Friday night in Philadelphia, PUMA and Women's Professional Soccer unveiled the new 2010 WPS Home and Away Uniforms, including the official kit debut of the newest franchises, the Atlanta Beat and Philadelphia Independence. The launch event, which took place hours after the 2010 WPS Draft, highlighted veteran players from the league's nine teams as well as newly drafted professional players who proudly wore their team colors for the first time.

Other sites may give you the MLS attendance numbers (no one was doing it in 2001, when I started it), but who else gives you numbers for every level of the outdoor game? Now that the last two pro holdouts had their home openers, and the Premier Development League season is well underway, here's a look at the current (unofficial - corrections welcome) attendance averages for teams in the familiar outdoor leagues.

By Eric Beard, writing from Boston

Respect is earned, not simply handed to you. However, sometimes results are handed to you. Or rather mishandled to you. Barack Obama was watching the match in the White House, as promised, and he certainly seemed happy with the result.

Tonight, Abby Wambach and the USA Women's National Team faces Sweden just up the road in Omaha, NE. The match will be shown live on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. CT. If you leave now, you could still make it to Creighton in time for the match. If not, tune in tonight as our women prepare for the 2011 Women's World Cup CONCACAF Qualifying.

U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage has named the 18 players who will suit up tomorrow against Germany in the match broadcast live on ESPN2 at 6 p.m. ET. And here they are:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica)

DEFENDERS (7): Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers), Ali Krieger (FFC Frankfurt), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Kate Markgraf (Chicago Red Stars), Heather Mitts (Philadelphia Independence), Brittany Taylor (Sky Blue FC)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Yael Averbuch (Sky Blue FC), Shannon Boxx (St.

U.S. WNT head coach Pia Sundhage has named the 20-player roster for the 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying tournament in Mexico. A few surprises perhaps, but it's also stocked with experience. Sundhage seems to have put together a nice mix of veterans and young players as well as a balanced squad strong in both the attack and defense.

On Friday, Carly Peetz, a defender with the Colorado Force and the University of Nebraska, was selected by the Boston Breakers in the Women's Professional Soccer draft. Her Force teammates, CU's Nikki Marshall and Kansas' Estelle Johnson, also were drafted.

ColoradoSoccerNow.com caught up with Peetz after she had some time to celebrate being picked.

With national team stalwarts Heather O'Reilly, Yael Averbuch and Carli Lloyd, the defending champion Sky Blue FC boast a formidable midfield that make them favorites to defend the first WPS title in history. And the rest of the squad is none too shabby either. ASN's Lauren Barker takes a look at Sky Blue's 22-woman roster in this entertaining piece.

Major League Soccer will be back from its group stage break this weekend, but the other outdoor leagues have continued their seasons unabated (with drops in attendance, more on that later). Here's a look at each league's attendance figures through games of June 20. These are unofficial and incomplete (because many lower-level teams can't be buggered, apparently) numbers based on boxscores, so take them for what they're worth.

(via Womens Pro Soccer release)

As many had expected but the Atlanta Beat had yet to confirm until Draft Day, North Carolina's Tobin Heath (Basking Ridge, NJ) was the first player selected in the 2010 WPS Draft on Friday by Atlanta at the Philadelphia Convention Center. Heath was the first of four North Carolina Tarheels selected during the first round (and a total of 7 UNC players) including defender Whitney Engen at No.

On Wednesday, April 28th, I held a conference call with all 6 female coaches in Women's Professional Soccer to talk about the development of women's soccer in America and around the world. On the call, we had:

Emma Hayes, Chicago Red Stars Head Coach
* Pauliina Miettenen, Sky Blue FC Head Coach
* Lisa Cole, Boston Breakers Assistant Coach
* Denise Reddy, Chicago Red Stars Assistant Coach
* Nicci Wright, Washington Freedom Goalkeeper Coach

Below, I've included the text from my intro, and then a very brief summary of each Q&A, with time markers for your listening convenience.

I think I may be a bad person.

Why?

Today a soccer team in the USA folded because of a "funding crisis."

I didn't cry. Frankly, I barely blinked.

It made me realize that while I care deeply about the success of soccer in the USA, if I'm honest, I care deeply about the success of men's soccer in the USA.

Interview by Eric and Jordan Beard

After a truly heartbreaking last-minute 2-1 defeat, courtesy of Rosana's 93rd minute penalty, to Sky Blue FC at Harvard Stadium Sunday evening, Boston Breakers playmaker Kelly Smith talked about how tough the loss was to take because the Breakers were clearly the better side throughout the entire first half.

