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News Details |
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Tuesday, February 02, 2010 |
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Athletica trades for No. 1 pick in Dispersal Draft, Marta is part of draft |
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Saint Louis Athletica has acquired the No. 1-overall selection in Thursday's Dispersal Draft of Los Angeles Sol players, a move that indicates Saint Louis has plans to take one of the Sol's top players.Atlanta traded the No. 1-overall Dispersal Draft pick and its second round 2011 WPS Draft choice for three Saint Louis Athletica players: defender Kia McNeill, midfielder Angie Kerr (Woznuk), and the rights to second round 2010 WPS Draft pick Amanda Poach. Atlanta will also receive Athletica’s second round Dispersal Draft choice (No. 9-overall).“This is a great trade for us,” said Atlanta Beat General Manager Shawn McGee. “While we certainly would have loved to have Marta, the fact is that we have a game plan and a budget, and it is important to us that we stay true to that plan.” Clearly, Atlanta chose to pick up some quality role players instead of the financial burden of Marta. As McGee put it, the Beat are essentially getting four players for one.Budget factors that were considered in the Marta decision include more than just player salaries. There is a plan of financial responsibility and building a team that Atlanta has been working toward and this move falls in line with that."We had a number that we put on total compensation for players," McGee said. "We have a number on what our bottom line is for running this business and again, when something like this falls in your lap you absolutely have to consider it, but for us it was 'stay true to the plan.' We think we can win championships if we stay true to the plan and Marta might make it that much easier but it also throws a wrench into the budget. So, for us, it was just stay true to the plan, stay true to the budget, and just keep working."What should be made clear about Marta is this: She will be in the Dispersal Draft. Contrary to reports, there is no bidding process that will take place for her. What will determine where she goes is individual teams making business decisions regarding her play and her salary, among other factors.Unconfirmed reports have pegged Marta's salary at around $400,000 - $500,000 annually. The league cannot officially comment on any player salaries and has not confirmed that number.As with any athlete, there are more financial considerations than just the salary cap. Those include out of contract compensation, such as player appearances, sources said.So, it is too quick to say that Marta is destined for Saint Louis (I will bite my own tongue on that one as well). There are still a host of situations that could play out. The team that does pick her up has to determine if the marketing and on-field benefit trumps the financial responsibilities. Meanwhile, the Beat still feel that they can pick up a solid player at No. 9 (and obviously, a starter). McGee credits the Sol's great depth to LA General Manager Charlie Naimo being on top of things.Reports out of the Saint Louis Dispatch are that Athletica will take Shannon Boxx with the first pick, though the entire draft is still very unclear.“We were presented with an opportunity to make our club better,” said Head Coach Jorge Barcellos. “We gave up some talented young players to do this. I want to thank Kia and Angie for the hard work that they did last season, they were a big part of the success that Athletica enjoyed in our first year. We wish them all the best in their careers.”Barcellos was unavailable for any further comment.The Dispersal Draft now looks like this: Round 11. Saint Louis Athletica2. Philadelphia Independence3. FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)4. Chicago Red Stars5. Boston Breakers6. Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)7. Washington Freedom8. Saint Louis AthleticaRound 29. Atlanta Beat10. Washington Freedom11. Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)12. Boston Breakers13. Chicago Red Stars14. FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)15. Philadelphia Independence16. Atlanta BeatRound 317. Atlanta Beat18. Philadelphia Independence19. FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)20. Chicago Red Stars21. Boston Breakers22. Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)23. Washington Freedom24. Saint Louis Athletica |
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