Beat's Draft Strategy Is Puzzling

Let me preface this review of Atlanta Beat's 2011 draft by saying that it is not a negative reflection on the players they drafted. I truly believe that Kylie Wright and Meghan Lenczyk will ultimately help the Beat. But when you have as many holes in your roster as Atlanta did going into this draft, do you really think it's a good idea to trade a current draft pick and a national team player for a selection in the future?

To me, WPS is all about here and now. We've lost four teams in under a year. Two of those teams did at least have some great successes in the short time they were around. WPS is also about building a fan base. A 2012 draft selection isn't going to put anyone in the stands nor win any matches in 2011. Johanna Rasmussen and Christen Press (or Lauren Fowlkes or Meghan Klingenberg, etc., etc.) most certainly could have.

Rasmussen was arguably the Beat's most consistent player last season and certainly one of their best players. The Beat had already traded away their top scorer when they sent Eni Aluko to Sky Blue, with two other offensive players in Tobin Heath and Angie Kerr, for the very draft choice they traded away here (and the pick they chose Wright with).

So in essence, the combination of the two trades meant Atlanta gave up Rasmussen, Aluko, Heath, Kerr, and Press for Wright, a 2012 selection, and "future considerations." Three very good national team players, plus Kerr, plus a top rookie. Isn't the object of a draft to fill holes, not create new ones?

After the trade, I have no problem with the players Atlanta finally selected in the draft. But surely, Press, Fowlkes, or Klingenberg could have helped this team out a lot.

But on to the players Atlanta did choose. Kylie Wright, midfielder out of UCLA, was chosen with the 7th overall pick in the draft. Wright is an excellent defensive player that could step in and help the Beat right away. She has been a regular with the US U-23 team. She is durable as well, making 89 starts in her career at UCLA.

Wright has very good skills and has a team-first attitude on the pitch. She also has good size and will win more than her share of 50-50 balls.

With the 15th overall selection, the Beat chose Meghan Lenczyk, forward from Virginia. After Morgan and Press, Lenczyk could certainly lay her claim to being the third best forward in this year's draft. She scored 36 career goals for the Cavaliers and had 13 assists.

Lenczyk has good height and size which should cause opponents problems on free kicks and corners. She can also score with either foot.

With many holes to fill and few picks to fill them, Atlanta did very well with their two selections, but trading away one of the top selections for a team that has so many needs is puzzling. I'd give the Beat fairly high marks for their selections, but low grades for their approach to this draft.

Flash...Marta Lands in Western New York

Well, the mystery that has lasted most of the winter has now been solved and we have a winner. Marta, the best player in the world five years running, will play the 2011 season for the Western New York Flash. The Flash have picked up the third and final year of Marta's contract from FC Gold Pride.

Marta will join six of her Gold Pride teammates from the 2010 WPS champions, including another prolific scorer in her own right, Christine Sinclair. The Flash will most definitely not look like a typical expansion team this season.

Marta has won the FIFA Player of the Year five consecutive years. She was originally selected in the international draft by the Los Angeles Sol. In 2009, she led the Sol to the WPS regular season championship before falling to Sky Blue in the WPS Finals. After Los Angeles folded, she was taken in the dispersal draft by FC Gold Pride, which won both the regular season and playoff championship last season. The entire league has waited with much anticipation as to where she would sign since Gold Pride folded last fall.

She is the WPS all-time leading goal scorer with 29 regular season goals and has the led the league in that category both seasons. She also scored a playoff goal in last year's championship match against Philadelphia.

Marta is expected to miss at least part of the upcoming season while competing with the Brazilian National Team at the World Cup.

US Takes Four Nations Tournament with 2-0 Victory

The United States captured the final match of the Four Nations Tournament with a 2-0 victory over China. Canada defeated Sweden 1-0, but the US wins the tournament on tiebreakers.

Carli Lloyd scored in the first half off a corner kick with the US playing it short and then Lloyd hammering home a blast. Amy Rodriguez scored in the 67th minute to up the lead at 2-0 which is where it finished.

It was Christine Sinclair scoring the winning goal in Canada's 1-0 victory. A long header out of the back started the play, with Sinclair beating three Swedish defenders to the ball and hitting a low shot past the goalkeeper from just inside the penalty area.

Scurry, Freedom Add Five Players in WPS Draft

Briana Scurry got her first cap, so to speak, as a general manager at the 2011 WPS Draft. It was just two years ago that she was selected in the 5th round of the 2009 WPS Draft. Her first venture into the general manager's seat yielded several fine draft choices for the Washington Freedom.

Washington entered the draft with about enough players for a bridge game and had a lot of holes to fill. The first trade on draft day proved to be quite a shocker. Washington was able to obtain the number three overall pick and a player to be named later from Atlanta, for the Freedom's 2012 first round pick. The player to be named later is widely reported to be talented Johanna Rasmussen, although that has yet to be confirmed by either team as far as I can tell.

So now armed with two consecutive first round picks, the Freedom were able to scoop up Meghan Klingenberg and Christen Press back-to-back, and presumably add Rasmussen on top of it all. Talk about a productive start to the draft!

Klingenberg, who just received her first cap for the USWNT at the Four Nations Tournament, is a highly regarded midfielder out of North Carolina. She played several positions in college, but excelled at left midfield for the Tar Heels. She had six goals and eleven assists in her senior year and earned 24 assists over her career.

In many respects, both in size and skill set, she reminds me of Tina DiMartino, although Klingenberg generally plays a wider position. She is fast, very good with the ball at her feet, and manoeuvers well in traffic. She usually gives good service from the wing and can be a real pest when defensively pressuring the opponent's back line.

With the 4th overall selection, Washington chose high scoring Christen Press out of Stanford. Press scored 71 goals at Stanford, including 26 her senior season. She was recently awarded the MAC Hermann Award as the best college player of 2010. She can also set up others, assisting on 41 goals at Stanford. Press has good speed and obvious finishing ability, but can she take it to the next level? I believe so.

