FC GOLD PRIDE
Bay Area Team Looking to Strike Gold

US National Team standout defender Rachel Buehler starts the attack from the back. Photo: ISI Photos.

On Sunday, April 5, Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) took center stage in the Bay Area as FC Gold Pride kicked off the 2009 Season by defeating the Boston Breakers 2-1. U.S. soccer standout and Santa Clara alumna Leslie Osborne, Stanford graduates and U.S. National Team members Rachel Buehler and Nicole Barnhart, alongside Canada's captain and all-time leading goal scorer, Christine Sinclair; and Japan's most exciting striker, Eriko Arakawa (the captain of Brazil's powerhouse team, Formiga), led a star-studded team of world-class female footballers into the historic inaugural season of Women's Professional Soccer.

The WPS inaugural season features seven teams, one representing the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey St. Louis and Washington, D.C. All seven teams feature rosters stacked with top talent from around the globe and here at home, including Brazilian stars Fabiana and Marta, Canadian Christine Latham, England's Alex Scott and Kelly Smith, Japan's Homare Sawa and homegrown talent like the Bay Area's own Brandi Chastain.

The FC Gold Pride home schedule features 10 action-packed games in Buck Shaw Stadium at Santa Clara University. Marquee matchups include two games against three-time FIFA World Player of the Year Marta and the Los Angeles Sol, two games against leading U.S. striker Abby Wambach and the Washington Freedom and two matches against U.S. National Team members Hope Solo and Lori Chalupny and the Saint Louis Athletica.

Fans are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy the family-friendly pregame Fan Fest, which includes live entertainment, music and games. Fans can also enter to win a chance to make a $10,000 kick! Season tickets start as low as $100 for all 10 home games. For more information about FC Gold Pride and to purchase tickets, visit www.fcgoldpride.com or call 408-541-3511.