More Former Athletica Players Find Homes

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

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

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

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

WPS Weekend Wrap Up - June 5-6

FC Gold Pride 1, Washington Freedom 1

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

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

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

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

Philadelphia Independence 2, Sky Blue FC 1

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

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

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

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

Chicago Red Stars 0, Atlanta Beat 0

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

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

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

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

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

WPS Midweek Notes - June 2

Asllani Named Player of the Week

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

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

Sky Blue Signs Panico

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

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

Around the League

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chalupny to Beat, Harris to Freedom, Schedule Revised

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

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

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

Gold Pride Signs Boxx

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

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

Clarification on WPS Roster Limits

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

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

Atlanta Beat Signs Solo, Ellertson, & Aluko

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

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

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

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

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

ATHLETICA

The discontinuation of operations for Saint Louis Athletica is a sad day in women's soccer and a blow to both WPS and the city of St. Louis. WPS will soldier on with 7 teams for the remainder of the 2010 season, with a reconfigured schedule to be released shortly.

Even more sad is that some of the classiest athletes in the world have been let down by the powers that be. The one group of people that had no blame in this will suffer the most. The twenty-two players that formed Saint Louis Athletica are out of a job, albeit some only temporarily. Three of the players, Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama, and Tina DiMartino, have had to suffer through two teams folding in a very short period of time.

The thing is, the players of Athletica not only had to worry about their play on the field, they also had to do most of the team's promoting off the field. If anyone driving around in St. Louis or watching television in St. Louis can show me one promotion that the organization did for this team, I'd like to see it. If you did see the team being promoted, it was the players doing public appearances for both the team and local charities. In the case of USWNT player and Athletica captain Lori Chalupny, she was often the spokeswoman for the whole organization in absence of anyone else. Not only are these women classy athletes, but classy human beings.

So now, some of the best people the sporting world has to offer have been let down and abandoned. And the hand-wringing has begun. The convenient scapegoat is the Vaid brothers, the dynamic sibling duo from London who took over the organization from founding owner Jeff Cooper over the winter. And make no mistake, their financial problems and subsequent exit dealt a lethal blow to the organization. But what led to that point?

During the winter months, while very little was being done to promote Athletica, Mr. Cooper was hard at work trying to bring men's soccer to St. Louis in the form of the nascent NASL. There were a few of us that wondered out loud whether the efforts for AC St. Louis and the NASL were distracting staff and detracting from Athletica. Furthermore, many staffers served both teams. I can understand the theory....two teams, one staff, save costs, but it apparently wasn't working.

Enter the Vaid brothers. When they were presented to St. Louis soccer fans, most of us got the impression that they were additional investors and not taking over control of operations for the two clubs, certainly not for Athletica. To my knowledge, they were never presented as such at the time.

In fact, several sources are reporting that WPS did not learn of the transfer of ownership to the Vaid brothers until early May and that the proper paperwork for such a transfer was never filed. This appears to be the case. Generally, while conversations among members of governing bodies regarding new ownership tend to be very private, that actual fact that the matter of new ownership is being considered is very public.

Although details are lacking, the Vaid brothers apparently ran into financial difficulty very quickly, both with the soccer clubs and with their other investments. This evidentally happened with the swiftness of a Eni Aluko run on goal.

At that point, Mr. Cooper re-entered the picture in an effort to save the teams, which in AC St. Louis' case has temporarily succeeded, but in Athletica's case ultimately failed. The nature of those efforts is unclear and Mr. Cooper was pretty vague and succinct in his statement on the issue, stating that "I've given this matter my complete attention since returning to a more active role in the last few weeks, and numerous parties have spent a lot of hours during that time exploring what options or solutions might be available. Despite best efforts, nothing was found that would answer the immediate needs of the franchise."

Various degrees of blame have been assessed to WPS in Athletica's demise. In looking at the WPS and their role, it's hard to assess much of the blame in their corner. One always had the feeling that Athletica was more of a secret intelligence agency than a soccer club and it appears that WPS was getting very little information out of the organization until the final days before it folded. To be fair, by the time they learned of the organization's financial problems, the situation was so dire that the remaining options were few and time was short.

There has been quite a bit of misinformation that has been making the rounds. Some outlets have been reporting that NASL required a bond, while WPS did not and have pointed to that as one of the reasons why AC St. Louis survived, while Athletica folded. However, WPS league sources have confirmed that there was a bond in place and that it was used to cover Athletica's payroll for the month of May to keep the team running. This bought Athletica a little time to seek options, but unfortunately, none were found. Perhaps if the league had been made aware of the entire situation at an earlier date, more could have been done.

Then we have the USSF, the controlling body of soccer in the United States. While I agree that the USSF can't save every failing soccer team in this country, I wonder if they couldn't be doing more to support the league. The USSF has reaped the benefits of having a strong, competitive women's soccer league in the United States. Many players are getting a chance with the USWNT primarily because they have proven themselves against world class competition in WPS action.

Part of the blame also has to rest with the soccer community in St. Louis, the city I call home and a self-proclaimed soccer town. Support for Athletica has ranged from very good at times to tepid and AC St. Louis' overall support hasn't been all that strong either. Fighting among the various soccer clubs in Saint Louis has built up a strong resentment, which definitely hurt Athletica's attendance. Corporate support locally was lukewarm at best and the team was one of the few that was never able to secure a jersey sponsor. While I respect the soccer community in St. Louis, many are very picky about what they'll support. For many, there seems to be an attitude that if it's not EPL, then it isn't good enough for them. A true soccer town should be a soccer town always, no matter what the level of play, men or women.

That is not to say that Athletica did not have a group of hardcore fans. Indeed, the team had some of the most dedicated fans I have ever met, many of whom I am proud to call my friends. They followed the team on road trips, supported the team in public appearances, and created an atmosphere that made the games more enjoyable for fans and players alike. And all of this was done by people who do not have the riches of would-be owners, but have a thousand times more imagination, enthusiam, and guts than those with deep pockets. As I have often said, money is wasted on all the wrong people.

Finally, I cannot escape blame. I have purchased two season tickets to Athletica games for both the 2009 and 2010 season. But maybe I should have purchased four or even six tickets and supported the team more. Maybe I should have purchased more merchandise from the team. Maybe I could have done more. As I said a little over a year ago, when I started writing here, I am a fan first.

There are a lot of unanswered questions, some of which we'll probably never hear the true answer on. How much did the forming of AC St. Louis and the NASL distract the organization from promoting Athletica? Why wasn't WPS informed earlier, both of the change of ownership and the financial difficulties? Why did AC St. Louis survive, while Athletica did not, given both teams had bonds, attendance was comparable, and Athletica was likely less expensive to operate? Not to mention, Athletica was the established team of the two. If it was truly a business decision, then what logic was used to arrive at that decision?

And there are questions for others involved. Is there anything that WPS can do to prevent this from happening again and if so, what? Should USSF be doing more to support WPS and women's soccer? Is St. Louis the soccer town it has always prided itself on being? Why doesn't soccer get greater corporate support locally?

Starting June 1, some of Athletica's players will be finding new homes. But obviously, given team budgets and roster restrictions, not all of them will. The loss of Athletica is my loss, it's the fan's loss, it's the city's loss, and it's the league's loss. Good luck to the players of Athletica! You deserve all the best, because you always gave your best!

Red Stars to Honor Athletica Tickets
The Chicago Red Stars have graciously offered to honor Athletica tickets at Red Star home matches for the remainder of the season. From the Chicago Red Stars front office:

"Fans of Saint Louis Athletica,

We’ve had some memories together over the past two seasons of Women’s Professional Soccer. From our inaugural match of the 2009 season in Saint Louis to a hard fought tie to start the 2010 campaign in Chicago at Toyota Park. Our regional rivalry was growing and budding into something that makes all sports fans proud. But we know things have unfortunately changed and you are now without exciting WPS soccer for the remainder of the 2010 season. We can’t imagine how it must feel but want to do all we can to keep your passion and dedication for the league alive. You deserve it and we think we can help.

