Next-highest Vote-Getters Announced to Starting Roster; Seven At-Large Players Named

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (August 7, 2009) – Women’s Professional Soccer announced the complete selections to its 18-player 2009 WPS All-Star Team on Friday. Five players were automatic selections as the next-highest vote-getters to replace players from the First XI who are unavailable due to the 2009 European Championships including Alex Scott (D, Boston Breakers), Kelly Smith (M, Boston Breakers), Camille Abily (M, Los Angeles Sol), Eniola Aluko (F, Saint Louis Athletica) and Sonia Bompastor (M, Washington Freedom). The changes to the First XI based on votes received (bolded; listed by position, club team and national team):

WPS All-Star Team Starters

*next highest vote-getter to replace First XI

In addition, WPS All-Star Team Head Coach Abner Rogers and WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci named an additional seven at-large players to the roster, including:
  
WPS All-Star Team At-Large Selections (Commissioner/All-Star Team Head Coach) 

 
“This is a fantastic roster of talented players who together make up a world class WPS All-Star Team that will put on a great show of soccer in St. Louis,” said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. “I can’t think of a better way to end our terrific inaugural season than by celebrating our league’s teams and players with a weekend soccer festival right in the heart of America.”

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.

About Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS)

Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) is 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 and nine franchises, Philadelphia and Atlanta, will begin play in 2010. For more information, visit www.womensprosoccer.com.