Research and Education Fund at Magee-Womens Foundation in 2010. Also joining PUMA and its fight against breast cancer is actress Nina Dobrev, who, as an athlete in her youth, couldn’t wait to work alongside PUMA and the athletes to support the cause.

“We’re so proud of the remarkable athletes and young fans who supported Project Pink in 2010, rocking their pink gear at WPS games, nominating their favorite charities and rallying behind them to drum up votes, and, of course, tweeting up a storm,” said Tara McRae, PUMA North America’s Vice President of Marketing. “The donation we made at the end of the season is a true testament to their passion. We’re excited to build upon that enthusiasm in year two alongside our roster of athletes, as well as with the incredible support of our two new teammates, Julie Foudy and Nina Dobrev.”

PUMA’s Project Pink expands in its second year, with more supporters, a more robust product offering, and more fundraising activities and events, all while staying true to the foundation of the program: putting the power and the energy of Project Pink in the hands of young soccer fans and enthusiasts who choose to make Project Pink their personal projects, thus choosing to inspire change and do good.

The Stars Align

PUMA is excited to announce that actress Nina Dobrev is lending her support, alongside some of the best women’s soccer athletes in the world, to Project Pink 2011. As one of Project Pink’s supporters, the Vampire Diaries star will appear in the program’s Public Service Announcement, act as a media spokesperson, make appearances in support of the initiative, and engage with fans throughout the season via her Twitter handle, @ninadobrev.

“I’m truly excited for the opportunity to work on this season’s Project Pink initiative,” said Dobrev. “I love that it truly empowers young women to get involved and make a difference. Plus, I’ve always been an athlete, so I jumped on the chance to stand alongside and in support of some of these amazing female soccer players.” Dobrev, a former gymnast, is a natural fit for the PUMA brand, which celebrates the active lifestyle and supports the health and well-being of women worldwide.

Look Good in Pink

Project Pink Jersey

PUMA’s Project Pink Collection has been expanded this season, with offerings that include a full Project Pink uniform – down to a fabulously fluorescent pair of pink soccer socks – supercute lifestyle tees, a brand-new PUMA Project Pink watch, and a gym sack perfect for stowing the line’s full-sized and mini soccer balls. In step with the 2010 initiative, PUMA has pledged to donate 100% off the profits from the sale of its Project Pink gear at PUMA Stores, online at Shop.PUMA.com, and at partner retailers across the country, including Eurosport and Soccer.com/PUMAWomen, as well as Niky’s Sports and Soccer West locations.

Make Your Voice Heard

Again this year, PUMA is leaving the decision of Project Pink’s ultimate beneficiary up to young soccer fans, gathering nominations for deserving charitable organizations at www.puma.com/projectpinkbetween July 17 and September 22; voting opens on September 26 and runs through October 7. The group with the most votes will receive 100% of profits from the sale of PUMA Project Pink merchandise, as well as additional funds raised via initiatives throughout the season, at the culmination of the program in October.

Get in the Game

• Sky Blue FC: July 17 – Atlanta Beat: August 6
• Boston Breakers: July 24 – magicJack: August 10
• Philadelphia Independence: July 31 – Western New York Flash: August 14

Of course, those who haven’t quite made the pro leagues yet will also have the chance to “Score a Goal Against Breast Cancer,” netting additional donations from PUMA,  during tournaments like USA Cup, the Blues Cup, the Big Foot Tournament, and the Top Hat PUMA Cup. Participants at the PUMA Women’s vElite Showcase in July will also have the opportunity to show their support for Project Pink.

Fans will catch flashes of pink on-field in October, too, when PUMA-sponsored male and female soccer athletes will be sporting limited edition Project Pink soccer boots to further heighten awareness during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And PUMA athletes from other disciplines are getting behind the cause, too: Cobra-PUMA Golf athletes Lexi Thompsonand Anna Nordqvist will be sporting head-to-toe Project Pink during the women’s golf major on July 8th, while PUMA Running is hosting a five-mile race in August beginning and ending at the brand’s North American Headquarters in Westford, Massachusetts, with all proceeds going to benefit Project Pink’s ultimate beneficiary. Visit  go.puma.com/puma5milerto register.

