The fans have spoken! Congratulations Gail Devers (track & field), Jean Driscoll (paralympic track & field), Gary Hall, Jr., Lisa Fernandez (softball), Kristine Lilly (soccer), Dan O’Brien, Jenny Thompson (swimming), the 2004 U.S. Olympic Women’s Softball Team, Ed Temple, James Connolly and Ted Stevens. All were recognized today as the USOC and Allstate Insurance unveiled the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012.

The Class of 2012 is the 15th class to be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and will bring the total membership to 96 Olympians, five Paralympians, 10 teams, four coaches, 10 veterans, 16 contributors and two Olive Branch award inductees.

“I am completely overwhelmed by this honor,”  said Lisa Fernandez, a three-time Olympic gold medalist. “I never thought that playing the game of softball that I love so much would allow me to reach this level of accomplishment. This is bigger than anything I have dreamed of. What we have been able to achieve as a sport is incredible, and there is no greater honor than being inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.”

HOF Inductee Kristine Lilly

HOF Inductee Gail Devers

HOF Inductee Jenny Thompson

The announcement, bios and videos can be seen here: http://www2.teamusa.org/News/2012/May/13/2012-Olympic-Hall-of-Fame-inductees-announced-May-13-2012.aspx.

Thanks in part to Title IX, opportunities for you to participate in sports as part of your college experience have expanded substantially. Yet when thinking about competing on behalf of your school, you tend to think varsity sports. I’d like to take this opportunity to expand your horizons in case your radar is limited.

Two alternatives deserve consideration, including recreational and club sports. Recreational play is for everyone, no matter what level, and is intra-school; most likely students will be competing in the various sports (basketball, softball, volleyball, etc.) in a fun school league. Friends, fraternity brothers, sorority sisters and dorm floors can create their own teams and register to play.  It is great social fun and a valuable way for you to stay active.

But my real intent here is to focus on Club sports as an alternative for talented athletes who either may not quite be Varsity level or are indeed elite but don’t wish their sport to consume their college experience. Club is ideal for so many reasons.

The best way to introduce and advocate for Club play is to tell you about my recent experience at Club Volleyball Nationals in Kansas City, MO a few weeks back. What a fantastic few days. Hundreds of men’s and women’s teams congregated for the ultimate tournament after a season of local conference play. Dressed in their school uniforms and demonstrating incredible school spirit, these teams went at it with the same intensity and passion as varsity teams. Sure, the great majority of the teams could not compete with Division 1 varsity teams. But does that matter? The level of competition was good from bottom to top, and the top teams – WOW! They were committed and talented beyond belief and fantastic to watch; as fun and stimulating as watching the varsity levels for me and the so many other fans I spoke with.

Let’s look at the perks of club play:

1)   Level of competition can be excellent;

2)   Practices are typically 2 or 3 times per week as opposed to every day;

3)   Conference play does not usually entail travel afar;

4)   More time to hit the books;

5)   More time for the college social life;

6)   Additional time for engaging in other extracurriculars;

7)   Easier on the body since traditionally less rigorous;

8)   Overall, less stressful;

9)   Offers a way to stay physically active in the sport of choice;

10)  Skill improvement is more than likely;

11)   Presents the same chance for team camaraderie;

I can go on.

So if you are a student athlete assessing the opportunities in your sport, be realistic and work on finding the best fit. Certainly don’t feel inferior or feel as though you are settling for less if opting for club play. You are in for a great experience.

As always, look forward to your feedback and discussion.

U.S. Soccer and Nike unveiled the new home jersey for both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams. The U.S. Men and Women will debut the latest Nike jersey when they play their next domestic matches in late May.

For the first time, Nike has taken a unified approach with the USA’s home kits, creating jerseys that feature the same design and concept for both teams. The American flag is utilized as the jersey’s inspiration, with a shirt that features horizontal red and white stripes and a blue crew neck collar. There is also a subtle tonal sash echoing the same design on the jerseys worn by the U.S. Men’s National Team when it famously defeated England in the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Both kits are visually identical, but the women’s kit is designed specifically for the female athlete to enhance range of motion.

Pre-sale for the U.S. Men’s jersey starts online at 12:01 a.m. ET on Tuesday, April 17, and orders will be shipped starting on April 26. The new jersey will be available for purchase in stores on May 1. The U.S. Women’s jersey will be available starting on July 1.

• Order New Jersey Here (starting at 12:01 a.m. ET Tuesday, April 17)

The U.S. Men will debut the new kit when they face Scotland on May 26 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. The U.S. Women will sport the new look for the first time against China on May 27 at PPL Park in Chester, Pa.

