US Takes First Match Against Japan

The United States Women's National Team has won the first of two friendlies with Japan by a score of 2-0. Abby Wambach led the way with a goal and an assist.

The United States started slowly as they struggled with Japanese pressure on the ball. Japan was able to create a few half chances early in the contest, including a long, speedy run by Shinobu Ohno in the 23rd minute, which looked dangerous but did not end in a goal.

The United States' attack began to show signs of life in the 25th minute as Carli Lloyd hit a brilliant back heel pass to Stephanie Cox, who in turn sent the ball through to Wambach. Her shot from 12 yards on the left side gave Japanese keeper Ayumi Kaihori trouble, but the US was unable to pounce on the rebound and the Japanese eventually cleared.

The USWNT finally broke through in the 29th minute. Ali Krieger placed a 40-yard free kick well into the box, where Wambach soared easily above the Japanese defenders and headed the ball in with good pace to put the United States up 1-0. It was the first goal for Wambach since the Concacaf tournament last fall.

The United States doubled their lead in the 37th minute. Heather O'Reilly dribbled in before sending the ball wide to Wambach. She hit a perfect cross into an onrushing Amy Rodriguez who's shot hit the inside of the right post before spinning across the line for the goal.

The US played a fairly strong second half, but were unable to add to their lead and the match finished in a 2-0 victory. Hope Solo, who played her first full match for the USWNT since last summer, earned the shutout.

The victory did not come without a price, however, as Lindsay Tarpley tore her ACL late in the second half and will unfortunately miss the World Cup. It was a tough blow for Tarpley who had suffered a serious injury to end the 2009 WPS season as well.

On the positive side, Wambach looked as good as ever after spending much of the winter and spring bothered by a heel injury. She was a dominant factor in this win for the US.

The two teams will meet again in Cary, North Carolina on Wednesday evening.

Other scores involving World Cup bound teams:
May 12 - Australia 3 (Foord, Simon, Khamis), New Zealand 0
May 14 - Brazil 3 (Aline Pelligrino, Marta, Rosana), Chile 0
May 15 - Australia 2 (Cannuli, McCallum), New Zealand 1 (Wilkinson)
May 15 - Ghana 2, Nigeria 1

De Vanna Withdrawn from Squad for Friendly

According to the Football Australia website, Matilda's striker Lisa De Vanna was withdrawn from the squad before a friendly with New Zealand due to "a breach in team rules." No word yet on how this affects her status for the upcoming World Cup in Germany.

This follows the loss of Kate Gill who recently suffered a severe injury while playing for Swedish club Linkopings two weeks ago.

De Vanna had missed considerable time with the Matildas due to a serious injury she suffered while playing for Australia in the Asian Cup in May, 2010.

2011 magicJack Preview

magicJack
Coach: Mike Lyons (1st year)
2010 Record: 8-9-7 (4th place)
Home Stadium: FAU Soccer Field (Boca Raton, FL)

Roster:
Goalkeepers (3): Jillian Loyden, Brett Maron, Hope Solo.
Defenders (6): Marian Dalmy, Tina Ellertson, Nikki Marshall, Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn, Meghan Schnur.
Midfielders (8): Shannon Boxx, Amanda DaCosta(R), Omolyn Davis(R), Sarah Huffman, Meghan Klingenberg(R), Sophie Schmidt(R), Lindsay Tarpley, Kacey White.
Forwards (6): Lisa De Vanna, Ella Masar, Rebecca Moros, Christen Press(R), Johanna Rasmussen, Abby Wambach.
(R) denotes true rookie; returning players in bold.
Probable World Cup players: Solo, Rampone, Boxx, Schmidt, Tarpley, De Vanna, Wambach, and possibly Sauerbrunn.

Pretty much everything is new with this team…ownership, location, general manager, coach, name, and most of the team. If it weren’t for Freedom veterans like Abby Wambach, Sarah Huffman, and Becky Sauerbrunn, one could almost call this a completely new franchise.

Lost in all of the changes and confusion of the offseason is that magicJack has put together quite a solid team. They are reasonably strong at every position and have actually added a number of offensive players that should make them even more dangerous. Add Lindsay Tarpley, Kacey White, Ella Masar, Christen Press, and Johanna Rasmussen to an already solid offense with Abby Wambach and Lisa De Vanna and you have the makings of a very potent attack.

Even though this team has four rookies, it is a largely veteran team. But this team will be missing a lot of key players during the World Cup and continuity could be a problem. Even so, magicJack appears to have players to step in at every position and still be competitive.

Goalkeepers: Once magicJack brought Hope Solo into the fold, it really just becomes a question of how many games will she be able to play for her new team. Still recovering from shoulder surgery, she just made her first game appearance against England last weekend. It is a bit of a quandary from a USWNT point of view. She needs the game action, but how much can she risk the shoulder for the time being?

Last season was a year of distractions, between Athletica folding, tweetgate, and the surgery. But absent all of that, when Solo is on top of her game, there isn’t a better goalkeeper in the world. Backing her up will be two keepers that are used to that role. Jill Loyden, last year’s Red Star starter, backed Solo up in Saint Louis during 2009. Brett Maron was Solo’s backup in Atlanta. Both have experience as a starter, with Loyden being called up for national team duty on occasion.

Defenders: There won’t be many teams that can boast the veteran back line that magicJack will field coming into the 2011 season. Marshall is probably the only one you couldn’t call a seasoned veteran and the only one that hasn’t appeared on the senior national team. But what a rookie season she had. Overlooked when it came to rookie of the year voting, she made an impact both on defense and at striker.

