Recently in Women's Professional Soccer Category

The Galaxy's David Beckham holds the Olympic torch today during a ceremony to mark the arrival of the Olympic flame to Britain from Greece. Good to see he's preparing for a game against the Galaxy's biggest rivals Saturday with his usual (ahem) diligence and respect for MLS and fans (AP Photo).

In other soccer news today:

*Galaxy Brazilian center back Leonardo has come off the disabled list, while former Chivas USA center back Andrew Boyens has gone on it, the club reported today.

That means Leonardo is eligible for action in Saturday's derby against Chivas USA, while Boyens, who will undergo sports hernia surgery next week, must miss a minimum of six MLS games. He's made two error-riddled appearances for the Galaxy this season after joining the team from the Goats.

Leonardo, 24, returned to training last month and played 45 minutes of the club's reserve game against San Jose last week before he was replaced at half time by Boyens.

Leonardo signed a permanent deal with MLS in February after spending the last two seasons on loan at the club. He has made 17 starts for the club, including the first seven games of 2011, which seemed to include a major error in every game, before injuring his right knee.

*The June 12 U.S. World Cup qualifier won't be on free TV. Blame money-grubbing Guatemala:

HOBOKEN, N.J. (AP) -- The United States' World Cup qualifier at Guatemala on June 12 will be shown on pay-per-view over the objection of the U.S. Soccer Federation.

Traffic Sports USA purchased the rights from the Federacion Nacional de Futbol de Guatemala and announced an agreement Friday with Integrated Sports Media to distribute the match in the U.S.

It will have a suggested retail price of $29.95 and will be available on iN Demand,
DIRECTV, DISH Network and Avail-TVN.

FIFA gives home teams rights to World Cup qualifiers. The Americans' home qualifiers against Antigua and Barbuda on June 8 and Jamaica on Sept. 11 will be televised by ESPN2.

USSF spokesman Neil Buethe says "the pay-per-view route is definitely not our preference."

*I guess they won't find new investors for the LA Sol after all; the Women's Professional Soccer league folded today after three seasons. Does anyone really care? Here's more from the Associated Press:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The WPS had canceled the 2012 season in January, at the time hoping to return next year.

"We sincerely regret having to take this course of action," T. Fitz Johnson, owner of the
Atlanta Beat and chairman of the board of governors, said in a statement today.

The league's predecessor, WUSA, also lasted only three seasons, burning through more than $100 million in investments in the euphoric aftermath of the U.S. victory at the 1999 World Cup.

American fans again watched the Women's World Cup in large numbers last summer, but it wasn't enough to save the WPS.

The 2012 WPS season was scrapped amid a legal dispute with ousted owner Dan Borislow of the magicJack South Florida franchise. WPS said Friday it had reached a confidential out-of-court settlement with Borislow, who sued the league last summer.

Striker Abby Wambach Tweeted Friday: "The greatest accomplishments usually come after the biggest let downs. Never give up."

*Rolling Hills Estates' Whitney Engen was named today to the Women's Professional Soccer Best XI, along with former LA Sol star Marta.

Engen is a defender for the Western New York Flash, which won the league title last weekend. She was also earlier named WPS Defender of the Year.

Hermosa Beach resident Abby Wambach was also named to the WPS team.

More details here.

*Are there too many international fixture dates? A consortium of European clubs say yes - and are demanding changes.

*Finally, check out this video (shot before Tuesday's U.S.-Belgium game) wherein former Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan talks about the role ham and cheese sandwiches played in motivating him to learn French:

Palos Verdes Estates' Christen Press (magicJack) was named Rookie of the Year, while Rolling Hills Estates' Whitney Engen (Western New York Flash) received the Defender of the Year honor in Women's Professional Soccer.

Engen, 24, led the regular season champions to a 13-2-2 record and missed just one game (while on national team duty) all season; Press, the reigning 2010 MAC Hermann trophy winner out of Stanford, scored eight goals for magicJack - almost one-third of the team's total - and just two behind former LA Sol striker Marta, who took the Golden Boot Award despite playing in just 14 games.

"It's a huge honor to be recognized amongst such phenomenal players," said Engen. "One of the main reasons I was even able to be nominated was because of the support and play of everyone around me."

