The first members of the Portland Thorns FC are sure to bring smiles to area fans. And not only because one of them played for the Seattle Sounders FC women last year.
Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair, two stars of women's soccer, were among the seven players assigned to Portland when the National Women's Soccer League allocated 55 national team players -- including 23 current members of the U.S. women's national team -- to its eight franchises.
Also assigned to Portland were USA midfielder Tobin Heath, USA defender Rachel Buehler, Canadian goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, and Mexican defenders Luz Saucedo and Marlene Sandoval.
All three of the U.S. national team players allocated to Thorns FC were part of the United States' run to the Olympic gold medal during the London Olympics.
"This group has a wealth of quality, international experience, and we are excited to build around them to put together a competitive and entertaining club in our first season," Thorns FC coach Cindy Parlow Cone said.
Also excited is Vancouver's Tina Ellertson. The 2000 graduate of Hudson's Bay High School andformer U.S. national team player said she has had discussions with Parlow Cone and hopes to soon be a member of Thorns FC.
"To play with Alex and Christine in Portland -- how much fun would that be?" she said. "(Friday) was an exciting day, just to hear where a lot of my dear friends were going to be."
One of Ellertson's closest friends, goalkeeper Hope Solo, will play for the Seattle Reign FC. As much fun as it would be to have Solo as teammates, Ellertson said shw is more excited about the chance to play professional soccer close to home.
"For me, this is my home, this is my backyard," Ellertson said
Morgan, 23, is one of the most recognizable faces in women's soccer. She was U.S. Soccer's female athlete of 2012 after leading all national team players with 28 goals and a team-high 21 assists and becoming just the second player after Mia Hamm to record 20 goals and 20 assists in a calendar year. The Diamond Bar, Calif., native scored three times during the London Olympics, including the latest goal ever scored in a FIFA competition, a 123rd-minute header in a 4-3 semifinal win against Sinclair and Canada.
Morgan played with the Sounders women last season. The Sounders women are a United Soccer League's W-League franchise, and not part of the NWSL. Seattle's franchise in the new professional league is the Reign FC.
"The Northwest is a great soccer area and I had firsthand experience with that last year," Morgan said. "So continuing in the Northwest, I'm looking forward to putting that jersey on for the first time under (team owner) Merritt Paulson and Cindy Parlow."
Sinclair, 29, helped the University of Portland win national championships in 2002 and 2005. The Burnaby, B.C., native ranks third all-time in international goals with 143 goals in 190 appearances for Canada, trailing only Hamm (158) and Abby Wambach (152).
Heath, 24, is a midfielder who has already played in 60 matches with the U.S. national team, including in all six matches at the London 2012 Olympics.
Parlow Cone said the players Portland landed should help the Thorns FC play a possession style of soccer.
"I'm hoping that we are a very dynamic and productive team," the coach said.
Friday's allocation announcement was the first step in building rosters for the eight teams in the new women's pro soccer league, which is scheduled to begin play this spring. The schedule has not yet been announced.
A college player draft is scheduled for Jan. 18. After that, teams will round out their rosters by signing available players, though that process has not been finalized according to U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati.
U.S. women's national team players allocated to Seattle were Solo, midfielder Megan Rapinoe and forward Amy Rodriguez.
Wellington side fails in front of own supporters as lean spell continues in A-League. When the Wellington Phoenix lose at home you know something is wrong.
So often during their short A-League history their Westpac Stadium fortress has helped them to victories but today's 0-2 loss to Western Sydney Wanderers was a clear indication that this is a struggling team.
Anchored near the foot of the table, the Phoenix have dropped five of their past seven games and registered only one win during that barren spell.
Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert has tried to implement a more attacking style of play in recent weeks and has introduced young talent in the form of Tyler Boyd and Louis Fenton, but little has worked for them this season.
Today's loss was a dire performance that lacked inspiration and it was hard to see where a goal would come from for the home side.
The game looked as though it was heading to a rare 0-0 draw but a crafty diving header from Nikolai Topor-Stanley in the 72nd minute helped his side towards the three points.
There were few more unlikely goalscorers on the pitch than Topor-Stanley - the central defender once went 88 A-League fixtures without finding the back of the net between 2007 and 2010.
Wanderers midfielder Aaron Mooy was the provider and his well-timed cross in to the box allowed Topor-Stanley to beat Ben Sigmund to the ball and stun the home crowd of 6608.
Sigmund and Phoenix goalkeeper Mark Paston then produced a mix-up at the back that allowed Wanderers striker Labinot Haliti to tap in from close range in the 82nd minute as the visitors made the game safe.
Paston had enjoyed a great day between the sticks during the first hour, making a string of handy saves to keep the Wellington club in the game and it was hard to blame him completely for the miscommunication with Sigmund.
Paston's opposite number at the other end of the field, Ante Covic, was solid for the Wanderers and made one impressive diving save in the first spell to deny a Vince Lia attempt that seemed destined for the top corner.
Chances were few and far between for the Phoenix, although Belgian import Stein Huysegems did rattle the crossbar with a left-footed thunderbolt in the 23rd minute, which could have sent Wellington's day down a different path.
Huysegems, Boyd, Fenton and Jeremy Brockie were industrious up front but they lacked cohesion and the Phoenix continued to rely on attacks down the flanks and knocking in crosses that the Wanderers dealt with comfortably.
The Phoenix needed to be more direct in their approach but struggled to break down the Wanderers through the middle of the pitch.
The A-League newcomers are an organised defensive unit but the Phoenix need to offer more if they want to pull themselves out of this slump and threaten a playoff berth.
Right now the post-season looks a long way off and Herbert will need to fire up his troops if they want to ignite their faltering season in their next fixture, which comes against Sydney FC in Australia on Saturday night.
Former Japan striker Naohiro Takahara has been released by Shimizu S-Pulse and dropped down a division to join J-League second-tier side Tokyo Verdy, the clubs said on Monday.
The 33-year-old, who also played for Hamburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, scored just once in 18 appearances last season.
Takahara scored 23 times in 57 games for Japan but missed out on the 2002 World Cup on home soil at the peak of his powers after contracting a form of deep vein thrombosis.
After missing the World Cup in Japan and South Korea, Takahara played at the 2006 tournament in Germany, where the 'Blue Samurai' made a meek early exit under Brazilian Zico.
The J-League's top marksman in 2002, Takahara joined S-Pulse from South Korean side Suwon Bluewings in 2011 after three years at Urawa Reds.
Soccer-Former Japan striker Takahara joins second-tier Verdy - Yahoo! News
The Phoenix have slumped to last in the A-League but owner Gareth Morgan has all but guaranteed Ricki Herbert will return as coach next season.
