).....Gold Pride extended their home unbeaten streak to seven on Saturday night.

Philadelphia Independence - The Independence have not lost at home, with a 3-0-1 record at John A. Ferrell Stadium.....Amy Rodriguez has 19 of her team's 45 shots on goal.....The second oldest member of the Independence, Sara Larsson, is the only Philly player to have played every minute for them.....Philadelphia's will play Gold Pride for the 1st time this weekend and it will be a battle for 1st place.

Sky Blue FC - Sky Blue has received only two cautions this season, tied for lowest in the league.....Laura Kalmari scored her 4th goal of the season last weekend, tying her for WPS lead.....Brittany Taylor is one of only two domestic rookies to make the starting team of the All-Star game.

Washington Freedom - The Freedom are now unbeaten in their last five matches, outscoring their opponents by an 8-3 margin over that time.....Becky Sauerbrunn continues her consecutive minutes streak, which has spanned 28 games (plus a playoff game) over two seasons.....The Freedom's last 3 goals have come in the 1st half in stark contrast to their history of being a 2nd half team.

WPS Weekend Wrap Up - June 5-6

FC Gold Pride 1, Washington Freedom 1

In a battle for 1st place, the Freedom tied Gold Pride by a 1-1 score. Allie Long got the Freedom on the board late in the 1st half with a well struck ball that beat Nicole Barnhart from 24 yards out. It was Long's second goal of the season.

Washington took its lead into the 2nd half and for awhile, it looked like they might hang on. A Kelley O'Hara bomb from distance knocked paint off the cross bar, but the scored stayed 1-0. Finally, after several near misses, Marta was able to find room among three defenders to beat Erin McLeod in the 76th minute to tie the score at one, which is how the match ended.

The match marked a return to the west coast for Shannon Boxx, who had been signed by Gold Pride as a free agent last week. Boxx spent the '09 season with Los Angeles. She wore number 77, instead of her traditional number 7, as O'Hara already wears that number for FCGP.

FC Gold Pride remains in 1st place with 16 points after its first tie of the season. Washington fell into a 2nd place tie with Philadelphia at 14 points.

Philadelphia Independence 2, Sky Blue FC 1

These two teams entered the game in a 3rd place tie, but it was the Independence who move up with the three points, winning by a 2-1 margin. All of the scoring came in the first half.

Lori Lindsey scored in the game's opening minutes, hitting a floater that was perfectly place in the upper right corner of the goal to beat Karen Bardsley. It was Lindsey's second goal of the season.

Laura Kalmari scored her 4th goal of the season, settling a nice through ball by Rosana, and tipping the ball past Philly keeper Val Henderson to tie the score only a few minutes later.

Later in the half, Amy Rodriguez and Lianne Sanderson worked a nice give and go that saw Rodriguez take the return pass and send it past Bardsley to give the Independence a 2-1 lead which they would never relinquish. Philadelphia moved into a 2nd place tie with the victory.

Chicago Red Stars 0, Atlanta Beat 0

In a battle between two former Athletica keepers, the Red Stars and the Beat played to a scoreless tie at Toyota Park. Jill Loyden of the Red Stars and Hope Solo of the Beat pitched the shutouts.

Chicago had the better of play for most of the match and had several promising chances in the final half. A Marian Dalmy cross just barely missed connecting with a sliding Katie Chapman. Later, a Karen Carney drive from 25 yards saw Solo make her best save of the match, diving to her left to parry the ball wide.

Atlanta's best chance came when Kia McNeill got clear for a header from close in, but wasn't quite able to get on top of it and the ball sailed just over the bar.

The game saw Atlanta start 7 former Saint Louis players, including five refugees they had signed in the past week from the recently disbanded team. Early on, the lack of familiarity showed. As one might expect with the little practice they had with each other, the Beat were not clicking for most of the match, although they did play a solid defensive match. Meanwhile, the Chicago Red Stars looked very good at times, but were unable to show any finishing prowess.

Standings:
(1) FC Gold Pride 5-2-1, 16 pts (2) Philadelphia 4-2-2, 14 pts (2) Washington 4-2-2, 14 pts (4) Sky Blue FC 3-3-2, 11 pts (5) Chicago 2-4-2, 8 pts (6) Boston 1-2-4, 7 pts (7) Atlanta 0-5-2, 2 pts. Saint Louis, now disbanded, were 2-1-3 with 9 points. Boston and Atlanta have a match in hand.

