Women's soccer in the United States

Women's Soccer in the United States
Governing body U.S. Soccer
National team Women's national team

Women's soccer in the United States has developed quite differently from men's soccer. Until the 1970s, organized women's soccer matches in the United States existed only on a limited basis.[1][2][3] The United States is now regarded as one of the top countries in the world for women’s soccer; after the national team's victory in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, they returned to the top spot in the most recent FIFA Women's World Rankings.[4]

The highest women's professional soccer league in the U.S. is the National Women's Soccer League. The NWSL was established in 2013 as a successor to Women's Professional Soccer and is run by the United States Soccer Federation. The league began with eight teams and has since expanded to ten, with the most recent expansion being the Orlando Pride. The NWSL season runs from April–August, with each team scheduled from 24 regular season games, 12 of home and road. The NWSL is the third attempt at a women's professional league in the United States and has seen much success, especially after the U.S. Women's National Team won the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup against Japan, drawing a record 26.7 million viewers, more than final games of the 2014 World Series or the 2015 NBA Finals.[5]

Early History

The first organized women's soccer league in the United States was the Craig Club Girls Soccer League, which consisted of four teams in St. Louis, Missouri, playing 15-game seasons in 1950 and 1951.[6][7]

Women's soccer in the United States started to gain popularity in the beginning of the 20th century, much later that it appeared in Europe, which had women leagues way back in the 1930s. In the 1970s, Title IX Legislation of 1972 made gender equality mandatory in education, triggering a more organized form of women's soccer. Collegiate soccer created more popularity for the game in the 1980s.[8] Eventually, the first national women' league was established in 1995.

National Team

The women’s national team was formed and played its first games in 1985. In its first years, it played in little more than friendly tournaments, primarily against European teams, as no competitions for women’s national teams yet existed. After the United States was awarded the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the first FIFA Women's World Cup was announced for 1991, increased investment in both the men’s and women’s national teams by the USSF led to the United States' team rapidly improving and hosting the first women’s World Cup.[9][10] The popularity of the team exploded in the aftermath of the US 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup win as a result of penalty kicks in front of a sold-out Rose Bowl.[11][12][13][14] The close win increased the tension, giving the team a more lively reputation as a sport.[15]

Since then, the Americans have remained a force in international women’s soccer, having finished third or better in every World Cup, reaching the championship game again in 2011 and winning in 2015, as well as appearing in all five Olympic gold medal games, winning four, despite only 7 of the 18 players in the 2012 squad holding a professional contract and none playing professionally overseas. The national team also competes in other tournaments such as the annual Algarve Cup. The primary source of young players for the national team is NCAA College soccer, which feeds players to the U-20 national team and eventually the full senior team. Because the United States often lacks a professional women’s league, interest in the team only peaks around major tournaments and the team has historically struggled to maintain interest between said tournaments.[10] Recently, the United States has also faced increasingly competitive European national teams, many of which have well-established women’s leagues in their countries from which to draw players. [16]

League system

The success of the women's national team has not translated into success for women's professional soccer in the United States.[17]

History

Amateur Soccer: W-League and WPSL

Originally called the United States Interregional Women’s League, the W-League was formed in 1995 as the first national women's soccer league, providing a professional outlet for many of the top female soccer players in the country. It also allowed college players the opportunity to play alongside established international players. Starting as the Western Division of the W-League, the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) broke away and formed its own league in 1997 and had its inaugural season in 1998. Both the W-League and the WPSL were considered the premier women’s soccer leagues in the United States at the time, but eventually fell to a “second-tier” level upon the formation of the Women’s United Soccer Association in 2000.

Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)

As a result of the US Women's National Team's (USWNT) first-place showing in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, a seemingly viable market for the sport germinated.[18] Feeding on the momentum of their victory, the twenty USWNT players, in partnership with John Hendricks of the Discovery Channel, sought out the investors, markets, and players necessary to form WUSA, an eight-team league, in February 2000, playing its first season in April 2001. It would be the world’s first women’s soccer league in which all the players were paid as professionals.

The eight teams included the Atlanta Beat, Boston Breakers, Carolina Courage, New York Power, Philadelphia Charge, San Diego Spirit, San Jose CyberRays (called Bay Area CyberRays for 2001 season), and the Washington Freedom.