Though that may sound like the dreaded 'vote of confidence', the worst nightmare for every English coach because it invariably precedes dismissal, Herbert probably has no reason to fret.
Having led the club since its inception, Herbert's contract as head coach runs out at the end of the season before a two-year option on "football-related matters" kicks in.
It was initially thought that could mean a new role as director of football, overseeing all matters associated with the team while a new coach takes the reins, but Morgan today ruled out that possibility on financial grounds.
"Yeah, pretty much," Morgan told Radio Live when asked whether Herbert would return as coach next season. "I just don't think we're where we want to be to enable us to have [a director of football].
"We have to get financially a bit stronger than we are, and that comes down to performance on the field and a whole lot of stuff off the field."
That may sound as if Herbert's future as coach is by default rather than any desire from the owners - hamstrung by Herbert being under contract and unable to employ a new coach to work under him - but Morgan did back the A-League's most experienced manager.
"We certainly don't want to lose him," he said. "Eventually, [director of football] is where it would be great to have Ricki because I don't think there's anybody in New Zealand football that's got as much knowledge and skill as that man."
Morgan was learning that first hand last week, being spotted taking an active role at training in the lead up to last weekend's loss to West Sydney.
The economist's participation was criticised in some quarters, but Morgan defended his involvement as typical business practice and said the owners were "absolutely more hands on" than a traditional board.
"Every element of the business is being looked at," he said. "So it's like saying to me, 'you bought this business but don't go into the creative department, what they're doing in there is top secret, or don't go into the accounting department because you wouldn't like what you see'.
"There's nothing here that's exempt from us having a look and seeing if we can help the people in charge of it do a better job. That includes on the field as well."
On the field is where the Phoenix have been in a state of flux, caught between earning results and attempting to adhere to the owner's edict about playing 'total football'.
The players have clearly struggled to find the balance, winning only one of the last seven games, but Morgan remained committed to the revamp in style.
"Everything centres on what happens on the field but you've got to take a medium-term strategy and a short-term strategy. Sometimes when you're making reasonably radical changes - like we are - then the short-term strategy could suffer in the interim.
"That was the fundamental question asked and I think it's a reasonable question to ask - whether your product is the best product on the block. The answer that came back was the A-League was evolving each year and the style was changing a bit - and we need to keep up.
"Ricki was at the forefront of that decision and he's totally supportive of where we're going medium-term and he will drive it. He is the coach and he's got 100 per cent support."
Major League Soccer's Sporting Kansas City have ended their stadium naming deal with Livestrong, the cancer foundation started by disgraced former cycling champion Lance Armstrong, the team said on Tuesday.
The $200 million stadium was opened in June 2011 and the club announced a high-profile six-year deal with the charity, naming the venue Livestrong Sporting Park and committing to contributions to Armstrong's organisation.
Since being stripped off his seven Tour de France titles and deciding to end his fight against doping charges, Armstrong has stood down from his positions with the charity.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Sporting did not mention Armstrong directly nor did they give any specific reasons for ending the arrangement.
"Over the course of the past year, it became clear that Livestrong no longer shared the same spirit of partnership, despite our perseverance to the contrary," said Sporting CEO Robb Heineman in the statement.
"This morning we were disappointed to learn Livestrong is utilising aggressive tactics designed to force us into an unsatisfactory arrangement.
"We willingly admit we were not expecting the foundation to treat a partner in this manner. Even more surprising is that Livestrong would take this action in the midst of a significant transitional phase for their organisation," added Heineman.
Armstrong personally endorsed the deal for the stadium in March, 2011 saying it was an "innovative opportunity".
The stadium, which will hold this year's MLS All Star game, will now be known as Sporting Park, the team said.
Livestrong were not immediately available for comment but chief financial officer Greg Lee told ESPN.com
"We strive to be great partners ourselves and expect the same from those we do business with.
"If a partner is struggling to meet the terms of our agreement, we do everything possible to reach a fair and reasonable compromise. If no compromise can be reached, as good stewards of our brand and mission, we have no choice but to bring that agreement to an end."
Armstrong is to break his silence over the doping accusations in an interview with Oprah Winfrey to be broadcast on Thursday.
The Texan is reported to have admitted to doping in the show which was recorded on Monday.
Rather than search for highlight reel moments, Paul Ifill is calling for his Wellington Phoenix team-mates to focus on the fundamentals as they look to pull themselves out of a horror mid-season slump.
The Phoenix have lost five of their last seven matches and are anchored to the bottom of the A-League ladder, although only five points separate last and fifth on the table.
That means Phoenix fans don't need to push the panic button just yet on their season as they bid to make the playoffs for the fourth-consecutive campaign but pressure is mounting for them to start putting results on the board.
Their next opportunity to do so will present itself this weekend when the Phoenix cross the Tasman to meet Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.
Ifill has been included in the match-day squad for this weekend's game, which marks the first time he will take the field for the Phoenix since round 11 after he underwent surgery on his right ankle.
The former Barbados international said one thing stood out to him during his time watching the Phoenix lurch from one loss to the next during the past month.
"Lack of confidence I think," Ifill said. "There's a lot of talk about the new style, but some of the things we've been doing [wrong] - getting away from the style - is just fundamentals. Our defending's been poor and I'm not just blaming the back four. I think it starts at the front and I think we've just got to work harder all over the pitch and go back to basics, get that right first and then you can start playing pretty football. You've got to earn the right to play this so-called 'total football'. You can't just go out there and be Barcelona from the first minute, it's
impossible."
After getting through 30 minutes for the Phoenix reserve side against YoungHeart Manawatu in Palmerston yesterday (weds), Ifill will likely make his return to the A-League via the bench rather than start this weekend.
There's still some life left in his 33-year-old legs and even the possibility of a cameo appearance from him will likely galvanise the Phoenix who need to find more goals having only scored once during their past three games.
Ifill acknowledged there would be heat on him to perform but said he wouldn't have it any other way.
"I want a little bit of pressure. It'd be terrible if they weren't even worried about me coming back so it's quite nice to get a little bit of pressure and hopefully they can do the job without me," Ifill said.
"It's not been great the last few weeks. I don't think we played particularly badly but the results have been going against us."
In team news, Louis Fenton is likely to be removed from the starting line-up and will play from the bench in Sydney and Alex Smith will be inserted to the playing XI.
Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert said given the side's leaky defence of late and the fact the game was on the road Smith would help strengthen the midfield.
That will leave an attacking line of Tyler Boyd, Jeremy Brockie and Stein Huysegems with Dani Sanchez, Vince Lia and Smith in the midfield with the usual suspects of Leo Bertos, Ben Sigmund, Andrew Durante and Tony Lochhead in the back four.
