Cheney Leads Boston to Playoffs

Boston Breakers 2, Sky Blue FC 0

Lauren Cheney scored just 14 seconds into the match and then added another to lead the Boston Breakers to a 2-0 victory over Sky Blue. The victory moved Boston into a fourth place tie with Sky Blue, with the Breakers winning the final playoff berth by tiebreaker. The Breakers won the head-to-head matchup with Sky Blue for the season.

Cheney, who had just one goal entering the contest, wasted no time in putting Boston in the lead. Keelin Winters sent a cross to Cheney, who volleyed it one-time past Jen Branam and the Breakers led 1-0.

Cheney scored her second of the match in the 18th minute. Meghan Klingenberg sent a cross into the penalty area with Cheney getting a piece of it to redirect it into the goal for a 2-0 lead.

Sky Blue attempted to get back in the match by making early substitutions for offense. Coach Jim Gabarra brought Casey Nogueira in for defender Petra Hogewoning late in the first half, going to a three back formation. Later, Adriana subbed in for Danielle Johnson with Sky Blue going to a two back formation. But in spite of all efforts, they had dug themselves too big of a hole.

Alyssa Naeher picked up the shutout for Boston. It was her fifth of the season tying her with Jen Branam and Ashlyn Harris for the league best.

Boston ended a four game losing streak with this victory. They finish the regular season with a 5-9-4 record. It is the worst record of any team ever to make the WPS playoffs. Only two other teams with a losing record have made the playoffs. The 2010 Washington Freedom finished at 8-9-7 and were eliminated in the first round. The 2009 Sky Blue team finished 7-8-5, but went on to win three straight in the playoffs to capture the championship.

Sky Blue finishes the season with an identical 5-9-4 record, after coming within a couple minutes of clinching a playoff berth last weekend against Philadelphia.

Boston will now travel to Boca Raton to face magicJack in the first round of the playoffs on Wednesday at 7:30 pm eastern time. The game will be televised on Fox Soccer.

magicJack 2, Philadelphia Independence 1

The duo of Lisa De Vanna and Ella Masar hooked up for two goals and magicJack was able to hold on for a 2-1 win over Philadelphia. The loss ended Philly's quest for first place in WPS.

Both teams rested several regulars for the match. Karina LeBlanc got her first start in goal for the season after being a mainstay in the league the past two seasons. She rewarded coach Abby Wambach with a victory.

De Vanna was making only her third start of the season as coach Abby Wambach elected to not start herself. She opened the scoring ten minutes into the match on an assist by Masar. De Vanna added another goal in the second half, once again from Masar, to make it 2-0.

Philadelphia cut the lead to 2-1, as Amy Rodriguez scored in the 79th minute, assisted by Laura del Rio. It was Rodriguez' second of the year.

MagicJack finishes the season at 9-7-2, making the playoffs for the third time in franchise history. They made the playoffs the previous two years as the Washington Freedom, but were eliminated in the first round on each occasion. Philadelphia drops to 11-4-3 and finishes in second place.

MagicJack will now host the first round playoff match against the Boston Breakers on Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm eastern. Philadelphia will host the winner of that match next Saturday in the semifinal match.

Western New York Flash 2, Atlanta Beat 0

Western New York clinched the regular season title and then went on to defeat Atlanta 2-0 on Sunday evening in Rochester. About a third of the way through the match, the Flash knew that Philly had lost to magicJack, thus giving the Flash the regular season title.

After Atlanta had played very well early on, Western New York took the lead in the 37th minute as Caroline Seger volleyed in a Alex Morgan cross to give the Flash the lead before the intermission.

While Atlanta had played tough for most of the first half, the second was literally dominated by the Flash who created chance after chance. Only a few offsides calls and some dicey finishing kept Atlanta in the match.

The Flash finally put the game away in the 75th minute as Christine Sinclair sent a through-ball to Marta who raced onto it and touched it past Allison Whitworth. For Marta, it was her 10th goal of the season, drawing her even with Sinclair for the league lead in that category.

The Flash finish with a 13-2-3 record and will now host the WPS Championship match on August 27. Ashlyn Harris picks up her fifth shutout of the season, tying her for the WPS lead in that category. The Flash became the first WPS team to average more than two goals per game, scoring 40 times in just 18 matches.

Atlanta finishes the season with 1-13-4 record, not having scored in the last 757 minutes of the season. Their last goal was in a June 11 game against magicJack and they failed to score a goal on the road during the season.

Final WPS Regular Season Standings
(1) Western New York 13-2-3, 42 pts; (2) Philadelphia 11-4-3, 36 pts; (3) magicJack 9-7-2, 28 pts; (4) Boston 5-9-4, 19 pts; (5) Sky Blue FC 5-9-4, 19 pts; (6) Atlanta 1-13-4, 7 pts.

magicJack was penalized a point during the season.

Boston won the tiebreaker over Sky Blue based on head-to-head points.

Nadeshiko Japan Over Sweden 3-1 to the Finals

Japan played a dominating possession game to defeat Sweden 3-1 in the World Cup semifinal before a crowd of over 45,000 in Frankfurt. The victory set the Nadeshiko up for a finals match against the United States on Sunday. The US had advanced earlier after a 3-1 win over France.

Sweden's bad news started even before the semifinal match had begun. Caroline Seger aggravated a calf injury in warmups and was scratched from the lineup. With her normal replacement, Nilla Fischer, out because of yellow card accumulation, Thomas Dennerby went with Marie Hammarstrom at one central midfield position.