At the 10th selection, they tapped into their own Washington Freedom Futures to draft midfielder Omolyn Davis out of George Mason. For the Futures, she had seven goals and three assists in 12 games last year. She hit double-digits in goals in both 2009 and 2010 with the Patriots.

Considered to be one of the most creative players in college soccer, Davis is sure to be a crowd pleaser if she put that talent to work in the pro ranks. She has also spent some time with the Jamaican National Team.

At number 17, Washington got perhaps the steal of the draft in Amanda DaCosta. Many people tabbed her as a first round selection and it was surprising that she fell all the way down to this position, but it was the Freedom's good fortune. DaCosta follows other Florida State talents like Becky Edwards, India Trotter, Mami Yamaguchi, and Sarah Wagenfuhr into the WPS. Very quick and an excellent passer, DaCosta should prove to be a welcome addition to the Freedom midfield.

With their final selection at number 22, the Freedom drafted Katie Fraine, goalkeeper out of the Florida. Fraine earned 10 shutouts in each of her final two seasons at Florida, with a goals against average of just over 0.70 each season. Like Press, Fraine played for Pali Blues of the W-League last season. At 5-10, she has good height and with Erin McLeod likely to be with her Canadian teammates at the World Cup, Fraine could see playing time fairly quickly.

All in all, the Freedom have to get very high grades in this draft.

Independence Draft Early, Often, and Well

After a 2010 draft that saw Philadelphia have only one selection in the first three rounds, it had to seem like Christmas to coach Paul Riley with seven selections in the 2011 WPS Draft. The Independence had four picks out of the first eleven and they made the most of their selections.

Not that Philadelphia needed a lot. They certainly had a solid roster coming into this draft. But Riley set down his goals heading into the draft as a couple of midfielders and a center back and he concentrated those positions with his selections.

With the second overall selection, Philadelphia chose midfielder Sinead Farrelly out of the University of Virginia. Widely considered to have the best overall skills in the draft, Farrelly is probably the midfielder that can step in and start from day one. She's well-rounded both offensively and defensively.

Farrelly scored 30 career goals for the Cavaliers and assisted on 22 more. She led the team in scoring in both her junior and senior seasons. Farrelly will join her former Virginia teammate, Nikki Krzysik, on the Independence.

With the fifth overall selection, Riley had to feel fortunate that Lauren Fowlkes fell right to him. Fowlkes was considered the best central defender in the draft and helped lead Notre Dame to a national title in her senior season. She has good size and is very strong in the air. In addition, she can play defensive mid if need be.

To start the second round, Philly chose forward Jennifer Stoltenberg out of Oregon. Often overshadowed in a conference with national powers UCLA and Stanford, Stoltenberg scored 33 career goals for the Ducks. She tied the school's points record in her sophomore season and then broke it in both her junior and senior years. She has good speed and versatility.

I have to admit that I found Philadelphia's pick at the 11th overall position to be a bit curious. For the second year in a row, they drafted Wake Forest defender Caitlin Farrell. Farrell apparently elected to finish her studies and not try out for the Independence last year. I'm surprised that Philly didn't just wait until after the draft and sign her as a free agent, since most of the teams were concentrating on this year's seniors, but I guess they felt that they couldn't chance it.

At 5-9, Farrell has good size and is strong in the air, both of which come in handy for a central defender. She has experience in Europe with FC Twente and on the US U-23 team.

At the 15th position, the Independence chose Lauren Barnes of UCLA. She is a very highly regarded defender, who some people thought might go in the first round of the draft. The left-footer is excellent on free kicks and a solid all around performer. She has experience on the US U-23 team as well.

Philadelphia again tapped into Wake Forest's pool of talent in choosing midfielder Bianca D'Agostino with the 18th selection. D'Agostino started her college career at Penn State before transferring to Wake. She tallied 13 career assists while at Wake Forest and is considered to be very good with the ball at her feet.

With their final selection at 23rd overall, the Independence selected midfielder Teresa Rynier out of James Madison. Perhaps most impressive about Rynier is her 53 career assists, as she hit double-digits in that category each and every season at James Madison. Her hometown is Leola, Pennsylvania, which is about 70 miles from Philadelphia.

With very few roster spots open, competition in the Independence preseason camp ought to be fierce. Give Philly high grades on this draft.

US, China Post Victories at Four Nations Tournament

United States 2, Canada 1

The USWNT edged Canada 2-1 in the first match between the two teams in a year and a half on a cold evening in China. Lindsay Tarpley scored the game winning goal in the 70th minute, her first goal since May, 2009, before her ACL injury.

Coach Pia Sundhage made several changes to her lineup. Only Christie Rampone repeated as a defensive starter as Sundhage inserted Brittany Taylor, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Stephanie Cox into the lineup. In the midfield, she started Lori Lindsey and Kelley O'Hara instead of Shannon Boxx and Heather O'Reilly. And Alex Morgan got a rare start instead of Lauren Cheney.

Meanwhile, Canadian coach Carolina Morace made only two changes to her starters. Karina LeBlanc started in goal instead of Erin McLeod. Sophie Schmidt got the start over Carmelina Moscato.

The 1st half was fairly uneventful, with the game being scoreless at the intermission. The only first half substitution was Tarpley on for Megan Rapinoe.

The US started pressuring Canada in the 2nd half and it led to two early chances. In the 50th minute, an Alex Morgan shot was tipped by LeBlanc off the crossbar with the ball landing on the line, but not crossing. Shortly afterward, O'Hara hit the post with a shot.

The US broke through in the 54th minute, with Lindsay Tarpley setting up Lauren Cheney to make it 1-0.

But for the second time in two games, the US couldn't hold the lead. Canada answered on a breakaway goal by Melissa Tancredi to tie it at one in the 56th minute, with Kaylyn Kyle getting the assist.

