Quick note to clarify something that came up in tonight's St. Louis-Washington WPS game. I had a bad view of a collision between St. Louis' Brazilian star Daniela, who had the first two goals in team history tonight, and Washington's Abby Wambach. On Twitter, @ATHLETICAsoccer said "No contact .

Saint Louis Athletica midfielder Daniela suffered a fractured tibia and damage to two knee ligaments after a collision with Washington Freedom forward Abby Wambach during Sunday night's game. The extent of the recovery has yet to be determined, but was described by the team physician as "lengthy." This afternoon, Wambach issued the following statement.

Amidst some serious controversy in the aftermath of a defining moment for Womens Professional Soccer, the league has come to what should be considered a fair and reasonable decision regarding the issue.

With a statement by WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci and the suspensions of Abby Wambach and Kia McNeil, the time has come to move on from this unfortunate incident and to get back to playing soccer.

So Abby Wambach and Kia MacNeill have garnered one match suspensions as Tonya Antonucci (WPS Commissioner) made the call (after the WPS Disciplinary Committee had decided differently). Let the controversy roil and the debating continue. It probably isn't a bad thing for WPS to have everyone kinda riled at this point in the young season.

Struck down by an ACL injury nine months before the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, defensive midfielder Jenna Richmond (above left with 2008 U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year Kristie Mewis) couldn't quite make it back into contention for a roster spot on that team. Now, she is focusing on trying to make the U.

Couple of notes in tomorrow's paper:
Wambach waits: WPS' disciplinary committee will take a closer look at an incident from Sunday's St. Louis-Washington game in which a challenge from Abby Wambach left St. Louis star Daniela with two injured knee ligaments and a crack in her tibia.

When you are a soccer player, it goes without saying that you'd rather hurt your hand than your foot (unless you are a goalkeeper). We're not sure what caused the rash or wrist/thumb/arm/hand injuries on the U.S. Women's National Team, but as you can see, Shannon Boxx and Marian Dalmy both are sporting some protection for injuries.

There's quite a bit on the soccer news front, as you may have guessed from the headline this morning.  The WPS has held its combines on the East and West coasts, and is gearing up for its draft on Friday, January 16th.  (That's this Friday, folks!)  Here's some nice video from the West Coast combine [.

The scorecard for the Washington Freedom's Abby Wambach this season: 13 games, three goals - and two challenges that led to season-ending injuries to both opponents.

Wambach, who earlier this season received a one-game suspension in the wake of the May 3 game against St. Louis Athletica after an 80th minute tackle that left Brazilian star Daniela with two unspecified knee ligaments and a cracked tibia, was also involved in a tackle Sunday that left Sol defender Christie Shaner with a broken leg.

With an 8 p.m. ET kickoff tonight (Live on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Espanol), the U.S. players have about 10 hours to kill before leaving for the match. That's a long time to wait for a soccer player anxious to play a game. What do the U.S. players do all day? Not surprisingly, most just chill.

FIRE KINNEAR NOW.
I told you this was going to be a blowout Everton victory, and I was right. American soccer has proven once again that it does not belong on the world stage. But that's not news - how long has it been since the United States national team hasn't beaten a highly-ranked opponent?

Final shots for the day:

*Sol defenders Brittany Bock and Stephanie Cox and midfielder Shannon Boxx were among 26 players called into Pia Sundhage's 12-day USWNT camp that begins Sept. 21 at Home Depot Center. Bock gets her second call-up of the year after also making the U.S. roster for the May 25 game against Canada in Toronto she was forced to miss after suffering a heel injury in training the day before.

Have you been having trouble this week keeping track of what day it is?  I'm not complaining about the Thursday Holidays, mind you - but it's made for some serious disorientation.  Nice and quiet at work, though.  I've been digging through things I hadn't gotten to for months, and my in-box is down to just [.

January 14, 2009 - Just days away, the 2009 WPS Draft will take place Friday at the NSCAA Convention in St. Louis (at America's Center) and the Boston Breakers have the first pick. Friday could be the most influential day in terms of the early success for each club and while the core of most teams is [.