Starting today the Chicago Red Stars will honor all unused Saint Louis Athletica home match tickets for the cancelled 2010 home matches. Make a trip up I-55 this summer to watch the Red Stars take on another WPS foe and you can use your Athletica tickets for entry into the game. Feel free to proudly wear your Athletica gear, we understand and support you. If you want a Red Stars flag to wave or deep discounts on the Chicago gear to get started just let us know. We miss you Athletica!

For more information on how to redeem your Athletica tickets for a Red Stars match please call 708.496.9500, chat online, or send us an e-mail to tickets@chicagoredstars.com. We look forward to seeing you at Toyota Park this season.

Soccer is not just a game, it is a way of life. Keep your passion alive in whatever way you can.

Yours in WPS,
The Chicago Red Stars front office"

Which Athletica Players Will Sign Elsewhere?

Tomorrow will be the first day that Athletica players can sign as free agents with other teams. Had this been in the offseason, when rosters were fluid, most of Athletica's players would have been signed. However, with many teams hitting the ceilings of their budgets already, teams will likely be very selective about who they sign.

There have been talks about expanding roster sizes and international roster limits at WPS. While this will certainly help the situation, the problem is still money, which is what got us into this situation to begin with. There is also the question of whether some of the players will even want to continue in WPS this season.

Eniola Aluko - She is one of the most exciting offensive players in the league and is presently leading WPS in scoring. Given an extra international slot, many teams should be after her. Look at the teams that have had trouble scoring...Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago being the most likely, with Philadelphia being another possibility. Philly coach Paul Riley spoke of how Aluko was "a thorn in our side" after their match against Saint Louis. Boston and Chicago already have two of Aluko's English teammates each, while Philadelphia has one.

Shannon Boxx - She's a great midfield player, who even at age 32, can control a game in the middle. And if it's possible, her offensive game seems to be improving, making her a force at both ends of the field. If I were guessing, I might think FC Gold Pride. She's based in California and Gold Pride could use some additional experience in their midfield, but do they have the money to sign her.

Hope Solo - She's one of the few goalkeepers who can be called a true difference maker and probably the best in the world, bar none. Rumor has it that she is headed to South Africa to watch the World Cup, which means she wouldn't be immediately available. She is also likely to be one of the more expensive of the free agents. The other problem is that there are only 7 spots for starting keepers in this league. I don't even have a guess here.

Lori Chalupny - Of all Athletica players, the last two weeks had to be hardest for Chalupny. She was the hometown girl and pretty much the face and spokesperson for the organization. It was not only on the field that she gave everything, she gave her all off the field as well. She's also probably the most unsung top player in the world. A lot of teams could use an outside defender or midfielder and Chalupny shines at both.

Tina Ellertson - Ellertson is a strong, physical central defender and one of the few that can close on strikers once they have a step on her. Several teams could use such a player. But Ellertson, the mother of two young girls, will also be thinking of her family when she makes her decision.

Aya Miyama - There is no doubt as to Miyama being one of the most talented midfielders in the world, although she has been fairly quiet so far this season. She's an expert at placing free kicks and corners. But there are a lot of complicating factors here...being an international, her salary, etc. The good-natured midfielder also has to weigh whether she wants to go through this again, considering the fact that's she's already had two bad experiences in the states.

Lindsay Tarpley - Tarpley appears to be back at full speed and was becoming a force along side Aluko. She's tactically solid and is just as willing to pass as she is to shoot. I would give a return to Chicago a possibility, especially if Aluko ends up elsewhere.

Anita Asante - Another solid central defender, but just coming back from an ACL injury. I might say Sky Blue would be her destination, except with Rampone back, Sky Blue almost has too many defenders now. One also has to wonder if she might give her leg more time to strengthen, now that getting back on the pitch isn't as urgent.

Elaine & Madelaine Edlund - As talented as they are, I think it's going to be a good deal tougher for these two players to be signed. Again, you're dealing with international players and salary issues. Elaine has been injured off and on this season, although she was playing full speed in her last match against Sky Blue. Edlund has pretty much been relegated to the role of 2nd half substitute the last few matches.

Others -
Elise Weber - She's been a pretty solid outside defender for Athletica. She's from the Chicago area and went to Notre Dame. The Red Stars could use some depth on defense, so that is a possibility.
Kendall Fletcher - Her ability to play defender and defensive midfielder help. Atlanta would not surprise me, but really that would be a guess.
Tina DiMartino - Perhaps back to Gold Pride where she started or to Philadelphia where her sister Gina plays.
Niki Cross - She's from Pembroke, Massachusetts and has played extensively in Connecticut both in college and WPSL. Her size and versatility make her a nice player to have on the bench. Boston would appear to be a possible fit.
Carolyn Blank - She's from New Jersey and played for the Hudson Valley Quickstrike Blues two years ago, leaving me to believe that Sky Blue might sign her. Still, their roster is mighty crowded already.
Ashlyn Harris - She's not seen a minute of WPS action yet and many teams already have young backup keepers, so it's probably not going to be easy for her to catch on anywhere as a full roster player and she might have to settle for being a developmental player for the remainder of the season.
Kristina Larsen - Larsen is still recovering from her foot injury and probably won't be full speed for a few more weeks. That might work against her being signed for 2010, unless she's added as a developmental player.

WPS Weekend Previews - May 29 & 30

Boston Breakers at Sky Blue FC– May 29 (7 pm ET)
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ.

Rosters:
Boston: GK-A. Phillips, A. Naeher; D-A. LePeilbet, K. Moore, A. Scott, S. Cox, J. Angeli; MF-L. Osborne, K. Lilly (probable-back), Fabiana (probably-quad), C. Igwe, L. Bogus; F-K. Smith, L. Cheney, L. Del Rio, T. Weimer.
Not Active: S. Walsh (national team), M. Enyeart (knee), M. Tomecka (ankle), T. Hemmings, C. Zimmeck, A. Lipsher, A. Marquez.

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

Previous Meetings (2009):
Boston 1 @ Sky Blue FC 2
Boston 0 @ Sky Blue FC 1
Sky Blue FC 2 @ Boston 1
Sky Blue FC 0 @ Boston 0

What to Look For: Sky Blue FC dominated this series last season, winning three matches and tying one. Kai scored two of Sky Blue’s 5 goals against Boston last year and she is back in the lineup after missing several matches due to injury. Sky Blue has had only two goal scorers this year, Kalmari with 3 and Kai with 2. Bardsley and the Sky Blue defense have three shutouts to their credit. Schnur and Rampone are also on the active roster for Saturday’s match, bolstering the SBFC defense. Boston’s offense had trouble scoring against Sky Blue last season and has been lackluster this season. Smith has scored the only goal for the Breakers in their last 3 games. The Breakers need to control the midfield game and finish their chances to win this match.
Storylines: Christie Rampone plays her first game for Sky Blue since the WPS championship match last August. Boston is on a five match winless streak, matching the worst in team history.

FC Gold Pride at Chicago Red Stars – May 29 (8 pm ET, 7 pm CT, 5 pm PT)
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL.

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

Chicago: GK-J. Loyden, M. Burke; D-K. Markgraf, W. Engen, M. Dalmy, I. Dieke, N. Spilger; MF-B. Klein, K. Chapman, K. Carney, Formiga, M. Rapinoe, J. Sitch; F-Cristiane, C. Nogueira, K. Asllani, E. Masar, J. McDonald.
Not Active: K. Davis (national team U-23), M. Weissenhofer, J. Santacaterina, L. Vandenbergh.

