LePeilbet called up to U.S. squad

Amy LePeilbet --
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Eclipse Select Soccer Club alumna and Crystal Lake, Ill., native Amy LePeilbet was called up to the U.S. Women's National Team roster on Monday as part of a WNT "Celebration Series."

The Americans prepare for matches against Canada on Sept. 17 at Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan., and on Sept. 22 at Jeld-Wen Field in Portland, Ore.

LePeilbet is coming off a runner-up finish in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. The 2009 and 2010 Women's Professional Soccer Defensive Player of the Year advanced to this year's WPS postseason. But LePeilbet's Boston Breakers fell to magicJack, 3-1, in the first round of the playoffs.

Read more at USSoccer.com.

RAPINOE JOINS U.S. WNT ROSTER

Red Stars midfielder to face Germany on Oct. 29

Chicago Red Stars midfielder Megan Rapinoe was one of 18 players named to the U.S. Women's National Team on Monday for the team's Oct. 29 match against Germany.

This year she has played in all seven of the U.S.'s international matches, posting two goals, an assist and a team-high five points. The U.S. is 6-0-1 in international play this year.

Among the other players, 2009 Red Stars midfielder Carli Lloyd is on the U.S. squad. She currently is a Women's Professional Soccer free agent. Locally, Naperville native Brittany Bock of the Los Angeles Sol and Crystal Lake native Amy LePeilbet of the Boston Breakers are on the roster.

CLICK HERE to read the release at USSoccer.com.

PREVIEW: FIRE AT L.A. GALAXY

The Chicago Fire can inch closer to a playoff berth Friday night when they take on the host Los Angeles Galaxy for a 10 p.m. (CST) match at The Home Depot Center (televised on ESPN2). Both teams are 10-6-11 with 41 points. If either team wins and D.C. United loses Saturday, they will join the Columbus Crew as the only postseason qualifiers to date.

CLICK HERE for my full Week 29 MLS Preview and predictions at Examiner.com.
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Other recent soccer links:
• World Cup qualifying: Former Chicago Fire head coach Bob Bradley named his 22-man U.S. Men's National Team roster on Thursday in preparation for the U.S.'s final two World Cup qualifiers. Also, will Bradley's MLS wins record fall this season? Seattle Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid will need a huge run to dethrone Bradley.
• CL's LePeilbet on U.S. WNT podcast: In case you missed it earlier in the week, check out a U.S. Soccer podcast featuring Crystal Lake native and Boston Breakers defender Amy LePeilbet, the WPS Defender of the Year for 2009.

PREVIEW: RED STARS AT ATHLETICA

Chicago tries to finish the way it started, with a win vs. St. Louis

For many, it is difficult to imagine that the Chicago Red Stars' inaugural Women's Professional Soccer season is just about to come to a close.

The Red Stars wrap up their regular season against the team they first faced, St. Louis Athletica. Chicago and St. Louis battle for a 7 p.m. match Wednesday at Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo.

Chicago topped host St. Louis, 1-0, on April 4, with Lindsay Tarpley (pictured somewhere in that huddle) scoring the lone goal in the Red Stars' WPS debut. That 78th-minute tally was the Red Stars' only shot on goal in that second half. And that game was the starting point of a 2-0-2 start to the season, before the Red Stars went more than two months without a victory.

But if Sunday was any indication, this team wants to end this campaign with as much positive aura as it can muster heading into the off-season. Chicago (5-9-5, 20 points) became the first team to post three goals against the first-place Los Angeles Sol, 3-1. And it was some of the team's standout names who found the back of the net: Tarpley, Carli Lloyd and Cristiane.

St. Louis (9-6-3, 30 points) clinched second place in the league and a first-round bye in the WPS playoffs. Athletica hosts a semifinal match on Aug. 19, awaiting the winner between the No. 3 and 4 seeds, which are yet to be determined.

• Red Stars come up blank in WPS All-Star First XI: On Tuesday, the league announced its 2009 WPS All-Star First XI players. The Red Stars did not have a representative. But there still is a chance for Chicago to have some representation. The roster consists of 18 players, and several players named to the First XI are likely going to miss the Aug. 30 game against Swedish league champion Umea IK because of 2009 European Championships commitments. Locally, Crystal Lake native and Boston Breakers defender Amy LePeilbet made the First XI group.

RED STARS TRIO RETURNS TO U.S. WNT

Lloyd, Rapinoe, Tarpley join U.S. for 2 friendlies; Carney joins England

The Chicago Red Stars' Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Lindsay Tarpley were named to the U.S. Women's National Team roster on Monday for two friendlies against Canada later this month. Also, Karen Carney will join England for two games against Iceland and Denmark.

The U.S. trio faces Canada on July 19 in Rochester, N.Y., and July 22 in Charleston, S.C. The last time against Canada, the U.S. prevailed with a 4-0 victory on May 25 in Toronto, with Rapinoe and Tarpley netting goals. For Carney, she and the England squad face Iceland on July 16 and Denmark on July 22.

They will be available for this Sunday's Women's Professional Soccer match against FC Gold Pride at Toyota Park (7 p.m. start, televised on Comcast SportsNet). But they will be absent for the Red Stars' road trip against the Boston Breakers (July 15) and Sky Blue FC (July 19).

Boston will have the biggest challenge of any WPS team with four Breakers joining the U.S. - defender Heather Mitts, forward Amy Rodriguez, midfielder Angela Hucles, and defender and Crystal Lake, Ill., native Amy LePeilbet.