WPS Week 15

Even without counting the mid-week games, this week was the highest-scoring in WPS history. The Philadelhpia Independence took Sky Blue FC down with a 4-1 score, FC Gold Pride beat the Washington Freedom by the same score, and the Boston Breakers defeated the Chicago Red Stars in 5 minutes by a score of 3-1 over the weekend. The mid-week matchups consisted of a 1-0 win for the Atlanta Beat over Chicago, and a 2-1 win for the Pride against Boston.

Jordan Angeli gave the Breakers a lead in the 30th minute of a Kristine Lilly Cross. However, FC Gold Pride managed to do what rarely happens in WPS; they came back to win it 2-1. A minute later, Aly Riley crossed a ball into the box for Christine Sinclair to equalize. Marta netted home the game winner just before the halftime whistle blew, and the score remained for the rest of the match. FC Gold Pride are well of and it seems they have gotten away with 1st place in the standings. They will very likely host the Championship match on September 26.

Atlanta finally got a winning streak this year after defeating the Red Stars on Wednesday night. This time, Aluko scored the lone goal with a header in the 56th minute, and the rest was a defensive game for the Beat. The Beat are still in last place in the standings with 13 points, and still aren’t completely out of the playoff race. Chicago is in 6th with 17 points.

On Saturday, Philly scored 4 goals against Sky Blue FC, who were running under their new coach, Rick Stainton, and it took a rookie defender to get a consolation goal. Joana Lohman scored first, heading a cross from Caroline Seger into the goal in the 6th minute. A minute later, Seger once again posted an assist and played a perfect long pass to Amy Rodriguez who finished off with a great strike over Kristin Luckenbill. In teh 21st minute, Holmfridur Magnusdottir scored her first WPS goal byr unning down the left flank as always, and taking a shot from inside the box to make it 3-0. In the 2nd half, Seger and Rodriguez once again connected on a simlar play, but this time Rodriguez took a few touches on the ball, and curved a shot past Luckenbill. In the 81st minute, Brittany Taylor ran right through the midfield, and kicked a shot that beat Val Henderson to the goal. Philly are still in 2nd place, well behind FC Gold Pride with 24 points, but well ahead of the 3rd place Boston Breakers who have 19 points.

As if things for the Washington Freedom couldn’t get worse. SInce the beginning, they had been one of the best teams, but lately they haven’t been on the good end of things. On Saturday, after a devasting 3-1 deficit, Erin McLeod went down with what looked like a serious knee injury. With all substitutes used, Cat Whitehill had to thrown on the goalkeeper jersey and gloves, and Tiffeny Milbrett increased the Pride’s lead to 4-1. It wa Milbrett who opened the scoring in the 18th minute as she scored on her own rebound. The Freedom equalized in the 48th minute after Cat Whitehill kicked one of her classic free kicks into the penatly area. Beverly Goebel got her head on it, and a sliding Abby Wambach deflected it into goal. In the 60th minute, Christine Sinclair took advantage of numbers in the Freedom attack and started the counter. She played a through ball to Marta who beat McLeod to make it 2-1. 25 minutes later, Marta scored her second goal of the night, and 13th of the season, after cutting around McLeod and scoring into the open net. In that play, a defender who was chasing Marta kicked McLeod in the knee forcing it to bend in a way it shouldn’t, and that was the end of McLeod for the day, and possibly the season, but I can’t confirm anything until WPS says something. Milbrett scored her 2nd goal late in the game, taking advantage of a a defender in goal.

The last match of the week was between the Chicago Red Stars and the Boston Breakers. Within 5 minutes, the Breakers won the game scoring 3 goals. The Red Stars were able to pull one back in the 2nd half. Kelly Smith scored the first goal in the 9th minute blasting a shot past Jillian Lyoden. 3 minutes later, she scored again after Lindsay Tarpley set her up on a counter attack beating Loyden once again. Two minutes later Smith took part in the Breakers’ third goal this time getting an assist as she took afree kick which Ifeoma Dieke headed into the goal. In the 8th minute, Kosovare Asllani took a free kick that went through everyone in the box and into the goal. With the win, the Breakers jumped up to 3rd place in the standings past the Freedom and Sky Blue FC.

Next week:

• Washington Freedom @ Atlanta Beat: Wednesday, 7:30 pm ET
• Chicago Red Stars @ Philadelphia Independence: Wednesday, 7 pm ET
• Freedom @ Boston Breakers: Saturday, 6pm ET
• FC Gold Pride @ Atlanta: Sunday, 5pm ET, live on FSC
• Chicago @ Sky Blue FC: Sunday, 7 pm ET

PUMA launches Project Pink

On the heels of the biggest soccer event in the world (do you remember a little tournament in South Africa this summer called the World Cup?), sports brand PUMA is excited to announce a new initiative that links women’s soccer with a well-deserving cause: launching this month, PUMA’s Project Pink will strive to raise awareness — and funds — in support of the fight against breast cancer.

In conjunction with their partnership with Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), PUMA will outfit some of the best female players in the world in special Project Pink kits for five WPS matches. The brand has also created a range of Project Pink merchandise that will be available for purchase beginning this summer and continuing through Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Profits from the sale of PUMA’s Project Pink gear will be donated to a nonprofit committed to breast cancer awareness or research; the beneficiary will be named as the result of a national online voting campaign.

