Phew - I feel like it's been a long time since I sat down with some good strong coffee and just caught up here. There's lots of news in the soccer world as the WPS season kick-off is just weeks away!  March 29th, to be exact.  (I should probably think about taking a day or two [...]

Hmmm - the usual internet issues this morning - and an e-mail from FairPoint indicating that my webspace is now available.  Hey FairPoint - it ain't my webspace that's the problem.  Could you maybe help me with the little e-mail issue that I've now contacted you about TWICE?  (Never mind the time spent waiting on [.

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.

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 [.

In what sounded like a wild and wooly second half, Christine Latham and Kristin Luckinbill were major contributers in a decisive 3-1 win for the Boston Breakers.

The Breakers scored first, on a PK by Kelly Smith in the 54th minute after Scurry fouled Hucles in the box. Lori Lindsey equalized soon after, and Abby had a chance to give the Freedom their first lead of the new season on a second PK (after a handball).

... but that didn't dampen the spirits of the nearly 5,000 Breakers fans who trooped to Cambridge to see their Boston Blues defeat the St. Louis Athletica 2-0 in their home opener at Harvard Stadium. Here are the Week 3 WPS Power Rankings by Jo-Ryan Salazar. (I'll track these through the season on my WPS page.

It's Breakers Game Day. Freezing, and quite possibly wet - but hey, we're hardy folk right?

Before embarking on this new chapter in Breakers' history - a pause to remember good times past. Maren? Dagney? We miss you!

No sound with this video - but that kinda makes it all the more resonant, doesn't it?

Photo by ISIphotos.com

By CHRISTA MANN

As Women's Professional Soccer approaches its fifth week of play, the quality of finishing is a main concern for at least four of the six competing teams .

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.

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.

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.

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.

The U.S. team has arrived in Charleston, S.C. to prepare to face Canada on Wed., July 22 at Blackbaud Stadium. The match kicks off at 8 p.m. ET and will be televised live on FSC. It's a little bit "moist" in Charleston, especially as compared to the summer in upstate NY in Rochester, because as you know, it's not the heat that gets ya, it's the humidity.

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.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

By CHRISTA MANN

We are five weeks into this opening Womens Pro Soccer season and things keep getting more and more interesting.

Two games on Wednesday night, with Washington and Sky Blue FC needing eight goals to split the points in Piscataway to split the points. Meanwhile, Angela Hucles proved the difference in Cambridge. Chicago 0 - Boston 1 Angela Hucles got the game's only goal in the 35th minute on a night when Chicago couldn't get their shots on goal.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

By CHRISTA MANN

Week 17 in Women's Pro Soccer began with Wednesday match-ups between the Chicago Red Stars and Boston Breakers along with the Washington Freedom against Sky Blue FC (New Jersey).

For the last time, it's pronounced HUE-clees!

The Boston Breakers site just announced Angela Hucles is retiring from professional soccer. She says:

I always wanted to involve myself in things I was passionate about and give 110 percent.