(June 9, 2008) – “It really is all about soccer.”

Those were the words of Jeff Mallett, part investor in Women’s Professional Soccer and former President and COO of Yahoo!, upon catching sight of the starting lineups for MLS sides Chicago Fire and D.C. United standing on the field at Toyota Park.  As Mallett and his fellow Board of Governors had just concluded two days of business meetings in the Windy City, those words served as a powerful reminder of the purpose of the work that is being done in anticipation of the first time WPS players walk onto the field.

With kickoff slated for ten months away in April 2009, the chief question among fans and players alike is which athletes will be donning their team’s jersey on opening day.

An allocation, or dispersal draft, of U.S. Women’s National Team players and U.S. Women’s National Team player pool members will begin the process of stocking WPS team rosters.  As WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci shared with media members at halftime of the Chicago Fire – D.C. United match, the league is eyeing three dates during the second and third weeks of July as possibilities for allocation.

“It’s exciting to think about who will be those three National Team and National Team player pool athletes who will come to call (each city) home,” Antonucci said.  “We’re looking at having athletes on teams before the Olympics so that there is maximum marketing association of those players and their new hometown franchise.”

A number of factors will play a role in completing the puzzle of which players are dispersed to which cities.  A player’s desired preference as well as her proximity to her hometown or former college, amateur league or WUSA team will all come under consideration.  From a team perspective, the owners, general managers and coaches will indicate which players they would like to have suit up in their colors.  And the league will also weigh in to ensure on-field parity is maintained and off-field marketing opportunities are maximized.

Following the allocation of U.S. Women’s National Team players, rights to a number of international standouts will be dispersed.  On Saturday, the Board of Governors heard a report regarding the status of over 50 internationals, but the media and fans are salivating over one name in particular.

“There are so many (international players) that we want to see here and Marta is obviously on that list,” said Antonucci, who noted that many of those global standouts are available to join WPS in 2009.  “Having the world’s best players join our domestic stars in competing in WPS will clearly enhance the quality of our league.”

Marta is currently showcasing her incredible skills for Umeå, a Swedish club.  The Brazilian attacking magician’s contract expires at the end of 2008 meaning a window soon opens for a WPS team to begin negotiations for her services.

“She’s available as of July 1, so that’s when we can really start to move and we will to see where Marta is and her interest,” said Antonucci, who has had no conversations with the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year.  “What we’re hearing is that she is going to be interested in talking with us.”

After the dispersal of U.S. Women’s National Team and international players, WPS will hold a three to possibly six round player draft following the Olympics.  In late 2008 and early 2009 further supplemental drafts will be conducted that will include players who have just completed their NCAA eligibility.

What cities will all of these players be representing?  Seven franchises – Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. – are preparing for the inaugural 2009 season, and the league is still aggressively pursuing additional markets for the launch year.

“For 2009, we are still actively talking to a few markets: San Diego, the Bay Area, Seattle to some degree and Cary, N.C.,” Antonucci said.  “They are all in play.  It’s not too late.”

While Antonucci believes eight is an optimal number of teams for 2009, she would like to see the league grow to 12 entries over the next few years.  Philadelphia has already signed a letter of intent to join WPS in 2010 and Atlanta is making a strong push to enter the league in its second season as well.

“Optimistically, we could be at 10 in 2010 and I think that would be good growth for us,” said Antonucci.

Karyn Lush is a regular contributor to womensprosoccer.com and can be reached at karyn.lush@womensprosoccer.com.  The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Women’s Professional Soccer or womensprosoccer.com.