The fabric of the new home kits is approximately 23 percent lighter and 20 percent stronger than Nike’s previous models. Made with Dri-FIT technology, the kits help regulate players’ temperatures on the pitch. The shirts feature laser-cut ventilation holes to promote localized cooling where it matters most.

Environmentally, each kit is made using an average of 13 recycled plastic bottles. The new kit’s shorts are made with 100 percent Dri-FIT recycled polyester and the shirt with a minimum 96 percent recycled polyester.

The new home shorts are blue, while the socks – now with improved cushioning for greater comfort, movement and protection – are white with a blue band at the top.

U.S. MNT and WNT Authentic Nike Home Jersey Features
Design

• Body featuring red and white stripes with a blue crew neck collar
• Inside neck of the shirt includes the American Stars and Stripes flag
• Jersey has tonal sash on the front
• Blue shorts, and the socks are white with a blue band at the top

Comfort and Fit

• Fabric is about 23 percent lighter than previous years’ kits
• Embedded with Dri-FIT technology
• Laser-cut ventilation on the shirt
• Double-knit structure and yarns to make kit 20 percent stronger than past designs
• Nike Pro Combat Hyperstrong shorts feature padded waist and thigh protection
• Nike Pro Combat Hypercool 2.0 top delivers ventilation and sweat-wicking fabric

Environmentally Friendly

• Shorts made with 100 percent recycled polyester
• Shirts made with at least 96 percent recycled polyester
• Kit made using an average of 13 recycled plastic bottles

Jersey Availability Timeline

• April 17: Pre-sale for U.S. Men’s jersey starts online at 12:01 a.m. ET
• April 26: Orders will start being shipped
• May 1: New jersey will be available for purchase in stores
• July 1: U.S. Women’s jersey will be available

Hope Solo, USA Goalkeeper

They are back at it again! Soccer player McCall Zerboni and Emma Bayer, are raising money again for breast cancer research. If you have no idea what this article is about, check out this other article for some background information on how a professional soccer player and fan came together to help make a difference.

The Bayers and Zerboni have worked really hard on their second “MZ & Emmers Sports Bra Auction for Breast Cancer” for many months to help support the fight against breast cancer. The first auction involved sports bras from soccer players from all over the world. This time, they have gone outside of women’s soccer and reached out to female athletes from all over the sports world.

From surfers, to mountain bike racers, race car drivers, swimmers, slalom kayakers, figure skaters, cheerleaders, boxers, basketball, volleyball, football, and, of course, soccer players, the auction offers great items (sports bras) and reaches out to more than just soccer fanatics.

“We went outside (of soccer) so we could reach a larger audience and get more women involved,” said David Bayer, Emma’s dad. “Breast cancer is, of course, the main focus, but we really want to let everyone see the power of women’s athletics too. They don’t get enough notice.”

“One really cool thing is that so many of the women are really embracing this. Many have some sort of connection to breast cancer,” he added.

The disease has touched the lives of so many in some way or another, like Zerboni, who has lost an aunt to cancer. She doesn’t need to think twice about getting involved to try to help find a cure. For the athletes, it’s a way of using their voice to raise awareness and help a worthy cause.

And now sports fans have the opportunity to get involved, support the athletes, and the cause at the same time by bidding on an autographed sports bra.

Allison Mann, Mountain Bike Racer

The money raised will be divided by three different organizations, each with different missions.

The first beneficiary is the The Keep-A-Breast Foundation, which primarily seeks to increase breast cancer awareness. The second is The Breast Cancer Survivors Network, which is the largest support group for breast cancer victims in the state of Georgia. Lastly, a share of the profits from the auction will go to LA County affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure for research.

The sports bra auction will run from April 7-15 on eBay. For more information, visit the project’s Facebook page here.

I feel like the proud mother of 70 babies. Well, OK, 70 leadership service projects.  I truly felt that same sense of pride while reading about these awesome projects from the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy’s (JFSLA) students and the girls of our partner nonprofit, Girl Talk (and the good news is they don’t require being bathed and fed! J).

I am still beaming that more than 60,000 people were exposed to the great work our girls are doing in their communities through our first ever JFSLA “Choose to Matter” Contest. Our hope is that by reading about these amazing leadership projects, many more people will be inspired to the do the same in their community.

