By Tim Grainey

This week we look at WPS’s 2012 collegiate draft, former magicJack franchise owner Dan Borislow’s quest to block WPS’ termination order, plus a look at the U.S. and Canadian teams’ camp squads ahead of this month’s CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers.

Borislow Continues to Cause Problems for WPS

Dan Borislow, the owner of WPS’ magicJack (formerly Washington Freedom) franchise in 2011, received a restraining order from a Palm Beach, Florida judge this week that could lead to WPS being forced to reinstate his team to the league as early as next week. Borislow argued that WPS did not follow their own arbitration procedures that culminated in their revoking his franchise a few months ago. WPS countered that Borislow’s contentious, outlandish behavior and inability to follow league rules--ranging from advertising, staffing, facilities, treatment of players and coaching--cost them sponsors and prospective expansion team owners (See October 31, 2011 Soccer 365 article—“WPS Shuts Down magicJack”). WPS has threatened to fold completely if they are ordered to reintegrate magicJack into the fold. WPS CEO Jennifer O'Sullivan said in a statement to media that: “If the court rules to reinstate the franchise, my fear is that ownership will seriously consider folding the League, thus ending professional soccer for women in the United States."

A sports attorney with past experience with soccer reviewed some of the court records and then told Soccer365.com that, from his perspective, both sides had weak cases, but that WPS “has appeared to violate their own rules in taking an expedient path rather than suspending Borislow and following due process.”

Dan Borislow was certainly not “Mr. Congeniality” last season to many people involved with the league, including journalists, and famously said, “I don’t like most people. It’s just a fact and that’s the way it is.” However, WPS’s threat to disband rather than deal with Borislow is a terrible position to take, legally and businesswise. It sounds easy to simply fold and then reform as another entity but will sponsors, fans, expansion prospects and the media follow?

There’s another group that needs to be considered—the players. Recent high league draft picks Sarah Hagen and Ingrid Wells are pursing professional careers in Europe, while lynchpin Brazilian star forward Marta is still unsigned for 2012 and is considering offers from European sides. (Marta played for many years with Umea in Sweden). Will further WPS instability drive more quality talent abroad?

WPS has devoted legal resources to fighting Borislow for over six months, which it can barely afford. The existing owners clearly don’t want to deal with him again so does the league buy him out—again diverting resources away from the development of the sport? Folding and trying to reorganize as a different entity to keep Borislow at arm’s length could be suicidal. The five current team owners are certainly committed to the sport but will the move repel future franchise owners and sponsors, who have been difficult to attract before?

WPSL and W-League continue to work on pro divisions which could attract potential WPS investor groups. Will these owners now not touch WPS with a bargepole because they assume that, if they don’t play well with the other owners, they could be treated the same way as was Borislow?

At what point does U.S. Soccer get involved? WPS was lucky to receive another exemption on its Division I status for 2012, as it did not meet the governing body’s regulations for regional spread and number of teams (minimum eight). With an expected berth in the Summer Olympics coming, does U.S. Soccer tell WPS try to restart in 2013 or 2014, or will this be the end of WPS? WPS off-seasons are always drama-filled but 2012 has probably been the most traumatic, with concerns about magicJack, U.S. soccer sanctioning, expansion teams that didn’t happen and the question of whether U.S. National Team players would compete during an Olympic Year.

If WPS survives to 2013, maybe it should consider not having an off-season—no one would miss the turmoil.

Borislow told people that he saved WPS last year by buying The Freedom. Will he now be blamed for killing it? It won’t be all his doing; WPS officials and their legal advisors will share the blame. As long-time soccer leader Marilyn Childress, who successfully led the quest to add women’s soccer to the Atlanta Olympics for 1996, once said about WPS: “The women’s league only has one shot [after the failure of the WUSA]. If it fails, there won’t be another women’s league for 10-20 years.”

