Women finally getting their league back
After a long wait, the news is official, professional women's soccer is coming back to the US starting next April. The first year will see five teams play in LA, Dallas, Chicago and Washington, DC. There will be a 20-match schedule running from April to August with some sort of post season to fallow.
It is not a coincidence that all but one of these teams will play in a city with a current MLS club (although St. Louis might just have a MLS club before the first ball is kicked) as Major League soccer is helping push this undertaking. Also, AEG, who operates the Galaxy in LA, will also own the LA based women's club.
This announcement tops of years of work by Tonya Antonucci of Women's Soccer Initiative. When the WUSA went bust in 2003, she kept the dream alive.
For me, after almost two-weeks of being sick, this is a great story to return to. The USL's W-league is needed, but it is no substitute for a true top league for women.
Congratulations to all involved.
It is not a coincidence that all but one of these teams will play in a city with a current MLS club (although St. Louis might just have a MLS club before the first ball is kicked) as Major League soccer is helping push this undertaking. Also, AEG, who operates the Galaxy in LA, will also own the LA based women's club.
This announcement tops of years of work by Tonya Antonucci of Women's Soccer Initiative. When the WUSA went bust in 2003, she kept the dream alive.
For me, after almost two-weeks of being sick, this is a great story to return to. The USL's W-league is needed, but it is no substitute for a true top league for women.
Congratulations to all involved.
posted by Mike H at 9:21 PM
4 Comments:
Mike, February is bad enough without being sick for half of it! Now that I mention it, being in a coma for the whole month wouldn't be so bad. Hope you're feeling better.
I caught the very end of the new women's league story on NPR the other day, so I didn't catch the details. I'm surprised that all the proposed new women's clubs won't be affilated with existing MLS teams--the marketing, advertising, and facilities use tie-ins seem to have a lot of potential.
thank goodness it will be in DC. phew, now it is going to be difficult to have a fantasy league with 5 teams...but I will take what i can get!!!
Susan,
Two weeks of sick is not a happy, but I would rather miss February then say July.
Thanks for the kind words.
Bringing the men and women's leagues together does make a lot of sense.
It was my understanding that the new league would seek affiliations with existing MLS franchises where possible. In particular, it hopes to share venues with MLS teams. The story also said the new league will tie in to the established marketing infrastructure. It sounds to me like they're doing it right. Oh yes, and to correct - they've got six investors signed on, so at least six cities and probably eight will be on board for the new season in 08.
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