In true PUMA fashion, with an eye on both engaging and empowering the female soccer community, the brand is giving consumers a voice. Launching July 31, PUMA is hosting a forum at wps.pumafootball.com/projectpink that invites interaction with the Project Pink initiative. The site allows for the nomination of breast cancer charities with nonprofit status; supporters can then log on to vote for the winner, who will ultimately receive a donation consisting of 100% of the profits from the sale of PUMA Project Pink product. The nomination period will open on August 7; voting will begin on September 13. The crowd favorite will be announced and the donation made in late October.

WPS teams including the Boston Breakers, Washington Freedom, FC Gold Pride, Philadelphia Independence, and Sky Blue FC have joined with PUMA to rally behind Project Pink, designating matches in July and August to help raise awareness for the cause. Players from each home team will sport special Project Pink kits developed by PUMA, and PUMA’s Project Pink match ball will be utilized throughout each game. Project Pink-themed activities will also be hosted in pre-game Fanzones and throughout the matches. WPS teams the Atlanta Beat and Chicago Red Stars will also support Project Pink with events later in the season.

Project Pink game dates are as follows:

• · Boston Breakers v. Washington Freedom/July 31 at Harvard Stadium
• · FC Gold Pride v. Chicago Red Stars/August 7 at Pioneer Stadium
• · Philadelphia Independence v. Boston Breakers/August 8 at John A. Farrell Stadium
• Sky Blue FC v. Washington Freedom/August 11 at Yurcak Field
• · Washington Freedom v. Sky Blue FC/August 28 at Maryland SoccerPlex

PUMA athlete and Philadelphia Independence goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc will be serving, along with fellow players and PUMA athletes Leslie Osborne (Boston Breakers) and Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), as a spokeswoman for the Project Pink cause. “As a woman in sports, I always support promoting an active, healthy lifestyle,” LeBlanc explained. “Plus, a number of my close friends and family have been affected by breast cancer. I’m out here doing what I love, and any chance I have to be a part of a project like this to show my passion for what I do and link with a good cause is a no-brainer.

WPS Week 14

Week 14 was a pretty predictable week. FC Gold Pride won (I think it’s getting old now). The Breakers, who have recently come alive, earned their third consecutive win. Finally, a lot of people, this writer included, thought Sky Blue was  a team Atlanta could beat (yes, the was intended), and win they did.

On Saturday, FC Gold Pride hosted the Philadelphia Independence. This was promoted as Canada Night, so it was only fair that Canadian international, Christine Sinclair, scored 2 goals to lead the Pride past Philly. The first goal came in the 44th minute. Solveig Gulbrandsen sure went out on a high note, scoring last week and assisting the Pride’s first goal of the day this week after crossing the ball into the area for a Sinclair finish. The second goal came in the 8th minute to secure the win. Marta found Camille Abily, who slipped the ball across the goal for Sinclair to finish with ease. FC Gold Pride has a solid stand in 1st place with 31 points, while the rest of the league trails behind. The Independence stands in second place with 21 points.

On Sunday, the Breakers continued to work their magic and get a 3rd win in a row on goals from the players that probably not everyone was expecting to be the goal scorers: Jordan Angeli, a rookie, and Liz Bogus, who was cut from the team and signed again twice. Except the Breakers didn’t just win. They came back from down a goal, and then they won. Pretty impressive for a team that struggled to find the back of the net since week 2. The Washington Freedom scored first, in the 3rd minute when Sarah Huffman found Nikki Marshall across the goal and got a shot past Alyssa Naeher. In the 23rd minute, Kelly Smith sent a ball to Liz Bogus who slid and nutmegged Erin McLeod for the equalizer.  The game winner came in the 75th minute after Lindsay Tarpley headed a cross to Jordan Angeli, who kicked the ball into the goal from about 3 yards out in between two Freedom defenders. The Freedom are still in 4th place with 17 points, just point ahead of the improving Chicago Red Stars. The Breakers have 16 points, the same amount as the Red Stars, but sit below them in 6th place on goal differential.

The match between Sky Blue FC and the Atlanta Beat closed out play for the week. Atlanta came into Sky Blue’s town, but the defending WPS champions failed to defend their turf as they fell to the Beat by a score of 1-0. Eniola Aluko scored the lone goal in the 7th minute.

ird consecutive win. Finally, a lot of people, this writer included, thought Sky Blue was  a team Atlanta could beat (yes, the was intended), and win they did.

On Saturday, FC Gold Pride hosted the Philadelphia Independence. This was promoted as Canada Night, so it was only fair that Canadian international, Christine Sinclair, scored 2 goals to lead the Pride past Philly. The first goal came in the 44th minute. Solveig Gulbrandsen sure went out on a high note, scoring last week and assisting the Pride’s first goal of the day this week after crossing the ball into the area for a Sinclair finish. The second goal came in the 8th minute to secure the win. Marta found Camille Abily, who slipped the ball across the goal for Sinclair to finish with ease. FC Gold Pride has a solid stand in 1st place with 31 points, while the rest of the league trails behind. The Independence stand in second place with 21 points.

