Atlanta Soccer News: Art, Music and Culture: TEAMS PICKED All-Stars divided for WPS game in Atlanta

June 28, 2010


ATLANTA, GA –Women’s Professional Soccer took a turn through the schoolyard on Monday evening in downtown Atlanta, letting team captains Marta and Abby Wambach choose up sides for Wednesday night’s league All-Star Game at KSU Soccer Stadium.

The two superstar captains, who finished first and second in the All-Star balloting, divvied up the remaining 20 highest vote-getters to fill out their starting lineups. All-Star head coaches Paul Riley (Philadelphia Independence/Abby XI) and Albertin Montoya (Bay Area FC Gold Pride, Marta XI) consulted on the selections.

As the top vote-getter, Abby XI had the first pick and selected Atlanta Beat goalkeeper Hope Solo. Each side had only 30 seconds to make the selection.

Marta and head coach Montoya followed with the selection of goalkeeper Karen Bardsley (Sky Blue FC). That was followed by the selection of defenders including 2009 WPS Defender of the Year Amy LePeilbet from the Boston Breakers as the third pick. The coaches and captains went through defenders and midfielders sequentially before getting to forwards.


"We're excited. Obviously both teams are very talented and it's going to be entertaining, and that's how it should be,” said Marta XI coach Montoya. “Hopefully both teams will put on a good show for the fans. And with players like this, how can we not?"

"The amount of talent that will be in our locker room tomorrow and Wednesday is fantastic. Obviously we only have one practice ... it's just a matter of natural ability: let them go, roll the ball out there, roll the dice and see what happens,” said Abby XI head coach Riley. “It's an amazing amount of talent on this team, me and Abby just looked at each other and at the list and it really doesn't matter who you pick. We have some fabulous players so hopefully they click together and have a great game."

At the end of the event, Riley held up a hand-written sign that read Abby XI – 7, Marta XI – 5. The challenge was on. Even Marta, who rarely breaks out the English in front of a big crowd announced: “I want to wish good luck to my team!”

The All-Star Reserves were divided between Abby XI and Marta XI prior to the Pick ‘Em Event. Reserves Caroline Seger (ankle) of the Philadelphia Independence and Kate Markgraf (hamstring) of the Chicago Red Stars were late scratches due to injury and not replaced. Television coverage of the 2010 WPS All-Star Game presented by U.S. Coast Guard Reserve begins Wednesday, June 30 at 7:30pm ET on Fox Soccer Channel and will also be webcast at womensprosoccer.com and streamed to iPhones.

Abby XI (green/home; Abby Wambach – Captain, Paul Riley – Head Coach)
Starters
#1 – Hope Solo, GK, Atlanta Beat
#3 – Amy LePeilbet, D, Boston Breakers
#6 – Lori Lindsey, M, Philadelphia Independence
#7 – Shannon Boxx, M, FC Gold Pride
#8 – Tina Ellertson, D, Atlanta Beat
#9 – Eniola Aluko, F, Atlanta Beat
#10 – Heather O’Reilly, M, Sky Blue FC
#11 – Lauren Cheney, F, Boston Breakers
#17 – Lori Chalupny, M, Atlanta Beat
#20 – Abby Wambach, F, Washington Freedom
#84 – Cat Whitehill, D, Washington Freedom

Reserves
#4 – Angie Kerr, M, Atlanta Beat
#14 – Karen Carney, M, Chicago Red Stars
#19 – Kelley O’Hara, F, FC Gold Pride
#21 – Laura Kalmari, M, Sky Blue FC
#66 – Tasha Kai, F, Sky Blue FC
#85 – Jillian Loyden, GK, Chicago Red Stars
Kate Markgraf, D, Chicago Red Stars (injured/not rostered)

Marta XI (white/away; Marta – Captain, Albertin Montoya – Head Coach)
Starters
#1 – Karen Bardsley, GK, Sky Blue FC
#3 – Allison Falk, D, Philadelphia Independence
#4 – Rachel Buehler, D, FC Gold Pride
#7 – Kelly Smith, M, Boston Breakers
#8 – Sonia Bompastor, M, Washington Freedom
#9 – Ramona Bachmann, F, Atlanta Beat
#10 – Marta, F, FC Gold Pride
#12 – Christine Sinclair, F, FC Gold Pride
#13 – Kristine Lilly, M, Boston Breakers
#14 – Brittany Taylor, D, Sky Blue FC
#24 – Aya Miyama, M, Atlanta Beat

Reserves
#5 – Christie Rampone, D, Sky Blue FC
#11 – Becky Sauerbrunn, D, Washington Freedom
#17 – Amy Rodriguez, F, Philadelphia Independence
#18 – Erin McLeod, GK, Washington Freedom
#22 – Alex Scott, D, Boston Breakers
#78 – Cristiane, F, Chicago Red Stars
Caroline Seger, M, Philadelphia Independence (injured/not rostered)