WPS Midweek Notes - April 28

Lindsey Wins Player of the Week
Lori Lindsey was named WPS player of the week on the strength of her 3 assists against the Washington Freedom. Philadelphia defeated Washington 3-1 for their first victory ever. The 3 assists in a game by Lindsey is a WPS record. Lindsey has assisted on all 4 Independence goals this season and has helped lead her team to a competitive 1-0-2 record, good for 3rd place in the league. She is also a leading candidate for the WPS Player of the Month award.

Using Their Heads and Whatever Else Works
There were a lot of key goals scored so far this season on headers. This past weekend, Allison Falk gave her team a 2-1 lead, heading in a free kick serve from Lindsey. The previous week, Falk had tied Boston 1-1 on a similar play. Carrie Dew got a late winner against Atlanta with her header in the 90th minute after coming close several times earlier in the match. Meanwhile in Saint Louis, Carolyn Blank scored the game-tying goal in what she described as "part chest, part shoulder, part upper body." Defensive players do seem to be scoring more goals this season, mostly coming on set pieces via the header.

Around the League
Atlanta Beat - Goalkeeper Allison Whitworth has already faced 29 shots on goal, 10 more than Hope Solo, who is 2nd in that category.....Angie Kerr earned her first WPS point with an assist on Monica Ocampo's goal against Gold Pride.....The Beat will play their 4th consecutive road game this week against Philadelphia. They open their new stadium on May 9 against Sky Blue FC.

Boston Breakers - Kasey Moore became the first Breakers’ defender to score a goal since Alex Scott scored on May 17, 2009 against Washington.....Kristine Lilly picked up her 2nd assist of the season on Moore's goal.....3 of Boston’s 4 goals have come on set pieces, two on corner kicks and one on a free kick. Meanwhile, 2 of their opponent’s 3 goals have come on set pieces.

Chicago Red Stars - Jill Loyden has not given up more than one goal in any of her 6 career starts.....The Red Stars have outshot all 3 opponents, but only have one goal and one point to show for it.....The Red Stars travel to Boston this week, having not scored a goal in their last 7 road games. Their last road goal was scored by Cristiane in a 1-1 tie on June 7, 2009.

FC Gold Pride - Carrie Dew’s game winning goal started with a flip throw by Kiki Bosio. Ali Riley sent Bosio's throw back to Dew for the assist.....Gold Pride's two top draft selections, Riley and Kelley O'Hara have played every minute of the first 3 matches.....Gold Pride is now undefeated in their last 5 home games dating back to 2009, with a 3-0-2 record over that time.

Philadelphia Independence - Val Henderson earned her 2nd career goalkeeping victory in as many starts. She shut out Gold Pride in her only 2009 appearance.....Lianne Sanderson became the 3rd English National team player to score already this year. She joins Eni Aluko and Kelly Smith, who have two goals apiece.....Allison Falk now has three career goals, all by headers and all on set pieces.

Saint Louis Athletica - Carolyn Blank, the 46th overall pick in this year’s draft, became the lowest draft choice ever to score a goal in WPS.....Tina Ellertson picked up her first career assist and has now started 23 consecutive games for Athletica.....Sunday’s match marked the first time that Saint Louis had come from behind to tie a match.

Sky Blue FC - Karen Bardsley has two shutouts this season which currently leads WPS in that category.....Tasha Kai already has two game winning goals this season. Last year, she was credited with none, although her July 12th goal against Boston put her SBFC side ahead for good.....Sky Blue has now shut out Chicago 6 consecutive times.

Washington Freedom - In spite of Sunday’s loss, Abby Wambach recorded an assist for the 4th consecutive match.....When Meagan McCray entered the game against Philadelphia, she became the 5th different goalkeeper that the Freedom has used over two seasons.....Including last year's playoff match, Becky Sauerbrunn has now played 2160 consecutive minutes for the Freedom and she has yet to be miss a minute on the field.

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)?

Athletica and Breakers Slosh to 1-1 Draw

It what might charitably be called challenging field conditions, Saint Louis and Boston battled to a 1-1 tie at a soggy Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri. With all of the offensive talent on the field, the two goals came from unlikely sources in Kasey Moore for the Breakers and Carolyn Blank for Athletica.

The weather played a huge part in the game and led to some great early chances for the Breakers. In the 14th minute, Kendall Fletcher hit a fairly normal pass back to Hope Solo, but the ball stopped dead in a puddle half way between the two. Lauren Cheney, who appeared to be as shocked as everyone else, gained possession and attempted to chip the ball over Solo's head but the ball went harmlessly to the side.

Just a few minutes later, Solo attempted a drop kick but didn't get all of the ball which Kelly Smith picked up about 30 yards out. Smith attempted the quick shot, but a diving Solo was able to steer the ball wide. "I went to bounce it on the drop kick and it didn't bounce back up," said Solo. "After that, I tried to punt and I haven't punted since I was probably in high school."

Boston finally did get on the board in the 22nd minute. Kristine Lilly hit a low corner kick to the edge of the box which appeared to be headed for Kelly Smith. Smith dummied it and a charging Kasey Moore brilliantly struck a low shot with pace that beat Solo to the lower left side of the goal. It was Moore's first WPS goal.

Boston's lead didn't last long. In the 27th, Aya Miyama took a free kick from about 28 yards and sent it to the far side of the box, where Tina Ellertson headed back across the goal mouth. Carolyn Blank was waiting and chested the ball between Alex Scott and goalkeeper Ashley Phillips for tying goal. "Honestly, right place, right time," said Blank. "Tina just put a great ball back in." For the rookie from West Virginia, it was her first WPS goal and well-earned for the solid match she played.

The Breakers nearly regained the lead in the 39th minute. Lilly hit a blistering low shot that short-hopped Solo, bouncing off her for a rebound. Kelly Smith connected with the rebound from point blank range, but Solo used her body to block the shot and the defense was able to clear the ball out of trouble.