The Flash, the regular season champion, will play the winner of Saturday's semifinal between the Philadelphia Independence and magicjack (live at 1 p.m. on Fox Sports Net) on Aug. 27 in Rochester (live at 1 p.m. on Fox Sports Net).

*Staff Writer Phil Collin has the Galaxy-Columbus Crew game preview. The game is live at 7:30 p.m. on Prime from Home Depot Center.

Watch:

Click here for $10 tickets to the game.

*In the wake of the ratings success of the World Cup final, Los Angeles-based Fox Soccer Channel has added to its schedule tonight's WPS game between Abby Wambach's magicJack and the Western New York Flash, which is based in the Hermosa Beach resident's home town of Rochester.

The game kicks off at 4:30 p.m.

And the game could break the WPS attendance record held by the now defunct LA Sol:

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) -- Abby Wambach is coming home to an anticipated full house in Rochester in the U.S. women's soccer star's first game since a World Cup final loss to Japan last weekend.

The Sahlen's Stadium ticket office reported Tuesday morning that there are about 100 tickets left for the Women's Professional Soccer league game Wednesday night between Wambach's magicJack and the Western New York Flash. The downtown Rochester stadium's capacity is 13,500, though temporary bleachers have been added that would boost the total to about 15,000.

The draw has the potential to be record-setting in the WPS' three-year history. The league's attendance record stands at 14,832, set in the WPS' first game in 2009 at Los Angeles. Second on the list is a crowd of 8,076 that turned out in Rochester in May to watch Wambach make her first trip home this season in a 3-0 loss to the expansion Flash, who are led by Brazilian star Marta.

The 31-year-old Wambach is from suburban Pittsford. The first 1,000 fans will receive Wambach bobbleheads.

*The Camarillo Eagles won a record fourth U-23 national championship.

*The Loyola Marymount University women's program has added a Dutch international to the squad.

*As if to underline the lack of productivity from the man who replaced him on the Galaxy front line - Juan Pablo Angel - who failed to make the boxscore yet again against his old club on the weekend in Carson, former Galaxy striker Edson Buddle demonstrated in both words and deeds how well he is settling in at his German club, contributing a spectacular solo goal Sunday:

*Galaxy officials told me this weekend that the club will soon announce another high-profile friendly opponent in the World Football Challenge, which today added Club America and CD Guadalajara to the mix. Since every team (or at least the foreign ones) plays three games apiece in the series given the schedule I'll leave you to speculate whether the likes of Manchester City will visit or whether it will be a different club.

*Torrance's Shannon Boxx, Lake Forest's Amy Rodriguez and Diamond Bar's Alex Morgan are the three Los Angeles-area players named today to the U.S. Women's National Team World Cup squad.

It's the third World Cup for Boxx, a South High product, who is now the second-most experienced player on the roster (behind striker Abby Wambach who has a home in Hermosa Beach). It's the first World Cup for Morgan (who had a goal and an assist over the weekend as two-goal former Sol striker Marta and Western New York Flash beat Sky Blue FC 3-1 in WPS action) and A-Rod, although Rodriguez was part of the 2008 Olympic gold medal-winning team.

*Last year's Hermann Trophy winner Christen Press of Palos Verdes Estates scored her first-ever goal as a pro Sunday with the second for the strangely-named magicJack in a 2-0 win over the Atlanta Beat. The Florida franchise is now 3-0 in WPS play just behind the similarly undefeated Flash.

*While Real Salt Lake comes to grips with the loss of star player Javier Morales in the wake of the club's victory Saturday over Chivas USA their players are calling for a lengthy suspension for the latest player - Marcos Mondaini - to cause an opponent a season-ending (and potentially career-threatening) injury in MLS in the last couple of weeks.

*The Chivas USA reserves play their Seattle Sounders counterparts at 7 o'clock tonight in Seattle.

*Finally, Landon Donovan is the new spokesman for Upper Deck, which has just released its latest set of MLS cards.

*According to several different sources, former D.C. United Coach Curt Onalfo is replacing Cobi Jones as an assistant coach at the Galaxy. There's been no confirmation from the Galaxy and no reply to an e-mail inquiry I made this morning.