Norio Sasaki made the first change to his starting lineup since this World Cup began, opting for Nahomi Kawasumi at one forward position over Yuki Nagasato. Kawasumi would make her coach look like a genius before the day was done.

After a ten minute feeling out process between the two teams, Sweden struck first and once again, it was a matter of taking advantage of what was given to them. A Homare Sawa pass in the midfield may have been a bit too soft and Josefine Oqvist stepped in front of it and headed for the Japanese goal. She dribbled to the left side of the box, where she released a brilliant shot that beat Ayumi Kaihori and found the right side netting. Sweden led 1-0.

But for most of the game, Sweden looked listless on offense, apparently missing Seger, their captain. They just never could seem to get comfortable and with Japan controlling possession for most of the match, never really did get a chance to set up shop as they had in their four previous matches. Lotta Schelin was held well in check for the entire match.

Even though Japan had fallen behind early, they continued to do the things they are best at. Keep possession, pass the ball with accuracy, and be patient. They held possession for long periods of time, methodically working the ball up the field.

In the 18th minute, Aya Miyama sent in a cross from the left side to the back post. Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl started to come out to intercept the cross, then thought better of it, retreating to the goal. Kawasumi's and Oqvist's legs seemed to meet the ball almost simultaneously and the ball deflected through Lindahl's legs and into the net to tie the match. Kawasumi was credited with the goal.

Japan nearly scored again in the 28th minute as Kozue Ando got an uncontested shot from 12 yards, but it was right at Lindahl. In the 33rd minute, Miyama's free kick from 24 yards was heading toward the left post, with Lindahl deflecting it wide just to make sure. The half ended with the two teams tied at one.

Just a minute into the 2nd half, Shinobu Ohno nearly caught Lindahl off her line with her blast from 30 yards, but the ball skimmed the top of the crossbar and went over.

Lindahl had further problems in the 59th minute. Aya Sameshima sent a dangerous ball into the six from the left side. It appeared that Lindahl possibly could have caught the ball, but instead tried to push the ball away, doing so very awkwardly. The ball bounced into the air to Homare Sawa who nodded it over the head of defender Charlotte Rohlin and behind Lindahl who was out of the goal. It was Sawa's fourth goal of the World Cup and Nadeshiko had their first lead of the match.

Japan put the match out of reach just five minutes later. Miyama sent a long ball forward from the center line with Ando charging toward it. Lindahl came out nearly 25 yards to clear, kicking the ball away. Unfortunately for the Swedish keeper, the ball went right to Kawasumi, whose long lob from 32 yards went well over Lindahl's head and into the now vacant net to make it 3-1. It was Kawasumi's second goal of the match.

With Sweden having little of possession and not creating chances, it was too much of a hill for them to climb on this day. Dennerby attempted to insert new life into the match by sending in Sofia Jakobsson, Jessica Landstrom, and Antonia Goransson later in the match, but nothing much came of it. One can never truly measure how much missing personnel hurts a team, but Sweden certainly missed Caroline Seger.

Japan played out the final 25 minutes in typical fashion, maintaining possession and looking very good doing so. Kaihori and her back line never allowed Sweden to get chances in close. The Japanese keeper is visibly gaining in confidence with each match and she now has only one remaining for the championship.

So it will be the two teams of destiny in the finals and quite a contrast at that. The precision-minded, patient Nadeshiko of Japan against the never-say-die, gritty United States. It should make for quite a final on Sunday.

Sweden 1, Korea DPR 0

In almost a carbon copy of the first match for Sweden, they defeated Korea DPR 1-0, putting themselves in good position to advance to the quarterfinals. A tie or win by the United States will clinch a quarterfinal berth for Sweden.

Once again, Sweden had trouble putting away their chances. Once again, they were not dominant. And once again, they were able to get a second half goal to win the match. Korea, while they did well with possession at stretches throughout the match, really had very few threatening chances.

Like Tuesday, Sweden had an early chance to jump out on top. Lotta Schelin was open on the left side of the box, running onto a long ball out of the back, but her shot went just high and just wide left from 15 yards away. Like Jessica Landstrom in the match against Colombia, Schelin has a frustrating first half, missing out on golden opportunities.

There were few Korean chances in the opening 45 minutes and then from distance, like Kim Su Gyong's attempt from 28 yards in the sixth minute that went harmlessly wide. Their best chance of the first half was a cross from Song Jong Sun from the right side in the 19th minute. Kim was able to get a cleaner header on it, but the shot went well wide of the right post.

In the 30th minute, Caroline Seger sent Schelin in on the right side of the box, but Schelin did not get over the ball properly and her shot sailed high and wide to the right. Sweden's last chance of the half was Jessica Landstrom's attempt from 25 yards that sailed over the crossbar in the 42nd minute.

Sweden continued to press in the second half. Schelin sent the ball to Lisa Dahlqvist in the box, but Hong Myong Hui came out to deflect the ball wide. Five minutes later, a corner kick resulted in a scramble in the box after Hong was unable to get to the ball. Dahlqvist's shot from 15 yards was blocked by the defense and the ball was cleared.

Seger picked up a yellow card in the 59th minute, which was about the last thing Sweden needed. It was her second yellow of the tournament and she will now be forced to miss the upcoming match against the United States.

