Final shots for the day:

*Sol defenders Brittany Bock and Stephanie Cox and midfielder Shannon Boxx were among 26 players called into Pia Sundhage’s 12-day USWNT camp that begins Sept. 21 at Home Depot Center. Bock gets her second call-up of the year after also making the U.S. roster for the May 25 game against Canada in Toronto she was forced to miss after suffering a heel injury in training the day before.

Sundhage has the luxury of calling in several other WPS players for a look including Washington Freedom midfielder Lori Lindsey (1 cap), Sky Blue FC midfielder Yael Averbuch (2), uncapped Chicago Red Stars midfielder Brittany Klein and Sky Blue FC defender Meghan Schnur.

The squad: goalkeepers – Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Ashlyn Harris (North Carolina), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica)

defenders Brittany Bock (Los Angeles Sol), Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis Athletica), Stephanie Cox (Los Angeles Sol), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Boston Breakers), Megan Schnur (Sky Blue FC), Cat Whitehill (Washington Freedom)

midfielders Yael Averbuch (Sky Blue FC), Shannon Boxx ( Los Angeles Sol), Tina DiMartino (FC Gold Pride), Tobin Heath (UNC), Angela Hucles ( Boston Breakers), Brittany Klein ( Chicago Red Stars), Lori Lindsey ( Washington Freedom), Carli Lloyd ( Chicago Red Stars), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Leslie Osborne (FC Gold Pride), Megan Rapinoe ( Chicago Red Stars), Kacey White (Sky Blue FC)

forwards Lauren Cheney (UCLA), Amy Rodriguez ( Boston Breakers), Abby Wambach ( Washington Freedom)

*BTW, the Sol’s Camille Abily scored the winner from the spot in France’s 2-1 win Monday over Iceland at the European Championships. The scorer of the other: none other than Washington Freedom’s Sonia Bompastor.

*New Columbian Chivas USA defender Yamith Cuesta,20, on loan from Colombian side Expreso Rojo was/is scheduled to arrive at LAX tonight and join the team after receiving a visa.

*BTW, I usually skip these press releases, but I couldn’t resist this one. Chivas USA players Jorge Flores and Bobby Burling will promote Clamato juice this coming weekend at local stores (1-2:30 p.m. Saturday for Flores at the Wal-Mart at 8500 Washington Blvd., in Pico Rivera and 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Sunday for Burling at the Food 4 Less at 5100 N. Figueroa St., L.A.). Do they stand next to a huge mountain of Clamato juice? Hand out samples? Make a mean bloody mary? Or just have shoppers wondering who these guys are loitering near Clamato juice?

A straight red for Sol defender Allison Falk in the 27th minute after she clipped an on-rushing Natasha Kai from behind.

A poor decision by referee Kari Seitz in a championship game this early that changes the complexion of the match; no way did that look deliberate. It was just a clumsy, almost accidental touch. And I don’t believe Falk was even the last defender back anyway.

Sol 0 Sky Blue FC 1

The improbable story of Sky Blue FC continues.

A 16th minute cross by Sky Blue midfielder Keeley Dowling that was nodded on by Natasha Kai and met by Heather O’Reilly from eight yards out provided the opening goal.

Perhaps the most unlikely of opponents. And Sky Blue have never beaten the Sol.

Game story and game story.

Quotable:

“We play for each other and that’s the way we play,” said Sky Blue’s Natasha Kai. “When we win for each other it’s the best feeling. It’s one of the best feelings I’ve had, we’re the fourth seed and now were in the championship. Athletica is a tremendous team and we went in this game giving them everything we got and it payed off. The best team won tonight.”

Tweeted the Sol’s Aly Wagner at about 8:30 p.m.: It shall be done:)

Game on?

Another busy weekend of soccer begins this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. when Real Madrid plays Toronto (live on ESPN) and at the same time the Pali Blues take on the Washington Freedom (live on Fox Soccer Channel).

Both the Galaxy and Chivas USA are out of town this weekend, but does that mean no live soccer locally?

Not at all.

The Ventura County Fusion and Chicago Fire Premier play for the PDL title at 7 p.m. Saturday at Ventura High.

If you haven’t been to Ventura in a while, I recommend you make a day of it. There’s tons to do in the area, downtown Ventura is a great place to shop or grab a bite and as an added bonus the Ventura County Fair is going on very near Ventura High.

I’m taking my own advice and I’ll be sitting in the stands with friends and family for the Fusion game, so give a shout-out if you see me.

Clarification: The game is at Buena High School (5670 Telegraph Rd., Ventura) not the high school on Main in midtown.

Click on the link to the right for a full slate of games, but here’s the ones I recommend in addition to those already mentioned:

*3 p.m. Saturday FSC Galaxy at New England
*6:30 p.m. Saturday Fox Sports Net Chivas USA at Colorado Rapids
*8 p.m. Saturday FSC CD Guadalajara-Barcelona

*7 a.m. Sunday FSC Chelsea-Manchester United in the Community Shield
*Noon Sunday FSC Real Madrid at DC United
*3 p.m. Sunday FSC Sol at Boston Breakers

Have a great weekend.