The other five defenders are all experienced. Christie Rampone brings her 234 national team caps to magicJack after captaining (and sometimes coaching) Sky Blue for two seasons. A great leader on and off the field, Rampone is a professional in every sense of the word. Becky Sauerbrunn, also a candidate for the WC team, is the only other returnee. She has not missed a minute of action in two WPS seasons, the only player that can say that.

Three more defenders were brought in as free agents and all are excellent players. Marian Dalmy was a strong right back, with good height and the ability to make overlapping runs. Meghan Schnur played left back for Sky Blue and is very solid. Veteran Tina Ellertson joins her Washington Huskie teammate Solo with magicJack. Ellertson is a two-time WPS All-Star, is good in the air and has great speed, especially for a center back.

Midfielders: Here you have your classic blend of experience and youth, long-time national team players like Shannon Boxx and Lindsay Tarpley with young college talent like Klingenberg and Schmidt. The only returning player in the group is Sarah Huffman.

Boxx and Tarpley have combined for 265 caps on the USWNT. Boxx has been the starter at defensive mid for the USWNT for several years. She is strong in the air and has become more of an offensive threat since WPS has started. Tarpley is one of the most intelligent players on the field. Whether playing midfield or forward, she is always looking for the best option and is very unselfish.

The other two veterans on the team, Sarah Huffman and Kacey White, have both had short stints on the national team. Huffman is a consistent, hard-working midfielder, and has been with this franchise back to its W-League days. To me, White has always been underrated. She has good speed, attacks well from the outside and usually serves the ball into her forwards with accuracy.

The rookies on this team are quite intriguing as well. It’s really hard to call Sophie Schmidt a rookie. After all, she does have 58 caps with the Canadian National Team. Ultimately, Schmidt may be the best midfielder this team has. Meghan Klingenberg also has national team experience, both on the junior and senior levels. There is a possibility that Klingenberg may move to outside back for magicJack. Jamaican Omolyn Davis has a lot of talent, which hopefully coach Mike Lyons will be able to harness, while Amanda DaCosta had an excellent career at Florida State and looks to move up to the next level.

Forwards: Abby Wambach has been the focus of this team’s offense for the past two years and that probably won’t change. But Wambach has more weapons around her now, which may give her more room to operate in the middle. Unfortunately, nagging injury problems with her foot seem to have slowed her, although she is gamely trying to play through it. When healthy, she is the best in the world in the air and has scored well over 100 goals for the USWNT.

Lisa De Vanna’s 2010 WPS season got cut short following a broken leg in the Asian Cup. Her speed is a nice complement to Wambach’s strength. De Vanna scored six goals for the Freedom back in 2009. One player that had a strong 2010 season was Ella Masar. Masar scored eight goals for the Red Stars last year and quickly became a fan favorite.

In what could be regarded as a steal, magicJack obtained Johanna Rasmussen from Atlanta. Rasmussen was the Beat’s best player at times last year, and she can switch between forward and wing with relative ease. MagicJack also gets help from the draft in Stanford’s Christen Press. Press scored 26 goals for the Cardinal last year. Rounding out the forwards is returnee Rebecca Moros who adds versatility to the roster. Moros has played defense, midfielder, and forward for the Freedom over the past two years.

Outlook: In spite of the huge roster turnover, this team has the elements to compete for the title. They have a nice blend of youth and veterans and are strong at every position. But will this team ever be at full strength. Wambach’s injury could be a problem and she did not appear to be fully healthy in the recent match against England. Solo also made an appearance in that match, but is coming off from a long recovery from shoulder surgery. In addition, several key players will be absent during the World Cup.

You also have to wonder if some of the older veterans on the team will start to slow down. Talented as they are, Rampone is now 35, Boxx is 33, Wambach is 30, while Solo and Ellertson are fast approaching 30. And Boca Raton is not going to be the coolest spot to play summer matches. Their home advantage may not be as strong either, with the smallest seating capacity in a new home. Over the last two seasons, the Freedom had an excellent home record at 12-4-6 and a fairly dismal road record at 4-12-6.

This team is strong enough to compete. They have the talent, leadership, speed, strength, and depth necessary. But they are also going to need things to break their way, especially with respect to health and quickly developing into a cohesive unit.

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.

WPS Awards - Who I Voted For and Why.....Part 2

In Part 2, I'll look at the final two awards, plus one that wasn't voted on, but I feel deserves mention.

WPS Rookie of the Year - Jordan Angeli, Boston Breakers

This award was just flat out hard to vote on. Not only were the four players on the ballot all worthy choices, but there were about a half dozen more that could have and perhaps, should have been on the ballot.

Brittany Taylor, Ali Riley, and Lauren Cheney all had solid seasons from beginning to end. Meanwhile, Jordan Angeli only played 26 minutes in Boston's first four games and didn't become a regular starter until the 8th game of the season. But it was the definition of the award that put Angeli ahead of the others on my ballot.

Description: Awarded to the rookie – one year removed from playing in college – judged to have had the greatest impact on her team’s performance during the WPS regular season.

