LET THE SEASON BEGIN - WPS UPDATE

Tomorrow March 1st marks the official day pre-season camp commences for many of the WPS teams. Some have already started their team meetings and put players through fitness tests. Others have been collecting and ferrying players from airports to around the city apartment hunting. For many it’s try-outs..to see who gets to stay for the rest of preseason before the roster is whittled down from anywhere from 25, 28 sometimes 30 players to the 22 required.

March 7 is when the international players are expected from tournaments in Europe such as the Algarve Cup in Portugal where the likes of the USA,Sweden,Norway,Finland,Iceland and Denmark have players participating who are signed to WPS teams and the same for the Cyprus Cup where WPS players from England, Canada, Holland and Switzerland are battling it out against each other.

With so much going on since the allocation of the Los Angeles Sol players early this month,here are some of the goings on…so far in Women’s Professional Soccer.

Atlanta Beat once again have been out in front packing their rosters top to bottom. New signings joining No1 draft pick Tobin Heath are forward Shelley Thompson(pictured right) from Vfl Wolfsburg. The first German signing snatches the last international spot for Atlanta. GK Brett Maron and midfielder Marisha Schumacher-Hodge are a couple of free agents. Maron having played in the Damallsvenskan for Kristianstads DFF last year and Schumacher-Hodge from Boston University played for the Boston Aztecs in the WPSL. They have waved goodbye to Carrie Patterson and Noelle Kesilica. The latter suffering a preseason knee injury.

Boston Breakers welcome Australian forward Sarah Walsh. Walsh returns after a successful season down under where Sydney FC won the championship. Walsh will be playing for her 3rd WPS team after clocking hours last season with Sky Blue FC and Saint Louis Athletica. However they will miss the dynamic duo of Christine Latham and Jenni Nobis. At least of the field they will. Canadian Latham was waived to make room for Walsh and Nobis suffered an ACL injury at the beginning of February.

Chicago Red Stars have been pretty quite on the signing business so far but now there are whispers that an international is about to be announced. The announcement is imminent according to Head Coach Emma Hayes. Any ideas? More good news - English midfielder Karen Carney is recovering from her knee surgery and hopes to be fit for the start of the season and congratulations are in order for Jill Oakes who announced her pregnancy. The Red Stars have released her from her contract.
Another player released but is not happy about it is Brandi Chastain (pictured left). FC Gold Pride announced that she will not be invited to pre season camp but they wish her well in what she does. Chastain said she was sad and mad at not having the chance to play with Gold Prides new players such as Marta and Camille Abily and to measure herself against them and the younger players. A young player Gold Pride have signed is another former LA Sol player in GK Brittany Cameron. Cameron was a development GK behind Karina LeBlanc and Val Henderson.

Saint Louis Athletica fans are still recovering from the shock of their captain Lori Chalupny taking indefinite leave can console themselves a bit with the news that Brazilian midfielder Daniela is on her way back from injury and has agreed terms with the team for the 2010 season.
With the award season out of the way.(FYI: Sky Blue won everything). Sky Blue FC announced a new shirt sponsor in Somerset Medical Center. So far they are the only team to have secured a shirt sponsor. More good news, Anita Asante the English defender is recovering from her knee surgery and should be back midseason. So should figurehead and captain Christie Rampone.

Lastly Washington Freedom who have retained many of the players from last season has signed Christie Welsh the former USWNT forward. Welsh will play for her 3rd team after stints with the Sol and Athletica. Welsh previously played under Head Coach Jim Gabarra with the Freedom in the W-League