Tweet Better, Do-Gooder

And finally, with an eye to spreading the word even further and offering up yet another easy way for fans to contribute – no purchase, cheering section, or soccer skills required – PUMA is bringing back its popular Twitter hash tag, #projectpink. Tweet #projectpink between July 6 and October 31, and, counting one tweet per user per day, PUMA will donate an additional $1, up to $25,000, to the ultimate beneficiary.

For more information on PUMA’s women’s soccer initiatives and to keep up with all things Project Pink 2011, visit www.puma.com/womenssocceror or www.puma.com/projectpink.

Final verse of the Star Spangled Banner:

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

On the gear front, it was an equally exciting year.  AVID Soccer had the chance to test gear from most of the major manufacturers and many smaller ones.  ASER tested products as diverse as the Microsoft Kinect to the Jabulani ball to a Chelsea anniversary scarf.  The best rose to the top and now receive their accolades.

Winners were selected in five categories:

Best Boot Nominees:

• Puma PWR-C 1.10
• Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly II
• Pele Sports 1962 (Value Boot of the Year)
• adidas Predator X TRX (Boot of the Year)

Best Ball Nominees:

• Wilson Avanti NCAA Official Ball
• Select Brilliant Superball
• Nike Total90 Tracer
• adidas Jabulani/Jo’bulani World Cup Ball (Best Ball Winner)

Best Kit Nominees:

• Nike Serbia National Team Kit
• Puma Côte d’Ivoire National Team Kit
• Nike Netherlands National Team Kit
• adidas Spain National Team Kit (Best Kit Winner)

Best Lifestyle Product Nominees:

• Pele Sports Track Jacket
• EA Sports FIFA 2011
• Microsoft Windows Phone
• Puma Project Pink WPS Jersey (Winner Best Lifestyle Product)

Innovative Product of the Year Nominees:

• Microsoft Kinect
• TactX Training Animation System
• adidas miCoach Training System (Winner Innovative Product of the Year)

ASER would like to congratulate all of the nominees and winners of this years awards.  All of the testers and readers are looking forward to what 2011 will bring.

The relationship between PUMA and the Cameroon Football Federation was first formed in 1996. In the years that followed, PUMA developed for Cameroon the first sleeveless kit for a football team, the first all-in-one kit and the first continental kit called the PUMA Africa Unity Kit which launched in 2010. This latest football innovation raised money for biodiversity causes in Africa in collaboration with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), with Cameroon using the kit as a third kit at the 2010 World Cup™ in South Africa with Ghana, Ivory Coast and Algeria.

“We are very happy to announce the continuation of our partnership with the Cameroon Football Federation,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO of PUMA. “During the fourteen years we have worked with them, their forward thinking has allowed us to undertake and execute several exciting and innovative projects that simply would not be possible with other federations. They are one of our key partners in World football, and we have some great ideas that we look forward to unveiling in the coming months and years.”

“PUMA is a key partner for us, and when the previous agreement concluded there was never any question that we wouldn’t re-sign with them,” said Iya Mohammed, President of the Cameroon Football Federation. “PUMA understands implicitly what we want to achieve, and it is a privilege to work with a company with the same values and ambition. We look forward to working with them for many years to follow.”

In addition to the Cameroon national team sponsorship, PUMA also sponsors individual Cameroon players including captain and record goalscorer striker Samuel Eto’o, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Stephane Mbia, Landry Nguemo and Mohammadou Idrissou.

In keeping with PUMA’s mission to be the most sustainable sportslifestyle brand, the Cameroon Football Federation will take a carbon neutral stance for the entirety of the partnership. Using UNEP’s carbon neutral standard, PUMA and the Cameroon Football Federation will offset the carbon footprint of the Federation through the next FIFA World Cups™.

