US Soccer announces new Women's league. CSA and FMF to assist with funding

[Yohan]

http://www.soccerbyives.net/2012/11/u-s-soccer-announces-new-eight-team-womens-pro-soccer-league.html

No Canadian team as of yet, but CSA will help fund up to 16 players. I'm assuming 16 Canadians to play in this league.

Can't help thinking this is money wasted, since this is third attempt that women's league in US, and there just is no big enough fan base to support a professional women's league

[Alberto7]

Agree 100% this isn't going to work. As you said, fan base too small. On the positive side, 16 Canadians will get a chance to play competitive soccer for 5-6 months a year as opposed to 2-3 months with the W-league.

[canadianfoot]

The size of the continent is simply too big for a women's league. The US & Canada should join ranks and piggy back some of the costs thru MLS, could be some sort of a tax write off. Concentrate the league on the East Coast for now and throw a team in Toronto and Maybe Montreal. Have another 4teams on the US East coast, keep a tight ship. I don't see the point to play at BMO Field since it would look empty, unless they tarp half off.

Then start a Separate(for Now) West Coast operation same thing 6 teams (Vancouver being one). But don't start flying the teams all over the continent right off the bat.

[Soccerpro]

The CSA is always crying poor. I assume these women will make in the $40-50,000 a year range. If so that's a min investment of $640,000. Where are they going to find the money?

[FootyCanuck]

Bloody nay-sayers. Glass never even half full, I guess.

Is the CSA still supposed to be full of morons? I (naively) choose to believe that they must have a plan to make the money available. This is a great opportunity to keep a good number of #CanWNT players in top form.

Yes, it's possible that the market still isn't strong enough to support a nationwide league. Yes, it could fail. But do we really have to prove how smart we are by stating such conjecture?

Maybe this time, with better support from USSF, CSA and Mexico, there is a better foundation. Maybe the East-West travel issue (a biggie) can be worked out in 2014 (with 12 teams?). Who knows? I know that it doesn't help to crap all over it before it even gets off the ground.

The negative tone of the comments thus far is disheartening. They are not "facts", but merely "I told you so" speculation, so that you can proudly beat your chest when things hit a snag. Well, for better reasons than being able to say you were wrong, I sure hope this works out.

Rather than predicting doom, let's cheer for the determination of those who would try and try again. That spirit, along with the superb level of play we've seen recently, auger well for a successful league in the future.

[A_Gagne]

http://www.soccerbyives.net/2012/11/u-s-soccer-announces-new-eight-team-womens-pro-soccer-league.html

No Canadian team as of yet, but CSA will help fund up to 16 players. I'm assuming 16 Canadians to play in this league.

Can't help thinking this is money wasted, since this is third attempt that women's league in US, and there just is no big enough fan base to support a professional women's league

Not at all. I'm willing to bet these 16 funded players are going to be funded through the carded athlete program, and thus we would have been spending the money anyway. As for the wildly speculative sum of 40k-50k per year... that is more than double what I'm guessing these gal's paycheques will be. I think most carded athletes (across sports) make in the $18k range.

[CoachRich]

Bloody nay-sayers. Glass never even half full, I guess.

Is the CSA still supposed to be full of morons? I (naively) choose to believe that they must have a plan to make the money available. This is a great opportunity to keep a good number of #CanWNT players in top form.

Yes, it's possible that the market still isn't strong enough to support a nationwide league. Yes, it could fail. But do we really have to prove how smart we are by stating such conjecture?

Maybe this time, with better support from USSF, CSA and Mexico, there is a better foundation. Maybe the East-West travel issue (a biggie) can be worked out in 2014 (with 12 teams?). Who knows? I know that it doesn't help to crap all over it before it even gets off the ground.

The negative tone of the comments thus far is disheartening. They are not "facts", but merely "I told you so" speculation, so that you can proudly beat your chest when things hit a snag. Well, for better reasons than being able to say you were wrong, I sure hope this works out.

Rather than predicting doom, let's cheer for the determination of those who would try and try again. That spirit, along with the superb level of play we've seen recently, auger well for a successful league in the future.

The CSA funds the canwnt very little as the teams funds come from outside the CSA. Mostly Sports Canada and OTP/COC where the funding is restricted to only the canwnt use.