Team Stadium City Founded Joined WUSA Left Notes
Atlanta Beat Herndon Stadium Atlanta, Georgia 2001 2001 2003 Dissolved then joined WPS in 2009
Boston Breakers Nickerson Field Boston, Massachusetts 2000 2001 2003 Dissolved then joined WPS in 2007
Carolina Courage SAS Stadium Cary, North Carolina 2001 2001 2003 Dissolved
New York Power Mitchel Athletic Complex Uniondale, New York 2000 2001 2003 Dissolved
Philadelphia Charge Villanova Stadium Villanova, Pennsylvania 2000 2001 2003 Dissolved
San Diego Spirit Terero Stadium San Diego, California 2001 2001 2003 Dissolved
San Jose CyberRays Spartan Stadium San Jose, California 2001 2001 2003 Dissolved
Washington Freedom Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Washington, D.C. 2001 2001 2003 Joined W-League in 2006

The US Soccer Federation approved membership of WUSA as a sanctioned Division 1 women's professional soccer league on August 18, 2000. WUSA had previously announced plans to begin play in 2001 in eight cities across the country, including: Atlanta, the Bay Area, Boston, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Diego and Washington, D.C. Led by investor John Hendricks, WUSA had also forged ahead on a cooperation agreement that will see the new league work side-by-side with Major League Soccer to help maximize the market presence and success of both Division I leagues.[19]

WUSA played for three full seasons and suspended operations on September 15, 2003, shortly after the conclusion of the third season due to financial problems and lack of public interest in the sport.[20]

Post-WUSA

With the Women's United Soccer Association on hiatus, the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) and the W-League regained their status as the premier women's soccer leagues in the United States, and many former WUSA players joined those teams.

After the folding of WUSA, WUSA Reorganization Committee was formed in September 2003 that led to the founding of Women's Soccer Initiative, Inc. (WSII), whose stated goal was "promoting and supporting all aspects of women's soccer in the United States", including the founding of a new professional league.[21] Initial plans were to play a scaled down version of WUSA in 2004. However, these plans fell through and instead, in June 2004, the WUSA held two "WUSA Festivals" in Los Angeles and Blaine, Minnesota, featuring matches between reconstituted WUSA teams in order to maintain the league in the public eye and sustain interest in women's professional soccer.[22] A planned full relaunch in 2005 also fell through. In June 2006, WSII announced the relaunch of the league for the 2008 season.[23]

In December 2006, WSII announced that it reached an agreement with six owner-operators for teams based in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and a then-unnamed city.[24] In September 2007, the launch was pushed back from Spring of 2008 to 2009 to avoid clashing with 2007 Women's World Cup and the 2008 Olympic Games and to ensure that all of the teams were fully prepared for long-term operations.[25]

Women's Professional Soccer (WPS)

Team Stadium City Founded Joined WPS Left Notes
Atlanta Beat KSU Soccer Stadium Kennesaw, Georgia 2009 2010 2012 Dissolved
Boston Breakers Harvard Stadium Boston, Massachusetts 2008 2009 2012 Joined WPSLE in 2012
Chicago Red Stars Toyota Park Bridgeview, Illinois 2007 2009 2011 Joined WPSL in 2011
FC Gold Pride Pioneer Stadium Hayward, California 2008 2009 2010 Dissolved
Los Angeles Sol Home Depot Center Carson, California 2007 2009 2012 Dissolved
magicJack FAU Soccer Field Boca Raton, Florida 2001 2009 2012 Dissolved
Philadelphia Independence Leslie Quick Stadium Chester, Pennsylvania 2009 2010 2012 Dissolved
Sky Blue FC Yurcak Field Piscataway, New Jersey 2008 2009 2012 Joined NWSL in 2013
Saint Louis Athletica Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park Fenton, Missouri 2008 2009 2010 Dissolved
Western New York Flash Sahlen's Stadium Rochester, New York 2008 2011 2012 Joined WPSLE in 2012

The name for the new professional league, along with its logo, was announced on January 17, 2008. The league was to have its inaugural season in 2009, with seven teams, including the Washington Freedom, a former WUSA team. Twenty-one US nation team players were allocated to each of the seven teams in September 2008. Also in September, the league held the 2008 WPS International Draft.