African teams ready for CAF Finals

Last round of qualifiers for African Women`s Championship were played this weekend and following teams are ready for finals in South Africa later this year :

South Africa (host)
Equatorial Guinea
Tanzania
Ghana
Nigeria
Algeria
Cameroon
Mali

African Women`s Championship is also qualifier for 2011 FIFA Women`S World Cup in Germany, and Africa have 2 spots.

Bardsley Named Player of the Month

Karen Bardsley of Sky Blue FC has been named WPS Player of the Month for May. Bardsley posted two shutouts and an 0.75 goals against average for May while facing the most shots of any WPS goalkeeper. She has earned four shutouts this season, in spite of facing 59 shots on goal, 22 more than the nearest competitor.

Bardsley, a Cal State-Fullerton grad, competes with the English National Team. She has spent her entire WPS career with Sky Blue and played the backup role to Jen Branam for much of last season.

Namazi Named Red Stars Coach

Omid Namazi has been named as the new head coach of the Chicago Red Stars. Marcia McDermott had served as interim coach for a week following the dismissal of Emma Hayes.

Namazi formerly coached the WUSA San Diego Spirits in 2003. Since then, he has primarily coached men's indoor soccer. The Red Stars are coming off of an upset win over 1st place FC Gold Pride. They presently sit in a tie for 5th place with 7 points.

More Signings of Athletica Players

Veteran forward/midfielder Lindsay Tarpley has signed with the Boston Breakers. Tarpley is coming off of a severe knee injury and had just taken over as a starting striker for the now defunct Athletica. She had one goal to her credit this season after scoring four for the Chicago Red Stars in 2009. Tarpley is also a member of the USWNT.

Athletica defender Elise Weber has signed with the Chicago Red Stars as a developmental player. Weber started all 6 games for Athletica this season, after starting 14 matches last season. She will be returning to her native Chicago where she played high school soccer in the suburb of Elk Grove. Weber played college soccer at Notre Dame.

Nikki Washington has also signed with the Red Stars. Saint Louis had obtained Washington's rights in the Anita Asante/India Trotter deal in May. Washington had not signed with Saint Louis. She was drafted by Los Angeles with the 5th overall pick in January's draft, then obtained by Sky Blue in the dispersal draft.

It has also been reported that Athletica developmental player Erin Walter has signed to play with the W-League Colorado Force, although I have not seen confirmation of that yet. Walter played both the 2009 & 2010 WPS seasons in St. Louis.

It is also being reported that former Athletica midfielder, Daniela, has signed to play with the W-League Hampton Roads Piranhas. Daniela was injured in Athletica's 4th match last season and has been recovering since. She had re-signed with Saint Louis for 2010, but was later released when Anita Asante was obtained in a trade.

WPS Weekend Previews - June 5 & 6

After a busy week off the field, with free agent signings and a new coach, this weekend's action promises to be just as interesting.

Washington Freedom at FC Gold Pride– June 5 (10 pm ET, 7 pm PT)
Castro Valley Stadium, Castro Valley, CA.

Rosters:
Washington: GK-E. McLeod, M. McCray; D-C. Whitehill, N. Marshall, B. Sauerbrunn, R. Moros, A. Singer, B. Bock; MF-S. Bompastor, A. Long, S. Huffman, H. Sawa, J. Gilbeau; F-A. Wambach, C. Welsh, B. Goebel.
Not Active: L. Mykjåland (knee), L. De Vanna (leg), B. Scurry (head), M. Abegg, A. Harris, C. Miskel, K. Eveland.

FC Gold Pride: GK-N. Barnhart, B. Cameron; D-A. Riley, C. Chapman, R. Buehler, K. Graczyk, K. Wilson; MF-S. Boxx, C. Dew, B. Edwards, C. Abily, S. Gulbrandsen, K. Yokers ; F-Marta, C. Sinclair, K. O’Hara, T. Milbrett, K. Bosio.
Not Active: E. Guthrie, R. Tantillo.

