The Setting of the Sol

It’s probably not a good sign when your most popular team folds less than 90 days before the start of the season.

Women’s Professional Soccer announced yesterday that it was folding the Los Angeles Sol, the 2009 regular season champion and runner-up in the play-offs. The Sol’s average home attendance of 6,300 was significantly better than the 4,600 for the rest of the league.

Commissioner Tonya Antonucci said the Sol was one of the stronger franchises in what last year was a seven-team league. Since then the league added teams in Philadelphia and Atlanta. But the Sol’s original owner, Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) wanted out and gave the franchise back to WPS last November after being unable to sell. AEG owns L.A. Galaxy and Houston Dynamos of Major League Soccer as well a team in Sweden, the NHL’s L.A. Kings and several minor league and European hockey teams.

The New York Tmes reported that talks with a prospective buyer for the Sol broke down over price last weekend. Which raises the question whether it was better to have no team in a market the size of Los Angeles than a team that sold for less than the league wanted.

“It’s unfortunate when this happens to any league, but it is more amplified for a young league,” Antonucci told the New York Times. “It doesn’t speak to the viability to the L.A. market. We want to get back into L.A. in 2011.”

My old friend, Charlie Naimo, a former Medford Strikers trainer, was general manager and acting coach of the Sol, having been appointed to the latter position less than three weeks ago. "It is a sad day for the franchise, staff, players and fans," Naimo said in a press release.

League officials gave the predictable quotes about the viability of the league.

“All the team owners and members of the Board are confident that this setback will be quickly overcome by the exciting developments that the league has in store for the 2010 WPS Season,” said WPS Board Member and Atlanta Beat Chairman T. Fitz Johnson in a press release. “This includes two new franchises, the debut of a brand new stadium built specifically for WPS, a longer regular season and an even better product on the field with incoming talent from the college ranks and the many top internationals that have been signed in the off-season. Without question, this season is poised to build on our successful launch year.”

“Ownership changes are part of pro sports, particularly in a young league, and we have made solid progress in growing WPS from where we were last season,” said Antonucci. “We believe Los Angeles is a healthy, viable market for women’s pro soccer and a city where our league can again thrive with an LA franchise in the future.”

Ironically, the Sol signed three international players, including Pavlina Scasna who played for the Philadelphia Charge in the WUSA, just 10 days ago. The 19 players on the roster, including the Brazilian, Marta, considered by many to be the world’s top female player, and U.S. National Team player Shannon Boxx, will be selected by the eight remaining teams in a dispersal draft February 4. The expansion Atlanta Beat will have the first pick and will presumably grab Marta. The new Philadelphia Independence will pick second.

The Times article is here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/sports/soccer/29woman.html?ref=soccer

The league’s press release: http://www.womensprosoccer.com/la