Shannon Boxx beats Marta in Women’s Professional Soccer dispersal draft

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Shannon Boxx has finally gotten the better of Marta.

The two-time Olympic gold medal winner and women’s world champion from Southern California on Thursday was the first player chosen when Women’s Professional Soccer held its dispersal draft of players from the defunct Los Angeles Sol.

Marta, the Brazilian star and four-time FIFA women’s world player of the year, was chosen third, behind Boxx and Canadian national team goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc.

The eight players selected in the first round of the three-round draft and their new WPS clubs are:

1. Boxx, midfielder, Saint Louis Athletica

2. LeBlanc, goalkeeper, Philadelphia Independence

3. Marta, forward, FC Gold Pride

4. Casey Nogueira, forward, Chicago Red Stars

5. Stephanie Cox, defender, Boston Breakers

6. Nikki Washington, midfielder, Sky Blue FC

7. Brittany Bock, defender, Washington Freedom

8. Aya Miyama, midfielder, Saint Louis Athletica

The eight-team league, which has lost Los Angeles but has added teams in Atlanta and Philadelphia, will begin its second season on April 10.

-- Grahame L. Jones