Previous Meetings:
This Season-Chicago 0 @ FC Gold Pride 2.
All Time-Gold Pride leads series at 2-1-1.

What to Look For: The last time these two teams met, Chicago played shorthanded for much of the match due to a red card to Dieke. Chicago will be playing their first match under temporary head coach Marcia McDermott. She will attempt to light a fire under her team that has managed only 3 goals in 6 matches, two of them by rookie Nogueira. Loyden and the Red Star defense has played reasonably well, allowing only a goal per game. Meanwhile, Marta is coming off of a two goal game for Gold Pride and O’Hara is available for the match, returning from injury. After being shut out in the season opener, Gold Pride has average two goals per game since. Barnhart has posted shutouts in two of her last three matches.
Storylines: McDermott makes her WPS coaching debut after winning a WUSA championship as head coach of the Carolina Courage in 2002. FC Gold Pride attempts to extend its record winning streak, which now stands at 5 games.

Philadelphia Independence at Washington Freedom – May 30 (6 pm ET)
Maryland SoccerPlex, Boyds, MD.

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

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

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

What To Look For: In the last match between these two teams, Philadelphia struck for three quick goals after the Freedom had gone on top early in the 2nd half. Lindsey assisted on all three goals for the Independence. Both teams have Canadian starting goalkeepers, but LeBlanc was called for national team duty, while McLeod was not. Philadelphia has given the fewest goals of any team, only 4 in six matches. No player in WPS is hotter than Wambach. She had two goals and an assist for the USWNT against Germany and she has two goals and a record 7 assists in WPS this season. McLeod has shutouts in her last two matches and has a scoreless streak of 225 minutes. All three of the Freedom’s wins have been by two goal margins. Meanwhile, all of Philly’s matches have been close, except for their victory over Washington having a margin of more than one goal.
Storylines: Only one point separates 2nd place Philadelphia from 3rd place Washington. De Vanna’s broken leg will mean that veteran Christie Welsh will have to pick up more of the offensive load. She scored twice in an exhibition against the Canadian National Team last weekend.

The Saint Louis Athletica at Atlanta Beat match was cancelled due to Athletica folding because of financial troubles.

Athletica Folds

Saint Louis Athletica has discontinued operations and folded. Founding owner Jeff Cooper released the following statement concerning the team today:

“The termination of Saint Louis Athletica is a painful outcome from the funding shortfalls and ultimate default by the investors who had the obligation to fund and operate the team on a day-to-day basis. I’ve given this matter my complete attention since returning to a more active role in the last few weeks, and numerous parties have spent a lot of hours during that time exploring what options or solutions might be available. Despite best efforts, nothing was found that would answer the immediate needs of the franchise. With more time, it is possible the answer to the financial challenges Athletica faced would have been met, but unfortunately we do not have the benefit of extra time. The investors who defaulted on a contract to fund Athletica through this season and beyond broke a promise to a league, team, players and a community, and that is what is most troubling about today’s development. I am grateful for everyone’s support of Athletica and am particularly appreciative of our players who represented the sport and our community with such class and spirit.

Despite the disappointing outcome with Saint Louis Athletica, we continue to work hard on securing the long-term future of AC St. Louis.”

WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci made the following statement regarding Athletica's demise:

“It’s incredibly difficult to lose a team in mid-season like this. We looked at a few options as a league together with our Board and U.S. Soccer, but the operational hurdles and finances just didn’t work out. In the face of a severe funding gap in St. Louis, the local ownership group is shutting down the team at this point.”

The loss of Athletica brings WPS back down to 7 teams, which is the number of teams that started last season. However, the loss of perhaps the league's two marquee franchises, the Los Angeles Sol and Saint Louis Athletica, within 5 months does not bode well for the league. The two teams finished 1st and 2nd in the 2009 regular season with a combined record of 22-9-9, while the rest of the league's combined record was only 31-44-25. Athletica was only in 5th place in 2010, but were the only team to have defeated the top two teams, FC Gold Pride and Philadelphia Independence.

To make matters worse, three of Athletica's players, Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama, and Tina DiMartino, have had to go through this twice in a very short period of time.

“This is a setback, but it’s one individual franchise and the loss of a team is an unfortunate reality of pro sports,” said Antonucci. “We’ll continue to have great games and an exciting season for our fans. The solid foundation that we built in 2009 is there. We have the same number of teams that we had last year during a successful first season. We’ll get through this stronger and keep moving the league and business forward.”

While it should be stressed that the Saint Louis financial situation is isolated from WPS as a whole, we also heard similar comments about the strength of the league going forward when the Los Angeles Sol folded just four short months ago.

In addition, it is a major blow to soccer in the city of St. Louis. Once thought to be a frontrunner for an MLS franchise, the city has now lost one soccer team and may eventually lose their NASL team if things don't improve. There appears to be an inability to find a responsible ownership group in St. Louis and support thus far has been less than hoped. Quite frankly, the city's credibility as a major soccer town is crumbling.

Saint Louis Athletica will not play any further matches and Athletica's players will become free agents as of June 1. The scramble to sign free agents which will ensue could create a bit of chaos of its own in the middle of a season. Unless roster sizes are increased by the league, several players on the remaining WPS franchises will be losing their jobs. One also has to wonder about the financial ability of those teams to sign free agents if they are already at the limits of their budget.

The league will reconfigure the 2010 schedule shortly and it will be released next week.

WPS Midweek Notes - May 19

Marta Wins WPS Player of the Week

Brazilian forward Marta has been named WPS Player of the Week. Marta scored two 1st half goals in FC Gold Pride's 2-1 victory over the Boston Breakers on Friday night. It is the 3rd time she has received the honor.

The two goals give her three for the 2010 season and 13 for her WPS career. She is the all-time leader in goals for Women's Professional Soccer. Marta and her Gold Pride teammates have raced out to a 5-1 record, good for 15 points and 1st place in the standings. Marta was also named as Goal.com's Player of the Week.

USWNT vs Germany on May 22

The US Women's National Team will meet Germany on Saturday afternoon at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The match is scheduled to be televised on ESPN2 at 6pm eastern time.

In the last meeting between the two teams, the US edged Germany 3-2 at the Algarve Cup Championship in March. Germany has not played the US on American soil since 2003.

Surprisingly, US Coach Pia Sundhage went heavily for defenders when naming her squad for the match. In all, 10 defenders were named to the US side. Only two non-WPS players were named to the squad, Ali Krieger who is currently playing in Germany and Alex Morgan of the University of California. Here are the rosters for the two teams:

United States:
Goalkeepers (3)-Hope Solo, Nicole Barnhart, Jillian Loyden.
Defenders (10)-Rachel Buehler, Stephanie Cox, Marian Dalmy, Ali Krieger, Amy LePeilbet, Kate Markgraf, Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone, Brittany Taylor, Cat Whitehill.
Midfielders (6)-Yael Averbuch, Shannon Boxx, Kristine Lilly, Lori Lindsey, Heather O'Reilly, Megan Rapinoe.
Forwards (3)-Alex Morgan, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach.

Germany:
Goalkeepers (2)-Nadine Angerer, Ursula Holl.
Defenders (7)-Saskia Bartusiak, Linda Bresonik, Sonja Fuss, Ariane Hingst, Annike Krahn, Navina Omilade, Bianca Rech.
Midfielders (5)-Melanie Behringer, Kerstin Garefrekes, Kim Kulig, Simone Landehr, Alexandra Popp.
Forwards (4)-Inka Grings, Martina Müller, Celia Okoyino da Mbabi, Birgit Prinz.
Alternates (3)-Isabell Bachor, Conny Pohlers, Lisa Weiβ.