WPS Drafts 23 Collegians in 2012 Draft

Forward Sydney Leroux was the first pick in the 2012 WPS draft by the Atlanta Beat, held on January 13. The draft was once again held at the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) annual convention, as it has been each year since the league began in 2009, this year in Kansas City, Missouri. Leroux completed a successful career with UCLA and is currently in a 29 player camp with the U.S. National Team ahead of CONCACAF’s Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament later this month in Vancouver, Canada. Leroux was born in Vancouver B.C. and had youth team experience with Canada before moving to the U.S. in high school. Leroux helped the U.S. U-20 National Team win the 2008 World Cup in Chile.

Forwards were also selected with the next two next picks: Notre Dame’s Melissa Henderson by Sky Blue FC and Stefanie Ochs of the University of San Diego by Boston Breakers. The 2011 NCAA Division I Champion Stanford Cardinal provided three of the final four selections in the first round, with defender Camille Levin (4th) going to Sky Blue FC and forward Lindsay Taylor (6th) and midfielder Teresa Noyola (7th)—the reigning MAC Hermann Trophy winner for best collegian player in 2011 and a member of Mexico’s Women’s World Cup team last summer—both selected by reigning WPS champion Western New York Flash. Philadelphia Independence selected the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s high scoring forward Sarah Hagen with the fifth pick, but she has recently signed with German Frauen-Bundesliga side Bayern Munich, whose season ends in late May.

Besides the Stanford trio, the only other school with multiple selections among the 23 players drafted was Florida State, which had midfielder Tori Huster selected by the Flash and defender Toni Pressley by the Independence, both in the second round.

WPS’s preseason training begins in March with the league season starting in April.

2012 WPS Draft
Kansas City, Missouri
January 13, 2012

Round 1

1. Atlanta Beat – Sydney Leroux, F, UCLA
2. Sky Blue FC – Melissa Henderson, F, Notre Dame
3. Boston Breakers - Stephanie Ochs, F, University of San Diego
4. Sky Blue FC – Camille Levin, D, Stanford University
5. Philadelphia Independence – Sarah Hagen, F, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
6. Western New York Flash – Lindsay Taylor, F, Stanford University
7. Western New York Flash – Teresa Noyola, M, Stanford University

Round 2

8. Western New York Flash – Tori Huster, M, Florida State University
9. Sky Blue FC – Ingrid Wells, M, Georgetown
10. Atlanta Beat – Katy Frierson, M, Auburn University
11. Boston Breakers – Courtney Jones, F, University of North Carolina
12. Philadelphia Independence – Courtney Goodson, D, University of California, Irvine
13. Philadelphia Independence – Toni Pressley, D, Florida State University

Round 3

14. Philadelphia Independence – Bianca Henninger, GK, Santa Clara University
15. Sky Blue FC- Jillian Mastroianni, GK, Boston College
16. Boston Breakers – Melinda Mercado, D, Oklahoma State University
17. Philadelphia Independence – Danielle Foxhoven, F, University of Portland
18. Western New York Flash- Tahnai Annis, M/F University of Florida

Round 4

19. Sky Blue FC – Laura Heyboer, F, Michigan State University
20. Boston Breakers – Jessica Luscinski, F, Boston University
21. Philadelphia Independence, Jasmyne Spencer, F, University of Maryland
22. Western New York Flash- Erica Henderson, D, West Virginia
23. Atlanta Beat – Kate Deines, M, University of Washington

BREAKDOWN BY COLLEGE

Auburn- 1
Boston College - 1
Boston University - 1
Florida State University- 2
Georgetown -1
Michigan State University - 1
Notre Dame - 1
Oklahoma State University - 1
Santa Clara - 1
Stanford - 3
UC Irvine- 1
UCLA – 1
University of Florida – 1
University of Maryland - 1
University of North Carolina- 1
University of Portland - 1
University of San Diego- 1
University of Washington - 1
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee- 1
West Virginia – 1

U.S. National Team Coach Pia Sundhage Calls in 29 players for Pre-Olympic Qualifiers Camp

Pia Sundhage brought in 29 players to a Los Angeles-based training camp from January 7-15, from which she will name her final squad of 20 for the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Vancouver B.C. from January 19-29.
The U.S. will start Group B play on Friday January 20 against the Dominican Republic before taking on Guatemala and Mexico the following week. The key match will be a semifinal against a team from Group A (Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba or Haiti) with the winner advancing to next summer’s Olympic Games in London, along with the winner of the other semifinal on Friday January 27.
Most of the squad played in WPS last year with the exception of five: Ali Krieger of FFC Frankfurt along with 2011 collegians Kristie Mewis, Christine Nairn, Sydney Leroux and Ingrid Wells. Wells recently signed with FC Goteborg of Sweden.