Previous Meetings (2009):
Washington 4 @ FC Gold Pride 3
FC Gold Pride 1 @ Washington 3
FC Gold Pride 3 @ Washington 2

What to Look For: This is an early season battle for 1st place, with Gold Pride at 15 points and Washington at 13 points. These two teams lit up the scoreboard last season. In the three matches between these two teams, 16 goals were scored. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the same kind of scoring in this game. For Washington, Wambach and Sawa both had two goals in this series last season. For Gold Pride, Sinclair and Milbrett both scored twice in the three matches against the Freedom. Gold Pride is on a 6 game unbeaten streak at home and have outscored their opponents by a 7-2 margin in three games at home this season. This is only the Freedom’s third road match, with the first two coming against expansion Philadelphia and Atlanta. Sawa will be back from national team duty, while it appears that Abily will be active for Saturday’s match after being out a month with an ankle injury. The Freedom are thin at forward with both Mykjåland and De Vanna being out with injuries. However, Welsh has filled in ably to this point. Boxx gives Gold Pride an experienced midfielder, which could be key to this match.
Storylines: Boxx returns to the west coast, after beginning this season in St. Louis. Gold Pride will be as healthy as they have been in quite awhile. Wambach continues to be on a tear with 3 goals and 7 assists. It’s a battle for 1st place out in the Bay Area.

Sky Blue FC at Philadelphia Independence – June 6 (6 pm ET)
John A. Ferrell Stadium, West Chester, PA.

Rosters:
Sky Blue FC: GK-K. Bardsley, K. Luckenbill; D-K. Dowling, D. Koster, C. Rampone, B. Taylor, M. Schnur; MF-Y. Averbuch, H. O’Reilly, L. Kalmari, K. White, Rosana, I. Trotter; F-T. Kai, J. Landström, P. Panico, K. Dallstream.
Not Active: J. Branam (knee), C. Lloyd (ankle), D. Johnson, S. Myers, A. Salem, K. Schoepfer, M. Snell.

Philadelphia: GK-K. LeBlanc, V. Henderson; D-A. Falk, S. Larsson, N. Krzysik, S. Senty, E. Johnson, K. Reynolds; MF-J. Buczkowski, L. Lindsey, J. Lohman, G. DiMartino, L. Patterson; F-A. Rodriguez, H. Magnusdottir, L. Sanderson, K. Maruyama.
Not Active: C. Seger (suspension), H. Mitts (knee), D. Adams, R. Jones, C. Patterson.

Previous Meetings:
This will be the first meeting between these two teams.

What to Look For: The Independence will be missing two key players in Seger and Mitts. In the only other match Seger did not start, Philadelphia lost to Saint Louis. Philly has scored in each of their last six matches, the longest current streak in WPS, but have only scored more than a goal once. The Independence have three shutouts to their credit and a strong defensive unit. Falk will be key on set pieces at both ends of the field. Sanderson has been coming on as an offensive threat. Lindsey has had a very good season in the midfield with a goal and 4 assists. Sky Blue continues to thrive while being badly outshot by a 133-64 margin. Bardsley has been strong in goal and earned May Player of the Month in WPS. The strong defensive unit is even better with the return of Schnur and Rampone. Kai saw action in the 2nd half last weekend and might start. Kalmari has been Sky Blue’s biggest offensive threat in Kai’s absence. Sky Blue still only has two players to have scored goals this season. The addition of Panico could change that. The two teams have combined for 7 shutouts, so this promises to be a low scoring, defensive battle.
Storylines: These two teams enter the match tied for 3rd place with identical 3-2-2 records. How much will Seger’s two game suspension hurt Philadelphia? With Kai back, will Sky Blue’s offense begin to click?

Atlanta Beat at Chicago Red Stars – June 6 (6 pm ET, 5 pm CT) – Fox Soccer Channel
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL.

Rosters:
Atlanta Beat: GK-H. Solo, B. Maron; D-K. McNeill, T. Ellertson, L. Robinson, S. Bishop, K. Larkin; MF-M. Yamaguchi, J. Rasmussen, A. Kerr, L. Chalupny, C. Blank, M. Zerboni; F-R. Bachmann, E. Aluko.
Not Active: T. Heath (season-ending ankle injury), M. Ocampo (ankle), S. Thompson (quad), S. Mundy (shin), M. Lofton-Malachi, B. Mattern, R. Nolin, A. Whitworth.