PUMA’s commitment to Africa extends beyond team and player partnerships, as well. PUMA will continue to support a number of grass roots initiatives across the continent. Coinciding with this announcement, 10,000 durable footballs were delivered to Africa following a joint pledge in collaboration with Intersport® earlier this year, a third of which will go to football projects in Cameroon. PUMA was also the official sponsor and fanwear supplier of the 2010 African Cup of Nations in Angola.

For more information about PUMA Football, please visit www.pumafootball.com.

# # #

Now, things may be turning around. They moved the headquarters from New York to San Francisco to reduced costs. The league is now adding teams. This brings new capital into the league for operations, advertising and development.

Tuesday, the newest team will be announced. Sahlen sports, owner of the W-League champion Buffalo Flash, will expand the WPS into Western New York. The new team will be based at Sahlen Sports Park, in Elma, New York. Their home games will be split between Rochester, at the 14,000-seat Rochester Rhinos Stadium and the newly-expanded Niagara Field on the campus of Niagara University in Lewiston. This gives the WPS six soccer-specific stadiums among its eight teams.

An expansion draft for the New York’s latest franchise is scheduled for late October. The team will draft players from among the current seven WPS teams.

Unveiling of Western New York’s Newest Major League Team

• WHEN: Tuesday, October 5, 2010, 10 a.m.
• WHERE: Sahlen Sports Park, 7070 Seneca Street, Elma, NY 14059
• WHAT: The Sahlen family, will officially introduce the team name and logo for their Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) Team, the newest major league team to come to Western New York.

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About Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS)

Headquartered in San Francisco, Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) is the world’s premier soccer league for women with seven teams across the United States featuring the best players from around the world. WPS completed its inaugural season in August 2009 as Sky Blue FC of New Jersey became the first-ever WPS Champions. In 2010, seven teams will each play 24-game schedules from April 10-September 12 including five original WPS teams – Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, FC Gold Pride (Bay Area), Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY) and Washington Freedom – and two expansion teams Atlanta Beat and Philadelphia Independence. The top four finishers in the regular season will qualify for the 2010 WPS Playoffs scheduled for September 19-26. For more information, visit the WPS official website at www.womensprosoccer.com or follow all the news at www.twitter.com/womensprosoccer.

Project Pink is a line of products by Puma that supports Breast Cancer Research.  The line was first seen with the WPS.

Calle Republic always has the coolest clothes.  The dead pigeon guys have done it again with their latest.  We tested these a while ago and they are still favorites.

Pele Sports is the newest member of our family.  They are a new company that is combining old school looks with modern design.

There are a lot more pictures and products from all of these companies.  Check out our Facebook page for the pictures and check in with ASER for the reviews.  Let us know which items are must haves and which are passes.

Westford, MA

“Giving back is an integral part of our brand DNA at PUMA which comes to life through our Project Pink program with Women’s Professional Soccer,” explained Tara McRae, senior director of marketing for PUMA North America. “Project Pink has resonated with the players, the fans, and our company. There’s a lot of personal passion driving this program forward, and we’re looking forward to finally taking it public and getting consumers involved.”

It’s not all about us, though. In true PUMA fashion, with an eye on both engaging and empowering the female soccer community, the brand is giving consumers a voice. Launching July 31, PUMA is hosting a forum at wps.pumafootball.com/projectpink that invites interaction with the Project Pink initiative. The site allows for the nomination of breast cancer charities with nonprofit status; supporters can then log on to vote for the winner, who will ultimately receive a donation consisting of 100% of the profits from the sale of PUMA Project Pink product. The nomination period will open on August 7; voting will begin on September 13. The crowd favorite will be announced and the donation made in late October.