Huge congratulations to our four winners who, thanks in large part to the generosity from McDonald’s and The Century Council, are heading to the Olympics this summer as Youth Ambassadors for McDonald’s “Champions of Play” Program! Here are the grand prize Choose to Matter Contest winners:

• Jackie Schaefer (age 12) “Kids Helping Kids,” from Jacksonville, FL (JFSLA New Jersey)
• Amanda Christianson (age 14) “Cleats for Kids,” from Plainfield, IL (JFSLA Illinois)
• Gulafsha Kamrulhodda Ansari, “Giving Girls a Chance to Play,” (age 16) from Mumbai, India (JFSLA California)
• Girl Talk: Moriah Wilson (age 14), “Lil’ Hearts of Love: Pillows and Pages Edition,”Atlanta, GA (GirlTalk)

And congrats also to our 2^nd and 3^rd place winners who get a $500 and $250 PUMA shopping spree on Eurosport’s website, soccer.com:

• New Jersey:
  • 2^nd place: Mariana Azevedo, “Mother Nature Strikes…Teen Defends!”
  • 3^rd place: Nicole Romola, “Bear Hugs”
• Illinois:
  • 2^nd place: Madison Martin, “Big Sister to Down Syndrome Kids”
  • 3^rd place: Amy Scruggs, “Teen Pride Volunteers”
• California:
  • 2^nd place: Maryssa Beare, “Operation Save Second Base: Breast Cancer Awareness”
  • 3^rd place: Montana Ankner, “Let’s Put An End To Cyberbullying”
• Girl Talk:
  • 2^nd place: Emily Huff, “Choose to Matter 24/7/365”
  • 3^rd place: Erin Ernst, “Spreading Christmas Hope”

CHOOSE TO MATTER.

You can make a difference every single day, the question is — will you?

We asked our girls to choose to matter and look at the results.  http://contest.juliefoudyleadership.com/2012-jfsla-choose-matter-contest-winners

Now ask this of yourselves and each other: if we all just did a bit more to mentor, give back, lend a hand, help a friend, help a stranger -imagine the results.

Thank you to the 70 girls who just reminded us of the potential for good.  In all of us.

Live. Lead. Pass it On…. and remember to keep laughing.

Julie Foudy

Wow. Wow. Wow. Alex Morgan is in the headlines, again!

(via release)

Seattle Sounders Women have signed US Women’s National Team forward Alex Morgan pending official USSF/CSA approval, the team announced today.

“Alex is a world class player who has proven herself well beyond her 22 years.  Her breakout World Cup performance sets the stage for what will be an exciting Sounders Women’s Season.” said Sounders Women General Manager Amy Carnell.

Morgan, 22, has 32 appearances and 16 goals for the US Women’s National Team since making her debut in 2010. The Diamond Bar, CA, native was the youngest player on the team that competed in the 2011 FIFA World Cup.  She made an impact coming on as a substitute, however, scoring goals in the semifinal and final.

“I am excited to play in a city that is so passionate about soccer. The Sounders have been one of if not the best fan support in MLS. I can only imagine how Seattle fans would respond to having a full professional women’s team in the future.”

She also recorded five goals in ten appearances as a member of the US Women’s U-20 National Team.

After finishing a prolific college career at the University of California Berkeley, Morgan was selected with the first pick in the 2011 Women’s Professional Soccer Draft by the Western New York Flash.  She scored four goals in her rookie campaign and helped the Flash to win the league title.

Morgan will join fellow US National Team players Hope Solo and Sydney Leroux on the Sounders Women this season pending official USSF/CSA approval. Games will be played at Starfire Sports Complex, with the schedule and season tickets announcement to be made Tuesday February 28th.

The Sounders FC does not have any direct relationship or ownership with the Sounders Women. For more information visit the new Sounders Women website at www.sounderswomen.com.

Related Posts
Soccer Star Alex Morgan Poses for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition
W League: Sounders Women sign Hope Solo & Sydney Leroux
Abby Wambach New Co-Captain of U.S. Women’s Soccer Team

Abby Wambach will have a new title at the  London Games.

Coach Pia Sundhage recently named the 31-year-old Wambach a co-captain of the U.S. women’s soccer team- or essentially the vice-captain to team leader Christie Rampone.

It makes sense, given that the dominant striker was already the team’s go-to spokeswoman and vocal locker room leader.

But she can go on and on at times, to the point that Pia Sundhage had to tell Gabby Abby to “shut up” at a meeting not long after Sundhage became coach four years ago.

Wambach says she likes the co-captain role but she thinks Sundhage regrets it sometimes “because I tell her exactly how I feel.”

It’s easy however, to see why Sundhage made the change. Wambach is a role model on and off the field.

“Quite honestly, I was a little shocked that Pia wanted to change things up,” Wambach said. “Not that she doesn’t like to change things up – she loves that part of sports – but I have so much respect for all of my teammates that quite honestly if I have the co-captain or captain band, I’m still going to be who I am. I’m still going to support you. I’m still going to yell at you. I’m still probably going to kick you in practice. I’m still going to make you the best player you possibly can be.”

The Americans are in Portugal now training for the 12-team Algarve Cup which begins next week.

Hopefully Wambach and Rampone will lead the team to an Olympic gold medal this summer.