Reserve goalkeeper Glen Moss has recovered fully from his hernia operation and will take his place on the bench, which ends Griffin McMaster's brief stint in Wellington who was signed in late November as cover for Moss.
The New York Cosmos, which was one of the world's best-known soccer franchises of the 1970s and was resurrected last year after nearly three decades of dormancy, proposed Wednesday to construct a 25,000-seat, privately financed stadium at Belmont Park racetrack.
Plans for the $400 million project were submitted last week to New York's Empire State Development Corp., which will decide later this year on how to develop the 400-acre racetrack property in Elmont, just east of New York City.
A new soccer stadium could be an economic boon for struggling Nassau County following last year's announcement that the National Hockey League's New York Islanders were relocating to Brooklyn in 2015.
"This is an exciting prospect that will create jobs and complement Nassau's sports entertainment tourism plan," County Executive Ed Mangano said in a statement.
Seamus O'Brien, chairman and CEO of the Cosmos, called Belmont "an ideal location and a win-win for everyone involved. Nassau County and Elmont will realize much needed economic growth, and local residents will have a year-round premier destination they can call their own."
In the 1970s, the Cosmos played in the North American Soccer League, and attracted worldwide attention by signing some of the greatest players of the day including the legendary Brazilian star Pele, Italy's Giorgio Chinaglia and West German star Franz Beckenbauer. The NASL disbanded in 1984, but the Cosmos played one more season in 1985 as an independent team before folding.
Last year, the Cosmos announced plans to play in the revived NASL beginning in 2013; home games this season will be played at Hofstra University's former football stadium in Hempstead, N.Y.
The NASL of today is a second-division, small-budget league with teams in Atlanta; Bayamon, Puerto Rico; Blaine, Minn.; Cary, N.C.; Edmonton, Alberta; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; St. Petersburg, Fla.; and San Antonio. The top American soccer league, Major League Soccer, has a New York franchise, the Red Bulls, playing in Harrison, N.J.
The MLS last year proposed a stadium be built in neighboring Queens for an as-yet-unnamed soccer franchise to rival the Red Bulls. That team would play near Citi Field, the home of baseball's New York Mets.
MLS spokesman Dan Courtemanche said in a statement Wednesday that the league is continuing to work with New York City and local officials on the Queens project. "We continue our discussions with a variety of potential ownership groups, all who are very interested in being involved with the division I soccer league in North America," he said. "MLS continues to support the development of the lower leagues."
The Cosmos said in a statement that the team wasn't "in a position to comment about any other stadium proposals," but added that the franchise believes "in the strength of our proposal and the increasing interest in soccer both nationally and regionally."
The Cosmos' proposal, called Elmont Crossings, includes nine new restaurants, retail space, a 175-room hotel and a 4.3-acre public park. Team officials say it would create more than 500 construction jobs and over 3,000 full-time permanent jobs.
If approved, the team expects to break ground in 2014. Retail sites would open in 2015 and the team could begin play in the spring of 2016.
A spokeswoman for the Empire State Development Corp. said proposals for the property are currently being evaluated for feasibility, economic impact and experience of the project team.
New York State Sen. Jack Martins, whose district includes Belmont Park, called the proposal "an exciting project - a real game-changer for the community, the county and the state. It will create thousands of short and long term jobs and economic opportunity where we need it most."
Each June, the racetrack hosts the final leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes. Cosmos officials say they would not schedule events at the soccer stadium on dates that coincide with major races at Belmont.
Life had not quite worked out the way Fuad Ibrahim had planned.
A few years ago the whole world was laid out at the 21-year-old American striker's feet. Ibee, as he is known by his coaches and teammates, was considered one of the most naturally talented players ever to emerge in U.S. soccer.
He was quickly brought into the national team set up, playing in every game at the Under-17 World Cup finals. At the age of 16 he was the second youngest player ever to be drafted into the MLS. Perhaps prophetically, the youngest was Freddy Adu, a name that has become a euphemism for talent unfulfilled. Luck, nerve, injury, temperament: no one could explain Ibee's decline after being called up to the U.S. Under-20 squad. But decline he did as he went from Dallas to Toronto and then to his hometown club, the Minnesota Stars in the NASL -- the second tier of U.S. soccer. The decline appeared terminal when he was released at the end of last season..
And then out of the blue an email arrived from the country of his birth -- Ethiopia.
"It said that Ethiopia would like to invite me to play for the national team," Ibee told CNN, speaking from his hotel room in the capital Addis Ababa.
Africa calling
Ibee had left Ethiopia with his parents when he was eight. He only remembers blurry snippets from his life there, while he does not speak much of the language, just a few words and phrases.
He still does not know quite what to make of how things have turned out. His entire life had been geared towards one day playing for the full U.S. men's national team. Now there was another potential future on the Horn of Africa.
"I didn't think they wanted me to go right away but then they kept emailing me," added Ibee.
"Eventually I replied back, thinking it might be something for the future. A couple of times we had contact over the phone. Then I realized they were serious."
Soon Ibee was flying to the high altitude of Addis Ababa and into Ethiopia's squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, a biennial tournament considered one of the toughest, and most entertaining in world soccer.
Read More: From Minnesota to Ethiopia: U.S. soccer star Fuad Ibrahim eyes Africa Cup of Nations chance - CNN-com
In a few weeks, the United States men’s national soccer team will begin the final stage of regional qualifying for a place in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. For the American team, a berth in the 32-team tournament would mark its seventh straight appearance in the world’s biggest team sporting event.
Thirty years ago, however, the United States was in the waning years of a World Cup famine that lasted a generation. At the same time, the first North American Soccer League, dominated by aging international stars and with few recognizable American players, was two seasons from vanishing after explosive growth and a just as prodigious crash.
The league’s last commissioner, the New York businessman Howard Samuels, latched on to a novel idea: enter a team, the national team, Team America, in the league playing in Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington. Samuels enlisted a friend, Robert K. Lifton, and began a joint effort with the United States Soccer Federation, the sport’s national governing body. The idea was to entice the top American players to leave their club teams, on loan, and join Team America. It was not that easy. Ultimately, it was not successful.
It was a noble, novel — some would say naïve — experiment in engineering a soccer project with little precedent before or since in any sport. In the past, Eastern European nations would seed a couple of top club teams with their best (so-called amateur) players, who easily slid into the national team. More recently, the national team of Antigua and Barbuda played together in a North American minor league. In ice hockey, the United States junior national team, which recently won a world championship, was entered as a unit in the ECHL.