Chicago Red Stars: GK-J. Loyden, K. Davis; D-K. Markgraf, M. Dalmy, W. Engen, N. Spilger, J. Sitch; MF-K. Carney, K. Chapman, Formiga, M. Rapinoe, N. Washington (unlikely-knee); F-Cristiane, K. Asllani (questionable-lower leg), C. Nogueira, E. Masar, J. McDonald.
Not Active: M. Burke, B. Klein, J. Santacaterina, L. Vandenbergh, E. Weber.

Previous Meetings:
This will be the first meeting between the two teams.

What To Look For: This is a matchup of the two lowest scoring teams in WPS. The Beat have scored only two goals this season, while the Red Stars have managed just four. Atlanta is missing several key players to injury, but the big story is that the Beat have swallowed up half of Athletica’s starting lineup, with the additions of Chalupny, Aluko, Ellertson, Solo, and Blank. The paring of Bachmann and Aluko promises to be an exciting combination up top. With the skilled passing of Rasmussen, veteran midfield leadership of Chalupny, and the creativity of Yamaguchi, we may see a turnaround in Atlanta’s fortunes. Solo in goal and Ellertson in back bolster the defensive side. Chicago is coming off of a big win over Gold Pride and looks to make it two in a row. Asllani can be an offensive threat as she showed last week, but she has not been healthy for much of the season. Cristiane has yet to get untracked, but Nogueira does give the Red Stars a bit of a spark. Chicago keeper Loyden is solid, while Markgraf captains the Red Star defense. Rapinoe, Chapman, Carney, and Formiga give Chicago a solid midfield, but they need to start contributing more offense.
Storylines: This will be the 2nd matchup between Athletica’s 2009 goalkeepers, Loyden and Solo, with the first game ending in a 1-1 tie. Will last week’s win turn things around for the Red Stars? How will new Red Star coach Omid Namazi set his lineup for his first WPS match? Will the insertion of all that Athletica talent be enough for Atlanta to make up a 10 point deficit in the standings and compete for a playoff spot?

The Boston Breakers have a bye week.

WPS Midweek Notes - June 2

Asllani Named Player of the Week

Chicago Red Stars forward Kosovare Asllani has been named WPS Player of the Week. Asllani scored the only goal in Chicago’s 1-0 victory over 1st place FC Gold Pride. She took advantage of Marian Dalmy’s beautiful cross and scored her first WPS goal. The goal stopped Gold Pride’s 5 game winning streak.

Asllani is the first Swedish player ever to win the Player of the Week award and the first Chicago Red Star player to win it this year. At age 20, she is also one of the youngest players in the league. Asllani had been slowed earlier in the season with a rib injury.

Sky Blue Signs Panico

SBFC has signed long-time Italian National Team player, Patrizia Panico. Panico earned her first National Team cap in 1996 and has scored 80 goals in her career for Italy. She also has a long club soccer career in her home country.

Panico becomes the first Italian player to join WPS. Sky Blue used the slot that happened opened up when they dealt Anita Asante to Saint Louis in May.

Around the League

Atlanta Beat – The Beat tied the W-League’s Tampa Bay Hellenic 1-1 in an exhibition game on Saturday night. Tampa stepped in when Atlanta’s match with Saint Louis was cancelled due Athletica folding…..In that match, Kennesaw State alum Rebecca Nolin scored Atlanta’s first goal in their new stadium…..The Beat now have 7 starters from last year’s Saint Louis team including Hope Solo, Tina Ellertson, Kia McNeill, Angie Kerr, Lori Chalupny, Amanda Cinalli, and Eniola Aluko. The 7 players combined for 119 starts for Athletica in 2009 or 54% of the team's total.

Boston Breakers – The Breakers have placed Sarah Walsh on 30-day injured reserve…..Ashley Phillips earned her 2nd shutout in three weeks in Boston's scoreless tie with Sky Blue…..Other than Kelly Smith, only two players have scored for Boston in their last 11 games dating back to last year, Lauren Cheney and Kasey Moore.