Pretty Funny – a small glimpse into some of the sh*t soccer girls say. Follow @SoccerGrlProbs on Twitter. What are your favorites? Any adds?

Soccer super stud Alex Morgan had to look twice in the mirror to make sure she wasn’t completely exposed. Despite feeling slightly uncomfortable, Morgan was thrilled with the end result.

Olympic gold medal swimmer Natalie Coughlin loved modeling for the SI Swimsuit issue, despite the 12 hours it took to paint a swimsuit on her.

Professional golfer Natalie Gulbis had a green string bikini with white golf balls painted on her for the shoot.

Related Posts:
Soccer Star Alex Morgan Poses for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition
Natalie Coughlin and Natalie Gulbis join Alex Morgan in Body Paint
2011 Class of Naked Athletes for ESPN Body Issue

USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo, looking stunning in an orange gown, made a surprise appearance at L.A. Live’s Conga Room during the 5th IOC Women and Sports Confab Friday night.  Here she is talking to Michelle Kwan, co-chair of the event and winner of one of the evening’s awards.

Jennie Finch,  Michelle Kwan,  Nadia Comaneci,  Hope Solo at the IOC Women and Sport dinner in Los Angeles sponsored by the Power of  I.

@AlexMorgan13, @NatalieCoughlin, & @Natalie_Gulbis are featured in the @SI_Swimsuit issue repping #USWNT @LPGA @USA_swimming

When it was announced earlier this week that soccer star Alex Morgan would appear in the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, we wrote:

The SI swimsuit issue story doesn’t generally have anything to do with sports or sports journalism so it’s a nice change to see an athlete featured.  And while it’s refreshing to see healthy images of athletic women rather than their gaunt supermodel counterparts, it’s doubtful that SI’s decision to feature Morgan was meant to be progressive in any way.

Adding the two Natalies to the mix begs the same questions. Do they look awesome? Absolutely? Will it help their personal brands? Maybe. Does it help to promote women’s sports or their respective leagues? Probably not.

What do you think?

Related Posts:

Soccer star Alex Morgan poses for SI Swimsuit Issue 2012

The sweet life of Natalie Coughlin

this is great news for soccer fans in the Seattle area…

RENTON , Wash. – The Sounders Women have signed goalkeeper Hope Solo and forward Sydney Leroux, the team announced today.

Solo, 30, is the starting goalkeeper for the United States Women’s National Team. Solo helped lead the women to the FIFA World Cup 2011 Final in Germany and was named the Golden Glove winner of that tournament. She was a member of the 2008 Women’s U.S. Olympic Team that won a gold medal in Beijing and an alternate on the 2004 team in Greece. A native of Richland, Washington, she played for the University of Washington and is a member of the Husky Hall of Fame. Solo is a four-time All-Pac-10 Selection.

“Hope is undoubtedly the best women’s keeper in the game today,” said Sounders General Manager Amy Carnell. “Her signing represents the caliber player Sounders Women’s fans can expect in 2012. As the landscape of women’s soccer continues to evolve, we realize the unique opportunity before us. The addition of Hope Solo and Sydney Leroux sets the tone for what we think will be a very special year for Sounders Women’s soccer.”

A prolific scorer with the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team, Leroux earned her first cap as a second-half substitute against Sweden in the Four Nations Tournament in Chingqong, China, on January 21, 2011. During Olympic Qualifying earlier this year, Leroux scored five goals in only her second cap. Leroux played four seasons for UCLA and was named to Soccer America’s MVP First Team in 2010 and 2011. She was born in British Columbia, Canada.

“Sydney is the consummate goal scorer with an incredible attacking attitude,” said Head Coach Michelle French. “She not only shows tireless effort on the offensive side of the ball, but she is very unique in that she prides herself on her defensive recovery and ability to win the ball back.  She makes an impact no matter where she plays on the field.”

Solo and Leroux will be available in conjunction with the Olympic Training Camp schedule as the U.S. Women’s National Team prepares for the 2012 Olympics in London.

Visit Facebook.com/sounderswomen for more information.

(via release)

If you’ re any sort of women’s soccer fan, you know about Alex Morgan.

The 22-year-old wunderkind, known as the “Super Sub” during the Women’s World Cup last summer and in the recent CONCACAF Olympic qualifying matches, comes off the bench with a nose for the goal.  One of the USA’s fastest players and hardest runners, Morgan has scored seven times in her first 16 caps.  The former Cal soccer star has also been noted for her amazing mix of strength and beauty which makes her the epitome of Pretty Tough.

Morgan, who is one of three females athletes to appear in the 2012 Sports Illustrated‘s Swimsuit issue which hits newsstands on Valentine’s Day,  will be part of the popular “bodypaint” feature. Yes, that means she’ll be wearing nothing at all, save for paint.

