WPS Sky Blue FC

Sky Blue FC picks Walsh, Rosana, Ester, Parker in International Draft

September 24, 2008 - Women's Professional Soccer (WPS)
Sky Blue FC News Release


SOMERSET, NJ (Sept. 24, 2008) - After receiving a strong allocation of domestic talent last week, Sky Blue FC added some international flair to its roster today when Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) held its first-ever international draft.

With his selections in the four-round draft, Sky Blue FC General Manager and Head Coach Ian Sawyers claimed the rights to Sarah Walsh of Australia, Rosana and Ester of Brazil, and Kelly Parker of Canada. Sky Blue will now begin a formal negotiation process with each selected player upon receiving permission from that player's current club.

Today's international draft followed the allocation of players from the United States Women's National Team last week. In the allocation process, Sky Blue FC earned the rights to Christie Rampone, Heather O'Reilly, and Natasha Kai. The order for the international draft was based upon the strength of each team's allocation and Sky Blue FC was deemed to have the strongest and thus picked last in today's proceedings.

"We are very happy with our picks," Sawyers said. "We got our first pick, and it was a great way to set the tone. Considering that we were slated to pick last of all the teams in this round of international players, I got a lot of what I wanted."

Sawyers tabbed Walsh with his first pick of the draft and seventh overall. The Australian striker has been a mainstay in recent years for the 'Matildas' appearing in the 2004 Olympics and the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup. The 25-year old was slated to play in the United States for the Pali Blues of the W-League - the top amateur women's league in North America - this past summer but missed the season due to a broken leg.

The next two Sky Blue FC picks were Rosana and Ester - a pair of 26-year olds from the Brazil National Team that finished second at the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and won the silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. A defensive midfielder, Rosana currently plays for SV Neulengbach in Austria and has played in the last three Olympic Games and the past two World Cups. A playmaking midfielder, Ester played every game in the 2007 World Cup and the 2008 Olympics and currently plays for Santos in Brazil.

The final pick for Sky Blue FC was Canadian Kelly Parker - a long-time player in the W-League. A graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, Parker played for the Ottawa Fury for five years before moving to W-League runner-up FC Indiana in 2008. An attacking central midfielder, the 27-year old has 48 goals and 41 assists over the past six W-League seasons and was named the W-League MVP in 2004.

"Since this is the fourth time I've done this, it brings a different challenge each time - different players, from different eras - but it's always exciting," said Sawyers, who served as the head coach for the San Jose CyberRays in the WUSA professional league from 2001 to 2003. "We want our players to reflect the philosophy of Sky Blue Soccer, with good character and talent, and who want to play here. We want them to become great soccer role models, both on and off the field. New Jersey is in a very discerning neighborhood - our audience is so educated - so we want to give the fans a product all of us can be proud of."

Overall, the results of the draft included the selection of 10 players from Brazil, four from Japan, three from Australia and three from Canada. For the 2009 season, teams will ultimately be allowed to sign up to five international players per roster.

The draft does not reflect any intent or commitment on the player's behalf to sign with this team or that any offer has been made to the player. Rather, it signifies the beginning of the process by which each team will move forward according to the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players. These regulations govern the relationships between players and clubs around the world.

The first step will begin with a formal notification from that WPS team to the respective player's club regarding their interest in this player and serve as a notification of their intent to enter into negotiations with the player. Teams will only be allowed to move forward with a formal negotiation process once it has been confirmed that the player is in the last six months of her contract or if her respective club grants access to the player if her contract extends beyond the six month window. From this point, each team will work with the player to negotiate a mutually acceptable contract.

Season tickets for Sky Blue FC are on sale now by visiting Sky Blue Soccer on the internet at www.SkyBlueFC.com or by calling 888-SBFC-TIX.



Women's Professional Soccer Stories from September 24, 2008


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