Interview by Eric and Jordan Beard

After a truly heartbreaking last-minute 2-1 defeat, courtesy of Rosana's 93rd minute penalty, to Sky Blue FC at Harvard Stadium Sunday evening, Boston Breakers playmaker Kelly Smith talked about how tough the loss was to take because the Breakers were clearly the better side throughout the entire first half.

The symbolic beginning of the English Premier League season has kicked off this morning with the Community Shield between Chelsea and Manchester United.

The top two teams in England are squaring off in the match before the actual Premier League season kicks off next week.

Chelsea-ManU is just one of a handful of promising matches on today's schedule.

The most anticipated English Premier League match of the weekend kicks off this morning with Liverpool taking on Arsenal in Sunday's best match of the day.

Liverpool begins life without Rafa Benitez and will take on a Gunners squad that still boasts Cesc Fabregas in its ranks.

Liverpool-Arsenal headlines a light slate of matches today, with the Sao Paulo-Cruizeiro tilt another quality match on the schedule.

Here are the latest attendance figures from the various soccer leagues around these parts, through yesterday's games:

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER G Total Average Seattle Sounders FC 11 397,701 36,155 Toronto FC 11 227,205 20,655 Philadelphia Union 9 183,122 20,347 Los Angeles Galaxy 9 182,871 20,319 New York Red Bulls 10 174,249 17,425 Houston Dynamo 11 187,668 17,061 Real Salt Lake 11 184,310 16,755 Chicago Fire 9 139,370 15,486 DC United 11 159,182 14,471 Chivas USA 9 128,413 14,268 Columbus Crew 11 155,903 14,173 Colorado Rapids 9 118,420 13,158 New England Revolution 10 118,139 11,814 FC Dallas 10 108,889 10,889 Kansas City Wizards 11 111,202 10,109 San Jose Earthquakes 10 96,376 9,638 MLS TOTAL 162 2,673,020 16,500 WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL SOCCER G Total Average Boston Breakers 12 53,878 4,490 Chicago Red Stars 11 46,283 4,208 Washington Freedom 10 39,216 3,922 Atlanta Beat 9 32,976 3,664 Sky Blue FC 9 29,299 3,255 FC Gold Pride 11 33,667 3,061 Saint Louis Athletica 4 12,109 3,027 Philadelphia Independence 12 34,179 2,848 WPS TOTAL 78 281,607 3,610 USSF DIVISION II SOCCER LEAGUE G Total Average Montreal Impact 12 147,276 12,273 Portland Timbers 12 115,078 9,590 Rochester Rhinos 13 81,974 6,306 Vancouver Whitecaps 11 55,938 5,085 FC Tampa Bay Rowdies 10 43,730 4,373 Austin Aztex 13 46,363 3,566 AC St.

Pia Sundhage will leave no stones unturned, people! Today, the preliminary roster for the USWNT training camp that will determine the (from what I understand) two different sets of eighteen players for two separate friendlies against China in October... was announced today. And, as various WPS teams get kicked out of the playoffs, Pia will then nab a few from those squads as well.

*Chicago Fire defender Gonzalo Segares, who blatantly smacked Galaxy defender Leonardo in Saturday's game, received an additional fine and one-game suspension today by the Major League Soccer Disciplinary Committee.

Segares was sent off, but the committee "determined that due to the reckless nature of the action that endangered the safety of his opponent, additional sanctions should be levied.

Union

Goal.com's head-to-head preview of Saturday's match against Chivas USA has the Philly guy predicting a 2–0 Union win and the Chivas guy a 3–1 Union win. Our preview predicts a 2–1 win if Jonathan Bornstein plays, a 3–1 win if he doesn't.

The Daily News takes a closer look at what the Union will be doing with the $50K it won for high school soccer in Chester.

Kristine Lilly is often referred to as the USA's Iron Woman, and for a good reason. Not only has she played in 342 matches for the USA (the most capped player on the world) and scored 129 goals in her national team career, but she has played on both professional leagues that have existed in the US and she has done it all over the course of more than 20 years (her first international appearance was in August 3, 1987).

So UConn survived a small first-half scare from Notre Dame and are now set to face West Virginia in the Big East Final tonight (7PM ET). They also secured their 71st straight victory eclipsing the streak that ended in 2003. It's kind scary to think about how long this might go on ...

Pia has called Lil back into camp .

By DAN LAULETTA

Sky Blue FC will be forced to open defense of the WPS championship without the services of goalkeeper Jenni Branam after she suffered a broken patella in a collision during a Monday scrimmage. Branam is expected to undergo surgery on her right knee and the timetable for her return has been estimated at four to six weeks.

Washington 1 - Boston 2 A strong night from Lauren Cheney paced the Boston Breakers at the Maryland SoccerPlex. Cheney scored in the 7th minute, with Kelly Smith following in the 20th. The Freedom pulled a goal back in the 87th when Allie Long scored, but they left their best chances too late to take a point.

