Four English based players are keeping themselves in shape this summer by playing for the New York Magic, reports TheFA.com.

Emma Thomas (Fulham), Katherine McKenna (Watford), Laura Bassett and Birmingham City team-mate Ellen Maggs, have all travelled west to play in the W-League.

McKenna has so far played five games, Bassett and Maggs have played in four games and Emma Thomas has featured in three game to-date, with Bassett and McKenna both having opened their goalscoring accounts.

In their latest game yesterday, the Magic lost 3-0 to the New Jersey Wildcats. Swiss international Laura Dickenmann contributed a goal and an assist at Mazzella Field on the campus of Iona College.

After The Wildcats had gone 2-0 up, Yamaguchi got taken down from behind in the box by Laura Bassett and Formiga stepped up to convert the penalty.

To cap a bad afternoon for the English quartet, Emma Thomas received her marching orders in the 75th minute for spitting

The team will be next in action on 28 June.

For spitting... oh geeze, I hate ridiculous calls like that - everyone does it, who cares.

Wish I could travel down and see them play but I just don't have the time to do that this summer at all.

Ah Renee, all that time modding the players and coaching forum is taking it's toll eh?!

As for the spitting, it probably wasn't just spitting at the pitch, I suspect it was directed at another player, Frank Rijkaard-style. That's most definately a sending off offence, maybe worse.