The USL W-League was a North American amateur women's soccer developmental organization. The league was a semi-professional, open league, giving college players the opportunity to play alongside established international players while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league was administered by the United Soccer Leagues system, which also oversees the men's United Soccer League and Premier Development League. The W-League announced on November 6, 2015 that the league will cease operation ahead of 2016 season.
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.
F.C. Indiana, also known as F.C. Indiana Lionesses, is an American women's soccer team based in Indianapolis, 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.
Daniela Alves Lima, commonly known as Daniela, is a former Brazilian football midfielder who played for professional clubs in Brazil, Sweden and the United States. As a member of the Brazil women's national football team she participated in two FIFA Women's World Cups and three Olympic Games. Daniela was a box-to-box central midfielder who was renowned for her powerful long range shots.
Pali Blues was an American women's soccer team, which played from 2008 to 2014. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues USL W-League, the second tier of women's soccer in the United States and Canada. The team played in the Western Conference against Colorado Force, Colorado Rush, LA Strikers, Santa Clarita Blue Heat, Seattle Sounders Women, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Victoria Highlanders Women.
The Chicago Red Stars are a professional women's soccer club based in Bridgeview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. A founding member of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league, they have played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) since 2013.
FC Gold Pride was an American professional women's soccer club based in the San Francisco Bay Area, which participated in Women's Professional Soccer. The club replaced the San Jose CyberRays of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association as the top-level women's soccer team in the San Francisco Bay Area. FC Gold Pride moved to its final home of Pioneer Stadium on the campus of CSU East Bay in June 2010 after opening their 2010 home schedule at the Castro Valley High School Athletic Stadium. The club ceased operations in November 2010 after struggling financially and being unable to find new investors.
Tiffany Marie Weimer is an American soccer forward who plays for FC Nordsjælland.
Real Salt Lake Women was an American women's soccer team that was founded in 2008. The team was a founding member of United Women's Soccer league, in the second tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada. The team played in the Women's Premier Soccer League from 2008-2015.
The 2009 Saint Louis Athletica season was the inaugural season for the team.
The 2010 Saint Louis Athletica season was the second and final season for the team, both in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) and as an organization. On May 27, 2010, WPS announced that Athletica would fold effective immediately, forcing the league to finish the 2010 season with seven teams.
Elizabeth Ely Bogus is an American soccer coach and retired player who played as a midfielder and forward. She played semi-professionally with Chicago Cobras, Arizona Heatwave, Ajax America Women, Mile High Edge, Pali Blues, and Boston Aztec; at the professional level, she appeared for Los Angeles Sol, Boston Breakers, PK-35 Vantaa, Seattle Reign, and FC Kansas City.
Manya Janine Makoski is a retired American professional soccer midfielder who most recently played for Sky Blue FC in the National Women's Soccer League. She previously played for the Los Angeles Sol and Atlanta Beat of Women's Professional Soccer.
Kendall Lorraine Fletcher is an American professional soccer player who most recently played as a defender for North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Nicole Anne Cross is a retired American soccer player. She last played for the Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League in the 2015 season; the team acquired her via trade with the Washington Spirit on December 2, 2014. She retired partway through the 2015 season, making her last appearance on August 1 against the Washington Spirit.
Kathryn Theresa Schoepfer is an American coach and former professional soccer player, having last played for the Boston Breakers of National Women's Soccer League in 2016. She was formerly an assistant coach at the College of the Holy Cross and she is, currently, head coach of the United States girls' national under-15 soccer team.
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. The U.S. is now regarded as one of the top countries in the world for women's soccer, and FIFA ranked its national team #1 in the world after its back-to-back Women's World Cup victory in 2015 and 2019.
United Women's Soccer is a national pro-am women's soccer league in the United States. The league was founded in 2015 as a response to the dual problems of disorganization in the WPSL and of the folding of the original USL W-League. The league began play in May 2016 with eleven teams in two conferences. The first league currently has 45 teams in 6 conferences and second league currently has 49 teams in 6 conferences.
Shawn Kelly