Swedish pressure finally paid off in the 64th minute. The Swedes reversed the ball from the right to the left with the ball coming to the feet of Linda Forsberg. She hit a right-footed inswinging cross to the far post. Therese Sjogran headed the ball back to the middle to an unmarked Dahlkvist, who blasted the ball into the net from only four yards out.

Korea's best chances seemed to come off of corner kicks, in spite of Sweden's height. In the 73rd minute, a Korean corner came into the six yard box. Both Ri Ye Gyong and Ri Un Hyang went up for the header, with it appearing that Ri U. H. making contact. The ball was headed toward the net, but Sara Thunebro was waiting on the line to clear it with her head.

In the 75th minute, Seger forced a turnover and sent the ball down the middle to Schelin. This time Schelin forced Hong to make a diving save on her low shot from 15 yards.

Korea tried to get an equalizer in the 80th minute as Ri Ye Gyong placed a cross into the box from the right side, but Lindahl anticipated nicely and grabbed the ball in front of Ra Un Sim.

Sweden was able to keep Korea from getting the ball up the field for most of the last ten minutes as time ticked away on the Koreans. It wasn't necessarily pretty, but Sweden had once again gotten the job done. Hedvig Lindahl earned the shutout for Sweden and Thunebro saved the day off the line late in the match. Meanwhile, Swedish forwards continued to struggle with their finishing touch.

The upside is Sweden will almost surely go through to the quarterfinals. The bad news is that Seger will miss the match against the United States, which could be very important for placement into the quarters.

Sweden will meet the United States on Wednesday, while Korea DPR, who are now virtually eliminated will meet Colombia.

Late Goal Gives Sky Blue Tie Against WNY

Casey Nogueira scored in the 88th minute of the match, as Sky Blue forced Western New York to a 2-2 draw at Sahlen Stadium on Sunday evening. It was only the second time all season that the Flash had not come away with a victory.

The first quarter of the match saw no goals and few opportunities. Both sides were missing players to national team duty, Whitney Engen and Alex Morgan for WNY and Heather O'Reilly and Tobin Heath for Sky Blue. In addition, Flash defender Candace Chapman was out with an injury.

Western New York struck first in the 39th minute. A Gemma Davison cross found the head of Christine Sinclair and the Canadian striker made no mistake in finishing her fifth goal of the season.

Just five minutes later, it was Sinclair setting up Caroline Seger, who had broken free from her mark and Seger made it 2-0 just before halftime.

Sky Blue nearly drew even in the 60th minute, but Flash goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris was able to make consecutive saves on Nogueira and Therese Sjögran to keep Sky Blue off the scoreboard.

The Flash maintained their lead until the 65th minute, when they were whistled for a hand ball in the box and Sky Blue was awarded a shot from the penalty spot. Sky Blue's Allie Long converted the penalty to put Sky Blue within one.

As in the previous week, it was late game heroics for Sky Blue. Laura Kalmari sent a cross to the middle and Casey Nogueira was able to collect, flick the ball over the head of McCall Zerboni and finish with a volley to tie the match at two. And that is how the match ended.

Sky Blue's record goes to 2-3-2 and they have collected seven points in their last three outings. Western New York, still unbeaten, suffered only the second blemish to their schedule for the season and stand at 6-0-2, still nine points clear of second place magicJack who plays in Boston on Sunday.

Excerpts for this story were taken from WPS press releases.

Western New York Shuts Out magicJack

The Western New York Flash have solidified their hold on first place, defeating magicJack by a 3-0 score. The Flash got goals from Becky Edwards and Caroline Seger, plus Seger later converted a penalty to account for the final score.

The first half was played at a frenetic pace, with scoring chances seemingly coming by the minute. MagicJack's decision to go with a three-back defense appeared to be a mistake, as Western New York owned the first 20 minutes of the match. The Flash put an onslaught on the magicJack goal with only great goalkeeping by Hope Solo keeping her team in the match.

The Flash got on the board just over one minute into the match. Kandace Wilson sent a beautiful pass through to Marta who dribbled in on goal. Solo came out to make a stop on Marta 10 yards from the goal. The rebound went to Christine Sinclair who drilled one off the crossbar, followed by another rebound by Becky Edwards that deflected off a magicJack defender and into the net.

In the 17th minute, Solo stopped Alex Morgan from point blank range. Just a minute later, Solo dove to save a Christine Sinclair shot, only to have the ball deflected off the crossbar by her own defender. She then scrambled to grab the ball before anymore damage could be done. And then it was Solo again stopping Morgan twice from inside 10 yards in the 19th minute. The Flash could have easily held a three or four goal advantage at that point, but it was still 1-0.

It was about that time that the momentum changed and magicJack started to put pressure on. In the 21st minute, Shannon Boxx blistered a shot off the crossbar, followed by a Meghan Schnur shot that sailed just over the bar.

In the 28th minute, Ashlyn Harris made a great diving punch save on Ella Masar. A few minutes later, it was Harris robbing Masar yet again on a lunging save on Masar's shot from 12 yards. Although she did not score, Masar would be a thorn in the Flashes' side all night long.

With magicJack knocking on the door and coming on strong, Caroline Seger scored against the run of play to make it 2-0 very late in the first half. Dribbling inside the box toward the right side and with everyone expecting her to pass, she suddenly turned and hit a low shot through Megan Schnur's legs that Hope Solo probably never saw and into the left side of the net. Western New York weathered a late push to keep the score at 2-0 in their favor at the half.