On Sunday, the Breakers continued to work their magic and get a 3rd win in a row on goals from the players that probably not everyone was expecting to be the goal scorers: Jordan Angeli, a rookie, and Liz Bogus, who was cut from the team and signed again twice. Except the Breakers didn’t just win. They came back from down a goal, and then they won. Pretty impressive for a team that struggled since week 2. The Washington Freedom scored first, in the 3rd minute when Sarah Huffman found Nikki Marshall across the goal and got a shot past Alyssa Naeher. In the 23rd minute, Kelly Smith sent a ball to Liz Bogus who slid and nutmegged Erin McLeod for the equalizer.  The game winner came in the 75th minute after Lindsay Tarpley headed a cross to Jordan Angeli, who kicked the ball into the goal from about 3 yards out in between two Freedom defenders. The Freedom are still in 4th place with 17 points, just point ahead of the improving Chicago Red Stars. The Breakers have 16 points, the same amount as the Red Stars, but sit below them in 6th place on goal differential.

The match between Sky Blue FC and the Atlanta Beat closed out play for the week. Atlanta came into Sky Blue’s town, but the defending WPS champions failed to defend their turf as they fell to the Beat by a score of 1-0. Eniola Aluko scored the lone goal in the 7th minute after she finished a cross from Angie Kerr. The Beat is still at the bottom of the standings with 10 points, 6 behind the Breakers.

Next week:

• FC Gold Pride @ Boston Breakers, Wednesday, 7 pm ET
• Chicago Red Stars @Atlanta Beat, Wednesday, 7:30 pm ET
• Sky Blue @ Philadelphia Independence, Saturday, 7 pm ET on CSN P
• FC Gold Pride @ Washington Freedom, Saturday, 7 pm ET
• Boston Breakers @ Chicago Red Stars, Sunday 4 pm ET on CSN NE (live) and CSN C (delayed at 8 pm ET

Get to Know: Leslie Osborne

Leslie Osborne was born in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Growing up, she played many sports, but at the age of 10, she was forced to pick one sport to focus on. Her dad made her put all the sports she played in a hat and pull one out. The one she picked was soccer. So, ever since then, it’s been all about soccer for her.

When she was 11, she met her current teammate, Lindsay Tarpley, at a Regional Camp. Then they found themselves playing together in youth national teams, on the US Women’s National Team, and are even teammates now playing in the same WPS club, the Boston Breakers.

Osborne was twice named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Wisconsin, in 2000 and 2001. She had a great career at Santa Clara earning top honors every year she was there, including the prestigious Honda Award for the nations best athlete in her sport as a senior, ending her career with 44 goals and 34 assists as a forward.

She has now worked her way to a defensive midfielder role. She may look like the girl next door off the soccer field, often doing modeling gigs, and photo shoots for Puma, but you do not want to get slide tackled by her because she will take you out. Standing at 5′ 8″, she will most likely win any header, she can play well both on offense and on defense, which makes her one of the most dangerous players out there. She sure is a handful for opposing teams. But even if she is injured and watching her team struggle to get wins, she will keep a positive attitude and help her team through it.

Always upbeat, Leslie was happy to take the time to answer a few questions about herself. Enjoy!

What is your favorite memory of Santa Clara soccer?

I have so many memories, it’s hard to pick my favorite. I have a special memory my freshman year and my senior year especially. My freshman year I got to play with some of the best players I have ever played with (Danielle Slaton, Devyn Hawkins, Aly Wagner and Anna Kraus). I came in as a freshman and played center forward, it was awesome to win a national championship that year. My senior year was special too because of how much adversity our team had to deal with. Personally I had just got cut from the 2004 Olympic team and having to find the passion for game again. We ended up making it to the NCAA Final Four. I played most of season with torn ligaments in my ankle received the Honda Player of the Year award. I had a very special career at Santa Clara and some of the best memories.

What about your favorite college experience off the field?

Santa Clara was my second home. I love the campus, people, professors and everything about it. I have this feeling there that I have never had before. So many special places, people and memories. I loved my college experience.

We all know you love cheese, but what is your all-time favorite?

I love all cheese. My favorite is Pecorino Romano which is Italian cheese. My grandma gave it to me when I was a baby. I don’t think there is a cheese I don’t like.

What do you think your job would be right now if you weren’t a professional soccer player?

Well my dream job would be helping Puma design my own fashion line. I am trying to work on that. Realistically, I would be coaching college soccer or broadcasting, which I have done both already and hope to do more of.

You have known Lindsay Tarpley for many years. What were your first impressions of her when you first met her?

We have known each other since we have been 11. She is my sister and best friend. We have gone through more together and spent more time together than any of my friends. I met her at Regional Camp when we were 11.  Then she was shy, sweet and such a hard worker. We got along right away and everyone laughed because we were opposites. I was so outgoing, talkative and social. We hit it off right away and have been through a lot with each other.

What’s it like playing together for the youth national teams, and the full national team, and now playing together as professionals?

Playing for the youth national team was a blessing. I got to play against the best players in the country at such a young age. I got to travel the world and experience so many different cultures. I had to balance and prioritize my life. I got to meet so many great teammates, friends and have great coaches at such a young age. I got to represent my country at a young age, nothing compares to that. Tarp and I have gone through every step of the process together. (State, regional, youth national, full national and now WPS).

