What to watch for in Virginia Soccer this Weekend (9/10 - 9/12)

NSCAA / Fox Soccer Channel Game of the Week
Men’s College Soccer –
#16 USF vs. Virginia Tech 9/10 @ 8p.m. Live on FSC

#2 Virginia vs. #7 Duke 9/11 @ 7p.m.

Women’s College Soccer –
35TH Annual Stihl Soccer Classic
William & Mary vs. West Virginia 9/10 @ 4:30p.m.
ODU vs. Rhode Island 9/10 @ 7p.m.
William & Mary vs. Rhode Island 9/12 @ Noon
ODU vs. West Virginia 9/12 @ 2:30p.m.

Women’s College Soccer –
2010 Virginia Nike Soccer Classic at Klöckner Stadium
#22 William & Mary vs. Boston University 9/10 @4:30p.m.
# 12 Virginia vs. Texas 9/10 @ 7p.m.
#22 William & Mary vs. Texas 9/12 @ Noon
#12 Virginia vs. Boston University 9/12 @ 2p.m.

WPS Playoff Race
Washington Freedom vs. Atlanta Beat 9/11 @ 7p.m.
2011 WPS All-Star team captain, Abby Wambach and the Freedom, in a must win game to make the playoffs in this regular season finale versus Hope Solo and the Atlanta Beat. The game will be played at the Maryland SoccerPlex. Live on CSN

Nationally Ranked Virginia Colleges and High Schools (soccer)

NSCAA - Nationally Ranked Virginia Colleges (soccer)

Men (NCAA 9/07/10)

D-I: #2 Virginia
*also receiving votes: George Mason, Old Dominion

D-III: #3 Christopher Newport
*also receiving votes: Lynchburg


Women (NCAA 9/07/10)

DI: #12 Virginia, #22 William & Mary
*also receiving votes: James Madison, Virginia Tech

DIII: #24 Washington & Lee
*also receiving votes: Lynchburg

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NSCAA - Nationally Ranked Virginia High Schools (soccer)

Boys (9/07/10)

National: #4 Episcopal (Alexandria)

Region IV: #1 Episcopal (Alexandria), #9 Collegiate School (Richmond)

Girls (9/07/10)

Region IV: #6 Bishop O’Connell (Arlington)

Virginia College Soccer Update - September 7

University of Virginia:

Women (No. 7) - 8-0  vs Richmond (5-0-2 overall)
Men (No. 2) -  5-0 vs No. 17 St. John (5-0 overall)

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George Mason University:

Men - D.C. College Cup Champions with wins over George Washington 3-1 and American 1-0 (4-1 overall)
Women - D.C. Invitational at Georgetown Results: L 4-0 vs. Georgetown, W 2-1 vs American (3-3 overall)

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William and Mary:

Women (No. 16) - 5-0 vs Loyala, 1-0 vs Richmond (4-0-1 overall)
Men - Today @ Loyola 7.pm. (2-0 overall)

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Virginia Tech:

Women (No. 23) - Loss 1-2 vs Kentucky, Win 1-0 vs LSU (3-3 overall)

Men - Loss 0-2 vs No. 17 St. John's, Loss 1-3 vs UAB (0-2 overall)

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Christopher Newport:

Women - Win 2-1 vs Montclair State (1-1 overall)
Men (No. 5)- Win 1-0 vs Stockton College (3-0 overall)

Which Virginia college soccer team are you following this season?

Top 3 Obstacles for WPS Success

On September 26, 2010 FC Gold Pride will host the WPS Championship game and the second WPS Champion will be crowned. For the second year in a row the best women’s soccer player in the world will be playing in the leagues championship game which will be shown live on Fox Sports Net.

For the WPS to have the sports best player and championship game broadcast live on television should indicate the Women’s league is on stable ground and poised to remain in existence. However following the 2009 season making the WPS championship game, being in the country’s second largest media market, and having Marta on their roster was not enough to keep the Los Angeles Sol from ceasing operations. Ending in nearly identical fashion for its second season, WPS will again showcase Marta on television battling for the championship on a team based in California.

With average per game attendance figures continuing to fall from 2009 to 2010 and having one of its teams (St. Louis Atletica) cease operations mid-season the focus is on how or if the league will survive.

The predecessor to the WPS, WUSA, completed just three full seasons before closing down shop. Even with the star power of the still popular Mia Hamm and her 1999 World Cup teammates the WUSA was unable to find the resources needed to be a profitable sports league in America.

  

Compare some of the issues that plagued the WUSA to those of the current incarnation of professional women’s soccer and you will see they are identical with one exception. The WUSA had much better attendance figures. In 2001, its inaugural season, the WUSA had an average of 8,116 per game which dropped to 6,667 per game in 2003 its final season. Currently the WPS is averaging 3,611 per game for the 2010 season, down 23% from the 4,684 in 2009.

Along with having much lower ticket sales than the WUSA, the WPS is facing three of the same demons that eventually forced the previous league out of the business of professional soccer in America. Other than PUMA the WPS faces a lack of major corporate sponsorships along with a lack of much needed television and media coverage. Combine the lack of much needed revenue from lowering ticket sales and sponsors and you can see how as a business the WPS may be in dire straits.

Already on the outside looking in, soccer in America is simply not as popular among professional sports as the ‘top three’ Football, Basketball, and Baseball. Although the participation numbers in youth soccer are near the top of any sport it has yet to translate to the numbers necessary to maintain a professional sports league. Major League Soccer has battled for recognition and respect as a league both in America and within the international soccer world. Even after 14 years in existence MLS struggles for its share of the professional sports market behind not just the three major sports but the NHL as well.

The obstacles are easily recognizable by all those involved in the WPS from the management level (GM’s) to the players on the field. I recently asked players, GM’s, and WPS employees past and present for the top 3 obstacles the WPS will need to overcome to become a financially profitable business and successful profession sports league. Not surprisingly most of them pointed out the following three areas the league will need to focus on immediately:

1. Increased ticket sales
2. The need for major sponsorship deals
3. Increased TV/Media coverage

If you are a fan of the WPS and professional women’s sports in general, do you think the WPS will be able to continue on for a third season and/or even surpass the 3 year mark of the WUSA? Do you believe our daughters or sisters in college, high school, and in the youth levels of soccer have a realistic dream of one day playing professional soccer in America whether in the WPS or some future version of the league?

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References:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/wusa/2003-09-15-wusa-folds_x.htm
All White Kit WPS Article: Bruised Battered but still Kicking
WPS 2010 Schedule