“I think the concept has a lot of merit, even today,” said Francisco Marcos, who at the time was an executive with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, which sent three players — Perry Van Der Beck, Pedro De Brito and Arnie Mausser — to Team America. “In those days, the national team got together only a few days before games. The idea was to have the best American players together every day and playing against tough competition. It wasn’t a crazy idea.”
In context, Team America was a desperate gambit on three fronts: part of a last-gasp of the ill-fated N.A.S.L.; the squad would form the nucleus of the Olympic team (there was no women’s competition at the time) for the 1984 Los Angeles Games; and then carry on in qualifying for the 1986 World Cup at a time the United States had not played for world soccer’s ultimate prize since the 1950 tournament in Brazil (when a team of part-timers stunned mighty England).
“The devil was in the details,” said defender Jeff Durgan, the captain of Team America who had left the security of the Cosmos and the daily luxury of training with players like Giorgio Chinaglia, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Neeskens. “The league was in serious jeopardy. It was a last-ditch effort to try to feature American players and energize the national team program. I was 20 years old and had a good situation with the Cosmos, but I wanted to see soccer survive.”
While Durgan and his teammate Chico Borja left the Cosmos for Team America, perhaps the most recognizable American at the time, Ricky Davis, declined an invitation from the national team coach, Alkis Panagoulias, a naturalized citizen from Greece. Davis was not alone. The absence of strikers like Steve Moyers and Mark Peterson meant Team America had to enlist naturalized citizens like Alan Merrick and Alan Green.
“It was very difficult,” Panagoulias, who died last year, said in an interview with The New York Times in 2006. Before taking the job, he had been the coach of Greece from 1973 to 1981 and had earlier led the New York Greek Americans to three United States Open Cup titles in the 1960s.
In the 1983 season, Team America got off to a good start, going 8-5 in the first two months, including a victory (in a shootout) over the star-studded Cosmos. There was a photo shoot on the steps of the Capitol building and an audience at the White House on May 4, 1983, with President Ronald Reagan (who stumbled when he said “We’re very proud and happy to have this team and to be represented for the first time in the World Cup.”). But it turned sour over the summer when the club went 2-15, averaging only 12,000 fans at home games, and finished the season, its only one in the league, with the worst overall record (10-20, scoring only 33 goals) in the N.A.S.L.
“I thought it was a great concept, initially, because having a national team playing in a domestic league would have set the stage for cohesiveness within the team,” Merrick said in a 2007 interview with the Web site of the United States national soccer players.
But it was not to be. Team America was disbanded after one season. The N.A.S.L. folded after the 1984 season. Players from Team America comprised the core of the roster that went to the Olympics, but the team failed to advance past the opening round. The United States then again failed to qualify for the 1986 World Cup, crashing out after a home loss to Costa Rica, but then qualifying for the 1990 tournament in Italy after a 40-year absence.
“In hindsight, after 30 years, I understand that very few efforts that try to serve multiple masters succeed,” said Durgan, a native of Tacoma, Wash., who joined the Cosmos as a teenager and now lives in Michigan and works for a software company. “There were two goals at odds: trying to secure stability for the N.A.S.L. by putting together a show and wrapping it in the flag versus trying to develop players for the national team. We were focused on the moment, rather than looking at the long road ahead.”
Upon returning from the London Olympics, Christine Sinclair was greeted at the Vancouver airport and told that her life “will never be the same.”
Sinclair shrugged it off, thinking nothing of it.
She figured the country would soon forget about her Olympic experience.
Yet Sinclair would soon realize that her life — through the sport of soccer — had indeed changed forever.
“It’s been crazy,” said Sinclair, captain of Canada’s Olympic bronze medallist women’s soccer squad.
The Burnaby, B.C., native was in Saskatoon on the weekend for the grand reopening of the XtraTime Sports Soccer Locker, along with teammate Kaylyn Kyle, a native of Saskatoon.
It’s important to visit different parts of Canada, trying to inspire some of the youth, especially the young female soccer players.
“They’re the future of this country on the national stage,” Sinclair said.
“Any time we can get out there and interact with them, they can realize their dreams can come true.”
The Olympic controversy — specifically her criticism of the officiating in the semifinal loss against the United States — is gone and supposedly forgotten.
“It’s all in the past,” said Sinclair, who has her sights set on the 2015 World Cup to be hosted in Canada, and the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Instead, she’s looking forward to stepping on that field in 2015 and really showing a different side to Canada’s women’s team that’s really enjoyable to play and watch.
“With Canada hosting the next World Cup, hopefully it can continue,” she said. “There’s just something about bringing home a medal, reaching the podium, in a World Cup or Olympics. It signifies something. Kids can relate to that and dream about winning a medal like I did.
“Hopefully, it just continues to take off.”
The winner of Canada’s 2012 Lou Marsh athlete of the year award, Sinclair quickly deflected the credit to her teammates who have helped change the perception of Canadian soccer.
It just goes to show where, or how far, women’s soccer has come over the past couple of years, she said.
“I don’t think four years ago that it could have ever happened.”
Sinclair dreamt about winning an Olympic medal since she was a young kid. At the time, she was planning to be a professional speedskater. Little did she know.
Sinclair shrugged off being overlooked for the 2012 FIFA female player of the year award. All she wanted was her own Olympic medal.
“I don’t play this sport for the FIFA player of the year award,” she said.
“When the ref blew that final whistle, I was just overwhelmed with emotion.”
She seems more bothered that her coach, John Herdman, got snubbed. He took the team from finishing dead last at the World Cup to, within a year, bringing home an Olympic medal. She described Herdman as the best coach she’s ever had.
“For him not to have been honoured surprises me more. He should have won, hands down.”
Meanwhile, Kyle isn’t surprised by Sinclair’s modesty and selflessness.
“She gives all the credit to her teammates and never takes anything for herself,” says Kyle. “She’s one of the most down-to-earth persons. You look at her and it epitomizes what a female athlete wants to be.”
Prince Albert’s Payton Smith, 10, was first in line for autographs Sunday. She waited in line for nearly 100 minutes, braving the deep-freeze outside as the temperature dipped to — 41 C with the wind chill.
“It’s really exciting,” said Smith, who hand-delivered a box of cards and letters to Kyle, a neighbour to Smith’s aunt, Susan Hustej.
“I really want her (Kyle) to come to practise with my team.”
Read more: Sinclair sees soccer youth as our future
Southampton threw up a defensive wall around both their goal and their new Argentine manager on Monday, repelling a high-flying Everton side as well as a threatened fans' protest at St Mary's.
