My recent posts on ESPNChicago.com:
• Oct. 29: Mike Banner's versatility pays off
• Oct. 28: Fire's, Rev's depth put to test this season
Also in the news:
• Cuauhtemoc Blanco: Blanco to leave Fire for Mexico
• U.S WNT: U.S. tops Germany, 1-0 / Local focus: Red Stars forward Ella Masar came into the game in the 73rd minute for Amy Rodriguez. Click to continue reading...

Red Stars midfielder to face Germany on Oct. 29
Chicago Red Stars midfielder Megan Rapinoe was one of 18 players named to the U.S. Women's National Team on Monday for the team's Oct. 29 match against Germany.
This year she has played in all seven of the U.S.'s international matches, posting two goals, an assist and a team-high five points. Click to continue reading...

Defender Brittany Bock, 22, received her first call-up to the U.S. Women's National Team today in the wake of a 12-day camp at Home Depot Center and ahead of the Oct. 29 game against Germany.

She was an integral part of the Sol's defense last season.

Also named to the roster were Torrance's Shannon Boxx of the Sol and USC product Amy Rodriguez.

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GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica) DEFENDERS (6): Brittany Bock (Los Angeles Sol), Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis Athletica), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Out of Contract), Cat Whitehill (Washington Freedom) MIDFIELDERS (8): Yael Averbuch (Sky Blue FC), Shannon Boxx (Los Angeles Sol), Tobin Heath (North Carolina), Angela Hucles (Boston Breakers), Lori Lindsey (Washington Freedom), Carli Lloyd (Out of Contract), Heather O'Reilly (Sky Blue. Click to continue reading...

The Chicago Fire can inch closer to a playoff berth Friday night when they take on the host Los Angeles Galaxy for a 10 p.m. (CST) match at The Home Depot Center (televised on ESPN2). Both teams are 10-6-11 with 41 points. If either team wins and D.C. United loses Sunday, they will join the Columbus Crew as the only postseason qualifiers to date. Click to continue reading...

The best of the best in Women's Pro Soccer will compete against Umea IK in Sunday's WPS All-Star Game.

Umeå is the top team in Damallsvenskan (Swedish premier division) and has won seven Swedish championships in the last four seasons (2005-2008). In 2007 and 2008 Umeå finished runner-up in the UEFA Women's Cup with Marta on its roster for the five years before she joined the WPS.

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Not many surprises here.

The WPS awards were handed out Saturday night ahead of Sunday's WPS All-Star game in St. Louis.

The six award winners:

*Golden Boot Award - Marta (Sol)
*Defender of the Year - Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers)
*Coach of the Year - Abner Rogers (Sol)
*Goalkeeper of the Year - Hope Solo (Saint Louis Athletica)
*Sportswoman of the Year - Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC)
* Player of the Year Award - Marta (Sol)

Quotable:

"Each player in the league has it as their goal to try for an award like this," said Marta on being named WPS MVP.

Click to continue reading...

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.

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Chicago midfielder, along with Lloyd and Rapinoe, to train with squad
On Tuesday, three players from the Chicago Red Stars were named to the U.S. Women's National Team's training session running from Sept. 21 to Oct. 2.
Red Stars midfielder Brittany Klein (pictured) joins the team with the hopes of earning her first international camp. Click to continue reading...

United States Women's National Team coach Pia Sundhage has named 26 players for a training camp running from September 21st to October 2nd in Carson, California. GOALKEEPERS (3): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Ashlyn Harris (North Carolina), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica); DEFENDERS (8): Brittany Bock (Los Angeles Sol), Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Lori Chalupny (St. Click to continue reading...

Your inaugural WPS All-Star Team:
Karina LeBlanc GK - Los Angeles Sol, Canada
Tina Ellertson D - Saint Louis Athletica, United States
Amy LePeilbet D - Boston Breakers, United States
Alex Scott D - Boston Breakers, England
Camille Abily M - Los Angeles Sol, France
Sonia Bompastor M - Washington Freedom, France
Shannon Boxx M - Los Angeles Sol, United States
Lori Chalupny M - Saint Louis Athletica, United States
Kelly Smith M - Boston Breakers, England
Eniola Aluko F - Saint Louis Athletica, England
Marta F - Los Angeles Sol, Brazil
The first order of comedy, of course, is that half of this team won't be available for the All-Star game itself, or for the WPS championship, thanks to the UEFA Women's Championship. Click to continue reading...

The Sol's Brazilian star Marta was the top vote-getter overall, being named on all coaches ballots, 94 percent of media ballots (hello, media types), but finishing second to Boston Breakers defender Amy LePeilbet on players ballots (hmm, guess Marta is not exactly popular among her peers?). And the top three players fans voted for?

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Women's Professional Soccer on Tuesday announced the selection of the league's First XI and the WPS All-Star Team Head Coach in preparation for its 2009 WPS All-Star Game. Each of the players selected are invited to the 2009 WPS All-Star Game. The players were selected based on votes by fans (25%), media (25%), coaches (25%) and players (25%).

