By Tim Grainey

This week we examine WPS’ announcement that they are terminating the magicJack franchise, as well as review the start of Australia’s National League—the Westfield W-League—which again sees a handful of WPS veterans traveling on loan to play during the professional league’s offseason. We also summarize the Pan American Games women’s soccer tournament results and look at the preliminary U.S. training camp roster ahead of their next friendly match on November 21 against Sweden in Arizona.

WPS shuts down magicJack

In a move that many expected, WPS terminated the franchise rights to the South Florida-based magicJack team on October 27. Unlike the other four teams that have folded for financial reasons during the past three years—Los Angeles Sol, FC Gold Pride (San Francisco Bay Area), St. Louis Athletica and Chicago Red Stars—magicJack was jettisoned by the league to put an end to the turmoil caused by magicJack’s owner Dan Borislow.

A contentious professional team owner in other sports is viewed by many as newsworthy and entertaining but Dan Borislow’s erratic and combative style was counterproductive to a league struggling for survival and trying to attract new investors and sponsors. Borislow’s alleged abuse of some of his players and formal complaint filed by the Player’s Union put the league into an untenable position. One former player referred to departing magicJack as the equivalent of “leaving North Korea.”

Borislow purchased the Washington Freedom franchise in late 2010, rebranded it as magicJack after his telecommunications product company, and shipped the team to Boca Raton, Florida, near his home. Arguably, Borislow saved the league from extinction, and was not shy in reminding people about that fact, but his argumentative nature caused league officials heartache and stress at every turn. Borislow ignored league standards on marketing, game operations and stadium size, playing in a college stadium that was about one-quarter of the league minimum of 5,000 capacity. Borislow fired his original coach and tried to steer the team himself but ran afoul of U.S. Soccer coaching license requirements and Abby Wambach took on a player-coach role after she returned from the Women’s World Cup in July. Wambach, surrounded with world class talent like U.S. internationals Shannon Boxx, Megan Rapinoe, Christie Rampone, Hope Solo, as well as Canadian international Sophie Schmidt and Australia’s Lisa DeVanna, led the team to a final record of 9 wins, 7 losses and 2 ties for 28 points for third place in the league. After defeating Boston at home in the first round (3-1), they fell to Philadelphia (2-0) away in the semifinal.

Borislow was surprisingly low key about the league’s action, implying that the league would not survive very long: “There might be nothing left to fight for besides damages. I am not very optimistic about the league’s chances after this mess.” The team had played for the first two years as the Washington Freedom, an esteemed franchise that was an original WUSA team and long a standard bearer of the women’s game, continuing to play from 2004 to 2008 before WPS started. Unfortunately, the Freedom name that brings to mind the first women’s professional game in 2000 at RFK Stadium before over 30,000, a WUSA title in 2003, W-League title in 2007, players such as Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach and Jim Gabarra’s tenure as coach, has the baggage of their last year as magicJack. The legacy of magicJack will be various “Borislowisms” such as referring to league officials as “infidels,” the media as “idiots,” and some of his players as “losers.” He sent an email to motivate his players after a 3-0 loss to the Flash in May that included this exhortation: “Play with the very best and act like them on and off the field. If you don’t do this, you are toast and will be playing in a rec league within years, drinking beer and farting after the game at a local bar and telling people how good you used to be at age 26.” He talked about other teams unfavorably as well, ripping Atlanta for its low payroll expenses (compared to his team) and trying to motivate the squad before a game: “Let’s crush this low paid ghetto team this weekend and show that paying your team in food stamps isn’t the right solution either.” Borislow was proud that he was an independent thinker, “I refuse to be a zombie and do things just because the league says.” One statement he made was at the crux of his combative nature: “I don’t like most people. It’s just a fact and that’s the way it is.”

Leagues and fans never like to see a team fold but in this case, WPS officials appear to have exorcised themselves of a huge liability with magicJack’s demise. WPS, now down to five teams, is poised to announce a new franchise in 2012 to replace magicJack and bring the league back up to six sides, seen by many as a credible minimum to operate a season with. A Connecticut-based squad is preparing to formally enter the league within a few weeks, with Terry Foley, the former Philadelphia Independence general manager, a key executive.

Australia’s W-League Starts Season Four

Australia’s Westfield W-League kicked off its fourth season on October 22, with six of its seven teams in action during the first week of competition. The W-League comprises the same seven teams as last season: Adelaide United FC, Brisbane Roar (defending champion), Canberra United FC, Melbourne Victory FC, Newcastle Jets FC, Perth Glory FC, Sydney FC.