Having replaced the sacked Nigel Adkins on Friday, Mauricio Pochettino was braced for a fiery baptism at home as fans used social media all weekend to vent their fury at chairman Nicola Cortese's treatment of the revered Adkins.
But a full-blooded 0-0 battle with fifth-placed Everton - a clean sheet against a visiting side who had scored in their last nine away matches - kept fans firmly behind the team as players rallied behind Pochettino.
"Everyone is behind the new coaching staff and the new gaffer, and tonight we showed that," Saints' midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin said.
The point nudged Southampton further away from danger. They sit 15th with 23 points, four above the drop zone.
Having lost eight of their first 10 Premier League matches, Saints have now suffered only two defeats in their last 13 league outings.
The credit for that turnaround lies squarely with the ousted Adkins - a factor which has infuriated fans, but which was in part acknowledged by Pochettino, according to Schneiderlin.
"He (Pochettino) said to us that he didn't want to change too many things tonight because he didn't want us to try to learn too many things too quickly," the Frenchman told Southampton's TV channel SaintsPlayer.
"We put in a good shift and I think we could have won the game, so I'm sure we will win some more games if we keep playing like that."
Southampton fans seemed to agree, posting their satisfaction with the performance on social networks and newspaper comment sections.
While slightly disappointed not to bag all three points, Pochettino was thrilled by the fans' reaction to the match and his presence in the dugout.
"I really felt that kindness, and I'm very grateful for the reception I was given and my staff as well," he said through an interpreter.
"Everything I was told about Southampton supporters is true, they're very kind and they really support their team so I just want to repay them with honesty and work as I'm very proud to be their manager."
If Pochettino was warmed by his reception on a wintry night in Southampton, he might brace himself for Saints' next match which will likely prove less comfortable on the pitch at least.
The Saints travel to Old Trafford and league leaders Manchester United on Jan. 30. (Writing by Ossian Shine in Singapore; Editing by Patrick Johnston)
The Lincoln Land Community College men’s soccer team was in danger of being cut until the school announced Tuesday it will continue the program.
LLCC bowed to public pressure and removed a proposal to discontinue men’s soccer and add men’s golf from the agenda of a meeting of the Board of Trustees tonight.
“The college received a number of calls and board members had calls,” said Lynn Whalen, LLCC executive director of public relations and marketing. “The number of calls that were received indicated there is interest in the community to retain the soccer program.”
LLCC freshman midfielder Connor Carnduff is among the players who are relieved to see the program stay after worrying about their futures.
“We hung out quite a big this weekend talking about what we were going to do,” said the former Chatham Glenwood High School all-Midwest player. “I’m really happy. I was kind of upset and wondering why they would do that after a great year with the program. I’m glad the soccer community came behind us and helped us keep the program by persuading the board members.”
Nationally ranked
The LLCC men’s soccer program was ranked as high as No. 9 in the National Junior College Atheltic Association Division I men’s national poll and made it within one win of qualifying for the national tournament. The Loggers started the season 11-1, then finished with a 14-7 record after reaching the title game of the Region 24 Tournament for the first time since 2009.
Former coach T.J. Mabie said he resigned at the end of the season under pressure from Lesley Frederick, vice president of student services at LLCC, and athletic director Ron Riggle. It was Frederick’s division that submitted the proposal to eliminate men’s soccer and add men’s golf. The memorandum to the board cited men’s soccer was a “resource intensive program” that required “substantial personnel time and financial commitment” and had “very limited local participation” in addition to a “good deal of attrition of players.”
The proposal also stated switching from soccer to golf would result in “significant cost savings” and “better align” the school with Title IX expectations. It would have saved the college $45,354, according to Whalen.
LLCC is scheduled to begin a $580,000 improvement project to its baseball and softball fields in March.
Tom Bundy was among local supporters who helped rally the effort to save the soccer program. He was among the first LLCC men’s soccer players in 1978. “Everybody did their part to call board members and express their concerns,” Bundy said. “We were ready for a full-fledged battle. We could have gotten 300 or 400 (people) at that meeting and we were going to make a ruckus. I was a little befuddled why it even became an issue. Why would you even consider dropping the program?”
Springfield resident Jose Carlos Jimenez was an international soccer player at LLCC in 2001 and 2002. He’s happy the program is staying.
“It has been around since the ‘70s and we feel like its part of the community in many ways,” he said. “We’re just glad that more local kids and talent are going to be around to see the support.”
Carnduff is ready for things to get “back to normal.”
That includes finding out who will coach the team. Whalen did not provide a timeline for hiring Mabie’s replacement.
Embattled Pheonix co-owner Gareth Morgan has responded to the backlash from his comments labelling the attitude of some of the club's fans as "pathetic".
In a blog post on his website entitled 'The latest on the Phoenix', Morgan clarified his comments, made to RadioSport host Tony Veitch a week ago but not broadcast till morning.
Morgan did not back down from the controversial statement which has invoked the ire of Phoenix fans on Twitter and the Yellow Fever message boards.
"I observe that some, not all, fans are blaming the team position on the league table as being a result of a wholesale change in style. That charge is pretty irrelevant as the style thing is a medium-term objective, not a goal to be achieved overnight," he wrote.
"Despite this being pointed out, some vocal fans on the message boards have continued with the charge - despite there being no ground for that. Yes I would call that intransigence, pathetic - based on emotion not evidence."
Morgan also hit out at stories surrounding his appearance at Phoenix training a fortnight ago, blaming The Dominion Post for blowing the matter out of proportion. "This was pure invention by a gossip columnist working for the Dom Post, posing as a sports journalist," he wrote. "I have been to a number of training sessions as have other owners so none of that element of the story ... was genuine.
"Of course the public reads this fiction and the gullible believe that because it's in a newspaper it's truth - that apparently I'm now telling Ricki what to do.
"When Tony Veitch asked me last week about all this I said and I repeat that those who continue to believe ... that I'm somehow running the training etc are being silly. I said to him that the truth is totally the opposite and those that continue with the charge - whether fans or journos for that matter, despite no evidence whatsoever - are pathetic."
Fans were also in the firing line for suggesting Morgan and his fellow owners from the Welnix group should stay silent or bankroll the side so they could compete financially with teams from larger markets across the Tasman.
He said this was not the type of ownership group he was part of and, instead, Welnix wanted the club on firm financial footing.
"Those that believe owners should write the cheques and stay upstairs while everyone else gets on and loses money year after year, clearly don't know where money comes from," he wrote.
"I make no apology for dispelling the myth that club ownership is somehow symbolic only and the owners have no say in determining strategy. Proper fans need to appreciate what we need to do to ensure the Phoenix is here for the long term.
