Marta acquired by FC Gold Pride

FC Gold Pride added four-time reigning FIFA World Player Marta to its roster this morning, selecting the talented Brazilian in the Women’s Professional Soccer dispersal draft.

Although the move adds a big dose of world-class luster to the Bay Area soccer scene, it doesn’t come as a big surprise. As Center Line Soccer reported yesterday,  Gold Pride general manager Ilisa Kessler and the team’s owners were committed to taking Marta if she was available for selection with their number three pick in the draft. With St. Louis and Philadelphia expected to make more conservative choices — Marta’s salary is reportedly in the $400,000 to $500,000 range — it seemed quite likely that FC Gold Pride would prevail.

There’s no need to speculate any more, however: Marta will be wearing black and gold this season. Eventually, St. Louis chose U.S. international Shannon Boxx and Philadelphia opted for Canadian goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, leaving FCGP their dream pick. The Pride also added two forwards in the dispersal draft who were picked by the Sol in last month’s draft, Kiki Bosio (Santa Clara) and Lindsay Browne (Clemson).

We’ll have more on the story later today, including interviews with FC Gold Pride general manager Ilisa Kessler and head coach Albertin Montoya. Here is a complete list of players chosen in the draft.

WPS Dispersal Draft (player rights held by the Los Angeles Sol)
Round 1
1.    Shannon Boxx, M – Saint Louis Athletica *
2.    Karina LeBlanc, GK – Philadelphia Independence
3.    Marta, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
4.    Casey Nogueira, F – Chicago Red Stars
5.    Stephanie Cox, D – Boston Breakers
6.    Nikki Washington, M – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
7.    Brittany Bock, D – Washington Freedom
8.    Aya Miyama, M – Saint Louis Athletica

Round 2
9.    Manya Makoski, M – Atlanta Beat
10.    Faith Ikidi, D/F – Washington Freedom
11.    Kiersten Dallstream, F – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
12.    Michelle Enyeart, F – Boston Breakers
13.    Kiki Bosio, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area) ^
14.    Tina DiMartino, M – Saint Louis Athletica #
15.    Estelle Johnson, D – Philadelphia Independence
16.    Pavlina Scasna, F – Atlanta Beat

Round 3
17.    Pass – Atlanta Beat
18.    Pass – Philadelphia Independence
19.    Lindsay Browne, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
20.    Pass – Chicago Red Stars
21.    Pass – Boston Breakers
22.    Pass – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
23.    Pass – Washington Freedom
24.    Catherine Sorenson, M – Saint Louis Athletica

* via trade with Atlanta Beat (trade prior to draft)
^ via trade with Chicago Red Stars (Chicago receives FC Gold Pride’s 2nd Round pick in 2011 WPS Draft)
# via trade with Chicago Red Stars (Chicago receives Saint Louis Athletica’s 2nd Round pick in 2011 WPS Draft)

NOTE: Mary Casey, GK, is now a free agent; Midfielder Julie Rydahl Bukh’s WPS rights have been released.