en 2010 Saint Louis Athletica season

Saint Louis Athletica
2010 season
Stadium	Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park
WPS	Dissolved
Home colors	Away colors
	← 2009

The 2010 Saint Louis Athletica season was the second and final season for the team, both in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) and as an organization. On May 27, 2010, WPS announced that Athletica would fold effective immediately, forcing the league to finish the 2010 season with seven teams.^[1]

Background

During their inaugural season in 2009, Athletica finished the regular season in second place and third in the playoffs.

Offseason

In the first WPS expansion draft, Athletica lost two players to the Atlanta Beat.^[2] Atlanta used their second pick (fourth overall) on Athletica forward Amanda Cinalli, and their fifth pick (tenth overall) on defender Sara Larsson, who was the only international player to be taken by either team in the draft.

On September 30, when the WPS free agency period began,^[3] all teams announced which players they waived or let become free agents, with Athletica waiving/freeing ten players, while resigning or extending contracts for five other players, after exercising options for another four players two days earlier. Athletica release^[4] Niki Cross was picked up by FC Gold Pride at the end of October, as were Christie Welsh and Sarah Walsh by the Washington Freedom and Boston Breakers, respectively, in mid-February.

On November 23, Athletica put on their website that they had successfully signed Swedish forward Madelaine Edlund and Brazilian midfielder Elaine,^[5] both from Umeå IK, two bring Athletica's confirmed international count for 2010 up to three. They also later re-signed Daniela, for a total of four internationals.

The morning day of the 2010 WPS Draft, Athletica traded young goalkeeper Jillian Loyden to the Chicago Red Stars in exchange for Lindsay Tarpley. Later that day, they drafted UCLA Bruin Kristina Larsen, (second round, 17th overall,) UNC and Pali Blue goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, (second round, 19th overall,) Santa Clara midfielder Amanda Poach, (third round, 28th overall,) and four other players.

In preparation for the dispersal of the Los Angeles Sol players, Athletica traded Angie Woznuk, Kia McNeill, and rights to Amanda Poach to the Atlanta Beat. In the dispersal draft, Athletica acquired Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama, Tina DiMartino, and rights to Cathrine Paaske-Sørensen.

Personnel

Players

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	USA	Hope Solo
2	MF	BRA	Elaine
3	MF	USA	Carolyn Blank
4	MF	USA	Kendall Fletcher
5	MF	USA	Lindsay Tarpley
6	MF	JPN	Aya Miyama
7	MF	USA	Shannon Boxx
8	DF	USA	Tina Ellertson
9	FW	ENG	Eniola Aluko
10	MF	BRA	Daniela
11	FW	USA	India Trotter
12	DF	USA	Elise Weber


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
13	MF	USA	Sarah Teegarden
16	MF	USA	Erin Walter
17	MF	USA	Lori Chalupny (captain)
18	GK	USA	Ashlyn Harris
19	FW	SWE	Madelaine Edlund
20	FW	USA	Kristina Larsen
21	DF	USA	Niki Cross
22	DF	USA	Sarah Wagenfuhr
23	MF	USA	Verónica Pérez
25	MF	USA	Tina DiMartino
61	GK	USA	Katie Jo Spisak

Transfers

In

Madelaine Edlund From Umeå IK (11/23/09) International Signing
Elaine From Umeå IK (11/23/09) International Signing
Lindsay Tarpley From Chicago Red Stars (1/15/10) Trade
Shannon Boxx From Los Angeles Sol (2/4/10) Dispersal Draft
Aya Miyama From Los Angeles Sol (2/4/10) Dispersal Draft
Tina DiMartino From Los Angeles Sol (2/4/10) Dispersal Draft
Niki Cross From FC Gold Pride (4/1/10) Free Agent

Out

Amanda Cinalli To Atlanta Beat (9/15/09) Expansion Draft
Sara Larsson To Atlanta Beat (9/15/09) Expansion Draft
Niki Cross To FC Gold Pride (10/26/09) Free Agent
Jillian Loyden To Chicago Red Stars (1/15/10) Trade
Angie Woznuk To Atlanta Beat (2/2/10) Trade
Kia McNeill To Atlanta Beat (2/2/10) Trade
Christie Welsh To Washington Freedom (2/15/10) Free Agent
Sarah Walsh To Boston Breakers (2/22/10) Free Agent

Released

Club

Summary

Preseason

Athletica played four games in the 2010 preseason, double that from 2009. Wins against the University of Illinois (4-0) and University of Missouri (3-0) were followed by a 2–1 loss against WPS expansion side Atlanta Beat.^[6] Former Athletica player Kia McNeill opened the scoring for the Beat, with Ramona Bachmann (Atlanta) and Shannon Boxx (St. Louis) each adding one later. Athletica finished the preseason with a 3–0 win against a local boys' academy team.^[7]