We have gone through championships, losses, weddings, injuries, traveling and every day activities. I can’t tell you how special it is to play with her professionally; we didn’t think it would happen.

What was the most trouble you got into as a kid?

Oh no… I got in a little bit of trouble in my days. I got caught sneaking out of the house a few times, toilet papering and skipping school.  My parents forgave me. I was a good kid most of the time.

What are some words that people from Wisconsin use that people from anywhere else don’t? (I heard bubbler is water fountain)

Bubbler is a good one. Pop is for soda.  I think it’s more my accent; the way I say bag and all of my A’s. People think I talk like the mom from Bobby’s World.

What is your favorite thing about Boston as a city?

There is so much to do. I love the fans here. It is such a sports city.  I love going to all the sporting events. Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox games are my favorite. I attend a lot of the Revs games as well. There is great shopping, parks, tours and so many great restaurants. I also love all the nice little East Coast get away vacations to Cape Cod and New Hampshire, which has been great.

What is your favorite thing about the Boston Breakers?

The organization as a whole has blown me away. I love this team, I appreciate everyone involved here. They continue to impress me. I am extremely lucky for many reasons. Plus I love wearing that royal blue.

What is/are your favorite movies(s)?

I don’t have one but I do like inspirational movies like Miracle and Hoosiers.

Who is the best player you’ve ever had on your team (in college, pro, or national team)?

The best players I have had on my team have to be Kristine Lilly and Shannon Boxx. I got to play with the 2004 U.S. Women’s National Team with Brandi (Chastain), Mia (Hamm), (Julie) Foudy, etc. but didn’t get to play with them for a long period of time. Lil (Kristine Lilly) and Boxxy (Shannon Boxx) show up every day and they continue to inspire me. Internationally Formiga, Christine Sinclair, and Kelly Smith are my three favorite international players, so happy when they are on my team.

Who is the best player you have played against?

The best player I have ever played against is Kelly Smith. I am so happy she is on my team. I marked her on the U.S. National Team a few times and it was very difficult.

What is your go-to karaoke song?

I don’t do karaoke.  I am tone deaf, but I try to sing a lot though. I would say Deana Carter… “Strawberry Wine.”

Lastly, do you like your full name (Leslie Marie Osborne)?

Yes I love my name…but I like “Les” the best.

WPS Week 13

Week 13 of WPS held a lot of action as two games were played in the middle of the week in addition to the 3 regular games on the weekend. First off, the Chicago Red Stars and Atlanta Beat played to a 1-1 draw, and Sky Blue FC and the Washington Freedom played to a scoreless draw on Wednesday. On Saturday, Chicago defeated Sky Blue FC for the first time in WPS history by a score of 2-0. On Sunday, the Boston Breakers overcame a 1-0 lead by the Beat, scoring 3 goals in just under 5 minutes, and FC Gold Pride gave away 2 goals but still managed the 3-2 win against the Freedom to close out the week.

While the Atlanta Beat have continued to struggle to win, or just find the back of the net at all, the Chicago Red Stars have seemed to start picking things up. However, the Atlanta Beat seems to be the one team that the Red Stars can’t break down. The Beat holds a 1-0-2 record against Chicago. The latest encounter between the two resulted in a 1-1 draw. Johanna Rasmussen opened the scoring in the 30th minute when Red Stars goalkeeper Jilian Loyden punched out a cross, leaving Rasmussen an open net to kick the ball into. Chicago equalized 12 minutes later when Formiga crossed the ball to the far post, where Cristiane headed the ball across the goal, and Ella Masar tapped it in to finish it.

The second mid-week match-up was between Sky Blue FC and the Washington Freedom. The game had very little chances, and ended in a 0-0 tie. Both goalkeepers earned shutouts, but probably would have liked more than 1 point out of this match up as they are both in the middle of the standings, trying to work their way up the table.

Chicago hosted Sky Blue FC over the weekend, and 4,064 fans witnessed the first Red Stars win over Sky Blue. Ella Masar has now turned into the teams’ leading scorer, and probably their best player. She scored the game winner against Sky Blue sending a perfect shot to the top right corner of the goal where Kristin Luckenbill had no chance of saving it in the 38th minute. Two minutes into the second half, Daphne Koster scored an own goal to give the Red Stars a 2-0 win. Chicago is now tied for 4th place with the Washington Freedom, but have next week off, and have played one more game than the Freedom have, so we could see a temporary drop in the standings for the Red Stars.

Atlanta visited the Boston Breakers on Sunday. After dominating the first half and taking the lead, the Breakers scored 3 goals in 4 minutes to completely turn things around and the second half, and got their first win at home. Atlanta scored the first goal in the 6th minute of the match. Eniola Aluko was running down the right side of the field ahead of the Breakers defense. She slipped a pass that Alyssa Naeher couldn’t hold on to. The ball came out of her hands, and Johanna Rasmussen scored into the open net. Four minutes into the second half, right after coming in as a sub, Jordan Angeli volleyed a Leslie Osborne pass into the goal. In the 53nd minute, Lindsay Tarpley had a header on goal that was saved away by Brett Maron, and it seemed she still had possession of the ball and Kelly Smith kicked the ball out of her hand for the game-winner. A minute later, Liz Bogus, the player who has been cut off and brought back to the team more times than would be mentally healthy, scored her first goal of the season to seal the win putting an easy shot past Maron. This brings the Breakers to 3 wins, but the Beat down to 7 losses. Both teams are still at the bottom of the standings.

