WUSA Revival in 2007?

The WUSA suspended operations in September 2003, and since then, various factions have looked into the feasibility of reviving women's professional soccer in the United States.

The group that has made the biggest headway is Women's Soccer Initiative Inc. (WSII), a nonprofit organization dedicated to relaunching women's professional soccer in the United States. WSII is headed by Tonya Antonucci, a former Stanford teammate of ex-national team captain Julie Foudy.

If successful, the likely time for a women's professional league to be relaunched would be in spring 2007. The season would run through August, similar to the WUSA. Antonucci has been low-key about making announcements, not wanting to overstate expectations.

Still, there is a soon-to-be meeting which Antonucci calls an "investor forum." While not getting too much into specifics, she said a relaunch would include at least eight teams, the number involved in the WUSA.

"We are engaged in considering and contemplating a partnership with Major League Soccer with respect with how our leagues can work together," Antonucci said.

If teams could share soccer-specific stadiums, it could reduce costs. Antonucci added that her group was talking to cities that have had WUSA teams such as Philadelphia; Boston; New York; Washington; Cary, N.C.; Atlanta; San Jose, Calif.; and San Diego.

-- Jarrett @ 1/19/2006 01:19:00 PM