In episode six of the Pitch Invasion podcast, hosts Peter Wilt and Tom Dunmore welcome Real
Salt Lake president Bill Manning and Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler onto the show to discuss
the business of American soccer.
The show is available to stream or download below and is also on iTunes or available via
RSS.
Yesterday we were excited to have the opportunity post #GrowTheGame weekend to indulge in some
of the open and genuine conversations that happen daily online. Logging on to #WPSChat which
happens every Monday evening at 5pm PST we looked forward to what was no doubt going to be a
passionate debate about the state of women's soccer and most importantly discussion on the
inevitable end of the WPS.
Ask Philadelphia Fever head coach Stuart Gore what it's been like since he was named head coach
of the Philadelphia Fever and his answer is quick and honest.
"It's been a bit of a whirlwind."
Which is understandable when you realize that since being named coach of the new WPSL Elite team
in early February, Gore and assistant coach Jamie Scott have been combining their regular work as
coaches for Atlantic Soccer Factory with trying to build a competitive team from scratch, all of
which means a lot of 18 hour days .
So here we are 3rd time lucky with the formation of a new women's professional league in America. In previous years there was the WUSA (Women's United Soccer Association) this league lasting under two years.
Next was the WPS (Women's Professional Soccer) this league lasting three seasons.
As teams in the new National Women's Soccer League round out their rosters, we take a look at where former Philadelphia Independence players have landed.
In the conclusion of our interview with former Philadelphia Independence midfielder Joanna Lohman, we discuss the new women's soccer league and her organization JoLi Academy.
CHICAGO (Dec. 15, 2012) - The new eight-team women's soccer league will be called the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The league, which will be administered by U.S. Soccer, will begin in the spring of 2013. The new league logo is appropriately red, white and blue and features the silhouette of a female soccer player about to strike a shot.
Zach Pfeffer with a goal and assist in US U-18 draw with Canada. Three Swarthmore College students among those injured in last week's attack on Spurs fans in Rome. Skepticism about new women's league. More news.
If the Villa friendly was a night for the Union youth, how's they do? Jordan and McLaughlin on loan
to Harrisburg for rest of USL PRO season. Mid-week Eastern Conference matches tighten up the table.
More news.
Recaps from Saturday's draw in Dallas from PSP (we were there!), MLSsoccer.com, the Union
website, The Inquirer, Philly Soccer News, Sports Network, Goal.com,
In this postgame quote sheet, Peter Nowak says,
"We talked about how we are going to start the game and we wanted to continue to play how we
did against New York, but they got the goal in the seventh minute which basically cuts you off
immediately.
At Wednesday's press conference in which Peter Nowak announced that a deal was in place to trade
Danny Califf, the spin was that the former Union captain was ready to go "home" to Southern
California. Kerith Gabriel reports Califf's reaction when listening to the press conference was,
"It made me want to throw up.
Check out PSP's match report, which also contains a number of illuminating quotes from the
coaches and players.
John Hackworth said after the game, "It was really tough loss to lose a game like that in injury
time after fighting so hard to come back and equalizing.
So the last time they tried this... Okay, the last two times they tried this... Okay, the last, well, you get the idea, but after two previous failed attempts at getting women's soccer off the ground here, USSoccer is giving it another go. The first time we saw this was in the wake of the USWNT winning a world cup.
In two seasons with the Washington Freedom (2002-2003/WUSA & 2009-2010/WPS) Abby Wambach not only
played along side the most famous U.S. Soccer player ever - Mia Hamm, she also won a league
championship and was named MVP. Wambach scored 44 goals and added 30 assists while playing for the
Freedom franchise and was by far a fan favorite at the Maryland SoccerPlex.
Over the past week, a debate has sprouted over sports fandom. On Thursday, a Twitter firestorm
raged over the writers/founders of the website While The Men Watch being invited to offer
commentary on CBC during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with most commenting focusing on their lack of
serious supportership of hockey or sports in general.
ESPN magazine breaks a story that's messier than anyone could have imagined:
"According to some of the players present, Borislow leaned into one woman and asked about her roommate: 'Which one of you is the giver and which one is the receiver?' he blurted out. Then he turned to another player and asked, 'Why have you never had a sexual relationship with a woman?
On March 29, 2009 the WPS kicked off its inaugural season with a nationally televised match-up
at the Home Depot Center. Pitting the Los Angeles Sol against the Washington Freedom, the opening
match featured Brazilian star Marta and U.S. National Team scorer Abby Wambach. At the time, this
site was just over one month old and covering the birth of the league was a natural fit.
Just prior to the U.S. Women's National Team grabbing Gold at the Olympics, the Boston Breakers
issued a press release announcing the formation of a new professional women's soccer league slated
to begin play in the spring of 2013. The teams announced in the release are the Boston Breakers,
Chicago Red Stars, a newly formed team in Seattle, and New Jersey's Sky Blue FC, with four other
teams finalizing their participation in the league.