WPS teams including the Boston Breakers, Washington Freedom, FC Gold Pride, Philadelphia Independence, and Sky Blue FC have joined with PUMA to rally behind Project Pink, designating matches in July and August to help raise awareness for the cause. Players from each home team will sport special Project Pink kits developed by PUMA, and PUMA’s Project Pink match ball will be utilized throughout each game. Project Pink-themed activities will also be hosted in pre-game Fanzones and throughout the matches. WPS teams the Atlanta Beat and Chicago Red Stars will also support Project Pink with events later in the season.

Project Pink game dates are as follows:

PUMA athlete and Philadelphia Independence goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc will be serving, along with fellow players and PUMA athletes Leslie Osborne (Boston Breakers) and Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), as a spokeswoman for the Project Pink cause. “As a woman in sports, I always support promoting an active, healthy lifestyle,” LeBlanc explained. “Plus, a number of my close friends and family have been affected by breast cancer. I’m out here doing what I love, and any chance I have to be a part of a project like this to show my passion for what I do and link with a good cause is a no-brainer.”

In line with the first match, PUMA’s new range of Project Pink merchandise is set to debut on July 26 on shop.puma.com and at select PUMA Stores and other retail partners. It will also be sold at participating stadiums during WPS games throughout the season. Allowing soccer fans and novice athletes to show their support alongside their favorite players, PUMA’s Project Pink replica jersey, tee-shirts in pink and white, trainer and (mini) skill ball, and gym sack will all be available for purchase.

Samples of the Puma Project Pink gear

In an effort to drive additional awareness to the cause, the brand will be using the Twitter hash tag #projectpink when communicating updates about Project Pink and will also encourage fans creating content to do the same. For every tweet using the hash tag from July 31 through October 18, PUMA will donate an additional $1 to the Project Pink cause, up to a maximum of $25,000. PUMA will count one tweet using the hash tag per user per day.

PUMA became an official founding partner of WPS and an official sponsor of all WPS franchises in December 2008. The multi-year partnership makes PUMA the official sport and lifestyle apparel, footwear and equipment supplier of WPS, including the official WPS Match Ball; PUMA is also the official supplier of PUMA WPS Fanwear. PUMA’s roster of WPS athletes includes four-time FIFA World Player of the Year, Marta, as well as Natasha Kai, Leslie Osborne, Amy Rodriguez, Karina LeBlanc, and Alex Scott.

On a global scale, PUMA Football’s portfolio includes five European National Teams, including Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Czech Republic, 2010 FIFA World Cup™ contenders Uruguay, and 13 African soccer Federations including the current CAF African Cup of Nations™ holders Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and Ivory Coast. PUMA also sponsors men’s soccer players including Jay Demerit, Brian Ching, Heath Pearce, Dwayne De Rosario, Matt Reis, and Kasey Keller.

For more information about Project Pink and PUMA’s partnership with WPS, visit wps.pumafootball.com.

###

PUMA

PUMA is one of the world’s leading Sportlifestyle companies that designs and develops footwear, apparel and accessories. It is committed to working in ways that contribute to the world by supporting Creativity, SAFE Sustainability and Peace, and by staying true to the principles of being Fair, Honest, Positive and Creative in decisions made and actions taken. PUMA starts in Sport and ends in Fashion. Its Sport Performance and Lifestyle labels include categories such as Football, Running, Motorsports, Golf and Sailing. Sport Fashion features collaborations with renowned designer labels such as Alexander McQueen, Mihara Yasuhiro and Sergio Rossi. The PUMA Group owns the brands PUMA, Cobra Golf and Tretorn. The company, which was founded in 1948, distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs more than 9,000 people worldwide and has headquarters in Herzogenaurach/Germany, Boston, London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit www.puma.com

The good news is that you are probably better looking than the hooligans singing the English version and you definitely have better teeth.  It is never a good idea to let your special someone drool over the hunk in the card and then see you watching the game slumped on the couch.  The Italian version is different.  Not that I speak Italian, but they seem angry.  The bit that I can translate is definitely about love, so maybe that is just the way they say it.

At the very least, it is good for a laugh, so visit www.pumahardchorus.com to checkout the video e-card which can be customized with a personalized message and sent just in time for February 14th.