U.S. Women’s National Team Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (4): Nicole Barnhart (out of contract), Ashlyn Harris (Western New York Flash), Jill Loyden (out of contract), Hope Solo (out of contract)
DEFENDERS (9): Rachel Buehler (Atlanta Beat), Stephanie Cox (Atlanta Beat), Whitney Engen (Western New York Flash), Meghan Klingenberg (Boston Breakers), Ali Krieger (FFC Frankfurt), Amy LePeilbet (Atlanta Beat), Heather Mitts (out of contract), Christie Rampone (out of contract), Becky Sauerbrunn (Sky Blue FC)
MIDFIELDERS (11): Shannon Boxx (out of contract), Tobin Heath (out of contract), Lori Lindsey (out of contract), Carli Lloyd (Atlanta Beat), Kristie Mewis (Boston College), Christine Nairn (Penn State), Kelley O’Hara (out of contract), Heather O’Reilly (Boston Breakers), Megan Rapinoe (out of contract), Ingrid Wells (FC Göteborg), Keelin Winters (Boston Breakers)
FORWARDS (5): Lauren Cheney (out of contract), Sydney Leroux (UCLA), Alex Morgan (Western New York Flash), Amy Rodriguez (out of contract), Abby Wambach (out of contract)

Canadian National Team Coach John Herdman Names Final Roster for Olympic Qualifiers

Canada finalized its 20 player roster for the CONCACAF qualifiers this month, which they will host in the indoor stadium B.C. Place in Vancouver. Four of the players are signed with WPS sides for this coming season: goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc and defender Candace Chapman with Sky Blue FC, as well as defender Lauren Sesselmann with Atlanta Beat and forward Christine Sinclair with 2011 Champions Western New York Flash. Two other Canadians who played in the league last season have yet to ink a contract for 2012: midfielder Kelly Parker, who played in Atlanta and midfielder Sophie Schmidt, who was with now defunct magicJack of Boca Raton, Florida. Goalkeeper Erin McLeod, who now plays in Sweden, was formerly with Washington Freedom.

Midfielder Diana Matheson was a late scratch, recovering from surgery in November. Matheson has 130 caps for Canada and plays her club ball in Norway with Lillestrøm SK Kvinner. She was replaced by Syracuse University midfielder Alyscha Mottershead, who made her full national team debut in November’s come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Sweden in Phoenix.

CANADA 2012 OLYMPIC QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT ROSTER

GK Karina LeBlanc--Sky Blue FC (USA)
GK Erin McLeod--Dalsjöfors G.o.I.F. (Sweden)
CB Candace Chapman--Sky Blue FC (USA)
CB Carmelina Moscato--Piteå IF (Sweden)
CB Shannon Woeller --Rutgers University (USA)
FB Melanie Booth--Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Canada)
FB Robyn Gayle--Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Canada)
FB Lauren Sesselmann--Atlanta Beat (USA)
FB Chelsea Stewart--UCLA (USA)
FB Rhian Wilkinson--Lillestrøm SK Kvinner (Norway)
M Kaylyn Kyle--Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Canada)
M Alyscha Mottershead--Syracuse University (USA)
M Kelly Parker--Unattached to a club
M Sophie Schmidt--Unattached to a club
M Desiree Scott--Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Canada)
M Brittany Timko--Unattached to a club
F Chelsea Buckland--Oregon State University (USA)
F Christina Julien--Ottawa Fury (Canada)
F Christine Sinclair--Western New York Flash (USA)
F Melissa Tancredi--Piteå IF (Sweden)