The stars of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), including three-time FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, Marta, number one WPS draft pick and Olympic Gold Medalist, Amy Rodriguez, and US National Team midfielder and Women's World Cup bronze medalist, Leslie Osborne, unveiled the league's Puma designed home and away uniforms in New York last night at a [.

This is tough for me to admit, but when I first heard that the WPS was being created, I was very skeptical about another woman's football league. Sure I understand that the WUSA didn't last due to the quality on the pitch but because of it's pathetic management. It was just hard for me to get behind a product that I had already discarded in my mind as something that wouldn't be around two years

Women's Professional Soccer commissioner Tonya Antonucci has decided to suspend Washington Freedom forward Abby Wambach for the "reckless" tackle that lead to Saint Louis Athletica midfielder Daniela's injury on Sunday. Antonucci also suspended Athletica defender Kia McNeil for "persistent egregious conduct toward an opposing player.

President Barack Obama talks up another stateside World Cup on Mexican television.Meanwhile, Abby Wambach and the Washington Freedom have invited Michelle Obama and the girls to take in a WPS match (scroll down), and I'm guessing it won't be long before they accept. Both the Obama daughters play, if I'm not mistaken.

TORONTO, Canada (May 25, 2009) – The U.S. Women's National Team scored twice in each half, getting goals from four different players to defeat Canada 4-0 in front of 10,255 fans at BMO Field. It was the USA's first match in Canada since 2001.

Midfielder Shannon Boxx opened the scoring just 93 seconds into the match and midfielder Megan Rapinoe added a second just before the halftime.

Arrive early this evening for the Galaxy-AC Milan friendly at Home Depot Center that was a condition of the Galaxy extending David Beckham's loan to the Italian club.

The Galaxy, which routinely inflates attendance figures in the 24,500-seat stadium, might actually have to do the opposite tonight to stay within fire code given that they've sold out the grass berm, standing room only seats - everything.

Crunching some numbers and shaking them until they give up some useless information about the 148 players who played in Women's Professional Soccer this season:

• Five players - Kristine Lilly (Boston Breakers), Aya Miyama (Los Angeles Sol), Caroline Jonsson (Chicago Red Stars), Becky Sauerbrunn and Homare Sawa (Washington Freedom) all played every minute of every game.

The 2009 soccer year passes into history this week and a new year of soccer memories begin on Friday!

In another effort to churn out a weekly column using a tired, formulaic method, I present for your consideration XI personal highlights from my year in soccer:

I. Fulham's Run to the Europa League: In some ways, my support of Fulham is more pure than that I have for the Chicago Fire, Chicago Red Stars or even my current employer, the Milwaukee Wave.

They've signed some of world's best players (including the best - Brazilian ace Marta). They've secured TV deals and sponsorship contracts. They've trained hard and are now ready for showtime. Welcome Women's Professional Soccer (WPS). The second coming of women's soccer in the US this Sunday in Los Angeles as the the Washington Freedom and Los [.

Women's professional soccer is back in the US, and I'm writing this as I watch the inaugural WPS match on Fox Soccer Channel. a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/"The WPS website/a is billing this as Abby versus Marta--that's Abby Wambach---br /br /span style="font-style: italic;"GOOOOOAAAALLLLL!/span LA Sol defender Allison Falk scores the first ever WPS goal in the sixth minute!

Locals Bock, LePeilbet also join for May 20, 23 matches vs. Japan
On Wednesday, U.S. Women's National Team head coach Pia Sundhage named her 21-player roster for a two-game international tilt against Japan. The games take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, and at 5 p.

With the WPS lineups missing players for Monday's USA - Canada game, Saint Louis and Los Angeles got away wins. The story of the weekend happened before the start of the Saint Louis - DC game when coach Ian Sawyer was suspended indefinitely by the club. Sky Blue FC 1 - Washington 2 Missing Abby Wambach to National Team duty and playing for the first time this season at RFK Stadium, Washington got goals from.