Chicago Red Stars – Jill Loyden’s goals against average dropped below one with her 2nd shutout of the season…..The Red Stars will be attempting to win 2 games in a row for only the 2nd time in their history when they face Atlanta on Sunday…..All four of Chicago’s goals this season have come in the 2nd half.

FC Gold Pride – Marta and fellow Brazilian Cristiane are tied for the WPS lead in shots taken with 26…..Gold Pride reached 15 points on May 14 this season. Last season it wasn’t until August that they reached that many…..FCGP’s goal differential is a +5 in their three home games, but a -1 in their four road games.

Philadelphia Independence – Lianne Sanderson scored her 2nd goal of the season against the Freedom, this one coming off the bench…..Caroline Seger became the second Independence player to be ejected already this year. Earlier, Jen Buczkowski had received two yellows in a match, leading to an ejection…..Philadelphia has now scored in six consecutive matches.

Saint Louis Athletica – At the time of their demise, Athletica had scored in 11 consecutive regular season matches which stands as a record.....Athletica is the all-time points leader in WPS with 43 over two seasons. Washington, now at 42 points, will have a chance to pass them this weekend…..Eniola Aluko will finish as the franchise’s all-time leader in both goals (10) and assists (4). As she continues her career in Atlanta, she is third only to Marta, who has 13 career goals and Abby Wambach who has 11 career goals.

Sky Blue FC – Karen Bardsley leads WPS with four shutouts to her credit…..Only four Sky Blue players have started every match, Laura Kalmari, Heather O’Reilly, Brittany Taylor, and Bardsley…..In spite of missing several matches due to injury, Tasha Kai is still tied for the team lead with 6 shots on goal.

Washington Freedom – The Freedom completed another unbeaten month of May and are presently on a four game unbeaten streak, just one shy of a team best…..Abby Wambach converted her first penalty attempt of the season against Philadelphia after being stopped in her only 2009 attempt by Kristin Luckenbill…..The Freedom now occupy 2nd place. A victory over Gold Pride this weekend would put them in 1st place for the first time ever.

Chalupny to Beat, Harris to Freedom, Schedule Revised

Two more former Saint Louis Athletica players have signed contracts. Athletica's captain, Lori Chalupny, has followed many of her teammates down to Atlanta. Chalupny had played midfielder for the majority of her time with Athletica, but she plays outside defender with the USWNT. She has a goal and an assist this season.

Ashlyn Harris has signed with the Washington Freedom. Harris had yet to see any action as backup to Hope Solo. Last fall, she helped lead North Carolina to the NCAA Championship.

WPS has also released its revised schedule, which was reconfigured after the demise of Athletica. Because Athletica had played 4 home games and only 2 road games, one team was forced to give up a home game and it turns out to be Sky Blue FC.

Gold Pride Signs Boxx

Former Saint Louis Athletica midfielder Shannon Boxx has signed with FC Gold Pride. Boxx had one goal and three assists in just 6 matches for Athletica. She will reunite with former Los Angeles teammates Marta and Camille Abily.

Another Athletica player, Carolyn Blank, the rookie holding midfielder out of West Virginia, has been rumored to be going to Atlanta, but there has still not been confirmation of that.

Clarification on WPS Roster Limits

WPS has sent out the following clarification regarding roster limits and international players:

"With Saint Louis Athletica players available as free agents starting on June 1, the league has been given approval from U.S. Soccer to increase the number of international roster spots per team from 5 to 6 players, provided that the additional sixth international is a Saint Louis Athletica free agent. This is an exception being made only for this season. The league’s roster sizes and total team compensation will remain as the status quo."

Damallsvenskan 2010, Round 9

Some weeks there's just no time to do much more than report the bare facts; these are such weeks. It's a busy time for everyone: by tomorrow night (2 June) when all Round 10 games are played simultaneously, every team in Damallsvenskan will have played four games in two weeks.