At the point Angeli was inserted into the starting lineup, the Breakers were floundering in 6th place. From that point on, Angeli had seven goals and three assists over the last 17 matches. In early July, she scored the game-tying goal against Atlanta, followed by the game-winning goal against Washington. She tallied both a goal and an assist in a late July game against the Freedom and again in mid-August against Sky Blue. In both cases, they were the first two goals of those games. Angeli had been expected to be a defender at the start of the season, but stepped right into the midfielder's role when needed. Her impact on the Breakers cannot be understated and for that reason, she was my choice for this award.

Ali Riley had a very strong season for FC Gold Pride. The speedy outside defender is dangerous on the attack as well as being a solid defender. She earned a respectable three assists from her back line position and was one of the reasons for the strong improvement of Gold Pride's defense compared with 2009.

Brittany Taylor was one of the few constants in the Sky Blue lineup this year. She started and finished every single game for New Jersey and played well throughout. And like Angeli, she showed the versatility to play midfield as well as defender. Taylor finished the season with two goals.

In my mind, Lauren Cheney is the heir apparent to Abby Wambach. She's a big strong forward with a lot of talent and is a constant threat to score. She is one of the most dangerous players in the league with her back to the goal, turning on her opponents with quick precision to get off that blast of a shot. Her arrival took some pressure off of Kelly Smith as well. I just felt her Breaker teammate, Angeli, had more of an impact in this season.

I feel that the mention of a few more worthy names that didn't make the ballot is called for here. The Freedom's Nikki Marshall showed unbelievable versatility, playing solidly at both forward and defender. She started on the back line, but then scored three goals in a brief stint as a forward, before being moved back to defender. Her return to the back line coincided with Washington's August resurgence, giving the Freedom the speed on defense that they had been lacking.

The Red Stars' Whitney Engen lacked just four minutes of duplicating Taylor's feat of playing every minute. She was solid and often overlooked on Chicago's back line, at least partly because of the Red Stars being out of contention most of the season. She helped lead a Chicago team that was second only to Gold Pride defensively.

Four other players worthy of strong praise were Ashlyn Harris, Alyssa Naeher, Becky Edwards, and Kelley O'Hara. Once Harris got her feet wet, she had a phenomenal month of August, giving up just two goals, one of which was an own goal. Naeher was the Breaker's starting keeper for the final two thirds of the season and did a solid job for them. Edwards is perhaps one of the most underrated and overlooked young players in the league for Gold Pride. O'Hara had outstanding rookie totals with six goals and four assists for Gold Pride. It will be hard for future rookie classes to match this one in shear talent and depth.

Michelle Akers Player of the Year Award - Marta, FC Gold Pride

For many people, choosing Marta as the winner of this award was cut and dry. She far surpassed everyone else with her 19 goals over 24 games. She didn't miss a minute for FC Gold Pride this year. She helped 2009's last place team become 2010's champion. Quite simply, she was the best player on the best team in WPS and her impact on Gold Pride's performance was immense.

For me, however, this was a lot tougher decision than it appeared, considering that Gold Pride was going to be a very good club, even without Marta. They certainly wouldn't have been 16-3-5 without her, but they still might have won the regular season. So I decided to look deeper, before making a final decision.

First, I wanted to look at high impact goals, goals that either tied the game or put a team in front. I did this before the final two weekends of the season, right before I submitted my ballot. At that point, between the four players on the ballot, it was very, very close overall:

Marta - 17 goals, 7 game-leading goals (2 PK's included), and one game-tying goal.
Rodriguez - 12 goals, 4 game-leading goals, and 3 game-tying goals.
Wambach - 12 goals, 5 game-leading goals, and 2 game-tying goals (1 PK included).
Smith - 11 goals, 6 game-leading goals (1 PK included), and 2 game-tying goals.

So at that point, Marta had 8 high-impact goals (two of which were penalty kicks), Smith had 8 high-impact goals (one of which was a penalty kick), Rodriguez had 7 high-impact goals (no penalties), and Wambach had 7 high-impact goals (one of which was a penalty kick). The other three candidates had as many high-impact goals as Marta did, which was somewhat of a surprise given how many games Gold Pride won. Both Marta and Wambach later added one game-leading goal apiece.

I also looked at assists. At the time I voted, Wambach had eight assists, Rodriguez had six, Smith five, and Marta just two. Marta did add three assists in Gold Pride's final game of the season, more than doubling her assist total in just one swoop.

Then I looked at each players impact on their respective teams and in all cases, it was tremendous. There is no doubt that Gold Pride became a good team because of overall excellence, but became a great team because of Marta. She helps others score because she draws defenders away from her teammates. She's the most talented player, one of the fastest, and has the best instincts of any player in the world.

But the other three candidates had a huge impact as well. Where would Philadelphia be without Rodriguez? She scored 12 goals for Philadelphia, while no one else on the team had more than five. Defenses could key on her, since the Independence didn't have a lot offensive threats.

Where would the Freedom have been without Wambach? Washington scored 33 goals and she had a part in 21 goals, nearly two-thirds of the Freedom's offensive output. She always draws multiple defenders, no matter which team she is playing.

Where would the Breakers have been without Smith? She is their leading scorer, leading assist getter, and along with Kristine Lilly, gives Boston veteran leadership that helped bring them back from near the basement to a legitimate contender for the title.

With all of the above factors in mind, it was nearly too close to call among the four. All had great seasons. All are extremely talented players. All had a tremendous impact on their team's performance. All are also leaders for their teams. In the end, I went with Marta. It all came back to her being the best player on the best team and having a large impact in making that team into a champion.

One Unofficial Award

There was one award that I don't think WPS awards and that we certainly did not vote on, but I think merits mention.