*Pasadena City College product Yura Movsisyan looks to be headed to a Russian team from his current Danish club.

*Finally, former LA Sol striker Marta has signed a contract with WPS expansion club the Western New York Flash, which is based in Buffalo, the club announced Tuesday.

It's the third WPS club in three years for the 25-year-old Brazilian striker, the league MVP in its first two years of operation and the reigning and five-time FIFA World Player of the Year. She played last year for FC Gold Pride in the Bay Area, which won the WPS title and promptly ceased operations, following the Sol into oblivion.

So that's the kiss of death for the Flash then.

Updated

Four things from the Galaxy camp today:

1. Onalfo's hiring was confirmed by Coach Bruce Arena.

2. Jack McBean's signing (see this earlier post for details) was also confirmed. He will join the Galaxy in camp in mid-February once U-17 World Cup qualifying is completed.

3. A 22-year-old Argentine midfielder named Miguel Lopez, who was a teammate of MLS draft pick Paolo Cardozo at Quilmes, will join the Galaxy in camp next week. Brazilians one year, Argentines the next for the Galaxy, I guess.

4. Jamaican goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts has received his green card, meaning the Galaxy are in compliance with MLS rules regarding international players on the roster (a regular blog reader was fretting about that the other day).

Reporter Phil Collin will have more in the dead tree edition tomorrow.

*The Galaxy announced today they have re-upped midfielder Jovan Kirovski, 34, on a new one-year deal.

His option was initially declined by the club and he has presumably re-signed with a cut in pay, although terms were not announced.

The Escondido native is in his second stint with the club and scored four goals last season in a reserve role.

*Chivas USA announced today they have declined the contract option on striker Giancarlo Maldonado, 28, who joined the club on loan last summer from Mexican First Division club Atlante. The Venezuelan forward found the net just twice in MLS.

*Carson's Home Depot Center will host a Monday, June 6 Gold Cup game, CONCACF announced today in naming the venues and schedule for next summer's regional championship.

The confederation had announced previously that the Gold Cup final will be played at Pasadena's Rose Bowl, which will undergo a major renovation in the new year, before the tournament is held.

*Upland resident Lauren Barnes of UCLA has been ranked as the second-ranked defender available in the WPS draft set for Jan. 14.

Updated

*From ESPN:

Last Monday's Barclays Premier League match, a 1-0 home win for Manchester United over Arsenal, was seen on ESPN2 by an average of 438,000 homes (570,000 viewers) making it the most-watched Premiership telecast on U.S. cable television, according to Nielsen. The telecast outdelivered the previous high - 420,000 homes (526,000 viewers) for Manchester United vs. Chelsea on Saturday, April 3, 2010.

The game had a 0.4 rating. ESPN averages a 0.3 rating for EPL games.

It's that time of year.

It's time to look back and reassess; it's time to look forward and plan.

It's not always easy - even if you're one of the best female soccer players in the nation like two-time Daily Breeze Player of the Year Christen Press, right, of Palos Verdes Estates.

As if to confirm the uncertainty of women's soccer in this country, as I wrote this week's column Monday the Chicago Red Stars of WPS folded citing a lack of investment related to the demise of other teams such as FC Gold Pride. It's hard not to conclude the WPS dominoes are falling, one by one.

It was against this backdrop that I spoke to Press Monday at the opening of the U.S. Women's Under-23 national Team about her career so far and her future pro prospects.

Press said that absent a California WPS team she'd like to play in Washington with the Freedom to be near her two sisters next year. The Freedom nearly folded this year. I hope she gets her wish.

Read the column here.

And the groups are: Next summer's Women's World Cup schedule is set after today's draw in Frankfurt, Germany (AP Photo).

*More details on today's draw for the 2011 Women's World Cup in Germany are here.

Here's the tournament schedule.

And here's reaction to the draw in this story from Associated Press writer Nancy Armour:

The United States wound up with what could be the toughest group at next summer's Women's World Cup, drawing North Korea, Colombia and Sweden on Monday.

The top-ranked Americans were the last team to qualify for the 16-nation tournament, beating Italy in a home-and-home playoff on Saturday after being stunned by Mexico in the semifinals of regional qualifying. Still, the U.S. is a top seed, as are two-time defending champion Germany, Japan and Brazil. The tournament will be played June 26 to July 17 at nine sites in Germany.

