" DEFEND YOUR TURF"

WPS FANTASY CHALLENGE 2010

WPS have launched their own fantasy football/soccer game this season.It is open to everyone although to win the prizes on offer you have to be a US resident but that shouldn't stop the participation of the game for us foreigners.

Check it out and sign up to support WPS and women's soccer and if anything else it's fun fun and more fun. You can even create your own leagues. Brit league anyone?

How would you like to run your own WPS team? Here’s your opportunity.

The WPS Fantasy Challenge has just launched and allows fans to test their knowledge of WPS players while competing in leagues against friends, family and fans for bragging rights. It is the first-ever Fantasy Game for women’s soccer. Great prizes – including PUMA gear and player-autographed items – are on the line for season-long winners, while weekly prizes will also be awarded. Fans must manage their roster to stay under the $10 million team budget, while seeking to maximize the points they accumulate each week based upon how their selected players perform in actual WPS games.

Learn more about the WPS Fantasy Challenge HERE

Play the WPS Fantasy Challenge HERE

Week 1 Fantasy Picks preview

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.

PUMA and WPS RECOGNIZE AWESOME 2010

WPS UPDATE April 1st - FINAL ROSTERS

With 9 days to go before the 2010 WPS season starts most of the teams have now submitted their opening day rosters. Rosters consist of 18 contracted players and (max) 4 development players.

D= Development player




Boston Breakers

Goalkeepers
18 Allison Lipsher
1 Alyssa Naeher
24 Ashley Phillips (D)

Defenders
22 Alex Scott
4 Jordan Angeli
6 Amy LePeilbet
17 Kasey Moore
14 Stephanie Cox
21 Analisa Marquez (D)

Midfielders
13 Kristine Lilly
10 Kelly Smith
5 Maggie Tomecka
12 Leslie Osborne
2 Chioma Igwe
7 Liz Bogus

Forwards
8 Lauren Cheney
15 Fabiana
16 Laura Del Rio
9 Sarah Walsh
88 Tiffany Weimer
33 Claire Zimmeck (D)
25 Taryn Hemmings (D)






Chicago Red Stars

Goalkeepers
1 Jillian Loyden
18 Kelsey Davis


Defenders
2 Marian Dalmy
4 Ifeoma Dieke
9 Whitney Engen
13 Natalie Spilger
15 Kate Markgraf
21 Lydia Vandenbergh (D)

Midfielders
6 Brittany Klein
7 Megan Rapinoe
8 Formiga
14 Karen Carney
17 Katie Chapman
38 Julianne Sitch
25 Jackie Santacaterina (D)

Forwards
3 Ella Masar
10 Kosovare Asllani
11 Cristiane
22 Jessica McDonald
27 Casey Nogueira
19 Michele Deisenhofer (D)




FC Gold Pride

Goalkeepers
1 Nicole Barnhart
18 Brittany Cameron
21 Erin Guthrie (D)

Defenders
4 Rachel Buehler
5 Candace Chapman
19 Carrie Dew
13 Kristen Graczyk
14 Kaley Fountain
3 Ali Riley
9 Kandace Wilson

Midfielders
20 Camille Abily
22 Becky Edewards
8 Solveig Gulbrandsen
2 Kimberly Yokers
6Ashley Bowyer (D)
16 Rosie Tantillo (D

Forwards
10 Marta
15 Tiffeny Milbrett
12 Christine Sinclair
7 Kelley O'Hara
11 Kiki Bosio

Gold Pride still have 1 development spot left open.





Philadelphia Independence

Goalkeepers
23 Karina Le Blanc
1 Val Henderson
21 Robyn Jones (D)

Defenders
3 Allison Falk
15 Nikki Krzysik
7 Sara Larsson
2 Heather Mitts
5 Sarah Senty
24 Estelle Johnson
12 Katherine Reynolds (D)

Midfielders
26 Holmfridur Magnusdottir
4 Jennifer Buczkowski
6 Lori Lindsey
17 Joanna Lohman
9 Caroline Seger

Forwards
19 Danesha Adams
8 Amy Rodriguez
11 Karina Maruyama
10 Lianne Sanderson
16 Lyndsey Patterson
14 Carrie Patterson (D)
20 Gina DiMartino (D)