The last game on the week was between FC Gold Pride and the Washington Freedom. The first goal came in the 12th minute, thanks to Beverly Goebel, who took Christine Sinclair down in the penalty area and gave the Pride a penalty kick. Marta shot to her left as Erin McLeod stepped to the right, and it was Pride 1, Freedom 0. In the 26th minute, Jim Gabarra, head coach of the Freedom, was ejected from the game after throwing a fit, calling for a penalty kick for his side after Kandace Wilson shoved Sonia Bompastor off the ball inside the 18. Backup goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris became the Freedom head coach for the remainder of the match.  In the 65th minute, Sinclair crossed the ball into the area and Marta, with her great touch on the ball, brought it down with ease, cut to her right, and got around McLeod to tap the ball into the goal. Five minutes later, Camille Abily set up Gulbrandsen with a world class cross. Gulbrandsen, who has another game left to play with FC Gold Pride, finished it with a great header on goal. The team announced that both parties have come to an agreement to end the contract, and Gulbrandsen will go back home to Norway after the Breakers host the Pride next week. It seemed Brittany Cameron would get the first shutout of her career in her debut, but the Freedom scored two goals of their own. In the 79th minute, Brittany Bock, coming off the bench, served a cross into the area, which Lene Mykjaland jumped up to volley into the back of the net. Then, just minutes before the final whistle blew, Nikki Marshall outran Carrie Dew and got her shot just past Cameron to decrease Pride’s lead.

Standings:

Team	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	+/-	W	L	T	W	L	T
FC Gold Pride	13	9	3	1	28	22	12	10	5	1	1	4	2	0
Independence	13	6	4	3	21	21	17	4	4	2	1	2	2	2
Sky Blue FC	13	5	5	3	18	12	15	-3	1	2	2	4	3	1
Freedom	13	4	4	5	17	19	17	2	3	1	3	1	3	2
Red Stars	14	4	5	5	17	11	11	0	2	2	3	2	3	2
Breakers	12	3	5	4	13	12	14	-2	1	4	1	2	1	3
Beat	12	1	7	4	7	7	19	-12	1	3	1	0	4	3

Next week:

• Philadelphia Independence @ FC Gold Pride at 7 pm PT

• Washington Freedom @ Boston Breakers at 6 pm ET on FSC

• Atlanta Beat @ Sky Blue FC at 7 pm ET

U.S. WNT ready to face Sweden in first match of two-game series

The USA renews what has been an excellent rivalry with Sweden during two summer matches on July 13 at Creighton University’s Morrison Stadium (ESPN2 at 8 p.m. CT) and on July 17 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford (Fox Soccer Channel at 7:30 p.m. ET).

With the USA ranked first in the current FIFA Women’s World Rankings and Sweden at fourth, U.S. fans will once again get to see two of the top women’s teams in the world square off on American soil. The two matches mark the first between the two countries in the United States since July 2006 when the Americans defeated Sweden 3-2 in sweltering Minnesota heat on a dramatic late goal from Kristine Lilly.

The matches will be just the eighth and ninth international games for the U.S. women this year as preparations and player evaluations continue for CONCACAF Women’s World Cup qualifying to be held in late October with dates and venues still to be determined. While U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage has called up 24 players, she will name 18 to suit up for both contests with the Swedes and could juggle the game roster between matches.

Since coaching her first game for the United States in January of 2008, Pia Sundhage has compiled an overall record of 47-1-3 with the only loss in regulation time coming in the first game of the 2008 Olympics. She coached her 50th match for the USA in Sandy, Utah, on March 31 against Mexico, a wild 1-0 win played in ankle-deep snow.

EYE TOWARDS GERMANY: As the calendar moved to 2010, the focus of the U.S. WNT shifted to qualifying for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany. The two-time defending champions, hosting on their own soil, will be favorites to hoist a third consecutive trophy, but the Americans will hopefully have something to say about that. There is no doubt, however, that the Germans will run a fantastic Women’s World Cup, scheduled for June 26-July 17, 2011, in nine cities spread out all over Germany: Berlin, Frankfurt, Mönchengladbach, Sinsheim, Wolfsburg, Augsburg, Bochum, Dresden and Leverkusen.

FIRST TIME TO NEBRASKA: The U.S. Women have played official international matches in 30 of the 50 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia. Nebraska will become the 31st state to host the WNT and it will come in one of the best college venues in the country at Creighton University. The USA has played few matches in the middle of the country, having never appeared in North or South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, and until now, Nebraska.