“Initially I was a little nervous, but this opportunity doesn’t come everyday,” Morgan told SI.com about the gig. “I wanted to involve my family with my decision and it helped that they were very supportive.”

Known for her audacity on the pitch, Morgan was asked, “What was more intimidating: posing in bodypaint or taking on Japan in the World Cup finals?

“I have been playing soccer my entire life. I know how to stay calm and not get too nervous for games. That’s why I would have to say posing in body paint was a little more intimidating,” Morgan told SI.com. “It was a completely new experience and definitely took some getting used to before I felt comfortable in body paint. I had to look in the mirror every five minutes to make sure I actually had a swimsuit on.”

Clearly, Morgan’s appearance in SI is a play for the fanboys who love to blog about how hot the soccer starlet is. But will the  decision to pose nearly naked affect her image in any way?  USWNT teammate Hope Solo essentially posed nude in last year’s ESPN Body Issue and it didn’t seem to hurt her. The Body Issue, however, was co-ed at least and made a pretense to be more a celebration of sports physiology than a compilation of centerfolds.

For those wondering, The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue debuted in 1964 as a five page supplement meant to increase readership during the winter sports lull after the Super Bowl. The very first cover featured a model in a conservative, non-revealing bikini but by the 90′s, the models started wearing less and less. The cover of this year’s issue, whose circulation is expected to be around 60 million, will be unveiled on CBS’ Late Show With David Letterman Monday night.

The SI swimsuit issue story doesn’t generally have anything to do with sports or sports journalism so I guess it’s a nice change to see an athlete featured.  And while it’s refreshing to see healthy images of athletic women rather than their gaunt supermodel counterparts, it’s doubtful that SI’s decision to feature Morgan was meant to be progressive in any way.

What do you think?

Will Morgan generate as much interest in her sport with her swimsuit appearance as she did for women’s soccer a year ago in Germany? Probably.  Will the national exposure (yes we mean exposure) finally put women’s soccer on the map? Probably not. Will we see Morgan cast as a competitor on “Dancing with the Stars?” Have to wait and see.

In the meantime, Morgan and her signature pink headband are expected to appear this summer at the Olympic Games in London where she’ll try to help the U.S. women to their third consecutive gold medal.  The USWNT has also added two more games to their busy schedule leading up to the Olympics, taking on reigning World Cup Champion Japan and the always difficult Brazil in early April. For those of us missing the WPS this year (the league recently announced they were suspending play) the WNT is a ray of light.

I love playing sports for a long list of reasons, but I especially love sports because they help define who we are:

• Sports give you confidence.
• Sports give you strength.
• Sports give you a voice (hence, the nickname Loudy Foudy). :)
• Sports teach teamwork and leadership.

Yet too often we focus on the win/loss column without recognizing that the real beauty of sports resides in the fact that sports shape our character.

The Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy’s (JFSLA) Choose to Matter contest is a wonderful example of the power of sports. See young female athletes stepping out of their comfort zone and into their community as they choose to make a difference. As we say at the JFSLA, leadership is personal, not positional. These girls–along with girls from our partner organization, Girl Talk–have come up with their very own community service projects and are transforming lives in their communities. Leaders of action… such a beautiful thing. Go be inspired by reading about girls helping kids with disabilities, raising money for breast cancer research, collecting equipment for kids in need, bringing Halloween to the homeless, doing anti-bullying awareness rallies, and singing songs to seniors… to name just a few.

I am incredibly proud of what these amazing young women have done and what I know they will continue to do for many years. Please join me and our co-sponsors, McDonald’s and The Century Council, in supporting these girls by voting NOW. It does not take much time and by voting for your favorite project, you can help send a young leader to the Olympics! Yes, how cool is that… the Olympics! The winning project from each category will win an all-expenses trip to London this summer as a Youth Ambassador in the McDonald’s Champions of Play program.

It is this simple:

1) Go to website:  http://contest.juliefoudyleadership.com

2) Read through projects.

3) Find yourself smiling.

4) Vote for your favorite one in each category.

5) Find yourself not being able to stop smiling.

And yes, I’ll then tell you I told you so.

Voting is open from Feb. 1st- Feb. 21st.  And, there are 2nd and 3rd place prizes too – a PUMA shopping spree on Eurosports website, soccer.com

Thank you for supporting our future leaders!

Julie
www.juliefoudyleadership.com
Twitter: @juliefoudy

The day after U.S. soccer fans celebrated the women’s CONCACAF win and their Olympic qualification comes word that the WPS is on ice for the 2012 season.

Word began to filter out via players and bloggers on social networks like Twitter Monday morning, and the league officially made the announcement midday. “The league’s Board of Governors voted Monday to suspend the season with hopes of resuming in 2013, the WPS announced.”