Play in the 2nd half was much crisper, with Athletica having the better of the play in the last 45 minutes. Their best opportunity came in the 63rd minute when Blank sent a ball through to Aluko, who one-timed it from 15 yards, but Phillips was able to make the diving save. Later in the half, Aluko and Lilly traded chances, but were unable to get the ball on frame.

Athletica had one last good chance to win it in the 83rd, when Aluko appeared to have a clear cut header from about 9 yards, but mishit it wide of the goal. Late substitutions Lindsay Tarpley and India Trotter for Athletica, and Laura Del Rio and Tiffany Weimer for Boston had their moments, but were unable to change the score.

Athletica captain Lori Chalupny saw improvement in the 2nd half over the 1st. "We really had some good looks in the 2nd half. I thought the 2nd half was very exciting, back and forth. It was just a good battle between two good teams."

The game marked the first time that Athletica had come from behind to tie a game over two seasons. "Coming from behind was huge for us", added defender Tina Ellertson.

The two teams remained tied, both at 1 win and 2 ties for 5 points. They sit one point behind FC Gold Pride and Sky Blue FC, who each have 6 points. Boston returns home where they will play the Chicago Red Stars next Saturday. Saint Louis travels to Washington where they will play the Freedom at RFK Stadium.

In other action on Sunday evening:

Sky Blue FC 1, Chicago Red Stars 0

Sky Blue blanked Chicago for the 6th consecutive time in a match played at Toyota Park in Chicago. Tasha Kai scored in the 53rd minute on an assist from Kacey White. Karen Bardsley added the shutout for Sky Blue, who sit atop the table with 2 wins, 1 loss and 6 points. Chicago has only a lone point to show for 3 matches.

Philadelphia Independence 3, Washington Freedom 1

The expansion Independence won their first game on their home field by scoring three 2nd half goals. After Lisa De Vanna had put the Freedom ahead in the 51st minute with her first goal of the year, Amy Rodriguez answered in the 54th minute with a goal of her own to tie the score at one. Minutes later, the Lori Lindsey to Allison Falk connection worked for the second week in a row, with Falk finishing again with a header to give Philly the lead. English international Lianne Sanderson added an insurance goal in the 67th minute, again assisted by Lindsey, who was facing off against her old team. For Sanderson, it was her first WPS goal. Philadelphia was able to close it out for the 3-1 victory.

Lindsey has now assisted on 3 of the Independence's 4 goals for the season. Abby Wambach assisted on De Vanna's goal, giving her an assist in each of her last 4 regular season contests dating back to last season. Philadelphia is tied with Saint Louis and Boston with 5 points, just a single point behind the league leaders. Washington fell to 1-2 with 3 points.

WPS Midweek Notes - April 21

Wambach Named Player of the Week

Abby Wambach was named WPS Player of the Week on the strength of a one goal and two assist outing against the Atlanta Beat. It marks the 4th time that Wambach has been so honored. She scored her first goal of the 2010 season against the Beat, knocking home a rebound. Wambach’s 9 career WPS goals trails only Marta, who has 11. Her two assists on Sunday now places her atop the all-time list with 8. Abby now has 6 goals and 4 assists over her last 6 regular season matches going back to 2009.

Déjà vu….All Over Again

A free kick from the right wing gets lofted into the penalty area, Allison Falk makes her run to the net, rises and heads it into the goal for her franchise’s first goal ever. It happened on March 29, 2009 for the Los Angeles Sol at the Home Depot Center, and in that case it was the first goal in WPS history. It happened again this past Sunday at Harvard Stadium for the Philadelphia Independence. The similarities of the plays are a bit eerie. Both free kicks were taken by talented midfielders, last year Aya Miyama and this year, Lori Lindsey. And Allison Falk scores a historically significant goal for two different franchises.

While last year’s goal involved a bit of collision with opposing goalkeeper, Briana Scurry, this year’s header was cleanly struck into the net. Last year’s goal came in the opening match of the year, but Falk had to wait until Philly's 2nd match, since she was not available in the home opener due to her red card dating back to last year’s championship game. For Falk, better known as Kirby to her teammates, it is the only two goals of her career, but they are very memorable goals.

Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde

That would be an apt description of the 1st half play vs. 2nd half play for Saint Louis Athletica. Once again on Saturday, Saint Louis scored early to lead Chicago 1-0, only to give up a 2nd half goal and settle for a tie. Over 22 regular season matches, Athletica has outscored their opponents by a margin of 15-3 in the 1st half. However, they have been outscored by 13-7 in the 2nd half of those matches. Their record when scoring in the 1st half of a match is 9-0-4. When they don’t score in the 1st half, their record is 2-6-1. Not only has Athletica never come from behind to win a match, they have never come from behind to tie a match. They have lost all 7 matches in which their opponent has scored first.

Around the League

Atlanta Beat – Ramona Bachmann scored the first goal in Atlanta Beat (WPS) history. She also became the youngest player to ever score a goal in WPS…..After league review of Bachmann’s goal, Mami Yamaguchi was correctly awarded an assist on the goal…..The 3 goals given up by Allison Whitworth were the most she has surrendered in her 6 WPS starts. Whitworth made 8 saves in the contest.

Boston Breakers – Kelly Smith ran her consecutive games scoring streak to 3 games dating back to last year’s final match against LA…..Boston’s attendance of 5286 for Sunday’s match eclipsed last year’s home opener attendance of 4804…..Liz Bogus got her first start since May 24, 2009 when she started for Los Angeles against FC Goal Pride.