After such an action-packed first half, it was almost predictable that the second half couldn't keep up that pace and both teams seemed to settle into the game after the intermission.

The first really good chance of the second half came in the 59th minute as Sinclair hit a volley from just outside the penalty area, with Solo again coming up with the big save on a dive to her right.

Yael Averbuch entered the game in the 2nd half, seeing her first action since the opener for Western New York.

MagicJack nearly cut the lead in half in the 83rd minute as Ella Masar's shot from six yards went just over the bar and the unlucky Masar was again denied a goal.

Western New York finished the scoring in the 84th minute. Marta and Tina Ellertson, who had been battling all night, fought for a ball going into the box, both running at full speed. Ellertson reached out her arm in an attempt to slow Marta and shield her from the ball with the Flash striker going down and a penalty was awarded. Caroline Seger converted the penalty, as the ball went just beyond the fingertips of Solo, as the magicJack keeper had guessed correctly.

There were a few anxious moments among the Flash faithful and soccer fans in general, as Marta appeared to turn an ankle and was walking quite gingerly after she was able to get up. However, she stayed on and appeared to be running without discomfort later in the match.

Ashlyn Harris got the shutout in goal for the Flash. They raise their record to 5-0-1, with 16 points. They are now eight points clear of second place magicJack, who fell to 3-1-0, with 8 points. Western New York travels to Philadelphia next weekend, while magicJack returns home to host Atlanta.

It was announced by WPS that magicJack owner Dan Borislow has been fined $10,000 and has been suspended from serving in any technical capacity for magicJack for two games, effective immediately, for "public statements that are derogatory and not in the best interests of the league."

Marta Leads Flash to Victory

Five-time FIFA Player of the Year Marta scored one goal and assisted on two others as the Western New York Flash defeated Sky Blue FC 3-1 in Friday night action at Sahlen Stadium in Rochester.

Marta's assists came on first half goals by Alex Morgan and Caroline Seger. The Flash took a 2-0 lead into the second half.

Seeing her first action of the season, second half substitution Adriana made an immediate impact, cutting the lead in half in the 66th minute.

Coach Jim Gabarra thought his team played better in the second half, but that they still need to improve. “Their speed is difficult to deal with," said Gabarra. "I think the second half we did much better and put a little scare into them. We gave away a couple chances to Marta and I think collectively we need to do a little better.”

Marta scored in the 77th minute to restore the Flashes' two goal lead and that wrapped up the scoring for the match.

“We were effective early on, that is what I talked about with the players and that helped us get ahead of the game," said Flash coach Aaran Lines. "Marta was just magical tonight.”

Western New York was able to win in spite of the absence of WPS leading scorer Christine Sinclair who was not active for the match. Gina Lewandowski and Maurine were activated for the first time, but neither saw action. The Flash outshot Sky Blue by an 11-5 margin.

Western New York improved their record to 3-0-1 to give them a first place total of 10 points. Sky Blue dropped to 0-3-1 and are still searching for their first victory.

Western New York now hosts Boston next Friday. The Flash have already defeated the Breakers once this season. Meanwhile, Sky Blue gets next weekend off before returning to action on May 21 against the Atlanta Beat at home.

2011 Western New York Flash Preview

Western New York Flash
Coach: Aaran Lines (1st year)
2010 Record: Expansion Team
Home Stadium: Sahlen Stadium (Rochester, NY)

Roster:
Goalkeepers (3): Ashleigh Bowers(R), Brittany Cameron, Ashlyn Harris.
Defenders (8): Kim Brandão, Candace Chapman, Whitney Engen, Gina Lewandowski, Ali Riley, Alexandra Sahlen, Julianne Sitch, Kandace Wilson.
Midfielders (6): Yael Averbuch, Brittany Bock, Becky Edwards, Beverly Goebel, Caroline Seger, McCall Zerboni.
Forwards (6): Gemma Davison, Kaley Fountain, Marta, Alex Morgan(R), Kelly Parker, Christine Sinclair.
(R) denotes true rookie.
Probable World Cup players: Harris, Chapman, Riley, Averbuch, Seger, Marta, Morgan, Sinclair.

The new kids in the league are likely to make a lot of noise. Considering they have seven players off of the 2010 champion Gold Pride team, plus four others from the 2010 W-League champion Buffalo Flash, it won’t be much of a surprise if this team is playing for a championship come August.

It doesn’t hurt that the Flash signed Marta, the world’s best player five years running, Christine Sinclair, Canada’s all-time leading scorer, and on top of that, drafted Alex Morgan, one of USWNT’s rising stars. This team shouldn’t have any problem scoring goals, except possibly during World Cup time. In fact, the only positions which might be short on depth are goalkeeper and midfield.

Goalkeepers: Ashlyn Harris started 2010 in Saint Louis as the backup to Hope Solo. She finished the season as the Washington Freedom’s starter, earning four shutouts on her way to 1.11 goals against average. Two of those shutouts down the stretch came against two of the most explosive offenses in WPS, Gold Pride and Philadelphia. Harris, who is vying for the third goalkeeper’s spot on the USWNT, is finally gaining some recognition as a top goalkeeper.

Backing up Harris will be Brittany Cameron, who started three games last season for Gold Pride, and Ashleigh Bowers, a rookie out of Niagara. Cameron is certainly a capable goalkeeper who just hasn’t gotten much action because she has had quality keepers in front of her. Bowers posted a 0.63 goals against average during her senior year, giving up more than one goal on only two occasions.