The United States took the lead for good in the 70th minute as Cheney returned the favor by setting up Tarpley for the game winning goal.

Christine Sinclair nearly tied the game in the 90th minute, but US goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart was able to make the save and preserve the victory.

The tournament's four teams are now all even with a win and a loss, and in goal differential. Canada and China are now ahead in the standings based on four goals scored to three total for the United States and Sweden. Canada will face Sweden on Tuesday, while the US will take on China in the tournament's final match.

China 2, Sweden 1

China posted a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Sweden on Sunday.

Like the US, Sweden's coach Thomas Dennerby made several changes in his lineup. Kristin Hammerström started in place of Hedvig Lindahl in goal. Johanna Frisk, Linda Sembrant and Sara Larsson were starters on the back line. Marie Hammerström, Johanna Almgren, and Madelaine Edlund were also new starters for Dennerby.

Sweden struck first on a goal by Josefine Öqvist in the 16th minute. Almgren put in the hard work on the goal, winning the ball, then dribbling around a defender, before touching the ball to the middle where Öqvist finished.

China scored the tying goal in the 35th minute off of a free kick from the right side. While attempting to clear, the ball was headed by a Swedish defender from about 12 yards out into her own goal. You Jia scored the game winner in the 61st minute on yet another free kick, this one from the left side. The ball flicked on to You who was able to finish from six yards out. It was her third goal of the tournament.

Three of the four matches in this tournament have seen the team scoring the first goal losing their matches in the end.

Note: Information for the above stories was taken from the websites from the USWNT, Canadian National Team, and Swedish National Team.

US vs. Canada at Four Nations Tournament

They haven't met each other for 18 months, the longest gap since 1993. They were supposed to meet at the CONCACAF Tournament Finals in November. That match never happened. The USWNT fell to Mexico in the semifinals, while Canada defeated Mexico to become CONCACAF champions.

So here we are, 18 full months removed since the last time these two teams met and things have changed over that time. The US defeated Canada twice in July of 2009, both by 1-0 margins with Abby Wambach and Christine Nairn doing the honors of scoring the winning goals. Neither of those two players are at the Four Nations Tournament in China.

Canada is on an 11 game unbeaten streak, with the only two blemishes over that time being ties to Brazil. The USA, on the other hand, have suffered losses in two of their last five games, to Mexico in November and to Sweden on Friday in the Four Nations opening match.

The Canadians have a nice mixture of youth and veterans on their squad and are led by their all-time leading goal scorer Christine Sinclair, who now has 114 career goals after her two on Friday. The US will be without its big gun, Abby Wambach, who has 117 career goals. In fact, the four forwards that the USWNT brought to this tournament have just 28 combined goals.

The eleven players that were in the starting lineup for Canada on Friday average approximately 25.5 years of age. None of those starters were over 30. By contrast, the US started three players over 30 and their average age was close to 28 years old. The exception for the US is at forward, where they are very young in this tournament, including UCLA's Sydney Leroux who earned her first cap on Friday.

Canada showed resilience after falling behind China 2-0 on Friday, scoring the tying goal in the 80th minute and the winner in stoppage. They showed similar fortitude in a 2-2 tie against Brazil in December. After falling behind 2-1 on Marta's penalty kick in the 72nd minute and playing one player down, they managed to tie the match with less than 10 minutes to go.

One common theme in the two recent American losses was that in each match, they quickly gave up a goal after scoring. Against Mexico, they tied the match in the 25th minute, but surrendered a goal only two minutes later. Against Sweden, they scored the opening goal of the match in the 11th minute only to give up an equalizer just five minutes later. Is there a tendency to relax too much after scoring?

The US has dominated this series over its history with a 40-3-4 record. Their last blemish against Canada was a tie back in 2003 and they haven't lost to them since 2001, while competing with a roster made up of college and high school players. There have been close matches, however, with the US winning on penalties in 2008 CONCACAF qualifying and in overtime in the 2008 Olympic quarterfinals.

No matter what happens in this match, it is really just an exhibition, a warmup for bigger things to come. Both coaches are likely to experiment with lineups and up to five substitutions are allowed in each match. But make no mistake about it, the two teams will take this match seriously. Considering the rivalry, the recent direction of the two teams, and the fact that Canada are the newly crowned CONCACAF champions, it should provide for an entertaining and interesting match.

Sky Blue Drafts Mautz and Alkek

With only two selections, none in the first two rounds, and nearly every roster spot occupied, it was obvious that Sky Blue was not going to be a major player in the 2011 WPS Draft. By my count, Sky Blue already had 18 players on their roster for the coming season. So SBFC was looking for depth more than anything else in this draft and they tapped into the Big Twelve Conference for both selections.

With the 16th overall pick, they chose forward Alyssa Mautz from Texas A & M. Mautz started her college career at St. Louis University, before transferring to A & M for her sophomore season. Like five other players of the draft class of 2011, Mautz was a member of the 2008 U-20 World Cup champions. She started one match for that team at the World Cup.

Mautz scored 26 career goals in college, 12 of them coming in her senior season for the Aggies. She can play both forward and midfielder. She has decent speed and has improved her finishing abilities as her college career progressed. She has also proven to be a top notch passer and assisted on five goals in her senior season.

Lauren Alkek was Sky Blue's selection at the 21st overall pick. Alkek played outside right back for the Oklahoma Sooners. Although she didn't score much in college, only one goal and two assists over her career, she likes to use her speed to get forward into the attack making flank runs up the right side.

Alkek is also a solid defender and a physical player who can handle herself on the pitch. She has a powerful right leg that can be a weapon when striking balls out of the back. She is also known for her solid work ethic, both in games and in practice.

With only two lower selections in this draft, Sky Blue wasn't going to make a big splash. Still, they got two solid players out of the Big Twelve, both of whom have a blue-collar mentality. It will be interesting to see how both work into Sky Blue's plans for next season.