Chicago Red Stars – Casey Nogueira’s 2nd half goal marked the first time Chicago has scored against Athletica since last year’s season opener when Lindsay Tarpley scored for the Red Stars…..Internationals Karen Carney and Formiga both saw their first action of the season as 2nd half substitutions…..Saturday’s draw was the first for Chicago since they played to a scoreless tie against Washington on June 13, 2009.

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FC Gold Pride – Christine Sinclair’s brace was the first in Gold Pride history…..Kelley O’Hara assisted on the final two goals on Saturday which marks the first time an FCGP player has earned two assists in a game…..Gold Pride has now scored three goals in a game 3 times in club history, all at home.

Philadelphia Independence – The Independence are one of three unbeaten teams remaining…..Both of Allison Falk’s career goals have been via headers…..Jen Buczkowski received two yellow cards in the 2nd half of Sunday’s game and the resulting red will result in a mandatory one game suspension.

Saint Louis Athletica – Aya Miyama was subbed out in the 2nd half of Saturday’s match against Chicago, marking the first WPS action she has missed…..Elaine became the 2nd right back in as many games to come out with an injury in the 1st half. Sarah Wagenfuhr left Athletica’s first match with an injury…..Shannon Boxx has been cautioned in each of the first two matches.

Sky Blue FC – Finnish International Laura Kalmari scored her first WPS goal on Saturday…..Sky Blue finished Saturday’s match with 3 rookies on the field in Brittany Taylor, Danielle Johnson, and Kiersten Dallstream…..The three goals surrendered by Sky Blue marks only the 3rd time they have allowed that many. The previous two occasions were against the Washington Freedom.

Washington Freedom – Christie Welsh has scored 4 goals over her last 4 regular season matches dating back to 2009…..The Freedom have now played 8 consecutive matches (9 if you count the playoffs) without being shut out…..Abby Wambach has earned assists in each of her last 3 regular season matches, which I believe is a record.

Trivia Question-Ramona Bachmann became the youngest player ever to score a goal in a WPS game at 19 years, 114 days when she scored in last Sunday’s match in Washington. Before Bachmann, who held the record?

WPS Weekend Wrap Up - April 18

Boston Breakers 1, Philadelphia Independence 1

The Breakers and the Independence played to a 1-1 draw in Boston's home opener. After a scoreless first half, Kelly Smith put the Breakers on the board in the 50th minute. She took a free kick from about 25 yards and the ball deflected off of a Philadelphia player in the wall and past Karina LeBlanc and just inside the left post.

The lead was short-lived as Philadelphia tied the score just minutes later. A Lori Lindsey free kick from the right side found Allison Falk alone for the header from short range and she made no mistake in putting it away. It was the first ever goal for the Independence. For Falk, it is the 2nd time she has scored a franchise's first goal. Last season, she scored the first WPS goal ever for the Los Angeles Sol.

Jen Buczkowski was sent off after picking up her second yellow card late in the match, but Boston was unable to capitalize.

There was some brief controversy and confusion in the 1st half, when Heather Mitts was called for pulling down Kristine Lilly in the penalty area. The ball was spotted and everything appeared set for the penalty kick, but after conferring with the assistant referee, head referee Bryan Roslund ruled that Lilly was offsides before the foul occured and therefore waived off the penalty kick.

The point means that Boston is now tied for 1st place with Saint Louis at 4 points. The two will meet next Sunday on a nationally televised game on FSC from St. Louis. Philadelphia earned their second straight tie for 2 points and 6th place.


Washington Freedom 3, Atlanta Beat 1

Ramona Bachmann scored the first ever goal for the Beat, but it wasn't enough as the Washington Freedom defeated Atlanta by a 3-1 margin. Abby Wambach scored a 1st half goal and then assisted on two 2nd half goals after Atlanta had briefly tied the game at 1-1. Homare Sawa scored the go ahead goal in the 51st minute and then Christie Welsh added an insurance goal in the 90th minute.

The victory puts the Freedom in a 3-way tie for 3rd place, just one point behind league leaders Saint Louis and Boston. Gold Pride and Sky Blue also have 3 points. Atlanta is tied for 7th with Chicago at 1 point.

Philadelphia Independence 2010 - Women's Soccer Equivalent of Rocky

Coach: Paul Riley
2009 Record: 2010 Expansion Team

Expansion Draft (5): Lori Lindsey, Nikki Krzysik, Jen Buczkowski, Danesha Adams, Sarah Senty.
Draft Picks (1): Carrie Patterson (traded then re-signed).
LA Dispersal Draft (2): Karina LeBlanc, Estelle Johnson.
International Signings ( 4): Holmfridur Magnusdottir, Karina Maruyama, Lianne Sanderson, Caroline Seger.
Free Agents (7): Sara Larsson, Joanna Lohman, Heather Mitts, Lyndsey Patterson, Gina DiMartino, Robyn Jones, Kat Reynolds.
Trades (3): Amy Rodriguez, Val Henderson, Allison Falk.

Yes, the Philadelphia Independence will enter their inaugural 2010 campaign as the underdog. But sometimes that brings out the best in players and maybe this women's version of Rocky will manage to battle their way up the WPS table.

Philadelphia took a gamble early on, by trading several of their top draft picks for players they thought could help their team immediately. That left them with only one selection in the first 3 rounds, where they selected Malorie Rutledge out of LSU, who didn’t make the team. Whether that gamble pays off or not depends largely on Amy Rodriguez and Allison Falk.

Unlike their expansion counterpart, Atlanta, the Independence signed several veterans to help lead this team including Heather Mitts, Sara Larsson, and Joanna Lohman. Philly did a nice job filling out their defense and midfield with quality players in the expansion draft, especially Lori Lindsey who has been playing very well for the USWNT. Whether Coach Paul Riley can blend this mixture of youth and veterans into a playoff contender remains to be seen.