Saint Louis Athletica

Goalkeepers
1 Hope Solo
18 Ashlyn Harris
61 Katie Jo Spisak (D)

Defenders
2 Elaine
3 Carolyn Blank
4 Kendall Fletcher
8 Tina Ellertson
12 Elise Weber
22 Sarah Wagenfuhr

Midfielders
5 Lindsey Tarpley
6 Aya Miyama
7 Shannon Boxx
10 Daniela
11 India Trotter
17 Lori Chalupny
20 Kristina Larsen - Injured
25 Tina DiMartino
13 Sarah Teegarden (D)
16 Erin Walter (D)
23 Veronica Perez (D)

Forwards
9 Eniola Aluko
19 Madelaine Edlund
21 Niki Cross

Kristina Larsen, will begin the season on the injured reserve list. Niki Cross was signed as a free agent by Saint Louis to complete the 22 player active list.




NJ Sky Blue FC

Goalkeepers
1 Karen Bardsley
23 Jenni Branam
18 Ashley Thompson(D)

Defenders
3 Christie Rampone
4 Daphne Koster
5 Anita Asante
7 Megan Schnur
14 Brittany Taylor
15 Danielle Johnson(D)
17 Keeley Dowling

Midfielders
2 Kiersten Dallstream
8 Kacey White
9 Heather O’Reilly
10 Carli Lloyd
11 Rosana
13 Yael Averbuch
26 Angela Salem(D)

Forwards
6 Natasha Kai
12 Jessica Landstrom
16 Meagan Snell(D)
21 Laura Kalmari
22 Katie Schoepfer





Atlanta Beat

Goalkeepers
17 Brett Maron
1 Allison Whitworth
0 Malori Lofton-Malachi (D)

Defenders
6 Kia McNeil
7 Leigh Ann Robinson
12 Tracy Hamm
16 Blakely Mattern(D)
14 Lauren Sesselman

Midfielders
4 Stacey Bishop
3 Tobin Heath
11 Angie Kerr
15 Amanda Cinalli
5 Katie Larkin
20 Sophia Mundy
19 Rebecca Nolin(D)
9 Mami Yamaguchi
2 McCall Zerboni
23 Marisha Schumacher-Hodge(D)

Forwards
10 Ramona Bachmann
8 Monica Ocampo
13 Johanna Rasmussen
18 Shelley Thompson




Washington Freedom

Goalkeepers
0 Meagan McCray (D)
1 Briana Scurry
18 Erin McLeod

Defenders
3 Jill Gilbeau
4 Cat Whitehill
5 Brittany Bock
17 Nikki Marshall
21 Alex Singer
22 Becky Sauerbrunn
23 Kristi Eveland
27 Marissa Abegg (D)

Midfielders
6 Beverly Goebel (D)
8 Sonia Bompastor
9 Allie Long
10 Homare Sawa
12 Caitlin Miskel (D)
14 Sarah Huffman
19 Rebecca Moros

Forwards
7 Lene Mykjaland
13 Christie Welsh
17 Lisa De Vanna
20 Abby Wambach

FORMIGA TO CHICAGO

The Chicago Red Stars have announced their final international. Formiga. Did you guess?I know I didn't. Even though i knew she was released by FC Gold Pride I did not think she would end up in Chicago or was a Emma Hayes type of player.

The Brazilian midfielder returns to WPS after playing for FC Gold Pride in 2009. Starting in 15 of 16 games played. She was voted on to the All-Star team but could not play due to a knee injury towards the end of the season.

"Her record speaks for itself," Red Stars Head Coach Emma Hayes said. "We've acquired one of the top playmaking midfielders in the world. We're going to be looking toward her experience to drive this team, and she's joining an already exceptional group of players."

Formiga will unite with her Brazilian teammate Cristiane. Can't wait to hear the samba drums at Toyota Park!

Paul Taylor

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

Chalupny out indefinite?

Lori Chalupny captain of Saint Louis Athletica and US Women's national team is taking an indefinite leave of absence to deal with concerns related to concussions.
Athletica announced today that Chalupny is likely to miss pre-season training and possibly the start of the 2010 season.No specific date has been set for her return. She will also miss the Algarve Cup tournament in Portugal in a few weeks where the USWNT take on Sweden, Norway and Iceland.
Chalupny has had previous problems with concussions. She suffered during the 2008 Beijing Olympics where she was taken off against Norway after a coming together with US goalkeeper Hope Solo.

