Nice article on the WPS site:

Aluko is currently working as a paralegal at the law firm of SC Andrew in London. Her work there will conclude in February when she returns to St. Louis to begin Athletica's pre-season camp. Aluko has also begun work on her New York bar legal course, which she describes as "quite intense.

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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...

Running late, but wanted to weigh in on the defense of marriage.

Yup, I'm with John Marcotte if we're going to defend traditional marriage, lets defend it all the way. No more half measures ... after all, this is a sacred institution.

'Til death do us part ... hear that?

Oh, and while we're at it (totally unrelated) the Breakers lost a couple of stalwarts in the expansion draft.

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Although I am enjoying the breast beating and hair-shirt wearing that the Bath City community is engaged in at the moment, my status as a native Atlantan has given me some cheerier football news to report to you today.
Just over an hour ago Women's Pro Soccer (WPS) has announced the results of their first ever expansion draft, and as a result the first six members of the new Atlanta Beat roster have been revealed. Click to continue reading...

I've just arrived home in San Francisco and am about to start working on some video footage from the All-Star Awards dinner. But before I do, I thought it would be nice to pick up where I ended my blog yesterday and share a bit more from the WPS All-Star weekend.

Saturday night, we held the First Annual WPS Awards Dinner in the Versailles Ballroom at the Chalet Hotel in St.

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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.

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Women's Professional Soccer held their 1st Championship Final last Saturday, and it had everything American sports fans love. It had the dominant, fan favorite squad (LA Sol) against the ragtag underdogs (Sky Blue FC), who had heroically beat Saint Louis Athletica in a 1-0 game a week ago today for the right to face Marta and LA for the title.

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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...

By CHRISTA MANN

After a twenty game regular season and two opening rounds of the playoffs, today's Women's Pro Soccer Championship (4:00 PM EST on FSN and Comcast affiliates) features the L.A. Sol against Sky Blue FC (NJ).

One team was always expected to be in the championship game, while the other, well the other wasn't even expected to make the playoffs amid inner turmoil and early-season struggles.

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By CHRISTA MANN

After a twenty game regular season and two opening rounds of the playoffs, today's Women's Pro Soccer Championship (4:00 PM EST on FSN and Comcast affiliates) features the L.A. Sol against Sky Blue FC (NJ).

One team was always expected to be in the championship game, while the other, well the other wasn't even expected to make the playoffs amid inner turmoil and early-season struggles.

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It was a close semifinal between Sky Blue FC and St. Louis Athletica. Hope Solo makes some big saves in this game! But was it enough... watch to find out!

The 1st ever WPS Championship game is this Sunday at 4pm Eastern time on FSN. If you get that channel check it out!

JM

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By CHRISTA MANN

Sky Blue FC (NJ) will be making an improbable trip to the WPS Championship after pulling off yet another upset when they defeated the St. Louis Athletica 1-0 in the WPS playoff semifinal on Wednesday.  Â

For the first time since July 18, St.

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Did I call it or what? ;>)

Sky Blue FC played with passion all through that first half last night (we're talking WPS playoff soccer, in case you were wondering) and beat the Athletica to move into the Final on the strength of defender Keeley Dowling's goal off an assist from Yael Averbuch.

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Perhaps the most unlikely of opponents. And Sky Blue have never beaten the Sol.

Game story and game story.

Quotable:

"We play for each other and that's the way we play," said Sky Blue's Natasha Kai. "When we win for each other it's the best feeling. It's one of the best feelings I've had, we're the fourth seed and now were in the championship.

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Sky Blue's presence in the final is a bit of a surprise as they just barely qualified for the playoffs. Of course, in a league of seven teams playing a fairly short season I'm not sure the standings mean all that much. They had a rocky season - they fired their coach at the start, and the next to take the job quit just a few weeks ago. Click to continue reading...

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By CHRISTA MANN

The playoffs continue in Women's Pro Soccer as SKy Blue FC (NJ) takes on the St. Louis Athletica in today's Playoff Semifinal. The winner of this match-up will go on to face the L.A. Sol in Saturday's WPS Championship.

The Athletica finished second in the regular season which was enough to automatically qualify for today's semifinal.

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By CHRISTA MANN

The playoffs continue in Women's Pro Soccer as SKy Blue FC (NJ) takes on the St. Louis Athletica in today's Playoff Semifinal. The winner of this match-up will go on to face the L.A. Sol in Saturday's WPS Championship.