Sweden, Canada Post Come from Behind Victories at Four Nations

Sweden 2, United States 1

Sweden won the opening match of the Four Nations Tournament on goals from Stina Segerström and Kosovare Asllani by a 2-1 margin over the United States. Meanwhile, the United States continued to struggle as they dropped their second match of their last five.

Carli Lloyd opened the scoring with a header off of a corner kick in the 11th minute. Sweden quickly answered with Segerström's goal in the 16th minute. The game remained tied until the 60th minute when Asllani put Sweden ahead.

The United States was outshot by a 12-7 margin in the match. Both sides played without several key players.

Canada 3, China 2

China opened a 2-0 lead in this match, but Canada stormed back in the 2nd half to capture the 3-2 victory.

You Jia scored twice for China to put host team up 2-0 at halftime. Melissa Tancredi cut the lead in half in the 56th minute. Then Christine Sinclair scored the tying goal in the 80th minute and the winner well into stoppage time on a breakaway goal.

Canada is now unbeaten in their last 11 matches dating back to September, 2010. Their last loss was to Germany by a 5-0 margin on September 15.

USWNT Set To Open Against Sweden at Four Nations Tournament

The USWNT will open its 2011 schedule on Friday against Sweden at the Four Nations Tournament to be played in China. Also participating in the tournament will be the host nation China and Canada who will play each other in the second match of the day.

The US enters the tournament without their big scorer, Abby Wambach, who is suffering from a heel injury, and their number one keeper Hope Solo, who is recovering from shoulder surgery. That means the US forward contingent will be made of four young front line players in Amy Rodriguez, Lauren Cheney, Alex Morgan, and Sydney Leroux.

Rodriguez and Cheney are WPS veterans that have been regulars on the US roster for some time. Rodriguez earned a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics. Morgan made her mark in 2010, scoring four goals, including the game winner in the playoff for a World Cup berth against Italy. Leroux, still in college at UCLA, has been a major scoring threat on the US Junior teams for years. Leroux and Morgan started together on the U-20 World Cup champions in 2008.

Sweden will be without several of their top players, including top scorer Lotta Schelin, Jessica Landström, Nilla Fischer, and WPS star Caroline Seger. Sweden has announced that their starting lineup for the opener will be Hedvig Lindahl in goal, Lina Nilsson, Stina Segerström, Charlotte Rohlin, and Annica Svensson on defense, with Kosovare Asllani, Lisa Dahlkvist, Therese Sjögran, Antonia Göransson, Linda Forsberg, and Josefine Öqvist rounding out the eleven.

These two teams met three times in 2010. The US defeated Sweden 2-0 at the Algarve Cup in March. The two teams played a pair of friendlies in July with the first ending in a 1-1 draw and the US taking the final match 3-0. Schelin did not participate in either of the two friendlies. They will also face each other in the upcoming 2011 World Cup as both are in Group C.

The US squad will be looking to build on their two 1-0 victories over Italy in November, after a disastrous upset at the hands of Mexico in CONCACAF qualifying. Several young players will have chances to impress US coach Pia Sundhage. In addition to Morgan and Leroux, recently drafted Meghan Klingenberg is one of the midfielders on the roster. They join several players from the 2010 WPS draft class, including Kelley O'Hara, Brittany Taylor, Ashlyn Harris, Tobin Heath, and Cheney.

The game will be played at 2:30 AM eastern time, with the Canada/China match to follow. On Sunday, the US will finally face Canada, a team that they lost the opportunity to play at the CONCACAF finals due to their upset defeat by Mexico. The US will face the host Chinese side on Tuesday. The US, Sweden, and Canada all qualified for the World Cup, but China did not.

Rosters:
United States:
GK-Nicole Barnhart, Ashlyn Harris
D-Rachel Buehler, Stephanie Cox, Amy LePeilbet, Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn, Brittany Taylor
MF-Yael Averbuch, Shannon Boxx, Tobin Heath, Meghan Klingenberg, Lori Lindsey, Carli Lloyd, Kelley O'Hara, Heather O'Reilly, Megan Rapinoe, Lindsay Tarpley
F-Lauren Cheney, Sydney Leroux, Alex Morgan, Amy Rodriguez

Sweden:
GK-Hedvig Lindahl, Kristin Hammarström
D-Johanna Frisk, Sara Larsson, Lina Nilsson, Charlotte Rohlin, Stina Segerström, Linda Sembrandt, Annica Svensson
MF-Johanna Almgren, Kosovare Asllani (MF/F), Lisa Dahlkvist, Louise Fors, Antonia Göransson, Marie Hammarström (MF/D), Therese Sjögran
F-Madelaine Edlund, Linda Forsberg, Linnea Liljegård, Josefine Öqvist

Canada:
GK-Stephanie Labbé, Karina LeBlanc, Erin McLeod
D-Melanie Booth, Candace Chapman, Christine Exeter, Robyn Gayle, Marie-Eve Nault, Sophie Schmidt, Brittany Timko, Rhian Wilkinson, Emily Zurrer
MF-Laura Chénard, Kaylyn Kyle, Diana Matheson, Carmelina Moscato
F-Josée Bélanger, Jonelle Foligno, Christina Julien, Taylor Patterson, Jodi-Ann Robinson, Desiree Scott, Christine Sinclair, Melissa Tancredi

Western New York Aces First Draft

Any draft that starts with USWNT forward Alex Morgan will be a good one, but Western New York added quality players later on to make this a top notch draft in their first time out.

After signing several members of the FCGP championship team, the Flash returned to the bay area for their first selection of the 2011 WPS Draft. And make no mistake about, Morgan was the focal point of this draft. The Cal forward burst onto the national scene scoring four goals for the USWNT in 2010.