WPS CEO Jennifer O’Sullivan says owners chose to cancel the season over possibly working with Borislow in the league again. She says “we have diverted so many resources into litigation.”

The  news was subsequently delivered to WPS players in an email. Though the league cited ongoing legal proceedings with renegade owner Borislow, it may be that he is more of a convenient scapegoat than anything else.

Borislow bought the Washington Freedom last winter and relocated the franchise to Boca Raton, Fla., renaming it magicJack after his internet telecommunications product.

He signed many of the top players in the world, including U.S. Women’s National Team stars Abby Wambach, Christie Rampone and Hope Solo, but feuded constantly with former WPS CEO Anne-Marie Eileraas and other league officials about his refusal to advertise, maintain a staff and other basic league mandates, incurring repeated fines and other penalties. Wambach has been a vocal supporter of Borislow  and didn’t sign with another WPS team after MagicJack was booted from the league last October.

The real reason for the league’s suspension is probably their inability to find enough sponsors or work out a coherent schedule  with the Olympics and USWNT.

The announcement sucks on all kinds of levels.  All the draftees,  excited to play professionally and expecting to come in and fight for a roster spot, learn two weeks later their careers are on hold.  Hopefully they find new homes in the W-League, Sweden, Germany, and elsewhere.

It’s really hard to fathom how this could happen after the amazing Women’s World Cup last summer and all the great play we’ve seen in the past six months.

In an interview on her reality TV debut for The Big Time, player Alex Morgan had this to say about what the WPS could have done better:

“More TV rights, more advertising. Letting the U.S. know that we have a women’s soccer league. We have one of the best leagues in the world. We want to show people that we are playing games in their backyards…”

While soccer fans still have the Olympics to look forward to – and the USWNT is looking good heading into the summer – the inability of the league to operate successfully is a step in the wrong direction.

The league has played three seasons – let’s hope they come back in 2013.

How can this happen after the amazing WWC2011

When Cuba’s national women’s team showed up for Monday night’s CONCACAF Olympic qualifying match against Haiti in Vancouver, BC two players were conspicuously missing.

Unconfirmed reports say star forward Yesenia Gallardo Martinez, 20, and midfielder Yisel Rodriguez Llanes, 22, have defected from the Caribbean nation while playing Olympic qualifying matches in Canada. Gallardo is one of Cuba’s top players, playing in every minute of the team’s first two games at the tournament. Rodriquez also started both games.

The pair was last seen Saturday night. When Cuba faced Haiti in their final group game Monday, Gallardo and Rodriques were marked absent on the lineup sheet. Rogers Sportsnet, the official broadcaster of the event, reported that it  presumed the two players had defected.

“Per policy, we can confirm that we’ve heard the same reports regarding the missing Cuban players,” CONCACAF spokesman Ben Spencer said in an email. “However it is now a matter for the Canadian authorities and the Cuban Delegation and we are not commenting further.”

Citizenship and Immigration Canada spokeswoman Johanne Nadeau said that the government is unable to comment on the status of any person in Canada due to privacy legislation.

After Cuba lost 3-0 to Haiti at BC Place on Monday,  head of the Cuban soccer delegation Jesus Pereira, coaches and players headed directly to the team bus, declining questions through a Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) spokesman.

Defection, especially from Fidel Castro’s Cuba, is a complicated move. For those fleeing from oppression, gaining freedom can be dangerous and there are significant costs – both financially and emotionally. Most Cuban defectors come by sea, often in makeshift inner tube rafts. An average of 2,000 Cubans are met by the U.S. Coast Guard each year and brought ashore. Athletes and musicians are among the few allowed to travel internationally.

It wouldn’t be the first time Cuban soccer players sought asylum during a tournament in North America. In 2008, a total of nine Cuban players left the touring men’s teams in two separate incidents in Tampa and Washington. Seven members of the Cuban Men’s Under-23 team defected to Florida during a CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament. During the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, striker Yosniel Mesa left his team to defect while playing in Charlotte, N.C.

Cuba lost all three of its games in Vancouver, dropping a 2-0 result to Costa Rica Thursday and falling 2-0 to Canada Saturday. It marks the first time the Cuban women’s team has advanced to the final round of Olympic qualifying but with record, they failed to qualify for the London Olympics.

In other CONCACAF qualifying news, the U.S. women’s national team routed the Domincan Republic (14-0) and Guatemala (13-0) in the first two games with Sydney Leroux scoring five goals off the bench in the second half of the Guatemala game. The WNT takes on Mexico tonight at 10:3o ET/7:30 PT. Semi final matches will take place January 27th.

If Gallardo and Rodriquez did defect, where will we see them next? The WPS perhaps?