Trade: May 5 w/ New Jersey

After losing to the Washington Freedom, Athletica made a defensive-minded trade with Sky Blue FC, sending India Trotter and their first-round pick in the 2011 WPS Draft to the New Jersey team in exchange for English international Anita Asante, rights to former Los Angeles Sol player Nikki Washington, and a second-round pick in the 2011 draft.^{[citation needed]}

The trade was announced on May 4, but controversy and a league review followed. In the 2009 season, Athletica had traded their 2011 first-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Sol, which subsequently had dissolved. Unlike the Sol's players, the Sol's draft picks had not been dispersed to the other teams, so the draft pick's ownership was unknown. The league approved the trade the following day.^{[citation needed]}

Trotter appeared for Sky Blue that weekend, though Asante and Washington were not ready to play for Athletica. To make room for the English international, Athletica waived Brazilian player Daniela.^{[citation needed]}

Regular season

Matches

April 11, 2010 (2010-04-11) 1	Saint Louis Athletica	2–0	FC Gold Pride	Fenton, Missouri
	Aluko 40' (Boxx), 62' (Boxx) Boxx 55'	Report Box	Edwards 72'	Stadium: Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park Attendance: 3,356 Referee: Jennifer Bennett

April 17, 2010 (2010-04-17) 2	Chicago Red Stars	1–1	Saint Louis Athletica	Bridgeview, Illinois
	Nogueira 60' (Chapman)	Report Box	Chalupny 5' Elaine 27' Boxx 73'	Stadium: Toyota Park Attendance: 5,134 Referee: Kari Seitz

April 25, 2010 (2010-04-25) 3	Saint Louis Athletica	1–1	Boston Breakers	Fenton, Missouri
	Blank 28' (Ellertson)	Report Box	Moore 22' (Lilly) Cheney 45+'	Stadium: Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park Attendance: 3,300 Referee: Felisha Mariscal

May 1, 2010 (2010-05-01) 4	Washington Freedom	3–1	Saint Louis Athletica	Washington, D.C.
	Bompastor 20' (Wambach) Sawa 47' (Bompastor) Mykjaland 74' (Wambach)	Box	Aluko 45+1' (Chalupny)	Stadium: RFK Memorial Stadium Attendance: 8,261 Referee: Kari Seitz

May 8, 2010 (2010-05-08) 5	Saint Louis Athletica	2–1	Philadelphia Independence	Fenton, Missouri
	Falk 41' (o.g.) Tarpley 59' Boxx 86'	Box	Patterson 74' Lindsey 89'	Stadium: Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park Attendance: 3,107 Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero

May 16, 2010 (2010-05-16) 6	Saint Louis Athletica	2–2	Sky Blue FC	Fenton, Missouri
4:00 p.m. CDT	Kalmari 57' (Dallstream), 61' (O'Reilly) 82'	Box score	Boxx 8' (pen.) Aluko 73' 85' (Boxx)	Stadium: Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park Attendance: 2,346 Referee: Margaret Domka

May 29, 2010 (2010-05-29) 7	Atlanta Beat	v	Saint Louis Athletica	Kennesaw, Georgia
7:00 p.m. EDT				Stadium: KSU Soccer Stadium

June 5, 2010 (2010-06-05) 8	Boston Breakers	v	Saint Louis Athletica	Cambridge, Massachusetts
6:00 p.m. EDT				Stadium: Harvard Stadium

June 9, 2010 (2010-06-09) 9	Saint Louis Athletica	v	FC Gold Pride	Fenton, Missouri
7:10 p.m. CDT				Stadium: Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park

June 12, 2010 (2010-06-12) 10	Saint Louis Athletica	v	Atlanta Beat	Fenton, Missouri
4:45 p.m. CDT				Stadium: Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park

June 20, 2010 (2010-06-20) 11	Saint Louis Athletica	v	Washington Freedom	Fenton, Missouri
5:00 p.m. CDT				Stadium: Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park

June 27, 2010 (2010-06-27) 12	FC Gold Pride	v	Saint Louis Athletica	Hayward, California
3:00 p.m. PDT				Stadium: Pioneer Stadium

July 7, 2010 (2010-07-07) 13	Sky Blue FC	v	Saint Louis Athletica	Piscataway, New Jersey
7:00 p.m. EDT				Stadium: Yurcak Field