Statement Regarding McCall Zerboni

Earlier in the week, General Manager Shawn McGee of the Atlanta Beat released the following statement with regards to McCall Zerboni and the injuries she suffered during Sunday's match against the Washington Freedom:

"McCall was involved in horrendous head-to-head collision with Sonia Bompastor as they were both going for a ball in the air. Both players were down for an extended period of time. Bompastor received 8 stitches to a gash on her forehead. McCall was taken off the field on a stretcher, and we sent her to the hospital for a cat scan and observation. She has a concussion, and her return will be a day to day decision."

For her part, McCall is back tweeting and she posted a picture of herself complete with bump and swollen eye on facebook today. Best wishes on a speedy recovery to McCall and hope to see her back on the pitch soon.

Around the League
Atlanta Beat - The Beat have outshot their last two opponents by a margin of 46-19 and held the edge in corners by a 23-6 margin in those two matches.....Mami Yamaguchi has joined the Japanese National Team for the Asian Cup, which will serve as qualifiers for next year's World Cup. Japan's first group stage opponent is Myanmar on May 20.....Atlanta has now gone 335 minutes without a goal. The all-time WPS record is held by the Chicago Red Stars at 451 minutes in June of 2009.

Boston Breakers - Nine of Boston's 11 starters have been the same for every match. Seven of those players have played every minute so far.....For the 2nd straight year, Kelly Smith leads the Breakers in goal scoring. She has 3 so far this season.....The Breakers' winless streak has reached 5 matches, with a 0-2-3 record over that time, and being outscored 6-3. Last year, Boston's longest winless streak was 5 matches from May 10 to June 17. They had an 0-2-3 record in that streak, being outscored by a 5-3 margin, before defeating Chicago on June 21.

Chicago Red Stars - Red Star attendance has exceeded 5,000 in 2 of their 3 home matches this season.....The Red Stars lead WPS in shots attempted with 82, but are 7th in shots on goal with just 31, a low 38% on goal percentage.....The Red Stars have now been shut out 15 times in 26 matches. They have only won one match in which they scored 1 goal and that was the 2009 opener against Saint Louis.

FC Gold Pride - Marta's brace on Friday night marked the 3rd time she has scored two goals in a WPS match.....Gold Pride's offense is much improved from 2009. Last year, they scored 2 or more goals in only three matches out of 20. This year, they have done it four times in 6 matches.....All five goals surrendered by Gold Pride this season have been to internationals (Aluko 2, Kalmari, Ocampo, and Smith).

Philadelphia Independence - Karina LeBlanc pushed her WPS career shutout total to 14 on Saturday night against the Red Stars. As teammates, LeBlanc and Val Henderson have shutouts in 16 of their 26 matches together.....Only Nikki Krzysik and Sara Larsson have played every minute so far for the Independence.....Philadelphia leads the league with 54 fouls committed.

Saint Louis Athletica - Eniola Aluko now leads WPS with 4 goals scored and also in offsides with 16, six more than the nearest player. Last year, she led the league with 33 offsides calls.....Shannon Boxx became the first player to convert a penalty this season when she scored against Sky Blue in Athletica's 2-2 draw.....Athletica set a record for scoring in 11 consecutive regular season matches on Sunday. They are the only team that has not been shut out in 2010. However, they did suffer a shutout at the hands of Sky Blue in the 2009 WPS playoffs.

Sky Blue FC - Laura Kalmari became the 3rd Sky Blue player to score two goals in a match. The other two were Natasha Kai and Kacey White, both of whom accomplished the feat in the same match on July 15, 2009 against Washington.....Karen Bardsley has faced 49 shots on goal, 12 more than the nearest other goalkeeper.....Sky Blue surrendered a 2nd half lead for only the 2nd match in their history against Athletica on Sunday. They gave up two 2nd half leads in the aforementioned match against the Freedom last July.

Washington Freedom - The Freedom have had 7 different goal scorers this season, the most of any WPS team, but only two players have assists, Abby Wambach with 7 and Sonia Bompastor with 2. They are currently first and second among all-time WPS assists leaders with 12 and 8 respectively....Wambach has figured in 9 of the Freedom's 10 goals this season.....The month of May has been good to Washington. Over two seasons, their record in May is 4-0-3.

Trivia Question - In 2011, the World Cup will be held in Germany. Of the USWNT players who are active for Saturday's friendly against Germany, which two started both of the last two matches in which the US faced Germany in the World Cup in 1999 and 2003?

Weekend Wrap - Athletica & Sky Blue Battle To a Draw

Saint Louis and Sky Blue battled to a 2-2 draw at Soccer Park in Fenton. Athletica struck first when Elaine was taken down in the penalty area by Yael Averbuch. Shannon Boxx converted the penalty to give Athletica a 1-0 lead 8 minutes into the match.

In the 2nd half, Athletica controlled play early, but it was Sky Blue that struck twice. In the 57th, a Kiersten Dallstream cross was headed home by Laura Kalmari. Kalmari got her 2nd goal of the match just minutes later. Heather O'Reilly was able to get by Tina Ellertson who had slid down on the wet turf. O'Reilly sent a perfect cross to an unmarked Kalmari who volleyed it into the left corner of the net to put Sky Blue up 2-1.

Athletica kept creating chances and finally was able to knock one home. In the 85th minute, Shannon Boxx was able to win the ball and sent a perfect ball through to Eniola Aluko who calmly finished lower left to beat Karen Bardsley and tie the score.

Jessica Landström had a late chance on a header, but it was saved by Hope Solo and the match ended in a draw.

For my full recap of the game check it out at Goal.com.

In other games...

Philadelphia 1, Chicago 0

The Independence took over sole possession of 2nd place with a victory on the road in Chicago. Joanna Lohman scored 7 minutes into the 1st half and Philly's defense made the goal hold up. Karina LeBlanc earned the shutout for Philadelphia.

Washington 2, Atlanta 0

The Freedom got goals from Lene Mykjåland and Abby Wambach to defeat Atlanta 2-0. Erin McLeod got the shutout for Washington. The Beat continue to have trouble scoring, in spite of having several chances. They outshot the Freedom 21-10, but only got 7 on frame with none going in. The game also featured a hard collision between Sonia Bompastor of the Freedom and McCall Zerboni of the Beat. Zerboni was taken to the hospital as a precaution, while Bompastor later returned, bandaged with stitches.

WPS Weekend Previews - May 15 & 16

Philadelphia Independence at Chicago Red Stars – May 15 (7 pm ET, 6 pm CT)
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL.

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

Chicago: GK-J. Loyden, K. Davis; D-K. Markgraf, W. Engen, M. Dalmy, N. Spilger, L. Vandenbergh; MF-B. Klein, K. Chapman, K. Carney, Formiga, M. Rapinoe, J. Santacaterina; F-Cristiane, C. Nogueira, K. Asllani, E. Masar, J. McDonald.
Not Active: I. Dieke (suspended), M. Weissenhofer, J. Sitch.

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

What to Look For: This should be a very interesting matchup. Philadelphia suffered their first loss last weekend in St. Louis and it will be interesting to see how they respond on the road in Chicago. The Red Stars have probably been better than their record, but have managed only 3 goals so far and sit in 7th place. Dieke will miss the match on red card suspension, meaning that Spilger will most likely line up in back with Dalmy, Markgraf, and Engen. Nogueira has given the Red Stars some spark on offense, but otherwise, goals have been hard to come by. Rapinoe and Carney need to get untracked. Philadelphia relies heavily on veteran midfielder Lindsey, and with Seger out with injury last week, Saint Louis was able to hold her in check most of the match. Seger's return will help considerably. It will also be interesting to see who Paul Riley starts in goal between Henderson and LeBlanc, as he seemed less than pleased with LeBlanc’s performance last week. The Independence have good speed which could cause Chicago’s defense some problems. Philadelphia can be deadly on set pieces and Falk is the leading scoring defender in WPS.
Storylines: This is Chicago’s first match against an expansion team. Nikki Krzysik and Danesha Adams return to Chicago for the first time. Chicago’s Cristiane and Philadelphia’s Rodriguez rank 1-2 in shots attempted this season. Chapman (Red Stars) and Magnusdottir (Independence) are tied for the lead in most fouls committed.