Unlike WUSA, the WPS took "a local, grass roots approach", and "a slow and steady growth type of approach,” In addition, the WPS attempted to have a closer relationship with Major League Soccer in order to cut costs. Most teams considered the first season a moderate success, despite many losing more money than planned. However, most teams began to see problems in 2010. Overall attendance for 2010 was noticeably down from 2009, teams were struggling with financial problems, and the WPS changed leadership by the end of the season.The success of the United States women's national soccer team at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup resulted in an upsurge in attendance league-wide as well as interest in new teams for the 2012 season. However, several internal organization struggles, including an ongoing legal battle with magicJack-owner Dan Borislow, and lack of resources invested in the league lead to the suspension of the 2012, announced in January, 2012.

On May 18, 2012 the WPS announced that the league had officially ceased operations, having played for only three seasons.

WPSL Elite

By this time, the WPSL and W-League were the two semi-pro leagues in the United States and had sat under WUSA and the WPS until 2012. Upon the disbandment of the WPS, they once again regained their status as the premier women's soccer leagues in the United States. In response to the suspension, and eventual end, of the WPS, the Women’s Premier Soccer League created the Women’s Premier Soccer League Elite (WPSL Elite) to support the sport in the United States. For the 2012 season, the league featured former WPS teams, Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, and Western New York Flash, in addition to many WPSL teams. Six of the eight teams were considered fully professional.

Many members of the USWNT remained unattached for the 2012 season while others chose to play in the W-League instead of the WPSL Elite.

National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)

After the WPS folded in 2012, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) announced a roundtable for discussion of the future of women’s professional soccer in the United States. The meeting resulted in the planning of a new league set to launch in 2013 with 12-16 teams, taking from the WPS, the W-League, and the WPSL. In November 2012, it was announced that there would be eight teams in a new women's professional soccer league. The league would be funded by the USSF, the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) and the Mexican Football Federation (FMF). USSF would fund up to 24 players, the CSA up to 16, and the FMF a minimum of 12.[26] Former WPS teams Western New York Flash, Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, and Sky Blue FC were joined by four other teams, for a total of eight teams for the inaugural season in 2012.

Each club is allowed a minimum of 18 players on their roster, with a maximum of 20 players allowed at any time during the season.[27] Each team’s roster includes up the three allocated USWNT players, two Mexico women’s national team players, and two CANWNT players via the NWSL Player Allocation. Each team also has, as of 2015, four spots for international players. The remaining roster spots must be filled by domestic players from the United States.

In 2013, the Houston Dynamo of MLS stated interest in starting a women’s team. By December 2013, the NWSL approved the new team, the Houston Dash, run by the Dynamo organization, for expansion in 2014.[28] After the media boom of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, MLS side Orlando City SC showed interest in starting a women’s team for the 2016 season. On October 20, 2015, it was announced that Orlando would be hosting the Orlando Pride, due to start the 2016 season.[29]

Team Stadium City Founded Joined NWSL
Boston Breakers Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium Boston, Massachusetts 2008 2013
Chicago Red Stars Toyota Park Bridgeview, Illinois 2007 2013
FC Kansas City Swope Soccer Village Kansas City, Missouri 2012 2013
Houston Dash BBVA Compass Stadium Houston, Texas 2013 2014
Orlando Pride Citrus Bowl Orlando, Florida 2015 2016
Portland Thorns FC Providence Park Portland, Oregon 2012 2013
Seattle Reign FC Memorial Stadium Seattle, Washington 2012 2013
Sky Blue FC Yurcak Field Piscataway, New Jersey 2007 2013
Washington Spirit Maryland SoccerPlex Boyds, Maryland 2012 2013
Western New York Flash Sahlen's Stadium Rochester, New York 2008 2013

The NWSL in the first professional women’s league to reach nine teams with the addition of the Houston Dash and is the first to last past its third season.