Comeback Player of the Year - Lindsay Tarpley, Boston Breakers

Had this been one of the categories we had voted on, it too would have been a tough decison. Several players come to mind, but I will mention five that stand out. Lindsay Tarpley, Sarah Huffman, and Kandace Wilson all came back from horrific injuries to make a huge impact on their teams this season. Kate Markgraf missed the entire 2009 season on maternity leave, but came back to lead the Red Stars' defense in a solid 2010 season. Joanna Lohman came back from virtual retirement to become Philly's second leading goal scorer. Each of these players are wonderful stories in perseverance and achievement.

Lindsay Tarpley's injury came at the very end of the 2009 WPS season in August. One had to wonder how much impact she could have in 2010, given the long recovery time of most ACL injuries. She scored one goal for Saint Louis, before signing with Boston and having a major impact on their season turnaround. She ended up with four goals and three assists, helping the Breakers to 2nd place.

Sarah Huffman missed nearly the entire 2009 season, save for a brief appearance in the Freedom's one playoff match. Her solid play helped the Freedom overcome the loss of Lori Lindsey in the expansion draft. Huffman's play was strong enough to impress Pia Sundhage, who named her to the preliminary USWNT roster for the next round of friendlies in October.

Kandace Wilson suffered a severe hip injury nearly midway through the 2009 campaign, but was back in Gold Pride's lineup for 2010, helping the most-improved defensive team in the league. Not to mention, her speed and ability on forward runs always presents a threat to opposing defenses.

Not many 33-year old players could take off a full year, have a child, and return the following year to have an excellent season on the field (only Kristine Lilly comes to mind immediately). But Kate Markgraf came back to captain and lead Chicago's defense through the 2010 season. It was great to see her back on the field.

Finally, Joanna Lohman showed that hard work does eventually pay off. Lohman was originally drafted by Saint Louis in the fall of 2008, then traded to Washington. Last year, she ended up playing a total of 248 minutes with the Freedom and there was talk about her retiring from professional soccer. However, she returned to the field with Philadelphia and had a great season in their midfield with five goals. She is being given a shot at USWNT camp for the upcoming October friendlies, this being several years since her last appearance with the team.

There are certainly other players worthy of mention including Anita Asante and Jen Branam. All of these players should be given huge praise for their accomplishments and they each have my admiration. I hope the league will establish an award for Comeback Player of the Year in the future.

Bardsley Named Player of the Month

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

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

Namazi Named Red Stars Coach

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

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

More Signings of Athletica Players

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

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

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

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

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

Athletica Stops Philly's Unbeaten Streak 2-1

Lindsay Tarpley battles with Philadelphia defender Nikki Krzysik in 1st half action of Athletica's 2-1 victory over the Independence.

For Lindsay Tarpley, it's been a long road back from the ACL injury she suffered last August while preparing for Chicago's final regular season match against Saint Louis. Tonight, now wearing Athletica's green kit, Tarpley scored her first goal since that injury which helped lead Saint Louis to a 2-1 victory over the previously unbeaten Independence.

Tarpley's goal in the 60th minute gave Athletica a 2-0 lead at the time. The ball came to her on the left side of the box and she appeared to be moving toward the middle of the field to shoot. However, she deftly touched the ball back to her left giving her space from two defenders and hit a low shot that was perfectly placed just inside the right post. "This has been a long rehab for me," said Tarpley after the game. "So for me to finish a goal in a game is a big step for me in my comeback."

For Tarpley, it was her first start of the year and she played 72 minutes before giving way to Tina DiMartino. "I felt really good", added Tarpley. Her front line mate, Eniola Aluko called Tarpley "inspiring" in her comeback from injury. "She's so dedicated. I felt like I scored because she scored."

Philadelphia came into the match with a 4 game unbeaten streak and they had the first good scoring opportunity 7 minutes into the match as Amy Rodriguez broke into the right side of the box, but her low shot missed wide to the left of the goal. However, that was one of the few chances the Independence would have in the 1st half as Athletica controlled possession for much of the half.

Just a couple of minutes later, Aluko beat a defender to the 6 yard box. Her shot was parried by Karina LeBlanc to the middle, where Tarpley gained control of the ball. She got off two shots, but both were blocked by Independence defenders and the ball was eventually cleared. Tarpley got another chance in the 39th minute as Aluko found her on the left side of the box, but Tarpley's shot went high from 12 yards out. Earlier, a Lori Chalupny shot was deflected by the Philadelphia defense with the ball hitting the outside of the post and rolling harmlessly wide.

Athletica finally broke through in the 41st minute. A quick counterattack started by Hope Solo got the ball to Aluko on the right side where she had gotten behind a defender. Aluko dribbled at the defense and then sent a pass across to Tarpley who was cutting to the goal. Philadelphia defender Allison Falk was tracking back just outside the penalty area and tried to stop the pass, instead hitting the ball very hard which caught LeBlanc off guard and the ball careened past her for an own goal. For Falk, it was a bit unlucky and had she let the ball go, Tarpley would surely have had an easy one-on-one chance against LeBlanc. "Just one of those ricochets," said Philadelphia Coach Paul Riley, agreeing that Falk didn't have much choice there.

Tarpley would have yet another chance before the half ended, but again hit the shot high on a bad angle shot. Athletica held a 1-0 lead going into the break. Aluko said that the team talked at halftime about being aggressive for the 2nd half. "We can't just settle for 1-0."