As has become typical over the past couple of season, there is a small presence of American WPS players on loan, the most notable being U.S. National Team World Cup star and current magicJack midfielder Megan Rapinoe. Rapinoe was set to play two games for Sydney FC before joining the national team ahead of the CONCACAF 2012 Olympic Game Qualifiers in Vancouver B.C. in January. Rapinoe had two goals and two assists last season plus one goal in two playoff games, splitting time between Philadelphia Independence and magicJack after her 2010 side Chicago Red Stars dropped out of WPS before the season started. Sydney won the league crown two years ago and also made the final last season before losing 1-2 to Brisbane Roar in the Grand Final. The Roar also triumphed during the league’s inaugural season in 2008-09, when they were known as the Queensland Roar.

Two other WPS players will play with Sydney FC this season. Goalkeeper Allison Lipsher, who played in seven games this past season with Atlanta Beat and recorded a 2.29 goals-against-average and one win, one tie and one shutout. This is Lipsher’s second trip down under; last season she played with Newcastle Jets. Philadelphia Independence defender Estelle Johnson also joined Sydney FC and explained her rationale for playing abroad: “I wanted to experience playing overseas to see what soccer was like in other parts of the world. I had never been to Australia before and that was part of the attraction. I love traveling and experiencing new places and had always heard great things about it, so I was happy to get an offer to go play there.” Johnson had one goal, and one assist in 15 regular season games for the Independence.

Other WPS players on loan include forward Taryn Hemmings, who joined Canberra, and started 10 of 16 Boston Breakers games in which she appeared in 2011, while Ashleigh Gunning, a late season acquisition by magicJack from the W-League’s Charlotte Eagles, will play for the second straight year for Adelaide United Reds. Sky Blue FC sent two defenders on loan to Melbourne Victory: Danielle Johnson, who played in seven games this season in WPS and Kendall Fletcher, who scored one goal in 15 games in 2011. Fletcher is in her third season in the W-League, having played first with the now defunct Central Coast Mariners in 2009-10 and then the Victory last season.

Other Australia W-League players who would be familiar to North American followers of the game include former WPS Australian international players Sarah Walsh (Sky Blue and St. Louis) and Heather Garriock (Chicago)--who won a title this season with LdB FC Malmo of Sweden--both with Sydney FC. In addition to Hemmings, Canberra United has Australian International Leah Blayney, who played at Central Connecticut State and Auburn and was the WPSL Final Four MVP and leading scorer with the Boston Aztecs Championship side in 2010, as well as goalkeeper Lydia Williams, who was on the Chicago Red Stars roster in 2009. Interestingly, Williams’ backup is New Zealand’s Aroon Clansey.

Melbourne Victory has more international flavor besides Danielle Johnson and Kendall Fletcher, with England’s Jodie Taylor who played with Ottawa Fury and Oregon State University. Midfielder Gulcan Koca, who plays internationally for Turkey, rejoins the Victory for her third season. Brisbane Roar has Australian midfielder Aivi Luik, who played at the University of Reno, Ottawa Fury (W-League) and FC Indiana (W-League/WPSL). Australian international midfielder Tameka Butt also played in Ottawa while the forward line is led by fellow international forward Lana Harch, who has won two league titles with the Roar and was the League’s Player of the Year in 2008-09.

Adelaide’s new coach is former New Zealand U-17 women’s coach David Edmondson who has brought two Kiwi defenders with him: Abby Erceg and Anna Green, who both played for New Zealand’s National Team in last summer’s Women’s World Cup. Erceg joins after winning a title with PK-35 in Finland. Perth Glory, a young side, has imported youth international midfielder Katie Holtham from English Super League club Doncaster Belles. Holtham helped Buffalo Flash win their W-League title in 2010.

Newcastle Jets have signed Australian international goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri (who played for the past three years for Melbourne Victory) and Australian international and magicJack forward Lisa DeVanna, who had three goals and one assist in eight games last season for magicJack. Germany’s two-time World Cup winning star Ariane Hingst, a 32-year-old defender and Germany’s third-most capped woman, is a massive acquisition by the Jets and they should be a strong contender for a Grand Final spot.