"Unless of course someone wants to step up and fund the $1m per year annual losses that currently prevail."
The blog post will run the risk of further alienating some fans, but Morgan concluded by expressing his gratitude to those who were sticking by the team.
"To all the dedicated Phoenix fans who understand the big picture, who turn up in the rain, by the tickets, cheer in the fan zone, I thank you. Your positive support in the highs and lows is appreciated by the owner's, managers and players."
Soccer: Morgan responds to fan criticism - Sport - NZ Herald News
Wellington Phoenix captain Andrew Durante is sick of having to field questions about the latest musings of outspoken club co-owner Gareth Morgan.
After having his say on how the Phoenix should play last month, Morgan went on the offensive this week in a pre-recorded radio interview when he labelled the attitude of some of the club's fans as "pathetic''.
The comment sparked outrage and disgust on social media and the Yellow Fever forums and Durante attempted to distance himself from what Morgan said.
"To be honest, I've been through so much Gareth talk over the last month that I honestly have just completely blocked it out,'' Durante said at Phoenix training today.
"I've heard about the comments. I haven't read the comments myself and I'm actually in a pretty good place at the moment. I've been in a pretty tough place with all these comments and having to answer for owners so I'd rather not say much about that.
"But obviously the fans are hurting from it. It's never nice to have those comments at you but, as players, we've decided we are not going to get involved in that and talk about it.
So the less said the better for the playing group.''
Only Durante and Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert were available to talk to media today, which is in stark contrast to other weeks when most players are available for a chat.
The club are in a tough position as they linger in last on the A-League ladder having lost their past four games, including a record-setting 7-1 defeat to Sydney FC last weekend.
Durante made an impassioned plea for fans to come out and support the Phoenix on Sunday when they host the Newcastle Jets at Westpac Stadium.
"If I can say my part to the fans, get out there and support the team. You'll see a much better performance from us and we don't want to let them down, especially in front of the home crowd. Regardless of what Gareth said, as players we want you guys out there and the Yellow Fever and everyone involved at the Cake Tin are very important to us and if we are going to get out of this we need everyone pulling in the same direction, fans included.''
Durante was then asked by a journalist: "So you rate the fans?''
Durante: "I love the fans. The fans are great, we are not much of a club without the fans.''
There may be at least one thing Morgan and Durante agree on though as the adopted Australian said he wasn't a fan of cats.
"I'm more of a dog person,'' Durante smiled.
New Phoenix recruit Isaka Cernak wasn't at training today but will be included in the match-day squad for Sunday and is even an outside chance to start the game.
The death toll climbed to 31 in Saturday's riots in the northern city of Port Said after an Egyptian court handed down 21 death sentences in connection with last year's deadly soccer melee.
At least 300 have been injured, local media reported, in ongoing clashes between security forces and protesters who are angered by the verdicts related to a February brawl in which 74 soccer fans were killed.
President Mohammed Morsi canceled a scheduled trip to Ethiopia on Saturday and instead met for the first time with top generals as part of the newly formed National Defense Council.
The military was deployed in Port Said to try to restore stability, but assaults continued into the evening.
Saturday's unrest was the latest in a bout of violence that has left a total of 38 people dead in two days, including 11 killed in clashes between police and protesters marking Friday's second anniversary of the uprising that ousted longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.
The clashes broke out as protesters demonstrated against the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi amid widespread calls for change and growing charges of injustice.
"Egyptians are very worried about what is happening because they feel the country is getting into a very difficult situation," said Said Sadek, professor of political sociology at the American University in Cairo. Immediately after Saturday's verdict was read live on state TV, two policemen were shot dead outside Port Said's main prison when angry relatives tried to storm the facility to free the defendants. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets, as well as live rounds, at the crowd outside the prison.
In other parts of the city, residents tried to storm the governor's office, police stations, the power station and the main court building. Residents occupied one police station in the east of Port Said.
The director of hospitals in Port Said, Abdel-Raham Farah, said two local soccer players were shot to death Saturday as they were apparently on their way to practice. He identified them as Mahmoud Abdel-Halim al-Dizawi, who played for the city's Al-Marikh club, and Tamer al-Fahla, who used to play for the city's main Al-Masry team. Al-Diwazi was shot three times, the doctor said.
Egypt has witnessed a slew of violent incidents over the past two years amid a weakened security situation, a deepening polarization between political groups and an economic situation that has left many severely struggling.
"Any revolution is like an earthquake, with aftershocks," Sadek said. "So we have aftershocks continuing from time to time, and the country will be very unstable for at least four to five years."
There are local sensitivities in the city, located on the Mediterranean coast, said political analyst Mazen Hassan, including intense rivalry between soccer fans, economic suffering and feelings that people are deprived of the services they believe they deserve.
"Egyptians now have minimum respect for rule of law," Hassan said. "It will be very difficult for them to accept verdicts that they see as unjust, especially when it comes to Port Said."
Hassan said the consequences of deadly violence here are "very severe."
"It is coming from an area in the country that has a strategic significance because it overlooks the Suez Canal," Hassan said. "That has the potential of not only national but also international repercussions."
31 die in Egypt riots after verdict in soccer deaths
Relatives and angry young men rampaged through the Egyptian city of Port Said on Saturday in assaults that killed at least 27 people following death sentences for local fans involved in the country’s worst bout of soccer violence.
Unrest surrounding the second anniversary of Egypt’s revolution also broke out in Cairo and other cities for a third day, with protesters clashing for hours with riot police who fired tear gas that encompassed swaths of the capital’s downtown.
The divisive verdict and bloodshed highlight challenges being faced by President Mohammed Morsi, who took office seven months ago following an Egyptian revolution that ousted autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak. Critics say Morsi has failed to carry out promised reforms in the country’s judiciary and police force, and claim little has improved in the two years after the uprising against Mubarak.
The Islamist leader, Egypt’s first freely elected and civilian president, met for the first time with top generals as part of the newly formed National Defense Council to discuss the deployment of troops in two cities. The military was deployed to Port Said hours after the verdict was announced, and warned that a curfew could be declared in areas of unrest. The military was also deployed to the canal city of Suez, where protesters attacked the main security compound there after eight people were killed late Friday.
Saturday’s riot in Port Said stemmed from animosity between police and die-hard soccer fans know as Ultras, who also were part of the mass uprising against Mubarak that began on Jan. 25, 2011, and at forefront of protests against the military rulers who assumed temporary power after his ouster.
It also reflected tensions after the uprising that reached into all sectors of Egyptian life, even sports.