Philadelphia seemed to pick up the pace as the 2nd half started. The speed of Rodriguez and halftime substitution Lianne Sanderson gave Athletica some problems in the 2nd half. A Rodriguez shot in the 51st minute was parried wide by Solo. Another promising chance in the 59th minute ended with Heather Mitts being ruled offside.

Aluko briefly went down in a collision with LeBlanc in the 54th minute and she was off the field for nearly 4 minutes while Athletica played shorthanded. However, she returned to field just in time for Tarpley's goal that put Athletica up 2-0. Coach Jorge Barcellos had praise for the work of his two forwards. "We worked this week on our forwards holding the ball and trying for better shots in front of the net." Athletica continued to pressure and create chances for the next 10 minutes after Tarpley's goal, but were unable to break through for a third goal.

Against the run of play, Philadelphia came forward on a counterattack with Lori Lindsey coming up the right wing. Lindsey sent a long cross to the edge the box which saw Amy Rodriguez clear of the Athletica defense. Rodriguez hit a hard low shot that short-hopped Solo and bounced off of her for a rebound. Lyndsey Patterson was able to beat a defender to the ball and buried a shot in the right side of the net to close the score to 2-1.

In spite of the goal, Athletica continued to control possession. Aluko just missed making it a two goal game shooting over the crossbar in the 85th. Philadelphia had one last chance with Lori Lindsey attempting to dribble through the middle, but was upended about 25 yards out and lost possession. Lindsey was given a yellow card for her vehement protests following the non-call. Athletica was able to kill the 4 minutes of stoppage and hold on to the 2-1 victory. Athletica outshot Philadelphia by a 15-8 margin for the game and held a 6-4 advantage on corner kicks.

Clearly, missing the injured Caroline Seger hurt the Independence in the midfield. "I thought we would get going, but we never did, even after we scored we just never got going," said Coach Riley. "I think going from turf to grass hurt us. Athletica were the better team and possessed the ball better than we did. We turned the ball over too quickly. I thought we tightened up on (Shannon) Boxx in the 2nd half, but Aluko was a thorn in our side all night. Now we need to get ready for Chicago next week."

Aluko called the game "a classic Athletica performance. I think the rhythm of play today was unbelievable." Tarpley credited the entire Athletica organization for supporting her through her rehab.

For the first time in WPS history, two sisters were on the field together. Athletica's Tina DiMartino replaced Tarpley in the 72nd minute. Gina DiMartino replaced Jen Buczkowski for Philadelphia 10 minutes later. For the younger sister, Gina, it was her first WPS action.

Saint Louis and Philadelphia now have identical 2-1-2 records, good for 8 points and they are currently tied for 2nd place, pending the outcome of the Sky Blue-Atlanta Beat contest on Sunday night. The Independence will travel to Chicago where they will face the Red Stars next Saturday night. Athletica will host Sky Blue next Sunday afternoon.

Atlanta Downs Athletica 2-1 in Tulsa

The Atlanta Beat scored two first half goals and were then able to hold on for the victory in the final exhibition game of the spring. Swiss import Ramona Bachmann, had a hand in both goals, assisting on the first and scoring the second.

Atlanta had a definite edge in chances for the 1st half. The first goal came as a result of a corner kick, with Bachmann eventually getting the ball to former Athletica defender, Kia McNeill, who was able to finish to put the Beat on top. Later in the first half, Atlanta came down on a counterattack with Johanna Rasmussen crossing the ball from the left wing. In the ensuing scramble, Bachmann was able to touch the ball past Ashlyn Harris from about 2 yards out to give Atlanta a 2-0 lead. Bachmann came off with an injury after the goal, but walked off under her own power. The injury appeared to be minor, but she did not return.

Saint Louis got on the board late in the 1st half. The play started with Lori Chalupny reversing the ball from the right sideline. Eventually, Aya Miyama sent Shannon Boxx through alone and she finished lower right to cut Atlanta's lead to 2-1. There was no scoring in the 2nd half. Allison Whitworth earned the victory in goal for Atlanta. Several players were missing from both teams. For Saint Louis, Hope Solo, Daniela, and Niki Cross were not in Tulsa. Kristina Larsen was on crutches with a stress fracture in her foot. For Atlanta, Tobin Heath and Amanda Cinalli were not there, as well as Manya Makoski, who is out for the season with an injury.

Saint Louis did get some good news on the health front. Lori Chalupny played the first half after sitting out part of the spring, while suffering from symptoms related to concussions she had suffered previously. And Lindsay Tarpley saw her first action since tearing her ACL last August. Tarpley was a 2nd half substitution and played approximately 30 minutes.

Atlanta will travel to Philadelphia where they will play their season opener against the Independence on April 11. Meanwhile, Saint Louis hosts FC Gold Pride for their opener on April 11.

The Many Sides of a Trade

Any time that a trade is made in any sport, there are multiple sides to look at. Coaches and general managers have to look at it from the standpoint of improving their team. For players, it’s means friends moving on and losing a teammate and roommate, but gaining a new one. For the traded players, it’s the beginning of a new adventure and in some cases, an opportunity for more playing time. And it can be a bittersweet day for fans. It’s a day when they have to say goodbye to one of their favorite players, but also welcome a player that they know will help the team and become part of the family for the coming season. Friday was such a day.

