2010 WPS NEW FACES

This weekend the 2010 WPS Championship season begins and many new faces will seep into our hearts and minds. The new faces will consist of a mixture of internationals and collegiate players all out to prove their worth, to impress on their teams and the soccer fan.

During 2009 there were a number internationals that increased their stature in the game and impressed fans. Boston Breakers English star Alex Scott and the French midfield pair of Camille Abily ,Los Angeles Sol and Sonia Bompastor of Washington Freedom. To name just three who were relatively unknown outside of their country but had an excellent season making their way onto the WPS All Star team which was voted for by fellow players, fans and the media.
College players that made their mark and were vital to their teams and deservedly earned starting positions included the Los Angeles Sol rookie defence of Stanford’s Allison Falk and Notre Dame’s Brittany Bock and Santa Clara’s midfielder Brittany Klein all of them outgunning more experienced players in defence and midfield to shine brightly .

So who will make their mark this season? Over the next few days till kick-off we will profile a few of the players new to WPS and the public, whom we hope will make a name for themselves, entertain fans and push women’s soccer that bit further forward.

Katie Chapman - Chicago Red Stars and England

Chapman a strong , committed and tough tackling midfielder, makes her way to Chicago Red Stars via Millwall, Fulham, Charlton and Arsenal. A member of Arsenal’s 2007 quadruple winning squad , Chapman was the engine in midfield that propelled the team to a historic season which ended with them claiming the European Cup against a Umea side which included someone called Marta.
A senior member of the England team with 76 caps and 8 goals having competed in the 2001,2005 and 2009 European Championships and 2007 Women’s World Cup. England’s best player at Euro 2009. So say all of us here at womans soccer insider.
Chapman should bring heart , experience and a bit of steel to Chicago’s midfield.











Ali Riley - FC Gold Pride

All the way to the Bay by way of LA, Stanford and New Zealand.
LA born Riley is a pacey full-back, winger. The former striker offers speed and directness to any team. She was captain of a Stanford team that went 25-1 and reached the final of the 2009 NCAA Championship. The rookie from Stanford is a rookie in WPS name only. She is a mainstay on the New Zealand national team with 34 caps, represented NZ in the 2007 Women’s World Cup and 2008 Beijing Olympics Games. At 22 years old Riley has already captained her national team and help take NZ to the finals of the 2010 Cyprus Cup where they went down narrowly 1-0 to Canada.
Riley will bring speed, commitment and experience to the FC Gold Pride back line with the green light to join in attack by overlapping up the wing and providing crosses and through balls. Strength lies in taking on and beating defenders at pace.