Survivors and witnesses said Mubarak loyalists had a hand in instigating last year’s attack, which began Feb. 1 after Port Said’s home team Al-Masry won a match, 3-1, against Cairo’s Al-Ahly. Some say “hired thugs” wearing green T-shirts posing as Al-Masry fans led the attacks.
Others say, at the very least, police were responsible for gross negligence in the Feb. 1 soccer brawl that killed 74 Al-Ahly fans.
Anger at police was evident in Port Said, home to most of the 73 men accused of involvement in the bloodshed, although the trial was held outside Cairo.
Judge Sobhi Abdel-Maguid did not give his reasoning when he handed down the sentences for 21 defendants. Executions in Egypt are usually carried out by hanging.
Verdicts for the remaining 52 defendants, including nine security officials, are scheduled to be delivered March 9. Some have been charged with murder and others with assisting the attackers. All the defendants — who were not present in the courtroom Saturday for security reasons — can appeal the verdict.
Supporters of those sentenced to death said they were being used as scapegoats. The rioters attacked the city’s prison after the verdict was read live on state television to try and free the defendants. A police lieutenant and police officer were killed in the assault.
Residents also focused their anger against the government, attacking a power station, the governor’s office and local courthouse. They staged a sit-in along the main road leading into the city and occupied a police station.
(MORE: Morsi’s Next Move: Egypt’s President Got His Constitution, but Can He Fix the Economy?)
Security officials said a total of 27 people were killed and some 400 wounded, many by gunfire, throughout the city. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to release the information.
Victims were killed when police fired tear gas, bird shot and other live ammunition at the mob. Two soccer players who died— one from Port Said’s Al-Marikh club and the other a former player of its Al-Masry club — apparently were killed on their way to do training near the prison. One of the players was shot three times, a local health official said.
Some 220 kilometers (135 miles) away in Cairo, the divisive nature of the trial was on display.
Relatives of those killed at the soccer game erupted in joy in the courtroom after the verdict was announced.
Families yelled “Allahu Akbar!” Arabic for “God is great” and pumped their fists in the air. Others held up pictures of the deceased, most of whom were young men from Cairo’s poor neighborhoods. One man fainted while others hugged. The judge smacked the bench several times to try to restore calm.
Supporters of Cairo’s Al-Ahly celebrated the verdict in the team’s club before heading toward Interior Ministry headquarters, which manages the police, for more protests.
Lawmakers had formed a fact-finding committee that found some evidence toward collusion from authorities, but the evidence was not conclusive.
Nine of those on trial are security officials, charged with assisting the attackers for failing to search for weapons as is customary and allowing known criminals to attend the game. One was a senior officer who locked the exit designated for Al-Ahly fans. Many victims suffocated or were trampled to death in the corridor trying to escape the violence. Others were thrown off bleachers, undressed, beaten with iron bars and had the words “Port Said” carved into their skin.
Police reform researcher Karim Ennarah said the lack of a proper investigation raises the specter that some of those on trial are innocent. The state prosecutor’s office, tasked with investigating the case, was long run by a Mubarak holdover.
“We still operate in a state that doesn’t hold its employees, specifically in the security sector, to account,” Ennarah said. “There might have been democratic elections, but it still is a very undemocratic state in terms of how police work.”
The most high profile case since Egypt’s uprising was that of Mubarak himself. He was found guilty of failing to stop the killing of around 900 protesters. Th
Goalkeeper Simon Thomas of Victoria will likely earn his second cap today when Canada plays the U.S. in a soccer friendly in Houston (6 p.m., SportsnetOne).
That the 22-year-old product of the Bays United and Lower Island Metro programs will at least dress for the game was guaranteed as Canadian interim head coach Colin Miller said veteran Canadian keeper Lars Hirschfeld has returned to Europe, leaving rookies Thomas and Roberto Stillo of Ontario to face a young American side chosen by coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
Thomas earned his first cap Saturday, relieving Hirschfeld at the start of the second half in the 4-0 loss to Denmark in Tucson, Arizona. Hirschfeld let in three goals and Thomas one.
“I was pleased with Simon’s debut,” Miller said on a conference call Monday. “Simon has been working closely with [1986 Canadian World Cup goaltender] Paul Dolan.”
Miller acknowledged that young goalkeepers are under a peculiar kind of pressure. Unlike other parts of the pitch, any miscue in the crease can be glaring.
“Goalkeepers can’t make mistakes,” said Miller. “[But] I have no concerns with who we put in goal [today]. The players don’t know the lineup right now. I will tell them [this] morning.”
Keeping up with the Thomases hasn’t been easy of late. Simon’s twin brother Aaron Thomas qualified to represent Canada in the Under-23 division at the 2012 ITU world triathlon championships in Auckland and looks to also have a future as an international athlete.
“It’s great to be sharing in the experience of international sport with my brother,” said Simon Thomas, the six-foot-three graduate of Oak Bay High, by phone. “We always pushed each other. Yet, it’s more supportive than anything.”
Thomas’ self-assessment of his international debut Saturday was: “I thought I did well and made a couple of saves. This is the next level. I am excited about all this.”
While Thomas’s fledgling international career looks to continue into at least today, the outlook for Victoria’s Manny Gomez continues murky. The 25-year-old graduate of Lower Island Metro and currently a pro with the Argentine lower division Club Atletico Jorge Griffa dressed Saturday against Denmark but remained on the bench.
Miller remained less than confident about the former St. Andrew’s High School student’s chances of seeing the pitch today.
“Manny is a real outsider,” said Miller.
“I have to say he won’t get in. This is a different level. The difference is night and day from what he’s used to. It’s been a big learning curve for him. I’ve spoken to Manny and he is very disappointed. But he will go back [to Griffa in Argentina] a better player.”
Soccer Canada invited 22 players to camp over the past week in Arizona and Texas for the Denmark-U.S. set in the wake of last fall’s 8-1 World Cup qualifying disaster in Honduras that eliminated Canada from Brazil 2014. Only three players from that Honduras game played Saturday against Denmark, as the goal now is to start developing a younger national side for 2018 World Cup qualifying.
But if things didn’t go well against a developmental Danish national team, the prospects for today are even more daunting regardless of the Americans giving several non-starters a chance ahead of the CONCACAF final-round opener Feb. 6 against Honduras.
“We’re going into the lion’s den,” acknowledged Miller. “But even given the poor result against the Danes, the mood in camp is fantastic and we’re looking forward to this. We’ve had video sessions [breaking down the Denmark game] and as uncomfortable as that was to watch, the players have to be made aware of the mistakes they were making.”
The United States prepped for its opening game in the final round of World Cup qualifying with a dull scoreless match Canada on Tuesday night as defender Omar Gonzalez returned to the American national team lineup after a two-year absence.
