I’m not sure what’s flashier: Bay FC’s letterman jackets or their incoming class of signings. It’s obviously the signings, but the jackets are cool, too. I’m Emily Olsen here with Meg Linehan and Steph Yang — welcome to Full Time!
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New League In Town
USL Super League awarded D1 status
We are at the precipice of an explosion of women’s soccer in this country. The NWSL is set to expand to 16 teams by 2026, with Utah Royals and Bay FC joining the fun this season, before Boston and another TBD team are added. Hosting the 2027 Women’s World Cup is also still a possibility for the U.S. and now there’s another first division league in the mix.
On Friday, U.S. Soccer approved Division I sanctioning for the USL Super League, which is set to begin later this year. The season will run from fall to summer, different from how the NWSL and MLS currently schedule their games but on par with the European calendar. USLSL president Amanda Vandervort told The Athletic last May they would seek to recruit international as well as domestic players.
To earn the top division billing in the women’s outdoor league, the USLSL needed:
- A minimum of eight teams
- Stadiums with a 5,000 minimum seating capacity
- Operational budget for three years
- 75% of clubs to play in metropolitan markets with populations of at least 750,000
- Teams with one principal owner with at least a 35% share and an individual net worth of at least $25 million, among other requirements.
The USLSL originally applied for Division II sanctioning in 2021, but changed course last year, announcing its Division I intentions in May.
So what does the NWSL think about the emerging competition?
“We congratulate the USL in their efforts to launch a professional league. We know the work and investment required,” the NWSL said in a statement. “As we have seen from our record attendance, viewership, sponsorship revenue and expansion fees, the NWSL is growing at an exceptional pace, and we’re excited about our future. As the most competitive women’s league in the world, there are limited roster spots available in the NWSL. More opportunities to compete professionally is a good thing and we’re interested to see how a new league might contribute to the continued growth of our game.”
It seems like the new kids on the block are more interested in coexisting in the professional women’s soccer space rather than providing direct competition. The USLSL expansion fee will likely be far less than the NWSL’s, which has risen above $50 million. It allows smaller cities like Madison, WI, Lexington, KY and Riogers, AR, to partake in top-tier professional soccer. Washington, D.C is the only true overlapping city between USLSL and NWSL.
Something that the USLSL also has that the NWSL does not is a clear developmental pathway from the amateur to professional levels.
“We’ve invested heavily in the path to pro at the USL,” Vandervort said. “Today, there’s about 2 million registered girls playing youth soccer in the U.S. but only a select group — maybe 30,000 — make it into a competitive youth level. Even then, the focus is largely on winning and showcasing talent rather than development as players.”
Vandervort spoke on Tuesday about the new league. Steph Yang and Jeff Rueter were on the call to get answers to questions probably swirling in your mind.
GO DEEPER
What we know about the USL Super League so far
Meg’s Corner: NWSL at the Super Bowl
The record-shattering Super Bowl viewership probably won’t have a ton of impact on the NWSL, but there are still a few connections between Sunday night and the NWSL — our long-standing plea to Taylor Swift to buy a NWSL team in Nashville, aside.
There were at least a few folks from the league in the stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday. Alex Morgan, you’d expect. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman? Not in the old days of NWSL, that’s for sure. That’s partially due to the ties between the league and this year’s Super Bowl broadcaster, CBS, who also just re-upped its NWSL media rights deal for the next four years. But it’s also due to the growth of the league and its reach.
Thank you @CBSSports for your hospitality! Can’t wait for today’s game.
Side note: there is a loud buzz about the @NWSL in every room around the festivities. 🥳 🚀 pic.twitter.com/svHcxgf7yp
— Jessica Berman (@JessicaBerman1) February 11, 2024
The NWSL has had deals with FOX and ESPN over the years, and we never saw a previous leader at an event like the Super Bowl. It’s not something to read out of context, but it’s a pretty significant marker that the NWSL has managed to make it into some rooms it never did before.
Then, of course, there are the more obvious ties, with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes giving me the excuse to tweet that an NWSL owner won a Super Bowl for a second year in a row, and his wife Brittany providing the original connection between NFL and NWSL.
