The thrilling ride that was the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup is over, but as we know you still want
to see your favorite WNT players in action, Women's Professional Soccer has you covered with three
matches this weekend...
Saturday, July 23, 2011 Sky Blue FC vs. Philadelphia Independence Yurcak Field – Piscataway, N.
Is USWNT holding midfielder Shannon Boxx the kiss of death for WPS teams?
Women's Professional Soccer announced today that St. Louis Athetica is shutting down immediately
after losing its major financial backer, following in the footsteps of the LA Sol, which folded at
the end of last season for the same reason.
Saint Louis Athletica of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), kick-off the 2010 season Sunday
against FC Gold Pride and four time FIFA World Player of the Year Marta. Game time is set for 3:00
pm at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park. The match can be heard live on-line at www.team1380.net.
The new look Saint Louis Athletica could see as many as six new faces in Sunday's starting
lineup.
Paul Riley and the coaching staff faced a tie on Saturday. The home team hits the field. Val
Henderson and Tasha Kia are surrounded by fans. Estelle Johnson is escorted out to the field before
the game by a local FC. Independence fans from some of the local FC's. DiMartino and Lohman move
the ball up field.
The Independence wasted Meghan Rapinoe's early first half goal and were defeated 2-1 by the
Western New York Flash on Sunday evening at Widener University. Rapinoe struck after just 9 minutes
before Becky Edwards and Marta answered back for the undefeated Flash before half time.
Philadelphia coach Paul Riley started the game with Amy Rodriguez as a lone striker, possibly
trying to cope with New York's dynamic attack.
The Philadelphia Independence played their second game of the 2011 season which ended in a 2-1
defeat to magicJack on Sunday, May 1. The Indies went up early on a goal by Tina DiMartino in the
8th minute. Unfortunately, this was followed up by the goal by magicJack's Abby Wambach later in
the first half.
Vote Mwanga for AT&T Goal of the Week! Even if Le Toux, once again, did most of the hard
work.
Sebastien Le Toux is named to Goal.com's MLS Best XI: Week 20.
The local Philly Redbricker blog has an excellent photo essay about taking SEPTA to PPL Park: "I
can safely say that taking the train to a Union game is not only doable, it is recommended.
Twenty ten was an eventful year for a number of New England-based teams.
Perhaps the most notable moment within the confines of the region was Boston Aztec's capture
of the WPSL national championship back on August 1st. The Aztec (12-1-1, 37 pts.), who also serve
as the feeder team for the Boston Breakers, claimed the title with a 2-1 win over Ajax America down
in the oppressive, unforgiving Dallas heat thanks to goals from Becky Ryan and Becca Mays.
For women's soccer fans, Saturday's game is kind of a big deal. After winning or being in the
finals or semi-finals of every FIFA Women's World Cup, the U.S. national team is fighting to even
be in the 2011 line-up. The CONCACAF WWCQ semifinal loss against Mexico showed vulnerability
in the USWNT and pushed them to a home-home series with Italy to determine who gets to play in
Germany next summer.
Could the fact that the Union posted a story on their website on Sunday about Shea Salinas
entitled "Salinas Comfortable in Philadelphia" mean that the PSP favorite will be protected in the
expansion draft? Let us hope so.
With Danny Mwanga eligible to be selected by either the US or Congo, speculation as to which
team he will choose to play for is a recurring question in any piece about his future.
Could the fact that the Union posted a story on their website on Sunday about Shea Salinas
entitled "Salinas Comfortable in Philadelphia" mean that the PSP favorite will be protected in the
expansion draft? Let us hope so.
With Danny Mwanga eligible to be selected by either the US or Congo, speculation as to which
team he will choose to play for is a recurring question in any piece about his future.
The final four teams standing after WPS ended its regular season were FC Gold Pride in first
place, the Boston Breakers in second place, the Philadelphia Independence in third place, and for
the second year in a row, the Washington Freedom in fourth place.
In a playoff system that gives home advantage to the top three playoff teams, the Washington
Freedom traveled up to Philadelphia to take on the Independence in the First Round.
Although the Independence have made the playoffs in their inaugural year, they could hardly have
done so in a less encouraging fashion.
Coming off of three losses in a row, the Independence traveled to the West Coast to face Marta
and FC Gold Pride, a team that over their first two meetings they had managed only one goal while
conceding five.