Goalkeeping-Take both goalkeepers off of the top defensive team in WPS last year and their 13 shutouts, move them 3000 miles east and you have the goalkeeping tandem for the 2010 Independence. Karina LeBlanc, the league’s top goalkeeper, brings her 0.53 GAA to Philadelphia. LeBlanc, who has a sparkling personality off the field, is tough as nails on the field. Val Henderson was acquired in a trade early on, and will once again serve the role of backup to LeBlanc. She shut out Gold Pride in her only 2009 match after starring for UCLA in college. Robyn Jones, who spent 2009 with the New Jersey Wildcats of the W-League, will be the third goalkeeper.

Defenders-Coach Paul Riley and the Independence seemed to put special emphasis on their defensive unit early on. First they grabbed Nikki Krzysik (Red Stars) and Sarah Senty (Freedom) in the expansion draft. Then they signed veteran free agent defenders Heather Mitts and Sara Larsson. Then they traded for Sol center back Allison Falk. Finally, they took Kansas defender Estelle Johnson in the dispersal draft. As a group, they combined for 62 WPS starts last season.

At 6 foot tall, Falk can be a threat at either end of the field on set pieces. She garnered some support as a potential all-star selection last season. Mitts and Larsson should give veteran leadership to the Philly back line. Krzysik is a hard-nosed defender who racked up 5 cautions last season. Senty saw action with the Freedom after missing the first half of the season while completing her college classes. Late addition Kat Reynold, out of Santa Clara, will provide further depth at outside back. With a strong goaltending tandem behind them, this group should ensure that the Independence are in every match.

Midfielders-One of the first signings that the Independence announced was that of Caroline Seger. Seger now has over 30 senior national team caps for Sweden, in addition to a wealth of junior team experience. She is also a veteran of 5 seasons with Linköpings in the Damallsvenskan. Seger will give the expansion team a strong presence in the midfield. The second piece of the midfield puzzle is Lori Lindsey. How Lindsey managed to slip into Philadelphia’s hands through an expansion draft, I can’t figure out, but it certainly had to make Philly fans smile. Lindsey has received praise from Pia Sundhage for her play with the USWNT earlier this year. Seger and Lindsey give this expansion team a nice start to a solid midfield.

Jen Buczkowski, another selection in the expansion draft, split time between midfield and defense for Sky Blue in 2009. But it was her solid play, stepping in for Anita Asante in the playoffs, that was the climax of a good season. Another former Freedom midfielder, Joanna Lohman, signed with the Independence as a free agent. Another talented European player, Holmfridur Magnusdottir of Iceland, can play either attacking mid or forward. She has nearly 50 national team caps and scored 5 goals for Swedish club Kristianstads in 2009. This has the makings of a talented midfield group, but is there enough depth here?

Forwards-While the Independence have a lot of experience from the midfield back, the group of forwards they have are largely an unknown quantity. Three of those forwards, Amy Rodriguez, Lyndsey Patterson, and Danesha Adams, played in WPS last season. Rodriguez scored 1 goal in 17 appearances in what was a very frustrating season in Boston. The new start in Philadelphia should do her good and hopefully, she will be able to use her blazing speed to get behind opposing defenses. Adams, a former star at UCLA, played in 12 matches for the Red Stars without scoring. Patterson saw only 12 minutes of action for the Sol last season.

Philadelphia did sign two international forwards that should help here. Karina Maruyama has Olympic experience and is primarily known as a player who can come off the bench and make a difference for the Japanese National Team. She comes over to the US after a successful run with Japanese club TEPCO Mareeze. Lianne Sanderson is a young forward from the English National Team. At just 22 years of age, she has managed 29 caps and 8 goals on a team loaded with offensive talent like Kelly Smith, Eniola Aluko, Fara Williams, and Karen Carney. Gina DiMartino (formerly Boston College) was a late training camp pickup at forward.

Summary-Leadership shouldn’t be a problem on this team as they have several veterans who have played internationally. Philadelphia appears to be strong at goalkeeper and solid enough at defense and midfield. This should make them a competitive team, but I question if this team will be able to score enough goals to win. Their first match against fellow expansion team, the Atlanta Beat, ought to be an interesting battle between what could be a very good defensive team, Philadelphia, against a dangerous offensive team in Atlanta.

The Los Angeles Sol-An All Too Short History Part 3

Part 3-Clouds on the Horizon

By late June, Los Angeles had risen to the top of the WPS. It would be only a matter of time before they clinched the regular season title and barring an upset, the WPS Championship. But by July, things weren't going perfectly anymore. The combination of injuries, a strange schedule which saw them play only sparingly over the last two months of the season, and some less than sparkling play on the field started catching up with them. And apparently off the field, the problems were far greater.

June 29, 2009-Martina Franko is listed by the Sol as having a season-ending injury.

June 30, 2009-Los Angeles trades for Christie Shaner to help fill in for Franko. Shaner plays only 52 minutes for the Sol. In her first game for Los Angeles just 5 days later, Shaner fractures her leg in a collision with the Freedom's Abby Wambach, thus ending her season.

July, 2009-Yet another Sol defender is having injury problems. Allison Falk misses all three games in July with injuries.

July 5, 2009-Marta scores the only goal of the game in stoppage to defeat Washington 1-0. Karina LeBlanc earns her 11th shutout. It is LA's 4th consecutive victory and they run their unbeaten streak to 11 games. The Sol now lead 2nd place Athletica by a whopping 17 points and will have a chance to clinch the regular season title in their next match.

July 8, 2009-With a chance to clinch first place, the Sol suffer their first and only regular season loss at home in their final regular season home game. Los Angeles falls to Saint Louis 1-0 as Amanda Cinalli scores the game winner for Athletica.

July 13, 2009-The Sol signs Sharolta Nonen to help their beleaguered defense. Nonen, like Martina Franko, is a veteran of the Canadian National Team.

