JENNA PEL – Women’s Professional Soccer has been known to embrace bold and novel ideas. Case in point: WPS’ unique playoffs structure where in which the regular season champion receives a bye to the Championship game while the teams ranked 2-4 compete in a traditional playoff format for the final spot.

WPS encourages ingenuity and the format of the 2010 WPS All-Star Game is no different.

All-star ballots were cast over the first couple weeks of May by fans, players, coaches and the media. The top 22 highest vote-getters are guaranteed their spots at Kennesaw State University Stadium on June 30, the Atlanta Beat’s new swanky facility just outside Atlanta city limits.

Here’s where things get interesting: The top American player and the top international player that have received the most votes are named ‘team captains’.  In an idea that hearkens back to one’s youth, the pair gets to hand-pick the 10 teammates they want on their team. The two squads then play each other in a clash that will be truly representative of the world’s greatest female players.

Will the captains be persuaded by friendship, admiration or national origin when picking their teammates? Or will they only be interested in selecting the players they know they can win with? The possibilities are indeed endless.

Fortunately for fans of women’s soccer, perhaps the two best female players in the world – Abby Wambach and Marta – will be the decision-makers.  

I’m personally launching a campaign entitled ‘Abby Wambach For Best Female Soccer Player Ever’. (Now accepting contributions). My platform? Abby has averaged around 1.3 goals per United States Women’s National Team match and reached the 100 goal mark faster than the four players who had previously tallied that amount. And after nine WPS matches this season she’s already tallied seven assists and is currently tied for second in the goal-scoring charts with four.  

And then there’s Marta. You know Marta. If I was into comparisons I’d say the 24 year-old Brazilian has the flamboyance of Ronaldo, the endeavor of Messi and the everlasting work rate of Rooney. I know that sounds offensively hyperbolic but just watch her once. You’ll see she’s quite good.

Wambach and Marta will be led by two of the best coaches in the league as well. FC Gold Pride manager Albertin Montoya has literally steered last year’s worst WPS club to first this season. And Paul Riley has helped the expansion Philadelphia Independence write one of the most compelling stories in the league.

The captains and their respective managers will have the pick of the litter when picking their teams. The other All-Stars are composed of a healthy mix of established international names (such as the Boston Breakers’ Kelly Smith and FC Gold Pride’s Christine Sinclair) and promising rookies (Sky Blue FC’s Brittany Taylor and the Atlanta Beat’s Ramona Bachmann spring to mind). There’s also the requisite amount of USWNT staples including Hope Solo, Amy LePeilbet and Heather O’Reilly.

While the starting XI’s and the final score line may be impossible to predict, one thing is sure: It’s going to be a lot of freaking fun.

by Jenna Pel