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We’ve been speculating in the work slack and group chats all fall into winter if Brittany would manage to convince Taylor Swift to check out a KC Current game the next time she’s in town. Apologies to the Current’s communication staff in advance for continuing said speculation, but it’s hard to not notice that the new stadium opener does occur in a pause on the Eras Tour.
All jokes aside, there’s a ton of momentum heading into the 2024 season for the Current — and there’s plenty of reason to believe their new stadium is going to host its fair share of major names on March 16, and beyond.
NWSL News: Bay FC’s record signing
Speaking of big moves, Bay FC can’t stop and won’t stop when it comes to signing international talent. The expansion team’s latest signing is a record-breaking one, too.
Zambia forward Racheal Kundananji, 23, will join Bay FC from Madrid CFF for a world-record fee of $785,000. The agreement is through 2027 with an option for 2028. The move surpasses Chelsea’s record of €450,000 (with a potential €50,000 in add-ons) set last month when they signed Colombian international Mayra Ramirez from Lavante.
Kundananji scored 33 goals in 43 games in Spain. Bay FC also recently signed Arsenal defender Jen Beattie and Asisat Oshoala from Barcelona.
🫡 @KKundananji is ready to break records and so are we! 😤 Ku chalo!#BayFC #WeCameToPlay #BLegendary pic.twitter.com/zZoWCW41K2
— Bay Football Club (@wearebayfc) February 13, 2024
USWNT Making Moves
The kids are alright
I know you watched the big game on Sunday. And by big game, I mean the CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship, because these teens are on fire.
Last week, I wrote about how the U-17 team was bossing the competition in the regional tournament, which determines who goes to the U-17 World Cup in October in the Dominican Republic. On Sunday, the U.S. took home the title with a 4-0 victory over Mexico. Throughout the tournament, they outscored opponents 32-2. Midfielder Kennedy Fuller won the golden boot with eight goals, five of which were scored in the opening win over Panama.
The U.S. has won the CONCACAF tournament four consecutive times, six overall. This goal from Kimmi Ascanio sums up the total team performance throughout the competition, including a selfless assist from Carrie Helfrich.
A total team goal from the @USYNT to double its advantage on the back of Helfrich's selflessness and clinical finsh from Ascanio 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/QU5aZ7wgCF
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) February 11, 2024
USWNT’s Gold Cup roster
We are in the official countdown to Emma Hayes taking over as head coach of the USWNT, but first, there are two tournaments to help prepare for the Paris Olympics this summer. The first of which, the W Gold Cup, kicks off on Feb. 20.
This camp’s roster looks pretty similar to the December group, but it’s still a shock to the system not to see Alex Morgan listed — and maybe a sign of the future. But, of course, Morgan is not out of the mix completely, according to Kilgore.
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“We have quite a few players that are not in camp that we’re still looking at and evaluating in terms of leading up to the Olympics,” Kilgore said. “That goes for some of our bigger names. That goes for lesser names that we’ve been tracking. We want to get it right.”
To that end, Becky Sauerbrunn has joined the group after initially being left off the roster. She will replace Alana Cook, who is exiting with a minor knee injury.
Meg Linehan broke down the roster and upcoming tournament, including the return of Mal Swanson as a “training player.”
Full Time First Looks
It was a busy end of the week for U.S. Soccer thanks to the annual general meeting. In addition to the USSF approving the USLSL’s Division I status, the members also voted to pay the president of the federation for the first time. A $150,000 annual stipend will go to the president, a position currently held by Cindy Parlow Cone, after 80.88% of members approved the proposed amendment.
We’ve talked extensively about Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang’s desire to create a global footprint with her investment in women’s soccer. And last week, she completed her purchase of Olympique Lyonnais Feminin with a 52.9% stake in the club. OL Groupe will own 47.1%. The Athletic’s Charlotte Harpur was at the ownership unveiling.
Angel City FC forward Christen Press spoke with Meg Linehan about her “relentless optimism” that fuels her journey back from four surgeries. Her journey into the unknown is worth the read, with bonus quotes like, “It did already teach the lesson that time is a construct.”
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(Photo: Jan Kruger, Getty Images)