July 23, 2009-After a two week layoff, Los Angeles clinches the WPS regular season title in a scoreless tie against Gold Pride. Karina LeBlanc gets her 12th and final shutout of the season. The Sol shut out Gold Pride all four times they play them.

August 2, 2009-Falk returns to the lineup, but Los Angeles' winless streak extends to 3 games with a 3-1 loss in Chicago. After falling behind 2-0, Han Duan scores a late goal to temporarily make it close, before Cristiane puts it out of reach with a goal in stoppage time. It is only the 2nd time all season that the Sol allow more than one goal in a game.

August 4, 2009-Four Sol players are named to the WPS All-Star First XI. Karina LeBlanc, Shannon Boxx, Camille Abily, and Marta grace the first WPS All-Star team. Abily would be unable to play because of her national team commitment for France. Abner Rogers is named to coach the WPS All-Star team.

August 7, 2009-Aya Miyama is added to the WPS All-Star roster as the next highest vote getter as a replacement for players not able to play in the game.

August 9, 2009-The Sol end the regular season with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Boston, keeping the Breakers out of the playoffs. Marta scores her league best 10th goal of the season and then forces a penalty kick late on a call strongly protested by Breakers' players. Shannon Boxx converts the penalty to give Los Angeles the win. Ironically, this result puts Sky Blue, the team that would ultimately defeat them in the title game, into the playoffs.

August 22, 2009-Los Angeles hosts the first WPS Championship Game at the Home Depot Center. Playing without their 2nd leading scorer, Camille Abily, the Sol are upset by Sky Blue by a 1-0 score. Heather O'Reilly scores in the 16th minute. Then Allison Falk receives the first and only red card in Sol history for tripping Natasha Kai from behind later in the 1st half. The final is played before 7218 fans.

August 29, 2009-At the WPS Awards Banquet, Marta is presented with the PUMA Golden Boot Award and the Michelle Akers Player of the Year Award. Abner Rogers wins the Coach of the Year Award.

August 30, 2009-The WPS All-Stars defeat Umeå IK by a 4-2 margin in St. Louis. Marta gets the game tying goal and adds two assists in the contest. Abner Rogers is the winning coach.

September 15, 2009-The Sol lose Katie Larkin and Sharolta Nonen to Atlanta in the WPS Expansion Draft.

October 7, 2009-Los Angeles sends starting center back Allison Falk and backup keeper Val Henderson to Philadelphia for the 5th and 22nd selections in the 2010 draft. The Sol would later draft Nikki Washington and Kiki Bosio with those selections.

The finish of the 2009 season was a disappointment for players and fans alike, but it was always assumed that there would be a next year. Unfortunately, behind the scenes, things were not going well. The team lost what has been variously estimated between $2 and $3 million in their first season of operation. AEG had maintained that their involvement with the team was always on a temporary basis and that involvement was coming to an end. And equally unfortunate for the Sol and their fans, this was one issue that couldn't be settled on the field.

For the final part in this series, we'll look at the final months and the legacy of the Los Angeles Sol.

(Sources for some of the information in this story came from http://www.womensprosoccer.com/ and the 2009 Los Angeles Sol Media Guide)

The Los Angeles Sol - An All Too Short History

Part 1 - The Beginning

On February 4th, what was left of the Los Angeles Sol roster was dispersed and only time will tell when the WPS returns to Los Angeles, but the Sol made an indelible mark in their only WPS season. In their short one-season history on the field, they won the regular season title, set many records that will become benchmarks, and set a standard of excellence by which other teams will be measured for years to come. This is a look back at the short history of the Los Angeles Sol.

September 4, 2007-Los Angeles is announced as one of seven teams that will compete in the inaugural season of a new women's professional soccer league. The team will be owned by AEG and Blue Star, LLC.

September 15, 2008-Abner Rogers is named as the first coach of the Los Angeles WPS franchise.

September 16, 2008-Los Angeles receives its first players as Shannon Boxx, Stephanie Cox, and Aly Wagner are allocated from the USWNT.

September 24, 2008-Los Angeles selects Marta as their first selection (3rd overall) in the WPS International Draft. They also draft Aya Miyama, Han Duan, and Margret Lara Vidarsdottir. The following day, they would add Camille Abily as a post-draft discovery player.

October 3, 2008-Charlie Naimo is named as general manager for Los Angeles.

October 6, 2008-Los Angeles chooses Karina LeBlanc as their first selection (5th overall) in the WPS General Draft. They also select Kendall Fletcher, Christie Welsh, and Manya Makoski. All four would make the team, although Fletcher and Welsh were later traded to Saint Louis.

October 25, 2008-Los Angeles officially announces that the team would be called the Los Angeles Sol and they also unveil the team's new logo.

November 25, 2008-Los Angeles names Johanna Frisk as a post-draft discovery player.

January 12, 2009-The Sol announce the signing of three-time FIFA Player of the Year, Marta.

January 16, 2009-At the first annual WPS Draft in St. Louis, the Sol select Brittany Bock with their first selection (5th overall). In later rounds, they select Allison Falk, Katie Larkin, Greer Barnes, Valerie Henderson, Katie Hooker, McCall Zerboni, Brittany Cameron, Erica Janke, and Lisa Sari. All but Hooker and Janke would make the Sol's opening roster.

February 4, 2009-The Sol officially announce the signing of Aya Miyama.

February 19, 2009-The Sol announce the signings of Camille Abily, Han Duan, and Johanna Frisk.

March 2, 2009-The Los Angeles Sol training camp begins.

March 5, 2009-Los Angeles becomes the first team to announce an on-jersey sponsorship with Amway Global.