CAPTAINS ALL OVER: 2008 Olympic Team captain Christie Rampone gets another call-up for these matches as she continues to regain her fitness after giving birth to her second child in early March. In her absence, Shannon Boxx has captained the U.S. team. The U.S. roster is dotted with players who have captained the USA in the past, including Kristine Lilly, Kate Markgraf and Abby Wambach, but Boxx has worn the armband since Rampone announced her pregnancy last year. Boxx is the 11th player to be officially designated as a captain in the history of the U.S. Women’s National Team, joining, in chronological order: Denise Bender, April Heinrichs, Lori Henry, Michelle Akers, Carla Overbeck, Julie Foudy, Joy Fawcett, Kristine Lilly, Christie Rampone and Lori Chalupny.

OPPONENT CAPSULE: Sweden
Current FIFA World Ranking: 4
Overall Record vs. USA: 3-17-6
Last Meeting vs. USA: March 1, 2010 (a 2-0 U.S. win at the Algarve Cup in Portugal)
Head Coach: Thomas Dennerby
Key Players: G Hedvig Lindahl, G Sofia Lundgren, D Stina Segerström, D Sara Thunebro, M Caroline Seger, M Therese Sjögran, M Lisa Dahlkvist, M Nilla Fischer, F Jessica Landstrom, F Kosovare Asllani

WPS Week 12

If there’s one thing I’ve learned this season is that you really can use “anything can happen” in WPS. The Boston Breakers got their first win since Week 1 (when they defeated the Washington Freedom in DC) against the Philadelphia Independence after going down 1-0.  They came back to win 2-1.

FC Gold Pride faced a greatly improved Atlanta Beat, but still managed to dominate them, to put it nicely. And The Freedom and Chicago Red Stars ended their battle in a scoreless draw.

The first game of the week was FC Gold Pride at Atlanta. Christine Sinclair, with the help of Marta, opened the scoring in the first minute of the match to put Pride on top and set a new record for fastest goal in the league after blasting a shot past Hope Solo. In the 30th minute, Marta, with her speed, beat her defenders to a long pass from Kelly O’Hara. Marta faked the defenders and Solo out with a fake shot, pulled the ball back to herself and unleashed a shot to the crossbar and into the goal. Four minutes later, Kia McNeil was sent off the match after trying to kick the ball into the goal flying in the air, and kicking Barnhart instead, leaving the Beat a man down for the rest of the game. “I came out for the ball and I didn’t really see her coming” said Barnhart of the collision. “But she did come in cleats up and got me pretty good.  It hurt when it happened but I’ll be ok.” In the 78th minute, Barnhart herself got an assist releasing a long punt, which Marta ran into, went one-on-one with Solo and beat her for her second goal of the day. In stoppage time Kelley O’Hara, from Fayetteville, GA, added her own goal to make it 4-0. This keeps the Pride in first place with 25 points, and the Beat in 7th place with 6 points.

The Washington Freedom and Chicago Red Stars played to a scoreless draw with plenty of chances. Erin McLeod, goalkeeper for the Freedom, made ten saves to keep a shutout, while Jillian Loyden for the Red Stars made only 3. Chicago outshot the Freedom 23-5. “Chicago played smart. They played well and took advantage of our fatigue and played the quick ball which worked against us,” said McLeod, who made ten saves to earn her third shutout of the season. “One thing we can take away was that we played hard the whole game. We have had the tendency to give up the late goal and we didn’t today. I’m proud of the back line.” The first dangerous play, which came in the 18th minute, was a result of a pass from Cristiane to Ella Masar who shot the ball high from 15 yards out for Chicago. In the 35th minute, Allie Long fouled Megan Rapinoe, and Marian Dalmy took the free kick for Chicago only to be punched over the bar by McLeod. The chances were there for Chicago, but couldn’t get past McLeod, and the Freedom were just a tired team with key players having played 3 games (including the All-Star game on Wednesday) in a week, and were happy to have earned a point out of that match up.

Finally, the Boston Breakers were able to break a 9-game winless streak since the first week of the season when they defeated the Freedom 2-1. On July 4th, the Breakers defeated the Philadelphia Independence 2-1 in a 2nd half comeback. Amy Rodriguez scored the first goal of the night after receiving a pass fro Lianna Sanderson in the box, faking a defender out, and volleying a shot past Alyssa Naeher into the top left corner of the goal in the 18th minute. A minute into the second half, Lauren Cheney equalized with her second goal of the season, and her second since the season opener as well. She received a cross and sent the ball over Karina LeBlanc, who was coming out to take the ball. After about 40 minutes, Kristine Lilly came through for the Breakers, scoring the game-winner. Kelly Smith slotted a past to the right side of the penalty area, and Lilly sent the shot past an oncoming LeBlanc to give her team the win. Both teams stay in the same spots in the standings. Philly is now just 4 points away from first place, while the Breakers are in 6th place with 10 points, just 4 ahead of the Beat.

Next week is…busy!

• Atlanta Beat @ Chicago Red Stars, Wednesday, 8:30 pm ET
• Washington Freedom @ Sky Blue FC, Wednesday, 7 pm ET
• Sky Blue @ Chicago, Saturday, 7 m ET
• Beat @ Boston Breakers, Sunday, 6 pm ET
• Freedom @ FC God Pride, Sunday, 6 pm ET on FSC

World Cup cell phone shaped like a soccer ball

This may not be an official World Cup 2010 cell phone, but it certainly could be.

