Kelly Smith Named WPS Player of the Month
England Footballer Wins Womens Professional Soccer Award for April
WPS fans, players and media voted Boston Breakers striker Smith the inaugural league player of the month. In the first month of Women’s Professional Soccer, Smith scored three goals and recorded one assist.
Smith sits atop the league’s goal-scoring table, equal on three goals with Los Angeles Sol forward and Brazil international Marta. Marta, along with Sol goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc - who has yet to concede a goal in league play - finished close behind Smith in the ballot.
Smith has scored in each of her appearances for Boston Breakers, but was rested following international duty for their 4-0 loss last weekend.
At 30, Smith is one of the veterans of the women’s game. She started at Arsenal before playing college soccer in the US at Seton Hall, then moved on to her first professional contract with WUSA’s New Jersey Wildcats. When the WUSA league dissolved, Smith returned to Arsenal, where she enjoyed unprecedented success before once again being recruited to professional American women’s soccer with the advent of the WPS this spring.
Former Arsenal Football Star
Kelly Smith joined Boston Breakers in February 2009 from English Women’s Premier League champions Arsenal, where she was top scorer in a side that has dominated women’s sports in England. Her honours with Arsenal have included a historic quadruple trophy sweep when the Lady Gunners won the Premier League, League Cup, FA Women’s Cup and Uefa Cup in 2006/2007.
Smith herself was honoured with an MBE from the Queen in 2008 for her service to sport, with Arsenal as well as England.
England Women’s Football Team
Smith played a key role in the side that qualified for Women’s World Cup 2007 in China – England’s first WWC qualification since 1995. Smith’s four goals in China helped England to the quarterfinal stage, where they lost a hard-fought match to USA. Her immense goal-scoring prowess has also been crucial to England’s qualification for the 2009 European Championship in Finland, where she is expected to feature in the finals.
Not unlike another notable English export to American soccer, Smith has made the importance of her England career clear. The star striker told the BBC’s Tony Leighton that her Breakers contract allows for international duty absences. "I love playing for England and if that clause had not been in my contract I wouldn't have signed it.
"I'm really looking forward to playing in the WPS, but I wouldn't want to miss out on the opportunity to play for my country whenever I'm selected." (Smith Quits Arsenal for US League, February 8, 2009)
Women's Professional Soccer
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