March 25, 2009-Los Angeles announces its opening day roster. Full-roster players are Camille Abily, Greer Barnes, Brittany Bock, Shannon Boxx, Stephanie Cox, Allison Falk, Kendall Fletcher, Johanna Frisk, Han Duan, Val Henderson, Katie Larkin, Karina LeBlanc, Manya Makoski, Marta, Aya Miyama, Aly Wagner, and Christie Welsh. Developmental players are Brittany Cameron, Lisa Sari, and McCall Zerboni.

March 26, 2009-The Sol add Liz Bogus, just recently released by FC Gold Pride, to their developmental roster.

March 29, 2009-The Sol defeat the Washington Freedom 2-0 before 14,832 fans in the WPS inaugural game played at the Home Depot Center. Allison Falk scores the first goal in WPS history on a header in the 6th minute. Camille Abily later adds a goal to seal the victory. Karina LeBlanc is sharp in goal and earns the shutout. The attendance would be the largest for a non-WPS/MLS doubleheader in the 2009 season.

With an immensely talented roster, the Sol were off to a great start and looked to be the team to beat in 2009. Over the next three months, the Sol were a dominant team. We'll look at that period in Part 2-Rise to the Pinnacle.

(Sources for some of the information in this story came from www.womensprosoccer.com and the 2009 Los Angeles Sol Media Guide)

Philadelphia Independence - The Offseason So Far

Okay, in this case offseason is a bit of a misnomer. The 2010 season will be the inaugural season for Philadelphia. If you look closely, however, you could almost swear that this team resembles a team that could have been put together at the beginning of 2009.

Building the Roster

First, let's look at how the original seven teams were built. There was the USWNT allocation. Then there were three drafts...the international draft and discovery process, the general draft, and the January draft. Finally, teams supplemented their rosters by signing free agents. So who is on Philly's roster right now? One player from the original USWNT allocation, two international players (one of which played in WPS in 2009), three players from last year's general draft, and 7 players from last year's January draft. Add a free agent or two for good measure.

The Independence got the USWNT allocation in signing Heather Mitts in October. Mitts is a 10-year veteran of the US National Team and was one of the original USWNT allocations to Boston. She has logged 104 caps for the US and has been a mainstay at outside defender.

Philadelphia has signed two international players so far, Caroline Seger and Sara Larsson, both from Sweden. Seger is a talented midfielder that has played for the Swedish National Team since 2005. She has scored 9 goals over the past two seasons with Linköpings of the Damallsvenskan. Larsson is a veteran defender, also on the Swedish National Team, who spent last season with Saint Louis. She played in 15 matches for Athletica, starting 12. Philadelphia still has three international openings. Those will presumably be filled by 3 of their 4 choices from the international draft, which includes Fara Williams, Lianne Sanderson, Charlotte Rohlin, and Holmfridur Magnusdottir.

In the expansion draft, Philadelphia chose Danesha Adams, Lori Lindsey, and Sue Weber. They were the 6th, 17th, and 18th selections from the WPS General Draft conducted in October, 2008. Adams was bothered by injuries in 2009, but still appeared in 12 games for the Chicago Red Stars. Lindsey had an excellent season with the Washington Freedom, starting 18 games and scoring 2 goals from her midfield position. She has even garnered consideration for the US National Team. Weber was also hampered by injuries, but started 8 games for Boston and will be reunited with Mitts, her back line mate from the Breakers.

As mentioned, Philadelphia has acquired 7 players that were selected in the 2009 January draft, either by draft or trade. They are Amy Rodriguez (#1 choice overall), Allison Falk (#10), Nikki Krzysik (#13), Val Henderson (#33), Jen Buczkowski (#39), Kelly Schmedes (#41), and Sarah Senty (#49). It's almost as though Philadelphia had actually participated in the 2009 draft.

Out of those players, the Independence has built a solid defensive group to go along with Mitts and Weber. Perhaps the most notable is Allison Falk, who had an excellent rookie season with Los Angeles and is considered to be one of the best young defenders in the league. Krzysik (Chicago) and Senty (Washington) also started several games for their teams in 2009. After being a part-time starter in the regular season, Buczkowski filled in for Anita Asante in the playoffs and was an important part of Sky Blue's championship run. Henderson looked very good in her one appearance in goal for Los Angeles, earning a shutout.

On the offensive side, Schmedes is a hard working forward who started 10 games for Boston and scored one goal. However, the most intriguing of all may be Rodriguez. The much heralded forward out of USC entered the league with an Olympic gold medal and high expectations, but struggled in 2009. She scored only one goal for Boston, but the potential is there for a much better season in 2010 for Philadelphia. Rodriguez has 6 goals and 38 US National Team caps to her credit. Philly also added free agent forward Lyndsey Patterson to their offensive arsenal.

Current Roster

Goalkeepers (1)- Val Henderson.
Defenders (6)- Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, Sara Larsson, Heather Mitts, Sarah Senty, Sue Weber.
Midfielders (3)- Jen Buczkowski, Lori Lindsey, Caroline Seger.
Forwards (4)- Danesha Adams, Lyndsey Patterson, Amy Rodriguez, Kelly Schmedes.

Internationals- Larsson and Seger with 3 slots open.
Draft Choices (in first 3 rounds)- No. 13.

Needs to Address

Philadelphia has a lot of talented young players with WPS experience and has sprinkled in some seasoned veterans. The price they paid for that talent was surrendering most of their choices in next week's draft. They have only one remaining selection in the first 3 rounds and need to make the most of it. Their three remaining international players could well hold the key to a successful inaugural season.

Determining what Philly's biggest needs are will depend on which of the international stars they are able to sign. If they can sign Williams and/or Magnusdottir, they should probably go after a forward in the draft. If they sign Sanderson, they need to concentrate on getting a couple of midfielders. The area in which they appear strongest is on defense and if they could add Rohlin, I would put their defensive group as one of the top units in the league.