The Sol didn’t have to win Sunday, having already wrapped up the WPS regular season title, but the best way to prepare for the Aug. 22 title game at Home Depot Center is probably not succumbing to a 3-1 defeat in Chicago that now means LA hasn’t won in their last three games.

The Sol has one more chance for a victory at their final regular season game in Boston Sunday against the Breakers.

Game story.

Highlights:

In a 0-0 game.

Each team had 10 shots tonight at Buckshaw Stadium in San Jose. The Sol could only manage one shot on target; FC Gold Pride had three.

Game story.

Sol XI: Karina LeBlanc; Manya Makoski, Sharlota Nonen; Brittany Bock, Keri Sanchez, Aly Wagner (77: McCall Zerboni), Camille Abily, Lisa Sari (46: Shannon Boxx), Aya Miyama, Han Duan, Marta.

There are still three weeks left in the regular season to determine who the Sol will face in the title game.

Tickets for the WPS Championshp game Aug. 22 at Home Depot Center go on sale Wednesday; the price for the first couple of days is $20.

The Sol (11-2-4) can clinch the inaugural WPS regular season title with just a point on the road tonight at FC Gold Pride (3-9-3), a team that hasn’t won in eight games and are 0-3 against LA this season.

Gold Pride will play on just three days rest after taking the field Sunday, while the Sol have had a considerably longer opportunity to relax, sustaining a rare 1-0 home loss July 8 to St. Louis Athletica. The Pride expects Nicole Barnhart, Rachel Buehler and Leslie Osborne back from national team duty after two unnecessary games against Canada in four days; similarly the likes of midfielder Shannon Boxx (who went the full 90 last night) and goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc (an unused sub Wednesday night) return for the Sol.

Sol defender Allison Falk is listed as questionable with a right ankle injury.

Former Brazilian international Sissi, now 42-years-old, could find herself lining up against the Sol’s Marta in a clash of different generations.

Meanwhile, Northern California native and oft-injured Sol star Aly Wagner sadly sounds more and more as if she’s edging toward a premature retirement.

There’s no TV or radio.

(BTW, the U.S. beat Canada 1-0 Wednesday night in South Carolina, the 89th minute goal coming from 18-year-old Christine Nairn just eight minutes after she entered the game as a sub. She was playing in her second national team game).

TV options tonight include a Gold Cup semifinals doubleheader with the U.S. facing Honduras at 4 p.m. on Fox Soccer Channel and the Mexico-Costa Rica game following at 7 p.m. on Univision.

The Hondurans will no doubt be distracted by events at home.

Finally, as the college soccer season approaches, check out this story about UCLA’s prized top recruit.

Photos by Steve McCrankSecond in WPS beat first today as the Sol succumbed to St. Louis Athletica 1-0 at Home Depot Center in a rare noon midweek start.

Still, the Sol remain in first in WPS place with an 11-2-4 record good for 37 points; the Athletica are second with 23 points and a 7-5-2 record.

Sol Coach Abner Rogers:

“We sneaked a win in St. Louis, when I felt they were better and it was reversed today. I felt that we were, definitely in the second half, the better team than them, created a lot of opportunities and several looks at goals and it just came down to (a lack of) finishing, something we’ve actually been good at.”

Torrance’s Shannon Boxx on her attacks late in the game:

“He was like ‘stay up front.’ I was like ‘OK I have no idea what I’m doing, but OK.'”

BTW, I bumped into the parents of recent Sol signing Lyndsey Patterson, who was making her professional debut. Her mom filmed the occasion and was justifiably proud. Said Patterson:

“I had no clue what the game would hold for me today. I bet my dad had tears in his eyes. I was nervous, but excited. … It’s been my dream since I was nine. … I can’t believe it. I just ran as hard as I could.”

I wrote a feature story for the Daily Breeze about the unusual kickoff time and its unique audience. Read it here.

Aya Miyama:

Updated Noon Thursday:

Canadian international defender Sharolta Nonen is apparently the replacement for Christie Shaner, whose leg was broken on her Sol debut last week.

W-League team FC Indiana saluted Nonen Thursday when she played her final game for the club in a 4-0 win over Kalamazoo berore heading to Southern California, club officials said. No confirmation from the Sol yet.

Sol 0 Athletica 1

No league title for the Sol today. It was only the Sol’s second loss this season; their record falls to 11-1-4 although they remain streets ahead of the rest of the league in terms of points.

The Sol dominated the second half, but could not get the ball past Athletica goalkeeper Hope Solo who produced several fine saves.

Marta pounded the ground in frustration after setting up Aya Miyama at one point, Miyama herself flubbed a breakaway when she had only the goalkeeper to beat and Torrance’s Shannon Boxx sent a shot over the bar in the 87th minute to complete the Sol’s day of futility.

Announced attendance: 4,841

More later.