2009 Women's Professional Soccer Playoffs

The 2009 WPS Playoffs were the postseason to Women's Professional Soccer

Women's Professional Soccer

Women's Professional Soccer is the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded 6 teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion...

's 2009 Season

2009 Women's Professional Soccer season

The 2009 Women's Professional Soccer season served as the inaugural season for WPS, the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States...

, that started on August 15 and culminated on August 22 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California

Carson, California

Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....

Format

The top four WPS teams, based on their regular season finishes, qualified for the playoffs. In the First Round, the third-ranked team hosted the fourth-ranked team. The winner of that match advances to the Super Semifinal, where they traveled to the second-ranked team. Finally, the regular season first-ranked team hosted the winner of the Super Semifinal in the WPS Championship match.

This format, fairly unique in the American sports landscape, preserves the knockout-style postseason most American sports fans are familiar with, while also highly favoring the regular season first-ranked team.

Standings

Place	Team	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	GD	Points
1	Los Angeles Sol	20	12	3	5	27	10	+17	41
2	Saint Louis Athletica	20	10	6	4	19	15	+4	33
3	Washington Freedom Washington Freedom The Washington Freedom was an American professional soccer club based in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Germantown, Maryland that participated in Women's Professional Soccer. The Freedom was originally founded in 2001 as a member of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association. Since 2004, the...	20	8	7	5	32	32	0	29
4	Sky Blue FC Sky Blue FC Sky Blue FC is an American professional soccer club based in Piscataway Township, New Jersey which participates in Women's Professional Soccer....	20	7	8	5	19	20	-1	26
5	Boston Breakers	20	7	9	4	18	20	-2	25
6	Chicago Red Stars Chicago Red Stars The Chicago Red Stars are a American professional soccer club that is based in the Chicago suburb of Lisle, Illinois that participates in the Women's Premier Soccer League. From 2009-2010, the Red Stars played their home games at Toyota Park in the Womens Professional Soccer...	20	5	10	5	18	25	-7	20
7	FC Gold Pride FC Gold Pride FC Gold Pride was an American professional soccer club based in Santa Clara, California which participated in Women's Professional Soccer. The club replaced the San Jose CyberRays of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association as the top-level women's soccer team in the San Francisco Bay Area...	20	4	10	6	17	28	-11	18

Bracket

First round

Super Semifinal

WPS Championship


style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">	LOS ANGELES SOL:
GK	23	Karina LeBlanc Karina LeBlanc Karina LeBlanc is a soccer goalkeeper currently playing for the Philadelphia Independence of Women's Professional Soccer and is a member of the Canadian National Team. She holds both Canadian and United States citizenship...
DF	22	Manya Makoski Manya Makoski Manya Makoski is an American soccer midfielder currently playing for the Atlanta Beat of Women's Professional Soccer.-External links:* * * * * *...
DF	11	Brittany Bock Brittany Bock Brittany Christine Bock is an American soccer defender currently playing for Western New York Flash of Women's Professional Soccer.-Personal:Bock was born in Naperville, Illinois and attended Neuqua Valley High School...
DF	3	Allison Falk Allison Falk Allison Falk is an American soccer defender who currently plays for the Philadelphia Independence of Women's Professional Soccer. She was a WPS All-Star in 2010....
DF	14	Stephanie Cox
MF	6	McCall Zerboni McCall Zerboni McCall RaNae Zerboni is an American soccer midfielder who plays for the Western New York Flash in the Women's Professional Soccer league. Zebroni was chosen as the 47th pick overall in the 2009 WPS Draft by the Los Angeles Sol...
MF	4	Aly Wagner Aly Wagner Alyson Kay "Aly" Wagner is a former American soccer midfielder who last played for Los Angeles Sol of Women's Professional Soccer. She was a member of the United States women's national soccer team...
MF	7	Shannon Boxx Shannon Boxx Shannon Boxx is an American soccer midfielder currently playing for magicJack of Women's Professional Soccer and is a member of the United States women's national soccer team.... (c)
MF	8	Aya Miyama Aya Miyama is a Japanese football midfielder who currently plays for Okayama Yunogō Belle of the L. League. She is also a member of the Japan's national team that won the 2011 Women's World Cup.-Early career:...
FW	10	Marta
FW	9	Han Duan Han Duan Han Duan is a Chinese football forward who last played for Los Angeles Sol of Women's Professional Soccer and is a member of the Chinese National Team.In 2004 she finished ninth with the Chinese team in the Olympics women's tournament...
Substitutes:
GK	1	Val Henderson
DF	2	Keri Sanchez Keri Sanchez Keri Sanchez, also known as Keri Raygor, is a former American soccer defender who last played for Los Angeles Sol of Women's Professional Soccer and is a former member of the United States women's national soccer team.She was a dual sport athlete at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose,...
DF	19	Sharolta Nonen Sharolta Nonen Sharolta Nonen is a Canadian soccer defender currently playing for Atlanta Beat of Women's Professional Soccer and was previously a member of the Canadian National Team.-External links:* * * *...
DF	21	Johanna Frisk Johanna Frisk Johanna Frisk is a Swedish football defender who plays for Tyresö FF in the Damallsvenskan. She previously played for Umeå IK and in America for the now–defunct Los Angeles Sol of Women's Professional Soccer....
MF	17	Liz Bogus Liz Bogus Elizabeth Ely "Liz" Bogus is an American soccer forward who plays for Boston Breakers of Women's Professional Soccer....
MF	18	Katie Larkin Katie Larkin Katie Larkin is an American soccer midfielder who currently plays for the Atlanta Beat of Women's Professional Soccer.-External links:* * *...
FW	16	Lyndsey Patterson Lyndsey Patterson Lyndsey Patterson is an American soccer midfielder who currently plays for Atlanta Beat of Women's Professional Soccer.-External links:*...
Manager:
Abner Rogers