The Independence will need to pick up another goalkeeper. While Henderson has proven herself with UCLA, Pali Blues, and with US Junior National teams, she has yet to face the constant pressure she will see from the great international forwards in WPS. She played an excellent match in her only WPS start against Gold Pride, but that was with LA's defense in front of her and against the lowest scoring team in the league. I believe Henderson will be a very good WPS goalkeeper, but drafting another to push her for the number one spot will only make her better.

There are a lot of ways to build an expansion team. Philadelphia has chosen to build through already proven players rather than through the draft. In spite of that, they have a pretty young roster. Nine of their 14 players will be 25 or under on opening day 2010. They have a nice mixture of youth and veterans. The question is how soon will they be able to develop team chemistry. If this happens quickly and they are able to make a few international signings, they may well challenge for a playoff spot in their opening campaign.

Independence Trade for Falk and Henderson

The Philadelphia Independence have completed a trade with Los Angeles, acquiring starting center back Allison Falk and backup keeper Val Henderson for the number 5 and 22 draft picks overall in the 2010 draft. This follows the trade a week ago that brought Amy Rodriguez from the Boston Breakers.

Falk, who played her college soccer at Stanford, started 16 games last season and scored the league's first goal in March. Considered by many to be one of the best young defensive players in the WPS, she was drafted by Los Angeles in the 2nd round of the 2009 draft with the 10th overall pick. Her 6-0 height made her a force on corner kicks at both ends of the field. Falk also picked up a red card in the Championship Game against Sky Blue.

Henderson played in only one match last year and earned a shutout over FC Gold Pride. She is considered to be one of the better backup keepers in the league. Henderson played her college soccer at UCLA.

The trade left Philadelphia without a first round pick in the draft. They originally had the 2nd and 11th picks overall, but traded those to Boston for Rodriguez and the 5th overall pick, which they just traded to Los Angeles. Their highest remaining pick is the 13th pick overall (2nd round, 2nd pick).

Meanwhile, the Sol appears to be stockpiling draft picks. In addition to the 5th pick overall acquired in this deal, they had previously acquired St. Louis' first round pick. They also still have their own first round selection.

Sky Blue Wins WPS Championship on Goal by O'Reilly

Sky Blue FC completed their Cinderella run to the title by defeating the Los Angeles Sol 1-0 at the Home Depot Center on Saturday. The only goal of the match was scored by Heather O'Reilly in the 16th minute. Jen Branam posted her second consecutive shutout in the playoffs to seal the win.

It's been an improbable run for New Jersey, who entered the playoffs with a losing record at 7-8-5. They had never beaten any of their three playoff opponents previously and hadn't scored a goal against Los Angeles until today.

Christie Rampone made two changes in her starting 11 for today. She started Francielle in the midfield instead of either of the veterans Collette McCallum or Kelly Parker. And more importantly, for the first time in 3 matches, she decided to start Natasha Kai rather than save her for the end of the match. Both teams were missing key players for the match, Camille Abily for Los Angeles and Anita Asante for Sky Blue.

The goal sequence started on a throw-in deep in LA territory. Keeley Dowling threw the ball in to Kacey White who touched it back to Dowling. Dowling sent a long high cross to about 12 yards out in the middle of the penalty area. Natasha Kai flicked a header to Heather O'Reilly who had slipped behind Manya Makoski. O'Reilly drilled the shot from about 8 yards out before Makoski or Allison Falk could reach her. Karina LeBlanc was able to get her foot on the ball, but the shot deflected just inside the post to put New Jersey up 1-0.

Down 1-0 and with no flow to their offense, things got a whole lot worse for Los Angeles 10 minutes later. Natasha Kai was making a run up the left side and then cut toward the middle at about 30 yards out. Allison Falk, who was running behind Kai, clipped her as she made her cut and was red carded for the play. The Sol were forced to play one down for the last 63 minutes of the match. It definitely changed the complexion of the game and almost immediately afterwards, LA coach Abner Rogers used his first substitution to add another defender to take Falk's place on the back line in sending Sharolta Nonen in for McCall Zerboni.

Los Angeles came close to equalizing in the 72nd minute. Marta got the ball to Shannon Boxx about 20 yards in front of the goal. Boxx turned and hit a low shot to the left corner that appeared to catch Branam off guard. Branam just barely got her hand on the ball and it rolled harmlessly over the endline for a corner.

In the 76th minute, O'Reilly nearly got in behind the Los Angeles defense, but Makoski made a great recovery to knock the ball away from her at the last second. In the 84th minute, a free kick nearly found Boxx inside the 6 yard box, but Branam was able to deflect that away. On the ensuing corner kick, Boxx hit a volley from about 18 yards at a bad angle. The shot had good pace, but was right at Branam.

The Sol's last opportunity came just into stoppage on a free kick from about 30 yards out. But Marta's shot went easily over the goal and any chance of tying the match went with it.

Heather O'Reilly was named the MVP of the championship game. Jen Branam had a spectacular run in the playoffs giving up just one goal in three matches. And Christie Rampone, who has now coached one more playoff game than regular season games, is the head coach of the WPS champions.

WPS Draft Revisited-Los Angeles Sol

On January 16, 2009, a few friends and I found our way to Room 276 at America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri to watch the first ever WPS draft. I remember it being one of the coldest days of the year, but there was still an overflow crowd on hand that spilled out into the hallway. The futures of 70 players would begin that day. The league had previously completed a WNT player allocation, a 4-round international draft, and a 4-round general draft that didn't include any of the college seniors playing in 2008. The 70 players chosen that day were of different ages, many still in college, some just out of college, some veterans of the W-League and WPSL, a few with international experience, and even a few WUSA veterans.

Now five months later, nearly halfway through the inaugural WPS season, I thought it would be a good time to look back and analyze how the seven teams fared in that draft. For this installment, I'll start with the Los Angeles Sol since they are the first team to play half of their games. Over the next 3 weeks, I will go through the other six WPS teams.