Defenders: The Flash have three quarters of Gold Pride’s starting back line, including rookie of the year Ali Riley. Riley is an excellent two-way player, solid at defending and a threat with her speed on overlapping runs. Kandace Wilson is another speedster at the right back position. There isn’t likely to be a more dangerous duo at outside back anywhere in this league. The third former Gold Pride defender is Candace Chapman, a starter for the Canadian National Team.

Western New York also signed Whitney Engen, who was one of the league’s best young defenders with Chicago last season. They added Kim Brandão, a member of the Portuguese National Team and of the W-League Flash. And they brought in center back Gina Lewandowski, a four-year veteran of the Frauen Bundesliga for FFC Frankfurt. Adding depth is the Alexandra Sahlen, who also happens to be the team president, and Julianne Sitch a veteran of both the W-League and WPS, who played for the 2009 champion Sky Blue FC.

Midfielders: For midfielders, it appears almost as though the Flash grabbed a player from each of the other teams in the league. They got Yael Averbuch from Sky Blue, Caroline Seger from Philadelphia, McCall Zerboni from Atlanta, Becky Edwards from Gold Pride, and Beverly Goebel and Brittany Bock from the Freedom.

Seger, captain of the Swedish National Team, is the team’s most experienced and accomplished midfielder. She had a strong season with Philadelphia in 2010, scoring one goal and adding five assists. Joining her is Averbuch, a defensive midfielder who has a cannon of a shot. Averbuch was a first round draft pick in 2009 and spent the last two seasons with Sky Blue.

Becky Edwards is another solid defensive midfielder, whose strong rookie season was overshadowed by her more well known teammates in 2010. After a promising rookie season in 2009, Brittany Bock struggled through an injury-filled season last year. She can play multiple positions which will add versatility to the Flash. Rounding out the midfield cast is Beverly Goebel, who scored one goal in 16 appearances for the Freedom in 2010, and McCall Zerboni, who was a starter for the Beat last year.

Forwards: With three world class forwards on this team and plenty of depth, this should be the strongest offense in the league. There isn’t much more that can be said about Marta that hasn’t already been said. She has been the best female player in the world for a long time now and she is still just 25 years old. She is fast, talented, and determined, nearly impossible to stop one-on-one.

The scary thing is defenses can’t just concentrate on Marta. Not when the Flash also have Christine Sinclair and Alex Morgan. Sinclair has over 100 international goals for Canada and 16 career WPS goals. She is very intelligent about both the timing and shape of her runs. Morgan has come into the spotlight over the past year, becoming one of the USWNT’s best forwards and clutch goal scorers. She also has excellent speed.

England’s Gemma Davison and Canadian Kelly Parker move right from the W-League Flash to the WPS team. Davison has played club soccer in both the US and in England. She also has one cap for the English National Team and played at the junior level for England. Parker is a veteran of the Canadian National Team and played midfield for the 2009 Sky Blue championship team. She has good speed and is always a player to watch on the attack. Former Wake Forest star Kaley Fountain adds depth and can also play outside back.

Outlook: This team appears to have everything…talent, experience, and speed. They should score goals in bunches with the best group of forwards in the league and two excellent outside backs that can attack. The defense should be equally solid and has a lot of depth. The midfield does not have a lot of offensive-minded players. Averbuch and Edwards are primarily defensive mids and while Seger is skilled at setting up others with her strong passing game, she isn’t likely to score a lot herself.

My biggest worries for this team is depth in the midfield and how much they will be affected by the World Cup. They could very well lose eight starters to national team duties for a good part of the season. Obviously, this is a problem for most of the teams, but I think more for the Flash.

Making the playoffs should almost be a given for this team. Winning it all could be a bit tougher in what should be a fiercely competitive league, but this team could certainly do so.

Biggest Off-Season Player Moves in WPS

I have just written an article for the WPS website about the biggest off-season player moves.

My list of top off-season moves are (not necessarily in any order):

1) Marta, Western New York Flash
2) Christine Sinclair, Western New York Flash
3) Ali Riley and Kandace Wilson, Western New York Flash
4) Rachel Buehler, Boston Breakers
5) Eniola Aluko, Tobin Heath, Angie Kerr trade, Sky Blue FC
6) Therese Sjögran, Sky Blue FC
7) Christie Rampone, Washington Freedom
8) Caroline Seger, Western New York Flash
9) Shannon Boxx, Washington Freedom
10) Johanna Rasmussen & 3rd overall pick in 2011 draft, Washington Freedom

Please check it out, along with all the latest WPS news, interviews, and information at http://www.womensprosoccer.com/.

Seger Traded to Western New York

Our Game Magazine is reporting that the Philadelphia Indepedence has traded Caroline Seger to Western New York for draft picks in both the 2011 and 2012 draft. Seger, a member of the Swedish National Team, helped lead the Independence to the WPS finals before losing to FC Gold Pride in the championship match.

Seger had a goal and five assists in 18 matches for Philadelphia last season. She has capped 77 times for Sweden and has scored 12 goals.

Our Game Magazine is a webmagazine that promotes women's soccer and has several players on their staff. Please check out their website.

Adams OT Goal Nets Win for Independence

It didn't quite take 120 minutes for the winning goal as in Sunday's match, but Danesha Adams overtime goal gave Philadelphia a 2-1 Super Semifinal victory over the Boston Breakers, sending the Independence to the west coast for a final's date with FC Gold Pride. The goal, which came in the 103rd minute, was somewhat controversial and left the Breakers complaining about the lack of a call on the play.

