As I'm just a little flat-out again, here are some previews from the very talented staff at the Central Coast Mariners and Canberra United to read while I get my own stuff happening. Well written and interesting, thanks both Joseph (Mariners) and Chris (Canberra).
Washington to Central Coast – Golebiowski leading Mariners cause
By Joseph Carlucci
The dream of each Australian female footballer is to play at the highest level and represent the Matildas at a World Cup, and for the lucky few that get the chance to don the Green and Gold, the feeling is immense. Click to continue reading...

Former USWNT superstar Mia Hamm has pulled a Chili Palmer, becoming a movie producer to adapt Harvey Araton's Alive and Kicking: When Soccer Moms Take the Field for the big screen.That's all fine and good... but I still wanna see her throw a stuntman down restaurant stairs.What can I say? I'm just like that. Click to continue reading...

Mia Hamm of the United States has been named as ambassador for the 2011 Women's World Cup Games in Germany. The prestigious honor means that Hamm will be going around the world to represent the games and help promote women's soccer. She was named world player of the year back in 2001 and has brought home gold medals for the United States for the last two summer Olympic games.

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Upon further research by statistics guru extraordinaire Peter Hirdt of Elias Sports Bureau, we have discovered that Christine Nairn is the 9th youngest player ever to score a goal for the full U.S. Women's National Team. Kristine Lilly was the youngest at 16 years, 22 days, a record that will likely never be broken (one of many seeingingly unbreakable records by Lilly! Click to continue reading...

Does Liking Women's Soccer Make You Gayer?

I love soccer. And I'm pretty sure I love women. So why don't I love Women's Professional Soccer? Or do I, secretly? These are questions I fear to answer because any serious soul-searching might uncover the misogynistic pig within. That, or I'll end up stripping away a vestigial layer of macho-callous that has kept me straight and largely insensitive to the needs of women through the years.

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                                                                      Photo by ISIphotos.com

David Beckham's welcome home to the Home Depot Center was far from a warm one, but that didn't stop him from making an impact.

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                                                                      Photo by ISIphotos.com

David Beckham's welcome home to the Home Depot Center was far from a warm one, but that didn't stop him from making an impact.

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It was a magical afternoon in Rochester, N.Y. this afternoon as Abby Wambach fulfilled what most only dream about. She scored her first goal since tragically breaking her leg in the final pre-Olympic match just over a year ago. It was her historic 100th career goal, putting in an exclusive club with four of the USA's greatest-ever players, and she did it in her hometown in front of hundreds of friends and family and live on ESPN. Click to continue reading...

I'm ashamed of myself for not even mentioning this at all in my two prior posts, but the event at RFK today is a doubleheader. As I'm writing this now, I'm wearing an old school, WUSA-era Abby Wambach tee, back from when she was Mia Hamm's understudy.
Freedom takes on St. Louis Athletica at 5pm, in just over an hour. Click to continue reading...

It was billed as a party to celebrate the WNT's accomplishments ten years ago, when the United States defeated China in a penalty kick shootout at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The game, played in front of a crowd of 90,185, remains the best-attended women's sporting event in history and raised the profile of women's soccer globally for years to come.

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The year was 1999. A team of inspired women and a tournament of historic proportions captured the hearts and minds of an entire nation. I was just a young girl (well not that young) and one of 90,000 fans at the Rose Bowl watching the epic final and witnessing history.

The 1999 Women's World Cup ran from June 19-July 10, 1999, in packed stadiums across the United States, raising the profile of women's soccer globally, creating new heroes in the sport and setting the bar for future FIFA Women's World Cupâ„¢ tournaments

Now, 10 years later, U.

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This excerpt of an excellent story comes to us via the Footy Blog on the Score. Be sure to check them out frequently and subscribe to The Footy Show podcast for a uniquely Canadian perspective on all things football and MLS.

It might well be a Manic Monday around the Toronto FC front offices on Monday, and by that I don't mean Susanna Hoffs will be lounging around a crystal blue Italian stream.

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Two of the biggest USA soccer stars have been asked to help a United States bid for the 2018 or 2020 World Cup. Mia Hamm and Landon Donovan have been asked and have agreed to help the National Bid Committee in their ensuing efforts.

image by newscom

Being able to host the FIFA World Cup games is one of the best economic boosts a country could have.

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Landon Donovan and Mia Hamm are now part of the Board of Directors for the USA bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup. "The US Soccer Federation has been an instrumental part of my development as a soccer player for more than a decade, so it's an honor for me to be asked to join the USA Bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022," said Donovan. Click to continue reading...

Landon Donovan and Mia Hamm, two of the most decorated players in U.S. National Team history, today accepted invitations to join the Board of Directors for the USA Bid Committee in its endeavour to bring the FIFA World Cup to the United States in 2018 or 2022. The all-time leading scorer for the U.

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After an excellent performance against Canada on Memorial Day, playing under the adverse conditions of a hard turf field and 10,000 hostile Canadian fans (ok, they weren't hostile. Canadians are actually really nice folks), the U.S. players have returned to their WPS clubs, where they shall stay until mid-July when the team regroups for another two matches against Canada. Click to continue reading...