Los Angeles Sol

Who They Drafted
1st round (#5)-Brittany Bock, Notre Dame; 2nd round (#10)-Allison Falk, Stanford; 3rd round (#19) Katie Larkin, Brigham Young; 4th round (#24) Greer Barnes, West Virginia; 5th round (#33) Val Henderson, UCLA; 6th round (#38) Katie Hooker, Denver; 7th round (#47) McCall Zerboni, UCLA; 8th round (#52) Brittany Cameron, San Diego; 9th round (#61) Erica Janke, Cal State-Fullerton; 10th round (#66) Lisa Sari, Portland.

Strategy
By the time Los Angeles made their first pick, they already had a number of talented USWNT and international players, especially on the offensive end. With that in mind, they concentrated on defensive players early on. They also went young...very young. Six of their 10 picks had just completed their college eligibility less than two months earlier. They selected more players from the senior class than any other team. Three more of their picks concluded their college careers in 2006 or 2007. Only Katie Hooker was older than 25. The Sol also seemed to have a preference for players who played their college soccer on the west coast. Only two of their picks, Brittany Bock and Greer Barnes, were from eastern schools.

Current WPS Status
For Los Angeles, 8 of their 10 picks are still on the roster, 2 were released.

Full time starters (2)-Bock, Falk
Part time starters & other full roster players (3)-Larkin, Henderson, Sari
Developmental players (3)-Barnes, Zerboni, Cameron
Released (2)-Hooker, Janke

What They've Done
Bock-9 G, 9 GS, 801 Min, 1 goal, 2 points, 7 shots, 2 SOG
Falk-9 G, 9 GS, 810 Min, 1 goal, 2 points, 3 shots, 2 SOG
Larkin-8 G, 2 GS, 308 Min, 1 shot
Sari-3 G, 1 GS, 116 Min
Zerboni-3 G, 10 Min

Henderson-1 G, 1 GS, 90 Min, 4 Saves, 1 Shutout, 0.00 GA

Barnes and Cameron have not played.

Total Offensive Output-32 G, 21 GS, 2045 Min, 2 goals, 0 assists, 4 points, 11 shots, 4 SOG.
Total Goalkeeper Output-1 G, 1 GS, 90 Min, 4 Saves, 1 Shutout, 0.00 GA.

G=Games; GS=Games Started; Min=Minutes; SOG=Shots on Goal; GA=Goals Against Average.

The Players
Brittany Bock-Bock may have been the best all-around player in the draft. She is certainly one of the most versatile. After spending most of her Notre Dame career as a forward/midfielder, she started the season at center back for the Sol. She is capable of playing anywhere on the field. Bock isn't the type of player that is going to wow you with any one play, but if you watch her over the course of a game, you will begin to appreciate her talent. She plays physical when necessary and isn't afraid to go up strong for a header. She scored a goal against the Boston Breakers in a losing cause. She is a solid starter for the best team in the league and good enough for Pia Sundhage to take a look at her for the US National Team.

Allison Falk-Falk will forever be remembered as the player that scored the first goal in WPS history. But it has been solid defense which has earned Falk her starting position on LA's league-leading defense. For a tall player, Falk is surprisingly agile. Her height makes her a force on corner kicks and set pieces at both ends of the field. In the games I've seen her, I've lost count of how many times she headed a dangerous cross out of trouble. As she gains strength, she will get even better. She will make an occasional mistake, the hand ball in Saint Louis and an errant header late in the 2nd Sky Blue game, but she is almost always in good position. When pressured, she generally makes the safe play. Falk could be a solid center back for years to come.

Katie Larkin-Larkin started the season as an attacking mid/wing/forward type of player, basically the position she played at Brigham Young. However, she recently showed versatility, moving to outside defender and handled the assignment quite well. Larkin could probably be starting for some teams on a regular basis, but the Sol are loaded with talented midfielders and forwards, so the fact that she is getting serious playing time indicates that she has talent.

Val Henderson-She finally got a chance to start against FC Gold Pride and looked very good. She made a couple of very nice saves and picked up right where LeBlanc left off. Henderson spent a season with Pali Blues of the W-League and has extensive international experience with the US U-23 team and her experience showed in her start for the Sol. It will be interesting to see how many players each team is allowed to protect for next year's expansion draft. If not protected, she will surely be on Philadelphia or Atlanta's radar.

Lisa Sari-Considering she was the 66th pick in the draft, Sari has contributed quite well. She started and played the full 90 as a holding midfielder against Gold Pride and also saw playing time against Saint Louis and in the first Gold Pride game.

McCall Zerboni-The former UCLA midfielder is listed as a developmental player and has seen brief action in three games, but is gradually seeing more playing time.

Greer Barnes-Barnes has yet to see any action. I honestly thought she might go in the 2nd or 3rd round. I was surprised when she didn't go until the 4th round and equally surprised when she was listed as a developmental player.

Brittany Cameron-Cameron is a developmental player and will find it hard to get playing time behind LeBlanc and Henderson. Her best chance is probably the expansion draft if Philly or Atlanta drafts her or if they would draft Henderson, thus opening up the backup spot behind LeBlanc. She had a great career at San Diego, showing improvement each season.

Summary
Los Angeles did very well at the top of the draft. Their first two picks are already solid starters and their 3rd pick, Larkin, is a key contributor. Consider this, in their opener against Washington and Abby Wambach, the Sol started two not quite 22-year-old center backs. Bock and Falk were those two players. Val Henderson was an excellent 5th round pick for a backup keeper. Sari, Zerboni, and Cameron were good picks for depth and Barnes may eventually develop. Los Angeles is among the bottom of the league in offensive output out of their draft picks, but that speaks more to the extraordinary talent they already had, rather than to the quality of the players they drafted. Overall, this was a strong draft.