Wps Weekly - Week 5
May 11, 2010 - Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) News Release
WPS Week 5 saw the only undefeated team left in WPS drop its first game of the year, as the Philadelphia Independence lost on the road to Saint Louis Athletica. FC Gold Pride won its fourth in a row to tie a league record and move three points clear in the table, while the Atlanta Beat opened their new stadium in Kennesaw, GA, with the fourth-highest attendance all-time in WPS.
On Saturday, FC Gold Pride (4-1-0) defeated an undermanned Chicago Red Stars (1-3-1) team, 2-0, after Red Stars defender Ifeoma Dieke was sent off in the 25th-minute leaving Chicago to play with 10 players. FC Gold Pride forward Tiffeny Milbrett missed the ensuing penalty kick but made up for it with a spectacular goal late in the first half. After hitting the cross bar with her initial shot, she collected the rebound, made one juggle with her right foot and then spun in the air to hit a scissor kick into the upper 90. Rookie Kelley O'Hara made it 2-0 in the second half with her first goal of the season.
In other Saturday games, the Washington Freedom (2-2-1) and Boston Breakers (1-1-3) played to a 0-0 tie in windy conditions - just the second goalless game on the WPS season thus far and the first since Week 1. In St. Louis, the Athletica dropped the expansion Philadelphia Independence from the unbeaten ranks. Philadelphia was looking to become the first WPS team ever to start the first five games of the season without a loss but fell 2-1. Lindsay Tarpley, coming back from injury, notched her first goal of the 2010 WPS campaign.
And on Sunday, WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci was on hand in Atlanta to see the opening of the first stadium built specifically for a WPS team when the Atlanta Beat (0-4-1) opened KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, GA. The game attracted 7,248 fans as the Beat dominated Sky Blue FC (3-2-0) from start to finish and had a 25-9 edge on shots, but lost on the scoreboard, 1-0, as a result of an inspired performance by Sky Blue FC goalkeeper Karen Bardsley and an inopportune own goal by Atlanta's Leigh Ann Robinson early in the second half.
Sky Blue FC's Bardsley is WPS's Week 5 Player of the Week
Goalkeeper Karen Bardsley is Women's Professional Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 5 after making 13 saves, several of them spectacular, in Sky Blue FC's 1-0 victory Sunday over the Atlanta Beat at KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, Ga.
The Southern Californian, who plays for England's national team, is the second Sky Blue FC goalkeeper to win WPS's weekly honor. Jenni Branam won in 2009, and teammate Tasha Kai won twice last season.
Bardsley posted her third shutout in five games to spoil the Beat's home debut in front of 7,248 at the new stadium one-mile from the campus of Kennesaw State University. She faced 25 shots, 15 on target, and 15 corner kicks, making big saves on McCall Zerboni and twice on Ramona Bachmann. Bardsley leads the league in both shutouts and goals against average (GAA).
The WPS Player of Week is selected by a panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters.
Week 1: Eniola Aluko (Saint Louis Athletica)
Week 2: Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)
Week 3: Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence)
Week 4: Sonia Bompastor (Washington Freedom)
Week 5: Karen Bardsley (Sky Blue FC)
Commissioner Tonya Antonucci Appears on Popular International Show CNN Worldsport
On Sunday, prior to attending the Atlanta Beat's grand opening of the new KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, GA, WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci sat down for a conversation with CNN Worldsport host Patrick Snell on topics ranging from building stars, soccer-specific stadiums and the international flavor of WPS.
Atlanta Beat's Stadium Opening Attracts Fourth-Highest Crowd in WPS History
Sunday's attendance at the Atlanta Beat home opener at KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, GA, was the fourth-highest WPS attendance of all-time (not including doubleheaders) and the only one among the top five all-time that does not feature Marta and the Los Angeles Sol.
Top 5 All-Time WPS Attendances
3/29/2009 Los Angeles Sol vs. Washington Freedom Home Depot Center 14,832
5/2/2009 Boston Breakers vs. Los Angeles Sol Harvard Stadium 8,031
8/2/2009 Chicago Red Stars vs. Los Angeles Sol Toyota Park 7,959
5/9/2010 Atlanta Beat vs. Sky Blue FC KSU Soccer Stadium 7,248
8/22/2009 Los Angeles Sol vs. Sky Blue FC Home Depot Center 7,218
For full league attendance statistics through Week 5, go to the Media Section on the WPS website with the latest updated WPS Attendance Tracker.
Christie Rampone & Tasha Kai Featured in ESPN the Magazine
Sky Blue FC defender Christie Rampone, who gave birth to her second daughter Reece on March 6 and looks to return to action in the coming weeks, was featured in ESPN The Magazine's popular Page 2 series "For Love Or The Game". In this edition, Rampone's husband Chris goes up against Rampone's Sky Blue FC teammate Tasha Kai to see which one of them knows Rampone better through a series of questions including favorite movie, hidden talent and favorite food to cook. The item appears on Page 34 of the May 3 issue of ESPN The Magazine.
WPS Announces All 17 Markets for WPS Camps
Cities across the U.S. to Feature WPS Stars this Summer
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (May 11, 2010) - Women's Professional Soccer today announced the complete list of locations for the second year of its popular WPS Camps program. Designed to provide a dynamic and challenging environment for the female player at any age, WPS Camps offers four unique programs, each built upon the premise that campers will be exposed to world-class training methods and exercises during their experience with WPS Camps. Each camp runs one week in partnership with a local club in a host market and features a unique curriculum written in part by WPS Coaches and approved by the WPS Camps Technical Committee. All WPS Camps also include a special training appearance from a WPS player during the week.