While it’s regrettable to lose the Los Angeles market as part of our WPS footprint, we are pleased to have two new teams coming into the league in 2010,” said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. “The league and our ownership committee worked incredibly hard over the past month to complete the transaction. In the end, we ran out of time and came up short of where we needed to be funding-wise for the Sol in 2010.”

The Los Angeles Sol had been under custody of the league since late November when AEG gave back its ownership stake in the team to the league.

“Ownership changes are part of pro sports, particularly in a young league, and we have made solid progress in growing WPS from where we were last season,” said Antonucci. “We believe Los Angeles is a healthy, viable market for women’s pro soccer and a city where our league can again thrive with an LA franchise in the future.”

The league will now feature an even eight-team, single table format for the 2010 WPS Regular Season with more details of the 2010 WPS Season to be unveiled next week.

“All the team owners and members of the Board are confident that this setback will be quickly overcome by the exciting developments that the league has in store for the 2010 WPS Season,” said WPS Board Member and Atlanta Beat Chairman T. Fitz Johnson. “This includes two new franchises, the debut of a brand new stadium built specifically for WPS, a longer regular season and an even better product on the field with incoming talent from the college ranks and the many top internationals that have been signed in the off-season. Without question, this season is poised to build on our successful launch year.”

Several of the Los Angeles players, including WPS All-Stars Shannon Boxx and Marta, are signed to multi-year, guaranteed contracts, and are expected to play in WPS for the remainder of their contracts with other WPS teams following the dispersal draft.

The dispersal draft will be held Thursday, Feb. 4 with the eight franchises selecting players from the Sol roster over three rounds in the following order:

Round 1

1. Atlanta Beat
2. Philadelphia Independence
3. FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
4. Chicago Red Stars
5. Boston Breakers
6. Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
7. Washington Freedom
8. Saint Louis Athletica

Round 2

9. Saint Louis Athletica
10. Washington Freedom
11. Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
12. Boston Breakers
13. Chicago Red Stars
14. FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
15. Philadelphia Independence
16. Atlanta Beat

Round 3

17. Atlanta Beat
18. Philadelphia Independence
19. FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
20. Chicago Red Stars
21. Boston Breakers
22. Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
23. Washington Freedom
24. Saint Louis Athletica

About Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS)

Headquartered in San Francisco, Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) is the world’s premier soccer league for women with eight teams across the United States featuring the best players from around the world. WPS completed its inaugural season in August 2009 as Sky Blue FC of New Jersey became the first-ever WPS Champions. In 2010, eight teams will each play 24-game schedules from April 10-September 12 including six original WPS teams – Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, FC Gold Pride (Bay Area), Saint Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY) and Washington Freedom – and two expansion teams Atlanta Beat and Philadelphia Independence. The top four finishers in the regular season will qualify for the 2010 WPS Playoffs scheduled for September 19-26. For more information, visit the WPS official website at www.womensprosoccer.com or follow all the news at www.twitter.com/womensprosoccer.

###

Each year, the ASER writers, testers and editor select the products that provide the best overall experience.  That is defined as a balance between quality, desirability and value.

… and the nominee for best…

• Best Boot
  • adidas Predator X
  • Concave PT+
  • Puma v1.10
• Best Ball
  • adidas Jabulani
  • Puma King XL
  • Nike Total 90 Ascente
• Best Kit
  • adidas Russian Federation WC Kit
  • Diadora Ermano
  • Sarson Bonn
• Coolest Lifestyle Product
  • adidas Lampard Hooded Jacket
  • Calle Republic Rilo Street Shoe
  • Nike Holland Anthem Track Jacket
• Most Innovative Product
  • Lotto Team Sport custom jersey system
  • Concave striking plate
  • Women’s Professional Soccer League

Voting opens January 1st.  To vote, click on one of the links above and add your comments or send email to the Review Desk.  Voting will close January 22.  Winners will be announced the following week.

