Friday, October 14, 2005

 

TAMPA, FL -- Seven former W-League players were among the 24 announced Thursday on the short list for the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year honor.

Two former Boston Renegades were among the seven honored with the United States’ Shannon Boxx and Finland’s Laura Kalmari. Boxx played for the Renegades in 1999 and Kalmari helped lead the team to a second straight W-League title in 2002.

 

Two New Jersey Wildcats were also selected. The only other US player honored was 2005 Wildcats striker Christie Welsh, a former member of the Long Island Lady Riders (2000) and Hampton Roads Piranhas (2001-02). England international Kelly Smith was an All-League selection just a year ago with the Wildcats, who she led to an unbeaten season that ended in a loss in penalty kicks in the final. She also played for the New Jersey Lady Stallions (1999-00).

Three others honored were former Kansas City Mystics forward and 2002 W-League MVP and Scoring Champion Maribel Dominguez of Mexico, former Vancouver Whitecaps (2001-02) forward Christine Sinclair of Canada, and former Denver Diamonds (1999-00) forward Homare Sawa of Japan. All three were the lone representatives of their nation on the list.