Folding of the W-League and Creation of United Women's Soccer

The W-League had served as a Division II development organization and league for women's soccer in the United States for 21 seasons. However, the W-League announced on November 6, 2015 that the league would cease operation ahead of the 2016 season.[30] In response to the folding of the W-League and the problems occurring in the WPSL, the other Division II league in America, United Women's Soccer (UWS) was founded as a planned second-division pro-am women's soccer league in the United States. There are currently eight known teams, with plans to create the league with two conferences for the 2016 inaugural season.[31]

Current Tier System

U.S. Soccer has been heavily involved in the creation and operation of the NWSL; however, it did not initially refer to the league as a sanctioned Division 1 league.[32] U.S. Soccer has now officially labeled NWSL as a Division 1 Professional league, and has added the league to its Professional Council. Unlike with men's soccer, USSF has not specifically designated tiers or levels below the NWSL; however, the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) and United Women's Soccer (UWS) currently act as an unofficial lower division.

Tier Leagues/divisions
Division 1 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)

10 Teams

Division 2 Affiliated through United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA)[33][34]
Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL)

74 clubs (in 10 conferences)

 United Women's Soccer (UWS)

8+ clubs (in 2 conferences) planned

Division 3 United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA)

55 state association in 4 regions

See List of USASA affiliated leagues for complete list

Amateur Soccer

The United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) is a national organization and sanctioning body for amateur soccer in the United States. It consists of 54 state organizations as well as regional and national leagues. The USL's Premier Development League and the National Premier Soccer League are USASA-affiliated but are designed to promote a higher lever of competition than the state organizations. USASA also affiliates the Women's Premier Soccer League, one of the top women's leagues in the nation.

USASA National Women's Open

The USASA National Women's Open is an American women's soccer tournament run by the United States Adult Soccer Association. It began in 1996, and from 2009-2012 it was known as the Women's Cup. Before the formation of the Women's Open, the Women's Amateur was the top national cup competition.

Historically, it has only been contested by amateur and semi-pro teams, as teams from professional leagues (WUSA, WPS, and the NWSL) are not allowed to enter the competition. In 2012 though, the Chicago Red Stars, a professional club in the WPSL Elite, entered and won the competition. Similarly, the professional Houston Aces of WPSL won in 2013.

USASA National Women's Amateur

The USASA National Women's Amateur is an American women's soccer tournament run by the United States Adult Soccer Association. It began in 1980 and was the top-level national tournament for women's soccer in the United States until the formation of the Women's Open in 1996. It is open to all USASA-affiliated women's teams.

US Soccer National Amateur Championships

First held in 2014, the US Soccer National Amateur Championships are contested between the league winners of WPSL, Open Cup, and Amateur Cup.

Hardships for Women's Professional Soccer

Factors that have hampered the growth of a strong professional women's league in the United States include high operating costs due to travel costs and distances, the lack of TV rights and sponsorship contracts and the corresponding lack of funding for player, coach, and staff salaries, as well as training & development facilities, and the lack of affiliation with profitable men's professional clubs.

Another contributing factor is the role of women within American society, which includes relative equality (especially rejecting hardened gender roles) for women in the United States relative to many other countries.[35] This is also reflected in official government policy regarding women in athletics, specifically Title IX, which requires college and public school athletics programs to support men's and women's athletics equally. (By contrast, youth athletics in many countries, including most European countries, is focused on sports clubs, not on school-based programs;[36] thus, outside the United States, laws prohibiting sex discrimination in the educational system would have only limited effect on sports programs.)

