Legends FC

About USL W-League

USL W-LEAGUE

Exceptional competitive women’s soccer lives in the USL W-League, USL’s highest level of women’s soccer in the US and Canada. The 2008 campaign features a 41-team format in four conferences playing 12 or 14 regular season matches.

The top women’s players throughout the world compete in the USL W-League through the summer months. In addition to the league featuring international and former professional stars, elite collegiate players have the opportunity to also compete in the league while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league is recognized throughout the world for providing elite competition for women’s players, while providing affordable family entertainment to many fans in each of the team locations.

2008 W-League details announced

Alignment and competition structure set for next season

USL News Release

Friday, December 7, 2007

TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced Friday details for the 2008 USL W-League season, which will see two divisions swap conferences for the upcoming campaign. Among the details finalized recently at the 2007 Annual General Meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Tampa, FL were the alignment, schedule and playoff details for the upcoming campaign.

The W-League will consist of 41 teams in 2008. The biggest change in the alignment is the shifting of the Northern Division to the Central Conference and the Atlantic Division’s move to the Eastern Conference. Several teams were also re-aligned to accommodate the new divisional adjustments.

“The time had come to take a step back and look at the overall alignment without divisional groupings and make adjustments based on the interest of the overall long-term health of the league and its member teams,” said W-League Director of Operations Kristin Lettiere. “We believe 2008, the league’s 14th season, will be an outstanding campaign with this fresh look to the alignment along with 10 new clubs in the league this year. The new rivalries created by the re-alignment and the influx of the new teams should bring a new excitement for W-League fans everywhere.”

Expansion teams that have been formally announced to date are the Kalamazoo Outrage, FC Indiana, Carolina RailHawks, Pali Blues and Connecticut. The Carolina Dynamo will also make a return to the league after a year’s absence. Additional expansion teams yet to be announced will be in Tampa (FL), West Virginia, Los Angeles and Ventura (CA).

All teams in the league, excluding the Western Conference, will play a 14-game regular season schedule. The Western Conference sides will play a 12-game season. The season will open May 2 and close July 20.

The playoffs will begin almost immediately with a midweek divisional playoff round. The three Conference Championship Tournaments will be held July 25-27. The W-League Championship Tournament will be held August 1 and 3. The W-League Championship host is determined via a bid process with the host team receiving a bye to the W-League Semifinals August 1.

W-League Alignments and Playoff Structure - Western League Conference

Alignment: Fort Collins Force, Los Angeles Legends, Pali Blues, Real Colorado Cougars, Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps, Ventura (TBA)

Western Conference Playoffs: The regular season conference champion will play host to the second-place finisher in the Conference Championship match. The winner advances to the W-League Championship Tournament.