First XI Players include Seven Internationals and Four Players from WPS Regular Season Champion Los Angeles Sol

Sol Coach Abner Rogers Selected by Players as WPS All-Star Team Head Coach

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (August 4, 2009) – Women’s Professional Soccer on Tuesday announced the selection of the league’s First XI and the WPS All-Star Team Head Coach in preparation for its 2009 WPS All-Star Game. Each of the players selected are invited to the 2009 WPS All-Star Game. The players were selected based on votes by fans (25%), media (25%), coaches (25%) and players (25%). Listed by position, club team and national team:

2009 WPS All-Stars - First XI

Name	Position - Team	Country
Karina LeBlanc	GK - Los Angeles Sol	Canada
Tina Ellertson	D - Saint Louis Athletica	United States
Amy LePeilbet	D - Boston Breakers	United States
Alex Scott	D - Boston Breakers	England
Camille Abily	M - Los Angeles Sol	France
Sonia Bompastor	M - Washington Freedom	France
Shannon Boxx	M - Los Angeles Sol	United States
Lori Chalupny	M - Saint Louis Athletica	United States
Kelly Smith	M - Boston Breakers	England
Eniola Aluko	F - Saint Louis Athletica	England
Marta	F - Los Angeles Sol	Brazil

Los Angeles Sol’s Marta was the highest overall vote-getter, selected by 94% of all media ballots, along with all eligible coach’s ballots (teams can’t vote for their own players), second in the player vote and finished fourth overall in the fan vote. Among each category of voters the top three vote-getters in descending order were:

Coaches: 1.) Marta & Amy LePeilbet (tie); 3.) Eniola Aluko & Lori Chalupny (tie)
Media: 1.) Marta; 2.) Camille Abily; 3.) Sonia Bompastor
Players: 1.) Amy LePeilbet; 2.) Marta; 3.) Sonia Bompastor
Fans: 1.) Hope Solo; 2.) Lori Chalupny; 3.) Shannon Boxx

More than 25,000 ballots were cast online by fans and all players on WPS rosters voted, including their choice for the WPS All-Star Team Head Coach (though similar to the coach’s vote, players could not vote for their teammates). The players selected Los Angeles Sol head coach, Abner Rogers to lead the 2009 WPS All-Stars.

With several players expected to be unavailable due to national team commitments at the 2009 European Championships, the First XI players who cannot play will be replaced by the next-highest vote-getters at that position announced later this week. A total of 18 WPS players will be part of the WPS All-Star Team with the WPS Commissioner and the All-Star Game Head Coach selecting the other seven WPS All-Star Team members.

The 2009 WPS All-Star Game features the WPS All-Stars against Swedish league champions Umeå IK at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Fenton, MO, on Sunday, August 30th with kick-off scheduled for 5:30pm ET/4:30pm CT. 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 5:00 p.m. ET with a half-hour pre-game show prior to kick-off.

For information or to reserve tickets for the 2009 WPS All Star Game call 1-888-STL-GOAL or visit www.SaintLouisAthletica.com. Group and individual tickets are now on sale. The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park is currently the home field of the Saint Louis Athletica and has a rich soccer tradition dating back almost three decades to when it opened in 1982.

Women's Professional Soccer

The mission of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) is to be the premier women’s soccer league in the world and the global standard by which women’s professional sports are measured.  The Inaugural Season kicked off on March 29 and runs through August 22, 2009, with WPS teams based in the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.  The league’s eighth franchise, Philadelphia, will begin play next season with Atlanta expected to join as the ninth team in 2010, as well. For more information, visit http://www.womensprosoccer.com.