What: Two human size foosball teams (Blue and Red) will compete in various locations around Toronto, highlighting PUMA’s campaign
launch “Love = Football”

When: Friday October 9th 2009 (Human Foosball Teams)
12:00am – Dundas and Yonge
2:00pm – College Park
4:00pm – Little Italy (Café Dip – 594 College Street)
FREE PIZZA!!!

Saturday October 10th 2009 (Foosball Tournament)
11:00 am – 6:00PM (Café Dip – 594 College Street)

Where: Friday: Yonge & Dundas; College Park, Little Italy
Saturday – Little Italy, Café Diplomatico (College Street)

Who: Team Blue versus Team Red in the first ever life size Foosball
game, promoting the Tournament on Saturday at Café Diplomatico

Let us know if you have a chance to visit any of these events.  Tell us your story and it may get published on AVID Soccer News.

Source: AVID Soccer News Staff Writer

It will be an historic hand shake: In support of the peace initiative “PEACE ONE DAY” the two sportswear companies adidas and PUMA will shake hands for the first time after six decades. As a sign of amicable cooperation, employees of both companies will play football together on Peace Day, September 21, and subsequently watch the movie “The Day after Peace” by Jeremy Gilley, director and founder of PEACE ONE DAY. These events will be the first joint activities of both companies since their founders Rudolf and Adi Dassler left their shared firm and established adidas and PUMA.

The joint initiative aims at raising awareness for PEACE ONE DAY and the necessity of peaceful cohabitation. adidas and PUMA will also take the message and idea of PEACE ONE DAY into the football stadiums in Munich and Stuttgart through surprise highlights during the halftimes of the German premier league games FC Bayern Munich – 1. FC Nuremberg and VfB Stuttgart – 1. FC Köln on September 19.

“We at adidas are very proud to support PEACE ONE DAY together with PUMA. We firmly believe that sport can bring the world together.  Sport has shown this at countless occasions in the past and we are committed to the positive values found in sport: performance and passion, teamwork and fair play,” said Herbert Hainer, CEO of adidas AG. “I am looking very much forward to our adidas and PUMA football match and I hope that our joint initiative helps to raise further awareness for PEACE ONE DAY around the world.”

Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO of PUMA, said: “We are uniting on this day as a commitment to PEACE DAY. Our common goal being that our collaboration today will help create awareness for the day. Kofi Anan once said that ‘individuals can make a difference and collectively we can make a major contribution’. I believe that is the case also for companies. And our unity, in support of PEACE DAY, is a small step in a positive direction as well as an expression of the united power of sport in a world which we are all responsible for.”

The companies adidas and PUMA were founded by the brothers Rudolf and Adi Dassler in the 1940s. Until they separated and went their own ways, they both owned a factory called “Gebrueder Dassler Sportschuhfabrik” where they together manufactured sports shoes – quite successfully as the world records of Jesse Owens proved. In the last decades, adidas and PUMA became worldwide leading brands. Both companies are still based in Herzogenaurach, Germany.

***

The adidas Group is one of the global leaders within the sporting goods industry, offering a broad range of products around three core segments: adidas, Reebok and TaylorMade-adidas Golf. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, the Group has more than 38,000 employees and generated sales of EUR 10.8 billion in 2008. For more information, please visit www.adidas-group.com.

PUMA is one of the world’s leading sportlifestyle companies that designs and develops footwear, apparel and accessories. It is committed to working in ways that contribute to the world by supporting Creativity, SAFE Sustainability and Peace, and by staying true to the values of being Fair, Honest, Positive and Creative in decisions made and actions taken. PUMA starts in Sport and ends in Fashion. Its Sport Performance and Lifestyle labels include categories such as Football, Running, Motorsports, Golf and Sailing.  The Black label features collaborations with renowned designers such as Alexander McQueen, Mihara Yasuhiro and Sergio Rossi. The PUMA Group owns the brands PUMA, Tretorn and Hussein Chalayan. The company, which was founded in 1948, distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs more than 9,000 people worldwide and has headquarters in Herzogenaurach/Germany, Boston, London and Hong Kong.  For more information, please visit www.puma.com.

