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Foudy Has Ladies League Hopes
(Soccer365.com) - Despite the failure of the WUSA a few years ago, former U.S. Women’s National Team star Julie Foudy believes a women’s professional soccer league could work in America with some cost control.
"I am cautiously optimistic it's going to be back," she told Reuters. "The women's game attracts a different market than the men's game - I think they can build on each other."
"Sponsorship was good, our revenue was steady, it's just that our expenses were way out of line," suggested Foudy. "Now you are seeing an environment where there is a potential for sharing infrastructure with a lot of (MLS) teams."
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Comments
dream on!
Posted by: dont worry bout it.. | July 26, 2006 11:27 PM
I'm with Judy. I want the Women's Professional League to come back. They play the game with more athleticism & less theatricality than the men.
Posted by: Footsie | September 1, 2006 09:06 AM
the womens pr league should be brought back.IT IS THAT IMPORTANT !
Bring in more stars from around the world this will attract more spectators and as such more sponsors. The organisors of the league should work on their advertising.it sucked the last time.
Posted by: Eunice | September 3, 2006 04:48 PM
the pro league should start back . this would bring opertunities to talented footballers around the word .thier is a product u just have to market it correctly surely with sponsership and the right people it can work. or is it a case of some dont want it to work mm i wonder
Posted by: Anonymous | November 14, 2006 11:25 AM
I'd love to see it revived. The main issue with the viability of the league before wasn't even a lack of fans really. That is always going to be the key of course, getting fans to come out, but the biggest problem they had before was expenses, primarily for facilities. The clubs had a decent revenue stream, they just couldn't afford the venues and costs of running a professional sports franchise on their own. There are a lot more opportunities to address that issue coming about now though.
With more soccer specific stadiums being built for MLS teams, the addition of reserve and youth teams, etc. there are a lot better partnership opportunities with MLS. If the Women's clubs can partner with MLS franchises to share playing, training and administrative facilities; it would help to mitigate one of the biggest barriers the women's professional league faced in the past.
Posted by: Heath Young | November 14, 2006 11:38 AM
yeah I agree. i hope to see the women make a comeback! I mean there are so many sports and non-sports (world's strongest man anyone?) out there that the REAL sports should be played--including womens soccer. Stars like Heather O'Reilly need a stage to play. And I wish I could be one of the one to start it back!
Posted by: soccer_star99 | December 10, 2006 08:00 PM
It's not a question of If, but only of When and How. A women's soccer league will return to the USA. When it does, it will need hard-headed, realistic business sense to survive. Sharing infrastructure, as Foudy says, is essential. So is savvy marketing. We have to get past the still-enduring American bias against women's sports.
Posted by: Robert Sebastian | January 30, 2007 11:14 AM