Contributions to the Game

America's approach to growing the game among women has served as a model for other countries' development programs for women at all levels.[37][38] The relative lack of attention—and, in some cases, restrictions[39]—afforded the women's game in traditional soccer-playing countries may also have contributed to the United States' early dominance of the international women's game. For example, in England, The Football Association prohibited women's soccer from being played at professional football grounds from 1921 through 1973.[40] The German Football Association banned women's soccer from 1955 through 1970,[41] while Brazil prohibited girls and women from playing soccer, by law, from 1941 through 1979.[42]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "A Level Playing Field: Why the USA Is So Strong in Women's Soccer". NBC. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  2. ↑ "Women's Soccer History in the USA: An Overview". Homepages.sover.net. 2011-08-17. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  3. ↑ "History Of The U.s. Women's Soccer Team". Livestrong.Com. 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  4. ↑ "World champions USA back on top" (Press release). FIFA. July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  5. ↑ Sandomir, Richard (2015-07-06). "Women’s World Cup Final Was Most-Watched Soccer Game in United States History". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  6. ↑ Williams, Jean (2007). A Beautiful Game: International Perspectives on Women's Football. Oxford, England: Berg. p. 59. ISBN 9781845206741. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  7. ↑ Dent, Mark (2015-06-12). "Thirty Years Before Abby Wambach Was Even Born, These Women Pioneered Soccer in America". Slate. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  8. ↑ "Women in Soccer | History of Soccer". www.historyofsoccer.info. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  9. ↑ "Foudy Shows Women's Soccer is Alive, Kicking : Future: Former Mission Viejo star hopes her game grows thanks to the popularity of the recent World Cup tournament. - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. 1994-08-28. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
  10. 1 2 "Women's Soccer History in the USA: An Overview". Homepages.sover.net. 2011-08-17. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  11. ↑ "SOCCER; U.S. Women Beat Norway To Capture World Cup". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  12. ↑ "CNN/SI - Inside Game - Michael Lewis - Most agree a pro league is needed, but would it work? - Friday July 16, 1999 07:27 AM". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. 1999-07-16. Archived from the original on April 16, 2003. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  13. ↑ "CNN/SI - Women's World Cup - U.S. women make a mark, leave lingering question - Wednesday July 14, 1999 01:04 AM". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. 1999-07-14. Archived from the original on February 19, 2002. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  14. ↑ "Out of this World". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on September 14, 2000. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  15. ↑ Longman, Jere (1999-05-20). "Soccer; 1999 Women's World Cup: Beautiful Game Takes Flight". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  16. ↑ "Will U.S. Women's Soccer Continue To Thrive Under Its New Coach?". Forbes. 2012-11-02. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  17. ↑ "U.S. women helping Britain grow". ESPN. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  18. ↑ "Women Ready to Kick-Start Soccer League of Their Own - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. 2003-09-19. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
  19. ↑ "WUSA Granted U.S. Soccer Membership as Division I Women's Professional Soccer League". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  20. ↑ "Cash-strapped WUSA folds after 3 seasons". Arizona Daily Sun. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  21. ↑ "WSII". wsii.typepad.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  22. ↑ "SOCCER.COM || WUSA - Women's United Soccer Association". www.soccer.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  23. ↑ "U.S. Women's Pro League Prepares to Blast Back Onto Soccer Scene | Fox News". Fox News. 2006-06-28. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  24. ↑ "Relaunch of WUSA set for spring 2008". ESPNFC.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  25. ↑ "Women's pro soccer team put on hold - St. Louis Business Journal". St. Louis Business Journal. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  26. ↑ "Equalizer Soccer – Eight teams to start new women’s pro soccer league in 2013". Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  27. ↑ "2015 Roster Rules - National Women's Soccer League". www.nwslsoccer.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  28. ↑ "Houston Dash Officially Announced for NWSL 2014". Dynamo Theory. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  29. ↑ "Orlando Pride women's soccer team to join NWSL in 2016". www.baynews9.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  30. ↑ "Equalizer Soccer – USL W-League, once top flight, folds after 21 seasons". Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  31. ↑ "SoccerAmerica - New women's league plans to launch 12/22/2015". www.socceramerica.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  32. ↑ "Page Not Found". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  33. ↑ "Premier Leagues". United States Adult Soccer Association. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  34. ↑ "UWS to Form National Pro-Am Women’s Soccer League in 2016 – United Women's Soccer". Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  35. ↑ "Waking Up to Women's Soccer - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. 1998-07-10. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
  36. ↑ Hinxman, Dan (2012-05-07). "Ex-college coach proposes ending high school sports". USA Today. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  37. ↑ GEORGE VECSEYPublished: February 15, 1999 (1999-02-15). "SOCCER; Women's World Cup: All Come to Look for America - New York Times". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
  38. ↑ Futterman, Matthew (2008-08-07). "In Women's Soccer, U.S. Finds It Can't Kick The World Around Anymore - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
  39. ↑ Morris, Benjamin (2015-06-30). "Why Is The U.S. So Good At Women’s Soccer?". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  40. ↑ "The History of Women's Football". TheFA.com. The Football Association. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  41. ↑ Wünsch, Silke (2011-06-20). "The elusive popularity of women's football". DW.com. Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  42. ↑ "The Struggle for Female Soccer Equality in Brazil". PRI.org. 2013-05-27. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, May 06, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.