Jeremy Gilley started PEACE ONE DAY (POD) as a movie project in order to establish an annual day of ceasefire and non-violence. In 2001 PEACE ONE DAY achieved its primary objective; having the UN general assembly adopt a resolution by all UN member states to formally establish an annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence. This International Day of Peace is September 21st. You will find more information on PEACE ONE DAY on www.peaceoneday.org. PUMA has been a partner of PEACE ONE DAY since 2007.

Los Angeles Sol forward Marta won the first Michelle Akers Player of the Year Award in Women’s Professional Soccer on Sunday, when the league announced its year-end awards.

Marta, who also won the PUMA Golden Boot Award as the league’s top scorer, is the reigning three-time FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year.

“I’m very honored to receive this award. Each player in the league has it as their goal to try for an award like this,” Marta said. “It’s very special to be a pioneer in this league in the first season.

“It’s been a great year and I look forward to many good years to come.”

Boston Breakers defender Amy LePeilbet was named the Defender of the Year, and Saint Louis Athletica goalie Hope Solo was named the Goalkeeper of the Year.

Los Angeles coach Abner Rogers was named Coach of the Year, and Sky Blue FC player/coach Christie Rampone – who led the team to the WPS title – captured the Sportswoman of the Year award.

San Francisco (Source: San Francisco Business Times)

by Eric Young

Some Women’s Professional Soccer teams lost as much as $2 million during the just-concluded inaugural season, but the league remains on track to expand and add new sponsors, its top official said Tuesday.

WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci said that the poor economy hurt fans’ and sponsors’ willingness to spend. But she said the women’s pro soccer league, which has its corporate headquarters in San Francisco, remains on track to stabilize its financial footing.

“Keeping our eye on the ball and having long term sustainability is extremely important to our league,” said Antonucci, a former Yahoo Inc. executive.

League officials said WPS would break even this year if teams attracted an average of 5,000 fans per game. Average game attendance was 4,500 people. As a result of lower-than-expected ticket sales and other expenses like stadium costs, some of WPS’ seven teams lost up to $2 million this season, which ended Aug. 9. Antonucci declined to name which teams lost that amount.

Despite financial challenges during its first year, WPS will bring on two additional teams — in Atlanta and Philadelphia — in 2010, bringing the total number of teams to nine. The Bay Area’s WPS team, FC Gold Pride, play in Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara.

WPS has signed the U.S. Coast Guard as a sponsor in a multi-year deal and it is close to finalizing a separate deal for yet another new sponsor who plans to buy ad space on players’ jerseys next season, Antonucci said.

The league this year lined up athletic clothing maker Puma AG, nutritional supplier Advocare International LP, Fox Soccer Channel and flavored water seller Hint Inc. as league wide sponsors.

WPS is the successor to the Women’s United Soccer Association, a league that operated from 2001 to 2003 with players like Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain and Julie Foudy. The WUSA was launched amid excitement following the U.S. women’s national team victory in the 1999 World Cup. The WUSA shut down after TV ratings and attendance goals fell short.

Antonucci, who was not part of WUSA, launched WPS this year with seven teams each playing 20 games.

WPS’ championship game is Aug. 22. The Los Angeles Sol will face the winner of the Aug. 19 semifinal between Saint Louis Athletica and Sky Blue FC of New York.

Brett Bellinger is the Marketing Director at Puma South Africa and took time to educate us about their involvement with soccer in South Africa.

SW: You sponsor Jomo Cosmos and Moroka Swallows, can you give details on how the agreements are structured?

BB: Nope.

SW: You’re also involved with sponsoring individual players, what qualifies a player to be considered and which players are in your books?