Sky Blue FC at Saint Louis Athletica – May 16 (4 pm ET, 3 pm CT)
Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park, Fenton, MO.

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

Saint Louis: GK-H. Solo, A. Harris; D-T. Ellertson, K. Fletcher, Elaine, E. Weber, A. Asante, N. Cross, S. Wagenfuhr, S. Teegarden; MF-L. Chalupny, S. Boxx, C. Blank, T. DiMartino; F-E. Aluko, L. Tarpley, M. Edlund, V. Perez.
Not Active: K. Larsen (foot), A. Miyama (national team), E. Walter, K. Spisak.

Previous Meetings (2009):
Sky Blue FC 0 @ Saint Louis 1
Saint Louis 2 @ Sky Blue FC 1
Sky Blue FC 0 @ Saint Louis 1
Sky Blue FC 1 @ Saint Louis 0 (WPS Semifinal)

What To Look For: Last season, Saint Louis swept the 3 regular season meetings, only to fall to Sky Blue at home in the playoff semifinals. Both teams will only have 5 players active that started in that match. The goalkeeper matchup has to be the headliner in this game. USWNT starter Solo goes against the hottest goalkeeper in WPS in Bardsley. Sky Blue’s injury list is long and they will be without several key players. Athletica will be missing Miyama who is away on national team duty, but Asante has been activated which could help the defense. Aluko may have finally found a complementary front line mate in Tarpley. Sky Blue needs to find some offense, but the scorer of only one goal (Kalmari) will be active for Sunday’s match. Perhaps the best way to describe Sky Blue’s 2010 performance so far is gritty, winning three matches by 1-0 margins, while being outshot by wide margins. Dutch import Koster and rookie Taylor have been solid on SBFC’s back line. Jersey’s midfield needs to start contributing more on the offensive end.
Storylines: Saint Louis looks to continue their regular season dominance at home where they are 5-0-2 in their last 7 matches. Sky Blue’s last 5 wins dating back to last year’s playoffs have been by a 1-0 margin. Asante is active for the 1st time since her serious knee injury, however it is doubtful that she would start. Boxx is dangerously close to suspension, having already accumulated 3 yellows this season. 2nd place in the table is on the line for these two teams.

Washington Freedom at Atlanta Beat – May 16 (6 pm ET) – FSC Game of the Week
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, GA.

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

Atlanta: GK-A. Whitworth, B. Maron; D-K. McNeill, S. Bishop, L. Robinson, L. Sesselmann, S. Mundy, T. Hamm, B. Mattern; MF-M. Yamaguchi, M. Zerboni, A. Kerr, K. Larkin, R. Nolin; F-R. Bachmann, J. Rasmussen, S. Thompson, M. Ocampo, A. Cinalli.
Not Active: T. Heath (ankle), M. Yamaguchi (national team), M. Schumacher-Hodge, M. Lofton-Malachi.

Previous Meetings (2010):
Atlanta 1 @ Washington 3

What to Look For: Both teams will be missing key players due to national team duty, De Vanna and Sawa for the Freedom and Yamaguchi for the Beat. Wambach is listed as probable after having her nose broken late in last week’s match against Boston. She had a huge game against the Beat the first time around with a goal and two assists. The Beat defense has to find a way to stop Washington. Last time, Washington scored 3 goals and McNeill landed a suspension, in spite of not being carded on the play in question. Atlanta needs to get their offense unleashed. After 5 matches, I would have expected a lot more goals from this group. Bachmann had several chances last week, but was unable to finish. McLeod is coming off of her 1st shutout this season and looks to double up in this match. This is only the Freedom’s 2nd road match, the first of which ended with a disappointing 3-1 loss in Philadelphia.
Storylines: Will this be the game where Atlanta gets its first win? While Abby Wambach is listed as probable, it will be interesting to see how much she plays, which will likely depend on how much problem she has breathing with the injury. She was a major force in the 1st meeting between these two teams and likely will be again, if she can play. Becky Sauerbrunn continues her iron woman streak.

Trivia Question – Behind Becky Sauerbrunn, which current WPS player has the 2nd longest active streak for consecutive minutes played in the regular season? Answer – Marta, who has played 1980 consecutive minutes after tonight’s match against Boston. She hasn’t missed a minute of a match since April 25, 2009 when she was away on national duty and missed the Sol’s match against Saint Louis.

WPS Midweek Notes - May 12

Bardsley Is WPS Player of the Week

Sky Blue goalkeeper, Karen Bardsley, has been named WPS Player of the Week. Bardsley posted her 3rd shutout of the season against the Atlanta Beat in Sky Blue’s 1-0 victory. Bardsley made 13 saves in the match, while keeping the Beat off the scoreboard. Bardsley currently leads WPS in saves, shots faced, shutouts, and goals against average, among those that have played enough to qualify. She became the 2nd Sky Blue goalkeeper to win the award. Jen Branam was named Player of the Week at the end of last season.

Athletica to Wear Special Uniforms to Support Breast Cancer Research

Saint Louis Athletica will wear special uniforms in their May 16 match against Sky Blue FC. To commemorate their support for the Susan G. Komen St. Louis Race for the Cure®, each Athletica uniform will bear the name of a person who has battled the disease on the front of the jersey, honoring 22 individuals who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

“It was quite an honor to be chosen as the honorary Race co-chairs,” stated Athletica Captain Lori Chalupny. “Wearing the names of these women who have battled breast cancer on our jersey is just a small way we can honor them and everyone who has ever been diagnosed with the disease. We feel like we are bringing them onto the field with us by doing this, and I think it will be inspiring to pull those jerseys on before the game on Sunday.”

The 22 names include local breast cancer survivors, and relatives or friends of Athletica players who have battled breast cancer. The uniform will be an all white kit with pink lettering and numbering. PUMA, the WPS uniform provider, has also designed a specific pink game ball that will be used exclusively for the match.

Around the League

Atlanta Beat – Ramona Bachmann managed to get off 8 shots in the match against Sky Blue, with 5 of them being on goal…..Only Stacy Bishop, Leigh Ann Robinson, and Mami Yamaguchi have played every minute of all 5 matches…..The Beat drew 7248 fans to the home opener in their new stadium. It’s the 2nd largest WPS crowd of the year to the game that Washington played Saint Louis at RFK Stadium.

Boston Breakers – Ashley Phillips earned her first career shutout against Washington last Saturday…..Kelly Smith continues to be the most fouled player with 15 fouls suffered. Last season she tied Lori Chalupny for the lead with 46…..The Breakers have only scored more than one goal once in their last 14 matches.

Chicago Red Stars – Although allowing two goals for the first time in her career, Jill Loyden stopped a penalty shot in Saturday’s match against Gold Pride…..There have been 6 players red carded in league history. Ifeoma Dieke became the 3rd Red Star to be red carded following Frida Östberg and Karen Carney last year…..Chicago is the only team that has yet to play at least one of the two expansion teams, but they will meet Philadephia at home this weekend.