Morgan also showed a knack for scoring big goals at the right time. None was bigger than Morgan's stoppage time goal against Italy in Padova on November 20, when it looked like the US would have to settle for a tie in the first leg of a home-and-home playoff for a World Cup berth. She also scored a late game-tying goal in a friendly against China, which preserved a long US home unbeaten streak.

Morgan has speed and finishing ability. Her runs are usually well-timed and she has a good sense of spacing and her position on the field. She has also showed the ability to work well with big-time forwards like Abby Wambach on the USWNT. That should bode well when she pairs up with all-time Canadian leading scorer Christine Sinclair on the Flash.

With the 8th overall selection, the Flash scored big with Portland left back Elli Reed. Reed was probably the best outside back in the draft and many had her rated as the best back line player overall. She has the ability to make runs out of the back and was an offensive force at Portland with 12 goals and 13 assists in her college career. She is also a solid defender that can play tough, and even a little feisty, if need be.

The only problem could be getting Reed into the lineup, considering that Rookie of the Year and New Zealand National Team star Ali Riley already occupies the left back position. But considering it's a World Cup year, Reed should get plenty of opportunities with Riley away.

With the first pick of the third round, the Flash chose MF/F Rose Augustin with the 13th overall selection. Augustin is just coming off of a national championship with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. She hit double figures in both goals and assists in 2010 and scored 29 goals with 23 assists over her career. She had a goal and two assists in Notre Dame's 4-1 thrashing of UNC in the NCAA tournament. Augustin has good skills and is calm when on the ball. She is also good at placing balls on long kicks.

With their final selection of the day, the Flash stayed local choosing Niagara goalkeeper Ashleigh Bowers. She had 15 career shutouts for the Purple Eagles and an impressive 0.63 goals against average in her senior year. With Ashlyn Harris and Brittany Cameron already on the WNY roster, Bowers will likely fill in as the developmental keeper where she can sharpen her skills for the future.

Western New York has built a solid foundation with a solid draft and key free agent signees. Like last year's Independence team, the Flash should be well positioned to compete for a playoff spot in their first season. This draft was a great step forward for the Flash.

Flash Add Edwards

It had been rumored for a few weeks, but Western New York made it official today, announcing that they had signed defensive midfielder Becky Edwards. Edwards started as a rookie for the 2010 WPS Champions FC Gold Pride.

Edwards played in all 24 regular season matches, starting 20 of them. She had one goal and one assist. She started and played the full 90 minutes in Gold Pride's 4-0 win in the championship match over Philadelphia.

Edwards played college soccer at Florida State University and was a member of the U-20 World Cup championship team in 2008.

Edwards becomes the fifth member of Gold Pride's starting squad to be signed by Western New York.

Boston Adds Winters, Trio of Forwards in Draft

True, the Boston Breakers entered Friday's draft with a pretty full roster. Their basic objective was to add depth to a talented group of veterans. They come out of the draft with a gem of a player, midfielder Keelin Winters from Portland, and three potentially good forwards.

Keelin Winters had played for Breakers' coach Tony DiCicco at the 2008 U-20 World Cup in Chile. She played in all six matches, starting five, and scored the first goal in the United States' 3-0 victory over England in the quarterfinals. She was also captain of that squad. In addition, she has several years of W-League experience with Real Colorado dating all the way back to her prep days.

Winters isn't a player that is going to wow you with her stats. She finished her Portland Pilot career with 6 goals and 10 assists. But what she might lack in gloss, she more than makes up with grit. Winters is a tough competitor, who always works hard. She is also intelligent and makes good decisions on the pitch.

Winters has good size and is strong in the air. In fact, the aforementioned goal against England came when she skied over two English defenders and headed the ball lower left past the English keeper. This should prove to be an excellent selection by the Breakers.

In the next three rounds, the Breakers went with three forwards, none of which came from high-profile programs. In the 2nd round, Boston chose Oklahoma forward Whitney Palmer. Palmer is the Sooners' all-time leading goal scorer with 38 in her career. Though not terribly tall, Palmer combines speed and strength to make her a scoring threat. She has the ability to split defenses with a sudden burst of speed.

Harvard's Katherine Sheeleigh won't have to travel far from her college days to play for the Breakers. She became Boston's third round selection with the 19th overall pick in the 2011 WPS draft. The New Jersey native scored 31 career goals for the Crimson, including 9 goals her senior season. She was named Ivy League Player of the Year in 2010.

Tanya Taylor became the last player taken by the Breakers in the 4th round. She was named the Big West's Offensive Player of the Year in 2010 with UC-Irvine. Taylor is another forward with good speed and finishing ability. She double-doubled with 11 goals and 12 assists in her senior season with the Anteaters.

Overall, this was a fairly strong draft for the Breakers. The Breakers had many of their roster spots full and were looking to add depth. They added a quality midfielder in Winters and some much needed depth for the offense. Depth will be an important key for the Breakers this season, since they will probably lose at least six starters, maybe more, to the World Cup. The only possible flaw I see in this draft is that unless they convert some of these forwards to defense, they will be awfully thin on the back line, where all four may be headed to Germany in June.

As Expected...Morgan and Farrelly Go 1-2

The two players that most people thought would go 1st and 2nd in the 2011 WPS draft were indeed the first two players taken. Western New York selected Alex Morgan of California and the USWNT, followed by Philadelphia choosing Sinead Farrelly of Virginia.

Washington traded for Atlanta's first round selection, which changed the complexion of the draft quite a bit. They chose Meghan Klingenberg of North Carolina with the 3rd overall pick, followed by Christen Press of Stanford at 4th. The consensus had been that Atlanta would choose Press at number three before the trade was made.

It was no surprise that the Independence chose Lauren Fowlkes at number five, once she slipped past the first four picks. The Boston Breakers chose midfielder Keelin Winters at six, followed by Atlanta choosing defensive midfield specialist Kylie Wright with the 7th pick and Western New York getting Portland Pilot left back Elli Reed at number eight.