Kopparbergs/Göteborg v. Jitex BK 6 - 0 (2-0)
Goals: 5' Linnea Liljegärd (passning Sara Lindén)1-0; 45' Johanna Almgren (passning Linnea Liljegärd) 2-0; 50' Linnea Liljegärd (passning Johanna Almgren) 3-0; 74' Linnea Liljegärd 4-0; 79' Sara Lindén (passning Olivia Schough) 5-0; 87' Olivia Schough (passning Linnea Liljegärd) 6-0


Hammarby IF DFF v. Linköpings FC 1 - 4 (1-2)
Goals: 18' Jonna Andersson (passning Jessica Samuelsson) 0-1; 30' Jonna Andersson (passning Linda Sällström) 0-2; 38' Tempest-Marie Norlin (passning Nazanin Vaseghpanah) 1-2; 53' Jonna Andersson (passning Linda Sällström) 1-3; 87' Linda Sällström (passning Faith Ikidi) 1-4
Warnings: HIF Daniella Chamoun 8'; LFC Petra Larsson 55'
Source: damfotboll

Jonna Anderson was the hero of the match for LFC, scoring her first goal for them in the 18th minute and then adding her second and third for the team in the same match. Faith Ikidi returned to LFC after World Cup qualifying duty with the Nigerian national team, and provided the assist to Linda Sällström in the waning minutes. HIF coach was understandably not pleased, saying that three of LFC's four goals were presents to them from his defense, lacking only the wrapping paper.


AIK v. LdB FC Malmö 1 - 3 (0-2)
Goals: 7' Josefine Alfsson (passning Pavlina Scasna) 0-1; 39' Manon Melis 0-2; 54' Linda Sembrant 1-2; 62' Pavlina Scasna (passning Lina Nilsson) 1-3
Warnings: AIK Sofia Simonsson 29'; AIK Linda Sembrant 37'; LdB Josefine Alfsson 50'; LdB Malin Levenstad 55'
Source: damfotboll

LdB started the game without playmaker Therese Sjögren, who had pain in her hip, but Pavlina Scasna filled in that role quite well, providing an assist early and later scoring one of her own.


Sunnanå SK v. Djurgården 2 - 1 (2-0)
Goals: 6' Martina Sandström 1-0; 28' Linda Fransson 2-0; 55' Sarah Michael (passning Alexandra Höglund) 2-1
Warnings: SSK Magdalena Esseryd 46'; SSK Hanna Marklund 81'
Source: damfotboll

SSK had a good aggressive start to the game and scored twice in the first half perhaps aided by some defensive mistakes by DIF. DIF played harder in the second half, but the SSK defense was stronger and held them off, although for the last few minutes the home fans "were sitting on needles." With this win SSK earned their second consecutive victory, and their first at their home field.


Kristianstads DFF v. KIF Örebro 3 - 1 (1-1)
Goals: 6' Margret Lara Vidarsdottir 1-0; 39' Marina Pettersson 1-1; 66' Margret Lara Vidarsdottir 2-1; 78' Antonia Göransson 3-1
Warning: KIF Edda Gardarsdottir 70'
damfotboll's report


Tyresö FF v. Umeå IK 1 - 2 (1-1)
Goals: 2' Kirsten van de Ven (passning Elin Ekblom Bak) 1-0; 10' Rita Chikwelu 1-1; 79' Rita Chikwelu 1-2
Warning: TFF Kirsten van de Ven 61'
damfotboll's report

Atlanta Beat Signs Solo, Ellertson, & Aluko

The Atlanta Beat have announced the signing of former Athletica players Hope Solo, Tina Ellertson, and Eniola Aluko.

Solo, considered by many to be the best goalkeeper in women's soccer, has a 1.33 goals against average this season, having posted one shutout. She is the starter on the USWNT and recently had a stellar game in the United States' match against Germany, which ended a 4-0 US victory.

Ellertson was a starting central defender for Athletica, although she had been a forward earlier in her career. Known for her speed and strong play on the back line, she will instantly give the Beat a presence in the middle of defense. She joins former teammate Kia McNeill on Atlanta's defense.

Eniola Aluko is currently the WPS' leading scorer with 4 goals. Last season, she tallied 6 goals and 4 assists. She has been Athletica's leading scorer both years. Aluko is one of the fastest and most exciting young players in WPS.

To make room on the roster, Tobin Heath was put on season-ending injured reserve. Heath had suffered an ankle injury earlier in the season. Lauren Sesselmann and Marisha Schumacher-Hodge have been released by Atlanta.