FC Gold Pride – Kelley O’Hara became the first player from the January, 2010 draft to record a goal and an assist this season…..Gold Pride has attempted the only two penalty kicks this season in WPS, both unsuccessful…..With their victory over Chicago, Gold Pride became the 2nd team ever to win 4 consecutive regular season matches, the other being Los Angeles. Gold Pride will seek to break the record on Friday against the Breakers.

Philadelphia Independence – Amy Rodriguez leads the league in shots on goal with 15, 5 ahead of 2nd place Marta…..For the first time, Lori Lindsey did not figure in the scoring of an Independence goal, but her long pass from Philly’s side of the half line sent Rodriguez in alone, before Lyndsey Patterson banged home the rebound…..Japanese forward Karina Maruyama got her first start of the year against Saint Louis last Saturday.

Saint Louis Athletica – Lindsay Tarpley started her first match since coming back from an ACL injury and scored her 1st goal for Saint Louis…..Shannon Boxx picked up her 3rd caution of the season, meaning she will have to go 4 matches without a card to avoid suspension…..Athletica has a 7 game regular season home unbeaten streak with a 5-0-2 record over that stretch.

Sky Blue FC – In spite of missing the last two games with an injury, Tasha Kai has scored half of Sky Blue’s 4 goals, with another being an own goal. Laura Kalmari is the only other SBFC player to have scored…..Including the playoffs, Sky Blue’s last 5 wins have come by 1-0 margins…..Sky Blue has been outshot by an astounding 92-43 margin this season.

Washington Freedom – Erin McLeod earned her first shutout of the season against Boston on Saturday…..Becky Sauerbrunn is now the only player to have played in every minute of both the 2009 and 2010 seasons…..The game against the Breakers marked the first time the Freedom have been shutout since their 1-0 loss to the Los Angeles Sol on July 5, 2009.

Trivia Question - Behind Becky Sauerbrunn, which current WPS player now has the 2nd longest active streak for consecutive minutes played in the regular season?

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.

WPS Weekend Preview - May 8 & 9

Boston Breakers at Washington Freedom – May 8 (7 pm ET)
Maryland SoccerPlex, Boyds, MD.

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

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

Previous Meetings:
This Season-Boston 2 @ Washington 1.
All Time-Boston leads series at 3-1-1.

What to Look For: Boston won the season opener between these two teams with goals from Cheney and Smith. The Freedom will be missing two key players in forward De Vanna and midfielder Sawa. While the Freedom have averaged 1.89 goals per game against all other teams over two years, they have averaged only 0.80 against Boston. The most successful Breaker in the matches between these two teams is Kelly Smith with 2 goals. Rebecca Moros had a goal and an assist last year against Boston.
Storylines: The game features two of the world’s best finishers in Abby Wambach for the Freedom and Kelly Smith for the Breakers. After Lauren Cheney scored 7 minutes into the opener, she is still looking for her 2nd goal. Sawa’s absence might signal a start for Brittany Bock in the midfield, but she can play anywhere on the field. This is a huge matchup for two teams in the middle of the table.

Philadelphia Independence at Saint Louis Athletica – May 8 (8:10 pm ET, 7:10 pm CT)
Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park, Fenton, MO.

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

Saint Louis: GK-H. Solo, A. Harris; D-T. Ellertson, K. Fletcher, Elaine, E. Weber, N. Cross, S. Wagenfuhr, S. Teegarden; MF-L. Chalupny, S. Boxx, C. Blank, A. Miyama, T. DiMartino, E. Walter; F-E. Aluko, L. Tarpley, M. Edlund.
Not Active: K. Larsen (foot), A. Asante (knee), V. Perez (national team), K. Spisak.

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

What to Look For: The injury to Seger hurts Philly’s midfield considerably. When Saint Louis is at their best, they are a dominating midfield team and they need to exploit Seger’s absence. The Independence are most dangerous on set pieces with Lindsey delivering and Falk finishing. Athletica’s defense got torched for 3 goals last weekend and they will concentrate on preventing that from repeating. Aluko’s speed could be a challenge for Philadelphia’s back line. The Independence goalkeeper tandem of LeBlanc and Henderson have been exceptional.
Storylines: Philadelphia is the lone unbeaten team remaining in WPS and they look to break the record for unbeaten streak to start a season. Lindsay Tarpley is set to make her first start for Athletica. The DiMartino sisters are both active for this contest and it could be the first time two sisters take the field in a WPS match. It’s the current 2nd place team against 2009’s regular season 2nd place finisher.

Chicago Red Stars at FC Gold Pride – May 8 (10 pm ET, 9 pm CT, 7 pm PT)
Castro Valley Athletic Stadium, Castro Valley, CA.

Rosters:
Chicago: GK-J. Loyden, K. Davis; D-K. Markgraf, W. Engen, M. Dalmy, I. Dieke, N. Spilger; MF-B. Klein, K. Chapman, K. Carney, Formiga, J. Sitch, M. Rapinoe; F-Cristiane, E. Masar, C. Nogueira.
Not Active: K. Asllani (ribs), J. McDonald, L. Vandenbergh, M. Weissenhofer, J. Santacaterina.

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

Previous Meetings (2009):
FC Gold Pride 1 @ Chicago 0
Chicago 1 @ FC Gold Pride 1
FC Gold Pride 1 @ Chicago 3

What To Look For: Camille Abily will miss the match with an ankle injury, which leaves FCGP shorthanded in the midfield. Chicago will be looking to build on their success from a week ago. Casey Nogueira has been a spark for the Red Stars scoring 2 of their 3 goals this season. But Jill Loyden and the Chicago defense may be the key to this match against a very good Gold Pride offense. Gold Pride will be looking to increase their division lead. Christine Sinclair leads WPS with 3 goals and she score twice last season against Chicago. For Chicago, Cristiane scored all 4 goals against Gold Pride last season and Bay Area’s defense had best find a way to stop her this season.
Storylines: This game features several interesting matchups. The two stars of the Brazilian National Team, Marta for Gold Pride and Cristiane for Chicago, will be facing off against each other. The current backups for the USWNT at goalkeeper, Nicole Barnhart and Jill Loyden, will be matched up against one another. Also we’ll see a redux of the 2009 NCAA final with ex-Cardinal Ali Riley and Kelley O’Hara facing ex-Tar Heels Casey Nogueira and Whitney Engen. O’Hara did not finish that match as she was redcarded and UNC won the title.
Update: After this was posted, I learned of an update on Camille Abily's injury-word is she's out 4-6 weeks with a fractured ankle.

Sky Blue FC at Atlanta Beat – May 9 (7 pm ET) – FSC Game of the Week
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, GA.

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

Atlanta: GK-A. Whitworth, B. Maron; D-K. McNeill, S. Bishop, L. Robinson, L. Sesselmann, S. Mundy, B. Mattern; MF-M. Yamaguchi, M. Zerboni, A. Kerr, K. Larkin, R. Nolin; F-R. Bachmann, J. Rasmussen, S. Thompson, M. Ocampo, A. Cinalli.
Not Active: T. Heath (ankle), T. Hamm (quad), M. Schumacher-Hodge, M. Lofton-Malachi.

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

What to Look For: Atlanta comes home to their new stadium and looking for their first victory. Although they haven’t scored much so far, the Beat have several dangerous offensive players and the injuries to Sky Blue’s back line could make New Jersey vulnerable. Both teams will be looking to find an offensive spark as they are the two lowest scoring teams in WPS through 4 games. Kai’s injury will force Sky Blue to depend on a pair of talented European strikers in Kalmari and Landström, as well as their solid midfield group. Karen Bardsley has been excellent in 3 of the 4 matches she has played for SBFC. Meanwhile, Atlanta switched to Brett Maron in goal for last week’s match, after Whitworth faced a barrage of shots in the first 3 matches of the season.
Storylines: It’s a very big night for Atlanta, with their 1st ever home game and opening a brand new stadium. The game has a strong Damallsvenskan flavor with Yamaguchi, Bachmann, and Rasmussen (all former Umeå ) for Atlanta against Landström (former Linköpings), and Kalmari (former AIK) for Philadelphia. While Sky Blue is still tied for 3rd place, they are trying to survive the rash of early season injuries to remain in contention.