The Athletica finished second in the regular season which was enough to automatically qualify for today's semifinal.

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                                                                      Photo by ISIphotos.com

If you take a look at today's schedule of soccer matches on TV, you might think it's the weekend. Unfortunately it isn't, but fortunately for soccer fans, there is a plethora of quality soccer to choose from.

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                                                                      Photo by ISIphotos.com

If you take a look at today's schedule of soccer matches on TV, you might think it's the weekend. Unfortunately it isn't, but fortunately for soccer fans, there is a plethora of quality soccer to choose from.

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Last Saturday was a historic day. It was the date of the first ever WPS Playoff Game. It was also the first WPS game I ever watched with my wife. She is not a huge soccer fan, but we were killing time in a hotel room before meeting friends, and I got her to watch the 2nd half. Now she is hooked.

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Photo: WPS Fan CornerThis hasn't been the best season for my MLS and USL-1 club teams: FC Dallas and the Austin Aztex have both struggled mightily, and short of a miracle or two, will both wind up at or near the bottom of their respective tables.
St. Louis Athletica, however, are a different story. Click to continue reading...

Ready for round 2 of the play-offs? Sky Blue and the Athletica are set to square off in St. Louis 7PM ET tonight on FSC. After rough starts, both teams find themselves in contention to take on the LA Sol this weekend.

On the rough start front, Sky Blue definitely has the upper hand, as is recapped in this article from the NY Times .

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                                                                                     Photo by ISIphotos.com

By CHRISTA MANN

The First Round of the WPS playoffs were in full effect Saturday as the favored Washington Freedom fell to the underdog Sky Blue FC (NJ).

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                                                                                     Photo by ISIphotos.com

By CHRISTA MANN

The First Round of the WPS playoffs were in full effect Saturday as the favored Washington Freedom fell to the underdog Sky Blue FC (NJ).

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Soooo ... Congrats to Sky Blue FC (Beulah will be writing this one up late Tuesday, most likely). Next up the Athletica at 7PM ET on Wednesday on FSC.

Now onward! Grass to mow ... water to drink ... more grass to mow .. more water to drink. A sweaty, zen-like day in the works here! (Oh, and we had a very nice couple of days at the lake, where ChristopherCornblog remains stranded while he waits for his car to be repaired .

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By CHRISTA MANN

It's playoff season in Women's Pro Soccer, and only four of seven teams made the post-season cut.

The top rated L.A. Sol and second place St. Louis Athletica earned a bye in the First round and home field advantage in their eventual postseason match-ups.

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 Sinclair caused havoc to the Athletica backfield all day
 William Mancebo/Tri-City Voice (Fremont, Calif.)

Had you gone to Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara University on Sunday evening not knowing a thing about Women's Professional Soccer, you would have thought FC Gold Pride was the league's second-best team and St.

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Women's Professional Soccer finished its inaugural regular season yesterday (something many thought it wouldn't be able to do), with the final playoff berth not decided until the final moments of the penultimate game on the schedule.

Your final standings:

Team W L T Pts GF GA Los Angeles Sol 12 3 5 41 27 10 Saint Louis Athletica 10 6 4 34 19 15 Washington Freedom 8 7 5 29 32 32 Sky Blue FC 7 8 5 26 19 20 Boston Breakers 7 9 4 25 18 20 Chicago Red Stars 5 10 5 20 18 25 FC Gold Pride 4 10 6 18 17 28

(Wait, let me get this straight.

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Cristiane, Rapinoe, Klein join lineup for Aug. 30 festivities in St. Louis
Three Chicago Red Stars players will represent the organization during the first-ever Women's Professional Soccer All-Star Game on Aug. 30.
Brazilian forward Cristiane and midfielders Brittany Klein and Megan Rapinoe will be part of the match, which features a collection of WPS All-Stars against Swedish champions Umea IK. Click to continue reading...

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                                                                                Photo by ISIphotos.com

By CHRISTA MANN

Week 20 marks the final weekend in the regular season of Women's Pro Soccer.

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                                                                                Photo by ISIphotos.com

By CHRISTA MANN

Week 20 marks the final weekend in the regular season of Women's Pro Soccer.

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Chicago posts 5-10-5 record to wrap up first WPS season
The Chicago Red Stars closed their inaugural Women's Professional Soccer season with a 2-0 loss to St. Louis Athletica on Wednesday night at Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo.
Chicago out-shot St. Louis, 10-8, but only put two shots on goal to 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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