| Club: | Saint Louis Athletica |
| Season: | 2010 |
| Mgrtitle: | Head coach |
| Stadium: | Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park |
| League: | WPS |
| League Result: | Dissolved |
| Leftarm1: | 007a54 |
| Body1: | 007a54 |
| Rightarm1: | 007a54 |
| Shorts1: | 007a54 |
| Socks1: | 007a54 |
| Pattern B2: | _greencollar |
| Leftarm2: | D3D3D3 |
| Body2: | D3D3D3 |
| Rightarm2: | D3D3D3 |
| Shorts2: | 007a54 |
| Socks2: | D3D3D3 |
| American: | true |
| Prevseason: | 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]
During their inaugural season in 2009, Athletica finished the regular season in second place and third in the playoffs.
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.
From Umeå IK (11/23/09) International Signing
From Umeå IK (11/23/09) International Signing
From Chicago Red Stars (1/15/10) Trade From Los Angeles Sol (2/4/10) Dispersal Draft
From Los Angeles Sol (2/4/10) Dispersal Draft From Los Angeles Sol (2/4/10) Dispersal Draft From FC Gold Pride (4/1/10) Free Agent To Atlanta Beat (9/15/09) Expansion Draft To Atlanta Beat (9/15/09) Expansion Draft To FC Gold Pride (10/26/09) Free Agent To Chicago Red Stars (1/15/10) Trade To Atlanta Beat (2/2/10) Trade To Atlanta Beat (2/2/10) Trade To Washington Freedom (2/15/10) Free Agent
To Boston Breakers (2/22/10) Free AgentAthletica 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]
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.
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]
| Date | Player | Destination team | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Beat | |||||
| Atlanta Beat | |||||
| Atlanta Beat | |||||
| Atlanta Beat | |||||
| Atlanta Beat | |||||
| FC Gold Pride | |||||
| Chicago Red Stars | |||||
| Chicago Red Stars | |||||
| Boston Breakers | |||||
| Philadelphia Independence | |||||
| Chicago Red Stars | |||||
| Washington Freedom | |||||
| Atlanta Beat | |||||
| Sky Blue FC | |||||
| Boston Breakers | |||||
| Tyresö FF[14] |
