History
Founded in 2006, the Philadelphia Liberty FC plays in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL), a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
The Liberty's home, since 2006, is John A. Farrell Stadium, which is located on the campus of West Chester University in the Philadelphia suburb of West Chester. The team is owned by Team Dynamics LLC, a highly successful organization dedicated to soccer education and player development at all age levels, which also operates the Atlantic City Diablos and Central Delaware SA Future.
Prior to the 2007 season, the team was known as the Philadelphia Pirates. In 2009, Team Dynamics LLC became Philadelphia Women's Pro Soccer LLC, and the Philadelphia Independence of Women's Professional Soccer began competing under its ownership in 2010. Also in 2010, the WPSL Philadelphia Liberty was renamed as the Philadelphia Independence, meaning that Philadelphia Women's Pro Soccer LLC now operates two teams named the Philadelphia Independence, one in WPS and one in the WPSL.
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) governs most levels of soccer in the United States, including the national teams, professional leagues, and amateur leagues, being the highest soccer authority in the country. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) governs most colleges; secondary schools are governed by state-level associations, with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) setting the rules at that level. The match regulations are generally the same between the three governing bodies although there are many subtle differences.
The Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) is an amateur women's soccer league in the United States.
The United States soccer league system is a series of professional and amateur soccer leagues based, in whole or in part, in the United States. Sometimes called the American soccer pyramid, teams and leagues are not linked by the system of promotion and relegation typical in soccer elsewhere. Instead, the United States Soccer Federation defines professional leagues in three levels, called divisions, with all other leagues sanctioned by the USSF not having an official designated level or division.
The Atlantic City Diablos are an American professional soccer team based in Richland, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 2005, the team plays in Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL), a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
F.C. Indiana, also known as F.C. Indiana Lionesses, is an American women's soccer team based in Indiana. Founded in 2003, the team is currently a member of the United Women's Soccer league. They play their home games at Newton Park in Lakeville, Indiana.
Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) was the top-level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded six teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion. The WPS was the highest level in the United States soccer pyramid for the women's game.
The Philadelphia Independence was an American professional soccer club that was based in the Philadelphia suburb of Chester, Pennsylvania. The team joined Women's Professional Soccer as an expansion team in 2010 and played its home games at West Chester University's John A. Farrell Stadium. The team played at Widener University's Leslie Quick Stadium in 2011. The Women's Professional Soccer league folded on May 18, 2012, after an earlier announcement that the 2012 season would be suspended.
The 2010 Women's Professional Soccer season was the second season for the WPS, the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. Regular season champion FC Gold Pride won the WPS Championship on September 26 with a 4–0 victory over the Philadelphia Independence.
California Storm is an American women's soccer team, founded in 1995 as the Sacramento Storm, before changing its name the following season. The team is a member of the Women's Premier Soccer League and the USL W League, both semi-professional women's leagues in the United States. The team plays in the North Division of the Pacific Conference in the WPSL and in the NorCal Division for the USL W League. The team was a founding member of the W-League, then left in 1998 to become one of the founding teams of the WPSL. It returned in 2022 and will field a team in both leagues.
Oklahoma Alliance is an American women’s soccer team, founded in 2007. The team is a member of the Women's Premier Soccer League, the second tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada. The team plays in the South Division of the Big Sky Conference.
SoccerPlus Connecticut is an American women's soccer team, founded in 2006. The team is a member of the Women's Premier Soccer League, the third tier of women's soccer in the United States and Canada. The team plays in the North Division of the East Conference.
Jennifer Rose Buczkowski is an American former soccer midfielder. She played for FC Kansas City in the NWSL. She previously played for the Philadelphia Independence and New Jersey Sky Blue of Women's Professional Soccer.
The Boston Breakers were an American professional women's soccer club based in the Boston neighborhood of Allston. The team competed in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). They replaced the original Breakers, who competed in the defunct Women's United Soccer Association, as the Boston area's professional women's soccer team. Boston would eventually get a new expansion team in 2023 that would begin play in 2026.
John A. Farrell Stadium is an American stadium that is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania. It is primarily used by the West Chester University of Pennsylvania's football and track and field teams.
The prominent women's sports leagues in the United States and Canada serve as the pinnacle of women's athletic competition in North America. The United States is home to the vast majority of professional women's leagues. In North America, the top women's leagues feature both team sports and individual athletes. While some leagues have paid professional female athletes, others do not and function at a semi-professional level.
Philadelphia Lone Star Football Club is an American professional development soccer club based in Southwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that competes in USL League Two and the National Premier Soccer League, both leagues which sit in the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid. Nicknamed "the Stars", the club was founded as Junior Lone Star Football Club in 2001, but changed its name to Philadelphia Lone Star F.C. in 2018.
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 U.S. existed only on a limited basis.
Charlotte Independence is an American soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina that plays in the USL League One, the third tier of the American soccer pyramid.
Florida Tropics SC is a professional soccer club based in Lakeland, Florida. They are owned by Central Florida Sports Ventures, LLC, led by Dr. Panos Iakovidis, and former USL commissioner and Rochester Rhinos owner Chris Economides. The organization was originally founded in 2015 as a team in the Major Arena Soccer League before expanding into other leagues.
Meghan Jeanne Lenczyk is an American professional soccer player who was last played for the New York Fury of the Women's Premier Soccer League Elite. She also played for Atlanta Beat, New York Fury, Washington Freedom Reserves, and F.C. Virginia.
Matt Driver
Seamus O'Connor
