Women's Premier Soccer League Elite
The Women's Premier Soccer League Elite , often abbreviated as WPSL Elite , was a short-term soccer competition in US women's soccer in 2012 .
history
Since 1998 the Football Association Women's Premier Soccer League has played a championship in women's football played in various regional relays, which - since professional and semi-professional teams compete on amateur teams - basically as the second division behind the championships of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) respectively after their dissolution can be seen behind the championship of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS).
After the highest professional women's soccer league operated by WPS had ceased playing at the beginning of 2012, the WPSL Elite was constituted as the new top division from some of the teams competing there and some of the teams from the Women's Premier Soccer League. Eight teams, all from the northeast and central US, entered the competition. After they had determined the four participants in the championship play-offs in the first and second leg between May and July 2012, the champions were determined in one game each in the semi-finals and final at the end of July. Western New York Flash , formerly a franchise in the WPS, prevailed there on penalties against the Chicago Red Stars .
After the competition ended in 2012, an expansion to the west was quickly considered, and several cities and investors announced their interest. However, the plans were thwarted in November by the announcement that a new professional league would be founded with the National Women's Soccer League . Numerous former WPS franchises opted to participate in this league. As a result, the WPSL Elite, the top division of the WPSL Association, was discontinued after only one season.
Attendees
| team | Hometown | Previous league |
|---|---|---|
| ASA Chesapeake Charge | various venues in the Chesapeake Bay | WPSL |
| Boston Breakers | Somerville , Massachusetts | WPS |
| Chicago Red Stars | Lisle , Illinois | WPSL (before WPS) |
| Indiana Lionesses FC | Indianapolis , Indiana | WPSL |
| New England Mutiny | Agawam , Massachusetts | WPSL |
| New York Fury | Hempstead , New York | WPSL |
| Philadelphia Fever | Pitman , New Jersey | newly founded |
| Western New York Flash | Rochester , New York | WPS |