Sky Blue FC beat LA Sol 1-0 to win the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) championship game on Saturday, thanks to a goal from Heather O'Reilly (pictured with Natasha Kai and Natasha Kai's tattoos) So WPS has survived its inaugural season (even after launching at the worst possible time, economically speaking) and - crucially -established the [.

In Week 19 of Women's Pro Soccer, the Sky Blue FC (NJ) coach walked out on her team, a red card left the Boston Breakers shorthanded, and the two bottom teams pulled off some dramatic upsets. Of all the surprises in Week 19, the drama in New Jersey drew the most attention.

On Thursday, Sky Blue FC Head Coach Kelly Lindsey abruptly left the team with no explanation at all.

Walking into Carson stadium for the WPS final, I found myself thinking that a win for Sky Blue would be good for the league, and perhaps even good for the Sol. The WPS needs to get rid of the impression that there is one team that is far and away better than the rest. The playoff structure, which guaranteed a place in the finals for the regular season champs, did that by clearing a path to the final for the Sol, as if they deserved a free pass.

Here's to you, Sky Blue!

Too bad a red card played into the mix and overall I wish the officiating, all year, in the WPS, had not been quite as 'obtrusive' as it's tended to be but that takes nothing away from the Sky Blue story.

Christie Rampone gets my vote for League MVP. (Oh, and in noodling around on the net last night, I saw that Ian Sawyers and Kelly Lindsey are both working at Julie Foudy's Leadership/Soccer Camp.

* This is the last time I'll write on WPS for a while, I swear. Unless SI hires me to do "The Marta Experiment" or something.

American citizens pay more attention when Lady Gaga burps on television than when New Jersey's Sky Blue FC wins the WPS championship.

I've been reading what I can find about the coaching mess at Sky Blue FC ... and finding little of actual substance on the subject. Overall, the management does itself no favors by dissing Kelly Lindsey in their public comments. They come off looking very small, indeed. Yet, at the same time, her behavior (abruptly quitting her job with only a couple of games left in the season) is puzzling and awfully dramatic and abrupt.

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).

The LA Sol were always supposed to be there. Featuring the world's best female player, Marta, and playing at the best venue in the league, the Home Depot Center, they dominated the WPS regular season, losing only once before they clinched a place in the playoffs as early as June 27th. By July 26th, they'd also clinched the regular season title and the right to go straight to the final that they'll host in Los Angeles this Saturday.

Sol 0 Sky Blue FC 1

A team that barely got into the playoffs has just beaten the dominant team of the regular season.

The Sol never got their attack in sync today; frankly there was more urgency in the line outside the women's restroom at half time.

FC Sky Blue outplayed them in virtually every facet of the game, especially with a defense marshaled by central defender Jen Buczkowski alongside player-coach Christie Rampone.

Women's Professional Soccer had plenty of positives in its first year. Attendance was within estimates, though maybe tilted toward the low end of the range. Ratings were pretty good. The league got a little bit of media attention despite a lack of cooperation from wire services.
Best of all, the quality of play was terrific.

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.

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).

So FSC showed the Freedom-Sky Blue game after all, if a couple of days late. I'm just happy some of the other local sports Foxes, like Fox Sports Chocolate City* and Fox Sports Fuhgeddaboutit.
Very well-played game, which makes a grand total of one for the Skys all year. And right on schedule comes the phrase that makes me swear never to cheer for an underdog ever again.

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.

Briefly:
*Read the details about how defender Christie Rampone became the third Sky Blue FC coach this season. They face the Sol Saturday in the WPS Championship at Home Depot Center.

*Both the Rose Bowl and L.A. Memorial Coliseum (among 32 stadiums) remain in contention to host games if the U.

We were at the first game of the WPS season as well as the last (and many inbetween). And what a season' it's been.

Sky Blue FC completed its storybook rise from bottomfeeder to league champion with a dramatic, 1-0 victory over a valiant, 10-woman Los Angeles Sol side, whose remarkable season ended in bitter disappointment at their home park.

And woulda thunk it, eh? After struggling mightily during the season and only sneaking into the title playoff on the final day, Sky Blue FC made good on a Heather O'Reilly goal to top Los Angeles in the first WPS championship final. Player/coach Christie Rampone helped turn things around as the champs beat the league's top three in order to lift the prize.

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.

In Week 19 of Women's Pro Soccer, the Sky Blue FC (NJ) coach walked out on her team, a red card left the Boston Breakers shorthanded, and the two bottom teams pulled off some dramatic upsets. Of all the surprises in Week 19, the drama in New Jersey drew the most attention.

On Thursday, Sky Blue FC Head Coach Kelly Lindsey abruptly left the team with no explanation at all.

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.

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.

The WPS playoffs have seen Sky Blue FC moving westward like the frontier. First, a win in Washington in the first round. Wednesday night, St. Louis fell. Tomorrow, The Little Team That Couldn't Finish .500 plays in Los Angeles in the first-ever championship of Women's Professional Soccer.

My previous WPS playoff preview was off the mark on both preliminary games, so there's no reason to believe I'd have any idea what I'm talking about when it comes to tomorrow's final (presented by MedImmune - does that mean it'd be okay for Landon Donovan to kick out the first ball.

We were at the first game of the WPS season as well as the last (and many inbetween). And what a season' it's been.

Sky Blue FC completed its storybook rise from bottomfeeder to league champion with a dramatic, 1-0 victory over a valiant, 10-woman Los Angeles Sol side, whose remarkable season ended in bitter disappointment at their home park.

Congrats to Sky Blue FC for winning the first WPS Championship! Heather O'Reilly win's the MVP but she said it should have gone to Christie Rampone! Heather was first class for saying that because Christie is a big part of Sky Blue FC because not only is she the captain but she is also the head coach!