[WPS] The importance of Women’s Professional Soccer to the international women's game was underscored by remarks made Tuesday by Tatjana Haenni, FIFA's head of women’s competitions, at Soccerex in Rio de Janeiro. She said it was vital that the Division I women's league, which is seeking a sixth team, continue.

WPS has applied for a waiver from U.S. Soccer to continue with its current field of five teams -- Atlanta, Boston, Blue Sky FC out of New Jersey, Philadelphia, Western New York -- though U.S. Soccer has given the league until Dec. 5 to find a sixth team.

“The professional league in the United States is obviously a league the world looks at,” Haenni said. “It was the first professional league for women’s soccer and it plays in a huge country known as one of the strongest countries in women soccer. I think it’s important that the league continues. It would really be a pity for women’s soccer if, in the U.S., there is no professional league.”