2010 Saint Louis Athletica season

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. 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, 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 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, 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

Transfers

; In

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

; Out

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

; Released

• Ashlee Pistorius USA
• Erin Kane USA
• Stephanie Logterman USA
• Lisa Stoia USA
• Melissa Tancredi CAN

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Regular season

Matches

Box

• Aluko
• Boxx
• Edwards Box
• Nogueira
• Chalupny
• Elaine
• Boxx Box
• Blank
• Moore
• Cheney
• Bompastor
• Sawa
• Mykjaland
• Aluko
• Falk
• Tarpley
• Boxx
• Patterson
• Lindsey
• Kalmari
• Boxx
• Aluko

Standings

Results by match

|table

Dissolution and dispersal

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

References

References

1. (May 27, 2010). "Athletica announces shock shutdown mid-season". Potomac Soccer Wire.
2. (2009-09-15). "Atlanta, Philadelphia begin stocking rosters through Expansion Draft". WPS.
3. (2009-09-30). "WPS Free Agency Opens: Off-season Player Transactions Underway". WPS.
4. (2009-09-30). "Saint Louis Athletica Announce Offseason Transactions". Saint Louis Athletica.
5. (2009-11-23). "Athletica Make Two International Signings". Saint Louis Athletica.
6. (2010-04-03). "Athletica Drop 2-1 Decision To Atlanta". Saint Louis Athletica.
7. Tom Timmermann. (April 7, 2010). "Athletica do better in scrimmage". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
8. (May 27, 2010). "Saint Louis Athletica folding, AC St. Louis safe for now". Soccer By Ives.
9. "AC St. Louis Closes its Doors for Good".
10. Salazar, Jo-Ryan. (May 27, 2010). "Missouri Loves Company: WPS' St. Louis Athletica Follows LA Sol, Shuts Down". [[Bleacher Report]].
11. Tritto, Christopher. (May 27, 2010). "St. Louis Athletica soccer team shutting down". [[St. Louis Business Journal]].
12. Green, Lauren. (June 4, 2010). "Former St. Louis Athletica Players Signed By Remaining Teams". [[Bleacher Report]].
13. "Transactions: 2010". [[Women's Professional Soccer]].
14. Lindbäck, Anna. (June 21, 2010). "Tyresös bomb: Värvar två landslagsspelare". [[Aftonbladet]].