BB: We look at all players but specifically those which espouse Puma values and love the brand anyway – to name a few – Bryce Moon, Surprise Moriri, Brett Evans, Franklin Cale, Tumelo Nhlapo, Bamuza Sono, Moses Spandeel and Mabalane Dikgang.

SW: Jomo Sono and Doctor Khumalo are both soccer legends in SA and are still on your books, is this partnership a lifetime?

BB: To all intents and purposes, yes…

SW: Jomo Sono’s branded boot ‘King’ is one of your best sellers in Africa, how many units have you sold since the partnership with Jomo Sono?

BB: The boot has been around over 25 years – have no idea off hand and we cannot divulge figures.

SW: You’ve 13 African national soccer teams in your books, how is a national team agreement different from a premiership team agreement?

BB: On many different levels including appearances, cash, incentives, product supplied etc etc… our rights in terms of advertising are typically larger as well but to be honest all our contracts are partnerships and we work hand in hand with the teams to be able to launch unique products like the uniqot (one piece kit for Cameroon) and the sleeveless kit (also for Cameroon).

SW: There is a mushrooming of soccer blogs in SA, does Puma see any value in this new medium as compared to traditional media?

BB: Yes

SW: Does Puma have any projects around the forthcoming Confederations Cup and World Cup?

BB: Sure but we cannot divulge info at this point.

SW: Within your soccer product range, what sets you apart from your competitors?

BB: Unique and very individual styling – the product has an edgy positioning and our product silos of speed, power and classic cover all playing styles and player needs.

SW: Are you involved with soccer outside of the PSL in SA?

BB: Yes.

SW: Does Puma allow sponsored teams to sell replicas and how is Puma involved in fighting replica counterfeits?

BB: Yes, we actually push our partners to retail as we believe they are the best vehicle to sell their brand and they derive the obvious financial benefits. We have ongoing involvement with customs and with our legal teams to fight counterfeit and regularly with customs and the SAPS raid problematic retailers and/ or individuals…

See Jomo Somo on fifa.com

The leading scorers and shot-stoppers from all three divisions of the English Football League are to receive PUMA Golden Boot and Golden Glove awards to mark their respective achievements in all competitions this season.

The winner of the Golden Boot for the Championship, for the second consecutive season, is Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. The Championship’s ‘Player of the Season’ has notched 25 goals to see off the challenge of Swansea City’s Jason Scotland (24) and Cardiff City’s Ross McCormack (23).

The Golden Glove award will be shared by Queen’s Park Rangers’ Radek Cerny and Paddy Kenny of Sheffield United. Both keepers recorded 19 clean sheets from 47 appearances in all competitions.

In League 1, where 4 players topped the 30 goal mark, Leeds United striker Jermaine Beckford took the Golden Boot honors after hitting the back of the net 34 times. Tranmere Rovers’ Welsh international goalkeeper Danny Coyne, recorded 20 clean sheets to secure the division’s Golden Glove prize.

Grant Holt’s 28 goals in his first season at Shrewsbury Town helped him win the League 2 Golden Boot by a 5 goal margin. Brentford goalkeeper Ben Hamer, who spent the season on loan at Griffin Park from Reading, kept 20 clean sheets to help secure the League 2 title for the Bees and the Golden Glove Award for himself.

In announcing the PUMA Golden Boot and Golden Glove Award winners, Lord Mawhinney, Chairman of The Football League, said: “These awards give us the opportunity to recognize the goal scorers and goalkeepers who have made a very special contribution to their team’s efforts this season. Each of these players has had an outstanding season and they all fully deserve this recognition.”

Roger Harrison, Marketing Director at PUMA UK, added: “Strikers and goalkeepers can often win a match for their team with a last minute goal or breathtaking save. These new accolades give us an opportunity to reward players of all levels – congratulations to all of the winners.”

Goals and clean sheets in The Coca-Cola Football League, Carling Cup, Johnstone’s Paint Trophy and FA Cup sponsored by E.ON have all counted towards the PUMA Golden Boot and Golden Glove awards.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 – 2009 All rights reserved.