"Our WPS Camps have a completely redesigned curriculum this year geared specifically for girls and women looking to learn from the pros and play like the pros," said Mary Harvey, WPS Chief Operating Officer. "WPS Camps are also a great way to extend the WPS brand into markets that don't have easy access to attending games and seeing our world class players live on the field. With WPS Camps, they have the opportunity to see them in person at a camp."
Seventeen locations have been signed up for the 2010 WPS Camps summer season. The names of WPS players attending the camps will be announced by the end of May. More information can be found at www.WPSCamps.com
City Dates Partner Club
Delray Beach, FL June 28-July 2 Delray Beach Athletic Club
Beaumont, TX June 28-July 2 Spindletop YSA
Denver, CO July 5-9 Colorado Fusion
Indianapolis, IN July 5-9 Dynamo FC
Raleigh, NC July 5-9 Triangle Futbol Club
Kingsport, TN July 12-16 Sullivan County Soccer Association
Phoenix, AZ July 19-23 Arizona Soccer Club
Reno, NV July 19-23 Nevada Elite Football Club
Seattle, WA July 19-23 Highline Premier FC
St. Paul, MN July 19-23 St. Croix Soccer Club
Greenville, SC July 26-30 Carolina Elite Soccer Club
Simsbury, CT July 26-30 The Ethel Walker School
Waverly, IA July 26-30 Waverly Shell Rock Soccer Association
Carlsbad, CA August 2-6 Carlsbad Lightning
Clearwater, FL August 2-6 Clearwater Soccer Club
Redding, CA August 9-13 Missfits Soccer FC
Brookfield, CT August 16-20 Brookfield Soccer Club
WPS Week 6 Preview
Two prominent records are on the line for WPS teams as WPS games are played each day this weekend Friday through Sunday before next week's WPS bye week for national team games. FC Gold Pride looks to set the all-time WPS record for consecutive wins with five, as they face the Boston Breakers on Friday night. Riding a four-game winning streak, FC Gold Pride are currently tied with the 2009 Los Angeles Sol, who notched four wins in late June midway through the Inaugural Season before losing to Saint Louis Athletica. On the other side of the coin, the Atlanta Beat hope to avoid becoming the first WPS team ever to lose five straight games. In 2009, FC Gold Pride had a four-game losing streak, tied with Atlanta's current streak for the longest in league play.
Friday, May 14
Boston Breakers vs. FC Gold Pride (7:30 pm ET)
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, MA
* Only the second Friday night game ever in WPS history.
* FC Gold Pride looks to become first WPS team to win five straight games since league launched.
* Breakers look to end their two-game scoring drought and their four-game winless streak since season opening win over Washington Freedom.
* These two teams split the season series in 2009 at 1-1-1.
* The last two times Marta has played at Harvard Stadium (as member of Los Angeles Sol), she has helped draw 8,031 and 6,631 to the game.
* FC Gold Pride's 8 goals lead the league and is spread among five different players.
Saturday, May 15
Chicago Red Stars vs. Philadelphia Independence (7 pm ET)
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL
* Chicago is the only team in the league that has yet to play one of the two 2010 expansion teams - a streak that will end Saturday.
* Chicago has been shut out in all three losses and is unbeaten when they score a goal so far in 2010.
* Red Stars Casey Nogueira is tops in the league among rookies with two goals.
* Independence saw four game unbeaten streak to start the season end last week vs. Athletica.
* Philadelphia are in the second game of three away games. With the May 22-23 WPS bye weekend, the Independence don't play at home again until June 6.
* Philadelphia's Lori Lindsey is second in the league with four assists while Allison Falk has two goals, the most among defenders in the league.
Sunday, May 16
Saint Louis Athletica vs. Sky Blue FC (4 pm ET)
The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park, Fenton, MO
* A match-up of No. 2 vs. No. 3 in the standings, Saint Louis was 3-0 against Sky Blue FC during the regular season last year before dropping a 1-0 decision to the New Jersey-side in the WPS Super Semifinal on August 19.
* Sky Blue FC has scored just three goals on offense this season with the fourth goal coming on an own-goal in last weekend's victory over Atlanta.
* Karen Bardsley was the overwhelming winner of the WPS Player of the Week award in recording 13-saves in Week 5 and notching her league-leading third shutout of the season. She leads the league in saves by a wide margin of 10.
* Saint Louis is currently 2-0 in teams among the top half of the WPS standings and 0-1-2 against teams in the lower half of the table.
Atlanta Beat vs. Washington Freedom (6 pm ET - FSC)
KSU Soccer Stadium, Kennesaw, GA
* Atlanta plays its second consecutive game at KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, GA, after its official opening Sunday, May 9. The opening game attracted a crowd of 7,248, the fourth-highest ever in WPS.
* The Freedom won the first game between these two teams, 3-1, at Maryland SoccerPlex.
* The Freedom and Beat have both given up 7 goals on the seasons, worst in the league among defenses.
* Beat have lost three consecutive one-goal games during their five-game winless streak but for the first time this season had the edge in shots 25-9 in their 1-0 loss to Sky Blue FC this past Sunday
* Freedom play an expansion team for the third time in six games.
* Abby Wambach leads the league in assists with 6.
Women's Professional Soccer Stories from May 11, 2010
- Wps Weekly - Week 5 - WPS
- Athletica Announce Special Uniform For Komen St. Louis Affiliate Game On May 16 - St. Louis Athletica
- Bardsley Named WPS Player of the Week - Sky Blue FC
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