EX- SOL PLAYERS REALLOCATED

Los Angeles Sol Players were today allocated to the remaining eight teams of the WPS after the demise of the Sol. The "draft" took place behind closed doors and a press release was issued an hour after the start of the "draft".

There was some surprise at the results. Most surprise came from Saint Louis Athletica who had traded up to get 1st pick. Athletica picked Shannon Boxx, Japanese star Aya Miyama, Tina DiMartino and Danish international Catherine Paaske Sorenson. It's a surprise because all 4 are top midfielders that you can say play in the same area of the pitch, something i thought Athletica were strong on. I guess defence isn't an option at Saint Louis. Remember Championships are won on defence. It's an old saying but so so true.

Other surprises being Brittany Bock to Washington Freedom and that the Freedom also got the rights to Nigerian striker Faith Ikidi. A striker who is contracted to Linköping (Swedish Damallsvenskan league) for the 2010 season. Strange but good to see a franchise think beyond 2010. Gives us our hope back.

Not so much of a surprise Marta staying in California with FC Gold Pride and Karina Le Blanc moving to Philly.

Good luck to all the ladies at their new teams. We will be supporting them all.


Here are the results by team:

Atlanta Beat - Manya Makoski MF , Pavlina Scasna F
Boston Breakers - Stephanie Cox D, Michelle Enyeart F
Chicago Red Stars - Casey Nogueira F
FC Gold Pride - Marta F, Kiki Bosio F, Lindsay Browne F
Philadelphia Independance - Karina LeBlanc GK, Estelle Johnson D
Sky Blue FC - Nikki Washington MF, Kiersten Dallstream F
Saint Louis Athletica - Shannon Boxx MF, Aya Miyama MF, Tina DiMartino MF, Catherine Sorenson MF.
Washington Freedom - Brittany Bock D, Faith Ikidi F


Results in draft order

Round 1
1. Shannon Boxx, M – Saint Louis Athletica *
2. Karina LeBlanc, GK – Philadelphia Independence
3. Marta, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
4. Casey Nogueira, F – Chicago Red Stars
5. Stephanie Cox, D – Boston Breakers
6. Nikki Washington, M – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
7. Brittany Bock, D – Washington Freedom
8. Aya Miyama, M – Saint Louis Athletica

Round 2
9. Manya Makoski, M – Atlanta Beat
10. Faith Ikidi, D/F – Washington Freedom
11. Kiersten Dallstream, F – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
12. Michelle Enyeart, F – Boston Breakers
13. Kiki Bosio, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area) ^
14. Tina DiMartino, M – Saint Louis Athletica #
15. Estelle Johnson, D – Philadelphia Independence
16. Pavlina Scasna, F – Atlanta Beat

Round 3
17. Pass – Atlanta Beat
18. Pass – Philadelphia Independence
19. Lindsay Browne, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
20. Pass – Chicago Red Stars
21. Pass – Boston Breakers
22. Pass – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
23. Pass – Washington Freedom
24. Catherine Sorenson, M – Saint Louis Athletica


* via trade with Atlanta Beat (trade prior to draft)
^ via trade with Chicago Red Stars (Chicago receives FC Gold Pride’s 2nd Round pick in 2011 WPS Draft)
# via trade with Chicago Red Stars (Chicago receives Saint Louis Athletica’s 2nd Round pick in 2011 WPS Draft)



Paul Taylor (Featured writer)

NEW DAY IN WPS

We have sufficiently recovered from the doom of the LA Sol here at womans scoccer insider to report that a "New day" starts today for WPS.

Today sometime after 1pm ET, 6pm European time, the remaining women of the LA Sol will be placed (we hate the word dispersed...really) with the remaining eight teams of WPS.

There are a total three rounds, potentially 24 players can be picked with the likes of Marta, Shannon Boxx and Aya Miyama to name but a few up for grabs.

Saint Louis Athletica have managed to wrangle their way to 1st pick with some trading with the previous 1st pickers Atlanta Beat by sending defender Kia McNeil and Midfielder Angie Kerr(Woznuk) to Atlanta. What that means only time will tell.

Find out the results from twitter women's Pro Soccer and back here for an in depth update.