With the end of the 1st overtime approaching, Tina DiMartino dribbled from the right wing toward the box and crossed the ball to the far post. Danesha Adams gained some separation from Amy LePeilbet and rose for a header just at the left post and maybe two yards off the line. The ball went off Adams downward, inside the post, and just over the line. There was some question as to whether the ball had touched Adam's hand or not, but veteran referee Kari Seitz did not wave off the goal. Several replays were inconclusive as to whether the ball hit Adams hand or whether it went off her head. For their part, the Breakers signalled almost immediately for a hand ball, but to no avail.

The first half of the game was played at a fast pace, leaving one wondering whether either team would have the energy for an overtime. The Independence got the first good chance of the match as Frida Magnusdottir took a free kick from 30 yards out. Magnusdottir struck a bullet which was bending away from Breaker goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and toward the left corner of the net. Naeher completely layed out to catch the ball cleanly with a great save.

Boston then seemed to control possession for awhile, gaining two chances, with a Fabiana shot over the bar and a Kristine Lilly volley that Val Henderson was barely able to get her hand on to deflect wide.

The Breakers were the first to strike. Lianne Sanderson lost possession to Jordan Angeli at midfield in what appeared to be heavy contact. Kristine Lilly then sent a long ball up to Lauren Cheney. Cheney caught Henderson well off her line and chipped it perfectly from 22 yards, with the ball grazing the bottom of the crossbar and going into the net.

Boston's lead lasted all of seven minutes as the Independence quickly drew even. Amy Rodriguez hustled to gain possession inside Boston's half and passed the ball to Tina DiMartino. DiMartino sent it back to Rodriguez who found an open Caroline Seger charging in from the right side. Seger's low shot to the far post beat Naeher to tie the score. It appeared that Naeher had to hesitate, wary of DiMartino who was making a run at the near post.

After the break, Rodriguez had two chances at an open net, putting both wide. In the first, she caught Naeher out of the box, but her diving shot rolled just wide of the goal. On the second, she touched the ball past Naeher, but was unable to get her shot on frame from a bad angle.

Jen Buczkowski picked up her fourth yellow card of the year against Boston for taking down Kelly Smith in the 68th minute. Both teams seem to tire toward the end of the 2nd half.

The Breakers were to come close twice in the closing minutes of the 2nd half. First, Cheney was able to get off a shot from the side of the box, which Henderson parried safely away. In the 89th minute, LePeilbet sent a long ball forward to Kelly Smith. Smith made a brilliant first touch to bring the ball to her left foot, but her blast from 20 yards went just over the crossbar and the score remained 1-1 after regulation time.

The Independence seem to gain a second wind with the start of the overtime. They nearly scored in the 102nd minute, with DiMartino crossing the ball to Adams whose shot from eight yards went over the crossbar. But it was only a minute later that the two paired up for what would be the game winning goal. Adams had been a second half substitution by Paul Riley.

The Breakers did not go quietly. Midway through the 2nd overtime, a scramble in front of the net was temporarily cleared by Philadelphia, but Kasey Moore was able to win possession for Boston. She saw Henderson a bit off her line and launched a shot from 30 yards that hit the crossbar. The ball rebounded to Alex Scott, who was all alone in the box, about 12 yards out with only Henderson between her and the goal. A bouncing ball and tired legs did Scott in as she nearly fanned on her shot and the Independence were able to recover in time to clear the ball out of trouble. It would be the last good opportunity that the Breakers would have.

Philadelphia was able to kill the remaining time to put away the 2-1 victory. Several players on both teams had excellent games. Although she missed some opportunities to score, Amy Rodriguez worked tirelessly throughout the match and her hustle led to the first goal. Tina DiMartino seemed to be everywhere, among several great efforts from the Independence midfielders. Alyssa Naeher's great save early on was the best of the match. Veteran Kristine Lilly had a strong match as well.

The shots ended up nearly even with the Independence having the slight edge at 18-17. The Breakers had a heavy advantage in corners at 8-2 and a slight one in shots on goal at 8-6.

Philadelphia will now travel to Pioneer Stadium in Hayward, California to face FC Gold Pride. The 2010 WPS Championship presented by Citi will be played at 2:30 Eastern, 11:30 Pacific on Sunday, September 26. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Net.

Playoff Preview - Washington Freedom at Philadelphia Independence

Washington Freedom (8-9-7) at Philadelphia Independence (10-10-4)
John A. Ferrell Stadium, West Chester, PA – September 19 (2:30 pm ET)

Probable Rosters:
Washington: GK-Ashlyn Harris, Meghan McCray; D-Cat Whitehill, Nikki Marshall, Becky Sauerbrunn, Rebecca Moros, Brittany Bock, Kristi Eveland; MF-Sonia Bompastor, Sarah Huffman, Homare Sawa, Allie Long, Anita Asante, Beverly Goebel, Jill Gilbeau; F-Abby Wambach, Lene Mykjåland, Christie Welsh.

Philadelphia: GK-Karina LeBlanc, Val Henderson; D-Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, Heather Mitts, Holmfridur Magnusdottir, Sara Larsson, Estelle Johnson, Sarah Senty; MF-Lori Lindsey, Caroline Seger, Joanna Lohman, Tina DiMartino, Jen Buczkowski; F-Amy Rodriguez, Lianne Sanderson, Danesha Adams, Lyndsey Patterson.