The Football 001 is a Quad Band GSM phone shaped like a soccer ball. The soccer ball is split in half and opens up to reveal an inside display and keypad. The phone’s specs are pretty standard, it comes with an FM radio, Bluetooth and a 2″ LCD. It’s most unique feature, aside from its shape, is that it is actually a dual sim phone. You can pick up your “World Cup Cellphone” for $159.99.

Can you hear me now?

Marta leads her team to 2010 WPS All-Star game victory

After the All-Star Game teams were picked by the team captains and coaches on Monday, Abby’s Starting 11 in green and gray kits took on Marta’s starting 11 in white and blue and gave the 4,610 fans at KSU Soccer Stadium, home of the Atlanta Beat, plenty of goals to celebrate in a final score of 5-2 to Team Marta on Wednesday night.

This game was all about attacking and goals. It was supposed to be fun for the fans to watch and it was. Just 45 seconds into the game, Marta got right into it, made a run down the field, and unleashed a shot that went wide of the goal. It seemed Abby Wambach would open the scoring after a turnover in the midfield, but her shot went wide in the 6th minute.

A minute later Marta decided to open the game, scoring her first goal of the night. Kelly Smith played a perfect ball into space, and Marta did the rest. Her shot to the far post went past Hope Solo and the score was 1-0. About a minute later, Marta scored a second goal, this time without an assist. Her near-post shot beat Hope Solo once again, and doubled her team’s lead.

“I tried to beat my defender.  I brought the ball to my powerful (sarcastic) left foot and all I could see was that space there.  I tried to hit it in that space and that was it,” she said on her goal.

In the 31st minute, Kristine Lilly played the ball to Allison Falk who had a shot on goal, which was saved, but Christine Sinclair was able to shoot the rebound for a 3-0 lead. However, in the 35th minute, Eniola Aluko cut the deficit to 2 goals after she got Team Abby on the board. Heather O’Reilly served a perfect cross which Wambach headed on goal. Her header was remarkably saved by Erin McLeod, but she left a rebound for Aluko to capitalize on. The score was 3-1 at halftime in favor of Team Marta.

In the 74th minute, Amy Rodriguez was double-teamed in the box. She found Aya Miyama, who blasted a shot from the top of the 18 past substitute goalkeeper Jillian Loyden. Team Abby quickly responded with a goal of their own. Heather O’Reilly once again served a cross (this time from the left side of the field) which rookie forward Lauren Cheney headed on goal past an oncoming Nicole Barnhart (substitute for McLeod).

Finally in the 80th minute, Rodriguez got a goal of her own to seal the deal. She was able to fight of Tina Ellertson and get a beautiful shot into the back of the net from outside the penalty area.

O’Reilly who played her part in two of Abby’s 11 goals shared her thoughts on the game saying, “That was a lot of fun tonight – more tiring than you would think because it’s just all about attack.  It’s all about scoring goals.  I’m not used to a 5-2 game.  But it was a lot of fun with the world class talent out on the field.  It’s an honor to play with those players in front of a great crowd here.  All in all, a great night.  I wish I could be on the winning end of it of course as a competitor, but this game is about the fans and about celebrating WPS.”

“When we come here as individuals to create an all-star team…it’s going to be individual flair.  Marta’s obviously the best in the world at individual flair.  They were successful at getting in behind us early on.  It was just about getting everyone off the field without any injuries, giving the fans something to cheer about and having some fun along the way.  Not too often do you get to play with some of these players.  It was fun and exciting.  A lot of the kids out there were just telling me how much fun it was to see everybody on one field,” said Wambach on the game. ” At 3-0, I was getting a little frustrated.  I’m not going to lie.  As a competitor and somebody who doesn’t like to lose – from the time I was five years old I would storm off in a fit because my brothers would never let me win being the youngest of seven.  No body likes to lose, but this is an all-star game.  As long as everybody had a good time and we saw some great goals, some great individual talent and if everybody is healthy coming out of this game, that’s what’s important,” she added.

So there it is. The mid-season All-Star game for Women’s Professional Soccer has been played, and now teams go back to focus on the rest of the season starting with the Atlanta Beat hosting FC Gold Pride, who have been in Atlanta the whole week to take part of the All-Star week festivities. The game kicks off Saturday night at 7 ET.

The Boston Breakers will look to get back to their winning days (or day, as they only won their season opener) against a strong Philadelphia Independence team who are in sole possession of 2nd place, just one point behind FC Gold Pride. This game is on Sunday and kicks off at 4 pm ET at John A. Farrell Stadium in West Chester University.

Lastly, The Chicago Red Stars will travel to the nation’s capital as they take on the Washington Freedom on Sunday at 5 pm ET at the Maryland SoccerPlex to finish up play for week 12.

2010 WPS All-Star teams selected

The starting lineups for the 2010 WPS All-Star Game presented by U.S. Coast Guard Reserve were selected Monday evening in front of a vocal and boisterous crowd at the WPS All-Star Pick ‘Em Event in downtown Atlanta. The WPS All-Star Game, which takes place Wednesday at KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, Ga., employs a unique format with the 11 starters chosen for each team from among the top 22 highest vote-getters in the All-Star balloting at a pick ‘em event for fans.

