WPSL forms Elite Women's Soccer League

Good info. Thanks for posting. Finally some good news.

 

Will still be only a 2.5 month league?

 

The Equalizer article says it will be a four-team playoff, which is vastly different from the WPSL playoff system that involves dozens of teams and goes on for weeks.

 

So the 4 team division will have a 4 team playoff?

That seems weird.

 

OK I know W-League is also talking about a pro league, but lets see the WPSL

Chicago Red Stars
FC Indiana
Boston Breakers
Western New York Flash

And Maybe
ASA Chesapeake Charge (Gambriss, Maryland)
New England Mutiny (NorthHampton, MA) They actually play in a buch of places.
"Another New England team"

So 7 perhaps 8 teams over all.

 

Maybe they can get Fox Soccer Channel to replace those time slots (which would have been for the WPS matches this year on Sundays) to be when the new WPSL elite league matches will be televised instead

 

"The Equalizer can confirm that one of those teams will be the ASA Chesapeake Charge, according to Zanelli. Two other New England teams are expected to join the Breakers. There are quite a few WPSL teams in New England. The New England Mutiny would seem to be a front runner to make the jump to the Elite League as a longtime WPSL member."

- http://equalizersoccer.com/2012/02/...012-with-flash-breakers-red-stars-fc-indiana/

As I've said elsewhere, I'd expect the Maryland Capitols to be in this league as well. With an eight-team league, you could probably fit a 14-match home-and-home season into the WPSL schedule, followed by a "Final Four" weekend with the semis on Friday and the finals on Sunday.

 

Per Twitter sources, the ASA Chesapeake Charge (Maryland) have joined the WPSL Elite league, and the Maryland Capitols FC have applied. I believe that the two teams are about 25 miles apart.

http://twitter.com/#!/BostonBreakers/status/169169270574555136

http://twitter.com/#!/JeffKassouf/status/169170590597525504

 

Maryland Capitals FC

"The Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex is located adjacent to FedEx field in Landover, Maryland."

http://www.globalsoccernetwork.us/maryland_capitols_fc/directions-parking/

 

About 21 miles by car:

http://g.co/maps/e45xq

The Chesapeake Charge play at Arundel High School in Gambrills, MD.

 

Commissioner Jerry Zanelli was interviewed on "Soccer is a Kick in the Grass" based out of Rochester yesterday evening. The focus was on this new league. A podcast is available:

http://www.soccerisakickinthegrass.com/Podcasts/20112012/tabid/91/Default.aspx

It begins at about the 35-minute mark.

 

The New York Fury will not be joining the WPSL Elite league. Previously, it was reported that they were considering it.

http://www.bigapplesoccer.com/teams/fury2.php?article_id=29773

 

Interestingly, a second Boston-area team has joined the WPSL Elite league. Aztec MA is based in the North Shore area (Beverly). The Boston Aztec previously fielded a "Boston Aztec Breakers’ Reserves" team in WPSL, although I never really understood the relationship between that team and the Boston Breakers.

http://twitter.com/#!/BostonBreakers/status/169441573858328576

I hadn't expected a second team so geographically close by.

 

"The WPSL Boston Aztec women's team is the reserve team for Women's Professional Soccer's (WPS) Boston Breakers. Aztec works closely with the Breakers to identify players with the potential to play at the professional-level and provides the opportunity to train at a high level with similar level players. Boston Aztec provides the opportunity to develope and get noticed by WPS teams. Past successes include Megan Mischler (2011/12 Boston Breakers), Jordan Bishop (2011 Boston Breakers), Leah Blayney (2011 Boston Breakers), and Sophia Mundy (2010 Boston Breakers/2011 Atlanta Beat). The Breakers have players on to the Boston Aztec for matches to get match experience and fitness. "

- http://wpsl.info/team/index.php?tid=5

They won the WPSL championship in 2010 and made it to the final four last year before losing to the eventual champions, the Orange County Waves.

Bodes well for the Maryland Capitols getting in despite their proximity to the Charge.

 

What about the Freedom?

 

There's been no Freedom team at any level since the fall of 2010.

 

yes, the sad part is that the DC area market may get taken by other teams.

 

Rumors of a new team out of Phila and I've heard its not the Independence!

 

I only vaguely remember from over a year ago, but I thought I heard that if a group came to WPS wanting to revive the Freedom name, they could - so I think DB relinquished right to the name? Def. not sure, though.

 

New England Mutiny becomes #7

Does this mean the Capitols got turned down? Haven't heard anything more about them.

 

Heard the last team making it an 8 team league will be announced tomorrow. Any ideas who it maybe!