Virginia, Portland, UCLA, Oklahoma, Wake Forest, and Notre Dame each had two players selected from their programs. Surprisingly, some smaller schools were represented well, too, with players being selected from George Mason, Harvard, Niagara, James Madison, and UC-Irvine. Traditional powers North Carolina and Stanford only had one each. The Big Ten was entirely shut out of the proceedings.

Some teams went with players having local ties with at least one of their selections. Philadelphia chose local product Farrelly from Havertown and later selected James Madison midfielder Teresa Rynier from Leola, Pennsylvania. Boston selected Harvard forward Katherine Sheeleigh in the 3rd round. Western New York chose Niagara goalkeeper Ashleigh Bowers in the 4th round.

Perhaps the oddest selection, at least to me, was Philadelphia choosing Caitlin Farrell with the 11th overall pick. It was odd in that Philadelphia chose Farrell with the 58th selection in the 2010 draft. That's right, same team, same player, two different years. Not to mention, she moved up 47 spots.

One international player, Omolyn Davis, was chosen by Washington. Davis, a midfielder for George Mason, has experience with the Jamaican National Team.

Several high profile players did not enter the draft. Sophie Schmidt, who many considered to be a 1st round selection and a player from the Canadian National Team, reportedly did not enter the draft. Nor did highly regarded defender Hannah Cerrone out of Boston College. North Carolina midfielder Ali Hawkins also reportedly was not interested in playing pro soccer.

As for my mock draft....well let's just say I got the first two right and leave it at that.

Here are the players selected in the 2011 WPS Draft:

First Round
1) Western New York-Alex Morgan, F, California (Diamond Bar, California)
2) Philadelphia-Sinead Farrelly, MF, Virginia (Havertown, Pennsylvania)
3) Washington-Meghan Klingenberg, MF, North Carolina (Gibsonia, Pennsylvania)
4) Washington-Christen Press, F, Stanford (Palos Verdes Estates, California)
5) Philadelphia-Lauren Fowlkes, D, Notre Dame (Lee's Summit, Missouri)
6) Boston-Keelin Winters, MF, Portland (Englewood, Colorado)
7) Atlanta-Kylie Wright, MF, UCLA (Rancho Santa Margarita, California)
8) Western New York-Elli Reed, D, Portland (Park City, Utah)

Second Round
9) Philadelphia-Jennifer Stoltenberg, F, Oregon (Mission Viejo, California)
10) Washington-Omolyn Davis, MF, George Mason (Kingston, Jamaica)
11) Philadelphia-Caitlin Farrell, D, Wake Forest (Fort Myers, Florida)
12) Boston-Whitney Palmer, F, Oklahoma (Plano, Texas)

Third Round
13) Western New York-Rose Augustin, MF, Notre Dame (Silver Lake, Ohio)
14) Atlanta-Meghan Lenczyk, F, Virginia (McLean, Virginia)
15) Philadelphia-Lauren Barnes, D, UCLA (Upland, California)
16) Sky Blue FC-Alyssa Mautz, MF/F, Texas A&M (O'Fallon, Missouri)
17) Washington-Amanda DaCosta, MF, Florida State (Katonah, New York)
18) Philadelphia-Bianca D'Agostino, MF, Wake Forest (Longmeadow, Massachusetts)
19) Boston-Katherine Sheeleigh, F, Harvard (New Vernon, New Jersey)

Fourth Round
20) Western New York-Ashleigh Bowers, GK, Niagara (Liverpool, New York)
21) Sky Blue FC-Lauren Alkek, D, Oklahoma (Victoria, Texas)
22) Washington-Katie Fraine, GK, Florida (Titusville, Florida)
23) Philadelphia-Teresa Rynier, MF, James Madison (Leola, Pennsylvania)
24) Boston-Tanya Taylor, F, UC-Irvine (Buena Park, California)

Draft analysis coming soon...

A Whole Different Game - 2011 WPS Draft Preview

Last year, at the time of the draft, we had nine teams in WPS vying for the top players in college soccer. This year, there will only be six.

Last year, there were 64 players chosen. This year, there will be only 24.

Last year, while teams all had different needs and certainly some were in better shape than others, all of the teams were entering the draft in fairly similar situations. This year, it ranges from Philadelphia and Sky Blue, both of which have nearly full rosters already, to Boston and Western New York, who have some holes to fill but are pretty far along, to Atlanta which has a lot of work to do, to Washington which couldn't even field an indoor team at the present time.

Which I guess brings us to another point. For ease and familiarity purposes, I will refer to that particular franchise as the Washington Freedom for now.

And then there's the fact that with two more teams out of action, there are still a lot of quality free agents on the market to fill roster spots. But then again, depth will be more important this year with the World Cup pulling several players away from their teams for varying lengths of time.

This year's draft will be webcast live on the WPS website.

So first, let's look at each team and where they are now (at least with respect to personnel):

Atlanta Beat
Current Roster: GK-None; D-Keeley Dowling, Cat Whitehill, Tina Ellertson, Kat Reynolds, Lauren Sesselmann; MF-Carli Lloyd, Lori Chalupny, Johanna Rasmussen, Kristina Larsen; F-India Trotter.
Where They Draft: 3, 7, 14
What They Need: Scorers (and a lot of them); a goalkeeper: a holding midfielder; depth everywhere. They'll probably fill a forward spot with Christen Press with the 3rd pick. Uncertainty about Solo makes their goalkeeping situation a big question mark, but with so many free agent keepers, I don't know if they'll draft one. Lots of different possibilities with that 7th pick.