#GoCardinal

Teresa Noyola scored from point-blank range Sunday to help top-ranked Stanford beat No. 3 Duke 1-0 and give the Cardinal their first NCAA women’s soccer title after three consecutive attempts. It was the perfect finish to Stanford’s unbeaten season.

Stanford seniors Noyola, Camille Levin, Kristy Zuhmehlen and Lindsay Taylor finished their college careers with a record of 95-4-4. Their last three losses came in a 2008 national semifinal to Notre Dame, to North Carolina in the ’09 championship match and to Notre Dame in last year’s final.

Noyola scored in the 53rd minute after Levin won a ball at the goal line about eight yards right of the goal. She crossed to the far post, where Noyola headed it from one yard.

Duke (22-4-1) had several scoring opportunities after that, but Stanford keeper Emily Oliver stopped every attempt.

A well deserved victory for Stanford against a team that showed up to play and really never gave up.  Duke has a great chance of a repeat trip to the College Cup next year.

After pounding  ACC tournament champion Florida State 3-0 on Friday night in the first semifinal of the College Cup, Stanford has a chance to play once again for the national title.  The Cardinal advanced to soccer’s version of the Final Four by completing its third straight unbeaten season, a feat that parallels the great University of North Carolina teams with Mia Hamm in the early 1990s. But top-ranked Stanford has never won a national championship  – and they hope to change that this year. They’ve come close, losing 1-0 in the final game the past two years.

The Cardinal will play Duke, which beat Wake Forest 4-1 in the second semifinal Friday night, in Sunday’s championship.

In the Stanford v FSU match,  Cardinal forward Chioma Ubogagu ricocheted a shot off FSU goalie Kelsey Wys’ leg from about 10 yards for Stanford’s first goal in the 22nd minute for a 1-0 lead.

About two minutes later, Ubogagu out-ran a Seminoles defender down the left flank and served a ball into the penalty box that midfielder Kristy Zurmuhlen slid past Wys at the near post for a 2-0 edge.

Stanford defender Alina Garciamendez finished the scoring in the 64th minute, going up to head a long serve into the box past Wys.

Pressing early to try to crack Stanford’s defense, No. 9 FSU (18-7-1) produced numerous opportunities early, but failed to convert. Stanford goalie Emily Oliver earned her 11th shutout with six saves, including a few dives to scuttle shots.

The No. 3 Blue Devils (22-3-1) will also play for their first title with their defeat of the No. 6 Demon Deacons (18-4-4). ACC rivals Duke and Wake Forest, who often vie for the same players during recruiting season,  faced off for the third time this season.

Duke  played nervous early, but grew stronger over the course of the first half. Forward Mollie Pathman added two goals in the second half, spearing home a deflected shot in the 51st minute for a 2-0 lead and then scoring on a penalty kick in the 58th. Pathman’s second goal answered a free-kick goal by Wake Forest forward Rachel Nuzzolese less than a minute earlier.

Both the Blue Devils and the Cardinal stand 90 minutes from their first national championship

The Kennesaw State stadium  was filled  Friday night  (announced attendance was 9,253). It was the biggest event yet held in the $16.5 million stadium, which opened in 2010 and is a symbol of the school’s progress in athletics.

Be sure to catch the action Sunday at 1:00 EST on ESPNU.

The NCAA Women’s College Cup, taking place this weekend at Kennesaw State Stadium will be the first NCAA soccer championship held in Georgia since 1968. And one thing is for certain  – there will be a first-time national champion crowned at this year’s NCAA final.

All four College Cup teams were seeded first in their respective brackets, and include three ACC schools—Wake Forest, Duke and Florida State—and two-time NCAA runner-up Stanford, making its fourth consecutive College Cup appearance.

Defending national champ Notre Dame and perennial powerhouses UNC, UCLA and Portland are nowhere in sight, opening the door for unbeaten and top-ranked Stanford to finally carry off the trophy. I can’t even remember a time when the University of North Carolina wasn’t a contender.  With 20 NCAA championships and 25 College Cup appearances (and alum like Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Cindy Parlow, Heather O’Reilly)  much of the history of women’s college soccer comes from Chapel Hill.

In fact, this is the first time since the inaugural NCAA tournament in 1982,  that all four semifinalists are seeking their first NCAA title

Friday, Dec. 2, the first semifinal match pits Stanford (23-0-1) against Florida State.  The 18-6-1 Seminoles are ACC champions, making their fifth Final Four appearance. If FSU-Stanford sounds like a familiar NCAA matchup, it is.  A year ago, Stanford demolished the Seminoles 5-0 in the NCAA Elite Eight.  This year the match features two of the country’s best programs to never have won a national championship. Friday’s semifinal will air live on ESPNU and ESPN3.com beginning at 5:00 p.m. EST.

