L.A.’s new pro soccer club features Olympians
Olympic gold medalists Shannon Boxx, Aly Wagner and Stephanie Cox on Tuesday were allocated to the Los Angeles team that will begin play next spring in the new women’s professional soccer league.
The as-yet-unnamed team, operated by Galaxy owner AEG, will play at the Home Depot Center beginning in April.
In a ceremony at the Sports Museum of America in New York on Tuesday, 21 members of the U.S. national team were assigned to the seven clubs that initially will make up Women’s Professional Soccer.
Kristine Lilly, the country’s all-time appearance leader and a two-time world champion, will join the Boston Breakers, along with Angela Hucles and Heather Mitts.
Star forward Abby Wambach, who missed the 2008 Beijing Olympics because of a broken leg, will play for the Washington Freedom, as will Cat Whitehill and Ali Krieger.
Goalkeeper Hope Solo was assigned to the St. Louis team, where she will be joined by Lori Chalupny and Tina Ellertson.
Carli Lloyd, Kate Markgraf and Lindsay Tarpley will play for the Chicago Red Stars; Nicole Barnhart, Rachel Buehler and Leslie Osborne will join the Bay Area team; and Natasha Kai, Heather O’Reilly and Christie Rampone will play for the New Jersey-based Sky Blue FC.
The next move for WPS will be a draft of international players, with each team being assigned the rights to four foreign stars.
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