U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann changed all 11 starters from November's 2-2 tie at Russia and is likely to change the entire lineup against for the Feb. 6 qualifier against Honduras at San Pedro Sula. These players were auditioning for backup roles on next week's trip.
Gonzalez was the senior member of the backline. Making his third international appearance, the 6-foot-5 Los Angeles Galaxy center back was joined by three players making their national team debuts: the Earthquakes' Justin Morrow at left back, right back Tony Beltran and center back Matt Besler. Will Bruin and Alfredo Morales made their debuts when they entered in the 74th minute.
The Quakes' Chris Wondolowski also was in the starting linuep, and the MLS scoring leader had the first two shots for the U.S., a soft bicycle kick in the 13th minute and a long try from the top of the penalty area in the 18th.
Otherwise, the Americans looked disjointed on offense, misfiring on most of their passes and giving away sloppy turnovers in traffic.
Gonzalez made his national team debut in August 2010 against Brazil and played against Chile the following January. He tore his left anterior cruciate ligament last January on his first day training with Nuremberg and returned to the field for the Galaxy on July 4.
With Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore and the other regulars remaining with their clubs in Europe for weekend matches, the U.S. started an all-Major League Soccer lineup for the first time since January 2007 against Denmark.
The game, which followed the annual January training camp in Carson, was the second straight 0-0 game against Canada, following another yawner at Toronto last June.
On a night when the 28th-ranked Americans' movement was slow and accuracy was sloppy, Benny Feilhaber generated the only U.S. shot on target in the second half.
No. 64 Canada, rebuilding after getting knocked out in the semifinal round World Cup qualifying last fall, were coming off a 4-0 loss to Denmark on Saturday. Canada featured center back Nana Attacora, a former Quakes player. Hard rain began falling with about 10 minutes left, putting an extra damper on the night for the U.S. team.
Still, the Americans extended their unbeaten streak against Canada to 16 games (8-0-8) since a 2-0 loss at Vancouver, British Columbia, in April 1985.
U.S. Soccer: Americans scoreless in tie with Canada - San Jose Mercury News
The 2011-12 girls soccer season at Los Osos High School was one marked mostly with triumph, with the Grizzlies winning a CIF-SS Division 2 title.
The 2012-13 season will be one marked with turmoil.
Mychal Armstrong, the head coach for the CIF-SS title season who was also named CIF coach of the year, was relieved of his duties as head coach last week. He was an off-campus coach.
"They fired me," Armstrong said. "They said I had the opportunity to resign and I said no."
As of Wednesday night, Armstrong declined to go into detail for the reason he was fired.
Armstrong's last game as head coach was a Baseline League overtime loss to first-place Upland on Jan. 23. Assistant coach Kamran Rahim has taken over head coaching duties, according to the team's maxpreps-com page.
The Grizzlies have not been as successful this year as they were last year when they finished the season with a 25-1-3 record, won a CIF-SS title then lost in the Southern California Regional Finals. Los Osos still was 13-5-4 overall through Wednesday and in third place in the tough Baseline League.
In a message on the team's maxpreps-com page, Armstrong wrote: "I just wanted to thank all the parents who have supported me through the two and a half years. Good luck to all the players."
Chaffey Joint Union High School District Superintendent Mat Holton was in attendance for Armstrong's last game, but said he did not personally witness any incident.
"It was not one thing that led to him not being the coach. But it was a series of things," said Holton, who declined to be more specific.
Armstrong fired as Los Osos soccer coach - DailyBulletin-com
Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair, two stars of women's soccer, were among the seven players assigned to Portland when the National Women's Soccer League allocated 55 national team players -- including 23 current members of the U.S. women's national team -- to its eight franchises.
Also assigned to Portland were USA midfielder Tobin Heath, USA defender Rachel Buehler, Canadian goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, and Mexican defenders Luz Saucedo and Marlene Sandoval.
All three of the U.S. national team players allocated to Thorns FC were part of the United States' run to the Olympic gold medal during the London Olympics.
"This group has a wealth of quality, international experience, and we are excited to build around them to put together a competitive and entertaining club in our first season," Thorns FC coach Cindy Parlow Cone said.
Also excited is Vancouver's Tina Ellertson. The 2000 graduate of Hudson's Bay High School andformer U.S. national team player said she has had discussions with Parlow Cone and hopes to soon be a member of Thorns FC.
"To play with Alex and Christine in Portland -- how much fun would that be?" she said. "(Friday) was an exciting day, just to hear where a lot of my dear friends were going to be."
One of Ellertson's closest friends, goalkeeper Hope Solo, will play for the Seattle Reign FC. As much fun as it would be to have Solo as teammates, Ellertson said shw is more excited about the chance to play professional soccer close to home.
"For me, this is my home, this is my backyard," Ellertson said
Morgan, 23, is one of the most recognizable faces in women's soccer. She was U.S. Soccer's female athlete of 2012 after leading all national team players with 28 goals and a team-high 21 assists and becoming just the second player after Mia Hamm to record 20 goals and 20 assists in a calendar year. The Diamond Bar, Calif., native scored three times during the London Olympics, including the latest goal ever scored in a FIFA competition, a 123rd-minute header in a 4-3 semifinal win against Sinclair and Canada.
Morgan played with the Sounders women last season. The Sounders women are a United Soccer League's W-League franchise, and not part of the NWSL. Seattle's franchise in the new professional league is the Reign FC.
"The Northwest is a great soccer area and I had firsthand experience with that last year," Morgan said. "So continuing in the Northwest, I'm looking forward to putting that jersey on for the first time under (team owner) Merritt Paulson and Cindy Parlow."
Sinclair, 29, helped the University of Portland win national championships in 2002 and 2005. The Burnaby, B.C., native ranks third all-time in international goals with 143 goals in 190 appearances for Canada, trailing only Hamm (158) and Abby Wambach (152).
Heath, 24, is a midfielder who has already played in 60 matches with the U.S. national team, including in all six matches at the London 2012 Olympics.
Parlow Cone said the players Portland landed should help the Thorns FC play a possession style of soccer.
"I'm hoping that we are a very dynamic and productive team," the coach said.
Friday's allocation announcement was the first step in building rosters for the eight teams in the new women's pro soccer league, which is scheduled to begin play this spring. The schedule has not yet been announced.
A college player draft is scheduled for Jan. 18. After that, teams will round out their rosters by signing available players, though that process has not been finalized according to U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati.
U.S. women's national team players allocated to Seattle were Solo, midfielder Megan Rapinoe and forward Amy Rodriguez.