Until the details are published, my guess is the majority of the funding for the 16 players will come from the OTP/COC (last cycle $1.6M & this one $5.6M. next cycle $6-8M) or one of their business partners. This will be on top of the AAP $18K the canwnt players already get.

Further there is no guarantee that the top canwnt and uswnt players will stay in NA if they are offered better deals in one of the UEFA leagues.

U.S. Women's League Conference Call Quote Sheet -

http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Womens-National-Team/2012/11/US-Womens-League-Conference-Call-Quote-Sheet.aspx

Audio

http://www.ussoccer.com/media-library/Videos/Uploaded/2012/11/21/New-Domestic-Women-s-League-Announced.aspx

[Yohan]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/blog/_/name/soccerusa/id/661?cc=5901

More details on this article

[alberta white]

I noted from the article that the majority of these teams are in MLS territories. Are they connected to the MLS clubs?

I ask this as the two leagues of similar size I know of in England and Australia, with one or two exceptions, the teams have effectivley become squads within the umberella of the Main clubs.

As far s I know this has helped with media recognition ofthe leagues. The local ABC stations often update on the Westfield W-League in Oz Whilst the BBC are now reporting Womens transfer news and results on its main sport radio channel.

[Lord Bob]

Apparently the Portland team is mostly the brainchild of the University and might not be named the Timbers.

[VPjr]

The CSA is always crying poor. I assume these women will make in the $40-50,000 a year range. If so that's a min investment of $640,000. Where are they going to find the money?

curious....when was last time CSA cried poor? I'm sure that it took some work and prioritizing to create the pool of money needed to make this commitment to those 16 players but the CSA isn't crying poor these days.

Also, I would assume that the min investment is going to be more than $640K....

[VPjr]

Bloody nay-sayers. Glass never even half full, I guess.

Is the CSA still supposed to be full of morons? I (naively) choose to believe that they must have a plan to make the money available. This is a great opportunity to keep a good number of #CanWNT players in top form.

Yes, it's possible that the market still isn't strong enough to support a nationwide league. Yes, it could fail. But do we really have to prove how smart we are by stating such conjecture?

Maybe this time, with better support from USSF, CSA and Mexico, there is a better foundation. Maybe the East-West travel issue (a biggie) can be worked out in 2014 (with 12 teams?). Who knows? I know that it doesn't help to crap all over it before it even gets off the ground.

The negative tone of the comments thus far is disheartening. They are not "facts", but merely "I told you so" speculation, so that you can proudly beat your chest when things hit a snag. Well, for better reasons than being able to say you were wrong, I sure hope this works out.

Rather than predicting doom, let's cheer for the determination of those who would try and try again. That spirit, along with the superb level of play we've seen recently, auger well for a successful league in the future.

BRAVO....

too many pessimists....

success will be difficult for any women's pro league, in any team sport, but it's not impossible and this significant injection of financial support will undoubtedly help make it more feasible.

[Redcoatsforever]

The main reason WPS failed was that MagicJack guy, not because the league was a legitimate failure. This one will have even more money and should be okay. Also, boycott MagicJack.

[alberta white]

The main reason WPS failed was that MagicJack guy, not because the league was a legitimate failure. This one will have even more money and should be okay. Also, boycott MagicJack.

Didn't the fact that the MagicJack guy own the league, and susequentlty took his ball home in a huff have something to do with the WPS failing? Note to USSF: don't let single team owner own league.

[RJB]

If the CSA is paying their wages, then doesn't that put a bit of pressure on the WNT Coach to select them? In many ways, it pre-selects the first sixteen names on the team sheet.

[Redcoatsforever]

If the CSA is paying their wages, then doesn't that put a bit of pressure on the WNT Coach to select them? In many ways, it pre-selects the first sixteen names on the team sheet.

Not necessarily. I don't imagine someone like Christine Sinclair needing the CSA to pay for her, as she could probably get a better wage from the club itself at her skill level and contribution. I would apply that to Mel Tancredi as well.

[Richard]

The fact that clubs will not be responsible for the salaries of what will likely be the top 52 players in the league must have a material impact in financial viability. I think this league offers a glimmer of hope. As for limiting the national scope, they have to 'go big' to have any hope of generating enough buzz to endure. Limiting the exercise to a regional league condemns it to being even less than USL PRO level.