In first week action, the highlight of the weekend was the faceoff between the two sides who had contested the last two finals: Sydney FC tied Brisbane Roar 1-1. In the other two matches, Melbourne Victory defeated Perth Glory 2-0 and Canberra United beat Adelaide United 4-1 away behind two goals from Michelle Heyman, who was the 2009-2010 W-League Player of the Year and Leading Scorer. Newcastle Jets had a bye week.

In week two, Canberra United defeated visiting Perth 3-2 with Michelle Heyman scoring a hat trick for a total of five in two games. Sydney defeated Melbourne 2-1 on Megan Rapinoe’s late goal and Newcastle beat Adelaide in its season opener 3-0, with Lisa DeVanna scoring twice. Brisbane Roar has a bye this week.

After two rounds, Canberra United leads the table on six points from two games, followed by Sydney FC with four points. Perth and Adelaide are both pointless after two matches.

This season will include three doubleheader games with the men’s Hyundai A-League sides and four National Youth League double headers, which should boost crowds. The Westfield W-League 2011/12 season will also travel to more non-league areas in Australia to increase the visibility of the game, including Cleveland, Geelong and the Sunshine Coast. The season ends on January 28 with the Grand Final

Canada wins Pan American Games Title

The Pan American Games Women’s Soccer Competition at Guadalajara, Mexico ended on October 27, 2011 with Canada’s Women’s National Team winning the gold medal after defeating Brazil 4-3 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw. WPS veteran Karina LeBlanc made two saves during the penalty kicks to determine the winner. Brazil took the lead from Debora’s goal in the fourth minute and Western New York Flash’s Christine Sinclair tied the match in the 87th minute to set up the overtime periods, which were goalless. This was Canada’s first Pan American games championship and their second title within the past year in Mexico, having won the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Cancun late last year. Brazil had won the previous two Pan American Games titles. Mexico defeated Colombia 1-0 in extra time for third place. The Americans, which sent a U-23 team to the last tournament, did not send a team this time. Other WPS players on Canada’s roster included Western New York Flash defender Candace Chapman, Atlanta Beat defender Lauren Sesselman and midfielder Kelly Parker and magicJack’s midfielder Sophie Schmidt. Western New York Flash and Brazil forward Marta did not play in the tournament.

Twenty-seven WPS players named to U.S. National Team Training Camp

U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Pia Sundhage named a provisional roster of 30 players ahead of their next friendly match, versus Sweden on Saturday November 21 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The match against Sweden will culminate a two week training camp ahead of the Olympic Games qualifiers in January in Vancouver, Canada. For that tournament, this week the United States was placed in a first round Group B with the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Mexico. Canada heads Group A and will play Costa Rica, Cuba and Haiti. The top two teams in each group will play off in semifinals on January 27, with the winners advancing to next summer’s Olympics in London.

Twenty-seven of the thirty players are aligned with WPS teams, with seven from Boston Breakers and the recently terminated magicJack, six from 2011 champions Western New York Flash, three from runner-ups Philadelphia Independence, and two each from Atlanta Beat and Sky Blue FC. Ali Krieger, most recently of Frankfurt of Germany, and forward Sydney Leroux of UCLA and midfielder Ingrid Wells of Georgetown are the other selections.

Wells, along with Boston midfielder and WPS rookie of the year Keelin Winters and Flash Midfielder Becky Edwards, received their first full national team invitations. All 21 members of the 2011 Women’s World Cup team have been recalled to the camp.

U.S. Women’s National Team Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS (4): Nicole Barnhart (Philadelphia Independence), Ashlyn Harris (Western New York Flash), Jill Loyden (magicJack), Hope Solo (magicJack)
DEFENDERS (9): Rachel Buehler (Boston Breakers), Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers), Whitney Engen (Western New York Flash), Meghan Klingenberg (Boston Breakers), Ali Krieger (FFC Frankfurt), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Atlanta Beat), Christie Rampone (magicJack), Becky Sauerbrunn (magicJack)
MIDFIELDERS (12): Yael Averbuch (Western New York Flash), Brittany Bock (Western New York Flash), Shannon Boxx (magicJack), Becky Edwards (Western New York Flash), Tobin Heath (Sky Blue FC), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Atlanta Beat), Kelley O’Hara (Boston Breakers), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (magicJack), Ingrid Wells (Georgetown), Keelin Winters (Boston Breakers)
FORWARDS (5): Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Sydney Leroux (UCLA), Alex Morgan (Western New York Flash), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), Abby Wambach (magicJack)