Chicago traded Lindsay Tarpley to Saint Louis for Jill Loyden. It's a trade that should help both teams. Tarpley has been a member of the USWNT since 2003 and has 119 caps and 30 goals. For Chicago, she scored 4 goals and 4 assists in 2009. She should definitely help Athletica's sometimes anemic offense. Loyden had an 0.33 goals against in 3 games for Athletica in 2009. From there, she starred for Central Coast in the Aussie W-League, where she was voted Goalkeeper of the Year. She was recently called into USWNT camp in preparation for the Algarve Cup.

As I mentioned when I started writing for Women's Soccer Weekly, I am a fan first and sometimes that aspect of my writing will rise to the surface. Living in the Saint Louis area, I have become a big fan of Athletica. So I sometimes take the personnel moves they make personally. It caught me off guard when I learned of the trade just minutes before the start of the WPS draft.

There is a special place in the hearts of Saint Louis fans for Jillian Loyden. Although only playing 3 games, she was a big part of the success that Athletica enjoyed in the 2009 season. Indeed, she was one of the best, if not the best, backup keepers in the league. I had braced myself for the possibility of losing her in the expansion draft, because I didn’t think Saint Louis would protect two keepers. After Atlanta and Philly both obtained keepers through trades, I thought Loyden was safe in Saint Louis for another season. However, Chicago suddenly found themselves in the market for a starter and Loyden became the answer.

Turn back the clock exactly one year. I have to admit that I did not know much about Loyden when Athletica drafted her in the 6th round of the January draft in 2009. I knew that she was a highly regarded young keeper that played her college soccer at Villanova and that she had received some recognition in the various college All-American teams. In addition, she had a couple of years of experience with Jersey Sky Blue of the W-League. Of course, the other thought in the back of my mind, and I’m sure others at the time, was that Hope Solo was Athletica's number one keeper and it wouldn’t probably matter much who number two was. That thought couldn’t have been more wrong.

Over the next few months, I had several opportunities to speak with Jillian, as well as a few chances to see her in action. With Hope Solo being called away for national team duty, Loyden was asked to step in and start on three occasions. And she rose to the occasion in each instance, earning two shutouts, making several saves, and giving up just one goal on a freakish deflection off of her own defender. No one could have asked more from a starter, let alone a backup keeper. By the end of the season, all Athletica fans were confident that if she needed to play in an emergency, that she could handle those duties and even excel.

But it wasn’t just her on field abilities that impressed me about Loyden. While all of the players have been wonderful about making themselves accessible, Loyden has more than gone out of her way when it comes to fans. She would be the first person to walk up to a fan and introduce herself. She was always available to give tips and speak with young fans. And you could bet that she would be the one still signing autographs after many of the players had hit the locker room.

One of my favorite moments of the 2009 season involved Loyden. Saint Louis was in 3rd place at the time with 4th place Sky Blue FC coming to town for a crucial late season contest that would go a long way in deciding Athletica’s playoff hopes. With Solo playing for the US National Team, Loyden got the start. Early in the 2nd half, Eniola Aluko scored to put Athletica up 1-0. Loyden made several great second half saves including an unbelievable game saver on Kacey White in stoppage.

After Athletica matches, several members of Laclede’s Army, the Saint Louis supporters group head for a patio area just outside the player locker rooms. From there, they greet the players as they make their way up from the field. As usual, Loyden spent a long time signing autographs and was one of the last players to reach the area, a good 45 minutes after the game was over. She had two little girls in tow, who she was escorting up to the Athletica locker room area so that they could get more autographs. As she went by, she greeted us and said, “I’ll be back in a minute guys, I just want to take them up first.” She re-emerged a couple of minutes later and was greeted by cheers and congratulations. Her first comment to us was “Thanks guys, but I really didn’t do that much.” The comment is typical of Jillian’s humility. She gave us all hugs and talked with us for about 10 minutes, obviously still excited about the match and full of joy for having the chance to play.

I think it was that evening that it hit me, that in all likelihood, Loyden would not be with Athletica in 2010. She had performed so well, it was almost a certainty that either an expansion team or another team would want her as a starter. She made it through the expansion draft, but the Red Stars needed a goalkeeper for 2010 and the trade for Tarpley became a reality.

So today, I am a little sad that Jillian is no longer a member of Saint Louis Athletica, but happy that she will have the opportunity to become a full-time starter, an opportunity which she has earned and deserves. To Chicago fans, I will tell you that you are not only getting a very good goalkeeper, but a quality person, too. Athletica received a quality person and player in return in Lindsay Tarpley and I’m sure she will quickly become a fan favorite in St. Louis as well. Welcome to St. Louis, Lindsay.

So this coming season, when Jill is protecting the Red Star net instead, Athletica's fans will likely razz, boo, or otherwise give her a hard time. But I can assure you, it will be out of respect, not dislike. She has more than earned that respect.

Best wishes and good luck, Jillian Loyden.

Loyden for Tarpley - The Fireworks Have Begun

Saint Louis Athletica have traded backup goalkeeper Jillian Loyden to Chicago for forward/midfielder Lindsey Tarpley.

Loyden started 3 games for Athletica, giving up just one goal. She also played for Central Coast Mariners of the Australian W-League and was voted Goalkeeper of the Year in that league. She has recently been called in to USWNT camp.

Tarpley scored 4 goals and led Chicago in assists with 4 in 2009. She suffered a serious late season injury that has prevented her from participating with the national team since August. Tarpley's rehab has been reported to be going well, but it is unknown as to whether she will be ready for the start of the 2009 season.