July 10, 2010 (2010-07-10) 14	Washington Freedom	v	Saint Louis Athletica	Boyds, Maryland
7:00 p.m. EDT				Stadium: Maryland SoccerPlex

July 18, 2010 (2010-07-18) 15	Saint Louis Athletica	v	Chicago Red Stars	Fenton, Missouri
7:10 p.m. CDT				Stadium: Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park

July 24, 2010 (2010-07-24) 16	Saint Louis Athletica	v	Atlanta Beat	Fenton, Missouri
7:10 p.m. CDT				Stadium: Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park

July 28, 2010 (2010-07-28) 17	Sky Blue FC	v	Saint Louis Athletica	Piscataway, New Jersey
7:00 p.m. EDT				Stadium: Yurcak Field

August 8, 2010 (2010-08-08) 18	Philadelphia Independence	v	Saint Louis Athletica	West Chester, Pennsylvania
7:30 p.m. EDT				Stadium: John A. Farrell Stadium

August 11, 2010 (2010-08-11) 19	Saint Louis Athletica	v	Boston Breakers	Fenton, Missouri
7:10 p.m. CDT				Stadium: Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park

August 14, 2010 (2010-08-14) 20	Atlanta Beat	v	Saint Louis Athletica	Kennesaw, Georgia
7:00 p.m. EDT				Stadium: KSU Soccer Stadium

August 22, 2010 (2010-08-22) 21	Saint Louis Athletica	v	Washington Freedom	Fenton, Missouri
3:00 p.m. CDT				Stadium: Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park

August 28, 2010 (2010-08-28) 22	Saint Louis Athletica	v	Chicago Red Stars	Fenton, Missouri
7:10 p.m. CDT				Stadium: Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park

September 5, 2010 (2010-09-05) 23	Philadelphia Independence	v	Saint Louis Athletica	West Chester, Pennsylvania
6:00 p.m. EDT				Stadium: John A. Farrell Stadium

September 11, 2010 (2010-09-11) 24	Chicago Red Stars	v	Saint Louis Athletica	Bridgeview, Illinois
6:00 p.m. CDT				Stadium: Toyota Park

Standings

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	FC Gold Pride	24	16	5	3	46	19	+27	53	Advance to Championship
2	Boston Breakers	24	10	6	8	36	28	+8	36	Advance to Super Semifinal
3	Philadelphia Independence	24	10	4	10	37	36	+1	34	Advance to First Round
4	Washington Freedom	24	8	7	9	33	33	0	31	Advance to First Round
5	Sky Blue FC	24	7	7	10	20	31	−11	28
6	Chicago Red Stars	24	7	6	11	21	27	−6	27
7	Atlanta Beat	24	5	6	13	20	40	−20	21
8	Saint Louis Athletica	6	2	3	1	9	8	+1	9	Team withdrawn

Source: WPS Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) points, 2) goal difference, 3) head-to-head result.

Results by match

Matchday	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Stadium	H	A	H	A	H	H	A	A	H	H	H	A	A	A	H	H	A	A	H	A	H	H	A	A
Result	W	D	D	L	W	D	V	V	V	V	V	V	V	V	V	V	V	V	V	V	V	V	V	V

Updated to match(es) played on May 8, 2010. Source: NWSL
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss; V = Void due to dissolution

Dissolution and dispersal

Saint Louis Athletica folded on May 27, 2010,^[8] and its sibling men's club A.C. St. Louis folded in January 2011.^[9] Spokesman Jeff Cooper announced the closure, precipitated when investors Sanjeev and Heemal Vaid defaulted on a funding contract.^[10]^[11] Its players were made free agents effective June 1.^[12]

Saint Louis Athletica free agent dispersal^[12]^[13]
Date	Pos.	Nat.	Player	Destination team
June 3, 2010	FW	ENG	Eniola Aluko	Atlanta Beat
	MF	USA	Carolyn Blank	Atlanta Beat^[a]^[b]
	FW	USA	Lori Chalupny	Atlanta Beat
	DF	USA	Tina Ellertson	Atlanta Beat
	GK	USA	Hope Solo	Atlanta Beat
	MF	USA	Shannon Boxx	FC Gold Pride
June 4, 2010	MF	USA	Nikki Washington	Chicago Red Stars
June 4, 2010	DF	USA	Elise Weber	Chicago Red Stars^[a]
June 7, 2010	FW	USA	Lindsay Tarpley	Boston Breakers
June 7, 2010	MF	USA	Tina DiMartino	Philadelphia Independence
June 9, 2010	DF	ENG	Anita Asante	Chicago Red Stars
June 9, 2010	GK	USA	Ashlyn Harris	Washington Freedom
June 10, 2010	MF	JPN	Aya Miyama	Atlanta Beat
June 10, 2010	DF	USA	Kendall Fletcher	Sky Blue FC^[a]^[c]
June 11, 2010	MF	USA	Niki Cross	Boston Breakers^[a]
June 21, 2010	MF	BRA	Elaine	Tyresö FF^[14]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Signed to developmental player roster.
^ Elevated from developmental roster to full team on July 1.
^ Elevated from developmental roster to full team on July 7.

