I think enuff is enuff. It's time for the MLS to have a women's division. WMLS, Women's Major League Soccer. Copy the system the NBA has with the WNBA. Copy it to a tee. It's the only way a true women's pro soccer league will work in America. It sucks that it had to come to this. But it's time to do it this way. Alexi Lalas had it right. Marcelo Balboa had it right. This is the only way a women's league will work.
First: Did you really think that creating this thread would accomplish anything? (Honestly, I shouldn't be replying to this, but I'm in a bad mood) Second: Wrong. The massive takeaway message that most people have gotten from the successive failures of WUSA and then WPS was that a top league needs to be grown, not made. A fully pro women's league will come from the WPSL or from the W-League, not from MLS.
I'm so excited . . . I get to tell both of you I think you're off base. MLS has hemorrhaged a LOT of dough . . . someday, if they're really profitable and looking to grow, hopefully the women's pro league will be too established for them to mess with. WPSL/W-League are terrific amateur leagues, but they haven't been able to create a sustainable model on the men's side or the women's side at the pro level. Right now there are 3-5 "pro" teams for women with the potential to be the foundation of a new league (WNY, Philly, Boston, Chicago, Chesapeake). If they can find 8 owners willing to invest $10 million in establishing the foundation of a true Premier Level women's pro league, we'll get it. If not, 2014 . . . there's money to be made in putting the league together . . . it'll get done.
Looking at the franchises in the MLS, these would be the cities that would be a prospect for having a women's team in the WMLS. Eastern Conference Washington D.C. (D.C. United) New York (New York Red Bulls) Chicago (Chicago Fire) Philadelphia (Philadelphia Union) New England / Boston (New England Revolution) Kansas City (Sporting Kansas City) Western Conference San Jose (San Jose Earthquakes) Vancouver (Vancouver White Caps FC) Seattle (Seattle Sounders FC) Dallas (FC Dallas) Los Angeles (Los Angeles Galaxy) Portland (Portland Timbers) (there are no St. Louis or Atlanta franchises currently in the MLS) These 12 cities above make for excellent candidates. In the WNBA, the franchises are similar in color and team name to their male NBA counterpart. For example, San Antonio (Spurs) in the WNBA are called the San Antonio Silver Stars, and have the same team colors (black/silver). Here's a MOCK WMLS league, by 2014 .... Eastern Conference D.C. Govern (compared to D.C. United) New York Empire (compared to New York Red Bulls) Chicago Inferno (compared to Chicago Fire) Philadelphia Constitution (compared to Philadelphia Union) New England Mutiny (compared to New England Revolution) Kansas City Athletica (compared to Sporting Kansas City) Western Conference San Jose Vibration (compared to San Jose Earthquakes) Vancouver White Caps FC (compared to Vancouver White Caps FC) Seattle Sounders FC (compared to Seattle Sounders FC) FC Dallas (compared to FC Dallas) Los Angeles Solar (compared to Los Angeles Galaxy) Portland Evergreens (compared to Portland Timbers) Solar sounds similar to Sol, but Solar System as opposed to Galaxy, for Los Angeles. Vibration sounds feminine, and if you're having an Earthquake, the earth vibrates. Evergreens keep the Portland team logo/color as green, just like the Timbers. Substitute the word "Seattle" for "Portland" in this logo, and you have the perfect logo for the Portland Evergreens.
