*Rolling Hills Estates' Whitney Engen was named today to the Women's Professional Soccer Best XI, along with former LA Sol star Marta.

Engen is a defender for the Western New York Flash, which won the league title last weekend. She was also earlier named WPS Defender of the Year.

Hermosa Beach resident Abby Wambach was also named to the WPS team.

Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

Union

Today is Roster Freeze Day in MLS and at 5pm the final Philadelphia Union roster for the remainder of the season must be submitted to the league. Will there be any surprises?

How did some of the Union players react to the shambles that was the 2–2 draw between Columbus and Houston on Wednesday night?

The U.S. WNT held its pre-game training at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park yesterday in front of about 1,500 fans. The fans seem to enjoy the open training, as did the players, who signed autographs for a bit after the session. Abby Wambach spoke to the crowd after the practice, thanked them for coming and told them she'd see them tonight vs.

Sweet win! Three points for the Union puts them in third place and within striking distance of first if they knock off KC in a week. Check out the current playoff situe in the east.

PSP's Eli rolls out a match report from last night's win.

Rounding up the rest of the Eastern Conference playoff picture's Saturday performances, Columbus lost (obvi), the Energy Drinks won, Houston came back late to nip the points, and KC went down to RSL in a rough and tumble match.

Sweet win! Three points for the Union puts them in third place and within striking distance of first if they knock off KC in a week. Check out the current playoff situe in the east.

PSP's Eli rolls out a match report from last night's win.

Rounding up the rest of the Eastern Conference playoff picture's Saturday performances, Columbus lost (obvi), the Energy Drinks won, Houston came back late to nip the points, and KC went down to RSL in a rough and tumble match.

While Sporting KC was on the road in Salt Lake, LIVESTRONG Sporting Park was in use by the US women's national team. In their first game since the World Cup this summer, the women drew over 16,000 fans to LSP last night for the first game of their celebration series. The US got the first goal of the game off of an Abby Wambach penalty after a hand ball in the box on Canada.

Going to Nike after school to see the WNT, meet some players and get some autographs? Life is good.

The U.S. WNT held its training on the campus of the Nike World Headquarters today in front of a huge crowd of Nike employees, friends and famlies and probably a lot of friends of families.

We were looking through ProZone's report of the USA's tie with Canada form Saturday and after sifting through a mountain of statistics, came up with a few we thought would be of interest to fans of the WNT Blog:
Cheney: Midfield Maestro in the Making?
- Lauren Cheney made her first start in center midfield for the WNT and covered the most distance.

The Philly Soccer Page " Match preview: Union at Kansas City
Aurelien Collin bobble head night is a big event in Kansas City, so make sure you are one of the first 10,000 to arrive at Livestrong Park on Friday. And while Collin is collecting his tenth yellow card of the season, you can get a yellow Livestrong bracelet at any entrance.

Big congratulations to the U.S. Women's National Team for their thrilling 3-nil blow out against the Canadian side, not that anybody expected another result in Portland. I was, unfortunately, unable to attend in person, which is a huge shame because I really enjoy women's soccer and, on many occasions, believe it brings a better, more technical game than MLS does.

U.S. holding midfielder Shannon Boxx of Torrance shadows Canada's Kelly Parker Thursday in Portland (AP Photo).

*Hermosa Beach resident Abby Wambach paced the U.S. with a brace as the Americans beat Canada 3-0 Thursday in the second of two-game post-World Cup series between the two nations.

The leader of the U.S. Womens team, Abby Wambach has continued her dominant play (at the age of 31) on the field during a recent "Celebration Series" which included two friendlies with our northern neighbors, Canada.
Wambach has scored three goals in the two games and is playing some of the best soccer of her international career.

The leader of the U.S. Womens team, Abby Wambach has continued her dominant play (at the age of 31) on the field during a recent "Celebration Series" which included two friendlies with our northern neighbors, Canada.
Wambach has scored three goals in the two games and is playing some of the best soccer of her international career.

This is Part II and the conclusion of Maura Gladys's take on the USWNT as the dust begins to settle in 2011.

What will the USWNT's Golden Moment breed?

For fans of the 2011 U.S. Women's National team, talk of destiny and fate that clouded heads has faded, the pain of losing has healed, and some distance and perspective has been gained on this summer's tournament.