"It's good because it's a very strong group. That's the best thing that could happen to us," U.S. coach Pia Sundhage said Monday from the draw in Frankfurt, Germany. "That will be inspiring for us, the fact we're playing high-ranked teams like Sweden and North Korea and a new team, Colombia, which will be so enthusiastic going into the World Cup."

Sweden is No. 4 in the latest world rankings while North Korea is sixth. Germany is the only other seeded team to draw two top-10 opponents, with No. 8 France and No. 9 Canada joining Nigeria in Group A.

The U.S. opens June 28 against North Korea, the fourth straight time these nations will meet in the group stage. The Americans beat the North Koreans 3-0 in 1999 and 2003, but tied 2-2 in 2007.

"At the time, we had a very experienced team, now we have a very young, inexperienced team and I am a little bit worried," North Korea coach Kim Kwang-min said through an interpreter. "Maybe we can win with our spirit. After the last World Cup, we went through a change of generations and it was successful."

The North Koreans have had impressive results at the youth level, winning the 2006 Under-20 and 2008 Under-17 World Cups. North Korea was the runner-up to the Americans at the 2008 Under-20 World Cup.

"The new team is very young and inexperienced, but very ambitious," Kim said. "We don't have high aims, but to do as well as we can."

The U.S. will face World Cup newcomer Colombia on July 2 and finish group play four days later against Sweden, the team Sundhage played for at the 1991 and '95 World Cups.

"It's just a little bit weird before and after," Sundhage said. "But during the game, it's
like coaching against any team, actually."

The Americans won the World Cup in 1991 and 1999 and have finished no worse than third. They also are the defending Olympic champions and have won all but one gold medal since women's soccer was added to the Olympic program in 1996.

"I'm happy to know who we're playing," U.S. defender Ali Krieger said. "It's definitely going to be tough, but each group has really tough teams, really strong teams. We're not going to be looking ahead to the semifinal or final, we have to really focus on the group stage. "But because we have such a strong group, we're going to be very motivated to play well."

*In other women's soccer news, the Sol have returned - sort of - and will field pro teams, one in the Bay Area, the other in Orange County, in the largely amateur Women's Premier Soccer League. Former Sol Coach Abner Rogers will coach the Southern California Sol.

*A belated tip of the hat to Palos Verdes Estates' Christen Press, who just can't stop scoring for Stanford in the NCAA Tournament.

That means there is no chance of resurrecting the Sol in Southern California.

More details after the AP story:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The defending champion FC Gold Pride of Women's Professional Soccer have folded after two years of operation.

The Bay Area team says it is disbanding because of slow ticket sales and costly cross-country travel. Its players become free agents Wednesday.

WPS chief executive Anne-Marie Eileraas says it is "disappointing" the club "did not find the level of support it aimed for in its market."

The league will have six teams next season in Atlanta, Boston, New Jersey, Philadelphia,
Washington and Western New York. A Chicago franchise is seeking investors and hopes to join the league for 2011. The deadline is Dec. 15.

A group of investors I had heard second hand were being headed up by former Sol Coach Abner Rogers - he didn't return a call today - and trying to relocate FC Gold Pride to Titan Stadium on the campus of Cal State Fullerton were apparently unsuccessful in putting a deal together.

That's not surprising given the state of the financial market, although the strategy was one way of avoiding an expansion fee, I suppose.

But it means WPS is little more than a 21st century version of the old six-team NHL - a Northeast league, with the exception of Atlanta.

"It doesn't mean we're abandoning that market," said WPS spokesman Rob Penner of Southern California.

But it also means that for logistical reasons the Sol won't return unless there's at least one other West Coast team because of the traveling involved.

And don't hold your breath for that to happen.

Updated
Abner called. He's due to talk with the investors who were attempting to bring the Gold Pride/Sol to the OC later this week.

However, it doesn't look good after the folding of the Gold Pride.

The WPS has significantly scaled back operations. It's giving all the signs of an organization on life support complete with disconnected telephone lines.

The Sol isn't a priority. Survival is.