WPS Meets the World in League's First All-Star Game

Fenton, Mo. (Aug. 30, 2009): It has billed itself as the world's premier women's soccer league. Today it was time to prove the case on the pitch, as Women's Professional Soccer's best 18 faced what may be the world's best women's club outside of the United States, Swedien's Umeå IK in the first-ever WPS All-Star Game presented by the U.S. Coast Guard.

For WPS, the starting eleven showcased top-talent ranging from league Champion and Player/Coach Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC) in the backline to the league’s top goalscorer, Marta (Los Angeles Sol). 

The All-Star selection was based upon a 3-5-2 line-up. Based on that configuration, head coach Abner Rogers (Los Angeles Sol) started with a backline featuring St. Louis Athletica’s Tina Ellertson, Boston Breaker’s Amy LePeilbet, and Rampone.

WPS All-Star defenders faced the task of shutting down the likes of Umeå’s Ramona Bachmann, the second-leading goal scorer in the Swedish league, Damallsvenksan, with a total of 14 goals. Bachmann also tallied five assists on the season.

On offense, Rogers had plenty of options including not one but two Brazilian internationals.

Along with the consensus best woman soccer player in the world, Marta up front, her Brazilian teammate, Cristiane (Chicago Red Stars) would team up with Cristiane's Red Stars’ teammate Megan Rapinoe, a player well known for exploiting defenders on the flanks and blasting hard shots in small windows.

WPS also came with deadly weapons in reserve: the league's second-leading goal scorer, Washington's Abby Wambach, who tallied eight this season, and Canadian international Christine Sinclair of FC Gold Pride who scored six.

On the opposite side, Umeå's goalkeeper, Carla Söberg came to St. Louis having played in seven matches this season, allowing five goals. 

Umeå would have a little help defending against the WPS from two former teammates rejoining the club for this match, who played for WPS this season: the Los Angeles Sol’s Johanna Frisk and the Chicago Red Stars’ Frida Östberg.

These two Umeå alumni would have inside knowledge on how to defend against their WPS teammates Rapinoe, Marta and Cristiane. In addition, Marta herself played with Umeå in prior to signing with WPS.

And so the stage was set for a transcontinental confrontation. With the opening kick the match was underway and in 90 minutes everyone would know whether or not WPS would earn the title they have assumed, untested, as the world's premier women's league.

It didn't take long for Umeå to put that claim in doubt. They pounded the home team from the kickoff until at 1:55 a goal by Madeline Edlund minute drew first blood, on a hard shot from the right side, assisted by Mami Yamaguchi.

WPS began to bring their attack to the Swedes, with competition evening out but let another goal slip through at 20 minutes in when WPS keeper Karina LeBlanc stretched out on the ground tipping a shot by Sofia Jacobsson to her left, but not enough to keep it from deflecting in off the left post. That was the 18th minute.

But then...WPS got serious.

In the 24th minute, Kristine Lilly put one through on an assist from Marta.

In the 40th minute the Brazilian connection produced the tying goal. Marta hit a solid shot to the far left post, assisted by Cristiane.

The go ahead goal came in the first minute of the second half as Christine Sinclair took a pass from Marta, beating the back line, scoring at point blank range near the left post. Sinclair repeated within seconds on an unassisted goal for what would be the final score of 4-2, WPS. 

WPS continued to dominate from that point on.

Umeå's only substituted twice but seemed to suffer a significant downgrade with the changes in personnel, compared to WPS, whose second seven seemed to seamlessly maintain the same level of play as the starters had done in the first half.

Umeå also seemed to grow increasingly fatigued as the match progressed.

The visitors had one serious opportunity in the second half which undoubtedly would have and should have been a goal except for a flying vertical save by the world's best keeper, Hope Solo, bringing the home fans to their feet.

Other than that, Solo wasn't really challenged in the way her counterpart Karina LeBlanc had been in the first half.

At times, the home team would taunt the visitors, standing, waiting for them to challenge before making a move, usually consisting of a fake and a pass.

Marta was often the culprit in this, and when asked about it after the match she explained that she played with the opposing team for five years, they are "very dear" to her, and she was just playing with them.

"It's a party game," she said.

At the end of the day, despite the early scare, WPS proved themselves worthy of bragging rights, and the 4,118 in attendance had enjoyed the show of soccer skill and drama they had hoped for.

In post-game interviews players and coach alike attributed the early setback to communications problems due to the fact that the players are not used to playing together and had only one practice prior to the game.

"That wasn't really a training, as such," Head Coach Abner Rogers said. "It was just a chance for us to get used to each other, to feel comfortable."

Rogers also summed up the experience nicely by saying, "It was a great opportunity for the fans to see some brilliant goals, some brilliant chances and just some great soccer."

Photo: WPS players huddle up for a pre-game cheer just before kickoff.