Her Story: What can you really say about Mia Hamm that hasn't already been said. She was, quite simply, the greatest women's soccer player ever. Born in Selma, Alabama, Hamm has become a global icon for women's sports. Her leadership and skill would ignite the incendiary rise of the WNT and establish the squad as the world's greatest.

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Her Story: Michelle Akers should very arguably be a top 2 player on this list, but I like her here at #3. She grew up in Washington State and was a four-time All-American at UCF. In 1985, she was one of the first ever members of the WNT and she would remain with the team until the turn of the century.

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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.

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Nomar Garciaparra and wife Mia Hamm attend the NCAA college basketball game between Louisiana Tech and UCLA in Los Angeles recently; Hamm, the reluctant celebrity who became the most prolific goal-scorer of all-time in international soccer, will be inducted into the 'Hall of Freedom' at half time of Sunday's Washington Freedom WPS game against Saint Louis Athletica.

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                                                                         Photo by ISIphotos.com

By CHRISTA MANN

As some key internationals return to the league, a renewed confidence from restored starting line-ups will settle the worries of last week's struggling teams.

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                                                                         Photo by ISIphotos.com

By CHRISTA MANN

As some key internationals return to the league, a renewed confidence from restored starting line-ups will settle the worries of last week's struggling teams.

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No Phillies game last night - and the Red Sox got pounded. Love the Sox, but Josh Beckett? Not so much. If games like last night taught him some humility, I'd come around. But most likely, it'll just sharpen his already nasty, cocky edge. You're a dink ... and thinking about you is just getting my morning off to a bad start!

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At halftime Sunday (check Fox Soccer Channel just before 7 p.m. ET), the Washington Freedom will honor Mia Hamm and Siri Mullinix.
I had a chance to talk with Hamm on Thursday.
On how the Freedom survived from the WUSA to the WPS: "First of all, you're in a great area. Click to continue reading...

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?

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First off, is Andrew Card crazy?  He's tweaked about Obama disrespecting the office of the Presidency.  Why?  Because Obama changed the dress code at the White House.  Good grief.  Is that what Andrew Card really thinks?  Is he a grown-up?  (And I loved the comments on this piece ... especially the one about how the [. Click to continue reading...

Maybe the photo gives you a clue as to whom I'm picking to win the Gold Medal match. The only remaining question is whether or not the US will score a goal. Game time is 8:00 am and it's being broadcast live on USA Network channel.

The player pictured is Formiga, I'll point you to From A Left Wing and Jennifer Doyle's commentary on Brazil's decisive 4-1 win over the World Cup champion German squad in the semifinal Monday.

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Tomorrow at 6AM we'll start the next leg of the Olympic tournament journey. There's not a lot in the way of soccer news in the interim. The WNT Blog is a good place to track the USWNT's travels and preparation for tomorrow's showdown with Canada. An upbeat and determined Canadian squad is [...]SHARETHIS. Click to continue reading...

I went to Dodger stadium to cover Chivas USA's Claudio Suarez throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. I needed quotes for my SuperClasico preview, plus I thought a pic of Nomar and Claudio would look good on the blog. I didn't intend to stay for the game, but it turns out that I parked in the wrong spot. Click to continue reading...

I don't often share viral videos on this blog, but: Two girls from Santa Monica High School show their love for LA monument Randy's Donut. (Note the last line: "Let's see Mia Hamm do that!") Click to continue reading...

In the run-up to the Oly's it's interestting to read the thoughtful analysis being posted about the whole Solo-Scurry-Ryan episode at the 2007 Women's World Cup. Following on the heels of the SI piece by Grant Wahl, we have commentary from: Sideline Views - in which Andrea Canales cites Anson Dorrance and the way he [. Click to continue reading...

The long awaited top-level women's soccer league now has a name and a logo. As you can see in the title, the name is Women's Professional Soccer (WPS). It might not be the most exciting of names, but it does tell you exactly what it is.
As far as the logo, much like the name, it gives you what it is, a woman playing the game of soccer. Click to continue reading...

Q: Is he a jock? A: Oh, no. He plays soccer. -Overheard on NJ Transit Train, 12/06 When we were kids, my two sisters and I lived on opposite sides of the planet. We didn't sit together on school buses. When we passed each other in the hall, we acted like we barely knew each other. I wore black. Click to continue reading...

4. There will be a New York/New Jersey club.
It didn't work for the Red Bulls, so why do they expect it to work here? They would be better off being a Brooklyn or New Jersey only side.
3. They're aligning themselves with Soccer United Marketing.
That's the same company the works with the MLS. They're doing a great job, huh? Is that why the club in the country's biggest city can't get a decent crowd? Click to continue reading...

Recently I've read on a few blogs about how AC Milan fans aren't very pleased with their club's lack of activity during the transfer window. Other than the addition of young Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato, they have failed to add anyone significant, but maybe it's because they appear to be set to gain through loss. Weight loss, that is. You see, Brazilian legend Ronaldo, who the Rossoneri took off of Real Madrid's hands in the January transfer window, was diagnosed with hypothyroidism earlier this summer and immediately began medical treatment for the disease and resulting weight issue. Click to continue reading...