The event, which began with opening comments from WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci and was hosted by Fox Soccer Channel color analyst Jenn Hildreth, included anxious moments for players as they awaited their team selections in front of a live audience. Each selection was followed by boisterous applause and the excitement of being named as a member of one of the two All-Star squads with high-fives and team cheers to go around.

The top two vote-getters in 2010 WPS All-Star voting, the Washington Freedom’s Abby Wambach and FC Gold Pride’s Marta, served as team captains and selected the rest of their team in consultation with the All-Star head coaches. Wambach chose “Abby XI” with Philadelphia Independence Head Coach Paul Riley, while Marta chose “Marta XI” with FC Gold Pride Head Coach Albertin Montoya. As the top vote-getter, Abby XI had the first pick and selected Atlanta Beat goalkeeper Hope Solo. Each side had only 30 seconds to make the selection.

Marta and head coach Montoya followed with the selection of goalkeeper Karen Bardsley (Sky Blue FC). That was followed by the selection of defenders including 2009 WPS Defender of the Year Amy LePeilbet from the Boston Breakers as the third pick. The coaches and captains went through defenders and midfielders sequentially before getting to forwards, in a selection order that had the whiff of some backroom collusion by coaches and captains.

But the excitement of two of the best women’s teams ever assembled – 34 of the world’s best players in total – facing off against each other was enough to get the competitive juices flowing for each side. The two coaches even discussed a trade towards the end of the evening that was ultimately jeered by players who wanted to stay on the team to which they had been selected out of loyalty.

“We’re excited. Obviously both teams are very talented and it’s going to be entertaining, and that’s how it should be,” said Marta XI coach Montoya. “Hopefully both teams will put on a good show for the fans. And with players like this, how can we not?”

“The amount of talent that will be in our locker room tomorrow and Wednesday is fantastic. Obviously we only have one practice … it’s just a matter of natural ability: let them go, roll the ball out there, roll the dice and see what happens,” said Abby XI head coach Riley. “It’s an amazing amount of talent on this team, me and Abby just looked at each other and at the list and it really doesn’t matter who you pick. We have some fabulous players so hopefully they click together and have a great game.”

At the end of the event, Riley held up a hand-written sign that read Abby XI – 7, Marta XI – 5. The challenge was on. Even Marta, who rarely breaks out the English in front of a big crowd announced: “I want to wish good luck to my team!”

The All-Star Reserves were divided between Abby XI and Marta XI prior to the Pick ‘Em Event.  Reserves Caroline Seger (ankle) of the Philadelphia Independence and Kate Markgraf (hamstring) of the Chicago Red Stars were late scratches due to injury and not replaced. Television coverage of the 2010 WPS All-Star Game presented by U.S. Coast Guard Reserve begins Wednesday, June 30 at 7:30pm ET on Fox Soccer Channel and will also be webcast at womensprosoccer.com and streamed to iPhones.

Abby XI (green/home; Abby Wambach – Captain, Paul Riley – Head Coach)
Starters
#1 – Hope Solo, GK, Atlanta Beat
#3 – Amy LePeilbet, D, Boston Breakers
#6 – Lori Lindsey, M, Philadelphia Independence
#7 – Shannon Boxx, M, FC Gold Pride
#8 – Tina Ellertson, D, Atlanta Beat
#9 – Eniola Aluko, F, Atlanta Beat
#10 – Heather O’Reilly, M, Sky Blue FC
#11 – Lauren Cheney, F, Boston Breakers
#17 – Lori Chalupny, M, Atlanta Beat
#20 – Abby Wambach, F, Washington Freedom
#84 – Cat Whitehill, D, Washington Freedom

Reserves
#4 – Angie Kerr, M, Atlanta Beat
#14 – Karen Carney, M, Chicago Red Stars
#19 – Kelley O’Hara, F, FC Gold Pride
#21 – Laura Kalmari, M, Sky Blue FC
#66 – Tasha Kai, F, Sky Blue FC
#85 – Jillian Loyden, GK, Chicago Red Stars
Kate Markgraf, D, Chicago Red Stars (injured/not rostered)

Marta XI (white/away; Marta – Captain, Albertin Montoya – Head Coach)
Starters
#1 – Karen Bardsley, GK, Sky Blue FC
#3 – Allison Falk, D, Philadelphia Independence
#4 – Rachel Buehler, D, FC Gold Pride
#7 – Kelly Smith, M, Boston Breakers
#8 – Sonia Bompastor, M, Washington Freedom
#9 – Ramona Bachmann, F, Atlanta Beat
#10 – Marta, F, FC Gold Pride
#12 – Christine Sinclair, F, FC Gold Pride
#13 – Kristine Lilly, M, Boston Breakers
#14 – Brittany Taylor, D, Sky Blue FC
#24 – Aya Miyama, M, Atlanta Beat

Reserves
#5 – Christie Rampone, D, Sky Blue FC
#11 – Becky Sauerbrunn, D, Washington Freedom
#17 – Amy Rodriguez, F, Philadelphia Independence
#18 – Erin McLeod, GK, Washington Freedom
#22 – Alex Scott, D, Boston Breakers
#78 – Cristiane, F, Chicago Red Stars
Caroline Seger, M, Philadelphia Independence (injured/not rostered)

Next Page »