After an excellent performance against Canada on Memorial Day, playing under the adverse conditions of a hard turf field and 10,000 hostile Canadian fans (ok, they weren't hostile. Canadians are actually really nice folks), the U.S. players have returned to their WPS clubs, where they shall stay until mid-July when the team regroups for another two matches against Canada.

Chicago's Carney red carded in 2nd half, but 'D' holds off Washington
Only one shot on goal.
Only 10 players for 30-plus minutes of soccer.
The Chicago Red Stars still managed a point on the road for a third straight game as they played the Washington Freedom to a scoreless draw in Women's Professional Soccer action Saturday afternoon at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.

One year and three days after breaking her leg in the final U.S. tuneup game before the Olympics, Abby Wambach scored her 100th international goal in the 1-0 U.S. win over Canada Sunday in Rochester, N.Y.

It was Wambach's first U.S. goal since the injury. Forward Lauren Cheney, 21, who replaced Wambach on the Olympic roster, came into the game in the 63rd minute and set up the historic goal 15 minutes later.

An early red card for Boston and another coaching change in New Jersey brought a colorful beginning to Week 18 in Women's Pro Soccer. These two random incidents caused a bit of commotion heading into these final weeks of the regular season, but the red card was by far more controversial.

I like how the USWNT asst coach is using a translator and then Abby Wambach just asks, "Do yall speak English?" and they all said "Yes!". Nice one Abby!

Seriously though this is very cool the ladies took the time to run a clinic. Looked like they had fun too!

JM

If you are watching this video on the main page of the blog and the video is sticking out into the categories on the right hand side I apologize.

Fresh off her 101st career goal and a U.S. 1-0 win against Germany yesterday, it was announced that Women's National Team and Washington Freedom forward Abby Wambach is the only American nominated for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award.

Freedom teammate and French National player Sonia Bompastor is also on the list of ten nominees.

Monday 21st December 2009 is a date to mark in your calendars. Once again the world's best footballers both male and female will gather at the Zurich Kongresshaus for the 19th FIFA World Player gala.

A total of 33 strong candidates make the list this year and the main focus will no doubt be in the male category where Lionel Messi will face-off with Cristiano Ronaldo.

FIFA announced the 10 finalists for its 2009 Women's World Player of the Year Award last week and half of them—Marta, Cristiane, Sonia Bompastor, Kelly Smith and Abby Wambach—played last season in Women's Professional Soccer. In spite of her accolades, however, only one of these WPS players, Cristiane, did not have her WPS option picked up for next season and still remains out of contract.

January 9, 2009 - We've been waiting for this news since September when it was announced that Marta was chosen as a draft pick by the Los Angeles Sol of Women's Professional Soccer. Now, according to the LA Times, the Brazilian striker is close to finalizing a deal with the Sol to play when the WPS  launches its [.

Women's Professional Soccer made a promising debut Sunday as a crowd of nearly 15,000 at The Home Depot Center in Carson watched the Los Angeles Sol defeat the Washington Freedom, 2-0. A highlight of the afternoon was no doubt Los Angeles forward Marta, named as the Women's World Player of the Year for the past three [.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

By CHRISTA MANN

With only a few weeks of WPS competition underway, fans of Women's Professional Soccer are witnessing an interesting dynamic.

FSC and WPS lucked out on Sunday - for once, the league's flaws gave us a white-knuckle thrill ride. The only downside was that the home team lost. Another league or network would have stooped to showing horrified and shocked Gold Pride fans crying tears of disbelief, but WPS doesn't do negative yet.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

By CHRISTA MANN

When the WPS overcame its recent scoring slump and tallied 11 goals in only two games, players from the Washington Freedom, Chicago Red Stars and FC Gold Pride all thought they had a shot at the WPS Player of the Week.

U.S. Women's National Team head coach Pia Sundhage has named a 21-player roster to face Japan on May 20 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas (7:30 p.m. CT) and on May 23 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah (4 p.m. MT).

The roster to face Japan is chock-full of veterans, including team captain Christie Rampone, co-captain Lori Chalupny, and outside back Heather Mitts, as well as midfielders Carli Lloyd, Shannon Boxx, Angela Hucles, Heather O'Reilly and Lindsay Tarpley.