Boston Breakers
Current Roster: GK-Alyssa Naeher, Ashley Phillips, Kelsey Davis; D-Alex Scott, Amy LePeilbet, Rachel Buehler, Stephanie Cox, Ifeoma Dieke, Kasey Moore; MF-Jordan Angeli, Leslie Osborne, Liz Bogus, Nikki Washington, Kelly Smith; F-Lauren Cheney, Kelley O'Hara, Taryn Hemmings.
Where They Draft: 6, 12, 19, 24
What They Need: Depth everywhere, an attacking mid/wing, another forward. No team will likely get hit harder by the World Cup than the Breakers. They could potentially lose their entire starting back line plus their best attacking players during parts of June and July. They should be able to get a quality player at the 6th pick.

Philadelphia Independence
Current Roster: GK-Val Henderson; D-Heather Mitts, Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, Frida Magnusdottir, Leigh Ann Robinson, Kia McNeill, Estelle Johnson; MF-Jen Buczkowski, Megan Rapinoe, Lori Lindsey, Tina DiMartino, Joanna Lohman; F-Amy Rodriguez, Lianne Sanderson, Tasha Kai, Danesha Adams.
Where They Draft: 2, 5, 9, 11, 15, 18, 23
What They Need: Midfield depth, backup keeper, defensive depth. Philadelphia has a nearly full roster and unlike last year, they are loaded with draft picks. In addition, Jeff Kassouf of The Equalizer is reporting that Philly has signed Veronica Boquete and Laura del Rio. If he's right, and he usually is, then Philadelphia is loaded with attacking options. They are probably one of the few teams that can afford to use a draft choice on a goalkeeper. Farrelly will likely be their midfield choice at the 2nd pick. I think they'd like Fowlkes at the 5th, but will she still be there?

Sky Blue FC
Current Roster: GK-Karen Bardsley, Jen Branam; D-Anita Asante, Brittany Taylor, Kristi Eveland, Carrie Dew, Danielle Johnson, Kiersten Dallstream, Michelle Wenino; MF-Kendall Fletcher, Carolyn Blank, Heather O'Reilly, Tobin Heath, Angie Kerr, Allie Long; F-Eniola Aluko, Laura Kalmari, Casey Nogueira.
Where They Draft: 16, 21
What They Need: A forward and depth. Sky Blue is already sporting a crowded roster and they only have two lower picks in the draft. So barring a trade, they should make the least draft day noise.

Washington Freedom
Current Roster: GK-Erin McLeod; D-Becky Sauerbrunn, Nikki Marshall; F-Abby Wambach
Where They Draft: 4, 10, 17, 22
What They Need: What don't they need. Wambach and McLeod will miss time for the World Cup. I'm sure somewhere here, there's a plan. Let's hope it starts unfolding tomorrow at the draft.

Western New York Flash
Current Roster: GK-Ashlyn Harris, Brittany Cameron; D-Whitney Engen, Candace Chapman, Ali Riley, Kandace Wilson, Kaley Fountain, Brittany Bock; MF-Yael Averbuch, McCall Zerboni, Caroline Seger, Beverly Goebel; F-Christine Sinclair. Note that they are also rumored to have Becky Edwards, but I have yet to see definitive confirmation of that.
Where They Draft: 1, 8, 13, 20
What They Need: At least two forwards, one of which will be Alex Morgan, attacking mids, depth everywhere. They have already built a fairly solid foundation for an expansion team, but scoring is at a premium in this league, so they must go offense in this draft.

I must say that this draft, past the first three or four selections, will be very hard to predict, because we don't know what is in the works as far as free agent signees. Teams have to draft for depth this year, because of the World Cup. It also means that teams will be looking for versatile players who can possibly fill several roles.

So, with much trepidation, here are my predictions for this year's draft:

1) Western New York - Alex Morgan, F, California (There has been very little doubt that she would be the number one pick for quite some time. She already has made an impact on the USWNT and besides being a great player, she has the added attraction of being the one player in this draft that may already be a drawing card).

2) Philadelphia - Sinead Farrelly, MF, Virginia (Paul Riley has stated that he is looking to fill some midfield slots and Farrelly is considered the best midfielder in college soccer. Additionally, she is from the Philadelphia area).

3) Atlanta - Christen Press, F, Stanford (Next to Morgan, she is the highest ranking forward in a year where there is a shortage of impact players in that area. Great speed and a nose for the goal, but taking it to the next level has proven difficult for many a top college scorer).

4) Washington - Lauren Fowlkes, D/MF, Notre Dame (One of the very few players in this draft that has size and skills, which is a highly sought after commodity. I've penciled in three or four different players at this slot and I'm still not confident, because Washington could go many different directions here).

5) Philadelphia - Elli Reed, D, Portland (If Fowlkes is still available, Philly will grab her in an instant. But if she's not, Riley likes outside backs that can jump into the attack and Reed fits that bill. Lauren Barnes and Meghan Klingenberg are possibles here, too.)

6) Boston - Meghan Klingenberg, MF, North Carolina (Good skills, solid UNC pedigree and I don't think Tony DiCicco can pass her up. Lilly's retirement makes Klingenberg all the more attractive here).

7) Atlanta - Amanda DaCosta, MF, Florida State (With Heath gone, DaCosta gives Atlanta a player with solid skills and good playmaking ability).

8) Western New York - Sophie Schmidt, MF, Portland (A very good player with national team experience. Only drawbacks are that she is an international and she will be at the World Cup).

9) Philadelphia - Lauren Barnes, D, UCLA (Another solid defensive player, although a little shorter than one might like at center back).

10) Washington - Meghan Lenczyk, F, Virginia (After the top two at forward, Lenczyk has the potential to take it to the next level).

11) Philadelphia - Keelin Winters, MF, Portland (Philly adds depth at midfield with Winters. A tough, gritty player and hard worker).

12) Boston - Jessica Tsao, D, Portland (Yet another Pilot and Boston fills in much needed depth with this talented outside defender).

13) Western New York - Rose Augustin, MF, Notre Dame (WNY continues to add attacking players with Augustin. She had 11 goals and 10 assists for the national champions).