Previous Meetings (2010)
April 25 – Washington 1 @ Philadelphia 3
May 30 – Philadelphia 1 @ Washington 2
June 26 – Washington 2 @ Philadelphia 3
August 4 – Philadelphia 0 @ Washington 2

Philadelphia is 7-3-2 at home with a 24-16 edge in goals.
Washington is 1-7-4 on the road being outscored 14-21.

Top Performers in Series
Washington: Wambach (4 goals, 1 assist); Mykjåland (1 goal); Moros (1 goal); De Vanna (1 goal); Bompastor (1 assist); Whitehill (1 assist); Welsh (1 assist); Harris (1 game, 1 shutout, 0.00 GAA); McLeod (2 games, 2.00 GAA)

Philadelphia: Rodriguez (3 goals); Sanderson (3 goals); Falk (1 goal); Lindsey (3 assists); Seger (1 assist); Buczkowski (1 assist); V. Henderson (3 games, 1.67 GAA); LeBlanc (1 game, 2.00 GAA).

Matchups:
Goalkeepers
Ashlyn Harris vs. Karina LeBlanc or Val Henderson

A little over a month ago, I would have given Philadelphia a heavy edge here, but Harris, the rookie out of UNC, had a spectacular month of August and has a 0.57 GAA over her last seven matches. She has posted four shutouts including one over Philadelphia, the only shutout in the series between the two teams.

My guess would be that LeBlanc would start this match, but Henderson started three of the four matches against the Freedom during the season. LeBlanc had the edge in starts this season with 14, but both keepers have identical 1.50 goals against averages. LeBlanc has the edge in experience over both Harris and Henderson, given her time with the Canadian National Team and a season with the Sol. Not to mention, she is the only one of the three that has played in a WPS playoff game before.

Harris has been the hotter goalkeeper, but LeBlanc has the experience, making it a tough call on the advantage. So I’ll call it even.

Defenders
Cat Whitehill, Nikki Marshall, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Rebecca Moros vs. Allison Falk, Nikki Krzysik, Heather Mitts, and Holmfridur Magnusdottir (or Sara Larsson).

There is some question here about how Paul Riley will configure his defense. He could move Magnusdottir to midfield and have Larsson in the starting lineup.

Whitehill might be the veteran leader and Sauerbrunn might be the steady performer, but Nikki Marshall has been the difference maker here. She has been solid over the latter half of the season and gives the Freedom something they didn’t really have on their back line…speed. After getting torched for 15 goals over a five game span in midseason, this group came together as Marshall returned to the back line, taking what appeared to be the team’s biggest weakness and making it a strong point.

Early in the season, Philadelphia looked like a team that was going to win a lot of low scoring matches. Nearly overnight, they appeared to transform into a high-powered offensive team that would win just by outscoring their opponents. Lately, they haven’t been winning period. The Independence posted only four shutouts during the season and only one after mid-May. This is also a defense that has had trouble containing Abby Wambach.

It's a given that Whitehill is one of the best in the league on long-range free kicks, but ultimately, I think Philly has the better back line when it comes to offense. Falk can be very dangerous on set pieces and if Magnusdottir starts as an outside defender, she can give opponents fits with her flank runs. But overall, a defense’s first job is defense and I think the Freedom have the edge there.

Midfielders
Sonia Bompastor, Sarah Huffman, Allie Long, and Anita Asante or Homare Sawa vs. Lori Lindsey, Caroline Seger, Joanna Lohman, Tina DiMartino, and Jen Buczkowski

This will be one heck of a battle between two very talented midfields. Washington has several veteran steady performers with Huffman, Asante (who may also play defender, her natural position), and Sawa. Bompastor is the quarterback and the engine that makes this team run. Maybe her stats aren’t as gaudy as her 2009 numbers, but make no mistake on her importance to the Freedom. Meanwhile, Allie Long sometimes performs under the radar and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her get a goal or make a big play in a match like this. Brittany Bock gives the Freedom depth at both midfield and defense.

Philadelphia’s midfield definitely has the statistical edge over their Freedom counterparts. Lindsey has two goals and eight assists, Seger has a goal and five assists, Lohman has five goals and DiMartino four goals. That’s a lot of offense out of a midfield. Lindsey and Seger are the heart of this midfield. Both are heavy in international experience and have excellent skills. Lohman has been one the pleasant surprises for the Independence and no one will outwork her on the pitch. DiMartino is one of the more underrated midfielders in the league. Buczkowski is primarily a defensive specialist, who had an excellent playoff run last season with Sky Blue.

I have to give Philadelphia the edge here, because of their offensive arsenal. However, don’t sell Bompastor and company short. The Freedom unit is a veteran group that does the little things to get the job done. Another area where Philadelphia needs to be wary is their tendency to take bad and unnecessary fouls. Seger, Buczkowski, and Magnusdottir have all been red carded this year and Philly was second only to Chicago in fouls committed. They cannot afford to go a player down in this match nor can they afford to give up a lot of set pieces to a Freedom team that is very adept at exploiting such opportunities. Edge to Philadelphia, but not by a lot.

Forwards
Abby Wambach and Lene Mykjåland vs. Amy Rodriguez and Lianne Sanderson.

Philadelphia often goes with a lone forward to start the match, inserting Sanderson at halftime or early in 2nd half to provide additional offense.

