Women’s Professional Soccer Announces 2010 WPS All-Stars
SAN FRANCISCO (June 9, 2010) – Women’s Professional Soccer announced the starting 22 players for its 2010 WPS All-Star Game presented by U.S. Coast Guard Reserve which kicks-off at 8pm ET on June 30 at KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, Ga. The starting 22 players were selected on ballots from players (25%), coaches (25%), media (25%) and online fan voting (25%). The top two overall vote-getters in the league were forwards Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom) and Marta (FC Gold Pride), earning them team captain designations.
With a unique All-Star Game format chosen for 2010, each captain will select their starting team together with the All-Star Game head coaches. Wambach will choose “Abby’s XI” with Philadelphia Independence Head Coach Paul Riley, while Marta will chose “Marta’s XI” with FC Gold Pride Head Coach Albertin Montoya at a unique playground pick-em event for fans on Monday, June 28 prior to the 2010 WPS All-Star Game. Coaches were selected from the top two teams in the standings as of June 7, while reserve All-Stars will be selected later this month as Commissioner’s Picks.
In the WPS All-Star voting breakdown, Boston Breakers’ defender Amy LePeilbet received the highest number of votes among player balloting for the second year in a row with 70% of players voting for the league’s 2009 Defender of the Year. Among the coaches vote, Wambach, Marta and Kelly Smith were the only three players to be selected on all eligible coach’s ballots for a perfect 100% percentage. The top selections within the media were Washington Freedom’s Sonia Bompastor (100%) and Atlanta Beat’s Eniola Aluko (100%) – selected on every media vote – while the fans voted Wambach and Marta as their top two WPS All-Stars respectively. The 2010 WPS All-Stars features several rookies including Ramona Bachmann (F, Atlanta Beat), Lauren Cheney (F, Boston Breakers) and Brittany Taylor (D, Sky Blue FC).
“This is a fantastic line-up of talented players who will make for a great mid-summer festival of WPS soccer in Atlanta’s wonderful new stadium,” said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci.
The 2010 WPS All-Star Game will feature Abby’s XI vs. Marta’s XI with kick-off scheduled for 8pm ET. The game will be televised live nationally on Fox Soccer Channel and regionally on select Fox Sports Net affiliates (check local listings) with coverage starting at 7:30pm ET with a half-hour pre-game show. For information or to reserve tickets for the 2010 WPS All-Star Game go to purchase tickets at www.theatlantabeat.com or call 678.298.4780. Group and individual tickets are now on sale.
2010 WPS All-Stars (alphabetical by position)
Team Captains
Home Team: Abby Wambach, Washington Freedom
Away Team: Marta, FC Gold Pride
Goalkeepers (2)
Karen Bardsley, Sky Blue FC
Hope Solo, Atlanta Beat
Defenders (6)
Rachel Buehler, FC Gold Pride
Tina Ellertson, Atlanta Beat
Allison Falk, Philadelphia Independence
Amy LePeilbet, Boston Breakers
Brittany Taylor, Sky Blue FC
Cat Whitehill, Washington Freedom
Midfielders (8)
Sonia Bompastor, Washington Freedom
Shannon Boxx, FC Gold Pride
Lori Chalupny, Atlanta Beat
Kristine Lilly, Boston Breakers
Lori Lindsey, Philadelphia Independence
Aya Miyama, N/A (*must be on WPS roster by June 11 or will be replaced by next-highest player)
Heather O’Reilly, Sky Blue FC
Kelly Smith, Boston Breakers
Forwards (6)
Eniola Aluko, Atlanta Beat
Ramona Bachmann, Atlanta Beat
Lauren Cheney, Boston Breakers
Marta, FC Gold Pride
Christine Sinclair, FC Gold Pride
Abby Wambach, Washington Freedom
Unique “Pick-em” Format to be used for First Time
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (March 22, 2009) – Women’s Professional Soccer today announced that Atlanta Beat’s new stadium in Kennesaw, GA, will be the site of the 2010 WPS All-Star Game presented by U.S. Coast Guard Reserve on Wednesday, June 30, 2010. The game will be televised live nationally on Fox Soccer Channel and available on FOX Sports Net (FSN) and its regional sports network affiliates starting at 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT, including a pregame show live from Atlanta.
The WPS All-Star Game has been moved from last year’s end-of-season date to mid-season in order to fall in line with other professional league all-star games.
“Atlanta, with its wonderful new stadium built specifically for WPS, will be a fantastic venue for our second WPS All-Star Game,” said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. “We decided to try something different this year with our format and move the date to mid-season to provide some separation from our WPS Championship. It should make for an incredible mid-summer festival of the world’s best soccer league for women.”
The game will employ an unprecedented and uniquely engaging format for this season. A total pool of 36 players will be selected in early-June as WPS All-Stars, with 22 players chosen through voting by teams, players, media and fans, and another 14 All-Star Coaches and Commissioner’s picks. The highest-voted international and domestic player will be announced as captains.
All 36 players will then travel to Atlanta. In Atlanta, the two captains together with the team coaches will select the Starting XI for each team in an alternating “playground pick-em” style format during a public event in the days prior to the WPS All-Star Game.
“We thought this would be a great way to celebrate the roots of the sport: the camaraderie, the inclusiveness and that intrinsic pick-up nature of soccer on a playground field,” said Antonucci. “We think it’s a fun format to test out during the early years of our league and will be a very engaging way for fans to connect with the players in advance of the All-Star Game.”
Atlanta Beat’s new stadium in Kennesaw, GA, officially opens May 9 and will host the second-ever WPS All-Star Game after St. Louis played host in 2009 as the WPS All-Stars defeated Umea IK of Sweden, 4-2.
“The WPS All-Star Game will be one of the highlights of the season during our Inaugural Year at the Atlanta Beat’s new stadium,” said Atlanta Beat Chairman and Owner T. Fitz Johnson. “It will be a fantastic way to bring together the best in the world all in one game and showcase our new stadium to a national and international audience at the same time.”
The WPS All-Star voting will begin online in May for fans and early June for teams and media. The WPS All-Star Selections will be announced the week of June 7. Team names will be announced at a later date. Seats to the All-Star game go on sale to the general public Saturday, May 1 at 9:00 a.m. Call 678.298.4780 for more information or visit www.theatlantabeat.com.