style="font-size:90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"> SKY BLUE FC: | GK 23

Jenni Branam

Jennifer Lea Branam is an American soccer goalkeeper currently playing for Sky Blue FC of Women's Professional Soccer and was a member of the United States women's national soccer team.-External links:* * * *...

DF 17

Keeley Dowling

Keeley Kathleen Dowling is an American soccer defender currently playing for the Atlanta Beat of Women's Professional Soccer.-External links:* *...

DF 4

Jen Buczkowski

Jen Buczkowski is an American soccer midfielder currently playing for Philadelphia Independence of Women's Professional Soccer.-External links:* *...

DF 3

Christie Rampone

Christie Patricia Rampone is an American soccer defender currently playing for magicJack of Women's Professional Soccer. She is a member and current Captain of the United States women's national soccer team.-High school:...

Meghan Schnur

Meghan Schnur is an American soccer midfielder currently playing for Sky Blue FC of Women's Professional Soccer and is a member of the United States U-23 women's national soccer team. Schnur is an alumnus of Butler Senior High School.Schnur played college soccer at the University of Connecticut...

MF 20

Kacey White

Kacey Dell White is an American soccer midfielder currently playing for the Atlanta Beat of Women's Professional Soccer and is a member of the United States women's national soccer team.-External links:* * * *...

MF 10

Yael Averbuch

Yael Friedman Averbuch is an American soccer midfielder currently playing for Western New York Flash of Women's Professional Soccer, and is a member of the United States women's national soccer team....

MF 24

Francielle FW 9

Heather O'Reilly

Heather Ann O'Reilly , also known by her initials HAO, is a member of the United States women's national soccer team and a two-time Olympic Gold medalist...

(MVP) FW 11

Rosana

Rosana dos Santos Augusto

Rosana dos Santos Augusto , commonly known as Rosana, is a Brazilian footballer who played midfielder currently playing for French club Lyon in the Division 1 Féminine. She is also a member of the Brazilian Women's National Team.-Club career:Rosana played for years in Brazil before moving to...

FW 6

Natasha Kai

Natasha Kanani Janine Kai is an American soccer forward currently playing for Philadelphia Independence of Women's Professional Soccer.-University of Hawaiʻi:Kai played for the University of Hawaiʻi Rainbow Wahine from 2002-2005...

Substitutes: GK 22

Cori Alexander

Corinne Renae Alexander is an American soccer goalkeeper and artistic photographer.- University career :...

DF 38

Julianne Sitch

Julianne Sitch is an American professional soccer player who is a defender currently playing for Atlanta Beat of the Women's Professional Soccer league.-External links:* *...

MF 7

Kelly Parker

Kelly Parker is a Canadian soccer midfielder who plays for Atlanta Beat and the Canadian national team.-Career:Prior to joining SC Freiburg, Parker played for Sky Blue FC of Women's Professional Soccer, UTEP Miners, Ottawa Fury and F.C. Indiana.Parker played for W-League winners Buffalo Flash in...

MF 13

Noelle Keselica

Noelle Dominique Keselica is an American soccer forward currently playing for Atlanta Beat of Women's Professional Soccer.-External links:* *...

MF 14

Collette McCallum

Collette McCallum is an Australian football midfielder currently playing for Perth Glory of the Australian W-League.-Career:She played for Pali Blues in the American W-League in 2008...

FW 15

Katie Hooker

Kathleen Marie Hooker is an American soccer forward who last played for Sky Blue FC of Women's Professional Soccer.-External links:* * *...

FW 16

Kerri Hanks

Kerri Michel Hanks is an American soccer forward who last played for Sky Blue FC of Women's Professional Soccer...

Manager:

Christie Rampone

MATCH OFFICIALS

Assistant referees:
- Marlene Duffy
- Veronica Perez
Fourth official: Margaret Domka

MATCH RULES

90 minutes.
30 minutes of extra-time if necessary.
Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
Seven named substitutes.
Maximum of three substitutions.

Media coverage

Both the First Round and the WPS Championship was viewable on Fox Sports Network, while the Super Semifinal was on Fox Soccer Channel

Fox Soccer Channel

Fox Soccer is an American television specialty channel, owned by News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group, that specializes in soccer. It formerly broadcast rugby and Australian rules football, but is now dedicated strictly to soccer...

. Also, all three matches were webcast on the WPS website.