References

^ "Athletica announces shock shutdown mid-season". Potomac Soccer Wire. May 27, 2010. Archived from the original on May 31, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
^ "Atlanta, Philadelphia begin stocking rosters through Expansion Draft". WPS. September 15, 2009. Archived from the original on October 29, 2009. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
^ "WPS Free Agency Opens: Off-season Player Transactions Underway". WPS. September 30, 2009. Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
^ "Saint Louis Athletica Announce Offseason Transactions". Saint Louis Athletica. September 30, 2009. Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
^ "Athletica Make Two International Signings". Saint Louis Athletica. November 23, 2009. Archived from the original on November 27, 2009. Retrieved November 24, 2009.
^ "Athletica Drop 2-1 Decision To Atlanta". Saint Louis Athletica. April 3, 2010. Retrieved April 25, 2010.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ Tom Timmermann (April 7, 2010). "Athletica do better in scrimmage". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved April 25, 2010.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "Saint Louis Athletica folding, AC St. Louis safe for now". Soccer By Ives. May 27, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
^ "AC St. Louis Closes its Doors for Good". Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
^ Salazar, Jo-Ryan (May 27, 2010). "Missouri Loves Company: WPS' St. Louis Athletica Follows LA Sol, Shuts Down". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
^ Tritto, Christopher (May 27, 2010). "St. Louis Athletica soccer team shutting down". St. Louis Business Journal. Archived from the original on November 13, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
^ ^a ^b Green, Lauren (June 4, 2010). "Former St. Louis Athletica Players Signed By Remaining Teams". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
^ "Transactions: 2010". Women's Professional Soccer. Archived from the original on July 14, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
^ Lindbäck, Anna (June 21, 2010). "Tyresös bomb: Värvar två landslagsspelare" [Tyresö's bomb: Recruits two national team players]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved June 30, 2023.

[dev-14] Signed to developmental player roster.

[15] Elevated from developmental roster to full team on July 1.

[16] Elevated from developmental roster to full team on July 7.

[1] "Athletica announces shock shutdown mid-season". Potomac Soccer Wire. May 27, 2010. Archived from the original on May 31, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2023.

[2] "Atlanta, Philadelphia begin stocking rosters through Expansion Draft". WPS. September 15, 2009. Archived from the original on October 29, 2009. Retrieved September 16, 2009.

[3] "WPS Free Agency Opens: Off-season Player Transactions Underway". WPS. September 30, 2009. Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2009.

[4] "Saint Louis Athletica Announce Offseason Transactions". Saint Louis Athletica. September 30, 2009. Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2009.

[5] "Athletica Make Two International Signings". Saint Louis Athletica. November 23, 2009. Archived from the original on November 27, 2009. Retrieved November 24, 2009.

[6] "Athletica Drop 2-1 Decision To Atlanta". Saint Louis Athletica. April 3, 2010. Retrieved April 25, 2010.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[7] Tom Timmermann (April 7, 2010). "Athletica do better in scrimmage". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved April 25, 2010.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[8] "Saint Louis Athletica folding, AC St. Louis safe for now". Soccer By Ives. May 27, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2023.

[insidemnsoccer1-9] "AC St. Louis Closes its Doors for Good". Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2011.

[10] Salazar, Jo-Ryan (May 27, 2010). "Missouri Loves Company: WPS' St. Louis Athletica Follows LA Sol, Shuts Down". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 30, 2023.

[11] Tritto, Christopher (May 27, 2010). "St. Louis Athletica soccer team shutting down". St. Louis Business Journal. Archived from the original on November 13, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2023.

[br-free-agents-12] Green, Lauren (June 4, 2010). "Former St. Louis Athletica Players Signed By Remaining Teams". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 30, 2023.

[13] "Transactions: 2010". Women's Professional Soccer. Archived from the original on July 14, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2023.

[17] Lindbäck, Anna (June 21, 2010). "Tyresös bomb: Värvar två landslagsspelare" [Tyresö's bomb: Recruits two national team players]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved June 30, 2023.

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2010 Saint Louis Athletica season