And the W-league is launching a pro league too?? All these pro leagues competing against each other is NOT a good thing! Talk about saturating a market that doesn't have enough interest to begin with!
I'm not surprised by that, that's been USL's gimmick for years. Look what they are trying to do in Tampa: Super 20Yleague, PDL, W-League,USL-Pro hello we already have NASL.
I don't think WPSL is really talking about being a "first division" pro league. Becoming more like the USL Pro league, which is basically a 3rd division.
But not necessarily paying them. Dave Ungrady's entertaining book "Unlucky" pointed out the irony of a D3 team that didn't see many paychecks going up against a local "amateur" team in which players at least got some expenses.
If they launch a pro league that will indeed be competition. They just haven't done it yet. I know it's not the same league and there are difference but nonetheless.
They're only competition if they're competing for one of the following: 1. Players. 2. TV viewers. 3. Fans. Simply having pro teams (as they have in the past) wouldn't launch them into any sort of competition.
In that article : If WPS can't convince U.S. Soccer to sanction it as a Division I league, top players might not sign to play. And if the league continues without U.S. Soccer's top sanction, WPS players could risk bans from international competition -- depending on how FIFA decides to impose its rules. Why would FIFA ban players from a Division II League to play in their competition ? I see players from the 4th/5th level in England compete in FIFA competitions.
The word "top" should not appear before "sanction." Thanks for pointing that out. You're right -- it's only an issue if the league is UNsanctioned. W-League isn't officially any sort of division, but it's sanctioned, so Canada's 2011 team was fine.
saw on twitter last night from dure & the old sbfc gm that the euro feds (germany, sweden, france) all give money to their women's leagues but the ussf does not. they support individual players that play on the uswnt but not the league. given the almost incestuous relationship btwn mls & ussf (not to mention sum) that's pretty bad. and now to have ussf be the group that could kill wps sucks more.
Thanks, I understand better. It seems logical, it could be seen as a breakaway from FIFA rules and regulation, like some top clubs are trying to do in Europe with their European Superleague to replace the Champions League.