SoccerAmerica - Plans for new women's league to be unveiled 11/21/2012

[U.S. SOCCER] U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati will announce plans for a new women's league -- the third attempt at a national pro league -- on Wednesday. The league is expected to begin play in 2013 and feature eight teams in Year 1. Representatives of the Canadian Soccer Association and Mexican soccer federation on Wednesday's teleconference call would seem to indicate that the federations might subsidize the salaries of players from their national teams, just as U.S. Soccer is expected to underwrite national team player salaries to make the new league work.

According to reports, plans call for eight teams, four of them with ties to WPS, the most recent pro circuit.

The Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, Sky Blue FC and Western New York Flash played in WPS, though Boston and Sky Blue FC are the only clubs that played all three seasons.

The other four teams are reported to based in Washington, D.C, Kansas City, Seattle and Portland.

The indoor Missouri Comets (MISL) ownership group will operate Kansas City.

The Breakers announced plans for an eight-team league in August that also included the Red Stars, Sky Blue FC and a team based in Seattle led by led by Bill Predmore, president of Seattle-based digital marketing agency POP.

In October, Gulati said the federation would vet 11 potential ownership groups representing 10 cities.

He said MLS clubs, who have up until now been largely reluctant to get involved in a women's league, were examining the new league. It is unlikely any MLS ownership group would have an ownership stake in one of the new teams.

8 comments

Wayne Root

commented on: November 21, 2012 at 8:33 a.m.

I hope they give it a solid financial foundation unlike the previous league incarnations. Otherwise, it is just damned unfair to the many fans of women's soccer.

Jim Williams

commented on: November 21, 2012 at 8:48 a.m.

It's fine to have the money there but only if it's spent in the right ways. From what I remember reading MLS originally asked them to go in with them but the women's league seemed to have this "we can do it on our own" attitude. Obviously that didn't work out. Plus games were televised at he same time as MLS games. Guess who got the majority of the viewers. I love watching women's soccer but until it gets past the sandlot league look most won't take it seriously.

Amos Annan

commented on: November 21, 2012 at 8:51 a.m.

Women's soccer is not financially viable yet, but with so many women youth players US Soccer should subsidize it until it is.

Steven McDonald

commented on: November 21, 2012 at 11:25 a.m.

I was hoping that they wouldn't tie a team to a particular city. More as a regional team idea. Thought 8 teams were good for a start and including Canada and Mexico would help. I had a previous post hoping for 5 regional U.S. teams (Northeast, Atlantic, South, Midwest , & West)plus the 2 Canadian teams(east and west) and lastly, a mexico city team. It is imperative that the soccer associations put money in to this. It can't be denied that these women's national teams have generated revenue for the associations.

Dan Murphy

commented on: November 21, 2012 at 11:53 a.m.

That is a dang good idea Steven. They had trouble filling up stadiums every week, but if you had a regional team that came to several cities, I think they would draw much better. We are down in the Atl, so really bummin if there is no team anywhere in the South. Hope they get a better TV deal than the last go-round.

Gordon Hayes

commented on: November 21, 2012 at 2:31 p.m.

Good post Jim - Julie Foudy, as I recall and have been told, was the main culprit behind insisting they could go at it alone without the support of the MLS. I feel she holds the majority of responsibility for much of the failure of the ensuing unsupported leagues. Worrying about her own agenda instead of what would serve young women the best ultimately destroyed the last 10 years.

John Bolger

commented on: November 21, 2012 at 2:47 p.m.

With thousands of girls playing in So Cal we need a team to play at Home Depot Center.

nick p

commented on: November 21, 2012 at 5:49 p.m.

Since the Mexican Federation and the Canadian Soccer federation helped announce this, does this mean that the league would consider placing teams in Mexico and Canada

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