In both cases, the star performers for each team have stood out in this series. Rodriguez has three goals against the Freedom, while Wambach has four goals and an assist against the Independence, albeit two goals coming on penalties. What we have here are two highly skilled forwards, with totally different skill sets and games, that are often paired together on the USWNT and almost perfectly complement one another. But on this weekend, they will be on opposite sides.

Rodriguez game is speed and precision. She is one of the fastest forwards in the league and this season, she improved her runs greatly, both in timing and in the angle of the run. Wambach's game is more power, often fighting off defenders to get a shot off. And there is simply not a better player in the world when the ball is in the air. Not only are her headers normally on frame, they have more power behind them than some players can shoot with their feet. That’s not to take anything away from Wambach’s skill, because she is enormously talented, but the power game is when she is at her best.

Mykjåland has scored four goals for the Freedom this year and you can’t discount her experience internationally. The wildcard in this matchup may be young Lianne Sanderson. She scored five goals this season, but three of them were against the Freedom. Sanderson will often come off the bench, fresh and full of energy, and exploit tired defenders in the 2nd half of games. Of her three goals against the Freedom, one was in the 67th minute and the other two came in stoppage time after she had come off the bench as a 2nd half sub.

I have to give an edge to the Freedom here. Wambach has been through the wars with over 10 years of international experience. Big games are the norm for her. Washington is likely to get a number of set pieces in this match and Wambach will have opportunities. Rodriguez came into her own this year, but she has scored only one goal in her last eight matches and none in her last five. Edge to the Freedom, but beware of Sanderson late.

Coaching
Jim Gabarra vs. Paul Riley

Paul Riley was WPS Coach of the Year and has to be given a lot of credit for preparing his team and building them into a competitive side very early on. But he hasn’t been able to find the answers lately as the Independence are on a four game losing streak, being outscored 9-2 over that stretch. In his defense, Philadelphia was probably hurt more by international call ups than most teams, losing players such as Seger, Larsson, and Magnusdottir for quite a few matches.

Jim Gabarra has a lot of experience and is a capable coach. He went through a similar bad stretch in June and July, with a 0-6-4 record over a ten game winless streak. However, he has managed to right the ship just in time, with the Freedom making a nice run down the stretch to edge out Sky Blue for the final playoff berth. Give him a lot of credit for the decision to move Marshall back to defense where the need was far greater than at forward.

I’d say it’s a virtual wash here, with neither side having much of an advantage.

Intangibles
The Independence have the home field advantage in this one and in the four meetings between these two teams, the home team has won on each occasion. Philly was a stronger team at home, with one of their losses coming against regular season champs Gold Pride and the other two losses were one goal decisions against Boston. Washington has a terrible road record, with their only road victory coming in May against Atlanta.

The Freedom have one thing going for them, though, and that’s momentum. They played a lot of meaningful games down the stretch, finishing the season off at a 4-1-2 clip. They are a confident squad right now, while the Independence have been a bit listless as of late. Both teams are pretty experienced, with the one area of question possibly being young Ashlyn Harris in goal, but she has performed admirably in a number of big games during the past month.

Again, this is pretty much a wash, with Philadelphia having an edge with the home field advantage and Washington having the edge in momentum and confidence.

My Prediction
My feeling is that the Independence have had trouble scoring lately, while Washington has been in big game mode for quite some time, given their battle for the final playoff spot. Playoff games often come down to one play at the right time and with set pieces being a strong suit for the Freedom and Abby Wambach, that tilts the scales their way.
Washington Freedom 2, Philadelphia Independence 1

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.

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.

Seger, Bachmann Are Top Picks In WPS International Draft

Caroline Seger of Sweden and Linköpings FC was chosen by the Philadelphia Independence as the first selection in the WPS International Draft. The 24 year old midfielder has over 30 caps with the Swedish National Team.

For their first pick, the Atlanta Beat chose 18 year old Swiss sensation Ramona Bachmann, a forward with Umeå IK. She has scored 14 goals for the Swedish club this season.

Both Philadelphia and Atlanta chose 5 players each. Philadelphia's first two picks were from Swedish club Linköpings FC and Atlanta's first three picks were from Swedish club Umeå IK. In all, 7 of the 10 players chosen are now playing in the Swedish Damallsvenskan.

Probably the most well known player to American soccer fans is former Florida State star Mami Yamaguchi, who now plays for Umeå IK with Bachmann. The young Japanese star won the MAC Hermann Award for the top female college soccer player in 2007.

The Selections (Name, position, age, country, current club):
1) Philadelphia-Caroline Seger, Midfielder, 24, Sweden, Linköpings FC
2) Atlanta-Ramona Bachmann, Forward, 18, Switzerland, Umeå IK
3) Philadelphia-Charlotte Rohlin, Defender, 28, Sweden, Linköpings FC
4) Atlanta-Johanna Rasmussen, Forward, 26, Denmark, Umeå IK
5) Philadelphia-Holmfridur Magnusdottir, Attacking Midfielder, 25, Iceland, Kristianstads DFF
6) Atlanta-Mami Yamaguchi, Attacking MF/Forward, 23, Japan, Umeå IK
7) Philadelphia-Fara Williams, Midfielder, 25, England, Everton
8) Atlanta-Maurine Dorneles Goncalves, Midfielder, 23, Brazil, Santos
9) Philadelphia-Lianne Sanderson, Forward, 21, England, Chelsea
10) Atlanta-Therese Sjögran, Midfielder, 32, Sweden, LdB FC Malmo