New England Soccer Today

Breakers to Join New Women’s League

U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati announced on Wednesday the launch of a new, eight-team women’s professional soccer league that will include the Boston Breakers.

The league, which has not yet been named, will kick off its inaugural season in spring 2013. The Breakers will join seven other clubs from New Jersey, Kansas City, Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Western New York and Washington, D.C. for the league’s inaugural season in 2013.

“We, as the owners of the teams, are all very excited about this league and the return of professional women’s soccer to the sports landscape in North America,” Breakers Managing Partner Michael Stoller said in a statement on Wednesday. “There has been a tremendous amount of work done over past several months. We are also very appreciative to the Canadian and the Mexican Federations for supporting the league and joining in on this effort.”

The league will be run by the U.S. Soccer Federation, and will feature 24 U.S. Women’s National Team members. Additionally, the Canadian Soccer Association and Mexican Football Federation will have 16 and 12 players, respectively, in the new league. The Canadian and Mexican governing bodies will supplement the salaries of their players.

In a statement detailing the new league’s blueprints, Gulati projected that each team will field about three U.S. Women’s National Team players.

Meanwhile, the Breakers announced that they will once again call Dilboy Stadium in Somerville, Mass. their home in 2013. The Breakers sold out each of the seven home games in 2013 while playing in Women’s Premier Soccer League Elite.

“This is fantastic news, not just for the players, but for all supporters of women’s soccer and especially our loyal Boston Breakers fans,” Breakers General Manager Lee Billiard said in a statement. “A lot of hard work has gone into making this league a reality and something that will be more sustainable so it is part of the women’s soccer scene for a very long time.”

The Breakers were charter members of the Women’s United Soccer Association (2001-2003) and Women’s Professional Soccer (2009-2011). WUSA and WPS each folded after their first three seasons.

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