Trivia Question - FC Gold Pride and Sky Blue FC earned 6 points in the month of April. Which team holds the record for most points earned in one month and how many points did they earn? Answer: The Los Angeles Sol earned 14 points in June of 2009 with a 4-0-2 record, outscoring their opponents by a 12-3 margin for the month. The 2nd best total was 11 points by Sky Blue in July of 2009 with a 3-1-2 record. Congratulations to kevinwparker (who not only got it right, but got it precisely correct with how they arrived at their 14 points) and to everyone else who knew the correct answer.

WPS Midweek Notes - May 5

Bompastor Earns Player of the Week (corrected)

Call her Athletica killer or call her one of the best midfielders in WPS, because either one would be an apt description of Washington Freedom midfielder, Sonia Bompastor, this week’s WPS Player of the Week. Bompastor scored the first Freedom goal in their 3-1 victory over Saint Louis Athletica on Saturday at RFK stadium. The shot was a perfectly placed, perfectly struck ball from about 12 yards out that went upper right corner. She also assisted on Washington’s 2nd goal of the day by Homare Sawa via a corner kick. They were her first points of the season.

The French international has quite simply given Athletica fits, scoring 3 of her 5 career goals against them in just 4 meetings. Last season, Bompastor scored 4 goals and earned 6 assists, which tied for best in that category.

Home Sweet Home

After a month of criss-crossing the country, the Atlanta Beat finally come home to play in their new stadium on the campus of Kennesaw State University. Atlanta’s travels have taken them from Philadelphia to Washington to Bay Area and back to Philadelphia. They open their new state-of-the-art $16.5 million stadium in style this coming Sunday against defending champions Sky Blue FC on the FSC game of the week.

The grand opening for the stadium occurred on May 2, with a ribbon cutting ceremony and public festivities. The stadium seats 8300 for soccer, although it can accommodate up to 16,000 for concerts. The stadium is located just north of the city of Atlanta.

Have You Got a Minute?

All White Kit now launches the American Soccer Minute for WPS, a twice a week audio preview/predictions and results show, featuring Scott Reynolds. It’s a quick hitting minute of what to look for in upcoming WPS games and review of the previous weekend’s matches. Scott gives you a lot of information in a very condensed time frame. Please check it out at this link on All White Kit. And hey, it only takes a minute!

Atlanta Beat – Brett Maron made her first start in goal against Philadelphia last weekend, making 6 saves on 7 shots…..The Beat will be looking to light up the scoreboard after a road trip that saw them surprisingly score only 2 goals in 4 matches…..Atlanta logged over 10,000 miles of travel in their 4 game road trip which saw them travel to both coasts.

Boston Breakers – The Breakers two English internationals have had success against the Freedom, Kelly Smith with two goals and Alex Scott with a goal and an assist in the 5 previous meetings.....While many teams have had trouble defending the Washington, Boston has given up just 4 goals in 5 matches against the Freedom …..Saturday’s 2-0 loss at the hands of the Chicago Red Stars marks the first time Boston had lost a game by more than a one goal margin since losing to the Red Stars 4-0 last April.

Chicago Red Stars - Casey Nogueira scored her 2nd WPS goal last Saturday. Last season, no college draft choice had more than two for the entire season in WPS…..Jill Loyden earned her 3rd career shutout on Saturday against the Breakers…..The Red Stars have a 5-1 record in games where they have scored two or more goals.

FC Gold Pride – Christine Sinclair is tied for the league lead in goals with 3, in spite of missing a match for international duty…..Nicole Barnhart has earned three wins in goal for 2010, which matches her total for all of 2009…..Gold Pride has matched their previous best in scoring in 3 consecutive matches and look to top that mark this Saturday against the Red Stars.

Philadelphia Independence – The Independence look to break a WPS record for the longest unbeaten streak to start a season. Last season, Chicago started 2-0-2 before falling to Sky Blue in their 5th game, while Los Angeles was 3-0-1 before losing to Boston in their 5th match…..The Independence continue to give their opponents problems on set pieces, scoring 3 of their 5 goals in that fashion…..Last weekend, Lori Lindsey scored her first goal of the season after assisting on Philadelphia’s first 4 goals.

Saint Louis Athletica – Since June 1, 2009, Athletica is 0-3 vs. Washington and 9-1-4 against the rest of the league in regular season matches…..Athletica has now scored a goal in 9 consecutive matches…..Saint Louis surrendered 3 goals for the 2nd time in their history, almost a year to the day to the other time, both on the road at Washington.

Sky Blue FC – The trade of Anita Asante means that Rosana is the only international that has taken the field for Sky Blue in both seasons…..SBFC have only scored 3 goals this season, but it is an improvement over 2009 when they scored only one goal total in their first 4 matches…..Sky Blue have won both games in which Meghan Schnur has played and lost both games that she has not.

Washington Freedom – Abby Wambach now has 6 assists, which ties a WPS record for most assists in a season after only 4 games. She also now has the record for 5 regular season matches with an assist…..Washington’s last four goals have been scored by 4 different internationals, Lisa DeVanna, Sonia Bompastor, Homare Sawa, and Lene Mykjåland. The only international that hasn’t scored is goalkeeper Erin McLeod…..The Freedom are 1 of only 2 teams to have not earned a shutout this season, the other being this week’s opponent, the Boston Breakers. (Correction to above for Abby Wambach, that should read "She now has the record with 5 consecutive regular season matches with an assist." Sorry for the error...typing at 2 in the morning leads to mistakes.)

Trivia Question - FC Gold Pride and Sky Blue FC earned 6 points in the month of April. Which team holds the record for most points earned in one month and how many points did they earn?

Sky Blue Deals Asante and Washington to Saint Louis

Sky Blue FC has traded defender Anita Asante, midfielder/attacker Nikki Washington, and their 2nd round selection in 2011 to Saint Louis for India Trotter and Athletica's 1st round selection in 2011.

Both Asante, who spent 2009 with Sky Blue, and Nikki Washington, who was acquired in the Los Angeles dispersal draft, have been injured. It is not known at the present time when either player would be able to return to action. Washington was never signed by New Jersey, presumably because of her injury which occured while playing for the University of North Carolina last fall.

“This is a move we feel clearly makes our team better by addressing a need,” said Saint Louis General Manager Tim Owens. “We have acquired one of the world’s elite defenders, which was a priority for us. Plus, we were able to bring in a young, dynamic, and very versatile player that is one of the young, upcoming stars in U.S. Soccer ”

“It is tough to give up a great player and a great person such as India Trotter,” stated Tim Owens.

To make room for Asante, who is an international, Athletica released Daniela, who has been injured since last May. Daniela scored the very first goal in Saint Louis history in the very game she was injured.

“It was a very difficult decision to part ways with a player such as Daniela,” reflected Owens. “She is a warrior, and she has a passion for the game that is second to none. We will always consider Daniela to be a part of the Athletica family.”

The deal comes after Athletica gave up 3 goals to Washington last weekend, only the 2nd time that has happened in franchise history. Clearly, Saint Louis felt the need to beef up their defense in light of that performance.

Gold Pride Takes 1st Place, Independence Remains Undefeated

FC Gold Pride took over sole possession of 1st place by defeating Sky Blue FC 1-0 in New Jersey. Gold Pride's goal was scored on a free kick. Camille Abily took the free kick from about 35 yards with Carrie Dew heading the ball back toward the middle and Christine Sinclair finishing. Earlier, Karen Bardsley had kept the score 0-0 by saving a penalty by Abily and the ensuing rebound at point blank range by Marta.

