Closing in On an Announcement, New Women’s Soccer League will have 8 teams Including Sky Blue FC

Added by Steven Farkas on November 15, 2012.

Sky Blue FC is expected to be a part of the new women's professional soccer league beginning 2013.

All though it is not official yet, it seems the much anticipated new women’s professional soccer league which we have been told for the last three months would begin play in Spring 2013, is nearing its announcement on the name of the league, and the teams that will be playing in this league.

Quietly over the last week an email has been sent out to the women’s national team pool from the USSF about the details regarding the new league, as has been confirmed by Soccerwire.  This email has given the details about the number of teams, eight, and where the ownership groups are located.  At this point former WPS teams, the Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, Western New York Flash, and Sky Blue FC are to be teams in this league.  They will be joined by new teams from Kansas City, Portland, Seattle, and Washington D.C.. 

It appears some of the hold up on an announcement has to do with the national players contracts and any ongoing legal issues with the USL W-League and the former owner of the Florida Magicjack franchise Dan Borislow.  The legal issues seem to have gone away and the contracts for national team players have been tailored to include both national and league play.

The United States Soccer Federation, the governing body for soccer in the U.S., has said it will be making an official announcement within the next week.  However they’ve been saying that for the last two months.  The one reason why they may be serious this time is that the board of governors of U.S. soccer hold their meeting around the MLS Cup which is scheduled for December 1^st and more than likely US Soccer will want the details made public before that meeting where they would then be able to sanction the league as Division 1, an important requirement that FIFA, the governing body for soccer in the world, wants before allowing national team members to play in a professional league. 

I am cautiously optimistic that we are on the cusp of the finalization of a third try at a D1 national soccer league for women.  I’ve crossed my fingers and lit a candle, have you?