The Philadelphia Independence traveled to Piscataway, New Jersey, to face defending WPS
champions Sky Blue FC on Sunday, a team that they had beaten in their three previous encounters. A
win for the Independence would have solidified their hold on second place behind league leading FC
Gold Pride, critical for the expansion team's post-season plans because the second place team gets
an automatic play-off berth as host in the semi-finals.
The Independence looked like a team that was playing its fourth game in twelve days when they
conceded two early goals to the league's worst ranked offense.
By the end of the game, the Independence looked like the championship contender they are.
"A team has never come back from 2-0 deficit in this league," Independence head coach Paul Riley
said, "and we have done it twice.
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.
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 WPS season is well underway now with a total of 12 games played so far. In week 2, the
Chicago Red Stars, FC Gold Pride, and the Boston Breakers had their home opener after starting the
season on the road. The only team to yet to host a home game is the Atlanta Beat, whose brand new
stadium is getting the finishing touches, and will be ready to go by May 9 when they host Sky Blue
FC in a game that will be broadcast live on FSC at 6pm ET.
U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage will take 24 players to Italy and Chicago as the U.S. WNT plays a
two-game aggregate goal series to determine the final spot in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Sundhage is bringing all the players that were in Mexico, but has also added veterans Lindsay
Tarpley and Leslie Osborne, as well as young midfielder Tina DiMartino.
Mmmm - buttery leather: FC Dallas Coach Schellas Hyndman talks with Brek Shea before the game at
Real Salt Lake last weekend (AP Photo).
*FC Dallas scolded the local media this week for ignoring the team ahead of Sunday's Western
Conference Championship game in Carson against the Galaxy (6 p.
Before leaving for Germany, the U.S. U-20 Women's National Team held a pre-World Cup training camp
in Pearl River, N.Y, that just happened to overlap with the Fourth of July. That night, the team
went to the fireworks show in the small town, which also featured some carnival games. It was there
that Vicki DiMartino showed her prowess at one of them.
The U.S. team finished up its pre-World Cup mini-camp today at the Orangeburg Soccer Complex and
despite some intense heat, it was an excellent four days of training. The U.S. team will finish off
tomorrow morning with a gym workout and then its off to Germany in the late afternoon. Upon arrival
in Germany, the U.
By DAN LAULETTA
Â
WPS leadership has done a wonderful job pulling together a group of committed owners and selling
sponsorships, but the decision to approve last week's trade between Sky Blue FC and Saint Louis
Athletica was curious at best, indefensible at worst.
By DAN LAULETTA
Â
WPS leadership has done a wonderful job pulling together a group of committed owners and selling
sponsorships, but the decision to approve last week's trade between Sky Blue FC and Saint Louis
Athletica was curious at best, indefensible at worst.
The Philadelphia Independence head to Rochester to take on the Western New York Flash. The Flash
feature Women's Player of the Year Marta and Alex Morgan, a young, but integral part of the United
States Women's National Team's (USWNT) run in the 2011 World Cup.
TV: 4 pm EST, Comcast SportsNet (regionally)
Weather in upstate New York will not affect the game, as Hurricane Irene's reach is not that far
(yet).
Victory over New York stirs Frenzy and Foreboding | American Soccer News
Let me start with a disclaimer: I am no chicken little. I have no wish to create a perception of
watching a clear sky then screaming that the heavens are crashing down. Saturday night was
phenomenal and there is little to match the rush of beating a favored New York team, but once the
high subsided the crash was a bit harder for me than I would like.
Spanish language site futbolred.com is reporting that Colombian central defender Carlos Valdez,
currently with Independiente Santa Fe, will be coming to the Union on a one year loan. (You can
read a crappy translation here.) The 25-year-old was a part of the Colombian U-20 team that won the
South American Youth Championship in 2005 and played in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship.
Brandi Chastain does not even require an introduction. She took the time to answer a few
questions about the NCAA Women's Soccer College Cup, and the Capital One Cup, which she is a part
of as a member of the Board of Advisors.
AH: First, were there any surprises, any teams people might not have expected
to be in the Final Four?
The U.S. team got a special treat tonight, courtesy of team administrator Rachel Gruskin. Truth be
told, the ladies don't eat too many desserts, but tonight the squad got to dive into an ice cream
sundae bar and what teenager doesn't love that? Especially teenagers who burn thousands of calories
a day working out.
