Two-time Olympic gold medalist Shannon Boxx likes the look and the name of the Los Angeles Sol that she'll be playing for when Women's Professional Soccer kicks off next spring. "It's very exciting to finally say that we have a league," the midfielder told Grahame L Jones. "I think we have a great team. I think it's a great name and I love the logo."
While Boxx acknowledges that Brazilian star Marta would be a great draw for the league if she can be lured from her Swedish club Umea IK, she's a little peeved that the media is focusing so much on that one story. "Having Marta would a great thing," she said. "I respect Marta's game. I think she is amazing and has done so much for the women's game. But there are a lot of great players on the women's side, and to say that she is the only one that people are going to come to watch, I don't think that's a fair assessment. You see 18 great players on the U.S. national team."
In fact the league is built around that U.S. squad, notes Jones, and Boxx, one of 10 women's players nominated this week for the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year Award, said that is sound thinking. "Starting with our own national team, coming off a gold medal, is huge for this league," she said. "People know who we are. Then to add international players like a Marta is just going to make this league even better."
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