By Eric & Jordan Beard

We were lucky enough to take in a wonderful Women's Premier Soccer (WPS) match at the historic Harvard University stadium Friday night between the Boston Breakers and FC Gold Pride. Now this was personally our first WPS match we've attended, but there was quite a bit of hype surrounding it because it was billed as a match between "The Two Best Players in the World.

In what could be considered the biggest upset win of this WPS season to date, the Chicago Red Stars, at the end of a tumultuous week of changing coaches, defeated league-leading FC Gold Pride and ended their five-game winning streak with an early second-half goal from Kosovare Asllani. Michael Kajdas reports from Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill.

Boston Breakers midfielder Leslie Osborne (Brookfield/Waukesha Catholic Memorial) was hospitalized and had surgery for an infection in her left shin this week.

Osborne posted on her Twitter feed today that she was being released from the hospital, but she will miss Sunday's Women's Professional Soccer match against Sky Blue.

FC Gold Pride opened Pioneer Stadium at CSU East Bay with a win against the Boston Breakers, which was the Breakers' first loss on the road. Philadelphia defeated Sky Blue FC in their own turf, and the Atlanta Beat got their first win of the season! They did it! They defeated the second worst team in the league right now, Chicago Red Stars, 1-0 at home.

The starting lineups for the 2010 WPS All-Star Game presented by U.S. Coast Guard Reserve were selected Monday evening in front of a vocal and boisterous crowd at the WPS All-Star Pick ‘Em Event in downtown Atlanta. The WPS All-Star Game, which takes place Wednesday at KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, Ga.

The New England Revolution may not yet have a shirt sponsor, but their WPS counterparts, the Boston Breakers, now do. The franchise has announced a jersey sponsorship with Connecticut based Foxwoods Resort and Casino. In addition to prominent placement on the Breakers's jerseys, Foxwoods will also have permanent signage at Harvard Stadium and a spot on the Breakers' website.

Like the Union against Chivas the night before, the Independence leapt to an early lead over the Boston Breakers. Amy Rodriguez put the Independence on the board in the 17th minute after nearly scoring twice in the first ten minutes of play. Receiving a pass from Lianne Sanderson in the box, Rodriguez faked a defender and then sent the ball into the upper left corner of the goal past Boston keeper Alyssa Naeher.

Like the Union against Chivas the night before, the Independence leapt to an early lead over the Boston Breakers. Amy Rodriguez put the Independence on the board in the 17th minute after nearly scoring twice in the first ten minutes of play. Receiving a pass from Lianne Sanderson in the box, Rodriguez faked a defender and then sent the ball into the upper left corner of the goal past Boston keeper Alyssa Naeher.

Exciting finish to this one.

JM

Leslie Osborne was born in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Growing up, she played many sports, but at the age of 10, she was forced to pick one sport to focus on. Her dad made her put all the sports she played in a hat and pull one out. The one she picked was soccer. So, ever since then, it's been all about soccer for her.

Saturday (17th):
- Women's U-20 World Cup: USA vs. Switzerland - 12pm - ESPNU
- International Friendly: San Jose Earthquakes (USA) vs. Tottenham (ENG) - 4pm - ESPN
- Women's U-20 World Cup: Ghana vs. South Korea - 5pm - ESPNU
- Women's International Friendly: USA vs.

Puma have released an extremely beneficial new initiative to raise funds and awareness for Breast Cancer, named "Project Pink." Last Saturday night, the Boston Breakers kicked things off in their pink jerseys, where they raised $7,025 by auctioning off the tops at half time.

Puma have released an extremely beneficial new initiative to raise funds and awareness for Breast Cancer, named "Project Pink." Last Saturday night, the Boston Breakers kicked things off in their pink jerseys, where they raised $7,025 by auctioning off the tops at half time.

One moment you're hot.

The next moment you're not.

After scoring seven goals at home in two games while only conceding one, the Philadelphia Independence lost to the last-place Washington Freedom on Wednesday night 2–0. The Independence have only two road wins on the season with three losses and two draws.

Union

The Union's latest signing, Juna Diego Gonzalez Alzate. (Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union.).

The Union have signed 29-year-old Colombian defender Juan Diego González Alzate. We're sure to have more on this later.

Nowak on Thursday night's loss to Columbus: "it's the same old .

Saturday (7th):
- Ligue 1: Paris Saint-Germain vs. AS Saint-Etienne - 3pm - FSC
- International Friendly: LA Galaxy (USA) vs. Real Madrid (SPA) - 10pm - FSC
Sunday (8th):
- FA Community Shield: Chelsea vs. Manchester United - 10am - FSC
- MLS: FC Dallas vs.