Brandi Chastain: Reality TV Superstar

Current Women's Professional Soccer athlete (and former WNT superstar) Brandi Chastain is now adding reality TV star to her resume.

ABC announced today that Chastain is one of the athletes starring in its new reality show, The Superstars. ABC will premeire the show, an all-around sports competition series, on Tuesday, June 23 at 8PM ET/PT. Other athletes participating include Lisa Leslie, Bode Miller and Terrell Owens.

Click here for more info on the show.
Good luck Brandi!!

US WNT Adds Match Against Canada

Talk about a quick turnaround!

The U.S. Women’s National Team has added a May 25 friendly against Canada in Toronto to replace the two previously canceled matches against Japan. The match will kick off at 7 p.m. ET at BMO Field, Canada’s national stadium and home to Toronto FC of Major League Soccer.

The game will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel, and fans can follow the match online via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.

For more info, click here.

Japan Cancels WNT Matches Due to Swine Flu

Fox Soccer has reported that the Japanese Women's Soccer Team has cancelled its games against the US WNT on May 20 and May 23, due to the swine flu outbreak. (Mind you, Japan now has 4 whole cases.)

Toughen up people! We want to see some soccer! Now US fans will have to wait 'til July to see its team back in action. What a bummer!

Highlights & Lowlights

This weekend's scores:

St. Louis Athletica 1, FC Gold Pride 0 -Recap

LA Sol 0, Boston Breakers 0 - Recap

Chicago Red Stars 0, Sky Blue FC 2 - Recap

Highlights:
-St. Louis and Sky Blue FC won their first games of the season!

-St. Louis captain Lori Chalupny scored off her own corner kick! How many times do you see that happen?!

- FSC had new commentators this week! (Hopefully they stick around!)

- My old EPYSA teammate, Christie Shaner, played her first professional game as she subbed in for Sky Blue FC's Christie Rampone.

- Solid attendance figures: 3,664 @ Chicago; 3860 @STL; 6,210 @ LA

Lowlights:

- The Chicago Red Stars are no longer undefeated. Tonight's performance was disappointing, but according to Karen Carney (one of my fave Stars) they will bounce back!

- FC Gold Pride goalie Nicole Barnhart broke her nose in the 16' of the STL match (however she continued to play the entire game injured! Tough chica!)

- Bummed the Smith vs. Marta matchup was not available via TV or internet.

- Watched the preview for next week's FSC game: Breakers vs. Freedom. Is anyone else tired of seeing Washington besides me?

Athletica Acquires Welsh and Fletcher

Yesterday, WPS announced that the LA Sol had traded Christie Welsh and Kendall Fletcher to St. Louis Athletica in exchange for a conditional 2010 first-round draft pick* and a 2011 first-round draft pick.

Obviously with the injury to Daniela, Athletica had little choice in the matter. They needed a forward...and they needed it now. With the addition of Welsh, I really believe Athletica can make a solid run for the playoffs despite its current standing in the league. Welsh is a player that I've been following since her freshman year at Penn State. The first time I saw her play (while visiting my former teammate and PSU goalie Emily Oleksiuk) I realized what a workhorse Welsh was. She may seem somewhat low-key on the field -- at times you don't even see the work she is doing off the ball--but when an opportunity presents itself in front of the net, you better believe Welsh will convert.

Now, Kendall Fletcher, on the other hand, will be a great contribution to Athletica's back line. Fine by me if she takes over for McNeill. Yes, if you can't tell I'm still bitter about McNeill's shenanigans from her last performance! In all seriousness, Fletcher is a talent that will gel well with this team and a player Coach Barcellos should be thrilled to have on his roster.

Overall, I'm happy with the trade because it gives me hope for the future of St. Louis. Welsh and Fletcher weren't getting any minutes with LA Sol. Now, they have an opportunity to shine.

Saint Louis Athletica faces FC Gold Pride tonight at Ralph Korte Stadium on the Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville campus. Follow the game on MatchTracker.

*(The conditional 2010 first-round draft pick becomes a 2010 second-round draft pick if Athletica fail to finish the season as one of the top five teams in the WPS.)