WPS in Seattle?

Discussion in 'NWSL Expansion' started by GOALSeattle, Dec 13, 2009.

  1. GOALSeattle

    GOALSeattle Member

    Oct 13, 2007
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  2. Cville K C

    Cville K C Member

    Nov 3, 2008
    Collinsville, IL
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think putting a team in Seattle would be a good thing for WPS, however...you can have a team, but you can't have Hope Solo (nor Tina Ellertson for that matter). She stays in St. Louis.;)
     
  3. GOALSeattle

    GOALSeattle Member

    Oct 13, 2007
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    All locals *must* return when we get a club. That should mean we are competitive right from the start. :D
     
  4. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Philly looks like it's going to be incredibly competitive without getting any currently active ex-Chargers back - including Solo. Besides, there's STL-area talent spread around the league. We're not getting them back anytime soon, so neither are you getting yours back. :p
    Anyway, nice article find. And I agree, having Seattle in WPS would be an excellent step for the league. But shouldn't this thread be in the expansion forum?
     
  5. moog

    moog Member

    Mar 2, 2003
    eastern PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Independence
    They will have Mitts, who played for the Charge.
     
  6. SiberianThunderT

    Sep 21, 2008
    DC
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    She did? <goes back to double-check>


    ....
    That she did. My mistake..... >.> <.<
     
  7. GOALSeattle

    GOALSeattle Member

    Oct 13, 2007
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  8. toad455

    toad455 Member+

    Nov 28, 2005
    Seattle seems like the next logical expansion team, followed by Toronto & Houston.

    I say add Seattle in 2011, then Houston & Toronto in 2012. In 2011, the league should divide into two conferences(like MLS)

    EAST
    New England
    Sky Blue FC
    Washington
    Atlanta
    Philadelphia
    (Toronto)

    WEST
    LA Sol
    FC Gold Pride
    Seattle
    Chicago
    St. Louis
    (Houston)
     
  9. kool-aide

    kool-aide Member+

    Feb 1, 2002
    a van by the river
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Whoa, nelly. Getting a little ahead of things, no?

    As for the Sounders Women's team, GOALSeattle, do you have any info on current level of support (ie attendance and sponsors) for the Wleague team? The team website I found via the examiner article doesn't seem to have been updated for the 2009 season. How successful are they at the Wleague level?
     
  10. GOALSeattle

    GOALSeattle Member

    Oct 13, 2007
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    On the pitch they (Sounders Women) are annual Final Four contenders. Off the pitch they are not promoted much, and draw flies. I'd wager 200-400 per match at best, with occasional blips.

    Vancouver Whitecaps women are the 'power' in our region, being promoted alongside all of the Whitecaps clubs, and they draw 3-4k most matches.

    Let's remember, though, the USL Sounders also had low attendance. Look at them now, in MLS...
     
  11. lovingthegreen

    May 29, 2006
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This is so true. I remember a few years ago when there were the USL Sounders and the W-League Sounders and it was actually sad how little the team was publicized. I did not expect them to be publicized as much as the men's team (considering there are no Title IX issues here), but it seemed like next to nothing was done. I know I would have attended more women's matches if I was informed about simple things like when they were taking place. It just seemed odd to me that I went to a men's Sounders game (same ownership group back then, right?) and they never once mentioned when the next women's Sounders game was taking place or otherwise mention the team. At least not that I noticed.

    Now it may have improved in the past few years, but as of ~2002 that's how it was. Since I just moved back to the area, I will make sure to check their website for the schedule after it gets released and head out for a few games.
     
  12. Taly

    Taly Member

    Feb 25, 2001
    Big Al's Brewery, WA
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    GS,

    What is the latest on WPS Seattle? I would love to check out WPS Seattle and Marta! GS, are the Sounders interested in pursuing this?
     
  13. REALfootballRulez

    May 25, 2007
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    LOL! It's safe to say Paul Allen could do it without even blinking!! All he would have to do is sell some thousands of the TENS of MILLIONS of shares of Microsoft he owns to get a WPS team in Seattle.

    Eventhough Allen's net worth has "fallen" to around 10 BILLION he would be by FAR and away the richest owner in WPS. He could easily own the entire league!

    The only question is have they done the market studies to show if Seattle can support a WPS team with the 4K to 5K avg. attendance they need?

    I'm guessing they can but you guys up there would know better.
     
  14. GOALSeattle

    GOALSeattle Member

    Oct 13, 2007
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No new details.

    Vancouver is an eventual certainty to join WPS after the men join MLS. WPS would like Seattle in as a 'natural rival.'

    Vancouver Whitecaps women currently go up against Seattle Sounders women in the W-league each summer. The Caps are a powerhouse and draw 3-5k per home match.
     
  15. REALfootballRulez

    May 25, 2007
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That's incredible. Vancouver should already been in WPS then.
     
  16. GOALSeattle

    GOALSeattle Member

    Oct 13, 2007
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O18_b8FdhdA"]YouTube- Whitecaps Women v. Seattle Sounders - Highlights[/ame]
     
  17. lovingthegreen

    May 29, 2006
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I would say probably with the combination of the Storm (WNBA) and women's sports at the UW being supported as well as the popularity of soccer in general in this part of the country.
     
  18. GOALSeattle

    GOALSeattle Member

    Oct 13, 2007
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    How's this for you: if done right, Seattle WPS would lead the league in attendance and TV ratings.
     
  19. cobi13

    cobi13 Member

    Aug 16, 2004
    NY
    Do you have a link to this 3-5K number? That seems very, very high.
     
  20. GOALSeattle

    GOALSeattle Member

    Oct 13, 2007
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Looking back over the schedules from 2007-now, the Whitecaps don't always report their home attendance to USLsoccer.com.

    I see (under match reports) crowds as low as 1,600 and as high as 5,420.

    http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2010/22395.html#MAIN

    You can look at previous years by changing the year in the address.
     
  21. REALfootballRulez

    May 25, 2007
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    How do you know that??

    I was just curious. Are you male or female?
     
  22. GOALSeattle

    GOALSeattle Member

    Oct 13, 2007
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Male.

    Think how the Sounders have been recieved, just on a smaller scale.

    Women's soccer is big here as a player sport, and the college schools are competitive and draw OK.

    If done right (promotion, good name, colors, good place to play), Seattle WPS would be a smash.

    See also: Seattle's support for the WNBA Storm and UW Women's athletics.
     
  23. REALfootballRulez

    May 25, 2007
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I thought of that too but can you be sure the male support for the Sounders will parlay into a proportional success for a Seattle WPS team?

    Since you already have big female teams in other sports could the market already be saturated for female sports and a WPS might not make it?

    I'm just playing devil's advocate since these things need to be looked at before you get a team anyway.

    Being such a great soccer market you know why you weren't looked at to start in WPS last year?
     
  24. GOALSeattle

    GOALSeattle Member

    Oct 13, 2007
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Oh, it will be a different market for WPS: girls, families, general soccer lovers. Supporters clubs will have to be wooed.

    The league wants Seattle in, but right now we have stadium and ownership challenges to solve.
     
  25. REALfootballRulez

    May 25, 2007
    Club:
    Saint Louis Athletica
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Ownership challenges?? LOL....Paul Allen (net worth $10BILLION+) could own a Seattle WPS team and not even NOTICE it!

    You could ask Allen right now, "Hey Paul I heard you own a Seattle WPS team."

    Allen would say, "Oh really? Ok, maybe I do."

    LMAO!!
     

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