The other half of the Final Four pits the third-ranked Duke (21-3-1) against its ACC rival,  Wake Forest.  This is Duke’s third Final Four appearance, but first since 1992 when they defeated Hartford  in the semifinals and then fell to North Carolina.  The Blue Devils are riding their best season ever with wins over Notre Dame and FSU, as their only losses were to Wake, UNC and Auburn.

#7 Wake is making its College Cup debut.  The Demon Deacons, 18-3-4, split their two ACC matches against Duke this fall, with Duke prevailing 2-0 in October and Wake winning 2-1 in the ACC tournament. This will be the first time the Blue Devils and Demon Deacons will go up against each other in the NCAA Tournament.

Both Duke and Wake beat FSU in the regular season, but FSU avenged its loss by winning the ACC title over Wake on penalty kicks.

4th Time a Charm for Stanford?

If this is indeed Stanford’s year (and I hope it is for a host of reasons), the championship will build on the rich soccer tradition on The Farm.  Olympian and 1999 World Cup champion Julie Foudy starred for Stanford in the early ’90s. By the late ’90s, Stanford became a consistent Top 20 program, winning the Pac-10 in 1999 and 2002, with a 65-17-4 record from 1999-2002, and a No. 1 ranking and Elite Eight appearance in 2002.

That impressive run has been far surpassed by Coach Paul Ratcliffe’s recent powerhouse teams. Led by the current group of seniors, beginning in 2008, Stanford has compiled a remarkable 93-4-4 record, including an unbeatable 53-0-1 at its home field, Cagan Stadium.

Three Cardinal alums, Kelley O’Hara, Rachael Buehler and Nicole Barnhart, were on the USA team that enthralled the soccer universe during last summer’s World Cup in Germany and Ali Riley played for New Zealand’s national team. .

A national championship however,  has thus far eluded Stanford.  In both 2009 and 2010, the Cardinal was undefeated until the very last match of the season.  In December 2009, Stanford fell in the national championship match to UNC, 1-0. Last year’s final was the same 1-0 score, a loss to Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish.

The 2011 Cardinal averaged over 22 shots on goal per game and nearly three goals per game.  Their fast-paced possession style of play is led by four seniors— the always fun to watch forward Lindsay Taylor (20 goals), midfielders Kristy Zurmuhlen (five goals, four assists) and Teresa Noyola (eight goals, 14 assists), who played for Mexico in the World Cup, as well as Camille Levin (four goals, six assists), who played every position other than goal and can defend, pass or score with equal proficiency.

There’s more than just seniors though.  Frosh forward Chioma Ubogagu (exciting player and great name) added nine goals and nine assists.  Juniors Mariah Nogueira, Alina Garciamendez (another Mexico World Cup team member) and Rachel Quon excel in midfield and in defense, and sophomore GK Emily Oliver has been reliable in goal, although infrequently tested as Stanford has controlled time of possession in every one of its games.

Stanford enters the College Cup winners of 21 straight matches. The only blemish on their schedule this year came in the third game of the season as Maryland and Stanford played to a scoreless draw in College Park.

So, will the fourth trip to the College Cup be the charm for the Cardinal?

Perhaps.  But in soccer,  the team that controls the flow of the game, dominates possession and outshoots its opponent may still come up on the short.

Stanford, which has vastly more recent Final Four experience than FSU, Duke and Wake, creates scoring opportunities as well as any of the other three College Cup participants.  If the Cardinal can convert just a few of those shots into goals, they have a great chance of returning from Georgia as NCAA champions.

Kennesaw State’s year-old soccer stadium is a 8,300-seat facility built specifically for soccer. About 7,000 visitors, among them the participating Duke, Florida State, Stanford and Wake Forest teams, are expected to come through Cobb County for Friday’s and Sunday’s matches. Tickets are nearly sold out and the Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates an economic impact of $2.6 million on the local economy. The championship game will be played on Sunday, Dec. 4 at 1:00 p.m. EST and for those not lucky enough to be in the stadium, the game will be broadcast live on ESPNU and ESPN3.

USWNT Coach Pia Sundhage has said she wants to coach the Swedish national team when her contract with the U.S. expires in 2012. It would be a big loss for the U.S., but understandable as Sweden is Sundhage’s home.

Sundhage told Swedish news agency TT on Sunday she would gladly say “yes, thank you!” if she was asked to start coaching Sweden’s women’s team.

Sundhage has helped the U.S. women win gold in the Olympics in 2008, and silver in this year’s World Cup. Next year, the U.S. will try to defend the Olympic gold in London, before her contract expires.

The U.S. team played to a 1-1 draw against Sweden on Saturday night before a record crowd in Glendale, Arizona. The international friendly was the last game for the WNT in 2011.  They’ll return to the field in January for Olympic Qualifying in Vancouver, B.C.