Chicago Red Stars - The Offseason So Far

In the second installment on the WPS offseason, we'll take a look at the Chicago Red Stars.

When Last We Left Them...

The Chicago Red Stars finished in 6th place with 20 points and out of the playoffs. The season started promisingly enough with the Red Stars going 2-0-2 over their first 4 matches climaxing with a 4-0 trouncing of the Boston Breakers. But then, the wheels came off. Chicago managed just two goals over their next 9 games, which included scoring droughts of 396 and 451 minutes. They did manage 3 late season wins, including a 3-1 victory over Los Angeles.

Scoring was a major problem for the Red Stars as they tallied only 18 goals during the season, with 10 of those coming in just three games. Surprisingly after a great start defensively, earning shutouts in 3 of the first 4 matches, they gave up 24 goals over the last 16 matches and finished with the 3rd worst total in the league. Much of that can probably attributed to injuries on the back line. With Kate Markgraf returning to action in 2010, the Red Star defense appears to be in good shape for the coming season.

Roster Moves

Chicago instantly made offseason news by deciding to waive their 2010 options on several players, including Carli Lloyd and Cristiane, their leading scorer. Not surprisingly, Sky Blue signed Lloyd in October. Cristiane remains a free agent, but there is still the possibility that she could be back with the Red Stars in 2010. Also no longer with the team are Frida Östberg, who opted to retire, and Australian midfielder Heather Garriock, who was plagued by injuries for almost the entire 2009 season.

As far as acquisitions go, the Red Stars were pretty quiet early on. They did sign Oswego, Illinois native Julianne Sitch, who spent the 2009 season with the champion Sky Blue side. Sitch played several years for the Chicago W-League team and played her college soccer at DePaul. She started 11 matches for Sky Blue, scoring one goal. Sitch will provide some versatility to the Red Stars, as she can play both midfielder and defender. She has been sharpening her skills in the WPS offseason by playing for the Melbourne Victory of the Australian W-League where she has scored one goal as well.

December saw the Red Stars making two key international signings, tapping into European national teams. First came the signing of veteran English midfielder Katie Chapman of Arsenal. Chapman is a long-time member of the English National Team with 73 caps and 7 goals to her credit. She joins a talented Chicago midfield group which also includes her English teammate Karen Carney as well Megan Rapinoe and Brittany Klein.

The second signing was that of 20-year old Kosovare Asllani, a member of Linköpings FC and the Swedish National Team. The young forward debuted with the national team in 2008 and has scored 21 goals over the past two seasons in the Damallsvenskan. Asllani should bolster the Red Stars offense, but she will be hard pressed to replace Cristiane's 7 goals from 2009, unless the Brazilian forward re-signs with Chicago.

Current Roster

Goalkeepers (1)-Caroline Jönsson.
Defenders (6)-Marian Dalmy, Ifeoma Dieke, Chioma Igwe, Kate Markgraf, Jill Oakes, Natalie Spilger.
Midfielders (6)-Karen Carney, Katie Chapman, Brittany Klein, Megan Rapinoe, Julianne Sitch, Lindsay Tarpley (MF/F).
Forwards (2)-Kosovare Asllani, Ella Masar.

Additions-Asllani, Chapman, and Sitch.
Subtractions-Danesha Adams (drafted by Philadelphia), Nikki Krzysik (drafted by Philadelphia), Carli Lloyd (signed by Sky Blue).

Other Free Agents from 2009 roster-Cristiane, Heather Garriock, Jaimel Johnson, Mary Therese McDonnell, Frida Ostberg (retired), Lydia Vandenbergh, Michelle Wenino, Lydia Williams.
Internationals-Asllani, Carney, Chapman, and Jönsson with one slot open.
Draft Picks (in first 3 rounds)-Nos. 4, 15, and 24.

Needs to Address

With Cristiane being a free agent and Lindsay Tarpley coming off ACL surgery, scoring has to be priority one. Those two combined for 11 of the Red Stars' 18 goals last season, with Tarpley also leading the team in assists. The Red Stars were shut out in over half of their games last year and they can't afford a repeat of that performance. Ella Masar will be back with Chicago, but while Tarpley's rehab seems to be going well and the signing of Asllani is a great addition, I really think the Red Stars need another top scorer. Whether that means re-signing Cristiane or another international forward, or perhaps a top college scorer remains to be seen.

The second major need is a backup keeper. Last season, Caroline Jonsson played every minute of every game. She was very sharp early on, but later in the season, the onslaught of shots against her had to take their toll. Jonsson has just turned 32, not necessarily old for a keeper, but still it would be nice to groom somebody to be her replacement and this year's draft has several good candidates. It is unknown if Lydia Williams is still in the Red Stars' plans for the future.

The other area that Chicago might want to address is depth at midfield. With so many of their players being potential call ups for national team duty, it is likely that players like Rapinoe, Carney, Chapman, and Klein will miss several games. The signing of Sitch certainly addressed that problem, but more depth is never a bad thing to have.

The Red Stars were a bit of an enigma last year. They appeared to have all of the pieces of the puzzle and got off to a great start. But injuries hurt the team, as did a couple of red cards in matches against Washington. At times, it appeared that they offensively broke down into too much one-on-one play. I believe that in Rapinoe and Carney, they might possibly have two of the best young outside midfielders in the world. It certainly seems like this all should have translated into more than 5 victories. I have to believe that better things are ahead for this team in 2010, but there are some lingering questions that need to be addressed.