In the wake of the unsurprising yet still saddening news of Women's Professional Soccer folding,
fans may wonder where young female talent is left to practice their craft. Where are they to go?
The WPS was the second strong attempt to capitalize on a market that was seriously under exposed.
Article by Leanne Elston
In disappointing but not altogether surprising news, Women's Professional Soccer announced today
that after three seasons, it has folded. The league had already ceased operations for the 2012
season and had hoped to return in 2013, but the cancellation is now permanent.
Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) has suspended operations permanently & is dissolving the
league. A major setback for women's soccer.
Via @FOXSoccer.
I don't necessarily see this as a bad thing, or a setback. In fact I think it paves the way for
the future which is something closer to what the Whitecaps and Sounders have as a women's team and
what the Timbers have done with the Portland Rain.
It was inevitable, but the news finally arrived: Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) has permanently
suspended operations. WPS also settled their suit against magicJack owner Dan Borislow, which is
just as well. It's a sad day for women's professional sport in the USA, but crippling news for
women's professional soccer in this country.
A few weeks ago, Becca4Kicks asked "Can we really replace Women's Professional Soccer?"
Since then, it appears that whether we like it or not, we're going to be looking for answers to
that question.
As we wait for the inevitable press release to come from Women's Professional Soccer announcing
the closing of the league, it's time for fans to finally accept this and start looking ahead to the
future of professional women's soccer in the U.
The Women's Premier Soccer League announced on Monday that the Breakers have been forced to
forfeit a May 26 victory due the team's use of an ineligible player.
The League ruled that the player who was not identified by the team or league participated in
the Breakers' 3-2 win against the Western New York Flash.
It was a debut to remember for the Boston Breakers, who claimed a 3-0 win over the ASA
Chesapeake Charge in their first WPSL Elite contest on Thursday.
The Breakers, who played in WPS for three seasons before the league suspended operations in
January, overwhelmed the Charge with a fast and furious display of firepower as Veronica Napoli,
Jessica Luscinski and Katie Schoepfer all scoring inside of 20 minutes.
The Union will host Rochester Rhinos in the third round of the US Open Cup this Tuesday after
the USL PRO team defeated NPSL side Brooklyn Italians 3–0 in second round play. The Rhino's are
the only non-MLS team to win the Cup since the start of MLS in 1996, defeating Colorado Rapids
2–0 for the championship in 1999.
There has been a lot of talk lately about the W-League and the WPLS taking the place of the WPS
in the United States. Some are even saying that the WPLS Elite League will be hard for teams to
leave if the WPS returns. While I am supportive of the Elite League (and recognize it is growing
and just in early stages), and thankful that both leagues have provided our players with a place to
play the game they love, I'm hesitant to think that these leagues stand any chance in providing the
opportunities that the WPS can.
There has been a lot of talk lately about the W-League and the WPLS taking the place of the WPS
in the United States. Some are even saying that the WPLS Elite League will be hard for teams to
leave if the WPS returns. While I am supportive of the Elite League (and recognize it is growing
and just in early stages), and thankful that both leagues have provided our players with a place to
play the game they love, I'm hesitant to think that these leagues stand any chance in providing the
opportunities that the WPS can.
US Soccer president Sunil Gulati said the new 8-team league will begin play in March/April. US Soccer will run the league's front office. The US Canadian, and Mexican federations will subsidize some player's salaries.
This Sunday, at 4:00, in Coquitlam, the Sounders Women will kick their season off against their
neighbors to the North. The rivalry between these two teams is not unlike the men's sides. There is
certainly no love lost between these teams. Especially since Sydney Leroux signed with the
Sounders, rather than her "home" team.
The WPS Officially announced on Friday they have played their last game and the league has folded.
The league had been rumored to be in trouble for the past two years after several teams folded in
2011. It's the second professional women's soccer league to fold. The WUSA ran from 2000-2003
before folding.
Touting "economically viable, sustainable model," USL set to debut women's pro league
Charles Boehm reports for The Soccer Wire that the USL is set to put together a professional
women's league, the "W-PRO" (homepage with a little animation).
This is obviously fantastic news for us Sounders fans, as Seattle has become home to seemingly
half the U.
Monday's first preseason friendly was an unqualified success both on and off the field. If
tonight's game is going to match it it's going to have a little more competition off the field, as
it's also the home opener for the Mariners. But people are already filing in an hour before and it
looks to me like if tonight doesn't match Monday's crowd, it'll be close.
The decision to suspend the 2012 WPS season drove Marta to join Tyreso in Sweden's
Damallsvenskan in February. Marta scored 111 goals in 103 matches with Umea before moving to
America, so the Swedes are already very familiar with her talents, but, as you might've guessed,
she's wasted no time in giving them another glimpse of her brilliance.
