New team: Bay Area Breeze Joins W-League Teams going away: Vancouver Whitecaps Victoria Highlanders Northern Virginia Majestics (possibly to return once the Spirit are well-established)
Bay Area Breeze isn't "new", they're just switching from WPSL to W-League after rather underperforming last year. Anyway, add two midwest WPSL teams: Soccer St. Louis Defenders Fire & Ice Soccer Club Floodplain Footy article on the teams
Good that the midwest is getting some more women's ball. Now NPSL should just absorb the Womens League Soccer teams, and that would consolidate the midwestern teams (except, of course, for the Chi Red Stars). http://www.womensleaguesoccer.com/ I am guessing that WPSL-Elite is done, and those teams would just be filteed into the WPSL-Base league. (And Dayton would then transfer from USL-W to WPSL, to totally put all midwest teams into one league.)
The GM of the Chesapeake Charge just got back from the WPSL's AGM and reports that there will be a WPSL-Elite this year, with seven teams: California Storm, San Diego (Sea Lions?), Houston, Dallas, Indiana (FC Indiana?), New Jersey, and the Charge.
The 2013 W-League alignment and schedule are out. Initial observations: - Down to 25 teams from 30 last year. - Eastern Conference reduced from three divisions to two, but with 12 teams still almost half the league. - Most teams play 12 games, except for those in the EC-Southeast, who play 10. - Season opener hosted by the Washington Spirit Reserves.
Wow, actually kinda thin in the east. If you get a link, do post! Is the Dallas team FCD Women? So, even with the addition of the Breeze, a net loss of five teams? Ouch...
The six teams not returning are: Northern Virginia Majestics New Jersey Rangers FC Jax Destroyers Rochester Ravens Vancouver Whitecaps Victoria Highlanders Several teams have changed their names, but the only clearly new team (to the W-League, at least) is the Breeze.
more on Vancouver going away... http://www.socceramerica.com/article/50131/vancouver-whitecaps-not-back-for-2013-season.html
They are acting like 2012 didn't happen for WPSLE. They've wiped away the stats & standings on the website. Even if they weren't going to do it again, it was a nice repository of info on the year.
Looks like a new WPSL team in Des Moines. Looks like part of the Menace. http://www.wpsl.info/team/index.php?tid=169
Looks like a six-team WPSL-Elite, under the title of "2013 WPSL Elite League Cup:" California Storm, Chesapeake Charge, FC Indiana, Houston Aces, Jersey Sky Blues, San Diego SeaLions http://www.wpslelite.com/
It's a real geographic contrast with last year. Travel expenses are going to be huge by amateur team standards.
So, not lucky enough to live close to any franchise for WUSA, WPS or NWSL.... I would like to support. Anyone want to share their approach under similar circumstances? It is frustrating. We used to follow 'GOTW' when available, but doubt that made much of a footprint. It is tough when these leagues are so limited.
I know people who've bought season tickets for every NWSL team even though they can only make it to the home games for one. That's one approach.
Thanks, yes! I saw this.... nothing really there yet in terms of schedule, etc. guessing this is league for college players to stay in game condition over the summer. will check them out.
It appears that the "Cup" part of "WPSL Elite League Cup" is important - while digging for NWSL preseason stuff, I got to the Houston Aces website, and their schedule has both WPSL South division and WPSL ELC games. The Elite League Cup appears to be six games, three at home and three away, with one of the five opponents played twice. As the Aces' double-opponent is FCI, I assume the other two pairs are Storm-SeaLions and Blues-Charge.
Is the Elite league off of the WPSL site now? http://www.wpslelite.com/ now just sends you to the base league page. (or it could just be that the Elite page is "under construction" and would return later)
I need to check, but I'm getting the impression that the WPSL Elite this year will be more of a "Champions League" - instead of having its own teams, a few of the better WPSL teams will play in both WPSL and WPSL Elite.
I'm a little worried... The only other "Elite" team to currently have a 2013 schedule up on their website besides the Aces is the SeaLions, and they don't have any other Elite teams on their schedule. In fact, they're apparently hosting Ajax at 2:30 on the same day Houston says they'll be visiting at 2:00. @_@