WPS Midweek Game & Notes-July 8th

Saint Louis Athletica at Los Angeles Sol

Saint Louis travels to Los Angeles to meet the Sol in an unusual midweek matinee at noon pacific time on Wednesday. A Los Angeles victory means they clinch 1st place and home field advantage for the championship match in late August. Saint Louis is looking to widen their margin over 3rd place Boston, which now stands at just two points.

Athletica is led by striker Eniola Aluko and midfielder Lori Chalupny, who scored the game winner on Sunday against FC Gold Pride. Outside of the injured Daniela, they are the only two Saint Louis players to have scored at least two goals. Finishing was a problem the last time these two teams met as Saint Louis badly outshot the Sol, only to lose by a 2-1 margin. Who will provide additional offense for Athletica? Three possibilities are veteran Christie Welsh, defender/attacker Melissa Tancredi, and attacking midfielder Amanda Cinalli, who scored in her first game with the team.

Defensively, Saint Louis had some anxious moments against Gold Pride, but Hope Solo saved them several times for her 5th shutout of the season. Tina Ellertson leads the group in front of Solo, which has generally been solid, but somewhat inconsistent. Athletica has only won one game in which their opponents have scored a goal. Kendall Fletcher will likely get the honor of trying to shadow Marta, something she did pretty well at in their last meeting.

It has been a foregone conclusion for over a month that Los Angeles was going to finish in first place, it was just a matter of when they would clinch. Well, when could come on Wednesday afternoon. Marta scored the game winner in stoppage against Washington on Sunday, her 9th of the year which leads the league. The Sol also have the league's second leading scorer, Camille Abily. And if that isn't enough, add Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama, and Han Duan to that mix. It was Han who scored the go ahead goal against Athletica just two weeks ago.

On defense, Los Angeles beat the Freedom with a fairly makeshift lineup with Allison Falk and Martina Franko out. Brittany Bock and Katie Larkin were moved to the back line, joining newly acquired Christie Shaner and USWNT defender Stephanie Cox. Shaner's first game with the Sol will likely be her last of the season as she was badly injured in a collision with Abby Wambach.

As good as Solo has been in goal for Saint Louis, Karina LeBlanc has been better for Los Angeles. The Sol have surrendered just 5 goals for the season and only one in their last five games, that one being against Saint Louis. Unfortunately for Athletica, that goal was scored by Kerri Hanks who is now a member of Sky Blue.

Just about everything is going against Athletica in this one. The Sol haven't lost a home game all year. They have outscored their opponents 16-2 at the Home Depot Center. The last time the two teams played there, the Sol dominated the game and won 2-0. But Saint Louis does know they can play with the Sol now, having done so in their recent 2-1 loss. Even a tie in this match would be a huge point for Athletica. Meanwhile, the Sol would love to clinch in their final regular season home game of the year.

US Women's National Team Calls Up 21

Pia Sundhage has announced her roster for the upcoming friendlies against Canada on July 19th and 22nd. 18 of the 21 players are on WPS rosters.

Boston-Angela Hucles, Amy LePeilbet, Heather Mitts, Amy Rodriguez
Chicago-Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, Lindsay Tarpley
FC Gold Pride-Nicole Barnhart, Rachel Buehler, Leslie Osborne
Los Angeles-Shannon Box, Stephanie Cox
Saint Louis-Lori Chalupny, Hope Solo
Sky Blue FC-Heather O'Reilly, Christie Rampone
Washington-Abby Wambach, Cat Whitehill

The other three players on the US roster are collegians. They are Christine Nairn (Penn State), Tobin Heath (North Carolina), and Lauren Cheney (UCLA). Boxx, Rapinoe, Tarpley, and Cheney all scored in the US victory over Canada in May. Several other national teams will be having call ups, leaving WPS rosters fairly depleted for games that week. Gold Pride, Saint Louis, and Sky Blue all have two games that week, while the other four teams have one.

Midweek Notes

Heather O'Reilly scored directly off of a corner kick for the only goal in Sky Blue's 1-0 victory over Boston. It was the 2nd time this rare feat has happened this season. Lori Chalupny of Athletica scored by that method against Gold Pride back on May 9th.

Marta and Camille Abily are the top two scorers in the league with a combined 17 goals. That total is more than any other team in the league, except for Washington which has scored 18.

Boston has scored 10 of their 14 goals in the 2nd half. On the other hand, Saint Louis has scored 8 of their 12 goals in the 1st half. But their last two goals, both game winners, came after the 70th minute.

No Gold Pride player other than Christine Sinclair has scored since May 3rd. Sinclair is likely to be called up for the Canadian National Team and would miss two games if that is the case.

Lindsay Tarpley became the first Red Star player other than Cristiane to score since April. Tarpley scored the game winner against Washington after Cristiane had tied the game with her 3rd goal of the year. Tarpley also has three goals for the Red Stars, having scored in each of Chicago's first two games. It was the first come from behind victory in WPS history.

Sky Blue's Jen Branam earned her 4th shutout of the season against Boston on Saturday. Actually, Branam shared another shutout with Karen Bardsley against Chicago earlier in the season.

Washington has now lost three games in a row, scoring only one goal over that time. That ties Chicago for the longest losing streak of the year. Chicago has twice had three game losing streaks.

After 12 ties in the league's first 37 games, there have been no ties in the last 11 games. The last tie match was on June 17th when the Breakers and Gold Pride tied in Boston, 1-1.