Los Angeles Sol to face Sky Blue FC in the WPS Championship Presented by MedImmune

As the 2009 WPS Regular Season champions, the Los Angeles Sol will host Sky Blue FC in the 2009 WPS Championship presented by MedImmune on Saturday, August 22 at 4pm ET/1pm PT at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.  Individual tickets for the inaugural WPS Championship are on sale now at the Home Depot Center Box Office, Ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster phone and retail outlets. Group tickets are also available.  For more information or to purchase tickets, please call toll free at 1-877-4-SOL-TIX (765-849) or visit www.LosAngelesSol.com.

Saint Louis Athletica to host Super Semifinal

Saint Louis Athletica will host the Super Semifinal on Wednesday, August 19 at 6pm CT at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo.  Individual tickets are on sale now at saintlouisathletica.com.  Both individual and group tickets can be purchased beginning on Monday, August 3 by calling 1-888-STL-GOAL.

Washington Freedom to host First Round Match

The Washington Freedom will host the First Round game of the 2009 WPS Playoffs versus Sky Blue FC on Saturday, August 15th at 4pm ET, at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Md.  The game will be televised live on Fox Sports Net, Comcast Sports Net and MSG Plus (view the full list of live and tape-delayed broadcasts).  For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.

WPS Playoff Rules

If a game ends in a tie after regulation, the game will feature two 15-minute overtime periods played in full.  If the game is still tied, the game will be decided on penalty kicks under FIFA Laws of the Game.

WPS Playoff Format

The top four teams in the WPS standings at the conclusion of the WPS regular season will advance to the WPS Playoffs, which consists of a unique format that heavily rewards the team that finishes atop the 2009 WPS Regular Season table. The top team during the regular season will become WPS Regular Season Champion and earn an automatic place as host of the WPS Championship, the league’s championship game. (View regular season standing tiebreakers.)

In the First Round of the playoffs, the No. 4 team in the regular season will face the No. 3 team at No. 3’s stadium on August 15. The second place team in the regular season will receive a bye into the Super Semifinal and host the winner of the First Round on August 19. The winner of the Super Semifinal will then travel to the top-seeded team for WPS Championship on August 22. The benefits of this system are many:

• By generously rewarding the top team in the regular season with a home championship game, WPS stays true to soccer’s European roots in which the team that wins the regular season is rewarded for its performance over the course of the year.
• By receiving a first round bye as the No. 2 team and hosting a game as the No. 3 team, each of the other playoff teams are uniquely rewarded for their performance in the regular season.
• The format is skewed heavily towards regular season performance. To become WPS Champion means a No. 1 team that played well in the regular season and then won the WPS Championship, or a team that overcame the odds to win several elimination playoff games.
• The format provides an added storyline towards the end of the regular season as teams chase the regular season title and the opportunity to advance to the championship game as hosts. The format also guarantees three consecutive must-see WPS games for television viewers with a “win-or-go-home” theme.