The biggest footballing story of the weekend wasn’t Scotland’s defeat against Holland, it wasn’t Northern Ireland’s win against Poland, it wasn’t Spain and Holland getting close to World Cup qualification, it wasn’t even Beckham’s 109th cap or the new England kit.
The biggest footballing story, by far, was the launch of the Women’s Professional Soccer league in the United States.
The WPS kicked off in considerable style on Sunday with Los Angeles Sol taking on Washington Freedom in a quality game that ended 2-0 to the Sol, with the second goal of a quality you’d hardly expect from US football.
And that’s been the key theme after the inaugral game – that the WPS has the potential to take football in the US to the next level, beyond what the MLS could manage on it’s own.
For starters, it is by far the best women’s football league on the planet. Think of how good the English Premier League would be if you had, apart from the players already in England, Kaka, Messi, Xavi, Henry, Ibrahimovic, Villa, Sneijder, Benzema, Ribery, Lahm, Ramos, Buffon, and a handful of other big names playing in it as well.
The difference between the WPS and other women’s football leagues is that insane, it’s that sharp, and because of that difference, you’re going to see quality football coming out of the WPS week in week out, something the MLS hasn’t managed in over a decade.
With due respect – the MLS has done a lot to further football’s cause in the US. But they were fighting a losing battle competing with European leagues for quality players, something the WPS hasn’t had to do.
It’s only one game. There’s a whole season to go, and it will be several seasons before the future of the WPS is certain in terms of finances and popular demand. So far though, the commissioner has done what she’s promised, and everyone in the WPS from the players to the owners have just one goal in mind, to help the WPS succeed in the long run.
It’s a far cry from the ‘Premier League’ that we’re used to. It’s also a great start for a brand new league.
Highlights from the Sol-Freedom game:
Find more videos like this on Women’s Professional Soccer
Also See: WPS Opener a Big Hit (Kartik Krishnaiyer)
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