14) Atlanta - Megan Jesolva, MF, California (Could potentially be the steal of the draft if she continues to improve. U-23 experience and while she will probably not be a big scorer, she can do a lot of things well).

15) Philadelphia - Kristin Arnold, GK, Texas A&M (With so many selections, Philadelphia has the luxury of using one for a keeper and Arnold is probably the best from the college ranks).

16) Sky Blue - Danielle Toney, F, Penn State (I probably have her more highly ranked than most people, but I think the skills and potential are there).

17) Washington - Kylie Wright, MF, UCLA (Another player with U-23 experience gives the Freedom a solid midfielder).

18) Philadelphia - Ashlee Elliott, D, Florida (A center back with some experience at forward. Her height makes her an ideal target on corners and free kicks).

19) Boston - Rachel Givan, D, Boston (More depth at outside back for the Breakers).

20) Western New York - Tanya Taylor, F, UC-Irvine (11 goals and 12 assists in her senior year).

21) Sky Blue FC - Omolyn Davis, MF, George Mason (Could we see the first Jamaican player in WPS?)

22) Washington - Vendula Strnadova, MF, Memphis (A good attacking player that has played somewhat under the radar at Memphis).

23) Philadelphia - Jackie Carron, D, Michigan (First team all-Big Ten, can play defender or midfielder).

24) Boston - Lisa Kevorkian, F, Boston University (Big time offensive threat for the Terriers after spending three seasons with California).

Other Players to Watch:
Goalkeepers: Nikki Weiss, Notre Dame; Katie Fraine, Florida.
Defenders: Cassie Dickerson, Ohio State; Caitlin McDowell, Maryland; Megan Monroig, Penn State; Erica Campenelli, Texas; Kacey Richards, Connecticut.
Midfielders: Tiffany Yovino, Hofstra; Kendra Chandhoke, Portland; Bianca D'Agostino, Wake Forest; Colleen Flanagan, Virginia; Courtney Jenkins, Ohio State; Chelsea Regan, Boston College; Rachel Shipley, Texas A&M; Brittney Steinbruch, Miami (F); Alyssa Mautz, Texas A&M; Gina DeMaio, Rutgers.
Forwards: Amy Caldwell, Boston College; Whitney Hooper, Texas A&M; Brooke Knowlton, Boston College; Megan Ohai, USC; Anessa Patton, Santa Clara; Alysha Bonnick, Missouri.

WPS Announces Opening Weekend Matches

WPS has announced its schedule for the opening weekend of the 2011 season. This will be the league's third season.

To kick off the season, the Boston Breakers will travel to Atlanta to face the Beat at KSU Soccer Stadium on Saturday, April 9. On the following day, the Philadelphia Independence will venture to Yurcak Field to play nearby rivals, Sky Blue FC, in the first nationally televised game of the season on FSC.

On the second weekend of action, Philadelphia will host their first game at their new home at Widener University against the Washington Freedom. Sky Blue will travel to Atlanta to play a Saturday evening game. Then on Sunday, April 17, the expansion Western New York Flash will visit Harvard Stadium to take on the Boston Breakers in their debut on FSC.

This will be the first season that teams will take a midseason break, due to the 2011 World Cup in Germany, which will be played in June and July. The schedule has been scaled back to 18 matches for each, at least in large part because of the World Cup. The rest of the WPS schedule will be announced in February. The WPS Championship presented by Citi will be held the weekend of August 27-28.

Soccer Legend Kristine Lilly Announces Her Retirement

Kristine Lilly, a legend who has played for the USWNT in four different decades, has announced her retirement from soccer. She has taken the field 352 times for the red, white, and blue in her illustrious career dating back to 1987, when she earned her first cap just a few days past her 16th birthday.

Lilly has been a member of the USWNT for most of its history. She played her first match on August 3, 1987 against China, when the National Team was still in its nascent stages. Just 10 days later, she scored her first goal for the team, the youngest ever to do so and a record that remains to this day.

She scored her 130th and final career goal in the USWNT's 4-0 rout over Germany on May 22, 2010, which coincidentally is also the record for the oldest player to score for the team. Lilly is second only to Mia Hamm in both career goals and assists. She has two Olympic gold medals and has been on two World Cup championship teams. Perhaps the most telling stat is that she has played in every single World Cup game that the US has ever played.

At just 5 feet 4 inches, she may have been short in stature, but she had the heart of a lion when she stepped onto the pitch. She regularly outperformed younger players, some almost half her age, in fitness and endurance tests. And on the field, she was equally adept at scoring or setting up others to score.

In college, Lilly helped lead North Carolina to four NCAA titles from 1989-92. She scored 78 goals for the Tar Heels over that four year stretch, winning the M.A.C. Hermann Award as the college player of the year in 1991.

In the professional ranks, Lilly played for the Boston Breakers in both the WUSA and WPS leagues. She scored three goals in each of her two seasons with the WPS Breakers. Additionally, she played professionally in Sweden.

“The thing that has been so great for me in making this decision is that I’m in such a good place with my life and soccer,” said Lilly. “When I look back at everything I’ve been a part of, it’s been great. There are no regrets. The opportunities I’ve had to play with so many great players and be a part of so many great moments has been amazing. There are so many people who have supported me through my journey and I really want to thank the U.S. Soccer Federation for their support of women’s soccer, the Boston Breakers, the sponsors and the fans for giving me the opportunity to live out my dreams for the past twenty-four years.”

So when the USWNT takes the field on June 28 against Korea DPR in Dresden, Germany for their 2011 World Cup opener, something will be missing. The heart, the soul, and the one constant of the USWNT almost from the team's inception, Kristine Lilly graced the pitch with her abilities and determination for 24 years. Best wishes on all future endeavors to a legend of the sport!

(Information for this story was obtained from WPS (www.womensprosoccer.com), the US Soccer Federation (www.ussoccer.com), and the University of North Carolina.)