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Women's Professional Soccer on Tuesday announced the selection of the league's First XI and the WPS All-Star Team Head Coach in preparation for its 2009 WPS All-Star Game. Each of the players selected are invited to the 2009 WPS All-Star Game. The players were selected based on votes by fans (25%), media (25%), coaches (25%) and players (25%).

Click to continue reading...

Chicago tries to finish the way it started, with a win vs. St. Louis
For many, it is difficult to imagine that the Chicago Red Stars' inaugural Women's Professional Soccer season is just about to come to a close.
The Red Stars wrap up their regular season against the team they first faced, St. Click to continue reading...

The Women's Professional Soccer League announced their starters for the August 30th All-Star Game in St. Louis (5:30pm - FSC). Hope Solo was top of the fan balloting, with Marta leading for coaches and media. Amy LePeilbet was the top selection of the players. Each of those four groups held 25% of the vote. Click to continue reading...

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. Click to continue reading...

While the players are with the National Team, they of course are keeping an eye on the results from their WPS clubs as the season enters its critical stage in the run to the playoffs. The players mostly have to follow Twitter, text messages from their teammates, WPS MatchTracker and post-game phone calls, but Lori Chalupny and Cat Whitehill were lucky enough to be able follow the St. Click to continue reading...

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.

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Lloyd, Rapinoe, Tarpley join U.S. for 2 friendlies; Carney joins England
The Chicago Red Stars' Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Lindsay Tarpley were named to the U.S. Women's National Team roster on Monday for two friendlies against Canada later this month. Also, Karen Carney will join England for two games against Iceland and Denmark. Click to continue reading...

United States Women's National Team coach Pia Sundhage has announced the roster for the July 19th (Rochester - 3pm - ESPN) and July 22nd (Charleston - 8pm - FSC) friendlies against Canada. GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica) DEFENDERS (7): Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Stephanie Cox (Los Angeles Sol), Lori Chalupny (St. Click to continue reading...

Fire's Blanco nominated for awards; Soumare chats on ESPN.com
Megan Rapinoe and Lindsay Tarpley of Women's Professional Soccer's Chicago Red Stars netted goals for the U.S. Women's National Team as the squad defeated Canada, 4-0, in a friendly Monday night at BMO Field in Toronto. Click to continue reading...

Amy LePeilbet and Megan Rapinoe showed up at national team camp with remarkable similar haircuts. Amy's has a bit more reddish tint to it, but both are using the classic pre-wrap hairband to keep the wispies in check. Truth be told, it's not only cute, but very functional for a professional soccer player who is in the sun all the time and constantly sweating. Click to continue reading...

Red Stars will have full roster for May 23 vs. St. Louis
The Chicago Red Stars received some good news from their perspective. That's not the case if you were hoping to watch the U.S. Women's National Team later this month.
Japan decided to pull out of its two-game set against the U. Click to continue reading...

Pro Soccer Comes to City Hall Plaza
The New England Revolution and the Boston Breakers join the kids of America SCORES New England for FitKick 2009
Pro soccer is coming to downtown Boston. The top-ranked New England Revolution and the Boston Breakers will join the Boston Public School kids of America SCORES New England for FitKick 2009. Click to continue reading...

Los Angeles Sol fans were hoping for a win this afternoon so they could double their pleasure by getting free tickets to the June 3rd Chicago match but it wasn't meant to be.

Today's game marked the second meeting between the Sol and the Boston Breakers. LA lost to the Breakers 2-1 last Saturday at Harvard Stadium and the Sol were looking to rebound from their first lost of the season.

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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. Click to continue reading...

Chicago leapfrogs Boston for 2nd in WPS standings
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. - Chicago Red Stars fans were waiting for their home team to light up the scoreboard. The offense was in full effect Saturday night at Toyota Park with the most dominating offensive display so far in Women's Professional Soccer. Click to continue reading...

We're working on getting the WPS glance automated. Until then ...
LA 3-0-0, 9 pts.
BOS 2-1-0, 6 pts.
CHI 1-0-2, 5 pts.
BAY 1-1-1, 4 pts.
NJ 0-1-2, 2 pts.
WAS 0-2-1, 1 pt.
STL 0-2-0, 0 pts.
This weekend (home teams listed first):
Washington 1, Boston 3 (video): Freedom give up a PK goal against the run of play, equalize, miss a PK (save - Kristin Luckenbill), then surrender two goals. Click to continue reading...

Fingers crossed here for another good NFL day for the bird teams.  The Ravens I had with a win.  But the Cardinals?  Wow.  I just hope they didn't steal the Eagles' mojo.  (Nah ... an unworthy thought to be having this snowy NH Sunday.)  If Ravens can bring down Titans, certainly Eagles can bring down [. Click to continue reading...