In Philadelphia, Player of the Month Lori Lindsey turned from assist-machine to goal scorer giving the Independence their 2nd win in a row, this time over fellow expansion team, the Atlanta Beat.

Chicago got their first win of the season, and on the road at that, shutting out Boston 2-0. Casey Nogueira and Cristiane scored for the Red Stars and Jill Loyden earned the shutout.

Finally in Washington, the Freedom continued their dominance over Saint Louis with a 3-1 victory, in a game where all 4 goals were scored by internationals. Sonia Bompastor opened the scoring, but Eni Aluko tied the score just before halftime. After the break, Washington got goals from Homare Sawa and Lene Mykjåland to lead them to the win.

Current Standings: (1) FC Gold Pride 3-1-0, 9 pts; (2) Philadelphia 2-0-2, 8 pts; (3) Washington Freedom 2-2-0, 6 pts; (4) Sky Blue FC 2-2-0, 6 pts; (5) Saint Louis 1-1-2, 5 pts; (6) Boston 1-1-2, 5 pts; (7) Chicago 1-2-1, 4 pts; (8) Atlanta 0-3-1, 1 pt.

WPS Weekend Preview - May 1

FC Gold Pride at Sky Blue FC – May 1 (6 pm ET, 3 pm PT)-FSC Game of the Week
Yurcak Field, Piscataway, NJ

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

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

Previous Meetings:
This Season-Sky Blue 1 @ Gold Pride 3.
All Time-Gold Pride leads series at 2-1-1.

What to Look For: It’s a badly understaffed Sky Blue that will take the field on Saturday, as about half of their starters are out with injuries. Kai has scored two of Sky Blue’s 3 goals this season and will be badly missed. Meanwhile, Gold Pride will be returning Sinclair and Chapman to their lineup after their trip with the Canadian National Team last week. Bardsley has two shutouts, but SBFC has been outshot every game in 2010 and her defense needs to keep opposing strikers off her. Gold Pride scored two goals in the last 15 minutes of their last meeting to gain the victory.
Storylines: Sky Blue and Gold Pride sit tied atop the WPS table with identical 2-1 records and 6 points. Sky Blue is the only original team that Gold Pride has a winning record against. Gold Pride has only one road win in 11 tries over two seasons and have never scored more than a goal in any road contest.

Saint Louis Athletica at Washington Freedom – May 1 (6 pm ET, 5 pm CT)
RFK Stadium, Washington, DC

Rosters:
Saint Louis: GK-H. Solo, A. Harris; D-T. Ellertson, K. Fletcher, E. Weber, N. Cross; MF-L. Chalupny, S. Boxx, C. Blank, A. Miyama, T. DiMartino, L. Tarpley; F-E. Aluko, M. Edlund, I. Trotter, V. Perez.
Not Active: E. Walter (ribs), Daniela (knee), K. Larsen (foot), Elaine (groin), S. Wagenfuhr (hamstring), K. Spisak, S. Teegarden.

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

Previous Meetings (2009):
Saint Louis 3 @ Washington 3
Washington 1 @ Saint Louis 0
Saint Louis 0 @ Washington 1

What to Look For: This game will feature one of highest power offenses in the Freedom and one of the most consistent defenses in Athletica. Wambach has a goal and 4 assists in just 3 games. Aluko’s two goals lead Athletica in scoring. It should be a good battle at goalkeeper with USWNT starter Solo vs. Canadian National Team starter McLeod. Athletica is banged up with injuries, particularly at right back and they might be forced to move Chalupny to the back line to compensate. Bock, still looking for her first action of 2010, is listed as questionable.
Storylines: While most teams have had no problem scoring on Washington, Athletica has struggled. Two of Washington’s 4 shutouts last season came against Saint Louis. The teams developed quite a rivalry last season, but Saint Louis has never defeated the Freedom. Wambach is still looking for her first goal against Athletica.

Chicago Red Stars at Boston Breakers – May 1 (6 pm ET, 5 pm CT)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, MA

Rosters:
Chicago: GK-J. Loyden, K. Davis; D-K. Markgraf, W. Engen, M. Dalmy, I. Dieke, N. Spilger; MF-B. Klein, K. Chapman, K. Carney, Formiga, J. Sitch, M. Rapinoe; F-Cristiane, E. Masar, C. Nogueira.
Not Active: K. Asllani (ribs), J. McDonald (other), L. Vandenbergh, M. Weissenhofer, J. Santacaterina.

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

Previous Meetings (2009):
Boston 0 @ Chicago 4
Boston 2 @ Chicago 0
Chicago 0 @ Boston 1

What To Look For: Quite simply, the Red Stars must start scoring. Chicago will be missing one of their top offensive players in Asllani, but Rapinoe has been activated for this game and might see her first action of the year. The Breakers have been very good on their own set pieces, but not particularly good at defending opposing set pieces. While the Red Stars have outshot their 3 previous opponents, it should prove much harder to do so against a pretty potent Breakers offense. The Smith-Cheney-Lilly combination could give Chicago’s back line a lot of problems.
Storylines: Chicago is looking for their 1st road goal since last June. Chioma Igwe plays against her old team for the first time this season. Neither Loyden for Chicago (6 career starts) nor Phillips for Boston (3 career starts) has ever given up more than a goal in any game, although Phillips is still looking for her first shutout. English National Team stars face off against each other with Carney and Chapman for the Red Stars and Smith and Scott for the Breakers.

Atlanta Beat at Philadelphia Independence – May 1 (6 pm ET)
John A. Farrell Stadium, West Chester, PA

Rosters:
Atlanta: GK-A. Whitworth, B. Maron; D-K. McNeill, S. Bishop, L. Robinson, L. Sesselmann, S. Mundy; MF-M. Yamaguchi, M. Zerboni, A. Kerr, K. Larkin; F-R. Bachmann, J. Rasmussen, S. Thompson, M. Ocampo, A. Cinalli.
Not Active: T. Heath (ankle), T. Hamm, R. Nolin, B. Mattern, M. Schumacher-Hodge, M. Lofton-Malachi.

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

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

What to Look For: These two teams played to a scoreless tie on opening day. Since then, Philadelphia has played well earning a road tie at Boston and a home win against the Freedom. Meanwhile, the Beat has been a bit unlucky giving up a late goal last week to fall to Gold Pride. Atlanta get McNeill back from suspension which should help the defensive effort, but they will badly miss Heath in the midfield. Philly’s defense has been very sound so far. LeBlanc returns after missing last week’s game with the CNT, having given up just one goal on a deflection. Meanwhile, Whitworth has faced more shots on goal than any other keeper and her defense needs to keep Lindsey, Rodriguez, and company off her doorstep.
Storylines: Philadelphia tries to stay unbeaten, while Atlanta is still looking for its 1st win having earned their only point in the tie against the Independence. Lindsey leads WPS with 4 assists. The Beat continue their long road trip before playing their 1st game in their new stadium next weekend.

Answer to Trivia Question: How many current Saint Louis Athletica players, including developmental and injured reserve players, have at least one cap for a senior National Team (any country)? Answer: 14. For the USWNT, Shannon Boxx (124), Lindsay Tarpley (119), Lori Chalupny (92), Hope Solo (89), Tina Ellertson (34), Tina DiMartino (5), India Trotter (2), and Kendall Fletcher (1). For Brazil, Daniela and Elaine. For England, Eniola Aluko (46). For Japan, Aya Miyama (76). For Sweden, Madelaine Edlund (1). And for Mexico, Veronica Perez (2).