Following the Footprints

The recent slew of events surrounding the 2010 WPS expansion teams’ Atlanta Beat, which just announced its inclusion in the WPS 2010 season, and Philadelphia Independence. which just unveiled its authentic looking logo has really got me thinking: where else could be a good spot to settle down and set up shop for another expansion team? The seven teams that makeup the core of the WPS are situated in cities that highlight the majority of the Unites States: St. Louis, NY/NJ, Boston, Bay Area, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C. with Atlanta and Philadelphia to join in 2010. Ranging from East Coast to West Coast with a little bit of South and Midwest in-between, the WPS. is slowly making its footprint across the country, but there are still many cities to go. Here are my top five picks for cities that deserve WPS . expansion teams.

Vancouver
If the WPS. is going to expand internationally, where better than our friendly neighbor to the North? Canada has produced some of the most explosive international stars in the WPS so far including Los Angeles Sol goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc,. who has a league leading 11 clean sheets, Washington Freedom goalkeeper Erin McLeod, who was the WPS player of the week last during week 13 as well as power forward Christine Sinclair on FC Gold Pride who has struck gold in the back of the net five times this year. Furthermore, Vancouver will bear host to a new MLS expansion team starting in the 2011 season, so a women’s team would nicely compliment a novice men’s squad. Vancouver also boasts a strong showing from the local USL and WPSL team, the Vancouver Whitecaps, who were W-league champions in 2004 and 2006. In addition, the http://www.whitecapsfc.com/home.aspx have been pursuing the construction of a new arena, Waterfront Stadium to compliment the 20,000 seat BC Stadium, which the new MLS team will play in. With top-notch facilities as well as a strong base for women’s and men’s soccer teams, Vancouver would make a competitive international addition to the WPS elite nine.

Texas
This huge state probably deserves more than one team to represent the strength and quality of the youth programs that abound in the Lone Star State. Texas youth teams are widely represented in youth national title games including historically the first ever Female Youth National Championship back in 1980 where the Dallas Sting defeated St. Louis 5-0. Also included in the Texas tank are 2 MLS teams: the Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas as well as a USL team the Austin Aztexs and three WPSL teams Dallas Premier, Fort Worth and Houston South Select.

With California making a strong showing for the West, the Breakers, Freedom, Sky Blue and now Independence holding the fort on the East Coast, and Chicago and St. Louis representing the Midwest, the South is lacking some punching power. Atlanta will be a good addition to the Southern representation in 2010, but Texas would create some real sizzle for the southern states.

My city of choice would be Dallas home of the Sting soccer club as well as the site of the Dallas Cowboys football team—Americas favorite team, which has attracted a dedicated following of sports aficionados. Even though the Cowboys have nothing to do with soccer, a town with overall strong sports related roots will make a good place to settle for the fresh faced WPS.

The depth of youth representation and loyal fan following in this city would make it ideal for a WPS expansion team.

Detroit
This sports loving town has had some blues with its lack luster performance from the University of Michigan Wolverine football team this year as well as an abysmal showing by the http://www.detroitlions.com/. But, the Detroit Pistons and Detroit Red Wings had very strong performances in their respective sports. The clincher in this city, however, is its amazing attendance to the U.S. Women’s National Team game versus China back in December 2008. The Michigan city citizens showed up in droves and racked up an impressive 11,933 people to come support the ladies in their stars and stripes. Besides the super support drummed up for the National Team, Michigan has traditionally had resilient accomplishments from their youth teams in the Youth Regional and National Tournaments.

The downside to Detroit is that no MLS team currently exists in Michigan, but there’s no reason why WPS can’t rev up some support up in the Motor City

Carolinas
Back in 2002 when the WUSA was still in operation the Carolina Courage, headed by Carla Overbeck, Danielle Fotopoulos and Tiffany Roberts, captured the Founders Cup Title. But, the history of soccer in the Carolinas doesn’t stop there.

The rich dynasty of the University of Carolina at Chapel Hill women’s soccer team, which has ushered greats such as Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly and Lindsay Tarpley (among many, many others) through its program would be an ideal site for an expansion team. And let’s not forget the legacy of UNC Tarheels coach and National Team coach Anson Dorrance, who pioneered the lady Tarheels to 19 out of 27 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championships. I mean the amount of talent that has been and is being produced through UNC Chapel Hill could propel a great following of fans, who will come to see not only the Tar Heel games in the fall, but also the WPS games in the spring and summer. Even better, UNC at Chapel Hill isn’t the only strong women’s soccer program in the state-- NC State has also manufactured strong women’s college teams.

The Carolinas are steeped in soccer legacy and with a devoted following would make a historic location for a WPS expansion team.

New England
Sometimes these individual states get left in the lurch—hence the formation of teams such as the New England Patriots and the New England Revolution. Why not a New England team for WPS? The one hitch in this conglomeration of states is that the Boston Breakers claim ownership to any area within a 75 mile radius of Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, MA, so finding an appropriate area for a stadium could be tricky. My original idea would be somewhere in Connecticut, preferably Storrs, CT where the local UConn Huskie teams have set up shop. Storrs is about 86 miles away from Boston.

A New England team would add depth to an already pretty fully represented East Coast and could make for some interesting rivalries with their Boston Breaker neighbors.

Seattle
The success of the new MLS Seattle Sounders gives strong evidence that a sister WPS team could have similar strength and support. Tickets to Sounders games have been consistently selling out and attracting over 20,000 fans to the games. The surprise expansion team currently sits in third in the western conference standings. Furthermore, QwestField, which houses the Seattle Seahawks along with the Sounders, offers a top quality pitch on which to play.

Local area teams include the WPSL Seattle Synergy and the W-league Seattle Sounders.

Since Seattle recently lost their basketball team the Supersonics to Oklahoma the addition of the Sounders as well as another soccer team could bring a little more sunshine to this rainy city.

Did I miss a city? Are you really passionate about your hometown and think that you could make a good case for an expansion team? Let me know what you guys think—where should the next WPS expansion team settle down?